Country as cornbread.
Today, Riley Green released his third studio album Don’t Mind If I Do, which follows his highly-anticipated sophomore album that was released around this time last year, Ain’t My Last Rodeo.
Of course, Riley has been at it for quite a while now, and he put out his debut record Different ‘Round Here in 2019, in addition to several EP’s and singles throughout the years too. He’s remained one of the most authentic, true country artists in the mainstream, even when it wasn’t as cool and popular as it is now, which I’ve always loved about him and his music.
Riley grew up in small town Alabama, and learned to play guitar with his granddaddy’s favorite classic country songs, and I think that always comes through in his music. He knows who he is, what he likes, and had a dedicated following well before he ever signed a record deal.
I think that’s a large part of the reason he’s become so successful, because he’s never really been one to follow trends and in the long run, it’s paid off. Over the last year or so, with the last album and obviously his viral hit with Ella Langley “You Look Like You Love Me,” he’s been on a rocket, well on his way to country music stardom and gaining fans beyond just the hardcore country fans who have loved him for years now.
Don’t Mind If I Do features a whopping 18 songs, including previously-released heaters like “Worst Way,” “Pick A Place,” “Don’t Mind If I Do” with Ella Langley and the absolute stunner that is still the standout in my very humble opinion, “Jesus Saves.”
Today is actually Riley’s birthday, which he says is a fitting day for the album release because it’s so true to who he is and where he comes from:
“It feels fitting that this album is out on my birthday because this project feels very true to who I am, where I come from and what I’ve learned along the way.
I learned to play guitar to my granddaddy’s favorite country songs from back in the day and this new album is a throwback to the era when I first became a fan.”
I’ve been a fan of Riley since he released his Outlaws Like Us EP in 2017, and have always appreciated his focus on rural life and truly living the songs he writes and sings. It’s so easy to write songs about that subject matter that feel cliché and overdone, but because it’s exactly who he is, it always feel relatable and real.
Once again, he brought in frequent collaborators in Erik Dylan, Randy Montana, Wyatt McCubbin and more, and they created another impressive evolution for the Alabama native that cements him as one of the most authentic, and truly country artists, in the mainstream part of the genre right now.
From funny tunes like “Reel Problems” and “Alcohall Of Fame,” to songs about his life in the country and how he was raised “Chop Off The O’l Block” and “Turnin’ Dirt,” as well as a few love-focused songs like “That’s A Mistake” and “Torn,” this album has it all.
I honestly think some of the pre-released singles are still my favorites, but overall, it’s another impressive album that feels so “Riley” in every sense, while still being evolved and more polished than his last project (which I also loved and thought was so well-done).
He somehow always manages to toe that line of being true to himself while evolving and growing, which is so much harder to do than you can even imagine in the music industry. We can always count on Riley to deliver country, and this time, he did it with humor (it’s a really funny album and I appreciate that a lot), heart and a few good time, beer drinkin’ songs too.
As a country music fan, you really can’t ask for much more… I’ll leave a few of my favorites below, but you should definitely go download the whole record and listen to them all.
“That’s A Mistake”
“Chip Off The Ol’ Block”
“Reel Problems ft. Luke Bryan”
“Turnin’ Dirt”
“Alcohall Of Fame”
Of course, I have to include these two pre-released singles too:
“Don’t Mind If I Do ft. Ella Langley”
“Jesus Saves”
‘DON’T MIND IF I DO’ TRACKLIST:
1. “That’s A Mistake” – Tucker Beathard, Jimi Bell, Travis Denning
2. “Change My Mind” – Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Randy Montana
3. ”Reel Problems (featuring Luke Bryan)” – Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Wyatt McCubbin
4. “Turnin’ Dirt” – Benjy Davis, Wyatt McCubbin, Ben Williams
5. “Jesus Saves” – Riley Green
6. “Too Early To Drink” – Matt Roy
7. “Pick A Place” – Riley Green, Erik Dylan
8. “Way Out Here” – Casey Beathard, David Lee Murphy, Josh Thompson
9. “Waitin’ All Day” – Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Wyatt McCubbin, Lydia Vaughan
10. “Chip Off The Ol’ Block” – Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Jonathan Singleton
11. “Alcohall Of Fame” – Riley Green, Kelli Johnson, Drake White
12. “Rather Be” – Dan Isbell, Randy Montana
13. “Good Morning From Mexico” – Riley Green
14. “Torn” – Randy Montana, Drake Mulligan, John Pierce
15. “Damn Good Day To Leave” – Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Jonathan Singleton, Nick Walsh
16. “Looking Back On This” – Randy Montana, Jameson Rodgers, Justin Wilson
17. “Don’t Mind If I Do (featuring Ella Langley)” – Riley Green
18. “Worst Way” – Riley Green
Riley will hit the road on his extensive headlining Damn Country Music tour in March of 2025.
DAMN COUNTRY MUSIC TOUR DATES:
March 27, 2025 – Abbotsford, BC – Abbotsford Centre
March 28, 2025 – Kelowna, BC – Prospera Place
March 30, 2025 – Regina, SK – Brandt Centre
April 3, 2025 – Kingston, ON – Slush Puppie Place
April 4, 2025 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum
April 5, 2025 – London, ON – Budweiser Gardens
May 1, 2025 – Athens, GA – Akins Ford Arena
May 9, 2025 – Lake Charles, LA – Lake Charles Event Center
May 10, 2025 – Tupelo, MS – Cadence Bank Arena
May 29, 2025 – Youngstown, OH – Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre
May 30, 2025 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center
May 31, 2025 – Detroit, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
June 12, 2025 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
June 13, 2025 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion
June 14, 2025 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park
June 19, 2025 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
June 21, 2025 – Huntington, WV – Marshall Health Network Arena
July 24, 2025 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17
July 25, 2025 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
July 26, 2025 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
August 21, 2025 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
August 22, 2025 – Idaho Falls, ID – Mountain America Center
August 23, 2025 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
