Drake Milligan just performed a new song on a popular daytime TV show. The singer-songwriter sang “What I Couldn’t Forget’ on The Kelly Clarkson Show. The song is from his new EP, Jukebox Songs, out now.
Clarkson shared his performance on social media.
'What I Couldn't Forget' 🎶 @DrakeMilligan pic.twitter.com/7Ws1DlUgvC
— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@KellyClarksonTV) March 12, 2024
Milligan wrote “What I Couldn’t Forget” with Derek Bahr and Marv Green.
“I love that kind of mid-2000s sound of country music, and that’s really what I wanted to go for with this song,” Milligan told People. “I love that kind of hooky little melody that gets you, with a lot of fiddles everywhere and that kind of resurgence of traditional country that happened in the early 2000s with George [Strait] and Easton Corbin and Billy Currington. We were kind of going for a little bit of that feel on this track.”
Milligan released the four-track Jukebox Songs as a way to honor the music that inspires him, into one cohesive project.
“The name of the record is Jukebox Songs, and that’s exactly what I was going for,” Milligan told Everything Nash. “I was going for songs that you could find on some old dusty jukebox, something that may fit in with ‘Neon Moon’ or some of my favorite Gary Stewart songs or something like that. That’s exactly what I was going for, just songs that kind of feel classic, and keep that kind of tradition going.”
Milligan is of course no stranger to television. The Texan got his start as Elvis Presley on the CMT series, Sun Records. He also landed in the Top 3 on Season 17 of America’s Got Talent in 2022, and then returned earlier this year to compete on America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League.
“It was a lot of fun,” Milligan told Everything Nash, speaking of his return to AGT. “The great part about that show was it was not like a ton of pressure. I mean, you still have that pressure of being on TV and everything, but it wasn’t filmed live. And also too, you had all these great acts. I’ve been a fan of AGT, and have been watching the show for years.”
Milligan is also working on a new project, and continuing to hone his craft, not only as a singer, but as a songwriter as well.
“I had that Ronnie Dunn cut, which was kind of the first time somebody I’ve looked up to so much has cut one of my songs, and felt so great about it,” Milligan shared. “And then last year, I got a Tim McGraw cut as well, a song called ‘Paper Umbrellas’ on his album, Standing Room Only. So it definitely ignites the fire a little more. I want to get some more songs recorded. It’s such a great time, I think, for country music too.
“It’s a really inspiring time for somebody like me. ’cause I see all these opportunities of, if I write a song tomorrow, who knows who’s gonna cut it,” he continued. “Maybe my next single may be a song that does well for me, or it could be something that one of my heroes cuts. So it’s just inspiring and it keeps me going.”
Find Jukebox Songs and all of Milligan’s upcoming shows at DrakeMilligan.com.
