Riley Green and Luke Bryan Join Forces For Lighthearted Fishing Anthem ‘Reel Problems’

Riley Green has dropped a collection of songs that lean into his small-town way of living in rural Alabama and showcase real aspects of his life. Within his third studio album, Don’t Mind If I Do, are two collaborations – one being the previously released title track with Ella Langley and the other being a carefree tune featuring Luke Bryan, “Reel Problems.”

The title cleverly takes the word “real” and changes it to the spelling of “reel,” as a way to represent the kind of trivial issues that could only occur during a day of fishing. This was the perfect way for Green to sum up the tune that illustrates how a bit of time spent on the lake can solve almost anything.

“When you have a song like ‘Reel Problems,’ the title, you think how hasn’t it already been a song. I had the title written down in my phone, knew exactly what the song was,” he admitted while discussing each track. “It was just such an easy song to write. It’s a fun song. You know, I write a lot of songs that are a little more serious and try to draw emotions and this is just one that was a lighthearted idea. The play on ‘real’ for ‘rod and reel’ was pretty easy for me.”

Why Luke Bryan Was The Perfect Duet Partner

Although it wasn’t initially written as a duet, the song’s connection to the sport led him to believe that it was only fitting to bring an avid bass fisherman like Bryan on to help deliver the story. 

“I knew Luke would like it, so I sent it to him. And I think he said he was in before three seconds had been up. So I know he didn’t even listen to all of it,” Green told Country Now while discussing how the collaboration came to be. 

Plus, the Alabama native revealed that he and Luke Bryan first met while fishing at the “Love You, Miss You, Mean It” singer’s lake, making this even more of a perfect match for the song. Green says instead of sorting it all out through their teams, he did what many other artists around Music City do and decided to go straight to the source. 

“I guess you should always be open to Luke Bryan featuring on a song because that never hurts,” Green joked. “I could envision us doing a music video for it. I sent him a text and features like that are probably supposed to go through labels and management, but I just texted him and it worked out.” 

Written by Green with Erik Dylan and Wyatt McCubbin, “Reel Problems” transports listeners to the serene outdoor setting and finds the country stars settling in to relax after a long day on the job. Once they’ve got that bait in the water, there’s nothing that can pull them away, not even an angry woman who’s ready to call it quits on their relationship. 

Bryan and Green come together on the chorus, uniting their Alabama and Georgia-bred vocals to illustrate a few of the grave challenges they encounter while on the lake. They sing, “I got some reel problems like some cold beers to crack/ Got a hole in my net and an old-fashioned backlash/ Yeah, some reel problems like a big ol’ bird’s nest/ There’s ten pounds of bass on my seven-pound test. And I’m hung up on a log on the bottom/ Yeah, I got myself some reel problems/ Some rod and reel problems.” 

This is just one of 18 tracks on this album that will hook listeners in and leave them wanting more. Riley Green’s infectious storytelling continues to shine through five songs that were solely written, including “Jesus Saves,” “Worst Way” and the title track, which finds him reuniting with his “You Look Like You Love Me” duet partner, Ella Langley. 

Don’t Mind If I Do comes hot on the heels of his previous project, Ain’t My Last Rodeo, and arrived on his birthday via Harbor Records & Entertainment. Dann Huff produced the album along with Executive Producers Scott Borchetta and Jimmy Harnen.

Released On Green’s Birthday

While the CMA Award nominee told Country Now that it only “made sense” to release the collection on such a celebratory day. 

“It feels fitting that this album is out on my birthday because this project feels very true to who I am, where I come from and what I’ve learned along the way,” he added in a recent statement. “I learned to play guitar to my granddaddy’s favorite country songs from back in the day and this new album is a throwback to the era when I first became a fan.”

The momentous occasion was celebrated at an album release party last night (Oct. 17) that took place at Green’s new Nashville bar, Duck Blind. During the event, executives from Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment and Big Machine Label Group presented the singer with a GOLD-certified plaque for the track “Worst Way.” 

This achievement joins his recent 2X PLATINUM certification for “There Was This Girl,” and his 3X PLATINUM penned hit, “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.”

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Damn Country Music Tour 2025

In March of 2025, Riley Green will kick off his Damn Country Music Tour in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. Following the announcement, the trek sold 100,000+ tickets within eight hours. Joining him on the road will be Ella Langley along with a slew of other rising acts as special guests. Green explained that when it came down to picking openers for the run, he simply selected artists who he’s drawn to.

He told us, “A lot of these guys and girls that we got out are just people that I like their songs. I think they’re having a good little moment and it’ll just be fun to have them on the road. I’m excited.”