The Cadillac Three is giving fans a taste of what’s to come on its new Country Fuzz album with the release of “Hard Out Here For A Country Boy” featuring Chris Janson and Travis Tritt.
The foot-stomping anthem was co-written by TC3 singer-guitarist Jaren Johnston and drummer Neil Mason along with Jeremy Stover.
“We were playing some tour dates with Travis Tritt and The Charlie Daniels Band when “Hard Out Here For A Country Boy’ was written,” Johnston explained. “He was on the bus when we were playing through some songs and with his big signature twang belted out the line. I grew up listening to Travis, and he’s a big reason I sing the way I do — that gritty twang thing. We knew he had to be on the song.”
Janson was thrown into the mix later after a chance phone call with Johnston.
“This song was kind of a jumping-off point for the record and one of the first we cut,” Mason shared. “We’ve all been buddies for years and Chris heard the song playing in the background during a call with Jaren. It was cool that he quickly wanted to be a part of it and cut the vocal the next day.”
“Hard Out Here For A Country Boy” is just a sampling of the trio’s much-anticipated new 16-track album. Out February 7, the new record boasts the unique sound The Cadillac Three has become known for.
“We’ve matured as musicians and as a band,” TC3’s Kelby Ray shared. “Our sound is second nature to us and that only comes from playing together for as long as we have.”
Jaren continued, “when I think of Southern rock, I think of Lynyrd Skynyrd. When I think of country, I think Garth Brooks. This record and this band are all of that. But it’s also ZZ Top and Jerry Reed. It’s Medeski Martin & Wood and Prince. There’s no better way to describe who we are than Country Fuzz.”
“It’s not easy to land on something that is your own thing, but we’re proud to say we did that,” Neil said of the band’s sound. “It works for us in any direction that we’re going. Country Fuzz is anything from a stripped-down country ballad to a sludgy, riff-heavy rock song. And it’s also country-funk.”
Country Fuzz is available for pre-order now.
