HARDY faces a dangerous situation head-on in his brand-new collaboration song, “Wait In The Truck,” out today Friday (Aug. 26). The country hitmaker tapped country artist Lainey Wilson for the track which finds the two talents trading vocals on what might just be the most intense country track of 2022.
Written by HARDY with song smiths Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt, and Renee Blair, “Wait In The Truck” paints a very realistic picture of a scenario in which a woman has experienced physical abuse at the hands of a violent man. Stranded and “scared to death,” she finds protection through an unexpected stranger (played by HARDY). Instead of drilling the victim with questions, HARDY quickly sees the woman’s pain and passionately becomes motivated to help her find justice.
“I didn’t load her down with questions / That girl had been through enough” HARDY sings, utilizing his southern rasp vocals over a dramatic acoustic guitar rhythm. “I just threw it in drive / Looked in those eyes / And asked her where he was.”
Wilson waits until the chorus to shine with her honeyed southern vocals. It’s then that she is stuck between feeling a sense of freedom and guilt over the tough decision her rescuer made to bring her to safety.
“I don’t know if he’s an angel / Cause angels don’t do what he did / He was hell-bent to find the man behind / All the whiskey scars I hid / I never thought my day of justice / Would come from a judge under his seat / But I knew right then I’d never get hit again when he said to me / Wait in the truck / Just wait in the truck,” Wilson sings, expressing emotion over the outcome.
“Wait In The Truck,” produced by Joey Moi and co-produced by HARDY, Derek Wells and Schmidt, also features a stunning gospel choir, which provides an epic build throughout the arrangement, as listeners hear the fate of the man who comes to the woman’s rescue.
HARDY and Lainey Wilson Also Shared A Music Video For The Track
In addition to releasing the Song Of The Year-worthy single, HARDY and Wilson also debuted a conceptualized music video for the tune. The goosebumps-inducing video flawlessly follows the storyline of the powerful song. In the clip, HARDY plays the character of an unexpected stranger who is out to find justice for Wilson, who portrays a domestic abuse victim.
Throughout the cinematic clip, directed by Justin Clough and filmed in Carthage, Tennessee, viewers can watch as the lyrics of the song come to life. As the clip concludes, Wilson graciously thanks HARDY, who is behind bars, for saving her from her abuser.
Before releasing the track, HARDY teased a snippet of the song on Instagram. The post shows a miniature clip from the accompanying music video for the track.
“I am so excited to finally announce my next single, wait in the truck, feat. @laineywilsonmusic, is out this Friday. Thanks to everyone involved. This is a special one ❤️🛻🔫,” HARDY captioned the clip on Monday (Aug. 22).
Both HARDY and Wilson have been riding high on their recent successes.
Wilson, a reigning ACM New Female Artist of the Year, has been filming her first acting role for Season 5 of Yellowstone. She also recently released her “Watermelon Moonshine” single, which will appear on her upcoming new album, Bell Bottom Country, slated for release on October 28.
Meanwhile, HARDY will soon embark on his upcoming headlining Wall To Wall Tour. The seven-date trek, which features Jackson Dean as direct support and Puddle of Mudd for one date, begins on December 1.
See a full list of HARDY’s tour dates HERE and his Wall To Wall dates below.
WALL TO WALL TOUR DATES
Dec. 1 – Athens, GA. – The Georgia Theatre* (SOLD OUT)
Dec. 2 – Athens, GA. – The Georgia Theatre*
Dec. 3 – Columbia, S.C. – Township Auditorium*+ (SOLD OUT)
Dec. 9 – Charlotte, N.C. – Coyote Joes* (SOLD OUT)
Dec. 10 – Charlotte, N.C. – Coyote Joes*
Dec. 16 – Greenville, S.C. – Blind Horse Saloon* (SOLD OUT)
Dec. 17 – Greenville, S.C. – Blind Horse Saloon* (SOLD OUT)
* with Jackson Dean
+ with Puddle of Mudd
