New Music: John Mailander’s Forecast Announces New EP Little Wheel // Hope Looming
NASHVILLE — Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist John Mailander and his visionary collective, Forecast, have announced the independent release of their new 3-track EP, Little Wheel // Hope Looming, arriving May 8, 2026. (Dreamspider Publicity, 2026)
Following their 2025 full-length album Let The World In, this latest offering marks a poignant exploration of historical cycles, post-rock textures, and adventurous improvisation.
The Tracklist: A Study in Light and Dark
The EP clocks in at 13 minutes and 18 seconds, weaving together a potent mix of vocal urgency and instrumental atmosphere:
- “Little Wheel Spin And Spin” (Buffy Sainte-Marie cover)
- “Hope, Looming” (Original instrumental)
- “(turnstile)” (Ambient sample piece)
Breaking the Cycle: “Little Wheel Spin And Spin”
The EP opens with a timely rendition of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s 1966 classic, featuring guest Kristina Train on lead vocals. Recorded just days before the U.S. entered the conflict with Iran, the track serves as a chilling commentary on the “war machine.”
“It’s chilling to me how relevant these lyrics are today,” says Mailander. “I think our version, and Kristina’s delivery… is felt with a renewed urgency, anger, and resistance… We turned it into a jam vehicle for group improvisation.”
The B-Side: “Hope, Looming”
Inspired by post-rock giants like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Ros, this instrumental piece explores the “grey areas” of emotion. It serves as a tonal counterweight to the opening track, a slow-building crescendo meant to signal a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
The Coda: “(turnstile)”
The project is tied together by an unsettling yet hopeful ambient piece, featuring a manipulated sample of a train station turnstile layered over synth improvisations.
Meet The Forecast
Recorded live at Southern Ground Studio by Dan Davis, the ensemble features some of the finest players in the Nashville scene:
| Musician | Instrument(s) |
| John Mailander | Fiddle, Piano, Electronics |
| Ethan Jodziewicz | Upright & Electric Bass |
| Chris Lippincott | Pedal Steel Guitar, Wurlitzer |
| Dean Miller | Tenor Saxophone |
| Mark Raudabaugh | Drums, Percussion |
| Jake Stargel | Acoustic guitar |
About John Mailander
Beyond leading Forecast, Mailander is a prolific collaborator and a current member of Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers.
A Berklee College of Music alumnus, his fiddle and multi-instrumental work have graced recordings by a “who’s who” of modern music, including:
- Billy Strings (The Grammy-winning Home)
- Noah Kahan
- Dermot Kennedy
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Lucy Dacus
Moving to Nashville in 2015, Mailander formed Forecast to step outside the bounds of bluegrass and explore themes inspired by film scores and jazz-fusion greats like the Pat Metheny Group.
Little Wheel // Hope Looming is available on all major streaming platforms May 8, 2026.
SA Examiner 