{"id":2438331,"date":"2026-05-30T15:47:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T15:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2438331"},"modified":"2026-05-30T15:47:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T15:47:25","slug":"luke-bryans-fish-hunt-golf-drink-songwriters-defend-country-song","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/luke-bryans-fish-hunt-golf-drink-songwriters-defend-country-song\/","title":{"rendered":"Luke Bryan&#8217;s &#8216;Fish Hunt Golf Drink&#8217; Songwriters Defend Country Song"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tWhen Nashville songwriters Chase McGill and Matt Dragstrem are asked exactly how they wrote <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/t\/luke-bryan\/\" id=\"auto-tag_luke-bryan\" data-tag=\"luke-bryan\">Luke Bryan<\/a>\u2019s new song, the countrified \u201cgym, tan, laundry\u201d anthem \u201cFish Hunt Golf Drink,\u201d they can\u2019t help but break the ice with a joke.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cDrag just opened ChatGPT and\u2026,\u201d McGill says, before he and his songwriting partner erupt into laughter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tThey\u2019re laughing for a reason: When Bryan dropped \u201cFish Hunt Golf Drink\u201d two weeks ago, listeners wondered if such a caricatured country song was written not by flesh-and-blood humans, but by AI. The song, and its accompanying video featuring Bryan dancing on a dock, was ripped online, and launched a string of comments denouncing the track \u2014 about, yep, fishing and hunting, golfing and drinking \u2014\u00a0as the product of a large language model.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Luke Bryan - Fish Hunt Golf Drink (Official Audio Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cXMirYiC61E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tBut McGill is not only defensive of the silly song he wrote for Bryan, he\u2019s defiant about AI\u2019s inability to capture  the specificity and evocative nature of a great country song. \u201cAI has never skinned a deer on a Chevy C-10 tailgate with their uncle,\u201d he says, referring to his recent co-write of Morgan Wallen\u2019s \u201cSkoal, Chevy and Browning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cFish Hunt Golf Drink\u201d arrives at an uneasy time in arts and culture, one in which the phrase \u201cthat\u2019s AI\u201d is increasingly levied at anything seen as bland or formulaic. Assorted writers across professions <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/the-people-getting-falsely-accused-of-using-ai-to-write.html\">are being falsely accused of using AI<\/a> if their prose style happens to match that of a large language model. Commercial country music, a format of songwriting that is at least somewhat reliant on wordplay and the constant re-arranging of a familiar set of symbols (trucks, mud, whiskey, and so forth), can be particularly susceptible to the accusations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tJust look at the vitriolic response to \u201cFish Hunt Golf Drink.\u201d \u201cWake up, coffee, fish hunt, Chat GPT,\u201d one user wrote in a comment that received so many likes \u2014 more than 30,000 \u2014 that Bryan himself responded. \u201cWell,\u201d he wrote, \u201cI\u2019m learning that no one wants to just have fun anymore. I choose to have a damn blast! Either come along or go be blah.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ editors-pick-module lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tSo, does it bother McGill and Dragstrem, two prolific Nashville songwriters who\u2019ve written hits for artists from Hardy to Kenny Chesney, to see their song derided as AI slop? Not much, it turns out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cWhen the hate is strong, so is the BMI payment,\u201d quips McGill, alluding to the performing-rights organization checks that writers receive for their work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tDuring an interview with <em>Rolling Stone<\/em>, both McGill and Dragstrem are bemused by the reaction to the \u201cplayful, fun\u201d song they wrote, protective of Bryan\u2019s reputation (\u201cLeast artificial person I\u2019ve ever met,\u201d McGill says), and full-throated in their defense of the craft of country songwriting. But they\u2019re also completely unafraid of AI\u2019s impending creep into writing rooms. That\u2019s because they view the technology as a not particularly useful tool in early-stage demo ideating, and nothing more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tBoth writers say they\u2019ve never used AI in their actual songwriting process. Dragstrem, who focuses more on production, has messed around with it but was left unsatisfied; McGill, who\u2019s more lyrics-driven, wants nothing to do with the tech. (They also claim to have never so much as heard of any professional songwriter in their circles using AI to come up with lyrics.