Sanford – Pandora’s Box

By David Holland on February 2, 2026

BROOKLYN DIY SINGER-SONGWRITER

SANFORD:

SHARES THIRD RECORD

BIG TENT REVIVAL

OUT NOW–LISTEN

& EXPLORES THE COSTS OF CREATIVITY

IN THE STREAMING AGE

WITH “PANDORA’S BOX”–WATCH

LIVE SHOWS IN BROOKLYN NEXT MONTH &

NASHVILLE IN MARCH

Today, Brooklyn via South Carolina DIY cross-genre musician Sanford: shares his third record Big Tent Revival out now. “Pandora’s Box,” out today with its matching video, ponders the purpose and obstacles of creativity as art becomes increasingly artificial and algorithmic. Through a varied sonic landscape, the artist makes sense of a fast-changing world and sinks into nostalgia, fears of the future and current affairs and ways to find hope. Catch Sanford: live at Skinny Dennis Brooklyn on February 25th and in Nashville on March 6th.

Big Tent Revival, picks up where the second album, Extinguished Dreams, ends–down to the guitar notes. Written, arranged, recorded and performed entirely by Sanford: (aside from “Just Waiting” which features Jay Rattman on assorted woodwinds), the new project sheds light the modern music industry, fleeting love, the passage of time, religion and more on through a mix of jazz, country, Americana, folk, prog-rock and more.

LISTEN: Big Tent Revival

Expanding on the story of the album, Sanford: says, “Thanks to a hard drive failure it almost didn’t happen, and due to some recovery services being more like extortion, I was almost ready to just let the songs and album be forgotten. Luckily, I found someone that was much more reasonable so the album continued.

There’s a mix of very personal views on some songs, personal experiences, commentary on scenes and current events, music industry, AI and long mostly fictional epics.” Previous releases off of the album include singles “CONTENT,” “We’ll Leave The Light On For Ya” and “Wasn’t Born Yesterday.”

Diving into the difficulties of being a musician and creative today on “Pandora’s Box“, Sanford: says, “It’s a feeling most people, not just musicians, feel at the moment. There’s a hopelessness the way things have worked out and evolved hence the line, ‘The gig is longer, the pays the same.’

WATCH: “Pandora’s Box” (Official Video)

Detailing the harsh realities of making music today, he continues, “From a musician’s POV, it’s the reality of streaming and a fraction of penny payouts with no change in sight–throwing music out into an endless sea of releases now overpopulated with AI slop, can leave you wondering what’s the point of creating this art. Who is going to listen and pay for it? It leaves both the artist and listener, “fucked and empty.”

Seamlessly weaving through ideas and sounds while commenting on the tireless cycle of self-promotion, Sanford: says, “The song ends on a Picardy third (a major ending to a minor song) and segues directly into “CONTENT”, the subversive acceptance of influencer culture–a repetitive two minute song that tells the listener to like, share, follow and even features an “ad read.”

Earlier this month, the musician shared “Hooked on a Dream,” set on Manhattan’s Avenue A in 2008. Reflecting on the past with sounds that pull from 80s and 90s alt-rock, Sanford: calls it “A college alt-rock tune about a past that is no longer there.” It’s an acceptance that things end.

Complete with blink and you’ll miss it musical tribute to David Lynch, Sanford: adds, “It takes the mid-late 2000’s East Village, where I spent a lot of time after moving into the city, and uses it as a setting, or person, or time, nostalgia, all up for interpretation to the listener.”

LISTEN: “Hooked on a Dream”

Sanford:’s third album, Big Tent Revival, is out now. Connect with Sanford: now via Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, Sanford: is set to perform live in Brooklyn at Skinny Dennis on February 25th and at Nashville’s Skinny Dennis on March 6.

Listen: “CONTENT” | Watch

Listen: “We’ll Leave The Light On For Ya“

Listen: “Wasn’t Born Yesterday” | Watch

Big Tent Revival Tracklisting:

01. Pandora’s Box
02. CONTENT
03. “John Boy”
04. We’ll Leave The Light On For Ya
05. Lost Weekend
06. The Tour
07. Long/Short
08. Back Home
09. Hooked On A Dream
10. Wasn’t Born Yesterday
11. Just Waiting
12. “Peace Of Mind”
13. Row Your Boat

ABOUT SANFORD:

Sanford: is the brainchild of Brooklyn based & South Carolina born musician Jay Sanford. He does all of the writing, arranging, and performing for his recorded music, (truly DIY). Much like his influences and listening habits, his songs have a wide-span of genres. “Figured I’d Ask Anyway” has been featured on the GEMSONVHS playlist, and “Gone to Hell” has passed 100,000 streams on Spotify. Big Tent Revival will be his 3rd full length album, releasing January 2026, with a 4th in production.