"We can't wait to work with you, but that song you're giving to Jason
Aldean, that's going to be your debut single. You need to ask for it
back."
Duo Waterloo Revival from Austin, Texas, has been striving for the big breakthrough since 2013. But despite two record deals (with Big Machine and Show-Dog Universal) things didn't really work out. The big hit just didn't happen. So the two highschool buddies Cody Cooper and George Birge finally gave up in 2020.
When the press officially announced the end of Waterloo Revival at the beginning of 2021, George Birge had already begun to focus on his possible new role as a songwriter. "I was just kind of relegated to the fact that I was going to maybe just write songs for other folks", he recalled to tasteofcountry.com.
One of the first songs he wrote with Jaron Boyer, Michael Tyler and Colt Ford was 'Mind On You'. A mid-tempo song with a catchy chorus. "We pitched 'Mind on You' to Jason [Aldean], who's a huge influence on me musically," George Birge told billboard.com. "And we got an email back, saying, 'Jason wants it for his new record'."
But in the meantime, another of his songs had gone viral on TikTok. There, influencer Erynn Chambers made a point about male country artists only knowing one theme in their songs: beer, beer, trucks, trucks and girls in tight jeans. That prompted George Birge to write a song with exactly that title: 'Beer, Beer, Truck, Truck'.
@georgebirgeofficial If y’all blow this up I may have to finish it and release it, should we write the whole thing @rynnstar 🔥 #countrymusic #country #originalsong ♬ original sound - George Birge
This in turn led to a record deal with label Records Nashville. However, CEO Barry Weiss was convinced that the song 'Mind On You' would be perfect for George Birge's official debut single. So the songwriter -not entirely happy- had to ask Jason Aldean if he could perhaps have the song back?
Bu all worked out well and made the song not only the title song of his debut album, which was released in May of 2023, but also the first single. In the end, Barry Weiss' instinct and the efforts involved more than paid off. Because at the beginning of 2024, George Birge had his first big commercial hit with 'Mind On You', which climbed to number 2 on the radio (Billboard Country Airplay) chart.
At the beginning of March 2024, the follow-up single already entered the radio charts. It's called 'Cowboy Songs' and has reached number 44 after just 3 weeks. It's (again) a song with a cathy chorus. Although the production unfortunately is once again driven by those annoying howling echo beats, melody and lyrics stick out. They are about a mysterious woman who loses herself in the music when dancing to cowboy songs ...
loves to get lost in a moment.
She comes alive when the neon's on.
Don't wanna leave 'til it's closing.
So I got a twenty on the jukebox to keep it playing,
anything that sounds like Waylon [Jennings]
and right here's where I'll be staying all night long,
'cause she only dances to cowboy songs.
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