Hot Country Knights Team With Travis Tritt On ‘Pick Her Up’
“….when you need a hit…you call Tritt.”
Hot Country Knights; Photo by Jim Wright
After ringing in the New Year with a brand new, worldwide recording contract with Universal Music Group Nashville, Hot Country Knights unveiled their debut single during a press conference in Nashville on Thursday morning (Jan. 23).
During the event, the group debuted the ’90s country-infused “Pick Her Up,” a collaboration with Travis Tritt.
“The sound behind ‘Pick Her Up’ is Hot Country Knights 101…it’s so hot that I have advised the radio promotion department at UMG to wear oven mitts when delivering it to Country radio,” said HCK’s lead singer Doug Douglason. “Travis is an old buddy of ours…we go way back and everybody knows when you need a hit…you call Tritt. We appreciate his support and all our friends in the biz that are coming together right now to help us finally get our shot.”
The song, which officially hits country radio on February 3, was produced and written by Dierks Bentley along with co-writers Jim Beavers and Brett Beavers. The track marks the group’s first official radio single, and if Thursday’s press conference is any indication, it’s the first of many releases from Hot Country Knights. During the event, the band also shared the track “Asphalt,” a hilarious ballad featuring some interesting wordplay and the patriotic jam “USA Begins with Us.”
Originally formed in 2015, Hot Country Knights is comprised of Bentley (aka Douglas “Doug” Douglason) and members of his touring band. HCK consists of lead bass player Trevor Travis, lead guitarist Marty Ray (“Rayro”) Roburn, keytar/fiddle player Terotej (“Terry”) Dvoraczekynski, steel guitarist Barry Van Ricky and percussionist Monte Montgomery. The group previously opened up for Dierks Bentley and has shared the stage with artists such as Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi and Thomas Rhett.
Written by
Lauren Jo Black
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.