Ella Langley Reveals the One-of-a-Kind Gift She Handpicked For Eric Church

In February, Ella Langley hit the road supporting Eric Church on his Free the Machine 2026 Tour. After wrapping up her few opening dates, she shared that she had given him a very special gift as a thank you for the opportunity.

This weekend, the songstress co-hosted Country Countdown U.S.A. with Lon Helton, where she shared that it wasn’t just any gift, it was something handpicked just for Church that she stumbled upon while on the hunt for some new antiques.  

“I randomly got him a pocket watch at an antique store,” she revealed. “I gave it to him. It was like a pocket watch from the 20s, with a gold chain connected to a pocket knife.”

The best part of the gift was that it almost like it had been made for the country superstar. When she got it, she discovered that the back already had a letter “E” engraved on it.

“So that was cool,” Langley added.

Their time on the road together kicked off on February 5 in Omaha, NE, and spanned six stops, coming to an end with in back-to-back shows in New York on February 13 and 14. During the Buffalo, NY show, which kicked off her final weekend on the tour, the Alabama native joined Church on stage for a standout duet of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.”

Videos of the performance quickly circulated online, with fans raving that Langley “crushed it” and leaving everyone eager and hopeful for more music from the country acts.

@ericchurch A few weeks ago on the Free the Machine Tour, @Ella Langley ♬ original sound – Eric Church

She also revealed that during a rare moment of down time on the trek, Church took the chance to offer her some wisdom on her rapidly rising career and how to stay grounded amid the chaos of the music industry.

“He told me, ‘When this thing gets weird, make it about the music.’ He said, ‘I’ll never make another ‘Chief.’ That was it. You get one ‘Chief,’ and that’s what it is.’  Then he’s on to the next thing.”  

Langley is definitely making great strides with her music right now as her hit “Choosin’ Texas” recently made history. It claimed the No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making her the first woman to lead the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, and Country Airplay charts simultaneously. It also rose to the top of the Mediabase Country Audience, Billboard Country Streaming Songs chart, Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart, SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Countdown, and UK Country Radio.

Reflecting on the song’s success, she wrote, “I can’t thank y’all enough for what you’ve done with this song, it blows my mind every single day. Here’s to women & country music ♥️”

Fans are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new album, Dandelion, dropping April 10. Early releases like “Be Her,” “Choosin’ Texas” and the title track all offer a look into the upcoming collection.

Following her run with Church, Ella Langley has a short break before returning to the road in May to launch her 2026 headlining tour

“Be Her” arrives following the announcement of Langley’s new album, Dandelion, arriving April 10, and dates for her 2026 headline tour. Named after her new album, the 16-date trek continues through August.