Zach Top Pulls Back the Curtain on the Making of “I Never Lie” in Candid Bobby Bones Interview

Country music’s newest torchbearer of tradition, Zach Top, recently sat down with Bobby Bones to talk about fresh music and to reflect on one of his proudest songwriting victories, the fan-favorite hit “I Never Lie.”

“I’d put that one at the top of the list,” Zach admitted with a grin. “That was one of those days where everything lined up just right. Carson [Chamberlain] had this little framework for a chorus, and by the time we really dug in, I knew we had something special.”

As Zach tells it, he and Chamberlain, one of Nashville’s most respected craftsmen, had a ritual of showing up to writing sessions early to kick ideas around before their third collaborator arrived. On this particular day, that third was none other than Hall of Fame songwriter Tim Nichols.

“We played him what we had for the chorus, and Tim loved it,” Zach said. “So we went to town on it. But that first verse, that one had us stuck for a minute.”

The breakthrough came in a flash of inspiration from Zach himself. “I tossed out those first few lines, ‘Well it’s been some time, you still look like an angel, I heard you’re doing fine,' but we couldn’t land that next line. And here I am, sitting in the room with Tim Nichols and Carson Chamberlain, two absolute legends, and suddenly it’s me who blurts out, ‘Got promoted back in April.’”

The line clicked instantly. A subtle play on sound“angel” brushing up against “April” it wasn’t a perfect rhyme, but it carried the right feel. “It just worked,” Zach said. “And from there, the rest of the song came together pretty dang quick.”

What started as a casual pre-session idea swap has blossomed into the kind of career-defining song most artists dream about. For Zach, it’s more than just a proud songwriting moment, it’s a testament to how authenticity and simplicity still strike the deepest chords in country music. The way “I Never Lie” threads clever wordplay with raw emotion has given it staying power, the kind of song destined to live not only on playlists but in the memories of fans who belt it back at him every night.

And as his star continues to rise, one thing is clear: “I Never Lie” isn’t just a highlight on Zach Top’s résumé, it’s the kind of song that will follow him for the rest of his career, anchoring his setlists, fueling his streaming numbers, and reminding country fans why they fell in love with his voice in the first place.