Interview: The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston on Songwriting, His Bond With Tyler Hubbard, and Entering a New Creative Chapter

As the end of 2023 rapidly approaches, hit songwriter and celebrated musician Jaren Johnston has plenty to be proud of. One of the year’s highlights came in November, when the award-winning talent was honored at the 2023 ASCAP Awards for his contributions to Tyler Hubbard‘s No. 1 debut solo single, “5 Foot 9.”

During a recent interview on the award ceremony’s red carpet, the Nashville native reflected on his friendship with Hubbard and what led to the creation of their country radio hit.

“I’ve been friends with him since probably 2009, and I started my band The Cadillac Three at the same time he started Florida Georgia Line,” explained Johnston. “Our first tour was in the southeast, and (Hubbard) had a van with his name detailed on the side of it with his cell phone number. That’s how long ago it’s been since we started getting going.

“When he took on this thing as a solo artist, which is not easy to do, coming from a global artist as big as Florida Georgia Line was, I was just so thankful that he called me to be a part of the writing team to do it,” he added. “We had such a good time—me, him, and Chase McGill sitting there, three dads talking about life and our wives, and that’s how the song came about.”

[RELATED: 5 Chart-Topping Songs You Didn’t Know The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston Wrote]

Johnston, a proud husband and father to their young son, says his creative process has been altered in a positive way since taking on those new life roles.

“It changes everything,” Johnston said. “You have more real estate to write about. You have things in life that you can’t control anymore, and that affects songwriting in a big way. Before that, you’re writing about whatever happened that day. It could be crazy situations from the night before, or what’s happened over the last six years. Having a family is a whole different ball game, and it really feeds my creativity.”

This year also marked the delivery of The Cadillac Three‘s sixth studio album, The Years Go Fast. The deeply personal project, which dropped on October 27, takes listeners through the pain of grief, the fleeting nature of time, and the search for hope on the horizon. 

The Years Go Fast was written and recorded following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the passing of Johnston’s father, Jerry Ray Johnston. Although he’s proud of their captivating country-rock record, Johnston says he’s happy to let that chapter come to a close.

“It’s a good breath of fresh air finally to be done with it,” admitted Johnston. “We were three years in on that record, and it wasn’t the easiest thing for me to come out of what I was in. I was in a pretty tough time and that record shows a lot of the struggle between coming out of a pandemic. It shows the love you find between the people that are closest to you, and it shows a lot of loss. I’m glad to have it out there, and I’m glad people are reacting well to it.”

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Ryman Auditorium