Christmas came early this year, and by Christmas, I really mean… March 13th came early this year. Sturgill Simpson is, or… was…. gearing up to release his sophomore Johnny Blue Skies album, Mutiny After Midnight, on March 13th. Naturally, fans were pumped by the news but the kicker was the album wouldn’t be available on streaming… only vinyl, CD and cassette. However… the new disco rock record appears to be available on YouTube… RIGHT NOW. The album appears to be available in its entirety as of 3 hours ago on Stu’s official YouTube channel, and Stu left a message on Instagram stories that reads: “Ooops…. might’ve just posted the whole fuk’n album on YouTube…. for the real ones.” Gas it up: Letter to The Fans In a lengthy Instagram letter titled “What’s Behind the Mutiny After Midnight,” Johnny Blue Skies details the motivation for this new record: “In a word, kinship… The majority of this band has been on the road together on and off and on again for over thirteen years. We have all grown sometimes together and sometimes apart. But we’ve never felt more “together” than right now. I couldn’t be happier. This is the band I’ve dreamed about being in since middle school. Last year we did two complete laps around the U.S. and a tour of Western Europe. Between gigs this past September, we went into a brand new gorgeous studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Inspired heavily from endless hours on the bus watching old clips of the great fusion-funk band ‘Stuff’, and revisiting off-the-beaten-track concept records like Marvin Gaye’s “In Our Lifetime”, where, in what looks like the end of the world, the artist’s response is, ‘Let’s dance and make love.’”…we decided to make an album centered firmly on groove. We started every day from scratch with a basic groove. I wrote the songs and lyrics in the moment on-the-spot, and everyone established their individual parts servicing the songs and not the individual ego. You can break down the songs on this album into two categories—the dark state of the world and the bright state of love. Light lives in darkness just as darkness lives in light. I have come to find over time that it’s far easier to just embrace contradictions rather than attempting to resolve them. Hence “Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds”… The enjoyment we experienced in making this album of songs will be quite evident for the listener. But it’s a lot more than joy. You can call it a mutiny…an open rebellion. In any case, despite the motivations behind it the mutiny in the studio turned into a party. To categorize Mutiny is tricky, but many will no doubt come with their glass ceilings to try. We believe the term American Music pretty much says it all. And for all the big ideas behind the ‘Mutiny,’ there’s a simple goal we as a band set out to achieve: to make a dance record. So this protest, this mutiny is really more about the primary dance. The dance of all creation. To be clear it is a protest against oppression and suppression, and the only tried & tested true antidote to that is pure, unfiltered, unapologetic, relentless disco-hedonism My voice is just one element in this band and at all times this band is far too good to ever be overshadowed by a vocalist. So I just want to say how grateful I am to be a part of this band of brilliant musicians—drummer and backing vocalist Miles Miller, lead guitarist Laur Joamets, bassist Kevin Black and keyboardist/saxist Robbie Crowell. Each is a star in his own right. And together, we reflect each other’s shine. I’ve spent the greater part of the last few years trying to escape what we shall refer to as “the static”. Mostly through intense travels. One thing I will say based on observations about the French is their unmatched ability to threaten injustice with a good time. If they feel infringed upon by overreach in even the slightest form, French people will simply go on a country wide labor strike, shut down the subways and the economy, and completely fill the streets with music and people from all walks of life dancing together, sometimes butt ass naked on top of bus stops. It’s refreshing and beyond inspiring to witness this type of manifested unity in humanity. You could say this is where the idea was born. Touring behind ‘Mutiny’ is something we greatly look forward to. Something we will cherish. Just as I have come to see and harness my own neurodivergence and the weaponized autism of our collective members as a superpower in the studio —the same is true live. We’re going out to play arenas and theaters with a vengeance. No opening act. We’re going to take every minute the venue gives us. We’re gonna rock this Mutiny as hard as humanly possible. It is our privilege and our honor because our fans deserve it. Beyond the static, the only things that truly matter are the sounds we make and the ears that absorb them. Everything won’t be for everyone, but everything tends to eventually find everyone it was meant for. You win some, you lose some, but in the end you’re left with the real ones. And the real ones are for life… After over a decade of