With bold, witty lyricism that brings you to that liminal space between laughter and tears, Theo Kandel continues to delight listeners young and old, leaving his own fingerpicking-saturated musical fingerprint as he goes. Originally from New York City, he spent six years honing his chops in Nashville before moving to Los Angeles, where he’s currently based. 'The Painters (Friends Version)' is an upbeat song filled with carefree lyrics that evoke summer road trips and late nights with friends belting out tunes by Counting Crows or The Eagles. “We wanted to pay homage to the feel-good music of past decades while rooting it in the modern age,” says Theo. “It’s a song for driving down the coast with the windows down, then finding a spot on the beach and cracking open a nice cold beer.” This new version features Jordy Searcy, a Louisiana-born, California-based singer/songwriter known for his stunning lyrics and vocals. As they embark on their Fall 2024 tour together, this collaboration brings a fresh perspective to a beloved track. "I've had the best time with Jordy on tour – our fingerpicking styles on the guitar are super complementary, and I figured, what the heck! Why not have Jordy sing and play on my funnest song. We made the arrangement a bit more chill than the original recording, and I think it works really well. Promoting and playing it every night on tour!"