I still get a kick out of watching Billy, aka “Fancy Pants,” steal every single scene in School of Rock. But these days, Brian Falduto is making noise on his own terms. The out-and-proud artist has been steadily building a name for himself in queer country music, especially after his track “Same Old Country Love Song” blew up on TikTok. Now, he is getting ready to drop a brand-new EP called I Could Be Happy on November 13, and he just gave us a fresh taste of what is coming.
Falduto released a live performance video for his new single, “Free Coffee,” featuring singer-songwriter Will Leet. The clip shows Falduto, Leet, and a band performing at The Green Room in New York City during Falduto’s three-night music residency, Something Borrowed, Something New.
A Love Song That Actually Feels Like Fun
The track itself is an acoustic love song that skips the usual heavy drama for something much lighter. Falduto plays with lines like “you perk me up with your love” and “you’re fillin’ up my cup with the way you live,” setting his lyrics over easy folk-pop rhythms.
Falduto teamed up on the track with Leet, who plays guitar for Sammy Rae & The Friends.
“I met Will… after being a fan of the band’s music for a long time, and he quickly became one of the easiest people I’ve ever written with,” Falduto said about the collaboration. “I brought him the lyrics to ‘Free Coffee,’ which was one of the first love songs I’d ever written, and he created such a warm, receptive space for me to be vulnerable while still having a lot of fun, which is actually a pretty perfect reflection of the relationship the song is about: my partner has this infectious energy that is capable of bringing you into the present moment. I love that we captured that in a way that feels less mushy-gushy and more like a big, joyful jam session.”
Refusing to Sit in One Genre Box
“Free Coffee” marks the second single from I Could Be Happy. While Falduto’s previous release, Gay Country (Deluxe Edition), took aim at reclaiming classic ’90s country sounds and creating LGBTQ-inclusive space in the genre, this new project reaches across a wider board.
“A lot of my past music was built around reclaiming ’90s country music as my own and writing LGBTQ-inclusive Christian music, but with this project, I really just let myself have fun,” Falduto explained. “The EP has bluegrass vibes, groovy vibes, country vibes, crooner vibes, ballad vibes. Its sound is a little hard to define, which feels fitting because I listen to and love so many different kinds of music. With this project, I was also intentional about protecting the joy of making music. I think prioritizing joy and comfort throughout the process comes through in how great the project sounds and in where I was able to take myself vocally.”
Heading to Nashville for AmericanaFest
If you want to catch Falduto live, he is taking the stage in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, September 17. He is set to perform as part of OUTlaw Pride’s lineup at AmericanaFest. OUTlaw Pride has been doing serious work for the scene as an independent music company, hosting Texas’s first queer country festival and booking talent across Austin, and y’all should definitely check them out!
You can also listen to the new track on your favorite streaming platforms now. Keep an eye out for the full EP, I Could Be Happy, when it drops everywhere on November 13.