Last year you told us you’re here to disrupt country music.
You released two singles, have an album on the way. How has country been treating you?
You know, country has seem to slowly but surely embrace me and I couldn’t be happier.
This is one big happy family. To be back a year later
and to have a country single on country radio, “Boy and a Man” is just phenomenal.
The music video, I had so much fun making it. It’s a tearjerker if you haven’t seen it.
It’s my third video that I co-directed with my partner Rene Elizondo,
but to me the most challenging thing was to get my wife to be in the video.
She does not like to be on film and I said, “babe, if this is gonna continue,
you’re gonna be my country music video vixen, so just know that now.”
So she’s like, “OK I’ll do it, but I love you babe, I love you.”
That’s awesome and a big topic lately is.. a singer, Lil Nas X,
he recently released a song “Old Town Road” and there’s been some debate
– “is it country, is it too hip hop for country” –
do you have any thoughts on that? Have you heard it?
I haven’t heard it but I can say this much though,
country music now to me appears to be definitely breaking down much more barriers.
So, it may be a bit of a shock to some people, but I think in time
hopefully as things keep transcending, and things keep kind of
– walls keep  coming down, hopefully they’ll embrace new sounds,
new takes on country music, but country will always have a very near dear place in my
heart to always have the epicenter of what country music really is;
which is music that tells stories. Some of the production that’s on my album
may be a little more on the urban pop side,
but the lyrical content and the melodies are definitely country
and I can’t wait for the entire world to hear the finished product.
I’m taking my time though. It’s gotta be right.
Is it out this year we think?
It will definitely be out this year. I’m thinking summer time so
I got a couple more songs I have to finish writing and finish recording, but
we’re also gonna hope that “Boy and A Man” goes the entire summer.
I know that the country music radio scene is a little slower moving.
People work one single for sometimes a year and a half,
where in my world it’s “single, single, single, go, go, go, content, content.”
It’s so nice to kinda have a nice pace, to take your time
and really just take it all in, which I am.
I’m embracing every single second that I’m on this carpet,
that I’m with these amazing people.
I love it. I keep saying, “why have I not been doing this this entire time” --
this is home to me now. I love it.
That’s good to hear. I know, Baylee Littrell is also making his debut in the country genre.
Have you offered him any advice or is he your competition now?
Oh, he’s definitely not competition. I’m his uncle for crying out loud
and I support anything he does. He’s beyond talented
and he’s got a pretty awesome dad too – so, you know, who I kind of know pretty well.
I’m excited to have him opening up for us on the U.S. tour.
The song is great, “Don’t Knock It,” go get it. It’s a great single.
You know, he’s been with us since he was a kid. He’s only known music,
so he could’ve done a rap album and it still would’ve been good.
So I wish him all the entire best.
Thank you so much for taking time, so good to see you.
