Tim McGraw ‘Begged’ Big & Rich to Let Him Cut New Song

Tim McGraw's new album, Damn Country Music, has just been released, and it has some big cuts. The overall classically country album has a collaboration with Big & Rich called "California," and another song called "Humble and Kind" that he thought the world needed. He stopped by Taste of Country Nights to discuss those two tracks.

McGraw's newest album has 11 standard tracks and three extra on the deluxe version, and one thing is for sure, none of them disappoint. Song No. 10 is a track called "California," where he's joined by his country duo friends.

“I’ve been a fan of those guys for a long time. When their first album came out they were touring with me, we did a tour together," he recalls. "Gosh, I don’t remember how many years ago. It’s when ‘Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)’ was out. I’d heard a rough tracking of one of their songs because I was in the studio they were in, at Blackbird Studio, they were cutting some stuff in.”

McGraw first heard "California" when his guitar player played it for him. He then "begged John to let me cut it." Luckily it worked, and the result is magic. Also on the album is a song called "Humble and Kind" which is an important song to the Louisiana-born singer.

“That’s one of my favorite songs, too. What a great song. Lori McKenna is one of the best songwriters there is out there. I think she’s right at the top, one of the elite. It’s a song that certainly is advice to your kids, but it’s also something all of us can learn from. I think in the world we live in now, that song needs to be heard.”

Damn Country Music is in stores and online on Friday (Nov. 6).

McGraw is booked to headline WE Fest in Detroit Lakes, Minn. in 2016. Buy tickets here.

Sam Alex is the host of Taste of Country Nights radio, a syndicated night show which airs on more than 60 Townsquare Media Group stations nationwide.

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