Go ahead, call Jerrod Niemann‘s “Tequila Kisses” an experiment, but remember there’s precedent. The hitmaker’s new song does more than double down on his biggest hit to date.
Niemann says he and good friends Lee Brice and Jon Stone wrote about a wild night out, where you meet someone special and hit it off. Patient vocals contrast the rush of lust after a few shots of Patron. Niemann has almost always been a guy who’s able to take his time through a song.
“Tequila kisses, morning light / On her lips, I still taste the lime / She don’t know me / She don’t mind / Tequila kisses to say goodbye,” he sings.
More remarkable about this song from Niemann’s upcoming, independently released Lost & Found album (TBD) is how the track is built. It’s an a cappella song that finds layer after layer of harmonies, doubled.
“I’ve always really connected with harmony-driven music from groups like the Oak Ridge Boys, Diamond Rio and the Beach Boys,” Niemann tells The Boot’s partner site Taste of Country, “and ever since “Lover, Lover,” (2010) I’ve had so many amazing fans tell me they were drawn to the groove and the nine-part harmony arrangement of that song.”
“It took awhile, but I recorded 25 different vocal tracks and then doubled them — so there are 50 separate parts that make up this song, all recorded in my home studio,” he adds.
Bass, percussion and the shakers you hear are all made from Niemann’s mouth. It’s a passion project to be sure, but one the singer says was the most fun he’s ever had in the studio.
This new song is one of two that Niemann released on Friday (Aug. 7). The other is the Warren Brothers and Lance Miller co-write “Ghost Rider.” These songs mark his first new music in two years.
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