Til the Casket Drops the debut studio album by ZZ Ward, released on October 16, 2012. The album generated three singles, "Put the Gun Down" which reached number 7 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs, "365 Days" which reached number 4, and "Last Love Song" which reached number 15.

After Ward was signed in 2011, it took her and Hollywood Records a while to choose a producer, but eventually she settled on Theron "Neff-U" Feemster, who ended up producing half the album. The album was recorded at Ahh Haaa Studios, Hyperion Sound, Rusk Studio, Boardwalk Records, Westlake Recording Studio, Eargasm Studios, and Northern Recording Studios. It was engineered at Fairfax Recordings and Sound City, and mixed at the HotPurplePettngZoo. The theme for the album "is about going to war for someone that you love, which is kind of the theme to the album." Ward blends several genres, such as back-porch blues and hip hop, to develop her style of "Dirty Shine". Ward got to work with Ryan Tedder and Brent Kutzle of OneRepublic on the acoustic ballad "Last Love Song", which provides the one quiet moment on gritty, bluesy rock 'n soul album. The song "Criminal" took organ and piano tunes from Freddie Gibbs "Oil Money", and also features Gibbs on vocals.

Her song "Til the Casket Drops" was used in the promotional spot for TV show Pretty Little Liars. Chicago Music Magazine rated the album at five stars, and AllMusic rated it at four stars.

All tracks written by ZZ Ward, except where noted.

Musicians

Production

...
Wikipedia