Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster

Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster isn’t only one of our greatest songwriters; he’s also one of our greatest empaths. This ability to access deceptively simple moments and turn them into epiphanies about kindness and wonder and human communion sets him apart from a world of songwriters whose only interest is the slick image or the well-crafted turn of phrase. His songs are reminiscent of William Eggleston’s photos, in that there’s a whole entire mysterious world under the surface, a story under every rock left unturned and every slash of light, behind every character we meet, every indecisive mother, every haunted figure on the edges of the song, behind every lesson his unnamed narrators impart to us.

Formerly of the Misra bands Theodore and Water Liars, Kinkel-Schuster now has a successful solo career.