Yellowstone is back AND Ryan Bingham is dropping new music? I’m not mad at it…
Although, I will say… I kind of hate to refer to Ryan as “Yellowstone Star” in the headline. The man was a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter years before he ever stepped foot on a Taylor Sheridan set, but on one hand, I got to capitalize on the Yellowstone search traffic going wild on the internet right now amid the season premiere. And on the other hand, Ryan released the album two days before the Season 5 Part 2 premiere… that wasn’t a coincidence.
If you only know Ryan as “Walker,” the drifting, ex-con ranch hand on the Dutton Ranch, now is as good a time as ever to brush up on Ryan Bingham. Born in New Mexico, raised in Texas, Ryan actually grew up roping and riding all over Texas, and even landed himself a gig performing in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show at Disney World in Paris, France. That was relatively short-lived and Bingham found his way back to Texas where he began to focus more on music.
His debut album Mescalito dropped in 2007 featuring songs like “Southside of Heaven,” “Sunrise” and more, and to this day it’s an absolute staple among non-mainstream country music fans. Roadhouse Sun came in 2009, Junky Star followed in 2010. But the big break came in 2009 when Bingham teamed up with producer T Bone Burnett on the Crazy Heart soundtrack. Starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, and Robert Duvall, the film told the captivating story of an alcoholic country music songwriter who tries to get his life back on track. Bingham’s “The Weary Kind” was essentially the theme song of the movie earning him an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for “Best Song” in 2010, as well as a Grammy Award for “Best Song Written for a Motion Picture” in 2011.
He’s released a handful of other albums, including the most recent Watch Out For The Wolf EP, but to summarize everything, the man is continuously regarded as one of the most underrated artists in country music by those with half a lick of sense. Ask your favorite artist who their favorite artist is and you’re guaranteed to hear some folks talk about Ryan Bingham. He’s as legit as it gets. Thankfully, his appearance on Yellowstone, where his music is featured heavily on the soundtrack and even in the plot of the show, has given him a whole new group of eyeballs to appreciate his music.
And in conjunction with the premiere of the new season, he just dropped a live from Red Rocks album, affectionately titled, Live At Red Rocks, and it features some of his greatest hits performed in one of America’s most storybook music venues, Red Rocks Amphitheater, located just outside of Denver, Colorado. Featuring “Hard Times,” “Hallelujah,” and more, it’s the perfect introduction to some of Ryan’s work.
Ryan also released a performance video of “Southside Of Heaven” featuring the Texas Gentleman.
And if you’re looking for more great country music from the Paramount Network hit series, Yellowstone, check out our official Yellowstone The Soundtrack playlist… which offers every song, from every episode, updated every Sunday night.
