“Down Here”: Eddie 9V at full voltage

Atlanta guitarist and singer Eddie 9V will release Down Here on November 6, 2026. Produced by Dan Auerbach and recorded in Nashville, the new album will mark his debut on the Easy Eye Sound label. The first single, “Blowin’ Up,” has just been unveiled. Here is everything you need to know about this highly anticipated new album!

Currently on tour with The Black Keys, Eddie 9V has announced the release of his new album, Down Here. Due out on November 6, 2026, it will be his first record released through Easy Eye Sound, the label founded by Dan Auerbach.

Produced by Dan Auerbach and recorded at Nashville’s Easy Eye Sound studio, Down Here captures Eddie 9V at a pivotal moment in his career. The artist brings together years of live performances, Southern soul, blues, rock ’n’ roll, and raw instinct.

An explosive first single

The first taste of the collaboration between Eddie 9V and Dan Auerbach arrived with “Blowin’ Up.” Driven by gritty slide guitar and a groove that blends funk with country accents, the track sees the Atlanta musician reconnect with the qualities that make his live shows so compelling: feel and spontaneity.

On the surface, the song sounds like a self-deprecating reflection on finally finding success. Yet Eddie 9V plays on the phrase blowing up, taking it literally. The track is punctuated by actual sonic explosions.

“It’s my favorite song on the album. It has an incredible groove,” says Eddie 9V.

A new songwriting process

Down Here grew out of a series of songwriting sessions organized by Dan Auerbach at Easy Eye Sound. After years of writing, producing, and moving forward on his own terms, Eddie 9V discovered a new way of working.

He was joined by soul-blues guitarist Marcus King, as well as songwriters Pat McLaughlin, who has worked with Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, and Tanya Tucker, and Daniel Tashian, a collaborator of Kacey Musgraves, Lee Ann Womack, and Josh Turner.

“I write all the time, but this was the first time I had taken part in a proper Nashville songwriting session,” explains Eddie 9V. “You’re working with some of the best songwriters in the business, and the experience was incredible. I learned to focus solely on writing the songs.”

Dan Auerbach’s approach in the studio, both focused and relaxed, proved perfectly suited to Eddie 9V’s instinctive playing, deeply soulful guitar style, and old-school work ethic.

“We spent more time writing than recording, which allowed us to focus on getting the best possible take,” says Dan Auerbach. “The goal was to capture that magical moment, that spark. Eddie was exceptional, especially when he played his solos live. The whole team fed off his energy because he’s not only a tremendous singer, but also an incredible guitarist.”

Forged on the road

Raised on Atlanta’s red clay and shaped by years on the road, Eddie 9V built his reputation one show at a time. He began playing guitar at the age of six, moving through metal and indie rock before discovering Howlin’ Wolf’s performance at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival.

It was a revelation that permanently changed the course of his musical journey. “Something exploded inside me when I saw that video, and it sent me down a completely different path,” he recalls.

After cutting his teeth in Atlanta clubs, Eddie 9V began playing shows that could last up to four and a half hours, sometimes for tips alone. There, he developed his instincts, his sense of groove, and the connection with audiences that would become one of the defining features of his musical world.

By the age of 17, he was already touring beyond his home state, honing his stagecraft and songwriting. In 2019, he wrote, produced, and released his debut album, Left My Soul In Memphis.

The albums that followed, Little Black Flies in 2021, Capricorn in 2023, recorded at the legendary Capricorn Studios in Macon, and Saratoga in 2024, expanded his audience around the world. They earned him widespread praise for his ability to keep the great tradition of American roots music alive without ever sounding as though he were looking only to the past.

Un homme souriant portant un chapeau de cow-boy et une chemise rouge, tenant une guitare, sur un fond rouge avec le texte 'DOWN HERE' en dessous.

A sense of freedom

Drawing inspiration from a lineage that stretches from The Allman Brothers to Al Green, Freddie King, and Tony Joe White, Down Here captures the magic of musicians playing together in real time. It is a free-flowing, organic sound that cannot be manufactured.

“I hope people feel all the soul in this album,” explains Eddie 9V. “I want them to feel as though they’re sitting in the studio with us while we make this music.”

With Down Here, Eddie 9V brings together everything he has learned in smoky clubs, roadside stops, and across thousands of miles on tour, shaping it into the most sincere and authentic album of his career.

“I’m going through a period of profound transformation in my life,” he says. “I’m trying to remind myself to enjoy every moment to the fullest.”

“Making this album taught me to let my guard down and simply have fun instead of constantly worrying,” concludes Eddie 9V. “I think that’s exactly what you hear when you listen to it: a true sense of freedom.”