“Backup Plan” Producer Austin Shawn Reflects On Creating Bailey Zimmerman’s Hit Collaboration With Luke Combs

In a new interview with Billboard, producer Austin Shawn discusses the hit song “Backup Plan” by Bailey Zimmerman, and shares insight into the country star’s forthcoming album. Shawn says that the decision to feature Luke Combs was spontaneous. “When I finished the first rough mix on it, Bailey was like, ‘Should I text it to Luke?,’” Shawn recalls. “Luke didn’t get back to him for a month — he was probably just living with it. And then he was like, “Song rips, I’m in,” out of nowhere. We had not gone to anyone else. It was either Luke or nothing.” The creative partnership between Zimmerman and Shawn dates back to the singer’s debut EP, Leave the Light On, featuring hits like “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Fall In Love.” The duo are working together on Zimmerman’s upcoming album, Different Night, Same Rodeo, with Shawn sharing that the project includes “a couple of awesome features” with “a little bit of something for all demographics of music too, not just country.” (Billboard)