Country music legend and philanthropist Tracy Lawrence is bringing extra excitement to CMA Fest today with the release of his new EP Out Here In It, his first body of work in three years.
The six-track collection features cuts from some of Nashville’s hottest songwriters including Rodney Clawson, Devin Dawson, Jacob Durrett, Wyatt McCubbin, Lee Thomas Miller, Ernest Keith Smith and more. CMT partners with Lawrence today to premiere the official music video for track No. 2, “I Could Use One,” on CMT, CMT Music, CMT Equal Play and the Paramount Times Square billboard.
“I thoroughly enjoy actively participating in the songwriting process for my music projects,” shares Lawrence. “However, for this specific EP, I had the incredible opportunity to fully embrace the exploration and discovery of songs from the Nashville community, which I believe to be a pool of the most gifted modern-day American poets that exists. And that creative community brought in a treasure trove of remarkable songs to work with.”
Lawrence first started giving fans tastes of the EP in February with the release of the title track “Out Here In It,” that takes listeners on a retrospective journey through the “strings-and-steel embellished production” and “perfectly underscores his meditation” (MusicRow). A month later, he followed up with “Gulf of Mexico,” a sandy shores ballad that offers a neon lit, slow dance spin to the center of the EP. His final early taste, “Pretty Dang Good,”opens the EP as a flash of sound that instantly stamps this as a new chapter for the “Country music luminary” (American Songwriter). Whiskey Riff debuted the video with an exclusive interview, where Lawrence shared, “I haven’t done a lot of songs like this throughout my career. I’ve always been more of a serious artist, heartbreak songs, crying in your beer kind of stuff. So this will be something a little bit different.”
The EP includes three brand new tracks for fans – “I Could Use One” is led by a cry of fiddle surrounding the soft, waltz-infused pace as Lawrence weaves his distinctive vocal atop the melody in such uniqueness that it presents a new flavor to his Texas dancehall flare. “A Cowboy Would” sees Lawrence delving fully into the familiarity of his signature sound through what can best be described as a classic Tracy Lawrence song. Bookending the EP, “Honky Tonk Up” delivers a rallying cry for the blue-collar workers. Providing them with an anthem, Lawrence extends an open invitation for them to come along with him to a backroad haven.
“’I Could Use One’ is a personal favorite from the EP,” adds Lawrence. “Strangely enough, it evokes a nostalgic feeling reminiscent of ‘Time Marches On.’ I struggle to pinpoint the exact reason behind this connection, there’s an undeniable similarity that resonates within me.”
“The pure Country hitmaker” (Taste of Country) recently wrapped up a run with Riley Green on his 33-stop Ain’t My Last Rodeo Tour. Just in time to celebrate the Out Here In It release, Lawrence will headline Ascend Amphitheater tomorrow (6/8) for “Tracy Lawrence and Friends,” which completely sold out within the first few hours of onsale. Lawrence will be joined by Green, Chris Young, Maddie & Tae, Priscilla Block, RaeLynn and Charles Esten. At the end of the summer, Lawrence will head to Texas to be inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, adding to his growing list of accolades including the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame. The Country icon will perform at the ceremony, which is being held in Carthage, Texas on Saturday, August 10.
For more information, visit www.tracylawrence.com and keep up with Lawrence on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Out Here In It Tracklist:
1. “Pretty Dang Good” (Wyatt McCubbin, Bobby Pinson, Carson Chamberlain)
2. “I Could Use One” (Brent Rupard, Brad Hutsell, Kyle James, Anthony Olympia)
3. “A Cowboy Would” (Jacob Durrett, Ernest Keith Smith, Devin Dawson, Rodney Clawson)
4. “Gulf of Mexico” (Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bubba Strait)
5. “Out Here In It” (Trey Lewis, Lee Thomas Miller, Chris Utley)
6. “Honky Tonk Up” (Monty Criswell, Derek George, Thomas Archer)