Multi-Platinum selling group the James Barker Band has recruited breakout country artist Dalton Dover for their newest single, “On The Water,” which arrived Friday (May 26), just in time for the hot days in the sun and the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.
The uptempo duet, written by respectable tunesmiths Hunter Phelps, Ben Johnson, and Jordan Minton, is all about longing for a good-time summer break with buddies out on a boat dock.
Bringing the blue-collar aspect into the tune’s message, the two artists tap into the well-deserved need to unwind with a brewsky, sunshine, and waves on a lakeside paradise after clocking out of the repetitive 9-5 workday shift.
“I need a day on the water / A** in a float or a motor boat ride / SPF this blue-collar / Turn boots into bare feet find a shoreline / Til I’m chillin’ like Buffett / On a blue sky bender / Working on nothin’ / But a Busch Light / I need a day on the water / Before I up and lose my mind,” the two artists sing together throughout the catchy sing-along chorus, which is ready for country radio and makes for a perfect addition to any musical playlist.
Listen To “On The Water” Below
“This Song Feels So Cool”
With James Barker Band’s frontman James Barker and Dover’s vocals combined, the summertime jam is a vocal collaboration that is hard to ignore. Barker’s smooth vocals paired with Dover’s deep and soulful baritone over an easygoing melody provide a blend of harmony that gels just as refreshingly as the song itself.
“Since day one of JBB, we’ve always loved good-time summer songs,” Barker said in a press release. “We’ve released so many songs about beer that we figured maybe it was time to release a song about the second most important liquid of the summer – water. This song feels so cool because it touches on all the best parts of summer: fishing, swimming, chilling in a floaty, and above all, doing anything but working.”
Before releasing the infectious track, the James Barker Band built a buzz on Instagram, sharing pictures and videos representing the relaxing feel of enjoying time on the water.
“🌊 O T W 🌊,” the band captioned a clip of a lake sprinkled with boats.
Another teaser video features both Barker and Dover jamming out to their duet from separate locations.
“On The Water Feat. @daltondover_music🌊☀️ THIS FRIDAY!!! Pre-save / Pre-add now with the link in our bio,” the caption reads alongside the video.
“Meet Your Mama”
The James Barker Band, who recently signed on with RECORDS Nashville, industry veteran Barry Weiss’ joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment, consists of frontman Barker, guitarist Taylor Abram, drummer Connor Stephen, and bassist Bobby Martin.
The four-piece group has already achieved much success in Canada before making their way Stateside. Their latest collaboration follows the release of their single, “Meet Your Mama,” which takes the idea of a man’s wishes to meet the parents to get to know more about his significant other.
“Girl, I wanna meet your mama / Drink a beer with your old man / Ride all around your hometown / Fall for the girl you were back then,” Barker sings the chorus of the track.
Prior to “Meet Your Mama,” which serves as the band’s RECORDS Nashville label debut single, JBB charted four No. 1 singles in Canada with “Chills,” “Keep It Simple,” “Over All Over Again,” and the gold-certified “New Old Trucks,” which features Dierks Bentley. “Meet Your Mama” secures the band their fifth No. 1 on the Canadian Country radio chart.
Dover, meanwhile, recently released a song dedicated to his mother called “I Wouldn’t Be Here.” Appropriately, the country ballad finds the singer/songwriter showing his gratitude for his mom. The tune follows his country radio single, “Giving Up On That.”
