While Southern rock continues to evolve in today’s musical landscape, Grammy-nominated powerhouse NEEDTOBREATHE and industry titan MCA have formalized a groundbreaking partnership, announced in late August 2025, that promises to reshape the genre‘s commercial reach.
This unprecedented alliance between NEEDTOBREATHE and MCA signals a bold new chapter for Southern rock’s commercial evolution.
The collaboration extends beyond traditional record deals, focusing on select music projects and multimedia content that showcases both entities’ strengths in the industry.
Their first joint venture, “Momma Loves Me,” featuring rising Southern rock outfit The Red Clay Strays, is slated for release on September 5, 2025. The single, penned solely by NEEDTOBREATHE’s frontman Bear Rinehart, explores themes of unconditional love and redemption amid life’s mistakes.
Recorded at Dave Cobb’s prestigious Savannah studio, the track represents a bridge between two generations of Southern musicians with shared artistic values.
The partnership’s genesis occurred backstage in Brooklyn when Rinehart shared his demo with The Red Clay Strays’ Brandon Coleman. “When Bear played me that song, it immediately connected with memories of listening to NEEDTOBREATHE with my mother as a kid,” Coleman explained, highlighting the organic nature of their collaboration.
Rinehart reciprocated the admiration, praising the younger band for “maintaining authenticity while finding success.”
Rolling Stone has already premiered an exclusive documentary chronicling the recording process, offering fans unprecedented access to the creative environment at Cobb’s studio. The documentary aims to deepen fan engagement by showcasing the mutual admiration between both bands during the creation of the song.
This multimedia approach signals MCA’s strategic investment in Southern rock acts with crossover potential, leveraging its industry influence to amplify the project throughout Nashville and beyond.
NEEDTOBREATHE, currently riding momentum from their successful 2024 These Moments Tour and recent Live At The Ryman album, continues expanding their footprint in the Southern rock landscape.
As they prepare for The Barely Elegant Acoustic Tour this fall, this MCA partnership positions them to reach new audiences while staying true to their multi-platinum selling formula of arena-ready anthems rooted in Southern musical tradition.
The Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb provided invaluable guidance during recording, striving to preserve the raw authenticity of the original demo while allowing both bands’ distinctive vocal styles to shine through.
Both acts plan to run a pre-save campaign on streaming platforms to build anticipation before the official release, maximizing day-one streams and algorithmic placement.
Beyond touring revenue, the bands plan to explore sync deals as a lucrative revenue stream by licensing “Momma Loves Me” for film and television opportunities.
