"Hometown Kids" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country duo The Reklaws.[1] The duo wrote the song with Gavin Slate and Travis Wood.[2] It was the lead single off their debut studio album Freshman Year.[3]
| "Hometown Kids" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Reklaws | ||||
| from the album Freshman Year | ||||
| Released | June 16, 2017 | |||
| Genre | Country pop | |||
| Length | 3:09 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| The Reklaws singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Hometown Kids" on YouTube | ||||
Background
editStuart Walker told The Boot that the sibling duo "wanted everybody to understand that we are just college kids at heart". It was the first song they wrote with prolific Canadian country songwriters Gavin Slate and Travis Wood. Jenna Walker said the song is "important to us because it was our first major, like, [time to] sit down [and] really configure who we are as artists and what we want to say".[4]
Critical reception
editJenna Melanson of Canadian Beats Media called the song the "perfect summer anthem".[5] Mary Ayers of Teenplicity referred to the track as a "joyful country jam" that "creates a yearning for fun summer nights with friends". Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added the song to his personal Spotify playlist.[6]
Music video
editThe official music video for "Hometown Kids" premiered on August 17, 2017.[7] It features Jenna Walker and Stuart Walker of the Reklaws, as well as forty of their closest friends.[5] The video was filmed in their hometown of Cambridge, Ontario and directed by Ben Knechtel.[8][9]
Credits and personnel
editCredits adapted from Freshman Year CD booklet.[10]
- Todd Clark — production, engineering, programming, backing vocals
- Anthony Lucido — bass guitar
- Andrew Mendelson — mastering
- Justin Niebank — mixing
- Gavin Slate — banjo, programming, backing vocals, production, engineering
- Jenna Walker — lead vocals
- Stuart Walker — lead vocals
- Derek Wells — guitar, mandolin
- Travis Wood — backing vocals
Chart performance
edit"Hometown Kids" reached a peak of #16 on the Billboard Canada Country chart for the week of December 9, 2017.[11]
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country (Billboard)[11] | 16 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[12] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Hometown Kids - The Reklaws". AllMusic. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "The Reklaws - Hometown Kids". New Country Songs. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "THE REKLAWS RELEASE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ALBUM 'FRESHMAN YEAR'". SoundZine. August 29, 2019.
- ^ Stefano, Angela (January 18, 2018). "Story Behind the Song: The Reklaws, 'Hometown Kids'". The Boot.
- ^ a b Melanson, Jenna (August 24, 2017). "The Reklaws release video for "Hometown Kids"". Canadian Beats Media. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ Ayers, Mary (March 14, 2018). "THE REKLAWS ARE STILL 'HOMETOWN KIDS'". Teenplicity. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "The Reklaws - Hometown Kids" (video). YouTube. August 17, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ Doucet, Bill (July 13, 2018). "Cambridge's 'Hometown Kids' make strides across Canada with three CCMA nominations". Cambridge Times. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "The Reklaws: Hometown Kids (2017)". IMDb. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ Freshman Year (CD booklet). The Reklaws. Universal Music Canada. 2019. 0250806250.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b "The Reklaws Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – The Reklaws – Hometown Kids". Music Canada. Retrieved December 6, 2023.