Eric Church: Cut From A Different Kind Of Cloth

‘A person or thing not within an enclosure or boundary.’ – Definition of an outsider

Meet Eric Church. Eric is a guitar picking, whiskey drinking, country singing, Carolina native who continues to change country music. This guy really has no boundaries.

His choices in lyrics and sounds are fearless. His approach has helped to achieve multi platinum successes with the album ‘Chief’ (2011) and again with ‘The Outsiders’ (2014), which ranked at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.

Church says, "I've always felt like an outsider, and I still feel that way. That feeling is something that you never lose, no matter how much acceptance you get. When you've been burned enough, you carry that feeling with you, and it becomes a part of you. That chip on your shoulder becomes a source of strength, and it drives you to push forward."

With his chip on his shoulder, Eric Church is no outsider to the country music charts with singles such as "Drink in My Hand," “Give Me Back My Hometown,” “Creepin,” "Homeboy,""Springsteen," "Smoke A Little Smoke" "Cold One," "Talladega" ,"Guys Like Me," and many more.

“They’re the in crowd, we’re the other ones. It’s a different kind of cloth that we’re cut from. We let our colors show, where the numbers ain’t. With the paint where there ain’t supposed to be paint.”-The Outsiders, Eric Church

Despite having great success, Church has not forgotten about those who have supported him throughout his journey. It is not a coincidence that Church chose his recent title song as his latest album's lead single, “The Outsiders.”

Church affirms, "It's outsiders, plural, because it's not just about me. If you look at the cover art, it's me and my band. And in the video, we're coming through the gates, and the fans are coming through behind us. Those people that have always been a part of this journey, and this is where we all get to stand up and say, 'We're here now. You could close the doors on us and brush us off before, but now we're coming through.' "

He has also helped others on their journey. From small acts of allowing a small town kid write about him (that`s me) to larger causes such as founding a non-profit, Church has continued to break boundaries. He and his wife launched the Chief Cares Fund which aids underprivileged families and children throughout Tennessee and Eric’s home state of North Carolina, as well as to help an orphanage in Nepal get beds, clothing, and offer schooling to children that would otherwise never get the chance; deliver bibles and aid to Haiti, and help fund the Humane Society’s no-kill animal shelters with funds that go towards operational costs.

Outsiders have no boundaries. If there`s a lesson we can all learn from Mr. Church, it`s to break a few boundaries in your journey because there`s no telling where it may take you. For Eric Church, his approach with no boundaries in life and music has led him to major success.

He is the sudden change that country music needed. I cannot wait to see what he does next.

Catch Eric Church live on The Outsiders World Tour 2015.

Logan