Granger Smith has revealed plans for an ambitious double album release, setting September 25 for the arrival of the first half — Country Things, Vol. 1.
Making the announcement on his family-focused YouTube series, Smith notes he began work on the project in 2019, when the death of his young son, River, stopped everything in its tracks. The “Backroad Song” hitmaker now says that tragedy changed much about his world, including the music he was making.
“My life is just … different now. Or maybe a better way to put it is, I see life differently now,” he explains. “This collection focuses on the things that money and politics and status can’t buy. The things that you can center on and I want to live my life for. The things you want to raise your kids with and find joy in. The country things.”
Comprised of eight songs and marking Smith’s 10th studio album, the two-volume set’s first part aims to give “a glimpse of he and his family’s current country state-of-mind,” and will include a guest appearance from Smith’s comedic alter-ego, Earl Dibbles Jr.
Country Things, Vol. 1 is available for pre-order now, and Smith has already released three instant-grat tracks, the single “That’s Why I Love Dirt Roads,” “Hate You Like I Love You,” and the title track, “Country Things.”
