becoming THE CROW

"... and then The Mocking Bird & The Crow, the one song where it transitions, he's playing the first half of that song and then he just walks off stage, gets to an SUV, rockstars over to the Roxy and then starts the Crow-portion. It's just gonna be epic."

(Tracker Johnson, Manager Big Loud Records / via YouTube, January 12, 2024)

Exactly one year ago, on January 20, 2023, [Michael] Hardy released his second studio album. With "the mockingbird & THE CROW" he didn't just present his second studio album, but one of the most extraordinary projects of the past year. It is an album that he wrote tailor-made for himself - half country, half rock. At the center of it is the title song, which forms the watershed from the country to the rock side of the album and thus has one foot in the country side and the other one in the rock side.

The album with its 17 songs by now boasts almost 500 million streams on Spotify and a number 2 hit on the radio (Billboard Country Airplay) chart with 'wait in the truck', the duet with Lainey Wilson. The latter was not only certified double platinum, but has also received awards for Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year from the Country Music Association (CMA) in November of 2023.

While 3 songs from the album ('Sold Out', 'Jack' and the title track) also climbed up the rock charts, Hardy has released 'TRUCK BED' as the second single from the project for the country format on May 15, 2023. Although the title actually comes from the rock side of the album and is therefore correspondingly loud and rowdy. Which director Justin Clough immediately made use of for the accompanying video.

For the song written together with Ashley Gorley, Hunter Phelps and Ben Johnson, the phrase woke up on the wrong side of the bed was taken and turned into a humorous pun with the addition of the word TRUCK. Hence the songwriters created a double meaning for the phrase by changing it to woke up on the wrong side of the truck bed.

Consequently the video shows in detail what the lyrics are all about: a party in the backyard, where alcohol gets extensively consumed.

She said, "Don't come home if you go to the bar".
I said, "Okay, baby" then got drunk out in the yard.
2 AM I knock knock knocked up on the door.
but she never unlock-locked it, guess I don't live there no more.

I woke up on the wrong side of the truck bed this morning,
with a bone-dry bottle of Jack I was pouring.
Damn, she got some nerve the way she kicked me to the curb.
Guess you can say I got what I deserve.

(Truck Bed / Hardy, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps)

On the radio (Billboard Country Airplay) chart of January 19, 2024, the single sits at number 12 after 36 weeks and is on the verge of making it into the top-10. An occasion that can be celebrated just as much as the one-year anniversary of the album, about which Hardy says: "I hope, that in 5 years, when I have 3 or 4 records out, that somebody will be like, if you wonna know who Hardy is, go and listen to 'the mockingbird & THE CROW'. It really does perfectly encapsulate who I am."

One year after the release of the project, this also means that this chapter in Hardy's career is commercially coming to a close to make room for something new. So on January 11, 2024, a comprehensive look back was presented in the sold-out Regal Green Hill cinema in Nashville, under the theme: becoming THE CROW. It was the premiere of the short film by the same name about the creation of the album and the people involved, which was again directed by Justin Clough. In addition to fans and Hardy, producer Joey Moi, among others, also has their say in the film.

In addition, the film explains the unique concept for the first live presentation of the album last January 2023. "I watched the Eagles documentary a few years ago and ... they mentioned the Troubadour a lot because they were coming there and play there all the time", Hardy describes the origin of the idea. "It's one of the most legendary small clubs in LA." 

In fact, many singer-songwriter greats such as James Taylor, Tom Waits, Randy Newman, John Lennon and more were among the Troubadour's regulars in West Hollywood in the 1960s and 70s. Even Elton John made his US debut there in 1970.

And then there is the Roxy on the Sunset Strip in LA. "An iconic rock club", as Big Loud Records manager Tracker Johnson rightly describes it. After all, world-renowned artists such as Prince, Bob Marley, David Bowie, Frank Zappa and Genesis performed in the club, which allows for some 500 standing room guests.

So what could be more obvious than to transfer the dual-concept of the album to the live premiere? That way Hardy first performed at the sold-out Troubadour on January 23, 2023, where he played the first half of the album, i.e. the mockingbird-side, including the first half of the title song. Then he left the stage with his band, was shuttled to the sold-out Roxy and ended the concert evening there with the continuation of the title song and the CROW-side of the the album.

A spectacular concept, about which Hardy said in advance with a sly smile: "It's gonna be bad ass. Both of them are gonna be a party. But the people that chose the CROW, will have their ears bleeding by the time the leave for sure."

With becoming THE CROW, one of the most creative and talented songwriters in the genre ends his current musical chapter. But not without leaving a hint for the next one. So on January 12, 2024, Hardy released the uncompromising rap track 'Quit!!', which originates from a personal experience and has already named the upcoming tour with Kip Moore, Travis Denning, Stephen Wilson Jr. and newcomer Ella Langley ...