GRAHAM BARHAM TEAMS WITH LAUREN WATKINS ON NEW TRACK,“STRAIGHT TO MY HEART”
TOURING THIS SUMMER WITH DIERKS BENTLEY
CONFIRMED FOR CMA FEST, FASTER HORSES, WATERSHED, AND MORE
Louisiana-bred rising artist Graham Barham has teamed with Lauren Watkins for their striking new duet, “Straight to My Heart.” Listen HERE.
Representing both sides of a breakup gone bad, the pair exchange lines full of heartbreak before joining on the hook-heavy chorus.
“The title was Lydia Vaughan’s idea, and I’ve been wanting to write a song with Lauren for a long time. It worked out well that Will Bundy, my best friend and producer, is her fiancé and they were counseling me through a relationship at the time,” shared Barham. “Lauren was such an important part of writing this song, and of course she and Will knew what was happening in my life. She took the reins, and we wrote the song and cut it all within 36 hours.”
“When Lydia brought the title, Graham was immediately like, ‘That clicks with me,’ so from there, we just ran with it,” added Watkins, who is opening stadium dates with Morgan Wallen this summer. “Lydia and Will are both such amazing writers and we all found how we could each relate to the song, so we really dove into helping Graham say what he wanted to say. It just came naturally.”
The release follows Barham’s autobiographical track “BAYOU BOY,” which Billboard praised as “a delightfully churning, swamp-rock stomper” where “Barham’s vocal pulses with urgency and exhilaration.”
Barham will spend the summer on the road with the likes of Dierks Bentley and Tyler Braden, plus performing at festivals including CMA Fest, Faster Horses, Watershed, Carolina Country Music Festival, and more.
About Graham Barham:
Raised on a farm in Oak Ridge, Louisiana (population: 124), Barham draws upon the lush imagery of his small southern hometown in his songs. The son of a farmer and a schoolteacher, Barham began singing in church as a little kid and taught himself to play guitar and write music by the age of 10. At age 18, he made his way to Nashville and began penning tunes for artists in town, dialing in a distinctive balance of compassion, honesty, and humor in his songwriting, while mining inspiration from classic country artists like George Strait as well as heavy hitters in the pop world. Barham shared his debut single “Preachers Need People” in 2022, which promptly brought viral success. Since, he’s released several tracks like the irresistibly fun “BREAK IT IN A BAR,” the twangy rebound tune “TWO BROKE HEARTS,” and the slow-burning and regretful “BEER BY MY BED,” all of which highlight his homespun storytelling with lived-in detail. Named a Spotify Artist to Watch for 2024, Barham kicked off the year by announcing his signing with Sony Music Nashville and Disruptor Records. Fans can catch Barham on select tour dates with Dierks Bentley, Dylan Scott, and Tyler Braden this spring.