For Immediate Release: 

September 18, 2026

LEON III UNLEASHES HYPNOTIC NEW ALBUM 

CANDY CIGARETTES IS OUT EVERYWHERE TODAY

RIYL: FULL ALBUM SONIC EXPERIENCES, GOOD COFFEE, USING YOUR EARS 

Photo Credit: Sean Mathis | Download high-res

Today, Leon III  (say it “Leon the Third”) releases their 4th full-length studio album Candy Cigarettes. The album is packed with atmospheric and psychedelic undertones, in your face classic rock mixed with touches of shoegaze indie textures.  Sonically, Candy Cigarettes is an adventure that begs the listener to immerse themselves in the music - challenging today’s single driven landscape with a full album experience. 

Word of mouth, underground buzz, and a fiercely loyal following has been the story of Leon III so far. With Candy Cigarettes, the band's fourth studio album, Leon III continues to build on that momentum with its most fully realized collection of songs to date.

Leon III has quietly become one of the underground's best-kept secrets. Led by Andy Stepanian, the visionary behind Howler Brothers, and Mason Brent, the band has cultivated unforgettable live shows, enduring songs, and a fiercely independent spirit, the band's growth has come naturally—one fan at a time.

Recorded over two years with the band's core touring lineup and produced by Mark Nevers (Silver Jews, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy), Candy Cigarettes is equal parts psychedelic road trip, pedal steel-soaked country, and widescreen rock record. It's an album that fully embraces contrast while remaining unmistakably Leon III.

About Leon III:

Someone once dubbed Leon III a “southern Pink Floyd.” That’s fair enough - mostly due to the fact that their albums are built for repeated, deep listens and sequenced to reveal themselves over time. But Brent’s lead guitar is more Jimmy Page than Gilmour, prone to unruly dissonance, feedback and, sometimes, unhinged shredding. And Stepanian’s songwriting is more personal, a jigsaw puzzle filled with rich turns of phrase touching on envy, faith, longing, rising up and crashing down. 

Leon III’s sound has evolved and sharpened since their 2018 eponymous debut. The first three releases included a rotating cast of players including some megas from the indie world like William Tyler and Matt Pence (Centro-matic, Jason Isbell). But, Leon III has steadily solidified their recording and live show line up over the years and it shows.  

This band knows each other well and the result is a spectrum of sound ranging from nuanced and quiet to mind mending. Although there’s psychedelia here, there’s no trace of the aimless wandering or mumbo jumbo sometimes associated with that genre. And, despite some country leanings here and there, the record eschews the cliches and well-worn paths of some of today’s Americana. 

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Press Contact:

Emily Ginsberg

ginsberg@bighassle.com