My 10 Favorite Non-Kentucky Albums Of 2025 (So Far)

Cristina Vane, John R. Miller, Kristina Murray, Turnpike Troubadours, and more

I know that this newsletter (mostly) covers Kentucky music, but there’s so many other great songs and artists from outside the state that I enjoy listening to as well. Similar to Monday’s rundown of my 10 favorite Kentucky albums of 2025 (so far), read on for a glimpse at the records from non-Kentuckians that I’ve had on repeat the last few months including Kat Hasty, Cristina Vane and J.D. Clayton.

Willow Avalon - Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell

The Georgia raised singer has been on my radar since hearing her perform the “Star Spangled Banner” ahead of an NFL game in London last fall. While that performance drew mixed reviews her sophomore album Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell has drawn widespread praise. Out Jan. 17, the record that features an actual mugshot of the warbling singer on it’s cover does everything from touch on her country roots and how they’ll stay with her no matter where she calls home (“Country Never Leaves”) to offering up a tongue in cheek comparison between herself and American icon Dolly Parton (“Hey There, Dolly”).

The Chatham Rabbits - Be Real With Me

North Carolina husband-wife duo The Chatham Rabbits hone in on homey Appalachian hymns with Be Real With Me, a collection of songs that explore the changing responsibilities and wisdom that oftentimes come with growing older. This manifests itself directly on the album’s opening track “Facing 29,” but also in more subtle fashion on tunes like “Childhood Friends,” the red flag adorned “Matador” and “Gas Money,” the latter a tale about running on empty emotionally and learning not to overpromise things or overcommit to tasks you don’t have the bandwidth for.

Read my interview with the band about the album for The Bluegrass Situation here.

JD Clayton - Blue Sky Sundays

Arkansas’ J.D. Clayton delivers homey, southern folk rock goodness throughout February’s Blue Sky Sundays, a nine song collection that pays homage to some of American music’s greatest poets while also throwing his own name into the ring as someone continuing to propel the practice forward. Interspersed between originals like the upbeat “Dirt Roads Of Red” and introspective “High Hopes & Low Expectations” are covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Arkansas Kid” and Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” that he makes all his own as he sets out to show he’s made for the bigtime.

Kat Hasty - The Time Of Your Life

Heartfelt, rugged and raw, Kat Hasty pulls no punches on The Time Of Your Life. The blunt 10-song project mixes blue collar themes with the Texas singer’s irresistible charm on hits like “The Family Business” — which sees her exploring her childhood, how it varies from being entrenched in the Nashville music industry and how she wouldn’t change a thing about it — and “Idaho,” a true story about finding love in the Gem State with a level of intimacy and authenticity that few others can match.

John R. Miller - /Fireside Sessions Vol. 2]

The West Virginia raised, Nashville based singer-songwriter teamed up with several musical colleagues earlier this year for Vol. 2 of his revered Fireside Sessions including Erin Rae on a cover of the late Michael Hurley’s “Moon Song,” Emily Nenni for a rendition of Neil Young’s “Human Highway,” and Central Kentucky native Abby Hamilton to help recite his original “Ditcher.” Other songs included are solo versions of Appalachian traditional “Yew Piney Mountain” and his own “Basements” and “Press On,” with his fiddler/partner joining him on all three.

Kristina Murray - Little Blue

A longtime fixture in Nashville’s music scene, Kristina Murray sings about love, the weight of expectations, imposter syndrome, mental health and more on the melancholy, but inspiring Little Blue. From the opening country funk, Dead-infused arrangements of “You Got Me” to the motivational Logan Ledger duet “Get Down To It” and the soothing serenade to close it, Little Blue proves that the best things in music and life come to those with the patience, persistence and talent to see them through. Lucky for Murray, she has all three in abundance.

Read my interview with Murray about the album for The Bluegrass Situation here.

Ken Pomeroy - Cruel Joke

Oklahoman Ken Pomeroy leans into her friendship with artists like John Moreland as well as her Cherokee roots on her defining second album Cruel Joke. Despite the title, the record sees the singer focusing on stories of strife as she aims to make somber songs more mainstream through ballads like “Flannel Cowboy,” “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothes” and “Coyote,” the final one a duet with the aforementioned Moreland that stems from her being called it growing up despite her Cherokee name meaning “yellow-haired wolf” and her realization that she’d grown to be more like a sly coyote than a wolf.

Southern Avenue - Family

Since first seeing Memphis blues and soul collective Southern Avenue at The Moonshiner’s Ball years ago I’ve been enamored by the group’s infectious infectious sister-led harmonies, an element of their sound that again is a primary focus of their new record, aptly titled Family. Now featuring all three of the Jackson sisters with Ava (violin) joining siblings Tikyra (drums) and Tierinii (lead vocals), those familial ties are put to the test immediately with “Long Is The Road” before touching directly upon their kinship later on with “Sisters, in the process illustrating how there’s no connections stronger than the ones tied together by blood.

Turnpike Troubadours - The Price Of Admission

It’s safe to say that the Turnpike Troubadours never miss. Even though we’re only a couple months removed from its release, The Price Of Admission is already my favorite album from the trailblazing red dirt group, by far. From the glimmering telecaster that opens up “Searching For A Light” to the call back harmonies in the chorus of “Be Here” and “What Was Advertised” — which feels like as bonafide a Turnpike song as any — the group show that they’re not only sounding better than they ever have, but still yet have room to grow as the red dirt empire they stand on the thrown of only continues to see it’s kingdom grow.

Cristina Vane - Hear My Call

Whether she’s reimagining banjo and other traditional stories or laying down meaty blues riffs on her slide guitar, Cristina Vane has an exceptional knack for drawing in and making fans out of just about every type of music listener. Her latest record Hear My Call is no exception with its blend of acoustic and electric sounds with Vain’s personal recollections of growing up in Europe and how that’s shaped her genre-bending, uniquely American sound. Whether it’s the string-y “My Mountain” and “Hear My Call” (feat. Molly Tuttle) or the raging “Shake It Babe” or “Little Girl From Nowhere,” Vane’s music is sure to make a fan out of even the most close-minded music listeners in no time!

Read my interview with Vane about the album for No Depression here.