New year, new music! We saw our fair share of great country music over the course of 2014, but now it’s time to look ahead to what we can expect in 2015. There have already been a number of albums officially announced to be coming out in 2015, along with several other albums expected to be released. So I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of what we can all expect over the course of the year. Expect all of the albums listed below to be reviewed by Country Perspective. Based on what’s been announced and what’s heavily speculated, we could be in for a fantastic year of country music. (Special Thanks to Rolling Stone and Windmills Country! They provided the majority of this information).
Already Announced
Blackberry Smoke – Holding All The Roses – Release Date: February 10
The southern rock/country band officially announced in November that they will be releasing their first album under new label Rounder Records. It will be called Holding All The Roses and here is track listing for the album:
1. “Let Me Help You (Find the Door)”
2. “Holding All the Roses”
3. “Living in the Song”
4. “Rock and Roll Again”
5. “Woman in the Moon”
6. “Too High”
7. “Wish in One Hand”
8. “Randolph County Farewell”
9. “Payback’s a Bitch”
10. “Lay It All on Me”
11. “No Way Back to Eden”
12. “Fire in the Hole”
Love & Theft – Whiskey on My Breath – Release Date: February 10
Now this was a group I did not expect to get excited about releasing new music. Then I heard the first single from this album (which is also the album name as you can see), “Whiskey on My Breath” and I was blown away. By the way, kudos to Derek for pointing this out to me. The duo never impressed with their bland pop country, so where did this come from? Well the duo left their major label Sony Music Nashville in October 2014, so now you know why they’re making real music now. This could be one of the biggest dark horse albums in country music this year.
The Mavericks – Mono – Release Date: February 17
The Mavericks actually leaked back in June 2014 on a Facebook post that they were releasing a new album on February 17, which Country Perspective aptly pointed out to you. But the post was taken down and they didn’t officially announce it until November. If this album, titled Mono, is as good as their 2013 comeback In Time, there is a great chance this is one of the top albums in country music in 2015. If you haven’t heard lead singer of The Mavericks Raul Malo sing, then you’re missing out.
Allison Moorer – Down To Believing – Release Date: March 17
The former wife of Steve Earle will release her first album since 2010. She talks about the album in length in her great interview with Rolling Stone (linked above), which I highly recommend reading. Another album that could quietly be one of the best of the year.
Alan Jackson – N/A – Release Date: Early 2015

The veteran country artist will release a brand new album of music that will coincide with his 25th Anniversary Tour, all of which I broke down back in October. So far no album name and official release date have been announced. It will be his first country album since 2012, as in 2013 he released a bluegrass album (which was fantastic too). Jackson hasn’t been getting a lot of radio time in recent years, but that might change with NASH Icons coming onto the scene.
Zac Brown Band – N/A – Release Date: Spring 2015
Zac Brown told Rolling Stone Country in November they plan to have a brand new album out in the spring of 2015, their first full album since Uncaged in 2012. He said they currently have 18 songs planned for the album, which as you know I’m not a fan of these big albums. He also talked about one song he’s excited about called “Beautiful Drug,” which he thinks will be a crossover hit. I’m anxious to hear what the band has come up with.
Maddie & Tae – N/A – Release Date: Spring 2015
In an interview with Country Weekly, Maddie Marlow said the duo hopes to have their first full length album released by spring 2015. They released a self-titled EP in November, their followup to their polarizing lead single “Girl in A Country Song.” Their first album will certainly be a hot topic upon its release.
Brothers Osborne – N/A – Release Date: Early 2015
After releasing a five song EP in November, the duo announced they would be releasing their first full album in early 2015. I thought their EP was solid, so I expect this album to at least be solid too.
Will Hoge – N/A – Release Date: Early 2015
The first single from the yet untitled album, “Middle of America,” came out in 2014 and I thought it was a solid song. There are very few details, but Rolling Stone put at the end of this post in November that a new album will be coming out in early 2015. We’ll wait and see.
Garth Brooks – N/A – Release Date: Sometime in 2015

