With his sophomore album White Buffalo, out today (April 7), Ian Munsick dives 18 tracks deeper into his mission of bringing western country music to the forefront.

The journey began with Coyote Cry, a 10-track effort Ian wrote, recorded and produced that earned him a recording contract with Warner Music Nashville. The project was very unique, with his mountain-high voice singing about western imagery and values.

On White Buffalo, the Wyoming native leans in to the lane that he has created for himself. He brings things down to the basics on track “Horses & Weed,” hunts down healing on “White Buffalo” and paints a vibrant picture of gypsy love on “River Run.” The visuals, with the prairie animals and western-wear, are almost as intriguing as the music.

Ian enlisted label-mate Cody Johnson for the duet “Long Live Cowgirls” on White Buffalo. The track has already garnered nearly 100 million global streams, topped SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot 30 Countdown and recently became Ian’s first career RIAA Gold-certified single.

Ian & Caroline Munsick

In the years since Ian hit the scene, after first arriving in town as a student at Belmont University, he has had a secret weapon: his manager and now wife, Caroline Munsick.

Caroline was also a student at Belmont while Ian was there, but the two only had one class together and rarely spoke. She started her management career by hanging around the midtown bars that attract music business professionals. After striking up a relationship with George Strait-manager Erv Woolsey, Caroline began to see a path forward into her own management career.

She started her Not A Public Figure management company—and clothing brand—and eventually helped to convince her former classmate Ian to go all in on his unique artistry.

“She knew that I had potential as an artist. For me, being an artist was the only way that I could write, perform and produce my music—and I love to do all of those three things,” Ian says.

Ian and Caroline’s relationship was strictly business for a while, until they couldn’t resist their romantic chemistry anymore. In early 2020, the two welcomed son Crawford and married later that year in scenic Montana. Ian’s “Me Against The Mountain” music video served as the couple’s wedding video.

“We didn’t tell anybody [that we were together] until I announced I was pregnant,” Caroline says. “We were so worried people weren’t going take us seriously.

“As soon as we announced that we were pregnant and let people know we were together, that’s when we signed with UTA, Ian signed his publishing deal and his record deal. All the stars started aligning. I really think us having Crawford was a reason for all of that,” she shares. “It was more tough at the beginning, just breaking stereotypes people had without knowing us.”

Now, two albums in, the Munsicks have found their place as a talented artist-manager duo pushing the western boundary of country music further towards the rockies. With White Buffalo, Ian draws on his life as a father and a husband frequently.

“Dig,” a standout track on the project, shares a message of pursuit of a partner. Written with Dave Villa and Jessi Alexander, the lyrics claim, “I ain’t afraid of a little dirt. Girl, your love’s a gift, and I ain’t afraid to dig.”

Another highlight is “More Than Me,” a song Ian wrote with Carlton Anderson, Casey Beathard and Phil O’Donnell. The song talks about the couple’s focus on their faith first and each other second, with Ian singing, “I don’t mind second place. Ain’t that amazing grace? She loves me faithfully ’cause she loves Him more than me.”

On the Adam James and Ben Simonetti co-write “Little Man,” Ian uses his son Crawford as a muse. He sings, “Know you’re gonna grow up in a hurry. I’ll soak it in while I can. You’ve got a way of making big world worries seem so little, man.”

“I became a dad in 2020. I became a husband in 2020. Those life-changing moments are all in this album. They are a huge inspiration for my writing. Caroline and Crawford are in all of these songs,” he says, “It’s just more blatant in some than others.”

Like on Coyote Cry, Ian channels his playful, rhythmic side on White Buffalo, as well. On “Cowshit in the Morning,” he bemoans a love that turned sour when she turned her nose up at Ian’s way of living. On “Barn Burner,” he catches a lover cheating and it doesn’t end well, with Ian singing, “Ain’t saying I did, ain’t saying I didn’t, but I’m glad it’s ashes now. She threw a pitchfork through my heart, then her barn burned down.”

From the life lived between Coyote Cry and White Buffalo, and the platform Ian and Caroline have grown, there’s no doubt that his mission to bring “the west to the rest” will continue to be a fruitful one.

White Buffalo is available everywhere now.

Hardy accepts the Songwriter of the Year honor at the 2023 AIMP Nashville Country Awards. Photo: Hunter Berry

Artists, songwriters and members of the Music City publishing community gathered at the Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday night (April 5) for the eighth annual AIMP Nashville Country Awards.

Staged by the Association for Independent Music Publishers (AIMP), songwriters and publishers are awarded in select categories. Voted on by AIMP Nashville members, winners were chosen for Rising Songwriter of the Year, Rising Artist-Writer of the Year, Artist-Writer of the Year, Song Champion of the Year, Publisher’s Pick of the Year, Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Publisher of the Year. An award was also given to the Most Streamed Song of the Year.

Hitmakers Bob DiPiero and Craig Wiseman were the night’s jovial hosts. DiPiero joked that they were “the best in [their] price range,” and Wiseman shared that the annual AIMP Awards felt like “old school Nashville.”

Writers Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley and publishers Derek Wells and Kara Jackson accept the Song of the Year award for “You Should Probably Leave” at the 2023 AIMP Nashville Country Awards. Photo: Hunter Berry.

