Eric Church does things his own way.
The “Springsteen” singer has made a name for himself over his nearly two decade career for taking risks and thinking outside the Nashville box. From getting kicked off the Rascal Flatts tour way back in 2006 to dropping a surprise album and mailing it for free to every member of his fan club, there have been plenty of decisions over the years that have no doubt left his record label less than thrilled – but somehow, he’s managed to buck the machine and make it work.
Church has also never shied away from taboo topics in his music. His sultry “Like A Wrecking Ball” didn’t try to disguise the topic of sex like so many country songs do. And on “Stick That In Your Country Song,” Church called out country music for not saying anything about the tough social issues like violence in inner cities and veterans struggling with their mental health when they get back home.
Last year, Church dropped a powerful new song inspired by the Covenant School shooting here in Nashville, a Charlie Daniels-inspired song called “Johnny” begging for someone to come and send the devil back to hell because he’s escaped from Georgia and wreaking havoc in our communities.
It was just the latest in a long line of songs from Church that have pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable to talk about in mainstream country music. And as it turns out, one of those songs almost cost him his record deal.
Back in 2010, Church wanted to send “Smoke a Little Smoke” to radio as his third single from Carolina, after having only minor success with the first two releases from the album, “Love Your Love the Most” and “Hell on the Heart.”
He had listened to his label up to that point, putting out radio-friendly singles that would get his music on the charts and, as his label assured him, help advance his career.
Well both of the first two singles reached the top 10 of the charts – and that’s about it. So Church wanted to try something different. He had been playing “Smoke a Little Smoke” during his live shows and had been watching the crowd’s reaction.
In his words:
“They were tearing the walls down.”
But the label wasn’t keen on releasing a stoner anthem to radio (remember, this was 2010 – the first state didn’t legalize marijuana for recreational use until 2012).
Church stuck to his guns. In fact, he did more than that: He threatened to walk from the label if “Smoke a Little Smoke” wasn’t released as his next single.
“I went to the label, I said ‘This is what we’re putting out, or I’ll never make another album. I’ll never record for you again.’”
And when they were put in that position, they didn’t have much choice. But they did have a warning for Church:
“It’s your funeral.”
Well “Smoke a Little Smoke” became his next single – and despite the fact that the song’s radio performance was unremarkable (and there were radio stations that refused to play it altogether), sales of Chief’s music spiked and he was able to prove to the label that his musical instincts were correct.
In fact, it’s because he was right about “Smoke a Little Smoke” that Church says he was able to have the freedom to do what he wanted with the next record, Chief, which is still his best-selling album to date.
It’s a strategy that has served Church well throughout his career. He’s taken a lot of risks, but when they pay off, the reward can be enormous.
Back in 2024, Church made headlines for his unconventional headlining performance at Stagecoach, an acoustic set featuring a full gospel choir. Many criticized the performance as “career suicide” for Church – not realizing that he’s built his career off of decisions that others have warned would be the final nail in his country music coffin.
