Dustin Lynch Talks New Music
Dustin Lynch is climbing the charts with his windows-down, sunny day single “Where It’s At,” and if this is any sign of what we can expect on the singer’s forthcoming sophomore album, it won’t be the last time Lynch rules the radio this year.
“‘Where It’s At,” man, it’s kickin’ butt for us,” Lynch recently told CountryMusicIsLove of the single’s success. “I’m really excited. We’re introducing the next album here, a new chapter, and when I was looking at all the songs we’d already recorded there was something special about this one. It just felt like summertime”
It’s the feel-good energy behind the single that bodes well for future releases, and Lynch says the writing and recording process for this album was a largely different experience from recording his self-titled debut back in 2012.
“I recorded a lot on the bus, on the road,” Lynch said. “With the first album I was in town, and I was focused: that’s what I was doing. So there’s a different energy just because of that on this next record.”
Working from the road could mean a lot of things for Lynch, who’s spent the past two years hitting arenas, fairs and festivals.
“That energy is in the air, so it’s easier to get in that lane of energy with a song,” he explained. “On top of that, when I recorded the first album I think I had traveled west of the Mississippi maybe once. Now I’ve gotten to travel the whole country and see all sorts of new landscapes and meet all sorts of new people. So I have all these new colors I get to paint with.”
Whatever colors Lynch uses, it seems like the goal is the same: connecting with his audience. He says that emotions are what make a song a song, and relating to an emotion is what makes a great song.
“People will ask me, you know, what’s your favorite part about traveling around, playing music,” says Lynch. “It truly is the connection you have on stage: when you look out and people are singing your songs back to you, because they feel the lyrics. They’re singing them because they feel that emotion. That’s the most rewarding thing about this for me.”
The connection with fans is an important one to Lynch, not only through his albums but at every performance, too. “Cowboys and Angels” catapulted Lynch from smaller venues to a nationwide tour with Keith Urban, and where some artists may have disconnected, Lynch makes an effort to stay in touch with the people who support him.
“The goal is still the same, and that’s to make that connection with everybody in a room,” Lynch said. In an arena, it’s a little bit tougher. You got people that are a hundred yards away from you, and you gotta remember that.”
Lynch is up for the challenge, though, and laughs when he describes the way his performance has evolved with more room to get wild.
“‘I’m a fool,” says Lynch. “I don’t know what gets into me. For some reason when I’m up on a bigger stage, I like to jump around and dance like an idiot. Get my Luke Bryan hip-shake on.”
Lynch will have plenty of chance to get his “Luke Bryan hip-shake” on in the coming months: he’s got dates extending into August and reaching all over the country. You can check to see if he’s stopping in a city near you over at his website.
