Two decades in and still charting new territory, the Eli Young Band have come full circle with Strange Hours, a heartfelt batch of tunes that finds the Texas natives reconnecting with their roots, both musically and literally. After the polished approach of 2022’s Love Talking, the band took it back to where it all began, the Denton studio that birthed their breakout Level, and a DIY ethos that informed their earliest records. “This is a full circle moment for us,” says frontman Mike Eli. “It was just us in the studio with our producers and a couple of old friends making music that we love. These songs are special to us - and this record is the start of a whole new chapter for EYB.”

Strange Hours marks their return to independent releases, and that freedom doesn’t just show up on the label, it bleeds into the music. From the pedal steel shimmer of “I’m Yours Amen,” a sweetly rendered ballad about finding forever love, to the neon-lit heartache of “Pretty Good Day For the Bar,” the album overflows with a barstool wisdom and boots-on-the-ground realness. As bassist Jon Jones puts it, “If attitude is everything, this person is going to be just fine. And his local bar won’t be going out of business anytime soon.”

The band really flexes their chops on “Whiskey Told Ya,” a rowdy anthem that features rising country star Corey Kent. With beefy guitar riffs and a chorus built for singing along, it’s an undeniable song made for the summer. And while the mood often leans toward the late-night, soul-searching kind of country, Strange Hours is something more than just another round of heartbreak anthems. There’s a knowing glint in the band’s eyes, a sense of wisdom that only comes from logging countless nights on stage and endless days on the road.

Since their college days, the Eli Young Band have charted 14 Billboard singles and scored four No. 1s, including the triple-Platinum “Crazy Girl” and “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” But accolades aside, the band of brothers - Eli, guitarist James Young, bassist Jon Jones, and drummer Chris Thompson - have stayed grounded in the unflashy, heart-on-sleeve approach that made them country outliers in the first place.