The ONLY country band to achieve a PLATINUM single prior to a debut album release

By Molly Barber

    Lyrics are important. For me, they can make or break a song. I think it’s always a special moment when you hear a song for the first time and can relate to the lyrics.   

    I remember when I got back from Bolivia I heard the song Burning Man from Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne. It was like he was inside of my soul- ♪ “I still go wherever the wind blows me but I always find my way back.” ♪ And then when I got to the chorus, ♪ “I’m a little bit steady but still little bit rollin’ stone, I’m a little bit heaven but still a little bit flesh-and-bone, Little found, little don’t-know-where-I-am, I’m a little bit holy water but still a little bit burning man.”♪ I mean come on.  I think I found a kindered spirit. 

There’s nothing like a song people can relate to and good writers know this. I think that’s why the country band LANCO took off the way they did. Once people heard their lyrics and catchy beats, how could they not jump on the bandwagon? I mean, there’s something to be said about the ONLY country band IN HISTORY  to have a platinum single (Greatest Love Story)  before their album was even released.

  But what’s great about these fellas is the fact that they sing what they know. You totally get that these boys are

small town. It’s not hard to believe that they struggled before they found success, and it should come as no suprise that when I interviewed Tripp he was so down to earth it was like talking to an old high school friend.

Congratulations on your guys’ nominations this year

Oh, thank you so much! We are beyond excited. It’s cool because you watch these awards shows when you’re a kid growing up and you never ever think you’re going to be nominated for any of them, so to be in the categories that we’re in is kinda crazy.

So since breaking through, being invited to all the awards shows and all that jazz, what’s been one of your biggest star-struck moments?

Ugh, oh man… It’s hard for me in the moment to think of just one because our record went double platinum this year. Which we just got the plaque for that and that’s one of those things that gosh it’s just crazy to me that people went and bought our record- “Greatest Love Story.” That’s been so cool for us.

   Playing the Grand Ole’ Opry was incredible. Getting asked to go on Dierks’ tour was one of those moments where it’s like, ‘Yes, this is what it’s supposed to feel like’.

   There’s just so many little moments, getting the nominations. It’s hard to pick just one. Every little thing, you’re just so thankful for all of them.

I know I talked to Mikey Raphael a couple of months ago and he said to me, ‘Oh, you gotta interview LANCO, they’re so cool. I just worked with them on a song.’ So Mickey was talking you guys up too.

Yeah he came in and played on our record. He played harmonica on Middle of the Night and when we heard it we were like “Oh, this is incredible’. Talk about a guy who’s been around. He’s played with everyone.

So Tripp, if I challenged you to a lip-synch battle, what song would you choose?

Charles Daniels Band, Leave This Long Haired Country Boy Alone or you know that song, ♪‘da, da, da-da, da, da-da, da Tequilla’ ?

Oh yeah! Tequila by The Camps!

Maybe that one. Because I’d only have to say one word then.

True that, and then we’d get to see some of your dance moves!

That’s true. I’d have to have a few before that though.

What was the first CD you ever bought?

I think it was, this is going to sound funny but I think it was The Hot Boys. It was their first record, which was Lil’ Wayne’s first project.

Oh wow!

Yeah I was like really young and I think Lil Wayne was like 14 or 15 in that. But I was like 8 or 9 and I went and bought it. I left it in my dad’s car one time when we were driving and he threw it out the window because of the language. I can’t believe that’s the first record I ever bought but it was.

If you could have anybody cover a LANCO song who would it be and what song would you choose?

I would love to hear the Rolling Stones do Trouble Maker. I think they have such a vibe you know with their sound and attitude that it would be cool to hear them sing that song.

What’s the best part of the live experience for you?

Oh man, I feel like it’s really cool to currently have two songs that people are singing along really loudly at Dierks’ shows and when we started doing our own touring dates, like we have our own headline tour coming up. The best part is that we actually have real fans there packing these places out and singing every song. It’s one thing to have a song and trying to share a song. We spent so many years trying to get people to even know our name because we didn’t have a song that was on the radio at that time and then to have all these people come out singing our song. We don’t really get to meet everyone in the crowd but we all share a bond over these songs and so it’s cool to unite with the people that feel the same way we do over our songs. As an artist I don’t know how anyone could ever get used to that.

I read in an article there was some controversy around “Greatest Love Story” because you guys chose to use the word car instead of truck?

Yeah it’s funny. At the time that Brandon wrote that, there was like a new wave of country coming out and everybody was using the word truck and we took that song to a couple of people trying to get help to record it before we got lucky and found our producer. But a lot of people would say, ‘You gotta say truck there. You’re going to wanna say truck. I remember Brandon saying he grew up just outside of Nashville about 30 minutes in this town called Smyrna, he actually lived in La Vergne which is next to Smyrna (they have like one street light). But I remember him saying, ‘Dude, I had cows in my backyard and I drove a car. So you can’t define my country for me

because it might not look like yours but all my friends who live in the country drive cars. Trucks are too expensive. We’re in high school, we can’t afford it.’ So I felt that was cool, that’s been the biggest thing. We don’t have to go out and prove we’re country because we’re five guys from the south. I’m from Georgia, two of the other guys are from Georgia, one’s from Kentucky and one’s from Tennessee. We grew up in small towns. The only thing we can do is be honest about what we did and write about what we did because that’s what we know. You know?

I’m glad you guys stuck to your guns on that one. I think it says a lot about your integrity as a band.

Yeah for sure and when you listen to, like, to Jon Bellion, you’re listening to a dude who grew up in New York and hearing his perspective of living there. That’s the most valuable thing as an artist, having your perspective. I feel like a lot of people, they might not necessarily be from the same part of the world as you are but they can either A.- relate to it in some way or B.- Fantasize about it in some way.

So, who are you looking forward to seeing at the AMAs?

I don’t know! It was crazy when we got the nomination and invited. I was like ‘Man, I would love to end up at a party with Drake afterwards or Taylor Swift. Really anybody… Imagine Dragons, I don’t care.’

I’ll end with this last question- Is that something you think you’ll ever get used to? Like throwing those names around and going to events with them? Partying with them?

I don’t know. I’m from a small town- Dalton, Georgia and no one, there’s a few people who’ve done like professional sports and stuff but I don’t know anyone who’s made it in the music industry. Especially growing up, you don’t ever hear about that. So it’s crazy to be a small town kid like that and be thinking about the question you just asked me. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it or not.

    It’s habit for me to write these articles listening to the musicians I’m writing about. I believe it helps me bring something to the article that I might have missed otherwise. So as I wrap this story up, I can’t help but smile listening to LANCO’s song We Do. Their lyrics are so defining to who they are as a band and once again I’m left with a sense of kinship when I hear, ♪ “We don’t have a lot but we make the most of everything we’ve got, So let’s raise a toast, Here’s to all the friends that we’ll never forget, And here’s to all the times that we’ll never regret.”♪  Perfection right? And it get’s better because then we’re hit with the catchy, sing-along-to athnem chorus-

♪ “This is our life, love it or hate it, People may not appreciate it, But we do, we do.”♪