Nobody tells Sturgill Simpson what to do. Not Nashville. Not the labels. Not the algorithms. And not even the fans who want him to make Metamodern Sounds forever.

If you’ve been following his career, you already know this. Mutiny After Midnight is just the latest proof.

Think about the arc. He arrived in 2013 with Metamodern Sounds in Country Music — a record steeped in classic country tradition that made him an immediate darling of the alt-country world.

Then he made A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, a soul record dressed as a love letter to his son.

Then Sound & Fury, a psychedelic rock album accompanied by an anime film.

Then the Cuttin’ Grass bluegrass records.

Then The Ballad of Dood and Juanita, a western narrative that sounded like a 1950s radio play.

Then he retired the Sturgill Simpson name entirely. He’d promised five studio albums under his own name, he delivered five, and he was done. Enter Johnny Blue Skies — and now, with Mutiny After Midnight, Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds.

This album is a dance record. A groove record. Simpson has cited the ‘70s fusion supergroup Stuff and Marvin Gaye’s 1981 album In Our Lifetime as touchstones, and you can hear both all over it. It was recorded live at Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound Studios in Nashville with his band, the musicians he’s been on the road with for 13 years, and every song was written on the spot.

“I wrote words to what is happening in the world and my life in real time, and played with a group of musicians I deeply love and respect,” Simpson said. “Together, we made an album that is very fun and will hopefully offer some relief from darkness in the world.”

Make no mistake: this is a protest album. Simpson said as much himself. In his letter announcing the record, he wrote that the mutiny “is a protest against oppression and suppression, and the only tried and tested true antidote to that is pure, unfiltered, unapologetic, relentless disco-hedonism.” The dance floor as an act of resistance. Joy as defiance. It’s an old idea — Marvin Gaye knew it, James Brown knew it — and Simpson is working squarely in that tradition.

The nine tracks open with “Make America Fuk Again” and close with “Ain’t That a Bitch,” and the politics are explicit throughout. “Excited Delirium” directly takes on police and ICE brutality. “Everyone Is Welcome” addresses the grinding exhaustion of the rat race before turning nihilistic.

And “Ain’t That a Bitch” is a full-throated indictment — of the president, of oligarchs, of a democracy Simpson sees being systematically dismantled. The poor stay poor, the rich get rich, and nobody’s going to jail for any of it.

But Simpson doesn’t wallow. In between those bookends, he pivots hard to love, desire, and pure physical joy. He described the songs as falling into two categories, the dark state of the world and the bright state of love, and said the band chose to embrace those contradictions rather than resolve them. That tension is the whole point. It’s right there in the band name: Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds.

The album’s release was pure Simpson, too: announced as a physical-only record on vinyl, CD, and cassette, then posted to YouTube two weeks early after early copies got into the wild. You can read the original press release from Shore Fire Media here. The chaos of the rollout felt fitting for an artist who has never once done things the way he was supposed to.

That’s what makes Simpson one of the most valuable artists working in and around country music today. He doesn’t make records to satisfy expectations — his fans’, the industry’s, or anyone else’s.

He makes records because he has something to say and a band he believes in. Mutiny After Midnight is loose, alive, political, warm, and unlike anything else out right now. In a genre that too often rewards playing it safe, that matters.

Watch “A Certain Someone” by Lukas Nelson

Nelson describes the new songs as an extension of the album’s sonic landscape. “‘Certain Someone’ is a hopeful song that came assisted by Anderson East and Foy Vance, recorded at Anderson’s studio. The concept was born as I was walking along the river in Boston, MA,” Nelson shares. “’The Last Wild River’ I wrote along the Yampa River in Colorado with a good friend, who explained to me that the Yampa was one of the last rivers in America that wasn’t dammed up. We recorded it at Shooter Jennings’ studio in LA. I’m grateful to have these other songs to complement what was an incredibly inspiring moment musically. I hope you enjoy.”

Watch “The Last Wild River” by Lukas Nelson

The release caps off a year of significant momentum for Nelson, who has recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Howard Stern Show, The Joe Rogan Experience, and Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast. Listen and share the new tracks here, and stream or purchase the full album here.

Lukas Nelson’s artistic range is shaped in part by his background. Born in 1988, he is the son of legendary country musician Willie Nelson and Annie D’Angelo. Raised between Texas and Hawaii, Nelson spent his childhood surfing and skateboarding before turning more seriously toward music. He wrote his first song at age 11, which later appeared on Willie Nelson’s 2004 album It Always Will Be, signaling an early start to what would become a formidable career.

After a brief stint at Loyola Marymount University, Nelson turned fully toward music, forming Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real in 2008 after meeting drummer Anthony LoGerfo at a Neil Young concert. The band quickly became known for its high-energy performances and served as Neil Young’s touring and studio band for several years. In June 2024, Promise of the Real announced an indefinite hiatus, opening the door for Nelson to deepen his solo work—a path that culminated in American Romance.

Nelson’s national profile expanded dramatically following his work on the 2018 film A Star Is Born. After Bradley Cooper saw Nelson perform at the Desert Trip Festival, he approached him to help craft the film’s musical authenticity. Nelson co-wrote eight songs for the project with Cooper and Lady Gaga, contributed significantly to the arrangements, and appeared in the film alongside his band.

His contributions earned him both a BAFTA Award for Best Original Music and a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, solidifying him not only as a performer but as a respected creative force across media.

Produced by Grammy Award-winner Shooter Jennings, American Romance marks Nelson’s debut solo album following the hiatus of Promise of the Real. Released on June 20, 2025, the twelve-track record blends elements of country, folk, and Americana, featuring collaborations with Sierra Ferrell and Stephen Wilson Jr.

The album also includes contributions from an accomplished roster of musicians such as Anderson East (producer, “Disappearing Light”), SistaStrings (cello/viola), Matt Chamberlain, Corey McCormick, Marty Muse, Russ Pahl, Chris Powell, Brian Whelan, and Eleanor Whitmore. Across the project, Nelson explores themes born from years on the road—love, loss, beauty, and the humbling wanderlust that defines much of his storytelling.

Over more than a decade, Nelson has released eight studio albums, including the widely acclaimed Sticks and Stones (2023), which spent 18 weeks in the Top 10 of the Americana Albums chart and reached #1 on the Alt Country chart. A sought-after collaborator, he has worked with artists such as Lainey Wilson, Ernest, Miranda Lambert, and The Pistol Annies.

