Drew Baldridge has been working hard to get his music to country fans for years, and with his 2016 debut album, Dirt On Us, he did just that. The 13-song compilation contained all but two that were co-written by the Illinois native and he really struck a chord with “Dance With Ya” and the Spotify sensation, “Rebound.”
Now, with his latest single “Guns & Roses,” Baldridge shows even more of the type of music he has been working towards since he first moved to Nashville. The tune is the first taste of what he is honing in on for sophomore album, which promises to have a mix of R&B-influenced songs that were the core of his first record, along with a number of more clear-cut pop country tunes.
“The new record is going to be a little different. It’s still in that realm of the funk music I love. Growing up I listened to Michael Jackson, and I love Earth, Wind & Fire – all that grooving stuff. I love to dance on stage and my band, we all choreograph our dances, so there’s still going to be that fun grooving side,” he stated in a recent interview with Rolling Stone Country. “So, some of them are going to be really pushing the boundaries of country music with funk music and groovy bass lines, but there’s still going to be small-town lyrics to a couple of these songs. There’s going to be the whole spectrum.”
Baldridge has been staying busy in 2018, performing shows and working on his upcoming release, but the singer/songwriter is also finding ways to give back. Starting this year he will kick off a charity called WERD (Win Encourage Rejoice Daily). The plans are to start selling shirts and hats with 100% of the proceeds going to charity. The mission will be to pick a different charity every month, or WERD of the Month, that will benefit a specific cause.
Two of the organizations he hopes to help are Shriners Hospital, where he spent some time in the seventh grade due to foot problems he had while playing sports, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, because of Country Music’s long-standing devotion to the facility and their focus on saving the lives of many young children facing cancer.
For those who may still not be as familiar with Baldridge’s music he describes it as “real, fun, and funtry – kind of fun and country together.” But, he also wants people to know that his music comes from the heart and that when you hear it, he hopes it takes you back to a memory.
Drew Baldridge will open the show for Rodney Atkins this Saturday (Feb. 17) at Thirsty Cowboy in Medina, Ohio. Doors open at 7pm; Baldridge goes on at 8:30pm and Atkins at 10pm. Tickets are $22/Advance and $25/Day of Show and are available at ThirstyCowboy.com.
