Ian Munsick is here to tell you that country music isn’t all about drinking beer, driving trucks and going to worship.
The 29-year-old recording artist is spreading the Rocky Mountain gospel with the release of his highly-anticipated sophomore album White Buffalo, which is available on all music streaming platforms beginning today (April 7).
“I’m really excited to have other people hear [‘White Buffalo’] because I want the rest of the world to catch up on the music that I’ve already had for a long time,” Munsick tells Celeb Secrets reporter Juliet Schroder exclusively in a virtual interview. “I love writing and producing music in the studio, so anytime that it’s time for me to make an album, it’s always awesome. I’ve been writing and producing [my own music] since I was about 18-years-old, so at this point I just feel like it’s important for me to keep on doing it because that’s what got me here in the first place.”
Featuring 18 tracks that all credit Munsick as a co-writer and co-producer, the new project marks the 29-year-old’s first since 2021’s Coyote Cry and pays homage to his homeland while showcasing a raw, untamed depiction of the American West. Noting that White Buffalo‘s writing process started during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, Ian’s main goal with White Buffalo is to break the traditional mold of country music while giving a voice to people that live in states like his native Wyoming.
“The main story that I’m trying to paint is to take my audience on a trip to the West,” Ian says. “Country music has been dominated by other regions of the country like the Southeast and Texas for a long time. But the West — specifically the Rocky Mountains — and the people that live there are truly as country as it gets. They are real cowboys and cowgirls, and that rural lifestyle inspires my kind of country music.”
When listening to White Buffalo, fans can expect to hear Munsick’s flagship duet “Long Live Cowgirls” with Cody Johnson, along with previously released singles “Dig,” “River Run,” the loping “Horses & Weed,” faith-driven love song “More Than Me” and “Little Man,” which is an ode to his three-year-old Crawford.
And while every song holds a special place in his heart, Ian says that his favorite is the project’s final track, “Indian Paintbrush,” as it’s “the most personal” song that he thinks “he’ll be able to listen to years from now.”
“I still kind of get goosebumps talking about it,” Munsick says coyly. “‘Indian Paintbrush’ is Wyoming’s state flower and it’s a sacred plant. It only grows in the Rocky Mountains, which is really cool, but in general, it’s about respecting the land and the people on the land. I think that’s kind of the overall theme that separates the West is the love for the landscape that’s out there. There’s beautiful country out there, so I think that this song will really stand the test of time.”
He’s also excited for people to listen to the record’s title track, as it does a great job of getting his main message across about a territory in the U.S. that people may not know much about.
“I always try to pick a place and a time to transport my audience to, and I think that White Buffalo does a great job of bringing people to the prairies of The Rockies,” he says. “Growing up in Wyoming, we had a lot of Native American influences there, so [‘White Buffalo’] pays tribute to a piece of their culture that I think is important for me to help bring to light in country music. It’s a huge influence on the cowboy way of life where I’m from.”
As for what’s next, Munsick will head back on the road for his headlining Long Live Cowgirls Tour on April 14 and will continue into May, including his first arena shows. The remaining stops feature Ned LeDoux, Ryan Charles, 49 Winchester, Ashland Craft and The Munsick Boys on select dates. He will also hit Stagecoach Festival on April 28 before heading to Nashville, TN for his sold-out, headlining debut at the world-famous Ryman Auditorium on May 16.
“I’m really excited for it,” Munsick says about his upcoming tour dates. “For the first part of the tour, we played pretty much east of the Mississippi River, and it was really cool to see that people loved it since lot of my fan base is in the west. Now that we’re going to the west this spring, I’m really excited to bring my country music back to the part of the country that inspires me the most.”
For more on Ian’s new music, watch our full interview with the rising country star below and don’t forget to let us know what you think of White Buffalo by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecrets.
You can listen to White Buffalo here:
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