I hand pick the songs that I want to feature as a “Meet The Song” interview with a specific goal in mind. It has to mean something to me but I ask myself if it is personal or “special” to the songwriter(s). How can I tell? By just listening to the music and the words.
I interviewed The Lowdown Drifters about a year ago so I already know that they don’t play around. The songs are real and mean something. And if they mean something to one person then they can mean something to a lot of people.
“Alright” is the new song out today by The Lowdown Drifters for purchase and stream. After hearing the song I knew it was special but little did I know just how special. Meet The Song and how it came about…
Who are the writers?
“Alright” was written by John Cannon, the lead singer for the Lowdown Drifters
Who are the performers?
Along with the band, Ben Hussey (American Aquarium, Dolly Shine), Tim Allen (Shane Smith and the Saints), Drew Harakal (Cody Jinks) and Jenee Fleenor (Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson) all played on the song
Where did the idea come from?
“Alright” comes from a dark place, we had been touring and living harder than usual, when I ended up in the ER with heart palpitations from fatigue and everything else that goes along with what you do to make it through some of those late nights. That experience made the reality of the consequences associated with the life I had been striving for really hit home. Sometimes when you love something and want it so badly, you can turn a blind eye to the parts that you hate until they make themselves impossible to ignore. Music can feel like gambling the way it draws you in, getting hooked on the highs and so numb to the lows that breaking even feels like a win. There is a part of the song that talks about the necessity of going into cities to play the music we love and when you do, the business of that life seems to stifle creativity and make it feel like a chore rather than the true opportunity that it is. There is no greater feeling than when we are able to connect with people on the level that only music can in those environments because it creates such a shift in perspective from the rat race to a real sense of emotion. Overall the song encompasses the way that the decisions we make to follow our dreams allow us to get to a place where no amount of time spent or hardships faced deter us from the goal. This is something I think a lot of people can relate to in every walk of life, seeing their aspirations in a realistic light, weighing the costs, and deciding to persevere on.
-John Cannon
What came first, the music, the words, the idea?
The song was started on acoustic guitar, with the words in mind searching for a melody that could fit. After the versus started taking shape with the music, the entire song was written in under 10 minutes.
Is it going to be a part of a larger collection, such as EP or album?
Due to the Corona virus cancelling all of the Spring and Summer shows for 2020 (and the budget from them) we decided to put out the 6 songs we were able to record in February as singles, 1 a month all summer. At the end of the year we will be putting them together in an EP titled Mixed Six Pack.
Lyrically, what perspective is the song told from?
“Alright” comes from the perspective of a musician, although it could really be from anyone who has a goal or a dream and encounters the dark side of pursuing that dream. In this case it’s fairly autobiographical from the perspective of John.
Were there any challenges while writing it?
Whenever you write a song that is as personal as “Alright” there is the chance that you alienate people who don’t have the same experiences. It was important to allow the personal experiences to shine through while also keeping in mind that everyone faces the same struggles.
What sets this song apart from your previous work? What sets this song apart from what is being playing on the radio today?
A lot of the songs out on the radio today want to focus on the triumphs of life and don’t go in to depth on the hardships. With this song we felt it was important to shine a full spotlight on these issues and let people know that they aren’t alone when they struggle or fall and that we are all in this together.
Will you be releasing a video with this song?
At this point we do not have a video in the works although we are going through the footage from the recording session with the hopes to put together a behind the scenes for all of the songs being released this year.
Meet Country 