Every few years, Arkansas quietly sends another reminder that some of the best country music is being made far outside the Nashville machine. Abby Pierce is the latest example, and her debut album Don’t Call Me Darlin’ feels like a statement that arrived right on time.
Following in the footsteps of fellow Natural State standouts like Mae Estes and Ashley McBryde, Pierce represents a wave of artists developing their voices on their own terms. There’s grit here, confidence here, and a sense that the music comes from lived experience rather than trend-chasing.
Released January 2, 2026, Don’t Call Me Darlin’ introduces Pierce as a songwriter with something to say and the nerve to say it clearly. The breakout record produced by Jeremy Huddleston includes seven songs written by Pierce herself and leans into bold hooks, ’90s country melodies, and the kind of self-assured energy that once defined artists like Pam Tillis, Shania Twain and Jo Dee Messina.
“This is the album I always dreamed of making,” Abbey said in a press release announcing the new record. “I grew up loving those sassy, high-energy country records, the ones that made you feel unstoppable and you couldn’t help but sing at the top of your lungs. I wanted to create something that brought that same joy of the music I grew up on, but with my own spin.”
That joy comes through immediately. These songs are unapologetic without being crass, confident without losing warmth. It’s music meant to be turned up loud, sung along to, and lived with…