In early 2025, Nelson honored the Grateful Dead at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala, performing “It Must Have Been the Roses” with Sierra Ferrell. He has also sold out headline tours and appeared at major festivals including Stagecoach, Ohana Festival, Bourbon & Beyond, and Farm Aid, while making multiple late-night TV appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

With the release of American Romance, too, Lukas Nelson continues building on a defining moment in his career—drawing from his roots, his travels, his collaborations, and a lifelong connection to music. The new songs offer a deeper look into the creative wellspring behind American Romance, reaffirming Nelson’s place as one of the most compelling voices in modern country and Americana.

Watch The King Is Back by Luke Bell

The project was lovingly assembled by Luke’s mother Carol Bell and manager Brian Buchanan, with support from his sister Jane Bell and Tiffany Buchanan. Production credits include Andrija Tokic, Stephen Daly, Justin Frances, and Bell himself. Every song on the collection was written by Luke.

Available today on digital platforms, CD, and a double LP pressed on cloud-colored vinyl, the deluxe edition also includes a 24-page lyric booklet featuring rare photos and liner notes penned by Carol Bell.

Watch The River by Luke Bell

To celebrate the release, Grimey’s New & Preloved Music will host a special in-store performance today at 5:00 p.m., featuring interpretations of Bell’s songs by Aaron Lee Tasjan, Jaime Wyatt, Joshua Hedley, Riley Downing, Gowa Gibbs, and Rachel Baiman, along with a special appearance and remarks from Carol Bell.

“This album captures Luke’s soul at its purest,” said Carol Bell. “He poured himself into these songs, and we’re honored to share them with the world.”

A Legacy Remembered

The King Is Back has already earned critical attention from major outlets. Rolling Stone published an extensive feature on Bell’s life and music, with writer Marissa R. Moss noting that the record “shows an incredibly gifted songwriter and vocalist with an empathetic touch, who often recognized the unease in his brain and used music to articulate it.”

In The Nashville Scene, Bobby Jean Sawyer praised the record’s range, calling it “a showcase of Bell’s spirit, featuring blue-collar anthems (‘Roofer’s Blues,’ ‘Irrigator’s Blues’), witty, Roger Miller-esque ditties like ‘Orangutang,’ and haunting tunes like ‘Black Crows.’”

Additional features have appeared in Holler, No Depression, Americana Highways, and Bell’s hometown paper, The Cody Enterprise.

Honoring Luke’s Spirit

Proceeds from The King Is Back will benefit The Luke Bell Memorial Affordable Counseling Program, a non-profit founded by Carol and Jane Bell to provide mental health support for residents of Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin. The program offers vouchers covering up to ten therapy sessions with a counselor of the participant’s choice.

When the Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Ray Charles in 2021, it wasn’t simply to honor his hits; it was to acknowledge his seismic impact on country music’s evolution.

Born Ray Charles Robinson on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, and raised in rural Florida, Charles grew up surrounded by gospel, blues, and country.

“I felt [country] was the closest music, really, to the blues,” he once said. “They’d make them steel guitars cry and whine, and it really attracted me.”

That deep connection blossomed in 1962 with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, a record that the Hall of Fame calls “a powerful place in country music history.”

Its soulful interpretations of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “You Don’t Know Me,” and “Born to Lose” not only became pop and R&B chart-toppers but also transformed how millions of listeners heard country music.

When Love Country Style first appeared in 1970, it was already clear that Ray Charles was more than the “Genius of Soul.” He was a bridge builder between blues and gospel, between Black and white America, and between the spirit of the South and the sophistication of modern pop.

Now, more than fifty years later, the Ray Charles Foundation and Tangerine Records have reissued the long-out-of-print album as part of the Tangerine Master Series, a lovingly restored collection that reveals the full depth of Charles’s musical daring.

Initially released in June 1970, Love Country Style stands among the most heartfelt of Charles’s country explorations, an album that merges Nashville storytelling with his R&B and gospel roots.

Featuring lush, gospel-tinged arrangements and songs by Mickey Newbury and Jimmy Webb, the record showcases Charles’s rare ability to make familiar material feel brand new. His takes on “Ring of Fire” and “Don’t Change On Me” shimmer with emotional immediacy. The latter even broke into the Top 20 on the R&B chart and reached the pop Top 40, affirming his reach far beyond genre borders.

Cultural critic Ayana Contreras writes in the new liner essay:

“Love Country Style drinks deeply from the country music well of genius, but is as rhythm-and-blues-rooted as it is in the countrypolitan idiom. In his hands, ‘Ring of Fire’ becomes a chorus of half-breathless seduction, well-suited for an isolated mid-century modern motel somewhere in the high desert of the American Southwest.”

Charles continued to return to country music throughout his career, from Country & Western Meets Rhythm & Blues (1965) to Friendship (1984), his Nashville duet album with Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Willie Nelson, which produced the No. 1 country hit “Seven Spanish Angels.”

The new reissue of Love Country Style has been restored and remastered under the direct supervision of The Ray Charles Foundation, ensuring every note retains the warmth and vitality of Charles’s original sessions.

It follows other Tangerine Master Series releases such as Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul (1963), featuring the Grammy-winning “Busted,” and Come Live With Me (1974). Each project reaffirms Charles’s independence as a label owner and creative visionary.

Charles died in 2004, just months before the release of Genius Loves Company, his Grammy-sweeping duets album featuring Willie Nelson and Norah Jones. But his vision endures through the songs, the sound, and the freedom he fought for.

Country star Zach Bryan is no stranger to stirring the pot, but his latest song, “Bad News,” may be his most politically charged release yet. The Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter, a U.S. Navy veteran whose raw storytelling has made him one of America’s most powerful musical voices, is once again turning his lens toward injustice and national identity.

In a one-minute teaser posted to Instagram with the caption “the fading of the red white and blue,” Bryan sings, “And ICE is gonna come bust down your door, try to build a house no one builds no more, but I got a telephone, kids are all scared and all alone.”

The lyrics reference immigration raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and they immediately sparked a political firestorm fueled by federal officials in Washington, D.C.

Within just a few days, Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs, fired back publicly, telling TMZ, “Stick to ‘Pink Skies’,” referring to Bryan’s 2024 chart-topping single.

Bryan often writes songs based on his own personal experiences. His brand of Americana draws from both blue-collar realism and a rebellious streak that puts him squarely in the lineage of country’s great outlaw storytellers.

