Alabama-based country singer/songwriter Drayton Farley made a name for himself with his debut LP A Hard up Life in 2021. The self-produced album contained songs about working-class life packed with social commentary and smart songwriting. Through YouTube videos and good old-fashioned word-of-mouth, he became a favorite among fans of independent country music and Americana. Recently, he looked back on the humble album that started it all.
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Yesterday (December 20), Farley took to social media to reflect on A Hard up Life. He shared a photo of his DIY recording setup alongside cover art for the album. “I recorded A Hard up Life three years ago this week in my old bedroom at Brookvilla Apartments in Green Pond, Alabama,” he wrote in the post. “One take for all 14 songs on the cheapest gear you can get. I called it good enough and did a full send. Nothing has been the same since, this album literally saved my life.”
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Before releasing the album, Farley was working on an assembly line in a factory. Since it dropped, he has been able to quit factory work and split his attention between his family and his music career. In the past few years, he has opened shows for Zach Bryan and Willie Nelson and shared stages with the likes of Charley Crockett, 49 Winchester, and Muscadine Bloodline.
Additionally, he has released two EPs and one full-length since his debut. Both EPs Walk Home (2022) and Kudzu Wild (2023) met with praise from fans and critical acclaim. His 2023 full-length Twenty on High featured members of The 400 Unit as the backing band. Sadler Vaden produced the album.
In short, Farley has come a long way from his bedroom recording roots.
Drayton Farley on Writing A Hard up Life
Farley discussed writing the songs for his debut full-length during a 2022 interview. “I was working on an assembly line building SUVs and vans,” he recalled. “The nature of assembly production was once you’re trained up, you’re pretty much a robot. … It leaves you plenty of time to get lost in your head,” he added.
“I’d hum out new melodies, write new verses and lines, and get a whole bunch of ideas. I had a bunch of free mental time on that job,” he said. “With A Hard up Life, those songs and a lot of the content of that album was kind of brought in directly from that job. I wrote ‘Blue Collar’ one night at work.”
Revisit A Hard up Life or listen to it for the first time on your favorite streaming platform.
Featured Image: YouTube
