Carly Pearce Returns to Her Roots on Honest Woman, Out August 28

August 28 is already circled on our editorial calendar at Sunset Country Fest, and it has been since Carly Pearce officially announced Honest Woman, her fifth studio album on BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. We dug into every detail we could find: 16 tracks, Appalachian and bluegrass influences woven into every melody, collaborations with Riley Green, Dan Tyminski, and Molly Tuttle, and production by Ben West. For country fans in Central Florida who have watched Pearce grow from a young bluegrass kid in Kentucky into one of Nashville’s most respected vocalists, this album feels like a homecoming. Carly Pearce is returning to where it all started, and we cannot wait.

What Honest Woman Is Really About

When we read Pearce’s words about this album, something clicked. “When I started making Honest Woman, I found myself rediscovering who I am and why I wanted to be a country music singer in the first place,” she told press earlier this year. “This album takes me back to the beginning of my story, where the sounds of classic country and bluegrass music shaped who I am.”

That is not marketing language, that is a real artist having a real reckoning with their identity. After years of navigating the major-label machine, chart pressure, and the heartbreak that became public record during her time in the spotlight, Pearce chose to strip everything back and make the record that actually reflected who she is. The result is a 16-track project built on authenticity rather than algorithm-chasing. From where we sit as country music fans in Central Florida, that kind of courage is exactly what the genre needs right now.

The Singles We Have Already Heard and What They Tell Us

Pearce has been releasing previews of the album all year, and each single has added another brushstroke to the full picture. “Dream Come True” opened the campaign with warm, fiddle-driven country that signaled the direction early. “Church Girl” followed, leaning into the Appalachian imagery and story-driven lyricism that defines her roots. “You Can Have Him”, which arrived just this week, shows her assertive, clear-eyed side: a woman who knows her worth and is not afraid to say so out loud.

The most talked-about track so far is “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” which features blockbuster guest vocals from Riley Green. When we first heard the two voices together, it felt like a classic duet, the kind of pair that reminds you country music has always been at its best when it is a conversation. “She Don’t” and “What If You Loved Me” round out the preview package, the latter leaning fully into her Appalachian heritage with raw, unadorned emotion.

The Collaborations That Set This Album Apart

The guest list on Honest Woman is not accidental. Every name signals intent. Riley Green is one of country music’s most beloved traditionalists right now, his presence on the duet validates the album’s classic-country DNA. Dan Tyminski is a bluegrass legend, best known to mainstream audiences as the voice behind “Man of Constant Sorrow” from the O Brother film, having him on this record is a statement about lineage and craft. Molly Tuttle, a Grammy-winning acoustic artist and one of the most technically gifted guitarists working today, brings a progressive bluegrass sensibility that gives the album unexpected depth.

Ben West produced the project, known for his ability to let artists breathe inside arrangements rather than suffocating them with production. That combination, Pearce’s voice, West’s restraint, and those three collaborators, points to something genuinely special. We have pre-saved the album and we suggest you do the same.

Why This Album Matters Beyond the Charts

We tracked the Billboard country charts throughout Pearce’s singles campaign and noticed something interesting: the traditional-leaning tracks generated the most passionate fan response online, even when they did not chart as aggressively as her more pop-adjacent earlier work. That tells us something. Country music fans, particularly in markets like Central Florida, where the genre has deep roots in the community, are hungry for this sound.

Women in country have faced a well-documented uphill battle for airplay and chart real estate. Pearce choosing to double down on her most authentic, least radio-friendly sound at this stage of her career is a signal to every other female artist navigating that same system: you do not have to compromise who you are to have a meaningful career. That editorial position matters to us, and we think it will matter to our readers in Central Florida and across the Southeast.

• Album: Honest Woman by Carly Pearce
• Release date: August 28, 2026
• Label: BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville
• Producer: Ben West
• Collaborators: Riley Green, Dan Tyminski, Molly Tuttle
• Key singles already released: “Dream Come True,” “Church Girl,” “You Can Have Him,” “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” “She Don’t,” “What If You Loved Me”

Frequently Asked: When Does Carly Pearce’s Honest Woman Album Come Out?

Honest Woman by Carly Pearce is set for release on August 28, 2026, through BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. The 16-track album features collaborations with Riley Green, Dan Tyminski, and Molly Tuttle, and was produced by Ben West. It will be available on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

Carly Pearce’s Honest Woman is the kind of record that earns a permanent spot in a playlist. With a release date of August 28, 2026, the album closes a chapter on a transformative period of her career and opens a new one rooted in authentic country and bluegrass storytelling. We will be reviewing it track by track at Sunset Country Fest when it drops. This is exactly the kind of fearless, honest music that inspires us as we build toward April 17, 2027. Sunset Country Fest 2027 is coming to Apopka, Florida on April 17, 2027, and as the largest country music festival in Central Florida, we were built for artists who pour their whole truth into every note.

Sources & References

• Source: Whiskey Riff, Carly Pearce Announces Fifth Studio Album, Honest Woman
• Source: MusicRow, Carly Pearce Readies Honest Woman For August
• Source: Holler, Carly Pearce Announces New Album Honest Woman
• Source: Coyote Country, Carly Pearce Reveals Honest Woman Made Her Fall In Love With Country Music Again

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Last updated: August 8, 2026 · Sunset Country Fest Editorial Team · Contact Us