Jack Stepanian knows how to finish out a calendar year.
In September, the up-and-coming singer-songwriter and blue note-bending guitarist took to the stage at Midtown Green to open the second day of the initially soggy but ultimately triumphant Iron Blossom Festival. A performance like that would be the cherry on top of many a Richmond-based musician’s calendar year, but two announcements Stepanian shared that day made clear that he wasn’t slowing down in the months to come.
Near the start of his set, just before launching into an impassioned rendition of “Reckless Love,” Stepanian announced to the crowd of early Sunday arrivers that the song would be released as a single on Friday, Oct. 10. The “Romeo and Juliet”-inspired tale of star-crossed abandon is the first offering from an album on the way in 2026. “The energy of the song, to me, is contagious,” Stepanian notes. “Hopefully, people see the energy of that song and it translates to the rest of the record as well.”
His other announcement from the Iron Blossom stage focused on a show he has coming up at the Broadberry on Saturday, Dec. 20. It’s set to be the biggest hometown headlining gig yet for the Richmond-raised graduate of the Collegiate School and the University of Virginia. With that show just around the corner, Stepanian spoke with Style Weekly about writing “Reckless Love,” recording the song at Spacebomb Studios, and what he has planned for the coming year.
Style Weekly: When was “Reckless Love” recorded?
Jack Stepanian: “Reckless Love” was recorded right around last Christmas at Spacebomb Studios. I worked mostly with Alex De Jong over there. We started it around last Christmas, and because I was finishing up school, trying to get my degree and everything, it was kind of stop-and-start for a while. But “Reckless Love” was recorded at the beginning in a group of other songs that will be on an album set to be released in the coming year.
Who do we hear playing on the song? The drums sound especially excellent on this one.
The rhythm section is my live drummer and bass player, Eli Bemiss and Eric Willersdorf… But then DJ Harrison plays a good amount on keys. Other than that it’s me — the four of us.
I’m a sucker for rhythm, and I think that is the heart of any good song. So getting the drum sound right — the way I was hearing it — that was something that Alex and I really worked on for a while. It was such a big part of those sessions… A buddy of mine works as an engineer out in LA for a studio out there. [“Reckless Love”] came out at midnight here and 9 p.m. there. He texted me at like, 12:30 a.m. here and was like, “Dude, ‘Reckless Love’ is great. The drum sound is killer.” That was the first thing he said. He didn’t even mention anything else about the song. He’s was like, “That drum sound’s crazy.”
How did the ascending guitar riff factor into writing “Reckless Love”?
That was the first thing I wrote for the song. I wrote that chord and that little sequence there before I’d done anything else. It was definitely “Here’s where I am on the guitar. What comes next?” Versus, “Here’s the whole song. How can I improve this part right here?”
What was the origin point on the lyrical side?
This song is inspired by the idea of Romeo and Juliet. There’s a line in the song where I mention a “Romeo and Juliet dream.” If you took that idea and put it in the modern [era], what would that look like? Your friends tell me to leave, and you’re trying to race to your house and all this stuff. So that’s what was inspirational, driving the lyrics behind the whole tune. It did not come right away, though. I really worked hard to build the story, which took a few sessions of writing.
What was going on in life during the time when you wrote the song?
I wrote the song in a stripped-back demo version two summers ago. It was a time where I was living alone and was writing a lot. I had all these stories in my mind and was reading a lot, and that’s what found a way to come to life in the song.
Speaking of what’s been going on in life, what was it like playing the Iron Blossom Festival earlier this year?
That was such a great experience. It was so cool being in that environment, surrounded so many of those incredible acts — nationally and locally. It’s always really fun to see local acts get their moment on a bigger stage, and I think the festival does a great job of promoting those local acts. So it’s an honor to be a part of an event like that.
What are you looking forward to about your upcoming show at the Broadberry? Is it gratifying playing a show so close to the end of the year, like closing the book on 2025?
Certainly. Being in front of a big hometown crowd in Richmond — at the Broadberry, which I love — is certainly under that same umbrella of homecoming, putting a year to bed here in Richmond in front of a lot of friends and family and new faces and everything. It’s also the biggest hometown headline of my career so far, which I’m really excited about, coming off of the Iron Blossom set and carrying the momentum in town from that to this… All local acts — local support on the bill as well. So hopefully it will be a great night, not just for me, but for Richmond music itself, too.
What’s on tap for 2026?
Definitely looking forward to getting on the road a lot in support of new music. We don’t have a set date for the release of this record, but expect a full-length record soon in the new year. And just really supporting that new music and trying to play as much I can and surround myself with great musicians.
Jack Stepanian will perform at the Broadberry on Saturday, Dec. 20. Doors open at 7 p.m. and music starts at 8 p.m. The Sugar Hollows and the Jared Stout Band will also perform. Tickets are $22.26 and can be purchased at thebroadberry.com. To hear “Reckless Love,” visit jackstepanian.com.