navigating and charting the depressions of this industry’s cold and salty trenches, I have found my true North. I now wake up every day with the sole intention of doing my best at what I’m best at…simply being a pirate. And by now everybody knows our crew runs the tightest and deadliest ship on the water. This band has less than zero interest in accolade’s, trophy’s, or being the definitive this or that of our generation. We’re in search of something far more meaningful and rewarding…and we’re collecting heads for the journey. So with that all said, to any and all who see our flag flying off your stern, know this… There will be no quarter nor mercy offered nor given.” View this post on Instagram The post “For The Real Ones”: Sturgill Simpson Just Leaked The Entire New Johnny Blue Skies Album first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Ella Langley has hopes of acting one day… but maybe not in the genre that you’d think. The pipeline from singing to acting feels like it’s happening more and more these days, with many country music stars venturing beyond the stage to a set, making their acting debuts. From Lainey Wilson first starring in Yellowstone to soon making her feature film debut in Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him, and Riley Green entering the Taylor Sheridan sphere with his Marshals acting debut, to Jelly Roll appearing in CBS’s Fire Country, it’s a common career addition for many country singers. And another country music star is sharing her dreams of making her acting debut as well. It’s no stretch to say that Ella Langley is not only the hottest country artist on the planet right now but also one of the hottest artists in all of music. Riding the momentum gained throughout 2024 and 2025, due to her smash hit with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me,” Langley shattered any previously set career expectations upon the release of her all-genre #1 hit, “Choosin’ Texas.” “Choosin’ Texas” became Langley’s first career #1 hit on the aforementioned Hot Country Songs chart. In turn, it became the fastest solo female song to reach the top 10 at US Country Radio this decade, taking just eight weeks to crack the Top 10. The hit song also went #1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. In turn, she became just the seventh female artist IN HISTORY to go #1 on the Hot 100 with a country song. Additionally, she became the first woman ever to triple up and score #1s on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, and Hot 100 chart simultaneously. In case you were wondering just how rare the feat was, Langley became just the seventh female artist IN HISTORY to go #1 on the Hot 100 with a country song. Ella Langley is crushing it, to say the least, but even with the massive amounts of success she’s achieved in the country realm, she’s also thinking about what could come next for her and her career. Recently on The Jesse James Morning Show, Langley revealed that she hopes to appear on the big screen one day. But Langley does not have dreams of getting her start on a Western-related TV series, as many of her country music colleagues do. She hopes to make her acting dreams come true by appearing in a much different genre. “(A) Thriller probably first, maybe. But I really want to do a horror movie. That’s like one of my big goals. Like an old school horror movie, not like this stuff that you can’t put on and let your daddy walk through the room.”  I didn’t peg Ella Langley as a horror movie fan, but based on the clip, it seems she’s into classic thrillers with a spooky twist, not the jump-scare-filled horrors that end up in theaters today. I feel like Langley would crush a role like this, and I hope that her dream of starring in a film like this comes true one day. Perhaps she already has something in the works, and we can see Ella Langley on our TV or movie screens soon. Check it out: The post Ella Langley Hopes To Act In A Horror Movie One Day: “That’s One Of My Big Goals” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The perfect way to celebrate February 28th. Yesterday, Koe Wetzel’s celebrated what’s become a fan-favorite holiday of sorts named for the song he penned about getting arrested on “February 28, 2016.” The track, which is now certified-gold, details the events of that infamous day that Wetzel was arrested for public intoxication. The hit song was included on Koe’s 2016 album Noise Complaint, and it seems like the hype around the day grows bigger and bigger with each passing year. Many country fans always joke (?) on the February 28 anniversary that they are going to get trashed, go to Taco Bell and try to get a public intoxication charge in honor of Koe Wetzel. And in addition to commemorating the occasion yesterday with the mayor and city manager of his hometown of Pittburg, Texas, as they presenting him a key to the city and a proclamation naming February 28 “Koe Wetzel Day” there, Koe put out a six-song project called These Are Going Nowhere: A Mixtape by Koe Wetzel. Of course, he was honored to be recognized by his hometown with all of his