Acuff readies "American Son"
Five songs from the disc of the Idaho native were released last Friday on Spotify.
"Maybe it was the state of mind I was in, coming out of a grueling touring year in 2023," Acuff said. "It was a trying time. My dad was terminally ill. I was looking around, taking stock of a lot of things, and it put me in a very weird place. I started pouring a lot into the songs, being very brutally honest. I wanted to make a record that really said something."
Working with producer/engineer Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan, Brandi Carlile), the disc contains 16 songs.
"If you make me break it down, I think it's four different pillars," he said. "It's the state of the union and humanity. It's mental health. But it's also hope and love. You can't dive too deep into the darkness without those two things, or you'll never get out."
The album also features "How Do I Feel Alive," with sibling trio The Castellows, as well as Acuff's take on Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne."
The duo of fresh tracks joins previously released "Scared of the Dark" and "Better Days."
Currently on Luke Combs' 2024 Stadium Tour, Acuff recently announced a new round of headline dates, including a July 18 set at Mercury Lounge in New York City.
The track list is:
1. Nightmare (Colby Acuff)
2. Scared of the Dark (Colby Acuff)
3. How Do I Feel Alive (featuring The Castellows) (Colby Acuff / Eleanor Balkcom /Lily Balkcom / Powell Balkcom)
4. Starving (Colby Acuff)
5. Better Days (Colby Acuff / Colton Venner)
6. Ain't So Bad (Colby Acuff / Colton Venner / Vinnie Paolizzi)
7. Devil That You Know (Colby Acuff / Erland Wanberg / Teddy Morgan)
8. Plastic Horses (Colby Acuff / Aaron Raitiere)
9. Bruised (Colby Acuff)
10. High Noon (Colby Acuff)
11. Man in the Paper Mask (Colby Acuff)
12. Suzanne (Leonard Cohen)
13. Hello Rain (Colby Acuff)
14. Me (Colby Acuff)
15. Heavy Hearted Man (Colby Acuff / Stefan Jarocki)
16. American Son (Colby Acuff)
Acuff, 27, previously released three independent albums and "Western White Pines" on Sony in 2023 with a deluxe version later that year.
More news for Colby Acuff
- 08/23/24: Wilson, Rhett, Zeiders, Acuff dish out new music
- 08/02/24: Acuff drops three songs
- 06/21/24: Acuff plans "American Son"
- 05/03/24: Acuff admits to "Scared of the Dark"
- 05/16/23: Acuff announces track list, tour dates
- 05/05/23: Sony signs Acuff
CD reviews for Colby Acuff

©Country Standard Time • Jeffrey B. Remz, editor & publisher • countrystandardtime@gmail.com
About • Copyright • Newsletter • Our sister publication Standard Time