Riley Green can hardly stay out of the spotlight nowadays. But even despite his soft-spoken and rugged demeanor, he has one thing to say about his new level of fame: Don't Mind If I Do.
The Alabama native's third album, which he released last October, helped launch him into the country music zeitgeist more than ever, particularly thanks to a swoon-worthy viral music video for lead single "Worst Way." But it also arrived as his hooky duet with Ella Langley, "you look like you love me," was on its way to topping the country charts; just after he opened his own bar in Nashville; and amid a busy touring schedule that saw him hit just about every corner of North America.
Nearly a year later, he scored his fifth No. 1 single on country radio with "Worst Way," won his first Country Music Association award and three more Academy Of Country Music awards (with "you look like you love me"), headlined his first arena tour, and launched his own country radio show on Apple Music. And now, he's keeping the momentum going with a deluxe edition of Don't Mind If I Do.
Due Aug. 29, the re-release features six new songs, further expanding on the reflective and nostalgic threads of Green's songwriting that have made him a star — from escaping everyday problems at the lake ("Bet They're Biting") and living life in the moment ("One To Willie") to comparing his old man to the outlaws of the Old West ("Cowboy As It Gets" featuring Randy Houser) or washing away the memory of a past lover ("Make It Rain").
No matter how famous he's become, though, Green remains the same good-natured country boy who enjoys disconnecting from the spotlight as much as he loves rocking out underneath it on stage. He frequently returns home when not on the road to work on projects around his Alabama farm. Whether he's clearing land for a pond or building a fence to keep cattle in, Green says the work keeps him grounded amid his success and the disillusion that often accompanies it.
"When you tour and are going on stage every night in front of people who are chanting your name it puts you in the place of feeling like a superstar, but remembering that's not reality and having somewhere to go that removes you from that is important," Green tells GRAMMY.com, noting that his farm is also a primary source of inspiration for his music. "Going there not only allows me to regroup, but also to reflect on and appreciate all the awesome moments from the last few years because there's not many people who get to do what I'm doing."
While out on the road for his Damn Country Music Tour, Green reflected on his recent wave of success, what keeps him grounded and what comes next.
You aren't a stranger to a big song, or even a No. 1 song. But in the past nine months, you've had the two biggest hits of your career. Does life feel different?
It definitely does. Although I've had some No. 1 songs on the radio and others that did well, [Don't Mind If I Do] lived in a place that was unfamiliar to me with TikTok and a demographic that's a lot younger. I've never had that kind of viral success before, but "Worst Way" and "you look like you love me" and "Don't Mind If I Do," those songs all lived in a very big space on social media. You feel a momentum shift when you have success like that, not to mention the industry accolades with award show nominations, a few wins and the tour that's followed. You really feel it when it's all clicking at the same time.
You just mentioned viral social media breakthroughs, but is there anything else you attribute your recent growth to?
I think this record is my biggest because how we go about our recording in the studio has changed a lot. Dann Huff and I have worked together for a long time and have really gotten down our strategy on recording and how to go about songs, which is really a less is more approach and leaving things a little bit more raw and not too polished. That method has done a lot for us, so it's been great to have that creative side really start to feel like we've greased the tracks there.
You co-wrote all but six of the songs on the album. In a time when more and more big name artists are employing teams of writers, why is it important to have such a strong role in that process yourself?
More than anything, I just enjoy songwriting. It's something I would always do regardless, but when things are going well and you've had the spotlight I've had on me, it just motivates me to write that much more. I still do get pitched outside songs, but a lot of it isn't necessarily what I'm doing. A little bit of it's where there's a similarity in a lot of the sound in Nashville, and I think the best thing you can be right now is different and a bit outside the box.
If there's anything that I have going for me it's that I can tell a story that I can tell — nobody else can tell if from my point of view. That's kind of what got me my music career — telling stories about how I grew up, family life and those values I learned in Northeast Alabama as a kid. Going back there as often as I can and writing from that place mentally is what's going to keep that success going for me.
Do you feel like you tapped into a new side of your songwriting with Don't Mind If I Do compared to Ain't My Last Rodeo, Behind The Bar or some of your other material?
