Background
The song was conceived in January 2025 during a writing retreat at McCreery's cabin in the North Carolina mountains,which involved songwriters Frank Rogers,Brent Anderson,Derek George,Jeremy Bussey and Bobby Hamrick. [1] [2] Bussey did not attend in-person because he was ill with the flu,but participated remotely from his laptop. The group began working on a summer song,since McCreery's label was asking him for a summer-themed EP. [2] McCreery mentioned his love for Hootie &the Blowfish and had an idea to collaborate with its lead vocalist Darius Rucker,who was a friend and frequent collaborator of Rogers. The group eventually decided to create a nostalgic track that would build into a Hootie &the Blowfish song during the post-chorus by the narrator recalling "the smile on her face when she'd make me break out my guitar and play..." [1] [2] They started strumming a tune that would eventually become "Bottle Rockets" [1] and were uncertain which Hootie &the Blowfish song to reference until Rogers began singing "Hold My Hand" at the end of the chorus that they had already written. [1] [2] Along the way,they recorded a demo with McCreery on lead vocals and the others providing harmony vocals. [2]
McCreery reached out to Rucker,and then Rogers reached out to the band about the collaboration. Hootie &the Blowfish agreed to sing the song on the track. While McCreery and his team were in the studio tracking for the new EP,Mark Bryan,Dean Felber and Jim Sonefeld were together in the studio and called,asked McCreery's group to record with them at that moment. They assembled the band and picked a tempo and key for them. Hootie &the Blowfish recorded their part before the song was even recorded. [1] Bryan,Felber and Sonefeld re-recorded their signature group harmonies from "Hold My Hand" [2] at Bryan's studio on the South Carolina coast,while Rucker traveled to Nashville,Tennessee from London,where he now lives,and recorded his part in Rogers' home studio,where McCreery records his music. [1]
McCreery has also said,"This song takes me back to those summers of having fun with no responsibilities with good times and good tunes. For me growing up in the Carolinas,Hootie &the Blowfish were just massive and such a huge part of great summers growing up. That's what this song 'Bottle Rockets' is about." [3]
"Bottle Rockets" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated October 4,2025,becoming McCreery's sixth No. 1 single,his first since "Damn Strait" in July 2022,and Hootie &the Blowfish's first. Additionally,this accomplishment made Hootie &the Blowfish lead singer Darius Rucker,who had achieved nine number one singles as a solo artist up to this point,the second artist in that chart's history to top the chart as both a solo artist and as a member of a duo or group. [6]
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