Things That We Drink To

Things That We Drink To is the second studio album, and first American released by Australian country music singer Morgan Evans. The album was announced on 31 August 2018 and was released on 12 October 2018.[3] The project is a musical reflection of Evans' journey from Australia to Nashville. Evans co-wrote each track alongside the album's producer, Chris DeStefano. The two played every instrument heard on the sonically diverse project, showcasing Evans' musicianship in addition to his adept songwriting.[4]

Things That We Drink To
Studio album by
Released12 October 2018
StudioNashville, Tennessee
GenreCountry
LabelWarner Music Nashville, Warner Australasia
ProducerChris DeStefano
Morgan Evans chronology
Morgan Evans EP
(2018)
Things That We Drink To
(2018)
Singles from Things That We Drink To
  1. "Kiss Somebody"
    Released: 21 July 2017
  2. "I Do"
    Released: 8 December 2017[1]
  3. "Day Drunk"
    Released: 8 June 2018
  4. "Young Again"
    Released: May 2019[2]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, the album won the ARIA Award for ARIA Award for Best Country Album.[5]

Background

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In 2016, Evans travelled from Australia to Nashville, Tennessee to make a new home in the United States. Morgan began songwriting and working alongside some of the industry's best who've helped him turn this journey into 11 songs. Evans told Taste of Country "I've learned to be more honest and tell my story rather than the story that I think someone wants to hear." Evans wrote hundreds of songs and culled the parts of his identity he hadn't yet shared into an album.[6] Since moving to Nashville, Evans married fellow country star Kelsea Ballerini, embarked on his first American tour and released his first U.S. radio single, "Kiss Somebody" and lost his manager Rob Potts who died in a motor cycle accident in October 2017.[7]

Critical reception

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Taste of Country said "Celebration is an overall theme of Things That We Drink To as Evans looks back on the times that have defined him since he started building a new life on the other side of the world."[6]

Chris Parton from Rolling Stone said called the album a "...breezy mix of up-tempo jams, lovestruck anthems and loop-driven creative mojo." adding "Things That We Drink To a truly revealing debut, both personally and artistically."[8]

Commercial performance

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Things That We Drink To debuted at No. 9 on Top Country Albums with 4,000 copies sold, or 7,000 in equivalent album units.[9] The album has sold 5,200 copies in the United States as of November 2018.[10]

Track listing

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From Nash Country Daily:[11]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."American"Morgan Evans, Chris DeStefano, Josh Osborne3:03
2."Kiss Somebody"Evans, DeStefano, Osborne3:32
3."I Do"Evans, DeStefano, Ashley Gorley3:29
4."Song for the Summer"Evans, DeStefano, David Hodges3:32
5."Day Drunk"Evans, DeStefano, Lindy Robbins3:14
6."Dance with Me" (featuring Kelsea Ballerini)Evans, DeStefano3:19
7."Me on You"Evans, DeStefano, Osborne)3:26
8."Things That We Drink To"Evans, DeStefano, Osborne3:08
9."We Dream"Evans, DeStefano, Jaren Johnston, Jon Nite3:36
10."Everything Changes"Evans, DeStefano, Blair Daly3:17
11."Young Again"Evans, DeStefano, Josh Kear2:55

Personnel

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  • Kelsea Ballerini – duet vocals on "Dance with Me"
  • Chris DeStefano – banjo, bass guitar, drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, programming, background vocals
  • Morgan Evans - acoustic guitar, lead vocals, background vocals
  • David Hodges – piano
  • Katie Ohh – background vocals
  • Kirby Smith – background vocals
  • Nir Z. – drums

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] 5
US Billboard 200[13] 106
US Country Albums (Billboard)[14] 9

Year-end charts

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Year-end chart performance for Things That We Drink To
Chart (2018) Position
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[15] 18
Chart (2019) Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] 94
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[17] 4
Chart (2020) Position
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[18] 13
Chart (2021) Position
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[19] 16
Chart (2022) Position
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[20] 18
Chart (2023) Position
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[21] 41

Release history

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Region Date Format Label Catalogue
Australia 12 October 2018[4][22] Warner Music Nashville, Warner Australasia 9362490549

References

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  1. ^ "I Do – Single". iTunes Store (AU). Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Singles to Radio (May 2019)". The Music Network. May 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  3. ^ "THINGS THAT WE DRINK TO: MORGAN EVANS' DEBUT ALBUM". Warner Music Nashville. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Things That We Drink To (CD)". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  5. ^ "ARIA Awards: 2019 ARIA Awards Nominated Artists Revealed". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 10 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  6. ^ a b "MORGAN EVANS' 'THINGS THAT WE DRINK TO' IS CELEBRATION OF LIFE AFTER GOOD FRIEND'S DEATH". Taste of Country. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  7. ^ "INTERVIEW: MORGAN EVANS RAISES A GLASS TO MEMORABLE MOMENTS ON 'THINGS THAT WE DRINK TO'". The Boot. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  8. ^ "'Kiss Somebody' Singer Morgan Evans on New Album, Singing With Wife Kelsea Ballerini". Rolling Stone. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  9. ^ Asker, Jim (23 October 2018). "Record 'Best': Luke Combs First Soloist to Send First Four Singles to No. 1 on Country Airplay Chart". Billboard.
  10. ^ Bjorke, Matt (14 November 2018). "Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: November 14, 2019". Roughstock. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  11. ^ Jim Casey. "Morgan Evans Announces Oct. 12 Release of Debut Album, "Things That We Drink To"". Nash Country Daily. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  12. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  13. ^ "Billboard 200: October 27, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. 22 October 2018. p. 18. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  15. ^ "2018 Annual ARIA Country Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  16. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2019". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  17. ^ "2019 Annual ARIA Country Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  18. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Country Albums for 2020". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  19. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Country Albums for 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  20. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Country Albums Chart for 2022". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  21. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Country Albums Chart for 2023". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  22. ^ "Things That We Drink To (DD)". iTunes Store. Retrieved 13 October 2018.