friends and family there, saying how much it means to him to be remembered by his hometown in such a great way, where they also revealed a mural of the Texas rocker on a mural in their downtown area: “It’s good to be back in Pittsburg. Every time we come back here it’s like we never left, with my family and my friends… it all starts there. My family sitting here – my mom, my dad, my sisters, my grandparents – my girls here, they’ve always been my No. 1 fan and they’ve gotten me where I am by doing so, but also with the help from Pittsburg, Texas and all the great people here that have made everything happen. No matter where I go in this life, no matter what country, state or city I’m in, I always know Pittsburg, Texas is home for me. And whenever I come back, you all make sure to remind me of that and treat me like I never left, and I always appreciate that.” To further mark a decade years of “February 28, 2016,” Wetzel surprised fans after his set at his Ft. Worth Riot Room location dropping the aforementioned six-song mixtape, These Are Going Nowhere: A Mixtape by Koe Wetzel, thanking fans for the “best decade of my life”: “Thanks for the best decade of my life. Here’s some of my favorite Koe shit from the vault to hold you over until my new album comes out this summer.” Fans have been speculating that a new album is in the works as he also just announced an extensive 2026 tour, so it sounds like we can expect something this summer. Until then, though, turn these up… “College” “Run Away” “Sweet Texas Strange” “GTFO” These Are Going Nowhere: A Mixtape by Koe Wetzel Tracklist: “Feel Better” “GTFO” “Run Away” “College” “Lonesome Dove” “Sweet Texas Strange” This drop comes on the heels of his 2026 The Night Champion World Tour, which will kick off in May in Australia. The Night Champion World Tour Dates May 3 | Melbourne, Vic. (Australia) | Forum Melbourne May 5 | Sydney, N.S.W (Australia) | Enmore Theatre May 9 | Brisbane, Qld. (Australia) | Fortitude Music Hall July 8 | Edmonton, Alb. (Canada) | Rogers Place July 10 | Penticton, B.C. (Canada) | South Okanagan Event Center July 11 | Abbotsford, B.C. (Canada) | Abbotsford Centre July 23 | Nampa, Idaho | Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater July 24 | Stateline, Nev. | Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic July 25 | Las Vegas, Nev. | The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas July 30 | Airway Heights, Wash. | Northern Quest Casino July 31 | Bend, Ore. | Hayden Homes Amphitheater Aug. 1 | Tacoma, Wash. | Dune Peninsula Aug. 6 | Bonner Springs, Kan. | Azura Amphitheater Aug. 7 | Evansville, Ind. | Ford Center Aug. 8 | Nashville, Tenn. | Bridgestone Arena Aug. 12 | New York, N.Y. | Pier 17 Aug. 13 | Reading, Pa. | Santander Arena Aug. 14 | Gilford, N.H. | BankNH Pavilion Aug. 19 | Boston, Mass. | Leader Bank Pavilion Aug. 20 | Washington, D.C. | The Anthem Aug. 21 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Petersen Events Center Aug. 26 | Buffalo, N.Y. | Outer Harbor Live at Terminal B Aug. 27 | Cleveland, Ohio | Wolstein Center Aug. 28 | Rochester Hills, Mich. | Meadow Brook Amphitheatre* Sept. 3 | Austin, Texas | Moody Center Sept. 4 | Baton Rouge, La. | Raising Cane’s River Center Sept. 5 | Bossier City, La. | Brookshire Grocery Arena Sept. 10 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center Sept. 11 | Greensboro, N.C. | First Horizon Coliseum Sept. 12 | Wilmington, N.C. | Live Oak Bank Pavilion Sept. 17 | Alpharetta, Ga. | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Sept. 18 | Columbia, S.C. | Colonial Life Arena Sept. 19 | Richmond, Va. | Virginia Credit Union LIVE! Sept. 24 | Pikeville, Ky. | Appalachian Wireless Arena Sept. 25 | Huntsville, Ala. | The Orion Amphitheater Sept. 26 | Brandon, Miss. | Brandon Amphitheater Sept. 30 | Rogers, Ark. | The Walmart AMP Oct. 1 | North Little Rock, Ark. | Simmons Bank Arena Oct. 2 | Tulsa, Okla. | BOK Center Oct. 3 | Wichita, Kan. | INTRUST Bank Arena Oct. 8 | Chicago, Ill. | Salt Shed Fairgrounds Oct. 9 | Fishers, Ind. | Fishers Event Center Oct. 10 | Milwaukee, Wis. | Fiserv Forum Oct. 28 | Morrison, Colo. | Red Rocks Amphitheatre Oct. 30 | Lubbock, Texas | Cook’s Garage * on sale at 11 a.m. local time on March 13 Additional Live Shows March 7 | Norco, Calif. | Boots in the Park March 18 | Houston, Texas | Houston Rodeo April 10 | Gonzales, Texas | Cattle Country April 18 | Fresno, Calif. | Boots in the Park April 25 | Arlington, Texas | Lone Star Smokeout May 15 | Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, N.M. | Boots in the Park May 30 | Panama City Beach, Fla. | Gulf Coast Jam June 12 | Del Mar, Calif. | San Diego County Fair June 20 | Lewisburg, W.Va. | Wild Trails Festival June 27 | Ashland, Neb. | Country Drive Music Festival July 3 | Winnipeg, MB | Country Thunder Winnipeg July 16 | Eau Claire, Wis. | Country Jam USA July 17 | Manchester, Iowa | Delaware County Fair Aug. 15 | Montreal, Que. (Canada) | Lasso Aug. 22 | Lima, Ohio | Allen County Fair Aug. 29 | Lucknow, Ont. (Canada) | Lucknow’s Music in the Fields Nov. 20 | St. Petersburg, Fla. | St. Pete