Best New Country Songs

Easter is a time to give thanks and we've got a lot of great new music to be thankful for this week. It's time for another of our weekly roundups of all the biggest and best new country and Americana releases and it really is a Good Friday when we've got new songs from Ashley Cooke, Dierks Bentley, Sam Barber, Ian Munsick, Lainey Wilson and loads more to listen to. Enough to keep you going for the long Easter weekend.

Listen along to our Holler Best New Country playlist on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon and Apple Music.

After spending the past few weeks teasing song titles from his upcoming album, appearing (and then disappearing rather quickly) on NBC's Saturday Night Live and baring his soul on Theo Von's This Past Weekend podcast, Morgan Wallen has revealed the full tracklist to his 37-song magnus opus, I'm The Problem. Featuring collaborations with pop superstars Tate McRae, plus close friends Eric Church, ERNEST and HARDY, he's also duetting with this old buddy and this week's Best New Country cover co-star Post Malone.

After teaming up on 'I Had Some Help' last year for Postie's album, the pair reunite for Morgan's new album for the suitably Easter appropriate 'I Ain't Comin' Back.'

Written by Wallen, Louis Bell, HARDY, Post Malone, ERNEST and Ryan Vojtesak and produced by Joey Moi, 'I Ain't Comin' Back' teases a cheeky play-on-words, as the guy leaves the relationship, vowing never to return. "There's a lot of reasons I ain't Jesus," the pair joke. "But the main one is that I ain't coming back."

He's probably gone off to God's country again.

Ashley Cooke is dropping f-bombs all over the place in her explosive new single 'the f word.' Written by Emily Weisband, Lori McKenna and Gordie Sampson and produced by renowned hitmaker Dan Huff, the cutesy country pop ballad finds the 'your place' singer opening up and oversharing in front of her boyfriend's family.

It's been 50 years since Olivia Newton-John was at #1 on the US Country album chart with Have You Never Been Mellow, and there's definitely an introspective, laid back mellow vibe to our Best New Country playlist this week.

21-year-old singer songwriter Sam Barber releases his first new music since his acclaimed debut album, Restless Mind, with an existential reflection on life’s endless uncertainty and struggles, 'Man of the Year.'

"It’s all an empty hole and fuck it if I ain’t the man of the year," he sings, as he wrestles with his own failings amidst all the success he's experienced and tries to make sense of the emptiness and futility of modern life. "No matter where you go, you’ll always live in fear / No matter what you know there’s no making sense of why we’re here."

Sam Barber isn't the only one feeling overwhelmed by it all. The new single from Parker McCollum, 'Hope That I'm Enough,' is a heartfelt confessional about insecurities in measuring up to be the kind of partner that will last a lifetime. Written by McCollum, Matt Jenkins and Jessi Alexander, and produced by Frank Liddell and Eric Masse, the song is taken from his highly anticipated fifth studio album, PARKER MCCOLLUM, out at the end of June.

Dierks Bentley gives us another taste of his forthcoming album, Broken Branches, with 'Well Well Whiskey,' and after touring together last year, Jesse Daniel and Charles Wesley Godwin touch base on 'Time Well Spent For A Man,' a heartfelt reminder to never lose sight of what’s important in life taken from Daniel’s upcoming LP, Son of the San Lorenzo, due out in June.

"This song was written by Northern California songwriter Nick Foster," Jesse Daniel shares. "It is an ode to father time. To me, it’s also about focusing on the meaningful things in life. On our deathbed, we’ll remember raising our children, our spouse’s kiss, time spent doing what we loved, as opposed to how many hours we logged in the office. I loved the message of this song and felt compelled to record it. Charles Wesley Godwin came to mind with the subject matter. He’s a family man and an incredible songwriter himself. His vocals really helped add to the depth of the whole thing.”

One of our 10 Artists You Need to Know for April, Ashley Ryan releases her new single 'My Crazy' and we've gone absolutely batshit for it.

"It's a fun, playful song that really captures the whirlwind of falling for someone unexpectedly," Ashley Ryan says. "It’s about that wild feeling of being swept off your feet and realizing you’re suddenly in a place you never thought you’d be. The song explores the shift from being a free spirit, kind of a drifter, to feeling like you’ve found someone who makes you want to stay put. There’s a raw, unfiltered emotion to it - like realizing you’re crazy about someone and embracing that feeling. It’s a mix of vulnerability and excitement, and I love how it speaks to that ‘out-of-control’ feeling of love - when you’re just all in, no looking back."

We've had a few big albums announced this week too! Parker McCollum announces his new album for June, Tanner Usrey will release his new album, These Days, on July 11 via Atlantic Records and his next single from it, 'Don’t Let Go (Hold Me Close)' is out today. Dierks Bentley releases 'Well Well Whiskey' and sets his forthcoming album, Broken Branches, for June, while Pearl Charles has announced her new album, Desert Queen, for May with the gorgeous soft pop country disco dancefloor filler ‘Just What It Is.'

