Jeff Bates (Photo Credit: Marc Billingsly)
NASHVILLE (CelebrityAccess) – Country music’s Jeff Bates is returning with his first new album in over a decade. Bates, known for a string of hits he racked up in the 2000’s, releases Don’t Hold Me To It on November 14 (Tall Grass Records). The upcoming release marks his seventh studio album.
Known for his songwriting (Bates penned his own hits: “The Love Song,” “Long Slow Kisses,” “I Wanna Make You Cry”), he wrote or co-wrote all eleven songs on the album. Other prominent writers on the album include Trent Willmon, Thomas Mac, Keith Dozier, Randal Fowler, Nick Autry and Jason Brownie.
Though it’s been many years since Bates last released a full album, the new project has been finished for some time.
“To be absolutely open and honest about it, this album has been 85% in the can since 2021,” he explains. “And you may wonder, what exactly has been the holdup? I don’t really know, except maybe divorce, Covid and the uncertainty that comes with both of those life changing events.”
With his personal challenges in the rearview, Bates decided it was time to pull the trigger and release the album. Though he still has some reservations, he’s excited to finally bring Don’t Hold Me To It to his fans.
“So here we are, vocals are finished and the final product is on my phone and here come the same old doubts and fears,” Bates admits. “Maybe people don’t want to hear new music from me, maybe they aren’t interested in this new batch of songs that I have lived, lived in, and lived with. What if, what if, what if? On the other hand, I haven’t been this excited about a new album since Rainbow Man and that’s saying a lot! It matters to me.”
Don’t Hold Me To It Track Listing:
1. Ain’t Gotta Die to Go to Heaven
2. Breaking Things
3. Jesus Loves the Beach
4. Give It Back
5. Friends With Boats
6. That Ain’t Nothin
7. Good Time Getting Over You
8. Don’t Hold Me to It
9. Show Me the Water
10. Just Like Whiskey
11. Good Man Going Home (Charlie’s Song)
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source celebrityaccess.com ’
