The Hard Way will drop this fall via Atlantic Records
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Cameron Whitcomb has officially announced the release of his long-awaited debut album, The Hard Way, arriving September 26th via Atlantic Records.
“This record is every piece of who I am,” says Whitcomb. “And I sincerely hope you enjoy it.”
The album sees Whitcomb offering up a deeply personal look at his turbulent journey, from his struggles with addiction at a young age through to his recovery and adulthood. The album announcement is accompanied by his most emotionally raw single to date, “Fragile,” available everywhere now.
“‘Fragile’ is about being told to man up your whole childhood and pushing away everyone that cares because of your own insecurities,” shares Whitcomb. “It’s a song that came from a place of finally starting to understand why I was the way I was — and wanting to change that.”
Produced by frequent collaborator Jack Riley (Grace VanderWaal, Knox) and co-written with Nolan Sipe and Cal Shapiro (Alex Warren’s “Ordinary”), “Fragile” speaks to the universal hope of finding someone who will love you despite, and maybe because of, everything you’ve been through.
Cameron is celebrating the impending arrival of The Hard Way with his biggest live run yet, beginning tonight with a top-billed slot at Ontario’s Boots and Hearts Music Festival. He’ll then cross the Atlantic for the sold-out EU/UK leg of his Hundred Mile High Tour before returning to launch his I’ve Got Options Tour, kicking off September 26 in Portland, OR, and running through mid-November. Most shows are already sold out, including a highly anticipated two-night stand at LA’s legendary Troubadour in October, with additional dates added in Atlanta and Nashville due to overwhelming demand. Support on select dates comes from Danielle Finn, Jonah Kagen, and Tayler Holder.
With over six million monthly listeners on Spotify, three million followers across socials, and 400 million global streams to date, Whitcomb is riding high in what’s shaping up to be a landmark 2025 which saw the release of his latest single “Gasoline & Matches,” a fiery anthem about the indelibility of heartbreak, produced by Jack Riley and co-written with Chance Emerson. Earlier this year, Whitcomb dropped the breakout single, “Bad Apple,” which debuted as the No. 2 Most Added track at Alternative Radio and marked a sharp turn toward a more alt-driven sound.
One of the most captivating new songwriters of his generation, Whitcomb turns the most candid details of his real-life experience into songs with a strangely exhilarating power. Hailing from British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, Whitcomb left home at age 17 and got a job working on a pipeline, later spending much of his downtime singing karaoke and posting covers on Reddit. When an American Idol executive took note of his undeniable vocal talent, he landed a spot on the show’s 20th season and emerged as a top 20 finalist. Whitcomb then immersed himself in learning to write songs while deep in the process of getting sober. After making his label debut with 2024’s “Rocking Chair,” – which amassed over 40 million combined views across socials before its premiere, Whitcomb took off on a fast ascent that soon found him embarking on his first-ever headline run, the sold-out Quitter Tour.
1. The Hard Way
2. Options
3. Lose Me
4. Fragile Ego (Interlude)
5. Fragile
6. Call For You
7. Quitter
8. Holiday
9. Pretty Little
10. Hundred Mile High
11. Missed Calls (Interlude)
12. As I Stand Before The Coffin
13. Digging Holes
14. Medusa
15. Polly (Interlude)
