Riley Green is opening up about his new album, That’s Just Me, out on September 18. The record, his fourth, includes “Think As You Drunk,” Green’s current single.

“I feel like this album, as much as any album that I’ve put out, is just me,” Green tells TalkShopLive. “There are some things I tried to do musically that were a little outside of my comfort zone. I think to keep everything not sounding the same, you’ve got to push yourself as an artist. But there’s a lot of stuff that’s really what got me to writing from the same place I grew up, and where I get most of my inspiration, which is a small town in Alabama.”

That’s Just Me features several songs written solely by Green, including “My Way” and “Go Again,” his duet with Hannah McFarland.

“As a songwriter, it always means a lot when you write something, and you know you came up with it, and people relate to it,” Green says. “Especially if the song has some success, that’s really meaningful for me as a writer. But there’s also some features on here.”

Riley Green’s “My Way” on ‘That’s Just Me’

That’s Just Me starts with “My Way.” It’s one of his favorites on the 19-song project.

“I loved the simplicity of that lyric,” Green boasts. “It’s just telling a story, and it’s just talking about how you wish things were. Maybe reminiscing over an old relationship, but in a way that’s not painfully sad. I love a sad country song. But this one is more talking about – I love the line about ‘field full of fireflies, watching us lost time making up.’  I love that you can really see that moment.

“And also, when I was on my farm in Alabama, that’s the only thing around,” he adds. “So it’s personal to me. And a lot of the inspiration of those pictures you see are from where I grew up.”

Riley Green’s Path to Country Music

By Green’s own admission, he never imagined he would have a career in country music. Green was building houses by day, and performing in local venues in his home state of Alabama at home on nights and weekends. Perhaps no one is more surprised than Green that he is one of the biggest hitmakers in country music right now.

“I never thought there was anything about me musically that was talented,” Green concedes. “I liked to sing. I thought I could sing good enough that people wouldn’t throw stuff at me. I could carry a tune. But I never was overly talented as a guitar player or a singer. So, when I started writing songs, I saw that as a way that I could set myself apart.

“I’d play cover shows, and there were so many people that could play, that were as good as I was or better,” he continues. “But if I write a song, I’m the only person that could tell that specific story. So writing for me was my way into having a music career, or thinking that I could anyway.”