LISTEN TO JACOB ROUNTREE'S LATEST RELEASES AND RECORDINGS
LEARN ABOUT "GRACE"
"Jacob Rountree’s new single, “Grace,” feels like a decade-long exhale, finally leaving his chest. Written ten years ago and now released as the opening chapter of his fourth album, the Bozeman multi-instrumentalist turns grief, memory, and family into something that weaves between indie-folk confession and quietly pulsing EDM meditation. Whether you hear it on a late-night festival stage or alone on headphones in the dark, it hits just as hard.
“Grace” took shape in Rountree’s home studio, where he handled most the instrumentation, production and mastering, bringing in Zach McKinley for only the final guitar textures. That total control makes the production feel seamless, with every element breathing around the lyric instead of crowding it. You can hear echoes of Pink Floyd’s spaciousness and Bon Iver’s intimacy.
After Truth or Dare was buzzed for Grammy consideration and crowned his hometown’s best album, “Grace” feels like Rountree leveling up again, turning loss into a danceable benediction and proving that healing can, in fact, have a beat."
- ILLUSTRATE MAGAZINE
In the weathered alpine embrace of Bozeman, Montana, Jacob Rountree has quietly been forging one of the most compelling voices in contemporary indie-folk. By the time his third release, Truth or Dare (September 2024), arrived, Rountree had already proven himself a fearless explorer—blending the poetic introspection of philosophy and quantum physics with the warm, family-hug intimacy of his live performances. Yet nothing prepared listeners for the quantum leap this EP represents.
Where earlier works like "The Common Hour" and "As I See It" offered hypnotic, moody meditations that drew comparisons to Bob Dylan meeting Pink Floyd, Truth or Dare bursts open the doors. It is, without question, Rountree’s most professional, polished, and adventurous project to date. World-class arrangements and production elevate every track into something radio-competitive, while the emotional range feels both intimate and universal.
The album opens and closes with pure celebration—danceable, joyful anthems like “Open Road” and “Tip of the Scale” that capture the thrill of chasing dreams down the highway and dancing through the rain. Sandwiched between them sit the signature Rountree moods: tender love in “Small Hands,” reflective distance in “First Avenue,” and cosmic wonder in the weighted track “e·mer·gence.” At the center pulses the title track itself—a luminous anthem of resilience and possibility. “Though times will be tough, all are not,” Rountree sings, inviting us to “dare to dream” and return the mind to wild freedom. It is a song of hope wrapped in poetic simplicity, the kind that lingers long after the final chord fades.
Critics and fans alike have responded with the enthusiasm this masterpiece deserves: Grammy consideration ballots, Bozeman’s “Best Album of 2025” crown, and the kind of word-of-mouth buzz that turns listeners into lifelong believers. There is truly a song here for everyone—excitement for the feet, depth for the heart, and wonder for the mind.
Truth or Dare is more than an EP; it is the sound of an artist stepping fully into his light, daring the world to dream alongside him. For anyone seeking music that comforts, challenges, and celebrates in equal measure, this is the one you’ve been waiting for. Press play, and let the open road take you home
Truth or Dare: A Critic’s Ode to Bold Evolution and Unyielding Hope
