ERIC CHURCH’S “RECORD YEAR” TAPPED FOR SECOND SINGLE
ACM Entertainer of the Year Nominee Releases New Single from Mr. Misunderstood; Hits Radio Airwaves Today
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016) – A 2016 Academy of Country Music Awards top nominee, Eric Church drops his second single “Record Year” from Mr. Misunderstood at Country radio today. The new single namechecks Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key of Life, Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger, John Lee Hooker’s One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer among others from Church’s stack of vinyl. Upon the album’s surprise release last November, Rolling Stone Magazine dubbed the new single the “most moving moment” on the widely-lauded album.
Church
co-wrote “Record Year” with longtime banjo player and guitarist Jeff
Hyde who has previously collaborated on hits such as the three-week No. 1
“Springsteen” (along with Ryan Tyndell) from the ACM and CMA Album of
the Year Chief and the anthematic Top 20 “Smoke a Little Smoke”
(written by Church and Hyde alongside other bandmate Driver Williams)
from 2009’s Carolina, a release that has since been pointed to as a pivotal shift in musical direction for “our greatest working rock star” (Stereogum).
co-wrote “Record Year” with longtime banjo player and guitarist Jeff
Hyde who has previously collaborated on hits such as the three-week No. 1
“Springsteen” (along with Ryan Tyndell) from the ACM and CMA Album of
the Year Chief and the anthematic Top 20 “Smoke a Little Smoke”
(written by Church and Hyde alongside other bandmate Driver Williams)
from 2009’s Carolina, a release that has since been pointed to as a pivotal shift in musical direction for “our greatest working rock star” (Stereogum).
With
poignantly clever lyrics, “Record Year” is Church’s ode to a lost love
who instead of finding solace in another’s arms, finds consolation in a
three-foot stack of vinyl:
poignantly clever lyrics, “Record Year” is Church’s ode to a lost love
who instead of finding solace in another’s arms, finds consolation in a
three-foot stack of vinyl:
“Your
leavin’ left me goin’ crazy, I’m countin’ on a needle to save me / I
drop it in the groove, And we go ’round and ’round, And down in a spiral
/ I guess I really oughta call and thank you, I rediscovered Red Headed
Stranger / Got down with old James Brown, And found New Grass Revival
/ If you find your way back, I owe you a beer, For my record year”
leavin’ left me goin’ crazy, I’m countin’ on a needle to save me / I
drop it in the groove, And we go ’round and ’round, And down in a spiral
/ I guess I really oughta call and thank you, I rediscovered Red Headed
Stranger / Got down with old James Brown, And found New Grass Revival
/ If you find your way back, I owe you a beer, For my record year”
“Record
Year” follows the Top 15 title track, which shipped to radio
unexpectedly in conjunction with the album’s release last fall. Church
recently discussed the reason behind Mr. Misunderstood’s sudden
issue to ESPN’s Marty Smith: “Inspiration. And you can never pick when
inspiration is going to strike,” Church simply stated. “I hate when
you’re told ‘here’s where to make an album’–it doesn’t work like that.”
Church had initially revealed in a letter to his fans that the
inspiration for Mr. Misunderstood came from a guitar his son
affectionately named “Butter Bean.” Thirty days after picking up that
guitar, over 80,000 fans received the unannounced album and a note
directly from Church on November 4 before it was made available
everywhere for purchase later that week.
Year” follows the Top 15 title track, which shipped to radio
unexpectedly in conjunction with the album’s release last fall. Church
recently discussed the reason behind Mr. Misunderstood’s sudden
issue to ESPN’s Marty Smith: “Inspiration. And you can never pick when
inspiration is going to strike,” Church simply stated. “I hate when
you’re told ‘here’s where to make an album’–it doesn’t work like that.”
Church had initially revealed in a letter to his fans that the
inspiration for Mr. Misunderstood came from a guitar his son
affectionately named “Butter Bean.” Thirty days after picking up that
guitar, over 80,000 fans received the unannounced album and a note
directly from Church on November 4 before it was made available
everywhere for purchase later that week.
