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Colbie Acuff's seventh album, HANDMADE HORSEPOWER , marks a sharp, brash sonic turn, intended to create a more personally meaningful record at this stage in his life and career.
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The independent artist created the project after leaving his label and building a dedicated, informal fan base.
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Acuff also accompanied the album with a 30-minute film showcasing his rebellious spirit and American classic storytelling.
As Colby Acuff proudly proclaims on his latest album, he has no intention of waving the white flag under any circumstances.
For his seventh studio album HANDMADE HORSEPOWER , a fiercely independent artist from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is turning up the volume on his sonic circuit. In the process, he's proven once again why he's one of country music's most talented songwriters, delivering a collection of tracks that are louder, harder, and more brash than anything he's released before.
«"I needed to make an album for myself," Acuff tells PEOPLE, describing her approach to the project.
For the 29-year-old artist, who notably won first place in a fan-voted contest hosted by Whiskey Riff, where he competed against country music giants like Chris Stapleton and the Turnpike Troubadours, this realization only came after several turbulent years. But between leaving his label, releasing an album, Enjoy the Ride in 2025 and building one of the most devoted fan bases in the music industry, Acuff was perfectly positioned to finally let his feelings out with the release of HANDMADE HORSEPOWER .
«"Album Enjoy the Ride "came out last year, and I really love that record… it was an album for the people," he says. "We interviewed a lot of people and made this album for them.".
But when it came time to return to the studio, Acuff took the necessary steps to create something more personal.
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«"HANDMADE HORSEPOWER" by Colby Acuff. (Source: Colby Acuff Music)
With this foundation in place for his work, Acuff continued to lay the groundwork for what would eventually become the album HANDMADE HORSEPOWER . Over the course of 11 tracks, he throws aside traditional notions of his sonic path, turning songs about free will and identity into a kind of introspection chamber, using his trusty Telecaster as the beat.
«"I want to make an album that's exactly like that, I don't want to mince words, and I want it to sound exactly like that," he says. "Making this album was a lot of fun because I wasn't thinking about the audience at all… Eventually, I realized, 'Just say what you mean and don't try to hide behind certain things,' because that never really suited me and my personality.".
The result of this approach to work ethic was a project that Acuff describes as "very unedited" and "pretty raw"—descriptions that reflect his personal and creative state at this point in his life. "It's a little reckless," he adds, "and that's how it was meant to be.".
The singer expresses his opinion: «Country music has become this… it’s like a 2003 Camaro. It’s plastic, it’s a marketing ploy, it’s… With the album HANDMADE HORSEPOWER I felt left out. I felt rebellious.".
Acuff reinforces this thought, adding, "What's the worst-case scenario? Nothing happens. Best-case scenario? It'll be incredibly popular. And the middle-case scenario? It'll be the same as my other records. You can't choose when you're celebrated, so you just have to choose when you create.".
And he did. From the very first moments of "LONG WAY FROM THE BOTTOM," Acuff firmly asserts his uncompromising stance. This time, however, he shouts it loud and clear.
«Life hasn’t been easy,» he sings on the aforementioned track, and that motto runs through the album’s lyrics, right down to tracks like «LIPSTICK ON A PIG» at the very end, which raises the question of what a person will do for fame.
Everything related to HANDMADE HORSEPOWER, was unconventional, in the best sense of the word, including the album's release process. For several weeks, Acuff intentionally released his new material early, shared vinyl copies, posted memes about himself, and generally thoroughly enjoyed the process of releasing the album.
Despite all this, and while the artist is careful not to outright reject the genre he loves, he admits it was difficult to come to terms with the fact that songwriting and artistic craft took a back seat in a format that is supposed to be built entirely on both aspects.
«"We're praised for our uniqueness, if not our mastery of our craft," he tells PEOPLE. "I'm a songwriter, I have a good band, I love performing live and all that. But, you know, if I were releasing music in the '70s or the early 20th century punk movement, my lyrics would fit right in.".
If Acuff's music didn't already conjure up images of endless deserted roads, bars, roadside cafes, and classic American culture, the artist makes this sonic journey even more literal visually with the accompanying film, released simultaneously with the album. Over the course of approximately 30 minutes, he dodges suspicious individuals, speeds down the highway, and escapes with a wad of cash, with songs from the new project essentially serving as a voiceover narration.
For Akuff, this new universe, created by him with the help of HANDMADE HORSEPOWER, represents a return to the same creative freedom that defined the rebellious artists he admired as a child. Ultimately, if listeners take away one thing from the album and its accompanying video, the singer hopes it will be the same feeling that fueled his career from the very beginning.
«"Personally, I don't consider myself better than anyone," he says. "But I think I deserve a seat at the table.".
Album HANDMADE HORSEPOWER is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Read the original article on People.