Easton Corbin was done with recording his third album for Mercury Records. All the tracks were recorded and just waiting to be released by the label. And then…
“We had worked on it for about a year and thought we were finished,” he tells Billboard. “We were just waiting for Mercury to give the green light. So we decided that we would go back and search for some new songs and see if we could find anything out there that might be as good or better than anything we had cut.”
At the end of the day, Corbin and producer Carson Chamberlain did just that. “We actually found three new songs for the record. I think those songs made the record that much better.”
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The disc, About to Get Real, was released this past Tuesday. Leading the way for the project is Corbin’s current single, the melodic “Baby Be My Love Song,” which has so far peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. The single has climbed the charts since its release in September. Corbin admits that he tries not to worry about the charts, preferring to leave that aspect of his career to his promotion team.
“I try not to pay attention to it too much,” he says. “I mean, you’ve got to. But I don’t dwell on it a lot. There’s guys at the label, and that’s what they do. I try to look at the highlights of things and see where they are going, but I try not to get too in-depth in it.”
The Florida native says he’s simply trying to make music for his fans, and they have been asking for some new material for a while. “A lot of people have been asking us about new music. I’m definitely ready. It’s always great to have some new and fresh material out there for the listeners.”
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Having grown up influenced by such singers as George Jones, Sammy Kershaw and Keith Whitley, Corbin says it was another country legend that came to his mind when he heard the album’s title cut. “That song felt like a modern day Conway Twitty song,” he said. When I heard it for the first time, it took me back in time to some of his biggest hits. It’s a great song.” He is also quick to praise Chamberlain’s work behind the board on the track. “The production helped make things flow a lot better, and really pushed it along.”
Of the three songs that made the later cut on the album, the singer feels that “Yup” is going to be a crowd favorite. “I think it’s going to be a fun one for the live show. It’s definitely different than anything I’ve ever done. It’s a song that I think everyone can relate to. I think every guy has been in a bar, and the girl comes along — and he’s hooked.”
“Wild Women and Whiskey” is also one key song from the album, written by two of his favorite singers in Nashville: Ronnie Dunn and Terry McBride. “It’s great to have them represented on the album,” he says. “I grew up loving Brooks and Dunn, and Ronnie Dunn is one of the best singers out there — such a great artist and a great writer. It’s an honor to be associated with him, as well as Terry McBride, who has written so many great songs.”
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Corbin’s name is also listed as a co-writer on three cuts on the album, something he takes a great deal of pride in. “I’m very honored to be represented as a songwriter along with some of the best in the business. I think I’ve grown quite a bit as a writer over the past few years. I think that comes with age and coping with life experiences.”
It’s been a whirlwind five years for Corbin, who topped the charts with his first two singles, “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It,” in 2010. He’s also chalked up four gold singles during that time span. “I can’t believe how quick it’s been,” he says. “It seems like it was just yesterday. We’ve had a great five years, and maybe we can get another five or more out of it. As an artist, that’s what you hope for.”