First single “Henry Ford” premieres with Rolling Stone Country
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Already a Grammy-nominated songwriter and longtime member of Eric Church’s touring band, Jeff Hyde makes his solo debut with Norman Rockwell World. The 10-track album arrives February 23, and the first single, “Henry Ford,” premiered with Rolling Stone Country (1/10). The outlet noted “the stripped-down and subtle sonic approach [and] gently rolling strains of a finger-picked guitar” that accompany Hyde on the Don Williams-inspired song, which”conjures nostalgic images of the world Rockwell painted – one where actions spoke louder than words and some things were off limits.”
Hyde wrote the song after he heard Williams discuss his relationship with the spotlight in an interview.Williams said, “I’ve always felt like you don’t have to know Henry Ford to drive one.”
“I still think there’s value in letting your work speak for itself,” Hyde told the outlet.
Over the past dozen years, Hyde has written many country hits for other artists, including Church’s chart-topping singles “Springsteen” and “Record Year.” A long line of artists including Alan Jackson, George Strait, Bobby Bare, Luke Bryan, Charlie Worsham, Nikki Lane and Becky Buller have also put their own stamp on his songs, but still much of his material remains unused. It’s a natural result of Hyde being one of Nashville’s busiest songwriters, in an industry where more songs are written than are ever heard.
Produced by fellow songwriter Ryan Tyndell, Norman Rockwell World rounds up 10 of those untouched compositions, including songs written alongside fellow hitmakers Michael Heeney, Clint Daniels, and Casey Beathard.
“When you write for a publishing company for years, you eventually wind up with songs you’re proud of that are just sitting on a shelf,” Hyde said. “That was part of the reason for doing this record. We wanted to take some of those best songs and give them a life.”
A native of Marshall, Texas, Hyde moved to Nashville in 2001. He was raised on the sounds of artists such as Keith Whitley, Tom T. Hall, and The Statler Brothers — chart-topping country singers who wrote many of their own hits. “You could turn their records around and look at the back to see who wrote the songs,” he remembers, “and the singers were also the writers. I always knew songwriting was the core thing I wanted to do in the music business. I wanted to start with that foundation, anything further would be a bonus.”
Norman Rockwell World roots itself in Hyde’s songwriting chops, and also introduces him as a talented vocalist who delivers a song with the same finesse he uses to spin a lyric. He sings each song in a welcomingly strong voice, one that may be familiar to Eric Church’s fans who have seen Hyde play acoustic instruments and sing harmonies in Church’s band for more than a decade. He beefs up his sound with everything from banjo riffs to mandolin solos. The music itself nods to his longtime influences — including 1980s trailblazers like Williams, Whitley, and Vern Gosdin — without losing its modern appeal.
The album release show for Norman Rockwell World will be in Nashville at Analog at Hutton Hotel on March 6.