Old Dominion And Megan Moroney Dive Deep Into Love’s Complexities With ‘Can’t Break Up Now’
“She came in, opened her mouth and pushed this song to almost being a scene from a movie,” the band said of their duet partner.
Old Dominion with Megan Moroney; Photo Provided
Old Dominion shared another look into their upcoming full-length Memory Lane album with the release of “Can’t Break Up Now,” a duet featuring Megan Moroney.
The new tune finds the country stars going back and forth, trying to untangle the web of romance they’ve created as they realize they may be in too deep to ever back out. With the addition of Moroney’s subtle vocals, Old Dominions gives listeners a glimpse into the reality of relationships by showcasing how some couples find it to be easier to stay together even if they may not be especially happy. In doing so, they don’t have to deal with starting all over with another person, separating their friend groups, or unlistening to all the songs that remind them of each other.
“Megan’s a really intuitive singer,” lead singer/guitarist Matthew Ramsey shared via a press release, “but she’s also a very smart songwriter – and she came at this song from what was being said, how the melody actually rises and winds around itself. It kind of blew our minds when we heard how she leaned into it.”
Moroney added, “I didn’t write this song but when it was sent over, I thought the lyrics told a story that we all can relate to. The melody was infectious and it’s not like anything I’ve ever put out and ’ve been a fan of Old Dominion for a while & I’m really excited to be featured on this!”
Ramsey continued praising the “Tennessee Orange” singer and her ability to take a song and not only make it her own but also pour her heart into every note.
“The band and our team loved the way she creates a song mentally, her sense of how notes flow, she brings that singer/songwriter sense of what’s going on between these two people,” he continued. “She came in, opened her mouth and pushed this song to almost being a scene from a movie.”
Co-written by members Ramsey and Trevor Rosen with songwriters Emily Weisband and Tofer Brown, “Can’t Break Up Now” features a string of glazed harmonies from the five-man band and Moroney who matches the group’s warm tone with her soft, feathered delivery.
“Yeah, I’ll battle this out all night till we fix it / If the ship’s going down, I’m going down with it / Your friends are my friends / I start where you end / We’ve got too much history / So we / Can’t break up now / No, we Can’t break up now / We’ve come too far and we’re in too deep / We love too hard just to let it go / So we / Can’t break up now,” they sing.
Listen
The fresh release follows Old Dominion’s 8-song Memory Lane EP, which they recently announced is expanding into a full-length project, due out on Oct. 6.
The new 18-track project will include previously released fan favorites such as “I Should Have Married You,” “Easier Said With Rum,” “Ain’t Got A Worry,” the title track, “Memory Lane,” and more. On top of these tunes, the 13-times platinum songwriting superstars will introduce a set of new songs that celebrate the joy of living while diving deeper into the pond of reflection and self-realization.
“We always knew this was going to be a full album,” member Matthew Ramsey shared via press release and socials, “But we wanted to give our fans the opportunity to absorb it completely. Over the years, we’ve developed a conversation with fans, bad days, big moments, I’d like to think our songs make both better. We wanted to make an album that takes our songs and looks a little deeper into what happens between two people. Just because it’s deep, though, it doesn’t mean the music can’t feel good.”
In addition to Moroney, another superstar name is set to appear on the track list – Blake Shelton. As a fan of the band, Shelton was tapped to record a new rendition of the feel-good anthem, “Ain’t Got A Worry.” According to a press release, the unreleased version of the song features Old Dominion’s signature wave of harmonies, groovy undertone, and conversational feeling that makes it a friend-to-friend celebration of getting out of your own way and feeling the moment.
“When Blake started talking about us,” Ramsey explains, “it was a little surreal. But it was also cool. Trevor had co-written ‘Sangria,’ which was a big hit for him, so it wasn’t completely crazy to ask him to join us on a track. We sent some songs over, and he picked ‘Ain’t Got A Worry.’”
“Funny thing is: if we’d really looked at the songs, of course, he did. That’s exactly how Blake lives,” he joked, referring to Shelton’s laid-back spirit.
While preparing for their next set of releases, the 6-time and current Academy of Country Music and 5-time and reigning Country Music Association Group of the Year are still celebrating the chart-topping success of the title track for both the EP and the upcoming album. “Memory Lane racked up the most points by a duo or group in a single week and the most spins in a single week by a duo or group, earning the band their ninth No. 1 hit.
In this short period of time, “Memory Lane” racked up 9,124 plays, which marks the third largest point increase behind Tim McGraw’s “I Called Mama” and Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange.” Additionally, this successful number surpasses Old Dominion’s previous record of 9,050 spins on 2017’s “No Such Thing As A Broken Heart.”
Taking to social media to celebrate yet another chart-topper on their resume, the five-man band shared their gratitude for all their supportive listeners as well as country radio for playing their music on the airwaves.
The post read, “Thank you so very much to our amazing fans and to country radio for giving us our 9th #1 song! This means more to us than we could ever describe to you all. We feel the love and we’ll keep doing our best to earn it! 🙏❤️”
Old Dominion recently closed out their extensive summer run and now, they are gearing up for their extended No Bad Vibes Tour. This new leg of shows kicks off September 7 and features over 30 additional arenas nationwide. They will wrap up their continental U.S. tour at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in December.
For a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit Old Dominion’s official website 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.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
