It’s been 30 years since his eponymous debut, and Tim McGraw is commemorating the milestone with the release of his 17th album, Standing Room Only, out on August 25. Along with the title track, McGraw is continuing to tease the album with the new song “Hey Whiskey.”
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All I ever did was give you my attention / Every Friday night since I turned 22 / I trusted you with my naive intentions sings McGraw on the slowed ballad, a revelatory letter of earlier drinking days. The song, written by Brad Warren, Brett Warren, Brad Hutsell, and Joel Hutsell, finds McGraw contemplating how alcohol can let someone down and lead them into regret. McGraw, 56, has been sober since 2008.
Produced by McGraw and his longtime collaborator Byron Gallimore, the 13-track album is his first release since Here On Earth in 2020, which topped the country chart.
“[Byron] gets what I’m trying to do and I’m lucky to have him in my corner. I can’t imagine making records without him,” said McGraw of Gallimore in a recent interview. “He does all of the things well that I’m unable to do. He’s technical, a great engineer and a solid right-hand man who keeps me from running myself into creative ditches, so to speak.”
Standing Room Only also features a select group of key songwriters, including Seth Mosley, Drake Milligan, and Tim Nichols, among others. McGraw co-wrote the track “Nashville CA/L.A. Tennessee” with Bob Minner and Lori McKenna, who also appears on the song.
“As an artist, I always want to dig deeper and get better every time I make a new record,” said McGraw in a statement. “It’s a big part of what drives me, and I really believe this is one of the best projects we’ve made. I’ve been working on this album since 2020, and this collection of songs are some of the most emotional, thought-provoking, and life-affirming music I’ve ever recorded.”
Standing Room Only Track List:
- “Hold On To It” (Written by Ryan Larkins, Seth Mosley, Jimmy Yeary)
- “Standing Room Only” (Written by Tommy Cecil, Patrick Murphy, Craig Wiseman)
- “Paper Umbrellas” (Written by Monty Criswell, Drake Milligan)
- “Remember Me Well” (Written by Heather Morgan, Jimmy Robbins)
- “Hey Whiskey” (Written by Brad Hutsell, Joel Hutsell, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
- “Her” (Written by Jason Gantt, Tim Nichols, Jimmy Yeary)
- “Fool Me Again” (Written by Kameron Marlowe, Brad Warren, Brett Warren, Rob Williford)
- “Small Town King” (Written by Jaren Johnston, Jenn Schott, Jeremy Stover)
- “Beautiful Hurricane” (Written by Mike Lane, Tony Lane)
- “Cowboy Junkie” (Written by Bill Luther, Lance Miller, Justin Weaver)
- “Nashville CA/L.A. Tennessee (Featuring Lori McKenna)” (Written by Tim McGraw, Lori McKenna, Bob Minner)
- “Some Songs Change Your World” (Written by Mark Irwin, Josh Kear, Lance Miller)
- “Letter From Heaven” (Written by Chase McGill, Lori McKenna, Parker Welling)
Photo: Robby Klein / Courtesy of Big Machine Label Group
