Carving out a one-of-a-kind sound merging elements of Southern Rock, Classic Country, and hard-driving Americana, A Thousand Horses release singalong-ready anthem “Highway Sound” everywhere today (9/8). Comprised of Michael Hobby, Bill Satcher, and Graham DeLoach, this soul-soothing track sets the tone for a brand-new chapter for the band.
Opening on the joyful roar of Hobby’s harmonica and etched with so many ear-catching details, achieved in part through such unconventional instrumentation as electric sitar and talkbox, “Highway Sound” was inspired by the untamed beauty surrounding the PLATINUM-selling group while retreating at a farmhouse in Texas. A lush 300-acre creekside ranch overrun with wildflowers and 100-year-old oak trees served as the backdrop.
“‘Highway Sound’ started with the guys playing guitar out on the porch,” Hobby reveals. “I was inside and heard this bad-ass riff, and it hit me right away. Everybody jumped in and we just started rolling—it was as natural as it can get, songwriting-wise.” Penned by Hobby, Satcher, DeLoach, and Zachary Stephen Brown, the song sparked a new creative era for the band, leading to working with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Jon Randall (Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum) for the first time.
“As soon as we wrote ‘Highway Sound,’ it felt like a sign from the universe that we needed to keep going,” Hobby shares. “There’s a lyric in ‘Highway Sound’ that says ‘Brand new start, broke in boots/Old baggage left back home,’ which to me really captures the whole spirit of this record.’ It’s about the freedom of cutting ties with the negativity of the past, and putting your energy into celebrating a new beginning.”
