With his sixth studio album, Killed the Cowboy, country artist Dustin Lynch delivers a mix of high-energy tracks representing the hitmaker’s current chapter of life. The project features multiple cuts co-penned by Lynch with some of the genre’s most accomplished songwriters, including Ashley Gorley, Jessi Alexander, Dallas Davidson, and Anderson East.
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Killed the Cowboy features 12 new songs from Lynch, including the nostalgia-driven “Chevrolet,” his talked-about duet with Jelly Roll. The record’s flirtatious second track, “Honky Tonk Heartbreaker,” tells the story of a chance meeting that ignites a spark inside a rowdy bar. Penned by Lynch, Zach Crowell, Ben Johnson, and Hunter Phelps, the song offers the playful charm and catchy lyricism fans have come to expect from the talented Tennessee native.
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Below, in his own words, Dustin Lynch tells American Songwriter about what inspired his Killed the Cowboy track “Honky Tonk Heartbreaker.”
“‘Honky Tonk Heartbreaker’ is a fun song that, for me, captures the energy of Lower Broadway in Nashville, which is where I always dreamed as a kid I’d get to play. That was the top—I wanted to be on Broadway and the Grand Ole Opry and Bluebird Cafe—and it just takes me back to those fun years of learning how to entertain a crowd, falling in love with the girls that were down there playing. And it hasn’t changed. I still love to go to Lower Broadway. I still love going to country bars in the middle of nowhere.
“It’s a story song about the energy and those interactions of guys and girls. You never know what’s going to happen, and there are so many different characters, but most nights, the girls end up calling the shots and running the show.”
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
