David Nail Releases New Single “Hotel Keys” Featuring Dave Barnes

DAVID NAIL RELEASES NEW SINGLE “HOTEL KEYS” FEATURING DAVE BARNES

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 11, 2025) –GRAMMY-nominated country singer-songwriter David Nail has released his  new single, “Hotel Keys.” Featuring longtime friend and acclaimed artist Dave Barnes, who also co-wrote the song, the track is a stirring, introspective journey through the emotional cost of life on the road.

Listen here: davidnail.ffm.to/hotel-keys. (preferred music platform) or tap below:

Written years ago and rediscovered with fresh inspiration, “Hotel Keys” explores themes of identity, distance, and longing — with haunting detail and emotional clarity. Barnes’s rich harmony vocals blend seamlessly with Nail’s signature raw delivery, adding depth to lyrics that travel from cold nights in Baltimore to coffee in Chicago.

“One of the crazy things about writing songs for so many years, is that unfortunately, so many great songs get left behind, and sometimes even forgotten. I didn’t forget this song, but I’m not sure it would’ve ever been heard from me, had I not been reminded by my team, of just how great it was, and in my opinion, still is!” said David Nail.

Wheels just keep on rolling another town another scene
Eleven years of running yet so many few memories
What I'd give to go back to when it was a dream
And it was more than a pocket of hotel keys

“Hotel Keys” follows a wave of critically praised independent releases, includingOh, Mother, Bootheel 2020/2021, and Best of Me, along with standout 2024 singles “If I Could Call” and “Why” featuring Aubrie Sellers. Earlier this year, Nail released “Pacing The Cage” which was recorded for Vanity Fair’s documentary “Take No Prisoners.” Now, with “Hotel Keys,” Nail shares what may be one of his most vulnerable and soul-searching songs yet. 

To support the release, Nail is hitting the road across the U.S. with his “Hotel Keys Tour,” bringing his powerhouse vocals and heartfelt live performances to stages nationwide. Including stops at The Tin Pan (Richmond, Va.), Phil Long Music Hall (Colo.), Ludlow Garage (Ohio), and a return to Nashville for his debut at AMERICANAFEST 2025.

For tickets and more information, visit: www.davidnail.com

About David Nail

Hailing from Kennett, Missouri, David Nail is well-respected up and down Music Row. Some might even call him a “tour de force” as his songs pull no punches in evoking the demons with which he has wrestled through much of his life. The GRAMMY-nominated multi-platinum singer/songwriter’s early releases,I’m About To Come Alive, The Sound Of A Million Dreams, I’m A Fire and Fighter, ignited his reputation as an innovator and creative risk-taker yet left Nail feeling restless. 

This led to the departure of the only record company home he’d ever known, MCA Nashville, where he’d formed friendships that endure even now. Through dealing with his own journey of mental health and the feeling of needing to “rebel against what people expect you to be,” Nail began making his most “organic” work to date, David Nail & The Well Ravens, with Jason Hall and Andrew Petroff. 

That project liberated Nail and propelled him into his next adventure. Writing solo for the next few months led to his debut solo independent EP Oh, Mother, a reflective piece of work. Of the title track, Rolling Stone noted that “the song creeps in like a sunrise — quiet, restrained cello and keys are the only underpinning for Nail’s powerful vocals at first. But then it slowly builds to something more massive and majestic.” 

That release was followed by Bootheel 2020 and Bootheel 2021, projects dedicated to the singer/songwriter’s hometown in the “bootheel” of Missouri. Nail released an EP titled Best of Me in 2023 and the title track has seen heavy press support and country radio airplay. 2024 brought more touring than ever, two great single releases “If I Could Call” and “Why” featuring Aubrie Sellers. 

Nail plans on releasing the start of an excitingly different and elevated album project this year leaving behind any self-imposed restrictions. In Nail’s own words, “My philosophy has always been, I just hope to have a good enough year that I can have a next year while staying as true to myself as I possibly can.”

Find more at www.davidnail.com.