Little Big Town notched their first number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “Pontoon,” a song that would soon be termed as country’s summer anthem. The track was released in April 2012, as the first single from their fifth studio album, Tornado. Other than its promising spot on the chart, it also won Best Country Duo/ Group Performance on the 2013 Grammy Award.
When Creativity comes out of Misunderstanding
“Pontoon” was a product of excellent songwriting from Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby, and Luke Laird. The latter shared that the song’s idea came after a publisher misheard the title of the song they wrote for Miranda Lambert. Instead of “Fine Tune,” the publisher thought it was “Pontoon.”
The writers immediately googled whether a song about pontoon was recorded and to their surprise, there was none. Pontoon is a flattish boat that relies on pontoons to float. In America, it is used for both pleasure and boating and fishing. The writers relied on their boat experiences for the completion of the song.
“Pontoon” and its Recording Journey
The writers had a hard time finding an artist to record the song. “Pontoon” was offered first to Dierks Bentley but he refused to record it. Then it went to Kix Brooks, who thought the song was hilarious, and actually loved it, but said he won’t cut it. The former half of Brooks and Dunn was working on a solo album that time.
Finally, the quartet heard the demo with their manager and picked it up. The group altered some of the instrumentations and added some Little Big Town Thing. The goofy tone transformed into a cool and sexy rhythm. The group achieved what they’ve envisioned from the very first time they heard the song.
The official music video was directed by Declan Whitebloom. He also did the group’s recent track “Day Drinking” and Taylor Swift’s “Mean.” Set in Percy Priest Lake in Nashville, where many pontoon parties take place, the quartet naturally enjoyed the pontoon experience as they complete the video. Since the track’s release, it sparked a fashion craze. Fans sported T-shirts printed with a phrase from the song,
“Mmm….motorboatin’.”
Here’s a song that gives you a total summer experience. Feel the heat!
And folks, if you like to read more articles about our favorite country stars, check out the Country Thang Daily website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Tags
Little Big Town, Luke Laird, Pontoon