An uber-talented crop of artists in this generation.
There’s no doubt that we are in the midst of what can only be described as a renaissance for country music. From Ella Langley and Morgan Wallen breaking records seemingly at will in the mainstream to alternative country stars such as Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and more rising to the top and selling out stadiums across the country, there’s so much to discuss when it comes to the current state of the genre.
One thing, in particular, that has become a growing trend in the genre is the simple fact that many artists are becoming increasingly more versatile when it comes to their artistry and influencing fellow artists’ sound on the production side of things.
These days, especially in the alternative country scene, we’ve seen a influx of artists self-producing their records, highlighted by the likes of Zach Bryan, Dylan Gossett, Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies, Jason Isbell and more all taking a hands-on approach to honing in and creating their signature sound.
With that being said, over the past decade, we’ve also seen some major artists lend their talents and ears to other major stars in country music. Of course, this has been highlighted on a mainstream scale with Miranda Lambert co-producing Ella Langley’s record-breaking sophomore album, Dandelion, alongside the “Choosin’ Texas” singer. However, there are a plethora of other legends in the genre who have produced huge records for the colleagues.
Without further ado, here are five artists you might not have known produced albums for fellow country stars.
Sturgill Simpson
At this point in his career, Sturgill Simpson has reached God-like status in country music. Arguably being the forefather of the independent/alternative country renaissance, along with the likes of Tyler Childers, Cody Jinks and more, the Kentucky native has probably influenced your favorite artist in some capacity or another in the past decade.
The “Long White Line” singer, for lack of a better term, has nearly gone in every direction possible. Delivering an atmospheric journey on the Grammy-winning A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, a full-blown rock adventure in SOUND & FURY, a bluegrass double album on Cuttin’ Grass, the narrative-driven concept record, The Ballad of Dood & Jaunita, and finally being rebirthed as Johnny Blue Skies on Passage Du Desir and his latest album, the dance and protest-inspired Mutiny After Midnight. Of course, this doesn’t even mention his first two albums, High Top Mountain and Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, which are all but standards in the genre at this point.
What some casual fans might not realize, however, is that he played a major role in crafting and producing the sound of the aforementioned Childers on his breakout sophomore and junior albums, Purgatory and Country Squire — both of which remain some of the defining records in country music this century.
Beyond Childers, the “Long White Line” singer has also produced records for fellow country artists, Margo Price and Brit Taylor, as well as other artists such as Lucette and Miles Miller.
Albums Produced:
- Purgatory – Tyler Childers
- Country Squire – Tyler Childers
- Kentucky Blue – Brit Taylor
- That’s How Rumors Get Started – Margo Price
- Deluxe Hotel Room – Lucette
- Solid Gold – Miles Miller
Miranda Lambert
Other than Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert has remained what can only be described as the female country artist of the 2000s. With 40 ACM Awards, 14 CMA Awards, three Grammys, 11 #1 singles and seven #1 albums, the Texas native has built a legacy few artists in the genre, let alone female artists, can compete with.
Recently, she’s been experiencing nothing short of a career resurgence thanks to her newfound friendship with Ella Langley. Of course, this is because she not only co-produced her sophomore album, Dandelion (alongside Langley and Ben West), but also co-wrote her history-making all-genre #1 hit, “Choosin’ Texas,” and appeared on “Butterfly Season” with Langley.
Though she had co-produced a plethora of her most recent albums, including Palomino, Postcards from Texas and the upcoming Crisco, Dandelion marked the first time Lambert stepped into the producer role for a fellow artist. It’s safe to say it’s paid dividends for both her and Langley, with “Choosin’ Texas” scoring Single and Song of the Year at the ACM Awards in May and an additional Single and Song nod at the upcoming CMA Awards in November. Additionally, Dandelion is up for Album of the Year at the CMAs as well.
Albums Produced:
- Dandelion – Ella Langley
Jason Isbell
Love or hate Jason Isbell’s politics and personality in general, there is no doubt that he’s one of the finest artists and songwriters working in any genre over the past two decades. The one thing that casual fans of country music might not know, however, is that the Alabama native switches off between solo albums and projects with his stellar backing band, The 400 Unit.
Recently, Isbell has saved his more acoustic-focused work for his solo projects, such as 2025’s Foxes in the Snow and truly lets it rip from a sonic standpoint when linking up with The 400 Unit. This, of course, is highlighted beautifully on their most recent album, 2023’s Weathervanes — both of which he produced himself
Despite Isbell being associated with his world-class songwriting and work with both The 400 Unit and his former band, Drive By Truckers, he’s also ventured into the world of producing for other artists. This was highlighted most notably back in 2012 when he produced American Aquarium’s breakout record, Burn.Flicker.Die.
Additionally, he’s also produced lesser-known records for singer/songwriters such as Kathleen Edwards’ Billionaire and Josh Ritter’s Fever Breaks.
Albums Produced:
- Burn.Flicker.Die – American Aquarium
- Billionaire – Kathleen Edwards
- Fever Breaks – Josh Ritter
Tyler Childers
These days, it’s hard to have a conversation about the state of country music without bringing up the name Tyler Childers. Beyond his legendary discography that contains the likes of “Feathered Indians,” “Lady May,” “Nose On The Grindstone” and his latest viral hit, “Bitin’ List,”the Kentucky native has influenced a countless number of today’s hottest alt. country stars, ranging from Zach Bryan, Wyatt Flores, Charles Wesley Godwin and more.
With seven studio albums filled with nothing but gold, six certified platinum singles and a whole bunch of underrated deep cuts, Childers has risen to God-like status in today’s independent country scene. This, of course, is for good reason. In a time (especially during Purgatory’s release in 2017) where mainstream country music has become so homogenized, safe and, quite frankly, bad, Childers breathed life into the genre with world-class storytelling, classic instrumentation and a tangible edge to his style.
As Childers sits as one of the most influential artists working today, it appears that he may be following a similar path as Simpson here soon as a producer. Though it has yet to release, the “All Your’n” singer is set to produce fellow Kentuckian and former opener, Willi Carlisle‘s double album, The Universal Bubba, which drops on November 6th. Of course, this will mark the first-ever album he will receive a producer credit on.
Albums Produced:
- The Universal Bubba – Willi Carlisle
Shooter Jennings
Simply put, Shooter Jennings, son of the legendary Waylon Jennings, has quickly become one of the most successful producers in country music working today. Taking a look at his credits, in the past three years alone, he’s produced two albums for Turnpike Troubadours and four albums for Charley Crockett, as well as records for the likes of American Aquarium, Jake Owen, Lukas Nelson, Vincent Neil Emerson and more.
Of course, that’s not even mentioning his Grammy-winning work with the likes of Brandi Carlile on By the Way, I Forgive You in 2018 and Tanya Tucker on While I’m Livin’ in 2019.
Though many lately associate Shooter as a producer, he’s been consistently releasing his own music since 2005, with some of his biggest albums including the likes of Electric Rodeo and Put the O Back In Country.
Albums Produced:
- The Price of Admission – Turnpike Troubadours
- A Cat in the Rain – Turnpike Troubadours
- Clovis – Charley Crockett
- Age of the Ram – Charley Crockett
- Dollar A Day – Charley Crockett
- Lonesome Drifter – Charley Crockett
- By the Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile
- While I’m Livin’ – Tanya Tucker
- Lamentations – American Aquarium
- New Ways to Lose – American Aquarium
- The Fear of Standing Still – American Aquarium
- Dreams to Dream – Jake Owen
- American Romance – Lukas Nelson
