Matt and Josh Jenkins still get a kick out of hearing people singing one of their songs.
The Aledo-based brothers grew up in a household where their father and fellow song writer, John Jenkins, nurtured a passion for Country music from an early age.
Having written or co-written such hits as "Fancy Like," and "Buy Dirt," the duo now make their homes in Nashville. On Sept. 21, the Jenkins brothers, along with Jacob and Jordan Davis, collectively won the Song of the Year award for their chart-topping hit “Buy Dirt,” at the fifh annual Nashville Songwriter Awards.
Matt Jenkins, 39, said the song's genesis grew from a bit of advice he received.
“We were actually on a writing retreat with Jordan and his brother during Covid,” Matt said. “And we went out there, and we were just talking about family. We were talking about faith, and about things that matter. And I'd heard someone say the phrase 'Buy dirt — they ain't making any more of it', so we were like, 'hey, that's a cool idea.'"
“Buy Dirt” was also nominated for the American Country Music (AMC) Song of the Year award and Matt said he had a feeling it would resonate with people.
“It just felt personal,” Matt said. “I think that with those type of songs, you don't really know what's going to happen, but you just go 'Man, I really feel like we captured this emotion in this song,' whatever happens.”
The Jenkins brothers moved to Aledo from Haltom City when they were in the eighth grade in what Matt described as a “very musical family,” and he credits that move with setting he and his brothers' lives on their current paths.
“I don't think we would have experienced the high school life or probably been who we are without making that move to Aledo,” Matt said. “And just the community, the support... it's just a different environment, you know?”
The Aledo brothers have been writing songs since the age of 11 or 12 and have composed more than a thousand tunes between them.
Matt said what appeals to him most about songwriting is watching the effect it has on people.
“It's helpful for us, when you see somebody and really make that connection,” Matt said. “It's like 'dude, that's amazing.' That's really what it's all about. So I think it puts a wind in your sail because, to be honest with you, the business can take it out of you. It can beat you up and can make you feel like you lose your North Star a little bit.
“So, I think when you see someone singing along or dancing to a song you wrote, you're like 'oh, that's why we do this.'”
Josh Jenkins, 37, collaborated with Walker Hayes on the song that anyone who has recently attended a sporting event or seen an Applebee's commercial will recognize immediately.
"Fancy Like," which reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 at one point evolved from a relatively casual conversation the two friends were having last summer.
"I've known Walker for probably six or seven years,” Josh said. “We've just been buds and had a lot of fun, and we've been collaborating for quite some time. It was one of those days, post-COVID, kind of early getting back into the room with everybody.
“Walker started talking about how people think he's an artist and how as an artist people assume you roll big and eat at the nicest restaurants — and he has six kids. He said 'man, to be honest with you, we just kinda roll Applebee's or Waffle House. We're just low key and he was like, 'let's write something about that' and so that kind of spawned 'Fancy Like.'”
The song eventually went gold and platinum, and Josh said that one of the aspects of the song he most enjoys is how it incorporates other styles of music besides country.
“I grew up similar to Walker,” Josh said. “I grew up a product of the 90s, so I was around rock and pop, and my dad was a country song writer, so country was always on. But then I also grew up around hip hop and rap, so it's kind of been a little bit of all of it. I've always appreciated it and really enjoyed the diversity of music as a kid.
“So from a creative standpoint, it's fun to work with artists that have that kind of palate — you can do a few different things. That's what I love about collaborating with Walker, he can kind of mold all of those worlds together and make it his own thing.”
Josh said that songwriting is a lot like fishing for him, in that “You just show up and you throw your line into the water and some days you catch something and some days you don't,” but also added that with “Buy Dirt,” he, like Matt, felt it was something different.
“'Buy Dirt' just felt special from the day we wrote it,” Josh said. “There are plenty of days where I feel like, 'man, this could be something special. I can see this doing well.' But, I mean as a songwriter, this journey is so unpredictable... a lot of it is do you believe in what you do? You have to believe in these songs. Some of them, actually most of them never see the light of day.
“But you have to love writing and keep your head down, and you keep digging for magic and believing, and the songs will find their way.”
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