MITCHELL TENPENNY TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW ALBUM “THE 3RD” OUT FRIDAY!
Mitchell Tenpenny’s New Album “The 3rd” is out this Friday, September 20, 2024!
What was your thought process going into making your new album “The 3rd”
It’s your third record and it’s like, what have I not said that I want to say and trying to do things that are me that sound like me, but just are a little different so I’m not making the same record. We got into the room to write that day and my buddy Andy Albert, I wrote it with Paul DiGiovanni, Andy Albert and Devin Dawson, and they came in with the idea of write a song about my name. I’ve been wanting to write a song about where I come from, but didn’t really know how that worked, and at first I was a little leery about singing my name. Like I thought it just didn’t sound right, but then I was like, I want to write it in a way where, like, I know I’m saying my name, but I want people to feel like it’s their name when it’s me and said, I don’t know if that makes sense, but it’s like, this is where I come from. This is what I’m proud of, and I’m saying my name like you should be saying your name. Like I want to leave it, you know, untainted. I want to leave it with a good name, you know, like I was given it. I want to leave it like I was given it, if not better. So I don’t know the concept of “The 3rd“ being the third record and it being my name just all kind of blended together on that one day. I got into singing it and when I sung it for the first time, I felt that. I didn’t feel like I was necessarily just singing my name. It felt like it was something bigger than that and yeah, it kind of inspired how the record would start off and where I wanted to go with it.
How did the current season of your life impact this record?
I’m married now, thinking more and more about family every single day. You know, starting a bigger one besides just me and my wife and continuing on that journey of what? Is there a fourth and then instead of just a third? So I think all my decisions are made differently than they were during “This is the Heavy”. The way I approach life, the way I approach everything, is different now because I have a family. I started a life and I think that’s just part of getting older and growing up. So the songs kind of reflect that, in my opinion, especially the first half. You know, I did that started with “The Third” and then the 10th song is “Set It In Stone”, and I did that on purpose of here’s how I got my name, and here’s how my name is going to look when it’s written on a headstone. Then 11 on are some of my other influences, like genre wise and lyrically, that’s in the back half of my life that I still want to share with people. That’s a part of me. So I think for me, more importantly, the lyrics in this record and where I’m at now is just making decisions more about other people than necessarily myself all the time.
What made you want to make the album 19 songs long?
There wasn’t much fight back on the, the number. I think we kind of live in that climate now again, consumers want to consume and, you know, I joke, but we’re a Tinder swipe away to the next song these days. It’s like, next, next or I like that and so having a lot doesn’t hurt. I also write a lot of songs. I love writing, and anytime I can get a song out to the world’s great, but for me too, I’m a vinyl lover. I love a full record and I love the idea of someone finding their song on a record and the more the merrier I think. Like, what song is going to relate to you the most? If I got ten, I double my chances at one of them nails where you’re at in life with 20. I don’t know, it’s just I also don’t like leaving some behind. It’s like, well, you deserve to be here too. So I think in this market, in the way we are, it kind of lends itself to we can do a little bit more of that, but then at the same time some get left behind, as far as singles go or what priority happens on certain of them, but I don’t know. I’m always going to write more songs, so if I can get them out to the world, I want that to happen. What better time than now to do that? People consume so much. So I’m glad that you know our label and you know, our team never really fought back a lot on the numbers or maybe management pushed really hard behind it. I mean Morgan Wallen put out almost 40 I mean, you know Combs, it’s like people want music and I want to get music out there. So for me, it’s, you know, let’s get out as many as they let us do. I thought for me a little bit more than 20 is a lot, so I was like 20 is a good place to have. Let’s see what happens on the next one. But I’m a vinyl lover. I love the I love the concept of a double album and we got one, so it’s cool.
What songs are you most excited for the fans to hear?
For me “Set It In Stone” and “Started Stopping”. I know they’re two different, ones a very lyrical song and one is a very groovy song for me. I love those. I can’t wait for people to hear the way those turn out, especially like, I put a lot of, you know, a lot of myself, real, real feelings and stuff In “Set It In Stone”. I thought about every single lyric of how I wanted it to say from my perspective, when a lot of times when I write, it’s like, “hey, how are you going to feel?” Is this going to, you know, hop onto your train of perspective? But for me, “Set It In Stone” is this is me. Here it is. Take it or leave it. Same with “The 3rd”, but for me, I can’t wait to see what people think of that. And if they want to be, if they like hear it and get inspired to like, want to start working more for others and for, you know, a life that’s not as self righteous, if that makes sense. Like I want to leave something behind for other people and do good while I’m here. I think it’s a good concept to live by in this world that’s so “me, me, me” right now.