Dreams Come Full Circle
Fleet grew up in White Bluff, Tennessee, in a musically gifted family. At age 6, he joined his family’s band, “The Happy Two,” headed up by his great-grandfather and great-uncle. Fleet’s great-uncle taught him how to play guitar and fiddle. Though bluegrass was his earliest influence, it was Willie Nelson’s country-western music that made Fleet want to become a country songwriter.
As a young adult, he spent a decade regularly playing live shows to hone his performance skills. And in 2017, his hard work paid off. He was discovered by country singer Jake Owen while playing at a private event. The two chatted after Fleet’s sets, and they hit it off. Before the aspiring recording artist knew it, he was touring with Owen as his opening act.
In 2018, Fleet took a break from touring and began competing on the USA Network singing competition show, “Real Country.” He was reunited with Owen when the country star became a judge on the program. Fleet missed winning the competition by a hair, and placed second.
His dreams came full circle when another country star took notice of his talent. Fleet found himself on the road again, this time with his childhood idol, Willie Nelson.
Gospel Song Sundays
Aside from bluegrass, gospel music was one of Fleet’s key influences. During his downtime, he began a live music series on his social media that he called “Gospel Song Sunday.” The series featured his own renditions of some of his favorite spiritual music.One day, he was contacted by someone who took notice of his engaging social media series. Veteran Nashville songwriter Connie Harrington saw his “Gospel Song Sunday” videos and wanted to write with him.
Fleet had long admired Harrington’s work. Lee Brice’s moving hit “I Drive Your Truck” is among many of the popular tunes she’s penned for country singers. Now, Fleet would get to work with one of Nashville’s go-to wordsmiths.
The Spark of an Idea
Fleet’s music is soulful, and it often invokes a contemplative state with lyrics that aren’t afraid to explore life’s bigger questions and mysteries.
“She said, ‘Hey, I really love what you’re doing, and it kind of sparked up this idea that I got, and it’s a title called ’Where I Find God‘.” And I was like, ’[I] Love it.'”
The two shared the places they feel most connected to their creator, and many of the places made it into the lyrics of the song. For Fleet, he listed deer stands, hayfields, and fishing spots. For Harrington, she always felt close to God while driving to Nashville or spending time in a boat.
Fleet was in awe of how easily the song came together. He stated: “It wrote itself, really. It’s the first song we ever wrote together, and the first time we ever met, we wrote that song.”
Writing a hit song is no easy feat. After their co-writing session came to a close, the hardest part got underway. Fleet had to wait for his label to give the go-ahead for its release.
In 2019, Fleet joined Owen once again. This time, he joined the roster of Big Loud Records, a label Owen had been signed to since 2017.
‘Anybody Can Relate to It’
As “Where I Find God” climbed Billboard charts, effects of COVID-19 continued to mount. When churches temporarily shut down, people searched for ways to stay spiritually connected. Fleet’s song was a comforting outlet.
Lyrically, the song contains a unique perspective. Before Fleet ever wrote it with Harrington, he long contemplated his views on spirituality. Those views influenced the tune:
“I haven’t always been in church, but I always knew deep down there was a God. ... A lot of people are like that: They don’t necessarily know what God is or who God is, but they know something’s there, and they can go out in nature and see it. ... I wanted to write that—and Connie did, too—to include everybody [in] that song, and wherever you’re at in your faith, anybody can relate to it.”
Since Fleet and Harrington’s first writing session, the two developed a close professional relationship. He now has an unconventional way to tell when they’ve penned a keeper:
“I always joke around and say: You know you’re on a good one when Connie starts crying.”
During their first writing session together, when “Where I Find God” came to fruition, Fleet looked over at Harrington, who had tears in her eyes. His response?
‘Needed on Airwaves Everywhere’
Some listeners turned to the song for comfort and spiritual enrichment during the pandemic, and others turned to it for strength when they needed it most. Over the years, Fleet has received messages from people who said that “Where I Find God” helped them turn their lives around:“They’re telling their stories. … People tell me they fought with addiction. They heard this song and turned their truck around and tried to mend some fences with their family.”
He continued, “To me, as a songwriter, that’s about as good a compliment that you can get: A song you wrote has changed someone’s life, for the good.”
All Access said the song was “needed on airwaves everywhere.”
Fleet and his team describe “Where I Find God” as “an uplifting ode to finding peace in the higher power’s presence during life’s little moments.”
After the single’s release, it climbed all the way to No. 43 on Billboard charts. The music video also garnered 7 million views by Oct. 2020. Today, it’s been played over 37 million times.
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