Neo traditional country artist Craig Campbell launched his Grindstone Recordings label in 2020 and has been releasing music and banking even more over the last few years. Answering the call of his fans, he will release The Lost Files: Exhibit A album on February 17, 2023. The first single, “Tractor Songs,” was written by his good buddy Walker Hayes and will hit January 27, 2023.
“This album has been a long time coming,” said Craig. “This collection of music is very special to me, I have been chomping at the bit to get this to my fans. These are songs that I love and believe in with all that I am. My fans fell in love with me when there was steel and fiddle on my records. I truly hate that I got away from that for a bit trying to chase something that wasn’t real, but I humbly admit, I am a work in progress. Not everyone is going to love this album, and I am ok with that. However, THIS is the real me. Unfiltered, unapologetic, and from my heart.“
The 16-cut album is a compilation of recent recordings and “lost” songs he recorded for previous labels but were never released. Travis Tritt, Trea Landon, and Craig’s wife Mindy are featured on three of the cuts.
Craig had a hand in writing 11 of the tracks with some of the top songwriters in music. The other five were contributed by Jess Brown, Joel Little Phillip Coleman, Nicolle Galyon, Ella Yelich-O’Connor, Jamie Paulin, Liz Rose, Michael White, and Justin Wilson. In addition to Campbell, producers on various tracks include Cooper Bascom, Blake Bollinger, Mickie Jack Cones, Rob Hatch, Elisha Hoffman, Phil O’Donnell, Matt Rovey, Keith Stegall, and Ilya Toshinskiy.
Hayes is the sole writer on “Tractor Songs,” and he produced the track with Luke DeJaynes. The story behind Craig recording the song began after the two played a show together in Orlando.
“As I listened to Craig’s set that night, I thought, ‘man, I forgot how unreal his voice is – one of my Top 5 favorite voices,’” said Walker, who is the sole writer on “Tractor Songs.” I met him as soon as he walked off the stage and pleaded with him to let me send him a song or two. ‘Tractor Songs’ was one of them. He sings it like he wrote it, his voice and the song belong together. No one could do it better, and I wouldn’t want anyone else on it. Praise God Craig and I are always bumping into each other. He’s one of the reasons I love this town.”
“Sometimes you hear songs on the radio and say ‘Man! That’s a hit! I wish I could cut that before they did,’” Craig added. “All I can say is I’m glad I cut this before anyone else! Shoutout to Walker for sending this song to me first.”
“Tractor Songs” will be available through all streaming services from Craig’s Grindstone Recordings label, which is distributed by Stem. Following a busy 2022, Craig will be hitting the road next month on a nationwide tour to promote the single and album.
In addition to writing, recording, touring and running his record company, Craig and his wife Mindy accomplished a longtime dream of opening Grindstone Cowboy in their home of Eagleville last year. The popular coffee shop and restaurant doubles as a music venue, and will see a number of headline artists perform in the coming weeks.
As a new business owner, Craig wanted to serve the residents of Eagleville in a greater way and ran for and won a seat on the Eagleville City Council. He was sworn in last month and is one of five city council members, who along with the mayor and vice mayor, oversee planning, budgeting, citizen concerns, and more for the growing Middle Tennessee community.
Last June, Craig hosted his 8th Annual Craig Campbell Celebrity Cornhole Challenge and raised more than $25,000 for national nonprofit Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC).
The Lost Files: Exhibit A
Track Listing
1. “Lot To Live Up To” featuring Travis Tritt
Writers: Craig Campbell/Tim Nichols/Mark D. Sanders
Producers: Matt Rovey & Craig Campbell
2. “Winnebago”
Writers: Craig Campbell/Brett Beavers/Steve Bogard
Producer: Mickey Jack Cones
3. “It’s About Time” *
Writers: Michael White/Justin Wilson/Jamie Paulin
Producer: Blake Bollinger
4. “Things You Do In A Truck” * featuring Trea Landon
Writers: Craig Campbell/Blake Bollinger/Trea Landon
Producers: Blake Bollinger, Cooper Bascom, Craig Campbell
5. “Sounds Like A Small Town”
Writers: Craig Campbell/Jeremy Bussey/Cody Cozzolino
Producers: Ilya Toshinskiy and Craig Campbell
6. “Church Clothes” with Mindy Ellis Campbell
Writers: Liz Rose/Nicolle Galyon
Producer: Craig Campbell
7. “Johnny’s Cash”
Writers: Craig Campbell/Keifer Thompson
Producer: Craig Campbell
8. “Hurtin’ On It”
Writers: Craig Campbell/Adam Yaron/Abram Dean
Producer: Craig Campbell
9. “Night Like Last Night”
Writers: Craig Campbell/Rob Hatch/Jason Sellers
Producers: Matt Rovey, Craig Campbell, Rob Hatch, Elisha Hoffman
10. “Royals”
Writers: Ella Yelich-O’Connor/Joel Little
Producers: Matt Rovey & Craig Campbell
11. “Talk Country To Me”
Writers: Craig Campbell/Adam Sanders/Derek George
Producer: Phil O’Donnell
12. “Tractor Songs”
Writer: Walker Hayes
Producers: Luke DeJaynes, Walker Hayes
13. “God And The Ground”
Writers: Phillip Coleman/Jess Brown
Producers: Keith Stegall, Matt Rovey, and Craig Campbell
14. “That’s What A Song’ll Do”
Writers: Craig Campbell/Ben Hayslip/Dallas Davidson
Producers: Keith Stegall, Matt Rovey, and Craig Campbell
15. “That’s How We Get Down”
Writers: Craig Campbell/Jeremy Bussey/Styles Haury
Producer: Craig Campbell
16. “All American Comeback Kid”
Writers: Craig Campbell/Terry McBride/Brice Long
Producers: Keith Stegall, Matt Rovey, and Craig Campbell
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