PREMIERE: Mike Thomas Discovers ‘Tryin’ Ain’t Enough’

Mike Thomas hit Music City in 2004, headstrong and full of ideas of how he wanted to make country music. Unfortunately, Nashville wasn't ready for him -- until now. On his new song "Tryin' Ain't Enough," Thomas marries the grit of Americana storytelling with the undeniable catchy groove of country radio.

Thomas took a break from music for ten years before being coaxed back into the studio. His previous album, Three Reasons, has collected a cool 250,000 streams on Spotify. His next album, Diamonds, will be out on July 21.

"Tryin' Ain't Enough" was ten years in the making, a song left on the cutting room floor over and over again as Thomas struggled to make it work.

"Someone very close to me was trying desperately to save a fractured relationship, and, in the end, it didn't work out. Despite plenty of effort, I just couldn't finish the song," he explains. "I couldn't find the words or the melody to take the song where I felt it needed to go, but I would come back to it several times over the years. I rarely completely give up on a song, and, in the back of my mind, I always knew I'd get around to finishing this one."

Thomas could finally see it through in 2022 as he was finishing up Diamonds.

"I was watching another situation unfold with someone very close to me that was similar to the one that had originally inspired the song. I felt the subject matter fit the album, and I was looking for another driving rocker to round out the record musically, so I went to work."

Thomas credits producer Tres Sasser with finding the groove to propel the song.

"When I wrote this one, I wasn't trying to deliver any specific message. I was just trying to capture the desperation of someone whose most precious relationship was slipping away," Thomas explains. "There are people living this reality every day - those who are desperate to save something that took years to build and minimize collateral damage along the way. I hope that this song harnesses that feeling and provides an emotional release for those people."

You can learn more about Mike Thomas and find a full list of his upcoming tour dates by visiting his official website.