‘The Hard Way’ set for September 26, Cameron Whitcomb introduces era with ‘Fragile’

Cameron Whitcomb’s debut ‘The Hard Way’ lands September 26 on Atlantic Records, ‘Fragile’ arrives, tours sell fast across markets.

PHOTO CREDIT: SHERVIN LAINEZ

The cover story centers on a long awaited first. Cameron Whitcomb will release his debut album ‘The Hard Way’ on September 26 through Atlantic Records. Pre orders and pre saves are open now. To open the door on the album, he presents ‘Fragile’, a single that puts the personal nature of the project in sharp relief.

“This record is every piece of who I am,” says Whitcomb. “And I sincerely hope you enjoy it.”

Whitcomb positions ‘The Hard Way’ as a look at the path that shaped him, from a youth marked by addiction to the work of recovery and the realities of adult life. ‘Fragile’ sits at the heart of that story, confronting the learned behaviors that kept people at a distance and the desire to shift into something new.

“‘Fragile’ is about being told to man up your whole childhood and pushing away everyone that cares because of your own insecurities,” shares Whitcomb. “It’s a song that came from a place of finally starting to understand why I was the way I was — and wanting to change that.”

Jack Riley produces the single, aligning with previous credits for Grace VanderWaal and Knox. Co writers on the track are Nolan Sipe and Cal Shapiro, connected to Alex Warren’s ‘Ordinary’. Together, the team builds a song that reaches for acceptance, the kind that acknowledges every chapter.

Touring underlines the scope of the moment. Whitcomb steps onto Ontario’s Boots and Hearts Music Festival in a top billed slot, then crosses to the EU and UK for a sold out segment of the Hundred Mile High Tour. He follows with the I’ve Got Options Tour in North America, beginning September 26 in Portland, Oregon and continuing through mid November. Most shows are already sold out, including two nights at LA’s Troubadour on October 4 and 5, with additional dates added in Atlanta and Nashville.

‘Fragile’ is the opening note, ‘The Hard Way’ is the full composition.