Jason Aldean Guarantees Ronnie Milsap Won’t Be Forgotten ‘Anytime Soon’ With New Song: ‘I Knew Immediately That We Were Going to Cut It’
Billboard looks at the writing and recording behind Jason Aldean's "Anytime Soon."
On May 16, 2024, Jason Aldean paid tribute to Toby Keith at the Academy of Country Music Awards by performing an acoustic version of "Should’ve Been a Cowboy." During the awards ceremony, Aldean was introduced to a fresh demo of a new song written by bassist Tully Kennedy and guitarist Kurt Allison. Aldean immediately recognized the sound and knew they were going to cut it for the record.
The song, titled "Anytime Soon," was released by Broken Bow to country radio on August 2 via PlayMPE. It features a keyboard tone similar to Ronnie Milsap's "Stranger in My House," blended with classic rock sounds reminiscent of Tom Petty and Journey. Aldean, known for his storytelling about guys trying to pick themselves up after relationships fall apart, found the essence of the song in the drinking theme and Aldean's own penchant for such narratives.
Kennedy and Allison met with John Edwards, who contributed a chord progression in a minor key that became the foundation of "Anytime Soon." The song's protagonist battles with a bottle of whiskey, trying to erase a woman from his memory. The band spent a week refining the song, eventually deciding on a vague location of a dive bar to add to the story's mystery.
The final version of "Anytime Soon" was recorded with producer Michael Knox, incorporating the authentic keyboard tone of a Wurlitzer piano. The demo and recording process was efficient, with just three takes needed to capture the final version.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
