See Frankie Ballard’s Guitar-Driven Live ‘El Camino’

Frankie Ballard plugs in and cranks up for the Southern rock-fueled “El Camino” on his upcoming Audience Network special, airing Friday on AT&T AUDIENCE Network. Rolling Stone Country has the exclusive premiere of that performance above.

“El Camino” opens 2016’s El Rio, the follow-up to Ballard’s debut Sunshine & Whiskey. Recorded at the famed Sonic Ranch in El Paso, Texas, El Rio evokes Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and fellow Michigander Bob Seger, whose one-time guitarist Rob McNelley Ballard tapped for the project. El Rio was also named one of Rolling Stone Country‘s “25 Best Country & Americana Albums of 2016 So Far.”

“It’s a natural process, where you turn the corner and start doing something that’s specific to you,” Ballard told RSC in 2016. “The dream for any recording artist is to have a unique sound that sets them apart from others, and I really feel like going down to El Paso allowed us a giant leap towards that sound.”

AT&T’s Audience Network has featured performances by Garth Brooks, Kelsea Ballerini, Keith Urban, Brett Eldredge and others. Ballard’s performance will air July 7th at 9 p.m. ET.