The Stono River Project Returns With Tender New Single, “I’m Yours and You’re Mine”
“With an arrangement that’s genuinely satisfying to listen to, with “Make It Home Tonight,” Skyler Waddell confirms his bona fides as a singer-songwriter. Keep an eye on this artist, he’s really good.” - Pop Off
CHARLESTON, SC—September 14, 2026: Stone Point Records - Produced by longtime Charleston resident and 2x GRAMMY Award-winner Mark Bryan in association with Nashville’s Vere Music, The Stono River Project returns with “I’m Yours and You’re Mine,” the upcoming release from 20-year-old singer-songwriter Skyler Waddell. The new song follows debut single “Make It Home Tonight”, now available on all DSPs and streaming services, and continues Waddell’s developing partnership with Bryan at Stone Point Studio, where the pair have been shaping The Stono River Project’s blend of Americana, folk and country influences.
“I’m Yours and You’re Mine” offers another glimpse into the natural and heartfelt songwriting at the center of The Stono River Project. Built around vivid imagery and a recurring sense of connection, the song continues Waddell’s unhurried, reflective approach while exploring a different emotional space than “Make It Home Tonight.” The tender, acoustic ballad strips things down to lean into more candidly autobiographical terrain, harkening back to the heartwarming 70s folk pop that first set Waddell on his path as a songwriter.
“That one’s just a simple love song,” Skyler says. “It’s about love at a distance, people that can’t always be together. The sentiment is just like, it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to be here in the room with me all the time, the love’s still there.”
“Skyler’s style is very natural,” says Mark Bryan, “and his songs and voice have an old soul to them. He plays with great musicians, which brings even more joy to the process of trying to lay down some timeless classics.”
“I’m Yours and You’re Mine” follows a busy stretch for The Stono River Project, which celebrated “Make It Home Tonight” with an eagerly awaited hometown record release headline show at Charleston Pour House on August 13th, followed by a featured appearance during Mark Bryan & Friends’ August 30th performance at The Windjammer, where Waddell joined Bryan for “Make It Home Tonight.”
Skyler Waddell and Mark Bryan performing “Make It Home Tonight” (left) and Skyler performing his own set (right), both at The Windjammer on August 30th (Photo Credit: Chris Kolb)
Skyler Waddell first began playing around Charleston at 14, performing at local tribute concerts to John Denver, James Taylor, Jim Croce, and Laurel Canyon artists like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. Though primarily a jazz drummer while growing up and all through high school, he switched his focus to guitar and, inspired by the artists he was covering, began writing songs of his own. Gradually, he began incorporating his own songs into increasingly popular sets at local coffeehouses and bars, often joined by a rotating cast of fellow jazz performance students at the College of Charleston. Due to the fluctuating availability of his bandmates, he dubbed his band The Stono River Project, acknowledging its ever-shifting nature while also paying homage to his beloved home region. Waddell’s spirit and remarkably open-armed musical approach have quickly earned a local fan following and prestigious “Male Singer/Songwriter of the Year” nomination from Charleston’s 2026 City Paper Music Awards.
Waddell’s songs soon earned the attention of longtime Charleston resident Mark Bryan, who, while enthusiastic about what he heard, believed that he could help the younger artist take his music to an even higher level. Working at Bryan’s Stone Point Studio, Bryan and veteran engineer Mikey Costanzo helped Waddell put musical flesh on The Stono River Project’s bare-boned songs, building out a spare, straightforward sonic world to match their interior emotional scope.
With “I’m Yours and You’re Mine,” The Stono River Project takes another step forward, following “Make It Home Tonight” with a new release that continues to develop the sound Waddell and Bryan have been shaping together at Stone Point Studio. Waddell remains focused on recording new material, playing live and growing the project beyond Charleston.
“I’m not sitting down with some kind of a plan,” Waddell says. “I just want to keep improving, both as a writer and a player. I feel like every batch of songs I write is better than the one before, which is how it should be. More than anything, I want to keep playing live, because that’s my favorite. I just want to keep doing what I’m doing.”
# # #
CONNECT WITH THE STONO RIVER PROJECT
0 Comments