Zach Bryan pulling back the curtain on “Better Days.”
For those who call themselves fans of both Zach Bryan and John Mayer (just me?), The Great American Bar Scene featured one song with the musical styling of both artists intertwined with one another – and it worked. Not only did it work, it’s the best song on the album… in my humble opinion.
It was clear from the very first inkling that Bryan and Mayer were collaborating that both artists really appreciate one another. Mayer has been open about how humbled and blessed he felt to be a part of the project, and even had some really nice things to say about the fanbase that Zach Bryan has created.
As for Bryan, he considers himself a very close friend of John’s, and was obviously excited to have the accomplished and creative singer-songwriter hop onto one of his tracks. They teamed up for “Better Days” and recorded it in New York City, a place that apparently means a lot to Bryan, as he revealed in his most recent post:
“I’m not quite sure if there’s a relation to New York City and rednecks from Oklahoma and to be frank I’m not sure why I ended up loving it so much but around three and a half years ago, before American Heartbreak was recorded I was walking around Washington Square Park.
It was cold and I had just moved from Oklahoma, I was scared shitless and depressed as hell. I sat down on a bench by myself and I said one of these days I’m gonna come back, exactly here, and enjoy a cup of coffee without having anywhere to be.”
Though he hasn’t gotten to have that nonchalant cup of joe just yet, Bryan did get to enjoy a shared recording session with Mayer in the Big Apple, as he explained:
“That day has not come yet but I’ll say this day happened; a cold fall one, the coffee was hot, the rooftop was chilly, all my best friends were there. John was playing guitar, Brianna was holding Boston as a puppy, the holidays were on their way and by the end of it I was so overwhelmed with gratitude I teared up walking home through that park I swore I’d drink that cup of coffee in years before.
It is so easy to forget how many good days there have been when you’re searching for the next better day. Thank you guys for listening and thank you John, for showing us what music looks and feels like. Here is to better days behind and ahead.”
Those poetic words accompanied a clip of the behind-the-scenes music video for “Better Days,” which can be viewed below:
The small amount of footage Zach shared on his socials was great, but I’d highly recommend diving into the full video that was posted onto the country star’s YouTube. It features some before-recording parts, with a funny exchange that Bryan and Mayer had about when their session was supposed to start.
As the “Oklahoma Smokeshow” artist said himself, here’s to better days, and I’ll add my own “toast” by saying here’s to more collaborations with Bryan and Mayer in the future as well. Go ahead and take a couple of minutes to watch the full video below: