Lee Kernaghan is back behind the wheel with ‘4X4 Is King’

There's something about getting off the highway and onto a dirt road that changes the way you feel.

The traffic disappears, the bitumen gives way to gravel, and suddenly you're more interested in what's around the next bend than how quickly you can get somewhere. It's a feeling that anyone who's spent time exploring regional Australia will understand, and it's one Lee Kernaghan has built much of his musical career around. Now he's back with ‘4X4 Is King’, a new single that celebrates the freedom of four-wheel driving and offers the first taste of his forthcoming studio album, due in mid-2027.

Released on 15 October through ABC Music, ‘4X4 Is King’ finds Kernaghan returning to familiar territory, both musically and personally. The song was written in a cabin in the Blue Mountains with longtime songwriting collaborator Colin Buchanan and Nick Wolfe of The Wolfe Brothers. It's a combination that makes plenty of sense. Buchanan and Kernaghan have been responsible for some of Australian country music's most recognisable songs, while Wolfe brings a contemporary perspective to a sound that's always been closely connected to life beyond the major cities.

For Kernaghan, the inspiration came from something he's enjoyed for as long as he can remember. ‘I've always loved four-wheel driving and that sense of freedom that washes over you when you get out beyond the blacktop,’ he says. ‘There's something about heading down a dirt road and not quite knowing what's around the next bend. That feeling is at the heart of ‘4X4 Is King’.’

It's hardly surprising that Kernaghan would find inspiration in the Australian landscape. Since the release of his debut album The Outback Club in 1992, he's made a career out of writing about the people, places and experiences that define regional Australia. While country music has always had a close relationship with the road, Kernaghan helped give that connection a distinctly Australian identity, singing about utes, trucks, country towns, working people and the vast distances between them. His songs have become part of the soundtrack to life outside the cities, played at country shows, rodeos, festivals, pubs and more than a few long drives across the country.

There's also a familiar name behind the production of ‘4X4 Is King’. Rod McCormack, the ARIA Award-winning producer, multi-instrumentalist and 25-time Golden Guitar winner, has reunited with Kernaghan to produce the track at The Music Cellar. Their musical relationship stretches back to 1992, making this latest collaboration something of a homecoming. McCormack has played an important role in shaping Australian country music over the years, and his understanding of Kernaghan's sound brings a sense of continuity to the new material without leaving it stuck in the past.

The song opens with an a cappella vocal from Kernaghan, McCormack and James Gillard, a deliberate nod to the sound of The Outback Club, before the band kicks in and takes things in a more contemporary direction. It's a clever way of connecting the beginning of Kernaghan's recording career with where he finds himself today. There's plenty of energy in the production, driven by a strong rhythm section and the guitar work of Jacky McCormack, whose playing adds another generation to the musical mix. The single was mastered by Jeff McCormack.

For an artist who's been making records for more than three decades, returning to the studio with people who understand his musical instincts clearly means something. ‘Recording with Rod has felt like a real homecoming,’ Kernaghan says. ‘He's one of the finest musicians and producers in country music, and there's a real energy around what we're creating together. I can't wait for people to hear this new music.’

Of course, a song about four-wheel driving probably deserves to be tested somewhere other than a recording studio, and Kernaghan couldn't have chosen a more appropriate place to introduce it. He premiered ‘4X4 Is King’ in front of approximately 20,000 fans at the Deni Ute Muster in Deniliquin, one of the great annual gatherings of Australian ute owners, country music fans and people who enjoy a weekend away with a few thousand like-minded mates.

If you've ever been to the Deni Ute Muster, you'll know it's more than just another music festival. It's a celebration of Australian country culture, where vehicles, music, camping and community all come together. Utes are as much a part of the scenery as the stages, and there's probably no better audience for a song celebrating the freedom of getting behind the wheel and heading off the beaten track.

The performance also provided the setting for the official music video, capturing Kernaghan onstage surrounded by thousands of fans and utes. Rather than trying to recreate the atmosphere in a controlled setting, the video takes its energy directly from the crowd, putting the song right where it belongs.

There's an interesting balance to this next chapter of Kernaghan's career. On one hand, he's returning to the themes and musical relationships that helped establish him as one of Australia's most successful country artists. On the other, he's working with a new generation of musicians and producers who understand that country music doesn't have to stand still to remain connected to its roots.

The numbers behind his career are substantial. More than two million albums sold, hundreds of millions of streams, 40 number-one hits, 38 Golden Guitars and four ARIA Awards tell part of the story. But perhaps the more interesting measure of Kernaghan's success is the relationship he's maintained with regional Australian audiences. Few artists have built such a lasting connection with country towns and communities, and even fewer have managed to turn that connection into a career spanning more than thirty years.

With a new studio album scheduled for mid-2027 and a national tour announcement still to come, ‘4X4 Is King’ marks the beginning of another chapter. Kernaghan already has appearances lined up at RegFest in Horsham on 24 October, Tamworth in January, Brighter Days Festival in March and Meatstock in Toowoomba, with more dates expected as the album approaches.

And while the production might be a little bigger and the guitars a little louder, the sentiment behind the song is familiar. It's about getting out of town, leaving the everyday routine behind and remembering that some of the best parts of Australia aren't found along the main highway.

After more than three decades of singing about life on the road, Lee Kernaghan still seems to understand something pretty simple. Sometimes the best way forward is to turn off the bitumen and see where the dirt road takes you.

‘4X4 Is King’ is out now through ABC Music, with Lee Kernaghan's new studio album expected in mid-2027.