Kendell Marvel Is “Hell Bent On Hard Times”

Kendell Marvel’s new song, “Hell Bent On Hard Times,” is debuting today. Watch a live performance video above. Of the song, Marvel reflects, “I wrote ‘Hell Bent On Hard Times’ with Dean Alexander in the height of the pandemic via Zoom. We wrote it through the eyes of a man who has accepted who and what he is and is content with it. It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve had a hand in writing in a long time.”

The song is the latest unveiled from Marvel’s new album, Come On Sunshine, which will be released September 23. Produced by Beau Bedford, executive produced by Marvel and recorded at Dallas’ Modern Electric Sound Recorders, Come On Sunshine explores the wide range of Marvel’s influences, both musically and through his choice of collaborators. To create these ten tracks, which delve into some of life’s most honest and authentic experiences, Marvel was joined by several renowned writers and musicians including his longtime friend and collaborator Chris Stapleton (vocals, electric guitar, songwriter), Dean Alexander (songwriter, background vocals), Al Anderson (songwriter), Dan Auerbach (songwriter), Nick Bockrath(electric guitar), Kolby Cooper (songwriter), Dan Dyer (background vocals), Devon Gilfillian (songwriter, background vocals), Josh Morningstar (songwriter), Waylon Payne (songwriter) and Mickey Raphael (harmonica). Ahead of the release, album track, “Put It In The Plate,” recently debuted.

Reflecting on the album, Marvel shares, “I’m 51 years old, which means I’m long past the point of catering to anybody. I’m just telling the stories I want to tell,” and continues, “I like to work with people who are different than me. Working with Beau Bedford in Dallas meant that I was playing with guys I’d never met before. Guys who had different ideas, different tones, and different ways of playing than my friends back home. We recorded the album live, finishing the whole thing in four days. That’s how you capture magic. The same thing can be said for the people I write with. I prefer left-field people—people who come from different backgrounds and different genres. Devon Gilfillian comes from the R&B world; he hears different melodies than I do. Waylon is a gay man, so he has some experiences that are different than mine. I love to surround myself with people like that, and sit in the writing room with someone who isn’t just like me. Because that’s how you capture magic, too.”

In celebration of the new music, Marvel will perform throughout this summer. Additionally, Marvel’s Nashville residency, “Kendell Marvel’s Honky Tonk Experience,” will return to Exit/In on August 9 with special guests Ashley McBryde, Lainey Wilson, Brent Cobb, Everette and Brit Taylor. See below for complete tour itinerary.