Thomas Rhett admits that he did not do well at the start of quarantine last year, “The first 30, 40 days of quarantine I was freaking out cause I did not know what to do.”

He was thrown out of his routine, and in a way, with all the time he had on his hands…he didn’t know what to do with himself. “You know, I was like, ‘We’re supposed to be in rehearsal. We’re supposed to be on the road. We’re supposed to be doing this.'” 

But it was a conversation with his wife Lauren, that help center Thomas back on the things he knew were important, “My wife was like, ‘Honey, I think you have to just realize that you can’t do this right now. So, maybe why don’t you just take a step back and live some life and then go try to write again.’ And so, I literally didn’t write a song for almost two months, which is the longest I’ve ever gone, I think, in my whole life.”

That’s where the song “Country Again” found its footing, “When I came back, the very first song I wrote was ‘Country Again’.”

When it comes to the word “country”, Thomas says, “I think the word ‘country’ is a pretty strong synonym. I think it means a multitude of things. Just like any other word in the world, it could be construed for good, or construed for bad, you know. I think ‘country’ for a lot of people means boots and fiddle and steel guitar and being in the woods, and I think those things are definitely one meaning, but for me, even in the song ‘Country Again’ it is about that stuff, but it’s more about just a simple way of life, and a lifestyle where you don’t need much to make you happy, and on a musical front the word ‘country’ to me, means an honest story.”

Photo Courtesy of Valory Music Co