Seth Ennis Brings Heartfelt ‘Call Your Mama’ to ‘Today’ with Stirring Performance [Watch]
Seth Ennis made his national television debut on Thursday morning (Jan. 17), with a powerful performance of his latest single "Call Your Mama."
A song that tugs on the heartstrings and advises listeners to pick up the phone to check in with their mothers, Ennis explains to Today co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager that a text from his own mom inspired the song.
"My mom, she's totally watching right now and is going to kill me because I'm going to put her on blast," he admits. "We're from south Georgia, and she texted me one day, 'Call your mama, call your mama, call your mama!'
"Like anybody, I freak out and call my mom and make sure everything's okay," he continues. "And she just wanted to talk about some small-town drama like every mama has. I wrote it down as a song title, and I wrote the song."
He goes on to admit that the song is, in fact, about his mom. He then looks to the camera and addresses her: "Mom, I love you so much!"
Ennis performed the heartfelt ballad with his backing band and an acoustic guitar. A song that urges listeners to set aside time for the important things in life, Ennis' soothing vocals leave a mark on the listener. The single, which is out now, also includes harmonies from Little Big Town, who urged Ennis to perform the song every night during a recent tour.
After penning the song with Michael Hardy, Ennis didn't know if he could sing "Call Your Mama" himself. He tells Taste of Country it sounded like a father talking to his son to him, and he doesn't have any kids, so he's not in that lane.
However, while in the United Kingdom, he played the song to surprise his mother, who was in attendance. Backstage, LBT's Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman heard it, and quickly told him he needed to play it at every show.
Ennis will be playing the song on the road tonight and in the many concert dates that follow as he currently serves as opener for Dylan Scott's Nothing To Do Town Tour. The trek kicks off tonight in New York City.
Call Your Mama, Then Look at These Sweet Pics of Stars and Their Mamas: