Bryce Leatherwood has officially released his self-titled debut album. Packed with sounds reflective of his traditional country roots as well as fresh, modern production, the album introduces Leatherwood in his most authentic form.
From the high-energy radio single “Hung Up On You” to personal deep cuts and even a George Strait cover, the project marks a significant moment for the Georgia native who’s spent the past two years carefully building out his sound across 12 tracks.
“I couldn’t be more excited. I really couldn’t. I’m just so ready for this album to get out into the world and for everybody to hear what I’ve been working on, and I hope they love it as much as I do,” Leatherwood told Country Now. “I take a lot of pride in what we’ve done. Spent two years of hard work picking these songs and writing these songs, and it’s been great, but I just can’t wait.”
While Leatherwood co-wrote three of the tracks, he took the best song wins approach for the rest of the album, allowing him to seek outside cuts that felt just as personal to him. So even in songs he didn’t have a hand in writing, like “Something Bout A Girl,” Leatherwood still found personal ties to his real life. In this particular tune, he sings, “It used to be middle finger Johnny Cash on the wall,” which is a reference to the same iconic photo he had above his bed for all four years of college.
“I think I’ve always used songs for memories. I mean, that’s how I outlined my musical career and my life is through songs. So I mean, for me, using outside songs was the most relatable thing to do because I relate to music so much and I love these songs that I think they speak to me and to this album,” he explained.
The Album-Making Process Is No Easy Task
Bryce Leatherwood was quick to admit that the process of building his debut album was all a big learning curve. He went in assuming he would have to pick a few songs, record them and arrange them in a sequence. However he revealed, “there’s a lot more than that.”
His ultimate goal with this album was to give listeners a set of tunes that would highlight his life story and his ongoing mission of bringing traditional country back. As a result, a ton of thought went into every aspect of the creative process. While country is clearly a driving force of the record, it’s more than just straight up fiddle and guitar. The Season 22 winner of The Voice combines his musical influences to include sounds of southern rock, blues, and more that listeners may not expect.
“It’s very rootsy traditional country, but mixed with modern melody elements,” he said. “It’s really cool.”
The new album features his debut single to Country radio, “Hung Up On You,” which was most-added its first week and climbing the charts. This follows his previous releases – “Neon Does,” “Still Learning,” “Where The Bar Is,” “Shenandoah,” “The One My Daddy Found,” and “The Finger.”
Ending The Record With Three Special Tracks
At the very end of the collection, Leatherwood included three very special recordings. The first is one of the most personal moments on the record, a cover of George Strait’s “The Fireman.” His rendition of the 1984 tune serves as a tribute to Leatherwood’s grandfather, who was a firefighter for 25 years and used to play the song when he was a kid. Further adding to the sentimental value, Leatherwood managed to tap George Strait’s steel guitar player who played on the original recording to play on this track as well.
“We would grow up listening to it and dancing around to it and singing to it. And so it’s like one of the first songs I knew by memory and I was like, ‘what if we did a cover on this album?’…And I was like, well, let’s do ‘The Fireman.’ That’s like the first song and no one’s ever covered ‘The Fireman,’ by the way,” he revealed. “No one’s ever done it and I was like, ‘Well, if you’re going to come with the King, you best not miss.’ I don’t think we did. It’s not like a karaoke version. It’s different. It’s sonically different. It’s just so unique and I think it does justice to what George did with his song.”
The second to last track is a separate recording of the opening tune, “In Lieu of Flowers,” with the addition of fellow traditionalist, Walker Montgomery. Leatherwood explained that this collaboration came about while the pair were hanging out one day and he expressed to Montgomery how much he wanted them to record a song together. The Kentucky-born singer/songwriter was immediately on board, but he had a special request – he wanted to slightly change up some of the lyrics to include a nod to his father, the legendary country artist John Michael Montgomery.
“I thought that was a cool song and he’s like, ‘this is a great song. I want to get on it, but if I get on it, can I name drop my daddy?’ I said, ‘hell yeah, you can name drop your daddy.’ So there’s a little Easter egg in there.”
Stripped-Down Rendition Of “Hung Up On You”
Lastly, Leatherwood gives fans a stripped-down version of his single, “Hung Up On You.” Adding this second recording allowed him to show fans his ability to “separate sound sonically to make it two different vibes with the same record.”
Altogether, this project captures the heart of a rising artist who’s deeply rooted in tradition, but isn’t afraid to explore new sounds. Leatherwood’s voice is one that honors the greats who came before him while also carving out his own lane, making his debut feel like both a tribute to the past and a promise of what’s to come. And while he’s spent years working hard to get to this moment, there’s still a part of him that’s just a kid chasing a dream.
“The reality is I feel like we’ve worked so hard as a team and I feel like it’s all built up to this, but at the same time, it’s like 10-year-old me is just losing his mind right now. Let’s just say it. I mean, the reality is I’m about put my first record out into the world and I’m just so proud of it. I really am so, so proud of this record. I just can’t wait. I’m tickled.”
Bryce Leatherwood Tracklisting:
1. “In Lieu of Flowers” (Jacob Davis, Adam Craig, Matt McKinney)
2. “Neon Does” (BryceLeatherwood, Alex Maxwell, Matt McKinney)
3. “Something Bout A Girl” (Jessi Alexander, Jonathan Singleton, Frank Rogers)
4. “Still Learning” (Dan Wilson, Brett Sheroky, Jessica Roadcap)
5. “What If She Does” (Justin Wilson, Jennifer Wayne, Trent Tomlinson
6. “Cheap Cologne” (Jimmy Ritchey, Kevin Denney, Odie Blackmon)
7. “Where the Bar Is” Chase McGill, Shane Minor, Cole Taylor, Michael Carter)
8. “God Made” (J.T. Harding, Adam Craig, Jordan Minton, Seth Mosley)
9. “Shenandoah” (BryceLeatherwood, Jeffrey East, Josh Kelley)
10. “The One My Daddy Found” (Leatherwood, Lynn Hutton, Chris Dubois)
11. “The Finger” (Randy Montana, Jeremy Spillman, Brett Sheroky)
12. “Hung Up On You” (Brandon Lay, Jeff Middleton, Neil Medley)
The majority of the tracks on the self-titled album will come to life while Bryce Leatherwood is on the road this summer. Next month, fans will find him returning to the Good Molecules Reverb Stage at this year’s CMA Fest in Nashville.
The post Bryce Leatherwood Shares The Stories And Influences Behind His Long-Awaited Debut Album [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.