On his new song “Single Saturday Night,” he said, “I just got home from a birthday bash in Nashville for Rhett Atkins, and I was on my couch, and HARDY and Ashley Gorley sent me the same song within five minutes of each other. I decided to listen to it and I put it on repeat. I knew it was something that I wanted to record, but I didn’t know it was going to be a single. Once we put it out and it got the reaction that it did, we decided to make it a single.”
“The video for the song is just me drifting off listening to watching bad news and having a crazy dream and that’s what this year has felt like at times. We didn’t really mean it like that, it kind of worked out like that. We all wanted to escape at some point this year,” he added.
Swindell opened up about life during the COVID-19 quarantine. “It’s good, as good as it can be. It has been a rough year on everybody,” he said. “My goal this year was to write a lot more, and that has been all that I have been able to do. Also, getting some fresh air and playing some golf every now and then. Being able to write is still a positive, I am so glad for that. I have been writing a lot over Zoom, so thank God for technology.”
He noted that he sees a silver lining during the pandemic. “For me, I try not to take things for granted,” he said. “When you are forced to have some time off, it’s kind of a wake-up call. We are all lucky to be here, and appreciate our time together. I am looking forward to going home for the holidays. It’s good to see folks that you haven’t seen in a while. It is cool to make the most of our time.”
When asked if he developed any new skills, he responded with a sweet laugh, “Too much Uber Eats, though that’s not a skill.”
On his plans for the future, he said, “Finishing up this album right now, and hopefully, we will release another song from there. These days, music is being released much differently than it used to. Either way, we have the songs, I don’t mind how they get out there. I can’t wait for the fans to hear them.”
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Anxious.” “I am ready to get back on stage again whenever that time comes,” he said. “I miss my band, the crew, and everybody. I am ready for things to get back to some sort of normal, and find a way to do what we love and to keep everybody safe.”
“I miss traveling, seeing fans, being around people, being able to hug people, and shake people’s hands,” he added. “Hopefully, next year will be a little better than this one. We will see.”
Swindell listed the following female artists as his dream female duet choices in the genre: Reba McEntire, Ingrid Andress, Caylee Hammack, Cam, and Maren Morris. “I’ve always been a big Reba fan. That would be,” he said. “I am a fan of all of them. That is something that I look forward to doing in my next project. I’ve done ‘Flatliner,’ a collaboration with Dierks Bentley, but I would love to do one with a female artist. As soon as we find the right match, it will be great. I am excited about that.”
On his career-defining moments, he said, “Obviously, losing my dad was a big moment, that was a big wake-up call. Also, winning ‘New Artist of the Year’ was another pretty big moment. The night before, I got to sing with one of my childhood heroes, Alan Jackson so that was a big week for me. Both the positive and the negative moments have helped shape me. I get to do what I love, so I am very appreciative.”
He offered the following inspiring words to his fans during the quarantine: “The fans have been right there, ready to get back to shows. I am a fan myself, so I love playing shows and going to shows when I have time. I miss doing that. We are in this together and we will get through it. Thanks for having our backs through all this.”
Regarding his definition of the word success, he said, “When you’ve done something to help somebody else.”
With Thanksgiving coming up next week, he shared that he is most thankful for his family and friends.
Swindell’s music is available for streaming on Spotify and on Apple Music.
To learn more about country artist Cole Swindell and his music, check out his official website and his Facebook page.
