\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cPeople say I need a viral moment,\u201d Tannery Usrey says. \u201cBut you know what? That moment happens every time I write a new song, and every time I step onstage. If you chase that viral moment, it\u2019ll eat you to death.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tFor a decade, Usrey has toured relentlessly, with the music and hard-partying appeal to sustain a career playing clubs and dance halls in his native Texas. Then, one of his songs, \u201cThe Light,\u201d appeared on Yellowstone<\/a><\/em> in 2022, and Usrey landed a deal with Atlantic, releasing his 2023 debut album, Crossing Lines<\/em>, in the wake. Suddenly, Usrey felt as though he was on the cusp of a breakthrough and became hellbent on making the most of the opportunity.<\/p>\n \n\tHe does that on These Days<\/em>, his second album, released on Friday. It\u2019s a record that finds him assessing not just his songs, but his entire approach to music and touring \u2014\u00a0on These Days<\/em>, Usrey grows up, fast.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s about heartbreak, as usual, but the overall theme is more mature than what I\u2019ve been writing about,\u201d Usrey tells Rolling Stone<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s about counting the little wins, and that\u2019s why I named it These Days<\/em>. I want to appreciate every little moment, and every day that I make it through, and everybody else makes it through. It\u2019s not all self-destruction anymore, it\u2019s about real stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tUsrey\u2019s voice was what first endeared him to Texas crowds in the early 2010s, when he played acoustic shows with his older brother, Tim. He can sing with a country twang or hold a long blues note, and do both with his extensive vocal range. For These Days<\/em>, Usrey wanted to showcase all that, which led him to tap Dave Cobb to produce.<\/p>\n