Darius Rucker Finds His Place In Country Music With ‘Carolyn’s Boy,’ His First Solo Album In Six Years
Rucker unveiled the album release date and track list early Friday morning.
Darius Rucker; Photo By Andrew Wendowski
Darius Rucker just announced that his first solo album in six years, Carolyn’s Boy, will be released on October 6 and also unveiled the 14-song track list.
Rucker shared the news on Friday morning after previously revealing that the project will serve as a tribute to his late mother.
“I wanted to name the record Carolyn’s Boy because Mom never got to see any of my success,” Rucker explained during a previous “TODAY” interview. “She died before any of this happened, so it’s just another homage to the greatest woman I’ve ever known.”
When questioned about the timing of the nod to his mom, Rucker looked back on his journey and admitted, “Years ago, I wasn’t quite certain about my place in Country music, and I was in search of it. But now, I’ve discovered it, and I believe it’s time to acknowledge that achievement.”
Carolyn’s Boy features 11 tracks co-written by Rucker as well as songs written by some of Nashville’s most sought-after songwriters such as Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman, Ben Hayslip, Michael Hardy (HARDY), and more. Ed Sheeran also contributed to the project. See below for the complete track list.
Carolyn’s Boy Track List
1. Beers And Sunshine (Darius Rucker, JT Harding, Josh Osborne, Ross Copperman)
2. In This Together (Darius Rucker, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick, Joy Williams)
3. Never Been Over (Darius Rucker, Lee Thomas Miller, John Osborne)
4. Fires Don’t Start Themselves (Ben Hayslip, Jacob Rice, Dan Isbell)
5. Ol’ Church Hymn feat. Chapel Hart (Darius Rucker, Greylan James, Ben Hayslip, Josh Miller)
6. 7 Days (Darius Rucker, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, Charles Kelley)
7. Same Beer Different Problem (Darius Rucker, Topher Brown, Sarah Buxton, Brad Tursi)
8. Sara (Darius Rucker, Joel Crouse, Kyle Rife, Ed Sheeran)
9. Have A Good Time (Darius Rucker, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick)
10. Sure Would Have Loved Her (Darius Rucker, Wyatt Durrette, Levi Lowrey)
11. Southern Comfort (Chris LaCorte, Matt Rogers, Josh Osborne)
12. 3am in Carolina (Darius Rucker, Ross Copperman, Michael Hardy)
13. Lift Me Up (Temilade Openiyi, Robyn Fenty, Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Goransson)
14. Stargazing (Darius Rucker, Brinley Addington, Jess Cayne, Matt Morrisey)
“Have A Good Time”
To celebrate the album news, Rucker gave fans a taste of what’s to come on the project with the release of the brand new song, “Have A Good Time.”
Co-written by the South Carolina native alongside Monty Criswell, Derek George, and Bobby Hamrick the song is a breezy, carefree anthem that finds Rucker reminding listeners to enjoy life to its fullest.
“Have a few hell yeahs/ Have some back porch hallelujahs/ Sipping on a sunset/ Where the good Lord’s talking to you/ Ride the lows, chase the highs/ Fall in love and love this life/ Place your bets, no regrets/ And don’t forget to have a good time,” he sings.
The song follows the release of Rucker’s latest single, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves,” which is at country radio now.
“Fires Don’t Start Themselves”
On September 1, Rucker will perform songs from his new project as well as some of his biggest hits during a special performance on NBC’s TODAY Show as part of the Citi Concert Series.
On Tour
Darius Rucker is currently in the midst of his Starting Fires Tour, which kicked off on June 15 at Elmwood Park Amphitheatre in Roanoke, Virginia and continues through October 14, where the trek will wrap up in Nashville, Tennessee at Ascend Amphitheater.
The stint features support from Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors as well as rising country star Drew Green.
Additionally, the country hitmaker will bring his new music to his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina during his personally-curated Riverfront Revival Music Festival as it returns for a second year on album release weekend (Oct. 7 & 8).
The Riverfront Revival Music Festival is set to showcase the best of both country and rock music and will feature performances from Rucker as well as the Turnpike Troubadours, Lainey Wilson, Band of Horses, Niko Moon, Megan Moroney, Elvie Shane, Carter Faith and more.
In addition to music, the concert event will also include the finest in food, arts and culture the Lowcountry has to offer.
In celebration of his new album announcement, the Riverfront Revival Music Festival is offering a limited allotment of six-pack general admission weekend ticket bundles. The sale allows fans to bundle and save $15 per pass while supplies last at RiverfrontRevival.com.
Darius Rucker Tour Dates
August
4 — Bridgeport, Conn. — Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
5 — Farmingville, N.Y. — Catholic Health Amphitheater at Bald Hill ^
10 — Sterling Heights, Mich. — Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
11 — Milwaukee, Wis. — BMO Pavilion
12 — Maryland Heights, Mo. — Saint Louis Music Park
18 — Irvine, Calif. — FivePoint Amphitheatre
19 — Stateline, Nev. — Lake Tahoe Harveys Outdoor Arena
23 — Los Angeles, Calif. — The Greek Theatre
25 — San Diego, Calif. — Gallagher Square at Petco Park
26 — Highland, Calif. — Yaamava’ Resort & Casino ^#
September
8 — Durant, Okla. — Choctaw Casino & Resort – Grand Theater #
9 — Durant, Okla. — Choctaw Casino & Resort – Grand Theater #
October
7 & 8 — Charleston, S.C. — The Riverfront Revival Music Festival
14 — Nashville, Tenn. — Ascend Amphitheater
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.
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