Two of Alabama’s finest country artists, Jamey Johnson and Riley Green, have joined forces for ‘Smoke,' a brand-new collaboration that blends their Southern grit and storytelling prowess. Co-written with Erik Dylan, the song explores the many forms of smoke — from the kind that rises off gravel and engines to the kind that lingers after a heated argument.
“It was Riley’s idea,” Johnson reveals. “He called me and we booked some time to get together with Erik Dylan. We sat down and scribbled it out over the course of about an hour. It has an interesting sound to it, with one part going down while the other part is going up. I like the whole concept of this guy not being too upset about whatever she is mad at. That smoke probably has a lot to do with it.”
Recorded at The Cash Cabin and Big Gassed Studios, ‘Smoke' was produced by Kyle Lehning and Jim “Moose” Brown and mixed by T.W. Cargile. Though Johnson had previously worked with Lehning on a Randy Travis tribute project, this marks their first full collaboration on one of his own songs. “It was just a blast getting to write with Riley and Erik and a great song to get to record with Kyle and Moose at the helm,” Johnson adds.
For Green, teaming up with Johnson felt like a natural fit. “Writing this song with Jamey was a lot of fun,” he says. “After spending time on the road together earlier this year, it just felt natural to get in the studio and make some country music together.”
The two share deep Alabama roots, both having attended Jacksonville State University, and their connection extends beyond music — from joint performances and golf tournaments to viral moments of good-natured ribbing online. Johnson laughs, “One of my favorite things about Riley is his sense of humor, and he can take it as much as he dishes it out, so that’s why we are always hurling comments at each other.”
‘Smoke' also comes ahead of Johnson joining Green on the road for a run of shows on Green’s Damn Country Music Tour this November:
Nov. 6 | Grand Rapids, MI
Nov. 7 | St. Louis, MO
Nov. 8 | Kansas City, MO
Nov. 13 | University Park, PA
Nov. 14 | Toledo, OH
Nov. 15 | Peoria, IL
Nov. 20 | Lincoln, NE
Nov. 21 | Oklahoma City, OK
Nov. 22 | North Little Rock, AR
Johnson jokes that he may owe Green one for quickly recording their new song: “I guess I should have talked to him before I ran into the studio and recorded it. But I did what I did! I called and said, ‘Hey, where are you? I just recorded it.’ If he was thinking about recording it and putting it on his record, I guess I ruined that! My apologies to Riley Green. I probably owe Riley a song!”
