Kenny Chesney is entering new musical territory, with his first-ever vinyl album! The Tennessee native just announced he will release his latest album, Here and Now, on vinyl next month, crediting his No Shoes Nation fan club for giving him the inspiration.
“Music is medicine,” Kenny said in a statement. “And No Shoes Nation is people who work hard, rock hard, play hard. They’re always in their truck or their car, headed somewhere, so I like the idea they take these songs along with them. But with so many of us staying home, having the time to really dive into the music and listen – and based on the passion for this project, it seemed like now is the time to do vinyl.
“I had a friend give me a stack of albums from the ’70s and ’80s a few years ago, and there really is something different about settling in and listening,” he added. “It’s warmer. It has a bit more presence sonically. It’s a whole other way to listen, and right now, that feels like a good thing.”
The new vinyl record will be pressed on clear vinyl, which is the color of green sea glass. It will be available at Walmart and via Kenny’s website.
“One of the most difficult things for people seems to be actually getting their hands on physical recordings,” Kenny explained. “It used to be so easy to drop into Tower Records and get lost for a while. Today people have so much they have to do, plus they really don’t want to go out right now, so this seems like the easiest and best way to get the vinyl Here And Now into the fans’ hands.”
Kenny’s latest single, “Happy Does,” is already in the Top 40, and rapidly climbing the charts. The song follows the title track as the second single from Here and Now, which became a No. 1 hit for Kenny.
“There were a couple other songs we were talking about, but it felt like right now, remembering to see the glass as half full, to find the best possible reality in any given moment is so important,” Kenny said. ‘Happy Does’ is filled with people doing just that, and it’s why in the end, we decided that would be the song we’d send out there for summer.”
The vinyl version of Here and Now will be released on August 21.