drinking with the lights on

The Dandelion deep cut that sounds most like the Hungover record. 'drinking with the lights on' is the album's most direct honky-tonk moment — piano-led, slow shuffle, and a vocal Ella tracked in one take with no comping.

The specific reference point is George Strait's mid-80s recordings (Bundy has mentioned 'Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind' in interviews as a touchstone). The piano sits dead center in the mix, the steel guitar plays a continuous fill, and the bass walks in a way modern country bass doesn't usually walk. The whole arrangement is built around making the room feel small.

Ashley Gorley and Hunter Phelps co-wrote, which is an unexpected combination — Gorley usually writes the radio singles, Phelps the album cuts. Putting them together on a deliberate throwback track was a smart call. The lyric is restrained where Gorley songs usually go big, and specific where Phelps usually leaves room. The result is the song fans cite when they want to argue Dandelion is more traditional than its singles let on.