FIRST SINGLE “HONKY TONK HELL”
PREMIERES TODAY
EXTENSIVE TOUR DATES CONFIRMED,
INCLUDING RYMAN AUDITORIUM HEADLINE DEBUT
Whitey Morgan and the 78’s anticipated new album, Hard Times and White Lines, will be released October 26 on Whitey Morgan Music via Thirty Tigers and is now available forpre-order. The album features ten songs including the lead single, “Honky Tonk Hell,” which is premiering today at iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google and more. Listen/share here.
In support of the release, the band will embark on an extensive tour including a debut headline show at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium on August 25 and a hometown show at Detroit’s The Fillmore on November 3. See below for full tour details.
Once again self-produced by Morgan, Hard Times and White Lines was recorded in the Neve Room at famed Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas. Featured on the record are collaborations with acclaimed songwriters Travis Meadows and Ward Davis plus a cover of ZZ Top’s “Just Got Paid.” Alongside Morgan, the 78’s consist of Brett Robinson (pedal steel guitar), Joey Spina (guitar), Alex Lyon (bass) and Eric Savage (drums).
Of the recording, Morgan shares, “It’s not like my vision happened overnight. I’ve been chipping away at it forever. It’s slowly evolving and it’s going in a little bit different direction. It’s not so straightforward anymore. This record definitely has a wider path, it’s broader, but it still sounds like a Whitey Morgan record.” With grandparents from Tennessee and Kentucky and hometown roots in Flint, Michigan, Morgan’s family geography has factored into his approach to music. Reflecting on his recent move to a small parcel of land near Yosemite in rural California with his wife and son, he says, “I’ve been drinking a little bit less and I got my kid at home now. I’ve been enjoying playing music so much more the last couple years.”
In a career spanning 15 years, Morgan has released five studio albums and a live recording from his hometown of Flint, Michigan. Additionally, he has toured relentlessly averaging over 125 shows annually. Rolling Stone has described him as a, “Waylon Jennings acoloyte…modern-day outlaw [with a] hard-hitting, blue-collar brand of music” while NPR Music hailed, “Staying close to the sound and subject matter of classic outlaw artists like Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and David Allan Coe, Morgan is poised to lead this hard-worn brand of country to the next generation.” His most recent LP, Sonic Ranch (2015), was released to critical acclaim and praised by Detroit Free Press as, “a bold, well-crafted album that doesn’t forsake the gritty undercurrent running through Morgan’s stuff.”
HARD TIMES AND WHITE LINES TRACK LIST
1. Honky Tonk Hell
2. Bourbon n Blues
3. Around Here
4. What Am I Supposed to Do
5. Just Got Paid
6. Hard to Get High
7. Carryin’ On
8. Fiddler’s Inn
9. Tired of the Rain
10. Wild and Reckless
WHITEY MORGAN AND THE 78’S TOUR DATES
August 16—Little Rock, AR—The Rev Room
August 17—Oklahoma City, OK—Diamond Ballroom
August 18—Fort Worth, TX—Loud & Heavy Festival
August 22—Baton Rouge, LA—Varsity Theatre
August 23—Huntsville, AL—Sidetracks
August 24—Atlanta, GA—Variety Playhouse
August 25—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium
August 29—Billings, MT—Pub Station Ballroom
August 30—Bozeman, MT—Rialto Bozeman
August 31—Whitefish, MT—The Remington
September 1—Missoula, MT—The Top Hat
September 8—North Fork, CA—Whitey’s 2nd Annual Birthday BBQ Bash!
October 13—Chicago, IL—Thalia Hall
October 19—Athens, GA—Georgia Theatre
October 20—Macon, GA—Hargray Capitol Theatre
October 21—Pensacola, FL—Vinyl
October 25—Charleston, SC—Pour House
October 26—Asheville, NC—Orange Peel
October 27—Charlotte, NC—Neighborhood Theatre
October 28—Raleigh, NC—Lincoln Theatre
November 2—Grand Rapids, MI—The Intersection
November 3—Detroit, MI—The Fillmore
November 7—Cleveland, OH—Beachland Ballroom
November 8—Indianapolis, IN—The Vogue
November 9—Des Moines, IA—Wooly’s
November 10—Springfield, MO—The Complex
November 30—San Francisco, CA—Great American Music Hall
December 6—Seattle, WA—Neumos
December 7—Eugene, OR—Hifi Music Hall
BOLD on-sale soon