Coyle Girelli’s Out Of This Town is powerful tribute to the late Grammy-winning songwriter Mac Davis. The project began with handwritten lyrics that Davis entrusted to Girelli, declaring his voice the only one fit to sing them. Produced and performed by Girelli, the album carries with it both the weight of legacy and the intimacy of collaboration, featuring duets with Davis himself along with KT Tunstall, Cassandra Lewis, and Jaime Wyatt.

Mac Davis, who passed away in 2020, left behind a trove of songs that had never been recorded. Girelli took it upon himself to finish what they started, shaping an album that feels both timeless and urgent. Released on the iconic Sun Records, the set brings Davis’ lyrical spirit into a stark and soulful country-folk framework, with Girelli’s soaring voice front and center. Songs like the lead single “Pretty” showcase his ability to build cinematic drama from the simplest arrangements, while “Already Gone” — the first song the two wrote together — captures the natural chemistry that defined their partnership.

For Girelli, best known as the former frontman of Your Vegas and the Chevin, Out Of This Town represents both a departure and a continuation. His earlier work embraced indie-rock grandiosity, while his solo career has leaned into the lush heartbreak of mid-century pop. Here, however, he steps into the lineage of Davis, whose song-writing credits include Elvis Presley’s “In the Ghetto” and “A Little Less Conversation.” It's a bold step, but one that feels inevitable for an artist long drawn to the drama and beauty of big, bruised love songs.

The album also draws a line through Girelli’s eclectic career. From writing songs for BTS to composing French musicals, and more recently creating the immersive theater piece True Love Forever, he has proven himself restless in the best way. Yet it was Davis who redirected his compass, showing him the power of country storytelling and the space his voice was destined to inhabit. In finishing Out Of This Town, Girelli not only honors Davis’ legacy but also opens a new chapter in his own, one defined by emotional clarity and a fearless embrace of tradition and reinvention.