Bob Wagner, the Burlington, Vermont-based guitarist and vocalist who has made a name for himself via a decade-plus of sideman work, has announced the coming release of his debut solo album, I’ve Been Down, due out on June 12th via RPF Records/Royal Potato Family. The album’s announcement arrives alongside its first single, “Sad and Lonesome”, and comes as Wagner continues his first full tour as a guitarist for Mike Gordon (Phish).
Wagner’s first solo release has been a long time coming. During international tours with Josh Panda or his longtime run with Kat Wright, he explained, “A pretty regular thing that happens at shows is I end up doing a song or two on lead during the night [and] after the gigs, people were always coming up to me asking where they could see my band.”
On I’ve Been Down, Wagner confidently steps into the role of songwriter and bandleader. The album was recorded at The Studio Nashville — home to sessions by artists like The Wood Brothers, Seth Walker and Steve Poltz.
Per a press release, the album, recorded at The Studio Nashville, “reflects the influences of heroes and inspiration such as Kat Wright, The Wood Brothers, Sturgill Simpson, while remaining rooted in Wagner’s rich storytelling. The sessions were blessed with Nashville magic when Laur Joamets, Simpson’s Telecaster-playing fireball, dropped by to add guitar to three of the album’s tracks, and Oliver Wood and Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers were additionally enlisted.”
The ten-track collection’s first single, “Sad and Lonesome” is out now. While Wagner’s velvet voice maintains a country-soul texture throughout the song, the distorted, gritty counterpoint offered by guests Joamets (guitar) and Rix (keys) add novel intrigue to Bob’s forlorn cowboy lament. Stream it on platform of your choice here or hit play on the YouTube player below to listen.
Bob Wagner – “Sad and Lonesome”
Bob Wagner recently linked up with fellow Burlington, VT local Mike Gordon (Phish) as one of two guitarists in his new-look solo band. After debuting the new band lineup—which features both Wagner and Xavier Lynne (Ghost-Note, Jon Cleary) on guitar—in New Orleans during Jazz Fest 2026, Gordon recently hit the road for his first tour with his updated lineup.
As Gordon explained to Live For Live Music ahead of that New Orleans performance, “The thing about Bob is that Bob is just drenched in soul. It sounds cliché to say, but not all of the great musicians I get to play with have that as their thing—drenched in soul—both in the singing and playing. He’s got a lot of licks in him. He might not play as many notes in a guitar solo as some other people I play with, but they mean something emotional.”
Read our full 2025 interview with Mike Gordon on his new band here. Check out a list of upcoming Mike Gordon tour dates below. Find ticketing information here.
Bob Wagner On Tour as Guitarist with Mike Gordon:
3/19 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
3/20 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
3/21 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
3/22 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
3/24 – Washington, DC – Lincoln Theatre
3/26 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
3/27 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
3/28 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
3/29 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
3/30 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
