The Sit Down with Breland
A UK fan favourite, Breland has completely redefining genres and blurring the lines between country, hip-hop, and R&B. His latest release, In My Truck, flips 50 Cent’s iconic “In Da Club” with official clearance from both 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, is looking set to be a sound of the summer across his live shows. Known for his collaborations, Breland has recently teamed up with Two Friends on their Big Boots project too and last year worked with the UK's own Ella Henderson. We caught up with Breland recently to find out more
Hey, man.
Hey, good to see you.
I guess we've now got you in the mix of CMA Fest events this week.
I'm mostly doing surprise guest performances, so I'm popping out for some friends' sets and keeping it pretty low-key on my end.
Is that a nicer way to do it?
I think so, because you still get the benefit of it. People are actually probably more excited to see you, because they're not expecting it! A lot of people come into town from the UK and elsewhere for CMA Fest, so I did still at least want to be able to have a couple things lined up to see them.
I guess the town just goes absolutely bonkers for 10 days!
Yeah, it really does. A solid week, and particularly this weekend. I know Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be pretty hectic. I always tell people, if you're not planning to participate in the festivities and you just live in Nashville, it would be a good weekend to go away and maybe put your apartment up on Airbnb or something!
You've got plenty of new music as well. Can we start with Wildfire? Because I know you like your collabs, but going for an EDM collab, even to me, that sounds outside the box for you.
Yeah, you know, oddly enough, I've always been a fan of EDM-style music. When I was in high school, dubstep was just starting to become popular, and I used to DJ a little bit for my friends' parties and events, and I would always throw all of these EDM mixes and then I think when it comes to country and EDM, there is a pretty lengthy history over these last decade. You've got songs like Timber by Kesha, which kind of has that crossover. You've got the Avicii and Aloe Black song, and then obviously all of the stuff that Morgan's done with Diplo. Some of these different DJs have done that, and I'm like, at some point, I would love to throw my hat in the ring, because I think a lot of this EDM music is usually just based on hooks. What I think is great about a song like Wildfire is it does still have a story, it does still unfold lyrically in a way that a country song would if you were to just put it over an acoustic guitar or just a stripped-down piano or something. It does still play out like a country pop song, but some of the extra production allows it to live in a different world and hopefully bring in some different people.
Is this release adding to that challenge for you as an artist to kind of take on all these different genres?
Yeah, I mean, look, I can't have the moniker of no genre across country, and then exclude certain genres that I could potentially bring into the fold. I've done country afrobeats, country gospel, country hip-hop, country soul, some country rock. I feel like this is the next frontier.
Have you got a bit of a list going of what other genres you’d like to explore?
It's just more as I'm making stuff, it works out. With this song in particular, the hook was pitched to me, and I was like, you know, this is super catchy. I was like, yeah, let me see what I sound like on it. I put a vocal down, and it sounded good in my range, kind of a little Justin Bieber-y, almost, on the hook, so then I was like let me add my own flavour on the verse. They had some other great artists on the project, people that I've worked with, Dustin Lynch, Tyler Braden, and a couple others, so I was like, hey, I like what they're doing, and I think it's probably the least country song on their project, but lyrically, it still reads through, it's still a clever concept, clever song, so I’m happy to be a part of it.
Hey, man.
Hey, good to see you.
I guess we've now got you in the mix of CMA Fest events this week.
I'm mostly doing surprise guest performances, so I'm popping out for some friends' sets and keeping it pretty low-key on my end.
Is that a nicer way to do it?
I think so, because you still get the benefit of it. People are actually probably more excited to see you, because they're not expecting it! A lot of people come into town from the UK and elsewhere for CMA Fest, so I did still at least want to be able to have a couple things lined up to see them.
I guess the town just goes absolutely bonkers for 10 days!
Yeah, it really does. A solid week, and particularly this weekend. I know Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be pretty hectic. I always tell people, if you're not planning to participate in the festivities and you just live in Nashville, it would be a good weekend to go away and maybe put your apartment up on Airbnb or something!
You've got plenty of new music as well. Can we start with Wildfire? Because I know you like your collabs, but going for an EDM collab, even to me, that sounds outside the box for you.
Yeah, you know, oddly enough, I've always been a fan of EDM-style music. When I was in high school, dubstep was just starting to become popular, and I used to DJ a little bit for my friends' parties and events, and I would always throw all of these EDM mixes and then I think when it comes to country and EDM, there is a pretty lengthy history over these last decade. You've got songs like Timber by Kesha, which kind of has that crossover. You've got the Avicii and Aloe Black song, and then obviously all of the stuff that Morgan's done with Diplo. Some of these different DJs have done that, and I'm like, at some point, I would love to throw my hat in the ring, because I think a lot of this EDM music is usually just based on hooks. What I think is great about a song like Wildfire is it does still have a story, it does still unfold lyrically in a way that a country song would if you were to just put it over an acoustic guitar or just a stripped-down piano or something. It does still play out like a country pop song, but some of the extra production allows it to live in a different world and hopefully bring in some different people.
