Sam Hunt had plenty of help writing "Kinfolks," but the heart of the song came from some time alone with the lyrics and a decision that felt familiar to the hitmaker.

"Kinfolks" — Hunt's long awaited new radio single — is a love song done his way. He doesn't believe he writes great love songs, but admits two songs from previous projects came pretty close.

"On the first record I had a song called ‘House Party’ that I didn't really know for sure if I was going to put on the record, and then it turned out to be one of our best live songs," he says.

"And then 'Body Like a Back Road,' I was hesitant to put that out and it was kind of the same character or the same perspective a little bit. Just sort of the playful, flirtatious guy or shade of what I've done. And then that song did so well, I just leaned back into that."

Few will disagree that "Kinfolks" is in line with both of those songs (and much of what he released on Montevallo). Despite talk of bluegrass and traditional country influences, Hunt told select media that his next project will stay true to what fans know from him, although the sound will be simpler.

Where Does Sam Hunt Belong? 

It's been 17 months since Hunt last released new music, and he admits he's spent much of that time "away" reconnecting with family, building a foundation for his marriage to wife Hannah and writing alone. "Kinfolks" was a title he had in his phone, but after trying to hammer out songs by himself for several weeks or months, he organized a writer's retreat. Zach Crowell, Josh Osborne and Jerry Flowers helped him bring the idea to life. Flowers is also Keith Urban's bass player.

"Jerry is so good musically. He'll just start playing a riff on a guitar which is what happened with this song," Hunt remembers. At first he wasn't sure what angle to take, but Osborne suggested "I wanna introduce you to my kinfolks" and that felt right.

"I want to introduce you to my kinfolks / To my old friends / To the house in the pines where the road ends," Hunt sings. "Take you to my hometown / Where I grew up / Where I thought I knew it all before I knew what love was / Gave up on it but honey, you got my hopes up / And I'm thinking that I want to introduce you to my kinfolks." 

"He started singing that chorus and we kind of started finishing each other's sentences and the lyrics just started falling out," the 34-year-old says, smiling, but it took more time to get it right. Like he often does, Hunt took the song home and began tweaking words in each verse and the chorus to make it right — to make it personal.

"Get Joanie on the phone, she’ll leave us on a light," Hunt sings. “That’s my mom,” he shares. “My brother calls her Joanie and I wanted to give it a little personal touch, so I threw that in there.”

Find Sam Hunt's "Kinfolks" lyrics below. Expect to hear it wherever someone will let him play it over the next three to 15 months. Hunt is truly back, with plans to tour aggressively in 2020 and an album to follow Montevallo, an album that celebrates its five-year anniversary this month.

"I guess it felt from the outside looking in that I disappeared," he concedes. "But to me I’ve just been doing the same old thing I’ve been doing. I just haven’t been putting stuff on the internet as much."

Kinfolks
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Sam Hunt's "Kinfolks" Lyrics: 

I saw you goin' by I had to say hello / And I don't mean to pry but / Girl I gotta know what is your name / How come I ain't seen you around before / You know I ain't never had a type / Having a type takes two / But I know what I like / And you're the only one of you / You're something else / And I know we just met but …

Chorus:
I wanna introduce you to my kinfolks / To my old friends / To the house in the pines where the road ends / Take you to my hometown / Where I grew up / Where I thought I knew it all before I knew what love was / Gave up on it / But honey you got my hopes up / And I'm thinkin' that I wanna introduce you to my kinfolks.

I wanna take you home / Not just take you home tonight / Get Joanie on the phone / She'll leave us on a light / I wanna see the way you look up under all those stars /  You're gonna be the talk / Word's gonna get around / They'll tell you how they thought I'd / Never settle down / Out on the porch / Ain't it funny the way things change.

Repeat Chorus

I don't wanna wait around for the right time

Repeat Chorus

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