David Adam Byrnes Continues Hectic 2023 with New Single, “She Don’t”

David Adam Byrnes has been busy over the last few years, and that’s just how he likes it. Countless shows, a steady string of single releases that culminated in his newest album effort, Keep Up with a Cowgirl, and staying active in writing rooms have kept the Texas native’s pedal to the metal, and with two single releases already unleashed in 2023 and a plethora of new music to follow, 2023 looks to be no different.

Byrnes’ newest offering, “She Don’t,” sees the seven-consecutive chart topper dusting off a song he penned years ago. As David Lee Murphy put it in 1994, the song got sweeter with time, as Byrnes has taken the reins on his music and injected new life into the track, which comes equipped with the ample amount of fiddle and steel that his fans have come to expect.

We caught up with Byrnes to talk all about “She Don’t,” his successful 2022, new music, his upcoming marriage and more!

Pro Country: The last time we talked, you mentioned that with Keep Up with a Cowgirl, you were making the music you wanted to make and doing it for yourself. As you saw the album earn millions of streams across platforms, was there an added level of validation in the album’s success given the mindset you took into it?

David Adam Byrnes: 100%. It’s hard not to get a little chip on your shoulder when you’ve spent 11 years being told you’re too country. When you take that risk of doing it all on your own and put the blinders on and do it the way you think it should be done, it’s a good feeling when it works. It might be a little bit of a cocky smile, but it puts a smile on your face [laughs]. At the end of the day, I’m happy I can enjoy and love the music I’m making. It proves there’s fans out there that love it. As long as there’s people out there enjoying it and coming out to the shows, I’m gonna keep doing it.

PC: Both “Too Much Texas” and “One Honky Tonk Town” landed in the top 50 on the Texas Country Music Chart’s Top 200 Songs of 2022, with “Keep Up with a Cowgirl” also landing in the top 200. How encouraging was the continued success at radio that you earned with many of the songs on Keep Up with a Cowgirl?

DAB: It’s been awesome having that and all the number ones on the weekly chart. Not everybody gets to say they’ve had a number one song, much less seven in a row, and maybe coming up on eight. It validates that what we’re doing is working and I’m where I’m supposed to be.

PC: You released your newest single, “She Don’t,” at the end of February, which serves as your second single release since Keep Up with a Cowgirl. As you kick off a new project, what has it been like to see both “She Don’t” and “One Two Step Away” already making their mark on your fans?

DAB: We’re seeing more and more streams coming in with both of them. We’re starting to see more and more people up front knowing the words to every song. It’s growth. It’s easy to get down on yourself when you’re not seeing that growth, but we’re seeing it, and it’s lighting a fire under me and the band. There’s so many times where you’re spinning your wheels and questioning everything you do and wondering if you’re doing it right, but when you see the growth right in front of your face, it’s a good feeling.

PC: You co-wrote “She Don’t” with hit songwriters Billy Montana and Frank Myers. Can you take us in the room and talk about how the song came together?

DAB: I don’t necessarily get intimidated by my co-writes, but that was one I was pretty intimidated by. I knew the resumés of the guys I was walking in to. I don’t remember to a T of how the song came about, but it was one I wrote when I was back in Nashville, so it’s several years old now. I remember thinking once we got clicking that we had a hit song. I knew the melody was great, and I loved the concept. When it comes to writing, I love a twist. You can only say “I love you,” “I hate you” or “We’re breaking up” in so many ways, so I thought it was cool to have a girl being able to point out how I’m not doing her right, but she doesn’t, instead, she lifts me up. I thought that was a really cool angle on the song.

Back when we wrote it, love wasn’t something I was a part of [laughs]. Now I’m engaged and getting married in about half a year, and we’re moving in to our dream property in about two weeks, so life is lining up perfectly with that song. I thought the timing was great and it fit with where I am in life. It speaks to me now in a way that it’s never spoken to me.

PC: You mentioned that “She Don’t” is several years old. How cool is it to have the song out into the world after having it in your back pocket for so long?

DAB: It’s so cool! It shows the growth of how I feel producing my own music and as an artist. Sometimes a song is really great, but it’s not really you. When we demoed the song, this was in the heart of the bro-country era, and they were really pushing for that sound and style. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really care for the song at the time because of that [laughs]. For me to grow and know how to take a song, make it my own and know what production needs to go behind it with the fiddle and steel, it shows me that I’m maturing as an artist. I feel like this song is a big step in a new direction for me.

PC: You once again served as a co-producer on “She Don’t.” How much do you enjoy that role and having the opportunity to take a hands-on approach to your music?

DAB: It’s awesome! I give a lot of credit to Bart [Busch], because I have an ear for what I want to hear, but Bart is really good at taking it a step further and knowing how to navigate the musicians. When you’ve got your name next to the producer credit and the streams are going up, it shows you that you’re doing something right. It shows people are loving the sound.

PC: Your bio mentions that you have a new album slated for release later this year. What information, if any, can you give about the album? What can listeners expect to hear?

DAB: Honestly, I have no idea [laughs]. We’re doing it like we did with Keep Up with a Cowgirl where we recorded four songs at a time. The goal is to drop a song once a month, which ultimately leads to a record release that has a few songs that haven’t been released at the same time. I enjoy putting out records, but I know in this day and age, people don’t really listen to the B-sides anymore, so this is a way of making sure that people hear every single song on the record. What I love about it is that you’re not cutting something all at once, and then a year or two passes before the record comes out. I’m able to write this as I go. I’m able to mature in life, experience something, write about it and put it out at the same time. I know the first four songs because we’ve tracked them, but I don’t even know what the next eight are going to be [laughs]. It gives me a chance to go through the catalog and see if something is clicking with where I’m at right now. It also gives me a chance to test the songs out live to see if they connect with the audience. It’s really on the fly. It reminds me of back in the day when artists like Hank Jr. and George Strait would release multiple records almost within a year. What I’m doing is kind of similar; we’re just flooding with music and seeing where it goes.

PC: Your website lists a pretty heavy touring schedule going into the summer months. How much are you looking forward to staying active on the road and bringing your music to your fans?

DAB: It’s always exciting, especially getting into festival season when you get to start venturing out. Right now, we’re doing a lot of Texas stuff, but it gives us a chance to visit places we only get to go to once a year. The tour schedule stays full most of the year, and I know by the end of it, I’ll be wanting a break. You get to a point where you’re tired and worn out, which is kind of where I am now. I think I’m running on four or five hours of sleep over the last few days [laughs]. I have waited a very, very long time to be this busy, though, so I will never complain about it.

PC: Along with releasing new music, what do you have planned for 2023?

DAB: There’s a lot of stuff going on personally! We’re moving in to our dream property here in two weeks, and I’m getting married in the fall. Somewhere in there, I’ll try to squeeze in some sort of bachelor party. Starting life on a ranch will be the biggest change from a non-musical perspective, but this job never ends. We spend all week writing the songs and then we’ll get back in the studio to record them. There will be a lot of touring, and I’ll be learning what married life is all about [laughs].

PC: Is there anything you’d like to add?

DAB: Come check us out! If you even slightly like the old school, traditional stuff, come out and give us a shot. Listening to it on the record is one thing, but putting on the live show is a whole different deal, so I’m excited to see everybody out there!