Yes and no. Musically and stylistically, I always want to push the envelope a bit so things don't get too monotonous. But if you're writing songs by yourself I'm only as good on a guitar as I can play, so I've got to find ways to push myself.
A good example of that is "Worst Way." I don't write a lot of love songs — especially ones so steamy — so that and some other topics I sing about are new, but at the same time I don't turn and run from anything that got me here. There's always going to be those "I Wish Grandpas Never Died" or "My Last Rodeo" or "Hell Of A Way To Go" or "Jesus Saves" type of ballads that have a more sentimental feeling too.
What's the story behind these six new songs on this deluxe album? Were they initially cut from the track list or written since you first released Don't Mind If I Do?
["Cowboy As It Gets"] I recorded with the intention of including it but it didn't get finished in time to be on the record, so I definitely wanted it on the deluxe. The others were songs I wrote after feeling the momentum from writing for the original record and thinking they tied in well to the themes already present there. It also felt nice to release new music while still riding the wave of success from the album and not just sitting on what got me there, because touring and getting to play these songs is what keeps me motivated as an artist.
With the six deluxe tracks, the album is now 24 songs. You've already mentioned tunes like "Jesus Saves" and "Worst Way," but are there any others that really feel like they've become staple pieces of your career?
"Don't Mind If I Do" is one that really surprised me with how big of a song it became just because it was such an easy song to write. It's a weird thing to write a duet by yourself and write from a female perspective — I love the job Ella [Langley] did on it.
"Change My Mind" is another one that I was excited about but didn't know it'd have the success that it has. It's a big streaming song and one I love to do live. It's always interesting to see what songs raise their hand. That's the great thing about having this many shows to play — you can really see where fans are gravitating toward and where the hits are.
In the past you've mentioned Tim McGraw, Jon Pardi, and Eric Clapton as dream collabs. Has there been any movement on making those a reality and/or anyone new you've to the list?
Jon and I have written some. The biggest thing is finding a song you both love. In any genre there's collaborations that happen from a management or industry level to try to merge artist's fan bases together, but I've always wanted what I do to be more organic like with Randy Houser, someone who I've played a lot of shows with before bringing in to sing with me on "Cowboy As It Gets."
In a similar fashion, I was on the road with Luke Combs when I asked him to be on "Different 'Round Here." Ella and I were on the road when both those duets happened and Hannah McFarland [who sings on "I Just Need You"] will be out on tour with me this fall.
Given your success with Ella and the new collab with Hannah on the deluxe record, is there a female artist you're still wanting to work with?
I've covered a lot of bases lately with female features and duets, but I'm always mindlessly writing toward that a bit. I'm a fan of so many great artists like Miranda Lambert — it doesn't get much bigger than [her], especially when I was coming up. I'm open to anything and gotta have a woman with me every show now so I'm not singing all these duets by myself [Laughs].
Earlier this year you also expressed interest in a potential acting career. Any progress on that beyond the "Worst Way" video? [Laughs.]
I've read for a couple things recently, but the biggest obstacle I'm going to need to overcome is timing. Taking time off the road to film is a really hard thing to do. There's some potential stuff happening next spring, but I'm still exploring that space and constantly working on trying to hone a new craft while I'm still in the middle of a pretty hectic music career.
What kind of roles might you be interested in — something a western or "Yellowstone" route or breaking new ground somewhere else?
I think the best play for me, especially early on, is to play something that isn't too much of a stretch for my character. I read for something that was a hunting guide-type thing where he's out in the woods looking for somebody who's lost. That kind of space I feel like I could easily fall into or at least comprehend mentally.
I'm not against playing something very different from myself, but I think the easiest place to start is somewhere that's more of that western or "Yellowstone" vibe, which are both great ties to country music. We've all seen what the success of "Yellowstone" has meant to country music as a whole, so I wouldn't be against that at all.
With all the doors that have opened for you in the past year or so, have you thought about other things you might like to do with your career?
I can't imagine doing anything else. I've already had so much more of a music career than I ever thought I would. I just want to keep writing songs that mean something to people. If I can keep writing songs that make people want to come see me perform live, then that means I'm gonna be able to do this a long time. Everything builds toward that — even the acting — and helps me reach a bigger audience. At the end of the day, that's all it's about for me.