If Leah Blevins isn’t already on your radar, it’s time to change that. The Sandy Hook, Kentucky native is gearing up to release her sophomore album All Dressed Up on March 20th, 2026, which finds her expanding the next chapter of her musical journey with heartfelt songs that explore themes of fear, self-discovery, and leaving the past behind, in addition to relatable stories about life, love, and loss. She grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky, which we all know is the hotbed of the best country music in the world right now, and Leah has an incredibly unique and interesting sound that pulls from gospel and classic country, with a modern twist, that is wrapped in a beautiful vintage, throwback sound that feels very 60s and I can’t get enough. It’s feels so fresh and authentic, and so far, she has released several singles from the album including the title track, “Be Careful Throwing Stones,” and a new one as of yesterday, “Diggin’ in the Coal.” It blends Southern rock with country while still maintaining that vintage sound, and pulls very much from her own personal life as her great-grandfather and her grandmother worked in Kentucky coal mines. She knows you can find “good things in dark places,” and it’s important to hold onto the people and relationships even in dark times. The metaphor and example of a coal mine is very much intrinsic to her story, which certainly works very well on this song: “But if you stick around I just might make it Whenever I get down you help me shake it from soul I guess I found a diamond while I was digging in the coal” She says she always loved the imagery of the “‘canary in a coal mine,” which helped inspire this song she wrote with Dan Auerbach and Pat McLaughlin: “My great grandfather and my granny worked in the coal mines of Kentucky. I remember hearing stories growing up, and there was something about the ‘canary in a coal mine’ imagery that seemed ripe for a song about relationships to me… being a sounding board and support for each other even in dark times.” All Dressed Up was produced by Dan Auerbach, and follows her impressive debut album First Time Feeling that was released in 2021. Blevins says she just writes what she feels, and at the end of the day, her goal is to write honest music that other people can relate to: “I write what I feel, what I think other people feel, too. Dan is someone who gets there’s more to a song than what’s on the surface. He’s not afraid to leave room on the tracks for the emotions to spread out and really color the recording. As a co-writer and producer, he creates something that is almost beyond honest, which I love.” All Dressed Up is slated for release on March 20th, and Leah is certainly an artist to keep your eye on in 2026 if you love honest, authentic country that comes from the heart and is written with an honesty that can only be done through the lens of someone’s lived experiences. You can listen to all of the pre-released singles below. “Diggin’ In The Coal” “All Dressed Up” “Be Careful Throwing Stones” The post Leah Blevins Finds Hope In The Darkness In Next Single From Forthcoming Album ‘All Dressed Up’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.