Celebrate Memorial Day weekend with rising country star Dillon Carmichael!
ABOUT DILLON CARMICHAEL
With a voice that commands attention, Dillon Carmichael delivers songs straight from the heart of true country living: gritty but soulful, timeless but defiant, heartfelt but unapologetically hard-hitting. After making his debut with the widely acclaimed Hell On An Angel—a 2018 album produced by nine-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb—the Burgin, Kentucky-bred singer/songwriter set off on a steady rise that's now included scoring two consecutive Top 25 singles with "Son Of A" and "Drinkin' Problems," touring with the likes of Luke Bryan and Cody Johnson, and earning adulation from leading outlets like Rolling Stone and the New York Times. For his most monumental chapter yet, Carmichael now presents his new album Keepin' Country Alive—a deeply personal body of work inspired by his hometown and the people who make it so vital, each song spotlighting the extraordinary force of his formidable baritone like never before.
Born with music in his blood, Carmichael hails from a lineage that includes country hitmakers John Michael Montgomery and Eddie Montgomery (his maternal uncles) and a lifelong singer for a mother. As a kid growing up in a farming community, he took up guitar at age 12 and joined a country-rock band in his early teens. "I wanted to be a rock & roll guitarist and didn't care much about singing, but the people around me kept pushing me to sing,' he recalls. "Finally, I gave in, and right away I caught the bug. I'd always been a quiet kid and kind of a misfit, but singing made me feel like I'd found my place in the world." Within a few years, Carmichael began playing six-hour-long sets at local bars, in addition to winning big talent competitions hosted by Future Farmers of America (a longtime passion later explored in the 2024 mini-documentary The Blue Jacket). Soon after finishing high school, he moved to Nashville but struggled to find his way in the music industry, making ends meet with a series of odd jobs (including working as a security guard at the Grand Ole Opry and bouncing at several bars on Broadway). When a couple of his songs caught the attention of Dave Cobb (whose credits include superstars like Chris Stapleton and Zac Brown Band), Carmichael headed into the studio to create Hell On An Angel—a no-frills but finely crafted powerhouse that landed on Rolling Stone's list of the year's best country/Americana albums, praised as a "flawlessly executed portrait of an artist growing into his voice."
Since the arrival of Hell On An Angel, Carmichael has achieved full command of his phenomenal vocal talents, as evidenced on his sophomore LP Son of A (a 2021 release co-produced by Jon Pardi). But as he reveals, the making of Keepin' Country Alive marked a crucial turning point in his evolution as a songwriter. "We took two years to make this record, and because of that, I was able to spend a lot of time with the songs and bring my vision to life in a whole new way," he says. To that end, Carmichael's third full-length offers an up-close look at the world that shaped him, sharing songs of honest living, hard work, patriotism, and the one-of-a-kind spirit of small-town community. "I called this record Keepin' Country Alive to honor all the people who grew up the way I did," he says. "My wife always jokes that no one else loves their hometown the way I do, but I'm proud to come from a place where the whole town was like one big family and everyone looked out for each other."
Recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Keepin' Country Alive endlessly spotlights the lived-in detail and pure emotional impact of Carmichael's storytelling, whether he's paying homage to the beauty of the rural life ("Home," "Good Ol' Day") or laying down a gloriously unruly anthem like "Raised Up Wrong." "There are a lot of misconceptions about where I'm from and what the people there stand for, so I wanted to write about stepping into someone else's shoes and trying to understand their experience," Carmichael notes. Also featuring standouts like the achingly tender "Hell Freezes Over" and wickedly funny "When She's Drinkin', "Carmichael's latest LP reaches a particularly stunning intensity on "No Matter How Hard I Try"—a heartrending love song affirming his incredible vocal range. "That's the most challenging song I've ever recorded, and at first thought I might not nail it," he says. "In the past, I might not have even tried, so I'm proud that this album has that moment of me taking a real risk with my voice."
Recently named a New Face of Country Music by Country Radio Seminar, Carmichael has also spent much of the past few years out on the road, with his live history now including sharing bills with legends like Dwight Yoakam and touring across Europe as support for Jon Pardi. "People always ask if I get nervous before I go onstage, but the truth is playing a show is the only time I'm not nervous," he says. "For that hour or so, I can forget about everything going on in the world, and just focus on doing what I love." And as he gets set to release Keepin' Country Alive, Carmichael hopes his songs might provide others with a similar sense of joyful relief. "There's a lot of different themes on this record—one song might make you want to call your mama, another might make you want to throw down and party, some songs might make you cry," he says. "But no matter what, I hope they help you to forget about your problems for a while, to not overthink things or take yourself too seriously, and just take a little time to remember all the good things in life."
Parking for Analog ticket holders is just $10 flat in our on-site garage—available exclusively for guests attending shows at Analog at Hutton Hotel.
Before the lights dim and the first note hits, indulge in an evening of elevated dining at Evelyn's, where timeless American flavors meet a touch of Southern sophistication. As an Analog ticket holder, enjoy 15% off your meal—because a night of exceptional music deserves an equally refined prelude.
