Paul Cauthen has never been interested in following the rules, and his upcoming fifth album, ‘Book of Paul,' makes that clear from the jump. Due out April 3, the new record finds the iconoclastic country artist leaning fully into the sound and spirit that have fuelled his two-decade rise through the underground. With classic country grit, gospel fire and a rhinestoned rock-and-roll edge, Cauthen returns to his East Texas roots with an album that feels as personal as it is defiant.
Known to fans as Big Velvet, Cauthen pairs his booming baritone with a near-biblical sense of drama, even as he rejects convention outright. The album’s title speaks to that mindset. As Cauthen explains, there is no actual Book of Paul in the Bible, but this record serves as his own testament. Tired of chasing trends or catering to what is considered commercially viable, he instead set out to make something that fully embodies who he is and where he comes from. Roots, rock and roll and Texas gospel run through the project, continuing a through line he says has always defined his catalog.
‘Book of Paul' was crafted with a diverse production team that includes Ryan Tyndell, Steve Rusch, Sam Martinez, Fustin and Nate Ferraro, each helping bring different textures to the record without sanding down its rough edges. Cauthen co-wrote 12 of the album’s 13 tracks and even stepped behind the kit and picked up the bass on select songs, further reinforcing the hands-on, fiercely independent nature of the project.
The album announcement arrives alongside the release of ‘Texas Swagger,' a dark, driving track that captures Cauthen’s unruly essence in full. Co-written with Rob Ragosta and Sam Martinez, the song rides a bronc-bucking beat and bristles with barely contained danger. Its accompanying music video, directed by Gus Black and Randy Quartieri, was filmed at the BuckTown bull riding compound of JB Mauney and brings the song’s defiant spirit to life with unapologetic grit.
‘Texas Swagger' joins two previously released tracks from the album that showcase Cauthen’s range. ‘Bayou By You' blends soul pop and gospel twang into a slow-burning East Texas love story, while ‘Ain’t No Crime' leans into hypnotic outlaw-country romance. Together, the songs paint a picture of an artist comfortable living in the tension between darkness and light, reverence and rebellion.
The release of ‘Book of Paul' follows one of the biggest years of Cauthen’s career, highlighted by a GOLD-certified feature on Shaboozey’s ‘Last Of My Kind.' Since his 2016 solo debut My Gospel, Cauthen has built a singular legacy, collaborating with artists like Margo Price, Orville Peck, Cody Jinks and Lana Del Rey, and earning a reputation for raucous live shows that blend gothic roots rock with steel-toed swagger. With ‘Book of Paul,' he once again plants his flag in his own territory, offering an album that is fearless, deeply personal and unmistakably Paul Cauthen.
