Today I’ve the pleasure to bring you the news that on October 26th, Chewelah son Allen Stone will be gracing the stage of fellow Northwest son Conan O’Brien.

During its first week the independently released Allen Stone peaked the iTunes R&B charts with a #2 position. “We didn’t expect the #2 R&B album thing at all,” admitted manager BJ Olin. “It’s felt like a week, two weeks, 6 months, 4 years leading up to this week.” Whatever time he’s put in or chart position reached, at this point Allen Stone himself is hardly about to call it good. Fresh off a guest appearance with Seattle Rock Orchestra show in tribute to Stevie Wonder, Stone says “This is the beginning of the beginning. This is the seed being planted.”

Though Stone is talking about his budding career here, he could just as easily be speaking of the growing movement of citizenry waking up to the loss of the American Dream of upward mobility, waking up as Stone himself recounts in his song “Unaware,” the song he’ll be playing on Conan. I asked Allen about how the themes of “Unaware” dovetail with the current #occupy protests that appear to be gaining steam. Written a year into the bailout of the world’s largest banks while regular folks were suffering the consequences of those banks’ mistakes, “It’s a testament to how I was feeling at the time,” Stone relates. “It seems we’re always talking about budget issues, but then every year we spend more and more. I know there’s a lot of people feeling this that are my age (24). So why not talk about it? Is anybody else questioning this stuff?” Of course, the people in the streets are the emphatic answer to his rhetorical question.

Unaware by allenstone

Though Stone himself is currently putting all his focus into the release of his new record and hasn’t participated in any protests, he’s been hearing about his song’s impact in those circles. “I think it’s great that citizens are coming together,” he says. “It’s weird to think that a song can encourage people to do something.” (Other than dance, of course.) Asked whether this song is a protest song meant to do just that, not counting himself that political Stone responds with a yes that it could be considered so, and then a no that it wasn’t really his intent, before clarifying his position as “Be a good steward and shepherd of what’s given to you. I hope my music stirs up those thoughts.”

Allen Stone is on Conan on October 26th on the TBS Network. October 22nd City Arts Fest hosts Stone at an already sold out Triple Door with Fly Moon Royalty. In also just announced news, Stone will be supporting Jack’s Mannequin Oct 30th - Nov 5th on dates in western Canada, Missoula and Spokane.

Article originally appeared on Sound on the Sound (http://www.soundonthesound.com) and was written by Josh Lovseth.