Armadillo Music

The new album from Charley Crockett is perhaps even more potent proof of his literal heartbreak than the�scar on his chest. After undergoing open heart surgery that saved his life, Charley says he considered�calming down for �just a minute� but once he recovered he did just the opposite. He states boldly with�one eyebrow raised, �I wanted to make an album that would change the entire conversation about country�music.�

That album is Welcome to Hard Times , an aptly-named collection that perfectly fits these troubled days�even though it was made just before the pandemic hit. The music was shaped by his heart issues and�producer Mark Neill�s desire to make �a dark gothic country record.� Charley certainly knew how to�deliver that. �I think you can hear that deep, dark sadness in this record,� he says, �but I think it�s the kind�of darkness that will uplift others.