Hardy

Listen to some of the tracks that influenced Hardy's sound, compiled by the artist himself.

"I had to call my buddies up and say, 'Hey, this label wants the song, but I really think this could be a career song for me ...'"

Your thoughts?

"It's not necessarily his wheelhouse," says the songwriter-turned-artist who co-wrote the song. "But it's really cool to step out of your comfort zone and try something new ..."

"I still love hearing other people sing my songs. That's what I moved to town to do," says songwriter-turned-artist Hardy of the decision to pitch "God's Country" to other artists.

"Hardy made a dang deal with us!" says Brian Kelley of FGL.

They're country!

Talk about a dream team!

Hardy has worked with some of the biggest names in country music, but it took the songwriting giant to render him starstruck.

"I don't know, I think too much. I'm in my head all the time ..."