If you love demos as much as we do at The Shotgun Seat, we highly suggest giving Jimmy Robbins’ SoundCloud collection a listen. It’s always interesting to hear the original cuts of these songs and note what changes were made during the recording process – or maybe, the song fit the singer perfectly from the start.
Robbins recently posted four demos of well-known country and pop songs on SoundCloud. The tracks include: “It Goes Like This” (Robbins/Akins/Hayslip), “Whatever She’s Got” (Robbins/Nite), “We Were Us” (Robbins/Galyon/Nite), and “Good Goes The Bye” (Robbins/Hemby/McAnally).
These demos offer insight into Robbins’ stellar songwriting ability and versatility. “It Goes Like This” – which was cut, of course, by Thomas Rhett – showcases Robbins’ talent in mastering the melding of pop and country. The instrumentation screams pop (although a bit more watered down than Rhett’s version), but the lyrics are arguably rural, which is something the songwriter suggests makes a song truly “country.”
David Nail’s “Whatever She’s Got” was one of Robbins’ first Nashville writes that accurately demonstrates his songwriting identity. With this song, he showed that he is unafraid of vulnerability or expression of desire. The song boasts a distinct groove, and Robbins’ softer vocals bring a slight bashfulness to the protagonist’s admitted infatuation.
Although Keith Urban originally expressed interest in cutting Nail’s single, he struck gold with “We Were Us,” co-written by Robbins, Nicolle Galyon, and Jon Nite. While the demo has a very similar melodic feel, it was not originally a duet, which gives the song the feeling of an intimate diary confession versus Urban and Lambert’s electric declaration of love.
The final track on the list is “Good Goes The Bye.” At first listen, it sounds like it could be a RaeLynn cut. The tune has an indie feel, and Robbins establishes a calm, albeit heartbroken presence. Ultimately, the song was cut by Kelly Clarkson, and she gives the lyrics her signature pop edge.
Listen to Robbins’ demos here.