DirectLyrics Interviews Brett Eldredge: On New Single “Wanna Be That Song” & Exclusive Details About Its Upcoming Music Video, Reminiscing His First Ever Number One!
Brett Eldredge doesn't really need much introduction. With four country radio #1 hits already in his short career, this Illinois native is rapidly proving to be "one to watch" in the country music scene.
Brett, who opened for several dates on Taylor Swift's 2013 "Red Tour", released in that year his debut album "Bring You Back", which spawned three country airplay number ones - and only last year he released his second LP titled "Illinois". Brett's already scored one number one with it; "Lose My Mind", which has also been certified GOLD! Now, the 30-year-old country rising star is looking to increase his streak of #1s with his next single. The super tender and radio-friendly "Wanna Be That Song" has been picked by Atlantic Records Nashville as the next official offering from "Illinois".
This is my favorite song I've ever written...now it's my new single! pic.twitter.com/hc67sIJv1x
— Brett Eldredge (@bretteldredge) 3 de mayo de 2016
Directlyrics.com recently caught up with Brett Eldredge to ask him about his latest moves and his career so far in an exclusive interview. He shared his greatest memories from the recent co-headlining tour he did with Thomas Rhett across the U.S, signing to a major label, reminiscing the day he heard about his first number one, choosing "Wanna Be That Song" as his next single, and Brett also gave us the scoop on his upcoming music video (premiering very soon!). This and much more below!
The Interview
1. Hi Brett! Where are you answering this Q&A from and how’s your day been like so far?
“I’m here in Nashville, just getting ready to hop on a plane to New York City."
2. You have many Country Airplay number one singles. But your first was one was "Don't Ya”, included on your 2013 debut album “Bring You Back”. what was your reaction when your label/management told you had just scored your first #1 hit on radio?
“I was actually on stage in Georgia when I found out. Probably the hottest I’ve ever been on stage in that bar, it was a hundred and something degrees. I was playing bars you know I was still grinding it out playing clubs everywhere I could. And I found out on stage that Don’t Ya was going to be a number one. I mean to be able to celebrate on stage, and then get to sing that song. I found out, almost to the dot, right as I was about to sing that song in the set. And It was a crazy experience. I think we partied mighty hard that night to celebrate. Something like that is almost impossible to get it feels like sometimes so to finally get it, thats a a dream. And then to get to sing it on stage while it happens. Thats even more if a dream"
4. You are signed to Atlantic Records/Atlantic Nashville. Tell us a bit on how you got signed to this renowned label. I’m sure it’s a moment in your life you will never forget.
“I got signed to Atlantic in 2009. Craig Kallman came form New York and had me go in an office at Warner Nashville and sing him songs. And i was so nervous to just play by myself, but I was like Im going to go i there and just show him what I do. Im not going to bring a guitar player, I’m going to play on my own and show him. And by the time I got done playing he was asking me when I could fly to New York to play for the whole label. So I did and I loved the whole crew and I got back to Nashville and met with a guy named John Esposito and that changed my whole music career when I met him. And I knew that with his passion for everything that I did and who I was as an artist, combined with Craig Kallman and everyone up in New York, I knew that was my home and I signed and still to this day very glad for that moment. And I’m glad they stuck with me for all these years. Now that everything is taking off its pretty special.
5. Talking tours for a moment, you recently co-headlined one with Thomas Rhett. What are your best memories from touring with this exciting up-and-coming artist?
“I think my favorite memory from touring with Thomas Rhett had to be Halloween. I dressed up as Buddy the Elf, from Elf. I already kinda look like a giant version of Elf, at least I feel like I act that way sometimes haha. I had the entire costume on, the yellow tights, the green top and everything. I bought the best Elf costume I could find because I wanted it to look legit. He dressed up as Woody from Toy Story. And we’re up on stage singing all these serious songs. I was drinking whiskey from a maple syrup jar and we were passing it back and forth and just having a blast. Dancing around on stage as an Elf, thats a pretty special moment.
6. Sonically your second album “Illinois” (released in September 2015) is quite different to “Bring You Back” (I get even more soul-R&B vibes in your second effort). What motivated this change (evolution) in your sound, and for those you haven’t heard the record yet, what’s the overall story of “Illinois”?
"I think you have to really challenge yourself always to grow as a songwriter and an artist. There was a point where I was like OK, we have several hits off my first album, now its time to show people that I am here to stay. That I want to be here for 30 more years. And you can’t miss on that second album. Its a really important album in your career, I think that I knew that I wanted to push a little farther and show more of me that people haven’t gotten to see yet. More soul, more of the big voice, more of the groovy side. It can be a little bit nerve racking when you go towards a newer sound because you hope that your fans gravitate towards that, but I just felt really comfortable, just being me, so I felt confident going into it. Like, you know, I think this is going to work, but you just never know. When "Lose My Mind" hit like it did, right out of the gates it just exploded, it was a weight off my shoulders. I felt like I might get to do this for a long time and thats all I ever want to do. So that was a big part of this record and what I wanted to do with it. "
7. You have recently picked a new single, “Wanna Be That Song”. A romantic tune that hears you singing the sorts of “I wanna be that song that gets you high / Makes you dance, makes you fall / Wanna be those words that fill you up”. What made you choose “Wanna Be That Song” over other “next single” contenders, and what inspired this particular song?
"Wanna Be That Song" is a song that I got the idea for when I started seeing people getting married to or having their first dance to my song “Mean to Me”. Or “Beat of the Music” was the song a couple had heard on their first date. I had these songs that people had as a part of their lives. And I said to myself I want to be that song that is always a part of peoples lives, that gets you through something, laugh when you need to laugh or cry when you need to cry. And so it sparked in my mind that was a whole concept right there. I want to be that song that you have to turn up every time you hear it. I want to be that for someone and I thought it was just such a romantic way to say something. So I was about to take the stag at Kansas Motor Speedway, I’ll never forget it. I was about to put my ear monitors in and go on stage and I looked at my buddy who was on the road with me, Scooter Carusoe, who I wrote “Mean to Me” with. And I said “I want to write a song called I Wanna Be That Song”. Then my intro music came on and I walked right on stage. And we didn’t talk about it for three months. Then we got together with Ross Copperman and Scooter said “remember when you wanted to write that song called wanna be that song? Well I’ve got some ideas” and we started chasing it down. I knew right when we wrote it in that room that it was something really special. It was the same room I wrote “Raymond", "Lose My Mind", and a bunch of other songs. And I have had that feeling, in that room before, but I really had it this time. It’s probably one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written, and now its my single.
8. We hear you will be shooting/shot very recently the music video for “Wanna Be That Song”. What can you tell us about who’s directing, where you will shoot/shot it, and what can fans expect from the treatment of the video?
Trey Fanjoy directed the video. She is a proven, extreme talent in this business. She’s a legend and somebody that has a vision and a cinematic approach more than just making a music video. She tells the story in a major, big way and thats how I write songs. I picture everything as a movie so when I had this idea, and it was pretty complex, she had this vision. I just knew she was going to make this video come to life. So we got out there, freezing cold day, and shot the video. Everything was stacked against us, weather, everything. But we got to shoot at Wrigley Field and that place has magic in itself. Once we started to shoot, I just knew this was going to be a video and a moment we would never forget, and thats what the song is all about.
9. What are Brett Eldredge’s Top 5 songs of the moment?
The Woman For Me - Rayland Baxter
Be Here Now - Ray LaMontagne
Wonder wall - Ryan Adams version
Humble And Kind - Tim McGraw
The Breach - Dustin Tebbutt