Full Access had the chance to sit down with Country artist Russell Dickerson. Born and raised in Tennessee, Russell earned a music degree at Belmont University.

We asked him about who his musical influences are and it was no surprise that one of those influences is Garth Brooks. Russell says, “Just on the basis of how he was such a pioneer at a time when he came out, he was this fresh new sound. So that really inspires me as well. Keith Urban, same with him I remember hearing ‘Somebody Like You’ and thought, thats fresh, cool and new. I feel what I bring to country music is a new, kind of fresh sound.”

Russell’s wife is a huge inspiration for his writing. He tells us that a lot of his songs are about his wife or things that they go through in life; and things that they enjoy. He says, “I have a song called, ‘Low Key’ and it’s about how we could go out. We could go party on the town, but sometimes we just like staying in and watching Netflix and ordering Chinese food, drinking a box of wine, so that’s just some examples.”

Russell’s song, “Yours” has quickly become like the wedding anthem song. We asked him how that came about and he responded, “When we wrote it, we weren’t even thinking about wedding songs. We just wanted to write an honest song, just a great love song, and I think we really did that. That’s why it’s connected so well in a wedding way, because we’re just being honest. I was just being honest about who I was before I met my wife and who I am now that I’m married and all that stuff. I think a lot of guys and girls connect with that, just the true sheer honesty and the humility of admitting that you sucked before you met the one who made you better!”

Russell’s wife also shot the video for this. He says, “I envisioned myself walking down the road towards the camera and an example of pursuit of wanting to be better than I was before. That’s kind of where that came from and she shot the video out the back of my SUV.  That was a six dollar music video budget, just on gasoline to drive my truck up and down that road. We were just gonna shoot some test footage and see what happens, and then the storm, rain and lightning came. It was crazy, but that made it a really special music video.”

I asked Russell what he likes most about touring and he responded, “The fans! The whole reason that I write songs and all of that, is because in high school, I used to go to shows all the time and I was just like, ‘I wanna do that and I wanna write songs that people can just throw their hands up and scream out, and really connect.’ And that’s what really keeps me going is the fans, seeing them know all the words to my songs just gets me so excited. It gives me chills all over.”

One of Russell’s favorite songs to perform is “Yours” and “Blue Tacoma.” Russell says, “‘Yours’ is my favorite because everybody knows the words and it’s my first single that ever got on the radio. To hear people sing that back, that’s the best feeling!”

One of Russell’s most memorable and emotional experiences of his career happened fairly recently when he made his debut at The Grand Ole Opry. He tells us, “Right as I was going on stage, I just started crying. I was just overcome with emotion and I have been working my butt off for six years. I felt that was the first big step like, ‘We’re really doing it now, we’re really actually making progress, real progress.’ To be acknowledged by the Grand Ole Opry as an artist who is worth having come play is so huge. I’ll never take that for granted, because so many people that I love and respect are members of the Opry.”

When Russell see’s his fans singing to his songs or when his fans hear the first downbeat of his songs, they go crazy.  That is what Russell considers his biggest musical accomplishment to date. He says, “I feel that’s a job well done, because they’re connecting with it and they are having it in their wedding. I think that’s one of the biggest accomplishments, just having a song that connects on that level.”

Russell Dickerson will be coming to Tampa on September 28th, opening for Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker, performing at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, FL.