Brian Revels
“[Revels] sings in a voice that recalls the reckless, fire-in-the-gut energy of a pre-sobriety Jason Isbell.”
Brian Revels is energy and angst in a comet trail of music that is as perceptive as it is entertaining.
His observations of Americana ring with authenticity.
Revels lives in Rochester, NY, where he’s put down roots with his wife, Jenna, but he cut his teeth as a wily veteran of the Atlanta, Georgia, music scene. Before forming his current ensemble, The Heat Lightning, he helped build the folk trio, City Mouse, into a regional force. Throughout his tenure as a songwriter, he has shared stages with acts like The Steeldrivers, Parker Milsap, The Whiskey Gentry, Faye Webster, River Whyless, Steve Poltz, Family & Friends, and Cory Branan.
Brian Revels & The Heat Lightning made their streaming debut on 2020’s “Jasper County Blues” which Immersive Atlanta called “a collection of stories set between the opening of saloon doors and the desperation of last call.”
The band is currently working on their sophomore release, The United States of Struggle, including the standout single “Pure White Trash,” which is receiving praise and garnering a new level of fandom on and off the algorithm.
Revels draws from folk, blues, country, and bluegrass, is an alternative to them all, and a better man for their influences. He’s a multi-instrumentalist and a natural-born storyteller with a poetic edge. The hole he’s worn in his guitar is not as large as the one he’s worn in his heart with the care of the lives he hopes he can redeem one song at a time. His timeless musicality will touch your soul with the drama and significance of love lost and regained, of the human frailty that reduces and yet ennobles each of us.
— Papa Jack Couch, Songwriter
Videos
Recent Releases
“Raining in Rochester” (2026)
The Heat Lightning settled down for this rainy-day love song that most prominently features a simple acoustic guitar and some pedal steel. Every line sketches a picture of a stubborn love, determined to close the gap in a long-distance relationship.
“Daydreaming” (2025)
The Heat Lightning has never sounded hotter than this foray into Americana-meets-doo-wop.
“Daydreaming,” is dripping with syrupy Stratocaster riffs, heavenly backing vocals, and love lines that anybody would be happy to steal for a second date.
This song, as well as the album it’s on, was inspired by Brian’s relationship with his wife Jenna, whom he met in Chicago in 2022 and married in Georgia in 2025. She lends her angelic tones to the backing vocals and her silhouette to the album art.