Singled Out: Yelawolf & J. Michael Phillips' Searching For Heaven

07-09-2025

J. Michael Phillips and Yelawolf are releasing their collaborative album "Whiskey & Roses" this Friday (July 11th) and to celebrate we asked Phillips to tell us about the single "Searching For Heaven". Here is the story:

I was inspired to write the hook for "Searching For Heaven" while out at my manager Edward Crowe's house in the hills of Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, while doing a write with my producer Taysty Beats and Mike Hartnett. The production felt eerie and inspirational at the same time. It took me to a place where I felt like every single time I was close to reaching a dream, something very enticing always presented itself and almost always ended in a negative result. Rather than bringing me closer to my dreams, I inevitably ended up having to start all over again. And I see that's the way life is. When you're searching for your purpose, striving for something greater, or something desired, there will always be temptation. And the temptation will always seem as if it will get you closer to your dreams. For example, on my journey to becoming a successful recording artist it takes a substantial amount money, and since I didn't come from money, the temptation to get it out of the streets by illegal means has always been a struggle for me, and always resulted in a negative outcome rather than the desired outcome. And that goes for anything in life. Nothing worth having ever comes easy and you have to be able to reject "the devil" or the temptation that might seem good in the moment, but will ultimately keep you from achieving your goal, achieving that piece of "heaven."

Upon finishing the hook and first verse for "Searching For Heaven," I took the record back to Nashville and played it for Yelawolf during a studio session. I pressed play on the console and watched him intently to see his reaction. Wolf is such a genius when it comes to the way he interprets music that you never know how he is going to react to a record. But this time, from the moment the record began, I could tell that he was going to take it somewhere special.

We didn't even make it through the second hook before he told me to send it to his phone as he strolled out of the studio and walked alone through the graveyard that is situated directly behind East Iris Studios in Nashville for what literally had to be 10-15 minutes. He came back into the studio, didn't say a word to anyone, and walked straight into the booth and delivered one of my favorite Yelawolf verses ever.

"Searching For Heaven" is the second single off of our collab album, Whiskey & Roses, set for release on July 11. And the video shot by Patrick Tohill is literally a continuation of the first video we dropped for our first single "I Swear." In the video for "I Swear," I was being held for ransom by cartel-like figures and Yelawolf comes to pay my ransom. Some things take place and we end up with the upper hand. Honestly, the videos are more like a movie than they are music video at the end of the day. Yelawolf is such a visionary and such a true artist that nothing he is a part of can be taken for face value. And once again, this is evident with the videos for "I Swear" and "Searching For Heaven." I can't really go into the details of the videos because it's just something that you have to see for yourself. I don't wanna spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen them yet!

What I can tell you is that in some shape or form we are all searching for Heaven....and sometimes you gotta go through hell to get there.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here