THORNS & ROSES GETS 5 STAR REVIEW

Big news for Eric Jerardi’s new single “Thorns & Roses.”

Immersive Audio Album gave the track a 5-star review, calling it:

“Dark, soulful & deeply atmospheric.”

This is the second single from Eric’s upcoming album The Game, and it continues the momentum we’ve been seeing around this project — Apple Music’s New in Rock support, radio play, Dolby Atmos recognition, and now this incredible review from IAA.

“Thorns & Roses” has a special kind of mood to it. It’s emotional, cinematic, and soulful — the kind of song that keeps revealing more the deeper you listen.

Huge thanks to Immersive Audio Album for the support and for recognizing the work going into this record.

Listen to “Thorns & Roses” now.

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ERIC JERARDI RETURNS WITH “THORNS & ROSES,” THE SECOND SINGLE FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM THE GAME

Apple Music Adds Jerardi to New in Rock for the Second Consecutive Single as “Setting Sun” Continues to Build Momentum Across Radio, Press and Video

DAYTON, OHIO — 8.21.26 — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Blues-rock guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Eric Jerardi releases “Thorns & Roses,” the second single from his forthcoming album The Game, due October 30. The new track follows the growing momentum of Jerardi’s first single, “Setting Sun,” and marks the second consecutive single from The Game to be added by Apple Music to its New in Rock playlist.

The back-to-back Apple Music support arrives as “Setting Sun” continues to build a larger story across radio, press, video and immersive audio. The single has been played on more than 50 radio stations across Americana, AAA, college and blues radio, while its official music video received a world premiere through Vintage Guitar Magazine, placing Jerardi in front of one of the most influential guitar-focused audiences in music media.

Adding to that momentum, Immersive Audio Album (IAA) selected “Setting Sun” as one of The Best Dolby Atmos Songs of Summer 2026, honoring the track’s immersive Dolby Atmos presentation and placing Jerardi alongside a notable group of artists that includes Peter Gabriel, the Grateful Dead, David Bowie and others featured on IAA’s exclusive ten-track summer list.

“Any time your name is mentioned in the same conversation as artists like Peter Gabriel, the Grateful Dead and David Bowie, you stop and take that in,” said Jerardi. “That kind of recognition means a lot, especially for a song as personal as ‘Setting Sun.’ We wanted the music to feel alive in every format, and the Dolby Atmos version gave the song another emotional dimension.”

“Thorns & Roses” now continues the rollout of The Game with a deeply felt story, a strong melodic center and the guitar-driven soul that has defined Jerardi’s career. The track balances grit and vulnerability, pairing a memorable groove with a lyric that explores love, consequence, perseverance and the emotional contradictions that shape a life fully lived.

“‘Thorns & Roses’ is one of those songs that feels personal but universal,” said Jerardi. “Everybody has had something beautiful in their life that came with pain attached to it. That’s what this song is about — the beauty, the scars, and the choice to keep walking through both.”

For longtime Jerardi collaborator and executive producer Allen Farst, the success of “Setting Sun” has helped establish the creative and commercial runway for the new single.

“‘Setting Sun’ opened the door in a powerful way,” said Farst. “It connected at radio, it reached guitar culture through Vintage Guitar, it earned Apple Music support, and then it received this incredible Dolby Atmos recognition from IAA as one of the top 10 best summer Atmos mixes! That gives ‘Thorns & Roses’ a real foundation to build from. This is the track we feel has major potential at radio and beyond.”

The new single arrives during a defining stretch for Jerardi. On September 11, he will perform at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. as part of a prestigious event honoring those who served during 9/11. The appearance adds another meaningful milestone to an album campaign already gaining attention across streaming, radio, press and immersive audio communities.

“Playing The Kennedy Center on September 11 is an honor,” said Jerardi. “There are moments as an artist where the music becomes bigger than you. To be part of an event that recognizes service, sacrifice and remembrance is something I don’t take lightly.”

The forthcoming music video for “Thorns & Roses” will be released in the very near future, continuing the visual storytelling approach established with “Setting Sun.” While “Setting Sun” explored grief, memory and survivor’s guilt through a cinematic lens, “Thorns & Roses” is expected to expand the emotional world of The Game with a story-driven visual treatment that matches the song’s atmosphere and emotional depth.

“Eric has always had the guitar tone, the voice and the feel,” Farst said. “What’s exciting about this record is the storytelling. ‘Thorns & Roses’ has the kind of songcraft that can travel — it can live at radio, on streaming platforms, in a live room and in a music video. It feels like one of the songs that can really carry this album forward.”

The Game will be released October 30.

“Thorns & Roses” is available now on streaming platforms.