I am avoiding cooking the evening meal! And an ideal way to escape the inevitable for a while is to review the new single by Chandler Marie, an artist we interviewed last year (I think, time flies!). I will link that interview at the end. But for now I will share the press release and then move on to my review.
Press Release
Independent Nashville artist Chandler Marie is set to release her new single “Ride Away” on Friday, October 2. Blending classic western storytelling with contemporary Nashville production, the modern country track shares the heartbreak of loving a restless rodeo cowboy. The song explores the tension of loving someone who is drawn to the road, the rush, and the freedom that makes a relationship hard to keep, but knowing that changing him would mean losing the very things that made you fall for him.
Written to answer the question of why people we love leave, the story builds on a chance meeting at a Houston bar, a relationship stretched by distance, restless boots, and the realization that love isn’t always enough. The narrative unfolds through vivid lyrics like: “I’m a lonesome dove, he’s a tumbleweed rolling // I got half his heart but I want every part, but I’m losing and I know it // Wild horses can’t keep me away // He ropes and ties under Cheyanne lights // That’s where he comes alive.” Sonically, the track sits comfortably alongside artists such as Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce, Lainey Wilson, and Miranda Lambert.
Speaking about the song, Chandler says:
“I want listeners to hear the vulnerability, and know it’s okay to wonder why God allows people to leave, even though we want them to stay. Sometimes people need to leave so something better can come along, and this new track explores the heartbreak that comes along with that.”
My Review
Released on October 2, 2026, “Ride Away” is available on all platforms now. Listening to the single, it quickly took me back into the world of Chandler Marie and her music. We first caught up with Chandler around a year ago, and it’s good to see that her audience continues to grow, with her Spotify following now exceeding 66,000 listeners.
“I just wish God made cowboys who didn’t ride away,” sings Chandler in this gentle, swaying country/Americana ballad, and it’s a line that neatly captures the heart of the song. Here is love colliding with a restless spirit: she knows exactly why she fell for him, but those same qualities are ultimately what threaten to take him away.
There’s an appealing simplicity to “Ride Away”. The song doesn’t need to overcomplicate its story; instead, Chandler allows the imagery to do the work. The lonesome dove and the tumbleweed, the restless boots and the Cheyenne lights all paint a picture of somebody who belongs on the road, even when somebody else desperately wants him to stay.
The chorus is the real earworm, though, with that central line returning to underline the frustration at the centre of the song. It has an easy connectivity with the listener — me included — and you find yourself drifting along with the music and the sentiment.
I had a quick glance over Chandler’s listening figures, and you can see why she is increasingly gaining momentum. There’s a confidence developing here, but also an understanding of what makes a country song connect: a strong story, a memorable hook and enough emotional truth for the listener to recognise a little of themselves in it.
“Ride Away” may be about a cowboy who can’t stay put, but Chandler Marie certainly isn’t standing still. This is another warm, melodic addition to her growing catalogue, and one that suggests there is plenty more road ahead for this increasingly promising Nashville artist.
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Stream music from Chandler Marie here
By Lorraine Foley
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