Article Contributed by Devious Planet
Published on 2026-06-13
After years of building a reputation as a versatile guitarist on stages and in studios across the country, Kyle LaLone is stepping further into the spotlight with the release of Make My Own Way, a new album that blends country storytelling, Americana roots, and heartland rock into a sound that’s unmistakably his own.
At the center of the record is its title track, a song that began with a simple idea but grew into the album’s guiding theme.
“Make My Own Way began with the title, like several others on this record and previous releases,” LaLone says. “I was at my kitchen table thinking about something I had to do that day and feeling indecisive. I already had the title and started writing a verse about what I was thinking and feeling. After that verse was finished, I felt it would lead well to a chorus which presented a solution for indecision. The themes of resilience, trusting your gut, and charting your own path are important to me and are revisited at other times throughout the album. That’s why I chose ‘Make My Own Way’ as the title track.”
Those ideas run throughout the album. Whether he’s reflecting on personal growth, taking stock of the world around him, or simply searching for solid ground, LaLone writes with the perspective of someone who’s lived what he’s singing about.
Long inspired by artists like Hank Williams and Tom Petty, LaLone leans a little harder into his rock-and-roll side on Make My Own Way. The record was self-produced at Station House Studio in Echo Park, Los Angeles, with an emphasis on capturing honest performances rather than chasing perfection. The result is warm, direct, and unforced.
The album features a close-knit group of musicians including Brian Whelan, Shania Twain, Dwight Yoakam, Adam Arcos, Whitey Morgan and the 78s, and Matt Lesser, Richie Kotzen, with Grammy-winning engineer Mark Rains, Tanya Tucker, helping bring the sessions to life.
Songs like “Grateful” and “Slow Down” draw from LaLone’s sobriety journey and personal experiences, while tracks including “Won’t Take This Lying Down” and “A Change Is Coming” look outward, tapping into the frustration, uncertainty, and determination that define modern life. Throughout it all, his guitar playing serves the song first, adding color and emotion without getting in the way of the story.
A sought-after session guitarist based in California, LaLone has spent years moving between genres and scenes, from rock clubs and honky-tonks to blues festivals, recording sessions, and theater productions. Along the way, he’s developed a style that’s rooted in tradition but never tied down by it.
With Make My Own Way, those experiences come together in a record that feels both personal and universal. It’s an album about trusting yourself, staying the course, and finding your own direction — even when the road ahead isn’t entirely clear.
Track Listing
1. Make My Own Way
2. New Year’s Eve
3. Slow Down
4. Another Man’s Shoes
5. Falling in the Forest
6. A Change Is Coming
7. Won’t Take This Lying Down
8. Stand Back Up
9. Grateful
