Hear ‘Dance With Me,’ an Honest Duet Between Morgan Evans and Wife Kelsea Ballerini
Morgan Evans has learned many valuable lessons about songwriting, like that pure inspiration makes for the best songs.
"Dance With Me" is perhaps the most glowing moment on Evans' U.S. debut album, Things That We Drink To, not only for its beautiful lyrics, but the natural chemistry he and wife Kelsea Ballerini have on the romantic track.
"'Dance With Me' is definitely the most honest moment on there in terms of songwriting," Evans shares with Taste of Country. "I grew up writing songs by myself on the other side of the world, and you sort of wait for that romantic inspiration to hit you. I still believe that best ideas come from that."
Evans and Ballerini will celebrate a year of marriage in December 2018, but the song precedes their love — at least on paper.
Not long after they met, Evans was up early one morning to watch Ballerini perform on a morning talk show. Guitar in hand, he used the commercial breaks to start working on a love song for his then-future wife. Twenty minutes later, Evans had the first verse and chorus of "Dance With Me," and he took it into the studio that day to record a solo version.
Months later, Ballerini asked him to sing background vocals on her album, Unapologetically, opening the door for him to ask her to return the favor. She was happy to. Ballerini delivered serene vocals for an already heartfelt ballad, giving it an even more personal stamp now that they're married.
"We were very protective of what the song was already, but when she started singing on that first chorus, it was like a goosebumps, hairs on the back of your head stand up kind of moment. It was magic straight away," Evans recalls. "There's something really honest and pure feeling about that, and I still feel like that when I hear it."
Evans is releasing Things That We Drink To with a hit single to his name in the form of "Kiss Somebody." He resumes touring with Chris Young on the 2018 Losing Sleep World Tour on Oct. 25.
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