This has serious potential to be Luke Combs’ best album yet. The country superstar is gearing up to put out his new record The Way I Am on March 20th, and while he’s released a handful of the songs already, he’s also been teasing some of the ones fans haven’t heard yet over on Instagram. He recently shared part of “Wish Upon a Whiskey,” and this evening, he’s giving fans a listen of another new one called “I Ain’t No Cowboy.” It’s another heartbreaker that finds him reflecting on a girl who left him in the dust, and how he knew from the beginning it would eventually end that way. She was wild, and he knew that going into it, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less now that the relationship is over: “I knew the day I met her, One day I’d have to forget her, but that didn’t stop me, From trying to hold her like, the river holds the rain, She always wanted wide open spaces, And I tried my best to tame her But I would”ve been better off breakin’ a herd of wild mustangs I ain’t no cowboy, but I wish I was “We’d have rode off together, in the setting sun Instead of watching her ride right out of my life If I could’ve roped her heart back in I could’ve been what she needed when She saddled up and she kicked up a cloud of dust I ain’t no cowboy But now I wish I was” These are the kinds of songs that Combs always does so well, and I can’t wait to hear the full version of this one when the album comes out in just a few weeks: View this post on Instagram Luke has released several songs from the 22-song tracklist thus far including “Back in the Saddle,” “My Kinda Saturday Night,” “15 Minutes,” “Days Like These,” and most recently, a stunning love song inspired by his wife Nicole, “Be By You.” The album was produced by Combs, Jonathan Singleton and Chip Matthews, and it will feature just one other artist on the song “Ever Mine,” as we get to hear Combs and Alison Krauss team up for the first time and I’m sure that will be incredible. The Way I Am Tracklist “Back in the Saddle” “My Kinda Saturday Night” “Days Like These” “15 Minutes” “Alcohol of Fame” “Daytona 499” “The Way I Am” “Wish Upon Whiskey” “Soon As I Get Home” “Rethink Some Things” “Giving Her Away” “Seeing Someone” “Sleepless in a Hotel Room” “I Ain’t No Cowboy” “Ever Mine” (feat. Alison Krauss) “Can’t Tell Me I’m Wrong” “Miss You Here” “Tell ‘Em About Tonight” “Be By You” “The Me Part of You” “Rich Man” “A Man Was Born” “Be By You” The post Luke Combs Teases “I Ain’t No Cowboy,” Another Country Heartbreaker From Forthcoming ‘The Way I Am’ Album first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The fans are going to have a field day with this one… and it’s coming very soon. Carly Pearce and Riley Green sent the internet into a frenzy last week when Carly posted a teaser of what we could only assume was some sort of duet, where they got very up close and personal with each other, as Green stared into Pearce’s eyes before the two lean in to each other. Both the teased lyrics and caption for the post itself simply reads: “Baby isn’t doing this the definition of insane.” View this post on Instagram Considering how there are pretty much constantly rumors about Riley’s dating life, this of course quickly caught the attention of fans, and I’m sure the rumors about this one will be flying too, but these two are labelmates and aren’t dating (Carly also has a boyfriend), but it’s safe to say that the internet detectives will be out in full force regardless stirring up every rumor imaginable. And usually that’s kind of the point of this sort of thing… I mean, the teasers are super steamy and they want people to talk about it, and I’m happy to oblige because even the very short teaser of the duet Carly shared sounded very interesting and I can’t wait to hear it. Obviously, Riley has a great track records with his female duets, and of course the two hits he did with Ella Langley come to mind first in “you look like you love me” and “Don’t Mind If I Do,” and I don’t see why this one would be any different in terms of the quality of the song because Carly is also an incredibly talented artist who consistently puts out some of the best stuff in mainstream Nashville. The best news is, fans won’t have to wait too much longer to hear it, as the pair announced on Instagram this morning that “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” will be out on streaming platforms everywhere next Friday, March 13th: “‘If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay.’ 3/13.” Carly has been teasing a new album and put out several singles over the last couple months with the most recent one being “Church Girl,” but from the looks of it this song will be much different than that one and I know everyone’s going to be very excited to not only hear the song, but see whatever video they’ve been teasing if that’s what these