John Morgan Talks Unapologetic New Song, ‘Sorry Not Sorry’

John Morgan is saying “Sorry Not Sorry” for his redneck tendencies and deep country boy persona in his latest release.

Morgan shows no fear as he dips into his North Carolina roots to uncover an unapologetic back road anthem. Throughout the budding country star’s twang-filled vocals and boot-stomping beat, he boasts about his way of life, which includes a “famer’s tan,” “a home cooking mama,” and “a hard working John Deere man.” 

“It’s just one of those ones that kind of always hung around. It’s an easy song to listen to, you don’t have to think about it too much, which hopefully is a good thing. It’s just one of those kinds of songs that, you know, we joke about how it’s just tailgating, beer-drinking song,” he told Country Now. “So hopefully it comes across as that and people enjoy it.”

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The unashamed life of a country boy speaks true to Morgan’s upbringing in a tiny town called Sylva, which sits deep in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. 

“I loved where I grew up. It was kind of, obviously, in the mountains, so a big fan of the area, just in general. Especially now being away from it and going back home to visit, I’m like, man, you don’t realize how good you have it sometimes.”

He shared that even if some of his listeners can’t quite relate to the same way of life, he hopes that they will still be able to relate to the message of staying true to who you are no matter who tries to convince you to do otherwise. 

“We talked about the one side of it, which is, you know, it’s just an easy song to listen to, but it’s also got that lyric that hopefully encourages people. Like, I don’t really care what anybody thinks because to an extent, that’s kind of my mentality,” he explained before adding, “I’m not like trying to be braggy about it. That’s just how I’ve always been. You know, I definitely value people’s opinions, but at the end of the day, it’s hard for me to change who I am. So that’s kind of what the song is in a nutshell. Hopefully, everybody can relate in that sense.”

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The rugged track was penned by Morgan alongside Justin Wilson, Rodney Clawson, and Will Bundy, and co-produced by country music superstar and his mentor, Jason Aldean, along with his long-time bandmates and No. 1 hit songwriters Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy. 

“Sorry not sorry for the redneck / Skoal ring on my butt / Sorry not sorry for the gun in the rack / And the dog in the back of this truck / Sorry not sorry if your girlfriend’s / Wishin’ it was me that was picking her up / I’m just rollin’ ’round here like an empty can of beer / Doin’ what a country boy does (What a country boy does),” he sings in the catchy chorus. 

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Last year, Morgan got to try out the new song and also further develop a bond with Aldean while serving as support on his Rock N’ Roll Cowboy Tour. 

“It’s very different than, you know, a lot of different circumstances in town. It just doesn’t always happen this way where you just come in contact with somebody of his stature that has the reputation that he has in town and everywhere else,” Morgan said as he reflected on his time working with Aldean.

“It’s invaluable to have his opinion on songs, picking songs and different things. Just on the business side of it too, you know, he’s become a good friend and also a mentor in a way of, kind of, telling me what not to do and a lot of things. I appreciate that about him.”

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Additionally, he is responsible for eight cuts on Aldean’s latest double album Macon, Georgia, along with two back-to-back No. 1’s – “Trouble With A Heartbreak” and the GRAMMY and CMA-nominated, “If I Didn’t Love You,” featuring Carrie Underwood.

“It’s a dream come true for sure. You know, I’ve always wanted to be an artist in the long run of things, but I really fell in love with songwriting maybe a year before I moved to Nashville, is when I really seriously started trying to hook a song and trying to come up with an idea that you could flip and have a cool take on it,” Morgan explained. 

“I love songwriting and I’ve had the opportunity to be in some really cool rooms where I’ve been able to learn from guys who have written hits and kind of watch their process and how they approach writing a song and I’ve tried to incorporate that a little bit into how I do it now,” he continued. “It’s very cool to have it pay off, you know, after writing a lot of songs and spending a lot of time building demos and stuff. I did a lot of that too early on. I still do, but yeah, it’s always cool to get it cut much less a number one.”

Following the release of “Sorry Not Sorry,” John Morgan spent some time on social media with his adorable little girl, Willie, to respond to a few questions/comments from fans and also show his appreciation for all those who have streamed the new song so far. 

“I just wanted to hop on and just thank you guys for ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ and checking that out. It means a lot to me,” he shared before adding, “It’s cool to finally have that song out. We got to play it live all summer, last year on the road with Aldean, and it always seemed to be a crowd favorite. I’m just very grateful, I just wanted to thank you guys for supporting me and my music. We put a lot of work into each song and it’s cool to have it pay off and finally get it out into the world.”

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In the same clip, the singer/songwriter went on to tease that there is even more new music in store for 2023. 

This year, John Morgan will be headlining his own shows as well as playing at several music festivals such as Faster Horses, Country Thunder Arizona, Country Thunder Wisconsin, Daytona Beach Bandshell, Country Jam Colorado, Tidalwave Music Festival, and more.