Larry Fleet Gives A Voice To The Blue Collar American In Latest Album "Earned It"

Larry Fleet never thought he would be in this position.

Via Big Loud Records. Credit Matt Paskert

Today 37-year-old Tennessee-native gives a voice to a blue collar way of life in his 21 track album Earned It. Capturing the sonics and stories that he grew up with, Larry offers up songs that resonate and connect backed by his signature whiskey soaked tenor.

Fleet, a third-generation son of construction and concrete workers, grew up watching his dad and grandfather put in hard labor day after day to make ends meet, instilling a work ethic in him that would rather see a life that's “built not bought.”

It comes as no surprise that the album captures those values kicking off with the title track that narrates all the lessons his heroes instilled in him. Full of bright strumming Earned It, written by Fleet and Connie Rae Harrington paints a personable picture of hard work. From the first line reminding us all that sadly money does not grow on trees, a lesson Larry is now passing down to his children.

"We didn't come from any money," Fleet told All Country News. "My dad always told us that you have to work really hard and if you want anything in life you will have to work for it. Nothing is going to be given to ya... When you earn it, you're going to appreciate it so much more."

Via Big Loud Records. Credit Matt Paskert

Always clever and pulling inspiration from his humble surroundings, Muddy Water may be our favorite on the album. With a subtle twang Larry pays tribute to the streams and rivers that shaped his childhood.

"Im a title guy," Larry told All Country News. "I was standing waist deep in my waders in water out in Arkansas duck hunting," Larry laughs. ""I don't do this to say look how cool I am, I make music for everybody and for the working man and working woman," Larry told All Country News. "I was looking around and saying to myself wow this water is super muddy, but the ducks love it. We were kicking around and mud was flapping everywhere. I though man, I literally grew up my hole life around muddy water. I never thought about that because it's normal, but now doing what I'm doing, I've been to other people's lakes and rivers and they are clear and clean. Then it clicked when I was there in my waders, everything I've ever done has been around muddy water."

Another standout has to be Beer Needs A Beer, reminiscent of the late great Joe Diffie the honky tonk groove finds lightheartedness that sometimes our genre lack. The Tennessee native playfully sings in the chorus "My day needs a day to get itself together/ My night needs a night, that’ll go on forever/ I earned this blue ribbon just sitting right here/ So my hands gonna need another can/ ‘Cause my beer needs a beer."

Via Big Loud Records. Credit Matt Paskert

Track 5 and possibly the post poignant is Things I Take For Granted. The tender track serves as a reminder to us and Larry that things could always be worse, and to find the joy in the everyday while being thankful for what we have! "I get to take my kids and go do things I never got to do," the father of two told us. "I say it all the time, but I love what I get to do because I get to see things most people never get to see. Sometimes it is easy to want more but this song serves as a reminder."

From first to last note each song beautifully personifies what it means to come from humble beginnings. The stylistically provocative project explores rich sounds that the genre was built on. Steadfast in making songs for the common man, Larry’s blue collar native is not only relatable but cravable making Earned It one of the best albums of 2023!

The road dog is headlining Larry Fleet Live tour now, launching its fall leg with a sold-out show at Nashville's storied Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 22. “We play serious music, but we don't take ourselves too seriously on stage,” he says. “We make people feel welcome. There's a little something for everybody.”

SEE LARRY FLEET LIVE

Sept. 9 – Chattanooga, Tenn. – Moon River Music Festival Sept. 22 – Nashville, Tenn. – Ryman Auditorium Sept. 23 – Indianapolis, Ind. – Hi-Fi Sept. 28 – Huntington, N.Y. – The Paramount Sept. 29 – Montclair, N.J. – The Wellmont Theater Sept. 30 – Norfolk, Va. – The NorVa

Oct. 1 – Ashland, Ky. – FoxFire Music & Arts Festival Oct. 13 – Huntsville, Ala. – Mars Music Hall Oct. 14 – Lake Charles, La. – Grand Event Center Oct. 19 – Royal Oak, Mich. – Royal Oak Music Theatre Oct. 20 – Fort Wayne, Ind. – Clyde Theatre Oct. 21 – Cleveland, Ohio – Agora Theater & Ballroom Oct. 26 – Kansas City, Mo. – The Truman Oct. 27 – Rosemont, Ill. – Joe's Live Oct. 28 – Minneapolis, Minn. – Uptown Theater Nov. 2 – Mobile, Ala. – Soul Kitchen Music Hall Nov. 3 – Orlando, Fla. – House of Blues Orlando