Hi people, help me welcome back, Curtis Lovejoy. If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know that his name carries weight—a troubadour of truth with a voice like a worn leather journal: weathered, sturdy, and full of stories that demand to be told. This marks Curtis’s third appearance on the blog, and with each return, his presence only grows more powerful, more necessary. Rooted in the Appalachian soil of West Virginia, Lovejoy is not just a country folk artist but a truth-singer, unafraid to lay bare the faults in the system and echo the voices of those too often silenced.
His latest single, “What’s Next?” (released July 3, 2025), may be his boldest yet—a stark, unflinching portrait of political rot wrapped in the plainspoken wisdom that only a true folk artist can deliver. The track feels like a front porch reckoning—eyes narrowed at the horizon, heart heavy with questions, voice steady as thunder.
From the opening beat, “What’s Next?” sets a serious, almost processional tone, a subtle drumline that marches forward like a protest winding through narrow town streets. The production is raw in all the right places—no frills, no gloss—just the honesty of a voice, a guitar, and the weight of hard truths. A steady acoustic strum carries the song, underscored by somber bass notes and occasional splashes of slide guitar that weep like a distant train whistle in the hills. The arrangement leaves space—space to listen, space to feel, and most of all, space to reflect.
Curtis’s vocals are the heart of this piece—low, resolute, and tinged with a kind of worn-out hope. He doesn’t shout, but every word lands like a hammer. There’s an urgency in his tone, as if he’s not just singing to us, but for us. Lines like “We’re out here dying while they’re cashing their checks” and “Are they gonna keep their knees off of our necks?” come not just from the pen, but from the gut. He delivers each lyric with quiet fire, letting the power sit in the stillness between syllables. It’s the kind of performance that doesn’t ask for attention—it commands it.
Lyrically, “What’s Next?” is unapologetically political. It calls out not just the U.S. Congress but zooms in on the West Virginia House of Delegates and Senate, naming the imbalance of power head-on. Lovejoy dares to ask what many are thinking: Where do we go from here, and who will speak for the people left behind? This isn’t vague protest music; it’s direct, razor-edged folk journalism, grounded in place and personal conviction.
What makes Curtis Lovejoy special—and rare—is that he doesn’t write songs to entertain; he writes them to awaken. “What’s Next?” is a call to conscience. It holds a mirror up to our leaders, but also to us, the listeners, asking whether we will keep walking blind or finally open our eyes.
As folk music continues to evolve, voices like Lovejoy’s remain essential—heir to the protest singers of old, yet undeniably of this moment. This isn’t just a song. It’s a warning, a prayer, and a challenge rolled into one. To Curtis, you’ve got our ears, our hearts, and you’ve got us wondering right alongside you: What’s next?
Listen to “What’s Next?” on Spotify
Follow Curtis Lovejoy here for more information
