“Goodbye, America” New Single by Refestramus

 

Credits and Album Cover for "Morri's Rock Boutique"

 Airport Incident After Festival Performance

Becomes Tipping Point for Politically-Charged New Release

Chicago-based progressive rock project Refestramus announces the release of its new single, “Goodbye, America,” arriving January 2, 2026. The song is an explicit political statement that confronts empire, sanctions, and moral blowback, drawing on mythology and lived experience to ask hard questions about power and accountability.

At the center of the song is Kashay Besmertny, a figure from Russian folklore whose “deathless” power comes from hiding his soul outside his own body. Derek uses him as a metaphor for empires that can no longer feel the human cost of their actions.

Refestramus returned to the United States from Heathrow Airport in November after performing at the UK progressive rock festival HRH Prog 15, where the band performed with acclaimed progressive musicians including David Jackson (of classic prog act Van der Graaf Generator) and Alex Hutchings from Steven Wilson’s touring band.

Following the performance, Refestramus founder Derek Ferguson was involved in a routine customer-service dispute at Heathrow that escalated when a comment about documenting the interaction online was recorded as “threatening.” No safety or security incident occurred, but the experience proved formative.

“What struck me wasn’t the inconvenience,” Ferguson says. “It was how quickly ordinary speech can now be reclassified as ‘threatening’ in environments shaped by preemptive harm-prevention frameworks that can unintentionally normalize intimidating behavior within authority structures. In combination with similar dynamics playing out elsewhere, you realize how easily systems meant to protect people end up allowing some people to exercise power over others.”

Ferguson adds that the moment resonated precisely because it echoed concerns closer to home, “not across borders.”

The band stresses that the incident itself is not the story, but rather a real-world illustration of the themes explored in “Goodbye, America,” which addresses the human cost of sanctions, displacement, and moral distance.

Lyrics include:
Mothers left out on the street,
Your sanctions left no food to eat.
America, the things you do —
I see now they’re coming back to you.

“Goodbye America” features Octarine Sky’s Jan Christiana (vocals, keyboards, guitars, and bass) and Dyanne Potter Voegtlin (keyboards and vocals), and bandleader/writer Derek Ferguson (drums).

“Goodbye, America” is the central movement of a longer ten-minute composition on the forthcoming album “Morri’s Rock Boutique” titled “Deathless,” which uses the Kashay myth to trace how unchecked power ultimately consumes even those who wield it.

“Goodbye, America” will be released as a standalone single on January 2, 2026. The album “Morri’s Rock Boutique,” which is produced by Ian Beabout, follows on March 20, 2026.  

“Deathless” will be available on streaming media on March 6.

Fan Link  https://fanlink.tv/goodbyeAmerica

“Goodbye, America” lyrics

By Refestramus

So many people died, and what was it all for?

The parts they played in America's war.

Our lives are prisons – we will never be free,

And our cells are made with magic

that’s so strong you cannot see.

As if taken by Kashay Besmertny,

America you’ve gotten so hard to see.

It seems as if with every war,

You vanished just a little more.

Mothers left out on the street.

Your sanctions left no food to eat.

America, the things you do

I see now are coming back to you.

C 2026 Derek Ferguson/Refestramus Music Publishing (ASCAP), All Rights Reserved

About Refestramus:
Refestramus is a Chicago-based progressive rock project blending literate songwriting, political reflection, and classic prog influences. The band’s work explores power, memory, displacement, and moral responsibility in an increasingly rule-saturated world.

For more information:
https://refestramus.com
https://refestramus.bandcamp.com

The Yardbirds On Tour This March

Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Yardbirds will be touring this March.

March 14: The Tin Pan, Richmond, VA

March 16: Ram's Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD

March 21: Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA

March 22: Boulton Center for the Arts, Bay Shore, NY

March 26 & 27: Flower Power Cruise

The Yardbirds’ co-founder Jim McCarty continues to lead this ground-breaking British Invasion Rock band that provides the crucial link between the Blues, British R&B, Psychedelic Rock, and Heavy Metal, while pioneering the use of innovations like fuzztone, feedback and distortion. This drummer, singer, songwriter, and producer is said to be one of the driving forces responsible for the band's haunting sound.

Since the birth of the band from 1963 to 1968, to its 1992 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Yardbirds have been revered for the legendary guitarists who have contributed to the band's history including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page all ranked in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time (#35, #5, and #3 respectively). 

