ABC Old Dominion‘s latest hit, “Never Be Sorry,” is something of a story from the road, having been written “behind the stage on a picnic table” at “a military base,” as lead singer Matthew Ramsey recalls.
To flesh out the song, the band drew on personal experiences, even if their travel itinerary does make some of the geographical references a bit confusing.
“I can’t remember which one of us it was had bought our girl shoes in Chicago,” Trevor Rosen explains, “and then we had flown to L.A. the next day. And we were walking down the Miracle Mile with ’em. And so that becomes a confusing lyric, because it sounds like we think the Miracle Mile is in Chicago.”
“It’s obviously in L.A.,” Matthew points out. “We did that on purpose.”
Once “Never Be Sorry” was written, it presented another set of challenges for the band.
“That one was the kind of hardest to wrangle in the studio,” Brad Tursi admits. “It took forever to finally land on that vibe.”
“And I do remember just incessantly playing that song at sound check trying to figure out…” Matthew continues.
“Oh, every possible sound!” Geoff Sprung agrees.
“It was just like every day at sound check we’d play it like ten, fifteen times in a row,” Matthew adds. “It was a tough one.”
“What if it’s heavier? What if it’s slower?” Geoff interjects.
“What if we play it backwards?” Matthew jokes, as the guys laugh.
“Never Be Sorry” is the fourth single from the eponymous third album from the CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year.
By Stephen Hubbard
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