When Wyoming native Ian Munsick performed his sold-out Red Rocks Amphitheatre debut last year, a surprise on-stage adoption by the Crow Tribe moved him to his core, setting him on a creative trajectory toward his third album. Inspired by the gifts his Native friends presented him that night, including an eagle feather he proudly wears in his hat, the concept and title of Eagle Feather was born.
Listen to Eagle Feather, available everywhere now, HERE.
Eagle Feather is the culmination of a three-part thematic trilogy where Munsick used animals as inspirational spirits, which started with Coyote Cry, his debut album. With the eagle feather representing honor, strength and wisdom, it highlights Munsick’s personal growth through life experiences and lessons learned that have shaped him into who he is.
“If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been listening to my music for at least a couple years. Some of you have probably even been spreading the word of the west for a decade. No matter what side of the coin you’re on, Eagle Featheris for YOU,” Munsick proclaims. “I can confidently say that this is the best album I’ve made. But it’s not mine anymore… it’s yours.
“All the countless hours we spent pondering lyrics, crafting melodies and tweaking tones were all because we want you to love every second of this project,” he adds. “You have blessed my career beyond belief. Thank you will never be enough, but hopefully this album will. Your next favorite song of mine awaits.”
Eagle Feather opens with the first of three Prairie Laments that bookend the project, appearing at the beginning, middle and end. Setting the tone for the album, Munsick longingly declares his love for Wyoming, and his desire to set his legacy there.
In between, Munsick sets forward the pillars upon which the album’s meaning and message are based: honor, love and authenticity, which in turn, is a code of how to live.
Tapping into his friends was pivotal for this album, as evident in the title track, co-written with singer-songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr. Getting together to write on a late afternoon in Nashville, Munsick shared with him the honor of being adopted into the Crow Tribe. As he listened, Wilson started to play his gut string in his unique tuning. From that, Wilson said, “Gave you my heart like eagle feather,” and just like that, a song was formed.
For a good portion of 2024, Munsick was on the road with another rising Wilson: Lainey. While on the road, he cooked up the deeply personal and delicately poignant “Feather In My Hat.” Munsick knew that if Wilson lent her vocals, it would give it another layer of emotional depth. After a show at New York City’s legendary Radio City Music Hall, Munsick asked Wilson if she’d contribute her vocals. The answer was a resounding yes.
Watch the “Feather In My Hat” official music video, out now, below.
Munsick was also able to draw from personal experiences and stories to show how life’s little moments can be its most impactful. One example of this can be found on “Wolf Creek Road,” a powerful moment where Munsick reflects on a true story after a night out at the rodeo when he was a teenager, when he had a close call and rolled his car. His father, none too pleased, drove him back to that area to show him a wooden cross on the side of the road and didn’t say a word. For Munsick, the silence was deafening and said everything. That “what might have been if you weren’t careful” moment is somberly reflected throughout the song’s gut-wrenching four minutes.
The heaviness of the album culminates in its last track, “The Gate.” The track features three generations of Munsicks, with his father and young son participating in the intro and outro, symbolizing leaving the world, or in this case, the gate, just as good as you found it.
To commemorate the album’s release, Munsick partnered with Montana Silversmiths to launch an exclusive jewelry collection featuring unique pieces that blend traditional Western style with contemporary flair, available now exclusively at Boot Barn Nashville stores and BootBarn.com.
About Ian Munsick
A native son of Wyoming, Ian Munsick has accumulated over 900 million global streams across two albums – Coyote Cry and White Buffalo – and a host of accolades, including 19 awards and 14 festival selections for his documentary, White Buffalo: Voices of the West. Having painted a stampeding, spirited portrait of the American West with his sophomore album White Buffalo in 2023, Munsick is expanding on the concepts of the land, people, culture and stories that inspire him, readying the project’s follow-up 20-track album, Eagle Feather, due on April 18, 2025 via Warner Music Nashville. In addition to selling over 100,000 headlining tickets in 2024, Munsick also opened on select dates of Lainey Wilson’s Country’s Cool Again Tour and supported Morgan Wallen on select dates of his record-setting One Night At A Time Tour. Munsick is currently headlining his spring Horses Are Faster Tour. He has been named an “Artist to Watch” by Spotify, CMT, Fender, MusicRow and most recently was named a Martin Showcase Artist. Standout duet “Long Live Cowgirls” (with Cody Johnson) off of White Buffalo hit No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Countdown, was named one of Amazon Music’s Best Country Songs of 2022 and recently received RIAA Gold-certification alongside “Long Haul” and “Horses Are Faster.” Fans of Ian Munsick will always find an open heart, natural awe and plainspoken honesty as he rides on… bringing the West to the rest. Online at IanMunsick.com.