Singer/songwriter, John R. Miller has released his fifth album, The Great Unknowing available now in physical formats via Rounder Records, with the digital release slated for July 17th, 2026.
Alongside the physical release, Miller also unveiled an animated music video for “Don’t Bet On Me,” created by Appalachian animator, Heath Holley. “Don’t Bet On Me” is a song “about embracing life outside the norm.”
In addition, Miller announced additional tour dates to his current summer tour including stops in Washington D.C., Indianapolis, and Nashville for an AmericanaFest run.
Speaking to the animation process of the Fear and Loathing styled video, Heath Holley explains:
I sort of wrote and animated the first minute and a half of this video not totally knowing what was going to happen afterward. I knew John was going to get in a car and go to Vegas or something, but I wasn’t sure what was going to drive that along narratively. I eventually realized I had introduced these three creatures, the snake, the crow, and the scorpion, but didn’t have a plan for them to return in any meaningful way. So I thought it would be perfect to bring them back as antagonists in the third act to take everything from John and send him home running. Those scenes where the critters return as fully realized characters ended up being some of my favorites to animate.
The album was co-Produced alongside longtime collaborator Adam Meisterhans, and Miller assembled a band of Tulsa players, including Paddy Ryan, Aaron Boehler, Muskrat Jones, and Grammy-nominated John Fullbright, whose piano and keyboard work threads throughout the album.
Recorded at The Church Studio, the sessions blended live performances with layered multi-tracking. At the center of it all was the studio’s fully restored 1977 Neve 8068 console, which was once owned by Daniel Lanois and used on recordings such as Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind.
The Great Unknowing finds Miller continuing to refine the sharp songwriting, vivid storytelling, and emotional depth that have made him one of the most respected voices in contemporary Americana. The album expands upon the thoughtful lyricism and lived-in perspective that have become hallmarks of his work while pushing his artistry into new creative territory.
The decision to release the album physically first came from Miller’s love of local record shops and the importance of supporting local businesses in a digital world.
He says:
I’m hoping to encourage folks to visit their local record and CD shops, or to order the album directly. Maybe I’m a romantic, but I want to see the places I love, brick-and-mortar shops you can walk into with music and books and art made by humans, continue to exist into the future, and I want the culture around these places to thrive with diverse thought and taste.
Miller is currently on tour with full dates listed below.
Tour Dates
Thu, Jun 11 – Pineville, KY – Laurel Cove Music Festival
Wed, Jul 8 – Chicago, IL – Space
Sat, Jul 11 – Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
Sun, Jul 12 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi Annex
Mon, Jul 13 – Grove City, PA – Big Rail Brewing
Wed, Jul 15 – Washington, D.C. – Songbyrd
Sat, Jul 18 – Morgantown, WV – 123 Pleasant Street^
Sun, Jul 19 – Lexington, KY – The Green Lantern
Aug 6-9 – Edmonton, CAN – Edmonton Folk Music Festival
Fri, Aug 21 – Stockholm, Sweden – Stockholm Roots Festival
Sat, Aug 22 – Falkenberg, Sweden – Rootsy Summer Fest 26
Aug 26-29 – Tønder, Southern Denmark – Tønder Festival
Sep 15-19 – Nashville, TN – AmericanaFest
Fri, Oct 2 – Thomas, WV – Purple Fiddle~
Sat, Oct 3 – Thomas, WV – Purple Fiddle#
Supported by: ^William Matheny #Darrin Hacquard ~Olivia Ellen Lloyd
