"New Earth Farmers Return With "Cure For The Late Bloom," Their Newest Album"
(Artist Report)
Written by: Cody Denning
Today we are diving into the sounds from the New Earth Farmers, a California roots-rock collective, bringing together a soulful sound that blends Americana, folk-rock, funk and British rock influences. Coming out of the hopper with a somewhat psychedelic sound. The band released their fourth studio album, Cure For The Late Bloom, on September 25th. Moreover this group has been creating music and performing since the late 90s under many different Monikers.
The story truly begins back in 1997, when founding members Paul Michael Knowles and Nicole Storto met at a record store in Tempe, Arizona. The two found deep chemistry and started building the band, performing briefly as "Drowning Noah" before changing the name to Mars Arizona in the year 2000. Based in San Francisco, the alt-country act was active from 2002 to 2010 and released four albums on Big Barn Records including, Love Songs for the Apocalypse, All Over the Road, Hello Cruel World, and High Desert.
After years performing and releasing a score of material the band took some time off, returning as New American Farmers in 2012. The very next year they released Brand New Day, followed by The Farmacology Sessions in 2014. The bands sound truly evolved throughout this time, bringing in new elements and guest performers, including violist Alisa Rose and guitarist Dave Zirbel.
Sometime around 2020, the band rebranded into New Earth Farmers solidifying their core line up, with Paul Michael Knowles on vocals, guitar, bass and keys, Nicole Storto on vocals and guitar, and Nigel Twist on drums. Nigel is well known for his work as the original founding drummer for the band "The Alarm". They are often joined by James DePrato on guitar and lap steel, Kevin T. White and Jeff LeGore on bass, and Melissa Phillips-DePrato on harmony vocals, making for a big sound that can go anywhere. The name change was about expanding horizons beyond boarders and helped launch the band to new audiences.
During the pandemic era they quickly got to work releasing their debut LP as New Earth Farmers, Into The Great Unknown (2021), with cover art of an astronaut leaving the solar system, a nod to pandemic-era isolation. The Good Ones Got Away followed in March 2023, and The Sky From The Underground arrived in late 2024, pulling further from Americana toward British-influenced indie rock sound.
Knowles has described their approach as song-driven: "The song drives the treatment and genre of each track." He says the band puts lyrics first in an era where style and hipness often come first, with songs that ask questions, praise empathy and love, acknowledging the world while seeking peace of mind.
That’s it for this report! You can find tour dates and music on the bands website ( New Earth Farmers ) Share this report and support the work we are doing at Soundwave by donating! Thank you for reading.
Music Video
Share This story.
(Sources)
Website/EPK/Contact,
Spotify,
Youtube,
Meta,
Americana Highways,
Twangville,
East Bay Express,
Glide Magazine,
The Alarm,
Bandcamp,
Wikipedia,
PLAYBACK 30
Every month we put together a playback playlist with a song from each report and bring it to you. listen to the all the incredible artist we report on and subscribe on Youtube!
If you want to support the team and everything we do here at Soundwave, consider donating to The Soundwave Foundation!
Our donor base keeps us truly independent and free—no paywalls on any of our content, no corporate strings attached. Your support lets us stay focused on what matters: delivering daily coverage of the great music being made today, preserving the history that got us here, and expanding with more shows, interviews, live broadcasts, and deep dives into indie and alternative rock. Every contribution—big or small—helps fuel our growth and ensures this space remains open and accessible for fans and artists alike. Donations are tax-deductible through our nonprofit partnership with Fractured Atlas.