“It's a wistful tale of days gone by and small town parades viewed from train car windows set to a sparkling sonic folk image with soft focused, Vaseline-lensed vocal harmonies," says Pearl Charles about the new song. Just listen to it. It really is.

Brent Cobb announces his new album with his touring band the Fixin's, Ain't Rocked in a While, for July 11.

Produced by Cobb and Oran Thornton, the album captures the electric energy of Cobb’s live shows, while still keeping his signature storytelling at the forefront. Recorded live to tape at The Black Palace in Springfield, MO, the album finds Cobb returning to his roots, as he blends his timeless country sound with influences from the classic rock bands he grew up listening to, such as Black Sabbath, Metallica and AC/DC. 

“I feel like sometimes when people come to our shows, there might be a disconnect," Brent Cobb says. "People might view me as just a singer-songwriter. You know, sit down and tell ‘em a nice, little Southern story. Sing ‘em a song. And our live show kinda rocks. Sometimes people are taken aback. I want people to have an album of reference.”

Check out the video for the title track below.

We've got the incendiary new single from Pillbox Patti, AKA Nashville hit songwriter Nicolette Hayford, known for crafting unflinchingly honest songs for everyone from Little Big Town and Koe Wetzel to Lainey Wilson and Ashley McBryde. Get the scoop on 'Damn Near Spectacular' here.

Bayker Blankenship is wondering if he's been on someone's mind on 'Thinking of Me,' Cole Swindell releases 'We Can Always Move On,' and Kristina Murray continues to tease us with the third single from her forthcoming, Little Blue, album.

‘The After Midnight Special’ was inspired by a summer obsessing over the steel-heavy, weepy 70’s country of Gary Stewart, and many many nights people watching from stage," Murray says. "This one’s country to the bone and tells the story of a desperate lonely woman in a dancehall; lotta fun country music easter eggs for the discerning listener."

Elsewhere we've got new ones from Tyler Braden, Chase McDaniel, Austin Burke and Michael Marcagi and Wesley Schultz team up on 'Wish I'd Never Met You.' Plus, we've got all the songs we've had the honour of premiering this week, Bri Bagwell's powerful and poignant 'Border Girl,' Shelby Means' playful bluegrass banger 'Farm Girl' and Kat Velasco captures that magical, moony feeling of falling in love on 'Name on My Phone.'

We've got some big new albums out today to keep you busy over the long bank holiday weekend. Hayden Coffman releases Love and a Heartbreak, Drew Green is Comin' In Country, Anne Wilson gives her last album a little spruce up with REBEL (Revisited) and Mo Pitney and Johnny Meyer release the absolutely stunning Cherokee Pioneer.

We've got a song from the incredible new album by Julien Baker and TORRES, Send a Prayer My Way. Read the full 9 star Holler review here.

Ian Munsick releases his third studio album, Eagle Feather, featuring 20 tracks, including duets with Lainey Wilson and Flatland Cavalry lead singer Cleto Cordero, with songwriter credits by fellow singer/songwriters Caitlyn Smith and Stephen Wilson Jr..

“Eagle Feather is a tribute to a sacred way of life," Munsick says, reflecting on the album’s concept. "One that epitomizes the voice of country music, yet is rarely heard among the masses. Every one of these 20 songs is rooted in true, personal experiences that have helped create the man I am today. I offer this body of work to anyone that loves the freedom that inspires our spirit when we look over a sunset on the mountain. Or the sanctity of returning to the people and places we care about the most. May you both receive and gift your Eagle Feather."

Watch the video for 'Feather in My Hat (feat. Lainey Wilson)' below

Every week we shine our magical Holler spotlight onto a song that we think deserves a little extra light shining on it and this week we've picked the new song from California native Sam Stoane, 'A Good Horse and a Good Dog.'

"This felt like the perfect tune to welcome spring time and warmer weather in with," Stoane wrote on socials alongside a slide of photos of her and her own good horse and good dog. "It’s a classic, feel-good saddle song and it’s also the last single before the entire record comes out next month!!"

Written by Stoane with Austin Plaine and Maddie Lenhart, it's a delicious little bite of wistful Country & Western from an artist who we're predicting big things from this year. This is one you can keep listening to all day long and you'll never get tired of it. Perfect for the extra-long weekend ahead.

Check out this week's new country and americana song releases and listen to the full playlist below:

1. 1.

   I Ain't Comin' Back (feat. Post Malone)

   Morgan Wallen

2. 2.

   Feather In My Hat (feat. Lainey Wilson)

   Ian Munsick

3. 3.

   the f word

   Ashley Cooke

4. 4.

   Man of the Year

   Sam Barber

5. 5.

   My Crazy

   Ashley Ryan

6. 6.

