Craig Morgan has a new, six-song EP coming out in October, with new versions of some of his previous hits, joined by several of his good friends. The Grand Ole Opry member announces the release of Enlisted, featuring Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton and Gary LeVox, out on October 20.
“Making this record has been so much fun because I got to get in the studio with some of my friends and also re-create some of my catalog in a way that feels like brand-new music,” Morgan says.
Jelly Roll joins Morgan on “Almost Home.” It’s a song that has meant a lot to the reformed singer for years, back to when he was incarcerated.
“This song is full circle for me,” Jelly Roll says. “It’s about situations you are sometimes in that you just mentally want to be somewhere else — ‘Almost Home’ — it’s something that I listened to in jail. Me and my cellmates could really relate to it. When I got out, I spent what little money I had and went to see Craig Morgan at the Grand Ole Opry and cried when he sang it.”
Wilson joins Morgan on “International Harvester,” a song that was released in 2007, which became a Top 10 hit for Morgan.
“It’s an absolute honor to be a part of this record,” Wilson says. “I remember the first time I ever heard ‘International Harvester’ and the feeling I got knowing that there was music being written that felt like it was made just for me. I come from a family of farmers, so it’s really a full circle moment to be on this track alongside my good friend Craig.”
The idea for Enlisted began with Combs joining Morgan on “Raise the Bar,” one of two new songs on the song. Morgan wrote the tune with Billy Dean, and knew right away Combs would be a great addition to the song.
“I wasn’t thinking about doing a whole duet project at the time,” Morgan tells Billboard. “I just wanted Luke on the song because I thought it was a great one for the two of us to do together,”
Morgan hand-picked all of the artists for Enlisted, but is especially thrilled to have Jelly Roll join him on the album, and all that their collaboration represents.
“I love the guy to death. Love his enthusiasm, his energy, his sense of gratitude,” Morgan says of Jelly Roll. “I feel like he truly is representative of how someone can be at their lowest point in their life and they can change that through faith, hope and kindness and that’s what he’s done. When he came in the studio — and this is a guy that has 50 people around him all the time — he drove up to the studio by himself, sang, hung out with us and it was awesome.”
Morgan’s Enlisted album comes only a couple of months after he reenlisted in the United States Army Reserve, after formerly spending 17 years in the Army and Army Reserve.
“I’m excited to once again serve my country and be all I can be in hopes of encouraging others to be a part of something greater than ourselves,” Morgan said at the time. “I love being an artist but I consider it a true privilege and honor to work with what I believe are the greatest of Americans, my fellow soldiers. God Bless America. Go Army.”
See a track list for Enlisted below. Pre-order the project, and find all of Morgan’s upcoming shows, at CraigMorgan.com.
Enlisted Track List:
- “Raise The Bar” featuring Luke Combs
- “Almost Home” featuring Jelly Roll
- “Redneck Yacht Club” featuring Blake Shelton
- “That’s What I Love About Sunday” featuring Gary LeVox
- “International Harvester” featuring Lainey Wilson
- “That Ain’t Gonna Be Me” featuring Trace Adkins