Ryan Hurd Gives A Nod To The Heartland Dreamers On New Album, ‘Midwest Rock & Roll’

/by

Ryan Hurd mines some memories from days gone by on his new sophomore album, Midwest Rock & Roll, out March 21 via Big Machine Records.

A new track from the collection, “Die For It,” out today, finds Hurd leaving no stone unturned in his exploration of what it means to truly love someone. Written by Hurd alongside Mark Holman and Randy Montana, “Die For It” explores how, in giving your entire self to someone, you’re giving them the good, the bad and the ugly. As time goes on and the honeymoon phase subsides, a relationship becomes about more than just feeling love—it becomes about the active choice to love someone every day for every part of themself.

Midwest Rock & Roll is Hurd’s first full-length release since his 2021 debut album Pelago. He co-penned all 12 tracks on the new project, which provides listeners with a cinematic snapshot of heartland dreamers, paying homage to his midwestern roots and exploring the aftermath of leaving his home behind in chase of a dream.

“Midwest Rock & Roll is my second full length album, and I am really proud of how it sounds, what it says, and how it ended up being released,” shares Hurd. “It’s a coming-of-age album that feels like playing in your first band.”

Ryan has accumulated more than one billion on-demand career streams, received numerous award nominations including two Grammy nominations, and has penned multiple Platinum No. 1s for other artists including Blake Shelton, Jordan Davis, Luke Bryan, Lady A and Diplo/Morgan Wallen.

Midwest Rock & Roll Track List:
1. “Midwest Rock & Roll” (Ryan Hurd, Mark Holman, Randy Montana)
2. “Single In The Same Town” (Ryan Hurd, Brinley Addington, Aaron Eshuis)
3. “Die For It” (Ryan Hurd, Mark Holman, Randy Montana)
4. “Lighthouse” (Ryan Hurd, Aaron Eshuis, Mark Holman)
5. “This Party Sucks” (Ryan Hurd, Brinley Addington, Ryan Beaver, David Garcia)
6. “Youth” (Ryan Hurd, Aaron Eshuis, Joey Hyde, Matt McGinn)
7. “All Night Long Days” (Ryan Hurd, Aaron Eshuis, Joey Hyde, Matt McGinn)
8. “Funerals” (Ryan Hurd, Mark Holman, Randy Montana)
9. “California 1972” (Ryan Hurd, Ryan Beaver, Joe Clemmons, Aaron Eshuis)
10. “Go To Bed Sober (featuring Sasha Alex Sloan)” (Ryan Hurd, Sasha Alex Sloan, King Henry)
11. “Paul.” (Ryan Hurd, Summer Overstreet, Jordan Reynolds)
12. “The Last Song I’ll Ever Write” (Ryan Hurd, Joe Clemmons, Dave Cohen, Aaron Eshuis)

Lorie Hollabaugh
Latest posts by Lorie Hollabaugh (see all)