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Among nominations for ACM Guitarist of the Year and Americana Musician of the Year; touring with Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, and Vince Gill; and playing on countless A-list Nashville recording sessions, Jedd Hughes has never lost focus on what he’d intended to do since he was an 8 year-old aspiring musician in Quorn, Australia; write and play his own music. WEST, Jedd Hughes’s highly anticipated return to the spotlight, will be released on August 30. Self produced and mixed by Hughes, WEST runs the gamut of emotions through its dynamic ten song tracklist, drawing on a number of close friends’ heavyweight musical talent as well as a stunning string quartet for more than half of the album. Hughes’s songs are largely self-written and intimate, but a few co-writers are sprinkled throughout WEST, including the aforementioned Crowell, as well as Parker Milsap, Sarah Buxton, and the late, great Guy Clark.

 

Today, Billboard premiered Hughes’s first single off of WEST, “Animal Eyes.” Riddled with dramatic string arrangements, thick tremolo guitar, and pulsating drums, “Animal Eyes” is a glimpse into Hughes’s personal reflection of darker times in his past, written over the course of six weeks in a dimly lit spare bedroom. “The idea came from a phone conversation with Rodney Crowell when he asked what I was up to, I said, ‘Crawling out of the morning.’ There’s a song, he said.” Billboard notes that the “stirring” lead single features “Hughes’ whispered vocals alongside haunting string accompaniment and seductive electric guitar parts while he sings about trying to find himself.” 

 

At the heart of WEST is a group of stories, told by an excellent storyteller. Hughes’s masterful guitar playing is always present, as an accent, but never covering up a character or plot, allowing his tales to blossom and thrive. “I hope these stories in these songs resonate with people,” Hughes says. “I hope people listen to it as a record and can see some of the things I saw.”