Interview: Cole Swindell On New Music And The Down Home Tour

By Michael Cerio

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Country newcomer Cole Swindell shows no signs of slowing as he nears the end of another incredible year.

As the writer behind hits for Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan, Swindell decided to step out of the shadow of songwriting and into the spotlight with his 2014 self-titled debut album. Penning hits and working the merch table at shows for Luke Bryan was a Nashville detour, but Swindell finally found his way to the stage.

Things worked out. This year the Georgia singer notched his fourth consecutive number one country single, released his second Down Home Sessions EP, and hit the road on a tour that lands him at Electric Factory in Philadelphia on Wednesday December 9^th.

"You dream of something so long and then you're right in the middle of it" gushes Swindell. "It puts a good kind of pressure on you, that man, country radio and the fans and everybody supported you through your first album with four consecutive number ones. Here I am now, the end of 2015 with what I said last year, how in the world are we ever gonna top this year."

Swindell is not without a plan. The singer has just finished up recording his follow-up album to his certified Gold debut that he expects you'll hear within the first couple months of 2016. First though it's once last shot for 2015 with a deeply personal single he's hoping to get to you before the end of the year.

"I want the fans to have this song for the holidays, because this is a song that is so special to me. It's my favorite thing I've ever written - out of all the songs for other artists, my songs, all that - this song I moved to Nashville to write and perform I think because it means so much to me" explains Swindell. "It's called 'You Should Be Here' and it's just about those moments in life - especially in my life that I get to experience all this stuff - and just like everybody whether you're missing somebody, you've lost somebody, there's always those moments in life that if somebody was there with you, you're thinking if so and so was here they would love it."

The sentiment of the song - written outside a stadium show with Luke Bryan - means plenty of things to Swindell. From old friends which Swindell says, "I remember thinking, man what if my buddies back home were here at this football stadium show with Luke. They would freak out". To his father who died suddenly in 2013. "With my dad, he's with me watching. He was proud of me. He got to see me get my record deal" remembers Swindell. "We got a video that we already filmed. That was the first time I've been back to my dad's grave since the funeral, almost two years ago. It's a pretty emotional video."

"My friends and family, everybody is always on my mind when I'm writing now. I'm just glad to be able to release a song that's hopefully going to establish me as an artist that wants to be around for a long time."

Until then you'll have to settle for Swindell's tales of whiskey and women that have catapulted him from selling t-shirts to singing number ones. "The Electric Factory man, that's pretty cool little step up from the merch table" he laughs. "Isn't that crazy?"

To hear much more from Cole Swindell check out the full interview below.