As Dustin Lynch prepares to release a new album in 2020, the “Ridin’ Roads” hitmaker is busy writing the songs that will take his career into a brand-new decade. And for the most part, he’s going to be staying in his metaphorical lane.
“One thing I have learned is that, in country music, there are lanes,” Lynch tells Taste of Country during a recent interview in Chicago. “You got this lane of artists and this lane of artists and this lane of artists, and, you know, country music in general needs this wide spectrum of music.”
“So, when you are over here painting with this color and it’s not what anyone is used to, it’s like, ‘Nah, we already have a couple of those that we are playing … let’s go back over here to what they want,'” he adds.
Balancing on that fine line between giving the industry what they want and giving your fans what you want to give them can not only be tricky, but frustrating. Lucky for Lynch, it’s a line the Tennessee native has learned to walk throughout a career that has spawned such hits as “Seein’ Red” “Hell of a Night” and “Small Town Boy.”
In fact, creatively, Lynch has been on a hot streak as of late.
“I kinda love when I wake up in the middle of the night with lyrics already in my head, because at least you know the brain is working,” he says with a laugh. “At the same time, it gets a little frustrating, because you are like, ‘Jeez I just want to get some sleep.’
“Luckily, I can turn my brain on and off whenever I need to,” he adds.
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