Devil and a Prayer

Devil and a Prayer is the debut studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Tyler Braden. It was produced by Sam Martinez and released on May 16, 2025, via Warner Music Nashville. The album includes singles "Devil You Know", "More Than a Prayer", "Call Me First", "Above the Water", "Me or the Dawn", "How It Starts", "God & Guns N' Roses", "To Tell You the Truth", "Right on Track", and "Might Be Dangerous". Braden co-wrote thirteen of the nineteen tracks.

The album was announced on February 21, 2025, alongside the release of the single "God & Guns N' Roses". Of the album, Braden stated, “As an artist, it’s exciting to constantly relearn who you are as you grow, and this album is a huge culmination of those moments. The whole process of a debut album has taught me so much about myself and I’m stoked for everyone to experience who I’ve become. Front to back, it’s where I’ve been and it’s the direction I’m headed. I built it like a set list, consistently keeping the live aspect in mind, so check it out and then come see it in person!”^[1][2]

Discussing the genesis of the project, Braden explained that the inspiration for the album was “spread out over years” and that the concept only came together once he started putting the tracklist together and realized it felt like he was building the setlist for a live show. Braden expressed that he contacted his label, Warner Music Nashville, to tell them he was planning to lean into the live concept, and noted that the album includes an acoustic "b-stage" run of four songs in the middle and that physical copies feature the tracks listed in handwritten text like a setlist, complete with designations like "opening song" and "encore". The title of the album comes from the tracks "Devil You Know" and "More Than a Prayer", which were songs originally planned to be the title tracks of two separate extended plays before gaining traction on social media, with Braden noting, “we had these two juxtaposing cover arts, and we just put them together and called it Devil and a Prayer.” On choosing the songs, Braden considered writing "Dear Old Flame" to be a “turning point creatively”, and added that, “even the outside songs had to feel authentic. I didn’t want to feel like an imposter”. He described "Right on Track" as the most personal song on the album, inspired by the ups and downs and self-dobut he experienced while chasing his dream of being a musician.^[3]

Braden announced his Devil and a Prayer Tour on August 18, 2025. The tour began on January 29, 2026, in Minneapolis.^[4] A second leg was announced on October 28.^[5]

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[8]