ELI YOUNG BAND STARTS 2025 WITH STARTING-OVER ANTHEM, “WHAT DO LONELY PEOPLE DO”
Touching Ballad Offers a Catchy Soundtrack for Romantic Revival
Multi-Platinum Hit Makers to Continue Relentless Headlining Schedule, With Shows Booked Through July
Starting the new year off with a true starting-over anthem, 19x RIAA Gold and Platinum-certified country hitmakers Eli Young Band return with the tender “What Do Lonely People Do” today (1/17). Listen to “What Do Lonely People Do” HERE.
Written by lead singer Mike Eli and Jeffrey East, the touching new track captures the eternal hope of mending a broken heart – along with the swirl of uncertainty in a mid-life romantic restart.
Built around a catchy but cautious melody groove, a warm Texas-country sound features ringing acoustic guitars and delicate sweeps of steel, as a weary narrator takes the first timid steps toward finding new love. Meanwhile, Eli’s signature vocal pulls optimism and good humor from deep-seated sadness, creating a bar-top ballad defined by sing-along resilience.
A reminder of the band’s universal approach, Eli admits he had to scour his past for the song’s inspiration, finding a balance between rhinestoned romantic regret, and the spirit of renewal.
“It really is one of my favorite songs that I’ve written in a long time – but because my wife and I have been married for many, many years now and have an incredible marriage, I had to dig deep for it,” he explains. “Basically, I don’t know what I would do if I had to jump into the dating pool again. I wouldn’t even know where to start. For me it’s like, ‘That is not a choice,’ so I wanted to find a way to capture a person like that. Someone walking away from a relationship and the focus is really on ‘How do I do this?’
“It’s a really sad story and it made me feel for anyone that has to go through that,” Eli continues. “But to get there, I had to really dig into how I felt in the past when I was younger and my heart had been broken.”
Marking the first new music of the year, “What Do Lonely People Do” follows the 2024 release of the committed “I’m Yours Amen” and comforting “Home In Hometown,” as the never-changing EYB lineup of Eli, James Young, Jon Jones, and Chris Thompson start a fresh chapter.
Returning to their independent roots and the bold creative defiance that launched them into the mainstream with 2008’s Level, a new set of tunes will continue to roll out through 2025. Recorded at Panhandle House Studio in their hometown of Denton, Texas – also the birthplace of Level – it promises to bring fans a full-circle moment driven by experience and a million miles of wisdom, from a band of brothers still very much in their prime.
Meanwhile, Eli Young Band are set to continue their relentless headlining schedule, following a series of sold out shows on their coast to coast Home In Hometown Tour – which wrapped in 2024. Looking ahead, the band will continue on with dates set through July, with stops from Oregon to Ontario, Alabama and beyond.
Now boasting over 19 million RIAA-certified units, the band recently celebrated new certifications of their chart topping, Platinum album Life at Best, plus 5x Platinum single “Crazy Girl” and the 3x Platinum “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.”
Since their formation as college classmates more than two decades ago, the Associated Press has celebrated EYB as “a smart, relevant antidote” to overdone clichés in Country music. The musical band of brothers has charted 14 singles on Billboard, including four No. 1 hits with the aforementioned “Crazy Girl,” “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” 2x Platinum “Love Ain’t” and Platinum “Drunk Last Night.” Additionally, EYB has earned multiple GRAMMY, CMA, CMT, ACM, ACA and Teen Choice Award nominations.
While selling out venues from coast-to-coast as seasoned headliners, EYB has also shared the stage with Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Chris Young, Darius Rucker and Dave Matthews Band. For current tour dates and more, visit eliyoungband.com and follow along on social media with @EliYoungBand.