Man, Logan Halstead’s debut record can’t come soon enough.
Wise beyond his years at just 19 years old, Halstead hails from Boone County, West Virginia and blew up on YouTube with his song “Dark Black Coal” a couple of years ago. Now, after amassing over six million views on YouTube, the blue collar Appalachian anthem will be the title track for his upcoming record Dark Black Coal set to drop on May 5th.
With the release date just a few weeks away, the anticipation for Halstead’s debut album is reaching an all time high, especially given the steady string of singles he’s released to give us some insight as to what we can expect come May.
The latest of which, and I would assume the last before we get the whole album, “Man’s Gotta Eat” hit streaming platforms today.
And let me tell ya, it’s another good one.
As someone who writes about his own experiences as well as the experiences of those around him navigating the ups and downs of life in rural Appalachia, Halstead is no stranger to hard times. With the hard hitting and cleverly written track of “Man’s Gotta Eat,” Halstead details what it might be like just doing what you gotta do to eat.
“This one always makes me laugh, and it should make you too.
This song is deeper than that, with underlying truths about the opioid epidemic… and stealing copper. This one is about a grind that I hope many of y’all don’t have to see or go through, but… a man’s gotta eat.”
The fourth single off the upcoming record, Halstead has given us enough of a glimpse into the record to know we are in for something special with his debut, but there is still plenty of music yet to be heard from the young songwriter.
As we await the release of the whole record, keep on listening to “Man’s Gotta Eat,” the other three singles from Dark Black Coal, and any other music of Logan Halstead’s that you can find. This guy is the real deal.
And check out the tracklist for Dark Black Coal here:
1. Good ol’ Boys with Bad Names (Logan Halstead)
2. The Flood (Cole Chaney)
3. Man’s Gotta Eat (Halstead)
4. Dark Black Coal (Halstead)
5. Mountain Queen (Halstead)
6. Kentucky Sky (Halstead)
7. Coal River (Halstead)
8. Far From Here (Halstead)
9. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning (Richard Thompson)
10. Uneven Ground (Halstead)
11. Bluefoot (Halstead)
Logan recently stopped by the podcast for the first time to talk about growing up in Appalachia and how his surroundings fostered his love of music from a young age, the storytelling element to his writing, his fan-favorite song “Dark Black Coal” and his forthcoming debut album, his 2023 touring schedule and much more.
Download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or click here.
We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts.
Cheers, y’all.
