Riley Green Reflects on Collaborating with Ella Langley on “Don’t Mind If I Do”
Riley Green admits he’s been a fan of Ella Langley long before they ever performed together on tour. He instantly became a fan after meeting her through a mutual friend and hearing her distinct country sound. “I heard her voice and her twang, and I knew she loved traditional country music,” Green recalled.
Green later invited Langley to join him on tour, and during that time, they recorded their hit, “You Look Like You Love Me,” which went on to become a chart-topping, platinum-selling, CMA Award-winning success.
While on the same tour, Green also wrote the song “Don’t Mind If I Do” and asked Langley for help with deciding the right key to write it in. “I think I got her to come in the day I wrote it and just kind of hum to see if it was something,” Green explained.
When it came time to record the vocals in the studio, Langley returned to lend her voice. Green called her in to lay down a vocal for the song, which he would later pitch to a female artist. “She just crushed it,” Green marveled, remembering how Langley showed up in a sweatsuit from home and effortlessly nailed the track.
Recognizing that Langley’s voice was a perfect fit, Green decided to keep her vocals on the song, releasing it as the title track of his latest album. Reflecting on the experience, he feels like everything just fell into place. “It was cool for her to be on the song… and having her out with all the success on the other song… it just worked out.”
“Don’t Mind If I Do” is a heartfelt ballad about dealing with the aftermath of a breakup. Green wrote the song on his own, with lyrics that capture the pain of missing an ex and struggling to move on. Despite efforts to numb the pain with alcohol, the song depicts the longing to reconnect, even if just for one more night.
Green added, “I think what’s cool about the song is that it has an older country feel to it. But I’ve never heard a duet where the female just sings the last chorus from her perspective. It’s a unique twist.”