Riley Green spends a lot of time on the road, and a lot of time in Nashville. But for Green, his Alabama farm will always be home. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Alabama, there isn’t any place that he would rather be than on his expansive property.
“With a lot of the craziness going on in the world, there’s some comfort in this kind of living,” Green tells Country Living. “It’s gonna influence everything I do musically. I’m probably more mindful about it now than I used to be, because when I started writing songs, it was just because I got tired of playing the same covers every week. But I wrote from a place that was very relatable to a lot of people who grew up the way I did. I had a great family around me that influenced me in a lot of ways.”
Green writes most of his own songs, including his current “Think As You Drunk I Am”” and his recent No. 1 single, “Change My Mind.” The more success Green has, the more he longs to return to his roots.
“When I started having a little success and signed a record deal, I went to town and started writing with great writers,” Green shares. “I realized that I need to make sure I always come back to this place for inspiration, because that’s what got me here. It’s more important now than ever that I come home, and this is where I write not only my favorite songs, but a lot of my biggest songs are written in [my] barn.”
How Riley Green Unwinds in Alabama
Green can, of course, afford to pay people to work his land. But for the 37-year-old, there is nothing more therapeutic than doing the work himself.
“I think my biggest disconnect is getting on a bulldozer, a tractor, and tilling up or bush-hogging or planting something or clearing roads,” Green explains. “You forget you have a phone when you’re out there. There’s no point bringing it with you. You can’t get any service anyway.”
With so much of his life in the public eye, especially now that he is also on The Voice, Green makes no apologies for needing to spend some time away from the spotlight.
“There is a little bit about my lifestyle that would make anybody a little reclusive and a little stingy of their time,” Green says. “Obviously, I don’t even see my family that much. So I always spend a day or two and kind of catch up with everybody, take everybody out to dinner. If my niece and nephew are around, they always run around over here. So I love to have them over a little bit.”
Riley Green’s ‘That’s Just Me’ Album
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Green just released That’s Just Me, his fourth studio album.
“I think stylistically it’s got a lot of different types of songs on it. I think that was something that was so great about the album, Don’t Mind If I Do,” Green tells Audacy, referring to his 2024 record. “It had a lot of different moods. And I always tend to write sad country songs, and people don’t want to cry all day long. So I have some beer up in the air, drinking songs like ‘Think As You Drunk I Am,’ and I’ve got some beach songs. There’s a lot of different types of moments on here.”
Riley Green’s ‘That’s Just Me’ Track List
1. My Way
2. That’s Just Me
3. Don’t Come Any Closer
4. Go Again (ft. Hannah McFarland)
5. Imagine That
6. Got That From You
7. Bartender In Destin
8. Beach Happy
9. Think As You Drunk
10. Well Well Whiskey (ft. Jake Worthington)
11. P.O.S.
12. Runs In The Family
13. Pave All Them Red Dirt Roads (ft. Brooks & Dunn)
14. Lookout Mountain (ft. Randy Owen)
15. Seven Second Ride
16. Radio Road
17. Ol’ Stray Dog
18. More Of A Man Than Me
19. Ten Pairs Of Boots
Photo Credit: CMA / Josh Brasted