Topics of patriotism, grit, and self-reflection are explored in his eight years of service in the U.S. Navy, where he served as an Aviation Ordnanceman before his honorable discharge in 2021.

Bryan’s perspective on authority isn’t theoretical either. In September 2023, he was arrested in Craig County, Oklahoma, for obstruction of a law enforcement officer after refusing to comply with an officer’s orders during a traffic stop. The arrest and his defiant quote, “These f------ cops are out of control,” went viral.

Bryan’s latest controversy puts him in familiar company. Country music has always had a complicated relationship with authority, along with a fascination with crime, jail, and redemption. Many of its most legendary figures have lived the very lives they sang about.

Merle Haggard spent time in San Quentin Prison for attempted robbery before turning his experiences into songs that redefined outlaw country. Johnny Paycheck shot a man in a bar in 1985 after an argument and served two years in prison. He later wrote some of his grittiest material while behind bars.

And Johnny Cash, though never sentenced to prison, immortalized the experience of incarceration with Folsom Prison Blues and At San Quentin, in” inspired by his own overnight jail stays.

Country music has long been a reflection of the American working class experience, and the best music in the genre has never shied away from topics of crime, punishment, and the abuse of power.

Zach Bryan’s “Bad News” doesn’t glamorize rebellion, but it does confront the discomfort of modern America. His lyrics, painting children “scared and all alone” while federal agents “bust down your door,” echo his deep empathy for ordinary people caught between politics and survival.

In doing so, Bryan joins a lineage of artists who’ve used country music to question authority rather than serve it. Like The Chicks challenging President George W. Bush in 2003 or Taylor Swift endorsing progressive candidates in Tennessee, Bryan represents a generational shift, one where artists no longer separate patriotism from conscience.

The DHS’s public rebuke only amplified his message, turning “Bad News” into more than a protest song; it’s a snapshot of what happens when a genre rooted in rebellion finds itself once again at odds with power and artists have the courage to speak out.

As Zach Bryan’s voice cracks over the line “kids are all scared and all alone,” it’s hard not to hear echoes of Haggard’s penitentiary blues, Cash’s weary compassion, and Nelson’s outlaw laughter.

Country music, it seems, still sings best from the margins, and Zach Bryan’s “Bad News” is proof that the outlaw spirit is alive and well in 2025 among the genre's biggest artists.

Released September 26, the song marks another emotional high point in the band’s decade-long career, blending intimate confession with the trio’s trademark harmonies and sweeping instrumentation.

Written collaboratively by Pipkin, Zach Williams, Brian Elmquist, Julian Dorio, Tyler Geertsma, and Peter Barbee, the track captures the restless ache of love that refuses to fade. Lyrics like “I thought I did the work, I thought I made it through” convey the futility of trying to move on, while the band’s layered arrangement lifts the sorrow into something anthemic.

“This song came from that place we’ve all been, where love and loss get tangled up in ways you can’t reason through,” Williams explained. “Sometimes the only way through is to sit with the heartbreak and let the music carry it.”

The new release follows “Common Folk,” the band’s first original song in more than three years, which paid tribute to unsung heroes such as nurses, restaurant workers, and others who embody quiet strength. Together, the two singles point toward a new chapter for the Nashville-based trio—one that both honors their roots and ventures into fresh sonic terrain.

The Lone Bellow are currently on the road for a headline tour that began earlier this month with their official debut at the Grand Ole Opry. The schedule includes stops at San Francisco’s Fillmore (Sept. 26), Los Angeles’ Troubadour (Sept. 27), Boston’s Sinclair (Nov. 6–7), and culminates with a hometown show at Nashville’s storied Ryman Auditorium on November 22.

Since their breakout in 2013 with the debut single “Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold,” The Lone Bellow—Williams, Pipkin, and Elmquist—have earned acclaim for their heartfelt songwriting and electrifying live shows. Over five albums, they’ve collaborated with producers like Dave Cobb and Aaron Dessner, while carving out a reputation as one of modern Americana’s most powerful voices.

With “No Getting Over You,” the band continues to do what it has always done best: transform personal struggle into communal catharsis. For fans across the country, the new single is not just a song but an invitation to gather, grieve, and find solace in harmony.

The story of The Lone Bellow begins with Zach Williams, who turned to songwriting after his wife suffered temporary paralysis in a horseback riding accident. During her recovery, Williams poured his emotions into journal entries, which later became songs when he learned guitar at the urging of friends. After her recovery, the couple moved to New York City, where Williams began performing as a solo act around Brooklyn.

It was at Dizzy’s Diner in Park Slope that the idea for the band first took shape. Williams reconnected with his old friend, guitarist Brian Elmquist, and invited singer Kanene Pipkin to join them.

Initially called Zach Williams and the Bellow, the group soon shortened its name to The Lone Bellow. In 2012 they signed with Descendant Records, an imprint of Sony Music, and released their self-titled debut in January 2013. Recorded over three days at Rockwood Music Hall, the album reached No. 64 on the Billboard 200 and was widely praised, landing on multiple year-end “Best of” lists.

Building on that early success, the band collaborated with Aaron Dessner of The National for their 2015 album Then Came the Morning, which earned them an Americana Music Award nomination and a tour with Kacey Musgraves. After relocating to Nashville in 2016, they released Walk Into a Storm in 2017, produced by Dave Cobb, followed by Half Moon Light in 2020.

Few artists walk the line between the old and the new like Brent Cobb. The Ellaville, Georgia native—and longtime keeper of the country music flame—has delivered another defining album this year.

Earlier this week, Cobb released Ain’t Rocked in a While, a fuzzed-out, Southern rock-inspired record with his band The Fixin’s. It’s a live-wired departure from the acoustic leanings of his earlier work, but still driven by the same narrative strength and grounded values that made fans fall in love with albums like Shine on Rainy Day and Southern Star.

Watch “Ain't Rocked in a While” by Brent Cobb & the Fixin's

Recorded live to tape at The Black Palace in Springfield, Missouri, and co-produced with Oran Thornton, the new record captures Cobb’s rowdy live show energy while keeping one boot firmly planted in country soil. “I want people to have an album of reference,” Cobb explains. “Our live show kinda rocks. Sometimes people are taken aback.”

