BIO
Najas is the folk rock music project of Eugene, Oregon singer songwriter Myco Stassens.
Najas’ songs reach for oasis like the the water plants they’re named after, but end up lost in brown grass, wildfire smoke, and personal ghosts offering a dark respite of their own. Najas' storytelling spine draws from ghost stories and folklore, and its palette pulls from classic rock, the high lonesome sound, and American folk as Mike Seeger once defined it, all the music that fits between the cracks.
Najas released the single "Gift Horse" in July 2023, featuring Myco's niece and frequent collaborator Meadow Stassens on banjo and background vocals. The song was featured on Jefferson Public Radio, and Arizona Bay Music Company called the song "a testament to [Myco's] ability to craft vivid imagery".
Contact: najasband@gmail.com
Interview with Crooked Forest Canada
Review by Hype Machine-featured blog Here Comes The Flood
Review by Arizona Bay Music Company
"Gift Horse" Press Release
Folk Duo Najas’ First Single, “Gift Horse”, out on July 7
Powers, Oregon folk rock duo Najas released their debut single, “Gift Horse”, on July 7.
Najas is comprised of Myco Stassens (guitar, vocals) and niece Meadow Stassens (banjo, background vocals). Myco & Meadow live on a farm in Powers, Oregon and have been collaborating since they were kids. Gift Horse is a rock influenced cut about taking life for granted. It was recorded on Myco & Meadow’s farm, and mixed by Tyler Fortier at his Little Orange Room studio in Eugene. Although Myco & Meadow have been busy musicians for years, Gift Horse will be the first single under the Najas moniker and is accompanied by a music video. An acoustic sketch version of Gift Horse was released in February, with an accompanying visual.
Gift Horse is "hauntingly soulful", according to Arizona Bay Music Company, and Here Comes The Flood wrote that Najas' "voices blend together in a way that will strike a chord with fans of The Saxophones". The song has been featured on Jefferson Public Radio and Eugene's KRVM.
Najas’ influences include Neil Young, Nick Drake, and Elliott Smith. Growing up together, Myco & Meadow were inspired by bluegrass artists as well as a lifetime of farming and writing and telling ghost stories for fun as kids.
Gift Horse can be heard on all streaming platforms, and see the video at https://youtu.be/UvVOWlC4rng
www.najasband.com najasband@gmail.com IG: najasband
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