Levi Hummon Shares the Story Behind New Post-Breakup Jam, ‘Bottled Up’

Artist on the rise, Levi Hummon is proving that hard work and a bit of honesty can take you far in life. In collaboration with “Fancy Like” singer Walker Hayes, Hummon’s song “Paying For It” became a viral sensation, making it his most successful release yet. Keeping the ball rolling, he has dropped another hit with his unapologetically raw single, “Bottled Up”. This track gives listeners the first look into Hummon’s forthcoming EP.

In an attempt to heal his heartbreak, Hummon found himself keeping his emotions pent up and spending a bit too much time at the bar with a bottle in hand. Eventually, he realized the power in songwriting and began using it as his outlet to express those feelings. As a result, Hummon penned the post-breakup jam.

“I have definitely gone through some breakups in my life and I noticed a trend of when I break up with somebody or they break up with me. Instead of dealing with my problems in a really healthy way, I usually bottle up a lot of stuff,” he said sitting down with Country Now after a long day in the studio. “Both commentary on my love life and just how I think we’ve all been bottled up recently…it’s harder now-a-days to communicate and tell people your emotions and what you’re feeling. We’re all living in this highlight reel of Instagram.”

The therapeutic songwriting session taught 30-year-old Hummon that playing the tough guy card can only last so long before all those emotions come bursting out. In this song, he acknowledges the pressure of putting on a brave front and making it seem like he’s not affected by this difficult time. He also notes that there shouldn’t be shame in letting others know how you’re really feeling. Before walking into the studio with his co-writers, Mason Thornley and Grant Vogelfanger, Hummon already had the title written down on his phone, and from there the words just flowed. 

“I feel like this song is just so fun. We started writing it and it kind of wrote itself in a way. I remember sitting in the room thinking I want a song that sounds like ‘It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,’ meets ‘Whiskey Glasses’ by Morgan Wallen. I feel like we really nailed it.”

His father Marcus Hummon, best known for writing hits including Rascal Flatts‘ “Bless The Broken Road,” The Chicks‘  “Cowboy Take Me Away, Ready To Run,” and more, was blown away by his son’s latest recording. Although he has chosen to follow in his dad’s footsteps with songwriting, Hummon hopes to stand on his own two feet and make a name for himself in the industry. Of course, his dad is still available for that extra support when needed.

“One of my greatest joys is being able to collaborate with him, listen to music and digest music, I’m so blessed my dad is an artist and a songwriter,” he shared.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Much like “Paying For It,” Hummon decided to have some fun with the release of “Bottled Up”. This time, he didn’t pair the song with any choreographed dance moves, but he did experiment with new ways to connect with his fans. On social media, he shared a Valentine’s Day cocktail recipe to place emphasis on the drinking side of the song and for the heartbreak side, he pretended to stand in front of his ex’s house playing her the song he wrote about her from his speaker. Spoiler alert – it wasn’t actually his ex’s house. Finally, he took the release to the busiest part of Nashville, the honky honks of Broadway, where he played to a packed crowd at Dierks Bentley‘s Whiskey Row and then the Bluebird Café for a more intimate setting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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‘This song really stuck out live,” he recalled. “By the third chorus, people are rocking out with me every time. So I thought the best way to celebrate this song is in its element at a bar downtown.”

He’s played at the Bluebird many times before, but this was the first round he took lead on. This show was a full-circle moment for him, looking back on his days of running around the venue as a young boy.

“I felt like I kind of fully grew up because I was the one booking the round and asking Mark Irwin, who wrote some of my favorite songs like ‘The Highway’ to be there. My dad was there, my producer was there and it was just an incredible moment,” Hummon gushed. 

“Bottled Up” is the first iteration of this new forthcoming EP, which will have more of a “country’er, dirtier sound” as it draws from the classics he listened to growing up, as a 90’s baby. He also added that he’s got some exciting unannounced collaborations planned that will be featured on the project. 

“I was always surrounded by 90’s country music and early 2000’s,” he admitted, “It’s funny because it’s so trendy now. That sound is back to cool and that’s just what I grew up on. ‘Bottled Up’ touches on that a little bit, but a lot of the other songs are gonna continue to touch on that side of me, which really just naturally falls in that category of 90’s, early 2000’s country. Just Bringing it back and making it cool and new in a different way.”

Both the EP and the “Bottled Up” music video are in the works, sharing that the footage turned out to be “incredible,” despite the nerves that were brought on by his first on-screen kiss.

“I’ve seen a few snippets of it and it’s the real deal. So I’m excited for that one,” he teased. 

Hummon ended the year on the road with Roman Alexander for the Good Times & Late Nights Tour. With the release of the addictive “Bottled Up,” he’s already started off the new year with a bang…and this is just the beginning.