Worthington makes debut in April

On his 13-track, all-but-one self-penned debut, his dance hall ready track list was produced by Joey Moi. ERNEST guested on "Pop Goes the whiskey," which he also helped write.

Raised in La Porte, Texas classic country music from Ray Price to Merle Haggard. Worthington's grandfather would take out a vintage guitar on holidays to play twang-laden originals and covers on their South Texas porch.

Worthington began honing his craft as a performer and a songwriter in his mid-teens. Eventuallly, he wrote with Roger Springer, Monty Holmes, Nick Walsh, Robert Arthur, David Lee Murphy, Wyatt McCubbin, Jake Doucet and Jessi Alexander.

"I don't mind being a dark horse," Worthington said. "Blame it on my raising, but I think there ought to be room for country in country music."

Worthington previously guested on "Hixtape: Vol. 2" with Ronnie Dunn and Jake Owen on "Jonesin'," Dunn's 2022 album "100 Proof Neon" on "Honky Tonk Town" and ERNEST's 2023 extension FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM): Two Dozen Roses on "Heartache In My 100 Proof."

The track list is:
State You Left Me In (Jake Worthington, Timothy Baker, Roger Springer)
Single At The Same Time (Jake Worthington, Robert Arthur, Kim Penz, Jacob Boyd Weinschenk)
Without You (Jake Worthington, Jody Booth, Roger Springer)
Pop Goes The Whiskey (featuring ERNEST) (Rocky Block, Seth Ennis, Kyle Fishman, Ernest Keith Smith)
Ain't Got You To Hold (Jake Worthington, Joe Denim, Roger Springer)
She Ain't You (Jake Worthington, Jake Doucet, Roger Springer)
Next New Thing (Jake Worthington, Steve Leslie, Roger Springer)
Honky Tonk Crowd (Jake Worthington, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde, Roger Springer)
I Ain't Goin Anywhere (Jake Worthington, Wyatt McCubbin, Roger Springer)
Night Time Is My Time (Jake Worthington, Monty Holmes, Roger Springer)
Only One Way To Find Out (Jake Worthington, Jessi Alexander, Dave Cohen, David Lee Murphy)
Heaven Can't Be Found (Jake Worthington, Will Jones, Kim Penz, Roger Springer)
Closing Time (Jake Worthington, Nick Walsh)

Worthington will release two songs this Friday: "State You Left Me In" and "Next New Thing."

Tour dates are:
April 1 Hidalgo, Texas Payne Arena*
April 7 Spring, Texas Rowdy's Dance Hall
April 14 Corpus Christi, Texas Concrete Street Amphitheater+
April 15 Yantis, Texas Neon Moon
April 21 Broken Bow, Okla. Hochatown Saloon
April 22 Royse City, Texas Southern Junction
May 5 New Braunfels, Texas Freiheit Country Store
May 6 Fort Worth, Texas Magnolia Motor Lounge
May 12 El Campo, Texas Greek Bros.
May 13 Katy, Texas Mo's Place
May 19 Round Rock, Texas The Long Branch Saloon

* with Jon Pardi
+ with Randy Rogers Band & Gary Allan

"Like my grandpa always says, you'll know you have a hit song if the dance floor's full," Worthington saiud. "A lot of people have told me it's hard to sell (our) kind of music, but I don't care. I've always taken the long way around."