Hardy Announces Second Album, ‘The Mockingbird & The Crow,’ Drops Three New Songs
Hardy will braid country and rock genres on his upcoming sophomore album, The Mockingbird & the Crow, which is due out on Jan. 20. He announced the project on Monday (Oct. 10), explaining that its larger scope reflects the full range of his artistic identity.
"The Mockingbird & the Crow is, in my opinion, the best thing I've made so far," the singer says in a statement. "I had a lot of time to get in the weeds making this record with some of my favorite people in Nashville, and it truly captures every part of who I am as an artist. I'm honored that I get to share it with you next year; can't wait to hear what you think about it."
Hardy co-wrote every song on the 17-track collection, which includes his current single, "Wait in the Truck," a duet with Lainey Wilson, as well as another previously-released song called "Jack" and the hard-rocking "Sold Out." There are two more yet-to-be-released duets on the project: Hard rocker Jeremy McKinnon, best known as the frontman for A Day to Remember, lends vocals to "Radio Song," while Hardy's close friend and frequent touring and songwriting partner Morgan Wallen will appear on a track called "Red."
In addition to the forthcoming songs, Hardy previewed the project on Monday morning with not one but three new releases. Those new tracks — "Truck Bed," "Here Lies Country Music" and the title track, "The Mockingbird & the Crow" — showcase the sonic range fans can expect to hear on the album as a whole.
While "Here Lies Country Music" is packed with twang and a front-and-center lyric, for example, "Truck Bed" showcases Hardy's hard rocker side. Meanwhile, "The Mockingbird & the Crow" is autobiographical, detailing Hardy's journey from his upbringing in small-town Mississippi to his first publishing deal as a publisher to his eventual shift into putting out music of his own, and finding an artistic voice that — while it might not always fit the parameters of what the country music industry typically expects from its artists — has found a warm welcome with his ever-growing fan base.
"And I refuse to be another / Mockingbird with a microphone / I'll fly the line I choose to, brother / Even if that makes me the crow," he sings in the song's lyrics.
When he announced his new project, Hardy hopped on Instagram Stories to tell fans that he'd considered pushing the album rollout amid his recovery from a tour bus crash that took place early in October.
Ultimately, however, he decided to move ahead with the release as scheduled. He also told fans that both he and the three other people involved in the crash are "on the upswing" as they continue to recover from their injuries.
Hardy, The Mockingbird & the Crow Tracklist:
1. "Beer" (Michael Hardy, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps)
2. "Red" feat. Morgan Wallen (Michael Hardy, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Jacob Rice)
3. "Wait in the Truck" feat. Lainey Wilson (Michael Hardy, Renee Blair, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt) ^
4. "Drink One for Me" (Michael Hardy, David Garcia, Hunter Phelps)
5. "I in Country" (Michael Hardy, Smith Ahnquist, Nick Donley, Jake Mitchell, Hunter Phelps)
6. "Screen" (Michael Hardy, Jessie Jo Dillon, Matt Dragstrem, Hunter Phelps)
7. "Happy" (Michael Hardy)
8. "Here Lies Country Music" (Michael Hardy, Cole Taylor, Brett Tyler, Will Weatherly)
9. "The Mockingbird & the Crow" (Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt, Brett Tyler) ^
10. "Sold Out" (Michael Hardy, David Garcia, Hunter Phelps) *
11. "Jack" (Michael Hardy, David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey) *
12. "Truck Bed" (Michael Hardy, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps) +
13. ".30-06" (Michael Hardy, Cameron Montgomery, Hunter Phelps)
14. "I Ain't in the Country No More" (Michael Hardy, David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey) *
15. "Radio Song" feat. Jeremy McKinnon (Michael Hardy, Zach Abend, Nick Donley, Jeremy McKinnon, Cody Quistad)~
16. "Kill Sh!t Till I Die" (Michael Hardy, David Garcia, Hunter Phelps) *
17. "The Redneck Song" (Michael Hardy, Andy Albert, Nick Donley)
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