Thompson Square Release Swampy, High-Energy New Single “Lay It On Me”
TAGS: Thompson Square, Keifer Thompson, Shawna Thompson, Johnathan Singleton, Ryan Hurd, Mickey Jack Cones, Casey Wood, Miles McPherson, Craig Young, Ilya Toshinskiy, Derek Jones, Rob McNelly, Derek Wells, David Dorn, Blackbird Studio, Georgetown Masters,
Thompson Square are out with “Lay It On Me,” a swampy, high-energy new single that marks the second release from their forthcoming album and signals exactly where the GRAMMY-nominated duo is headed. Co-written by Keifer and Shawna Thompson alongside Johnathan Singleton and Ryan Hurd, the track locks into a relaxed groove with vivid, lived-in detail, a summer night feel and the kind of easy chemistry that has always defined the best Thompson Square music. It’s out now on all digital platforms.
The writing session that produced “Lay It On Me” happened on a tour bus, the first time Hurd had ever been on one. “It was so fun to be a brand new songwriter getting an opportunity to write for a few days with Thompson Square and a hit songwriter like Jonathan,” he says. “Still such a great memory for me.” Singleton, a longtime fan of the duo, was equally energized: “We wrote a killer song, and sometimes songs take time to find their moment. I’m so glad this one is coming out.”
Produced by Mickey Jack Cones and recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, the track features Miles McPherson on drums, Craig Young on bass and Ilya Toshinskiy on guitar, with Cones and Derek Jones contributing across acoustic and electric guitars, keys, programming and background vocals alongside Rob McNelly, Derek Wells and David Dorn. It’s a production that keeps the swampy feel front and center without losing the live-show energy the duo has been deliberately chasing on this new project.
“We’ve been writing a lot with the live show in mind, bringing more energy into this next project and focusing on the kind of songs we genuinely love to listen to,” say Keifer and Shawna. That approach is audible in “Lay It On Me,” a track that works as well on a back road drive as it does turned up loud at a show. For a duo with a catalog built on emotional honesty and real-relationship storytelling, adding this kind of kinetic energy to the mix feels like a natural evolution.
More than a decade after “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not” made Thompson Square a household name in country music, Keifer and Shawna are moving into their next chapter with the same authenticity that built their reputation in the first place. “Keifer and I really got back to our roots,” says Shawna. “But we’ve grown too, and the music reflects all of that.” With No. 1 records in 3 countries, international touring and a catalog Rolling Stone called “vivacious,” the foundation is as strong as ever.
Thompson Square’s “Lay It On Me” is out now on all digital platforms, with a video premiered on the American Country Network. More music from the forthcoming album is on the way.