Hindsight’s always 20/20. There’s no doubt that if you’ve lost someone close to you, there have been times when you’ve looked back on moments when you wish you had done things differently. Whether it’s conversations you had or didn’t have, or moments you missed out on, it’s always easy to second guess things after someone’s gone. I lost my fiancée a couple years ago, and I can’t tell you how many of our conversations I’ve replayed in my head, or things I wish I had done differently knowing that our time together would be cut short. It happens, and it sucks, because you know there’s nothing you can do to change it now. And recently, Eric Church opened up on one of those conversations with his late brother that still bothers him. Church recently sat down with CNN host Anderson Cooper for an episode of his All There Is with Anderson Cooper podcast. And the country singer got vulnerable while discussing the loss of his brother Brandon, who passed away on June 28, 2018 at just 36 years old. Many may not know, but Church’s brother played an integral part in his career: He not only helped Church co-write his first single “How ‘Bout You,” but after Eric moved to Nashville and was thinking about giving up and moving back home to North Carolina, his brother packed a bag and moved to Music City with him – sleeping on a fold-out couch as his brother chased his dream. After his death, it was revealed that Brandon passed away as a result of chronic alcoholism, and that he had a history of alcohol withdrawal-induced seizure disorder. And without getting into too much detail, Church reveals that he now wishes he had shown “more grace” to his brother while he was struggling: “My brother had, like your brother too, had troubles. And a regret I have is when he was going through some of those troubles, I did a little bit of the … ‘You’re not doing the things you’re supposed to be doing.’ And it was a little bit of the tough love, big brother thing. I wish I’d had more grace and been more compassionate now, looking back at it. But at that time, you think, ‘Oh, come on, get your s— together’ kind of thing. And I regret that now.” Of course it’s easy to say that now, but at the time you never truly know what the right decision is. You think you’re doing the right thing, and maybe in reality you are, but losing someone makes you question things and have regrets that you wouldn’t have had if things had turned out differently. But Church says he still feels his brother with him – especially on stage: “I feel a lot of it with the music. There’s not a night that goes by that – there’s a song called ‘Sinners Like Me’ that was on my first album. And it’s a line in it about a headstone and going to see my grandfather. And now I throw my brother and my grandfather in that when I do that line. So at least there I feel him when I’m on stage.” And though it’s been nearly 8 years since his brother’s death, Church admits that he’s just recently started learning to deal with the grief and allowing himself to have those moments to grieve the loss: “Those things will come out of nowhere. And I think that’s probably just from not dealing with it the right way. Or maybe that’s what we all deal with, right? … I guess I don’t even know how to describe it. I just don’t see it coming. That train’s not coming. And then there it is, right? And actually, it’s probably manifested more the last two or three years, I’ve had a lot of moments like that. And you would think after five, six, seven years, that wouldn’t happen. They would be less frequent. But I’ve found that they’ve been more frequent the last few years. So I don’t know how to — I don’t know. … It’s been unexpected where some of that stuff’s come from.” Grief is messy, and there’s no doubt that anybody can relate to having regrets when you lose somebody important in your life. But I’m also a firm believer in not second-guessing something that seemed like the right thing to do at the time. And I also don’t think there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to deal with grief. Everybody deals with it in their own way and on their own schedule, and there’s nothing wrong with how you deal with it. Unfortunately, that’s a lesson I wish I didn’t learn the hard way. The post Eric Church Admits That He Regrets Not Having “More Grace” For His Late Brother: “It Was A Little Bit Of Tough Love” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Giving Stapleton a run for his money. Over the past year or so, Mumford & Sons have been making waves in country music. Of course, they’ve remained one of the staples in modern folk over the past two decades. Scoring massive hits such as “I Will Wait,” “Little Lion Man” and “White Blank Page,” they’ve cemented themselves as an essential in the genre, up there with the likes of The Lumineers, Gregory Alan Isakov and the Fleet Foxes. Recently, they’ve made a plethora of different appearances with some of the biggest stars in country music. Not only did they make multiple appearances with Sierra Ferrell and reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, Lainey Wilson, throughout their 2025 tour, most notably, Mumford and Co. were also featured predominantly during the Grand Ole Opry’s historic, first-ever international show in London at the Royal Albert Hall. Joining the likes of Combs, Darius Rucker, Ashley McBryde and more, frontman Marcus Mumford joined the “Hurricane” singer for a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind” at the event. With so many appearances with country superstars recently, especially over the past few months, many (myself included) were wondering if Mumford and Co. were signaling a potential full crossover into the genre due to the prominence and subsequent fusion of both country and folk over the past few years. As it turns out, Mumford & Sons are not fully diving into country music. With that being said, however, they did just deliver another stellar outing on their sixth studio album, Prizefighter, last Friday. Though the album is undoubtedly worth a listen in its entirety, packed with some powerful songs like “Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels),” the most interesting aspect from a country perspective was the inclusion of none other than Chris Stapleton on the title track, “Here.” Unsurprisingly, “Here” was one of the standouts from the record, which sees Mumford and Stapleton seemingly grapple with a broken relationship, telling the unknown subject of the song to essentially take everything from his past, knowing it will help them find peace. Just three days later, today, Mumford & Sons are returning in a brand new edition of Apple Music’s exclusive “Nashville Sessions” series. Along with alternative versions of their recent #1 hit with Hozier, “Rubberband Man” and their 4x Grammy-nominated 2010 single, “The Cave,” they called upon Ferrell once again to replace Stapleton on a brand new version of “Here.” View this post on Instagram As for today’s new Apple Music Sessions version, it’s another beautiful rendition of the song. Given how generational both Stapleton and Ferrell are as artists in their own right, along with the simple fact that their vocal styles are so radically different, it feels remiss to directly compare the two performances. With that being said, however, the “American Dreaming” singer delivers an unsurprisingly brilliant performance on “Here.” Like Stapleton, Ferrell’s voice also lends itself beautifully on this introspective track, blending in beautifully with Mumford & Co.’s harmonies. Simply put, there’s no need to compare the two versions of the song; they’re simply too good in their own right. Watch the full performance on Apple Music here: The Heavy Petal Tour Dates May 30 – Portland, Oregon – McMenamins Edgefield May 31 – Spokane, Washington – Gesa Pavilion June 8 – Grand Rapids, Michigan – TBA June 10 – Chicago, Illinois – The Salt Shed June 12 – Columbus, Ohio – TBA June 13 – Columbus, Ohio – Buckeye Country Superfest 2026* June 24 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Manchester Academy June 25 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – Barrowland Ballroom June 27 – Chelmsford, United Kingdom – State Fayre Music Festival* June 29 – Paris, France – Le Trianon June 30 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso July 1 – Hamburg, Germany – Gruenspan July 3 – Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival* July 4 – Beuningen, Netherlands – Down the Rabbit Hole* July 5 – Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter* July 7 – London, United Kingdom – O2 Forum Kentish Town August 6 – Santa Barbara, California – Santa Barbara Bowl August 9 – Alta, Wyoming – Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival* August 14 – Bentonville, Arkansas – The Momentary August 15 – Birmingham, Alabama – Avondale Brewing Company August 16 – Lewisburg, West Virginia – State Fair of West Virginia* August 28 – Iowa City, Iowa – University of Iowa’s Fall Welcome Concert August 29 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Landmark Credit Union Live August 30 – Saint Paul, Minnesota – Minnesota State Fair* September 1 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – State AE Outdoors September 2 – Lewiston, New York – Artpark Mainstage September 4 – Shelburne, Vermont – Shelburne Museum September 5 – Portland, Maine – Thompson’s Point September 6 – Northampton, Massachusetts – The Pines Theater September 8 – Charlottesville, Virginia – Ting Pavilion September 11-13 – Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia – Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion* October 22 – Nashville, Tennessee – Bridgestone Arena^ October 23 – Nashville, Tennessee – Bridgestone Arena^ * – Festival ^ – Supporting the Red Clay StraysThe post Sierra Ferrell Joins Mumford & Sons For New Rendition Of Their Chris Stapleton Collab, “Here” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Is there a perfect track list length out there? I certainly believe so. We currently live in a world where double albums and track lists spanning 20 or even 30-plus songs are the norm. In fact, if an artist releases a project with less than 20 tracks now… a lot of fans start asking questions like “Why so short of an album?” and “Guess they couldn’t come up with any more than that?” The long album has become the expectation. For some, a track list that features two-dozen songs is exactly what the doctor ordered. For me (and I’m hoping for others out there), my perfect prescription comes in at a lot less. You’ve heard it time and time again, but the old saying really does ring true more often than not… sometimes less is more. Why have