For 37-year-old Tennessee-native Larry Fleet, the foundation of his life has been built by working people. A third-generation son of construction and concrete workers, Fleet grew up watching his dad and grandfather put in hard labor day after day to make ends meet, instilling a work ethic in him that would rather see a life that’s “built not bought.” On September 1, that example of dedication and devotion gets placed front and center, inspiring Fleet’s third studio album Earned It, his 21-track tribute to the working class and a culmination of years’ worth of sweat, tour stops, and good old fashioned elbow grease, just in time for Labor Day.
“I’ve been workin’ since I was 14 laying bricks; there isn’t a day in my life I can remember where I wasn’t workin’ toward something or watching someone else earn their keep, whether that was my mom at home providing for us boys or at school teaching art when we got a little older, my dad out at job sites, you name it,” Fleet remembers.
“I believe in taking care of the people you love, earning a life you’re proud of, workin’ hard, and keeping your family and the things that matter first. With this record, I wanted to focus on how we got here and what our work earned us; it’s earned this life for my family, this opportunity for me and my band out on the road, it’s taught me about living well and makes me appreciate the place I come from. Earned It just felt right because I feel like I have; it’s been a long time coming, and by God it was worth it.”
From its anthemic title track to standouts like the gratitude-infused “Things I Take For Granted,” twist-laden mid-tempo “Devil Music,” rooted ballad “Grow,” and more, in addition to early releases like “Young Buck,” “Layaway,” “Daddy Don’t Drink,” and “Try Texas,” Earned It shows off the upbringing and values that Fleet holds dear. Expanding his storied catalog with nearly two dozen fresh staples, the album finds the Tennessee troubadour collaborating with esteemed storytellers Connie Rae Harrington, Luke Laird, Jesse Frasure, and Brett Tyler, while stepping into new territory and cutting outside songs for the first time ever from titans like Craig Wiseman, Rodney Clawson, Jessie Jo Dillon, Michael Hardy, Ashley Gorley, and more.
“Nashville’s full of the finest songwriters in the world, so I felt like it might finally be time to showcase some of their work alongside some of mine now that folks have gotten to know me as a songwriter on the first couple records,” Fleet adds. “I’m thankful they’d trust me to tell these stories and hope we did them justice.”
EARNED IT TRACKLIST
- Earned It (Larry Fleet, Connie Rae Harrington)
- Lucky Dog (Zach Abend, Smith Ahnquist, Michael Hardy)
- Ain’t Mad At Jesus (Larry Fleet, Josh Miller, Jake Mitchell)
- 25-8 (Casey Beathard, Nicolette Hayford, Jim Wolf)
- Things I Take For Granted (Larry Fleet, Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi, Brett Tyler)
- Lord Willing (Larry Fleet, Will Bundy, Brett Tyler)
- Two Beer Plan (Larry Fleet, Thomas Archer, Ryan Beaver, Mark Holman)
- Taking The Long Way (Larry Fleet, Will Bundy, Brett Tyler)
- Something He’d Say (Larry Fleet, Josh Thompson, Jake Mitchell)
- Beer Needs A Beer (Larry Fleet, Brett Tyler, Logan Wall)
- There’s A Waylon (Steve Moakler, Joseph Patton, Logan Wall)
- Angels Were Gone (Rodney Clawson, Jessie Jo Dillon, Joybeth Taylor)
- Try Texas (Jake Mitchell, Larry Fleet, James McNair)
- Tennessee On You (Rocky Block, John Byron, Jacob Durrett, Ashley Gorley)
- Muddy Water (Larry Fleet, Jesse Frasure, Brett Tyler)
- Devil Music (Jessie Jo Dillon, Neil Mason, Brett Tyler)
- Layaway (Larry Fleet, Mark Trussell, Josh Miller)
- Much To Talk About (Tommy Cecil, Jordan Dozzi, Craig Wiseman)
- Grow (Rodney Clawson, Josh Miller, Dallas Wilson)
- Daddy Don’t Drink (Larry Fleet, Derek Bahr, Luke Laird)
- Young Buck (Andy Albert, John Byron, Devin Dawson, Jacob Durrett)