Songs like the single “Bad Feelin’” embrace that heavier sound, while never abandoning the lyrical roots that define Cobb’s songwriting. Critical reception has been swift and enthusiastic: Whiskey Riff calls the album “heavier in the sonic sense than ever before,” while Country Central dubs it “a perfect synopsis of Cobb’s artistic go-tos.” Glide notes the album’s “psychedelic tendencies” and “fuzzy garage rock” vibe—something that feels fresh, but still deeply Southern.

Watch “Bad Feelin’’’ by Brent Cobb

The Fixin’s—Len Clark (drums), Matt McDaniel (guitar), and Josh Williams (bass)—bring swagger and groove to the album, which Cobb and crew are taking on the road this summer and fall. Their national headline tour includes a July 15 pop-up release show at The Blue Room in Nashville, plus stops at venues like New York’s Bowery Ballroom, L.A.’s Troubadour, and Portland’s Aladdin Theater.

A Career Rooted in Tradition

Brent Cobb’s work has always been rooted in family, storytelling, and Southern heritage. Whether he’s exploring his thoughts (Keep 'Em on They Toes), the people who shaped him (Providence Canyon), or his beliefs (And Now, Let’s Turn to Page…), his albums feel like open letters—to his kids, to his fans, and to the South itself.

In addition to his solo work, Cobb has penned songs for Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and numerous other artists. His song “Snakebite” was featured in Paramount’s Landman, and 2021, he authored the children’s book Little Stuff, inspired by the music of the same name.

And Now, Let’s Turn to Page…: A Gospel Milestone

Before he plugged in and turned up the amps, Cobb released what many fans consider his most personal project: And Now, Let’s Turn to Page…, a 2022 gospel album that channels his roots in faith, family, and small-town Southern life.

Produced by cousin Dave Cobb at RCA Studio A in Nashville, the record includes eight traditional hymns and one original track, “When It’s My Time,” written with his wife Layne Cobb and Mike Harmeier of Mike and the Moonpies.

The inspiration came in 2020, after a life-threatening car accident with his young son in the vehicle. “You just start piecing together how everything is sort of intentional,” Cobb says. “That moment of clarity made me think, I should just make the gospel album now.”

Watch “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” by Brent Cobb

From church standards like “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” and “Old Rugged Cross” to full-circle family harmonies, the album is steeped in reverence. Cobb’s parents and sister join him for the first time in the studio, while his father’s gospel group, Antioch, lends its voice to “Old Country Church.” Rising country star Caylee Hammack, another Ellaville native, adds harmony vocals across the record.

“It used to be a rite of passage for country singers to make a gospel record,” Cobb explains. “I’m just trying to carry that torch.”

Born in Opelousas in 1925, Chenier created zydeco by fusing Creole French accordion music with blues, R&B, and Southern soul. His signature sound—fueled by accordion, rubboard, and a whole lot of swing—helped transform house-party rhythms into a global genre.

To celebrate this milestone, The Rolling Stones have released a new version of Chenier’s breakout song, “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés.” The track was produced by Louisiana swamp rocker CC Adcock and features legendary accordionist Steve Riley.

Mick Jagger sings entirely in Creole French while Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood put their signature guitar stamp on the track. It's swampy and defiant—exactly the kind of tribute you’d want for a genre born out Louisiana.

Listen to “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” by The Rolling Stones and Steve Riley

This new version is part of the upcoming tribute album A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, arriving June 27 from Valcour Records. The record features a star-studded lineup of artists influenced by Chenier’s legacy, including Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal, Charley Crockett, Steve Earle, Molly Tuttle, and CJ Chenier, Clifton’s son and a zydeco star in his own right. From its danceable grooves to heartfelt performances, the album celebrates not only the music but the movement Clifton started.

Zydeco music is Creole roots music built for dancing. It blends French folk melodies with blues backbeats and Afro-Caribbean energy. It’s house-party music, and Chenier’s band was the blueprint for nearly every zydeco act that followed.

With its infectious accordion riffs, syncopated rhythms, and Creole storytelling, Zydeco music played a subtle yet influential role in shaping traditional country music, particularly through its shared Southern roots and deep connections with Cajun, blues, and R&B traditions.

In Texas and Louisiana dancehalls, zydeco and country music often shared the same stage, influencing each other in terms of phrasing, rhythm, and instrumentation. The washboard (or rubboard) rhythms and two-step backbeats of zydeco laid a foundation that aligned perfectly with honky-tonk swing.

At the same time, the genre’s emphasis on live danceability helped push country toward its own twangy, hard-grooving edge. Artists like Clifton Chenier brought Creole energy to the same circuits where George Jones and Buck Owens played, and in doing so, zydeco helped make the American roots music map more rhythmic, diverse, and deeply danceable.

Later this year, Smithsonian Folkways and Arhoolie Records will release Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco, a career-spanning box set featuring 67 tracks (19 of them previously unreleased), plus a 160-page book filled with essays, photos, and liner notes chronicling his life and work.

Even on what would be his 100th birthday, Chenier’s music still pulses through roadside bars, festival stages, and backyard parties. His rhythms remain contagious, his influence undeniable. Whether you’re dancing to a Creole accordion in Lafayette or a country shuffle in Luckenbach, you’re feeling a beat that Clifton helped build.

Start listening now:

Whether you're two-stepping under string lights, moving furniture in the living room, or just needing a little rhythm for your ride, this playlist is built to move you.

This Week’s Dancefloor Bangers Include:

• Josh Turner puts the hammer down with a smooth and thunderous take on outlaw classics.

• Miranda Lambert swings with sass on Famous in a Small Town and turns up the burn on Fastest Girl in Town.

• Dwight Yoakam shows up three times because when it comes to dancehall-ready Bakersfield grooves, no one does it better.

• Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, and Brooks & Dunn bring that ‘90s energy that gets people out of their seats.

• The Chicks, Midland, Montgomery Gentry, and Morgan Wade round it out with a mix of grit, charm, and modern honky-tonk fire.

Why This List Hits

We didn’t just pick songs we like—we picked songs you can dance to. These tracks are high in tempo, energy, and danceability, representing the perfect intersection of traditional country swagger and the Americana underground. This is for fans who love fiddle riffs and fast feet, Telecasters and tip jars.

Lukas Nelson – American Romance

Released: June 20, 2025
Official Music Video: Watch “American Romance” on YouTube

Spotify: Listen here

Why It Matters:
Willie Nelson’s son steps forward with a solo debut produced by Shooter Jennings, blending cosmic country with introspection. Tracks like “Ain’t Done” strike a chord with heartfelt storytelling and dusty harmonies.

