We take you behind the scenes and explore the making of one of our favorite tunes with The Song Remembers When…
Song: “Just The Way”
Songwriters: Matt Thomas, Kevin Bard, and Nolan Sipe
Album: For You, For You 2
They say to truly love someone you take them “just the way they are” – that’s what Parmalee and Blanco Brown’s collaboration in 2020 was all about. Matt Thomas, lead singer of the band, wrote the song with Kevin Bard and Nolan Sipe. It’s about unconditional love, quirks and all.
Now, the guys of Parmalee are longtime friends with Blanco, and they were waiting for the right song to come along so that they could work together. Matt said that Blanco is so full of positivity and purpose that this song seemed like the perfect fit.
In December 2019, Parmalee and Blanco debuted “Just The Way” during Sunday Night Football’s halftime show. Two weeks later, the band released it as the first single from their album For You.
“Just The Way” ended up being a huge win for both the band and Blanco when it hit the top of the chart in March 2021. It became Blanco’s very first number one of his career. And, the song was Parmalee’s first chart-topping hit since their debut single “Carolina” peaked at number one in December 2013. “Just The Way” kicked off a string of chart successes for the band including “Take My Name,” a two-week number one and the top song of 2022, and “Girl In Mine,” a Top 5 hit from earlier this year.
Image: Cody Heckber / Stoney Creek Records / BBR Music Group / BMG
