Oliver Anthony provided an update on his forthcoming debut album, revealing that he is halfway done recording the project. To announce the exciting news with fans, the viral country star took to social media on Wednesday (Jan. 10), sharing a photo of himself posed alongside his guitarist Joey Davis and Bass Fiddlist Caleb Dillard.
Oliver Anthony Music’s Debut Album Update: Project Is Halfway Complete
“Half way done recording the new album :),” the “Rich Men North Of Richmond” singer wrote, tagging collaborators Davis and Dillard.
Anthony Admits He Got Emotional While Recording The Album In A Georgia Church
Two days prior, Oliver Anthony shared a photo of himself playing an acoustic guitar and briefed fans that he was recording his first album inside an old Georgia church. He added that recording the project inside the church is an “incredible opportunity” and one that made him emotional.
“I don’t cry very often, but I have this week,” Anthony, whose real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford, admitted to fans. “This is such an incredible opportunity. I have been so blessed to be given the chance to share my music with the world.”
He then continued to share that he hope he made listeners proud with his upcoming new music. “I pray that these songs will help people get through the hard days to come. I love y’all [and] I won’t let you down,” Anthony concluded.
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Promises That His New Music Will Be Better Than Any Of His Prior Releases
Oliver Anthony Music previously opened up about his debut album during an interview with Billboard in November 2023. At the time, the Farmville, Virginia native unveiled that he would potentially be recording the project with a prominent producer, however he didn’t reveal the producer’s name. He promised his fans that his forthcoming new music will be better than anything he’s released, as it will be recorded with professional studio-quality equipment and not via an “internal microphone off of an about broken-in-half Android phone with a cracked screen” like his prior releases.
“I don’t know if I can say who I’m recording with or not, but he’s one of the best in the business,” he previously told the outlet. “In my opinion, it’s probably going to blow away everything else I’ve done so far, because everything has been recorded with just the internal microphone off of an about broken-in-half Android phone with a cracked screen. Even the radiowv videos used very basic equipment, so I had never had anything recorded with studio-quality equipment. So even just the vocal quality should absolutely knock people’s socks off, compared to what they’re used to hearing.”
Vows To Stay True To His Roots And Remain Authentic
The 31-year-old singer/songwriter vowed to remain true to his roots and to keep his creative process the same to make sure the music continues to represent who he is.
“I want everything to still be authentic, and I want it to be me playing the music and not like a whole group of people involved,” he also shared during the Billboard interview. “Everything now is just so carefully refined and edited, and so we won’t have any of that. If anything, some of the songs are going to be recorded on older equipment from the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s.”
As mentioned, the album is being recorded in Georgia, as Anthony noted that he will “never” co-write with people in Nashville. “Most anything I put out is going to be something I write just by myself and if I do co-write something with somebody, it’s going to be with another artist, and we’re going to be singing the song together,” he explained of his aversion to Nashville co-writes. “I don’t ever want to sit in some writing circle somewhere and have somebody in khaki pants and a collared shirt figuring out what my words are from my song. There’s a million other people that can go do that. I’m not one of those guys.”
Music Will Not Sound Like Something You’d Hear On Country Radio
Oliver Anthony’s said that his new music will not sound like something you will ever hear on Country radio.
“The reason I stick Music on the end of the name is because it really is supposed to be a representation of music that would have existed in his era when he was alive, living up in the mountains,” he added of his music’s sound. “They had dirt floors, they were scrounging to survive, they didn’t have electricity. I’m trying to represent that type of music [and] maintain the simplicity that would have just been necessary at that time. It’s not going to sound like something that’s going to be on country radio, by any means.”
Recently Made His Grand Ole Opry Debut
The news come weeks after Oliver Anthony made his Grand Ole Opry debut, a performance he was “thrilled” about. He stepped into the famous Opry circle for the first time ever on December 16, 2023, and he opened his performance by opening his Bible and reading a scripture from the book of Matthew. Anthony then went on to perform his song, “I Want To Go Home” as well as his mega viral hit, “Rich Men North Of Richmond,” which he delivered two performances of.
During his Opry debut, Anthony also performed a duet of “In Color” alongside his friend and mentor Jamey Johnson.
Preparing To Embark On His International Out Of The Woods Tour
Additionally, the chart-topping hitmaker will soon embark on his first international trek, dubbed the Out Of The Woods Tour. The 40-date tour, booked via United Talent Agency, launches in Europe on February 1 before Anthony arrives in the U.S., where he’ll kick his stateside leg off with back-to-back shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
“There’s a lot of exciting things to come, but the most important part of all of it is just gonna be the opportunity to travel the world and connect with a lot of people,” Anthony said of his future endeavors (per Billboard). “If there’s any mission statement out of any of this or any purpose… I really hope if I accomplish anything out of my career in music, it’s just to give the voiceless a voice.”
The headlining trek will conclude with a performance in Allegan, Michigan on September 13, 2024.
Tickets for Oliver Anthony’s Out Of The Woods Tour are available now on his official website.
