From the stadium shows of country megastar Luke Combs, to the soulful storytelling of his own solo venture, Mt. Juliet’s Rob Williford is charting a bold new path with the release of his upcoming album, Johnny & Jenny, out June 27. The GRAMMY®-nominated, CMA Award-winning songwriter—best known for penning hits like “Beautiful Crazy,” “Forever After All,” and “Doin’ This”—has traded life on the road for life behind the mic, and he’s not looking back.
“I thought about it, I prayed about it, and I knew I couldn’t go back to the side-man thing,” says Williford, who left Combs’ band in 2023 after nearly a decade on the road. “Thankfully, Luke was nothing but supportive—but that gig was harder to quit than drinking.”
Williford’s solo journey began in earnest with the 2023 release of Wildcard, his debut album produced by Matchbox Twenty’s Kyle Cook. Now, he’s embracing a rawer, more vulnerable sound. “There’s a bit of a lost art in the human element of music these days. When we recorded, it wasn’t about hitting the perfect notes—it was about feeling something real. I wanted the imperfection. I wanted to throw the cue cards in the air.”
A Gastonia, North Carolina native who now calls Mt. Juliet home, Williford brings deep emotional intelligence and lyrical craftsmanship to every track he touches. His songs don’t just tell stories—they ask questions, stir memories, and leave a mark.
Listeners have already been introduced to the forthcoming project via a series of single releases, including lead-off tune “Johnny,” a dark, gripping ballad that blends Appalachian grit with raw emotion. He followed that with his haunting, Americana-drenched rendition of the classic Motown hit “Ain’t No Mountain,” desperation-fueled “Beautiful Breakdown,” and most recent and final single release, “Jenny,” which introduces Johnny’s counterpart who, despite the best of intentions, has made a series of bad decisions, leading to a sort of bittersweet entrapment.
Along with Johnny & Jenny, the multi-talented Williford will be releasing an accompanying short film: a 15-minute pilot-style work shot by award-winning cinematographer Dustin Haney that brings a visual component to the album - a slightly different and welcomed approach from what most artists offer in tandem with a project release.
To learn more about Rob Williford, visit robwilliford.komi.io.
“I thought about it, I prayed about it, and I knew I couldn’t go back to the side-man thing."