Riley Green expects to settle down one day. Continue reading…

Another impressive outing. 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. Today, he’s back once again with another killer album, HANDMADE HORSEPOWER, which continues his hot streak and once again proves why he’s one of the most underrated artists in the genre today. View this post on Instagram Marking his seventh studio album since his debut in 2020, Acuff had the seemingly impossible task of following up 2023’s Western White Pines, 2024’s American Son, arguably his best work to date and 2025’s brilliant concept album, Enjoy The Ride, which was born from conversations with over 40 people all over the country. Spoiler alert: he may have outdone himself here. Upon your first listen to HANDMADE HORSEPOWER, you get a tangible feeling of frustration with the current state of the music industry. Of course, you truly can’t blame the Idaho native for this feeling, and he holds zero punches throughout the album. Tracks like “LONG WAY FROM THE BOTTOM,” “LIPSTICK ON A PIG,” “MATTER OF TIME,” “PLAY FOR KEEPS” and “WHITE FLAG” all serve as biting critiques of various issues plaguing the industry. In particular, the prereleased “LIPSTICK ON A PIG” takes aim at the homogeneity of modern country music. As the title suggests, the Idaho native likens the glossy, overproduced nature of so many middling songs occupying the Top 40 to putting lipstick on a pig while simultaneously providing commentary on how much proverbial ass you have to kiss to make it big in the genre. “So pucker them lips For an ass to kiss Hoping that the next one hits” In a similar vein, “MATTER OF TIME” is an arguably more poignant commentary on the industry. Noting how there are “outlaws in the Hall of Fame and in-laws that control the game,” Acuff laments about how the modern music landscape has become nothing short of a dog-and-pony show lately, underscored by the fact that so many artists now have to be content creators on top of being songwriters and musicians. In the second verse, he hilariously ponders whether he should start an OnlyFans or a podcast, given that the songs themselves simply aren’t paying the bills. While it’s quite funny to hear him ponder “shaking my ass online” as being his last chance, it creates an actual conversation surrounding the discrepancy in the industry between independent artists and the superstars of the world in a way that only Acuff can. “Should I start a podcast or an OnlyFans These songs can’t pay for a tank of gas Shaking my ass online Is my last chance And I guess you could call it growing pains My cleanest shirt has mustard stains I really don’t think it’s that hard to say my last name” Though there is a heavy emphasis on the current, dreadful state of the music industry, there’s more to HANDMADE HORSEPOWER than that. Tracks like “GONE AS GONE GETS,” “LONG HAULING BLUES” and “LET YOU GO” give the album some additional depth and a needed break from the commentary. In particular, “LET YOU GO” is an early standout. Filled to the brim with some gorgeous steel guitar and hints of an organ towards the end, the “Dying Breed” singer laments a lost love, poignantly wondering why it’s so hard to let go when everything is lost and broken. “And I’ve been walking after midnight And I’ve been looking for the signs Why is all that’s lost and broken So hard to recognize And I wanted you to know I never could let you go” It would also be remiss not to talk about the production and overall sound of this album. Throughout a majority of his career, Acuff stuck to a tried and true Americana-inspired sound. And while it paid dividends for him, leaning into a more southern rock-inspired style here, helmed by producer Eddie Spear, was ultimately the right decision. Not only does it hammer home the album’s thesis of going against the grain of today’s current trends, but it also gives the project an edge that wasn’t quite there in his earlier work. Acuff has gone on record saying that he hopes that HANDMADE HORSEPOWER is the album that he’s remembered for, and I truly think it will be. While it’s still a bit early to crown this as his magnum opus, especially given the fact that his last three albums have been so good, HANDMADE HORSEPOWER is truly a must-listen and a serious contender for Album of the Year. “LONG WAY FROM THE BOTTOM” “LET YOU GO” “WHITE FLAG” The post Colby Acuff Continues To Raise The Bar On New Album, “Handmade Horsepower” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

He’s definitely got a lot going on in his career. Riley Green just announced a new album, That’s Just Me, will be out everywhere this fall, on September 18th. He also released a new song, which is a tip of the cowboy hat to Toby Keith, “Think As You Drunk,” which he explained in interview with Billboard that he wanted to include a sample of Toby Keith’s 2005  hit, “As Good As I Once Was,” which Riley says his dad used to joke was about him. It’s a really fun song and upbeat way to kick off the album promotion, and in addition to talking about his farm in Alabama, a little bit about his dating life, and he also explained some about why he stays far away from sharing his political opinions publicly, and some of his future plans, including whether or not he might have children one day. Riley is an uncle to several nieces and nephews, and while he doesn’t have any kids of his own yet, he says he loves spending time with them, though his nephew, Joe, is his “favorite”: “I don’t have any kids. Yeah, I think about it a lot. Me and my sister, Casey’s, youngest son Joe are tight. I like all my nieces and nephews, but Joe’s my favorite. He knows that, they know that, it’s fine.” He continued, saying he can’t even have his dog, Carl, on the road with him all the time, so he can’t imagine bringing a baby into the lifestyle he’s living right now: “But I think that it’s kind of like having Carl, you know, who is a dog. In the sense that like, I love having a dog, but I’m in a hotel room today, I’m gonna fly to New York, get in a hotel room, like, where would he be at? So at this point in my life, I don’t know how I could do it. Things are gonna have to slow down and get a little more of a sense of normalcy before I could really think about settling down and having a family. But definitely something I would like to do, and somewhat excited about where my songwriting would go with that much of a change in my life, too.” He’s having a huge moment in his career right now which obviously keeps him very busy, and obviously having kids is a huge responsibility, so it definitely makes sense that he wants to wait until he’s at a different point in his career. His dang life is also usually a hot topic among fans, and while it seems like he’s been in casual relationships here and there, he hasn’t seemed to find anyone he’s ready to settle down with, either. In addition to being on the road for his Cowboy As It Gets Tour, Riley will be a judge on The Voice this fall, and he also recently appeared four a four-show stint on the TV series Marshals, so he’s got a lot going on. But when the time comes and he is ready to settle down, I’m sure there will be no shortage of volunteers… @billboard Riley Green ponders whether or not he’d like to have kids some day. Watch his full Billboard cover interview at the link in bio. #rileygreen #rileyduckman #countrymusic #countrymusictiktok #familyman ♬ original sound – billboard “Think As You Drunk” Riley is currently on the road for his Cowboy As It Gets Tour. Cowboy As It Gets 2026 Tour Dates: June 18th, 2026 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center#~• June 19th, 2026 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center#~• June 20th, 2026 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater#~• June 25th, 2026 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center#$* June 26th, 2026 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake#$* July 16th, 2026 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center#~• July 23rd, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre#~• August 6th, 2026 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater#/• August 7th, 2026 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center#/• August 8th, 2026 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live#/• August 13th, 2026 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion#/• August 14th, 2026 – Hartford, CT – The XFINITY Theatre#/• August 15th, 2026 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheatre#/• August 21st, 2026 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford#$*^ August 22nd, 2026 – Grand Forks, ND – Ralph Engelstad Arena#$*^ #Justin Moore ~Drake White $Mackenzie Carpenter •Hannah McFarland *Adam Hood /Zach John KingThe post Riley Green Reveals The Real Reason He Isn’t Starting A Family Quite Yet first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Riley Green is on the brink of something special as he steps into the coaching role on 'The Voice.' What challenges and surprises await him? Let's find out! Continue reading…

Morgan Wallen shared a behind-the-scenes moment from his controversial piano saga in Denver, and it's a little unclear if he was joking or genuinely mad. Continue reading…