Colby Acuff Continues Hot Streak With Nostalgic New Single, “Love Was Just A Feeling”

With all the buzz surrounding names such as Zach Bryan, Sam Barber, Tyler Childers and everyone else occupying the ever-growing non-mainstream country scene, Colby Acuff has proven time and time again that he’s not only one of the most underrated artists in the genre, but also one of the most honest songwriters.

Since his breakout in 2021 with “If I Were The Devil,” the Idaho native has delivered an album each and every year, and it’s growing more and more apparent by the day that he’s improving with every subsequent release. After delivering a timely message about the struggles the average person faces in the country on the 4th of July on “Average American,” Acuff has followed it up with a nostalgic ode to his youth on the brand new track, “Love Was Just a Feeling.”

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Discussing the independently-written track, Acuff pointed to the mistakes he made in the past as inspiration:

“I wrote this song by myself at 1:30 in the morning on a winter night in East Nashville, reminiscing on being a 17-year-old in Northern Idaho. I was definitely a wild child in those days and made many amazingly terrible decisions, but those helped shape me into a songwriter.

‘Love Was Just A Feeling’ describes a time where typically you think you’re in love but you truly don’t know what it means to be loved. Thus, it is only a feeling because at that time in my life I don’t think I had a single thought in that head of mine. This song has become a favorite amongst the team, and I’m so glad it’s finally out.”

What becomes apparent with subsequent listens, like many songs from the “Dying Breed” singer, is just how tapped into the human experience he truly is. Unlike most songs focused on nostalgia that simply throw out buzzy words and images from the past, Acuff instead hones in on the feelings present when you’re a young, dumb 17-year-old. This is best displayed in the chorus where he sings:

“But I remember seventeen
Living easy on the breeze
No one could tell me anything
But then again, I knew everything
Drinking beer I stole from dad
Copenhagen contraband
Damn it, life was simple then
Back when mistakes were free
And love was just a feeling”

Even lines in the verses, such as “Had to prove that I was right even if I got a black eye” and “I didn’t know I was in love even if I knew what love was,” point to a deep understanding of the stubbornness and ignorance we’ve all displayed in our teenage years. It’s honest writing like this that makes Acuff such an easy artist to root for and simultaneously relate to, especially in a time where the biggest artists in the genre feel larger than life.

Overall, “Love Was Just a Feeling” might not carry the heavy weight of past releases such as “If I Were The Devil,” “American Son” and “Scared of the Dark,” but it doesn’t have to. It’s a delightfully breezy track that simply feels like a drive through your hometown on a quiet summer day.

Listen here:

Colby Acuff Tour Dates

8/8 – The Hive (Sandpoint, ID)

8/9 – Harlo Music Project (Harlowton, MT)

8/19 – North Idaho State Fair (Coeur d’Alene, ID)

8/24 – The Long Road Festival (Leicestershire, UK)

8/25 – Sentrum Scene (Oslo, Norway) w/ Midland

8/26 – Fallen (Johanneshov, Stockholms lan) w/ Midland

8/27 – Vega (Copenhagen, Denmark) w/ Midland

8/29 – Docks (Hamburg, Germany) w/ Midland

8/30 – Paradiso (Main Room) (Amsterdam, Netherlands) w/ Midland

9/4 – The Valley Music Festival (Sun Valley, ID)

9/5 – John’s Alley Tavern (Moscow, ID)

9/6 – John’s Alley Tavern (Moscow, ID)

9/11 – The Newberry (Great Falls, MT)

9/12 – Brick Breeden Fieldhouse (Bozeman, MT)

9/13 – Pub Station – Ballroom (Billings, MT)The post Colby Acuff Continues Hot Streak With Nostalgic New Single, “Love Was Just A Feeling” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.