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Post Malone was in his happy place on Tuesday morning (Oct. 17), chopping it up with Howard Stern on SiriusXM, playing some of his favorite covers, rocking out with a gospel choir and revealing that pop megastar Taylor Swift is a charter member of Team Posty.
When Stern asked Malone to recall which song of his Swift praised, Malone said the kind words came during a brief encounter backstage at a radio show, where Swift said she was blown away by his Grammy-nominated Beerbongs & Bentleys No. 7 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Better Now.”
“We were just passing by and she was like, ‘Oh my God! Nice to see you. ‘Better Now’ if f—in’ amazing!’,” he said Swift told him. “And I was like, ‘What?’That’s f—in’ crazy, you’re a great f—in’ songwriter! Thank you so very much.’” The kind words felt especially good for the self-described high school outcast, who told Stern that he still can’t quite figure out why he never fit in before blowing up into one of the most-streamed acts of the modern era.
“There’s so many beautiful artists in the world and for another artist to acknowledge that is a really, really b–chin’ thing. It’s a really special thing,” Malone said of Swift’s compliment. “That was a really cool moment and it was very inspiring.”
When Stern mentioned a story that claimed Swift’s Eras Tour was so mega that she could take the proceeds and give every person in America a $20 bill, Malone couldn’t wrap his head around that altitude of fame. But having met Taylor he said he’s not surprised at her latest level-up, which also includes the $97 million first-weekend gross for the Eras tour movie.
“It’s f—in’ so cool. It’s so cool,” he said of Swift’s constantly evolving success. “I recently got to hang out with her and she is genuinely one of the most kind and considerate and a f—in’ hell of a songwriter. Holy s–t, amazing,” Malone said of Taylor, who he described as “f—in’ destroying it” while he’s just “doing the best I can.”
Stern — who has graphically described his fascination (and fantasies) about Swift’s reported relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on his show — then, of course, reminded famously skilled Beer Pong player Malone that he once lost a suds match to Kelce that resulted in the Dallas Cowboys fan getting a KC tattoo as punishment.
Because he knows Kelce, Stern asked Malone if he approves of the reported pop star relationship, which has been breathlessly covered by the NFL during Swift’s recent appearances at a string of Kelce’s games. “Yes sir. Whenever I met him he was the sweetest dude,” Malone said of Kelce. “You never know. Nowadays you never know. You meet a lot of people in the world and what’s cool is to see people that are successful — much like Taylor and Travis and [Chiefs QB] Patrick [Mahomes] — they really give a s–t about human beings. And I think that’s pretty bad ass.”
During the chat, Malone also talked about his love of Daisy Duke short shorts — and his decision to eat healthy on tour, which resulted in his noticeable weight loss — his lonely adolescence as an outcast and his plans to build a giant compound in an undisclosed location where he and his family can rest, relax and get away from the fame machine.
Malone, a legendary Bud Light fan and spokesperson, also said that he was not interested in the right-wing freakout over trans TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney getting some commemorative cans from the beer maker. “I have been drinking Bud Light since I was the legal age of 21 and I’m gonna f—in’ drink a nice cold f—in’ Bud Light, man. I really don’t give a s–t, man. I just wanna do what makes me feel comfortable.”
He also stuck around to play a haunting cover of Alice in Chains’ 1992 grunge classic “Them Bones” featuring a choir, as well as his original, “Landmine,” from this year’s Austin album.
Mammoth WVH frontman Wolfgang Van Halen married his long-time love Andraia Allsop during an intimate ceremony over the weekend on the eighth anniversary of their first date. According to People magazine the couple tied the knot at their home in Los Angeles on Sunday in front of 90 guests.
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“Our goal was just to bring all of our closest family and friends together,” Allsop told the magazine. “The past few years, not only with the world, but also with personal tragedies, haven’t been the easiest, but we wanted to create this wedding as a celebration not only just for us to get married, but a celebration for the people we love.”
One of the most emotional moments of the ceremony was when Van Halen down the aisle with his mom, actress Valerie Bertinelli, to a song written for him by his late father, Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who died at age 65 in Oct. 2002 after long battle with cancer.
“The song that my father had written for me, it’s an instrumental piece called ‘316.’ It’ll be a nice way to include my dad,” Wolfie said of the acoustic, finger-picked 90-second track from VH’s 1991 album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge that was inspired by Wolfgang’s birth on March 16, 1991. The bride walked down the aisle with her dad to Dean Martin’s “Everybody Loves Somebody” and tapped her grandmothers as the flower girls.
The wedding took place in the couple’s living room and was officiated by one of the guitarist’s closest family friends, whom Wolfgang, 32, said he’s known for most of his life. “He’s the dad of one of my best men and he’s just an important guy in our life,” the rocker said of the officiant. The backdrop to the ceremony was a stained-glass window that previously served as a backdrop for a Lady Gaga performance.
In addition to writing their own vows, the couple honored loved ones who couldn’t be there, including leaving an empty chair for Eddie Van Halen and clearing their bookshelves and lining them with pictures of loved ones who’ve died or could not attend. Allsop also made “memory charms” with pictures of Wolfie and Eddie on boutonnieres, corsages and bouquets so they would think of the late rocker “throughout the day.”
“It brings me such a nice sense of peace knowing Wolfie and Andraia have each other for the rest of their lives,” Bertinelli told People. “They really ‘get’ one another. Their humor is very similar, they like similar things, they know how to give each other space and they’re just so comfortable together… Ed would’ve been absolutely beaming and so, so proud of the man Wolfie has become and is becoming and so happy that he has found Andraia, someone who really understands Wolfie, who he is and who he wants to be and supports him wholeheartedly.”
The party included a DJ to “keep it simple,” and allow Wolfgang to enjoy himself without the pressure of performing; he kicks off his upcoming Mammoth WVH tour on Nov. 4 in Milwaukee. It was, of course, not the typical line dances and “Macarena” playlist for the couple, as Van Halen requested some non-traditional tunes from one of his favorite death metal bands, Meshuggah.
Check out a picture of the happy couple here.
Travis Barker is healing up following a gruesome hand injury after playing drums with his band Blink-182 in Manchester, England, this week. The rocker took to his Instagram Stories to share a photo of the bloody injury that featured scabs and cuts across his fingers and knuckles. He also added a photo of his blood-stained […]
Blink-182 scores two consecutive No. 1s on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart for the first time as “One More Time” rises to the top of the Oct. 21-dated survey.
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The song reigns in its fourth week on the tally, marking the quickest rise to No. 1 in 2023 and the fastest since Blink-182’s own “Edging” took three frames in November 2022, starting a 13-week domination.
“One More Time” is the trio’s fifth No. 1 on Alternative Airplay, the three before “Edging” and “One More Time” not leading in succession. The band first ruled with “All the Small Things” beginning in December 1999 (eight weeks at No. 1), followed by “I Miss You” in April 2004 (two) and “Bored to Death” beginning in July 2016 (five).
Of those five No. 1s, four feature Blink-182’s most famous lineup of Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker. “Bored to Death” led during DeLonge’s absence from the band, with Matt Skiba replacing him on guitar and co-lead vocals.
Concurrently, “One More Time” shoots 16-11 on Mainstream Rock Airplay as the list’s Greatest Gainer. On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, the song repeats at its No. 2 high with 7.6 million audience impressions, up 10%, according to Luminate.
On the most recently published multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs survey (dated Oct. 14, reflecting the tracking week of Sept. 29-Oct. 5), “One More Time” ranked at No. 19. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 3.2 million official U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads.
“One More Time” is the second single from Blink-182’s upcoming album of the same name, its ninth studio set, due Oct. 20.
All Oct. 21-dated Billboard charts will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
10/13/2023
The iconic rock group brought high production value, incredible performances and a pristine setlist to their NYC return concert.
10/13/2023
Ringo Starr had a fair amount of faith that when he asked his former bandmate Paul McCartney to write him a song, the ex-Beatle would come through with a winner. “Well, he’d written me a couple of good songs, you know, like ‘Yellow Submarine.’ I thought, ‘He can do this,’” Starr recalls, before breaking into a laugh.
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The result is “Feeling the Sunshine,” a relentlessly jaunty track on Starr’s new four-track EP, Rewind Forward, out today (Oct. 13).
The request came about during one of the pair’s frequent conversations. “We were Facetiming each other — we do that quite a bit — and I say, ‘I’m doing an EP. Write me a song.’ And he said, ‘OK,’” Starr says. “And he not only wrote it, he’s on bass, he’s singing on it. He’s all over it. He actually put his drums on it.”
