Release Radar & Most Anticipated Albums for 2022

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Welcome to 2022, and another (hopefully) exciting year for albums releases in the greater country and roots music world. In the spirit of trying to keep you informed, you can find a detailed list of confirmed album releases for 2022 below, a specific album from each release week that you should make sure to not overlook, and the always-exciting “Rumor Mill” where intelligence is gathered on potential upcoming releases.

Hint: Bookmark this page, and come back each Friday to stay up-to-date with releases. This list will be updated regularly under the “confirmed releases” heading when new albums are announced, though older albums won’t be removed from the list so people can look back at what they might have missed.

PLEASE NOTE: No artist or album was overlooked, snubbed, or disregarded here. If you know of an album that is going to be released that you believe is of interest to country and roots music, please feel free to share the information below in the comments section for the benefit of everyone.

Tony Logue – Jericho – January 7th

From West Kentucky, Tony Logue has been kicking around out there for a while now, but his new album Jericho very well might become his big breakout on the national stage. Following in the footsteps of guys like Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers, he released a “Live on Red Barn Radio” session in 2019, and brought engineer Sean Sullivan on board who’s worked with both of those fellow Kentuckians in the past.

Jericho also features Russ Pahl on steel guitar, Mike Rojas on keys, Tammy Rogers of the SteelDrivers on fiddle, and Sturgill drummer Miles Miller on skins and harmonies. If the first song “Calloway County” is any indication, the 12 original songs of this album are something you’ll want to hear.

Noah Guthrie – Blue Wall – January 14th

Don’t let the fact that he was a semifinalist on America’s Got Talent and appeared on the TV show Glee cloud your judgement on the authenticity and soul this South Carolina native brings to his music. Just listen to the early singles from his new album Blue Wall like “Only Light I Need” and “Wishing I Was Wrong,” and you can hear it shining through.

Previously having opened for folks such as Willie Nelson and Dwight Yoakam, Noah Guthrie wrote or co-wrote all the songs from the new album, and it could be one of the big releases in country and roots for early 2022.

The Whitmore Sisters – Ghost Stories – January 21st

When we first heard that acclaimed solo artist Bonnie Whitmore, and her sister Eleanor Whitmore of the Mastersons were finally getting together to make an album, we thought it could be lights out. But so far the singles like “Hurtin’ For A Letdown” have been such sensational country crooners with blood harmonies, this duo is exceeding expectations already.

“We’re very much alike. It was part of the problem in the beginning, but now it’s a strength,” says Eleanor Whitmore. “We’re both seasoned musicians. We’ve made so many records on our own, for ourselves and with other artists. When we come together, we understand each other, because we have so much shared musical vocabulary.” 

Brent Cobb – And Now, Let’s Turn to Page… – January 28th

Produced by cousin Dave Cobb in historic Studio ‘A’ in Nashville, And Now, Let’s Turn to Page… will include eight familiar hymns along with an original song written by Brent Cobb and his wife. It will be released on his own Ol’ Buddy Records. And if the first song “We Shall Rise” is any indication, Brent Cobb will bring his uniquely funky Georgia roots to the effort.

“I’ve always wanted to make a southern gospel album because it’s what I come from, but also it used to seem like a rite of passage for country singers to make a gospel album,” Brent says. “It all comes from gospel music. That’s where country music came from. I’m just trying to carry that torch.” (read more)

Muscadine Bloodline – Dispatch to 16th Ave. – February 4th

Muscadine Bloodline has already been making all kinds of noise over the last few years, collaborating with folks like BJ Barham of American Aquarium, and Brent Cobb and Adam Hood. They received a standing ovation for their Grand Ole Opry debut in 2018, and have folks raving about their rock-edged country sound.

With Dispatch to 16th Ave. the duo of Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton are looking to take it to the next level, and the title track from this emphatically independent band unapologetically takes the country industry to task. This could be a fun one.

