Thomas Rhett got an early start as a songwriter. Now an award-winning artist, he’s thinking back with vivid memories to the first time he wrote a song with his dad, fellow country star Rhett Akins. The “Slow Down Summer” singer was only 6 when he and his father teamed up to pen the song inspired by a guitar. When he grew up and went to college, Rhett was fascinated to realize that songwriting was a career. To this day, Rhett said his dad is one of his favorite co-writers. He said in a statement shared by his record label:

“We wrote a song when I was six years old called, ‘A Piece of Wood,’ and it was about building a guitar. And that song has never been recorded. It probably never will be, but I do remember that vividly. My dad still has the little tape of us singing that song together in the kitchen. But I remember being in college and my dad was just getting out of being an artist and just transitioning into doing the songwriter thing, and I always thought it was so intriguing. What do you do for a living? Oh, I write songs. Really? You can do that for a living? And so, when I was in college, I used to go tag along with my dad during co-writes, and I think it would’ve been normal to have written some songs with dad early on but then maybe not write with him a lot. And somehow, someway, he is one of my favorite co-writers. His perspective on the music industry, the history that he’s had in the business – not only is he a great friend and co-writer, but just a great advice giver, and he can actually speak from personal experience. And so, it’s been really special. it’s just amazing that we still can do that together and also have success with it. It’s a big blessing to be able to have that relationship with my dad.”

Rhett and his dad have been collaborating on songs for years, from his childhood all the way up to his latest album, Where We Started. It’s the first of two projects Rhett aims to release this year, followed by Country Again Side B. Rhett spoke at his his exclusive iHeartRadio Album Release Party in Nashville earlier this year about his father’s influence as a songwriter and what it was like to be raised by an artist. Rhett recalled a time Blake Shelton helped him with his homework, for example, and deemed Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, among others “advice givers” and mentors over the years. Find Rhett’s latest album on iHeartRadio here.

Bo J