Backroad Song

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.'"