visuals are from. While she hasn’t announced anything official, it’s likely that this song will be featured on the tracklist for whatever project Carly has in the works, and the cover artwork is something else… View this post on Instagram “Church Girl” The post Carly Pearce & Riley Green Announce Release Date For Steamy New Duet, “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The Beatles “went country” before it was cool. As you’ve likely noticed, it’s become very popular in recent years for artists outside of the country music genre to dip their toes into the southern stylings – or dive in head first and make themselves very comfortable like Post Malone did. Many would assume “going country” is a modern phenomenon… but what if I told you that The Beatles did it all the way back in 1965? Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr actually covered a country music hit and included it in their iconic 1965 album Help!, which also acted as the soundtrack to the movie of the same name. That project obviously included their well-known “Help!” song, as well “Ticket To Ride.” But one of the B-sides was a cover of Buck Owens’ 1963 country hit “Act Naturally.” The lyrics to the song were the perfect fit for their album that also acted as the soundtrack for the movie the “Fab Four” starred in: “They’re gonna put me in the moviesThey’re gonna make a big star out of meWe’ll make a film about a man that’s sad and lonelyAnd all I gotta do is act naturally Well, I’ll bet you I’ma gonna be a big starMight win an Oscar you can’t never tellThe movie’s gonna make me a big star‘Cause I can play the part so well.” Buck Owens released the song in 1963 and it quickly became a No. 1 Hit on the Billboard Country Charts. It also helped to springboard the career of Owens, and sent him on his way to 19 more chart-topping singles in the same decade. As far as classic country songs are concerned, it’s as catchy as they come: “Act Naturally” by Buck Owens “Act Naturally” connected with the masses of country music… and it also got the attention of The Beatles. Considering what we know about The Beatles now, it makes sense this Buck Owens song caught their eye. George Harrison grew up as a country music fan, and Ringo Starr has always been interested in the genre, even releasing his own country project late in his career. The band as a whole loved to experiment with sounds, and at some point in 1965, they decided to record their own version of the Buck Owens hit. Ringo Starr actually took the lead vocal role in the recording, which at the time marked only the fifth time the Beatles drummer had done so: “Act Naturally” by The Beatles Sounds pretty good, eh? The supergroup put their own spin on the song, but still stayed true to the country music roots of the track. And though there were many other times that The Beatles leaned into the country music style (like with the White Album’s “Rocky Raccoon”), they rarely ever covered country music songs in their discography outside of songs by Carl Perkins. Funny enough, Ringo Starr and Buck Owens eventually recorded a duet version of the song in 1989. The track, which was a part of Owens’ Act Naturally album, showcased the vocal talent of each singer and offered up a comical music video showing Starr and Owens on a western movie set. Their duet went on to be nominated for Vocal Event of the Year at the CMAs and Best Country Vocal Collaboration at the Grammys. “Act Naturally” by Buck Owens & Ringo Starr Last year, Ringo teamed up with T Bone Burnett to record his own solo country album, titled Look Up, which featured guest appearances from from bluegrass pickers Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, as well as Lucius, and Larkin Poe. The post The Beatles “Went Country” Long Before Modern Artists Like Beyonce & Post Malone first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

A new record from Joshua Ray Walker is coming soon. Joshua Ray Walker has been on a roll of releasing new music, announcing a brand new record off the heels of his October 2025 concept album, Stuff. Stuff came after the light-and-air island-inspired melodies from Tropicana, and while this record was an anthem for me last summer, it was penned during a very dark time in his life. The country music world was shaken to its core when Walker announced he was diagnosed with colon cancer back in 2023. Things took a dive for the worse after 6 months of chemotherapy when he was told the cancer had spread to his lungs and moved to stage 4, but, near miraculously, it turns out some of the worries were for nothing. In October of last year, he went in for a biopsy, and doctors discovered that the original diagnosis was incorrect and there was no sign of cancer in his lungs. Even better, they were unable to find evidence that there was cancer anywhere in his body, which doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods, but beginning the road to remission is literally the best news any of us could have hoped for. After getting that great news, he began treatment for his 3B colon cancer. Walker penned Tropicana while he was undergoing treatment, and could only think of warm island breezes and clear waters under the harsh hospital lights. But that was not the only album that Walker conceptualized while he was in the thick of cancer treatment—Stuff being the second installment. For Walker Tropicana and Stuff make up two sides of the proverbial coin. Hospitals are harsh and sterile, leading Walker to need an escape from the fluorescent lights. Stuff, on the ladder, was filled with thoughts of Walker contemplating his own legacy. After his misdiagnosis, Walker wanted to push himself creatively in whatever time he had left. While he thought he had cancer in his lungs, he vowed to release three records in whatever time he had left, with Stuff being the second. Today, Walker announced the final chapter of this trilogy, Ain’t Dead Yet, out everywhere on May 29th. Ain’t Dead Yet will feature some of Walker’s deepest and most personal storytelling, as he started writing the album before receiving the news that rearranged and threatened his life. While Walker has a clean bill of health now, that year led to the “Voices” singer being filled with challenges mentally, physically, and he was reckoning with the thought that he would not be on Earth much longer. “That whole year I just felt awful and like I was dying. I didn’t feel right, and mentally I was off, like there really was something wrong the whole time,” Walker says. “So I think the reason some of these songs feel the way they do is because I felt that way, even though I didn’t know something was wrong yet.” View this post on Instagram Ain’t Dead Yet offers a more somber tone, capturing the highs and lows of the last three years of Walker’s life. It’s a reflection of his feelings now, standing on the other side, while also a dedication to the future. “I’m really grateful to have a second chance, and I’m also grateful to have lived through thinking I was going to die. It gives you perspective in a way you really can’t fake until you’ve actually done it; in a way, it was kind of a gift. I faced death; I almost lost my house; I got engaged; We lost most of our belongings to flood and mold; I’ve had loved ones die; I almost lost my entire music catalog. It’s been a lot, good and bad. I’m just a much different person. I’m very intentional with my time, and I’m a lot happier, even though things have been hard, I genuinely do think I’m happier. It’s been a pretty wild transformation.” To kick off this final chapter, Walker gifted fans with the first single from this project, “Capital Letters.” The song features Walker’s signature thick twang, but the melody has a melancholy feel, as he penned it alongside John Pedigo to thank some of his greatest mentors. Written in honor of his grandpa and Trey Johnson, co-founder of Walker’s of first label, the lyrics honor the roles these long-gone loved ones played. In the same breath, it’s also an inner dialogue, in which Walker often speaks to himself, seeking their advice, friendship, and longing to connect with them again. “Everything’s drawn in capital letters Scrawled out by strong but shaky hands It doesn’t matter how short or tall the letter As long as the reader understands Well who’re you talking to? Do they look like you?” “Capital Letters” is a strong start to Ain’t Dead Yet and shows the depth that Walker possesses as a songwriter. Check it out: Joshua Ray Walker – 2026 Tour Dates March 20-25 – Outlaw Country Cruise – Miami, FL March 29 – The Post – Fort Worth, TX March 30 – Dan’s SilverLeaf – Denton, TX March 31 – McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Houston, TX April 1 – Saxon Pub – Austin, TX April 18 – Gruene Hall – New Braunfels, TX May 14 – Birthplace of Country Music – Bristol, VA May 15 – The Grove – Glasgow, KY May 22 – Kerrville Folk Festival – Kerrville, TX May 26 – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO May 27 – Off Broadway – St. Louis, MO May 28 – Schubas – Chicago, IL May 29 – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN May 30 – Appleton Beer Factory – Appleton, WI June 3 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY June 4 – Iron Horse Music Hall – Northampton, MA June 5 – Middle East Upstairs – Boston, MA June 6 – Milkboy – Philadelphia, PA June 7 – Pearl Street Warehouse – Washington DC July 10 – Norsk Country-Treff – Breim, NOThe post Joshua Ray Walker Announces New Record ‘Ain’t Dead Yet,’ Releases New Single “Capital Letters” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The man said he was a location scout for a movie, but his story didn't entirely add up. Continue reading…