Mitchell Tenpenny Announces ‘The Low Light Sessions’ EP, Releases First Track
Mitchell Tenpenny has been holding several personal songs close to his chest, but he's ready for the world to hear them. Opening his vault of music, the singer-songwriter will be releasing The Low Light Sessions EP on April 15.
The eight-song project is Tenpenny through and through, with an emphasis on songwriting. The hitmaker co-wrote all eight tracks, with many of them being written years ago.
“My fans are so good to me and react quickly each time I put out new music,” he says. “I’ve held onto these songs as I didn’t want them to get overshadowed in some of the other recent projects. I wanted to wait until I was in a good place with my life, and I feel I’m strong enough to share them now. I was a different person then and it feels good to look back and know I’ve come through that dark time.”
One of those sacred songs is "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades," which Tenpenny released with the EP announcement. The song details the pain that comes when you realize the person you love doesn't feel the same way. The lyrics feel raw and anecdotal.
"I guess we were just as close as a first kiss / Closer to God when you're down on your knees and praying / Yeah, close like a secret, you swore you would keep / But somehow you let it slip away / So close you can feel, it hurts when it's real / 'Cause the other don't feel the same / Guess close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades / Horseshoes and hand grenades," he sings in the chorus.
"Horseshoes and Hand Grenades" predates Tenpenny's current relationship. The "At the End of a Bar" singer is engaged to country artist Meghan Patrick after proposing the day before Thanksgiving in 2021.
Tenpenny told Taste of Country ahead of the 2022 ACM Awards that while the wedding planning has begun, both he and Patrick have been procrastinating on the details. He also has more input on their big day than he expected.
"Apparently she wants me to have all the say," he says. "I'm terrible at planning. I'm like 'You gotta help me or we're just going to elope.'"
Running off into the sunset together, by the way, is not an option, though — both he and his fiancee have too many important people to put on the guestlist.