Deltona slow burn their way through Cared Enough To Cry
By Alan Shipston for Country Music News International Magazine
Cared Enough to Cry is the first break up ballad released by the rising power trio, Nashville based band, Deltona. A lone acoustic guitar played by Caleb Miller, with the haunting strains of Justin Schipper’s reverb laden steel guitar, begin the story of a broken relationship as Ned Abernathy sings, ”Bags packed on the front porch, You got the last of what you came for, Not a trace of you in this house, I gotta learn to how to live without, Your voice in the hallway, Long talks after a long day.” This leads into the three part harmony chorus as Chris Deaton plays the sole kick drum pattern, reinforcing the heart break of a love leaving you behind.
Painting the portrait of a lopsided partnership that ends in ruins, seems to be a Nashville songwriter tradition and Deltona manage to bring a new kind of loneliness to the subject with a spartan arrangement and well placed instruments. Produced by Jason Massey (Cole Swindell, Kelsea Ballerini), the song was co-written by Cody Bradley, Abernathy, Miller and Deaton. “Cared Enough to Cry is the first ballad we’ve ever released and it leans into that classic heartbreak country sound we all grew up on,” says Deltona. “We wanted to have a song that showcases our harmonies and was heartfelt. This is one of the first songs we wrote together and we feel that you can hear the emotion in it.”
By the second verse, Cared Enough to Cry gathers a potent swelling momentum, as the energy shifts towards, “Coulda seen a diamond on your left hand, Tire swing, swingin’ on a piece a land, Little house with a wrap around, Sittin’ out on the edge of town.” While the achingly tender track strays from the combustible sound of their previous release, How To Not Help A Heartbreak, Deltona once again prove their first rate talent for penning truly timeless breakup songs.
Hailing from three different states – Abernathy grew up in Georgia, Deaton was raised in Tennessee and Miller calls Ohio home – Deltona first linked up at a writers’ round at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café and instantly discovered their unstoppable chemistry. After bonding over a love of country tradition and a serious need to get loud, the trio began crafting songs together and sharing their heartfelt covers of modern country classics. Cared Enough to Cry is a welcome addition to the growing repertoire of Deltona and speaks to the longevity that these songs bring to a country act.