Journos

Journos is the unlikely collaboration of punk-pedigreed guitarist Ryan Abbott and blue-collar balladeer Bryan Russo. Abbott cut his teeth on the boardwalks and basement bars of Ocean City, MD. His teenage hustle turned into a genre-spanning musical education. From punk tours with The Phantom Limbs, to studio musician, to Spotify-approved acoustic gems. He has worked in reggae, soul, funk, and folk; and somehow managed to write a mini rock opera about the Elephant Man along the way. Russo carved his own lane in the Mid-Atlantic with six albums, a journalist’s eye for detail, and voice that’s drawn comparisons to Billy Joel and Tom Waits. His 2018 solo album was a finalist in the Great American Song Contest, and Journos’ songs won a 2023 SAW award for Best Rock/Alternative song, and Honorable Mention for Best Americana Song. He’s a “songwriter’s songwriter” or just a guy who is still grinding. As journalists reporting on real stories shaping American life, their frontline perspective bleeds into every song: Small-town discontent, political whiplash, love in the wreckage: Journos delivers with urgency and soul. Their debut In The Key of WTF! earned play on radio nationwide, and their new material from The Burning Question, pushes deeper into the fire. “Journos has that rare ability to make a statement while at the same time remaining entertaining...Journos stands up and counts for something.” - Malcolm Burn, Grammy Award-winning producer, radio host 107.9 FM Kingston, NY