The Cactus Blossoms – One Day – February 11th

If you love to get your Everly Brothers vibe on, there’s just about no better modern alternative than brothers Page Burkum and Jack Torrey, known collectively as The Cactus Blossoms. The Minneapolis-based blood brothers have announced they have a new album on the way called One Day.

The new album was recorded and mixed by long time collaborator Alex Hall using a mobile rig in Page Burkum’s Minneapolis basement. One Day is said to continue the evolution of the brother’s signature blend of country, soul, and 60’s rock sounds.

Sarah Shook and the Disarmers – Nightroamer – February 18th

Produced by long-time Dwight Yoakam producer and guitar player Pete Anderson, Nightroamer is said to be a slightly more expansive work compared to Sarah Shook’s previous albums. It also brings Shook full circle in some respects, since one of her early signature songs is called “Dwight Yoakam.” Previously signed to Bloodshot Records, the new album will be released through Thirty Tigers.

“I think this record is different than ones we’ve done in the past,” she says. “It feels every bit as expansive as I wanted it to feel. I didn’t want there to be a shocking, jarring difference, but I definitely wanted it to feel like things are opening up. It’s a bigger feeling experience.” (read more)

The Wooks – Flyin’ High – February 25th

One of the favorite string bands of Kentucky and Tyler Childers, The Wooks consisting of CJ Cain on guitar, Harry Clark on mandolin, George Guthrie on banjo, and Allen Cooke on Dobro are back with a new album called Flyin’ High with the title track out now. It was recorded at the home studio of bluegrass guitarist Jake Stargel.

“Jake recorded us way more live than I have ever gotten to record,” CJ Cain says. “This album has a lot of solos and vocals and all kinds of stuff that’s just the raw take. There’s no click track. We were trying to get a sound like Bela Fleck’s Drive album or Tony Rice’s work at Arch Studios with Bill Wolf. That live feeling. So much of bluegrass these days is almost autotuned and fixed to the point of perfection. We were trying to run away from that quickly as possible.”

Matt Castillo – How The River Flows – March 4th

When Saving Country Music first heard Matt Castillo’s single “Say It” in 2020 and added it to the Top 25 Playlist, we knew we had an artist to look forawrd to in the future. Castillo isn’t just country, he’s COUNTRY, and if the six songs of his 2021 EP also called How The River Flows are any indication, this debut LP is due to be a kicker.

“After I released my last project, it was a goal for me to really take my time writing songs and make a country record. The type of songs that I grew up on and loved listening to,” says the Austin-based Castillo. “After spending two and a half years writing/co-writing for my new project, I knew deep down that I wrote and co-wrote the songs I’ve been wanting, I found my voice as an artist, and I was able to make each song unique on its own. ‘How The River Flows’ captured everything I’ve been looking for and more in an album.”

Ned LeDoux – Buckskin – March 11th

Chris LeDoux’s son continues to do what he can to keep the legacy of his iconic father alive, while forging his own legacy moving forward. That effort will continue when he releases his new album Buckskin on March 11th.

“I hope I inspire people to never forget where you came from,” Ned says. “That’s one thing I’m very proud of. I’m carrying on a tradition, but I’m writing my own story. I’m very proud of my family and friends and there’s one piece of advice my mom gave me when we were kids: ‘Never forget where you came from and show respect to people no matter where you are.’ So with this album I hope to inspire and show people, ‘Hey this old cowboy isn’t changing for nobody.’ I want people to know they should never give up on a dream. There’s always time. Just keep on going.”

Old Crow Medicine Show – Paint This Town – April 22nd

Don’t expect the same old Old Crow Medicine Show busking string band on their brand new album. Now with some new fresh faces behind Old Crow mainstay Ketch Secor including drummer Jerry Pentecost, they’re looking to shake things up a bit.

The Grand Ole Opry members co-produced Paint This Town with Matt Ross-Spang, and recorded it in the band’s own new studio called Hartland. They felt this approach gave them new creative freedom and latitude for exploration. The first single and title track is out now.

