Songwriter John Nolan started his music career as the guitarist for Taking Back Sunday before eventually splintering off with bassist Shaun Cooper to form Straylight Run. The pensive rock outfit released albums for Victory Records and Universal Records before going the independent route, touring the country with acts like Bayside and The Used and establishing an identity far removed from the aggressive sound of Taking Back Sunday.

Now residing in Lawrence with his wife and musical collaborator Camille, Nolan is working on a solo album called "Height" that he plans to release in October. With production assistance from Mike Sapone (also the go-to guy for Taking Back Sunday and Brand New), the disc sounds like a full-band effort even though it's largely Nolan's brainchild. Fans of songwriters like Kevin Devine and Pete Yorn will take to Nolan's melodic sensibility posthaste, and Straylight Run fans will appreciate the sparkling arrangements and diversified instrumentation.

Both Nolans stopped by our podcast studio in the midst of a six-week tour — the first to prominently feature Camille's musical talents. Included in the podcast are half-a-dozen new tunes, including three from Nolan's recent fan-collaboration project.

John and Camille will perform their inaugural local show as a "solo" outfit this Friday at the Jackpot Saloon. The early, all-ages show starts at 6 p.m.