A Little More Country Than That
Encyclopedia
"A Little More Country Than That" is the title of a song written by Joey + Rory
's Rory Lee Feek
, Wynn Varble
, and Don Poythress, and recorded by American country
artist Easton Corbin
. It was released in August 2009 as Corbin's debut single and is included on his self-titled
debut album. In April 2010, the song reached Number One on the country music charts, making Corbin the first male solo artist in seven years to send a debut single to Number One. It has been certified Gold
by the RIAA.
and electric guitar
, with fiddle
and steel guitar
fills. In it, the male narrator lists off various rural themes such as "catching channel cat," each time saying that he is "a little more country than that."
Rory Lee Feek
, one-half of the duo Joey + Rory
, wrote the song with Don Poythress and Wynn Varble while the three were at a writing retreat held at Mickey Newbury
's cabin near Nashville, Tennessee
. Poythress began playing a tune on the guitar when Feek suggested the song title "A Little More Country Than That." The song was originally intended to be recorded by Blaine Larsen
, but it sat unrecorded for several years before producer Carson Chamberlain heard it and recommended it for Corbin.
was released for the song on September 17, 2009. Directed by Stephen Shepherd, it depicts Corbin singing and playing guitar in rural areas, as well as scenes of him singing in front of a bonfire
at a party.
, and also saying that the song had "organic phrases" and a traditionally country sound. Matt Bjorke of Roughstock also gave a favorable review, saying that it was "refreshing" to hear Corbin's neotraditionalist country influences. Slant Magazine
critic Jonathan Keefe was somewhat negative, referring to the song as "a slightly more purposeful variation on an interminable series of rote lists of rural-ish points of reference that Nashville's unambitious go-to songwriters have been attempting to pass off as songs for the past few years."
chart for the chart week ending August 22, 2009. It also debuted at #100 on the Billboard Hot 100
on the week ending January 23, 2010.
The song peaked at Number One on the U.S. country singles charts dated for the week ending April 3, 2010, its thirty-second week on that chart. It made Corbin the first solo male artist to send a debut single to Number One since Dierks Bentley
's "What Was I Thinkin'
" in September 2003, and the first country music artist overall to have a number-one debut single since the Zac Brown Band
's "Chicken Fried
" in December 2008.
Joey + Rory
Joey+Rory is an American country music duo composed of singer-songwriters Rory Lee Feek and Joey Martin Feek, who are husband and wife. Joey is the duo's lead vocalist, while Rory sings background vocals and plays guitar. The duo was the third-place finalist on CMT's competition Can You Duet in 2008...
's Rory Lee Feek
Rory Lee Feek
Rory Lee Feek is an American country music singer and songwriter. In his career, he has written singles for Clay Walker, Blake Shelton, Tracy Byrd and other artists. He and his wife, Joey Martin Feek, comprise the duo Joey + Rory, who placed third on the first season of the CMT talent show Can You...
, Wynn Varble
Wynn Varble
Wynn Varble is an American country music musician and songwriter. Varble co-wrote the hit songs Have You Forgotten?, Waitin' on a Woman and A Little More Country Than That....
, and Don Poythress, and recorded by American country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Easton Corbin
Easton Corbin
Easton Corbin is an American country music singer. He signed to Mercury Records Nashville in 2009 and released his self-titled debut album in March 2010, featuring the two Number One hits "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It", as well as the top 15 hit "I Can't Love You...
. It was released in August 2009 as Corbin's debut single and is included on his self-titled
Easton Corbin (album)
Upon its release, Easton Corbin received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 75, based on 5 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable...
debut album. In April 2010, the song reached Number One on the country music charts, making Corbin the first male solo artist in seven years to send a debut single to Number One. It has been certified Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
by the RIAA.
Content
"A Little More Country Than That" is Corbin's debut release to radio. It is a mid-tempo song featuring accompaniment from acoustic guitarAcoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, with fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
and steel guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
fills. In it, the male narrator lists off various rural themes such as "catching channel cat," each time saying that he is "a little more country than that."
Rory Lee Feek
Rory Lee Feek
Rory Lee Feek is an American country music singer and songwriter. In his career, he has written singles for Clay Walker, Blake Shelton, Tracy Byrd and other artists. He and his wife, Joey Martin Feek, comprise the duo Joey + Rory, who placed third on the first season of the CMT talent show Can You...
, one-half of the duo Joey + Rory
Joey + Rory
Joey+Rory is an American country music duo composed of singer-songwriters Rory Lee Feek and Joey Martin Feek, who are husband and wife. Joey is the duo's lead vocalist, while Rory sings background vocals and plays guitar. The duo was the third-place finalist on CMT's competition Can You Duet in 2008...
, wrote the song with Don Poythress and Wynn Varble while the three were at a writing retreat held at Mickey Newbury
Mickey Newbury
Mickey Newbury was an American songwriter, a critically acclaimed recording artist, and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
's cabin near Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Poythress began playing a tune on the guitar when Feek suggested the song title "A Little More Country Than That." The song was originally intended to be recorded by Blaine Larsen
Blaine Larsen
Blaine Larsen is an American country music artist. He was raised in Buckley, Washington. At age fifteen, he recorded his debut album In My High School on Giantslayer Records, an independent record label. The album was re-issued in 2005 as Off to Join the World by BNA Records...
, but it sat unrecorded for several years before producer Carson Chamberlain heard it and recommended it for Corbin.
Music video
A music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was released for the song on September 17, 2009. Directed by Stephen Shepherd, it depicts Corbin singing and playing guitar in rural areas, as well as scenes of him singing in front of a bonfire
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
at a party.
Reception
Karlie Justus of The 9513 gave the song a positive review, comparing Corbin's vocals to those of George StraitGeorge Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
, and also saying that the song had "organic phrases" and a traditionally country sound. Matt Bjorke of Roughstock also gave a favorable review, saying that it was "refreshing" to hear Corbin's neotraditionalist country influences. Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
critic Jonathan Keefe was somewhat negative, referring to the song as "a slightly more purposeful variation on an interminable series of rote lists of rural-ish points of reference that Nashville's unambitious go-to songwriters have been attempting to pass off as songs for the past few years."
Chart performance
"A Little More Country Than That" debuted at #56 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart for the chart week ending August 22, 2009. It also debuted at #100 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on the week ending January 23, 2010.
The song peaked at Number One on the U.S. country singles charts dated for the week ending April 3, 2010, its thirty-second week on that chart. It made Corbin the first solo male artist to send a debut single to Number One since Dierks Bentley
Dierks Bentley
Dierks Bentley is an American country music artist who has been signed to Capitol Records Nashville since 2003. That year, he released his self-titled debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's Modern Day Drifter, are certified platinum in the United States. A third album, 2006's Long Trip...
's "What Was I Thinkin'
What Was I Thinkin'
"What Was I Thinkin" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Dierks Bentley. Released in April 2003 as the first single from his self-titled debut album, the song became his first Number One hit on the U.S...
" in September 2003, and the first country music artist overall to have a number-one debut single since the Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...
's "Chicken Fried
Chicken Fried
"Chicken Fried" is the title of a song which has been recorded by two different bands. The first version was recorded in 2003 by the Zac Brown Band, whose frontman Zac Brown wrote it, for the 2005 album Home Grown. A second version was then released in 2006 by The Lost Trailers, whose version was...
" in December 2008.
| Chart (2009–2010) | Peak position |
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