Marcus King Band teams with Noah Cyrus on “The Shadows”

The Marcus King Band has returned with Darling Blue. The record, out now via American Recordings/Republic Records, finds the Grammy-nominated artist reuniting with his longtime band and delivering a wide-ranging collection of songs inspired by the Blue Ridge Mountains of his native South Carolina.

The 14-track album blends country, folk, psychedelic rock, and Motown-era R&B, continuing King’s exploration of addiction, depression, and personal redemption. “It truly felt like home,” King said of the recording process. “Like my band and I were just working out songs to perform live but ended up creating a piece of recorded music for our fans to hear. More than anything I’ve done before, this album felt like a real concerted effort to make music for myself, and for ourselves as a band—creating for the love of creating and being as honest as we possibly can.”

Among the highlights is “The Shadows,” a collaboration with Grammy-nominated artist Noah Cyrus.

“I wrote ‘The Shadows’ with [Nick Monson & Madi Yanofsky] featuring a devastatingly sweet, sweeping melody from Paul Franklin & Billy Contrares,” says King. “We really wanted to have the second verse belong to someone we thought embodied the essence of this song. Noah Cyrus immediately came to mind and when she agreed to be on the track, I knew it was meant to be. Noah’s voice brought the song to a level I didn’t realize it could reach. Truly an inspiration to share a song together.”

The album also features guest appearances from Jamey Johnson, Kaitlin Butts, Billy Strings, and Jesse Welles.

The Marcus King Band is currently on the road with The Darling Blue Tour (Pt. 1), a 13-date North American run with support from Angel White, Laci Kaye Booth, and Pearl on select dates. Stops include Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Memphis, Little Rock, and Albuquerque, with additional festival appearances to follow. On November 4, the band will tape their first performance for Austin City Limits, joining the iconic program’s 51st season.

The release of Darling Blue caps off a busy year for King, who recently launched his second signature guitar, the Gibson Marcus King ES-345, and hosted the fourth edition of the Marcus King Band Family Reunion festival in Charleston, South Carolina. King also continues to appear alongside major acts, touring with Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Cody Johnson, and Dwight Yoakam.

DARLING BLUE TRACK LIST

1. On & On
2. Here Today ft. Jamey Johnson & Kaitlin Butts
3. Honky Tonk Hell
4. Heartlands
5. Die Alone
6. Somebody Else ft. Jesse Welles
7. Levi’s & Goodbyes
8. Carolina Honey
9. No Room For Blue
10. Blue Ridge Mountain Moon
11. Dirt (Nashville version) ft. Billy Strings
12. The Shadows ft. Noah Cyrus
13. Pretty Petty
14. Carry Me Home