Since his 2016 debut album, The Midwest, John Goolsby has taken the last few years putting together songs for his next full-length release. Today, we are happy to premiere the first single, “Shine On,” from that upcoming release. Written in July of 2020, during the bleakest of recent times, not the least of which were a world-wide pandemic, political division and race riots. But, John and his co-writer and producer, Dave Pahanish, saw past all of that and delivered a relatable message of optimism.

Hailing from the heart of the blue-collar Midwestern town of St. Joseph, Missouri, John Goolsby knows first-hand the struggles that folks can face: factory closures, the shuttering of main street store-fronts, stock market slumps and extreme weather events blighting the farming industry. Goolsby put those lessons into action last year during the entertainment industry shut-down and thrived with very little to make ends meet. He talked about how freeing it felt and how happy he was to fully appreciate the things that truly mattered – none of which are material. That is the Midwestern spirit which is still deeply rooted in this Nashville resident. For Goolsby and his team, the positive and upbeat love song, “Shine On,” felt like the best way to start fresh in 2021 while introducing the sophomore album.