Dave McElroy is celebrating his band. On Friday, Feb. 28, the Minnesota-based country singer will release his latest single, “Good Time Guys.” The track, which you can listen to here, is an ode to the bandmates he’s been on the road with for nearly a decade.
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“This is the biggest bunch of screw balls you’ve ever met in your life,” he told American Songwriter. “They’re absolutely hilarious and we’re a family. A true family. We truly love each other as brothers. Being with them out on the road is always a happy time.”
The song, McElroy said, reflects on the “one million stories of funny things that have happened along the way.” From quoting Wild Hogs while riding scooters, spontaneous synchronized swimming, and kicking it at dive bars with fans after shows, there hasn’t been a dull moment.
The Deeper Meaning Behind Dave McElroy’s “Good Time Guys”
All those fun times are easy to imagine when you hear the upbeat, fun track. However, the song also has a more somber background, as it was written in remembrance of McElroy’s late bandmate, Jared Armistead, who died by suicide in 2023.
While promoting “Good Time Guys,” McElroy decided that it was “super important” to be candid about the tragic situation and the mental health troubles that preceded it.
“Jared was the heart of our band. We were all extraordinarily close, but Jared was just the most loving, wonderful guy you’ve ever met in your life,” McElroy remembered. “If anything ever need to get done he’s the first one to jump on it. He was always present emotionally. He was just great, just loving and caring.”
“He shared his heart with us every day,” he added of the late bass player. “I don’t cry very easily and I cried for days and weeks and months after that, every time I thought about him. I just couldn’t believe he wasn’t with us anymore.”
What’s to Come in 2025 for Dave McElroy
“Good Time Guys” won’t be McElroy’s only new music this year. The singer has plans to have at least three new tracks out by next spring, including one song that will appear on Prime Video’s Cross, and another track that’s a ballad about his late in-laws.
McElroy, who also hosts the hunting and fishing show, Hang Time with Dave McElroy, will hit the road later this year too. He said that he can’t wait “to get back out there with the fans.”
“We call [our fans] friends because honestly, we’ve never met a single person that we didn’t think was super cool,” he said. “… Just being back out there with the boys is gonna be good. It’s going to be weird [without Jared]. We’re gonna keep Jared’s guitar, his bass on stage with us.”
Overall, McElroy said he’s “just looking forward to being back out on the road and releasing these new singles.”
“It’s a lot love into these songs. When I write songs, it is designed to let people in our lives,” he said. “I write about sheer joy, sheer happiness, sheer pain, and sheer stupidity, because we’re a bunch of idiots and I’m the ring leader. It’s just about enjoying all those things with them.”
Photo courtesy of Dave McElroy
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