Behind every great country artist is a song about hitting the road. Johnny Cash has “I’ve Been Everywhere”, Merle Haggard has “White Line Fever”, and, of course, Willie Nelson has “On the Road Again” under his hat. In a sense, Nashville’s Ross Cooper is following tradition with “Lady of the Highway”. Meanwhile, the cowboy-turned-music artist is carving his path forward on the Americana circuit.
Sonically, Cooper doesn’t ramble like Cash’s road anthem, nor does he really intend to soar like Willie Nelson. He doesn’t quite trudge through the swamps either. “Lady of the Highway” is a brisk, but mellow and an emotional, but comforting tune with a heart all its own. Cooper shows his storyteller’s chops off on the track here beside his ability to front a band. It’s no wonder why many are pegging him as one of the top dogs in Nashville to look out for these days.
It doesn’t hurt that the song was produced brilliantly by Nashville icon Eric Masse (Miranda Lambert, Rayland Baxter), either. Additionally, it’s a co-write with Jordan Lehning and Andrew Combs, both of whom have been known for prolific contributions to the Americana circle themselves throughout the years. The premiere of “Lady of the Highway” predates the release of Cooper’s upcoming album, I Rode the Wild Horses, coming 9 March 2018.