2018 single by Ryan Hurd
“Diamonds or Twine” is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd. It was released on March 23, 2018, via Sony Music Nashville as a standalone single. The track originated as a wedding gift to Hurd’s then-wife, fellow country music singer Maren Morris. The song would later be included as a b-side on Hurd’s single To a T in January 2019 and on the deluxe edition of his 2021 debut album Pelago. The song reached number 22 on the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart.[1]
Background and writing
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Hurd wrote “Diamonds or Twine” prior to proposing to Morris on July 3, 2017. He first played the song for her the night they got engaged at his family’s lake house in Michigan, performing it on the dock at Lake Allegan.[2][3]
He later recorded a studio version in secret with producer Aaron Eshuis as a gift for their wedding weekend in March 2018.[3]
In interviews, Hurd recalled the moment he first performed the song for Morris during their engagement, calling it something he would “never forget.”[4]
The couple’s relationship was already familiar to country audiences. Hurd and Morris first met as co-writers in 2013 while collaborating on Tim McGraw’s “Last Turn Home” and began dating in December 2015.[5]
Composition and lyrics
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“Diamonds or Twine” is a mid-tempo country love song built around themes of commitment and unconditional devotion. The lyrics frame love as a promise that endures “rich or poor, rain or shine,” reinforcing the central line Hurd wrote for Morris: “It doesn’t matter if it’s diamonds or twine / forevermore, I’ll be yours, and you’ll be mine.”[2]
The track’s writers—Hurd, Laura Veltz, and Mark Trussell—crafted it as an intimate, personal reflection on the couple’s relationship. Multiple publications described the song as effectively doubling as Hurd’s vows.[2][6]
Hurd released “Diamonds or Twine” on March 23, 2018, one day before his wedding to Morris, framing the release as a personal gesture rather than a commercial rollout.[7]
The song later became one of the tracks associated with Hurd’s early solo catalog and was included in expanded streaming editions of Pelago.[8]
Several outlets noted that the song was used to celebrate the couple’s marriage and the release was timed to their Nashville wedding on March 24, 2018.[4][7]
“Diamonds or Twine” received positive responses from country music outlets, many of which emphasized its sincerity and emotional clarity. Wide Open Country described it as a “gorgeous ode to intimacy,” while Raised Rowdy praised the song’s personal tone and connection to Hurd’s wedding.[2][6]
Taste of Country and The Boot also highlighted the song’s narrative as a wedding gift and its role in celebrating the couple’s marriage.[7][10]
Credits adapted from Apple Music.[11]
The official music video for “Diamonds or Twine” debuted in early April 2018 and features intimate home-video-style footage spanning Hurd and Morris’ relationship. Clips include moments at Hurd’s family lake house in Michigan (where the proposal occurred), backstage footage from Red Rocks Amphitheatre, pre-show moments at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater, and personal scenes of the couple on and off the road.[12][13]
The video concludes with footage from their real wedding ceremony in Nashville on March 24, 2018.[12]
In a November 2018 interview with Billboard, Hurd explained that the video was assembled from B-roll shot by their wedding photographer and that the project was meant purely as a personal keepsake:[14]
“We put that song out just as a gift to Maren when we got married… It’s just something that we’ll always have together.”
The Boot and other outlets also highlighted the wedding imagery, ranking the video among the standout country music videos of early 2018.[10][15]
- ^ “Ryan Hurd Chart History – Country Digital Song Sales”. Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Sawyer, Bobbie Jean (March 23, 2018). “Hear Ryan Hurd’s New Love Song ‘Diamonds or Twine,’ Written For Maren Morris”. Wide Open Country. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ a b “Ryan Hurd Releases New Song “Diamonds Or Twine” As Wedding Gift For Bride-To-Be Maren Morris”. Sony Music Canada. March 28, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ a b Kriak, Charlie (March 25, 2018). “Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd Marry in Nashville Wedding”. Cleveland Country Magazine. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ “Quick Ryan Hurd Facts”. Country Fancast. October 31, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ a b Tressler, Nick (March 23, 2018). “Ryan Hurd’s emotional new track dedicated to Maren will make you swoon!”. Raised Rowdy. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ a b c Whitaker, Sterling (March 23, 2018). “‘Diamonds or Twine’ Is Ryan Hurd’s Wedding Gift to Maren Morris”. Taste of Country. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ Schiller, Rebecca (November 15, 2018). “Maren Morris & Ryan Hurd Talk New Music, Dream Collaborations at 2018 CMA Awards”. Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ “Billboard – Ryan Hurd Country Digital Song Sales Chart History”. Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ a b “Watch New Music Videos from Kacey Musgraves + More”. The Boot. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ “Song Credits: Diamonds or Twine”. Apple Music. iTunes. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
- ^ a b Houghton, Cillea (April 4, 2018). “Ryan Hurd’s ‘Diamonds or Twine’ Video Is an Intimate Look at Relationship With Maren Morris”. Taste of Country. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ Reuter, Annie (May 15, 2018). “Maren Morris Is the Star of Ryan Hurd’s Life and His ‘Diamonds or Twine’ Video”. Taste of Country. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ Schiller, Rebecca (November 15, 2018). “Maren Morris & Ryan Hurd Talk New Music, Dream Collaborations at 2018 CMA Awards”. Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
- ^ Konc, Riane (May 29, 2018). “Top 5 Country and Americana Music Videos of 2018 (So Far)”. 92.5 The Ranch. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