Is this release adding to that challenge for you as an artist to kind of take on all these different genres?
Yeah, I mean, look, I can't have the moniker of no genre across country, and then exclude certain genres that I could potentially bring into the fold. I've done country afrobeats, country gospel, country hip-hop, country soul, some country rock. I feel like this is the next frontier.
Have you got a bit of a list going of what other genres you’d like to explore?
It's just more as I'm making stuff, it works out. With this song in particular, the hook was pitched to me, and I was like, you know, this is super catchy. I was like, yeah, let me see what I sound like on it. I put a vocal down, and it sounded good in my range, kind of a little Justin Bieber-y, almost, on the hook, so then I was like let me add my own flavour on the verse. They had some other great artists on the project, people that I've worked with, Dustin Lynch, Tyler Braden, and a couple others, so I was like, hey, I like what they're doing, and I think it's probably the least country song on their project, but lyrically, it still reads through, it's still a clever concept, clever song, so I’m happy to be a part of it.
You said those words, concept, clever song, let's go to In My Truck. First off, how nervous were you to have to approach 50 Cent and Dre about doing this song?
Yeah, well, I mean, a little less nervous because I didn't have to do it directly! We went through the teams, but as far as I know, 50 and Dre did have to personally listen to it and say yes or no, and I’m really fortunate that they would allow me to do that, because there are a lot of artists that are very precious about their work, and they don't want to hear other renditions of it. They don't want to hear any of their stuff reimagined or approached in a different way, especially in a completely different genre. They could have easily said no, but I also think we approach this as kind of like a country pop song, but it is also kind of the most hip-hop thing in the world to take something that already existed and then put your own flavour on it and style on it. That's what hip-hop was all built on, being able to reimagine and repurpose pre-existing works. I felt like they would understand it, and I'm glad that they did.
Were you sitting on it for quite a long time before you sent it to management and tried to get the wheels rolling on it?
Honestly, quite the opposite. I feel like as soon as this song came together, we were all hands on deck, trying to figure out how soon we could get it out. There was a world in which we were trying to get it out. We got the approvals from 50 and Dre I think in October and I was like, yeah, we should get this out in October, but it's the end of the year and now we're competing against the Christmas music, and people aren't gonna be outside as much as they would want to be, so it gets a little tricky. I definitely felt like March was a better time to be able to get it out, just as far as having it ready for the summer and being able to perform it at festivals. I performed it at the college basketball Final Four at an outdoor show, and I feel like those kinds of vibes are a little bit better suited for a song like that than maybe the winter or the late fall months.
Was there a bit of a celebration when that approval came through that you could do it?
I was so excited. I remember I texted my girlfriend, I had been keeping her up to date on all of it, and I was like, call me right now! She was like, what? And I'm like, we got there! They cleared it! I was so excited. Those are the moments. It's not like I don't have a ton of samples or interpolations in my catalogue, so for the most part, it's like when we have a song that we like, we just get it mixed and mastered and figure out a good time to put it out, so I don't usually have to wait on other artists' approval to do something. Even with features, you kind of know ahead of time whose team is gonna be collaborative or cooperative or not, and within country music, it's pretty straightforward. When I wanted to get Thomas Rhett or Keith Urban or Lady A on any of these songs, we all have relationships internally, but with this, 50 Cent probably doesn't know Breeland from a can of paint, so it's not like you have that rapport built up to be able to lean on in a situation like this, so it's always a celebratory moment when you can put music out, especially when you sit on stuff for months at a time. Even a song like Wildfire, we had that in the vault for a little over 2 years before it finally came out. A little less time on In My Truck, as that was maybe about 7 months between getting it and then putting it out. It's definitely a relief when you start checking off all of the necessary boxes to be able to move forward with a record like that.
The In My Truck release was your first solo release in quite some time. Was it almost a bit of a relief to have that first song of this next phase out there.
