You read that right! After 5 long years, we finally have the highly anticipated new album from Mike Ryan coming October 28th. If you are unfamiliar with this Texas treasure, you either A. live under a rock or B. haven’t ventured far enough from terrestrial radio and discovered the absolute treat that is Texas/Red Dirt Country. To catch you up to speed, Texas has its own chart and Mike Ryan has already reached its pinnacle with nine, yes NINE #1’s and over 265 million streams.
If all of this is news to you, stop what you’re doing and go listen to his last two albums Blink You’ll Miss It and Bad Reputation. Mike Ryan is one of the darlings of Texas Country and his success reminds me so much of another Texan who toured heavily on that circuit, performed the hell out of his songs, and built up a massive following. That man, Cody Johnson, absolutely burst onto the mainstream scene when finally given his opportunity. Cody is one of my absolute favorites and I hope you understand how much weight it carries when I make that comparison. If that doesn’t have you “Runnin” to download the new track and pre-save the album, I’m not convinced you have a pulse.
“Die Runnin’” is another surefire Texas hit and follows up two 2021 hit singles “Jacket On” and “Can Down” that will also be on the new record. “Die Runnin’” has a floor board thumping beat that gets you stomping your boots straight out of the gate. It’s a story as old as time about a love gone wrong, but this time it isn’t coming from a sad or dark place.
“YOU PROBABLY THINK IT’S BEEN TOO LONG,
THAT YOU SHOULDN’T UP AND CALL LIKE YOU USED TO.
BUT THE TRUTH IS, YOU’VE BEEN ON MY MIND AND I GOTTA TELL YOU.
IF YOU’RE HEART’S EVER LONELY AND BROKEN,
ALL I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS
BABY DON’T MOVE A MUSCLE.
STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.
COUPLE THOUSAND MILES AIN’T NOTHING.
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS TOO FAR.
I’LL BE SHOWING UP ON THE DOUBLE.
FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE I’M COMING.
AND I’LL GET TO YOU.
OR I’LL DIE RUNNING. ”
Mike’s voice hits with just enough of a gravelly sound that it fits perfectly with the image he creates of the gravel he’s kicking up on his way back to see her. Of course he’s heartbroken and he wants her back, but instead of harping on it, it’s an uplifting testament to his love and how he’d race back into her arms if ever given the chance. This song gets you off to the races and has me about to Die Waitin’ for the album to be out.
His track record in Texas speaks for itself and when asked about the new album Longcut, Ryan said: “I’m really proud of this record. I always felt that every project that I put out has been better than the last one. We have been working for years on some of these songs and have lived with them for a while, and that’s one thing that is unique to this record. There’s also definitely been some sonic growth with this album. We brought in a few new players and different elements that I thought were really crucial in making this album sound as good as it does.”
I love the last two albums and if Longcut is “even better”, I’m ALL EARS! Couple his comments with the first three singles and we are in for a windows down, gravel flyin’, good time. The album is produced by some of the best in the business: Bart Butler and Ryan Gore. Those names might sound familiar as they also produced Jon Pardi’s new album Mr. Saturday Night (which I wrote about here). I also can’t say enough about the writers he’s working with: Smith Ahnquist, Brandy Clark, Brent Anderson, Hillary Lindsey, Josh Thompson, Phil Vassar, Adam Hood, and a name I’m seeing pop up regularly that I really like, Brett Sheroky. I don’t intend to leave any of them out because there are just so many great writers on this record so please check the tracklist below. I know I’m a nerd for this stuff but truly look through there and if you don’t know a lot of these names, you really ought to.
I have been a huge fan of Mike Ryan since I first heard “New Hometown” and then really dove deep because I simply couldn’t get enough. He has built a massive following and had major streaming success all while primarily focusing in that Texas/Red Dirt scene. That scene has been SO RIGHT about so many of their stars recently (see: Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum) and even longer term (see: Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert). I feel like between Mike’s vocals, a superstar storytelling team, and proven producers, Longcut is about to launch Mike Ryan into another stratosphere. Those who are just finding out about him will learn what we’ve been saying all along, that Mike Ryan is the REAL DEAL! And I will say this, if “Die Runnin’” is any indication, I absolutely cannot wait to hear the rest of this album on October 28th.
Longcut Tracklisting
1. Longcut (Brent Anderson, Mike Ryan, Smith Ahnquist)
2. Die Runnin’ (Barrett Baber, Korey Hunt, Dan Martin Alley)
3. Get Away With Anything (Sarah Allison Turner, Daniel Ross, Austin Jenckes, Joey Hyde)
4. Jacket On (Brandy Clark, Brent Anderson, Mike Ryan)
5. Loser (Colin Elmore, Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson)
6. All My Songs (Jeb Gipson, Lynn Hutton, Mike Ryan)
7. Won’t Slow Down (Brandon Kinney, Josh Thompson)
8. Way It Goes (Brett Sheroky, Andrew Peebles, Phil Vasser)
9. Off My Thinker (Brandon Kenney, Josh Thompson, Ben Hayslip)
10. Can Down (Smith Ahnquist, Brent Anderson, Mike Ryan)
11. Gonna Take A Woman (Adam Hood, Pat McLaughlin)
12. Like I Don’t (Chris DuBois, Mike Ryan, Justin Wilson)
13. Forgiveness and Rain (Chris DuBois, Brent Anderson)