At the heart of country music’s biggest weekend — CMA Fest in Nashville — one of the most exciting rising voices in rock-tinged Americana took the stage outside the Hard Rock Cafe and immediately captured the crowd’s attention with his gritty, genre-fusing sound. His name? Liam St. John. And if you don’t know it yet, you definitely will come September 5th.
The Spokane-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter is gearing up to release his debut full-length album Man Of The North via Big Loud Rock — a project he tells Celeb Secrets has been over three years in the making. “It’s been brewing for a while,” Liam shared with us backstage at CMA Fest. “I really wanted to dig into the roots of who I am — where I come from, who I come from — and Man Of The North felt like the perfect title to reflect that.”
Blending blues, rock, outlaw country, and Americana into something fiercely his own, Liam isn’t here to fit into boxes. He’s here to smash them. “We recorded everything live in the studio — no overdubs, no polished vocals,” he tells us. “What you hear is what we played. Rock and roll is the most raw you can get as a singer. You either hit it or you don’t — and I love that.”
With musical roots grounded in soul and blues (yes, Ray Charles and Louis Armstrong are at the foundation), Liam adds his own swagger, storytelling, and unmistakable grit to the mix — something clearly evident in his fiery new single “Man Of The North.” The track opens with a haunting fiddle line before bursting into a modern-day roots-rock anthem, backed by raw percussion, slide guitar, and that unmistakable voice.
Also already released from the album are standout collabs with Americana darlings Houndmouth (“Devil in Disguise”) and GRAMMY-winner Molly Tuttle (“Greyhound Bus Blues”) — the latter of which Liam was absolutely stoked about. “I’m a Molly Tuttle stan,” he laughs. “She came into the studio and nailed it in like 25 minutes. She’s such a pro.”
At its core, Man Of The North isn’t just a collection of songs — it’s Liam’s life story, layered with vulnerability, strength, and redemption.
“For four years, I’d been writing songs that, in one way or another, address the roots of me,” he explains. “Songs about being raised by a single mom, about not having a father figure, about the role religion played in my mental health, and about addiction — the coping mechanisms I used, and what it looked like to move past that.”
Thematically, the album is a triumph of truth-telling — a reckoning with the silence of his past and an embrace of what it means to be radically honest. “I lived a lot of my life unable to speak my truth,” he tells us. “When I started doing that — in my music — the grip that drugs and alcohol had on me began to loosen. I hope people who hear these songs feel inspired to do the same: live honestly, speak their truth.”
In support of the album, Liam is hitting the road on an extensive 50+ date Man Of The North Tour, kicking off this summer in Europe before returning to the States. Cities include Nashville, Austin, Denver, LA, NYC, and just about everywhere in between.
“My biggest goal was getting back on the road,” he shares. “We took a year off to make the album, and now I’m just ready to bring this music to people — live, loud, and unapologetic.”
With high-voltage stage presence, his signature blend of heart and heat, and a powerful connection to his fans, the tour promises to be a defining moment in Liam’s career — and we’ve got a feeling it’s only the beginning.
While his music speaks volumes, Liam left us with a little something extra. “Fun fact — I used to be a professional track and field athlete,” he reveals. “I went to South Africa for a year and competed in long jump and triple jump after college. I can still dunk.”
For more on Liam St. John’s upcoming album, make sure to watch our full backstage interview from CMA Fest 2025 below — and don’t forget to let us know if you’re stoked for Man of the North by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry.
Interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. For more coverage from CMA Fest 2025, click here.