Yeah, it was honestly a good bridge of the gap. I guess my most popular song, feature-wise, would probably be Beers On Me, just based on how many people have streamed it over time, even though My Truck was the big debut single. It kind of alludes to that song in some ways, even kind of nod to it in the second verse. When you go a year, year and a half without putting out music, in today's time especially, it feels like a lifetime. My main goal for this year was to be able to get out as much music as possible. I think the collabs have always been a part of how I do that. Historically, I love being able to put music out with other people, but this year in particular, I was like, well, hey, we have a bunch of songs that we've been sitting on so let's figure out the best way to try to make sure that we can be releasing stuff every 4 to 6 weeks at least through the summer, and just give the fans some much-needed music. I always feel bad as if it were up to me, I would be putting out an album every year, and singles all the time, but there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that's out of my control. When I do get a chance to put music out, whatever that is, whether it's a collab or a solo record, it's always a big deal for me. I appreciate it now more than I ever have because of how long it was between releases, so I feel like, this year in particular, I've really gotten to a point where I'm not taking anything for granted. This is such a blessing to be able to put music out, to be able to go out, play shows, to be able to pop out at Red Rocks or Stagecoach and perform and then to get my own music out in between all of that as well. That's what we're here to do. I would say after the amount of time that it was, I was just really itching to get something out, and this song made a lot of sense, because it's familiar to people already with the interpolation, ties into the brand of some of the stuff we've done before, but it's the first of many, we’re just getting the ball rolling.
Yeah, well, I mean, a little less nervous because I didn't have to do it directly! We went through the teams, but as far as I know, 50 and Dre did have to personally listen to it and say yes or no, and I’m really fortunate that they would allow me to do that, because there are a lot of artists that are very precious about their work, and they don't want to hear other renditions of it. They don't want to hear any of their stuff reimagined or approached in a different way, especially in a completely different genre. They could have easily said no, but I also think we approach this as kind of like a country pop song, but it is also kind of the most hip-hop thing in the world to take something that already existed and then put your own flavour on it and style on it. That's what hip-hop was all built on, being able to reimagine and repurpose pre-existing works. I felt like they would understand it, and I'm glad that they did.
Were you sitting on it for quite a long time before you sent it to management and tried to get the wheels rolling on it?
Honestly, quite the opposite. I feel like as soon as this song came together, we were all hands on deck, trying to figure out how soon we could get it out. There was a world in which we were trying to get it out. We got the approvals from 50 and Dre I think in October and I was like, yeah, we should get this out in October, but it's the end of the year and now we're competing against the Christmas music, and people aren't gonna be outside as much as they would want to be, so it gets a little tricky. I definitely felt like March was a better time to be able to get it out, just as far as having it ready for the summer and being able to perform it at festivals. I performed it at the college basketball Final Four at an outdoor show, and I feel like those kinds of vibes are a little bit better suited for a song like that than maybe the winter or the late fall months.
Was there a bit of a celebration when that approval came through that you could do it?
I was so excited. I remember I texted my girlfriend, I had been keeping her up to date on all of it, and I was like, call me right now! She was like, what? And I'm like, we got there! They cleared it! I was so excited. Those are the moments. It's not like I don't have a ton of samples or interpolations in my catalogue, so for the most part, it's like when we have a song that we like, we just get it mixed and mastered and figure out a good time to put it out, so I don't usually have to wait on other artists' approval to do something. Even with features, you kind of know ahead of time whose team is gonna be collaborative or cooperative or not, and within country music, it's pretty straightforward. When I wanted to get Thomas Rhett or Keith Urban or Lady A on any of these songs, we all have relationships internally, but with this, 50 Cent probably doesn't know Breeland from a can of paint, so it's not like you have that rapport built up to be able to lean on in a situation like this, so it's always a celebratory moment when you can put music out, especially when you sit on stuff for months at a time. Even a song like Wildfire, we had that in the vault for a little over 2 years before it finally came out. A little less time on In My Truck, as that was maybe about 7 months between getting it and then putting it out. It's definitely a relief when you start checking off all of the necessary boxes to be able to move forward with a record like that.
The In My Truck release was your first solo release in quite some time. Was it almost a bit of a relief to have that first song of this next phase out there.
