New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, Arlo McKinley releases This Mess We're In via Oh Boy Records. Offering "consolation in the midst of darkness" (NPR Music), the album is a collection of the Cincinnati songwriter's best and most unabashed, unflinchingly honest music to date. Spanning multiple lives' worth of experience with loss, addiction, mental health and self-forgiveness, each of the 11 tracks deliver "vibrant vignettes that'll have you laughing, crying, angry and gracious all in the span of a few minutes" (The Boot).
Listen to This Mess We're In, and watch the brand new lyric video for "Rushintherug," a Neil Young-inspired standout that captures the album's rousing, rocking essence and steadfast mission to move forward: https://youtu.be/mqVjfyfoR3U
As the follow-up to 2020's acclaimed Die Midwestern LP, This Mess We're Inprovides "proof that Arlo McKinley is a talent who's in it for the long haul" (The Boot). Produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Margo Price, Jason Isbell) and cut at Memphis' famed Sam Phillips Recording Service, each song serves as an internal compass navigating the next chapter of McKinley's life and career. After a period that brought the passing of his mother, best friend, and multiple others, the music charts his path to becoming a better artist and person, driven by the hope that he can make his listeners feel seen, recognized and a little less alone.
Backed by an ace band of drummer Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo), pianist Rick Steff (Lucero, Cat Power), guitar and mellotron from Matt Ross-Spang, plus guitarist Will Sexton, fiddle by
Jessie Munson, and the new addition of cinematic string arrangements, This Mess We're In shows why Arlo McKinley has earned comparisons to the likes of
Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers, while also revealing his love for the romantic melancholy of inspirations like Nick Cave and Nick Drake.
After headlining the East Coast and playing his first series of international dates this spring, Arlo McKinley and his live band just kicked off a summer tour that includes a performance of the national anthem before a Cincinnati Reds game, and much more stretching into October. Find the full list of upcoming dates below, and tickets at arlomckinley.com/#tour.
Praise For This Mess We're In
"Draws the listener into its power and beauty in a subtle fashion...lifting up soft consolation in the midst of darkness" - NPR Music
"An unvarnished tale of finding comfort and momentary diversion from all manner of emotional demons in the arms of another" - Billboard
"Die Midwestern is one of the most enjoyable alt-country breakthroughs in recent memory, and recent singles suggest its followup This Mess We're In will be even better" - BrooklynVegan
"A heart-on-your-sleeve slice of down-on-your-luck Americana...In the mold of fellow alt-country troubadours Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, and Sturgill Simpson" - Consequence of Sound
"McKinley has a knack for turning everyday, mundane occurrences into vibrant vignettes that'll have you laughing, crying, angry and gracious all in the span of a few minutes" - Top40-Charts.com
"An incredible record that makes no bones about f*cking you up good and proper" - FLOOD
"An artist willing and able to dive headfirst into hurt and emerge with something empowering" - Tennessean
"Soul-wrenching sorrow can be a heavy load to bear for the most resilient heart, but Arlo McKinley is up to the challenge...this riveting self-portrait depicts the Cincinnati-bred troubadour as a battle-scarred truth-teller who prizes honesty above all" - No Depression
"Proof that Arlo McKinley is a talent who's in it for the long haul. McKinley's voice conveys gentle gravitas to everything, while his band bolsters it with sympathetic, sturdy backing. The resulting album is as inspiring, often more so, as its predecessor" - Holler, 8/10
"His authenticity and forthright songwriting will never go out of style, helping to instill hope and community in those who adore his music and have experienced similar struggles" - Wide Open Country
"An introspective and impactful album...he makes the listener stop, think, and feel something too" - Glide
This Mess We're In Tracklist
I Don't Mind
City Lights
Back Home
Stealing Dark From the Night Sky
To Die For
Dancing Days
This Mess We're In
Rushintherug
I Wish I
Where You Want Me
Here's to the Dying
Arlo McKinley Tour Dates
7/15 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi-Fi
7/16 - Huntington, WV - Ritter Park Amphitheater
7/23 - Cincinnati, OH -
National Anthem @ Great American Ballpark
7/28 - Springfield, IL - Levitt AMP Springfield
7/29 - St Louis, MO - Old Rock House
7/30 - Berwyn, IL - Fitzgerald's Club
8/13 - White Sulphur Springs, WV - Big Draft Brewing
8/17 - Lakewood, OH - The Winchester
8/18 - Fort Wayne, IN - The Ruin
8/19 - Wellston, MI - Hoxeyville Festival
8/25 - Murfreesboro, TN - Hop Springs
8/26 -
Little Rock, AR - Stickyz Rock 'n' Roll Chicken Shack
8/27 - Fayetteville, AR - Fayetteville
Roots Festival Late Night @ George's Majestic Lounge
8/28 - Springfield, MO - Southbound Bar & Grill
9/3 - Peoria, IL - Peoria Blues Festival
9/4 - Copper, CO - Copper Mountain Resort*
9/5 - Avon, CO - Avon Performance Pavilion*
9/10 - Bristol, TN - Bristol Rhythm and Roots
9/11 - Bristol, TN - Bristol Rhythm and Roots
9/24 - Lewisburg, WV - Healing Appalachia
10/7 - Memphis, TN - Overton Park Shell
*featuring Jeremy Pinnell
