Dustin Lynch Reflects On The Pandemic And Being "Jobless": "It Was A High-Stress Time"
When the global health crisis brought the world to a sudden halt in early 2020, country music hitmaker, Dustin Lynch found himself in a tough predicament. At the time, Lynch's career was at an all-time high – as he released his fourth studio album Tullahoma and was on his headlining Stay Country Tour.
Similar to other musicians, he was thrown a curveball and was forced to reschedule upcoming shows.
"We got a call that, uh, tour was canceled," Lynch told Taste of Country Nights. "Our trip to Australia we already had our bags packed for was canceled, and we weren't allowed to tour in 2020. And literally went from releasing a new album, kicking off a brand new tour, to being jobless essentially."
The hitmaker continued to share that he received the news while performing in Las Vegas and declared it as one of the worst days he had in the music industry to date. As Lynch felt like his career was spiraling down, he told Fox News Digital that he found the concept of "slowing down" uncomfortable, and his main concern was supporting his team financially.
"It was difficult for me, just because it was unlike any other time in my life that I've had where I was forced to stay at home. Since I was 15, I've been playing shows pretty regularly – obviously not at this level. But for 10 years at this level, I've been gone more off the year," he explained. "And so to be kind of told to stay at home and not know what was going to go on, but also to have to try and make ends meet for all my employees, all my touring crew and band members, it was a high-stress time," he added.
Lynch mentioned that songwriting became a form of escapism and a way to keep his group moving in the right direction.
"We started writing virtually, and also, I just kept telling myself that whenever this lets up, I want to be in tour shape, I want to be playing good, I want to be singing good, I want to be looking good. And then it was just a day-by-day battle for me," he said while walking the outlet through the thought process he had during the height of the pandemic. "So creatively, it really was like, OK, we just put an album out, the world shut down all the momentum we had on this tour that was selling so great is now gone – but let's not let that get us down. Let's let it fuel the next. And so I just started chipping away at this next album, not knowing that's what it would be, but that's what it ended up being," he concluded.
The chart-topping artist did exactly what he preached, as he stepped back into the limelight in full force. Lynch recently dropped his fifth studio album, Blue In The Sky. The buzzworthy collection includes smash hit "Thinking 'Bout You" with MacKenzie Porter, summertime anthem "Tequila On A Boat" featuring Chris Lane, and his high-tempo banger "Party Mode."
While cultivating the well-rounded project, Lynch revealed to Fox News Digital that he kept country radio on top of mind.
"Being on the radio is the coolest feeling ever," he gushed. "One of my dreams is to make music that as I'm out on the water, on my boat or something – another boat comes by playing it. It is the best endorsement ever, and it lets me know that we're doing the right thing. So I hope this album finds its way to some boat speakers somewhere in the summer."
Lynch is expected to bring his 12-piece project out on the road come March 17, 2022. To elevate the Party Mode Tour, the country crooner will be joined by breakthrough star Sean Stemaly. To celebrate live music back in action, fans can snag their tickets now at dustinlynchmusic.com/tickets. The 17-city trek will wrap in May in Avila Beach, California.
