Caleb Caudle Announces New Album ‘Heavy Thrill,’ Shares ‘The Ballad of Country Ham’

Singer-songwriter Caleb Caudle is entering an exciting new artistic chapter, anchored by the arrival of what’s sure to be a career-defining new album. The 10-track LP, Heavy Thrill, is set for release on June 5 via his own label, Handplow Records, in collaboration with Soundly Music and Thirty Tigers.

Heavy Thrill marks Caudle’s first release on the label, which he named after a rust-red steel handplow used for tobacco farming, which has been passed down through generations and now sits in his great uncle’s yard, just across the street from his own home. The tool, which has been a constant presence through decades of hard work on the family farm, symbolizes survival through all life’s unpredictable twists and turns.

“Much like farming, my career has been about putting in the work,” Caudle shares in a statement. “You can’t always control the weather, but you can show up every day and give it your best.”

Caleb Caudle, Heavy Thrill

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1. “Path of Desire”
2. “Slow Growth”
3. “The Ballad of Country Ham”
4. “Heavy Thrill”
5. “Sequoia Polaroids”
6. “Anxious”
7. “No Show”
8. “Fox Got the Chicken”
9. “Meantime”
10. “Toll Booth”

ALBUM OUT JUNE 5 VIA HANDPLOW RECORDS & SOUNDLY MUSIC / THIRTY TIGERS

Heavy Thrill is also Caudle’s first fully self-produced record, which he recorded inside the magical Cash Cabin, a historic studio built by the late Johnny Cash just outside of Nashville. Mixed by Jacquire King and mastered by Pete Lyman, the project promises to be a shining example of Caudle’s innate ability to paint a detailed picture of everyday moments through simple yet emotionally striking lyricism.

The talented North Carolina native is also using his stellar art to spread joy in a different way. For every 100 copies of Heavy Thrill sold, he will donate 1,000 meals to the Second Harvest Food Bank’s Northwestern North Carolina branch.

If you’re itching to hear a preview of the record, you’re in luck. Caudle has also shared Heavy Thrill‘s slow-grooving lead single, “The Ballad of Country Ham,” a cautionary tale of a local character who takes a different path than he might have expected.

Listen to “The Ballad of Country Ham” below: