Backroad Song

Album: 4x4 (2015)
Charted: 49
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song about a country back road is the first fruit of Granger Smith's 4x4 EP. The record is a collaboration with producer Frank Rogers, who has also worked with Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, and Josh Turner.

    Granger Smith recalled to The Boot; "When Frank and I agreed to dive in together, he said, 'Well, send me what you have.' I think I sent him three or four … It was kind of rough, me and my guitar on a small recorder. He texted back and said, "Good stuff. There's some good moments in all of these, but one sounds like a hit right away: 'Backroad Song,' I really want to jump in on."
  • The track was inspired by Smith's life on the road. "We have toured like crazy, and have seen so much of the country," he told Radio.com, "We see all kinds of back roads now, coast to coast, it's a part of our everyday lives, me and the band and the crew."

    "It's ingrained in who I am, it's what I am," Granger added. "When I think about music, I'm thinking about songs about back roads."
  • Smith explained how Frank Rogers transformed the song. "Originally, the first line in the chorus - [sings] 'Ooh ooh ooh' - it only happened at the beginning of the chorus, and that's the only time it happened, at the beginning of each chorus. Frank's like, 'That's the hook, man. That's the catch. That's the thing that makes the song. So let's put it at the first of the chorus, like you had it, let's add it at the end of the chorus, and then let's also put it in the turnarounds and at the solo.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Black Sabbath

Black SabbathFact or Fiction

Dwarfs on stage with an oversize Stonehenge set? Dabbling in Satanism? Find out which Spinal Tap-moments were true for Black Sabbath.

Cheerleaders In Music Videos

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.