“Senior Year” was co-penned with Tim Nichols and Jordan Walker. It was produced by veteran producer Mickey Jack Cones. The song was Independently released under Drew’s “Patoka Sounds” banner, which is named after his hometown of Patoka, Illinois. “I wrote it at the beginning of the school year of 2018,” he said.
It was inspired by a Facebook post from a family friend that Baldridge saw before going to his write. His friend posted a picture of her daughter’s “First Day of Senior Year” and it flooded him with memories of his own time in high school. “I had a family friend that posted a picture on Facebook and she gave me the idea to write about it, and I wrote it with my buddies. It was about enjoying the moment, and it literally has a totally different meaning now, and it connects with people in a totally different way. Senior year disappeared for many kids these days. It’s really sad. I wanted to make this special for the kids,” he said.
He has performed “Senior Year” via Zoom for over 60 groups and schools, as well as several in-person drive-thru graduations. “The song feels good and it has a good storyline to it since it depicts what the Class of 2020 is feeling,” he said.
In his personal life, Baldridge got engaged to his girlfriend of four years, Katherine, in Aruba. “I was supposed to get engaged in Paris, but COVID-19 happened, so we changed our plans to Aruba,” he said. “I wrote a song about it. Everybody should have to go through a 60-day quarantine before they get married because it really tests your marriage and to see if you are really compatible. Now, we get to spend time together, and it has been a really special time,” he elaborated.
On being an artist in the digital age, he said, “Right now, if we didn’t have the digital age, we wouldn’t be able to connect with the fans like we are doing right now. There would be no such thing such as jumping on Facebook and seeing a live concert, or doing Zoom concerts. Thanks to the digital age, I’ve been able to stay connected with my fans over the last three months. The digital age has given a whole new meaning to concerts, and that’s a cool moment for fans.”
“Senior Year” is available on digital service providers by clicking here. “I am so happy that this song is impacting the Class of 2020. A year ago, I had no idea that it would turn into this. Thank you to the fans for listening to my music and for letting me know what I get to do: being a country music artist. I am just grateful,” he concluded.
To learn more about Drew Baldridge and his new music, check out his official website and his Facebook page.
