Interview: DELTONA Are Turning Country Music into One Big Tailgate with “Party’s in the Back”

DELTONA, the fast-rising trio behind “Party’s in The Back,” are blending Eric Church-sized swagger and a healthy dose of country-rock chaos into one of Nashville’s most entertaining new acts.

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Stream: “Party’s in the Back” – DELTONA

Spend five minutes with DELTONA and two things become immediately clear: Somebody’s probably getting roasted, and somebody’s about to crack open a beer.

The Nashville-based country trio – Ned Abernathy on vocals, Chris Deaton on drums, and Caleb Miller on guitar – carry the kind of energy that makes it feel like the party probably started before you got there and definitely isn’t ending anytime soon. Baseball hats backwards, jokes flying – they’ve got the chemistry of guys who seem like they’ve known each other since grade school.

Which is funny, considering they only officially became a band about a year ago.

Right now, though, things are moving fast. Their latest single, “Party’s in The Back,” feels like a giant turning point – the loudest and most unapologetically fun thing they’ve released yet. It’s the kind of song that’s best served at a tailgate or bonfire with a red Solo cup in hand.

Party’s In the Back - DELTONA — Party’s In the Back – DELTONA

“It’s a real party vibe,” says Abernathy. “It’s the first song I think that isn’t a breakup song.”

If you hear traces of old Florida Georgia Line mixed with The Chief himself, that’s intentional. The band is leading the return of bro country, drawing on a lot of the heavy hitters.

Miller remembers meeting Keith Urban once and telling him, “Everything I learned on guitar, I stole from you.’”

“And he said, ‘Don’t worry – I stole it all from someone else, too. The art of originality is to hide your sources,’” Miller recalls, laughing, before taking a swig from a can of Liquid Death. “That was pretty cool.”

DELTONA is Ned Abernathy, Chris Deaton, and Caleb Miller © Tanner Yeager

“Party’s in The Back” introduces a different side of DELTONA,

who up until now had been building momentum through heartbreakers like “Love Don’t Love Me,” “Heartbreak Fix” and “Cared Enough To Cry” – a track that recently ignited the band’s popularity.

“That was the first one we wrote together and we thought, ‘Wow, there’s something here. Let’s dig in,’” says Abernathy.

That chemistry came together almost by accident after a chance meeting at the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. At the time, all three were doing their own thing. Deaton and Miller had already worked together in another band, while Abernathy was out grinding through solo gigs anywhere that would let him plug in a microphone.

“I’d play every Taco Bell and Mexican restaurant in my hometown,” Abernathy jokes. “Yeah, I played at all the Taco Bells.”

Before DELTONA, each of them already had their own version of success. Deaton grew up just outside of Nashville, where playing in bands was basically inevitable. He even spent time playing with Zac Brown. Miller had been chasing music since he was barely a teenager.

“I played in a bar when I was 13. They quit letting me drink after a while though,” he deadpans before cracking up. “But I did play bar gigs – anywhere I could really.”

Abernathy’s path looked a little different.

“I sang a little bit in my junior and senior year and then I quit all the sports and joined theater. My dad was so proud of me,” he says sarcastically. “I didn’t know what I was doing. And when I went to college, I started learning guitar on YouTube to learn how to play just enough so I could go and play every Mexican restaurant in my college town.”

Somehow, all those separate roads collided at exactly the right time that fateful night at the Bluebird.

“We didn’t really have any plan in mind,” Miller says. “We were always just seeing who was out there to write with. We heard the song that Ned had out and thought, ‘Man, that sounds like something we’d write.’”

That original song has since disappeared from streaming platforms, but it did its job. It brought the three together.

Now, DELTONA write everything as a unit, and despite three very different personalities in one room, there’s no arm wrestling over ideas.

“Most of our songs start with a hang, and then we find the way together,” says Deaton.

That easygoing dynamic is part of what makes the band feel so natural. Deaton and Miller alternate between acting like the angel and devil on Abernathy’s shoulder, depending on the day.

“They’re definitely my filter,” he says. “Before we play shows, we say a prayer and then right before we walk onstage Caleb will pull me aside and say, ‘Just go wild – say what you want.’ Sometimes we push the limit though.”

“Sometimes we’re in writer rooms and he overshares,” Miller says, laughing.

The banter never really stops. It’s hard not to notice how comfortable they are with each other, especially for a group that hasn’t technically existed all that long.

Still, they’ve already put in the work. The trio estimate they’ve written close to 100 songs together while trying to establish themselves in Nashville.

“We haven’t written a hundred good ones,” Deaton quickly interjects with a laugh.

Some of those songs have nearly ended up in big hands. Jason Aldean came close to cutting their song “Heartbreak Fix” before the trio decided to release it themselves.

And while they’re still early in their career, surreal moments are already stacking up.

Opening for Lee Brice on tour was one of the biggest.

“It was insane,” says Abernathy. “It was the most people we’ve ever played in front of.”

“We’re still early in our career, but to see people from our TikTok lives that came to see us – even though there’s a sea of Lee’s fans, who’s one of our favorites – that was a cool moment,” Deaton says.

“That’s the coolest part of social media. We talk to these people through a screen every day, and then they’re standing in the front row singing every word back to you. That’s wild,” adds Miller.

That connection is helping fuel what DELTONA hope becomes something bigger than just another viral country act. They’re openly talking about bringing country bands back into the spotlight – real bands with instruments, personalities and undeniable live energy.

And they’ve got big goals. Touring. A new album. Growing their audience. Maybe even taking a swing someday at CMA Group of the Year.

For now, though, they seem perfectly happy doing what they already do best: Cranking out loud country music, making crowds feral and turn wherever they happen to be feel like the best party in town.

“We want to drop an album and tour as much as possible,” says Abernathy. “Let’s see how far we can take this thing.”

Deaton doesn’t overthink it. “At the end of the day, we just want to keep playing together and keep it fun. If it stops being fun, what are we even doing?”

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