“The Only Texas Swing Song On There”: Blake Pendergrass on Writing Post Malone’s ‘Who Needs You’

During a new interview with Holler, Blake Pendergrass delves into the process behind the fan-favourite song, ‘Who Needs You’, from Post Malone's F-1Trillion: Long Bed album.

‘Who Needs’ You’, which arrived as part of the surprise deluxe Long Bed edition of Posty's debut country record, is an unashamedly old-school earworm, with Post's signature vibrato croons stretching enchantingly across a retro Texas Swing instrumental.

Penned by Post, Pendergrass, Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, ERNEST and Chandler Walters, ‘Who Needs You’ is still championed by fans as proof of the ‘rockstar’ hitmaker's pure intentions when entering country music. At the end of the day, Post was simply a passionate country fan wanting to make a collection of country songs, and while the main body of F-1Trillion felt more mainstream and targeted at Country Radio, the Long Bed additions were Post's love letter to the genre.

While speaking with Holler, Pendergrass - the songwriter behind a host of Morgan Wallen hits, like ‘Just in Case’ and ‘20 Cigarettes’ - recalls how ‘Who Needs You’ came about.

Pendergrass reflects, “Yeah, that was in the room with Post. He was really, I think, authentically trying to make a country record. Whenever he decided to do that, he came to town. He worked with all of the different writers in town and everything”.

He goes on, “And I think as a result, he got a really good country album. And that was a day where Charlie Handsome was facilitating all of that. He was the producer for it, and he and I worked together so much on the Morgan stuff. He called me in to do that, and so I showed up there...It started out just me, him, and Post Malone”.

Pendergrass explains how, as he showed Post more ideas, the room gradually filled up, “It was like at the studio and everything. And as time went on, like I played a couple ideas. Like we went and sifted through some stuff, and he would jot down what his favorites were. And then actually, as time went on, more and more people showed up. Like Chandler Walters was there, Josh Thompson, and ERNEST...the whole crew, the rest of the guys on the song became like a larger write”.

Pendergrass credits ERN and Walters as coming up with the original kernel of the concept for ‘Who Needs You’, “[Chalnder] and ERN had started that idea originally, kind of in that Texas Swing kind of a feel...I'm not an expert in Texas Swing by any means, but that's why you lean on some of your co-writers sometimes - they have talents that you don't...So they brought in the great idea and everything”.

He concludes, “It seemed like it was a standout. It feels like it fit a good slot in the album for Post to be able to be like, that's kind of the only Texas Swing song on there. So it was kind of fun to get that one, and it was an enjoyable process for sure”.

As Pendergrass touches on, Walters, Handsome and ERNEST provided much of the collaborative impetus for Post's F-1Trillion sessions, with the trio paving the way for huge link-ups with Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, HARDY and so many others.

Especially due to it being the only song that really adopts this Texas Swing feel, ‘Who Needs You’ remains one of the most fascinating gems on Post's F-1Trillion: Long Bed.

It also serves as a reminder of just how eclectic and varied Post's first full-length country record was, and reinforces why so many fans are hoping his next album, The Eternal Buzz, features plenty of country music, as well as a return to his earlier trap sound. The eagerly anticipated project is rumoured to be half-country, half-trap.