Some things are worth the wait. Whiskey Myers’ latest single “The Wolf” is one of those things. Cody Cannon has been playing this song during live solo sets since 2020. More recently, the band added it to their live show. Videos of both have been floating around the internet lately and fans have been waiting for this day to come. At midnight, WM finally let the wolf out and it’s better than any of us expected.
“The Wolf” is the fourth single from Whisky Myers’ upcoming album Tornillo. Before this, we heard “John Wayne” “Antioch” and “Whole World Gone Crazy.” Combined, the songs give us a feel for what we can expect from the rest of the project.
Recently, Whiskey Myers landed three Platinum certifications and one Gold certification for previous singles. So, they weren’t looking to change things up too much with this record. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, after all. Instead of trying to fix something that was working just fine, WM improved the recipe.
In an interview with Outsider, Whiskey Myers frontman Cody Cannon said that Tornillo would contain Motown and Muscle Shoals influences in the form of additions like horns, brass, and background vocals from The McCrary Sisters. The singles from Tornillo show growth in a band that already has a massive following in the palms of their hands.
A Closer Look at Whiskey Myers’ Latest Single
Whiskey Myers’ new single opens with the kind of guitar riff that makes your right foot a little heavier while driving. Big cymbal crashes and bright horn lines come in to broaden the sound and bring the whole arrangement to the next level. If you’re not one of the lucky fans who witnessed the band performing it live, you’ve probably seen one of the fan-shot videos floating around the internet. Even the clip of them doing “The Wolf” at Red Rocks with a live horn section didn’t capture just how good the studio version of the song is.
Hearing the horns play in unison with the guitar ahead of the song’s final solo is definitely a highlight for me. However, it’s the lyrics that make this track a fan favorite. Cannon used the metaphor of a prowling wolf to highlight just how hard he and the band have worked to get where they are. The guys in Whiskey Myers have scraped and fought their way to Platinum singles, sold-out shows, and a rabid following with minimal industry support. “Everything you see is uncut and self-made,” Cannon growls in the opening verse, revealing the heart of the song.
You can almost hear the snarl in Cannon’s voice when you read the lyrics. The chip on his shoulder here is obvious and he wears it like a badge of honor.
“The Wolf” is obviously a song about a hard-working musician with a family to feed. However, anyone who works hard to put food on the table and didn’t have anything handed to them will be able to feel just about every word of this one in their bones. In short, Whiskey Myers and this new single are 100% Outsider-Approved.
