Jason Aldean has found the right formula for success on tour and in the studio
Note: Jason Aldean’s Aug. 18 concert was postponed to inclement weather. It has been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8. Tickets bought for the Aug. 18 concert will be honored on the new date, no exchange necessary, according to Live Nation on Twitter. Jason Alean tweeted: “Due to our concern for fan safety from the lightning in the area, we are postponing tonight’s Jason Aldean show until Saturday, September 8th. We will all be back to give this sold out crowd the show you deserve.”
When you’re Jason Aldean and it’s time to celebrate your most recent No. 1 song, it makes sense to host a party at a venue that will help promote your brand on every level. With that in mind, welcome to Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar, the newest country artist-branded nightspot in Nashville.
Taking in downtown Nashville’s Broadway from this rooftop, the names associated with neighboring businesses of Aldean’s restaurant could be a replica of the country singles chart on a random week: Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and John Rich (of country duo Big & Rich fame) all have opened up their own establishments within the past few weeks.
If teaming up with the right songwriters and producers in Music City doesn’t bring an artist fame and fortune, it’s beginning to feel like a liquor license is a safe backup plan.
Aldean opened his restaurant on Aug. 9, to members of the press — The News & Observer among them — for a chance to discuss his latest hit “You Make It Easy,” which is his 20th song to land at the top of the country charts.
On hand to field questions alongside Aldean were the cowriters of the song: Jordan Schmidt (Kane Brown’s “What Ifs”), Morgan Wallen (“Up Down”), and Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of the duo Florida Georgia Line (“Cruise”).
Aldean spoke with reporters about his history with Florida Georgia Line, as well as the success that supporting acts of his tours have found once their time with Aldean is up.
He will be in the Triangle Aug. 18 as his current summer run brings him to Raleigh’s Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek.
Q: You have had a history of success in recording songs written by your friends, such as Hubbard and Kelley (who also wrote Aldean’s No. 1 hit in 2016, “Lights Come On”). When it comes time to start recording a new album, are they one of the first calls you make?
A: I’m actually getting back into the studio real soon, to begin recording a new album, so I’m going to need to call them again pretty soon.
I think for me that there are certain key guys that I feel have delivered us some big songs over the years, and have done some things that I think are cool. The way recording “You Make It Easy” came about was Tyler (Hubbard) just rode over to my house one day after having just finished help writing it, and played it for me right then and there, and after I begged him to let me cut it he let me have it. It worked out great.
Q: Where did you first meet Hubbard and Kelley, and what was your first impression of them?
A: The first time I remember meeting those guys was at (one of my) shows. We shared the same booking agent, and he brought them backstage and left them...so my first question to them ever was, “Who are you, and why are you in my dressing room?”
Fast forward, and I got to know them and a few of their songs, and then we went on tour together and just really hit it off. I think, for me, once I started listening to their music, it just reminded me so much of some of my older songs. Their songs were country but still had a rock edge, although with their’s it was still different, so for me it was just this respect for them for what they were bringing to the country genre. Now we do everything from tour to go on family vacations together; it’s just turned into this really cool friendship.
Q: What is the process like for choosing supporting acts for your tours?
A: As far as openers, we’ve had a lot of luck over the years, and I don’t know if it was really luck, or if we just got really good at picking them. It seems like we had a run where we’d have openers on our show that would be with us the year that they actually broke through, so that by the time the tour was over, they were well on their way to becoming superstars. It goes back to (former openers) Eric Church (“Record Year”) and Luke Bryan (“Strip It Down”), which shows how good of a track record we have with that stuff.
This year we’ve got Luke Combs, who already has a huge following that shows up for him every night. (The Asheville native scored a No. 1 in 2017 with the single “When It Rains It Pours.”) I think the folks we’ve picked as openers have taken the opportunity to sing in front of these massive crowds each night seriously, and they’ve all gone on to have great careers.
Lauren (Alaina) is doing great. I was just watching the (ABC broadcast) “CMA Fest” last night, and watched her perform with Kane (Brown, her duet partner on No. 1 song “What Ifs”). She still blows me away each time I hear her sing, and that’s after hearing her every night of the tour. She just has such an amazing voice. I actually don’t know how she keeps her voice, because she talks (so much): it should be laryngitis every other week with that kid!
Q: You’ve already followed up “You Make It Easy” with your latest single released to country radio, “Drowns the Whiskey.” The new single features Miranda Lambert (“Vice”). How did that collaboration get off the ground?
A: Well, “Drowns the Whiskey” came about when I was producing some (songs) with Tyler Farr (“Redneck Crazy”) a couple of years back, and (”Drowns”) was a song I was wanting him to record. He ended up not cutting it, and I told him at the time that if he didn’t use it that I was going to record it. So that’s what I did.
I’d actually been looking for something to do with Miranda for a while, because we had worked together on a song called “Grown Woman” that was on my second album (2007’s “Relentless”), where she came in and sang backgrounds on it. I thought we sang together really well, and that our vocals just blended really well together, so I sent her this song as just an idea.
It wasn’t written as a duet, but I thought she would sound amazing on it, as it leans a little more on the traditional (country music) side of things that she does so well. I sent it, she jumped on it, and you’ve heard the rest. She took what was already a great song, and just made it better.
Details
Who: Jason Aldean with Lauren Alaina and Luke Combs
When: 7:30 p.m., Aug. 18 (They play PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte Aug. 17).
Where: Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, 3801 Rock Quarry Road, Raleigh
Cost: Sold out
Info: LiveNation.com or 919-831-6400
This story was originally published August 17, 2018 at 2:35 PM.