Laine Hardy Reveals Plans For An Album & Admits ‘Love’ Is His Biggest Inspiration

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We caught up with ‘American Idol’ winner, Laine Hardy, EXCLUSIVELY for scoop on his two new songs, virtual tour, plans for an album and MUCH more!

Laine Hardy released two new songs, “Ground I Grew Up On” and “Let There Be Country,” on April 10, nearly one year after he was crowned the winner of American Idol. “”The Ground I Grew Up On,” when I heard it, it really relates to me and it gives me chills just listening to it,” Laine explained to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “I knew I wanted to cut that song. And “Let There Be Country” came about when I was writing songs in Nashville, and I heard it the entire time I was there. I thought the song was cool. It’s uptempo, and the first line of the song is, ‘As long as there is an old truck and a boat hitched up by the lake.’ I mean, I could go out and do that right now — just go outside and go three miles down the road and I’ll be at the lake!”

The 19-year-old is very passionate about his southern roots (he’s from Louisiana), which is evident in both of these songs. It’s no secret that he loves his hometown, and he said that he draws from that feeling when he’s songwriting. “[Love] is something that is easy to write about for me,” he admitted. “Everyone has that feeling of love. That is the root of everything. You can love riding the truck around. Country songs are about trucks and beer and girls, so it’s all about that.”

Now that these songs are out there, Laine is about to embark on a virtual tour, where he’ll perform his music via livestream on various websites for fans. Of course, he’d prefer to actually be out on the road “connecting” with the fans, but due to quarantine restrictions amidst coronavirus, he’s making due the best he can. “We have to work with what we got and the circumstances that we’re in,” he explained. “But I am ready to get back on the road. I’m excited for that.”

Next up, Laine hopes to “release an album” and write more songs, but he vowed that he’ll always stay “grounded” and be the “same person” he’s always been. “I’m just going to be myself and be and do the things hat got me here,” he said. “My fans and everybody got me here. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I’m just going to be myself and sing some new songs, be more out there to answer fan questions, and just hang out and be me.” Laine’s new songs are available to download and on streaming services now.