Life is keeping Riley Green busy.
The 38-year-old country crooner has been spending his time on the road following the release of his “That’s Just Me” album, as well as in Los Angeles after becoming the latest addition to “The Voice.”
He jokes that the lyric from his latest album that best describes his life right now is “think as you drunk.”
“It’s how I feel most of the time,” he tells TODAY.com with a laugh. “Not from drinking, just from being exhausted”
“It’s been a wild ride the last few years. I’ve grown so much and I’m super blessed to be able to do what I’m doing,” he continues. “But a lot of things have popped up that I didn’t think I was going to be doing on top of touring, like ‘The Voice’ and flying to LA every week filming. That’s a really new gig and a new experience for me, but something that’s been really fun to do.”
Green still has a busy schedule for the rest of the year. But as the days get darker and the festive season kicks off, there’s definitely one thing that is on the country superstar’s wish list.
“Some time off,” he quips, sharing what he wants for Christmas. “If I get to go home and spend some time with the family and have some nice, cool weather days to get out in the woods, I think I’ll be really happy.”
Having a booked schedule, he says, has reminded him of how important it is to have “a little bit of time at the farm” and disconnect from the outside world.
“I think the busier you are, the more you need that, and the more successful you are, the more you need that,” Green says. “I think everybody needs to be reminded that you’re still a regular dude. And going back to Alabama, I’m certainly reminded of that. My buddies don’t let me forget.”
That’s why any chance he gets to unwind and get comfortable is a win in Green’s book. The “My Way” singer gets to do just that as the new face of Hey Dude’s “It’s a Comfort Miracle” campaign, where he gets to kick off his boots and relax.
“I grew up in Alabama. My granddaddy was a really laid back guy, loved to go fishing and golfing. And when I’m home, that’s kind of my break from boots,” Green says, sharing some of his favorite ways to unwind after a hard day’s work.
“Nap usually,” he says. “When I get to my farm in Alabama, I love to get on a tractor and clear some land or till up and plant a green field. I like being able to see what you get done at the end of the day.”
Green fans, meanwhile, can do a bit of unwinding themselves. As part of the collab, people can watch him in a festive sweater and comfy shoes, strumming his guitar next to a Christmas tree in his own version of a fireplace yule log.
Reflecting on the holidays, the “Worst Way” singer calls getting a drum set as a kid his “favorite Christmas gift.” But his most cherished memory was being surrounded by family.
“Both sets of grandparents would come over Christmas morning, and we’d kind of stretch it out for a week going to visit everybody,” he says. “Family being around everybody is something that I’ve always really enjoyed, and now I probably appreciate it more than ever.”
He says a tradition he would love to continue when he starts his own family would be, “Going to grandmother’s house and opening presents.”
“And the cooking,” he adds, noting his love for his mom’s breakfast casserole and sweet potato casserole.
“We would do breakfast at my grandmother’s house. She made really good biscuits and gravy,” Green says. “I think that I would love for my family to be able to experience some of the home-cooked meals that I got growing up and going to those family gatherings.”
