Craig Campbell just performed a track from his forthcoming The Lost Files: Exhibit A album on TV. The Georgia native sang “Tractor Songs,” which was penned by Walker Hayes, on TBN‘s Huckabee, ahead of the record’s release.
It was Hayes who pitched the song directly to Campbell, after the two both performed at an event in Orlando.
“As I listened to Craig’s set that night, I thought, ‘Man, I forgot how unreal his voice is – one of my Top 5 favorite voices,’” Hayes recalled. “I met him as soon as he walked off the stage and pleaded with him to let me send him a song or two. ‘Tractor Songs’ was one of them. He sings it like he wrote it, his voice and the song belong together. No one could do it better, and I wouldn’t want anyone else on it. Praise God Craig and I are always bumping into each other. He’s one of the reasons I love this town.”
Campbell, a prolific writer who has penned several of his own hits, including “Family Man,” “Outskirts of Heaven” and more, was eager to include a song penned by Hayes, especially after he heard it.
“Sometimes you hear songs on the radio and say ‘Man! That’s a hit! I wish I could cut that before they did,’” Campbell said. “All I can say is I’m glad I cut this before anyone else! Shoutout to Walker for sending this song to me first.”
While on Huckabee, Campbell also explained the inspiration behind his new project, as well as the meaning behind the title.
“The Lost Files, it alludes to the fact that it’s been in the oven for about eight years,” Campbell explains. “These are songs that I’ve recorded over the past eight years that, in one way you could look at it that they were recorded, done, ready to go, but the record label’s at the time, for one reason or another, didn’t want to put these songs out. So they just have been living on hard drives. And now that I’m an independent artist, I just felt like these were songs that I loved. They need to be released and get a chance to live.”
The singer-songwriter spent time on the rosters of both the now-closed Bigger Picture record company, along with Broken Bow. But now that he is, happily, without a record deal, Campbell is thrilled to have the freedom to release the music he wants, whenever he wants.
“Now that I am independent, I’m happier than I’ve ever been, because I get to record what I want to record, the way I want to record it,” Campbell shares. “I feel like I’m a decent piano player. I played piano for Luke Bryan for a while, I played piano for Tracy Byrd. I feel like I can do that.”
Campbell also performed “That’s How We Get Down” from The Lost Files: Exhibit A on Huckabee. Watch that performance below. The father of two has recently released “Winnebago” and “Church Clothes,” his duet with his wife, Mindy, as well. The Lost Files: Exhibit A also includes collaborations with Travis Tritt and Trea Landon. Find all of Campbell’s music and upcoming shows, and pre-order The Lost Files: Exhibit A, at raigCampbell.tv.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Campbell Entertainment Group / Trinity Broadcasting Network