Zac Brown Band In Concert
Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
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Today's catch of the day comes to us from the best cook in country music and his band of merry cohorts.

Zac Brown began playing guitar when he was just 8 years old. The 11th of 12 kids, Zac took two years of guitar lessons, while also taking voice lessons. His training led to his developing a love for Blue Grass, that influences his sound to this day. Brown began playing solo gigs in local venues while still in high school, performing country and pop cover songs and by the age of 19, Brown was touring the Southeast with a drummer and his dog, Pete, laying the foundation for the Zac Brown Band.

Zac Brown Band @ NCAA's March Madness Music Festival
photo by Michael Loccisano
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In 2004, Brown opened a music club and restaurant with his father called Zac's Place", where the fare was southern-style cooking, and Zac was the cook. A developer bought the restaurant and, in turn, the Zac Brown Band bought a tour bus and began touring full-time, playing rock and country clubs, as well as folk and jam band festivals.

The Zac Brown Band's debut single, "Chicken Fried", was originally recorded in 2003 and included on the Home Grown album, but later re-recorded and released to country radio in 2008. This song was also recorded by The Lost Trailers, whose 2006 recording was released as a single but withdrawn after Brown decided that he wanted to release it himself. Brown later stated during an HBO interview that after 6 years of touring that he was broke and sleeping in his tour van. In 2005 the Lost Trailers contacted him and expressed interest in recording "Chicken Fried". Brown stated he agreed under the condition that the song would only be an album cut and not a single as he still had hopes of releasing the song as a radio single himself.

Zac Brown Band @ 2014 CMA Festival
Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images
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Both parties agreed and the Lost Trailers recorded the song. Some months later the Lost Trailers landed a deal with Sony Nashville, and when they submitted the tracks for their album, they included "Chicken Fried". Joe Galante, then Chairman of Sony Music Nashville, chose "Chicken Fried" as the single that the label wanted to promote. After hearing the version on radio, Brown immediately called his lawyer to have the song pulled from the radio. His lawyer warned him that because of Galante's power in the industry, pulling the song could essentially have Zac blackballed in Nashville.

Zac Brown Band @ 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 1
photo by Kevin Winter
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Brown was insistent that his agreement with the Lost Trailers was violated, so his lawyer issued a cease and desist letter and the single was pulled from the radio. Brown later re-released the song as the first single from the band's debut major label album The Foundation.

As the Zac Brown Band prepared to release their fourth and latest album, Jekyll & Hyde, the second single from the album is in our spotlight today. "Loving You Easy" is your Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.

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