Russell Dickerson may have the energy of a brand-new artist, but let’s be real, he’s been at this long enough that some of his fans first heard his songs when they were still in high school. This week on Backstage Country, Dickerson joined Elaina Smith as co-host, and between the stories, he realized he’s been in the industry long enough to see generations of fans grow up with his music.
Russell Dickerson on Bailey Zimmerman, Listening to “Blue Tacoma”
Dickerson revealed he’s got a funny anecdote about his song “Blue Tacoma.” He said, “We did a show somewhere, somehow, and Bailey Zimmerman, it was like he was on right before us. Before he went out, we were just chatting up, talking, he's like, ‘Dude, I've been a fan for so long, I remember when I first got my license, I would drive around, listen to ‘Blue Tacoma’ in high school.”
Russell Dickerson - Blue Tacoma
Dickerson laughed, “Yeah, I was talking to someone recently and now I can't think of who it was, but they were saying that they had some kids brought to the show. Maybe it was Thomas Rhett. But this fan he's known for a while, brought kids to the show, and they learned about the songs in their childhood!”
On His Wife Not Liking One of His Songs
Smith admitted that “Love You Like I Used To” is one of her favorites. She asked if it was true that his wife, Kaylie, who was the inspiration for the song, did not like the original version. He replied, “This was one of the first songs I had written that year, of whatever year it was. I'm so excited to get back to writing, get back in the room, and start working on my second record. We had this title, ‘Love You Like I Used To,’ about how it sounds negative, but it ends up being like, ‘I love you more than I used to.’”
He continued, “So, we did it and I played it for my wife, and she was like, ‘The title is still so much better than the song.’ And I was like, ‘I don't disagree.’ I was more excited to write a song. But yeah, she was not wrong. We gave away the whole hook within the first two lines.” He added, “I mean, that's the whole reason I think this song has connected is it sounds bad, sounds negative, and then the first chorus hits. ‘I don't love you like I used to / This gets better every time I kiss you.’ He chuckled, “It's just, I play every song for her, and she is brutally honest.”
Smith asked if it ever hurt his feelings. Dickerson admitted, “Oh yeah, big time. We had to set a rule of where she has to listen to a song three times before she can tear it to shreds!”
