I’m here for it.
After dropping his long-awaited sixth studio album, With Heaven On Top, back in January, Zach Bryan has been hitting the road hard on his current international run of shows, With Heaven On Tour. Kicking off back in March, the “Something in the Orange” singer has already played sold-out shows at Bank of America Stadium, Raymond James Stadium, Memorial Stadium and more here in the U.S. He’s also hit the likes of the U.K., Spain, Germany, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands across the pond, selling out there as well.
Though he’s been on tour internationally for the majority of the year, Bryan took most of July off. In typical fashion, however, he was far from off the grid. Returning to social media after being deactivated on most accounts, he went back to the basics on the 4th of July weekend, taking to YouTube on July 3rd to tease “Lodi When” once again. Additionally, he’d post a full-length teaser of a brand-new track, “Better Friends.” In the caption of both of these videos, which have since been deleted, the Oklahoma native revealed that he has a new EP on the way with an incredibly interesting, for lack of a better word, name called Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs:
“A snippet of ‘Lodi When’ off the new EP, ‘Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs’”
Since announcing the EP, we still haven’t gotten word on an official release date. With that being said, however, we now have a ballpark for when it’s finally coming. During his show at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 8th, the Oklahoma native would tell the crowd that the EP is confirmed to come out in October before performing the aforementioned “Lodi When.”
While fans everywhere have been anxiously awaiting the new EP next month, it looks like Bryan was keeping himself busy working on a collab with one of the most popular artists in the alt. pop scene: none other than Lana Del Ray.
In case you’re unfamiliar with her, Del Ray, the 11x Grammy nominee, has made a name for herself in the alt. pop scene with massive records such as 2011’s Born to Die and its follow-up, Ultraviolence, in 2014. Falling somewhere in between indie, pop and alt-pop, all with an Americana aesthetic visually, she’s been inching her way into the country scene over the past few years.
Back in 2023, she began her slow venture into the genre. In addition to her incredibly unique, piano-backed cover of John Denver’s classic, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (which is quite good, I might add), she began making appearances in Nashville. Most famously, she covered Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” during a surprise appearance at Robert’s Western World in Nashville that September.
After teasing a country album, Stove, produced by Jack Antonoff and Luke Laird, who has produced for the likes of Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Jon Pardi, Miranda Lambert, Morgan Wallen, Kacey Musgraves and more, it looks like she’s finally making the push soon alongside Bryan.
Taking to Instagram last night, Del Ray would upload a video of the “I Remember Everything” singer in a studio in Massachusetts, along with a selfie of her, him and her husband, Jeremy Dufrene. In the caption, she’d confirm that they officially wrapped up the collaboration, which is presumably titled “Whale.”
“Whale, we finally got our song done. And that’s no Lie 🎶
not only that Zach, Sam and Shelby went to great lengths to get down to Massachusetts while we were up here working to bring back Mother whale and moonlight roll on… If you know, you know. Melinda and Doug are so aspirational. I also love their substack. I can’t wait to get down to say hi ourselves,
I just wanna say thank you so much to them for working with us to get something that our fam is gonna treasure forever.
I also wanna think thank Jeff from Epilogues in Bristol for a couple of our other pieces. much love to everyone”
Bryan’s wife, Samantha, was also there, noting in the comments that the two couples had the “best week” while recording.
“Love you!!! Best week”
Unsurprisingly, fans of both Del Ray and Bryan were all but losing their minds in the comments, with fellow artists such as Kat Hasty even dropping in and saying how excited she is for the collaboration.
“As an emotionally unavailable and erratic person I am very ready for this” – Kat Hasty
“I BUILT THIS BRICK BY BRICK”
“We cannot wait to hear STOVE”
“zZh collab??? finally!!!!!”
“Iconic collaboration”
“My favorite problematic king lol. I can’t wait for this song!!!”
As of now, “Whale,” along with the Del Ray’s upcoming country album, Stove, do not have a release date.
Zach Bryan Tour Dates
September 18 – Dover, Delaware – The Woodlands – Kings of Leon, Fey Fili & Gabriella Rose
September 19 – Dover, Delaware – The Woodlands – Alabama Shakes, Fey Fili & Gabriella Rose
September 21 – Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Center – Trampled By Turtles & Gabriella Rose
September 22 – Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Center – Trampled By Turtles & Gabriella Rose
October 2 – Foxborough, Massachusetts – Gillette Stadium – Gregory Alan Isakov & Gabriella Rose
October 3 – Foxborough, Massachusetts – Gillette Stadium – Gregory Alan Isakov & Gabriella Rose
October 10 – Auburn, Alabama – Jordan-Hare Stadium – Gregory Alan Iskov & Gabriella Rose