Country FestThe post Koe Wetzel Drops Surprise Project, ‘These Are Going Nowhere: A Mixtape By Koe Wetzel’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Happy Marshals premiere day to all who celebrate. Later this evening on CBS, a new chapter of the Yellowstone catalog begins as Marshals will follow the story of Kayce Dutton. The new show starring Luke Grimes should provide fans with everything they want and more in terms of having him back on the screen for an action-packed show. The synopsis of the show’s first season, which will consist of 13 episodes, seemingly finds Kayce Dutton has returned to his violent ways because of a devastating loss that he suffered: “With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Dutton joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region’s war on violence.” Just in case you haven’t seen any of the trailers… all signs are pointing towards Kayce Dutton joining the U.S. Marshals because he loses his wife, Monica (played by Kelsey Asbille). Grimes recently hinted at this grim ending for Monica, sharing with Extra TV that viewers will find him at a really low point to start the show: “We find him at a really low point. Kind of worst case scenario, actually. Kind of the worst thing that could happen to him has happened, and it’s sort like picking up the pieces and where does he go from there. I think faced with something like that, you’ve only got a couple of choices, you know. One, you can completely fall apart, and live in despair, or you make a huge change and you keep fighting and you try something new, and he decides to do the ladder.” I will be interested to see how this all unfolds as the series kicks off this evening. On top of fans tuning in to see how Kayce’s story continues, Marshals will also draw country music fans to their viewership, with Riley Green making his acting debut on the show. Riley will appear in multiple episodes, and he will play former Navy SEAL Garrett, who arrives at the ranch, unexpectedly, hoping to lean on his friends Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) and Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) to help “put the demons of his past to rest.” Riley says being on set with his friend Luke Grimes, who had an inverse yet parallel journey to Riley as he is wading into the music world, made the whole experience that much better: “I’m so excited to be joining the cast of ‘Marshals.’ Being on set with my buddy Luke Grimes made the experience even more memorable. This is my first go around in the acting space and I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to this world.” Ahead of the season premiere, Riley Green sat down with Extra TV to talk about his time on set, and the “Worst Way” singer opened up about how this experience is different than performing on stage last night. In the conversation, Extra asked Green if he had to partake in Taylor Sheridan’s famed cowboy boot camp that all Yellowstone actors had to do before stepping on set. While Green was sparted this experience, he did share that there was a learning curve for him, and he was nervous the first time he stepped onto set. “Not too bad. It was… You know, the learning curve for me was that I’ve never done any acting. I mean, obviously, I’ve done some music videos and commercials and things like that, but it’s such a different world when you walk on set and see what all goes into this, how many people are on a crew.  It was a really fun experience for me because it’s something I went into somewhat nervous. You know, I don’t get nervous to play shows anymore. I’ve done it for so long, but this was a brand new thing for me, and there was a big learning curve. It was, uh, I’m glad they were patient with me.” Green was then asked whether he could improvise during some of his scenes and whether he found it more difficult than memorizing lines. Green admitted that memorizing lines came easier to him than he initially expected, but he found it hard to create genuine reactions during conversations that might not have directly involved his character on set. “The memorizing line is something, I think, not knowing anything about acting, going in that was going to be the biggest and toughest part. And, uh, it was pretty easy for me. I guess remembering words to songs has helped. But it was more about knowing what the conversation was and then just reacting to it and trying to make it as real as possible.  You know me having such a great relationship with Luke, and me and him doing a lot of the scenes together was really helpful. They were great to work with.”  It sounds like Green was able to learn the ropes quickly and had a blast with his role on the show. I can’t wait to see Green embark on this chapter of his career, and it seems like this could be the start of more appearances in the Taylor Sheridan universe. Check it out: And while you’re here, check out the official trailer: The post “I’m Glad They Were Patient With Me” – Riley Green On The Learning Curve Of First Acting Role In ‘Marshals’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.