Mitchell Tenpenny is a Nashville based singer, songwriter, producer and one of the hottest rising stars in country music. Born and raised in “The Music City,” Mitchell grew up surrounded by music in a family with deep roots in the industry. Known for his light-hearted country songs, Mitchell’s sound is often characterized by his influences from rock and pop. His studio debut Telling All My Secrets, was released in 2018 and its breakout single “Drunk Me,” earned Tenpenny his first triple-platinum plaque. By the end of 2021, Mitchell was a top ten artist on Spotify’s Hot Country and the fifth most-played artist on SiriusXM’s The Highway.

Tenpenny recently dropped his third record, the ambitious twenty-track, This Is The Heavy. That album’s first single, “Truth About You” has since gone platinum and racked up over 120 million streams. He has received nominations from both the Academy of Country Music and the CMT Awards. Mitchell was invited by Luke Bryan to accompany him on his “Raised Up Right Tour” and is currently out on the road supporting Jason Aldean.

FIVE MINUTES WITH MITCHELL

PRS: Having just wrapped up a brief international tour, you’ll be hitting the road this summer in support of Jason Aldean. How did you land the spot on his Highway Desperado Tour?

Mitchell: We’ve been working on this tour since before Covid. Unfortunately, it was postponed because of that, and we had to wait until the timing worked out again. I’ve always loved Jason and he has a “rock edge” to his sound that we also try to incorporate in our music as well. It feels like a perfect matchup to tour with.

PRS: You’ve been a supporter of PRS Guitars for some time now. Can you remember the first time you played one and what initially attracted you to the brand?

Mitchell: First time I played one was at a music store called Mars Music back in the day with my best friend in 8th grade. I asked a guy who worked there to take it down off the wall and he looked at us with a “don’t f*****g drop this kind of look” - haha. I plugged it into some Crate combo and cranked it up annoying loud, riffing on some version of “Eruption”. I couldn’t afford one at the time, but I knew I wanted one since the first time I saw those birds on the neck.

PRS: Last year you “tied the knot” with fellow PRS artist Meghan Patrick. Do you find yourselves writing together regularly, or do you prefer to maintain separate creative spaces?

Mitchell: We do write every now and then, but when we finally get the chance to be home together, we like to hang out and not focus on music things as much. We go outdoors or watch movies with our dogs. But sometimes you can’t escape the love and a guitar will be in the room when we walk by. That’s usually how it starts.

PRS: What other artists are you currently listening to the most these days, country or otherwise?

Mitchell: The 1975 have been on my playlist so much recently. Their vibe is so unique, and the sound is so fresh. I love the guitars and chord choices over their melodies. Also, John Mayer every day. He is the reason I play and write the way I do. I haven’t been influenced by anyone more than John.

PRS: Are you currently working on any new music or collaborating on projects that we should be keeping an ear out for?

Mitchell: Yes!!!! We are always making new music. The day and time and the way we consume music make it a must. Headed into studio soon to start the new record. We already have some songs ready to go and I have a few collaborations that we are also getting ready to track. I can’t wait to share some of these new features coming out this year.