Texas country artist Case Hardin chatted about his new music, which includes his latest album “Lucky Him.”
Your latest album Lucky Him was produced by Kenny Grohman (George Strait) and yourself. What was your favorite part of working in the studio with industry heavy hitters?
I am very fortunate to be able to record and produce with great musicians like Kenny Grohman. Being able to learn from and make music with guys that have made it to the top in both Texas and Nashville have helped me to create my own brand of Country Music.
Recording with music industry titans like Kenny is that much more special when we are creating music that’s never been done before.
The Lucky Him 10-track project features your latest three Texas Radio #1s and your current lovestruck single Most Beautiful Place I’ve Ever Been. Do you have a go-to Valentine’s day date night?
Whether we’re on the road or at home in San Angelo, I’ll always make time for a date night – especially on Valentine’s Day. Growing up on a ranch, I’d always make it a point to go into town, eat dinner at the most popular place in that area and then go out to dance. Being on the road so often, it’s not every day you get to do things like that with the person you love.
You have been touring across Texas in support of the new album; how has your audience responded to the new tracks?
Phenomenal would be an understatement. I had a medical emergency back in 2019 and I had to take a break from music at the discretion of my doctor. During that time, I had to focus on healing but I worried that fans around Texas would forget about me and my music.
After the COVID shut down, I was cleared by my doctor and began to start recording and playing shows again. I was glad to see that my fans at shows hadn’t forgotten about me.
If anything, I feel like people wanted to hear my new music even more. At shows, seeing and hearing people sing along to the words of the songs from our new record is a feeling I’ll never get over. Those are the kind of things that make all of this worthwhile.
Can you share your inspiration behind creating your No. 1 hit Honky Tonk Highway?
A good friend and songwriter, Bernie Nelson, actually had pitched Honky Tonk Highway to me. One of my favorite things to do is drive around the ranch and listen to potential new album cuts.
As I was driving, I started listening to the melody and the lyrics and I was hooked. Not only is it extremely catchy, but the words in the song suit my life on the road to a T.
I wouldn’t be able to have the success I’ve had if it weren’t for all of the greats like Hank Williams, George Jones and George Strait. They’ve paved the way for guys like me to be able play the music that I love, and to also be able to make a career out of it.
As a six-time consecutive Texas Radio hitmaker, what do you think a song needs to become a breakout single?
I’m a huge words guy. For me, the words in a song have to be relatable; they have to mean something, and they have to tell a story. Relatability and storytelling are what I love most about Country Music.
Whether it’s a party and drinking song or it’s a heartbroken single about an ex-girlfriend, if I’ve lived through the words of a country song, I know someone else out there has too. Country Music is more than a melody, it’s a lifestyle.
You have opened for Aaron Watson, Pat Green, Eli Young Band, Parker McCollum, Cody Johnson, Kyle Park, Randall King, Casey Donahew, Roger Creager, Mike Ryan, Josh Ward, Cory Morrow, Jason Boland, Radney Foster, Dwight Yoakum & Tracy Byrd. Who is your next dream artist/band to open for and why?
I’ve always been a huge fan of 90’s Country Music. Going up and down the road to rodeos as a kid, listening to 90’s country is what made making those long stretches of highway worth it.
That being said, I’d love to get on stage with someone like George Strait. Given that our backgrounds and the stories that we sing are about are similar, I think it’d be a great fit.
As a true cowboy country rebel whose reach spans Texas and beyond, how do you like to wind down at the end of a long tour day?
Getting to hang out with my buddies in the band after a show is a lot of fun. After the show is over, we all get to hang out and swap stories. We don’t get to talk much when we’re on stage, so being able to relax and joke is something I look forward to at the end of the night.
If you could cut a duet with any artist, who would you choose and why?
I’ve always wanted to record a song with guys like Ned Ledoux or Jon Pardi. But for this question, I’d have to go with another Texas guy. Cody Johnson has done great things to keep Traditional Country Music alive and well.
His vocal range is out of this world, and we share the same interests in the types of songs that we record. I think one of these days, a Cody Johnson/Case Hardin song may not be too far out of the picture.
To learn more about Texas country artist Case Hardin, check out his official website.
