Story Behind the Song: Easton Corbin, ‘A Little More Country Than That’
For the chart week ending April 3, 2010, Easton Corbin's "A Little More Country Than That" sat atop the Billboard country radio chart. Corbin's debut single took 32 weeks to reach the chart's peak, and was the first debut single from a solo male artist to land at No. 1 since Dierks Bentley's "What Was I Thinkin'" in September of 2003, and the first country artist, period, to send a debut single to the top of the charts since Zac Brown Band did so, with Chicken Fried, in December of 2008.
Rory Feek, of the duo Joey + Rory, co-wrote "A Little More Country Than That" with Wynn Varble and Don Poythress. Below, the singer and songwriter shares how the song came to be, while Corbin tells how the track wound up in his hands.
Rory Feek: This song was written one day when Wynn and Don and I were sitting on the porch. Wynn and I are really country ... We live the lifestyle. We really miss and love all of that stuff we talk about in the song. I live on eight acres, in an old farmhouse built in the 1870s, with an old windmill from the 1930s and an outhouse I bought for my wife, Joey, on the property. We have a garden and chickens and cattle, and we just love our life.
So we were just sitting around talking about the simple stuff that we love, and the song just came out in about 45 minutes. I like the ones that come a little quicker, because it feels more like magic. And I like magic.
We actually originally wrote it for Blaine Larsen, for his album I was producing a while back, and we thought it was great, but his record label didn't think it was great, so they passed on it. And then [producer] Carson Chamberlain heard it and put it on Easton's album.
Easton Corbin: My team actually heard the demo first and knew it was something I needed to hear. As soon as I listened to the track, I connected with the song and wanted to cut it. I was still brand-new to Nashville, and that song just kept reminding me of everything about home. Any song that can immediately grab a listener like that is one I knew I wanted to add to my project. I knew if I could relate to it, my fans could as well.
I’d probably have to say my favorite line from "A Little More Country Than That" would be “while the old men chew the fat,” because it reminds me of how my grandfather used to take me to the barber shop on Saturdays for us to get our hair cut. All of the old men would sit around the shop telling stories about what life used to be like, and that was always something I looked forward to. When it comes to making memories last, you’ve got to take advantage of all the little memories that always stick with you, and, for me, that was one of them.
Since I was a brand-new artist at the time, that was truly my first take inside the studio. I trusted heavily on my producer, Carson Chamberlain, to help guide me through that entire process. I’m extremely fortunate to have always had an experienced team walk me through anything I was unsure of. Each tweak Carson would make, he’d explain the reasoning behind it, and, in turn, I’d try to train my ear as well. I learned so much throughout the start of my career, and I will always try to stay true to those roots today.
As a new artist at the time, it was a dream come true [to have the song go to No. 1] ... After I got the record deal, I didn’t think it could get any better than that … Man, was I wrong. When I found out it had reached the No. 1 spot, I couldn’t believe the news! It was something I had longed for my entire life.
As for the fans, they connected with a song that was incredibly honest and true to my story. I know there are so many people that grew up in a small town just like I did, and if this song could tell my story, I knew it would also tell the story to a lot of my listeners, and without them, I wouldn’t have anything. They will never understand how grateful I am.
This story was originally written by Lorie Hollabaugh, and revised by Angela Stefano.