Southall have been building toward a summer like this for a decade, and “Freight Train” is the sound of a band that knows exactly where they’re headed. The new single from the Platinum country-rock six-piece is a southern soul anthem built on a locked-in groove, rattling guitar, head-nodding bassline, and old school piano, with frontman Read Southall reflecting on time slipping through his fingers faster than he can hold it. “Time is moving like a freight train, brother,” he laments. By the end of the track, he’s made peace with it. The journey from yearning to acceptance takes less than four minutes and hits every beat along the way. Listen here.
Southall describes “Freight Train” as “a southern soul anthem dedicated to old friends and lovers,” and the track earns that description without leaning on sentiment alone. It follows “Southwestern Son,” which arrived to critical acclaim earlier this year. Entertainment Focus called that single a “statement of intent from a band that understands where they’ve been, knows where they stand, and sounds ready to keep moving forward.” Raised Rowdy added that it “reminds you why Southall has stayed relevant without chasing trends.” Two strong singles in quick succession, with more music promised imminently.
The band arrives at this moment with serious momentum behind them. Nearly 700 million career streams, a decade of grassroots road work, sold-out coast-to-coast dates on the 10 Years of Six String Sorrow Tour, and a self-titled album that Rolling Stone described as “infuse[ing] rock and metal into the band’s coffee shop vibe.” Their RIAA Platinum-certified single “Why” remains a benchmark, and ‘The Six String Sorrow Sessions,’ released last year with contributions from Koe Wetzel and John Jeffers of Whiskey Myers, reminded everyone how strong those original songs were to begin with.
This summer, Southall steps up to the biggest stages of their career. The Southern Hospitality Tour co-headlined by The Black Crowes and Whiskey Myers takes them across North America from May through August, hitting amphitheatres in Nashville, Atlanta, New York City, Boston, Toronto, Denver, Houston, Dallas, and beyond. These are the kinds of crowds that turn a rabid grassroots following into something much larger, and Southall are ready for every one of them.
2026 Tour Dates:
May 9 – Tyler, TX – Red Dirt BBQ & Music (Festival)
May 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center+
May 19 – Rogers, AR – Walmart Amp+
May 21 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena+
May 23 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre+
May 24 – Birmingham, AL – Coca-Cola Amphitheater+
May 26 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater+
May 27 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater+
May 30 – Hollywood, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino+
May 31 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre+
June 2 – Saint Augustine, FL – St Augustine Amp+
June 4 – Augusta, GA – The Bell Auditorium+
June 6 – Charlotte, NC – Truliant Amphitheater+
June 7 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park At Walnut Creek+
June 9 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center+
June 10 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center+
June 12 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion+
June 13 – New York City, NY – Forest Hills Stadium+
June 16 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion+
June 17 – East Bridgeport, CT – Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater+
June 19 – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center+
June 20 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center+
July 17 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center+
July 18 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theater+
July 21 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre+
July 22 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater+
July 24 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre+
July 25 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater+
July 28 – Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater+
July 30 – Kansas City, MO – Morton Amphitheater
August 1 – Colorado Springs, CO – Ford Amphitheatre+
August 2 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
August 4 – Lincoln, NE – Pinewood Bowl Amp+
August 8 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion+
August 9 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion+
August 12 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater+
August 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre+
August 15 – Phoenix, AZ – Mortgage Matchup Arena+
August 19 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheater+
August 20 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheater+
+with The Black Crowes & Whiskey Myers