Country Music Picks (New Songs) January 2025

There have been five Fridays in January 2025. Thus, my Country Music Picks presenting new songs of the month (which did not make it on the website so far) is a bit more lengthy than usual. Not too bad, after the December 2024 edition has (naturally) been a rather short one. Enjoy my trip into new country music releases.

 

New Songs of the Week of 3rd January 2025

You would expect that the first week in January is a bit of calm – but actually, there was quite some cool music released that week.

 

Olivia Ellen Lloyd – Do It Myself

The first artist on my January list is Do It Myself by Olivia Ellen Llyod. The West Virginia native, has quite an interesting bio, from working as a flight attendant to being a teacher in Guatemala. In March 2025, she will release her new album.

 

Saga Ludvigsson – Country Boy

The second artist on my list is Saga Ludvigsson. She is from Sweden and gained quite some popularity being in the 2019 finals of the domestic TV show Talang. In 2023, she was part of the Swedish Idol show. This year, she will also compete in the prestigious Melodifestivalen.

 

Brett Eldredge – Gorgeous

Brett Eldredge kicks off 2025 with his emotional Gorgeous. A lovely write by the US-American country musician.

 

Paige Somerville – Heart To Break

With over 200k followers on TikTok, Paige Somerville is huge on the social media platform. Heart to Break is only the second single release I found from her, after the 2023 Introspective.

 

Jordana Bryant – Remembering It Wrong

Oh her homepage, Jordana Bryant states I’m Jordana Bryant and i’m a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from a small town in Pennsylvania. I’ve always loved writing songs and sharing my feelings through music—it’s probably my favorite thing in the world 🙂 I featured her music a few times already. Hope she keeps up the spirit.

 

Restless Road – Work On Me

The first single in 2025 by Restless Road has been Work on Me. A typical, but very beautiful song by the Nashville-based trio.

 

New Songs of the Week of 10th January 2025

Eight songs made it into my Country Music Picks in the second week of January 2025.

 

Jonathan Peyton – Sunrise

The first song on that week’s is Sunrise by Jonathan Peyton. He is an independent artist, from Woodstock in Georgia. Since 2016, Peyton is doing lovely country and folk music.

 

Gary Louris – Getting Older

Gary Louris’ new album Dark Country is about to be released on 14th February 2025. I will feature the release in of the Ohio-origin artist in that month. In January, he released the song Getting Older as an “appetizer” to the listen.

 

Kip Moore – Bad Spot

It’s quite a while ago since Germany welcomed Kip Moore on domestic stages. His concert in May 2023 in Cologne was a real treat, though. On 10th January 2025, he released the song Bad Spot.

 

Warren Zeiders – Can A Heart Take

Warren Zeiders was born in the chocolate town Hershey in Pennsylvania. Especially his debut album Pretty Little Prison was a commercial success. I featured his sophomore record Relapse in  review. In January 2025, he released the energetic and emotional Can A Heart Take.

 

Rachel Lee Roberts – Drinking & Driving

I’m drinking, you’re driving – there is a clear separation of roles in that regard. At least if you trust the lyrics of the new release by Rachel Lee Roberts. A really catching one by the artist, who is originally from Sacramento.

 

Brooks Hofmann – Leave Me Lonely

The biggest success by Brooks Hofmann so far was his song Favorite Dress, released in 2024. On 10th January 2025, he shared a new single, Leave Me Lonely. 

 

Trey Lewis – Love Outlaws

Whenever I read something about Trey Lewis, I just have to smile. His 2020 song Dicked Down in Dallas boosted the Birmingham (Alabama) artist into my country music heart. Love Outlaws is less hilarious, but a very good listen.

 

Brandon Davis – I Am

19th February 2019 changed the life of Brandon Davis. Due to a distracted driver, he was seriously injured after a major car crash. But the Tennessee native came back – and still writes beautiful songs like I Am.

 

New Songs of the Week of 17th January 2025

Here are my songs as of the third week of January 2025.

 

Crys Matthews – Clumsy

I picked this song out of Crys Matthews’ album release, Reclamation, which has been released this week. A beautiful, emotional song.

 

Mitchell Ferguson – Drink a Beer

The Texas country artist Mitchell Ferguson releases music since 2018. His debut EP Making Sound has been released in 2019. That week, he released the groovy Drink a Beer. A typical country music song, which is made for a happy country music time.

 

Dustin de la Garza – Don’t call him a Cowboy

Another artist in my Country Music Picks this time from the Texas country music scene is Dustin de la Garza. A rather typical, but really catching track.

 

Waylon Wyatt feat. Bayker Blankenship – Sunday Supper

Waylon Wyatt is a young country-folk artist from Arkansas. With this new song, he is taking us to the Sunday Supper, alongside Bayker Blankenship.

 

Ward Thomas – This Is Gonna Hurt

A new song by the British country music duo – Ward Thomas shared This Is Gonna Hurt in the third week of January 2025. This Is Gonna Hurt is a really nicely, flowing, melodic track.

 

Mumford & Sons – Rushmere

Another band from Great Britain I feature as of 17th January 2025 are Mumford & Sons. Marcus Mumford and his bandmates released Rushmere that week. A nice track with folk attitude.

 

Ryan Waters Band – When It Don’t

On 17th January, the Ryan Waters Band released their album All I’ve Ever Known. A really nice one, which I just did not have the capacity for to cover. I opted for the song When It Don’t by the Alabama artist and his bandmates.

Trousdale – Growing Pains

Trousdale are a female country music trio. This year, they will also have one show in Europe, playing at the prestigious Tonder Festival in Denmark. On 17th January 2025, they shared their new song, Growing Pains.

