This week’s collection of new music features a somber new track from Eric Church, who has set his upcoming album, Evangeline Vs. The Machine, for May. Jeannie Seely welcomes Hannah Dasher and Tiera Kennedy for a new collaboration, while Lukas Nelson, Valerie June and Riley Roth offer new music.
Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country, Americana and bluegrass songs of the week below.
Eric Church, “Hands of Time”
Horns, guitars, passionate choral voices and Eric Church’s signature swaggering voice swirl together on this new release written by Church and Scooter Carusoe. The song builds into a punchy, rock-fueled anthem as Church sings of turning to simple pleasures — particularly music — to fend off the impact of the passing decades. “We ain’t as young as we used to be, but young at heart is so easy/ When you let some loud guitars and words and rhymes handle the hands of time,” he sings, giving praise to artists including Kris Kristofferson, Tom Petty and Bob Seger; suitably, the sound of a ticking clock winds down the song. “Hands of Time” is from Church’s upcoming new album, Evangeline Vs. The Machine, out May 2.
Lukas Nelson, “Ain’t Done”
After parting ways with his longtime band Promise of the Real in 2024, Lukas Nelson transitions into his first solo outing with “Ain’t Done,” from his upcoming debut solo album American Romance, out June 20 on Sony Music Nashville. Written by Nelson and Aaron Raitiere, “Ain’t Done” pulls back on the hard-charging, full-band sound, opting for a more bare-bones sound bolstered by slabs of fiddle. He looks at life’s various shifts with an even-keeled perspective, in a song that seems in some ways to mirror his own current season of musical transition. “There’s a guarantee with every evening sun/ Nothing lasts and God ain’t done,” he sings. Though in a newly solo venture, Nelson’s new music still brims with the insightful songwriting and grizzled voice he’s known for.
Valerie June, “Sweet Things Just For You”
Valerie June previews her upcoming album Owls, Omens and Oracles (out April 11 on Concord Records) with this musical collaboration with Norah Jones (on backing vocals) and producer M. Ward. Breezy and straightforward, this romantic track finds June singing about absorbing the light and positivity from a significant other, and desiring to mirror that love and affection back toward them. Plucked guitar bolsters this sweetly sung piece of sincere affection, which offers a charming glimpse into June’s upcoming project.
Jeannie Seely, Hannah Dasher and Tiera Kennedy, “Who Needs You”
“Miss Country Soul” Jeannie Seely, who has performed more than 5,400 times on the Grand Ole Opry during her 58-year career, teams with a new generation of country artists — Tiera Kennedy and Hannah Dasher — on this twangy post-breakup anthem that feels perfectly suited for a girls’ night out. Written by Seely, “Who Needs You” features the three entertainers musing that 100-proof whiskey, a new romance and some moments of recreational smoking are all preferred alternatives to returning to an ex-lover. Seely’s voice brings in a slice of gritty wisdom, Dasher’s vocal purrs with sweetness, while Dasher offers up both humor and wit. “Who Needs You” is one of a slate of collaborations Seely is releasing, including work with Mae Estes (“Let’s Get Together”) and Madeline Edwards (“Anyone Who Knows What Love is (Will Understand)”).
Riley Roth, “Right Where We Left Off”
After releasing the 2024 TikTok wedding anthem “Give Me Away,” Riley Roth returns with a sentimental new song centered on paying homage to unbreakable friendship. Time and distance can’t chip away at the rock-solid bond these friends have forged over years of supporting each other through heartbreak, life pivots and a host of trials and triumphs. This sweetly sentimental track and churning, bubbly instrumentation fits her soft, conversational voice well. “Right Where We Left Off” was written by Roth with Lauren McLamb and Kyle Schlienger.
