[Cover photo credit to Ray Redding]

Hardcharger/Blue Élan Records has announced the release of “Fool’s Gold,” the new single from vocalist Courtney Santana, out now. The track offers a preview of Santana’s debut solo album, slated for release on April 24, 2026.

“Fool’s Gold” tells the story “of a man who seemed too good to be true before revealing himself to be exactly that: fool’s gold.” The Gospel-accented Rock ‘n Roll track turns “disappointment into empowerment.”

After decades as an in-demand background vocalists, Santana is finally stepping into the spotlight. She has contributed her voice to more than 30 albums and shared stages with artists including Jesse Dayton, Shinyribs, Hootie and the Blowfish, Salt-N-Pepa, Robert Randolph, and Musiq Soulchild.

Encouraged by Jesse Dayton, founder of Hardcharger Records, Santana decided to make her solo debut deeply personal. As a survivor of domestic abuse who raised two children while navigating periods of homelessness, she has “transformed her lived experience into both art and advocacy.”

Santana is the author of Off Kilter: Getting ‘Right After Abuse, founder of The Survive2Thrive Foundation, and creator of Sanctuary PBC, a platform connecting survivors of domestic violence with safe housing and support.

Recorded in Austin and co-produced by Dayton, Santana’s forthcoming album is “an autobiographical journey—equal parts resilience, release, and self-discovery.”