Ingrid Andress and Sam Hunt join Kelleigh Bannen on Apple Music 1 to discuss their new collaboration “Wishful Drinking”. The duo tell Kelleigh it’s a “sad bop” and Sam says it may be the first song he’s appeared on that he didn’t write on. Ingrid also discusses asking Sam Hunt to appear on the track, when she first encountered Sam Hunt’s music, collaborating with JP Saxe, and more.
Sam Hunt Tells Apple Music “Wishful Drinking” Is The First Song He’s Appeared On That He Didn’t Write On…
This is maybe the first time I’ve sung on a song that I wasn’t a writer on. I just haven’t connected… I just don’t connect to songs that often, I don’t know what that is or why that is, but it’s not an ego thing at all. It’s not like, I’m not going to sing on a song unless I’m a writer on it. But obviously because this song came along and I connected to it, and it’s usually the people involved in the song too, the writers, my connection to Ingrid, being a fan, and then meeting her and hitting it off and getting to experience her heart firsthand. Even though it was in a trivial interaction on the side of a kickball field, I just felt like I connected with her and I felt comfortable being on a song with her, even if I wasn’t a writer. JP Saxe, I was a fan of his as a writer. I’ve been listening to his music, admiring his songwriting for the last couple of years. It’s one of those things, back to that intuition feeling, where you just feel like, “Okay, this came together in a way that feels like I’m supposed to lean into it.” I feel fortunate and blessed that this opportunity came along.
Sam Hunt Tells Apple Music About His Songwriting Process…
My favourite songs, like you just said, are when you get the best of both worlds, when you can find an idea… And it always seems like when you try to come up with an idea for a new song, like, “Has every idea been written? I think it has.” But then occasionally, a new, cool idea will come to mind and you go into writing it. And if you’ve written for a little while in Nashville, you know when you have an idea like, “Oh, this will be a good song to bring into this room with these specific co-writers.” Some writers really lean on a hook and want to be as clever as possible and don’t lean on fill as much. And some writers are strictly led with their heart and it’s not as important to have such a catchy, clever, traditional hook. But when you can put a room together of people who appreciate both, I feel like the best songs come from those rooms.
Ingrid Andress Tells Apple Music About Approaching Sam Hunt To Appear on the Song…
I wouldn’t say I was nervous, because I’m the same or I don’t usually cut outside songs, just because if I can write something… And it is not an ego thing either. It’s just I haven’t heard things that I want to record. So if anything, I was more hesitant because I’m like, “Well, he’s a writer. He writes all his own stuff. Why even bother?” But I was like, “But I just can’t hear anybody else on it.” So to me, I was like, “Let’s just ask him and then I’ll just move on with my life and never collab with anybody. It’s fine.” Really glad it worked out because I really didn’t have any other ideas for who I’d want to be on the song. So I was just kind of like, “I guess it’s worth an ask.” So when Sam was like, “Sure,” I was like, “Really? Okay.”
Ingrid Andress Tells Apple Music About When She First Encountered Sam Hunt’s Music…
Well, I started as a songwriter in Nashville. And so I remember when Sam’s first album came out, it just was such a fresh thing for the community. And everybody was like, “What is this?” And I was like, “I don’t know.” But it was just so different and cool. And I feel like since then, it’s definitely been nice to have somebody in the country format just staying true to themselves. And that’s what I appreciate about Sam is it’s just he’s himself always, and that’s refreshing.
Sam Hunt Tells Apple Music About When He First Encountered Ingrid Andress’ Music…
I saw the song title, ‘More Hearts Than Mine‘. And I was like, “I wonder what that song is about.” I couldn’t figure out how that song may have been written. And then I heard it and it was so good and so well-written, and I was just impressed and an immediate fan. Yeah. And then Ingrid and I met playing kickball several months later. And she was just… I didn’t know a lot of the people that were playing and you were so welcoming, and you had such good energy and I just connected with you immediately.
Ingrid Andress and Sam Hunt Tell Apple Music About Taking Risks as Songwriters…
Ingrid Andress: I feel like, at least for me, I never think about it as a risk. It’s more of, what would I want to listen to and what am I proud of? And that’s pretty much it. And I think it just either works or it doesn’t. And I feel like after writing a certain amount of songs, you just are like, “I’m just going to put out what I think is good, because that’s really all you can do.” Because there’s room for all different types of music out there. So I just don’t overthink it, and I just go with my gut.
Sam Hunt: I probably do overthink it a little bit. But honestly, I think it’s a matter of it eats me alive if I don’t stick to my guns or if I don’t try to follow that internal radar that’s intuitive that tells you, “Go this way, not that way.” And if I don’t follow that, I just won’t be at peace and it won’t be worth even the success I might find going down that road. I guess I’m just willing to fail following that gut instinct, whatever that is, intuition, whatever you want to call it, because I can be at peace either way. And peace is more important than success, especially when it comes to authenticity and staying true to yourself and not feeling like you’re carrying water for other people’s agendas.
Ingrid Andress and Sam Hunt Tell Apple Music About Loving a “Sad Bop”…
Ingrid Andress: You know me and sad bops, I’m here for them.
Sam Hunt: I 100% relate. They’re my favourites.
Ingrid Andress Tells Apple Music About Collaborating With JP Saxe…
It started as me just being a big fan. And I think obviously Julia, I’m friends with her. And so it was just through that, just a songwriter, fan girl moment. Because we’re all fans of each other, so we just started off that way. I adore his music and I feel like all singer songwriters have the same thing about them. And I don’t know what it is, but it’s just really fun to connect with people who live in that world with you. He’s a lovely, lovely human.
