Dont Mind If I Do

About

Riley Green’s third album opens with some sage advice. On “That’s a Mistake,” a warm and tender track with ’90s Tim McGraw vibe, Green runs through a laundry list of minor miscalculations—forgetting to get an oil change, perpetually running late—before revealing the kind of misstep that leaves a lasting impression: a romantic one. It’s an understated opening to Green’s boldest release yet, one that finds the Alabama-born star pushing himself as both a songwriter and a vocalist. Standout tracks on the record, which follows 2023’s <i>Ain’t My Last Rodeo</i>, include “Turnin’ Dirt,” a laidback ode to blue-collar life, and “Don’t Mind If I Do,” an emotional duet with country singer-songwriter Ella Langley. The record wraps with the hit song “Worst Way,” a soulful solo write that shows off Green’s sultry side. Green wrote four of the album’s 18 tracks by himself, telling Apple Music that he’s unlocked a new level of artistry since reframing his approach to his songwriting proce. “When I was a kid, I always thought [writing a song] was a lucky thing,” Green say. “You had those one-hit wonder, and to write a hit song seemed like, ‘Well, sometimes you just get lucky, or you get in the right room, or have the right idea.’ And when I started thinking about songwriting as something that you could get better at, like a skill, it really changed my whole mindset on it. It just motivated me to write better songs and write songs that people connect with.” Below, Green shares insight into several key track. <b>“That’s a Mistake”</b> “I grew up listening to a CD from front to back. I don't know that everybody does that anymore, but it's certainly a way I like to do it. And I always try to schedule my songs on my album for that reason. But it's just such an easy listen. I can remember when the song—it sounds like it end. I didn't want it to end, and then it keeps going. And the whole time I was just into it. And it's tough, with a song that's kind of down or midtempo like that, to keep somebody's ear that whole time. But I just love that song and the vibe of it. And I thought that was a cool way to start the record off, and then, we bring it back down at the end.” <b>“Turnin’ Dirt”</b> “It's a strange thing when you cut outside song, for me, because I haven't really done that a lot. I write so much of my own music. But I cut songs that sound like something I would write, that I just didn't write. ‘Turnin’ Dirt’ is one of those. It sounded like I wrote that song. People would argue with you that I wrote it, probably.” <b>“Chip Off the Ol’ Block”</b> “I love writing songs that are common saying, especially Southern country saying. So ‘Chip Off the Ol' Block’ is writing a song about my dad and the ways that we're similar, writing in a fun, lighthearted way. But I wanted to do it like The Band, Levon Helm, something kind of swampy. There's a song Lynyrd Skynyrd had called ‘Made in the Shade,’ and it is that kind of thing. So, I'm glad it came out that way and it's got a different feel than a lot of stuff I have, too.” <b>“Don’t Mind If I Do” (feat. Ella Langley)</b> .

via Apple Music

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