This piece originally appeared in Wide Open Country by Jeremy Burchard
Bud Light is celebrating a big Texas milestone, and they’ve enlisted Josh Abbott Band to help celebrate with their new version of the classic song “Deep In The Heart Of Texas.”
The company is celebrating 30 years of brewing their beloved beverage in the Lone Star State. The band’s take on the anthemic tune will be featured in Bud Light commercials and advertising throughout the state. The iconic Bud Light can will also get a new look to mark the very special occasion.
Abbott tells Wide Open Country that the partnership seemed like a natural fit. “We hit it off in a couple meetings and it led to a partnership that we’re excited about!” Abbott says. “They want to get the message out that while they are a national brand, they are made in Houston by fellow Texans.”
Josh Abbott Band headed to Panhandle House Studio in Denton, Texas to record their version of “Deep In The Heart Of Texas.” The group worked with producer Erik Herbst, who also worked with Abbott on albums like Small Town Family Dream and She’s Like Texas.
Give a listen to the band’s energetic rendition below.
Don’t be ashamed if it takes you a few listens to get down the lyrics to that second verse. Even us proud Texans need some help with it. In fact, Abbott made a creative decision when recording.
“If you google it, there’s actually a lot of different lyric arrangements,” Abbott notes. “So I just went with the one I thought sounded correct.”
Of course, being a proud Texas Tech alum, Abbott makes sure to point out the song isn’t exclusive to the University of Texas, which plays it at all its sporting events.
“It’s a classic in our state and even though some people associate it with [The University of Texas], it’s really more of a traditional time-honored country song,” Abbott says. “And we thought it was a cool opportunity to pump some new life into it and present it with a little more energy.”
Bud Light is sponsoring the band’s Brewed Deep In The Heart regional tour, which will travel across Texas later this year.
In 2017, Abbott spent much of the year on the road in support of the band’s latest record, Until My Voice Goes Out. Although their schedule will be a little shorter this year, Abbott says fans have plenty to look forward to in the coming months.
“Our focus this year is to not tour as much as previous years so I can spend more time with my family and also write more,” Abbott explained. “And then consequently, we’ll hopefully be recording a new album in August! Then in 2019 we’ll hope to hit the road hard again!”
You can find a full list of Josh Abbott Band’s upcoming tour dates here.
