Billy Currington on His Creative Process and Comeback

After four years without a new album, Billy Currington is back with King of the World. This week on Backstage Country with Elaina Smith, he’s letting fans in on what took so long, how he finds inspiration, and why sometimes the best songs come when you’re not trying.

Considering Currington has been making music since 1996, host Elaina Smith asked if his creative process has changed in any way in response to shifts within the music industry in recent years, specifically in how fans consume music. The laidback singer-songwriter admitted, “I'm not sure it's changed the creative process. I still feel like I write songs the same and go to the same type of studios, and all that's the same. It's just the way you look at it is a little different for sure, as far as, like, streaming.”

He continued, “It's weird. I don't feel there's too much difference, but when I talk to the people in the industry, they tell me how it's different and what I need to do different. I don't know about that.” He chuckled, “I don't know about dancing and doing that goofy stuff on TikTok.”

Smith asked if there are younger artists who have asked him for advice. “Not too much,” he said. “But I do talk to them sometimes and go, ‘Man, y'all gotta do what again?’ And they'll tell you this whole list when you sign your deal now, you have to do so many posts per week, and on and on. It's like a totally different business...”

He clarified that, while he doesn't have to do the same things as newer artists, “...there's certain things, like if you wanna play the one game in town, you better play it and do what it takes to. So, I'll do some things that seem natural.”

Smith commented that Currington’s Instagram account is zen (even his username is so chill @bccoconutman) and if it’s a legit depiction of his day-to-day life. He chuckled, “I think so. Yeah, it's just, it's all real. I know a lot of things they'd probably rather me see singing on stage or whatever, but I don't want to see myself. I like taking pictures and videos of everyone else and just the life that's going on at that very moment. And I find myself posting more of that than any.”