Joan of Arc Music Signs Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter Evan Bartels to Joan of Arc Records

Nebraska native’s first release “Thunder” arrives August 14

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – July 20, 2026 – Joan of Arc Music signs acclaimed singer-songwriter Evan Bartels to Joan of Arc Records. The Nebraska-born, Nashville-based artist releases his self-penned debut song, “Thunder” on August 14. Listen to a live acoustic performance of “Thunder” HERE.

Known for his powerful baritone and human storytelling, Bartels has earned widespread respect for songs that explore faith, longing, redemption, and the lives of everyday people with honesty and compassion. Raised in the prairie town of Tobias, Nebraska, he has built a devoted following through an authentic songwriting style that blends Americana, Folk, and Country influences.

“The minute I heard Evan Bartels perform, I felt every lyric he sang, and I wanted to join his journey,” explains Cindy Mabe, Founder and CEO of Joan of Arc Music. “He is such a needed artist. He paints portraits of yearning for something more, deep rooted in American rural grit and his lyrics connect to the spirit of the journey of being a human. I am so proud to welcome him to the Joan of Arc Music family, and I can’t wait to see the impact he will continue to make with his music.”

“Cindy Mabe is a champion of songs and stories,” shares Bartels. “With her guidance along with the entire Joan of Arc Music team, I truly am standing among giants that I’m inspired by and immensely grateful to work with. I believe to have a lasting and impactful career in this business one of the most important things is being in the right place at the right time. There is no better time than now and there is no better place than Joan of Arc Music.”

“Thunder” marks the beginning of a new creative chapter for Bartels who is working with producer Ryan Hewitt (Lumineers, Avett Brothers). He is currently in the studio working on his new album which will be released next year.

ABOUT EVAN BARTELS

Evan Bartels is a Nebraska-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter whose powerful baritone and deeply human storytelling have made him a distinctive voice in contemporary Americana. Raised in the tiny prairie town of Tobias, Nebraska, a community of just over 100 people, Bartels draws inspiration from rural life, faith, longing, and redemption. Telling stories about ordinary people with extraordinary depth and compassion, he crafts songs that are intimate, emotionally resonant, and unflinchingly honest. Bartels began writing songs, playing guitar, and performing at age 13, honing his craft in a backyard recording space his father built, affectionately known as Coop Studio.

Bartels earned national recognition with his 2017 debut album, The Devil, God & Me, and has since grown a devoted audience through Promised Land (2019), Lonesome (2021), and his 2025 EP, To Make You Cry. Recorded live with little more than acoustic guitar and vocals in his handmade cabin outside Nashville, the EP captures the stripped-down honesty and vulnerability that define his work.

Known for his compelling live performances and poetic songwriting, Bartels has toured with Charles Wesley Godwin, Brothers Osborne, and Paul Cauthen. He has appeared at major festivals including AmericanaFest, Mile of Music, C2C: Country to Country, BST Hyde Park, and The Long Road Festival. Bartels recently signed with Joan of Arc Records and will release his first single, “Thunder,” on August 14. For more information, visit www.evanbartels.com.

ABOUT JOAN OF ARC MUSIC

Joan of Arc Music is a comprehensive 360 entertainment company founded by music industry visionary Cindy Mabe, dedicated to preserving the legacy of country music while championing its future through artist development, label services, publishing, management, TV/film production, and philanthropic impact. Operating through four integrated pillars – Joan of Arc Entertainment, Joan of Arc Studio Works, Joan of Arc Ventures, and Joan of Arc Music Preservation Foundation—the company preserves the roots of American storytelling while fostering a culture where creativity is driven by purpose, craft and truth. Mabe brings decades of proven success developing country music’s biggest stars, including Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan and Brad Paisley, among others. Joan of Arc Music has secured a strategic distribution partnership with Warner Records Nashville and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.

Cindy Mabe

Cindy Mabe is one of Music Row’s most respected music executives and distinguished marketers. A trailblazer throughout her career, she became Nashville’s highest ranking woman label executive when she was appointed UMGN President in 2014. She made history again in 2023 by becoming the first woman to serve as Chair & CEO of a Nashville-based major label group. During her tenure at UMG Nashville, the label group which included Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville, and Mercury Nashville, Mabe helped guide and grow the careers of some of country music’s biggest stars including Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Mickey Guyton, Sam Hunt, Alan Jackson, Parker McCollum, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, Jon Pardi, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Brothers Osborne, and Little Big Town, among countless others.

Also, during her tenure at UMGN, Mabe launched a new comedy-centered imprint in 2023, Capitol Comedy Nashville, with Grammy-recognized flagship comedian Nate Bargatze. That same year, Mabe unveiled Silver Wings Records, a distribution and independent artist services arm of the label group, and Sing Me Back Home Productions, a TV and Film production company. Sing Me Back Home executive produced the NBC special Toby Keith American Icon which was the highest rated live special on NBC for 2024.

Mabe joined UMGN in 2012 as Senior Vice President, Marketing responsible for leading marketing across Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville, and Mercury Nashville and UMG Nashville’s expanded suite of country labels following its acquisition of EMI. Prior to that, Mabe spent five years at Capitol Records Nashville, where she held the position of SVP, Marketing and played an integral role in the long-term creative and commercial success of the label that saw it named Billboard magazine’s “Country Label of the Year” consecutively for seven years from 2005 – 2012.

A North Carolina native, Mabe attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated from Belmont University in Nashville with a B.S. in Business Administration. She began her music career as promotions coordinator at RCA Nashville, before shifting to sales and then artist marketing and development, during which time she worked with artists including Clint Black, Martina McBride, and Alabama. She later served as Senior Director, Marketing and Artist Development at Arista Records Nashville from 1999-2007 working with the likes of Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn, and Diamond Rio before joining Capitol Records Nashville in 2007.

Mabe’s dedication and tremendous work for her artists and her countless contributions to the music community have earned the industry leader multiple awards and honors including the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum Award, the SOURCE Hall of Fame Award, and recognition by Save The Music Foundation. Mabe was named as one of Billboard’s Women in Music 2015-2024 and landed on Billboard’s Country Power Players list every year since its inception in 2015 including earning 2019’s Billboard Country Power Players Executive of the Year. Mabe also serves on the Country Music Hall of Fame board. Mabe is also the recent recipient of “The First Responders Children’s Foundation Corporate Hero Award.” Her ongoing commitment to philanthropic leadership led to the creation of the Joan of Arc Music Preservation Foundation, dedicated to protecting the timeless legacy of Country music while championing its continued evolution. Defining JOA’s ethos from day one, every project across its ecosystem supports the Foundation through charitable initiatives that benefit the Country music community.