Backroad Song

Album: 4x4 (2015)
Charted: 49
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song about a country back road is the first fruit of Granger Smith's 4x4 EP. The record is a collaboration with producer Frank Rogers, who has also worked with Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, and Josh Turner.

    Granger Smith recalled to The Boot; "When Frank and I agreed to dive in together, he said, 'Well, send me what you have.' I think I sent him three or four … It was kind of rough, me and my guitar on a small recorder. He texted back and said, "Good stuff. There's some good moments in all of these, but one sounds like a hit right away: 'Backroad Song,' I really want to jump in on."
  • The track was inspired by Smith's life on the road. "We have toured like crazy, and have seen so much of the country," he told Radio.com, "We see all kinds of back roads now, coast to coast, it's a part of our everyday lives, me and the band and the crew."

    "It's ingrained in who I am, it's what I am," Granger added. "When I think about music, I'm thinking about songs about back roads."
  • Smith explained how Frank Rogers transformed the song. "Originally, the first line in the chorus - [sings] 'Ooh ooh ooh' - it only happened at the beginning of the chorus, and that's the only time it happened, at the beginning of each chorus. Frank's like, 'That's the hook, man. That's the catch. That's the thing that makes the song. So let's put it at the first of the chorus, like you had it, let's add it at the end of the chorus, and then let's also put it in the turnarounds and at the solo.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."