Turnpike Troubadours’ Kyle Nix Reveals Sobriety, New Shows

Turnpike Troubadours fiddle player Kyle Nix released his debut solo album Lightning on the Mountain & Other Short Stories last year, and was planning a big tour behind it that got nixed due to the pandemic. Recently he’s been playing some solo shows here and there, but has revealed that he will start playing full band shows in the coming weeks and months, upping the ante with the solo project.

Kyle Nix with a full band will be playing at Putters & Gutters in Lampasas, TX on Friday, June 25th, and then at Gruene Hall on Saturday, June 26th. But that is not the only thing Kyle Nix has revealed. On Tuesday, June 8th he also took to social media to tell his fans that a few months ago, he’d checked himself into rehab.

“I contemplated even saying anything about this & it will probably surprise most of my friends and loved ones but: 3 months ago today I checked myself into a rehabilitation facility in Oklahoma,” Kyle Nix says. “Much of the past 2 years had hit me pretty hard & I was trying most days just to make it to bedtime. I had began binge drinking to escape from the world. I was pretty much killing myself. But-I have 3 months sobriety as of today & I’m as content as I’ve been in a long time. I’m content with myself and conscious of the decisions I’m now making.”

When country fans think about the Turnpike Troubadours and drinking problems, they mostly think about Evan Felker, whose issues resulted in numerous cancellations for the band an an eventual indefinite hiatus on May 31st, 2019. Felker also went to rehab, and announced he’d found sobriety in August of 2020.

“The next several months are going to be the most important I’ve ever lived,” says Kyle Nix. “And I’m going to live them with ferocity & joy. So if you come to a show just know that I’m doing this music thing for me AND you with all the heart I have left in my body. And that I’m doing it like it’s my last day. You never know.”

Back in December, Kyle posted a somewhat cryptic message, saying, “I had a lot of plans. It may be time to change them tho. We’ll see…” and shortly put all of his merch on sale for 50% off, making some worry maybe he was getting out of music. Now that message makes more sense.

Kyle Nix is not the only one with an active solo project during the Turnpike Troubadours hiatus. Bassist RC Edwards has been playing with RC and the Ambers, and is planning the release on an album called Big Country soon. Guitarist Ryan Engleman was also playing with Reckless Kelly recently, but it’s been announced he will not be participating in the band’s upcoming tour.

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