Ron Pope – The Life in Your Years

Ron Pope is a master of songwriting. He underlines it in his new single The Life In Your Years. Still love to look back to his Cologne show in September 2023.

 

Chase Wright – It Was Always You

Another major name in my 17th January 2025 picks in Chase Wright. That week, the Indiana artist shared his new song, It Was Always You. A powerful modern country song.

 

Chatham Rabbits – Gas Money

The Chatham Rabbits already made it to my Country Music Picks in December 2024. One month later, the duo released Gas Money – and definitely deserve to be mentioned again.

New Songs of the Week of 24th January 2025

On that Friday, I have been in the middle of my twelve flights with Air France and KLM mileage run. Nonetheless, there was still some time to explore and cover new country music.

 

Braedon Barnhill – Dashboard Dreaming

The first song I feature as of 24th January 2025 is Dashboard Dreaming by Braedon Barnhill. Another emerging artist from the vast Texas country music scene. I definitely have to travel Austin one day to explore the exciting scene in his home town.

 

James Johnston – Hell Boy

From Texas to Down Under: with the fading of Every Noise, I especially lost a bit of touch with the Australian country music scene. The more, I am happy to run into artists like him. Great song.

 

Kameron Marlowe – Here Lies the Fool

Kameron Marlowe’s show in December 2024 in Cologne was definitely one of the concert highlights of my last year. Kameron is very active in releasing music currently. That week, he shared Here Lies the Fool. Hope there will be another album soon after his great Keepin’ The Lights On.

 

Julia DiGrazia feat. Madison Hughes & Mary Heather Hickman – Two Truths and a Liar

It is the second time I feature Julia DiGrazia in my updated Country Music Picks. After I had her Gambler in the August 2024 edition, she shared Two Truths and a Liar that time. A lovely collaboration with Madison Hughes and Mary Heather Hickman.

 

Reid Haughton & Drake White – The Wheel

Reid Haughton will be supporting Hudson Westbrook on his upcoming spring tour. In later January 2025, he joined forces with Drake for the groovy The Wheel. A really cool listen.

 

Lauren Alaina – Those Kind Of Women

Emotional sounds by Lauren Alaina. After I featured two EPs of her in 2020, Getting Over Him and Getting Good, I lost a bit track of the former American Idol runner-up from Georgia. There was one EP and an album in the meantime. A really nice listen!

 

Bryce Leatherwood – Where The Bar Is

Bryce Leatherwood is the 2022 winner of The Voice. He has released a couple of singles in the meantime, with Where The Bar Is being (obviously) his latest one. Nice one by the former Team Blake Shelton member (the song sounds a bit like Blake as well, doesn’t it?).

 

New Songs of the Week of 31st January 2025

I was in Italy that weekend covering the World Floorball Championship Qualification. Quite a lot of work with a total of over 2,200 pictures published. I had reduced my album review section for that reason – but there were still new Songs of the Week and playlist edits.

 

Dalton Davis – Blue Ridge Sky

My first pick of the last week in January 2025 is Blue Ridge Sky by Dalton Davis. I unfortunately don’t have too much bio information about the Cowboy Casanova, how he calls himself on Instagram.

 

Rachel LaRen – Hangin’ the Moon

Rather traditional sounds have been released by the East Texas artist Rachel LaRen. I featured her EP Cowboys Don’t Change in June 2022 and really enjoy her sound some 2 1/2 years later.

 

Karley Scott Collins – Runner

The Florida country lady Karley Scott Collins is already looking back to two EP releases. At the end of January 2025, she released the beautiful song Runner. Nice ballad-style sound.

 

Chris Janson – Stay Rowdy

With Chris Janson, the Country Music Picks lean towards country rock and honky tonk sounds. Stay Rowdy is a lovely drinking and party track.

 

Alison Krauss & Union Station – Look Like The End Of The Road

Alison Krauss & Union Station go for a much finer and emotional story this time. Look Like The End Of The Road is a lovely listen with beautiful storytelling.

 

Annika Catharina – Dishonest

Annika Catharina is a Canadian artist from British Columbia. Her biggest success so far was a cover, though. Together with other artist, she released a special version of Sweet Child Of Mine. Her originals – like Dishonest – are lovely as well, though.

 

Neon Union – Golden Rules

Neon Union is a new country duo, which released their debut album Good Years on that weekend. I did not have the capacity to cover the record, but definitely had to pick my favorite, Golden Rules, for this post.

 

Hannah Huntley – Highway

Hannah Huntley is a US-American artist, who is doing solo and is also part of a duo, Jericho Rose. While the duo has already released music since 2017, Hannah had her solo debut single Cutting Ties in 2024. Highway is a lovely, intense listen.

 

Palmer Anthony – Same Blue Eyes

Palmer Anthony describes himself as follows on his website: A kid from the West, Palmer grew up playing baseball, football and basketball and spent his summers pouring concrete. At the age of 14 he picked up the guitar and began self-teaching himself country songs he had heard around the house from his dad’s cassette player. Since 2020, the Texas artist is doing lovely music – this one is another really personal listen.

 

Brett Kissel feat. Don Louis – Get The Hell Out Of This Town

In the last song I feature as of January 2025, I go for a Canadian – US-American collaboration. Brett Kissel joins forces with Don Louis for the energetic Get the Hell out of this Town. A really nice contemporary country music listen.

 

 

Title picture: Dalton Davis – Blue Ridge Sky

 

Country Music Picks – The Playlist

I will also present the new songs of a month in a new, dedicated playlist. The playlist will be completely flushed and reset with the next Country Music Picks posting.

 

Flyctory.com Country Music Concert Coverage

Here is a list of all concerts I covered, limited to Country Music:

 

Lufthansa Group

Here are all my postings related to the Lufthansa Group: