The Cadillac Three Take Risks That Pay Off with ‘Bury Me in My Boots’

Long hair, trucker hats, skinny black jeans and of course beat up boots, is what you see when you look at Big Machine Label’s The Cadillac Three. What you may not see are the thoughtful and awe-inspiring lyricists that make up the band.  Their new album Bury Me in My Boots, released this past Friday, is not only chock full of radio friendly songs like “The South,” “Party Like You,” and “Slide,” but compassionate love songs disguised as southern rock hits.

Coming as no surprise to anyone who has followed the songwriters, who have penned songs for Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert and even Rascal Flatts, the trio understand sentiment with a passion for strong melodies. Frontman Jaren Johnston, for instance, channels his personal life several times on the record; his wife appears as inspiration for several songs. “White Lightning” and “Runnin’ Red Lights” are examples of the whiskey driven group slowing down the pace and focusing on the simple enchantment of true love.

“I ain’t stopping girl till I see your face / I ain’t stopping girl what I’m trying to say is / baby oh I’m going crazy oh I’m runnin’ red lights to get to you /  baby stay up and wait for me cause I’m runnin’ red lights to get to you”

The sophomore LP has its fair share of songs that will make you proud of living the southern lifestyle. Having fans all over the U.S and tons in Europe, the Nashville born-and-raised trio represent old southern rock and all the great tid bits that it includes. “Graffiti,” Johnston tells fans at a recent event, is the first song they decided to record (and the only song on the album) that he did not have a hand in writing. “When Neil brought this song to me and I really listened to it, I just knew we had to cut it, it is us,” he says.  The song will make you want to climb a water tower with your best friends and reminisce about the “good ole days.”  “We wrote long live the kings and queens of this city / small town famous / our names in graffiti.”

A standout on the album, “This Accent” not only signifies southern pride but could possibly be a reflection (or defense) against an outside perception of country music as one dimensional. “There’s more to me then an F-150, a dog and a couple bales of hay / you can take these six strings right out of my hand / take all these songs and shove ’em in a can, and throw them in the river / yeah I’ve got more than that to say,” they sing. With more than half of the songs being spun on country radio these days about the same old things, The Cadillac Three could be sharing pride in writing down and recording what people aren’t saying, whether or not it gets them airtime.

In our most recent interview Johnston explained their ideal writing process to us. “Most of our writing happens on the back of the bus there,” he says. “We are basically sitting down and trying to recreate those moments from the Almost Famous movie, the way that Kristofferson, Willie, and Waylon and all of those guys they would just hang out on a bus and kind of get creative in a cool way.” With this second album under their giant silver belt buckles, The Cadillac Three are proving their organically grown fan base appreciates them staying true to themselves and releasing music that the country and southern rock audience will appreciate and sing along to.

The Breakdown: 

Just another way to say “I love you” : “White Lightning,” “Runnin’ Red Lights,” “Drunk Like You,” “Buzzin'”

For drinking whiskey on your porch: “The South,” “This Accent,” “Peace Love & Dixie,” “Graffiti”

To sing along to at summer festivals:   “Slide,” “Party Like You,” “Bury Me in My Boots”

Floating on a lake with a beer in tow:  “Ship Faced,” “Soundtrack to a Six Pack”

Buy Bury Me in My Boots on iTunes here.