“Riley Green Shares Inspiration Behind Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) and Opens Up About His Thrifting Hobby”
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“The deluxe edition of Don’t Mind If I Do, complete with six fresh tracks, has officially dropped.”
There’s more depth to Riley Green than what fans see on stage.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the country star unveiled the deluxe edition of his 2024 album Don’t Mind If I Do, featuring six new songs. Now, Green, 36, is sharing the stories behind those tracks, his experiences on the road during his biggest tour to date, and how he plans to close out the year.
“I wrote these handful of songs, and it’s just nice to be able to add to that project because that’s my biggest album by far,” the There Was This Girl singer tells PEOPLE.
The collection kicks off with “Make It Rain,” a song Green had been testing live before release. “I started playing a little riff [in my Nashville condo on a rainy day], and I just thought, ‘How has somebody not written a country song [with] I Can Make It Rain?’” he recalls. “It just came together simple, like those Merle Haggard songs I grew up on. They weren’t flashy — just honest storytelling.”
One standout track, “Cowboy as It Gets,” features Randy Houser and was inspired by Green’s father. “We didn’t really have cowboys where I grew up,” he explains. “To me, they were just guys who were tough, who worked hard with their hands. My dad built houses his whole life, so I wrote that song about him.”
Other new additions include “I Just Need You,” which Green describes as having a touch of Skynyrd swagger, with background vocals from tourmate Hannah McFarland, and “What Am I Supposed to Do Now,” a song born from regret and late-realized inspiration.
On “Bet They’re Biting,” Green reflects on his grandfather Linden’s unstoppable love for fishing and optimism, even in the face of health struggles. “He always looked at the bright side,” Green says. “It’s emotional, maybe a little sad, but the uplifting melody makes it special.”
Perhaps the most personal track is “One to Willie,” a tribute to country icons that also fulfilled a childhood dream. “It got to Willie Nelson’s camp, and he liked it enough to play lead guitar on it,” Green reveals. “That was worth waiting around for.”
Beyond music, Green is in the midst of his Damn Country Music Tour, which runs through December. During downtime, he loves hunting for vintage treasures. “I like to go to thrift stores, little antique shops, garage sales — places where you can find the real hidden gems,” he says. “Not a $100 T-shirt, but something someone actually wore and passed along.”
When the tour wraps on Dec. 13, the Alabama native plans to slow down with hunting trips in Kansas and Arkansas and family time back home. “Around Thanksgiving I get homesick, so I’ll head to the farm in Alabama. Honestly, doing as little as possible for a month or two this fall sounds pretty nice.”