After a career-defining run that included sold-out tours, barroom tributes to their roots, and a greatest hits mixtape that set streaming numbers ablaze, Old Dominion are opening a new chapter. The multi-platinum, genre-blurring country-rock band has announced their sixth studio album, Barbara, due this August — a 13-song meditation on mortality, joy, and what it means to truly live.

“Barbara is the most personal thing we’ve ever done,” frontman Matthew Ramsey tells Rolling Stone. “We’ve all had so much life hit us — love, loss, grief, growth. This record leans into that.”

Produced by the band alongside longtime collaborator Shane McAnally, Barbara pairs Old Dominion’s signature hook-driven, harmony-laced sound with lyrical depth that isn’t afraid to wade into heavier waters. From the breezy nostalgia of opener “Making Good Time” to the gut-punch ballad “Miss You Man” and the introspective closer “Goodnight Music City,” the album moves through grief, reflection, and celebration with a sure-footed, vulnerable honesty.

The project follows Odies But Goodies, a fan-favorite 2024 mixtape and celebration of the band’s legacy as both artists and hitmakers. That release was accompanied by the opening of Odies, a Nashville bar named in homage to both the band’s fans and the songwriters’ haunts that helped shape their journey. But even as Old Dominion added awards (their record-breaking eighth straight ACM win for Group of the Year) and real estate to their legacy, their focus stayed locked on the music.

“Fans might hear this and say, ‘Wait, this is Old Dominion?’” says guitarist Brad Tursi. “But this is us pulling back the curtain a little. It’s still the same melodies, still us — just a little more heart on the sleeve.”

Among the standout tracks is “Break Your Mama’s Heart,” a playfully anthemic ode to a dangerous crush; “Water My Flowers,” a rhythmic, philosophical take on resilience; and “Man or the Song,” a searching, self-aware cut about purpose and creative identity. Elsewhere, “Late Great Heartbreak” and “Crying in a Beach Bar” offer the kind of twangy catharsis Old Dominion fans love, but with added emotional depth.

The album title, Barbara, remains purposefully ambiguous — perhaps a metaphor, perhaps a muse. But in classic Old Dominion fashion, the mystery adds to the album’s charm.

Now, the band is poised to hit the road for their How Good Is That 2025 – World Tour, kicking off this weekend. The tour follows a landmark seven-night, sold-out residency at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium earlier this year, which raised over $1.25 million for charities close to the band’s heart.

Old Dominion — Ramsey, Tursi, keyboardist Trevor Rosen, bassist Geoff Sprung, and drummer Whit Sellers — have quietly become one of country music’s most beloved acts. With more than nine No. 1 hits, five billion streams, and a reputation for bringing stadium-worthy energy with songcraft to match, they’ve turned clever lyrics and melodic precision into mainstream success without ever losing their down-home spirit.

More than a country record, Barbara is a soul-searching journey through adulthood, memory, and finding joy amid it all. “We didn’t want to make a heavy record,” Ramsey says. “But feeling good hits different when you’ve seen some things.”

And Old Dominion have seen plenty — and they’re turning every bit of it into music that sticks.

Barbara Tracklist:

1. Making Good Time
   
   
2. Water My Flowers
   
   
3. Me Most Nights
   
   
4. Man or the Song
   
   
5. Break Your Mama’s Heart
   
   
6. Miss You Man
   
   
7. Talk Country
   
   
8. Late Great Heartbreak
   
   
9. Crying in a Beach Bar
   
   
10. One of Us
    
    
11. What Doesn’t Kill A Memory
    
    
12. Sip In the Right Direction
    
    
13. Goodnight Music City
    
    

Pre-save Barbara now.

Author: Adam Bailey

Adam is a regular contributor for established press release distribution website Release-News.com. He writes on a wide range of topics including music.