In Defense of Drinking
About this Album
In Defense of Drinking is the debut studio album from South Dakota-born singer-songwriter Tyler Halverson, released February 13, 2026 on CMDSHFT.[5] Recorded at Amber Sound in Hermitage, Tennessee, the eleven-song record was produced by Halverson alongside Ryan Youmans and Gary Stanton of Muscadine Bloodline.[6]
Halverson has described the album as a personal reckoning with the double life of the touring musician, framing it as an argument between who he becomes on the road and who he is at home.[1] He has said the songs often catch him admitting to his own recklessness and impulsiveness while insisting he is trying his best to do right.[1]
Critics have framed the record as a bracingly honest snapshot of a life built from mistakes, broken hearts, and hard-won self-awareness, driven by barroom stomps and unguarded reflection.[3] The tracklist leans heavily on collaboration, pairing Parker McCollum on a reprise of "Beer Garden Baby" and Australian singer Wade Forster on "Like the Rodeo," while songs like "Fort Worth Losing" mine quieter, more regretful territory.[3]