Randy Houser Premieres Acoustic ‘No Stone Unturned’ Performance From ‘Magnolia’

Randy Houser is giving PopCulture.com readers an exclusive first look at the video for “No Stone Unturned.” The song is from Houser’s upcoming Magnolia album, scheduled to be released on Jan. 11, 2019, and accompanying film.

Magnolia features a more stripped-down sound than Houser has previously done, the result of a realization that he wasn’t happy with the music he had been making in the past. Calling his previous music like “singing karaoke,” Houser let some of his musicians and crew go, and started touring with just a three-piece band instead.

“It was a total reset,” Houser said. “And then as I started writing, I knew there wasn’t going to be any of that big production stuff. My next project had to lean on songs and melodies, not a bunch of tricks and loops. And that was the catalyst for the new album.”

In addition to releasing the record, the powerhouse vocalist is also releasing a full-length feature narrative film of the same name. The story follows two people in Mississippi, Ana and Noah, struggling to maintain a relationship in spite of their personal struggles. Houser performs several songs from the record throughout the movie, as a local singer in one of the Magnolia State’s dive bars.

“Magnolia tells my story but also tells the story of running away from something while not knowing exactly what you’re running to,” Houser explained. “As I got into the groove of creating this album, the story became so vivid in my mind that I realized it had to live through more than just a body of music and become a film. That’s exactly what we created … a film about running towards your truth.”

The album follows Houser’s 2016 Fired Up record, which included the chart-topping single, “We Went.” It took the 42-year-old three years to find what he did – and didn’t – want to say, and how he wanted to say it

“Magnolia has been my beacon of light and restored my spirit and my truth,” said Houser. “It’s also the most daring and honest piece of work I’ve made in my life.”

The debut single from Magnolia, “What Whiskey Does,” is already in the Top 40. Written by Houser, Keith Gattis and Hillary Lindsey, who also lends her vocals to the track, the song reminded Houser of everything he liked about country music.

“Coming off such a big year in 2017, I really wanted to get back to the basics, experiment with sound and make music that inspired me,” said Houser. “‘What Whiskey Does’ was born from a mission to forget about all of the bells and whistles, relax and just create music that felt good to make.”

See a complete track listing for Magnolia below. Pre-order the record at RandyHouser.com.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Tim Mosenfelder