OTHER ANTICIPATED/CONFIRMED RELEASES

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January 1st

HogLeg Band – Country Paradise
Lester Slade – Burnt Out Lightning

January 6th – Buck T. Edwards – Temporary

January 7th

Kenny Freeman – Paradise Valley EP
Steele Creek – A Long Way From Home
Tony Logue – Jericho

January 14th

The Lumineers – Brightside
Jacob Bryant – Bar Stool Preacher
Jamestown Revival – Young Man
Punch Brothers – Hell on Church Street
Eliza Gilkyson – Songs from the River Wind
Noah Guthrie – Blue Wall
Eric Brace & Last Train Home – Everything Will Be

January 18th – Book – THE HAG: The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard

January 20th – Bobby Allison / Gerry Spehar – Delta Man

January 21st

Aoife O’Donovan – Age of Apathy
Eddie Berman – Broken English
Greensky Bluegrass – Stress Dreams
The Whitmore Sisters – Ghost Stories
Linda Draper – Patience and Lipstick
Goodnight, Texas – How Long With It Take Them to Die
Kiefer Sutherland – Bloor Street
Brian Straw – Baby Stars/Dead Languages
Keb’ Mo’ – Good To Be
Texas Hill – Heaven Down Here
Janis Ian – The Light at the End of the Line
Eddie Berman – Broken English
Lost Dog Street Band – Glory
Tammy Rogers and Thomm Jutz – Surely Will Be Singing
Rob Aldridge & The Proponents – Mind Over Manners
Raine Hamilton – Brave Land
Brothers Osborne – Skeletons (Deluxe Edition)
Jake Xerxes Fussell – Good and Green Again
William Russell Wallace – Confidence Man
Lawrence Maxwell – Ballad of Miles
Ben Sures – The Story That Lived Here
Michael Johnathon – Cosmic Banjo

January 24th – The Cripple Creek Band – Last of a Dying Breed

January 27th – David Jameson – Tall Dark Pines

January 28th

Aaron Lewis – Frayed At Both Ends
Simone Felice – All The Bright Coins
Ryan Culwell – Run Like a Bull
Grady Spencer & the Work – Wait
North Mississippi All Stars – Set Sail
Sad Daddy – Way Up in the Hills
Brent Cobb – And Now, Let’s Turn to Page…
David Gideon – Lonesome Desert Strum
Maddie & Tae – Through The Madness Vol. 1 EP
Heather Sarona – Head Above Water
Adam Shoenfeld – All the Birds Sing
The Blues Against Youth – As The Tide Gets High And Low
Gary Mac – Disappointing Sophomore Effort
Morgan Wade – Reckless Deluxe Edition
Tracy Lawrence – Hindsight 2020, Volume 3: Angelina
Maya De Vitry – Violet Light
Dan Weber – The Way The River Goes

February 1st – Doug Adkins – A Cowboy’s Life

February 4th

Erin Rae – Lighten Up
Mason Jennings – Real Heart
Kate MacLeod – Uranium Maiden
Good Morning Bedlam – Lulu
Massy Ferguson – Joe’s Meat and Grocery
Chris Castino & Chicken Wire Empire – Fresh Pickles
Muscadine Bloodline – Dispatch to 16th Ave.
B.J. Thomas – In Remembrance: Love Songs and Lost Treasures
Handsome and the Humbles – 400 Cigarettes
Jana Pochop – The Astronaut
Aaron McDonnell – Too Many Days Like Saturday Night

February 11th

Jason Scott and the High Heat – Castle Rock
The Cactus Blossoms – One Day
Jane Bruce – My Bed
Matt North – Bullies in the Backyard
Old Salt – Live In Room 13 EP
Joe Nichols – Good Day for Living
Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert – The Flowers That Bloom in Spring
Rucksack Revolution – Self-Titled
Anne Elise Hastings – Unmasking A Confidence Trickster
Crimson Calamity – Wild Card EP

