RYE, NY – March 24, 2026 – High-Octane Rock Outfit Peningo Riders are proud to announce the release of their new single, “Pawn Shop Guitar,” available everywhere on April 24, 2026. The song is a powerful and gritty personal testament to family, survival, and the healing power of a beloved musical instrument.
The genesis of “Pawn Shop Guitar” is rooted in sheer devastation. On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael—a monstrous Category 5 storm—ravaged the Florida Panhandle, and members of the Peningo Riders family own a farm on the Florida-Alabama line, right in harm’s way. With 1,000 acres of cotton ready for harvest, they worked day and night in a desperate race against the shifting storm. Time ran out. The family was forced to ride out the terrifying 200 mph winds sheltered in a bathtub. When they emerged, their entire harvest had been blown into Georgia. The financial and emotional toll was crushing.
Click here to Pre-Save “Pawn Shop Guitar” on your favorite Music Service
Years later, while passing through the hurricane-scarred town of Marianna, Florida, Peningo Riders’ founder Eddie walked into a Pawn Shop on Highway 90 (yes, “Old Judd” was at the counter!) and purchased an Epiphone Les Paul that became the catalyst for Eddie and Russ to pen “Pawn Shop Guitar.”
In a wild twist of fate, a tornado ripped through Marianna in January 2024, completely destroying the very Pawn Shop where Eddie had purchased the iconic Pawn Shop Guitar. But just like the characters in the song, the community pulled together and triumphed over disaster. Today, that pawn shop has been completely rebuilt, and its doors have re-opened—a real-life testament to the grit, resilience, and determination that Peningo Riders have poured into this track.
The song’s lyrics channel real-life tragedy into the deeply authentic fictional story of BJ Hawkins and his father—the “God-fearing Jackson County FLA” man who loses his farm to the “ole Cat 5,” sells his beloved guitar to survive, and loses his spirit to the bottle. It is a story of a son’s desperate trip down Highway 90—a journey that leads to an unexpected moment of divine intervention, bringing the music, and his father’s spirit, back from the brink.
“That storm snapped pine trees like toothpicks and took an entire season of our family’s blood and sweat with it,” says Peningo Riders founder, Eddie. “When I found that Epiphone Les Paul in that Marianna Pawn Shop years later, it felt like it had a story that needed to be told. Seeing that same shop get knocked down by a tornado and build itself right back up… that is exactly what this song is about. ‘Pawn Shop Guitar’ is for anyone who has ever been knocked down, lost everything, and had to find their way back to life one chord at a time.”
Musically, “Pawn Shop Guitar” delivers the distinctive Peningo Riders signature blend: driving Acoustic and Electric layers, soul-stirring Vocals and Harmonies, touching moments of Narration, riveting Guitar Solos, and a substantial modern-edge Rap Bridge that sets up the Story’s Climax, and brings the raw emotion of Highway 90 straight to the listener.
About Peningo Riders: Hailing from New York but deeply rooted in the heartland, Peningo Riders are dedicated to keeping the authentic fire of Classic Rock burning, with an eclectic blending of Southern Rock, Blues, Reggae, Cajun, Country, and other Roots Rock influences. Known for their passion and energy as Performers, and thoughtful emotional multi-generational Storytelling, the group is rapidly defining their space in the modern landscape of music you can proudly choose as the soundtrack to your daily life.
Click here to Pre-Save “Pawn Shop Guitar” on your favorite Music Service
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