Lainey Wilson Reveals Her Next Album Will Feature Love Songs Inspired By Boyfriend Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges
“I’m grateful for him,” the singer shared.
Devlin Duck Hodges, Lainey Wilson; Photo Courtesy of Gilbert Flores for PMC-6
Lainey Wilson’s next album is in the works and this time, she’s ready to put her love on display through heartfelt tunes inspired by her boyfriend, Devlin “Duck” Hodges.
During an interview with People in late May, the country star revealed that for the first time, she has a “healthy relationship” to guide her songwriting in new directions.
“Duck is the kind of dude who high-fives me on the way in the door and on the way out and says, ‘Go get it,’” she shared. “He knows how important this dream is to me. I was never really able to write love songs, because I don’t know if I had actually felt it, but I’m writing me some love songs now. I’m grateful for him.”
Wilson and Hodges, whom she calls “one of my biggest cheerleaders and champions,” first introduced their relationship to the world during the 2023 ACM Awards. On May 11, she strutted down the red carpet in her stunning silk jumpsuit with Hodges by her side for the very first time.
She explained that keeping this information from the public was her way of making sure the former NFL quarterback was “in it for the right reasons.”
“Turns out, he is,” she told the outlet.
The “Heart Like A Truck” singer then went on to say that Hodges seems to be fitting in well with her circle of friends and fellow country stars.
“Somebody said how funny it was watching him high-five all of my artist friends at the ACMs, and I said, ‘Those are his friends!’ He’ll FaceTime me, and he’ll be with HARDY and Morgan [Wallen] and Luke [Combs], and I’m like, ‘Stop stealing all my buddies.’ They’ll always be out golfing and drinking a beer. I don’t have to convince anybody to like him. He’s a very lovable person.”
Sparks began to fly between the pair back in 2021, after they met through mutual friends in Nashville. Hodges understands what music means to Wilson and the importance of following your dreams as he was previously signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wilson recalled one of the moments at the start of their relationship that made her believe they’re a good match.
“We went to this old place called Silverados, and it had free beer and wine from 5 to 10 p.m.,” she says. “I was like, ‘This boy likes to ball on a budget too. This is gonna work out.’”
Wilson also admitted that she tends to be a “tightwad” when it comes to her spending habits and claimed that so far, she’s only made one big purchase – her 30-acre farm.
Now that Hodges has officially been introduced to her fans and Wilson can finally fill in some details on her love life, she said, “it feels really good to talk about it.”
While opening up about her relationship with Bobby Bones on The Bobby Bones Show, the singer revealed that she previously sparked rumors after a performance in Pittsburgh on Luke Combs’ World Tour. As a way to subtly show support for her man’s team, the Steelers, by wearing a jersey with his number on stage.
“Well, what’s funny is literally a couple weeks before the show, we had played out in Pittsburgh and me and my band, we all wore Duck Hodges jerseys. And so that kind of started a few rumors,” she joked.
As she looks to the future with a supportive partner by her side, Wilson told PEOPLE that she’s hopeful for the next chapter of her life and career.
“I have a lot of plans and a lot of hopes for my 30s,” Wilson says. “I feel like my 30s are gonna be a lot better than my 20s were. I feel comfortable in my own skin. I feel like I’ve got a story to tell, and I want people to see my journey and know that they can do anything they set their mind to.”
Lainey Wilson is currently on the road in support of Luke Combs’ wildly successful World Tour, which brings the country stars to stadiums across the U.S.
In addition to touring with Combs this summer, Wilson is also expected to appear at several festivals including Country Thunder, Lollapalooza, Watershed, and more.
A complete list of Lainey Wilson’s upcoming tour dates can be viewed HERE.
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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