Summer means lots of boats on the water. And if you’re looking for the perfect summer boating song, country artist Keith Walker’s new single, titled Friends With Boats, might just be what you’ve been waiting for. The meaning of the song? Even though times are tough and things don’t always go your way, it’s always good to have friends with boats.

Walker spoke with Editor/Founder, Emily Ann Wells of The CMBeat, to tell us a little more about the story behind his new song, and to talk about his new album.

Emily Ann Wells: Where did you get the idea for Friends With Boats?
Keith Walker: A longtime friend and co-writer who lives by the lake in Nashville called me and said “guess what – my neighbor just bought a freakin’ boat!” and all I said was “I’m there”. It was almost instant that the melody and hook called out to me. Being on the lake is always one of my go-to’s whenever I have free time, so this isn’t the first song I’ve written or released about being out on a boat. My last EP had a song called Leave It At The Shoreline, which is also about tearing it up on the lake.

EAW: You just did a video for Friends With Boats. What was it like making the video?
KW: It was such a great time. My good buddy Stevie had mentioned that she had a friend with a house on Old Hickory Lake [near Nashville] and asked if I’d be up for filming a music video. It just kind of fell into place from there. I called my video guys at 5 Folds Media and the awesome people at Cedar Creek Marina loaned us a Pontoon for the day. We had a bunch of close friends out and I brought a keg and a bunch of BBQ. After we were done filming, we just relaxed on the lake and enjoyed the rest of the day.

EAW: Your new EP “Space Between,” just came out July 1st. What can fans expect from the EP?
KW: I say this a lot but this is truly my best work yet. I believe if you’re not doing better than what you did last, than something’s wrong. This EP has a mix of a lot of different emotions. I always pull from personal experiences when writing and this handful of songs are no different. I will say that this EP ranges from deep inside the box country to as far out of the box as you can get. My producer, Chris Wright, and I definitely pushed the envelope with this one and there’s a little something for everyone. I’m loving this record and that’s always my goal when putting out a project. If I wasn’t in love with it, I’d head back to the drawing board.

EAW: Do you have a favorite line or melody from Friends With Boats?
KW: The first line, “I’m down to my last Pop-Tart”. The original line was “I’m down to my last guitar,” but my co-writer said, “we should change that to Pop-Tart,” and my mind was instantly blown. It was perfect and so real! Being an artist in Nashville never leaves you with spare cash so being down to my last Pop-Tart rung true to me… ha! Sometime’s I call it my mooching song but I hope it takes off like I think it will and then I’ll be the guy with the boat that others can mooch off…at least that’s the goal.

Interested in hearing the song? Watch it right here:

Walker’s new EP, “Space Between” that features the single “Friends With Boats” is now available.

Make sure to follow Keith Walker on all his social media, and check him out at his website: http://www.keithwalker.net.

What do you think about Friends With Boats? Let us know in the comments below or on social media!