Vince Gill has unveiled Secondhand Smoke, the second EP in his 50 Years From Home series, a collection of monthly releases honoring the moment he left Oklahoma to pursue a career that would become one of country music’s most celebrated stories. The project is deeply personal for Gill, who acknowledges his creative pull toward emotional depth.
“I’m drawn to melancholy,” Gill says. “I’m drawn to sad songs probably way more than the zippity do-dahs, as Townes Van Zandt would say. He said, ‘There’s only two kinds of music, the blues and the zippity do-dah. I don’t do zippity do-dah.’ I think I fall into that category, too,” he adds with a smile.
Secondhand Smoke, out today, blends nostalgia with broader social perspective. The EP features six previously unreleased songs alongside Gill’s classic “Tryin’ To Get Over You,” all delivered with the heartfelt storytelling and humanistic lens that define his work.
A Personal Touch, From the Songs to the Artwork
The covers of each EP in the series highlight instruments from Gill’s own collection. Featured are his father Stan Gill’s Gibson ES-125 and Harmony guitar, along with Gill’s first banjo, a 50-year-old Gibson built by Harry Sparks.
Gill believes songwriting allows him to approach any topic with honesty and compassion. “I think with songs you can tackle any subject,” he says. “Even though some might be divisive, if you tell your story with a little bit of grace—not finger-wagging or finger-pointing, telling everybody else how they should feel, but in such a way that the song has a grace about it—then you can sing and write about any subject.”
Powerful Themes and Collaborations
The EP begins with “March On March On,” a soulful civil rights track featuring The War & Treaty. Gill calls for unity and healing, emphasizing shared humanity without taking sides.
“Some Times,” co-written with Mary Gauthier, stems from a conversation he once had with Mavis Staples. Gill recalls, “We talked about equality. We talked about race, all the trying times of civil rights. After a long conversation she looked at me and said, ‘Brother, we have seen some times.’ I thought, ‘My God, if there was ever a good idea for a song, that’s it!’” He held onto the idea for decades before writing the song with Gauthier.
“The Whole World” continues the reflective tone, as Gill questions how society became so divided.
In “Hill People,” written with Ashley McBryde, Gill leans into a darkly humorous bluegrass tradition. He praises McBryde’s wit, noting, “We both love bluegrass, and that song’s pretty bluegrass in its sentiment, killing two people in the first two lines.”
“Leaving Home,” written with Abbey Cone, tackles the difficult topic of abuse.
The title track, “Secondhand Smoke,” was co-written with Derrick Southerland and touches on Gill’s childhood. “My father was a chain smoker,” he says. “Derrick had this title for a long time. I said, ‘Man, that’s my life. Can I write it with you?’ All I had to do is remember my dad. So that one is pretty autobiographical.”
The EP concludes with Gill’s soaring vocals on “Tryin’ To Get Over You.”
The Work of a Lifelong Craftsman
Recorded at The House studio in Nashville, Secondhand Smoke features an all-star lineup of Gill’s longtime collaborators, including Stuart Duncan, Paul Franklin, Tom Bukovac, Jedd Hughes, Fred Eltringham, Jimmie Lee Sloas, Gordon Mote, John Jarvis, Wendy Moten, and John Meador.
Gill reflects on how his craft has evolved: “The more I’ve done it, the more I’ve learned how to do it better — how to be more patient, where not to waste my time, what to do and not to do, to be willing to edit myself and keep digging. Experience is experience; there is no shortcut. This is what comes from doing this for 50 years.”
Track Listing
- “March On March On” (Vince Gill)
- “Some Times” (Vince Gill / Mary Gauthier)
- “The Whole World” (Vince Gill)
- “Hill People” (Vince Gill / Ashley McBryde)
- “Leaving Home” (Vince Gill)
- “Secondhand Smoke” (Vince Gill / Derrick Southerland)
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About Vince Gill
Vince Gill is one of modern country music’s most beloved figures, known for his masterful songwriting, extraordinary guitar work, and unmistakable tenor voice. His breakthrough came in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which earned CMA Single and Song of the Year, along with a Grammy. Over his career, Gill has earned 18 CMA Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and 8 ACM Awards.
He became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1991, joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. A celebrated songwriter, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and honored with the BMI Icon award in 2014.
With more than 30 million albums sold, 45 charting singles, and membership in iconic groups including Pure Prairie League and The Time Jumpers, Gill continues to shape country music. Since 2017, he has also toured with the Eagles.
