Songwriter Skip Ewing is releasing a new album, Wyoming, on Aug. 21.
The 12-song collection, co-produced with Kyle Lehning, was inspired in part from Ewing’s many trips to the Western state, where he developed a passion for horses and discovered he had a gift for working with them.
“I started writing the album in 2018. I didn’t know if I’d ever do another music project,” Ewing admits. “I had sold everything in Nashville except my instruments and some art. In the meantime, I had been coming to Wyoming every year since the early 2000s. I wasn’t striving for this to be a certain kind of record, just allowing it to be what it was. I wanted to write skillfully using all the tools I had, my heart, my brain, my experience. I was unafraid, willing to speak my heart without filtering it through what somebody else told me I had to do to be successful.”
He enlisted old colleague Kyle Lehning to help him produce the new music. The two had first met years ago when Lehning, because of Ewing’s unique style, enlisted him to play guitar on a Randy Travis session for one of Ewing’s No. 1 compositions “If Didn’t Have You.” “It felt like Kyle and I had worked together for 20 years,” said Ewing. “We had so much fun making the record and pushing the envelope,” he smiles. “I believe we got some wonderful moments just because of the way we worked together. Kyle is brilliant. He can be technical when it’s needed, and he’s also a wonderful musician. I respect him very much.”
Ewing has released eight albums to date, and as an artist, is known for the Top 5 hits “Burnin’ A Hole In My Heart” and “It’s You Again.”
As a songwriter he’s penned hits including Collin Raye’s “Love, Me,” Bryan White’s “Rebecca Lynn” and “Someone Else’s Star,” Reba McEntire’s “Every Other Weekend,” Randy Travis’ “If I Didn’t Have You,” Diamond Rio’s “I Believe,” Clint Black’s “Something That We Do,” Kenny Chesney’s “You Had Me From Hello,” and more. Ewing was named BMI’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 2000, and has earned Song of the Year from the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), as well as a CMA Triple Play Award.
About the Author
Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at [email protected]View Author Profile
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