Article Contributed by One In A Million Media
Published on 2026-03-27
Bandits on the Run are truly living up to what they call their “ethos of artmaking” on their new album, Rough Magic, through innovative arrangements, instrument swapping, the broad scope of emotions and experiences conveyed in their songwriting, and an eclectic group of old friends and collaborators.
With rotating lead vocals and varied instrumentation, Adrian Blake Enscoe (guitar & suitcase drum), Sydney Shepherd (cello), and Regina Strayhorn (accordion) combine to evoke the ’60s and ’70s spirit of bands like Fleetwood Mac while also carrying the sonic inventiveness of modern folk power-pop acts like First Aid Kit and Bonnie Light Horsemen, and trios like I’m With Her. Featuring impeccable harmonies and elevated songwriting so strong they make the balancing act seem simple, the NYC-based trio’s sophomore full-length, Rough Magic, is about friends — how we connect with them (or fail to), how we fight with them, and, most importantly, how we love them. It is a celebration of what’s possible when making something from nothing with your nearest and dearest. Relationships, old and new, are the heart of this LP.
“The cheat code for us has always been that if you surround yourself with good people, chances are the art will be something you’re proud of,” Strayhorn shares. “And we are so incredibly proud of Rough Magic.”
The song strips away the band’s frequent kaleidoscope of instrumentation to the bare essentials — just guitar and three vocals, their rawest selves speaking straight to the listener.
“‘Rough Magic’ is a message to slow down, release, and trust the timing is just right to share what’s inside you. And that those who see your magic will be there sharing in it with you. And what better thing could one dream up than that?”
Produced by William Garrett (Electracraft, lead producer Spotify Singles) and engineered by Carl Bespolka (Live at Electric Lady), Rough Magic was recorded over the course of three seasons in 2025 — in part at THUMP Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, but primarily in a tucked-away house in the Catskill Mountains, a few hours north of New York City. The sounds from that cozy house in the mountains are woven into the songs themselves. The reverb of the living room, the birdsong out the window, the babbling brook down the road, the car in the driveway, and even the murmur of peepers (little frogs that live in upstate streams and ponds) all found their way as musique concrète into Rough Magic. Enscoe explains, “For this album, we were inspired to capture the environment around us and honor the house where so many of these songs were written.”
Born from a chance encounter at an NYC subway station, Bandits on the Run take their harmony-driven collectivist folk-pop with them wherever they go, inviting us all to be on the run with them. Their three-part harmonies have filled iconic venues while opening for The Wood Brothers on their 2025 East Coast tour, and they have appeared on the main stages at Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, Michigan’s Blissfest, and more. Their songs have been featured by NPR’s Tiny Desk and The Moth Story Slam, as well as in Netflix’s Ask the StoryBots and the feature film The Same Storm. Their theatrical indie-folk lends itself especially well to storytelling, and their work adapting text for a musical production of As You Like It later became their EP, The Shakespeare Tapes. On the heels of Rough Magic’s release, Bandits on the Run will support Alan Doyle on his coast-to-coast U.S. tour in 2026 and perform at festivals including Kerrville Folk Festival and Sisters Folk Festival. Never far from their theatrical roots, they are also creating the stage musical adaptation of the novel What’s Eating Gilbert Grape with actor-musician and longtime friend Christopher Sears and newfound friend, Academy Award nominee Peter Hedges.
“This album would not have happened without the support of people who believe in what Banditry is all about,” Shepherd states. “Each step of the way, the people who surround us have been so generous with their time, talent, money, and spirit.” Enscoe adds, “When we listen to these tracks, we feel all the love our chosen family has poured into this record. And we feel the pull of chosen family yet to come that these songs will draw us towards.”
“We hope that this album is a reminder that something can be made from nothing, a chance encounter can become your greatest hope, and there is always a curve coming down the road,” Strayhorn concludes. “We hope this record keeps you curious. Just never lose sight of the Rough Magic shining through us all.”
