The Story Behind "Sun On My Shoulder"

Every song starts somewhere, and for Sun On My Shoulder, it all began with a bass line.

I was listening to a Zac Brown Band song one day and found myself really drawn to the groove of the bass. It wasn't about copying it—it was about capturing that same feel. I picked up my bass and started playing around with a similar pocket, and from there the song began to take on a life of its own.

Around the same time, Three Hour Tour had added an Old Dominion song to our rehearsal setlist. I've always admired their ability to write incredibly catchy hooks that stay with you long after the song ends. That became the goal: combine the relaxed, beachy groove of Zac Brown with the infectious melodies of Old Dominion, while still making it sound like Three Hour Tour.

Once the idea was in my head, I headed into my home studio (Studio 78), grabbed my guitar and bass, and started recording. What began as a simple groove slowly evolved over the next three months. I worked on the song on and off from December 2025 through March 2026, constantly refining the arrangement until everything felt right.

Every instrument and every vocal you hear on the finished recording was tracked in my home studio. Once the recording was complete, I turned it over to Jon Ellis at Artisan Acoustic Studios for the final mix and mastering, helping bring the song across the finish line.

As with most of my songs, everything started with a simple bass groove and a reggae-inspired rhythm guitar.

Once that foundation was in place, I recorded the drum performance. Those tracks were then imported into Superior Drummer 3, where I spent a lot of time shaping the drum sounds and performance. That was one of the biggest turning points in the production—it really brought the song to life and gave it the energy I was looking for.

The bass was eventually re-recorded to better lock in with the drums, and I layered a MIDI synth underneath to add depth without taking away from the groove.

From there the production continued to grow. By the time the arrangement was finished, there were five additional guitar tracks layered throughout the song, each serving a different purpose. Most of the guitar tones came from Neural DSP plugins, which allowed me to experiment with different textures while recording entirely in the box.

Next came the keyboards using Kontakt 8, followed by the horn section, which helped reinforce the upbeat, island feel I had envisioned from the beginning. The Timbale drum hits were done using a recording tool called Splice. 

Like most recordings, there were countless revisions along the way. It's funny to think that a song just over two minutes long took months of tweaking, experimenting, and revising before it finally felt complete.

The vocals were actually the last thing recorded. Once I was happy with the lyrics, I tracked seven separate vocal layers using Warm Audio outboard gear and microphones in my home studio to create the harmonies and overall vocal sound heard on the final recording.

Ironically, the lyrics were the last piece of the puzzle.

The inspiration came from something that happens all the time at home. I'd walk in after work and hear my wife singing along to music with our Sonos speakers turned up while she was making dinner. She didn't know it, but every time I walked through the door, it made me smile. She was simply enjoying life in the moment, and that feeling became the heart of the song.

Our kitchen is surrounded by windows with a large skylight overhead. During the afternoon, the sunlight pours into the room, and if you're standing in just the right spot, the light lands perfectly on your shoulder.

That simple moment became the title.

Sun On My Shoulder isn't just about sunshine—it's about appreciating life's little moments. It's about coming home, seeing someone you love happy, forgetting about work for a while, and realizing that sometimes the best memories are made in the most ordinary moments.

If this song makes you roll the windows down, turn the music up, and smile for a few minutes, then it accomplished exactly what I hoped it would.