February 18

Infamous Stringdusters – Toward The Fray
Sarah Shook and the Disarmers – Nightroamer
Shovels & Rope – Manticore
Del McCoury Band – Almost Proud
Steve Poltz – Stardust & Satellites
The Pine Hearts – Lost Love Songs
Sarah Borges – Together Alone
Hurray for the Riff Raff – Life On Earth
Josh Mitcham – Nobody Asked For This
Whiskey West – Freight Train Mama
Lavender Country – Blackberry Rose
Dana Cooper – I Can Face The Truth
Dusty The Kid – Days of Love and Rage
Michael Lane – Take It Slow
Phil Madeira – Bliss

February 22nd

Joan Osborne – Radio Waves
Sylvia – Nature Child – A Dreamer’s Journey

February 25th

Band of Heathens – Remote Transmissions Vol. 1
Yonder Mountain String Band – Get Yourself Outside
The Wooks – Flyin’ High
The HawtThorns – Tarot Cards and Shooting Stars
Swamp Dogg – I Need a Job… So I Can Buy More Autotune
John Tyler Wiley – The Longing
Terry Klein – Good Luck, Take Care
Kenneth Brian Band – Keys To The Kingdom
Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters – The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
The Riley Family Band – La Vie de Riley
Dallas Wayne – Coldwater, Tennessee

February 28th – Dustin Dale Gaspard – Hoping Heaven Got a Kitchen

March 4th

The Dead South – Easy Listening for Jerks, Parts I & II
Matt Castillo – How The River Flows
Matt Andersen – House to House
Rhyan Sinclair – Letters to Aliens
Scott Metzger – Too Close To Reason
Jack Barksdale – Death of a Hummingbird
Declan O’Rourke – Arrivals (Deluxe Edition)
Jackie Bristow – Outsider
Dolly Parton – Run, Rose, Run
Nashvillains – Tumbling Down
Erinn Peet Lukes – EPL EP
Mike Compton – Rare & Fine – Uncommon Tunes of Bill Monroe
Jenny Tolman – Married in a Honky Tonk
Joe Purdy – Coyote
Loney Hutchins – Appalachia (reissue)
Rick Holstrom – Get It!
Charlie Sutton – Trout Takes

March 11th

The Georgia Satellites – Lightnin’ In A Bottle: The Official Live Album
Ned LeDoux – Buckskin
Jeremy Ivey – Invisible Pictures
Sometimes Y (Shooter Jennings & Yelawolf) – Make Me a Believer
Brock Davis – A Song Waiting To Be Sung
Drake White – The Optimystic
Scott Martin – Corner of the World
Hank Williams – I’m Gonna Sing (Mother’s Best Gospel Recordings)
Rune Walle & Gunn Alstadhaug – Byrdie´s Dream

March 15th

Last Train To Juarez – Some Road
Doug Adkins – A Cowboy’s Life

March 18th

Tejon Street Corner Thieves – Thick As Thieves
Randall King – Shot Glass
Hailey Whitters – Raised
Ray Wylie Hubbard – Co-Starring Too
Steve Dawson – Gone, Long Gone
The Edgar Loudermilk Band – The Dark Side of Lonesome
Jesper Lindell – Twilights
Deborah Allen – The Art of Dreaming
Jefferson Ross – Southern Currency
Jim Bachmann – Sitting Down Under the Moon

March 25th

Po’ Ramblin’ Boys – Never Slow Down
Chris Haddox – Self-Titled
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves – Hurricane Clarice
Ian Noe – River Fools & Mountain Saints
Hannah Bethel – Until The Sun Comes Back Around EP
Pretty Little Goat – Big Storm
Vaden Landers – Lock the Doors and Close the Blinds
The Wilder Blue – Self-Titled
John Berry – Find My Joy
Reba McEntire – My Chains Are Gone
Pretty Little Goat – Big Storm
William Lee Golden and The Goldens – Old Country Church, Country Roads, and Southern Accents
Jeremy Garrett – River Wild
Blake Dantier – Dry Season
Williams Clark Green – Baker Hotel

April 1

Paul Cauthen – Country Coming Down
Elliah Heifetz – First Generation American
Bobby Duncan – Maybe This Time
Matt Ryan – A Tiny Death
Jenna Rae – Country Lo-Fi
Molly Tuttle – Crooked Tree

