Colby Acuff like you’ve never heard him before. In an industry that truly never rests, Colby Acuff has proven time and time again that he’s not only one of the most talented songwriters flying out of the independent scene today but also one of the most proficient. Since his debut in 2020 with Life of a Rolling Stone, the “If I Were the Devil” singer has proceeded to drop an album each and every year since then. Despite the incredibly high volume of musical output, much like his contemporaries, Zach Bryan and Charley Crockett, it seems as if the Idaho native has simply gotten better with every release. After releasing the beautiful ode to his home state of Idaho in 2023 on Western White Pines, Acuff followed it up in 2024 with arguably his best work to date on American Son, a record chalked full of important tracks touching on everything from anxiety, depression and, as the title suggests, the fear of war in the current state of our country. Last year, he released Enjoy the Ride, which not only captured the number five spot on the Whiskey Riff Top 40 Albums of the Year list. but also provided one of the most unique and rich album listening experiences, with all 11 songs comprised solely from interviewing 40 separate people off the street and having a conversation with them. In typical fashion, Acuff was far from satisfied after the release of Enjoy the Ride in October. Just two months later, he’d take to X to let fans know that he had already completed his next project, which should release at some point this year: “Album is done. I hope this is the project I am known for.” After announcing his brand-new 2026 spring tour, Handmade Horsepower, in January, he’d take a page out of Sturgill Simpson’s playbook, announcing the next chapter of his music through memes and signaling that his next single, “WHITE FLAG,” was set for an unconventional Tuesday, March 3rd release. View this post on Instagram Throughout the week-long rollout of the song, Acuff would tease that he would be leaning heavily into his rock influences on “WHITE FLAG,” a departure from his incredibly rootsy, Americana-driven sound that he’s continued to evolve over the past six years. While it may draw some skepticism from longtime fans, given how many country fans grow comfortable with their favorite artists’ established sound, I’m happy to report that the “Dying Breed” singer knocked it out of the park here once again. As previously mentioned, he hasn’t held back throughout the past few albums on giving commentary on the volatile nature of our world today. And Acuff would note, the track, at its core, is a simple reminder that he’s not going to back down from keeping truth in his songs. “It’s just another reminder that I’m never going to wave the white flag. I’m never going to give up. You can’t get rid of me. I’m not going anywhere. And now I’m saying what’s on my mind.” Though “WHITE FLAG” in particular doesn’t choose to give commentary on anything in particular, it ultimately serves as a mission statement for this new era of music. Turning up the heat production-wise, which features some slick electric guitar work from Mike LoPinto, Acuff proclaims that he’s never going to wave the white flag and conform to standards in the industry that keep getting more homogeneous by the day. “So tonight let me feel no pain Let the fear wash away And the lambs lay at bay And oh that reapers got my name But I will never feel no shame ‘Cause I’m never gonna wave the white flag” Ultimately, “WHITE FLAG” is the perfect way to fire up this new era in Acuff’s career. Though it doesn’t have the narrative depth of past songs like “Cherokee Rose” or “American Son,” it simply doesn’t have to. It simultaneously presents a brand-new style and era, sonically speaking, while providing a rock-solid mission statement for what’s to come on his upcoming album. As always, it looks like we’re in for another treat upon the release of his next project. “White Flag” Handmade Horsepower Tour Dates March 13 – Spokane, Washington – The Knitting Factory March 15 – Seattle, Washington – Neumos March 18 – Portland, Oregon – Mississippi Studios March 19 – Boise, Idaho – The Kitting Factory Boise March 20 – Salt Lake City, Utah – The Complex March 21 – Denver, Colorado – Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox April 9 – Minneapolis, Minnesota – 7th St. Entry April 10 – Omaha, Nebraska – Reverb Lounge April 11 – Lawrence, Kansas – The Bottleneck April 16 – Chicago, Illinois – Carol’s Pub April 17 – Detroit, Michigan – El Club April 18 – Grand Rapids, Michigan – The Stache April 23 – Tahlequah, Oklahoma – NSU Event Center April 24 – Stillwater, Oklahoma – Wormy Dog