D.K. Harrell – Talkin’ Heavy

Released: June 20, 2025
Watch “Grown Now” (lead single) on YouTube: YouTube

Spotify: Listen here

Why It Matters:
Blues meets Americana in this debut from Louisiana’s Harrell. His fiery guitar, soulful vocals, and gritty storytelling evoke revival-tent energy and genuine emotion.

“Talkin’ heavy just take a look at the news… the world is heavy with the blues.”

Ethel Cain – “Nettles” (Single)

Released: June 4, 2025
Official Visualizer on YouTube: Watch “Nettles” on YouTube

Spotify: Listen here

Why It Matters:
An 8-minute epic somewhere between Twin Peaks theme song and Appalachian gothic—banjo, strings, and haunting vocals. Cain’s writing and production reveal a deeply personal prequel to Preacher’s Daughter, set to define her next album Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You due August 8.

This Week’s Vibe:

From cosmic cowboy balladry to swampy soul and spectral Americana, these releases show the reach of roots music in 2025. Dive deep—and let me know which one hits you hardest.

If you're someone who feels disillusioned by what country music has become, but still believes in what it could be, Nathan Evans Fox is an artist worth watching. His music isn’t about performative authenticity. It’s about real people in real places, living real stories.

I recently had a chance to sit down with Nathan Evan’s Fox for an interview. During our conversation recorded for “Good Skews,” he outlined the tension he feels within country music today: “It’s a culture war that I want to fight.”

Listen to Nathan Evans Fox on Good Skews

For Fox, the Country music culture war isn’t about who wears the most authentic boots or who uses backing tracks—it’s about the very soul of country music. Will it remain a vessel for the lived complexities of rural and working-class life, or collapse into cosplay for suburban consumption?

Fox’s diagnosis of country music’s current malaise is blunt: the genre has been suburbanized, which too often “ends up feeling like cosplay, ends up bad, ⁓ like a bad Yellowstone ⁓ episode” as he describes it.

“The biggest threat [to Country music] has been suburbanization,” he says. “It’s been people that wanna tell you this is what a family looks like, this is what gender looks like… and it’s all to marshal people into being consumers who are afraid of the city, which is just code for white flight.”

Listen to “Country Hearts” by Nathan Evans Fox

In this flattened cultural landscape, rural life is reduced to a brand—a list of consumer goods. “A lot of folks in country music now… sell you a super reductive version of the country… It’s just a hat, a belt buckle, a truck.”

He sees a rupture post-9/11, when country music became a tool for manufacturing loyalty, not to family and community, but to nationalism. “It became about how you create good soldiers… how you make people more loyal to America and to the flag than to their sense of the world and each other,” he said.

In that shift, class solidarity gave way to racialized nationalism, a dynamic Fox sees echoed in today’s popular Country music that reinforces hierarchy and fear under the guise of tradition.

Still, Fox believes in the redemptive power of country music. “Country music is folk music for the microplastic era,” he says. Not nostalgic. Not escapist. But real—honest about what we’ve lost and what we’re still losing: bees, birds, land, future.

“We can’t undo the ways capitalism has changed it,” he said. “And it can’t be taken back.”

Listen to Bottleneck by Nathan Evans Fox

Nathan Evans Fox didn’t set out to be a country artist—his path wound through seminary, hospital chaplaincy, and graduate studies in theology and conflict transformation. But the North Carolina native now finds himself at the intersection of tradition and transformation, redefining what Southern storytelling can be.

His forthcoming album, Heirloom, explores themes of parenthood, grief, and love amidst ecological and political collapse. “I became a dad, I lost a dad,” he says. “I live in Tennessee. The politics here are awful.” Yet, instead of retreating, Fox leans in. “I have to think and feel and hope for another generation.”

He’s also using his Substack newsletter to map out a politically engaged, culturally rooted music practice—one that offers alternatives to “wishy-washy resentment” and empty right-wing spectacle. “I want music that’s fun and thought-provoking,” he says, “not Jason Aldean propaganda.”

He knows the industry rewards repetition, not risk.

“Commercial country music wants you to be as broadly accessible as you can. And so they're gonna just sell,” he said.

“I don't say this in any pejorative sense, I love making slop for the piggies—I’m a piggy myself—but they are going to make sure you sell whatever slop all the piggies are going to eat.”

But Fox’s music isn’t slop. It’s layered, intentional, and alive with grief, anger, and tenderness. It's for those who feel out of place in today’s country landscape—those who crave a genre that doesn't reduce identity to costume, or masculinity to aggression. Rural America is a place where you can be a little unconventional. “A little fugitive and a little free,” as Fox describes it.

As mainstream country continues to grapple with inclusion, authenticity, and political relevance, artists like Nathan Evans Fox are leading the way, not by abandoning the genre, but by pushing it to live up to its full potential, and pushing Country fans to rethink what it means to be country in the first place.

Learn more about Nathan Evans Fox at nathanevansfox.com or follow him on your preferred streaming platform. You can also find his essays and thoughts on music, politics, and culture on Substack.

In a time when culture and politics seem more polarized than ever, Charley Crockett—Texas-born troubadour, country bluesman, and self-made Americana star—stands out for his refusal to be boxed in. He doesn’t sing to serve a political base. He sings what’s true.

“I don't sing folk music for a conservative crowd, and I don't speak my stories through song for a progressive crowd,” Crockett told NPR. “I speak it because this shit is true to me.”

That kind of honesty, rooted in real life rather than ideology, is what makes Crockett not just an essential voice in American roots music but a vital one in the broader cultural conversation.

A Voice Shaped by the Road, Not a Bumper Sticker

Crockett’s music—like his worldview—resists easy labels. His “Gulf & Western” sound draws from country, blues, soul, Tejano, and street-folk traditions. It’s not nostalgia, and it’s not manufactured. It’s lived.

Born in San Benito, Texas, and raised by a single mother in Dallas, Crockett came up the hard way. His path to prominence wasn’t paved by industry connections or viral moments. It was built on street corners, subway stations, and backroad honky-tonks. He spent his twenties hitchhiking across America, busking in New Orleans and New York, jamming in Morocco, leading a street band in Manhattan, and soaking up the sounds of every place in between.

When you’ve slept on couches in a dozen states and played for change on three continents, your perspective isn’t abstract. It’s earned.