   Hope That I'm Enough

   Parker McCollum

7. 7.

   Well Well Whiskey

   Dierks Bentley

8. 8.

   A Good Horse And A Good Dog

   Sam Stoane

9. 9.

   Time Well Spent For A Man (feat. Charles Wesley Godwin)

   Jesse Daniel

10. 10.

    Bottom of a Bottle

    Julien Baker and TORRES

11. 11.

    Thinking of Me

    Bayker Blankenship

12. 12.

    The After Midnight Special

    Kristina Murray

13. 13.

    The Bend

    Noah Rinker

14. 14.

    Wish I Never Met You

    Michael Marcagi and Wesley Schultz

15. 15.

    RIGHT ON TRACK

    Tyler Braden

16. 16.

    Don't Let Go (Hold Me Close)

    Tanner Usrey

17. 17.

    Momma Don't Pray Like She Used To

    Ashland Craft

18. 18.

    California Stoned

    Cotton Clifton and Nikki Lane

19. 19.

    A Memory Lost Somewhere

    Kyle Gates

20. 20.

    Damn Near Spectacular

    Pillbox Patti

21. 21.

    Banjo Picker (In a Bluegrass Band)

    Pitney Meyer

22. 22.

    Flannel Cowboy

    Ken Pomeroy

23. 23.

    We Can Always Move On

    Cole Swindell

24. 24.

    bed no breakfast

    Maren Morris

25. 25.

    Bluebird

    Lana Del Rey

26. 26.

    Fightin' Words

    Hayden Coffman

27. 27.

    Miss Wannabe

    Jenna Davis

28. 28.

    Man I Ain't Met Yet

    Micah Fletcher

29. 29.

    Dance with Somebody

    Chaparelle

30. 30.

    Welcome Home

    Lily Meola

31. 31.

    Southern Belle

    Rhys Rutherford

32. 32.

    Life Is Easy

    Andy Frasco & the U.N., Billy Strings, Steve Poltz, Daniel Donato and Mike Gordon

33. 33.

    The World's in a Hurry

    Brennan Edwards

34. 34.

    Standing On The Fault Line

    I'm With Her

35. 35.

    Border Girl

    Bri Bagwell

36. 36.

    Farm Girl

    Shelby Means

37. 37.

    Name on My Phone

    Kat Velasco

38. 38.

    Hate How You Look

    Josh Ross

39. 39.

    Dumb (Good Ol' Time)

    Matt Schuster

40. 40.

    Last Call

    Danny Anderson

41. 41.

    Someone's Gotta Give

    Jenna DeVries

42. 42.

    Ain't Rocked in a While

    Brent Cobb & The Fixin's

43. 43.

    Rain Crow

    Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson

44. 44.

    2 Under 2

    Austin Burke

45. 45.

    There Ain't a Bar

    Drew Green

46. 46.

    Bet The Farm

    LOCASH

47. 47.

    Delilah

    CeCe

48. 48.

    How To Be Lonely

    Jake Scott

49. 49.

    If Heaven Had a Front Porch

    Nic D

50. 50.

    Burning Down The House

    Boy In Space

51. 51.

    She Ain't Crazy Yet

    Don Louis

52. 52.

    Girl I Never Had

    Caiden Wallace

53. 53.

    Loves Like Mexico

    Sammy Arriaga

54. 54.

    Tying One On

    Roman Alexander

55. 55.

    Coming Down

    Dylan Wolfe

56. 56.

    Since I Fell

    Aiden Canfield

57. 57.

    If Whiskey Were Free

    Landon Smith

58. 58.

    Curveball

    Dusty Black

59. 59.

    Finest Thing

    George Pippen

60. 60.

    Holy Smoke

    Tyler Dial

61. 61.

    DIVE BAR

    TheWesternGuide

62. 62.

    Gettin' Me Back

    Caden McGuire

63. 63.

    Save Some Heartbreak

    Palmer Anthony

64. 64.

    Slow Motion

    Raquel Cole

65. 65.

    Sugarhoney

    Heartwreckers

66. 66.

    Making You Look

    Kaylin Roberson

67. 67.

    Baby's Got The Blues

    Bonnie Dobson & The Hanging Stars

68. 68.

    Rain

    Ashley Harding

69. 69.

    Before The Ice Melts

    Katy Hurt

70. 70.

    I Hate Chevrolets

    Bailey James

71. 71.

    Heaven Has a Grand Ole Opry

    Smithfield

72. 72.

    Halo

    Drew Kennedy

73. 73.

    EAT MY CAKE

    Naomi Westwater

74. 74.

    You and Me Time (feat. Sheryl Crow)

    James Bay

75. 75.

    Liar's Disguise

    Lauren Freebird

76. 76.

    Stardust

    Jessie James Decker

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For more of the finest country playlists from Holler, see below: