HARDY recently released his new EP, COUNTRY!. The five-piece collection, which dropped on May 2 via Big Loud Records, marks the award-winning country rocker’s first new music of 2025. But, fans can be certain to look for more material to come, as promised by the 34-year-old Mississippi native, who says the five tracks on COUNTRY! serve as a “precursor” to an even larger project, which is expected to arrive later this year.
HARDY Says COUNTRY! Is A Preview Of Forthcoming New Album
In a recent interview with Music Mayhem, HARDY, who just launched his JIM BOB WORLD TOUR, said, “I really wanted the album done before [the] tour. So to speak candidly, these are just five songs that are going to be pretty much that I have recorded for an entire album.”
“I put my foot down with my label, and I was like, I really, really want to have music out before the tour,” he continued. “Because I want to be able to play three or four of these songs so that people have something new to expect. So anyway, I just picked four or five of my favorites and they’re all my favorite. But I think these are just a good precursor or a good sign of things to come with the rest of the album.”
The five tracks that belong on COUNTRY! are “Buck On The Wall,” “Car That Drove You Away,” “Girl With A Gun,” “Luckiest Man Alive,” and “Favorite Country Song.” Fans got an early preview of the EP with “Favorite Country Song” and “Buck On The Wall.” The fresh tunes follow 2024’s No. 1 LP Quit!! And 2023’s half-country/half-rock album, The Mockingbird & The Crow.
The Project Features The Perfect Blend Of Country And Rock
Diving into his latest offering, HARDY explained that COUNTRY! doesn’t necessarily lean toward one specific genre. In fact, there’s a healthy mix of different sounds on the project that resonate with just about any avid music listener.
“’Luckiest Man Alive’ is a feel-good thing. ‘Favorite Country Song’ has kind of got an ethereal type, almost gospel/soul, ‘Buck On The Wall’ still has the punk rock thing. There’s just a little bit of everything, and that’s obviously kind of who I am as a whole,” HARDY explained. “But it’s just a really good little appetizer for the record. And that’s pretty much how I wanted it.”
“I didn’t want to overstack it with too [much] country or too [much] rock or anything like that,” he continued. “I was just like, ‘Okay. This little thing here is what the whole album sounds like. So that selection process was definitely something I thought about.”
3 Reasons HARDY Feels Like The “Luckiest Man Alive”
When asked the question: “What would you say are three things that you feel make you the luckiest man alive?” HARDY answered with, “Man, I think that I am relatively healthy is just a huge thing in general. Just that I don’t have any ailments or diseases, and anything like that. I think about that all the time, man, [and] I see people, and I have friends that have a lot of struggles, and being healthy is number one.”
“I have a very good wife, and that’s a big one for me. And obviously… let’s just put the family in that whole thing,” the new father added. “I have a really supportive, great family, and I have not felt like I’ve had a real job in about 15 years, and that’s f***ing awesome. And I’m extremely, extremely thankful for that.”
Writing From Unique Perspectives
Perhaps another reason to consider his lucky hand is HARDY’s strength in songwriting. While fans get a dose of variety when it comes to the sonic aspect of COUNTRY! His EP continues to showcase his masterful storyteller lyrics. In fact, HARDY co-wrote four out of the five tracks on the Joey Moi-produced project, with additional writing credits going to tunesmiths like Ashley Gorley, Carson Wallace, Drew Parker, Jameson Rodgers, Zach Abend, and others.
Of his songwriting prowess and ability to introduce listeners to fresh perspectives and deeper meaning through lyrics rather than just singing about pickup trucks, beer, girls, and bonfires, HARDY modestly says he “just stands on the shoulders of the people I write the songs with.”
But those who have followed him from the get-go know that he’s as gifted a songwriter as they come. And he proved that over a decade ago with his first originally-penned tune, “Dog Years,” which he says will finally see the light of day on his next album.
“I have no idea, dude, I just stand on the shoulders of the people I write the songs with, and I do love perspectives. I will say that the first song that I ever wrote that got a lot of attention in town and got me my first publishing deal was called Dog Years,’ which is actually a song that’s going to be on my record here for 14 years later, which is crazy,” he explained. “And the song is from the perspective of a dog actually, and it’s thinking that he’s basically laying on his deathbed, and he’s thinking of his owner for everything that he’s done for him.”
“I don’t know, maybe the attention that that song got flipped a switch in my brain and was like, okay, that worked for me. Let’s just keep doing weird perspective songs,” he said of his ability to craft a song. “I really don’t know. I like the interesting approach, and I usually try to take an approach that nobody has ever done, or at least nothing I’ve ever heard before. And I’ve just gotten lucky a few times, I think.”
Lucky fans who have snagged tickets to see HARDY on his JIM BOB WORLD TOUR will hear three of these new tracks live. The trek kicked off on May 22 and will take him from North America to Europe before wrapping on Sept. 24 with a show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Koe Wetzel, Stephen Wilson Jr., and McCoy Moore serve as special guests on the massive trek.
HARDY Country! Track List
1. “Buck On The Wall” (Jameson Rodgers, Jeb Gipson, Matt Dragstrem, Michael Hardy)
2. “Car That Drove You Away” (Drew Parker, Geoff Warburton, Matt Roy, Zach Abend)
3. “Girl With A Gun” (Carson Wallace, Greylan James, Jordan Schmidt, Michael Hardy)
4. “Luckiest Man Alive” (Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps, Michael Hardy)
5. “Favorite Country Song” (Ashley Gorley, Beau Bailey, Michael Hardy, Zach Abend)
