Scotty McCreery Rise and Fall

There’s a rhythm to life. A cycle of ups and downs that the Triple Tigers country artist Scotty McCreery knows all too well…And right now, he’s on the upswing.

Coming into his sixth album, Rise and Fall, McCreery is riding high on a streak that includes six consecutive Gold or Platinum-certified singles, five back-to-back No. 1’s, over four million albums sold and a thriving tour platform. But it’s more than that.

A North Carolina native who broke out as a teenaged American Idol champ, McCreery is now 30 years old and a seasoned country music veteran, but also a dedicated husband and new father, welcoming a son named Avery in 2022. Recently, he even celebrated the milestone of all milestones for a guy who grew up on Randy Travis, Johnny Cash and Ronnie Milsap; he was invited by Garth Brooks to become the newest member of the iconic Grand Ole Opry – a fact he still can’t wrap his head around.

But folks like McCreery know it means more when you’ve seen the other side. For him, each highlight has come in contrast to a challenge – things like the loss of his first record deal, and the year of naysaying uncertainty that followed. As a result, Rise and Fall comes from an artist who knows to appreciate the ride…no matter where it leads.

“I feel like we’re on the rise now, but I’ve fallen pretty low as well,” McCreery admits. “I learned from every little part of that, and it helped me to know who I was as a person – let alone an artist. The rises and the falls helped craft these songs. They made this album what it is.”

And what it is, is McCreery’s most mature, self-confident and perceptive work yet. The follow up to 2021’s Same Truck – a set which spawned the hits “You Time,” “Damn Strait,” and “It Matters to Her” – Rise and Fall features 13 fresh songs, each one a modern-classic masterpiece of electrified twang, rich baritone vocals and insightful storytelling.

Co-writing all but one track, it was produced by what McCreery calls “The Three Musketeers” – longtime collaborator Frank Rogers, Aaron Eshuis and Derek Wells – and boldly brings a rootsy edge back to the mainstream. Two big elements stand at the project’s core: The energy of an entertainer in his prime, and the frame of reference most don’t earn until they’re twice his age. So whether it was exploring classic themes of heartbreak, rowdy nights, nostalgia or newfound joy, this tried-and-true star felt comfortable being himself.

“It all felt very natural, and I’m just a little more dialed in as far as what I want, as opposed to searching and hoping for a hit,” McCreery explains. “There’s no filler on this project. Hopefully people enjoy it and see it came from a real place in my heart.”

Lead single “Cab in a Solo” set the next-level tone. Co-written by McCreery with Rogers and Brent Anderson during a mountainside retreat near his home in Linville, NC (just southwest of Boone), the clever track is the perfect complement to McCreery’s current headspace – equal parts regular Joe realism and grown-up sophistication. A tear-in-your-beer ballad sung to a plastic cup of red wine, the

unique setup features the brokenhearted sway of a classic country song, as McCreery learns to appreciate the finer things in life, without forgetting his raising.

“I like a nice, big, bold cabernet,” he admits with a laugh. “Took a while to get there. Then slowly but surely, I gained that appreciation for it.”

A prime tracer for his personal and creative growth, “Cab in a Solo” also proves McCreery’s big, bold baritone is in fine form. Fully in charge in the studio, his richly-textured tone is even joined by a few experimentations – like when the underappreciated vocalist slides into some falsetto for first time. But over and over, it’s a comfortable, modern-retro vibe he returns to. “That classic country sound with the telecasters and the fiddle and the steel guitar and the storytelling,” he explains.

Tracks like “Pass the Bar” are a perfect example. A rapid-fire fun fest recalling ‘90s favorites like John Michael Montgomery’s “Sold” and Garth Brooks’ “Ain't Going Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up),” the pure country wordplay tells a smile-inducing tale of some buddies who’ve never met a roadside tavern they didn’t love, living it up while they can.

“I love singing those types of songs on the road, but I’ve never written or recorded one, so we went after it,” McCreery says. “I think we hooked that thing every way you can possibly hook it.”

Meanwhile, two-steppers like “Lonely” and the nostalgic story song “No Country for Old Men” show McCreery’s mission to keep the golden-era sound alive, and with “Fall of Summer,” that “old man” shares a big picture view of life, love and the way things shake out.

A heart-pounding midtempo which inspired the album title, the reflective standout finds a guy looking back on a season of life that ultimately faded – but also made room for the here and now. Its cinematic presentation is the emotional context for all of Rise and Fall – and an emotional stunner.

“I think my favorite thing to do is reminisce,” McCreery says. “I love to look forward to my goals and to trying to reach ‘em, but I love to sit around with friends and just talk about the old days and what could have been, looking back on life and where you were, compared with where you are.”

That tendency is in full view on instant classics like “Love Like This” – a new father’s country-rock conversion into dedicated family man – and most obviously in the album closer.

The follow up to tracks about drinking away another rough week (“And Countin’”), the slowed-down bliss of small-town life (“Stuck Behind a Tractor”), and the comforting clarity of eternal faith (“Red Letter Blueprint”), “Porch” brings McCreery back home. It’s led by a bluegrassy Blue Ridge sway and quick-talking vocal, as the star remembers to keep life in perspective – and always enjoy the view.

“I’m a porch guy. Even when we were back in the mountains and it was like 10 degrees outside, I was sitting on the porch with a fire,” he admits with a laugh.

But in truth, “Porch” is no laughing matter. The track includes a message to his son, all about keeping space for the simple things to take center stage. After riding life’s Rise and Fall, McCreery says that’s his true destination. Out in the world to live out his blessings, but then back to the serenity of his front porch, with Gabi and Avery beside him…And maybe a little country music on radio.

“I just hope people can listen to this record and get a good picture of where I’m at in life,” he says. “I still have a lot of goals I want to reach, and places I want to go. But every step of the way I’ve learned to appreciate the small stuff.

“Years later, from probably the lowest point in my career, I feel like things are better than ever,” he goes on. “I’m at a really good spot for my music and my family. I’ve got no complaints, and hopefully that speaks to something going on in the listeners’ lives as well.”