What Father’s Day Sounds Like in 2025
A week-long music spotlight with Showcase reminds us how loud it can get when Dads raise their voices.
This Father’s Day hits a little differently. Dads are carrying a lot — not just the day-to-day of parenting, but the weight of rising costs, eroding opportunities, and the challenge of keeping our families safe. Across the country, we’ve seen Dads step out and step up: in the streets, in town halls, leading with courage at work and at home. The moment is heavy. But it’s also charged with possibility — and we’re not going anywhere.
As John Lennon once wrote, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” So, in the midst of all that urgency, we wanted to take a beat. We spent the past week exploring the quieter, creative intersections between fatherhood and musicianship, where expression meets responsibility, where the late-night bottle feeds overlap with the late-night studio sessions.
Thanks to an invitation from music discovery app Showcase, we highlighted five working Dad artists who are holding it down creatively, emotionally, and day-to-day.
These five Dads aren’t just making music. They’re living the tension and beauty of being both present and expressive — of creating while caregiving, building while balancing. They don’t just make songs. They model strength, vulnerability, joy, and truth — sometimes all in the same verse.
If you missed any of the features, here’s your chance to catch up — and hear what Big Dad Energy really sounds like. The best way to experience these Dad jams: download Showcase (Apple / Android) and listen within the app.
We’re grateful to each of these Dads for sharing their music, their stories, and their why. They remind us that fatherhood isn’t a detour from creativity — it’s fuel for it. Here’s to Big Dad Energy, today and every day.
Ahmen
“As a dad, my deepest connections with my son are when we open up the full range of emotion — the highs, the lows, the in-betweens.”
Hip-hop artist, nonprofit leader, and D4A co-founder Ahmen — aka Dads for All co-founder Mohan Sivaloganathan — kicked off the week with sharp lyricism and deep conviction. Born to immigrant parents, Ahmen channeled early experiences of identity and resistance into his art, utilizing hip-hop as a vehicle for change. As a speaker and social impact leader, he calls others to find their own voice. As a father, he finds his greatest strength in showing emotional honesty and connection. He described the link between hip-hop and fatherhood as “a harmonious connection — both demand vulnerability to access their full power.”
MUTTS (Will Thompson)
“Writing music taught me patience, growth, and how to find your tribe. That’s what I want my kids to see in me.”
Formerly one half of Austin’s The Steps, Will Thompson of MUTTS brings high-octane garage rock infused with grit, heart, and lived experience. After years apart, Will reunited with his cousin and musical co-conspirator Sam Thompson to form MUTTS—an evolution rooted in fatherhood and brotherhood. Raised on dive bar stages and Ramones records, Will now uses music to connect with his own kids, carrying forward the messy joy of live music and family tradition.
Tai Allen
Poet. Vocalist. Strategist. Tai Allen builds bridges between justice and joy. With roots in Panamanian and Black American traditions, Tai weaves cultural memory and contemporary insight into every note and verse. His Sample Sale Music project celebrates Black musical heritage while actively engaging his audience in reflection and movement. As a dad, he brings the same intention to parenting as he does to creative organizing: listen deeply, act intentionally, and stay rooted in community.
Greg Hoy
“Creative inspiration strikes anytime — just like your toddler barging in on you in the bathroom.”
A lifelong indie artist and DIY lifer, Greg Hoy has released over 30 albums while touring the country in Airstreams and vans. His sound is analog at heart, with raw honesty shaped by decades of making art on his own terms. As a dad, Greg brings that same authenticity to parenting—embracing imperfection, staying flexible, and finding inspiration in chaos. His Father’s Day video reminded us that creativity and parenting require the same muscle: presence.
Dan Zanes
“Probably the best thing I did as a father was get involved in white anti-racism. It led to meaningful conversations with my daughter — and those conversations continue.”
Grammy winner. Folk legend. Dad. From 1980s rock stardom with The Del Fuegos to becoming a beloved voice in family music, Dan Zanes has always centered connection and community. His music speaks across generations, blending folk traditions with joy and inclusion. Fatherhood didn’t pause his career—it redirected it, inspiring him to write music he could share with his daughter. Today, he continues to make meaningful art alongside his wife Claudia, while also inviting other white dads into honest conversations about race and identity.