The New York Times calls Mr. Misunderstood “a love letter to his influences” noting “in his songs, music is fuel for love, for anguish and, naturally, for other music.” The Guardian calls the 10-song collection “a gem and the best album of his career.” And Rolling Stone Country raves “‘Record Year’ talks of three seminal J’s – Jennings, Jones and James Brown – who all are crucial pillars in Mr. Misunderstood’s songbook.
But it’s a more subtle reference to John Lee Hooker (“one bourbon, one
scotch, one beer/I’m having a record year”) that shows he’s more than
comfortable being stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis — or Delta.”
But it’s a more subtle reference to John Lee Hooker (“one bourbon, one
scotch, one beer/I’m having a record year”) that shows he’s more than
comfortable being stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis — or Delta.”
Along with an Album of the Year nod for Mr. Misunderstood, Church
is also up for ACM Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year,
Video of the Year (for “Mr. Misunderstood”), and Musical Event of the
Year for “Raise ‘Em Up” with Keith Urban.
is also up for ACM Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year,
Video of the Year (for “Mr. Misunderstood”), and Musical Event of the
Year for “Raise ‘Em Up” with Keith Urban.
About Eric Church
The
two-time Country Music Association and four-time Academy of Country
Music Award winner cemented his reputation as a maverick by releasing
his 2015 album Mr. Misunderstood as a surprise, delivering it
to fans before announcing its existence and putting it on sale. The
North Carolina native received a huge response from fans who made
Church 2014’s top-selling country music artist with the year’s highest
debut and sales of any release in the format as the critical and
commercial success The Outsiders reached Platinum status. Debuting at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and Top Country Albums chart, The Outsiders garnered
GRAMMY, CMA and ACM Album of the Year nominations and featured his No.1
hits “Give Me Back My Hometown” and “Talladega” as well as multiple
nominee “Like A Wrecking Ball.” The Outsiders is the follow-up to Church’s Platinum-certified CHIEF, named
the 2012 Album of the Year by both CMA and ACM, and GRAMMY-nominated
for Best Country Album. The LP featured five Top 20 singles: “Homeboy”
(certified Platinum for sales in excess of 1 million); the Top 10 “Like
Jesus Does” and the Top 5 “Creepin’” (both certified Gold for sales in
excess of 500,000); and two No. 1 hits “Drink in My Hand” (certified
Platinum) and “Springsteen” (certified Double Platinum for sales in
excess of 2 million singles). Church’s 2006 debut album, Sinners Like Me and his sophomore album Carolina (2009) are both RIAA Gold certified.
The
two-time Country Music Association and four-time Academy of Country
Music Award winner cemented his reputation as a maverick by releasing
his 2015 album Mr. Misunderstood as a surprise, delivering it
to fans before announcing its existence and putting it on sale. The
North Carolina native received a huge response from fans who made
Church 2014’s top-selling country music artist with the year’s highest
debut and sales of any release in the format as the critical and
commercial success The Outsiders reached Platinum status. Debuting at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and Top Country Albums chart, The Outsiders garnered
GRAMMY, CMA and ACM Album of the Year nominations and featured his No.1
hits “Give Me Back My Hometown” and “Talladega” as well as multiple
nominee “Like A Wrecking Ball.” The Outsiders is the follow-up to Church’s Platinum-certified CHIEF, named
the 2012 Album of the Year by both CMA and ACM, and GRAMMY-nominated
for Best Country Album. The LP featured five Top 20 singles: “Homeboy”
(certified Platinum for sales in excess of 1 million); the Top 10 “Like
Jesus Does” and the Top 5 “Creepin’” (both certified Gold for sales in
excess of 500,000); and two No. 1 hits “Drink in My Hand” (certified
Platinum) and “Springsteen” (certified Double Platinum for sales in
excess of 2 million singles). Church’s 2006 debut album, Sinners Like Me and his sophomore album Carolina (2009) are both RIAA Gold certified.
Photo Credit: John Peets