Stoney LaRue Announces New Album “Onward”

Few can claim direct involvement with the formation of Oklahoma’s distinct mix of country, rock, and roots music known affectionately as Red Dirt, and Stoney LaRue is one of them. Born in Taft, Texas and growing up in Southeastern Oklahoma, the brother of Bo Phillips once swept the floors at the Tumbleweed Dancehall in the Red Dirt epicenter of Stillwater, and lived in the “Yellow House” with Cody Canada and Jason Boland. Stoney released a ragtag of records early in his career until his 2011 album Velvet really put him on the map as his own man, charting on the Billboard country charts at #15.
Stoney LaRue has been a warrior of the Texas and Red Dirt touring circuit for nearly 20 years, and has contributed backing vocals to the recordings of Lee Ann Womack, Miranda Lambert, and others. Now he’s back with a new record called Onward set to be released on November 1st via One Chord Song/Smith Entertainment. The new record was produced by the award-winning Gary Nicholson, who also helped co-write 10 of the songs, and recorded Onward in his Nashville studio.
The title of the new album is intentional. In 2015, Stoney LaRue was swept up in a domestic dispute situation, even though the alleged victim said the reports were overblown. Nonetheless, the incident wasn’t pretty, and the poor publicity overshadowed the release of his last album of original material called Aviator in 2014. Now Stoney is ready to turn over a new leaf.
“I’m now getting back to being happy,” LaRue says. “I’ve been writing a lot and figuring out what direction I am going in. That’s why this album is called ‘Onward.’ It’s a more mature album written about myself, humanity and the truth. The writing of it turned out to be medicine that didn’t have to be prescribed.”
It’s no accident that the album starts off with the song “Fallin’ and Flyin'” that was written by Gary Nicholson and was first performed by Jeff Bridges on the 2009 film Crazy Heart. “I never meant to hurt no one/I just had to have my way/if there’s such a thing as too much fun/this must be the price you pay,” the song goes.
There is also a duet with the legendary Tanya Tucker, who is experiencing her own resurgence ahead of the release of her new album While I’m Livin’. “It’s about the idea of reciprocity in a relationship, of yin and yang,” LaRue says of the duet entitled “Meet Me In The Middle.” “You want to think that everything’s supposed to be equal and find the balance, but it never turns out that way, does it? It’s always a shift of power.”
Ahead of the new album, Stoney LaRue has released a new song called “Hill Country Boogaloo” which is already doing well on Texas regional radio (listen below). Onward is now available for pre-order.
August 20, 2019 @ 6:40 pm
Looking forward to this release. Hopefully the song You Outta Know Me by Now will be on it as it is a great tune!! Love Bridges version of Fallin and Flyin, so I am sure Stoney will knock it out of the park.
August 20, 2019 @ 8:19 pm
It’s on there! Don’t have a full track list for this yet, but that song is included.
August 21, 2019 @ 6:17 pm
Awesome, good to know!! Thanks!
September 25, 2019 @ 9:24 am
Hey, can you tell me who’s the bass player is?
August 20, 2019 @ 6:48 pm
Yes!! Loved ‘Aviator’!
August 20, 2019 @ 6:55 pm
Not saying I don’t think people deserve second chances but it’s like people forgot this guy abused his wife…. I used to be a major fan but I could never really listen to his music the same way and it was a major reason he has been left off of many Festival lineups and I think it’s just to do so.
August 20, 2019 @ 10:06 pm
No, Wes, that’s EXACTLY what you’re saying! It’s people like yourself that throw around phrases like “forgot this guy abused his wife…” that directly keep Stoney off of festival lineups. Now, if you were witness to him “abusing his wife”, by all means enlighten us. Until then, grown men really shouldn’t speak on what they don’t truly know.
August 21, 2019 @ 12:16 am
I believe in redemption, but your comment is shit.
August 21, 2019 @ 8:09 am
There’s a part of me that agrees wholeheartedly with you, but there’s another part of me that understands that every single human being is capable of becoming an abuser if they make the wrong succession of bad decisions. If he appears to have righted the ship, I’m open to his music, and people should be open to it as well. It’s his wife (hopefully his former wife, considering the circumstances) that has to try to forgive him if he’s taking the right steps, not us.
He certainly shouldn’t have a partner at this point in life, but why can’t he make music for others to enjoy?
August 21, 2019 @ 9:51 am
He was found not guilty. It was a girlfriend that made the claim, not a wife.
