Walker Montgomery’s new single “Work To Do” describes the singer’s plea for whiskey to do its job after a long work week and a weekend brimming with heartache. Montgomery penned the blues chaser with Adam Wood and Mark Irwin while talking about seeing guys drowning their sorrows alone with something 90-proof.
Full of fiddle and steel, the two-stepper will attract fans of old school country and anyone who’s pulled up to a bar wanting to get away from a hard time. The chorus describes how a bottle of whiskey needs to get to work to help the singer through his heartache.
“Yeah tonight this bottle better roll up its sleeves / Cause neither one of us is gonna get any sleep / I’m on the rocks / So he’s on the clock / Until the job gets through / When the weekend rolls around I get to missing you / So this whiskey’s got some work to do,” Montgomery sang on the tune.
Listen To Walker Montgomery’s “Work To Do” Below
Traditional country music is in the singer’s DNA, being the son of ‘90s country star John Michael Montgomery and the nephew of Montgomery Gentry’s Eddie Montgomery. Immersed in family tradition but creating his own legacy, the Nicholasville, KY native released his debut single “Simple Town” in 2017, followed by the high energy “Like My Daddy Done It” and the passionate “Saving For A Rainy Night.” In 2022, Montgomery released a six-song EP, Rust.
Music Mayhem sat down with Montgomery to chat about his musical family ties, Whiskey Wednesday YouTube series, and more.
What song(s) from your 2022 Rust EP have a different meaning now?
“I think the more you go out and play songs, live more, you even listen to ’em. I don’t really listen to my songs, but once you’re singing and you’ve kind of lived with ’em for a little bit, they always kind of grow into a new meaning for you, especially Rust. The more I’m away from my hometown, the longer I’ve been away, I’ve been in Nashville for about four and a half years now. It always gives you a whole nother perspective, but even songs like Out of Nowhere, which is a party song, I see what it’s done for my career songs she don’t know, and it’s kind of fun to even look back before she don’t know, or before out of nowhere and kind of see where my career was and see how it’s progressed with those songs. So in that way, they always take on a different meaning.”
What was the inspiration for your Whiskey Wednesday YouTube series?
“Just really wanted a valid excuse to drink, but no, I was doing a weekly Instagram live with it, and I was just so hard to find. I’ve got a bunch of buddies, but after a while, I mean, you run out and it was a weekly thing then. So I ran out of guests, and this is, it looked better. I’ve got some really good friends who owned this bar up in Lexington, Versailles Kentucky, and it just kind of made sense. I really wanted something that I could talk about really anything I wanted on. So Whiskey Wednesday just, it just kind of popped into my head and it just made sense. I’m able to talk about anything from music to horse racing to bourbon. Obviously Kentucky football, it doesn’t matter. It’s just a fun little thing, and it’s something to do during the week too.”
What will fans discover in the episode with your dad, John Michael Montgomery, and your uncle Eddie Montgomery?
“Dad talks a lot more than Eddie, but there are really some cool stories. And it was one of the first time that they’d been interviewed together, which was special for me. But there’s some stuff that from the looking in, you might not know, or you might not know the stories and stuff, but there was even some stuff that I didn’t know. So there’s just a blast from the past if you’re around their age, and if you’re around my age, it’s a very fun thing to learn about how the business has changed over the years and from now to when they were getting ready to start. There were definitely some things with Eddie that I didn’t know, obviously, just cause I spent more time with Dad, but hearing some stories about Eddie and Troy back in the day was definitely, it was a pleasant surprise, just to hear. Cause I know, I knew he loved him, but he definitely just, I know he messes ’em and he loved ’em like a brother. So hearing those kinds of stories was a pleasantly, I guess surprised is the word, but it was just good to hear.”
Who is on your bucket list to have as a guest on the series?
“There are a bunch of guys that I’m lucky enough to know and have relationships with in Kentucky, especially Coach Mark Stoops, who’s the UK football coach. We’re going to try to get him on. Music-wise, I love Tracy Lawrence. I know he does his own podcast. Maybe we could figure something out there, but I know I’d bring him a good ball of bourbon that might help out. But yeah, there’s a bunch of people, even not in the music industry that I’d love to have on there.”
How would you describe your relationship with your future brother-in-law Travis Denning?
“Travis is my best friend. I love him like a brother, which is good because he is going to be my brother. He’s just a great guy. He really is. We get along. We have similar interests, obviously. He’s a Georgia fan. I’m a Kentucky fan. I think that’s the only thing we really disagree on. But no, he’s just a really good dude, and thank God, him and my sister found each other. They’re perfect for each other. They’re crazy matches for each other. But no, he’s my best friend and I don’t know what I do without him. It’s hard to imagine.”
What can fans expect from the new music you’ve been working on?
“There’s kind of a progression of stuff and it kind of just gets more traditional and more traditional and more traditional. And that was just me growing as an artist and trying to really nail down what I wanted to do, figure out the sound that I really wanted, and this new stuff that I were doing. I feel like it’s kindly finally got there. I’ve been growing and growing as an artist. Started when I was 18. I’m 24 now, and I finally figured out what I want to do, and so that’s going to be country. That’s all I can say. But it’s definitely the most genuine pieces of music that I’ve put out.”
