Riley Green Talks New Album, Acting Debut and Somehow Turns ‘CBS Mornings’ Into a Duck Blind
- All Country News
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Riley Green stopped by CBS Mornings to talk about his upcoming album, That’s Just Me, his unexpected jump into acting and the wild ride his career has become, but naturally, things eventually ended with a duck call.
Riley Green may be one of country music’s biggest stars these days, but judging by his latest appearance on CBS Mornings, he’s still very much the same outdoors-loving Alabama guy who once made a living building houses.
Well… except now he’s making hit records, touring the country, acting alongside Luke Grimes and casually demonstrating duck calls on national television.
You know. Normal stuff.
Green joined the CBS Mornings crew to preview his upcoming album, That’s Just Me, which CBS says is set to arrive in mid-September. And judging by the hosts’ reactions, there could be a few fan favorites waiting in the wings.
One of them? The appropriately titled “Beach Happy,” a breezy breakup tune about trading heartbreak for cold beer, lime and a spot in the sand.
“I recommend ‘Beach Happy,’” one of the hosts enthusiastically declared after getting an early listen.
Green was clearly loving the feedback, especially because fans have already been
finding ways to learn unreleased songs before they officially hit streaming services.
“When I grew up, it was burnt CDs,” Green laughed, remembering a time when fans had to hear a song on the radio, head to Walmart for the CD or make a mix themselves.
Now? Good luck keeping anything secret.
Green said listeners will hunt down concert clips and unreleased snippets online because everybody wants to be the friend who gets to say, “Hey, have you heard this?”
For a songwriter like Green, that kind of connection is still what keeps the entire machine moving.
From Building Houses to Hearing Arenas Sing Back
Long before the record deal and packed tour stops, Green was working construction and building houses for a living. That changed when he signed his record deal in 2018.
“I put my tool belt up and really went on the road heavy,” he recalled.
And while his rise has become massive, Green says he’s actually thankful it didn’t happen overnight. “I’ve been so fortunate that my success was gradual,” he explained. “As early 20s, I don’t know if I could have handled what I’ve got going on right now.”
More than a decade into chasing music, one thing apparently hasn’t gotten old: hearing a crowd sing his words right back to him. “As a songwriter, it’s so great when people are relating to the music and you hear them singing those songs back to you,” he said.
That response has only made him want to work harder, tour more and keep writing.
And That’s Just Me sounds like it will give those crowds plenty of different songs to latch onto.
Green said variety was intentional when putting together the project, and his wildly diverse childhood playlist explains why.
He grew up jumping between Tim McGraw, Tupac, Merle Haggard and Sublime, which is one heck of a four-artist shuffle.
“I loved all kinds of music growing up,” Green said. “So, for me, when I make a record now, I want to make sure it’s got a lot of different types of songs.”
Riley Green, TV Star?
As if the music career weren’t keeping him busy enough, Green has also officially added actor to the résumé.
The country star appeared on CBS’ Marshals, the Yellowstone-universe series starring Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton.
And apparently, Green can thank Grimes for helping plant the idea.
Green explained that the two connected after Grimes began spending time in Nashville pursuing music. They eventually wrote together, and somewhere along the way, Grimes suggested Green give acting a shot.
Green was interested.
A few months later, he read for a role, got the part and found himself flying back and forth to Utah while still juggling his touring schedule.
“It was a crazy time flying back and forth every week,” Green admitted.
But crazy or not, he loved it.
Not bad for a guy who was swinging a hammer for a living less than a decade ago.
And Then Came the Duck Call
Of course, no Riley Green interview would be complete without the conversation eventually finding its way outdoors.
Green has never hidden his love for hunting and fishing, and he told the hosts that spending time outside has become even more valuable as his career has gotten busier.
“I think I enjoy it more because I can get away from everybody and really disconnect,” he explained.
Naturally, that revelation led to one very important piece of investigative journalism:
Can Riley Green Actually Do A Good Duck Call?
Spoiler alert: yes.
With camouflage conveniently sitting on the set, Green grabbed a duck call and gave the studio a full demonstration.
Cue the laughter.
And then things got even more chaotic when one host immediately turned Green’s duck-calling abilities into a dating question.
“Are you single and available?” she asked, quickly adding that she was “asking for a friend.”
Green laughed his way through the moment while the rest of the table attempted to restore order.
So, to recap: Riley Green walked into CBS Mornings to promote an album and somehow left after discussing burnt CDs, construction work, Tupac, acting with Luke Grimes, hunting and his romantic prospects following a duck call demonstration.
Honestly?
That sounds pretty Riley Green.
And with That’s Just Me on the way, new songs already catching fans’ attention on the road and even more opportunities opening outside music, Green certainly appears to be enjoying the ride.
Tool belt retired. Duck call still very much active.
ALL COUNTRY NEWS
Country Music News & Entertainment
Country Music Country Music News Country Music Outlet Latest Country News Recent Country News New Country Music Newest Country Music New Country Music
Comments