Walker Montgomery Announces ‘Rust’ EP, Debuts ‘Blue Eyed Blue Jean Gone’ Lyric Video

When his Simple Town EP dropped in 2018,  Walker Montgomery was just a freshman in college with a passion for music. Now at 22 years old, that passion remains, and the rising star is ready to show fans what he’s been working on with the upcoming release of his new EP, Rust. 

After years of songwriting and releasing compelling singles, Montgomery’s new six-song project will be available on Friday, March 25. While several tracks from the EP have already been released, there’s one in particular – “Blue Eyed Blue Jean Gone” – that has already sparked excitement from fans after Montgomery teased snippets on social media.    

Stepping away from rehearsals for his shows in his home state of Kentucky, Montgomery sat down with Country Now from his truck to chat about “Blue Eyed Blue Jean Gone” and what fans can expect from the EP. 

Since moving to Nashville to dive headfirst into his music career, Montgomery has had the chance to experience new things, set new goals and do a lot of songwriting, all while keeping his Kentucky roots close to his heart. 

“I’ve evolved as a person…living in Nashville, it’s shown me a lot of things,” he admitted. “It really made me realize how lucky I was to grow up in Kentucky and have the values that my family, my mom, my dad, grandparents instilled in me while I was growing up. So that really dials into the personal side of this EP.”

Rust features songs recorded over the last few years, including fan favorites “She’s Don’t Know,” “Out of Nowhere” and “Bad Day To Be A Beer.”

The heartfelt “She’s Don’t Know,” has been popular for Montgomery both on streaming services and in front of a live audience. “It has done really well for me,” he shared about the love song. “Every show, whether it’s acoustic or full band, it seems like more people are singing along.”

He added, “I’m just excited to get a bundle of music, instead of just singles out there, for the first time in a long time.” 

Montgomery nearly missed out on the chance to record the title track, written by Ashley Gorley, Nicolle Galyon and Brandon Lay. At the time, another artist had the song on hold, but fortunately, it was made available again, allowing Montgomery the chance to record it. Due to the delay, he’s been holding onto “Rust” for quite some time. 

“I said, ‘I’m cutting it, I don’t care what anybody says.’ That has had a place in my heart for a long time, so ‘Rust’ is probably my favorite off the new EP,” he revealed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Every song on the EP and every song that I record or write in general, I try to make relatable,” he continued, speaking about the inspiration behind the six-track project. “I’m a pretty simple guy, so if it’s relatable to me, it’s most likely going to be relatable to a lot of people out there. The song ‘Rust’ is just about your hometown and everything that’s in my hometown of Nicholasville, KY that I grew up with. The hook is, ‘there ain’t nothing wrong with a little bit of rust’ and paint fades, and things get a little worn down, but they’re almost just as good that way.”

In addition to Gorley, Lay and Galyon, many renowned songwriters and friends of Montgomery had a hand in the making of the relatable collection, including Rhett Akins, Corey Crowder, Morgan Wallen, and more. 

“I’m blessed to have a bunch of good writers on this EP…It’s really fun for me to have people I’m friends with and people that I really respect as writers on these tracks,” he acknowledged. 

When choosing these six songs, Montgomery’s strategy was to listen carefully to the story that the lyrics told, paying attention to how they made him feel and imagining how his fans will interpret the songs. 

Before social media, the best way to test out new songs was to perform them in front of a live crowd and take note of the reactions they got. Now, social media provides a new medium for teasing unreleased music. Montgomery decided to dip his toe into the world of TikTok after seeing how well it has served other artists. He began posting snippets of himself singing the track “Blue Eyed Blue Jean Gone” from his truck. So far, his experiment has turned out to be a success. He’s received an abundance of positive reactions from those who viewed it, meaning others are loving the track as much as he did when the song was first brought to him.

@walkermontgomery So y’all think I should drop this one? #blueeyedbluejeangone #unreleased #newmusic #fyp ♬ original sound – Walker Montgomery

“When I first heard the demo, what really hit me was the music aspect of it. In the chorus, it’s kinda got a little drum beat that’s a bit more rocky than I’ve really ever done before, especially at the end,” he explained. “So, that is what really caught my ear at first listen. After that, we played it live a few times and had a good response.” 

Fans can get the first look at the song and the meaning behind the words in the stylish lyric video, which writes out the story on a frayed denim background. Along with creating video for a fun new way to relate to the song, Montgomery also felt that it allows listeners to clearly understand the lyrics, which in his opinion, could get lost in his charming Kentucky drawl from time to time. 

“It’s just a feel-good song,” he said as he reveals great anticipation for its release. “It’s got that, ‘She Don’t Know’ aspect of it where it’s kind of sweet but it’s also got the hometown vibes in it and I just think it’s a really good song for the country boy that has their small-town girl driving around in their truck.”

Rust will drop in its entirety on March 25. Tonight, Montgomery will play his first full show of the year in the best place he could thing of, his hometown in Kentucky. According to the “Simple Town” singer, “live music has come back stronger and better than ever” and he’s ready to hear fans sing his new music along with him.

1) Rust

Written by: Ashley Gorley, Nicolle Galyon, Brandon Lay

2) My Hometowns Fault

Written By: Rhett Akins, Jessi Alexander, Jameson Rodgers, Warren Haynes

3) Blue Eyed Blue Jean Gone

Written by: Jameson Rodgers, Ben Hayslip, Jessi Alexander

4) She Don’t Know

Written By: Dallas Davidson, Kyle Fishman, Michael Ray

5) Out Of Nowhere

Written by: Corey Crowder, Jared Mullens, Morgan Wallen, Joey Hyde

6) Bad Day To Be A Beer

Written by: Brock Berryhill, Cole Taylor, Dallas Davidson, Ray Fulcher