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Turnpike Troubadours’ Evan Felker Says ‘The Price Of Admission’ Took The Band To New Heights: “Felt Like Grabbing Another Gear”
A game changer.
Much to the delight of many Red Dirt country fans, it’s safe to say that the Turnpike Troubadours are the biggest (and arguably best) they’ve ever been. In addition to scoring massive opening spots on Cross Canadian Ragweed’s highly successful “Boys From Oklahoma” concert series, both in Stillwater, Oklahoma and Waco, Texas, the Red Dirt legends would also score huge appearances at Zach Bryan’s concerts over the summer, notably performing to his huge, sold-out shows at both BST Hyde Park in London and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
Of course, they also released their sixth studio album, The Price of Admission, back in April to high praise from both fans and critics alike. Marking the second release since the band returned from an extended hiatus, The Price of Admission proved to many (myself included) why Turnpike is ultimately one of the greatest bands in the history of the genre, featuring some all-time tracks from the group such as “Heaven Passing Through,” “On The Red River” and the severely underrated, “Ruby Ann.”
The record ultimately served as a return to form for Turnpike. Though there’s no arguing that their long-awaited 2023 return album, A Cat in the Rain, wasn’t filled with some stellar tracks, The Price of Admission felt like Turnpike back at their full strength. Firing on all cylinders, complete with some heartbreaking, introspective reflections for frontman, Evan Felker, and Turnpike’s signature sound that blends traditional elements with their patented Red Dirt roots, the project quickly flew up the ranks of nearly every dedicated country fan and was just crowned our #1 Album of 2025 today here at Whiskey Riff.
And it’s hard to truly state just how popular and important The Price of Admission was. Of course, it made ours and many other artists’ Top Albums of the Year lists; however, it began catching the attention of many non-traditional country fans alike. In many ways, it felt like their long-awaited breakout into the mainstream. Though you still won’t hear them being played on country radio, it seems as if they’ve been everywhere lately, not only selling out larger venues throughout the country but also receiving a whole lot of love in nearly all corners of the internet.
They’ve long been named one of the greatest Red Dirt bands (and country bands in general). Lately, however, you can feel a nearly tangible shift in the way Turnpike is viewed by the public, and it seems like Felker himself can feel it as well.
Yesterday, the frontman appeared on Dale Brisby’s Rodeo Time podcast and sat down to discuss everything from balancing his music career with ranching and his songwriting process to the band’s evolution and future.
Discussing their early days as a band, after the release of both Diamonds & Gasoline and Goodbye Normal Street, Felker was asked if he ever felt like the band was on a trajectory throughout their career. Bluntly, he’d say how slow Turnpike’s rise to fame felt earlier in their career before noting how he finally feels like they’re on a clear trajectory thanks to the success they’ve experienced after returning from their hiatus.
“Man, [it was] slow-going. Right now, it feels like we’re on a trajectory more than it ever has in my entire career. Isn’t that crazy? We’re playing in all these smaller markets or these oddball markets, and we’re suddenly getting to play to like 5-6,000 people that are really into it in Mesa, Arizona, or Lake Tahoe or wherever. It’s like this is pretty great.”
Felker would then note how The Price of Admission and its aforementioned success was truly what kicked Turnpike into a different gear last year.
“Really since this last record we put out — and the one before too. But this one particularly felt like grabbing another gear and keeping going.”
Brisby would then ask Felker if they could feel a potential shift while recording the album. In response, Felker would reply, “kind of,” before noting that a lot of its success simply came from going with their gut and using some unconventional album press such as simply putting up billboards in Oklahoma before the aforementioned Boys From Oklahoma concerts.
“Kind of. We followed our gut on some of that stuff like doing billboards as the album press, and being like, ‘We gotta get this out before this Boys From Oklahoma show.’ I want to put it out right then, no matter what. And tell everybody, ‘Hey, this is how we want to do it.'”
As we sit now, eight months later, it’s safe to say everything paid off pretty damn well for the Turnpike boys.
Watch the full podcast here:
Wild America Tour 2026 Dates
January 30 – Fort Worth, Texas – Billy Bob’s Texas
January 31 – Fort Worth, Texas – Billy Bob’s Texas
February 5 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – The Met Philadelphia *
February 6 – Uncasville, Connecticut- Mohegan Sun Arena *
February 7 – Boston, Massachusetts – MGM Music Hall at Fenway *
March 27 – West Valley City, Utah – Maverick Center #^
March 28 – Boise, Idaho – ExtraMile Arena #^
June 5 – New York, New York – The Rooftop at Pier 17 @
June 6 – Asbury Park, New Jersey – The Stone Pony Summer Stage @
* with Robert Earl Keen
# with Charles Wesley Godwin
^ with Buffalo Traffic Jam
@ with LuceroThe post Turnpike Troubadours’ Evan Felker Says ‘The Price Of Admission’ Took The Band To New Heights: “Felt Like Grabbing Another Gear” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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