Hello friends, family, and fans!

Back in the halcyon days of 2024, we hauled ourselves and gear out to the Bomb Shelter recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee to cut 12 new tracks straight to wax. As always the songs are varied in style and origin — several are the result of writing sessions in Little Rock in the lead up to recording, some tracks are gut wrenching solo compositions, and others are Sad Daddy classics you've known and loved for years but never made it onto an album. The result is our fourth studio album, Ozark Shine.

"How did two years go by since recording?" you might ask. Well I'll tell you. Melissa got a gig at the Grand Ole Opry, Rebecca threw a catfish fry that lasted from late 2024 through Thanksgiving 2025, Joe sired two additional children, and Brian — well, we're not entirely sure where he is but he always shows up right on time for the gigs.

No matter the timing, we're finally ready to release Ozark Shine into the world, and this album feels particularly lucky for a variety of reasons. First, when we arrived in Nashville to record, Rebecca spotted David Rawlings grabbing Vietnamese food at the same place as us (we're choosing to interpret this as a blessing). Also, when we got to our lodging, a catfish, Sad Daddy's spirit animal, was waiting for us in magnet form on the fridge. And right in the middle of recording, John Prine's wife contacted Melissa to say John would've loved her music.

These three good omens can only mean one thing — we should probably release the album.

To do this right, we're asking for your help. Our goal is to raise $10,000 by mid-May to have the album ready to release to the world by June 26. These funds will go toward getting the music polished and ready and out to the ears of folks far and wide: mastering, vinyl and CD production, and a radio and publicity push.

Here is a breakdown of how the money would be spent:

$1300 for mastering

$3800 for printing vinyl

$1400 for compact discs (remember them? we still sell a lot at our shows!)

$3500 for radio and publicity (we debuted at #1 on the Alt Country Specialty Charts with Way Up in the Hills!)

We couldn't make any of this happen without the support of our friends, family, and fans. Ever since its inception in 2010, Sad Daddy has been a continued source of joy and a reminder of why we fell in love with making music in the first place, and one of the best parts is the community that it brings together at each and every show. Thank you so much for your continued love and support.

Complete track listing:

Bootlegger

Let's Go Fishin'

Ozark Cabin

Did We Turn Off the Stove?

Milk and Bread

Don't You Take My Dollar Bill

I'll Come Running

Frazzie

Bossman

Break Into Your House

Down in a Hole

Broken Cup

Kerosene Dream