Exclusive: Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean Join Shenandoah to Remake “Sunday In The South”

Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan were around 13 years old when Shenandoah released one of their signature hits, “Sunday In The South.” The song celebrates the sanctity of Sunday in southern culture, and Aldean and Bryan grew up in the heart of all of it. When Shenandoah’s Marty Raybon played Bryan’s party commemorating 30 No. 1 hits in September of 2023, everyone walked away a winner.

Bryan got the surprise of his life when Raybon walked on stage at the event to sing Bryan’s hit, “Fast.” Bryan hopped on stage at the time and called Raybon a legend. Raybon walked away with two new duet partners – Bryan and Aldean.

Their collaboration with Shenandoah’s on the band’s hit “Sunday In The South” is out now.

“I think they killed it,” Raybon said of Bryan and Aldean. “I think they absolutely made it.”

Raybon approached Aldean with the collaboration idea first. Aldean agreed and suggested he mention it to Bryan. Raybon said he was planning to ask Bryan before Aldean suggested it.

“Luke said, ‘Man, I would love to do it,” Raybon said. “He said, ‘I’d give anything in the world to do it. I’ll tell you right now, I’m in.’”

Shenandoah: “(Luke) said, ‘I’d Give Anything in the World to Do It’”

At that point, the men started working out the logistics to make it happen. Raybon said it’s “really just really one of those kind of things just worked out.”

When Raybon heard the new version, he thought: “My Goodness sakes, alive.”

“Sometimes you don’t realize how your music has impacted people,” Raybon said. “The reason why we cut these songs is because they moved us. Now, here we are 30-something years later, and some young whipper snappers that are coming around who literally have their own destiny set by the success that they’ve had. Them being such fans and wanting to be a part of this song, that’s not just a little honoring and a little humbling, but it’s also sometimes just a little unbelievable, too.”

Raybon also struggles to believe that Aldean and Bryan want to be the song’s music video.

“We have truly been blessed,” Raybon said. “There’s been some awfully wonderful things that have been coming our way. It is almost like we’re in for a big rain, and we’re feeling big drops right now before the rain gets here. A buddy of mine told me the other day, he said, ‘Man, you just got to keep it between the mayonnaise and mustard.”

The new version of “Sunday In The South,” including Aldean and Bryan, arrives on the heels of their Luke Combs collaboration on “Two Dozen Roses.”

(Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for ACM)

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