Eric Church has just released his new eight-song album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, and to celebrate, he’s taking the stage of the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards to showcase the project’s lead single, “Hands of Time.”
The tune that’s packed with references to musical greats, finds the North Carolina native reflecting on the power of music. He leans into a nostalgic sound while name-checking some of his musical heroes like Bob Seger Tom Petty, Frank Sinatra, Waylon Jennings and more.
The Message Behind The Song
Through these references, Church aims to send the message that between all of life’s ups and downs, music is always there to guide you. This is his opportunity to remind listeners not to take their favorite tracks for granted because they are more important than we may realize.
“As I get older, as the gray hair comes out, I’m always looking for ways to make myself feel younger. Music does that for me,” he admitted to Country Now. “I can hear a song even now, I remember where I was at 18, 20 or 25, and that’s what the song is about. It’s about being able to handle the ‘Hands of Time’ with music.”
The seven-time ACM Award recipient joins a stacked lineup of artists who have been tapped to perform their newest releases during the milestone evening at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Thursday, May 8. He will take the stage to deliver “Hands Of Time,” showcasing the power behind very lyric.
“Music has got me through every good and bad thing I’ve ever been through one. And there’s a song on this record called ‘Johnny’ that was written about the Covenant shooting that happened in Nashville. Hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life is drop my boys off at school the day after. And that’s what this, so that’s how I got through. I wrote this. So that’s a lot of what this record,” he shared.
The sentiment behind this tune captures his overall mission with the record, which is to provide fans with a unique listeners experience that runs from track one to eight with no breaks in between.
“It just takes you for 38 minutes to at that moment in time and it’s not done a lot these days. I think becomes a little bit what’s happening in the background of our lives…That’s not how I grew up and that’s not what music means to me. So it was important to give a different perspective, I think is what this is for.”
2205 ACM Awards Performances
To kick things off, the show will open with a can’t-miss tribute to ACM Songs of the Year from the past six decades, featuring performances by Clint Black, Dan + Shay, Wynonna Judd, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, and Sugarland.
Throughout the night, viewers will also see epic performances by Kelsea Ballerini, Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Brother Osborne, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton, Zach Top, and Lainey Wilson.
The night will also feature several collaborations from Backstreet Boys with Rascal Flatts, Jelly Roll teaming up with Shaboozey, and Brooks & Dunn with Cody Johnson.
How To Watch
16-time ACM Award-winner Reba McEntire is returning to reclaim her hosting duties yet again. This will mark the country icon’s 18th time hosting or co-hosting the event, more than any other artist in ACM history.
The 60th ACM Awards will stream live around the world on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT, exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, reaching audiences in over 240 countries and territories.
More details can be found HERE.
The post Eric Church Talks The Powerful Message Behind ‘Hands Of Time’ Ahead Of ACM Awards Performance appeared first on Country Now.
