Sister Hazel is preparing to release their eighth studio album, entitled ‘Heartland Highway’ on October 12th. The first single, entitled “Stay Awhile” is due out later this month. Bassist Jett Beres describes the album as “American road trip music” (“listening to it is what it feels like to be on a road trip across America”) while guitarist Drew Copeland suggests, “It’s one of those discs you can put on and listen to front to back.” Lead singer Ken Block concurs: “We spend a lot of time on journeys as a band – literally and figuratively. We spend a lot of time out on the highway together. We have a ton of stuff behind us with a really rich history, and we have been through an awful lot of things together. Yet we keep looking ahead, down the road, to what’s next.” Echoing these sentiments, the disc reportedly ebbs and flows between rockin’ tracks and more poignant numbers, a collection that all band members agree is their most diverse-sounding disc. The band wrote much of the album at their studio in Gainesville, FL and recorded most of the album in Nashville with engineer Chip Matthews who the band considers something of a sixth member of the band. The band also utilized the expertise of Nashville guitar aces Pat Buchanan and Tom Bukovac while welcoming back old pal harmonica player Rob Peck, who played on their first album. For more on Sister Hazel, visit the band’s website at www.sisterhazel.com