When Hereford, Texas native Randall King created his sophomore major-label album Into The Neon, the neotraditionalist ventured into a new territory sonically, intentionally adding more edge and instrumentation. King always intended to strip it back, so after switching it up night-after-night across a solid year of touring, Neon (Unplugged) was complete. Recorded at Sound Stage Studios, it’s available today – listen HERE.
“One of the things I love most about country music is the ability to take one song and completely change the sound just by stripping it down to vocals, guitar and a dobro,” King says of the album he co-produced alongside Jared Conrad. “Country is equal parts two-stepping in a honkytonk and sitting around a fire singing your heart out, and I wanted to capture both. I’m excited to share this stripped back version with all of you.”
Where Into The Neon drew inspiration from the hues of neon found in the glowing honky tonk signs that backlit the more than 150 bars, dancehalls, clubs and theater stages he plays a year, Neon (Unplugged) is more reminiscent of his nights spent under those that light the skies in the plains of West Texas.
Neon (Unplugged) offers slowed-down renditions of fan-favorite waltzers “When My Baby’s In Boots” and “What Doesn’t Kill Me,” and also features King’s close friend, singer/songwriter Dan Smalley, on his reimagined honky tonk anthem, “Tonk ‘Til I Die.”
Into The Neon was released Jan. 26, 2024 to critical acclaim, leaving Holler crowning him as “the genre's neo-traditional figurehead” and Texas Monthly observing “his Texas bona fides are unimpeachable.” Into The Neon was also named among the top country albums of 2024 by Entertainment Focus and Whiskey Riff. The album yielded King’s first country radio single, “I Could Be That Rain,” which has 80 adds to-date.
For more information and to follow along with updates, visit RandallKingMusic.com.
About Randall King:
A West Texas native and self-described “old soul," Warner Music Nashville's Randall King has never wavered in his honky-tonk allegiance – in fact, he’s worn it like a badge of honor, growing with pride into a leading voice for today’s traditional country. Amassing nearly 400 Million streams with singles like “You In A Honky Tonk,” “Hey Cowgirl” and “Mirror, Mirror,” he’s kept the twang alive in country’s mainstream while also earning acclaim through deeply personal EPs like 2020’s Leanna, and his 2022 major label album debut, Shot Glass – which landed on both Whiskey Riff’s Top 40 Country Albums of 2022 and Billboard’s All Genre 50 Best Albums of 2022 (So Far). Schooled on icons like Keith Whitley, George Strait, Alan Jackson and John Anderson, but inspired by modern masters like Dierks Bentley and Gary Allan, King first built an independent, grass-roots following on the strength of his electrifying live shows – each one a harrowing mix of rowdy roughnecking, romantic tenderness and breathtaking emotion – never asking for permission to explore his creative vision. He has since gone on to headline all across the U.S., the U.K. and Europe, where he continues to play nearly 150 shows a year and hone his craft where it matters most. Named a Country Artist to Watch by everyone from Pandora and Country Now to Music Mayhem Magazine, his sophomore major label album Into the Neon, available now, takes that craft to the next level, as King’s neo-traditional roots meet the blood-pumping rhythms and sharp, arena-sized grooves of Y2K-era country and beyond. Co-produced by King and Jared Conrad, and featuring 18 tracks, punchy sounds exist side-by-side with timeless swagger, further blurring the line between yesteryear and today – even as King renews his forever-country vows. Into The Neon was named among the best country albums of the year by Whiskey Riff, Country Now & Entertainment Focus, and yielded King’s debut single, “I Could Be That Rain,” now at Country radio.
