Frankie Ballard Reveals Brooding ‘El Rio’ Album Cover
Frankie Ballard shows off his brooding smirk in his new album cover for El Rio, his upcoming third record.
The artist shared the image on Instagram, featuring a close-up of Ballard looking over his shoulder, the combination of his leather jacket, ring and throwback hair reminiscent of a character from The Outsiders. The dark backdrop adds to the smolder, and its worn look and classic typeface adds to its vintage feel.
El Rio is slated for release June 10, 2016, and its lead single, “It All Started With a Beer,” was written by the Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston and Neil Mason with Jeremy Stover. The recently-released video for the song gives fans a glimpse into life in the studio.
“I called up some buddies, had a few beers, and shot some cool studio moments,” Ballard says. “I wanted people to see us playing the song. This new album is all about the music, so I thought, let’s show that!”
Ballard says he can’t wait for the full record to be out.
“I’m very proud of the work Marshall [Altman, producer] and I did on El Rio,” he shares. “We busted our ass to be better. It’s been a spiritual journey. This album has already changed my life, and nobody’s heard it yet.”
“A lot of my rock and roll influences like John Mellencamp and Bob Seger have leaked their way into this album,” he adds.
Ballard has climbed the ranks in country music steadily over the last few years. His most recent record, Sunshine & Whiskey, produced three consecutive No. 1s with the title track, “Helluva Life” and “Young & Crazy,” and he toured with arguably one of country’s most popular acts, Florida Georgia Line, on their Anything Goes Tour in 2015. The release of El Rio will be a new chapter in Ballard’s career, and it looks like it will be a page-turner.
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