Noise Pop Festival 2026 Presents: Esther Rose Thomas Dollbaum My Dog Jack — Esther Rose was on a long solo drive when she started writing the opening title track of Want, her stunning fifth album. At first, the words seemed almost like a joke, something to keep herself amused as the miles passed. “I want a puppy, but I don't want a mess. I want to know where I’m going without GPS,” she sang from behind the wheel. Soon, the idea snowballed into a list of desires that spanned existential, spiritual, and mundane; romantic to platonic to familial; at once wildly ambitious yet piercingly relatable; all set to a catchy melody that blends her pop instincts with country storytelling and the raw immediacy of a basement punk show. In other words, she was on her way to another classic Esther Rose song. — Drive All Night is a new extended play from Thomas Dollbaum, six songs serving as a brief reintroduction to a singular and stirring voice on the southern landscape. Dollbaum’s debut Wellswood was released in 2022, drawing comparisons of Justin Vernon and Damien Jurardo (Popmatters) to Richard Buckner and Arthur Russell (AllMusic) for his “compelling lyricism drawing as much from the dark caricatures of Harry Crews and Denis Johnson as Springsteen’s realism” (Beats Per Minute). Shortly after its release, Dollbaum drove along the gulf from his adopted hometown of New Orleans back to his family in Tampa. There, he learned an old friend had passed unexpectedly. “We hadn’t been close in years, and finding out about his death sent me on a sort of journey through memories we had together,” reflects Dollbaum, “places we grew up in and how sometimes you don’t understand how or why relationships change over time.” — My Dog Jack is a San Francisco-based folk band. Inspired by legends like John Prine, The Band, and Kate Wolf, as well as contemporary artists such as Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Wood Brothers, and The Devil Makes Three, My Dog Jack brings a cold-coast-influenced take on Western music, bringing an energetic live show filled with original tunes.