George Collins – “By the Time” is Americana storytelling at its most honest and intimate

George Collins’s latest single “By the Time” is a quietly devastating gem. It's an acoustic driven letter of farewell that finds its strength in restraint, nuance and masterful songwriting.

Listen here:

https://open.spotify.com/track/3BkBOL8HBHhijikcrFEeza

The track opens with a deceptively simple riff, one that Collins unearthed years ago and has finally brought to full emotional bloom. It sets the stage for a “Dear John” moment, only with a twist: the narrator is the one doing the writing not the receiving.

There’s a classic Americana feel to the track, with echoes of Tom Petty’s Wildflowers and the early introspection of Steve Earle or Townes Van Zandt. But Collins’ voice, both literal and lyrical, is distinct. Instead, he threads the song with clarity, a touch of regret and a hard won calm that makes the message land even more deeply: “Hey… sometimes it just doesn’t work out.”

Musically, “By the Time” stays rooted in its acoustic foundation, avoiding overproduction in favor of emotional immediacy. The chord changes are subtle but expressive, full of unresolved tension that mirrors the lyrical theme. The decision to keep the arrangement grounded gives the song a timeless quality, like something you might stumble upon in a dusty jukebox, or hear for the first time and swear you've known forever.

This new track makes a compelling case for Collins as one of the most thoughtful and literate voices in modern Americana.