J. Michael Phillips Turns Heartbreak Into Haunting Country Ballad "Howl At The Moon"
Ohio Pen/10342599

TOLEDO, Ohio - OhioPen -- Produced by Jim Jonsin and featuring Mariah Faith.
The October 26 release follows extensive touring with Yelawolf andStruggle Jennings.

October 15, 2026 - Country artist J. Michael Phillips is preparing to release "Howl at the Moon" on October 26, a deeply personal country ballad produced by Grammy-winning producer Jim Jonsin and featuring singer-songwriter Mariah Faith. The release marks another chapter in an unconventional career that has taken Phillips from incarceration to national touring stages and millions of streams.

Some breakups are easier to accept in daylight.

That contrast lies at the heart of "Howl at the Moon," a slow, harmony-rich country song inspired by a relationship Phillips knew he couldn't return to. While he found the strength to stand by his decision during the day, the quiet of nighttime brought emotions he couldn't escape.

Rather than turning heartbreak into anger, Phillips explores the loneliness that follows a difficult but necessary decision. Built around traditional country guitar performed by Zakk Garner, the song combines an old-school country sound with contemporary production and layered vocal harmonies. Phillips co-wrote the track with Mariah Faith, who also appears as a featured vocalist.

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The release follows a period of growing momentum for Phillips. His collaborative project "Whiskey and Roses" with Yelawolf has generated more than 30 million streams, while his solo project "Urban Cowboy" has surpassed 1.5 million, with more than 150,000 monthly Spotify listeners.

His music videos have attracted substantial attention, including more than 3 million views for "Amnesia" with Yelawolf, over 2 million for "I Swear," and more than 1 million for "Searching for Heaven."

Phillips has also expanded his audience through live performances, including more than 50 cities on Yelawolf's 45 Tour and recent appearances alongside Struggle Jennings on the Last Name Tour, with more dates to be announced.

Yet the path to those stages was anything but conventional.

Before building his music career, Phillips spent eight and a half years incarcerated during his 4th prison sentence. While behind bars, he started a record label, laying the groundwork for a career that would eventually connect him with established artists and audiences across the country.

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It's a history that makes his latest release particularly revealing. Rather than revisiting the circumstances that brought him into the spotlight, "Howl at the Moon" finds Phillips confronting something far more universal: the difficulty of letting go.With additional collaborations and touring plans developing for 2027, Phillips continues building a career that has already taken several unexpected turns.

"Howl at the Moon," featuring Mariah Faith, arrives October 26, 2026, on digital streaming platforms.

Private Advance Stream:https://on.soundcloud.com/iJe191eRhXdYNtcNH3