Zach Bryan teamed up with two folk powerhouses on a surprise EP, giving Us the perfect soundtrack for fall.
Bryan, 27, dropped five new songs on Friday, September 22, with no warning. The EP, titled Boys of Faith, includes collaborations with singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and the elusive Bon Iver.
Before releasing the unexpected album, Bryan hinted that he had something special in the works with Kahan, 26, sharing a photo from the studio via X on September 14. “Jack, huge Noah guy,” Bryan wrote alongside the snap, which showed his dog resting in Kahan’s lap.
Kahan reposted the image via his own account, teasing, “Need our dogs to be friends so bad.”
Days later, Bryan shared a snippet of their duet. “Come back soon @NoahKahan you have a friend for life,” he tweeted. Kahan returned the love, responding, “Forever in your corner brother, keep inspiring us all.”
Both Bryan and Kahan have blown up in the past year thanks to their respective 2022 albums, American Heartbreak and Stick Season. Fans of the up-and-comers were impressed by how well their voices blended on the nostalgic tune “Sarah’s Place” from Bryan’s EP.
“IM UNWELL!!” one listener tweeted on Friday, while another called the collaboration a “masterpiece.”
Meanwhile, Bon Iver — one of Bryan’s favorite artists — lends vocals to the EP’s title track, “Boys of Faith.” While there was no official announcement leading up to its release, Bryan previewed his new music via Instagram on Monday, September 18.
“Locked myself in a studio all week, wrote myself through a notebook, walked around with people I love in the city then went campin, felt restful and hopeful, thankful for breathing no matter the day,” he captioned the post. “Just grateful. Thank you to @boniver and @noahkahanmusic them boys of faith.”
Boys of Faith comes nearly one month after Bryan released his self-titled album, which boasts duets with The Lumineers and Kacey Musgraves.
As he continues to churn out hits, Bryan has also garnered attention for his personal life. He announced his split from girlfriend Deb Peifer in May and was linked to Barstool Sports personality Brianna LaPaglia one month later after she joined him on stage at Forest Hills Stadium in New York City. LaPaglia (a.k.a. Brianna Chickenfry) confirmed on her “Plan Bri Uncut” podcast in July that she and Bryan are “hanging out” and “having some fun.”
Bryan later got his first major brush with scandal when he was arrested for “obstruction of investigation” earlier this month. He was released from the Craig County Jail in Vinita, Oklahoma, on bail soon after.
“Today I had an incident with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Emotions got the best of me and I was out of line in the things I said,” Bryan tweeted of the incident on September 7. “I support law enforcement as much as anyone can, I was just frustrated in the moment, it was unlike me and I apologize. They brought me to jail, and there is a mug shot of me floating around.”
