Colin Stough Talks Vulnerability And Sharing Real-Life Stories In His New EP ‘Lookin’ For Home’ [Exclusive]

American Idol alum Colin Stough follows up his debut EP, Promiseland, with six authentic new songs that tackle real-life experiences on his just-released project, Lookin’ For Home.

The creative EP out Friday, July 12, carries Stough into the next stage of his career, one that finds him opening up his heart and allowing listeners to take a good hard look at the ups and downs he has faced as a person, in hopes that they will find common ground in their own everyday struggles. 

“I really just wanted to tell a story about my life and how it’s been. I think we really nailed it. Looking for Home is a really good EP, it’s a really good project. We’re very proud of it. I’m proud of all the producers, all the writers that are on the EP and I’m ready for the world to hear it,” he shared in an interview with Country Now. 

Stough serves as a featured writer on each of the six tracks, allowing him to hone in on his mission in a way that is personal to him and his story. The 19 Recordings/BMG Nashville artist stands up tall with pure honesty and vulnerability as he starts with the lighthearted, summertime energy of “Boat Somewhere,” before moving onto the loneliness of heartbreak of “Makes Two Of Us” and the desperate desire to return home on the EP’s focus track, “Amen,” which was inspired by his less-than-desirable experience living in L.A.

“We wrote it because that moment in my life was kind of like a blessing for me…‘Amen’ is really one of the main heartfelt songs that I feel the most. It’s just a great song,” he shared with pride. “Luckily, I wrote it with a group of guys who understood where I was coming from and we really hit the nail on the head with that one.”

The second half of the project deals with even more everyday themes in “Sober” and “Outside Lookin’ In” as he depicts the painful effects of a relationship ending and realizes not all love can be resurrected.

Illustrating The Struggles Of Life On The Road In “Lookin’ Back Home”

For the sixth and final song, Stough dives into the title track. Penned by the emerging artist alongside Rivers Rutherford and Lewis Brice, “Lookin’ For Home” speaks to the hard-working folk who spend most of their time away on the road, causing them to miss out on what’s happening without them back home. 

“There’s a lot of individuals out there that work on the road and I just really wanted to focus on that. Whether you’re an artist, a writer, a pipeliner, whatever you do for a living, if you’re on the road, I feel like you can relate to this because it’s not always fun and easy waking up and leaving your kids or leaving your wife. The track itself is focusing on, ‘I hate leaving my people, but look what I’ve done.’”

Stough Hopes His Vulnerability Will Help Others

While listening to the entire project, track-by-track, it’s clear that Stough dives into plenty of heavy topics that require him to wear his heart on his sleeve and reflect on emotions deeper than he ever has before. In doing so, he hopes fans will find some courage of their own and find his music to be a safe space to open up about their own struggles. 

“As an artist, I have trouble sometimes showing my vulnerable side to a good crowd of people, but I’m working on that because I know if I can really get over that challenge, I feel like it might help some others. And the more vulnerable I can be with my music, the more I think will help people open up and think, ‘You know, he’s going through the same stuff I am.’”

Personal News: Engagement

The Mississippi native has a lot to celebrate at the moment. Along with the release of his Lookin’ For Home, he is still reeling from the excitement of getting engaged to his beautiful fiancée, Mckenzie Rhett. 

“Me and her are very blessed with the life we get to live and the memories we get to make and the people we get to meet. I’m very thankful for her. She definitely kicks me in the butt sometimes when I need to keep going.”

As for the wedding planning, Stough is happy to leave the heavy lifting to his other half while he eagerly awaits the day he finally gets to walk down the aisle. 

“I’m going to be honest with you, that’s all hers. I did my part. She’s doing hers now. I told her, just tell me what time I need to be there, I’ll be there.”

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Giving Back To The Fans

With many more shows on the horizon, Colin Stough vows to give every opportunity 100 percent in order to keep growing day after day alongside his band.  

 “We’re the kind of guys that when something like this happens, we’re not gonna be 50 percent or anything like that. We’re gonna really take advantage of it and give it all we got to better ourselves and feel good about ourselves at night when we lay down to know that we gave everything we had for the fans.”

To see where Stough will be performing next, visit officialcolinstough.com.