The Chris Goodwin Band has recently released their latest single, “Perfect Stranger,” a heartfelt track that blends classic country vibes with modern production.
We sat down with Chris Goodwin to discuss the inspiration, creative process, and evolution of the band through this song.
While you read through out interview, have a listen to the song.
Listen To “Perfect Stranger”
The Inspiration Behind “Perfect Stranger”
Front Porch: Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind “Perfect Stranger” and the story it tells?
Chris Goodwin: “Perfect Stranger,” at its core, is a song about trying to deal with heartbreak and the choices we make as a result (whether good or bad). A man walks into a bar with a broken heart, trying to take his mind off the pain any way he knows how. It just so happens there’s a woman at the bar feeling the exact same way. Their eyes meet and they know immediately, for at least this one night, they can take comfort in each other’s arms.
FP: How did the collaboration with Connor Pritchard and Chris Holmes influence the final sound of the song?
RELATED: Catch our previous coverage of “Perfect Stranger” …
Chris Goodwin: Connor has produced, recorded, and mixed every song we’ve recorded to date, including our new material scheduled to come out throughout 2024 and into 2025 (our new radio single drops August 16 called “Yeah I Do”). And Chris has mastered all but one. Connor was very involved in the creative direction of this track, particularly for the pedal steel section (performed beautifully by Ryan Funk). I knew as soon as I wrote the lyric to the song, that nothing would be able to capture the emotion I was going for better than a pedal steel. Connor shared that vision and worked closely with Ryan to create the sound you hear on the finished recording. It fits perfectly. It was also Connor’s idea to bring in a female harmony for the song, a vocalist named Sarah Wildi, which absolutely sends the track over the top.
The Creative Process
FP: What was the creative process like for writing and recording “Perfect Stranger”?
Chris Goodwin: I wrote the first draft of this song back in the summer of 2021, sun tanning in my backyard staring up at the sky. Out of nowhere (as often happens with my songwriting), the idea popped into my head that you could change the meaning of the phrase “perfect stranger” with a comma. “You’re a perfect stranger” as in someone you don’t know, or “you’re perfect, stranger.” It seemed odd to me that I hadn’t heard that play on words in a country song before (I even googled it lol). The rest of the lyrics were born from that one idea and honestly fell onto the page in probably 45 minutes. I didn’t take it to my band though until late 2023, as I thought it was maybe a bit too “country” for today. But as soon as we played it through a few times, made some minor changes to the structure and chord progressions, we knew we had something special.
FP: Chris, you mentioned that this song feels like it could be part of the Urban Cowboy soundtrack. Can you elaborate on how you achieved that blend of classic and modern country vibes?
Chris Goodwin: Honestly, it wasn’t something I did consciously. It’s really just the style of country music I grew up listening to, and a movie I must have watched 50 times with my family growing up. I honestly think I was mostly inspired by a song from Mike and the Moonpies (now known as Silverada) that came out in 2019 called “You Look Good in Neon.” It had that fantastic neo-traditional country sound from the early 1980’s that is often credited to the movie Urban Cowboy. Once I had that sound in my head, I couldn’t help but to write a song that would fit in right alongside artists from that era, such as Mickey Gilley and Johnny Lee.
Growth and Evolution of the Band
FP: Since this is described as the most ‘country’ song you’ve recorded to date, how do you feel it represents your growth and evolution as a band?
Chris Goodwin: I think with “Perfect Stranger,” you are seeing (hearing) a more maturely written song, both lyrically and musically. Something I’m very proud of is the fact that none of the songs we’ve released to date really sound the same, all having a different feel or vibe, yet all the while still feeling and sounding like Chris Goodwin Band songs. While doing something different from song to song might not be the most beneficial thing to do commercially, it does fuel the creative fire and helps to keep things interesting from a songwriting perspective.
In creating/developing the Chris Goodwin Band sound, we generally have two rules that we try to follow: 1) it needs to feel authentic and real musically, meaning it needs to feel and sound good stripped back with just the four of us playing, and 2) it should be something people can dance to, which I think is a fundamental piece of what country music is supposed to be (though I may be in the minority on that as sadly it’s often an ingredient missing in “modern country music”). With those as the foundation, we’re free to explore different directions with each song we write.
Listen to “Perfect Stranger” now and experience the heartfelt story and unique blend of classic and modern country vibes that the Chris Goodwin Band has crafted. Stay tuned for more new music from the band, including their upcoming single “Yeah I Do,” dropping on August 16.
In country music, the Front Porch has long been a place of reflection. A place where you can look at the life you have inside that front door. A place where time almost seems to stand still, where you can get away. It’s also a place where you can go to observe the world as it passes by you. To think about your place out there beyond the driveway.
