Alt-country star Zach Bryan dropped a new album last Independence Day 2024, The Great American Bar Scene, featuring big names in the industry: Bruce Springsteen, pioneer of heartland rock and The Boss; John Mayer, heartthrob singer and renowned guitarist; and Americana artists Noeline Hofmann and John Moreland.
This came less than a year after his self-titled LP, which gave him his first #1 hit—“I Remember Everything” with Kacey Musgraves—and amid a tour-heavy schedule with live shows all over the US, bringing out collaborators including Musgraves and Springsteen and guests like Sexyy Red and the “Hawk Tuah” girl. He also released the Boys of Faith EP and a music video for the track “Nine Balls” with Matthew McConaughey. He had also been arrested and in a car wreck during that time.
The Great American Bar Scene under Warner Records is a 19-track project composed of 18 songs and a poem.
Before the full release, he also did a live debut performance of his collaboration track with Springsteen, “Sandpaper,” in March at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center in New York. And fans of The Boss will definitely be reminded of his 1984 hit “I’m on Fire” with this track. The two also performed his 2019 track “Revival” with Maggie Rogers. The Boss flew out from his tour to make the appearance, and Bryan wore the rock star’s shirt for their stage. In addition, Bryan gifted fans with two previews, “Pink Skies” in May and “Purple Gas” with Hoffman in June.
And then, on June 21, leading closer to the July drop, he made an announcement on Instagram. In the post, he said that he chose 23 bars across the country that embodied the spirit of American culture, where select cuts of his album were played. He also noted that he’d be visiting a few on the list to drink with everyone. He thanked everyone and called himself “the most blessed man on the planet.”
Aside from Springsteen, John Mayer also appeared on the album with the gentle song “Better Days,” while John Moreland was on “Memphis; The Blues.” Another collaborator was his photographer and Louie Nice’s fiancé Morgan Meinhart, who was on his 2022 triple album American Heartbreak. She lent her voice for backup vocals on “Bass Boat.”
After the release, Bryan went to X (formerly Twitter) to give his heartfelt thanks to Springsteen. He penned, “thank you for the day @springsteen. thank you for your kind words. thank you for letting me take this picture. thank you for making my whole life a dream of a younger me. a reason to believe.”
thank you for the day @springsteen
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) July 4, 2024
thank you for your kind words
thank you for letting me take this picture
thank you for making my whole life a dream of a younger me
a reason to believe pic.twitter.com/vBHAWEbhqx
Mayer also went to X to share how he knew the album was special, but he had no idea it would be “beautiful, powerful, and deep.” He added how he never saw it coming to be asked to play with an artist like Bryan, who was deeply tapped in. “Thank you for inviting me into your dream-coming-true,” Mayer signed off.
A double LP version is set to be available on October 11 and can already be pre-ordered here. And while we all wait, let’s take Zach Bryan’s “The Great American Bar Scene” all in and listen to every single track.