albums become longer and longer? Mainly because in the age of streaming, there’s no limitation when it comes to an album’s length. Used to, an artist or band would need to create a project that could be condensed into a cassette, a vinyl record, or a CD. If they did go long, or put together a “Greatest Hits” album, that’s when they’d have to stretch into the two-CD and double vinyl sets. If you are young and reading this and you have no idea what I’m talking about… ask your parents about it. Now, artists like Morgan Wallen – who averages over 30 songs per album (at least in his recent endeavors) – throw seemingly endless amounts of songs into one project. In years past, a country artist might take a handful of years and two or three projects put together to release 30-plus songs. The new way of doing it is jam-packing just one album with dozens of songs… and it’s usually because they are going for “more total streams.” And that makes sense. Artists are just trying to make money off their music, and in the streaming age, that’s not as simple as it used to be. People who still buy albums and songs digitally, and opt to buy physical media, are the exception nowadays. While the sprawling, 20-or-more track lists are helping artists and musicians capitalize on their creations, it’s coming at a cost for the consumer of music. Albums used to be digestible in one sitting. If you have a record player, you know how cathartic it can be to throw on a vinyl, pour a drink, and listen to an album front to back… like God intended. It’s not terribly difficult to carve out 35 or 45 minutes to listen to a full-length project. But when you push that total play time up to an hour and a half (0r even two hours), that can be challenging to knock out all at once. That actually incentivizes music listeners to just pick and choose the “singles” and “hits” from the album. So how many songs should be on an album, you might be asking? Well, I’ve sort of alluded to that answer already. In my opinion, an album should only go as long as the listener can manage to complete it in one sitting (or drive, or walk, or whatever it might be). That obviously can look different for everyone, thus making the ideal track list a tad subjective. But I’d argue that the perfect amount of songs on a single project is this… 12. Before you all start sharpening your pitch forks and getting your torches prepped, that’s still plenty of songs. If the 12 songs all averaged to be somewhere between 3 and 3.5 minutes in length, that’s 36-42 minutes of music (quick math by me, I know). That’s akin to an episode of TV. That’s a commute to work for the average American, or drive to a nice dinner, maybe a family member or friend’s house. That’s a very palatable time commitment. Not only that, it allows for an artist’s work to really be appreciated. The more plates you have spinning, the less attention you can pay to each plate. It’s that simple. A 12-song track list allows for the listener to give proper concentration to each track, and even opens up the opportunity for multiple listens. I might not be speaking for everyone here, but a 30-song album can often feel like a chore to get through. There’s a good chance a lot of fans try their best to just listen through once… and then they move on to the next double album on the docket. Will the long-album-epidemic ever end? Probably not. As I said before, artists are somewhat encouraged to draw out their projects in the streaming age. But that’s why it’s so refreshing when modern day artists go against the grain and keep their albums short (or at least shorter by comparison). When Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies rolled out the 8-song Passage du Desir in 2024, you didn’t hear anyone complaining. He’s keeping to that length with his upcoming Mutiny After Midnight record, which is set to include just 9 songs. And the wildly underrated Ashley McBryde has always been a proponent of 11 song albums. When she sat down with us on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast last year, she explained her thought process like this… even as she’s told by others that she needs to up her track list numbers: “That is something that’s been really interesting to me in a time where more than 20 tracks are going on a record. It’s been really interesting to digest the different ways we all perceive it and the ways we take it in.  I’m getting advice via email that’s like, ‘If you’re not doing 20-plus tracks, you’re doing a disservice. You’re not doing enough to keep your audience fed all the way until the next record.’ For me, if I was a baby bird, and you just keep shoving stuff (down), then I don’t want you to come back and visit me because every time you do is too much.” Makes sense to me. And hey… 11 songs is good with me too. I know I said 12 is the perfect number, but that might just the ideal maximum. Maybe you are reading this right now and you wholeheartedly disagree. There’s nothing wrong with that. We can’t all agree on everything. But I’d like to think that most music fans don’t always need their albums delivered in bulk. Not everything has to be stuffed to the brim in this day and age. Thus, a 12 song album is more than enough (or at least should be enough) to suffice the modern music listener.The post In The Age Of 30-Track Projects, What’s The Perfect Number Of Songs For An Album? first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Clearing up any rumors surrounding the infamous day. It’s safe to say that Koe Wetzel is known for a lot of things. While many might point to his patented country-grunge sound, which, for all intents and purposes, opened up a path for other bands like Treaty Oak Revival and more to become stars, or even his rowdy live shows, it’s safe to say that February 28th (and the events surrounding it) has remained one of the most important pieces of Wetzel’s lore. In case you’re unfamiliar with what all went down on that fateful day, which inspired his now-iconic, certified-gold song, “February 28, 2016,” the story is actually quite simple. The track was written after Koe was arrested for public intoxication in Stephenville, Texas, many years ago, and wound up spending a few nights in jail. It was included on his 2016 album Noise Complaint, and remains one that fans still scream along every word to at his concerts. Though Wetzel has gone on record saying he’s grown a little tired of the song over the past few years, the track and the day itself have only gotten more popular as he continues to become a mainstream star in the genre. At first, every February 28th was a little more than a celebration of Wetzel and the song itself. Nowadays, it’s become nothing short of an unofficial holiday with fans taking to social media every year joking about how they’re either going to get trashed, go to Taco Bell, catch a public intoxication charge or all three in honor of the East Texas singer. Despite the day and the song itself being such an important part of Koe’s ethos over the years, not much was known about the exact moments leading up to the arrest and iconic mugshot. That changed today with a brand new video he posted to his socials, and boy, is it a doozy. View this post on Instagram Opening the video up, Wetzel would admit that he never thought the song was going to become as popular as it is today: “I didn’t think whenever I wrote this song that it was gonna do what it did.” At the time, the “Sweet Dreams” singer was living in Stephensville, Texas, working a “sh*tty” job at the local baseball fields. Not having a lot of money at the time, he went to a party at a friend’s house with nothing but a bottle of White Wolf vodka. As his late friend told him after getting out of jail, he’d leave the party at one point, come back, then proceed to drink for a few more hours. At some point in the night, Wetzel would then keep going on and on about how he wanted Taco Bell. Clearly intoxicated, everyone at the party told him not to go, but he didn’t listen. Saying “f*** this,” he’d then leave to get food before waking up in jail. “I was in Stephensville, Texas. I wasn’t going to school. I think I was working at the baseball fields. I don’t know what it was; I was working a sh*tty job. [I] went to my buddy’s house one Friday night, and we drank all night long. I didn’t have a lot of money, but I had a bottle of White Wolf vodka. My buddy, he’s not with us anymore, he passed away, but he told me after I got out of jail. He was like, ‘Yeah, you left, and then you came back, and then we drank for another two or three hours. Then you kept talking about Taco Bell and how you wanted some food. So we tried to stop you from leaving, but you just said f*** this and you left.’ Then I woke up in jail.” Wetzel would then describe the aftermath of the moments leading up to the public intoxication arrest. As he describes it, his truck was five blocks from his friend’s house with the hood popped up and the front doors swung wide open. More importantly, he was found by the police lying face down in a soccer field, leading the police who found him to think he was dead before he woke up and got arrested. “My truck was about five blocks from his house, out of gas. The hood was popped, and my front doors were swung open. I was laying face down in the middle of a soccer field. The cop said he thought I was dead whenever he walked up on me. But yeah, so I got arrested.” The “Good Die Young” singer would then reflect on the impact both the night and the song have had on his career over the past decade. Noting how he still finds it unbelievable that so many fans still love the track and celebrate it as a holiday, Wetzel would admit that he’s not sure if he’s ready to celebrate the 10-year anniversary this weekend. “In a sense, I guess you could say that February 28, 2016, kind of helped me get to where I am today. Here we are, 10 years later, and it’s crazy that people are still jiving with the song. And i’s become this holiday in Texas, I guess, unbeknownst to me. Yeah, I don’t know if I’m ready for the 10-year anniversary.” Given the fact that we’ve had quite literally a decade to speculate everything that went down that fateful night, it seems a bit surreal to actually receive the full explanation of the events leading up to the now-famous arrest. I’m honestly not sure how to even feel about knowing the true backstory now. Either way, Koe has finally given fans the full story, something they’ve been craving for what feels like forever at this point. “February 28, 2016” The post “Cop Said He Thought I Was Dead”: Koe Wetzel Reveals The Real Story Behind “February 28, 2016” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.