GRAHAM BARHAM W/ LAUREN WATKINS- Straight To My Heart - Sony Nashville/Disrupter Records

We are barely three months into the year, and 2024 is shaping up to be a career-changer for Graham Barham.  The Oak Ridge, LA native signed with Sony Music Nashville in January and released his major label debut, “LIGHTS ON NOBODY’S HOME”.  The small-town anthem “Bayou Boy” followed, and now, he is offering a breakup duet that is sure to take his notoriety to an even higher level.

“Straight To My Heart” featuring Lauren Watkins is available both digitally and on all streaming platforms now.

Telling the tale of a breakup gone bad from both sides, the modern country anthemic ballad will instantly imbed itself in the mind of the listener with his cleverly crafted lyrics and hook-heavy chorus.  Vocally, both Barham and Watkins are perfectly on point, and their deliveries compliment one another through the verses and blend harmoniously together through the chorus.

“Lauren was such an important part of writing this song, and of course she and Will Lundy knew what was happening in my life,” Graham said.  “She took the reins, and we wrote the song and cut it all within 36 hours.”

The pairing seemed to the perfect match, and both are more than just singers, but gifted songwriters and budding recording artists.

“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,” Watkins said about the co-writers.  “It just came naturally.”

The poetic delivery of the verses flow in front of a somber-sound guitar melody, before breaking into the irresistibly catchy hook of the chorus headlined by metaphoric sing-along lyrics.

“Ten months went straight out the door

A good thing went straight to hell

Pedal went straight to the floor

No comin’ back, I can tell

I should’ve went straight to bed

But I went straight to the bar

Whiskey went straight to my head

Goodbye went straight to my heart”

Graham is putting together an impressive resume of high-quality tracks.  “Straight To My Heart” follows “Bayou Boy” and “LIGHT’S ON NOBODY’S HOME”, his first pair of singles on the Sony Music Nashville label.  Other top-notch tracks include “Beer By My Bed”, “Two Broke Hearts”, and “Break It In A Bar”.  His debut single, “Preachers Need People”, put him on the country music map in 2022, and he has been building momentum through his intuitive songwriting and impressive vocal bravado ever since.

Barham has been on the road with Adam Doleac on his Wrong Side Of A Sunrise Tour in February, March, and April.  This spring, he will appear on select dates with Dierks Bentley, Dyaln Scott, and Tyler Braden while performing at some of the biggest festivals in the country this summer, including CMA Fest, Faster Horses, Watershed, and Carolina Country Music Festival.

Fans will also have plenty of chances to see Watkins as well, as she has appearances scheduled at fairs and festivals across the country along with dates with Morgan Wallen.

(Review Written By: Chad Carlson)

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