Originally a Blues-based band noted for their signature "rave-up" instrumental jams covering Blues classics like Howlin Wolf’s “Smokestack Lighting” and  Bo Diddley’s “I’m a Man,” the Yardbirds later broadened their range into Pop, pioneered Psychedelic Rock, early Hard Rock / Heavy Metal, and contributed to many electric guitar innovations marking those musical genres.  The band had a string of hits in the mid-1960s including "For Your Love," "Heart Full of Soul," "Shapes of Things," and "Over Under Sideways Down." 

Celebrating his 30^th year as a Yardbird, Lead Singer John Idan has lent his distinct vocals to the sound of the band since their reformation, showcased on the classic 2003 “Birdland” album with guest appearances from Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Slash, and Brian May. Rounding out the current line-up of top musicians is lead guitarist Godfrey Townsend (John Entwistle, Alan Parsons, Todd Rundgren, Ann Wilson of Heart, Christopher Cross, Dave Mason and Musical Director of the Turtles' Happy Together Tour), bassist Kenny Aaronson (Bob Dylan, Billy Idol, Rick Derringer, Brian Setzer, Dave Edmonds and Joan Jett), percussionist, harmonica and background vocals Myke Scavone (the Doughboys, Ram Jam). The current band has recently completed work on an upcoming live album, “Mind the Gap,” soon to be released.

 “The band’s hallmark of top-notch musicianship remains. There are no passengers in this band.”                     -Goldmine Magazine

Here's a downloadable flier to share

John Hall - Lessons

John Hall has a new music video, "Lessons." It's a co-write with Johanna Hall & Jonell Mosser Official.

Great story with the hook, "I'll be a genius before long."

#blues #reclaimingmytime #newmusic #musicvideo #Gratitudes

Phoebe Legere's Heart of Love Album

Heart of Love is Phoebe Legere’s 17th collection of original songs; she continues to build on her legendary reputation as an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, storyteller and artist.

Studs Terkel at NPR called Phoebe Legere “an American original” whose “beautiful voice will take your breath away.”

Phoebe Legere, from an Acadian/Cajun and Native American family, has been playing Americana with “La Famille Legere Band” since she was five years old. Her cousin Ray Legere, a Canadian bluegrass/acoustic fiddling and mandolin legend, joins her on this album.

Heart of Love album is a paean to freedom from the outlaw ecstasy of life on the road to the changes in relationships. Legere writes songs that are folk-country tall tales. Legere twists grief into humor and counters existential angst with a whoop of joy. The song “Heart of Love” is about being on the road, and “Men From Boys” is the freedom to choose an inspirational loved one. “Hello Friday,” which features Phoebe’s powerful piano chops, is the freedom we all need to enjoy the weekend.

Legere deals with family, romance, disillusion, birth, homecoming and death, such as “Mama,” “Brother (Love Is Everywhere),” and “NY Nightmare.”

Her French-English “Cajun Moon” begins with Legere singing a chanson about a woman in a hurricane; then she suddenly changes the channel to spin a yarn about riding an alligator while making love and drinking bourbon out of a to-go cup! “OK Cupid” is a song about computer dating with a surprising twist.

Legere’s Native American heritage is the basis for much of her flashing nature imagery: In “Blue Canoe Blues,” we hear her singing in Abenaki, the language of her ancestors.

On “Wrong Honky Tonk,” Legere plays masterful honky tonk piano throughout, and wields her accordion like a spiritual sword.

Phoebe brings it home on Hank Williams’ classic song, “Jambalaya,” adding new lyrics and some French singing to the song.

Known for her singing, and piano and accordion playing, Legere’s down-to-earth Lightnin’ Hopkins-influenced blues guitar playing can be heard on the Heart of Love album. She has surrounded herself with some of the best musicians in the business including Dave Malachowski (Guitar, Savoy Brown Blues Band, Shania Twain), Eric McDonald (Mandolin), Ray Legere (violin), Paul Smitty Smith (Lap Steel Guitar), Rob Mitzner (drums), and Dae Bennett (background vocals).

Legere’s voice goes easily from a “soprano of winsome sweetness” to a “low down blues growl.”

Legere has performed thousands of shows, from Country Fairs to NPR, from Folk Festivals to the Pow Wow circuit, from Songwriter Circles to a CBS Sunday Morning feature about winning First Runner-Up in “America’s Hottest Accordionist Contest” in Branson, MO. Her live performances have included opening for David Bowie’s National Tour, and recently for Activist signer-songwriter John Hall, and blues greats The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Martin Barre (Jethro Tull guitarist).

Phoebe Legere’s previous radio hits have included: “Trust Me,” “Marilyn Monroe,” and “Amazing Love.”

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www.PhoebeLegere.org
www.twitter.com/legere

For more information or tax-deductible donations, please mail:  Foundation for New American Art, 224 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003.  
Visit:  www.foundationfornewamericanart.org