Eddie Montgomery is ready to introduce himself as a solo artist, nearly four years since the death of his partner in Montgomery Gentry, Troy Gentry. “Alive and Well” is a deeply personal song that paints a clear picture of where Montgomery is in 2021.
Written by the singer with Ira Dean and Chris Wallin, the triumphant new track is partly inspired by the losses Montgomery has endured in his life, including the tragic death of his bandmate, Gentry, in 2017, and the loss of his 19-year-old son, Hunter Montgomery, in 2015.
“It’s hard to get back up again / When you lose two sons and your best friend / I won’t lie and I won’t pretend / I wouldn’t be me if it wasn’t for them / When you got no choice, you just push on / I know deep down, that’s what they’d want,” he sings.
While the verses wrestle with hardship and loss, the track remains high-spirited, which is fitting for Montgomery’s message of keeping on.
“This was a hard song to write, but it’s one that I thought so many could relate to,” he says in a press statement. “We’ve all had losses, fought the good fight, and rose to celebrate a new day. I hope friends and fans take away a renewed sense of gratefulness for the life they live when they hear this song.”
This sense of gratitude comes through in the song’s chorus: “I’m alive and well / Somewhere, somehow / Oh, I survived myself / I’m still here until I’m gone / I just keep on keepin’ on / Livin’ out my song / I’m alive and well / Oh, I’m alive and well.”
Montgomery continues to tour with the Montgomery Gentry Band and will be out on the road through Sept. 29.
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