Hannah McFarland is gearing up for a busy few months packed with tour dates, exciting collaborations and a wave of brand-new music.
“This definitely is a big recording year. It’s a big, hopefully, new music year,” she told Country Now. “I don’t know exact timelines yet, or if I can actually say timelines yet, but there should be some stuff coming out.”
Coming off the release of her debut EP Broken Hearts in February, which featured previous singles “Hey Highway” and “The Bed I Made” as well as three additional tracks, McFarland is already looking ahead to her next musical chapter. This summer and into the fall, she will continue showcasing songs from this project while on the road with Ty Myers, Riley Green and Chase Rice. Additionally, she’s set to perform at several major festivals, including CMA Fest in Nashville.
McFarland To Make Her Return To CMA Fest
Even with the miles she’s clocking on tour, there’s something special about getting to take the stage in Music City. Last year, the rising star made her CMA Fest debut and this year she will be performing on the Good Molecules Reverb Stage on Sunday, June 8.
“It’s fun being out touring around in different states and people that have not gotten to see you before and all that, but there’s just something about being back home in Nashville and being able to have your friends come out and people in the industry come out….There’s just nothing like a Nashville show. There’s really not,” she shared honestly.
McFarland’s 2025 performance will mark the start of a new era as it will give her the opportunity to show what she can do on stage with a full band. Her set list is expected to be “well-rounded” with a mix of her past fan-favorites, unreleased tunes and maybe even a few covers.
“I know a lot of people have seen me as just acoustic or at the singer songwriter rounds and all that, so I’m excited for this one. And yeah, it’s A big one. I feel like I don’t really get nervous for shows at all. I can’t really remember the last time I was nervous for a show, but I have a feeling I’m going to have butterflies for this one, just because there is going to be a lot of industry people, a lot of people that I actually respect a lot.”
Lessons Learned On The Road
And while Hannah’s building momentum with her own shows, she’s also taking notes from the artists she’s shared the road with like Brett Young, Kip Moore, and Tucker Wetmore.
“When I was touring with all the artists I toured with, the biggest thing that I took away from it was just watching how they run their stage and how they run their show, because I hadn’t been on tour before, so it was just a chance to be able to see the way that they interact with crowds,” she explained. “And I loved the tour I was on with Brett because a lot of it was in theaters and for where my music has been at, I felt like that really fit my sound and people were actually listening.”
She continued, “It’s not even just necessarily on the music side of things, it’s just on a human level, how they treat people they work with. That’s what I took away most from, especially touring with Brett and Kip and Tucker, just how everybody ran their tours. I take little pieces of that and move forward on just a human level.”
Hitting The Road With Riley Green
McFarland also expressed her excitement over the fact that she will get to represent her home state with fellow Alabama natives Jamey Johnson, Drake White while on the road supporting Riley Green’s Damn Country Music Tour this fall.
This will mark her first time touring with Green, however they previously shared the stage at the Grand Ole Opry when Green invited her to sing Ella Langley’s part in their duet, “Don’t Mind If I Do.”
“I just respect what they have so much and what they’re doing so much so it was really special to go in and sing that one with them. And so that’s the only experience that I really have singing with him. But this fall, I’m going to be opening with him. It’s going to be me, Jamey Johnson, Drake White and Riley Green…Crazy the way that Alabama is kind of peeking its head out over the past a lot, especially here,” she pointed out. “It’s really special, but it’s going to be a fun one.”
Joining Brett Young On New Collaboration
Another major highlight for Hannah McFarland this summer will be the release of her duet with Brett Young, a new rendition of his 8X PLATINUM hit, “In Case You Didn’t Know 2.0.” The fresh version will be out on June 20.
This serves as a milestone moment for McFarland as she recalls covering the original tune in nearly every set she played early on in her career.
“I’m still in disbelief about that,” McFarland admitted. “I started adding in because I was just a fan of the song and of Brett and his music so when he reached out to me a little over a year ago and asked me to, and this was out of nowhere because we had not had any connections, he wasn’t even following me on social media yet. I woke up one morning and it was like, ‘Brett Young sent you message.’ I was like, oh, it’s got to be spam. This is not real. I open it, I’m like, there’s a check mark,” she recalled.
Not only did he invite her to sing a new version of the hit, but Young also asked her to co-write a brand-new verse.
“He’s like, ‘Hey lady, I love your voice. I love what you’re doing. I would love for you to write a second verse to my song ‘In Case You Didn’t Know.’ And I’ve been looking for someone to release it as a duet with.’ He just asked if I would do it. And obviously it’s a no brainer. I said, ‘yeah.’”
While on the road together earlier this year, the pair got to sing their new collaborative version on stage, making it an even more surreal opportunity for McFarland.
“It’s crazy how everything’s connected. Starting from playing that during cover shows to now I get to release a version with my words and my voice on it. It’s just I’m still in shock.”
As she gets ready for her one of her biggest summers yet, Hannah McFarland is soaking it all in and is feeling thankful for every show, every song, and every moment along the way.
A full list of her upcoming dates can be found here.
The post Hannah McFarland Gears Up for Big Year With New Music, Brett Young Duet, & Riley Green Tour [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.