When successful songwriters like Rhett Akins, Thomas Rhett and Luke Laird get together, you would think that they could spit out a few No. 1 hits without too much trouble. But sometimes, even the best songwriters suffer from writer's block. However, in the case of Lee Brice's 'Parking Lot Party' lyrics, writer's block gave way to Top 20 radio gold.
"That song was not even supposed to be written," Akins reveals in an interview with Roughstock. "It was just one of those miracle days where Thomas Rhett just wasn’t feeling anything we were writing. We started two or three songs, and Thomas Rhett was like, ‘Naw, I don’t like that,’ or ‘I don’t feel like writing that.’ His head just wasn’t into it that day."
Ready for a distraction, the songwriting team took a break to go grab a bite to eat, and then returned to the parking lot of the building they were working in to hang out. Still avoiding the songwriting room, Akins, Rhett and Laird were approached by Lee Brice in the parking lot. Brice was looking for a new sound, and he was hoping that the three seasoned scribes could help him out.
"We asked him what he needs, and he goes, ‘Every song I sing is so serious and ballad-driven. I need something fun, and I need something rockin’ for my live show … you know … just sitting in the parking lot, drinking beers or something,'" Akins recalls.
Brice's idea about drinking beers in a parking lot sparked an idea in Akins' mind. Before long, the 'Parking Lot Party' lyrics were starting to come together.
Once Akins, Rhett, Laird and Brice penned the 'Parking Lot Party' lyrics, they got to work nailing down a good melody. The more they talked about the song, they more they wanted it to be an anthem for people tailgating before a concert.
"Lee ended up cutting the song with crowd noise and got [radio personalities] Big D and Bubba to do the intro in the song on the record. We wrote it basically about people sitting in the parking lot before a concert," Akins adds
The laid-back chorus in 'Parking Lot Party' is exactly what Brice was talking about -- a fun, rockin' song about chilling in a parking lot before a big concert.
"At the parking lot party tailgate buzz just sipping' on suds / Ain't never too early to light one up, fill up your cup / Cause there ain't no party like the pre-party and after the party is the after-party / At the parking lot party," Brice sings in the chorus.
Brice was especially excited about the 'Parking Lot Party' lyrics because they tell a story that he's experienced before. "I remember times when I was going to go to an event, and we never made into the event because we were having too big of a ball in the parking lot," he tells Billboard. "There's no shame in that. It's always fun."
As football season heats up this fall, we have a feeling that plenty of tailgaters will be spinning Brice's latest tune in parking lots all over the country.
Next: Listen to Lee Brice, 'Parking Lot Party'ncG1vNJzZmiskajBprvFnKaupqSnxm%2BvzqZmpZ2VYq%2BztcKeZKmZoqC2r7OMpaatZaCWv7XFjKWwq6GTqHw%3D