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tAs they see it, the craft of creating country songs \u2014\u00a0whether it\u2019s a heavy, tearjerker ballad or a frothy song about drinking and golfing \u2014 is inseparable from the human process itself.<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ recirculation-modules lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cThe only way I\u2019ve actually succeeded in country music, ever, is by sitting in the room with good friends and enjoying making the song up that day,\u201d McGill says. \u201cI don\u2019t believe that I would feel any fulfillment from saying \u2018AI, write me a song about whatever.\u2019 That\u2019s not what I signed up for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cFish Hunt Golf Drink\u201d did start, however, with a different form of technology: emojis. \u201cLuke was texting one of his buddies and the guy was like, \u2018Let\u2019s hang soon,\u2019\u201d says McGill. \u201cLuke sent him an emoji of a fish, an emoji of a deer, an emoji of a golf club, and a beer emoji, and said, \u2018You pick which one.\u2019 Then he showed it to us. He was like, \u2018Dude, this could be a cool song.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tDragstrem and McGill, who were touring with Bryan for on-the-road writing sessions with the star, adjourned to a nearby sports bar for chicken wings before Bryan\u2019s show last July at Hersheypark Stadium and quickly wrote the song\u2019s hook. \u201cWe didn\u2019t think anything of it,\u201d Dragstrem says. \u201cWe had the chorus, played it for him [later], and he was like, \u2018This is awesome.\u2019\u201d According to the writers, Bryan himself then wrote the majority of the verses and had a large hand in writing the bridge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tBoth McGill and Dragstrem view the song as an extension of Bryan\u2019s hobbies and brand. \u201cThe dude loves to have fun. He can outfish most people I know, he\u2019s awesome in the woods, I hear he\u2019s really good at golfing,\u201d McGill says, \u201cand the dude can drink pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tThe writers say the visceral reaction to \u201cFish Hunt Golf Drink\u201d may stem from how it\u2019s in opposition to what they describe as \u201csadboy country,\u201d a form of self-serious, emotional songs currently popular on the radio.(Think Riley Green\u2019s \u201cChange My Mind\u201d or Zach Top\u2019s \u201cI Never Lie.\u201d) \u201cIt\u2019s the antithesis of what\u2019s going on right now,\u201d Dragstrem says. \u201cIt\u2019s really easy to pile on the hate if a new song is not [Miranda Lambert\u2019s] \u2018The House That Built Me\u2019 or \u2018Bluebird.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ recirculation-modules trending-in-article lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tBut, to hear Bryan\u2019s cowriters tell it, that doesn\u2019t mean it takes any less skill to write a silly song. \u201cIt\u2019s easier to write some kind of heartfelt ballad than it is to write a four word, with commas in it, title, match the phrasing the entire time, and make it feel good,\u201d McGill says of \u201cFish Hunt Golf Drink.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s not rocket science,\u201d adds Dragstrem, \u201cbut it\u2019s true to who Luke is.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.rollingstone.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Nashville songwriters Chase McGill and Matt Dragstrem are asked exactly how they wrote Luke Bryan\u2019s new song, the countrified \u201cgym, tan, laundry\u201d anthem \u201cFish Hunt Golf Drink,\u201d they can\u2019t help but break the ice with a joke. \u201cDrag just opened ChatGPT and\u2026,\u201d McGill says, before he and his songwriting partner erupt into laughter. They\u2019re [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2438334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[305131],"class_list":["post-2438331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-luke-bryan"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Luke-Bryans-Fish-Hunt-Golf-Drink-Songwriters-Defend-Country-Song.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2438331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2438331"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2438331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2438335,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2438331\/revisions\/2438335"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2438334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2438331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2438331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2438331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}