Saloon May 2 – Port Neches, Texas – Port Neches Riverfront Park May 8 – Nashville, Tennessee – The Basement East May 9 – Decatur, Georgia – Eddie’s Attic May 28 – Cambridge, Massachusetts- The Sinclair May 29 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania- MilkBoyThe post Colby Acuff Enters A New Era And Proves He’s Not Waving The “White Flag” In Rocking New Track first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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Luke Combs doesn’t have a lot of regrets… but one moment in his life that he thinks back on a lot is when he unfortunately missed the birth of he and his wife Nicole’s second son, Beau. It was in August of 2023 when Beau Lee Combs was born. The couple welcomed their first child, Tex, in June of 2022, so their second child was quite the quick turnaround. In an interview with Jay Shetty, Combs revealed that it was a beautiful time for their family… but it was also a difficult one: “We have our first son, Tex, and then five months later, we find out we’re pregnant with our next, Beau. That was a whirlwind. You have a five month old, you are figuring out how to be a parent, have a baby, and then all of the sudden you have another baby. You have two babies at the same time. I almost would have rather had twins.” And as if things weren’t already complicated enough, Luke Combs had already laid out a world tour for 2023 before he and his wife knew that they were pregnant with their second child. Even so, with Beau’s due date being two weeks and a half weeks or so after Luke Combs would be done touring, he and his wife thought it would all work out in the end. Then he got a text while he was in Australia that Nicole was going into labor: “I’m in Australia when Beau is born. That’s a crushing and devastating thing. My whole identity is that, no matter what, I’m gonna prioritize my wife and my children over my job, over what I do. They’re my number one priority. I want them to know that. And then here I am having this moment of, ‘Well guess who wasn’t there.’ The guy who says he’s always gonna be there, and will do anything to be there is the only guy who’s not there… It was the universe’s decision at that point. He comes two and a half weeks early. I’m four days from going home and he decides to show up. Everyone is like, ‘I can’t believe you planned the tour that close.’ The tour was already planned. The tour is planned before we even find out we’re pregnant with Beau. There’s no canceling the tour. It’s sold out before we even know we’re pregnant.” It’s a guilt that Luke Combs has worked diligently to process. At the end of the day, he had an obligation to his fans to still play the world tour dates. And he and Nicole were just operating off of the timeline they knew, and always realized that Beau could come early… they just hoped that he wouldn’t. When Combs missed the birth of his son, he was devastated, and decided not to break the news to anyone until he got back home from Australia. Fortunately, Nicole Combs had plenty of family and a great support system with her during the birth of her and Luke’s second child. But from that point on, the country music superstar was a changed man, and vowed to never put himself in that kind of situation again. Mainly because he still dreads the conversation he’ll have to have with his son, Beau, when he’s old enough to understand: “That really shifted my focus of like, what happens from here? How do I make changes based on this thing? I dread the conversation with my son at some point. Obviously, he doesn’t know that. He’s two and a half. But I dread that conversation (with him saying), ‘Well dad, you made this record about being such a good dad, and then you weren’t there when I was born? But you were there for Tex and you were there Chet. Why was I the only one that you weren’t there for?’ I worry about that a lot.” Through lots of discussion, Luke Combs has come to accept that he wasn’t there. It doesn’t make it any easier for the “Love You Anyway” singer, but he’s able to live with it. Ultimately, he thinks it’ll all be okay. Combs just wants to make sure that he’s the one that breaks the news to Beau (when he’s seven or eight years old), and that his son knows he can openly ask about it whenever he wishes. It’s a moment in Combs’ life where his career got in the way, even when he and his wife did their best planning. As you’ll hear in the interview below, it marked a turning point in his journey as a father: The post “I Dread That Conversation Someday”: Luke Combs Says His Priorities Shifted When He Missed The Birth Of His Son While Touring In Australia first appeared on Whiskey Riff.