Following his debut full-length, Home State in 2018, country artist Jordan Davis released a self-titled EP on May 22, 2020—just a few weeks into a global pandemic.
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Building on the momentum of debut single “Singles You Up” and the chart-topping 2018 “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot,” his 2020 track “Almost Maybes,” and a feature on “The Ride” from Hailey Whitter’s collaborative album, Living the Dream proved a positive next step in his artistry. However, the forced pause of the pandemic led the Louisiana native to shift perspectives on who he is and the type of music he wants to create.
His second track, “Church In A Chevy” from his 2020 EP, was a first step in his reflection process. Growing up in the church, Davis discusses the process of finding new versions of that similar sanctuary in college and through the progression of adulthood. Once COVID-19 actually closed church doors, the artist began receiving messages about those who were stuck at home or had previously pulled away from the church who, after listening, felt like the could still talk to God in their own ways.
“When [quarantine] first started, I had to re-look at my priorities, and had to answer some tough questions as far as like, ‘Is this music?’ And the tour and stuff, ‘Is this coming in front of you being a husband, and now you being a dad?’ And I didn’t like the answers to them,” he tells Apple Music Country Faith Radio’s host and member of Lady A, Hillary Scott in an interview.
“And so, I took a couple of months just to enjoy being at home, stop thinking about Jordan Davis, the guy that sings songs. And I got to fall back in love with songwriting, with songs that I hadn’t listened to in a long time.”
The result is his forthcoming EP, Buy Dirt. The eight-track collection, due May 21, includes his current Top 10 single “Almost Maybes” as well as the previously-released “Need to Not.” Penned at home, surrounded by family, this project allowed the artist time to recenter his songwriting for a truly authentic exhibition of his artistry.
Time off the road meant Davis was present for more of his children’s day-to-day. Some of his highlights this year were things he would’ve missed under normal circumstances like his daughter’s progression from crawling to taking her first steps. He also witnessed her eating solid foods for the first time. He recalls, “I was there at the table with her. And that was when I stopped and looked at my calendar and I was like, ‘I would have been in Arizona tonight. I would not have been here.'”
It was certainly a transition being around the house while his wife continued in her typical role. The artist says, “this is my thing that I tell new dads—a mom and a kid is just a special thing. It is something that is the most beautiful thing to watch. But for the first six months, I’m just like, ‘Well, do you want me to watch that? Is there anything I can do here? This kid wants nothing to do with me.'”
He continues, “So the big moment for me was the day I came home and she just full sprinted to the door, smiled, took up her whole face and she just ran into my kneecap. And I was just like, ‘That was the coolest thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life.'”
Listen to Jordan Davis’ full conversation with Hillary Scott on Apple Music Country Faith Radio, here. Pre-save his upcoming EP, Buy Dirt, before May 21.
