When Tyler Hubbard recorded one of the tracks on his newly-released sophomore solo album, a memory resurfaced of a moment he had a run-in with police.
Hubbard reminisced on that moment when he appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Thursday morning (April 18). The country hitmaker told host Kelly Clarkson, “halfway through the song, as we were writing it…I was starting to have a flashback. I’m like, ‘I remember when I was 15, I got caught parking in a parking lot with my girlfriend, who was 16 and had her own car.”
Clarkson pointed out that that Hubbard’s story took place in a church parking lot, garnering a surprised laugh from the audience. Hubbard replied that the church parking lot “is supposed to be the safest spot to be. …No judgement. We were leaving enough room in the middle for Jesus,” he insisted as Clarkson laughed and replied, “no, you were not!”
“It’s this big, dramatic thing,” Hubbard remembered. “(The) cop pulls up, I’m thinking he’s gonna be cool. He’ll just tell us to go home. No. He wanted to make an example out of us. So, he gets us all flustered and then he’s like, ‘I’m gonna drive you home. We’re gonna talk to your dad, your parents.’ I’m like, ‘bro.’ Isn’t there like a bro code here or something like this? …So, he took me home, made me go tell my dad the whole scenario. Although I was grounded for like a month from seeing my girlfriend or riding in her car, which is really unfortunate at 15 years old. …My dad was like, ‘son, why didn’t you just come park in the driveway?’ I’m like — next time, dad. Yeah. Next time.”
Hubbard’s sophomore solo album, Strong, made its debut on April 12. In addition to “Park,” the 13-track album includes “Wish You Would,” “A Lot With A Little,” “Back Then Right Now,” “Vegas,” the title track and other highlights. Hubbard is listed as a songwriter on every track, including a solo credit on “'73 Beetle.” Find the full album on iHeartRadio here, and listen to “Park” below.