Alex Amen | Artist to Watch – July 2026

Hometown: The Gulf Coast of Texas.

Why He’s WXPN’s Artist To Watch: Alex Amen blew us away at NON-COMMvention 2026, when he performed in The Lounge at World Stage. WXPN contributor Ellen Miller said Amen “brought a country-life feeling to the big city” and channeled his “inner-John Denver” in his performance. The John Denver of it all is apropos: Amen’s parents used to play Denver’s greatest hits while the family road tripped from Texas to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains appeared on the horizon.

His debut album Sun of Amen dropped June 12. The 11-song track list features lush and unhurried sounds that serve as a backdrop to the 26 year old’s storytelling, which includes tales of loneliness, encounters in the wilderness, love found and lost, and the juxtaposition of expectations and reality.

You Might Know Him From: Amen has played some of the most iconic festivals despite having only released a handful of singles and EPs when he was booked. They include Pitchfork London, Newport Folk Festival, Austin City Limits, and our own NON-COMM.

Fun Fact: Amen sailed from Washington to Canada in the summer of 2025 on a sailboat he restored on his own.

Essential Tracks: “Cabin By The Sea,” “California Blues,” and “Diamonds.”

Catch Him Live: Amen doesn’t have any gigs in the Philly region planned any time soon, but if you can catch him at Tubby’s in Kingston, New York on July 24 and at Elsewhere Rooftop in Brooklyn on July 29.