But fans won’t hear Sir Paul’s drumming on the song: Starr may be the only musician in the world who could tell McCartney his drumming wasn’t up to par.
When asked how he rates McCartney as a drummer, the playful Starr laughs and, without missing a beat, says, “I wiped him off completely and did it myself. It would be like me sending him a track and I’m on bass.”
Sitting outside at West Hollywood’s famed Sunset Marquis hotel and nattily attired in a vibrant black and green suit, the world’s most famous drummer looks decades younger than his 83 years. He is relaxed and still beaming about a recent holiday in Malibu spent with eight of his nine grandchildren, who range in age from 24 years old to 20 months. “I’m an only child. We do a family photo and there’s 19 of us and I’m related to all of them,” he exclaims, shaking his head.
Those good vibes permeate Rewind Forward. The uplifting title track, written by Starr and engineer Bruce Sugar, sums up Starr’s message of believing love and peace can change the world and persevering during challenging times. The somewhat nonsensical title just came to Starr. “It was just something I shouted to Bruce. We needed a line. Out of the blue, no big plan,” he says. But he realized the title would come with a price. “I knew that every time I did press, I’d have to explain it like ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’ I just have one of those mouths that are faster than the brain.”
The theme of moving ahead resonated with Starr. “It’s all about going forward. It’s just the fact that sometimes we all get stuck and have to fight your way out,” he says. “Oh, I’ve been stuck many times!”
The EP opens with the rollicking “Shadows on the Wall,” co-written by Joseph Williams, Ray Williams and Toto’s Steve Lukather, who has played live with Starr for years. It closes with “Miss Jean,” written by Mike Campbell, best known as a member of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Campbell also plays guitar and sings backing vocals on the track, which features fellow Heartbreaker Benmont Tench on piano. Similar to his outreach to McCartney, Starr called Campbell — whom he’d met years before, when Starr had recorded with Petty — and asked if he had a song for him. “That’s how my life is,” he says. “The spaces open up and I just jump in. That’s why that track is on there.”
During the pandemic, Starr switched from releasing LPs to EPs. Rewind Forward is his fourth EP since 2021. He likes releasing music in shorter, more digestible bites. “It looks like there’s a beginning and an end,” he says. “When you’re doing an [LP], it’s a lot of tracks, and I just felt like four would be good.”
While he’s concentrating on promoting Rewind Forward, Starr already has a backlog of new material to record for future projects including a potential country EP, crafted around a song that producer T Bone Burnett sent him. His affection for country music runs deep and he famously sang lead on the Beatles’ 1965 cover of “Act Naturally,” originally recorded by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos in 1963.
He and McCartney join country icon Dolly Parton on her upcoming Rockstar album, performing “Let It Be” with the superstar. Her version of the Beatles classic debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart in August, making it the first time Starr and McCartney– or any of the four Beatles, including the late George Harrison and John Lennon – have shared credited billing with one another on an entry on a Billboard songs chart outside the group.
“Far out!,” Starr, an avid chart-watcher, says of the new chart stat. “Well done, Dolly!” Starr has known Parton since the mid-‘70s. “We’d bump into her, and she was always great to work with, and it was my pleasure to play on it,” he says.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of “Photograph,” the sweeping, nostalgic tune co-written by Starr and George Harrison that became Starr’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 as a solo artist in 1973. “We were on a yacht. We were at the Cannes Film Festival,” Starr says of writing the song, but the details pretty much end there. “I’ve very little memory of whatever went on on that holiday,” he says with a chuckle, before going into a sweet remembrance of working with Harrison over the years.
“George was like my producer for awhile. He took care of me. He put the right chords in because I could only play three,” he says. “There’s a great piece of footage where I’m playing ‘Octopus’s Garden’ and he’s going [shouts] ‘F!’ I don’t know where F is. ‘G flat!’ He’s just shouting out these chords, laying on the settee. Look, I can play any song in the world as long as it’s in C,” Starr says, laughing loudly at himself.
While many artists have talked about how when the pandemic forced them to quit touring it made them realize how much they love playing live, Starr needed no such reminder. “No, no. I’ve always loved it,” he says, after more than 60 years on the road. “And as the drummer, I need all the players.”