DiPiero and Wiseman let us know that the balcony was filled with MTSU and Belmont students interested in entering the music business. When Ryan Beaver won the night’s first honor for Rising Songwriter of the Year, he spoke to the students after thanking his supporters. “Get your hearts ready,” he shared. “You’re going to need all of it.”

As part of a beloved tradition at the AIMP Awards, artists appeared throughout the evening to sing some of the nominated tunes for Song of the Year—except, no artist sang their own song. Tenille Arts enlisted songwriter/producer Alex Kline to help her sing the Maren Morris-recorded “Circles Around This Town.” Jordan Davis took on Sam Hunt‘s romantic “23,” while Ernest grinned his way through Morgan Wallen‘s “You Proof,” which he co-wrote. Corey Kent crushed Jon Pardi‘s “Last Night Lonely,” and caused a stir with his cover of Taylor Swift‘s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Verison).”

A highlight of the night came when Hardy gave a smoldering rendition of the Chris Stapleton-recorded “You Should Probably Leave.” Fittingly so, the tune ended up winning Stapleton, Ashley Gorley and Chris DuBois the Song of the Year honor—and Gorley made mention of Hardy’s performance when they accepted.

Gorley also revealed that he, Stapleton and DuBois wrote “You Should Probably Leave” in 2011. “Don’t give up on songs,” he said.

Round Hill Music’s Bob Squance, Mike Whelan and Lindsay Will pose with their Publisher of the Year plaque at the 2023 AIMP Nashville Country Awards. Photo: Katie Kauss

Round Hill Music was named the 2023 Publisher of the Year. The company’s Sr. VP/GM, Mike Whelan, accepted the honor alongside Sr. Director of A&R Bob Squance and Director of A&R Lindsay Will. “Independent music publishers really are the lifeblood of our town,” Whelan shared. “God bless America and God bless country music!”

Hardy won both the Artist-Writer and Songwriter of the Year honor for the night. “I’m completely blown away,” he said. “This past year has been the best year of my life for a lot of reasons. I love you guys all very dearly.”

Ernest was presented with the Rising Artist-Writer of the Year title. He was taken by surprise that Hardy didn’t win—though he wasn’t nominated. “I didn’t think I’d be winning this as long as Michael Hardy was here,” he joked. “But I guess he already rose.”

The AIMP Publisher Pick of the Year ended in a tie. To present the winners, hosts DiPiero and Wiseman invited more artists to perform the winning songs. Ashley Cooke and Jackson Dean did a beautiful job with winner “Don’t Think Jesus” (written by Mark Holman, Jessi Alexander and Chase McGill and recorded by Wallen), and Pillbox Patti and Meg McRee charmed the audience with “Reverse Cowgirl” (written by Jared Scott, Joe Fox and Zack Dyer and recorded by Jon Pardi). The Most Streamed Song of the Year was “Wasted On You,” written by Wallen, Ernest, Josh Thompson and Charlie Handsome.

Warner Music Nashville Co-Chair & Co-President Cris Lacy was heralded when she won the Song Champion of the Year award. She humbly accepted the plaque, calling out her fellow nominees who she felt deserved it. Lacy comes from independent publishing, having spent time at Tom Collins Publishing, FAME Publishing and Island Bound before her transition to the record label side of the business.

“Anything I’ve ever done in this town has been on the back of a great song or great songwriters,” Lacy shared. “The independent publishing spirit has taught all of us.”

Jody Williams poses with his AIMP Independent Spirit Award plaque at the 2023 AIMP Nashville Country Awards. Photo: Katie Kauss

Speaking of spirit, a highlight of the evening came when Music Row veteran Jody Williams was presented with the 2023 AIMP Nashville Spirit Award. Prior to his acceptance, Liz Rose introduced a video montage of kind words about Williams. Featured in the video were Williams wife and kids, Kerry O’Neil, Pat Higdon, Rusty Gaston, Beth Laird, Nina Fisher and more. They all spoke about Williams’ guidance, accessibility, calm demeanor and his utmost love and respect for songwriters.

When Williams took the podium, he thanked the AIMP board, his team and writers at Jody Williams Songs, his family and the community for their support. He also made sure to recognize young indie publishers that he’s been impressed with since transitioning from BMI back into publishing, naming Courtney Allen, Jacee Badeaux, Jake Gear, Lee Krabel, Sam Sarno, Jefferson Brown, Michelle Attardi, Kayla Adkins, Shaina Botwin, Blake Duncan, JD Groover, Kate Shirley and Alex Tamashunas.

“I’m so proud to know and work with all of you. In my estimation, the future of independent publishing is in great hands with you guys,” he said.

Williams also spoke about the cyclical nature of country music, waxing and waning from a pop-country sound to a more traditional sound. He charged the publishers in the room, and the MTSU and Belmont students in the balcony, to take writers to the Country Music Hall of Fame to study the greats who made traditional-sounding country music.

“I’d like to suggest during this re-defining era we’re in, to spend more time studying the greats from the last traditional era,” he said to whoop and holler. “Guys and girls like Jeffrey Steele, Liz Rose, Craig Wiseman, Bob DiPiero and Tracy Byrd, to name a few. As you know, these writers continue to have hits. It is at least partially due to the time they’ve spent studying the great writers who preceded them.

“Independent publishers are the primary group responsible for mentoring and ushering in the writers and artists who will define the next era of country music,” Williams said in closing. “That’s an honor and a real responsibility.”