oe Nichols is out with “High Notes,” a pedal steel-driven honky-tonk party tune that wears its Hank Williams influences proudly and doesn’t apologize for a second. Co-written with Jaron Boyer (five No. 1 country hits to his name) and Matt Gorman, and co-produced with Jason Sellers, the track is a flat-out good time, the kind of song that fills a dance floor and reminds you exactly why traditional country still hits so hard. It’s out now.
“I wanted to write a country song, the way country used to sound in the ’90s, that people could go out and two-step or line dance to,” says Nichols. “Playing this song live is a joy because it brings joy to people who remember that style of country, and I love seeing them out there dancing to it.” That energy comes through in every bar of the recording.
“High Notes” is the third teaser track from Nichols’ forthcoming studio project, following “Fighting the Good Fight” and “Goodbyes Are Hard to Listen To.” Notably, “Fighting the Good Fight” and “High Notes” mark Nichols’ first self-penned releases in nearly two decades, a deliberate move as the three-time GRAMMY nominee works to put more of his own story into the music.
The track carries multiple nods to both Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., and even shares its title with Junior’s 1982 album ‘High Notes.’ For a neo-traditional torchbearer ranked by Billboard among the Top Country Artists of the 21st Century, with over 2.3 billion cumulative streams and a half-dozen No. 1 singles, this feels like a natural and very welcome direction.
On the road, Nichols plays Charlotte, North Carolina on May 30 and Tampa, Florida on June 5 with Hank Williams Jr., then heads to Georgiana, Alabama on June 6 for the 47th Annual Hank Williams Festival. More dates are at joenichols.com/tour.
2026 Tour Dates (select):
May 30 – Charlotte, NC (with Hank Williams Jr.)
June 5 – Tampa, FL (with Hank Williams Jr.)
June 6 – Georgiana, AL – 47th Annual Hank Williams Festival