For the last 34 years, has recruited players for his All-Starr Band. Started in 1989, Starr has surrounded himself with a rotating cast of renowned musicians. Each performance the group runs through Starr’s solo and Beatles’ hits, as well as the other members’ beloved chart-toppers, for a non-stop, hit-filled show. Over the decades, All-Starrs have included Joe Walsh, Nils Logfren, Todd Rundgren, Felix Cavaliere, Peter Frampton, Eric Carmen, Richard Marx and Sheila E.
Starr fondly remembers “Dream Weaver” singer Gary Wright, a member of the All-Starr Band from 2008-2011, who died last month. “He was a really fine musician, and he had a great smile and he had great songs,” he says. “You’re not in the All-Starrs unless you have great songs.”
Each year’s All-Starr Band plays 20 dates in the spring and 20 dates in the fall, with the 2023 fall tour ending tonight in Thackerville, Oklahoma at the WinStar World Casino and Resort. This year’s lineup includes Men at Work’s Colin Hay, Average White Band’s Hamish Stuart, Toto’s Lukather, Edgar Winter and Kansas’ Warren Ham.
“We love it. I know the audience loves me. And I love them,” Starr says. “And the band has only one rule: We’re not there to be miserable. And I’ll support you to the best of my ability and I expect the same from you. We do it for each other. I’ve had some people that thought they didn’t have to do that and they played s–t.” Those people, he duly notes, were not invited back.
While it seems like there a few firsts left for Starr, he experienced one in September when the All-Starr Band played Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, the birthplace of the Grand Ole Opry. “I’m from Liverpool and I love country music and now I’m at the Ryman. That’s bigger than Shea!,” he says, referencing the Beatles legendary appearance at New York’s Shea Stadium in 1965. But then true to form, Starr bursts into laughter and adds, “I only made that up.”
U2 pads its record for the most entries on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock Airplay charts as “Atomic City” debuts on multiple tallies dated Oct. 14.
The song premieres at No. 27 on Alternative Airplay. It’s the Bono-led band’s 43rd chart appearance, extending its mark for the most visits to the ranking, which began in 1988.
Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam are the next-closest acts, earning 40 entries each.
Most Appearances, Alternative Airplay:
43, U2
40, Foo Fighters
40, Pearl Jam
37, Red Hot Chili Peppers
36, Green Day
34, Weezer
30, Coldplay
30, Linkin Park
29, The Offspring
27, The Smashing Pumpkins
U2’s Alternative Airplay chart run began on the Sept. 17, 1988, survey – the list’s second week of existence – when “Jesus Christ” debuted at No. 11. With entries now in the 1980s, ‘90s, 2000s, ‘10s and ‘20s, the band matches Depeche Mode and Red Hot Chili Peppers as the only acts with appearances in each decade of the list’s archives.
Of U2’s 43 appearances, 23 have reached the top 10 and eight have gone No. 1, beginning with the five-week ruler “Desire” in October 1988. The band last led the chart with “Vertigo” (four weeks, November 2004) and most recently hit the top 10 with “Get On Your Boots” (No. 5, February 2009).
On Mainstream Rock Airplay, “Atomic City” debuts at No. 38, the quartet’s record-extending 51st appearance. Tom Petty, solo and with the Heartbreakers, is next with 48.
Most Appearances, Mainstream Rock Airplay:
51, U2
48, Tom Petty (solo and with the Heartbreakers)
47, Van Halen
46, John Mellencamp
45, Pearl Jam
44, Aerosmith
43, Metallica
42, Rush
42, Bruce Springsteen (solo and with the E Street Band)
U2 gains entrance to a select club of acts that have appeared on Mainstream Rock Airplay every decade of its existence, since it began in 1981, joining AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Rolling Stones.
As with Alternative Airplay, U2 was on Mainstream Rock Airplay during the ranking’s inaugural year (starting in the tally’s fifth week), peaking at No. 20 with “I Will Follow” in April 1981. The act boasts 21 top 10s and seven No. 1s, last leading with “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” in August 1995 and last hitting the top 10 with “Vertigo” in November 2004.
But unlike Alternative Airplay, where U2 had gone just under six years between appearances (“You’re the Best Thing About Me” peaked at No. 21 in October 2017), the band until this week had not made Mainstream Rock Airplay since “Invisible” debuted and peaked at No. 27 in early 2014.