However, his occasional commentary on some issues has sparked criticism from conservative followers who have expressed discomfort or disappointment when Crockett has made public statements on political or social issues. Crocket recently posted a video on Instagram discussing the tension artists like him face when expressing their views on culture.

“We are actually in some ways more qualified than anybody to comment on culture,” Crockett said in a recent Instagram video. “Yet somebody who has seen very little… is telling a well-traveled man that he's not in any position to have an opinion about the affairs in this world.”

There’s a quiet power in Crocket’s comments.

Born in San Benito, raised by a single mother in Dallas, and shaped by years of hitchhiking, busking, and sleeping on floors across the country, Crockett’s life has been anything but scripted.

Before he became a Grammy-nominated artist and embarked on national tours, he was performing in subway stations in New York, on street corners in Paris, and anywhere else people were willing to listen. He wasn’t just building a sound—he was absorbing the country, person by person, place by place.

Still, Crockett doesn’t make political endorsements. He’s not interested in becoming a mouthpiece for any party. But he doesn’t shy away from telling his truth either.

He’s spoken openly about systemic inequality, saying, “Yes, we're all oppressed folks, but some folks just have it harder.”

He’s also voiced unwavering support for reproductive rights, declaring, “If I have a daughter one day, I'll die before she has less rights than my mama.”

These statements aren’t made to score points. They come from personal conviction—and from years spent face-to-face with everyday Americans whose stories often go unheard.

Unsurprisingly, some of Crockett’s fans—particularly those expecting their country music to steer clear of anything resembling more progressive politics—have pushed back. But Crockett has always been clear that he sings his truth, not someone else’s narrative.

This Is What Authentic Country Sounds Like

In an era of digital echo chambers and algorithm-driven outrage, Crockett offers solidarity, experience, and storytelling grounded in real life. He’s not scrolling social media to form his views—he’s been out living them.

He’s shaken hands with ranchers and record execs, gamblers and gas station clerks, baristas and bartenders, city dwellers and small-town dreamers. He knows America—not from cable news, but from freight trains and front porches.

And that’s exactly why his voice matters.

To tell Charley Crockett to “shut up and sing” is to misunderstand the role of a Country singer in American life. It’s also a failure to recognize where real cultural insight comes from—not a think tank or a Twitter thread, but from the lived experience of the people who make up this country.

For Crockett, music is a reflection of life. And those who’ve spent their lives traveling highways and honky-tonks often understand this country far more intimately than anyone in a Capitol Hill committee room.

In an era when our feeds are flooded with hot takes and cultural outrage, maybe it’s time we pause and listen to someone who’s taken the long way around—who’s met the country not through headlines, but handshakes.

So before you tell Charley Crockett to “shut up and sing,” maybe ask yourself: When was the last time you walked a mile in anyone’s boots?

Award-winning musician Lukas Nelson has announced the release of his latest album, "American Romance," on June 20th.

Fans can get a taste of the new album with the single "Ain't Done,” which is out now.

Watch “Ain’t Done” by Lukas Nelson

“I went through this period of self-reflection and George Harrison’s song, ‘All Things Must Pass,’ was part of what got me through that moment,” Nelson said of the track. “ It gave me that understanding that it’s not for us to know what comes next. Everything changes and nothing stays the same.”

"American Romance,” produced by Shooter Jennings, is Nelson's first solo project and his first with Sony Music Nashville. It features twelve tracks, including collaborations with Sierra Ferrell and Stephen Wilson Jr., and explores Nelson's experiences traveling across the country.

“This album is the first chapter in a whole new era of my life as an artist. It's a love story to the country that raised me. Diners and highways that carried me through the joy and pain that led to the music you hear now,” Nelson said.

Since his debut over a decade ago, Nelson has become one of the most respected voices in music and released eight studio albums, including 2023’s Sticks and Stones, which spent 18 weeks in the top 10 of the Americana Albums chart and reached #1 on the Alt-Country chart.

A highly sought-after collaborator both in the studio and on stage, Nelson recently joined forces with The Travelin’ McCourys and Sierra Ferrell for a bluegrass-inspired rendition of Adele’s iconic hit, “Someone Like You,” and has also worked with artists such as Lainey Wilson, Ernest, Miranda Lambert, The Pistol Annies and more.

Watch “Someone Like You” with Lukas Nelson, The Travelin' McCourys, & Sierra Ferrell

More recently, he performed at the MusiCares 2025 Person of the Year Gala, where he honored the Grateful Dead by performing “It Must Have Been the Roses” with Sierra Ferrell.

Watch Sierra Ferrell and Lukas Nelson Perform “It Must Have Been the Roses” at the MusiCares gala 🌹

In recent years, Nelson has sold out countless headline shows, been featured at renowned festivals such as Stagecoach, Ohana Festival, Bourbon & Beyond and Farm Aid.

He has appeared on late-night shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Additionally, Nelson co-produced and co-wrote much of the music for the acclaimed 2018 film A Star is Born, in which he also appeared. The soundtrack won a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media and a BAFTA Award for Best Original Music.

Rising country music star Noeline Hofmann released the official music video for her rendition of "The Bullfighter," written and performed by Luke Bell. The video, featuring Hofmann and two-time BFO World Champion Bullfighter Tyler Mansell, is available to watch and share online.

Watch “The Bullfighter” performed by Noeline Hofmann

“To be scared half to death, or all alone, or run ragged, or knocked down into the dirt but you get up and do it anyway, face it head on, allow your determination to outweigh your fear, never let up, follow your truth, make art of a battle - that’s bravery,” Hofmann said. “Perseverance. Grit. Cowboy. That’s ‘The Bullfighter.’ ‘The Bullfighter’ has become a friend of mine, a shot of courage when I’ve needed it the most. “

The video release coincides with the announcement of Hofmann's extensive headline tour, with stops in cities including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Chicago, and Boise. Additionally, she will join Turnpike Troubadours, Colter Wall, and 49 Winchester for select dates.

Hofmann grew up in a small town in Southern Alberta, Canada, near the Montana border. She has achieved significant recognition at just 21 years old, including winning Video of the Year, Horizon Female Artist of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year at the 14th Annual Alberta Country Music Awards. She has also been named an Amazon Music "Artist to Watch," an Apple Music Canada "Up Next Artist," and a Shazam "Fast Forward Artist."

Her song "Purple Gas" caught the attention of country music star Zach Bryan, who asked Hofmann to record it as a duet for his new album, "The Great American Bar Scene," marking the first time Bryan has recorded another artist's work.

