Stuart Walker was itching for the neon lights when The Recklaws’ brand new song, a collaboration with Drake Milligan, sprouted from his fingertips. “Honky Tonkin’ About” is the sort of Friday night boot-scooter that gets you shakin’ out on the dance floor. “These boots need to keep two-steppin’,” sings Milligan over a bartop groove.

Walker conceived “Honky Tonkin’ About” with Blake Redferrin, Thomas “Tawgs” Salter, and Callum Maudsley back in 2021. “We were trying to pull ourselves out of a funk one day during the pandemic,” Walker says in a press statement, “so we sat down and thought about what we would want to party to at a honky tonk on a Friday night with our friends.”

Those daydreams gave life to the song that goes hard with its line-dancin’ ready feel. “It won’t be long before we make our way back to the house / Yeah, that’s what I’m honky tonkin’ about,” rings the chorus line. Guitars light up the arrangement, as The Recklaws’ vocals mingle with Milligan’s like twisted vines. It’s an addicting saloon-style track ripe for hot summer nights and late-night drinkin’.

Listen to “Honky Tonkin’ About” below.

The music video, shot in Romania, promises a star-studded lineup. Released next month, the visual will feature the likes of Robert Knepper (Prison Break), Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds), and Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore) and take viewers back to a bar in 1800s America.

Milligan, best known for portraying Elvis Presley on CMT’s Sun Records, also made an appearance on American Idol. In 2021, Milligan released his debut LP Dallas/Fort Worth via Stoney Creek Records and charted 11 weeks on the country albums chart. His third-place finish on America’s Got Talent further catapulted him into the spotlight, and it’s no wonder songs like “Sounds Like Something I’d Do” have become streaming juggernauts.

Meanwhile, The Recklaws (made of Stuart and Jenna Walker) have collected a number of industry accolades, including seven CCMA Awards and eight Juno Award nominations. They also boast one double platinum, eight platinum, and 11 gold singles, as well as a gold debut album for Freshman Year. Their work has clearly paid off, evident with their 300 million and country streams across the board, as well.