HostJolene: Thank you very much for agreeing to talk with us today.
Craig Morgan:: No problem.
HostJolene: You have had major success with your current album. How long did it take you to come up with the songs and put the album together?
Craig Morgan:: Oh shoot, I couldn’t tell you how long we worked on it. You’re always working on it. I’ve been working on the next record since that record hit the store. So we’re always working on the next project. Listening for songs, writing songs; but as far as actual studio time it took us about three months to get in the studio and record everything, finish it, mix it and master it. The process depends on how busy you are, I think, more than anything. Last year I was on the road about 280 days so it was a little harder to get in the studio. This year is a little different as we’re only on the road about 250 days so that gives me 30 extra days to be in the studio.
HostJolene: That’s a lot of touring. You do a lot of the writing. Do you have any other favorite songwriters you look for when it is not your material?
Craig Morgan:: Oh yeah, absolutely. The guys that I write with. I always listen to material that they’ve written without me. See what they’ve written with their other writers and so on and so forth. In particular, I like Dean Dillon, Buddy Cannon, Marla Goodman, Steve Dean, Will Nance, and then my personal co-writers that I write with are Marla and Phil O’Donnell. He and I produce records together and we produced my records together. So anything that he writes without me. Tim Owens, he’s written a bunch of hits. These are the guys that I listen to more than any others.
HostJolene: When “Redneck Yacht Club” came out, did you expect it to go to No. 1?
Craig Morgan:: I can’t say that I did. I didn’t think it would go number 1. I thought it would be great for the listeners but I didn’t know that radio would take to it the way that they did.
HostJolene: So it was sort of a surprise. But it is a neat song, catchy.
Craig Morgan:: It was kind of a ditty, right on the verge of being a little ditty. But it also showed a side of me that hadn’t been seen. That was why I was excited, why I wanted to release that song as a single. Everybody had been used to the “Almost Home” and “That’s What I Love About Sunday” style of music from me, so I wanted them to see that side of me. And it is truly a bigger part of who I am than the other stuff.
HostJolene: You got to work with Brad Paisley and John Conlee on this album.
Craig Morgan:: I wrote that song for John. I wanted John to record with me. I called John and he said absolutely and when we went to finish writing I realized we needed somebody else. So I called Brad and he said yeah.
HostJolene: and it worked out with their dry humor in there. It brings out the song. Did you record it together in the studio or was it one of those songs that you just recorded your parts separately elsewhere.
Craig Morgan:: The guitar stuff that Brad did, he did while he was out. The vocals we did in the studio.
HostJolene: Great! You don’t hear that very often anymore.
Craig Morgan:: No….Brad’s a sweetheart. He’s a great guy. Probably one of the most decent people I know in this industry.
HostJolene: You’ve got another single you just released. Do you see that going Top 10?
Craig Morgan:: I’d like to think so, but you never know. I’ve never said that about any of them. But the early call out stuff looks good, radio seems to like it, fans seem to like it, the ones that are hearing it are really passionate about it, so we have to wait and see what happens. I’d love to see it get there. I’d love another No. 1.
HostJolene: Absolutely!
Craig Morgan:: Three No. Ones off the same album would be huge. But whatever happens is meant to be.
HostJolene: Have you noticed a lifestyle change as you get more airplay. And as your songs climb higher, more recognition factor?
Craig Morgan:: Well, there’s a whole lot more recognition, but my lifestyle hasn’t changed any. It’s the same for me. It’s different for the people around me sometimes I think.
HostJolene: It’s harder to walk around now without being recognized?
Craig Morgan:: oh yeah, definitely.
