Ryan Bingham’s New Album Was Worth The Wait

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentRyan Bingham’s New Album Was Worth The WaitByMatthew Leimkuehler,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Matthew Leimkuehler is a music journalist from Nashville, Tennessee.Follow AuthorMay 14, 2026, 07:30am EDTRyan Bingham performs onstage during a 52nd season taping of the long-running music series "Austin City Limits" at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on April 21, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThis week, singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham releases his first studio full-length in seven years — and yes, it was worth the wait. Bingham returns Friday with They Call Us The Lucky Ones, a 10-song collection cut alongside trusted country-roots band the Texas Gentlemen. On the album, listeners can expect a handful of must-hear stories sketched into Bingham’s growing songbook of cinematic tales. From vivid opening number “The Lucky Ones” through reflective closer “I’m A Goin’ Nowhere,” he collects stories for the restless, rowdy and romantic — each backed by riffs spun from the seasoned pickers of the Texas Gentlemen. For Bingham — a Grammy and Oscar-winning artist who, in addition to songwriting, may be recognized for his recurring role as Walker on hit program Yellowstone — returning to the studio comes in-part after connecting with Texas Gentlemen, a studio and road band that’s played with Kris Kristofferson, as well as Leon Bridges, Ed Sheeran, Shakey Graves and others. Bingham and the Gentle connected for a run of shows (including the singer’s 2024 Live at Red Rocks release) that eventually led to time in the studio. “Even when we’re not playing shows, we enjoy hanging out together and just playing music on the back porch at the house,” Bingham told Forbes about returning to the studio with the band. “A lot of stuff we were just making up and I had a bunch of songs I was working on. We wanted to go out and play some shows, so it felt like it was ti...