Album of the Month (May 2017): Chris Stapleton, ‘From A Room, Volume 1′
The Boot's readers have spoken: Chris Stapleton's From A Room, Volume 1 is May 2017's Album of the Month!
One of two new projects that Stapleton will release in 2017, From A Room, Volume 1 is the country star's sophomore album. The record follows his highly acclaimed freshman disc, Traveller, and is being released on May 5, two years to the day after Stapleton released Traveller.
Stapleton first announced his intentions for his sophomore album in mid-February, when sharing All-American Road Show tour details; however, at that time, all he revealed was the project's release date -- no title, no track listing, no nothing. Stapleton debuted one of From A Room, Volume 1's tracks a month and a half later -- he sang “Second One to Know” at the 2017 ACM Awards -- but no additional details about the record were revealed until a few days after the ACMs.
On April 6, Stapleton announced From A Room, Volume 1's title, track listing and other details; at that time, he also revealed that a second record, From A Room, Volume 2, is due out later in 2017.
From A Room: Volume 1 contains nine songs. Stapleton co-wrote eight of them, with writers such as Kendall Marvel, Craig Wiseman, Shawn Camp and Stapleton’s former Steeldrivers bandmate Mike Henderson. In addition to "Second One to Know," those songs include “Broken Halos,” which Stapleton has performed live a few times.
The non-Stapleton-penned song on From A Room: Volume 1 is “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning.” The tune was written by Gary P. Nunn and Donna Sioux Farar and originally made popular by Willie Nelson: Nelson released the song in 1982 as the third single from his Always on My Mind album, and it hit No. 2 on Billboard‘s country charts.
A first single from From A Room, Volume 1 has not yet been officially released; however, reports state that it will be the song “Either Way.” Stapleton wrote "Either Way" along with Tim James and Kendell Marvel; it originally appeared on Lee Ann Womack‘s Call Me Crazy record.
A complete track listing for From A Room: Volume 1 is available below; it is being released via Mercury Nashville and was co-produced by Stapleton and Dave Cobb (the two co-produced Traveller as well). The record is available for pre-order on iTunes.
From A Room, Volume 1 received 47 percent of the votes in The Boot's May 2017 Album of the Month poll. Stapleton bested the Zac Brown Band, Rascal Flatts, Justin Townes Earle and more to win the May 2017 Album of the Month title.
Chris Stapleton, From A Room, Volume 1 Track Listing:
1. “Broken Halos” (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
2. “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning” (Gary P. Nunn, Donna Sioux Farar)
3. “Second One to Know” (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
4. “Up to No Good Livin’” (Chris Stapleton and Casey Beathard)
5. “Either Way” (Chris Stapleton, Tim James, Kendall Marvel)
6. “I Was Wrong” (Chris Stapleton, Craig Wiseman)
7. “Without Your Love” (CHris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
8. “These Stems” (Chris Stapleton, Jimmy Stewart, Shawn Camp)
9. “Death Row” (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
More of 2017's New Album Releases