Rising singer-songwriter Will Carter chatted about his new single “Wrong Side of Town,” and he premiered the lyric video for the tune.
Tell me about your new single “Wrong Side of Town” and what inspired you to record this track.
This song has been a fan favorite that we’ve been playing live for almost seven years. Our fans, team, and radio have been asking for this song and while we had it produced twice previously, it just never felt right.
Since it’s always a hit live, we decided to bring the band into the studio and simply record what we do live. We did and we love it! We will be recording the rest of the album this way.
The lyric video for the single may be seen below.
As a leading entertainer across the Lone Star State, you have taken home awards at the last four Texas Country Music Awards. How does it feel to see the industry supporting you alongside your fans?
There is no shortage of talent out here. It is a very competitive industry filled with great artists and great songs. Just to be in this company of peers is an honor.
When it comes to country music, it often traces back to rural settings. Tell me about being reared on a farm and how lessoned you learned then continue to be reflected in who you are today.
I grew up on a self-sustaining farm in Frydek, a suburb of the small town of Sealy. We were dirt poor with often less than $100 to our family name. We grew our own food. We hunted for food. We cut firewood in the winter to heat our home.
This lifestyle of being homeschooled, milking goats, tending crops, and raising livestock. It was not easy. I learned the value of hard work and dedication at the core as it was necessary for survival.
This upbringing taught me to dig in and grind harder when things get tough. These values have paid off as I kept this mindset throughout my life and have a much different lifestyle now.
While you were interested in music, your fuel was truly ignited when, like many listeners, you used music to connect with your dad when he was battling a terminal illness. Tell us about how music allowed you to share your thoughts and appreciation for your dad on that special project when you were a teen.
My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer when I was 11 years old. Being dirt poor on a farm, the oldest of 4 kids, and now facing the inevitable loss of the family leader was devastating.
At such a young age, the way I knew to help best was through the use of my talents as a musician. I recorded the album as a way to raise money to help support my family. Over the last two months of my father’s life, I witnessed him listen to that album on repeat 24/7.
Many times, my mother would wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me for another copy as the CD would overheat and become damaged from being played constantly. This not only ignited me to pursue my passion as an artist but made me feel that I owe it to him, as well, for believing in me so strongly.
You have been taking stages since you were three. What inspires you to keep performing today?
My father, my family, and my passion for performing inspire me to keep performing. Garth Brooks puts on the best show I’ve ever seen and is the pinnacle for live show production in my opinion. I’ve chosen to work with the best live show production team out there – Tom Jackson Productions.
The band and I spend 40 to 80 hours with their team designing our live show and redesigning it with the release of each album so we can deliver a show the audience deserves.
You see artists like Tim McGraw and Russell Dickerson sharing their workout routines to stay balanced while on tour. What do you do to keep yourself in shape for the stage and road life?
If you watch my Instagram or Facebook stories, you will see me hitting the gym and the mat room every day. Our live show is very high energy and requires a ton of stamina and core strength.
I grew up doing gymnastics, boxing, and wrestling and while I no longer compete in those sports, I train daily. My routine consists of alternating resistance training with high-intensity cardio via MMA training coupled with a lean healthy diet.
If you could cut a duet with anyone, who would choose and why?
Anyone that knows me knows that Wade Bowen is my biggest hero when it comes to songwriters and artists. I’ve been a fan of his for decades and attend as many of his concerts as I possibly can when I’m not on the road playing a show somewhere.
I’d love to be able to even open for him, but to cut a duet with him would be a dream come true.
“Wrong Side of Town” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
To learn more about Will Carter, follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and his Linktree page.
