For Easton Corbin, releasing new music amidst a chaotic year is all about his fans. To fuel their fire this road warrior usually provides on stage, the country music star dropped a new EP, Didn’t Miss A Beat, on November 13.
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The six-track collection marks Corbin’s first release since 2015’s About To Get Real. The space between then and his latest work was consumed with reckoning and reflection. After parting ways with his record label, the creative freedom the artist garnered became a welcomed “reset,” allowing him to return to his songwriter roots.
For Corbin, that freedom sounds like an effortless blend of traditionalism and contemporary country. The aural poignancy of pedal steel in 2009’s “A Little More Country Than That” and the warm swell of “Roll With It” carries over in his new collection with songs like “Before You Wish You Had.”
With over a decade of Music City under his belt, the native-Floridian serves as an ambassador of his predecessors and purveyor of this tradition. Yet, the artist understands the necessity of pushing the bounds of his characteristically reminiscent soundscape. He does not let his pride or previous success stand in the way of his artistic development.
As an apprentice of the avant-garde, Corbin has crossed genre-lines to expand his sonic palette to suit the present moment. He released his intro-track, “Turn Up,” earlier this summer, and his second collaboration with global EDM act Lost Frequencies, “One More Night.”
“My fans like to hear a typical Eastern Corbin sounding record, and it’s important to satisfy that demographic of your audience because those are your core audience members,” he explains. “But to make new ones, you have to get out there and evolve with the sonic changes over the years. To nurture and grow that audience, you should keep making your sound as fresh as possible while still being you. And for me, I think that’s about keeping one foot in the traditional and the other in the current.”
He compares selecting a favorite from the EP to picking a favorite child, explaining, “It’s hard to say you love one more than the other because there are different things about each that you love.”
He points to the groove of the title track as a tangible feature.
“This one always feels good to play,” Corbin explains. “It never loses energy, whether you’re playing a live band or acoustic. I love the message of picking up where you left off. It’s fitting for what’s going on today. I think everybody wants to forget the noise and rock on.”
“Old Lovers Don’t Make Good Friends” holds true the traditionalism he thoughtfully infused into this milestone collection.
Stepping back into his artistry, an EP release serves as a temperature check for Corbin. The variance between the selections welcomes a broad listener base and the opportunity to observe where old and new fans gravitate.
According to the artist, this collection is merely a jump-off point. With nearly three full records of songs in his arsenal, Corbin suggests there is plenty more where this came from.
Listen to Easton Corbin’s bold re-entrance EP, Didn’t Miss A Beat, below.
