"Old Dirt Roads" is a song written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Owen Riegling. The track was produced by Brad Hill.[1]
| "Old Dirt Roads" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Owen Riegling | ||||
| Released | August 10, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:48 | |||
| Label | Universal Canada | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Owen Riegling | |||
| Producer(s) | Brad Hill | |||
| Owen Riegling singles chronology | ||||
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| Lyric video | ||||
| "Old Dirt Roads" on YouTube | ||||
| Original cover | ||||
 | ||||
Background and release edit
Riegling stated that he wrote "Old Dirt Roads" when he was living in the city to go to school.[2] He remarked that "I was real sick of all the cars and traffic and started reminiscing on home, land, how I grew up. Thinking about my friends and how we used to drive around backroads cause there was nothing else to do". He added that the song "paints the picture of where I grew up and where I currently still live, a place that is a part of me, a place that I plan to settle down and raise kids so they can have the luxury of growing up in a wide open spaces like I did," referring to his hometown of Mildmay, Ontario, where he grew up on a farm.[2]
Riegling originally recorded and released "Old Dirt Roads" as an independent artist in October 2019, with no listed producer.[3] The original version was included on his extended play Empty Room in 2020. [4] In 2023, Riegling re-recorded "Old Dirt Roads" with producer Brad Hill in Nashville, Tennessee, and re-released it as his second single to Canadian country radio on Universal Music Canada.[2][5]
Critical reception edit
Taylor Preston of Front Porch Music described "Old Dirt Roads" as an "emotive new song" that is ”fueled by strummed acoustic guitar, plucked banjo, and an irresistible chorus hook.[2]
Live performances edit
In November 2023, Riegling performed "Old Dirt Roads" with an acoustic guitar on the American television channel RFD-TV during an appearance on one of their shows.[6] In February 2024, Riegling performed the song at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game Skills Competition at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario. The event was broadcast live on NHL on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada, and on ESPN in the United States, while his performance was later uploaded to YouTube.[7]
Track listings edit
Digital download – single[8]
- "Old Dirt Roads" – 3:48
- "Love (The Sweater Song)" – 2:47
Digital download – single[9]
- "Old Dirt Roads" (UMusic Live) – 3:53
- "Old Dirt Roads" – 3:48
Charts edit
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] | 69 |
| Canada Country (Billboard)[11] | 4 |
References edit
- ^ "Old Dirt Roads, Single by Owen Riegling". Spotify. Universal Music Canada Inc. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Preston, Taylor (September 8, 2023). "On "Old Dirt Roads" Owen Riegling Gets Down to Earth". Front Porch Music. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ "Old Dirt Roads, Single by Owen Riegling". Spotify. OR Records. October 8, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Owen Riegling's Debut EP Empty Room Drops Today". Front Porch Music. 4 September 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ "OWEN RIEGLING RELEASES SECOND SINGLE "OLD DIRT ROADS" OUT TODAY". Universal Music Canada. August 10, 2023. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ McCullough, Currey (November 10, 2023). "Rising Canadian country music artist Owen Riegling discusses his success and performs his latest single". RFD-TV. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ "Owen Riegling - Old Dirt Roads (Live From The NHL All-Star Skills Competition 2024 Performance)" (video). YouTube. February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Old Dirt Roads - by Owen Riegling, Tracklist". AllMusic. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Old Dirt Roads (UMUSIC Live) - by Owen Riegling, Tracklist". Apple Music (Canada). Universal Music Canada Inc. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of March 30, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^ "Canada Country chart for May 11, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2024.