The Grammy award winning country music group, the Zac Brown Band, have finally made the release date for their sixth studio album official. The Owl will be released via BGM on September 20th. The Owl will be released on vinyl, as a CD, and on most mainstream digital streaming platforms. Along with the announcement of the fall release date for The Owl, they have also released the first single from the upcoming album “Leaving Love Behind.”

Per the press release sent to mxdwn, “Leaving Love Behind” is the band’s first single since 2018s Billboard Music award winning “Someone I Used to Know.” The Zac Brown Band is currently on tour to draw support for The Owl, as reported earlier this year by mxdnw. “Leaving Love Behind” shows a softer side to the rock-country fusion as it is a piano ballad that tells the story of, well, leaving a relationship. It is relatable and has an appeal that reaches outside of the realm of country music fans. 

The press release divulged that the Zac Brown Band chose the great horned owl as inspiration for the album and tour because they can “can see perfectly at night, making it a reliable guide, even during dark times,” and that lines up with the fact that this will be the bands most “personal album” to date. The Owl will also be a very experimental album as there will be collabs with many unsuspected artists such as dubstep and EDM legend Sonny Moore – professionally known as Skrillex- and powerhouse pop producer Benny Blanco. 

Zac Brown had this to say via the press release: “We’ve been working tirelessly on this album over the past couple years, ensuring every detail is perfect, we are always pushing ourselves as musicians by blurring genre boundaries and incorporating all kinds of music we are personally inspired by, elevating what we are capable as a group. This album will have something for everyone, The Owl is exciting, raw, and unexpected. We couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished on this record and can’t wait to finally share it with the fans.”

Pre-order The Owl here and listen to “Leaving Love Behind” below.