Miller Tracy just dropped a cocktail of folk-rock mystique with his new single, “With John”. This track moves with a dark energy before erupting into a full-blown rock and roll séance. Released on October 31, the date itself a perfect omen, this song builds tension and mixes disparate influences into a sound that is entirely, and powerfully, his own.
Tracy, a former competitive swimmer who traded Olympic dreams for the grittier pursuit of blues and rock, guides his Alabama roots and Nashville chops into something special here. He credits the track’s genesis to a deep dive into the arpeggiated wizardry of Buddy Miles’ “I Still Love You, Anyway” and the smooth, foundational vibes of James Taylor. But don’t let that folky pedigree fool you. What Tracy constructs from these building blocks is a verse melody that’s less campfire singalong and more like a hypnotist’s pendulum—eerie, enchanting, and utterly captivating. It’s the kind of intricate guitar work that pulls you in close, only to have the song’s broader rock ambitions hit you.
The track’s dark, lyrical heart was snatched straight from the rock and roll ether, specifically a line from The Beatles’ “Cry Baby Cry” by John Lennon. That mention of a “séance in the dark” unlocked a whole thematic universe for Tracy, who was already knee-deep in concepts of meditation, ego dissolution, and transcendence. This is a psychic exploration, an attempt to communicate with spirits, the past, or maybe just the parts of ourselves we’ve buried. It’s heady, mystical stuff, but Tracy grounds it in a sound that swells with an “ardent rock-ready allure.”
Bringing this vision to life was a reunion with his old Nashville crew, specifically producer and bassist Parker McAnnally of the band The Prescriptions. This collaboration is key. You can bet McAnnally’s low-end provides the crucial, walking bassline foundation that Tracy was so mesmerized by in his influences, locking in a groove that gives the song its relentless, forward-driving pulse. This is a songwriter who has found his tribe and his voice.
“With John” shows Miller Tracy fully realising the potent alchemy of his influences—the fingerpicking finesse, the raw blues power, the searing rock energy, and a lyrical fearlessness that isn’t afraid of the dark. Plug in, close your eyes, and let the spirits take over.
Miller Tracy Socials: Instagram