Fleet, born and raised in White Bluff, Tennessee, grew up in a family with a strong musical background. At the age of 6, he joined his family’s band, The Happy Two, which was led by his great grandfather and great uncle. Fleets great uncle taught him how to play the guitar and the fiddle. While his earliest influences were in the realm of bluegrass, it was Willie Nelson’s country-western music that ignited Fleet’s desire to become a country songwriter.
Determined to refine his performance skills, Fleet spent a decade regularly playing live shows as a young adult. In 2017, his hard work paid off when he caught the attention of country singer Jake Owen while performing at a private event. The two struck up a conversation after Fleets sets, and instantly connected. Before he knew it, Fleet found himself touring as the opening act for Owen.
Following his time on the road, Fleet took a break from touring in 2018 to compete on the USA Network singing competition show, Real Country. It was during this experience that he crossed paths once again with Jake Owen, who had become one of the judges on the program. Though Fleet narrowly missed winning the competition, he achieved second place.
Fleet’s dreams came full circle when he caught the attention of his childhood idol, Willie Nelson. He embarked on another journey, this time joining Nelson on tour.
One day, Fleet received a message from someone who had taken notice of his engaging social media series. Esteemed Nashville songwriter Connie Harrington had seen his Gospel Song Sunday videos and expressed interest in collaborating with him.
Fleet had always admired Harrington’s work, as she had penned popular tunes for country singers including Lee Brice’s moving hit “I Drive Your Truck.” Now, Fleet had the opportunity to work with one of Nashville’s renowned wordsmiths.
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Fleet’s music is characterized by its soulful nature, often evoking a sense of contemplation as it explores life’s profound questions and mysteries.
Regarding their collaboration, Fleet recalls Harrington saying, “Hey, I really love what you’re doing, and it kind of sparked up this idea that I got, and it’s a title called ‘Where I Find God.’ And I was like, [I] Love it.”
The two artists shared the places where they felt most connected to their creator, and many of these locations made it into the lyrics of the song. For Fleet, this included deer stands, hayfields, and fishing spots, whereas Harrington mentioned driving to Nashville or spending time in a boat.
Fleet was amazed at how effortlessly the song came together, stating, “It wrote itself, really. It’s the first song we ever wrote together, and the first time we ever met, we wrote that song.”
However, the journey to releasing a hit song is never easy. After their successful co-writing session, Fleet had to wait for his record label to give the go-ahead for its release.
In 2019, Fleet once again joined forces with Jake Owen. This time, he became a part of the artist roster on Big Loud Records, the same label Owen had been signed to since 2017.
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As “Where I Find God” rose through the Billboard charts, the impacts of COVID-19 continued to escalate. During a time when churches faced temporary closures, people sought ways to maintain their spiritual connection. Fleet’s song provided comfort and solace.
The song’s lyrics offer a unique perspective. Even before Fleet collaborated with Harrington, he had pondered his views on spirituality. These views influenced the composition:
“I haven’t always been in church, but I always knew deep down there was a God… A lot of people are like that: They don’t necessarily know what God is or who God is, but they know something’s there, and they can go out in nature and see it… I wanted to write that, and Connie did too, to include everybody [in] that song, and wherever you’re at in your faith, anybody can relate to it.”
Since their first writing session, Fleet and Harrington have developed a close professional relationship. Fleet has even found a unique sign that indicates they’ve written a masterpiece:
“I always joke around and say: You know you’re on a good one when Connie starts crying.”
During their initial writing session, Fleet noticed tears in Harrington’s eyes as “Where I Find God” reached completion. His response was validation of their creative process:
“They’re telling their stories. People tell me they fought with addiction. They heard this song and turned their truck around and tried to mend some fences with their family.”
He continued, “To me, as a songwriter, that’s about as good a compliment that you can get: A song you wrote has changed someone’s life, for the good.”
Recognizing the need for this impactful song, All Access asserted that “Where I Find God” deserved to be heard on airwaves everywhere.
Fleet and his team describe “Where I Find God” as an uplifting tribute to finding inner peace and solace in the presence of a higher power during life’s ordinary moments.
Since its release, the single has climbed to No. 43 on the Billboard charts and the accompanying music video has accumulated over 37 million views as of October 2020.
