Ray Fulcher admits it took some time and at least one major life change to finish “Bucket List Beers,” the song he sings with just acoustic guitars during this exclusive premiere.
The easy, mid-tempo melody is built around celebrating once-in-a-lifetime moments with a cold beer. The first and the worst beer count; so, too, does “when you finally get to open / That one that you saved / For that Army buddy gettin’ off of that / Comin’-home plane.”
Chris Yarber, Tim Nichols and Luke Combs are Fulcher’s co-writers on this song. Combs and Fulcher write together often, and they’ve scored hits with “Even Though I’m Leaving,” “Does to Me” and more. The newcomer says he figured this song would go on his friend’s album, too, but Combs had other plans.
They got a first verse written several years ago, and a phone call home to Dad inspired the second verse.
“He’d just retired that day,” Fulcher remembers. “I remember hanging up the phone with him that day after congratulating him and was like, ‘There’s my second verse.’”
“And pouring one for Daddy / On the day he retired / Here’s to the last 40 / And the next 25,” he sings.
Credit Jonathan Singleton for the production — something that Fulcher feels really adds the right amount of nostalgia to the song. It’s part of his new Larkin Hill Mixes EP, a project that also features his radio single, “Girl in It.”
In November, Fulcher will join Combs and Ashley McBryde on the What You See Is What You Get Tour, with dates through December.
