Ian Munsick got to show off the newest edition to his family, his adorable Golden Retriever Martha May, during his visit to the Country Now studio for a Pupdate. Between all the kisses, tail wagging and playful energy, the Wyoming native discussed fatherhood and preparing to welcome his first daughter, the making of his third studio album, Eagle Feather, forming friendships with Cody Johnson and Lainey Wilson and more.
Munsick was in full dog dad mode as he got down to his pup’s level and shared more about her story. The rising country star revealed that Martha May was welcomed into their home just in time for Christmas 2024. Due to the time of her arrival and the fact that he is a big fan of the Dr. Seuss character, The Grinch, it only felt fitting to name her after another main character in the storyline, The Grinch’s girlfriend, Martha May.
Life With Martha May
Martha May might be named after a Christmas classic, but this pup is clearly living her best life year-round. According to Munsick, she’s generally “extremely chill,” unless there’s food around. “She’s very food inspired,” he stated. “Anytime there’s any kind of food, she perks up immediately.”
The pup might still be in her “toddler” phase, but Munsick wouldn’t have it any other way as she has become a great pet for him and his wife Caroline as well as their son, Crawford. She even gets to join him on the road on special occasions.
“I brought her on a plane back to Wyoming a few weeks ago, and she’s just in my lap the whole time and I’m just rubbing her paws and she’s just chilling for an hour long. So she’s pretty chill…She’s obviously in her wild phase. She’s probably, maybe six in human years or something like that. So she’s a wild little toddler right now.”
Munsick On Entering His Girl Dad Era
Soon, Martha May will get to meet a new member of the Munsick family, as the couple is expecting their second child, a baby girl. As Martha attempted to control her puppy energy with a few calming pets from the “Cheyenne” singer opened up about the moment he learned Caroline was pregnant again.
“I was driving home from a co-write and she called me and she asked, ‘Hey, how did the write go?’ And I was like, ‘oh, it was pretty good.’ And then she was just like, ‘I’m pregnant,’” he said, reenacting the shock he felt in that moment. “I was like, ‘Whoa!’ And we were very emotional about it. We weren’t really expecting it, but when she told me that, I just knew that it was a answered prayer from God. And when we discovered that we were having a girl, it was even better. We already have one boy, so now we’ll get to experience the other half of being a parent.”
When asked how he feels about being a girl dad, Munsick admitted, “I’m pretty terrified.” Watching his older brother raise a daughter has made him excited for the adventure and he predicts that having a little girl will bring out his softer side even more, especially when it comes to his songwriting.
“I think that it’s just going to help me feel things even more, as a writer, as an artist…I think that it’s going to allow me to create a whole other world of music that I wouldn’t be able to and feel a kind of love that I’ve never experienced,” he explained honestly.
Reflecting On The Release of ‘Eagle Feather’
Ian Munsick has always showed nothing but authenticity in his writing, and that is clearly displayed across his latest album, Eagle Feather. The 20-track collection continues his mission to immerse fans in the raw, rugged beauty of the American West. It’s a heartfelt tribute to the people and places that shaped his story, while digging even deeper into the landscapes, traditions, and tight-knit communities that inspire his sound.
Though Eagle Feather is now out in the world, Munsick shared what it felt like in the final days leading up to its release, and the sense of excitement he was experiencing knowing fans now get the chance to live through these songs.
“I’ve had this album complete for five months now, so for me, I’m just really, really pumped for people to hear it,” he stated while Martha May focused on her toys. “I’ve been hearing it forever, and for me, it’s already old, so I’m ready for it to kind of hit me in a new way once other people hear it. Because once an album is released, then it’s not mine anymore. It’s everyone else’s. And that’s the beautiful thing about music.”
Recording ‘Feather In My Hat’ With Lainey Wilson
Among the track list is a must-hear collaboration with Lainey Wilson titled “Feather In My Hat.” According to the rising star, he knew the song was going to be special when he and his wife and a few other songwriter friends were at Wilson’s house one night and playing tunes around the campfire – one of them being “Feather In My Hat.”
“Kind of by chorus three, people were humming along to it. So I was like, well, that’s always a good sign. And Lainey told me, she’s like, ‘Oh man, that song feels like a hit like I’ve already heard it.’ So I was like, okay, I’m going to take a mental note of that for when the time comes.”
Munsick eventually recorded the demo and decided to show it to Wilson while they were on the road together last year. In that same moment, he also asked if she would join him on the track.
“She said, ‘Yeah, I want to be on that song. It feels like me, and it feels like you,’ which is a great way to have a collaboration, when it just naturally feels like the artist that you’re working with.”
Ian Munsick will have plenty of opportunities to showcase his new music on the road this year as he has a slew of upcoming performances on the books. He is currently headlining his spring 2025 Horses Are Faster Tour and has a wide variety of fairs and festivals on the horizon. But the show he is most looking forward to is headlining Cheyenne Frontier Days in his home state.
“Being a Wyoming boy, that’s the biggest stage you can play on. So that’s going to be just a huge honor to be able to play that. And just a blast,” he admitted.
Bonding With Cody Johnson
He will also join major acts like Morgan Wallen and Cody Johnson for several dates throughout the year. This won’t be the first time Munsick hits the road with Johnson, as they previously toured together in 2021. That experience taught the country singer so many lessons on how to treat your road crew, how to perform and more. Plus, they found common ground on their backgrounds in the cowboy world.
“I think that that’s kind of why we get along is because…there’s not a lot of us out there and I think that he recognized that pretty early. And so we became pals through that and after every night he would bring me up on his bus and we’d listen to music and I’d play him some tunes that I had written. And that’s kind of how ‘Long Live Cowgirls’ came about. And that’s also how he cut the title track to his last album, ‘Leather.’ I just played it on the bus for him one night and we had a couple drinks and he was just staring at me the whole time it was playing.”
Munsick continued to reflect on the memorable moment as he recalled seeing a redness build up in Johnson’s face before hearing that he wanted to name his next album after the tune.
“I was like, oh dude, you can’t put me in that spot. I love this song. It’s about my brother. I want to cut this song, but if anybody’s going to record that song, it’s going to be Cody Johnson. And I’m just very proud that he did. So, yeah, he became pretty good pals through music.”
With a new album out, a baby girl on the way, and a playful pup keeping things lively at home and on the road, Ian Munsick is entering an exciting new chapter. Martha May proved to be the perfect sidekick during Ian Munsick’s time on the Pupdate. She may have gotten distracted by her toys, but she stayed close by as her dad opened up about life, music, and everything in between.
The post WATCH: Ian Munsick Introduces His Pup Martha May and Talks Fatherhood, New Album ‘Eagle Feather’ & More appeared first on Country Now.