Dave Miller Releases New Album Party in the Pines

Some records feel like an invitation you can hear from the first bar — the kind that opens the door, turns on the porch light, and says, “Come on in, we’re doing this right.” Party in the Pines, the new album from longtime singer-songwriter and banjo player Dave Miller, is that kind of record: warm, witty, lived-in, and rooted in the idea that the best nights are rarely planned to perfection.

Out now via Howlin’ Dog Records, Party in the Pines is Miller’s fifth full-length album and his third release with the label. Across 14 tracks, he once again takes listeners on a tour of life’s adventures — the bright moments, the hard turns, the old memories that still shine — all filtered through a storyteller’s eye for detail and a working musician’s feel for groove.

Dave Miller has spent five decades playing, performing, and writing songs in taverns, dance halls, concert venues, festivals, showcases, and coffeehouses from coast to coast in the U.S. and into British Columbia. His musical origin story starts early: at 13, after the year his father passed away, his mother gave him a five-string banjo for Christmas. Miller would tune it up and play along with the country and bluegrass stars on Saturday afternoon music shows — joking that Earl Scruggs taught him to play, with Dave on a sofa in Little Rock and Earl in a Nashville TV studio. By 14, Miller was already in his first band, The 49ers, and along the way his songwriting compass took on influence from the likes of Levon Helm, Merle Haggard, Delbert McClinton, Guy Clark, and John Prine.

That lifetime of road miles and real-life observation is everywhere on Party in the Pines. The album opens with “Jaded Soul,” a mature troubadour’s look back at a life shaped by music and the meaning it provides. “Baby Loves the Wind” follows with a love song that leans into the depth a true partner brings to everything else. Then the title track kicks open the screen door: “Party in the Pines” captures a night of friends, family, and celebration somewhere out in the woods — the kind of gathering you remember more by feeling than by facts.

The record also isn’t afraid to turn toward the darker corners. “Loser’s Prayer” serves as a cautionary tale, while “Only Time Can Tell” offers a tender reminiscence of falling in love, and “Mama Raised a Fool” rides a rockabilly spark. From there, Miller shifts between heart and humor: “Stubborn Heart” leans into love and resilience, “Greenhorn’s Lament” follows a reluctant cowboy ready to retreat to civilization, and “Clementine” brings a mountain tale with a sixth-sense shimmer and a kick-up-your-heels square-dance energy.

Late-album highlights deepen the portrait. “Cafe Afternoon” unfolds as an autobiographical story of rekindled love. “Memphis BBQ Blues” arrives like a grin and a recipe rolled into one. “Nail Can” offers a sepia-toned childhood remembrance of Miller’s father, while “Backside of a Guitar” dives into the wonder of live performance from the perspective of a musician who has spent a lifetime inside the song. The album closes with “Rain,” a peaceful appreciation of life’s gifts — a gentle landing after an honest, generous ride.

Release Info
Artist: Dave Miller
Album: Party in the Pines
Label: Howlin’ Dog Records
Release Date: January 23, 2026

More Info
www.DaveMillerCountry.com

Tracklist