Fans who were hoping to get new music from Chris Stapleton soon are going to have to wait a lot longer than they probably expected.
It’s been quite a while since fans received a full-length project from the country superstar.
Although he’s dropped a few songs over the past year, like his duet “A Song to Sing” with Miranda Lambert, his most recent album was Higher, which came out in 2023.
Earlier this year, Stapleton appeared on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast and shared some pretty shocking news for fans to hear. During the conversation, he revealed that early retirement may not be completely off the table.
He also admitted that he’s not currently working on new music and is unsure when he’ll return to the studio.
“I’m at a bit of a crossroads,” he told Shepard. “I don’t know when I’m gonna make another record or write a new song, I’m probably not really in the mood. And that’s ok with me… I don’t know how much longer I’ll even go play.”
The main reason the “White Horse” singer is stepping back is to spend more time with his family.
Stapleton explained that after years of pouring so much energy into building his career, it feels important to give some of that time back to the people who matter most: his wife, Morgane, and their five kids.
“I want to make a thoughtful decision about what I do with the rest of the time I have on this earth….I’ve got babies. I’ve got some that are almost out of the house. They gave up a lot for me to be sitting here with you. I owe them some things, I think, some time in particular. I’ve done more than I’ve ever set out to do.”
He did make it clear that he’s not “hanging up his spurs” just yet, though. As of late, he just hasn’t found the inspiration to create. Without that spark, he doesn’t feel ready to sit down and start writing new music.
“It’s important to find that. For me, fuel is the search,” Stapleton added. I’m gonna have to search for something. I’m gonna have to hunt for something. I don’t know what that is or where it’s going to come from…”
Chris Stapleton Doubles Down On No New Music Anytime Soon
So, has Chris Stapleton found anything lately that is pushing him back into the studio?
Not really.
On Thursday, February 26, the 12-time Grammy winner joined Travis and Jason Kelce on their New Heights podcast to talk more about where he stands.
In the interview, Stapleton once again confirmed that new music is not in the cards right now. He’s continuing to take a step back these days.
“I do enjoy writing, but I don’t do a lot of that anymore,” he admits. “I do enjoy going to the studio. The studio’s probably my favorite part, really, although I don’t have any plans to go do much of that these days, really either.”
We may not be getting a new album from Stapleton, but don’t worry, he isn’t putting away his cowboy hat just yet.
He’s still out on the road, currently traveling from city to city on his All-American Road Show Tour.
He recently added 20 new dates to the tour, which has been running for nine years. Country stars Lainey Wilson and Zach Top have been announced to join him on select shows.
You can watch Chris Stapleton talk about taking a break from recording and writing in the video below.
