Chris Stapleton Releases Gritty Country Rocker, ‘Arkansas’

With just three weeks until the release of his long-awaited new album, Starting Over, Chris Stapleton is giving fans another…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 23, 2020

9:28 am

Chris Stapleton; Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images

With just three weeks until the release of his long-awaited new album, Starting Over, Chris Stapleton is giving fans another taste of the project with the debut of a brand new song called “Arkansas.”

The country/rock-infused tune documents a road trip through Arkansas and was previously teased during Stapleton’s All-American Road Show Tour.

“Gotta get down, gotta get down to Arkansas/ Havin’ so much fun that it’s probably a little bit against the law/ All the boys and the girls down there sure do know how to have a ball/ If you wanna get down, gotta get down to Arkansas,” Stapleton croons on the guitar-heavy chorus.

The Grammy-winner artist co-wrote “Arkansas” with legendary musician Mike Campbell. It’s the third song Stapleton has unveiled from his forthcoming project, following “Cold” and the title track, “Starting Over.”

The album, which will be available beginning November 13, was completed in late February just before the lockdown began. Starting Over was produced by Stapleton’s longtime collaborator Dave Cobb and recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional work done at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio). The record features Cobb on acoustic guitar, vocals and tambourine from his beloved wife Morgane, as well as his bandmates J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel), as well as the All Voices Choir also appear on the record.

Click above to listen to “Arkansas.”

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.