From the Mojave Desert to Nashville: LR Baggs Premieres Exclusive Video with GRAMMY-Nominated Rival Sons Frontman Jay Buchanan
Session Showcases His Solo Music and Custom LR Baggs M1 Active Pickup
Nashville, TN, February 19, 2026 — LR Baggs, a leader in acoustic pickup and amplification technology, today announces an exclusive live session featuring GRAMMY-nominated Rival Sons frontman Jay Buchanan, spotlighting his solo project, stories behind the music, and the performance capabilities of a custom-made, all-black M1 Active pickup paired with the LR Baggs Venue DI.
The series captures Buchanan’s intimate acoustic versions of select songs from his debut solo album Weapons of Beauty using a Gibson acoustic outfitted with a custom black M1 Active, a personalized version of LR Baggs’ renowned pickup designed to deliver clarity, feedback resistance, and a pure, performance-ready acoustic signal. In this riveting session, Jay recounts writing the project in solitude in the Mojave Desert and then reuniting with nine-time GRAMMY Award-winning producer Dave Cobb to record it in Nashville.
“Amplifying an acoustic is an uphill battle, and what makes LR Baggs different is the innovation,” says Buchanan. “Lloyd’s vision for always wanting to do it better…that’s the constant for LR Baggs. I’m using a custom M1A that the team made for me. I have three versions: black, tortoiseshell, and wood grain. I’m on deck with a rock and roll band. I don’t need to sound like Leo Kottke. I just need the guitar to sound like a guitar, and I need it to be resistant to feedback.
"That’s what this is all about, and these are really amazing pickups—the clarity and everything. These are brilliant.”
Filmed in an intimate setting, the performance highlights Buchanan’s dynamic vocal delivery, stripped-down arrangements, and the responsive, natural tone achieved through the custom M1 Active and Venue DI, a signal chain designed to translate the full emotional and sonic character of his guitar directly to stage and recording environments.
Video Release Schedule
Full Session Premiere | Thursday, February 19 | 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
“Caroline” (single edit) | Friday, February 20 | 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
“Sway” (single edit) | Friday, February 20 | 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
About LR Baggs
LR Baggs is a leading designer and manufacturer of acoustic guitar pickups, microphones, preamps, and signal processing gear trusted by musicians worldwide. Founded by master luthier Lloyd Baggs, the company is dedicated to capturing the true voice of acoustic instruments through innovative technology, precision engineering, and musician-driven design. From stage to studio, LR Baggs products are relied upon by touring professionals, recording artists, and performers seeking natural tone, feedback resistance, and performance-ready reliability. For more information, visit www.lrbaggs.com.
About Jay Buchanan
Known for his towering vocals, preacher-like presence, and razor-sharp songwriting, Jay Buchanan stands tall among the breakthrough vocalists of the last two decades.
He is just as comfortable singing with Jason Isbell or The Bee Gees, Miranda Lambert, Massive Attack, The Bloody Beetroots, or Brandi Carlile as with the arena rock band he is usually known for. His voice remains his signature instrument: powerful, earthen, and impossibly expressive, a gritty echo of the California mountains themselves.
A frequent collaborator with longtime friend and nine-time GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Cobb, Buchanan has written for film soundtracks and other projects, equally at home co-creating as he is fronting one of America’s foremost rock bands, Rival Sons. His swaggering style and humble approach have earned him fans worldwide, yet anyone who has met him knows there’s far more to this singer-songwriter than the archetypal rock-star image. For more information, visit: www.weaponsofbeauty.com.
