Colt Ford Looks to Eric Church for Inspiration in Battle With Radio Airplay

Colt Ford is out touring and making appearances in support of his latest album, 'Every Chance I Get,' which hit stores in May. The current single, 'She Likes to Ride in Trucks,' is a song that features Craig Morgan on vocals. It has been a fan-favorite since the album's release and is a song that is extra special to Ford, who wrote it about his teenage daughter. While the song is his latest release from the album, Ford still battles with the daily struggle of trying to get his rap-style music heard on country radio.

"When it comes to radio and all that, I don’t know what I can do or whether they’ll ever play me," Ford tells Taste of Country. "I don’t know ... I’m going to continue to make songs that are real to me and the best songs I can make. God will take care of the rest. I don’t know what else I can do. I’ve got people who like what I do and come see me. I’d love to be heard more on the radio, but I can’t make that happen. All I can do is make the best songs I can make. What will be will be, I guess."

Ford is not the only country star who has battled with fitting in the mold of country music. There was a moment in time when Eric Church faced the same situation, and now he's become one of the hottest stars on the rise.

"He’s an inspiration," Ford says of Church and his music. "He’s one of my good friends. That’s a definite inspiration when you look at the success in record sales and ticket sales. He’s had a single at No. 10, which is about 40 higher than me [laughs]. It’s certainly something to strive for. I just try to make the best songs I can make. Music is what it’s all about. It’s more about the songs and the fans, anyway. All the other political stuff … whatever, man. I can’t control that. I can control making music and taking care of my fans and doing the right thing. That’s what I control, so I will do that."

Ford is now in the beginning stages of working on his fourth studio album, including figuring out which artists he would like to see involved with the project. "I’ve got some ideas, but I haven’t really put it all the way through yet," notes Ford. "It’s getting to be about that time to start thinking about it. I’ve got lots of people who I’d love to work with, but the song tells me that. The songs kind of lead me to what I do ... we’ll see where those songs lead me."

This week, Ford heads north to Canada, where he will perform in Barrie, Ontario on August 27. Click here to see Ford's entire tour schedule and where he will be appearing in the coming months.

Listen to Colt Ford's 'She Likes to Ride in Trucks'