“A Middle Finger To The Industry”: How Eric Church Quietly Shaped Morgan Wallen’s Entire Career

Morgan Wallen Explains Why Eric Church Changed Everything For Him

Eric Church never did things the “right” way — and that’s exactly why it worked.

For all of Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping success, the biggest influences on his sound aren’t trends or radio formulas. They’re artists who followed their instincts, trusted their voice, and stayed unapologetically themselves. And at the center of that list is Eric Church.

In a recently released limited-edition I’m The Problem CD zine, Wallen opened up about the artists who shaped his vocal style and musical direction. Among exclusive interviews, lyric sheets for all 37 songs, and a personal letter from his father, Morgan reflected on the singers who defined excellence for him.

Two names, he said, stand above the rest.

Keith Whitley & Chris Cornell: “The Pinnacle”

“I think Keith Whitley has one of the best voices ever,” Wallen said. “If we’re talking country music, I don’t know that anyone compares to his vocals.”

Wallen explained that Whitley’s sound felt deeply familiar to him, rooted in Appalachia and Southern gospel — music he grew up hearing through his family.

“In terms of vocalists who influenced me,” he added, “Keith Whitley and then Chris Cornell. Those two guys are the pinnacle for me.”

It’s a revealing pairing: one a country traditionalist, the other a rock icon known for power and emotion. Together, they reflect the blend of grit and vulnerability that defines Wallen’s voice today.

The Song That Changed Everything

But when it comes to falling in love with country music itself, Wallen credits one artist above all others: Eric Church.

“I didn’t really get into country music until I listened to him,” Wallen said. “What struck me most was how I could picture all his lyrics.”

The first Church song he ever heard was “Love Your Love The Most” from Carolina — a track full of unconventional imagery and plainspoken poetry.

“Lines like ‘mustard on my fries’ — it was off-the-wall, but it painted such a vivid picture,” Wallen said. “It wasn’t like anything else I’d heard.”

From there, he dove headfirst into Church’s catalog, memorizing his first three albums front to back. That obsession eventually led him backward into the genre’s roots — discovering Keith Whitley, Waylon Jennings, and outlaw country as a whole.

Doing It Your Own Way

What truly resonated with Wallen, though, wasn’t just Church’s songwriting — it was his attitude.

“With Eric Church, I saw a different kind of edge,” Wallen explained. “He’d give the middle finger to the industry, but at the same time, he had a soft, sensitive side.”

Church proved that an artist could live outside the system while still thriving within it — releasing deeply emotional songs without sacrificing independence or identity.

That balance is something Wallen consciously aims for in his own work.

“Take a song like ‘Just In Case,’” he said. “It shows a sensitive side, but it still has an edge. I’m trying to get multiple feelings across about one subject.”

From Influence to Collaboration

Today, the relationship has come full circle. Wallen and Church now co-own Field & Stream, and Church has appeared on several of Wallen’s standout tracks, including “Quittin’ Time,” “Man Made a Bar,” and “Number 3 and Number 7.”

It’s hard to imagine what it must feel like to collaborate with the artist who first made you fall in love with the genre — especially when you’ve since become its biggest star.

All because of one song.

All because Eric Church did it his own way.