Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
“One of our earliest shared experiences was spending time fishing at the lake he owns.”
Riley Green shared how a fishing trip with Luke Bryan eventually sparked a musical partnership featured on his newest album.
His 2024 record, Don’t Mind If I Do, features two duets—one being the album’s title track with Ella Langley, and the other, a lighthearted fishing-themed tune called “Reel Problems,” featuring Bryan.
In a chat with his record label, Green reminisced about how their collaboration came to be.
“One of the first things we did together was head out to fish at Luke’s lake just outside of Nashville,” Green said. “We hit it off right away. He’s such a laid-back guy, and since we both grew up in the South—him in Georgia and me in Alabama—we had a lot in common.”
“Reel Problems,” co-written by Green, Erik Dylan, and Wyatt McCubbin, uses a witty pun on the word “real,” swapping it for “reel” in a nod to fishing, one of the pair’s shared hobbies.
Green had long held onto the idea. “I’d had that title saved in my phone for a while and knew exactly what the song should be,” he explained. “It basically wrote itself. I usually focus on more emotional or serious songs, but this one was just meant to be fun. The whole ‘rod and reel’ pun made it an easy, breezy write.”
Looking back on how Luke Bryan came to be part of the track, Green shared that their fishing outing likely played a big role in his decision to reach out to Bryan first after writing the song. “Knowing how much he’s into fishing, his musical style, and the fact that we’ve toured together—it just made sense,” Green explained. “That’s usually how these things come together—naturally, through genuine friendships.”
Instead of taking the typical route through managers or labels, Green chose a more personal approach by contacting Bryan directly.
“I just shot him a text,” Green said. “I’m sure these kinds of collaborations are usually handled through official channels, but in this case, a simple message did the trick.”
