Riley Green isn’t exactly a “new artist.” The Alabama-born singer-songwriter had been doing his thing independently for years before topping the charts in 2019 with his major label debut, “There Was This Girl.” Still, that’s the way many fans see him right now, and he’s fine with that — as long as he can keep moving the story forward.
With his just-released EP, Behind the Bar, Green does just that, taking fans deeper into the world of an artist who may wear the newcomer label for now — but knows exactly who he is.
“Oh yeah, as a songwriter I’m all about putting out new music,” Green tells Sounds Like Nashville, just as the EP arrives. “It seems like fans go through music faster than ever, so giving them something new is always in the back of my mind — especially with a new tour and starting up a new year, after what last year was.”
All things considered, last year was actually pretty good for Green. Sure, he couldn’t tour and sold his house in Nashville to move home to Alabama. But he also won the ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year … and got to move home to Alabama. He was never much a “Nashville guy” anyway, the hit maker admits, and since he couldn’t rely on the reaction of fans at live shows to pick the best songs, it was the change of scenery that helped him put the EP together. Little did he know, it would end up sounding a cross section of Jacksonville, Alabama, and the artist it helped create.
Produced by Dann Huff, the seven-song set mixes small-town nostalgia, the wisdom of old timers, rural romance and of course, a good-old-fashioned truck song. But alongside the tender grit of Green’s vocal and a rootsy, fiddle-laced country-rock sound, Green also includes a track that pulls sonic influence from the high energy of Y2K era punk pop, and it all started when he left Music City behind.
“It was definitely a good thing for me to let everything sink in,” Green says of the move. “To win the ACM New Male Artist of the Year, it’s crazy to even get nominated. But to happen in the year that it did, I don’t know how real it felt. … So the time off was great for that. And I’ve always been big about going home. Jacksonville is only three hours from Nashville so when I’m off the road, I go home for a few days. And I never get too far away from that place anyway – because that’s where a lot of my inspiration comes from.”
Thats easy to hear on songs like the swaying “That’s What I’ve Been Told,” which matches a pure country sound with the slow rhythm of life found in small towns all across the South. Riley Green wrote it just as COVID-19 was changing everything, and he found himself leaning into the simple truths of days gone by. It stands now as a powerful reminder that even now, some things never change.
“I had sold my place in Nashville and just moved back to my house in Jacksonville, and I was just thinking about that road I live on – Pleasant Valley Road,” he says. “It runs right through town and there’s a graveyard where all my grandparents are buried. There’s one store called Green’s, there’s one flashing light. Both of my grandparents used to live on that road. And I was just thinking of all the lessons I learned right there.”
Others like “If It Wasn’t for Trucks” celebrate all the life that happens in 4×4 cabs around the country, while “That Was Us” offers a two-toned portrait of small-town sweethearts with Jessi Alexander. Riley Green even defends the South from outside critics in the timely “That’s My Dixie,” shining a light on the positivity and community focus of his raising. But “Behind the Bar” finds him branching out, at least sonically.
Detailing a spur of the moment hook up that still buzzes in his memory, the upbeat rocker features a left turn, sound wise. Crunchy guitars rip power chords and distorted melody riffs, recalling acts like Blink 182 and Good Charlotte as Green lets his vocal howl in harmony, perhaps showing that small towns like Jacksonville are more worldly than they seem.
“Obvoiusly we have these conversations all the time of ‘Is this a country song or not?’” he says. “My answer is always the same: Melodically everything always changes. Every 10 years, if you look back country doesn’t sound the same. But the storytelling is my gauge.”
Without question, the storytelling here is pure-country songcraft, and Green’s ready to finally see what fans think on the road. After some headlining gigs to warm up, he’ll hit the road with Dierks Bentley’s Beers On Me Tour in August, finally getting to celebrate his ACM win with the people who made it happen. Many of those fans may think of him as a new artist when he hits the stage. But by the time he’s done, they’ll be able to find their way around Jacksonville without a map.
“I feel like as a new artist in the eyes of the world, I’m still telling my story,” he says. “This [EP] is another little step.”