Watch “Purple Gas” by Noeline Hofmann & Zach Bryan

Luke Bell, born in 1990 in Lexington, Kentucky, began his musical journey playing in local bars while in college. He self-produced his debut album in 2012 in Austin, Texas, then moved to Cody, Wyoming, where he wrote and recorded his second album, "Don't Mind If I Do", in 2014. By 2016, Bell had settled in Nashville and released another self-titled album.

Bell's early career showed great promise, with some comparing his potential to that of Sturgill Simpson or Tyler Childers. He opened for notable acts like Dwight Yoakam, Hank Williams Jr., and Willie Nelson, and his 2016 album, released through Thirty Tigers, was met with critical acclaim. However, his rising career was derailed by his father's death, which led Bell to withdraw from the public eye. A planned tour following the album release was canceled, and Bell virtually disappeared from the music scene.

In late August 2022, Bell went missing for four days in Tucson, Arizona. He was tragically found dead on August 26. An autopsy report later revealed his cause of death to be an accidental fentanyl overdose.

“I never had the pleasure of meeting Luke Bell before he passed, but from guitar pulls to stages across North America, performing this cover has led me to making dear friendships and hearing stories from those who knew and loved him worth their weight in gold,” Hofman said.

“Luke wrote songs that will last forever. Though my journey is just beginning in many ways, this song has guided me through the sticks so far on my mission to do the same. Recording this cover is my way of honoring Luke’s legacy and his importance to the alternative country genre as well as hopefully, sharing the strength his music has brought me with others,” she said.

Dolly Parton has released a touching new single called "If You Hadn't Been There" to honor her husband, Carl Dean, who recently passed away at 82. The song celebrates their almost 60 years of marriage and shows the deep love they shared.

In a heartfelt post on Instagram announcing the song's release, Parton expressed Dean's profound impact on her life. “I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together. Like all great love stories, they never end; they live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him,” she wrote.

Carl Dean and Dolly Parton met when she moved to Nashville at 18, an encounter that would change their lives forever. Parton fondly remembered their initial meeting outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat, recalling how surprised she was to find someone genuinely interested in getting to know her. “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” she recounted in a 2016 interview, highlighting the special bond that would grow between them.

The couple married just two years later, on May 30, 1966, in Georgia, and remained devoted to each other throughout their lives. Dean, a businessman known for his Nashville asphalt company, often made discreet appearances in Parton’s life, choosing to live outside the limelight. Nonetheless, his influence was evident, inspiring many of Parton’s songs and stories.

As Parton shared the news of Dean’s passing, she expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support she received from family, friends, and fans during this tough time. “This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you've sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl,” she stated. “I can't reach out personally to each of you, but just know it has meant the world to me.”

Dolly Parton found comfort in her faith after Dean's passing, knowing he was now resting in God's arms. She expressed the eternal nature of their love by referencing her famous song, "I Will Always Love You," highlighting the enduring impact of their relationship.

“He is in God's arms now, and I am okay with that. I will always love you,” she added in her statement. Parton also shared that Dean would be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by immediate family, ensuring an intimate farewell for the man who played such a central role in her life.

As fans, friends, and family remember Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's new song serves as a powerful reminder of their love story—a tale that has inspired countless others and will continue to resonate for years to come. In their nearly 60 years together, the couple created a legacy of love that will undoubtedly live on in memory and music. “If You Hadn’t Been There” is not just a tribute; it is a celebration of a remarkable life shared between two souls deeply intertwined.

Watch "Gone" by Richard Inman

"Gone" is a song about loss and longing, with Inman's lyrics capturing the raw emotions of a relationship coming to an end. The song's narrative follows the protagonist as they grapple with the pain of their lover's departure, struggling to find the words to express their feelings.

Musically, "Gone" is a blend of folk and country influences, with Inman's acoustic guitar providing a foundation for the song's gentle melody. The track also features contributions from Tyler Allen Bass on guitar, Megan Brown on fiddle, and Pete Cormier on drums, adding depth and texture to the arrangement.

Inman, who hails from South Eastern Manitoba and central Alberta, has established himself as a staple of Winnipeg's folk and country scene. Known for his mature songwriting and authentic storytelling, Inman has released two full-length albums to date and has toured extensively throughout Canada and Europe.

With his new single, "Gone," Inman continues to cement his place as a Canadian songwriting giant. The song is a testament to his ability to craft deeply personal and emotionally resonant music that connects with audiences on a profound level.

"Gone" is now available on all major streaming platforms.

This week, Omnivore Recordings announced the release of The Exciting Sounds of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos Live From Richmond, Virgina, 1964 on March 28th, pressed on strawberry jam-colored vinyl.

This serves as the earliest known full concert recording of Buck and his Buckaroos, mastered from the original tape by Grammy®-winning engineer Michael Graves and including extensive liner notes from co-producer Scott B. Bomar.

Buck Owens and his Buckaroos were a phenomenon when they burst onto the scene in the early 1960s. In 1963–1964, they had five #1 Country hits including “Act Naturally,” “Love’s Gonna Live Here,” “I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me),” and “My Heart Skips A Beat.” Their live Carnegie Hall Concert release hit #1 in 1966, but how exciting they were onstage before that was largely unheard of.

Buck Owens, born Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. in 1929 in Sherman, Texas, was an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a pioneer of the Bakersfield sound, a subgenre of country music that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, characterized by its twangy guitars, driving rhythms, and honky-tonk influences.

Owens began his career in music in the early 1950s, playing in various honky-tonks and clubs in California. He formed his band, the Buckaroos, in 1958, and together they released their debut album, "Buck Owens and His Buckaroos," in 1961. The album was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Owens as a major force in country music.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Owens continued to release successful albums and singles. He had a string of 21 number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including "Act Naturally," "Love's Gonna Live Here," and "I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)." Owens was also a popular television star, hosting the variety show "Hee Haw" from 1969 to 1986. He continued to perform and record until his death in 2006.

The Exciting Sounds Of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos Live From Richmond, Virginia, 1964 is the recently discovered, earliest full-concert recording of The Buckaroos onstage. The band, performing the aforementioned #1 hits and more, shows how their presence and performance in front of a live audience cemented their status as one of the greatest acts of all time—in person and on record.

This week, Ben Nichols, the lead singer of Lucero, and keyboardist Rick Steff of the Memphis-based rock band unveiled a reimagined version of their iconic track "In Lonesome Times."

