Canadian actor and singer Alexander Ludwig announced Friday he will release his debut album, titled Highway 99, on Aug. 26.
The news came with the first taste of the 16-track collection – a song called “Faded On Me” that Ludwig said sums up the album.
“The song spoke to me so much,” he explained, in a release. “As a kid, my parents taught me to roll with the punches, and this song is all about that. Taking whatever life throws your way and throwing it right back.”
The 30-year-old Vancouver native – familiar for his role as Cato in The Hunger Games and Bjorn Lothbrok in the TV series Vikings – made his country music debut with last year’s self-titled EP.
Highway 99 was produced by Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy, both longtime members of Jason Aldean's band.
In 2019, Ludwig opened up about his decade-long battle with alcohol and called a stint in rehab as “the best decision I ever made.”
Promoting his new music, he said country music “helped get me through the tough times” and “always reminded me to take a breath and be grateful for how good things really are.”
Last month, Ludwig shared the heartbreaking news that his wife Lauren suffered her third miscarriage.
“This woman’s strength astounds me every time,” he captioned a repost of Lauren’s Instagram message. “Your resilience through this just is one more of the countless reasons I love you. all the bumps life throws our way, we got this.”