Judah & the Lion

Born in Nashville in 2011, Judah & the Lion formed around Judah Akers, Brian Macdonald, Nate Zuercher and Spencer Cross, who met at Belmont University; today the project continues as a duo with Akers and Macdonald. The band started from a foundation of folk, bluegrass and Americana, initially driven by banjo, mandolin and acoustic harmonies, then gradually broadened its language toward a more direct indie rock with elements of pop, hip‑hop and electropop. After the EPs First Fruits (2012) and Sweet Tennessee (2013), Judah & the Lion released Kids These Days in 2014, still firmly rooted in folk songwriting, and Folk Hop n’ Roll in 2016, an album that clearly marked the turn toward a mix of acoustic textures and more contemporary choruses. The group followed with Pep Talks (2019), Revival (2022) and The Process (2024), developing a more personal approach both thematically and in production. On stage, Judah & the Lion have moved between clubs, arenas and festivals, with appearances at Bonnaroo, Firefly, Governors Ball, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, and tours shared with Twenty One Pilots, Incubus, Jimmy Eat World and Kaleo. Judah & the Lion thus remains associated with a strand of American folk‑rock that gradually absorbed alternative and pop codes without severing its Nashville roots.