Charlie Berry is stepping up in a major way for his debut single, “Whiskey Take It Easy,” which he co-wrote, produced and performed.
“Whiskey Take It Easy” is premised around a hypnotic percussion groove and simple acoustic guitar figure in the verses, which give way to heavier drums and electric guitar chords in the chorus. Berry supports his understated, rough-and-ready vocal performance with high harmonies in the chorus, and a screaming guitar solo highlights the rock-influenced track.
The lyric is a twist on a classic country song, with the narrator asking whiskey for mercy — not for himself, but for a former love who is still hurting from their split. “While she’s trying to forget / Don’t let her do something she’ll regret / You’re not her type / I know she’s just hurt / Hey whiskey, take it easy on her,” Berry sings in the chorus.
“Sometimes breaking up doesn’t mean falling out of love,” Berry says. “This song is about a girl going out on one of those newly single, drown-your-sorrows kind of nights. It’s from the perspective of a guy that’s struggling with the reality that what she does or doesn’t do isn’t his concern anymore, but he can’t help but still care.
“I’m proud to be sharing this song as my debut single and the fact that I wrote it with two of my best friends, Tom Whall and Zarni DeWet, makes it even more fun. I hope y’all love it,” he concludes.
Berry is a veteran of the trio Mockingbird Sun; he had 10 years of extensive touring under his belt when the group came to an end in 2016. The Texas native opted to remain in Nashville, where he’s been working over the past few years to develop new skills as a producer. He put those skills to use in self-producing “Whiskey Take It Easy,” which is available beginning Friday (Jan. 22) via Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes.
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