Jon Pardi is ‘Really Proud’ of the Nashville Community That Helped Create ‘Heartache Medication’
Ahead of the September 2019 release of his third studio album, Heartache Medication, Jon Pardi invited Nashville media out to his newly-built barn for a first listen of the songs on the project. During the event, both the singer and his label president acknowledged that Pardi had been nervous going into making the project.
"Nobody has stressed over the dilemma of album No. 3 more than this guy to the left of me right here," said Universal Music Group Nashville CEO Mike Dungan. "'What do I do? Do I back off? Do I make it country? How can I make it different? I don't want to make the same record again.'
"Along the way, he kept saying, 'It feels pretty good, but it's even more country than the last one,'" Dungan went on to say.
When Pardi took the microphone, he agreed that some jitters had gone into the album-making process. "I'm kinda nervous -- still, even. I'm still kinda learning how to talk about this record. Usually I wanna be like, 'Just listen to it!'" he said with a laugh.
The listening party was even more special to Pardi because of where it was taking place, he explained: In his shop, nearby all the farm equipment the singer uses to decompress when he needs to take a break from music. "This is the first party ever in this shop, right here, so we're breaking it in right," he reflected. "It's fun to do things, in the country, to take your mind off music. What I'm trying to say is that now that everybody's here, it's like, 'Man, we were in the guts of a bulldozer, and now we're going back to my album.'"
The process was finally making the new project real to him, Pardi added. "I named it Heartache Medication because it talks about sad topics, but it makes you feel good at the same time. It's a lot of uplifting stuff -- great beer and good times, you know?"
He quickly went on to acknowledge the impressive group of songwriters and contributors who had helped make Heartache Medication a reality. "I'm really proud of it. I'm really proud of all the session players, all the songwriters that delivered great songs. I wrote half the record, and then Nashville stepped in and wrote the other half. I'm very proud of that. And I think everybody's gonna love it," he related.
The new album's tracklist contains a number of A-list bylines, including six tracks co-penned by Pardi. One of the album's songs, a collaboration with Lauren Alaina called "Don't Blame it on the Whiskey," was co-written by Eric Church and Miranda Lambert along with Michael Heeney and Luke Laird.
Jon Pardi, Heartache Medication Tracklist
1. “Old Hat” (Jeff Hyde, Matt Jenkins and Ryan Tyndell)
2. “ Heartache Medication” (Jon Pardi, Barry Dean and Natalie Hemby)
3. “Nobody Leaves a Girl Like That” (Bart Butler, Marv Green and Jimmy Yeary)
4. “Ain't Always the Cowboy” (Brandon Kinney and Josh Thompson)
5. “Me And Jack” (Jon Pardi, Rhett Akins, Bart Butler and Luke Laird)
6. “Don't Blame It on Whiskey" (feat. Lauren Alaina) (Eric Church, Michael Heeney, Luke Laird and Miranda Lambert)
7. “Tied One On” (Bart Butler, Chase McGill and Jamie Paulin)
8. “Oughta Know That” (Jon Pardi, Bart Butler and Luke Laird)
9. “Tequila Little Time” (Jon Pardi, Rhett Akins and Luke Laird)
10. “Buy That Man a Beer” (Clint Daniels, Justin Lantz and John Pierce)
11. “Call Me Country” (Jon Pardi, Bart Butler and Driver Williams)
12. “Just Like Old Times” (Jon Pardi, Jeff Hyde and Michael Heeney)
13. “Love Her Like She's Leaving” (Bart Butler, Dean Dillon and Jessie Jo Dillon)
14. “Starlight” (Jon Pardi, Bart Butler and Jeffrey Steele)
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