Hear Anderson East’s ‘Learning’ Off Dave Cobb’s ‘Southern Family’ Album

Anderson East's new song "Learning" pays tribute to his father, who urged him to follow his dreams. The video for the soulful song was filmed outside of Nashville at a lounge bar and directed by Becky Fluke and features East performing on stage with a full backing band that includes horns, saxophone and backup singers.

The song itself has East reminiscing about listening to George Jones with his dad as a young boy as he was learning to be a man as well as his move from Alabama to Tennessee at 17 to pursue an artist career. "It takes a man to teach a man," he sings on the soulful song, which will appear on Dave Cobb's upcoming concept album Southern Family.

"It was one of those reflective days," East tells Rolling Stone Country of writing the song with his friend Aaron Raitiere. "We're in a hotel room in Louisville or something, and were talking about our old men, our pops, and how they've shaped us as people. It all stemmed out of that moment. [My father] was always there, and so supportive. If I showed interest in something, he was there to add something to it: to take me to baseball games, or coach little league. And he bought me my first guitar."

He said it was important for the video to be simple so the lyrics would be the focus.

"I didn't want it to be anything dolled up," he says. "That's the attitude I approach everything with. I don't want there to be a lot of dressing on anything. Just an honest representation of the music."

Southern Family pays tribute to family and features songs from Zac Brown, East's girlfriend Miranda Lambert, Brandy Clark, John Paul White, the Black Crowes‘ Rich Robinson, Shooter Jennings and Holly Williams. It will be released on March 18 on Cobb’s Low Country Sound record label.

On Friday, Lambert shared her support for her new boyfriend, hashtagging a photo on Instagram: "#whatasong #whatasinger."

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