Caroline Reese | Photo courtesy of the artist

In the second release from her forthcoming Tenderfoot album, Caroline Reese melds the pop hooks we heard in lead single “Snake Eyes” with the Americana roots of her Drifting Fifth band. “What I Did” is already a favorite of Reese’s live crowds, its twang and reflective lyrics no doubt inspiring sing alongs during the Reading native’s shows.

At its core “What I Did” is an apology love song that comes from a place of growth, the lyrics recognizing that something was taken for granted as Reese sings “I knew what it was / but I thought the best things happened more than once.” Forgiveness is an over-arching theme (“right or wrong I’m hanging on / and hoping you’ll forgive me”), and Reese delivers her reflections like a they’re written in a letter for an old friend.

Speaking to Glide Magazine about the song, Reese says:

I wrote this song when I was working on a ranch in Montana. I was in a swather cutting hay and my boss told me to make sure to stay really focused and keep my rows straight because I was new at it. But of course a song started coming to me. I didn’t want to slow down on the machine, so I just kept cutting hay singing the song over and over the sound of the engine so I wouldn’t forget it. By the time I was done, the field was a little mangled but the song was written.

Stream “What I Did” below. Tenderfoot is out January 6th.