Diplo is opening up about his most recent country collaboration album, Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 2: Swamp Savant.
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Diplo has never shied away from experimenting when it comes to music, and he proves that with Swamp Savant that features collaborations with a range of artists including country and Americana singers Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade and Sturgill Simpson, to pop stars Dove Cameron and Kodak Black.
When looking for inspiration for the album, the hit DJ says he reflected on his sets at the country music-themed Stagecoach Festival in California where he’s known to blend country songs with EDM beats. He made headlines for his appearance in 2019 where he invited Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus to perform “Old Town Road” live for the first time during his set.
“For this [record], I definitely was thinking of Stagecoach,” the Florida native tells Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen on Apple Music Country. “I was like, ‘What works live? What can I do that’s uptempo, has energy?’ And I tapped into that urban cowboy vibe. Why can’t you dance to country music? And I’m not talking about line dancing, which I still want to learn those… I want to make a record ‘Watermelon Crawl’ or ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie’ or something one day. But that’s tailored to a honky tonk.”
Swamp Savant is the follow-up to Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil released in 2020 that featured collaborations with Thomas Rhett, Zac Brown Band, Cam, Orville Peck, Blanco Brown, the Jonas Brothers, Young Thug, Julia Michaels and more. The project cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
“There’s room for everybody, especially in country,” Diplo continues. “I think a younger audience definitely sees that there’s a lot more stories to be told in country music.”
Swamp Savant is available now.
Photo by Aidan Cullen / Sacks & Co.
