Kendell Marvel and Chris Stapleton’s ‘Don’t Tell Me How to Drink’

Longtime friends and creative collaborations Kendell Marvel and Chris Stapleton join forces on the rollicking new track “Don’t Tell Me How to Drink.”

Marvel is an accomplished country songwriter with lengthy list of hits to his name, including Stapleton’s “Either Way,” Gary Allan‘s “Right Where I Need to Be” and Brothers Osborne‘s “Younger Me.” On his upcoming solo album Come on Sunshine, out Sept. 23, the pair reunite once more on the defiant and unapologetic barroom anthem.

“I wrote ‘Don’t Tell Me How to Drink’ with my old songwriting buddy Chris Stapleton a couple years ago,” Marvel says. “Me and Beau Bedford tracked this song, and I sent it to Stapleton asking if he would be interested in playing guitar and singin’ on it. It’s a damn thrill for me to have him on this honky tonkin’, rock n rollin’ hell raiser. Younger folks might be better at some things, but don’t mess with the old dogs when it comes to stuff like drinkin’!”

Directed by Jace Kartye, the track’s official one-shot music video finds Marvel visiting Nashville’s local dive bar, Fran’s East Side. A few familiar faces make guest appearances in the clip, including local talents Wade Sapp and Misa Arriaga.

Watch the music video for “Don’t Tell Me How to Drink” below:

“Don’t Tell Me How to Drink” serves as the third pre-release single from Come on Sunshine, which includes co-writes with The Black Keys‘ Dan Auerbach, Waylon Payne, Devon Gilfillian, Dee White, Al Anderson and Kolby Cooper. Marvel intentionally sought out a wide array of collaborators for the project, which also features contributions from accomplished harmonica player Mickey Raphael.

“I’m 51 years old, which means I’m long past the point of catering to anybody. I’m just telling the stories I want to tell,” Marvel explains. “I like to work with people who are different than me. Working with Beau Bedford in Dallas meant that I was playing with guys I’d never met before. Guys who had different ideas, different tones, and different ways of playing than my friends back home. We recorded the album live, finishing the whole thing in four days. That’s how you capture magic.”

Marvel has multiple tour stops scheduled through the remainder of 2022, including a Grand Ole Opry appearance on Sept. 23. You can find a full list of Marvel’s upcoming tour dates at his official website.

Kendell Marvel, Come on Sunshine Track List:
1. “Don’t Tell Me How To Drink” (written by Kendell Marvel and Chris Stapleton)
2. “Keep Doing Your Thing” (written by Kendell Marvel)
3. “Hell Bent On Hard Times” (written by Kendell Marvel and Dean Alexander)
4. “Never Lovin’ You” (written by Kendell Marvel and Chris Stapleton)
5. “Come On Sunshine” (written by Kendell Marvel and Devon Gilfillian)
6. “Put It In The Plate” (written by Kendell Marvel and Dee White)
7. “Off My Mind” (written by Kendell Marvel, Dan Auerbach and Al Anderson)
8. “Fool Like Me” (written by Kendell Marvel and Waylon Payne)
9. “Habits” (written by Kendell Marvel and Kolby Cooper)
10. “Dyin’ Isn’t Cheap” (written by Kendell Marvel and Josh Morningstar)