April 8th

B. Knox – Far From Folk
Jack Broadbent – Ride
The Waymores – The Stone Sessions
Alias James – Free Country
River Whyless – Monoflora
Calexico – El Mirador
Amy Speace – Tucson
Warden and Co. – Somewhere
Orville Peck – Bronco
Erin Heist – From the Land of Rusted Dreams
Surrender Hill – Just Another Honky Tonk In A Quiet Western Town
Caitlyn Smith – High
Richard Schroder – Allegory
Dallas Ugly – Watch Me Learn
Tiny Dinosaur – Songs For The Mass Extinction Event
Carly Arrowood – Goin’ Home Comin’ On
Hill Figs – Lost Love & Hope
Emmét McGonagle – Carlin’s Farm
Bob Davoli – Hello Out There (John Prine Tribute)

April 13th – Jessica Willis Fisher – Brand New Day

April 15th

Justin Golden – Hard Times and a Woman
Derek Vanderhorst – Wildflower
Wheeler Walker Jr. – Sex. Drugs, and Country Music
David Quinn – Country Fresh
Drew Cooper – This Life
High Plains – Season for the Ghosts
Eric Paslay – Even If It Breaks Your Barefoot Friday Night
Matt Horan – You Ain’t Country

April 22nd

Old Crow Medicine Show – Paint This Town
Bonnie Raitt – Just Like That…
Aaron Skiles – Wreckage From The Fire
Abigail Lapell – Stolen Time
Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder – Get On Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
Trout Fishing in America – Safe House
Garrett Heath – The Losing End
Lynne Hanson – Ice Cream in November
Joshua Hedley – Neon Blue
Chris Brain – Bound To Rise
Barton Stanley David – Crest
Barney Bentall – Cosmic Dreamer
Charley Crockett – Lil G.L. Presents Jukebox Charley
Railroad Earth – All For The Song
Templeton Thompson – Get Back Up
Li’l Andy – The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter
Stephanie Quayle – Self-Titled

April 29th

Corb Lund – Songs My Friends Wrote
Kitchen Dwellers – Wise River
Angie Goeke – If I Were Honest
The Hypochondriacs – In 3/4
Wesley Dean – Unknown
Tommy Townsend – Southern Man
Kristofer Dommin & The Oztones – Self-Titled
Willie Nelson – A Beautiful Time
Caroline Spence – True North
Sarah Jane Nelson – Shelby Park
Erika Lewis – A Walk Around The Sun
Miranda Lambert – Palomino
The Coffis Brothers – Turn My Radio Up
The Little Roy & Lizzy Show – Welcome to the Show
Family Shiloh  – At The Cold Copper Ranch 
Alex Miller – Miller Time
Joe’s Truck Stop – Yonderings

May 2nd – Billy Bronstead – Rhythm, Racket, and Romance

May 6th

Tennessee Stiffs – Dearly Departed
Leyla McCalla – Breaking the Thermometer
Brennen Leigh – Obsessed With The West
Aaron Raitiere – Single Wide Dreamer
Lily Henley – Oras Dezaoradas
Midland – The Last Resort: Greetings From
The Americans – Stand True
Timothy B. Schmit – Day By Day
Eric Woodring – The Upside of Lonely
Valorie Miller – Only The Killer Would Know
James Lee Baker – Impressions (Covers Album)
Luke Winslow-King – If These Walls Could Talk
Kurt Deemer – Reclaim The Night
Steven Casper and Cowboy Angst – Hey!
Ryan Necci and The Buffalo Gospel – Battle Cry
Flatland Cavalry – Far Out West Sessions

May 7th – Bekkah McAlvage – Madrona

May 9th – Luca Chiappara – Where I Belong

May 12th

Luther Black and the Cold Hard Facts – Moment of Truth
Joseph Huber – The Downtowner

