Published: September 30, 2026 · 2:36 AM EDT
The new song, co-written with Sam Beam, reflects on Wynonna’s relationship with her late mother Naomi Judd as her first solo album in a decade arrives October 2
Wynonna Judd has released “Hear Me Now,” a new collaboration with Iron & Wine from her upcoming album The Hard Truth. The song was co-written with Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam and centers on love, loss and the questions Wynonna still carries following the death of her mother, Naomi Judd.
For Wynonna, the song functions as an imagined continuation of a conversation that can no longer happen in person. She has explained that much of her life remains intertwined with memories of her mother, and “Hear Me Now” gives those unresolved thoughts a place within the music.
Beam said Wynonna approached the writing process with unusual openness and a willingness to explore something different. He also pointed to her affection for Joni Mitchell as one of the influences behind the direction he wanted to pursue with the song.
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The Hard Truth arrives October 2 through ANTI- Records and marks Wynonna’s first solo studio album in a decade. It is also the first album of her career on which she has taken an active co-writing role throughout the project.
The record was produced by Cactus Moser, Wynonna’s husband and longtime musical partner. Its material draws heavily from different periods of her life, including her complicated relationship with Naomi, her childhood, loss, family history and the process of establishing an identity beyond the career she began as one half of The Judds.
Other collaborators on The Hard Truth include Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers and The War and Treaty. Previously released songs from the project include “Kentucky Queen,” “Am I Missing Out” and “Girl Who Could Sing.”
Wynonna begins a short run of Kentucky performances September 30 at the Lexington Opera House, followed by Somerset and two shows in her hometown of Ashland. The Hard Truth Tour begins October 8 at New York’s Bowery Ballroom before continuing across North America.
Listen to Wynonna’s “Hear Me Now,” featuring Iron & Wine, below:
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
IMAGE CREDIT: ANTI-Music.
