True traditional country from one of the genre’s best proponents
By Preshias Harris
Alex Miller stands head and shoulders above the flock of current artists in the field of neo-traditional country. And not just physically – although his boyishly handsome face smiles down from his impressive 6’ 6” frame. Miller occupies a pinnacle as the real deal when it comes maintaining an unswerving journey that few of his contemporaries can match.
April 10, 2026 sees the release of Miller’s highly-anticipated new album, More Country Than You (Billy Jam Records). The ten tracks on the project include six co-written by Miller who has proved himself a prolific and reliable songwriter. Miller leapt into the spotlight, galvanizing viewers with his appearances on the 2021 season of American Idol. (Watch the video here of Miller’s first appearance on Idol at age 17, as Luke Bryan jumps in to duet with him.)
With a manager and booking agent post-Idol, Miller became an in-demand performer with a full calendar of dates but found time to record and release his debut album, the aptly-named Miller Time that generated three popular singles “I’m Over You, So Get Over Me,”“Don’t Let The Barn Door Hit Ya,” and “Through With You.” Then, in 2023, came his highly acclaimed EP, Country, that included the smash single “Puttin’ Up Hay” and the 2024 EP My Daddy’s Dad.
April ’26 Inside Track on Music Row – with the country music news you can use
By Preshias Harris
Album releases from Luke Combs, Ashley Cooke, The Eagles, Vince Gill, Alex Miller and Mackenzie Phipps! New singles by Kane Brown, Keith Burns, Bandana Cheyenna, Luke Combs, Jo Dee Messina, Tucker Wetmore and more! Plus Gabby Barrett goes 9X Platinum, updates on artists set for CMA Fest, tour updates and so much more. All here in America’s longest continuously-running monthly country music column, Inside Track on Music Row. Scroll down and catch up!
QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “I was a different person before I started to write. When I realized I could be a songwriter and that people would listen – that was when I started feeling good in my life.” – Gwen Stafani
BIBLE VERSE OF THE MONTH: For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come. – Song of Solomon 2: 11-12
ALBUM & EP NEWS
LUKE COMBS
LUKE COMBS: The Way I Am, the highly anticipated new album from global superstar Luke Combs. Add/listen to the album here. The project, released March 20 via Sony Music Nashville, is already receiving widespread attention, Combs was recently featured on The New York Times Popcast, The Zane Lowe Show, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, NBC’s Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist, Track Star and Bussin’ with the Boys.
Produced by Combs, Jonathan Singleton and Chip Matthews, The Way I Am cements Combs as a singular talent, showcasing his powerful, resonant voice and adept storytelling with songs that balance heartfelt vulnerability with anthemic energy. With the new 22-track album, which includes a collaboration with Alison Krauss as well as previously released songs “Be By You,” “Sleepless in a Hotel Room,” “My Kinda Saturday Night,” “Days Like These,” “15 Minutes,” “Giving Her Away” and “Back in the Saddle,” Combs dives deeper than ever into his life behind the scenes—the challenges of balancing family and career, self-doubt and self-belief and the clarity that comes from focusing on what truly matters.
Check out SINGLES NEWS, below, for details on Comb’s new single release, “I Ain’t No Cowboy.”
In celebration of the new music, Combs has kicked off his massive My Kinda Saturday Night Tour with sold-out stadium shows across the U.S., U.K. and Europe. Find the complete tour itinerary at LukeCombs.com. #LukeCombsMusic
ASHLEY COOKE
ASHLEY COOKE: Country hitmaker Ashley Cooke is releasing the ace sessions via all digital streaming platforms. The stripped-back six-song project marks the audio companion to an all-acoustic performance she shared as a special surprise for fans. Go here to listen to the ace sessions now, and watch the ace sessionshere.
A perfect canvas for Cooke’s captivating vocals and confessional storytelling, the ace sessions includes six tracks from the Florida-born singer/songwriter’s 2025 project ace — a nine-song release that delivered her most emotionally intimate work to date, quickly winning praise from outlets like Country Swag (who noted that her “emotion-rich vocals shine as she unpacks heartbreak, vulnerability, and self-reflection”). With its standouts including stark yet stunning renditions of beloved songs like “the hell you are” (a recent hit at Country radio), the ace sessions also features the never-before-heard “olive juice” (a sweetly quirky, harmony-laced serenade inspired by a classic childhood lip-reading trick).
Another song reimagined for the ace sessions, Cooke’s longtime fan favorite “baby blues” shot to the No. 1 spot on SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot 30 Countdown. In its lighthearted ode to irresistible attraction, the soulful and smoldering track tells the tale of a couple whose plans for a night out are repeatedly derailed by their undeniable spark.
THE EAGLES 1975 studio album, One Of These Nights, was a milestone album for the band, earning them their first Grammy Award and becoming the first of four consecutive #1 albums. Rhino will release a Deluxe Edition of the album on May 1, in advance of the band’s headlining performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and upcoming stadium dates as part of The Long Goodbye, Act III.
One Of These Nights (Deluxe Edition)will be available as a 3CD/Blu-ray set featuring a new mix of the original album, an unreleased, 16-song 1975 concert at Anaheim Stadium, and new Dolby Atmos and high-res stereo mixes. A 3LP version, released the same day, will include the new album mix and the full concert recording. The lacquers were cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. Pre-Order Here.
