After years of honing his craft and building a loyal fan base through relentless touring and a string of powerful EPs, country-rock artist Tyler Braden is finally ready to share his full story. With the release of his long-awaited debut album Devil and a Prayer, Braden is reflective, energized and proud of the journey that’s brought him to this point.

Braden, a former firefighter turned full-time musician, has made a name for himself with his powerhouse vocals, emotionally resonant lyrics and gritty authenticity. With Devil and a Prayer, a 19-track record years in the making, he’s pulling back the curtain and inviting listeners into his world, complete with vulnerability, fire and faith.

The idea behind the album didn’t come together all at once. “The inspiration was spread out over years,” Braden tells MusicRow. “But the concept came when I started putting the track list together and realized it felt like I was building a live show set.”

That realization sparked a bigger vision. “I called management, I called the label and said, ‘Listen, I want to lean into this and build it out just like a live set,’” he explains. That vision manifests clearly on the record, especially in the middle section, marked as the “B Stage” on physical copies, where four stripped-back, acoustic songs give listeners an intimate, unplugged experience.

The physical album even includes a handwritten “setlist” on the back cover, with designations like “Opening Song” and “Encore,” adding a layer of thoughtful detail. “That won’t come across online, but it’s a little Easter egg for the fans.”

The album title, Devil and a Prayer, was born from the pairing of two standout singles; “Devil You Know” and “More Than a Prayer.” Originally intended as separate releases leading into EPs, plans shifted after “Devil You Know” found traction on social media. Instead of breaking things up, Braden and his team decided to bring it all together. “We had these two juxtaposing cover arts, and we just put them together and called it Devil and a Prayer.”

Over the course of making the project, Braden says he’s grown significantly, especially as a songwriter. “It’s probably just the growth as a writer,” he says, reflecting on the journey. “From ‘Dear Old Flame’ to working alongside Sam Martinez as a producer, it’s been cool to get in there and create together.”

“Dear Old Flame,” one of the album’s acoustic “B Stage” moments, was a turning point creatively. “It was the first time I wrote something kind of out of left field,” he recalls. “It felt like something that was me, who I wanted to be.”

While many of the tracks were co-written, Braden’s artistic fingerprints are all over the album. “Even the outside songs had to feel authentic. I didn’t want to feel like an imposter,” he says. His collaborators include names like Martinez, Jon Decious, Austin Nivarel, Lydia Vaughan and Sasha Sloan, among many others.

While Devil and a Prayer covers a broad emotional and sonic range, a few tracks stand out as particularly meaningful for Braden. “’Right On Track’ is probably the most personal,” he says. Inspired by the ups and downs of chasing a dream, the song captures the self-doubt and comparison that can plague anyone pursuing their goals.

“The main thing I’ve learned over the last eight years is: do not compare yourself to people around you,” he says. “That’s what the song’s about, and I think it resonates far beyond music.”

Another standout is “Might Be Dangerous,” a duet with rising star Kaitlin Butts. Though Braden had been performing the song solo for some time, the original demo featured a duet, and he knew that’s what the final version needed. “Kaitlin was someone my team had brought up years ago, and I always kept an eye on what she was doing,” he says. “When her name came up again, it just felt right.”

Despite having never met before, the collaboration came together organically. “We sent her the song and let it speak for itself. She said yes immediately.” Braden was initially unsure how their contrasting voices would blend, “mine’s pretty rough, and hers is so smooth, almost bluegrass,” but the result was magic. The pair debuted the track live at the ACM Kickoff Party to a warm reception.

Longtime fans will notice growth on this album, not just lyrically, but in Braden’s sound. “No doubt about it,” he says when asked if his music has evolved. “I think that comes across on this album. I hope it does.”

That evolution also includes being more open to imperfections. On “Right On Track,” Braden ended up keeping the original scratch vocal, the one recorded live in-studio while the band tracked the song. “It had this raw emotion we couldn’t recreate,” he says. “It’s almost one take all the way through.”

For Braden, releasing Devil and a Prayer is both a personal and professional milestone. “It’s the top of a mountain, for sure,” he says. “We’ve done EPs before, but this is the first time I get to show who I am, top to bottom, on one project.”

And what’s he most excited for now that it’s out? “Seeing what songs people gravitate toward, especially online. Watching what happens naturally, seeing what people tag you in, what they post, what they make videos to. That’s the coolest part.”

Still, he hopes listeners take the time to hear the full story. “I know it’s longer, but I hope people get a chance to listen top to bottom,” he says. “It’s got that live show feeling, from the high-energy open to the acoustic center, then we bring it back hard with a song called ‘Breaking In These Boots.’ I want it to feel like you’re there, in the crowd, feeling every moment.”

With Devil and a Prayer, Braden isn’t just releasing an album, he’s inviting fans into his world. And it’s one worth stepping into.

Devil and a Prayer Track List:
1. “Me Or The Dawn” (Tyler Braden, Jake Rose, Autumn Buysse)
2. “More Than A Prayer” (Heath Warren, Devin Dawson, Sam Martinez)
3. “Think About Me” (Tyler Braden, Melissa Pierce, Adam Wood)
4. “Above The Water” (Tyler Braden, Daniel Agee, Ian Harrison, Sarah Turner)
5. “You Don’t Get To Cry” (Tyler Braden, Will Bundy, Rhett Akins)
6. “Loved Once” (Tyler Braden, Dan Pellarin, Lydia Vaughan, Sasha Sloan)
7. “How It Starts” (Tyler Braden, Lydia Vaughan, Luke Niccoli)
8. “So Long” (Tyler Braden, Lydia Vaughan, Jordan Dozzi)
9. “To Tell You The Truth (b stage)” (Tyler Braden, Rivers Rutherford, Seth Mosley)
10. “Bullet In M y Boots (b stage)” (Matt Rogers, Jaren Johnston, Ben Stennis)
11. “Nothing Looks Good On You (b stage)” (Tyler Braden, Jon Decious, Mikey Reaves)
12. “Dear Old Flame (b stage)” (Tyler Braden, Thomas Archer)
13. “Breaking In These Boots” (Tyler Braden, Joey Hyde, Nick Donley)
14. “Evergreen (demo)” (Tyler Braden, Austin Nivarel, Rob Grimaldi)
15. “God & Guns N’ Roses” (Tyler Braden, Jon Decious, Rian Ball)
16. “Call Me First” (Tyler Braden, Sam Martinez, Cole Miracle, Zack Dyer, Jon Robert Hall)
17. “Right On Track” (Tyler Braden, Jon Decious, Austin Nivarel)
18. “Might Be Dangerous (feat. Kaitlin Butts)” (Heath Warren, Zach Kale, Micah Carpenter, Kyle Sturrock)
19. “Devil You Know” (Graham Barham, Zack Dyer, Jon Hall, Sam Martinez)

Capitol Music Group is bringing Capitol Christian Music Group (CCMG) and its country division Capitol Records Nashville, under the Capitol Music Group Nashville banner. The move seeks to fortify its commitment to Music City as a key creative and commercial hub for the label group.

Artists that were previously signed to Capitol Records Nashville will remain at the newly-formed Music Corporation of America (MCA) Nashville label.

To serve as President of Capitol Records Nashville, the company has tapped the highly respected industry veteran, Candice Watkins. She will also serve as Executive Vice President of Capitol Christian Music Group.

“This reorganization reflects our commitment to growing our Nashville operations as a core creative hub in Christian, gospel and country music,” says Capitol Music Group CEO, Tom March. “We’re looking forward to signing and developing the next generation of country artists on Capitol Records Nashville and are thrilled to have an executive of the caliber of Candice Watkins to lead our ambitious plans in country music while also bringing her expertise to our gospel and christian music operations.”

Watkins joins CMG from Big Loud Records, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President of Marketing, overseeing the label’s Marketing, Digital, Creative, PR and Streaming departments. During her tenure at Big Loud she worked closely with artists such as Morgan Wallen, Hardy, Hailey Whitters, Stephen Wilson Jr., Lauren Alaina, Ernest, Kashus Culpepper and others. Prior to joining Big Loud, Watkins worked in Marketing and Artist Development at Universal Music Group Nashville, and held positions at Red Light Management, Mozes Inc., Borman Entertainment and Cross Point Church. She serves on the boards of CMA and ACM.

Capitol Christian Music Group, which includes Motown Gospel and Tamla and distribution operations, will continue to be led by its longtime President Brad O’Donnell in Nashville. CCMG is the world’s leading faith-based music company and is home to such superstars as Anne Wilson, Josiah Queen, Chris Tomlin and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, to name a few. CCMG also publishes the song catalog of industry icon Kirk Franklin. O’Donnell will continue to report to March.

“This new structure will empower our Nashville executives to better serve the incredible artists on our roster. Candice is a brilliant music marketing executive who has an amazing track record in developing career artists,” says John Janick, Chairman of Interscope Capitol. “Having her lead our country music business in Nashville and also add her extensive artist development expertise to our CCMG team is going to be great for our artists and for the entire executive team.”

Watkins shares, “It’s a true honor to step into the role of President of Capitol Records Nashville and EVP of Capitol Christian. These labels have a rich legacy in partnering with some of the most brilliant artists of our industry and I look forward to contributing to its continued success and cultural impact. Excited to collaborate with John, Tom, Lillia and Brad in boldly championing creatives and visionaries.”

Capitol Music Group Nashville’s office is located in the emerging Wedgewood Houston area of Nashville, featuring 40,000 square feet of office space which includes state-of-the-art recording studios, a live performance space and creative content studios. As Capitol Nashville builds locally, it will have the full support of the Capitol Tower in Los Angeles for all label services.