A Conversation with Billy Currington – HuffPost 4.21.11
Mike Ragogna: Billy Currington, you just released a new single, “Let Me Down Easy.” But first, how are you?
Billy Currington: I’m doing really good, man. How are you?
MR: Doing well, thanks. So, you’ve got a new music video attached to this song?
BC: Yeah, it just kind of came together at the last minute. We got a guy out here filming all kinds of things and taking pictures and what not. He put it all together and we put it out there this week on GAC (Great American Country).
MR: How’s it doing?
BC: Well, it was only about one or two days ago that they first aired it. Plus, I don’t really keep up with that kind of stuff. (laughs) Like, how the videos are doing and everything. I just hope people like it.
MR: Well, it comes from a very fun album, Enjoy Yourself, which is your fourth, right?
BC: Let’s see…yes, this is my fourth. You’re right.
MR: And speaking of videos, back in 2008, your “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” won CMT’s Hottest Video of the Year. Throw in all your number one records and–sorry, Billy, here it comes–you’re still doin’ it right, right?
BC: It’s a great life, man. We’ve been at it since 2001 out here on the road and growing every year and playing different venues. I’ve gotten a chance to see it all and I can’t say anything bad about any of it. I’ve had the best time in this business.
MR: Now, before this latest hit, you had the single and video for “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer.” I have to ask…are you?
BC: Am I pretty good at drinking beer? (laughs) I’ll have a beer every once in a while, but I’m not really a heavy drinker. I like it but it’s an every once in a while thing for me.
MR: My favorite song on your Enjoy Yourself is “Like My Dog.” Love the line, ” I want you to love me like my dog.” I could go on, but… (laughs)
BC: (laughs) I feel like everyone feels that way. You know, when you come home and you see how happy your dog is to see you? You just wish everybody would love you that way. That’s where that song came from. One day it’ll be released as a single.
MR: Nice. Another one of my other favorites is “All Day Long.”
BC: That was written by one of my best friends, Dallas Davidson. I gave him a call one day and asked him if he had any good songs and he said, ” Yeah, man. I got one,” and after he played that song, I just couldn’t let go of the melody, man. And it’s very simply written–the words ain’t gonna change the world, but it lent itself to being really simple and soft. I knew that I wanted to put a song on the album like that.
MR: Also, from the way you approached “Let Me Down Easy,” it seems to be a really special song to you.
BC: It is, it’s really great. I like it so much because it came from a good friend of mine and the melody is so easy and fun to sing. And to have the crowd singing along every night on tour has been really special. It also reached number one on the charts–great things happen when you reach number one and we are so blessed and thankful.
MR: And you’re currently on tour with Kenny Chesney, right?
BC: Yeah, we’re out here with him through the end of the summer. It’s been a great tour. We’re just getting started, so there isn’t much to tell about it. But I definitely have enjoyed the three gigs we’ve played together.
MR: You’ve had so much success with your first four albums that I have to ask what advice would you give to new artists?
BC: Well, for someone searching to be a country artist, I would say that it’s not 100% necessary to live in Nashville, Tennessee, but you should consider moving there because that’s where everything happens. All the songwriters and record labels for country music are there. So, my advice would definitely be to get yourself to a place where your particular music is and learn all you can learn and play all you can play. I could go on and on about practicing and such, but you just have to realize that you have to put in the time and work and the rest will come.
MR: Is that what you did?
BC: Well, man, I think you get what you give, and I’ve had a huge work ethic since I was a kid. I started roofing houses when I was 10 years old, so I always knew that you had to put in the work to get the good things out of what you’re doing. That’s what I did and continue to do. There’s no right way into it or rhyme or reason because it can only happen to a certain amount of people anyway, you know? I always go by the saying, “There’s never a crowd on the extra mile.”
Transcribed by Evan Tyrone Martin