If I Loved You is the most recorded song ever written by Delta Rae.
In 2010 Ian ran downstairs at The Windover House in Durham, NC, calling Eric’s name.
“Eric, I think I wrote a hit!”
And he was right. If I Loved You would go on to become the highest charting song on radio in Delta Rae’s career (#5 at AAA Radio). Here is the backstory behind the song.
FROM IAN:
“Writing “If I Loved You” was an exciting chance to show empathy from an unusual place, the inside of a break up, where you care for someone but just don’t feel the spark. It felt like a humble answer to one of the greatest songs ever written, Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Introducing the nuance of the mutual heartbreak in a good faith relationship’s end is one of the most emotionally rich areas I can think of. We’ve all been there: desiring or desired by someone and desperate to minimize the hurt of rejection. To do so in a kind way, acknowledging all you’re giving up in the name of being honest with yourself feels so human and beautiful and tragic.
We’ve had many people tell us that “If I Loved You” helped them see they were with the wrong person, end things compassionately, and move on. I hope that brought them a measure of peace and also helped them see the humanity in the person they were leaving. It’s all so complicated and mysterious, the chemistry and timing of love. But I think there’s something enduring about trying to dig into the emotional depths of these painful moments with an openness and curiosity about the constellation of elements at play. We all deserve love and, also, we can’t always explain why and how we feel it.
I always thought the boldest thing about this song was a chorus just said the core thing out loud: “I don’t love you… and it just breaks my heart.””
The first recording was on Delta Rae’s EP GRAET Mondays. It was recorded at Mike McKee’s parents’ house and recorded by his brother, Mark. The song featured piano and electric guitar (played by Mark) and took on a rock country groove that was higher tempo than the version that would eventually be recorded on Carry The Fire.
Delta Rae started playing the song live around North Carolina in 2011. It got immediate attention from audiences, showcasing the power harmonies of Liz and Brittany in the chorus, and became a staple in every set the band played.
When the band started to prepare for recording their debut album it was never a question whether “If I Loved You” would make the album. But producer, Alex Wong, wanted to explore what he saw in the song. The simple and memorable melody with the octave jump in the chorus gave the song more of a Motown feel to the song, and Alex heard a hollow body electric guitar and a horn section.
The band signed to Warner in late 2011 and If I Loved You was selected to be a single — the band even made a music video using the recording from Carry The Fire — but their new label had a bigger vision for the song and hired producers, Rob Cavallo and Julian Raymond, to re-record the song as a radio-ready single. So the band went back into the studio.
This recording of If I Loved You featured ukulele and a heavy stomp clap rhythm at a higher tempo. But after weeks of tracking the song felt like it was missing an x-factor. One day while Delta Rae was on tour, Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham came to visit Rob in the studio. Lindsey asked to hear what Rob was working on so Rob played him If I Loved You. Lindsey reacted to the song by playing along in the control room on a 12-string Gryphon guitar. It was just a natural and beautiful guitar riff, but Rob loved what he was playing so much that he asked Lindsey to record it on the spot. When the band returned to the studio from tour, Rob surprised them with the news and the band floored. The label decided to feature Lindsey on the song and even named him in the single’s title to commemorate the unexpected collaboration.
The song was released as the band’s second Radio Single and climbed to the top 5 at AAA radio in 2013. The band played the song on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and it still remains a staple in the band’s repertoire.
But the story doesn’t end there! When the band signed with Big Machine in 2016, they were asked to re-record the song again with country producer Dann Huff. This new recording features fiddle and brings back the country rock sound reminiscent of the very first recording. Though never released as a single, this version is available on all streaming platforms, making it the third publicly released recording of this song.