On Thursday November 14th, we caught up with Levi Hummon before his show at the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den. It was the first of three New England stops on Hummon’s debut headlining, Drop of Us Tour. Building up to this tour, Levi had opening slots for artists like Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, and he had the opportunity to support Hunter Hayes on the Closer to You Tour earlier this year. Levi and his team decided to keep the momentum rolling throughout the fall with a headlining tour, making 16 stops around the country. “It’s been incredible… we’ve had 300-400 people come out each night and support us and sing every single word to every single song,” he said.
The intimacy of venues like the Wolf Den create the perfect atmosphere to foster connections between artists and their audience, and Levi’s close relationship with his fans was on display that night. Hummon’s interactions with the crowd seemed casual and comfortable, like he was hanging out with old friends. “I love being able to go on the road and go on this headlining tour and speak to a fanbase that’s completely mine,” he said. “To be able to speak to people who want to hear my songs only, they’re not here for the other artist I’m opening up for, I can re-evaluate what’s going on and try out new music and see how they love it and see what affects people.” His set included fan favorites like ‘Night Lights,’ ‘Change My Life,’ and the tour’s namesake, ‘Drop of Us.’ Levi also treated fans to an unreleased song, ‘Rock and Roses,’ which he said has been “the standout song of this tour.”
Levi’s latest single, ‘State I’m In,’ has made a noticeable impact since its release in September. “I wrote it on the Hunter Hayes tour about being gone and on the road and missing somebody back home. I’ve found that people loved it and started relating to the song in different ways, that’s been the most special part of the song,” he said as he began to describe stories from fans. One story he touched upon in particular was a woman whose husband is stationed across the country on a military base.
Levi also has a brand new project that’s close to his heart – on November 8th he re-released ‘Cowboy Take Me Away’ with Runaway June to celebrate 20 years since the song came out. The original song lives on the Dixie Chick’s ‘Fly’ album and was written by Levi’s father, Marcus Hummon. Levi planned the project around his dad’s induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and chose the song because of his personal connection to it. “I’ve kind of lived with that song, I remember I went to the ranch when they were at a writer’s camp and wrote the song… and then I remember hearing it again on the radio and going to the number one party,” he recalled. “So at like age seven or eight I witnessed a song live it’s full life. It’s not just a song, it’s like a lullaby for me.”
For Levi’s version, he said, “I wanted to figure out a way to kind of attack it where I can sing it and be part of the song and be present in it. I thought the best way to do that would be to include Runaway June. They take on the tradition of the trio. It just felt natural and I love the girls and it’s been great.” The piece ended up being produced by Marcus and features some of the original musicians from the ‘Fly’ record.
The past year has been a busy one for Hummon, who has no intention of slowing down. When he’s not on the road playing shows or dominating NBA 2K on long drives around the country, he’s focusing much of his time on writing and being in the studio. His last EP, ‘Patient,’ was released just over a year ago and Levi has since released a handful of singles. “It’s so interesting that people digest music so differently than they used to. My goal is to put out an LP, like a full on record at some point. I’ve never done that, so I just want to do that complete package deal. But single by single is just how people are digesting music theses days. It’s how people consume and it’s how people share,” he said, assuring fans that he’s putting together a lot of new material for 2020.
You can check out Levi’s latest single, ‘State I’m In,’ here.
Be sure to follow Levi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Davis