May 13th

Abbie Gardner – DobroSinger
Steve Forbert – Moving Through America
Mama’s Broke – Narrow Line
Christopher Lockett – At The Station
Joshua Dylan Balis – We’re On Fire
John Ingraham – Self-Titled
Maura Streppa – Singer and the Song
Silver Lining – Go Out Nowhere
Cody Tyler & Gypsy Convoy – Stare Your Demons Down
Wayne Willingham – Temptation Row
Trey Wellington – Black Banjo
D. Striker – Hullabaloo

May 20th

Zach Bryan – American Heartbreak
Thomas Dollbaum – Wellswood
Laney Wilson – Stories Up High
Avi Kaplan – Floating on a Dream
Shawn Williams – Wallowin’ in the Night
Nate Bergman – Metaphysical Change
Banditos – Right On
Seth Walker – I Hope I Know
Left Arm Tan – Undefeated
Heidi Talbot – Sing It For a Lifetime
Bryon White (of The Damn Quails) – Solo Album?
Suzie Brown – Some See The Flowers
Widespread Panic – Miss Kitty’s Lounge (demos)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Bad – Dirt Does Dylan
Cristina Vane – Make Myself Me Again
Cheryl Cawood – Bullet In The Cabin Wall
Secret Emchy Society – Gold Country / Country Gold
Jaelee Roberts – Something You Didn’t Count On
John Doe – Fables in a Foreign Land

May 27th

Matt Moran – Heartache Kid
Wilco – Cruel Country
Corner House – How Beautiful It’s Been
Mark Jones – Scars EP

June 3

The Bombadils – Dear Friend

THE RUMOR MILL

Randall King has an “underground” EP called Honky Tonk BS that he will only be selling at live shows.

IV and the Strange Band (Hank3’s son) have announced they have a debut album on the way called Southern Circus. No official release date or other details at the moment.

George Ducas has recorded a new album with Pete Anderson as producer. Stay tuned.

Gabe Lee, new album Spring of 2022.

American Aquarium recorded CHICAMACOMICO in November at the Sonic Ranch, Brad Cook producing. No release date just yet.

49 Winchester has signed with New West Records, and will also have new music on the way (read more).

Eric Strickland has a new album on the way called Testimony. He’s already released a six song EP called Prelude as part of the album.

Willi Carlisle has signed to Free Dirt Records. Expect an album in the summer.

The Tender Things will have a new album soon called That Texas Touch produced by Gordy Quist.

Carson McHone has signed with Merge Records, and has collaborated with Daniel Romano on a new record.

Jake Worthington has signed to Big Loud. New album in the works.

Shooter Jennings has begun releasing new songs from an album he recorded in 2017 called Over a Cocaine Rainbow. No solid release date for the album yet.

Sunny Sweeney has finished a new record. Expect more information soon.

Daniel Miller & The High Life will have a new album in 2022.

New David Quinn album potentially coming in mid spring.

The Wreckers (Michelle Branch, Jessica Harp) have been hinting they have a new record on the way.

William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys will release a succession of three albums with his sons under the name “The Goldens”— Old Country Church Gospel, Country Roads: Vintage Country Classics, Southern Accents: Pop & Country Rock. They’ve already released a few singles, but no solid release date just yet.

Victoria Bailey has a new album coming in 2022. New songs including “Rider in the Rain” out now.

William Clark Green said back in March of 2021 he was heading back in the studio. Don’t be surprised if we hear about new music from him soon.

Molly Tuttle will release a new album on Nonesuch Records in 2022. New single “She’ll Change” out now.

Brit Taylor has a new album on the way produced by Sturgill Simpson.

Channing Wilson has just announced he recorded an album with Dave Cobb.

Dalton Domino has a new album on the way from Lightning Rod Records called Arizona. No release date yet, but the first song “Wannabe” is out now.

Jason Hawk Harris, who was a refugee after Bloodshot Records went defunct, recently ran a crowdfunding campaign on Twitter, and promises he’ll be finishing up a new album soon.

Aaron Watson is set to release a new album this summer called Unwanted Man.

New album from the Turnpike Troubadours in 2022? Nothing official yet, but there’s a good chance we’ll get something.

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