Success can sometimes create expectations that are difficult to escape. After spending much of his career performing before thousands of people as a member of Kings Of Leon, Matthew Followill has chosen to step into a far more personal creative space with his debut CMF album, If We’re Apart, I’m Somewhere Missing You.
The twenty-six-track collection presents a striking contrast to the music that made Followill internationally recognised. Gone are the towering choruses and rock-driven dynamics. In their place are ambient soundscapes, folktronic textures and carefully layered compositions that prioritise feeling over immediacy.
Yet despite its stylistic shift, the album remains unmistakably tied to Followill’s musical identity. His guitar work acts as a connective thread throughout the project, appearing in various forms—sometimes clear and melodic, at other times fragmented and transformed into atmospheric texture.
Songs like Peach Fuzz, Soap Opera and Our National Treasure highlight his ability to create emotional resonance through subtle means, while Morningness, AM.2 and AM.3 demonstrate an affinity for immersive electronic composition.
The album’s title itself hints at its emotional core. There is a recurring sense of distance, memory and reflection woven through the music, creating an experience that feels simultaneously intimate and expansive.
Discussing the project, Followill explains that the music was born from experimentation and a desire to work with the instruments and sounds he had accumulated over the years. Rather than writing with a destination in mind, he allowed the process to unfold naturally.
That openness gives the record its unique character. Rhythmic excursions such as Country Silver and Good Time Killer sit comfortably alongside abstract ambient pieces, while subtle psychedelic undertones connect the album’s diverse sonic palette.
At its heart, If We’re Apart, I’m Somewhere Missing You is an invitation to slow down. It rewards patience, encourages immersion and offers a rare glimpse into the private creative world of an artist better known for commanding some of the world’s biggest stages.
As CMF, Matthew Followill demonstrates that some of the most compelling artistic journeys begin when expectations are left behind.
Track list:
Dually Dreaming
Room Song
Improvision4
Our National Treasure
Morningness
Soap Opera
I Could Live Here
AM.3
I Never Say It, But I Always Want To (You’re Still My Hero)
Good Time Killer
Somnolence
Timeoff
Country Silver
Art Of Speed Talking
Boyboots
5600KLVN
Sega Genesis
Healer Cheeks
Peach Fuzz
Beat On Beauty
Studio 8
AM.2
Mary’s Lamb
Together
Waning Moon
Waxing Moon
Listen Now:
If We’re Apart, I’m Somewhere Missing You, releases June 19th 2026
