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Apr 13, 2023 By Caleb Campbell

West Virginia folk singer/songwriter Logan Halstead wrote his first song, “Dark Black Coal, at only 15. In 2020 he uploaded the track to YouTube and quickly began amassing attention for its spectral songwriting, heavy vocal performance, and haunting lyricism inspired by Halstead’s own connections to coal country. That track also serves as the title track for Halstead’s forthcoming debut record, Dark Black Coal, out May 5th via Thirty Tigers.

This year, Halstead has already shared a series of new singles teasing the record, including “Good Ol’ Boys With Bad Names,” “Kentucky Sky,” and “Coal River.” Today, he’s back with his latest track, “Man’s Gotta Eat,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Man’s Gotta Eat” is another entry into Halstead’s growing roster of thoughtful and plaintive folk numbers, but Halstead also approaches this effort with a lighter touch. Though the track once again finds him in a sparse, stripped-back mold, Halstead plays with a certain bitter humor and dark wit, softening the track’s jagged edges with a charming guitar groove. Yet, he also retains his confessional side, lacing his lyrics with unflinching portrayals of rural poverty: “Gotta few friends that made it/Most left behind/Crushed down in the coal mines/Or OD’ed down the line/Livin on pills and welfare/Ain’t too bad for me/But the oxy’s gone away now/And a man’s gotta eat.”

Halstead says of the track, “Man’s Gotta Eat, this one always makes me laugh, and it should make you too. That being said, this song is deeper than that, with underlying truths about the opioid epidemic, and stealing copper. This one is about a grind that I hope many of y’all don’t have to see or go through but… A Man’s Gotta Eat.”

Check out the song and video below. Dark Black Coal is out everywhere on May 5th via Thirty Tigers