5 Things we Learned From Sam Hunt About New Music, Touring + More

Sam Hunt gave insatiable fans what they’ve long been waiting for when he released his new single “Kinfolks” on Oct. 10, the precursor for more music on the horizon. Prior to its release, Hunt spoke with the Nashville media, reflecting on this past year that found him focusing on new music, reconnecting with another genre he reveres and plotting a 2020 tour.    

Here are five things we learned sitting down with Sam Hunt:  

He’s putting music before social media

Fans knew something was coming when Hunt recently wiped his Instagram clean and posted a handful of photos relating to the lyrics of “Kinfolks” before its unveiling. But prior to that, Hunt has been mostly quiet on social media over the past year. But his silence is not for lack of effort, as he’s focused much of his attention toward making new music. “I’ve just been trying to keep my head down, make sure to finish the music before I get back in to interacting and being on social media,” he explains. “I haven’t tuned in as much, but I’ve tuned in enough to feel the excitement, and that’s really refreshing, because when you’re gone for as long as I’ve been gone, you don’t really know how you’re going to be received. The fact that people are excited about new music when I haven’t put out much in the past couple years, it just means a lot to me.”

He’s reconnected with his love of bluegrass

Hunt’s hands were anything but idle while he was out of the spotlight, in part spending time re-acclimating with his passion for bluegrass music. Hunt’s sister-in-law’s husband is a mandolin player in a bluegrass band and after watching him play, the country superstar was reminded of how much he enjoys the genre, recalling his college days traveling to Jacksonville State University to watch Shenandoah frontman Marty Raybon play with his bluegrass band, Full Circle. For the past year, Hunt has been learning how to play bluegrass through his brother-in-law, along with watching videos of bluegrass icon Ralph Stanley.

“I got so excited about those guys playing and bluegrass music again that I wanted to start jamming with them. So I started staying up late at night, learning old bluegrass standards and trying to get my rhythm down on acoustic guitar so I could jump in and play with them,” Hunt shares. “That was inspiring, learning those songs. Bluegrass was really influential,” he continues, adding that while his new album won’t feature bluegrass songs, the production will be simple like that of the genre. “I think if anything, the sparseness of the production on this record might reflect some of that influence.” 

“Sinning With You” is the “other side of the coin” of “Kinfolks”

During a performance in Calgary, Canada for the Bug Light House Party Tour in September, Hunt debuted another new song titled “Sinning With You.” The live performance offers a ballad-esque vibe that showcases a new pace for the star. “Hate it when I can’t feel the holy spirit/I know what it feels like/crossing the line/but I never felt shame/never felt sorry/never felt guilty touching your body/long as you’re for me/long as I’m for you/who could be against us baby,” he sings over a purely acoustic melody.

While “Kinfolks” is the warm and welcoming representation of the south, “Sinning With You” is its rebellious alter ego. Hunt describes the song as a transition from the carefree nature of his debut album Montevallo, taking on a more observational approach of the values he was raised on. “It’s kind of a commentary on growing up in the south with some of the heavier side of that journey, the crossroads you come to as you’re growing up and you’re trying to figure out what some of the traditions that you grew up in, what faith really means to you and where the truth lies,” he describes of the song that’s more “serious” and “reflective.” “Just searching for truth as a young person, growing up in a crazy world.”

Hunt recognizes the “big responsibility” of his status in country music

With his trademark rap-style delivery and blend of hip-hop and country, Hunt is one of country music’s most influential artists in modern history. But the reserved singer is still in awe of the genre’s vast legacy and his role in shaping it, referencing the buzzed-about Ken Burns documentary Country Music, an eight-part series chronicling the genre’s history that aired on PBS in September.

“Watching that documentary… has blown my mind, even just being a part of the chain. I don’t feel worthy by any means. I just do what I felt like was right, and hopefully it’ll work. I didn’t think about the fact that it might be influential, or it might change the direction of where things are going, or be a part of that change. So there’s power in that, and that’s a big responsibility,” he reflects. “That probably was another big part of me taking a step back and saying, ‘hang on a second, this is important stuff. This matters what’s going on here, what you’re saying and how you’re saying it.’”  

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Looking forward to honoring a legend tonight at @cmt Honors. Proud to be a part of the event.

A post shared by Sam Hunt (@samhuntmusic) on Oct 16, 2019 at 11:09am PDT

He is “definitely” touring in 2020

Fans won’t have to wait (too) long to see the “Body Like a Back Road” singer in concert, as he’s planning to tour heavily in 2020. Though specific details such as the number of shows and which cities he’ll playing are still in the works, the hit maker is eager to get back on the road and perform new music. “I definitely am going to tour next year,” he affirms, revealing that he’ll play more shows than he has in years and has devoted the entirety of the year to being on the road. “We’ll be hitting it hard. I told my manager, ‘the more the better, so let’s play as much as we can next year.’”  

Hunt is expected to release his new album in early 2020.