The country music icon made a solid, yet unspectacular comeback with Man Against Machine in November. But the album sales and radio performance has been quite disappointing. In fact his entire comeback has really been a letdown full of bad mistakes. What the hell was he thinking with those singles choices? Anyway he announced during his comeback presser that he would have another new album in 2015. We’ll see what the unpredictable Brooks has up his sleeve this year.
Loretta Lynn – N/A – Release Date: Sometime in 2015
The legendary country singer signed a multi-album deal with Sony Legacy last year and announced a new album for 2015. It will be her first album of new material in 11 years. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m definitely intrigued.
Reba – N/A – Release Date: Sometime in 2015
The biggest singing of the NASH Icons project so far, Reba was said to be almost finished with the album in October. The first album in five years from the country legend will be heavily promoted by Scott Borchetta and his NASH Icons teams I can imagine. If this album does great in sales and on radio, it will be a great first step for the new venture. Reba fans I’m sure are anxious to hear new material from her.
Expected, But Not Officially Announced
Hayes Carll – N/A – Release Date: Early 2015
As Saving Country Music reported in May 2014, Carll signed with well-known independent label Thirty Tigers and Carll said he expects to release a new album in early 2015. An album name and release date have yet to be announced.
Jamey Johnson – N/A – Release Date: Sometime in 2015?
After several months of speculation and years of no new music, Jamey Johnson finally came out and announced some big news. As he told Rolling Stone in late November, he has formed his own label Big Gassed Records and will now be releasing all of this music through it. The first music that has been released through the label was his Christmas EP, The Christmas Song. As for future music plans, here’s what he had to say in the interview:
To answer the question that the fans have been asking: “When are we gonna put out new music?” Now. We’re gonna start putting it out now, starting with this Christmas EP. And then you can look for another release from me after the start of the year. And you can look for more releases from me as the year progresses. We don’t have to go through the same waiting process that other artists might have to, stand in line and wait to get their music out. We’ll just kind of fall in line where we fit for retail — and if we don’t fit there, we don’t fit there. It’s not a problem to me.
His possible first single from the album was released for free on his site this past week titled, “Alabama Pines,” which you can expect a review on soon. Nothing has been officially announced regarding an album, but expect this soon.
Sturgill Simpson – N/A – Release Date: N/A
Sturgill Simpson hasn’t announced anything regarding new music in 2015. However, his producer Dave Cobb seemed to hint that we can expect more from Simpson in 2015 in an interview with Rolling Stone back in July 2014. When talking about Sturgill, he concluded with this:
We’re already starting another one — I feel like we could make three records this year. Maybe he doesn’t release all three, but we should make them. We’re already doing something totally different and it will probably make a lot of people mad.”
I’ll be shocked if we don’t get new music from Simpson once again in 2015, although I won’t be disappointed because he has delivered two great albums in the last two years. Based on that quote from Cobb I’m excited and nervous about his next album.
Kacey Musgraves – N/A – Release Date: Sometime in 2015
Musgraves made her splashing debut in 2013 with the album Same Trailer, Different Park. Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve watched her rack up numerous awards from Grammys to CMA awards for this album. Nothing has been confirmed or announced in regards to the new album, but she has been dropping tons of hints on social media like this tweet. It’s just a matter of an official announcement.
Carrie Underwood – N/A – Release Date: Sometime in 2015?
Underwood has subtly hinted that she will be releasing a new album in 2015, but other than that she has been quiet about it. With a baby on the way, her main concerns are probably not on music. She just released a greatest hits album in November.
Luke Bryan – N/A – Release Date: N/A
Yeah I’m not looking forward to it either, but you knew he would probably be releasing new material. Think of this as a friendly warning. Bryan has already said he’s in the middle of recording the new album, which would be his first since Crash My Party in 2013. Let’s hope it’s not as terrible as that one. I’m not confident. Also according to Windmills Country and Hits Daily Double, he will come out with a new spring break album on March 10, 2015.
Gary Allan – N/A – Release Date: Sometime in 2015

Allan hasn’t released a new album since 2013, the critically acclaimed Set You Free. In an interview with MLive.com, Allan said he already has a bunch of new tunes lined up. The always under-the-radar artist will probably knock our socks off again.
Montgomery Gentry – N/A – Release Date: March 24
The music from this veteran duo lately has been terrible, but I once enjoyed their music and as you know I give every artist a chance at redemption. They hinted in a Billboard interview last October that they may release a new album in 2015. According to Windmills Country and Hits Daily Double, the new album will come out on March 24, 2015.
Josh Turner – N/A – Release Date: March 31
After a lengthy hiatus, Turner returned in 2014 with the single “Lay Low,” a pretty solid song. Turner says it’s the first single from his new album, which according to Windmills Country and Hits Daily Double is set to come out on March 31.
Martina McBride – N/A – Release date: Sometime in 2015
Two days before Christmas Martina McBride officially announced on her Twitter page that she was the newest signing to NASH Icons, another big coup for the new Big Machine imprint. She promised new music and more details to come. Last year she released an R&B covers album because she realized that country radio isn’t going to pay attention to her so why not do music she wants to do. This 2015 will most likely be a country album I’m thinking.
Easton Corbin – N/A – Release Date: March 31
Corbin already released the first single from the album, “Baby Be My Love Song.” It wasn’t very good. Hopefully the rest of the album is much better. According to Windmills Country and Hits Daily Double, the album will be released on March 31.
That’s all I could round-up! If you’ve heard any other new country music coming out this year or if you’re excited about a certain album, be sure to sound off in the comments below.