NASHVILLE, TN (March 21, 2025) – Acclaimed singer/songwriter Ryan Hurd today releases his sophomore album, Midwest Rock & Roll, via Big Machine Records. Injecting vivid stories of Rust-Belt rebellion and romantic wreckage with a gut punch of Country grunge, the 12 tracks co-written by Hurd and produced by Aaron Eshuis find the Kalamazoo, Michigan native standing tall as a power chord-purist who’s still very much in love with the place that made him. His first full-length project since 2021’s Pelago, Hurd shares a vivid sonic timestamp of his own coming of age with the edgy, soul-baring confessions of Midwest Rock & Roll.
“I wanted to make an album that represented growing up in the North. Midwest Rock & Roll has songs about being cold, falling in love for the first time, leaving and chasing a dream and more,” shares Hurd. “I hope that listeners really love it because I’m incredibly proud of it.”
Listen to Midwest Rock & Roll HERE
With more than 1 billion global streams as an artist, Hurd’s gritty set emerges from an intricate web of influence – both internal and external. Raised on indie and alt-rock, as well as classic American song craft and mainstream Country radio, the rising star first found success as a songwriter, penning tracks for Tim McGraw (“Last Turn Home”), Rascal Flatts (“Payback”), and more. He’s since gone on to score No. 1 hits for Luke Bryan (“Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” “Waves”), Blake Shelton (“Lonely Tonight”) and more, plus the 7x Platinum anthem “Heartless” by Diplo and Morgan Wallen.
A cinematic snapshot of heartland dreamers, caught in a grayscale gilded cage and driven by love, the striking scenes and roaring vocals add new language to the Country lexicon. With Midwest Rock & Roll’s heavy-hitting mix of dusky, down-tuned tones, the hearts-on-fire set remains true to its title. The 12-track album includes previously released songs “Midwest Rock & Roll” (which recently earned an AIMP Nashville Award nomination for Publisher Pick Of The Year), “Go To Bed Sober (ft. Sasha Alex Sloan),” “This Party Sucks” and “Die For It.”
Midwest Rock & Roll Track List:
1. “Midwest Rock & Roll” (Ryan Hurd, Mark Holman, Randy Montana)
2. “Single In The Same Town” (Ryan Hurd, Brinley Addington, Aaron Eshuis)
3. “Die For It” (Ryan Hurd, Mark Holman, Randy Montana)
4. “Lighthouse” (Ryan Hurd, Aaron Eshuis, Mark Holman)
5. “This Party Sucks” (Ryan Hurd, Brinley Addington, Ryan Beaver, David Garcia)
6. “Youth” (Ryan Hurd, Aaron Eshuis, Joey Hyde, Matt McGinn)
7. “All Night Long Days” (Ryan Hurd, Aaron Eshuis, Joey Hyde, Matt McGinn)
8. “Funerals” (Ryan Hurd, Mark Holman, Randy Montana)
9. “California 1972” (Ryan Hurd, Ryan Beaver, Joe Clemmons, Aaron Eshuis)
10. “Go To Bed Sober (featuring Sasha Alex Sloan)” (Ryan Hurd, Sasha Alex Sloan, King Henry)
11. “Paul.” (Ryan Hurd, Summer Overstreet, Jordan Reynolds)
12. “The Last Song I’ll Ever Write” (Ryan Hurd, Joe Clemmons, Dave Cohen, Aaron Eshuis)
# # #
ABOUT RYAN HURD: Nashville-based Big Machine Records recording artist Ryan Hurd has accumulated more than one billion on-demand career streams, received numerous award nominations (CMA Awards, ACM Awards, CMT Music Awards, etc.) including two GRAMMY® Awards nominations and has scored multiple No. 1 hits as singer and a songwriter. His debut album, Pelago, reached the top five of Spotify’s most-streamed Country albums and garnered critical acclaim. Signed to Big Machine Music for publishing, Hurd earned his place in Country music history writing PLATINUM No. 1 hits for Blake Shelton, Jordan Davis, Luke Bryan, Lady A, and Diplo/Morgan Wallen, in addition to writing many other hits for artists like Conner Smith and Breland. The 2022 ASCAP Country Award winner has toured with the likes of Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker and Lady A in addition to his own headlining dates. His sophomore album, Midwest Rock & Roll, is out now. The highly anticipated 12-track project includes previously released tracks “Midwest Rock & Roll,” “Go To Bed Sober (ft. Sasha Alex Sloan),” “This Party Sucks” and “Die For It.” For the latest information and more, visit RyanHurd.com.
