Dan + Shay Perform Harmonious Acoustic Cover Of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" on 102.5 KNIX

When I first heard Dan + Shay's debut album "Where It All Began" on Spotify in 2014, I felt like I was listening to their third or fourth record, not the first one. That is how good it was. Shay's vocals and Dan's harmonies were tight and crisp, the lyrics were very catchy, and the production on each track was refreshing to me. I could really tell they put all of their energy into every aspect of making this collection of songs. Back then, I thought the duo were already at the top of their games and I would expect this exact level from them as time went on. However, they started to top themselves from one album to the next. Shay's voice matured as he got older, Dan's harmonies got even stronger, and they upped their songwriting skills by writing with different songwriters over the years. Dan even experimented with the production techniques as time went on, especially on their second album, "Obsessed". While I love all of the duo's albums, their current album "Bigger Houses" is by far my favorite. When you think country music, this one showcases that all the way through with their storytelling and the production that includes the fiddle and mandolin.

With all of that being said above, it is truly crazy to me how much Dan + Shay have matured in the last 11 years. When I listened to their cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers hit "Free Fallin'" today, it took me back to 2014 when I first discovered them. October 15, 2014 was their first time singing the cover at 102.5 KNIX, a country radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. Before they started playing for the radio programmers and listeners in the room, Dan joked that they might forget some of the words, as they had just started playing with and learning the song recently.

The duo remembered all of the lyrics and delivered a strong, harmonious performance. They were both in their 20's in 2014 and look so young in this video, especially Shay. His crazy vocal range is showcased on this song and so are Dan's harmonies. You can hear his harmonies throughout the acoustic cover, especially when he sings the post-chorus with the song title repeated a few times toward the end. Shay's vocal range is still crazy and even stronger now, but his voice has changed a little bit and has matured quite a bit now that he is 33 years old.

The first verse of the song includes the lyrics "She's a good girl, loves her mama Loves Jesus and America too She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis Loves horses and her boyfriend too" while the second verse includes the lyrics "It's a long day livin' in Reseda There's a freeway runnin' through the yard and I'm a bad boy 'cause I don't even miss her I'm a bad boy for breakin' her heart". 

Dan + Shay have written many love songs like the lyrics in the first verse including "My Side Of The Fence" "Steal My Love", and "Show You Off" to name a few. On the flip side of the coin, they have also written many heartbreak songs like the lyrics in the second verse of the cover convey, including "Save Me The Trouble", "Heartbreak On The Map", and "I Heard Goodbye". I bet they used this cover as inspiration when it came to writing the songs for their "Obsessed" album that was released in 2016 and the other three albums that followed.

Stay tuned for future posts with my commentary on other acoustic covers they have done over the years.

Enjoy the acoustic video of Dan + Shay's performance of "Free Fallin'" from country station 102.5 KNIX's YouTube channel below.