With his sophomore album, Midwest Rock & Roll, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd continues to refuse to play by the normal rules of country music. Through the course of 12 songs, all of which he co-wrote, Hurd delivers a cinematic love letter to all the heartland dreamers out there, those who leave home chasing something bigger, only to find that home never really leaves them. “Midwest Rock & Roll is my second full-length album, and I am really proud of how it sounds, what it says, and how it ended up being released,” Hurd shares. “It’s a coming-of-age album that feels like playing in your first band.”

A raw, unfiltered energy runs through the album’s veins, with Hurd embracing the tension between nostalgia and the will to move forward. Tracks like “Die For It” cut deep into love’s contradictions, where devotion isn’t just about feeling, but about choosing, every day, to stay. Co-written with Mark Holman and Randy Montana, the song explores the give-and-take of real relationships, the messy beauty of it all. “‘Die For It’ is a song about love in all forms,” Hurd says. “I love the way this track sounds and how much it informs the rest of my album, and I hope my fans really love the direction that my music is taking.”

That direction has already led Hurd to an impressive career. With over a billion streams and two Grammy nods, he’s written platinum-selling hits for country’s biggest names - Blake Shelton, Jordan Davis, Luke Bryan, Lady A, and even Diplo and Morgan Wallen. His 2021 debut Pelago cracked the top five on Spotify’s most-streamed country albums, setting the stage for Midwest Rock & Roll. Featuring previously released tracks “Midwest Rock & Roll,” “Go To Bed Sober” with Sasha Alex Sloan, and “This Party Sucks,” the album feels like a road trip through the highs and lows of chasing dreams… the windows are down and the wind is whipping through your hair, all while past and future collide in the rearview mirror.