Elle King joins The Ty Bentli Show on Apple Music to talk about her new track ‘Drunk (and I Don’t Wanna Go Home)’ to talk about what helped Miranda Lambert get on board with the track. Elle also discusses getting ready to become a parent and her transition to country music. Listen to the full interview here.
Elle King on “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home”):
“I started writing it when I was 24, much, much drunker. I was really living that life too. I wrote it with Martin Johnson and then we wrote two songs in two days. The other song was America’s Sweetheart and America’s Sweetheart made the record. I always knew that the chorus of Drunk was a banger chorus. It was a big chorus. I always felt like I had that in my back pocket, but I didn’t like the original verses. Six years go by, and then Martin reaches out to me to ask me if I would sing on something. I was like, “This is perfect because this is my segue into rewriting the verses.” I was like, “Yeah, I’ll do you favor. I’ll do you a favor. Well, we have to rewrite drunk. I was going back to Nashville from tour with Miranda, and I was working with Martin and we were writing songs, we were rewriting Drunk, and then it was done by the end of tour. I was like, “Okay, this is good.” We were just going to put it out, and then this idea came, Miranda and I, we were becoming friends and everything. We were like, “Wouldn’t it be crazy, but wouldn’t it be fun if Miranda sang on this?” She thinks so too.”
“I started writing it when I was 24, much, much drunker. I was really living that life too. I wrote it with Martin Johnson and then we wrote two songs in two days. The other song was America’s Sweetheart and America’s Sweetheart made the record. I always knew that the chorus of Drunk was a banger chorus. It was a big chorus. I always felt like I had that in my back pocket, but I didn’t like the original verses. Six years go by, and then Martin reaches out to me to ask me if I would sing on something. I was like, “This is perfect because this is my segue into rewriting the verses.” I was like, “Yeah, I’ll do you favor. I’ll do you a favor. Well, we have to rewrite drunk. I was going back to Nashville from tour with Miranda, and I was working with Martin and we were writing songs, we were rewriting Drunk, and then it was done by the end of tour. I was like, “Okay, this is good.” We were just going to put it out, and then this idea came, Miranda and I, we were becoming friends and everything. We were like, “Wouldn’t it be crazy, but wouldn’t it be fun if Miranda sang on this?” She thinks so too.”
Elle King on shooting the “Drunk” video:
“When it came down time to the video, I was like, “How can we make this really fun, so that it’s one day of her life that she enjoys, and that if we had to sing it together, she’s going to be happy about it.” I was like, “Why don’t we play characters and take the pressure off of Elle king and Miranda Lambert.” Honestly that music video day, that was one of the most fun days I’ve ever had working because it was just me and Miranda in these ridiculous costumes and we laughed the whole time.”
“When it came down time to the video, I was like, “How can we make this really fun, so that it’s one day of her life that she enjoys, and that if we had to sing it together, she’s going to be happy about it.” I was like, “Why don’t we play characters and take the pressure off of Elle king and Miranda Lambert.” Honestly that music video day, that was one of the most fun days I’ve ever had working because it was just me and Miranda in these ridiculous costumes and we laughed the whole time.”
Elle King on being in country:
“It’s just fun because the shows are so great because it’s hardworking people. They save up for months and this is their night to let off some steam and let their hair down and go sing along to their favorite country artists. That’s what I started to see when I came into country music, I was like, “These people, they don’t care. They want to have fun tonight and they want to see you having fun, because we’re all in this together.” I don’t know, country music has just really grabbed me and grabbed hold of me, and it’s really opened up my career and it’s kind of changed my life in a lot of ways. It’s just been amazing, and I felt really, really embraced. I feel like it’s my people.”
“It’s just fun because the shows are so great because it’s hardworking people. They save up for months and this is their night to let off some steam and let their hair down and go sing along to their favorite country artists. That’s what I started to see when I came into country music, I was like, “These people, they don’t care. They want to have fun tonight and they want to see you having fun, because we’re all in this together.” I don’t know, country music has just really grabbed me and grabbed hold of me, and it’s really opened up my career and it’s kind of changed my life in a lot of ways. It’s just been amazing, and I felt really, really embraced. I feel like it’s my people.”
Elle King on the current state of her life, drinking, and pregnancy:
“It’s weird to be putting out a song that’s like all about partying and raging and being outside of your house, when I’m very much inside my house, baby chickens, lots of animals, baby inside here, many naps. It’s weird, cause I feel like I always have to really live up to the music that I put out. This is weird, but I also feel like I’ve been drunk enough my entire life that people get that. They know I’m pregnant. They know how I got pregnant, probably drinking, and so I feel like it’s fair game. I don’t know.”
“It’s weird to be putting out a song that’s like all about partying and raging and being outside of your house, when I’m very much inside my house, baby chickens, lots of animals, baby inside here, many naps. It’s weird, cause I feel like I always have to really live up to the music that I put out. This is weird, but I also feel like I’ve been drunk enough my entire life that people get that. They know I’m pregnant. They know how I got pregnant, probably drinking, and so I feel like it’s fair game. I don’t know.”
