Today, Sterling Drake has announced his debut album The Shape I’m In, due out May 2 via Calusa Music/Missing Piece Records. Produced by GRAMMY-winning Icelandic musician Thorleifur Davidsson (Sierra Ferrell, KALEO), the new album is a captivating exploration of the Montana troubadour’s journey, vulnerably reflecting on love, heartbreak, purpose and the revelations that bring us back home. Along with the announcement, Drake has shared his new single “She Means Everything to Me,” a tender confession of gratitude for an unwavering partner, which arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Listen to “She Means Everything to Me” via YouTube
Stream “She Means Everything to Me”
Pre-order/pre-save The Shape I’m In
“‘She Means Everything to Me’ explores personal struggle and the redemptive power of love,” says Drake. “The song is ultimately framed as a conversation with God about the hardships I faced in the early stages of my career and the adoration I felt for a partner who had been a stable figure during a tumultuous time in my life. Navigating this early stage of life can be extremely taxing on a relationship, but if you both weather the storm, it can ultimately create a meaningful love that endures.”
On The Shape I’m In, Drake masterfully draws from country, folk, Celtic, and bluegrass traditions to forge something entirely its own. His songwriting is profoundly existential here, balancing the emotional and the intellectual in equal measure as it grapples with the life experiences that make us who we are. The story Drake tells is a personal one, but it speaks to broader humanity – to the fundamental search for belonging that defines us.
Growing up always on the move, Drake is equally musically inspired by his childhood punk-band days in the Florida suburbs as he is by his penchant for country music and current Montana ranching lifestyle. After striking out on his own, he found ways to bring all of his passions together, pulling from his work with horses and cattle, his travels as a touring musician, and his time spent writing and performing in Nashville to craft an enthralling sound. In 2021, he began releasing a series of singles and EPs that prompted Rolling Stone to praise his “rough-hewn aesthetics,” and in 2024, he took home Male Honky Tonk Artist of the Year honors at the annual Ameripolitan Awards in Austin.
Now with his debut album in tow, Drake hopes the message of his new music will help inspire those in his fellow ranching community who may be struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse. “I’ve found songs to be particularly effective in reaching people that might not otherwise be ready to have these kinds of conversations,” he explains. “Ranchers tend to have their guard up, but there’s a sense of trust and vulnerability that comes with music that can really affect change in people.”
This relatable honesty is at the core of Drake’s performances on The Shape I’m In. “I left home at 17 without any idea where I’d end up. All I knew was that if I held onto my dreams, they’d lead me where I was meant to be.”
The Shape I’m In:
1. The Shape I'm In
2. Calusa
3. She Means Everything to Me
4. Ozark Rose (feat. Timbo)
5. Best Worst Thing
6. Nothing to Lose
7. Troubadour’s Blues
8. House of the Rising Sun
9. Neon Lights & Cheap Perfume
10. In My Dreams
11. White Freightliner Blues
12. Tramps and Hawkers
13. Worthy of the Name (feat. Brennen Leigh)
14. Reprise
