Country Singer Jon Pardi Opens Up About Third Album 'Heartache Medication' (Exclusive)
It’s time to Par-di!
Country singer Jon Pardi’s third album, Heartache Medication, is officially out. "We’ve been waiting for this for a long time," he tells ET in a phone interview. "You’ve gotta hold back tears a little bit sometimes… Most of it is the excitement."
It’s been three years since Pardi's last record. His latest 14-song, feel-good collection is full of "fun that everyone’s going to love."
Heartache Medication is a full-circle moment for the California native. Pardi co-wrote seven of the album’s tracks, which includes a few that he worked on in a writing studio he built above his mother's garage, dubbed Shelley's Honkey Tonk.
"I always make the joke, 'It's like the stereotypical making music in my mom's garage,'" Pardi quips.
While in Shelley’s Honky Tonk, the ACM and CMA Award winner also recorded vocals for "Don’t Blame It on Whiskey," which was co-written by Eric Church and Miranda Lambert, something Pardi says was "scary." "I’d say 'Don’t Blame It on Whiskey' is definitely a push because it’s very subtle, it’s very serious… it’s a kind of straight-to-the-point song where if you don’t deliver it right, it’s going to lose that kind of thing that I loved about it," he explains.
The song, which Pardi says has Church’s seal of approval, also features country singer Lauren Alaina, who is currently competing on Dancing With the Stars. Even though Pardi showed off his dancing skills in his recent "Heartache Medication" music video, it’s doubtful we’ll see him following in Alaina’s dancing footsteps on TV anytime soon.
"It would be fun," Pardi, who loves swing dancing, admits. "But, right now I have my goals in music and I’m really going to stick with that."
However, when it comes to the music, the traditional country singer is not closing the door on experimenting with new sounds in the future. "I'm all about artists doing different things and working with different artists,” Pardi mentions, before praising performers like The Chainsmokers, Diplo and Zedd, who have all collaborated with country music artists.
"Now if you approached me with 'Old Town Road,'" Pardi notes. "I probably would have sang 'Old Town Road'… I like that song and it’s such a controversial song, but who cares? If you enjoy it, that’s what music is supposed to be about. For me, when that song started to get big, we were roping in Texas and we had the horses in the back!"
"I'm up for anything” Pardi adds. "As long as it’s a great song."
In the meantime, Pardi is about to kick off his headlining Heartache Medication Tour with a career first, sold-out shows at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
"For me, it’s a stamp of history," the "Dirt on My Boots" singer says, before admitting that the night will "probably" include tears. "You can always play the Ryman, but your first time sold out, back-to-back nights is something you never forget."
Pardi’s special night will include his family, friends and "of course" his girlfriend of two years, Summerfawn Duncan.
"Life with Summer is awesome," Pardi gushes. "When it comes to singing about losing her, it’s a big no for me. I definitely want to make her happy."
"I’ve had my fair share of crazy girlfriends," he jokes. "So it’s nice to be in a totally sustainable relationship... I mean, I still do dumb [things], I’m a guy, but for the most part, I’ve got to pat myself on the back. I’ve been a good boyfriend and it’s nice to really work to make somebody feel loved and feel happy... she’s worth it."
"I love Summer," Pardi adds. "I’m talking like a grown man now… what is this?"
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