Matt Stell’s Anthemic “Breakin’ in Boots” Was Inspired by Night Out in Nashville

Matt Stell found inspiration for his new song “Breakin’ in Boots” on a night out in Nashville. The singer/songwriter teamed with Joe Fox, Ben Stennis, and Nate Cyphert for the anthemic track after losing sight of his dream girl at a crowded bar.

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“Not too long ago, I was at a bar in Nashville one night–it was early, and I was by myself,” Stell said in a press release. “I sat there trying to care about July baseball while I watched the place fill up. I was halfway through my last longneck when I saw a girl across the bar. She was so pretty and it seemed like there was a spotlight on her. She was just glowing from her blonde hair down to her brown ostrich boots. They actually looked a lot like mine, and I decided our boots were going to be how I struck up a conversation with her. 

“She finally looked in my direction and when we locked eyes, it felt like we were about to have history,” he continued. “I tabbed out as fast as I could and tried to make my way over to her. But I couldn’t find her, and I haven’t seen her since. The next day, my buddy Ben [Stennis] came into a writing session and said he might have a title for a song. He said, ‘It’s something like–She’ll leave you there with your heart breaking in your boots. I’m not exactly sure what it would be about, though.’ And I said, ‘Oh I know exactly what it’s about.’”

[RELATED: Matt Stell Finds His Lane on ‘One of Us’ EP]

A heart-thumping beat coupled with glimmering electric guitar and Stell’s smooth vocals make “Breakin’ in Boots” an instant earworm. Don’t think that she doesn’t ‘cause she knows what she’s doin’ / She’ll burn you like the bourbon in the bottle she’s shootin’ / She’s a cowboy killer that’s the cold-hard truth / You can try to love her but she’ll leave your heart breakin’ in boots, Stell sings on the chorus. Produced by Fox, “Breakin’ in Boots” follows Stell’s 2023 EP One Of Us and is a hint of what’s to come from the singer/songwriter.

“This project is definitely me getting in my own lane and being comfortable about who I am and what I want to do,” Stell told American Songwriter of his collection of new music in February. “I feel like I’m finding my stride in making the music that I want to make.”

Listen to “Breakin’ in Boots” below.

Courtesy Wide Open Music / Sweet Talk Publicity

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