(Artist Update

Written by:  Ginny Gaines  

When Marcus King walked into Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia — the same historic space where legends like The Allman Brothers once recorded, he said it immediately felt like home. The smell of old wood, the warm hum of the amps, and the comfort of being back with his bandmates after years apart gave him a sense of belonging he hadn’t felt in a while. Whoop, that's what I'm talkin bout. What came out of those sessions turned into Darlin’ Blue, his new album released on September 26, 2025.

For Marcus, this record marks a full-circle moment. After years of solo albums that leaned into blues, soul, and even rock, he wanted to reconnect with the sound and the people who started it all with him — The Marcus King Band. The last time the band released a full album together was Carolina Confessions back in 2018. A lot has changed since then: Marcus got sober, went through therapy, and rediscovered what kind of musician, and man, he really wanted to be. "This one’s for us,” King said. “We didn’t make it for radio or the charts — we made it for the love of playing together again.

Fans who fell in love with King’s fiery guitar solos will still find plenty of that magic here but, Oh Darlin’ Blue puts the spotlight more on the songs themselves. It’s a gentler, rootsier album, one that blends country storytelling with soulful grooves. The first half of the record leans country, steel guitar and fiddles galore, while the back half moves into the familiar Southern rock and blues King is known for. There’s a sense of growth in the balance: he’s still the guitar prodigy, but he’s also a storyteller now, singing about redemption, forgiveness, and the road home.

So far, Darlin’ Blue has been met with strong reviews. Critics have called it Marcus King’s “most honest album yet.” Saving Country Music gave it an 8 out of 10, praising the songwriting and the emotional rawness. The single “Honky Tonk Hell” quickly racked up over a million streams and was featured on radio playlists across the country. Some fans miss the high-voltage guitar fireworks of his earlier albums, but many others say this new direction shows real maturity, proof that King can be both a guitar hero and a grounded, soulful songwriter.

That's a wrap for my update on Marcus King...Thank you for reading and in closing, please just know, Soundwave Music Media will be here and I will always do my best to bring you the rock music report! Please consider supporting me and the crew by purchasing a Soundwave shirt or hat and support our sponsors! Rock On! Until next time...🤘

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