CONCORD, N.C. – Summer is here.

And from beach trips to pool parties to backyard BBQs and NASCAR Cup Series tailgates, one thing is a constant – plenty of music all summer long.

This summer, Hendrick Motorsports has launched a brand-new Spotify account, and over the next few weeks all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers – and perhaps some special guests – will share their very own playlists.

Kicking off the festivities is Chase Elliott, who provides a glimpse into what he’s listening to right now.

The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet’s playlist is anchored by Sturgill Simpson and Eric Church, artists who have secured their spots as two of his favorites.

Elliott pointed to Simpson’s ability to just do “his own thing” and put out unique music that doesn’t conform to the mainstream as a big reason why he has become a mainstay on his playlist. While he began listening to Simpson just a few years back, he estimated that he was first introduced to Church a decade ago.

“I had a really good friend of mine that was listening to some of his music – he obviously wasn’t near as big as what he is now – and I really liked it,” he explained. “He had actually come and played a very low-key show in a town called Dahlonega, which is just up the road from me in Georgia. I had a bunch of friends that were older than me that went. I was like, ‘Man, this guy is going to be the real deal.’ So, I just started listening and liked his stuff from there.”

Years later, it was Church who put on what easily ranks as Elliott’s favorite concert he’s ever attended.