Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews have been all over the airwaves with their smash single, “I’m Alive,” and beyond their mutual connection as songwriters, here they also talk about Kenny’s Atlanta concert two years ago, when they realized they not only shared a lot of fans, but they could also make some really cool music together. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

• “I’m Alive” is just one of the incredible hits on Kenny’s aptly titled second Greatest Hits collection, available in stores and online now!

  Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews talk about how they came to collaborate on their smash, “I’m Alive.” (:80)
Kenny: “In 2007 when I closed my tour in Atlanta, I mean, I had met Dave two years earlier at Farm Aid. But when I closed my tour in Atlanta, Dave had a night off, and we got up on stage, and we did a song of his called ‘Where Are You Going.’ And when Dave walked out on stage to sing, I mean, it was as if we were at a Dave Matthews Band show.”
Dave: “That show was an eye-opener as well. ‘Cause I was like, I hadn’t seen, that was the first show I saw of his. I was like, ‘Holy…'”
Kenny: (laughs)
Dave: “‘Good God! This is a hell of a show!'”
Kenny: (laughs)
Dave: “It’s not the country music my mama listens to.”
Kenny: “It’s not. No, there’s no doubt about it. Neither one of our shows is the kind of show where somebody comes to it, and they buy somethin’ to eat, and they buy a drink or beverage of their choice and sit down and enjoy the music. No, this is a happening.”
Dave: “Yeah.”
Kenny: “But I realized that night in Atlanta, in 2007, that, wow, we had a lot of similar people in the audience. And I think that Dave and I both, if we found the right song, or wrote a song together, or whatever, if we were ever gonna do somethin’, this would be the kind of song to do it with.”
Dave: “It’s a really pretty song, and everyone I’ve played it for has said that. They’ve said, ‘This is a sweet song.’ It’s just a beautiful, quiet reflection.”

  Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews feel that the biggest connection between them is in songwriting. (:35)
Dave: “I like Kenny’s music, and I admire his career, and, you know, I like the idea of doing something that is out of the box for me.”
Kenny: “When I look at Dave’s career, I see a lot of similarities, and the biggest common denominator in my life is about writin’ songs. That’s where it all started for me. I think that it all revolves around writin’ songs.”
Dave: “I think that’s one of the things that makes…gives us a common ground, is that we’re both songwriters. I think that’s automatic common ground.”