“Atomic City” also premieres at No. 17 on Adult Alternative Airplay, U2’s 32nd entry since the ranking began in 1996, behind only Dave Matthews (solo and with Dave Matthews Band) with 36 entries.
Most Appearances, Adult Alternative Airplay:
36, Dave Matthews (solo and with Dave Matthews Band)
32, U2
29, Coldplay
27, Jack Johnson
25, Sheryl Crow
25, John Mayer
19, Beck
18, Death Cab for Cutie
18, R.E.M.
First ranking on Adult Alternative Airplay in 1997 with “Discotheque” (No. 7, February 1997), U2 has notched 13 No. 1s, most recently the seven-week leader “You’re the Best Thing About Me” beginning in November 2014. Prior to “Atomic City,” U2 last appeared with the No. 34-peaking “Your Song Saved My Life” in January 2022.
“Atomic City” bows at No. 5 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, U2’s highest rank dating to the tally’s 2009 inception. It earned 3.7 million radio audience impressions Sept. 29-Oct. 5, according to Luminate.
U2’s previous best on Rock & Alternative Airplay had been a pair of No. 12 peaks in “Invisible” and “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone),” both in 2014.
The combination of airplay, streams and sales in its first week allows “Atomic City” to debut at No. 38 on the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 1.1 million official U.S. streams and sold 3,000 downloads, the latter count good for a No. 1 debut on Alternative Digital Song Sales – U2’s first ruler dating to the chart’s 2011 debut. (U2 first led a Billboard list when “With or Without You” rose to No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Airplay in April 1987.)
“Atomic City” is currently a stand-alone single for U2, which last released a full-length of new material in 2017 with Songs of Experience. Most recently, Songs of Surrender was released this March and features re-recordings of the band’s catalog.
Lenny Kravitz just seems to get better with age — and he keeps proving it. The Grammy-winning rocker unveiled an eye-popping NSFW music video on Thursday (Oct. 12) in support of his new single, “TK421.” Kravitz appears in various stages of undress throughout the video, with ample shots of his bare rear end making up […]
This Saturday (Oct. 14) marks 40 years since one of the greatest debut albums of all time introduced the world to the, well, unusual talents of a Brooklyn singer-songwriter. With the Oct. 14, 1983 release of She’s So Unusual, Cyndi Lauper announced she had arrived — and pop music would never quite be the same. […]
On Sept. 23, “Straight and Narrow” singer Sam Barber stepped into the six-foot circle of hardwood positioned at the heart of the Grand Ole Opry stage, a circle salvaged from the Opry’s former Ryman Auditorium home, to make his debut performance at the historic institution.
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“I was definitely nervous for that show,” Missouri native Barber, 20, told Billboard over Zoom. “But as soon as I stepped in the circle and everything, it kind of all hit me and it was a pretty crazy feeling.”
Making an Opry debut — and thus, entering into a nearly century-long lineage of Opry performers — is a vaunted milestone for any artist, but perhaps even more so for Barber, given that his first official headlining concert came a scant three months earlier. That’s when he played a sold-out show at Nashville venue The Basement, bolstered by the breakthrough success of his solo-penned “Straight and Narrow,” an acoustic guitar-based song layered with lyrics about soldiering on despite several setbacks.
Barber earned his first Billboard chart entry when “Straight and Narrow” debuted at No. 24 on the Hot Rock Songs chart and No. 38 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart in April. The song currently sits at No. 41 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Barber was studying civil engineering at State Technical College in Linn, Missouri, when he began releasing music, including 2021’s “Run Away High,” “As Time Passes” and “Drowning.” Notably, Barber had written “Straight and Narrow” long before it became a breakthrough: It was the first song Barber wrote when he was 16 years old.
“I was just trying to write something that sounded good to me, but I think it’s found its own kind of purpose and people have their own takes on it,” Barber says. “It’s a song about whatever you’re going through, to keep going pretty well in the end.”
Though he says his earliest releases were slap-dash affairs — “just audio from my phone, using voice memos” — he sought a higher-quality, still direct approach to recording “Straight and Narrow.” “It wasn’t a studio; I just recorded it with a mic in a bedroom,” he explains. “It was still a simple recording — there were no changes made or anything, but I wanted people to hear it.”
