Cook Allender Returns With New Single “Building Bridges,” Out October 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 30, 2026) — Nashville-based rock artist Cook Allender announces his new single, “Building Bridges,” arriving Friday, October 2 via VibraHive Records and Symphonic Distribution. The track marks the first new music from Allender since his debut album, Music Your Parents Hate, released in May 2026, and offers an early look at his upcoming second album, due in 2027. The release date lands at the start of “Sober October,” a fitting home for a song built around second chances.
Where Music Your Parents Hate leaned into swagger, humor, and 90s-indebted guitar rock, “Building Bridges” turns toward something more raw. The song moves from the exhausting grip of old patterns into something clearer and steadier — Allender has described the album he’s building as one that “digs a little deeper” than the last.
“This song is part self reflection and part redemption,” he says. “The story begins with someone in the throes of active addiction who has finally had enough. After an endless run of burned bridges, and broken hearts and promises, the journey to self-preservation begins. In the end, its this journey that offers the wisdom needed to help others.”
Musically, the track keeps Allender’s core sound intact — driving guitar, a rhythm section built for impact — while opening up more space for the song’s emotional arc to land.
“Building Bridges” was produced by Allender and recorded in his studio with a tight session-player lineup: Allender on vocals and electric guitar, Scott Mulvahill on bass, and Elton Charles on drums, with mixing by Alex Gerst.
“There’s a lot of fire and water under this bridge but it’s the bridge I’m most proud of,” says Allender. “The track’s artwork was designed to represent the relationship between someone with experience and someone just beginning the journey.”
“Building Bridges” is available now on all major streaming platforms via VibraHive Records.
Listen to “Building Bridges”: https://ffm.to/buildingbridges
About Cook Allender
New Orleans-born, Nashville-based rock artist, filmmaker, and visual director Cook Allender released his debut album, Music Your Parents Hate, in May 2026 on VibraHive Records — a guitar-driven collection shaped by cinematic storytelling and a love of 90s-era alt rock. Before turning fully to music, Allender built careers in finance, the military, and the film industry, working as a still photographer on productions including Mr. Right and Benji (2018). He is currently at work on his second album.
Source: Jackie Martínez Marushka / Marushka Media, September 30, 2026.
