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“I'm as free as a robin”, Benjamin Tod proudly declares across a gorgeous, steel-drenched instrumental, as he introduces the latest song from his new album, ‘I Ain't Bound’.
It's an ode to the kind of freedom that feels hard-fought and weather-worn, with Tod assessing his newfound perspective, while acknowledging that traps still lay at every turn.
It's a fascinating rumination on what it truly means to be “free”, with Tod's portrayal at times feeling like relief and peace, but at others, more like isolation and solitude. While his recent release, ‘Hell I Have’, was interpreted by many as a response to his very public war of words with Gavin Adcock - in doing so, extending a length track record of criticism levelled at Nashville's mainstream country machine - ‘I Ain't Bound’ is refreshingly permeated by a spirit of turning the other cheek.
As the beautifully stripped-back, traditional-leaning ode meanders to its striking conclusion, Tod intentionally leaves the prospect of a happy ending vague, “I'm sick as a dove who lost his only love / From a shot in the late summer heat / I will survive and live and let die / These wings don't carry me / I ain't bound by anything”.
It ensures the anticipation remains through-the-roof ahead of Tod's forthcoming studio album, Vengeance and Grace, which arrives on Friday, April 17th, 2026.
The project is set to be another prime example of why Tod has amassed such a strong cult following in the alt-country sphere, with the Tennessee native offering fans the opportunity to hear this vibrant, eclectic new batch of songs in two different shades.
Each original song has an “Alone” counterpart on the second half of the album, which finds Tod paring down the instrumentation and production, and playing them in their acoustic form.
As ‘I Ain't Bound’ showcases, Tod never shies away from the gritty realities of life, with the ‘Goner’ singer-songwriter being open throughout his career about his past struggles with addiction and homelessness. Now, on Vengeance and Grace, despite there being demons lurking on the fringes of every tale, he sounds happier than ever.
There is a warmth and equanimity in his tone, with the arrival of a new baby boy and plenty of music on the horizon, Vengeance and Grace seemingly timestamps a period of healing, with Tod inviting listeners back into his visceral world once again.
Listen to Benjamin Tod's new song, ‘I Ain't Bound’, premiering exclusively on Holler, below:
For the full lyrics to Benjamin Tod's ‘I Ain't Bound’, see below:
“I'm free as a robin
I know I been sobbin’
I got hell at the heels of my feet
No one to blame, so I'll choose my fate
Lord it looks like rain
I ain't bound by anything
-
I sing like a swallow
My time it is borrowed
Should have died with the flowers of spring
No weapon used nor the needle and spoon
Could steal my destiny
I ain't bound by anything
-
I soar like the eagle
From the cave to the steeple
I bite my tongue when I speak
Never disgraced but always ashamed
I killed a part of me
I ain't bound by anything
-
I'm sick as a dove who lost his only love
From a shot in the late summer heat
I will survive and live and let die
These wings don't carry me
I ain't bound by anything”
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