Damned Rivers - The Pugilist (2019)

The debut album from Nashville folk-rock band Damned Rivers is “The Pugilist,” a triumphant story of transformation and recovery. The record tells the tale of a boxer at the end of his career, staring down the possibility that his life is changing forever.

This story was born from Ian Mauldin, principal songwriter for Damned Rivers, while living through the hardest year of his life. Looking for meaning and drive in this new chapter, Ian wrote a story about a boxer, fighting for his life.

This is an album that bends without breaking. Wielding unshakable optimism against the challenges of life, the album takes you on a journey that leaves you brimming with the confidence needed to go down swinging. The Pugilist himself gets KO'd in what would be the hero's triumphant moment in any other story. But, in the end, sometimes loss is the necessary catalyst for change. In this story, the hero is eternal, built to last and, in some form or another, his name is carved in stone.