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He estimates he had 200,000 total monthly Spotify listeners by the time he released “Straight and Narrow” in late 2022 — though that number has quickly improved, with Barber (who is managed by Outlaw Foundry’s Jerrin Uecker and Colton Kramer) now boasting over 4 million monthly Spotify listeners.
Last month, Barber followed “Straight and Narrow” with his eight-song debut EP, Million Eyes, released through Lockeland Springs with Atlantic Records. He’s booked by Wasserman Music, and is in talks with music publishers. Barber has a slate of club shows through the end of the year, as well as shows supporting 49 Winchester. In 2024, he will perform at the Stagecoach Festival.
“I just want to play live as much as I can,” Barber says. “I love playing live. It’s the best part of it, just meeting fans and taking music as far as I can.”
Billboard caught up with Barber, our October Rookie of the Month, to discuss songwriting, his influences, and his Million Eyes EP.
When did you become interested in music?
I was into sports growing up. My dad is a mechanic, and my mom is a nurse, but they don’t do music. My great-grandfather had a guitar, and it was in my parents’ room. When I was 15 or 16, I just thought it’d be cool to learn it. I never actually met him, but from stories I heard and pictures I’ve seen, he used to play in bars and stuff. I started watching YouTube videos, learning to play, and went from there. I did a lot of Zach Bryan covers, and then mostly just started trying to write my own music.
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On your Million Eyes project, you worked with producer Eddie Spear, who has worked with Zach and Brandi Carlile. How did the two of you connect?
I knew of him, and he ended up messaging me on Instagram and asked if I would want to work with him. He’s one of my favorite people ever. He’s helped drive a lot of my ideas and make them something more than I could have made it, personally.
“All That I Have” is another standout on Million Eyes. When did you write that?
I wrote that one quite a while back. I was just picking around on my guitar and I had that intro part. It was a pretty quick write. In the song, the guy doesn’t have a lot — his guitar is pretty much all he has. He’s in love with this girl and their love is enough for each other.
What’s your favorite song on Million Eyes?
Definitely “Save Me.” I started writing it in high school and kind of forgot about it for a long time. I ended up looking through my songbook and found it again. It was half-done, so a month or two before we released the EP, I finished it. I kept the first half pretty much the same. I just try to write things that connect with more people than myself.
Who are some of the artists and writers you look up to?
Tyler Childers is huge. When he was 18, he put out Bottles and Bibles, and that’s my favorite album ever. I’ve definitely tried to be kind of in that lane. But of course, I listen to a lot of Zach Bryan and Chris Stapleton — those are probably my main three. But I also listen to a lot of indie artists. I’m a big fan of Richy Mitch and the Coal Miners; they are just good dudes. But then, I’m also a big fan of Kings of Leon.
You’ve written most of these songs yourself. Do you prefer writing by yourself to co-writing?
I really enjoy writing by myself. I think the songs come out much better. I think it’s hard to make a really emotional song when it’s two or three brains going into one song. I think it creates more of a bland song; it’s hard to be on the same emotional page as someone at the same time like that. But also, I have to be in a certain headspace to write. I can’t just say, “Tomorrow, I’m going to sit down and write a song.” I can’t really do that — I have to be like, “Okay, I’m feeling like this, like I need to write about it.”
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On Million Eyes, you include a cover of U.K. duo Dani and Lizzy’s “Dancing in the Sky.” What do you think of other artists covering your songs?
I love hearing people’s renditions of anything. I like when people twist things around and make it their own.
You said that performing is your favorite part of pursuing this career. Do you have a favorite story of a fan interaction?
One guy drove 17 hours to meet me. I ended up talking to him for a while and he got my signature tattooed on his arm. That was pretty awesome.
Who was the first artist you saw in concert?
Chris Stapleton. My parents took me when I was a kid.
You’ve mentioned Zach and Tyler, and, of course, more roots-oriented music has had a big moment this year on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. What are your thoughts on releasing music at this time?
I think I’m in the most perfect time I could be for what I’m doing. People are just going to all these streaming apps and listening to whatever they want. It’s becoming a thing, just acoustic guitars and voices. I think a lot more kids are picking up guitars and finding out, “I’m not that bad at this,” and it’s bringing a whole new aspect to music in general. I think it’s only for the better, and we’re just finding so many young and great artists out of this whole time period.
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