Lucero is an American alternative country-punk rock band based in Memphis, Tennessee. The band's sound has been described as a mix of soul, rock, and country distinct to the city.

Listen to "In Lonesome Times," performed by Ben Nichols and Rick Steff, on Spotify

The single released this week will be part of their upcoming project, Lucero Unplugged, slated for release on January 24. This album promises a fresh take on several of the band's classic songs, showcasing the duo's unique live acoustic performances.

Originally featured on Lucero's debut album, The Attic Tapes, "In Lonesome Times" receives a new interpretation through keyboardist Rick Steff's intimate piano arrangement.

Watch Ben Nichols & Rick Steff perform "In Lonesome Times" live and unplugged

"In Lonesome Times' was one of the earliest songs I wrote for Lucero," Ben Nichols says. "It's featured on the collection of 8-track cassette demos we released called The Attic Tapes. This song was written ten years before Rick Steff joined Lucero, but the piano part he eventually wrote takes the piece to a new level. The song is a rarity in Lucero live sets, but the emotion Rick brings to this recording makes it one of the standout tracks on Lucero Unplugged."

Rick adds, "It's a beautiful sad lament, and one of my favorite tracks from the record. This song hasn't been played in many years and I think a lot of folks are gonna love it like I do."

Lucero Unplugged is a special double album that revisits songs from the band's extensive 25-year catalog, stemming from the intimate acoustic performances Nichols and Steff have shared.

Recorded in a single day at Matt Ross-Spang's studio in Memphis, the collection includes a mix of well-known favorites and rare gems, all captured live with grand piano and acoustic guitar.

Watch "In in Lonesome Times" by Lucero

Earlier this month, Nichols and Steff shared the release of "Much Further West," the first single from Lucero Unplugged. The track was originally released as the title track of Lucero's 2003 album

Listen to "Much Futher West" performed by Ben Nichols and Rick Steff on Spotify

Watch Ben Nichols & Rick Steff perform "That Much Further West" unplugged

Lucero started in the late 90s. Since then, they have been called "one of the hardest working bands of the last 10 years—on tour significantly more days than they are not."

The group recorded The Attic Tapes in 2000 in guitarist Brian Venable's dad's attic. They recorded it straight to an 8-track cassette and self-released it.

This album was later reissued in 2006 by Liberty & Lament. It includes the cover of the Jawbreaker song "Kiss The Bottle."

In conjunction with the album announcement, Lucero also revealed plans for a spring 2025 tour featuring special guests The Menzingers. The tour will see the band traveling across the country, stopping in major cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin, Nashville, Brooklyn, and Detroit.

Before heading out on tour, Lucero will host their annual hometown concert, the Lucero Family Christmas, at Minglewood Hall this week. They will then perform three performances in Chicago for New Year's Eve.

Fans can find the complete list of tour dates on their website at luceromusic.com/tour.

Music fans have plenty to celebrate as Austin's Jesse Daniel and Kentucky's Benjamin Tod come together to release two new singles: the evocative "Turn The Devil Away" and a heartfelt cover of Randy Travis and George Jones’ classic “A Few Ole Country Boys.”

These tracks mark the beginning of an exciting joint venture for the two talented artists, who have announced a mini tour that will take them through Louisville, Cincinnati, Knoxville, and Nashville this December. Fans can look forward to live performances that showcase the unique chemistry and musical synergy between the two.

Watch "A Few Ole Country Boys" by Benjamin Tod & Jesse Daniel

"A Few Ole Country Boys" is a song written by Troy Seals and Mentor Williams, recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. The song features a duet with country musician George Jones. It was released in November 1990 as the first single from Travis's album of duets, Heroes & Friends. "A Few Ole Country Boys" peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and reached number 4 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

By 1990, Randy Travis had become country music's hottest star and was the face of the "new traditionalist" movement. This movement aimed to revive the honky-tonk sound and classic vocals in country music, a style that George Jones had significantly influenced and pioneered.

Watch "A Few Ole Country Boys" performed by Randy Travis & George Jones

Both Daniel and Tod have emerged as key figures in the latest wave of traditional country music. "Turn The Devil Away" is another collaboration initiated by Tod, who sent Daniel a half-finished voice memo one night. This led to a collaborative writing process that both artists embraced with enthusiasm.

“When it all came together, we were both very proud of this song,” Daniel shared. He emphasized the song's nature as “cautionary advice from somebody who has seen it all,” reflecting their shared experiences in overcoming personal struggles.

Listen to "Turn The Devil Away" by Benjamin Tod & Jesse Daniel

Benjamin Tod echoed this sentiment, highlighting the natural connection they have as songwriters. “Jesse and I are cut from the same cloth of the old world punk scene with the scares and kicked habits to prove it,” he stated. Their backgrounds have forged a deep understanding of each other's journeys, making their collaboration feel seamless and authentic.

This release follows Daniel’s successful 2024 LP *Countin’ The Miles*, which has received accolades from numerous outlets, including Billboard and Texas Monthly and soared into the top 30 on the Americana Radio Chart. His dedication to touring—often performing nearly 200 dates a year—has earned him a dedicated fanbase that appreciates his commitment to traditional country music.

On the other hand, Benjamin Tod has gained recognition as the lead singer and songwriter for the acclaimed Lost Dog Street Band. His solo work, including the recently released *Shooting Star*, has also earned praise from major music publications, and he made his Grand Ole Opry debut in May.

The duo's upcoming tour will kick off on December 5 at the Mercury Ballroom in Louisville, followed by stops at Bogart’s in Cincinnati, The Mill & Mine in Knoxville, and Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville.

With both artists passionate about their craft and dedicated to their fans, this collaboration is set to be one of the highlights of the upcoming music season. Be sure to catch Jesse Daniel and Benjamin Tod on their tour and experience their new music firsthand.

In a candid interview, Musgraves shared insights about her songwriting process and the personal experiences that inspired her to create “Star-Crossed.” “Writing this album was like therapy for me,” she confessed. “I wanted to explore the complexities of love and loss, and I believe those themes resonate with so many.” The singer-songwriter emphasized the importance of vulnerability in her music, a quality that has garnered her a loyal fanbase.

An expanded version of Kacey's latest album, "Deeper Into The Well," is streaming now and will be available on vinyl beginning this Friday. Kacey Musgraves is on tour now. Find dates and ticket information at https://www.kaceymusgraves.com/tour/#/.