Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Big City Brian Wright about his new single, “Down in Dixie,†breaking down the influences and creative process that helped make it possible.
Review Fix: What inspired “Down In Dixie”?
Brian Wright: I felt like I needed a song that just told everybody a little about me, where I’m from, who I am, etc. So, I just kinda started saying it all. It’s just a bunch of facts, put to song and summarized in a chorus “I was born the son of a southern man, come from a long line of hard-working hands. We’re just good folks doing the best that we can, down in dixie.”  Pretty simple stuff, like I always do. I wasn’t even sure I was gonna like it, until we made the work tape (just a vocal and guitar). And then I knew I had a strong song that people would relate to. Â
Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy this track the most?
Wright: Anybody born in the south will get this. But, like I tell everybody, there’s country folks everywhere, all over the world really. We’re hard workers, religious, still cut loose, but worry about reputation a lot. I grew up in a handshake world where folks did what they said and letting you down was not an option. Your reputation was your only real asset. As a teenager, I went to church every week, read the entire Bible cover to cover, but still managed to stir up the local police department. So, I put those real-life lyrics with a country meets southern rock production. And, it sets the tone for the entire album. Â
Review Fix: What are your goals for this track? How do you want it to affect people?
Wright: I wanted to tell a little about myself. Where I’m from, what I like, what kind of guy I am. It’s really putting a lot out there, some of which I’m not proud of. Lyrically, it’s a little uncomfortable. But as a songwriter, that’s what we do. It’s even worse for me, because my style is to only write the truth. I don’t make this stuff up. It’s all real. I wanted to open the lines of communication. Everybody should be proud of where they’re from, the life they made and how they got where they are. Good or bad, it’s your life. Own it.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Wright: I invented/described “Honkytonkitis” as a disease. It’s an addiction to honky tonks, neon lights, and the real country music that gets made and played there. Well, “Honkytonkitis” is spreading worldwide and going places I’ve never even been as an airline pilot. I’m getting messages from folks who I didn’t even know spoke English, telling me how much they love the album. So, I wanna go wherever they’ll have me. Â
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