Drake Milligan Preps New Album Amid a Massive Touring Year: ‘It’s a Great Time for Country Music’
We caught up with the rising star backstage at CMA Fest in Nashville.
Drake Milligan; Photo by Acacia Evans/CMA
Drake Milligan is a true road warrior. With a slew of tour dates on the books for this year, the rising star is showing no signs of slowing down and even has plans to release new music in the midst of a jam-packed year.
With his debut album, Dallas/Fort Worth and follow-up EP, Jukebox Songs, already out into the world, the Texas native has already proven his knack for delivering classic country music sounds and continues to find success with it. Although he admits to feeling a sense of apprehension when dropping new music.
“When we released Jukebox Songs, it was kind of my sophomore project, and we had Dallas/Fort Worth and some success with that. And so it was cool to kind of see people’s reaction because you never know. It’s like, ‘do I still have it?’ It’s like, ‘are people going to still like what I put out?’,” he shared with Country Now while backstage at CMA Fest following his performance on the Chevy Vibes stage.
Lucky for Milligan the fans have reacted to his music in the best way possible.
“They really have responded to and we play pretty much all those songs off that EP live and people will respond to every single one of ’em. So it’s cool to see and it is nice knowing that I can keep putting out music like that and that I love and people respond to it and it keeps the fan base growing,” he pointed out. “We’ve seen that kind of growth in the fan base since that EP and it makes me excited to get some new music out there too.”
Currently putting the finishing touches on a new record, the America’s Got Talent standout says he’s hoping to get the new music out “soon.”
“Hopefully people react to it in the same way they did jukebox songs,” he said.
Fans can expect more classic country sounds on Drake Milligan’s next record. The rising star counts George Strait and Elvis Presley—the King of Country and the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll—as his musical heroes so fans can also expect to hear those influences within his music.
“I don’t think we strayed too far from the more traditional country music that I love to make,” he told us. “I love to kind of pay homage to my roots and have some of those traditional country sounds in there, but at the same time it’s been so fun to go in there and make a full length record. I’ve been writing here for so many years. I’ve been in Nashville for seven or eight years now and some of these songs I wrote when I first moved to Nashville, some of ’em I wrote a few months ago.”
He continued, “And it is just been fun to kind of paint the edges and kind of bring in different influences, different country influences on these songs. And it’s just a great time for country music right now where I think the door’s open for stuff like that. So I’m excited to get it out there in the world and it’s kind of the first time I’ve been making music where I really feel like I know what I’m doing, which is a good feeling.”
So far this year, Milligan has spent time on the road with Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan. With a mix of opening slots and headlining dates on the books throughout the summer, he also hopes to test out some new music on the road.
“Me and the band are starting to really work up the new songs and we’re going to start trickling ’em out and playing some stuff. So if anybody comes out to a show, come out and see us. Hopefully there will be a new one,” he said with a smile.
Most recently, he joined Luke Bryan on the Country Song Came On Tour and soon, he’ll join Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind Tour.
“I’ve been a fan of Lainey’s for so long and she’s just so awesome. I’ve gotten to talk to her a few times and get to know her and she’s just a real deal and I’ve got to watch her at festivals and she’s such a real deal entertainer, just one of the best that’s doing it right now,” he said. “So to get to go on the road with her and really learn from her, I think it’s going to be awesome.”
For a full list of Drake Milligan’s upcoming tour dates, click HERE.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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