Brett Eldredge dropped his first new album since 2017 today (7/10). The project was recorded in Chicago, but it has a connection to Bloomington-Normal.
The album is the Illinois singer-songwriter’s fifth studio album. The album is titled Sunday Drive, and Brett feels it is one of the best records he has ever released.
“That’s very much the mission statement of this album, which is the journey that I went on. The search that I went on throughout this album of kind of finding who I was and trying to find the magic of music again, and the magic of what it felt like when I first moved to town a little bit.”
Brett recorded the project entirely at Shirk Studios in Chicago. That gives the album a connection to us here in the Bloomington-Normal area. Stephen Shirk is the owner of the recording studio. Stephen is a grandson of Russell Shirk, founder of Beer Nuts here in Bloomington-Normal. Stephen grew up here in Bloomington while his father Jim (Russell’s son) ran Beer Nuts. Now Stephen’s brother Andy is president of Beer Nuts.
For Brett Eldredge, recording the album in Illinois gives it a connection to where he grew up and began chasing his dreams.
“I think, you know, my background up there, and walking those streets every day, and just being in that energy. It really gives it that Midwest sound and that Western Chicago flavor to it as well. And also, just some of the roots of the little town of Paris, Illinois, where I come from.”
Sunday Drive from Brett Eldredge is available everywhere now. Watch the music video for the album’s first single “Gabrielle” below.
By: Buck Stevens
