I think it’s safe to say that if you’re a fan of Zach Bryan (and he’s got a whole lot of them right now), you’ve been spinning Summertime Blues nonstop this past weekend.
Sitting at the top spot on the iTunes Country Albums chart, Zach’s latest project comes to us less than two months from the release of his debut studio album, American Heartbreak. The 34-track behemoth was released in May, and itself is sitting at #5 on the chart.
And with the first half of the year in the rearview, American Heartbreak is sitting at the top of our Best Country Albums of 2022… So Far list.
Needless to say, Zach Bryan is on tear right now, the biggest thing in country music not named Luke Combs or Morgan Wallen. And, he’s doing it all with barely any radio play, major press or publicity, or the support of the Nashville music machine.
To me, Zach is the most compelling storyline in country music right now, as he has found a way to do something that everyone who steps in front of a microphone with a guitar aims to do… connect with the masses in an honest and meaningful way (and believe me, it’s harder than you think).
His songs have managed to penetrate deep into the hearts and souls of his fans, and they stay there. As authentic as they come, Zach lives and breathes his music, and now the fans do too… it’s infectious. And the formula is relatively simple, even if the accomplishment is monumental. In short, he tells the truth, and it resonates.
Many of us like to listen to his songs and try to dissect the meanings for ourselves, and part of the beauty of music is that the listener can pull what they want from a song. A song might mean one thing to one fan, and something completely different to another, and then something different to the songwriter, and yet it still works for all three.
But for Zach and this new EP, he’s given us a peek behind the curtain, letting us into his world and what a handful of these songs mean to him, how they came to be, and the inspiration behind them.
So, here it goes…
Summertime Blues:
Summertime Blues: honestly just came up with the bourbon line and wanted to paint a picture of the coast line in the summertime and how beautiful it is that we’re all on our own journeys
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) July 16, 2022
Quittin’ Time:
I have a lot of good family and friends and people that love me and I’m ready to go home (sometimes) and spend time with people I love. I actually wrote the entire song in the Denver Broncos stadium which is just hilarious
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) July 16, 2022
“Oklahoma Smokeshow:
be rude towards small town folks either. I’m a small town Oklahoman and I’m proud of that, but I was just trying to make it feel spacey and tell the story of a lot of small town bar scenes and the rowdiness of it all, and the longing to be with someone you might never have
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) July 16, 2022
Motorcycle Drive-By:
..and the intention of stepping back and taking a deep breath and realizing you have to enjoy it and enjoy every single second with the people you love.
— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) July 16, 2022
