The Cravens return with Strangers To The Truth, a sharp eleven-song set that finds the South Florida five-piece recharged with a new guitarist, renewed focus, and their most emotionally resonant, genre-blending songs to date.
Ten years after the Cravens first emerged from South Florida’s alternative rock underbrush, they are back with Strangers To The Truth. On the band’s new full-length album and first since 2021’s Cravenology, the five-piece outfit showcases a sharpened sound, a fresh lineup, and a batch of songs that feel both lived-in and ready to light up new stages.
The departure of longtime guitarist Ron DeSaram earlier this year could’ve sent the Cravens into a holding pattern. Instead, they brought in David Simone and jumped headfirst into a new chapter. The result is an eleven-song collection recorded in 2024 at Gual Studios, produced by Guy Gualtieri and mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Andres Mayo. The new lineup, rounded out by bassist Dennis Ambrose, drummer Bill Meredith, and founding brothers Bill and John Storch, brings a renewed urgency to a band already known for balancing grit with melody.
If you’ve followed the Cravens from their club days across Port St. Lucie to Ft. Lauderdale, you know their signature: tight harmonies, driving guitars, and a style that glides from classic rock to glam pop to Americana without missing a beat. Strangers To The Truth expands on that. The first single, “Big Ole Sky,” announced their rebirth with equal parts twang and crunch, while deeper cuts explore indie pop textures, barroom blues, and open-road storytelling.
Since forming in 2014, the Cravens have built a canon of songs that’s equal parts prolific and personal. They’ve released three studio albums, a live one (Live From The Funky Biscuit), and a steady stream of fan-favorite singles like “Dakota Rose” and “More Than Sorry.” While streaming numbers are solid, it’s the band’s word-of-mouth draw and loyal fan base that keeps them climbing.
At the core of it all are the Storch brothers, whose songwriting partnership continues to evolve without losing the thread. Every track on Strangers To The Truth comes from their pens while their dynamic as co-vocalists and guitarists gives the record its emotional lift and tonal range.
Whether you come for the hooks or stay for the depth, the Cravens have delivered a record that feels exactly right for 2025: reflective, hard-hitting, and full of heart.