RIYL: Noah Kahan, Bon Iver, Big Thief, Nathaniel Rateliff, Citizen Cope, Bob Dylan, Elliott Smith, Ed Sheeran, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Bright Eyes

Blake Ian Launches Under The Influence
A Year of Covers, Released as Artist-Focused Albums

After 27 years of releasing only original music, singer-songwriter Blake Ian is unveiling his first collection of covers, and doing it unlike any covers record before. Under The Influence arrives not as one record but as a year-long series of artist and theme focused albums: one roughly every four weeks beginning October 2026, each devoted to the songbooks of the artists who shaped him: Bob Dylan, Nirvana, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Elliott Smith, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty and more, culminating in the complete 77-song anthology.

The covers are deconstructions of the originals. Epic rock songs like Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” and The Killers’ “All These Things That I Have Done” are stripped down to solo acoustic performances, while soft-spoken songs like Elliott Smith’s “2:45 AM” and Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up” are rebuilt as powerful full-band electric versions. The project spans a vast array of genres and features collaborators from around the globe: New York and Los Angeles, Costa Rica, Budapest, Brazil and South Korea. Seven decades of songs, all in a new light.

Blake in the Don’t Think Twice documentary.

The series opens on October 30, 2026 with the Don’t Think Twice Album: Ten Bob Dylan reinterpretations, including a new studio recording of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” and the original live recording from the famous Westbury Music Fair, Long Island’s theater in the round. It arrives the same day as Blake’s short documentary of the same name, Don’t Think Twice. Filmed at Peter Tunney’s art gallery in an intimate, sit-down interview setting and interwoven with archival performance footage, the film gives the songs a face and a voice, with Blake reflecting on the artists who shaped him, opening up about his mental health, and facing the anxiety of performing in the round at the famous Westbury venue.

Peter Tunney’s original Don’t Think Twice painting, featured in the film.

The documentary features acclaimed New York artist Peter Tunney, interviewed on camera, who painted the original Don’t Think Twice canvas, a dense, layered Dylan collage that anchors the film and gives the project its visual signature. Releasing the album and the film together turns a covers release into a cultural moment, one story told in two forms: the songs, and the man who reinterpreted them. It hands press a narrative hook no ordinary release has, and anchors the whole series to its most personal chapter, the centerpiece of the campaign.

The “Paranoid Android” Music Video

Stills from the “Paranoid Android” music video.

The fourth album, Paranoid Android (the Radiohead songbook), arrives in January 2027 with a full animated music video for the title track, a powerful solo acoustic version of Radiohead’s epic rock song: a surreal recreation of the artist’s studio built around Blake’s performance, filmed in the same room that houses Peter Tunney’s Don’t Think Twice painting. These aren’t novelties; they’re the songs that taught Blake how to write, reheard in his own hands.

The series is distributed worldwide by Too Lost and will be available across all major streaming platforms; the “Paranoid Android” video premieres on Vevo, Apple Music, and Tidal.

About Blake Ian

With over 25 years of folk-rock mastery under his belt, performing since the age of 14, Blake Ian’s music delves deep into the human condition, exploring mental health, fear, and love with unparalleled depth and sincerity. With three full-length albums and a multitude of singles and EPs to his credit, Ian has shared stages with icons including Rock and Roll Hall of Famers such as Eric Burdon & The Animals, Kenny Loggins, Donovan, Steve Miller Band, Leon Russell, and Christopher Cross, as well as Daughtry and Gin Blossoms. Under The Influence is his first covers release.

Release Schedule

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