Texas Music News — October 15, 2026
Bird and Poet, a Burleson, Texas, duo, just released their debut album, A Moment to Be Heard. Singer-songwriter Reagan James writes the music, and poet Austin McClendon supplies every word.
McClendon is blind, non-verbal, and autistic. Still, he composes his lyrics on an iPad-style device, with help from his mother. James, meanwhile, earned a top-10 finish on NBC’s singing competition as part of Blake Shelton’s team. She first heard about his poetry two years ago. Then, in 2025, the two started meeting every week.
Nobody planned a band, but the songs kept arriving. Now her melodies fit his words like a key cut for a lock it had never seen.
Two Voices, One Hard-Won Record
First, Geoff Rockwell, James’s longtime collaborator, produced all 10 songs. Also, the sound blends R&B, soul, pop, and jazz. KXT’s Preston Jones singles out “Forever, Now” and “Scars,” and he calls the album one of North Texas’ best this year.
The record also ends a long silence. It is James’s first release since 2018’s Assume the Moon Do. Meanwhile, she moved to California and wrestled with writer’s block. Now, writing with McClendon, she says, comes far easier than writing alone.
A second Bird and Poet album already exists on paper, and live shows are under discussion. Some records announce themselves, but this one simply asks you to listen. Details at KXT 91.7
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