Country Star Eric Church Wants His Newest Music to Make Fans Go "Whoa!"
Eight new songs on Evangeline vs. the Machine dropped in 2025.
Eric Church took the country music scene by storm once again with his latest studio album. Loved for hits like "Drink In My Hand," "Springsteen," and "Like a Wrecking Ball," the Grammy-nominated musician has had a busy year, from taking the stage at NBC's 2025 Macy's 4th of July Fireworks special to recording the catchy new tracks on his most recent release, Evangeline vs. the Machine.
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It had been four long years since Church, who also performed at NBC's Opry 100: A Live Celebration, released a full album. And his newest body of work has been worth the wait.
"An album is a snapshot in time that lasts for all time," the singer-songwriter explained on his website. “I believe in that time-tested tradition of making records that live and breathe as one piece of art – I think it’s important.”
Eric Church's 2025 album Evangeline vs. the Machine features eight new songs
On May 2, 2025, Church released his latest studio album, Evangeline vs. the Machine, featuring eight new songs. In a Sunday Sitdown interview with TODAY's Willie Geist, the country star explained that the album's name is a reflection of the world we live in today.
“In the day we live in now, with all the social media and the TikTok, you can release a song on Tuesday, another song on Friday, another song on Tuesday. I’m an album artist, always have been, and I think we’ve gotten away from that now," he told the TODAY anchor. "The ‘machine’ is consumption; the ‘machine’ is the world we live in — and the interesting thing about 'Evangeline' is it’s kind of creativity versus the machine, and ‘Evangeline’ represents that creativity.”
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Evangeline vs. the Machine includes a unique orchestra-style element, courtesy of a choir as well as brass and string instruments. "I want some jarring moments, I want some things that make 'em go, 'Whoa! I didn't think we were heading there.' But I think as an artist, that's your job," Church told Geist about how he decided on the album's new sounds, adding that it was also a new experience for him when they recorded each track.
"When I walked in the first day, when we were doing this and we normally cut with the band and it's, ya know, six to eight people. But there were 50 people. We had a string section, a horn section, a choir," Church laughed.
The meaning behind Eric Church's new single "Hands on Time"
Released as the first single on Church's new album, "Hands of Time" is an upbeat country song about getting older, the nostalgic power of music, and how a familiar song can transport you. As Church sings in the chorus: "We ain't as young as we use to be / But young at heart is so easy / When you let some loud guitars / And words and rhymes / Handle the hands of time."
Now 48, Church said in a video that "Hands of Time" is about how certain music can instantly make you feel like your younger self. "I feel like as I get older, I'm looking for things that make me feel not as old," he said. "And for 'Hands of Time,' I really do, I can honestly say, that when I hear music or a movie, those things, when I see something from my past, I feel like I did then. I relate to what it was then."
"There's a line in the song, 'How do you handle the hands of time?' And I really believe that a really good way to handle that is with music ... that's a way that I handle it," he added. "I think it was an interesting concept, from a writing standpoint, to come in and handle it that way. I think it's pretty good advice for people as they age to find things that make 'em feel younger. That's what this song is about."
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In an interview with Variety, Church described music as "a magic carpet ride." He also opened up about how he's tried to pass that on to his own sons, Boone and Tennessee, whom he shares with his wife, Katherine Blasingame.
"I feel like there’s just a lot of people that feel that way, when they hear that music and crank up," he said. "I have this thing with my kids now, who are 13 and 10. We get in the car and they want to listen to the TikTok channel and all these new things, and I’m playing the Allman Brothers, and they’re going, 'What is this?' I’m like, 'No, trust me. You need to know this.' There’s just something as you get older that makes you appreciate your foundation and kind of the bible of what made you who you are musically."
How to watch Eric Church perform on the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks special
RELATED: Everything to Know About the 2025 Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Special
On Independence Day in 2025, Church will join an A-list lineup of performers at the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks special on NBC, including Jonas Brothers, Lenny Kravitz, Keke Palmer, Trisha Yearwood, Ava Max, and the evening's host Ariana DeBose.
The two-hour live broadcast starts airing on NBC at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, July 4, 2025. You can also live-stream the 2025 Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks special on Peacock.
