On 650, Wyatt McCubbin puts his own life behind the microphone. The Ohio songwriter’s debut album follows years of writing for country stars, bringing his attention to everyday details to songs about family, heartbreak, and getting sober.

McCubbin began making regular trips to Nashville at 17 after songwriter Billy Yates discovered him on social media. Sixteen years and nearly 2,000 songs later, his credits include Zach Top’s “Sounds Like The Radio,” Luke Combs’ “Daytona 499,” and Cody Johnson’s “Horseback.” His admiration for songwriter-artists such as Rodney Crowell and Guy Clark helps explain the personal approach he brings to his own debut.

Named for WSM’s place on the AM dial, 650 honors the station McCubbin heard growing up in southwestern Ohio. Dave Cobb produced the ten songs, recording live to tape at his Savannah studio. McCubbin’s wife, Holly, contributes harmonies, and his friend and mentor Marty Stuart makes a guest appearance.

The songs find their subjects close to home. “Andy Griffith” imagines a slower pace of life, while “Gunsmoke” recalls time spent watching westerns with his grandfather. “Fly Baby Fly” is a letter to his daughter, Dove, and “Boy In The Boat” carries the family connection into a father-and-son fishing trip.

The closing pair makes that personal investment especially clear. “Whiskey Colored Crayon,” co-written with Lainey Wilson and Josh Kear and previously recorded by Wilson, leads into “12/9/23,” named for McCubbin’s sobriety date. It closes the album with the perspective of a father learning to be present for his children, one day at a time.