Kenny Chesney Releasing ‘Here and Now’ on Vinyl

Kenny Chesney released his latest album, Here and Now, in May, and the country star is releasing the project on vinyl in August, something he’s never done before. Here and Now debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart, giving Chesney his ninth trip to the top of the list and tying him with Garth Brooks for the most all-time No. 1s on the chart for a country act. Chesney has released 19 studio albums throughout his career, and Here and Now will be the first fans can also listen to on vinyl.

“Music is medicine, and No Shoes Nation is people who work hard, rock hard, play hard,” Chesney said of his fans in a statement. “They’re always in their truck or their car, headed somewhere, so I like the idea they take these songs along with them. But with so many of us staying home, having the time to really dive into the music and listen – and based on the passion for this project, it seemed like now is the time to do vinyl. I had a friend give me a stack of albums from the ’70s and ’80s a few years ago, and there really is something different about settling in and listening. It’s warmer. It has a bit more presence sonically. It’s a whole other way to listen, and right now, that feels like a good thing.”

The vinyl edition of Here and Now will be pressed on clear vinyl, the color of green sea glass, and the packaging will be the same artwork as the original album. Fans can purchase the vinyl LP at kennychesney.com and exclusively through Walmart on Aug. 21.

“One of the most difficult things for people seems to be actually getting their hands on physical recordings,” Chesney said. “It used to be so easy to drop into Tower Records and get lost for a while. Today people have so much they have to do, plus they really don’t want to go out right now, so this seems like the easiest and best way to get the vinyl Here And Now into the fans’ hands.”

The album’s title track recently went to No. 1 and Chesney announced in July that his next single will be the buoyant “Happy Does.” “There were a couple other songs we were talking about, but it felt like right now, remembering to see the glass as half full, to find the best possible reality in any given moment is so important,” the Tennessee native said of choosing his next single. “‘Happy Does’ is filled with people doing just that, and it’s why in the end, we decided that would be the song we’d send out there for summer.”