Craig Morgan Recruits Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll And More For ‘Enlisted’ EP

Craig Morgan will release a brand new EP this Friday (October 20) and the country singer is bringing some friends along for the ride. The six-track project, Enlisted, features Trace Adkins, Luke Combs, Gary LeVox, Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, and Lainey Wilson.

RELATED: Old Dominion Talk Working With Blake Shelton On “Ain’t Got A Worry”

Enlisted consists of new versions of Morgan's biggest hits as well as two brand-new songs, "Raise The Bar" recorded with Combs, and "That Ain't Gonna Be Me" with Trace Adkins.

“Making this record has been so much fun because I got to get in the studio with some of my friends and also re-create some of my catalog in a way that feels like brand-new music,” shares Morgan.

As for the track "Almost Home," featuring Jelly Roll, it is one of four reimagined songs on the EP. The song was originally released in 2002 and was included on Morgan's sophomore album, I Love It.

Last year, Morgan invited Jelly Roll to perform the song that changed his life with him on the Grand Ole Opry stage. He even gifted him a handwritten set of lyrics to the song with his signature that brought him to tears.

Another collaboration that fans will appreciate is "Redneck Yachclub" with Shelton. The former coach on The Voice and country star originally made a cameo in the song's 2005 music video.

Morgan is currently out on the road through October 27 for his 'God, Family, Country Tour 2023' with special guest The Reeves Brothers. The tour follows the country hitmaker, author, and Army veteran's release of his personal memoir, God, Family, Country.

Enlisted EP Tracklist:
1. “Raise The Bar” featuring Luke Combs
2. “Almost Home” featuring Jelly Roll
3. “Redneck Yacht Club” featuring Blake Shelton
4. “That’s What I Love About Sunday” featuring Gary LeVox
5. “International Harvester” featuring Lainey Wilson
6. “That Ain’t Gonna Be Me” featuring Trace Adkins

Jelly Roll's love of music transcends genre: he's a rapper, a rockstar, and a country boy all rolled into one. He's riding high on the release of his new album Whitsitt Chapel, but his road to success had a rocky start.

He's had to navigate struggles with mental health, drug use, jail time, and nearly losing custody of his daughter when she was still a baby. Jelly Roll has always been open about these challenges in his lyrics and direct conversation with fans and followers. He values transparency and hopes that by sharing his story, he can inspire others to overcome their challenges and find strength within themselves. He has always emphasized the importance of acknowledging our flaws, embracing our unique journeys, and assuring them that “nobody cries alone.”

His vulnerability resonates with fans, who find healing power not only in his brutally honest songs, but in being given the space to share their own stories and struggles. He identifies as "an empath by nature" whose mission is to create community through the universal language of music (while enjoying a cocktail or two along the way).

If you've seen Jelly Roll live on stage, you know he's larger than life. If you haven't, buckle in: below are seven things we learned when our friend Radio Sara caught up with him about his latest LP.

Keep scrolling to watch the interview with Jelly Roll in its entirety, and be sure to follow Radio Sara on Instagram and Threads.

Jelly Roll's mother gave him that nickname when he was a kid, and it stuck. His given name is Jason DeFord, but if you try to call him that, he probably won't realize it's him that you're talking to.

Plus, the name "Jelly Roll" puts him in a unique group: artists and bands named after food (think Red Hot Chili Peppers, Meat Loaf, Korn...)

He explains: "Before I went out (on tour) with Shinedown... I knew I was going to sing for 45 minutes every night, and I knew I was going to sing in front of who I think is one of the best frontmen in rock n' roll (Brent Smith). So, I then took a vocal lesson for the first time."

What was his vocal warm-up like before learning the proper technique? "A shot of Jack, a bong hit, and some Lay's potato chips!"

Confession time: "I've never said this in an interview, 'cause I'm embarrassed, but 'Son of a Sinner' and 'Save Me' are so hard for me to sing... So (years later) I had to learn how to sing 'Save Me' because muscle memory was like 'You just sing as high as you can sing', but then I was going out of key... I had to learn how to re-sing my own songs, the right way."

"I didn't realize I picked him up until the clip went viral," Jelly Roll laughs. "I was just so excited, the big kid in me was like, this is Garth Brooks!... and then I get on TikTok, and my wife's like, 'There's a video of you with 4 million views picking up Garth Brooks,' and I was like 'Oh no!'"

The connection to his fans is profound and fully transparent. "Nothing is more important than the relationship that exists between the artist, and the person that cares about the art... They should never hear news from anybody but me, good or bad."

He adds, "I'm an empath by nature. I don't just hear you, I feel you."

He's performed on hallowed ground like the Grand Ole Opry and Red Rocks, but Madison Square Garden in NYC is at the top of Jelly Roll's music venue bucket list.

Who would play him and his wife Bunny in a feature film? "Obviously, Jelly Roll's gotta be Jonah Hill... He's a lively jovial dude in real life, and he can also put on the serious stuff... and nobody but Margot Robbie could do Bunny. Who else is more fit?!"

Check out the full interview with Jelly Roll:
https://vimeo.com/842529051