Every week, the Wide Open Country team rounds up our favorite newly released country, folk, bluegrass and Americana songs. Here are six songs we currently have on repeat.
"Which One of Us is to Blame," Buffalo Hunt feat. Shakey Graves
Buffalo Hunt, the moniker of singer-songwriter Stephanie Hunt, teams up with fiance' Shakey Graves for "Which One of Us is to Blame," a yearning, steel-laden tune about forbidden lovers from Hunt's forthcoming debut solo album Ambitions Of Ambiguity (out April 29).
Hunt, a talented actor who has appeared in several projects, including the series Friday Night Lights, also performs in the cabaret act Nancy and Beth alongside Will & Grace star Megan Mullally.
— Bobbie Jean Sawyer
"Tilt Your Chair Back (Far Out West Sessions)," Flatland Cavalry
Following their acclaimed album Welcome to Countryland, Flatland Cavalry are gearing up to release their new acoustic album Far Out West Sessions, a celebration of the Trans-Pecos Region of Texas.
The band previews the new record with a stripped-down rendition of "Tilt Your Chair Back," a meditative tune about living in the moment.
— Bobbie Jean Sawyer
"Where Have All the Honest People Gone," Charley Crockett
Dennis Linde, the writer of songs ranging chronologically and thematically from Elvis Presley's "Burning Love" to the Chicks' "Goodbye Earl," penned what was originally titled "Where Have All the Average People Gone" in the polarizing social and political climate of the late 1960s. In 1969, Roger Miller took Linde's ode to common folks who are just living their lives amid constant pressure to stay on one side of the fence to the Top 15 of the country charts.
Prolific recording artist Charley Crockett's slightly-reworded take (he replaced "average" with "honest") points listeners to a Miller hit that gets less love than much of his sillier material although it still rings true over 50 years later.
"Where Have All the Honest People Gone" appears on Crockett's latest album, the covers-heavy Lil' G.L/ Presents: Jukebox Charley.
— Bobby Moore
"Beyond the Stars," Tami Neilson and Willie Nelson
The best-case scenario played out for "Beyond the Stars," a mournful ballad New Zealand-based artist Tami Neilson co-wrote after the 2015 death of her father. Unbeknownst to Neilson at the time, Willie Nelson watched one of her livestream performances in 2020, scoring her a new fan and, ultimately, a high-profile duet partner.
"Having Willie be the voice of my father in this duet is just something beyond my wildest dreams," Neilson said in a press release. "I cried for three days after it was recorded, listening to it and thinking about how absolutely overwhelmed and proud my dad, a musician and a huge Willie Nelson fan, would have been."
The pair debuted the song live in March at the 2022 Luck Reunion. Timing added even more emotion to the song: Nelson's sister and longtime bandmate Bobbie Nelson had recently died at age 91.
— Bobby Moore
"Mamas," Anne Wilson and Hillary Scott
Twenty-year-old Anne Wilson is best known for being a rising Christian music artist after her stunning debut "My Jesus" in 2021. Her new collaboration with Lady A's Hillary Scott was released at the perfect time — just before Mother's Day. "Mamas" is just a really special song, capturing the love and beauty of motherhood in a way that honestly brought tears to my eyes.
"I am beyond grateful and honored that Hillary was willing to be a part of this song," Anne told E! News. "It was such a dream working on this one with her and seeing the song come to life. I can't wait to see where God takes this song and all that are touched by it."
— Courtney Fox
"Same Road Home," Tenille Townes
Tenille Townes has released her highly anticipated EP Masquerades and it was just as good as I'd thought it would be. She's been touring with Reba McEntire and working on a new song with Brad Paisley, so 2022 seems to be her year. The new EP is full of great songs, but I loved "Same Road Home." It's a fun, upbeat song you can sing along to but with a chorus that really hits home.
Ain't we all just looking for answers
The ones that that nobody knows
Ain't we all just dying to feel like
We're not made to be all alone
There's a million different ways to go
But we're all on the same road home
— Courtney Fox
