Dustin Lynch Opens Up About "Setlist Staples," His Crowd-Surfing Boat Wipeout, and His Surprise EDM Career
Dustin Lynch swung by The Bobby Bones Show to celebrate the release of his new album Setlist Staples — a collection featuring 10 of his number-one hits — and, as always, the conversation went everywhere from songwriting near-misses to flying planes to why he retired his infamous crowd-surfing boat.
The Album Isn't a "Greatest Hits" (Even Though It Kind of Is)
Bobby couldn't resist teasing Dustin about being "too young" to essentially release a greatest hits record. Dustin laughed it off, explaining that when his label first pitched the idea of packaging together the songs from his 15-year career, he wasn't ready to call it that just yet. So they landed on Setlist Staples instead — a nod to the fact that he now has so many hits, he has to cut some from his live show just to make room for new music.
The One That Almost Got Away: "Small Town Boy"
Dustin revealed that his hit "Small Town Boy" nearly slipped through his fingers. A song plugger emailed him the track, but he didn't open the email for weeks. He finally heard it while at his hunting lease south of Nashville, got a call mid-song, and spent the rest of the day convinced someone else had surely already snatched it up. Luckily, no one had, and the rest is history. Amy chimed in with her own memory of the song — she first heard it during Dustin's soundcheck at the iHeartCountry Festival around 2017 and instantly knew it was a hit.
"Good Girl" Came Together in 30 Minutes — After a Failed Attempt
Dustin also shared the story behind "Good Girl." He and his co-writers thought they'd written a smash the night before while touring with Brad Paisley, celebrated a little too hard, and woke up groggy to try again. Their first attempt that morning was a bust, but after scrapping it, "Good Girl" came together in about 30 minutes. His record label head happened to fly in to surprise them at the show that same day, so they got to play him the freshly written demo on the spot.
Cowboys & Angels: A Number Two That Became a Career-Defining Song
Interestingly, Dustin's very first single, "Cowboys & Angels," never actually hit number one — it was stuck behind Jason Aldean for three weeks. Looking back, Dustin admitted it was a risky choice for a debut single since it's a slow cowboy ballad, not the typical uptempo opener. Still, it remains his favorite song to play live every night.
Retiring the Crowd-Surfing Boat (After Wiping Out Night One)
Fans may remember Dustin's old stunt of riding a raft over the crowd during shows. He confirmed the bit has officially been retired — for good reason. On the very first attempt, the crowd wasn't looking for him because he started the raft from the back of the room while still on the mic, and he crashed hard. After that, he started the stunt on stage where fans could see it coming, and later started sending band members and radio friends in for their own turns instead.
An Unexpected Second Career in EDM
One of the more surprising threads of the conversation was Dustin's dive into the EDM world. What started as remixing his own country hits for an after-party gig in Las Vegas turned into bookings in Miami, Toronto, and beyond. He credited his love of dance music to childhood friends who moved to Vegas to work in nightlife, giving him early access to the club scene. This year, he even released a track with David Guetta and Illenium called "Die Living," and got to watch Illenium perform live during his residency at The Sphere in Vegas.
Still Flying, Still Farming, Still Golfing at a Three Handicap
Away from music, Dustin says he's trying to be more intentional with his downtime — sitting on the porch, watching baseball, and enjoying quiet mornings at home. He's still an active pilot (despite Eddie's teasing about the odds catching up with him eventually) and still farming. Golf remains a serious hobby too — he's currently playing at a three handicap and had a big golf week lined up in Colorado and California.
What's Next
Dustin confirmed his next studio album is officially done, with new music coming this fall. He's already playing a few unreleased songs live while holding others back for the album rollout.
Setlist Staples is out now, and Dustin Lynch will be on the road throughout September and October.
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