Ella Langley Tells All: The Stories Behind Her Biggest Hits - KIX 102.5

Backstage Country is serving up behind-the-song secrets from July 7–11 with Elaina Smith welcoming none other than Ella Langley as her co-host. And let’s just say, this week is going to be one for the storybooks. Langley writes songs that feel like they came straight from your own messy love life, making her one of the most exciting new voices in country. But if you’ve ever wondered what really inspired those lyrics? She’s ready to spill it all, live on air.

Ella Langley Songs

“Weren’t for the Wind”

Ella Langley - weren't for the wind (Official Video)

“Weren’t for the Wind” was released earlier this year as Langley’s single from the deluxe reissue of her debut studio album, Hungover. Smith asked the Alabama native when she wrote the song. Langley replied, “We wrote this song in the fall of 2023, I think. I was on tour with John Pardi, I believe. It might be 2024.” She chuckled, “But the last four years of my life, I've been [in] one long consecutive year.”

Langley continued, “It's hard to recall, but I was on tour with John Pardi, and I brought two writers out. We flew all the way to, I think we flew to Utah or Idaho or something out there. And so, I flew Joybeth Taylor, who is famed throughout all of my music, and Johnny Clawson, who has two cuts on this record. And then right as we got there, Jon Pardi ended up having to cancel the shows because he was sick. So, I was like, ‘Oh my god, we're all the way out in Utah. What are we gonna do?’ I just got full of these riders out here, and so we just rode the bus back. This was my first tour by bus, so it was just like this little rink-y-dee. But it's still a bus baby, and that makes a difference, and so we're on the bus and we're going through Wyoming, I think. This is maybe the last song we wrote on the retreat.”

She added that they usually opened the show with the song: “It's such a sick open show, the way that we do it, the way my band and I choreographed the song. So yeah, when we would go out there, fans were literally like, ‘Aaah!’ You know that thing you used to do as a kid, to pretend fans were (screaming). Oh yeah, that's the actual sound. It's my real life; it is awesome.”

“You Look Like You Love Me”

Ella Langley (feat. Riley Green) - you look like you love me (Official Video)

Her collaboration with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me” became a massive hit. Smith asked Langley about her experience when the song first went viral. Langley shared she posted one TikTok of her lip syncing the verse and the chorus: “That was the first tease of the song.” She chuckled, “And it got a couple million views! We were nervous about putting the song out a little bit. It's unlike anything that I've heard on country radio or not. I wasn't even thinking about radio at that time. I was just trying to put a record out and pick the singles, you know? And I was like, ‘You (know) what? I'm just gonna go crazy and do this one.’ Riley was in it, and I just thought this could be a moment. It's gonna go one way or the other.”

She continued, “So, when I put that teaser out and it blew up in that way, and then I did one more by myself and then another couple million views. I think that one has like 12 million views or something. And then we played Red Rocks, and we got content of the song and then announced Riley was it. And then it just was like game over at that point.”

Tune in to Backstage Country July 7–11 to hear the stories behind the songs, straight from Langley herself. And don’t forget: every great song has an even better story. Ella will tell hers and you’re invited to listen.

For more of her music, visit her website.