Carson McHone is the newest signing to Merge Records, and she’s an interesting one. McHone is a country singer out of Austin, and her most recent album, 2018’s Carousel, was produced by Austin music scene veteran Mike McCarthy, known for his close partnership with Spoon as well as albums by …Trail Of Dead, Patty Griffin, Heartless Bastards, Lee Ann Womack, and more. It’s country through and through, but with a bit of new Merge label-mate Waxahatchee’s tendency to commingle her twang with indie rock.

Next year’s new LP for Merge, McHone’s third overall, features playing and production from prolific Ontario guitar god Daniel Romano. Its lead single “Hawks Don’t Share” is out today, and it finds her leaning more into the rock side of her sound. The song is about the way musical collaboration is often really just competition: “We’re both boxers babe,” she sings. “We don’t make love.”

A statement from McHone:

The past year and a half shifted everyone's lives dramatically. I’ve been off the road and off the stage, and for the most part in seclusion since I flew home in the middle of a tour on March 12th, 2020. Although sequestered, I’ve been lucky enough to use this time to explore new creative ground and cultivate new creative relationships. I am excited now to begin sharing the results and honored that the wonderful folks at Merge Records have signed on to help me spread the word! The first song is “Hawks Don’t Share,” performed with Daniel Romano and David Nardi. It was mixed by Kenneth Roy Meehan and mastered by Kristian Montano. The accompanying video celebrates collective creativity and affirms that we are all, in our own way, artists; that life itself is a work of art. A big bouquet of thanks is due to the Camera Varda crew who embodied these characters for me and helped bring this vision to life. Cheers to the joining of forces!

Watch McHone’s self-directed “Hawks Don’t Share” video below.