A brand-new era of country superstar Sam Hunt is officially underway, dropping a four-track EP titled Locked Up that gives listeners a glimpse into what his future holds within the country music industry.
Dropping single after single, from “Walmart” to “Women In My Life” to “Came The Closet” and more, Hunt realized that “maybe people are getting tired of just one song at a time,” deciding to release a project that includes two fan favorite singles, “Locked Up” and “Outskirts,” as well as two new tunes, “Country House” and “Last Hurrah.”
“Why not just put them all at once instead of spreading it out for another two to three months?,” the country crooner shared with Music Mayhem and other media, prior to delving into the details of the Locked Up EP, as well as some of its individual tracks, his 2024 CMT Music Awards performance, touring and more.
Locked Up EP Track List
- Locked Up (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
- Country House (Sam Hunt, Ross Copperman, Michael Lotten, Josh Osborne)
- Last Hurrah (Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
- Outskirts (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, Josh Osborne)
“Last Hurrah” is the first song that Hunt Did not have a hand in writing
While each and every song is nothing short of spectacular, “Last Hurrah” made history as the first tune that Hunt has released that he did not write — with Luke Laird, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne writing the soon-to-be smash hit instead — deciding to take on this outside cut after receiving some valuable advice from country superstar Randy Owen.
I have not put out a song that I didn’t write as of yet up until this song, and I’ve always felt the need to be a writer or write the songs that I put out. I’ve just felt like that’s what the audience or folks who’ve supported expect and connect with to some degree,” the Georgia native prefaced, prior to detailing how “Last Hurrah” ended up in his hands after all.
He continued, “I was at a cattle show a few months ago, or it’s been about two years ago, and I met Randy Owen… He said, ‘Don’t be afraid to cut outside songs,’ and I had to check myself to make sure that I wasn’t letting my ego get too involved with feeling the need to be the writer on every song.”
As soon as “Last Hurrah” rolled around, Hunt admitted that it felt like something that he would have written, causing it to be extremely natural for him to cut the track. “When I’m a little short of an album, it’s helpful to have a song or two from the outside that can help round out a project, so this is my first experiment with that,” he concluded with a giggle, and given how incredible the song is, it’s safe to say that there might be even more outside cuts in the future for Hunt.
“Outskirts”
While “Last Hurrah” is an incredible, new tune, Hunt also took the time to talk about the two pre-released tracks on the project titled “Outskirts” and “Locked Up.”
“Outskirts” serves as Sam Hunt’s current radio single, climbing the charts each day and inching closer and closer to the top, admitting that the song was a “slow burn” at first, hitting all music streaming services in March of 2023, and has been picking up steam as of late.
“We played it live all last summer, and it felt like it got a good reception at the live show, but it really caught steam I’d say in the last month and a half or so for whatever reason,” he gushed about the tune. “Now, it’s sitting right up at the top of the charts, which I’m grateful for… I can’t explain why it caught steam in the last six or eight weeks, but I’m glad that it has, but the crowd’s been singing it louder and louder at the shows, so I’m always happy to hear folks connecting with the song.”
“I appreciate country radio playing it for more now here in these last six weeks,” he concluded with an ear-to-ear grin, prior to rehashing how “Outskirts” came to be. Writing the track on the same retreat where he wrote “Kinfolks,” which hit all music streaming services in October of 2019, Hunt told Music Mayhem and other media that “it’s been a while since that song was written,” missing a couple of lines in the chorus and a second verse at the time, however, he finally finished it up last year.
“Locked Up” Music Video
The second pre-released song on the EP is the title track, which hit all music streaming services on March 22 and was accompanied by a one-of-a-kind music video. Starring the country superstar himself, as well as his wife named Hannah, who happened to be pregnant with their son named Lowry at the time, the 39-year-old singer/songwriter puts his own twist on Johnny Cash’s 1968 concert at Folsom Prison in the music video for “Locked Up,” causing quite a bit of chatter within the country music community.
Directed by Tim Mattia, Hunt and his family filmed the music video at “a really cool old prison in East Tennessee,” known as the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, where he dressed up as Johnny Cash and his wife dressed up as June Carter Cash.
Hunt Admitted He Was “Reluctant” To Step Into Johnny Cash’s Shoes
Despite the music video being as iconic as can be, Hunt has admitted that he doesn’t know if he truly did Johnny Cash justice, detailing his initial hesitations to recreate such an important aspect of country music history.
“I was a little reluctant, because stepping into those shoes, or even implying that you’re the Johnny Cash thing. He’s such a legend and a sacred thing in country music. I didn’t want to come across like I was trying to take any of that for myself,” he dished. “At the same time, I thought it was a good idea, and it seemed to fit with the video… That concert he did was such a piece of country music history, but Americana. It’s a piece of Americana, and it’s just something cool to draw off of.”
Gearing up in the suits and the outfits — as well as having his friends and family dress up like inmates for the “Locked Up” music video — Hunt deemed the entire experience to be “really fun,” especially since he got to share the stage with his significant other. Admitting that her presence softened up the concern that he had about playing Johnny Cash, there truly was not a better individual to play the role of June Carter Cash, with the five-time GRAMMY nominee admitting that “she looked fantastic and carried that same grace that June Carter carried.”
Performing “Locked Up” at the CMT Awards on Sunday, April 7
Aside from simply releasing “Locked Up” and its accompanying music video and EP, Hunt will take the stage at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Sunday, April 7 to perform the tune live at the 2024 CMT Music Awards as well, which country music lovers can stream live on CBS.
Admitting to Music Mayhem and other media that “there are probably more butterflies in a show situation” as opposed to a concert, primarily due to the fact that award shows have a slightly different audience, he then detailed what the performance will entail, which will hopefully draw some similarities to the music video that fans have grown to know and love.
He teased with a beaming smile, “I’m gonna try to recreate some of that Folsom Prison vibe, so we’ll see. I don’t know if we’ve settled on exactly how much they’re gonna let us do with how we’re gonna recreate that scene, but we’re gonna try to go for it if we can.”
The Locked Up Tour 2024
Despite the Outskirts Tour being underway as we speak, Hunt will embark on the Locked Up Tour this summer, kicking off on June 28th in Bend, Oregon and concluding on September 28 in London, Ontario, hitting 20 cities in between. Featuring support from Russell Dickerson, George Birge and Dalton Dover, and taking place in amphitheaters all across the United States and Canada, these shows are sure to be jam-packed with summertime fun!
Hunt then proceeded to share why he loves the “party atmosphere” and the “barbecue summertime outside feeling” that amphitheaters bring, which will be evident throughout the Locked Up Tour.
He spilled, “I think for our show, it lands best in that environment, and having the folks on the lawn who come out, you know, a lot of them were there for the good time, you know, and a lot of them are there for us specifically, hopefully, but there is sort of a whole ecosystem going on the lawn that’s got its own thing, but it’s infectious for the whole deal… It’s hard to top that amphitheater feel.”
Country music fans can stream the Locked Up EP as we speak, as well as secure their tickets to Sam Hunt’s Locked Up Tour HERE.
