Riley Green Talks ‘Worst Way,’ His Upcoming Tour, Nashville Bar

Riley Green is on a roll. With a platinum single burning up the charts, three 2025 ACM Awards under his belt, and a headline tour that's selling out across the country, he's living the kind of momentum most country artists dream of. And he's bringing that momentum to Boston on July 25, when he hits the MGM Music Hall at Fenway with Ella Langley.

Before then, Riley checked in with us for a laid-back, wide-ranging conversation that covered everything from his Nashville bar to the unexpected backstory behind his steamiest single yet.

Riley opened his Nashville bar, The Duck Blind, in Fall 2024. Unlike the wave of country artists planting their bars firmly on Broadway, Green set up shop in Midtown for his. "It's a little less of a touristy area, more of a local hangout. And certainly where I spend a lot of my time."

Green's hands-on approach extends to the menu, too. "We actually just changed the menu up a little bit the other day. There's a Copperhead Road charcuterie board on there," he laughed. "I thought people would be really surprised that there was a charcuterie board on the menu at my bar and restaurant. But there is. I think it's like saltine crackers and beef jerky and sausage and all that on there - so it's a little bit of a manly version."

While Riley's had major success with collaborations - including a No. 1 with Ella Langley last year - his current hit "Worst Way" is all him. It's now certified platinum, his fastest-growing single to date, and recently made its television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

So why did he go solo on this one?

"I don't always think about songs being a duet or a feature," he said. "When I wrote 'Don't Mind If I Do,' which is the title track, I was mindfully writing that as a duet with a female. But 'Worst Way' - I liked the melody, and it's a very forward, steamy love song. It was kind of out of my comfort zone anyway... I didn't think about anybody else, I was just trying to get through it."

It's been a banner year for Riley Green. "Worst Way" is climbing both Billboard and Mediabase charts, and his spring run included a 20,000-seat sellout in North Carolina - his biggest headline show to date.

"The fans have been great," he said. "The songs are sold out, everybody's excited. We just had out biggest show last week - it's just a great time to be out on the road."

That momentum includes a string of accolades: multiple No. 1's, a CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year with Ella Langley, and those three ACM wins.

"It's been a lot of [moments lately] where I've just had to stop and take it all in," Green said. "This is a really new thing for me."

Riley Green wrapped up our chat with a look ahead to his July 25 show at Boston's MGM Music Hall at Fenway - a venue right outside the ballpark.

When asked what the Boston crowd can expect, he said "a lot of beers in the air." Green says it's a "high-energy show," and he's got some great openers with him. "It's a good show from top to bottom."

And yes - he's overdue for a lobster roll. "If I've had one in Boston, it's been too long. I need to get another one up there."