Easton Corbin begins our weeklong look at CMT Breakthrough nominees

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! The long weekend’s coming to a close, but we’re excited to start a series of daily profiles today featuring this year’s USA WEEKEND Breakthrough Video of the Year nominees at the upcoming CMT Awards on June 9. Zac Brown Band won the award last year, and we’re featuring a former Breakthrough winner, Carrie Underwood, in this weekend’s issue. You have until June 8 to vote for your favorites, and in the interest of democracy, we’re showcasing all four Breakthrough nominees, starting with Florida native Easton Corbin. Not many music videos scream “country” as much as Corbin’s A Little More Country Than That, which showcases the up-and-comer fishing and tossing hay bales. Read below for an interview with Corbin, who’s currently on tour with Brad Paisley, and check out his nominated video below. If you like it, or any of the other artists we’re profiling this week, go to cmt.com to vote!

Photos courtesy of Mercury Nashville

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I see you palling around with horses and having fun with a chainsaw in the video. I’m guessing you’re pretty at home on a farm.
Yeah, man. It was great to be out there. That’s what it’s about. That song really lets the listeners in on where I come from and how I grew up, and the video does that as well. I grew up doing those types of things. My grandfather had a small cattle farm, and I’m used to all that stuff and all the things that come with that.

Is that the farm you grew up on in the video?
Actually that was filmed on a farm about 45 minutes away north of Nashville in Springfield, Tenn. It’s a working farm up there, 1300 acres.

I’m impressed that the insurance people let you get away with using the chainsaw.
Aw, shoot. Hey, what they don’t know don’t hurt ‘em. Until they see the video. Then I tell them I won’t do it again until I do it again.

Because it was so personal, how much of a role did you play in the concept of the video?
I had a big part in that. They send you video treatments and you pick what you like the most, and that’s the one I really liked.

In picking the truck, though, did you use your own or at least have a good selection to choose from?
No, that was a farmhand’s truck who worked for that guy. We just used his truck. It is like some that I have driven. My grandpa had an old ’81 Ford he had almost till I graduated.

Do you have a truck back in Nashville when you’re not riding in a tour bus?
Oh yeah, that’s what I drive. I’ve always driven a truck of some sort.

What’s your favorite country music video of all time?
I didn’t really grow up watching a lot of country music videos. I don’t have a favorite, but I can say this: All My Rowdy Friends was a pretty cool video. And that’s back in the day, man. There were no special effects on that!

Was Hank Williams Jr. one of your childhood idols?
Absolutely, man. I love a lot of his music. He’s great.

You released your self-titled debut in March. Are you already working on a new album?
That process should never end, the writing and looking for songs for the next record. It’s never too early, I don’t think.

You’ll probably see some stuff on this tour that will make for a good song one of these days.
I’m sure I can get some ideas out there. [Laughs] There’s probably no shortage of that.

What’s this year been like? Are you seeing the fruits of your labor now?
It’s a dream come true. You work hard at it so long and you aspire to see it pay off. With that, the hard work continues and you’ve just gotta keep your nose down and keep focused. I’m just so happy we’ve had the album come out and we’ve got a No. 1 single here. It’s been a great year and I hope it continues to go well.