This Week’s Backstage Country Host: Cole Swindell

This week, Backstage Country welcomes Cole Swindell as co-host! Repping the great state of Georgia, Swindell will join Elaina Smith for the entire week of April 21-25 to share the stories behind his music, including his latest hit, “Forever To Me.” 

In 2021, Swindell teamed up with Lainey Wilson for the hit single “Never Say Never,” the second single from his fourth album, Stereotype. The song went on to become Swindell’s seventh number one single and Wilson’s second. 

When Smith asked Swindell how he met Wilson and how the collaboration came about, the “Single Saturday Night” singer shared, “I met her after the BMI Awards years ago at the Sony Music Publisher. We always had after-parties somewhere, and I just remember the time Terry Wakefield introduced me. I had heard of her, and we chatted for a few minutes, and I was hoping we'd get a chance to write someday.”  

He added, “I'm a big fan of her writing and I think that now that we've done a song together, don't you think we should probably write a song? So, I'm excited to hopefully get to write with her someday.” Swindell also admitted how “it’s really cool” that they have a song that did well for the both of them. 

Swindell reminisced and said he knows he sounds different now, just like some of his favorite artists do when he listens to their first albums: “I guess it's just part of getting older, learning how to sing, and everything just sounds different. But I look at those days and I wouldn't be where I am now without those songs, even the first ones that got me going like ‘Chillin’ It.’” 

Smith followed up with a question about whether he cringes when he hears his voice from back then, similar to her own experience hearing herself on early radio. Swindell chuckled, “You hear some of the old stuff and it's like, ‘Golly I don't really sound like that right now!’ Or ‘Please tell me I don't sound like [that]’. To people, you know that's what they're familiar with, and that's cool about those songs.”  

He added, “We, of course, continue to make new music and want people to be interested in that, but it's like hey, they came to see these hit songs and I wouldn't have near the success I would have without country radio and all the support I've had since ‘Chillin’. That was the one that got it started, but to be able to have a pretty good run after that, is just a dream come true.” 

Make sure to mark your calendars for April 21–25 and tune in to Backstage Country to catch all the action. You can also check out Cole Swindell’s website to learn more about his music, see tour dates, and purchase official merch.