Song is the first preview of the acclaimed Canadian singer/songwriter’s upcoming album, Jubilation Potpourri
With his latest single, “Platform No. 12 (Old Friends),” out today via Littleknown Records, Canadian singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David James Allen continues to show why he is on the cutting edge of Americana. Whether channelling the rootsy funk of The Band and Bill Withers, or delivering a devastating ballad in the style of Townes Van Zandt and Harry Nilsson, David James Allen’s music is built upon a soulful foundation few of his contemporaries possess.
“Platform No. 12 (Old Friends)” is an instant cosmic country classic, painting a vivid picture from its opening verse: “When I left that Greyhound station, spent my money on weed and wine.” It’s David James Allen at his best, and a stunning preview of his next album Jubilation Potpourri, scheduled for release in 2026. Even more remarkable, David created the track—as per his usual working method—entirely on his own, with the exception of Andrew Ivens’ swooning pedal steel part.
David explains,
“I wrote ‘Platform No. 12 (Old Friends)’ just after I got laid off. At the time, I was the sole provider for my family, and the weight of that reality hit pretty hard. The song came out of reflecting on that pressure—not just mine, but the collective squeeze so many people feel when work dries up, when bills pile up, and when life becomes a grind. I started thinking about old friends I hadn’t spoken to in years, and how time slips away when you’re busy trying to get ahead. There’s healing in reaching out with a simple phone call, and laughing with someone who knows you. It’s a sad song, but I hope it can inspire people to reconnect and not let the strange stuff swallow you up.”
“Platform No. 12 (Old Friends)” is David’s first new music since his 2023 album By The Summertime, described by Quality Americana as “a throwback to sounds of the 1970s… the instrumentation is carefully planned, yet feels spontaneous.”
David James Allen has been releasing music for more than a decade, but over the past several years—after moving east of Toronto to the wilds of Prince Edward County—he has been startlingly prolific. Beginning with 2017’s When The Demons Come and carrying on through 2020’s Radiations and the following year’s The Architect, Allen has been steadily amassing a remarkable body of work that stands alongside those of any of his Canadian contemporaries.
He cites Canadian poets Al Purdy and Nelson Ball for inspiring many of his lyrics, with a predominant theme being the perils of hard living. That was evident on much of By The Summertime and its standout singles “Another Day Older” (premiered at The Big Takeover), and “Holly” (premiered at The Bluegrass Situation and added to rotation on SiriusXM North Americana).
Finding the sweet spot between simplicity and pushing boundaries is a goal many artists seek with varying degrees of success. For David James Allen, though, it just seems to be where he naturally resides, as anyone will be able to tell after listening to “Platform No. 12 (Old Friends).”
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