August 21, 2019 @ 10:02 am
Look, Stoney got swept up in a bad situation, and it doesn’t look good, and I’m not going to come on here and defend him. That said, I reported on that incident extensively. Even the girlfriend who was allegedly abused said the media reports had overblown it, and as Cristop says, he was found not guilty. Did Stoney still put himself in an unsavory situation? He probably did, and he’s paid the price. But unless there was a specific reason to believe this guy is a hunk of garbage and a serial abuser—of which there is absolutely none—I think we should move “Onward” like it appears Stoney is trying to do through the healing power of music (not to sound trite).
Also for the festival thing: I’ve seen him perform at numerous festivals lately. I think most people have moved on from the incident, understand that Stoney was being more stupid than abusive at the worst. If something comes up again with him, forgiveness will not be as quick. But for now, let’s understand we all make mistakes, and focus on the music.
That’s my opinion.
August 23, 2019 @ 9:22 am
There are some nuances and semantics at play, but words are important. There is a difference in an “incident” and “abuse”. Both can be against the law and have repercussions. Abuse is a pattern that will refuse to change. To label anybody after a one-time event an abuser is not accurate.
I’ve arrested literally hundreds of people for striking significant others, children, parents, whatever. I’m still involved in it. Not all of them were abusers or people that I would write off, because they were able to see the repurcussions of their actions and use the system as a way to pay the price and change their behavior. Then there were those who were just trash and were not correctable. To allow one incident to crowd out a lifetime of effort is wrong. So, a person is arrested and then he’s expected to not make a living and live on dirt and water the rest of his life? Let me point out that this is not for serial abusers or those that see no culpability for their actions – that is a different application.
So, add in the fact that he was not found guilty, and the woman stated that it was overblown, allow him some to rebuild his life and career. Do not shoot your wounded.
I’m looking forward to the album by the way, and like what I hear from him.
August 21, 2019 @ 5:51 am
Wow, this comment section went off the rails a whole lot quicker that I imagined. Speaking just for me, I’m looking forward to new music from Stoney.
August 21, 2019 @ 6:29 am
Me too. You’ve got to be able to separate the artist from the art. I don’t know this man, but I know good songs. He’s got a bunch.
August 21, 2019 @ 8:20 am
I find it a lot easier to separate art from artist when the artist is dead, and thus I’m not directly supporting them by buying or streaming or whatever. A man that lays hands on a woman is no man at all.
August 21, 2019 @ 7:55 am
On Velvet and Aviator, I think Stoney co-wrote every song with Mando Saenz, except for Wiregrass with Adam Hood, and now Gary Nicholson co-wrote 10 of the songs. I’ll reserve judgment until I hear Onward, but I thought one of the problems with Velvet and Aviator is that I was listening to a Mando album sung by Stoney. I hope Onward doesn’t have the same problem.
Couldn’t help but notice that this is through One Chord Song. I assume that means he was dropped by whatever label he signed onto. Hopefully that means less restrictions as to co-writes and sound on future albums.
August 21, 2019 @ 8:59 am
Tanya Tucker? I’ll buy it!
August 21, 2019 @ 11:49 am
Really looking forward to this album. Won’t lie, I wasn’t a huge fan of “The Red Dirt Album” but I loved “Velvet” and “Aviator” and thought “Us Time” was an incredibly underrated album. Looking forward to this new release.
September 4, 2019 @ 2:35 pm
Who are the band members behind Stoney Larue? Can’t wait to see him and hear new music in Little Rock!
October 5, 2019 @ 2:00 pm
I feel compelled to speak for Stoney’s character after a recent encounter. I went to a concert hoping for the opportunity to seek permission to use lyrics from a Stoney LaRue song on a bench we are placing to honor my husband who has a rare cancer with no known cure. He met with fans right after the concert and I hurriedly pled my case as our photo was snapped. He asked if we would wait a few minutes and then visit with him on his bus. He not only gave us permission to use the lyrics on the bench but also demonstrated genuine care, concern and interest in my husband’s experience with cancer. He spent unhurried time with us and was humble and kind. By the way, the bench reads, “Stay for a while, sit down easy” and is a place we are making memories. It is on the Scout Mountain Nature Trail on Scout Mountain outside Pocatello, Idaho.
October 5, 2019 @ 2:23 pm
Thanks for the story Rhonda.