Alvin M. Keeling 
Since the release of his first album sinners like me in 2006, Eric Church became one of country music’s most well-known and respected artists. Unafraid to push the boundaries, he created his own mix of country heavily influenced by rock and roll, metal and southern soul.
Church has a deeply devoted fanbase that repeatedly sells out shows across the United States and beyond. From “Drink In My Hand” to “Hell of a View”, Church has provided some of the genre’s most infectious and innovative singles for nearly two decades. His past collaborations with Keith Urban (“Raise ‘Em Up”), Rhiannon Giddens (“Kill a Word”), Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan (“The Only Way I Know”) quickly became smash hits.
Even with a long list of accomplishments behind him, as well as a health issue that nearly claimed his life in 2017, Church doesn’t seem to have any intention of slowing down. In April 2021, Church surprised listeners with the release of the triple album of heart soula project he recorded while isolated in the mountains of North Carolina at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even before Church became a successful solo artist, he was writing tracks that would catch the eyes (and ears) of other major country stars. As one of Nashville’s most celebrated songwriters, his original tunes are always coveted by new and established artists looking for the perfect song to record.
Read on to learn about 5 songs written by Eric Church and recorded by other country artists.
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“Don’t blame the whiskey”
Recorded by Jon Pardi & Lauren Alaina (2019)
This popular collaboration from Jon Pardi and Lauren Alaina was born from another star-studded couple. Church teamed up with Miranda Lambert, as well as Luke Laird and Michael Heeney, to write “Don’t Blame It On Whiskey.” Saved for his 2019 record Medicine for heartachethe track finds Pardi in an emotional confrontation with Alaina as they deal with heartbreak.
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“Life Out of My Years”
Recorded by Lee Brice (2012)
An ode to living life to the fullest, “Life Off My Years” was written by Church, Michael Heeney and Jeff Hyde. Lee Brice landed the melody for inclusion on his second studio album, 2012 hard 2 love.
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“We were”
Recorded by Keith Urban (2020)
In 2019, Church once again teamed up with songwriting partners Ryan Tyndell and Jeff Hyde to write the song “We Were”. The track ended up in the hands of Keith Urban, who fell in love with the song and chose to record it. At the time, he had no idea that Church was one of the writers behind it. This discovery soon led Urban to recruit Church for a guest appearance on a new version of the track, which was released a few months later.
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“The world needs a drink”
Recorded by Terri Clark (2005)
Another Church and Casey Beathard co-write, “The World Needs a Drink” is a call for peace and relaxation that was recorded by Terri Clark in 2005, before Church rose to fame. Over the years, Church has periodically added the melody to his own song lists. A 2017 performance of “The World Needs a Drink” from a show in Birmingham, Ala. was recorded and included on Church’s 61 days at church: Volume 1 live album.
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“Jacksonville to Jackson Hole”
Recorded by The Wild Feathers (2019)
Written by Church and Casey Beathard, “Jacksonville to Jackson Hole” is a nostalgic, feel-good track that looks back on the storyteller’s wilder days. Wild Feathers member Ricky Young has revealed that Church is one of the band’s favorite songwriters, so the opportunity to cut one of his tracks in 2019 was a dream come true.
