Rising country star Lanie Gardner continues to turn heads, this time with her newest release, “Concrete Cowboy.” The North Carolina native co-wrote the song with producers Katie Cecil and Chris Ganoudis, sharing the story of heartbreak caused by someone who pretended to be something he wasn’t.

Ahead of the release, Gardner spoke with Country Now at Live in the Vineyard Goes Country, where she opened up about the inspiration behind the track and how she felt going into the release.

“So just being transparent, I actually wrote it about my current boyfriend right now,” she revealed. 

With a laugh, she added, “Call me Taylor Swift, but I do write about all of my relationships, short, long, whatever.”

The song was inspired by the early stages of her relationship and during a time when her career was in a lull. 

“Towards the beginning, it was pretty rocky… it was a time when nothing was really happening with my music career and so I started writing for myself rather than for the world,” she explained. “And I think that’s why that song kind of comes off so real.”

The song instantly draws listeners in with its vivid storytelling and Gardner’s irresistible vocals. The first verse sets the story up as a guy rolls into town, looking the part of a country boy with his black Mustang and clean boots, but it’s clear he doesn’t belong. The girl, who is described as a southern wildflower, falls for his charm, however, the excitement quickly fades as his true character is revealed. 

“Concrete cowboy/ Shouldn’t have loved her if you didn’t know how, boy/ Pulled a wildflower out of southern ground/ And watched the color fade out/ Fell for those city lights in your eyes/ But she couldn’t survive your heart of concrete, cowboy,” she sings. 

Of her muse, the 25-year-old explained, “He’s from Chatt (Chattanooga, Tenn.), that’s city enough for me, but coming in and kind of posing as country boys long enough to bag a southern belle and we have big hearts and we love strong…It’s simple as that.”

“Concrete Cowboy” has been in the works for four years, ever since her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” went viral with over 60 million views. At this point in her career, Gardner says she finally feels the freedom to release her music on her own terms with the help of her team.

“I have people around me that see the vision that I do, who are willing to work for it and stick their necks out there for it. It’s different and I’ve been writing for it for the last four years and so now finally getting to release that music and show what we’ve been doing kind of under the radar is exciting,” she said. 

Gardner admitted she was a bit “nervous” and “excited” to release “Concrete Cowboy” into the world. 

“I’m nervous about it. Hopefully people will be able to relate to it in some way or just like to listen to it,” she pointed out. “I’m excited because it’s been written for such a long time and I’ve been wanting to release it and now I finally get the opportunity to.” 

In addition to dropping “Concrete Cowboy,” Gardner recently joined forces with Thomas Rhett on “What Could Go Right” and Warren Zeiders on “Love In Letting Go.” She doesn’t take these pinch-me moments for granted, feeling honored to have received the call to collaborate—and hoping to pay it forward someday.

“People like Thomas Rhett, I think he really does give the helping hand up to younger artists and if he likes something, he likes the sound of something, that’s what he’s going to do. And he seems pretty straightforward and dedicated to that, which I really appreciate and maybe I can do that for someone one day,” she shared. 

When reflecting on her collaboration with Warren Zeiders on “Love In Letting Go,” Gardner shared her hope that the song highlights the power of mutual support in the industry.

“I feel like that song hopefully resonates with other people and they’re able to see that there’s artists in the music industry that do believe in each other and give each other a chance on something.”

This summer, fans can catch Lanie Gardner at CMA Fest, Carolina Country Music Festival and more, before she hits the road with Gavin Adcock on his ‘Need To’ Tour this fall.

The post Lanie Gardner Gets Real About New Song, ‘Concrete Cowboy’: ‘I Actually Wrote It About My Current Boyfriend’ [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.