Marcus King Releases A Declaration Of Love To His Bride & His Home State With New Record, ‘Darling Blue’

Marcus King’s highly anticipated LP, Darling Blue, is HERE.

Darling Blue is the first record that the Marcus King Band has recorded as a group since 2018, and it’s something special to say the least. The South Carolina native shared that his home state inspired the music, along with influences from country, folk, and psychedelic rock.

To top it off, King also incorporated elements of blues, which is signature to the band’s sound.

“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. Our goal is always to be a vessel and allow the music to flow through us and tap into something that’s already there in the room.

But 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. We put everything we had into making something that we love and we have faith that the audience will feel that and love it, too.”

Fans could see that this project would be something to write home about with the singles released leading up to the LP’s full reveal. With songs like “Carolina Honey,” dedicated to his North Carolina-grown bride, Briley, and “Carry Me Home,” a love letter to the Blue Ridge Mountains, King’s songwriting was earnest and heartfelt, with melodies that flawlessly accompanied the soulful lyrics.

With Marcus King’s previous project, Mood Swings, we saw him experiment with new sounds while working with the legendary producer Rick Rubin. While melodically it was much different from the soulful southern rock stylings we were used to seeing from him, King unlocked a new superpower: his songwriting.

No longer hiding behind a guitar, King unleashed powerfully raw lyrics that addressed past relationships, depression, and addiction. While King brought back elements of the sound fans know and loved before Mood Swings, he kept that vulnerable songwriting at the focal point of Darling Blue, highlighting his growth out of a deep, dark depression thanks to his wife. The progression of songs highlights his development into the man he is today, as he pours himself into becoming a better person and husband, yet still admits he is far from perfect.

“This album is a love letter to the mountains I call home, and a declaration of love for the woman that reminded me that life is worth living.

Grateful to have recorded this project at the legendary Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia — echoing the movements of our heroes and southern rock forefathers: The Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, The Allman Brothers Band and more.

I’m so proud to have made this album with my brothers and to showcase our brand of country music to you all. This is how we do it down in South Carolina.” 

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Recorded at the legendary Capricorn Studios in Macon, GA, fans could feel the love he has for Briley in previously released singles like “Carolina Honey” and “Heartlands,” and they could also hear his love for the beautiful landscapes of the Carolinas with tunes like “Carry Me Home.”

One of my early favorites from the record is the new tune “The Shadows” featuring Noah Cyrus. The lyrics of the tune highlight a love so deep that you’re willing to dive into the darkest of shadows to protect and be with that person.

“Heaven only knows
What Heaven only knows
So baby won’t you kiss me in the shadows
Hell could never judge us like the sky that hangs above us
But where our lovin’ grows is where I’ll go
I would risk it all
I would sell my soul
I’ll follow you even to the shadows”

It appears that King penned the tune about his bride, with the opening lines depicting finding a love that you feel undeserving of. As King has shared in the past, he was planning to drink himself to death on the tour where he met Briley. After meeting her, his perspective on life underwent a complete transformation. The chorus highlights how deep their love is, willing to dive deep to save each other when needed.

“I wrote ‘The Shadows’ with Nick Monson & Madi Yanofsky, featuring a devastatingly sweet, sweeping melody from Paul Franklin & Billy Contrares. 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.”

This early standout is joined by other tracks, such as “On & On,” an honest tune about his imperfections; the gritty “Levi’s & Goodbyes”; and the stellar collaboration with Billy Strings on “Dirt.”

Darling Blue is a stellar project from start to finish. Marcus King has done it again with this project. Take a listen to some early favorites:

“The Shadows” featuring Noah Cyrus

“On & On”

“Dirt” featuring Billy Strings

Marcus King Confirmed Tour Dates:

BOLD DATES: The Darling Blue Tour (Pt. 1)