Nashville, TN – Out now, Dusty Black’s semi-autobiographical debut album South of Somewhere is an encapsulation of thoughts on his life, love, heartbreak, loss, and seeing things through. The album, produced by Colt Ford and Noah Gordon and a single track produced by Andrew Baylis and Michael Whitworth, boasts writing credits from some of Nashville’s greats including Gordon, Ford, Rhett Akins, Mitchell Tenpenny and Adam Doleac among others. Black averages 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and has scored four million total streams.
“I’ve got some stories to tell and extremely authentic ones,” says Black. “About how I was raised, how I’ve had my heart broken and how I’ve fallen in love, how I’ve struggled with my faith and addiction, about falling down and getting back up, about believing in yourself even when it feels like nobody else does. And they’re all on this project.”
Black’s dynamic vocal delivery on the focus track, “Lost Track of Summer,” captivates the story of two strangers’ love turned loss. While fans might expect another hard hitting country-rock anthem, Black bypasses the obvious and releases a love song for all of the summer flings that rise and fall with the tide. Sonically the keys bring the chorus to life on the tune written by Doleac, Taylor Delmart Phillips, Brock Berryhill and Andy Albert.
With such pedigree on the back end, it’s little surprise that the album covers a wide ground. Everything from the brutally honest and relatable story song “Long Enough,” to the brisk country rocker “Them Boots”, shows off Black’s capacity for evoking a multitude of emotions on this project.
Listen here.
Track Listing:
Produced by Colt Ford & Noah Gordon unless otherwise noted
1. Them Boots – Josh Phillips, Dustin Black
2. You Can Say That Again – Jacob Rice, Jordan Gray, Nate Kenyon, Joel Hutsell
3. Whiskey Chasing You – Adam Sanders, Taylor Phillips, Joel Hutsell, Brock Berryhill
4. Long Enough – Brock Berryhill, Jeremy Bussey, Josh Phillips
5. Places To Run – Josh Mirenda, Taylor Phillips, Brock Berryhill, Lee Thomas Miller
6. Make A Memory – Houston Phillips, Matt Chase, Josh Dunne
7. Right Church, Wrong Pew – Michael Heeney, Kenton Bryant, Jordan Walker
8. Somebody’s Mama ft. Gary LeVox – Monty Criswell, Derek George, Houston Phillips
9. Had A Bar – Josh Mirenda, Brock Berryhill, Taylor Phillips
10. Who Are You – Mitchell Tenpenny, Rhett Atkins, Jacob Durrett
11. Go To Town – Brandon Lynn Kinney, Nathaniel Kenyon, Blake Bollinger (Produced by Andrew Baylis, Michael Whitworth)
12. Lost Track of Summer – Adam Doleac, Taylor Phillips, Brock Berryhill, Andy Albert
Black’s music career feels as fated as it is unexpected. Having spent the first few decades of his life as a working man and entrepreneur, his sudden departure to become a recording artist seems like a plot twist straight out of a movie. However, Black has been received with wide open arms by the world of country music, making good on his multi-generational family ties to the industry. With 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, over 4 million streams across all platforms, and another 100,000 views on the music video for his song “Who Are You?.” Just a few short years ago he was the head of the Black Tie Moving company, working a nine-to-five, and now he’s supporting mega-acts like Nelly and Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts on tour. People magazine has called him an “undeniable talent”, whilst Music Row and Music Universe have described his work as “Heartfelt” and “Emotional” respectively. Boasting a sound that channels the spirit of unfiltered, grassroots, classic country rock, Black is living proof that it’s never too late to chase a dream.
The son of a working musician and the grandson of Johnny Cash’s banjo player, Black has always had music in his blood. However, his early life in small town Arkansas didn’t exactly set him up for the industry. As a child no stranger to the effects of family hardships, music as a career seemed forever out of reach. His life was set to be pretty typical. He worked in real estate and finance, got married, and had two daughters, eventually becoming the head of his own company.
Still running his company, Black relocated to Nashville in order to be closer to his father during his illness. Whilst his move was not motivated by music, being surrounded by the industry rekindled his love affair with it. Black made some influential friends, including the likes of Mitchell Tenpenny and John Vesely of Secondhand Serenade.
In the year after his father’s passing, Black stepped away from his company and began recording. Exactly a year later he began releasing music, and crowds loved him. Before he knew it, Black was opening up for the likes of Nelly, Jimmie Allen, Stoney LaRue, Lauren Alaina, Gary LeVox, and Blanco Brown.
Harkening back to the sound of country from the 90s and earlier, Dusty Black’s work is a slice of classic country rock.