HARDY Credits Miranda Lambert for Inspiring Him to Finally Record “Dog Years” 12 Years After Writing It
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“That song was truly special.”
HARDY has given fans another glimpse of his upcoming album COUNTRY! COUNTRY! with the heartfelt track “Dog Years.” Originally written in 2013, the song sat unreleased for more than a decade until a special moment with Miranda Lambert inspired him to finally share it.
In a conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal, HARDY revealed that the song came from a deeply personal experience: losing his childhood dog. Written entirely on his own, it captured one of the most emotional moments of his life.
“I probably went six or seven years without shedding a tear,” the 34-year-old admitted. “I’d gone home for deer season during the holidays, and I knew my dog was getting older. Since it was cold, my family let him sleep inside near the laundry room even though he was usually an outside dog. One night, I lay down with him, fell asleep, and woke up around five in the morning before heading to bed. A few hours later, I drove back to Nashville. The next morning, my dad called to tell me he had passed. That was the first time I cried in years.”
The loss hit HARDY hard. “It was really tough,” he said. “I had him from childhood through adulthood — such an important stretch of my life. His name was Nugget, and this song is for him.”
The pain eventually turned into a story about a dog finding his forever home and living the happiest life possible, told through the animal’s perspective. For HARDY, “Dog Years” became more than just a tribute — it marked a turning point in his career.
Not only did the track honor Nugget’s memory, but it also helped secure his very first publishing deal. With guidance from his relative, Nashville songwriter and publisher Dennis Matkosky, HARDY continued writing until “Dog Years” stood out as the song that opened the door.
“I’d bring him songs, and he’d say, ‘These are good, but not good enough for me to pitch to a publishing company yet,’” HARDY recalled. “He told me to just keep writing. Then, right after I graduated college in 2013, I wrote ‘Dog Years,’ and that song landed me my first publishing deal with Kobalt. It was such a special moment.”
Despite its importance, the track remained unrecorded for years. HARDY even pitched it around Nashville, and at one point, it nearly ended up with Miranda Lambert. However, her emotional connection to animals kept her from cutting it.
“Miranda called me one day and said, ‘Is this your song about a dog?’ and I told her it was,” he shared. “She said, ‘I’d love to cut it, but I couldn’t sing it without crying.’ Anyone who knows her knows how much she loves animals. I laughed and told her, ‘Please, cut my song!’”
Now, more than a decade later, “Dog Years” has finally been brought to life — serving as both a tribute to Nugget and a reminder of how one song can change everything.