Ancient Door — the latest release from Jess Wayne — swings wide the quiet threshold between memory and the present, love and longing. Available now as a digital download, this 11-track collection blends folk-blues, Americana, and easy jazz into what Wayne proudly coins Electric Bourbon Folk – Smooth with a Smoky Finish.

Inspired by his move to Taos, New Mexico, Ancient Door is infused with Southwestern grit and soul, grounding each lyric and melody in time and place. It's an album both unguarded and hopeful—songs written before and after Ride the River now come to rest in tender explorations of love, loss, healing, and staying present.

Highlights include:

“Supposed To Be Flying”, a stirring anthem of perseverance, “Time & Love”, which quietly questions: “Time doesn’t love you, but I always will.”, “Learn To Love”, a bastion of acceptance and self-awareness, and “Come Join the Dance”, a soulful, celebratory closer and invitation to presence.

Critic Noel "Paul" Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary calls Ancient Door “a quietly powerful album—rich in soul, deeply human… These songs linger. They heal. They remind us to be present, to let go, to love. And they do it with grace, honesty, and a smoky kind of beauty.”

Tap into the ancient doorway of heart, story, and place—this album awaits.