Yeah, it was honestly a good bridge of the gap. I guess my most popular song, feature-wise, would probably be Beers On Me, just based on how many people have streamed it over time, even though My Truck was the big debut single. It kind of alludes to that song in some ways, even kind of nod to it in the second verse. When you go a year, year and a half without putting out music, in today's time especially, it feels like a lifetime. My main goal for this year was to be able to get out as much music as possible. I think the collabs have always been a part of how I do that. Historically, I love being able to put music out with other people, but this year in particular, I was like, well, hey, we have a bunch of songs that we've been sitting on so let's figure out the best way to try to make sure that we can be releasing stuff every 4 to 6 weeks at least through the summer, and just give the fans some much-needed music. I always feel bad as if it were up to me, I would be putting out an album every year, and singles all the time, but there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that's out of my control. When I do get a chance to put music out, whatever that is, whether it's a collab or a solo record, it's always a big deal for me. I appreciate it now more than I ever have because of how long it was between releases, so I feel like, this year in particular, I've really gotten to a point where I'm not taking anything for granted. This is such a blessing to be able to put music out, to be able to go out, play shows, to be able to pop out at Red Rocks or Stagecoach and perform and then to get my own music out in between all of that as well. That's what we're here to do. I would say after the amount of time that it was, I was just really itching to get something out, and this song made a lot of sense, because it's familiar to people already with the interpolation, ties into the brand of some of the stuff we've done before, but it's the first of many, we’re just getting the ball rolling.
There is one other release from this year we need to talk about as you've never hidden away from being a Disney fan. Did that add to that excitement when you got the phone call to recreate Go The Distance?
It was exciting because I love these Disney movies. They're some of the only movies that I'll rush to the theatre to see. I'm getting excited for Toy Story 5 as we speak! Being an uncle and watching my nephew grow up, he's three and a half, and so much of his early childhood I've spent on the road and being out and about, and then when I am around, music is one of the things that we connect over. He finally understands my uncle makes music and plays shows. He'll learn my songs! I thought, for me to be able to do a Disney song especially gives us an extra layer of something that we can do. My sister sent me a video of him singing Go the Distance, a couple weeks ago, and it was very cute. We all got a chance to go down to the Disney parks and had a really great time. I think for me at this point, I don't have kids of my own, I'm not a parent yet, but it's something that is cool as an uncle, and also just the inner child in me growing up on all of these Disney movies and amazing music that they've put out over the years. I feel like everyone's favourite karaoke songs, tend to be Disney songs!
You didn't try to negotiate a cameo voiceover in Toy Story 5 as you're fee then!
You know, I'd certainly put my name in the ring! I don't miss an opportunity like that! They do such a great job, and they've got such an amazing brand and audience that they've built for themselves, I'm obviously one of them, but going to the park especially, and I know so many people who are my peers in their 30s and even 40s who are unapologetic Disney adults, it's like, wow, because the music is so great, the parks are obviously a lot of fun, the TV shows, the movies, and it's a family-friendly brand, so something that I was excited to do. Go The Distance also is such a beautiful song. I think there are a lot of similarities between Go The Distance and the title track from my debut album, Cross Country, which is really just about perseverance, resilience and wanting to keep going. Even in the midst of circumstances that might not always seem favourable and I think some of the things that I went through over the last year and a half have forced me to dig deeper and recognise what it is that I really want to do here, and recognise what an amazing opportunity it is in front of me to be able to get out and try to seize the day. Go The Distance meant something to me personally and it was an exciting release.
Do you think it's one of those songs you're now going to try to incorporate into the live show, or do you want to almost leave it as done on the album, and have that special place there with its production?
It's tough, because I came out to Abbey Road in the UK to record it, because I've always wanted to record something at Abbey Road, and this was a cool, cool chance to try that. We had 12-piece live strings and I'd never done anything like that before either. All the music that I've recorded, even when we have players come in and play on these songs, usually they're adding elements to a song that I've already recorded. I'll go in and record it to a simpler track, and then we'll go ahead and get a steel player or guitarists, or live drums, or any of those things, and me and my producers will help put that together. Very rarely do I record in the room with the live musicians, as well as having a full string section! I think some of the magic of Disney songs in general, I realise, is actually in the strings, and some of those amazing arrangements that they have for it, so imagining trying to do this at a live show, we could obviously do a stripped-down version, but it's hard for me now to hear it without all of the extra elements musically that we were able to add in the studio that day. In that same vein, I've watched Bailey Zimmerman go out and do, perform The Climb from Hannah Montana and he’s just released his own version of that, and I guess Restless Road also did a version of that for this same Disney project. I'm like, if Bailey can go out and sing a Hannah Montana song in the middle of his set with the rest of his songs, I'm sure I could probably get away with doing Go The Distance as well!
We're not saying Abbey Road ruined it for you then, no!
No, not that Abby Road ruined it for me! The bar is set so high for what I want that song to sound like when I do it, and my band is super talented, no shade to any of them, but a three-piece band, 4-piece at times, versus an 18-piece band is two very different experiences!
It was exciting because I love these Disney movies. They're some of the only movies that I'll rush to the theatre to see. I'm getting excited for Toy Story 5 as we speak! Being an uncle and watching my nephew grow up, he's three and a half, and so much of his early childhood I've spent on the road and being out and about, and then when I am around, music is one of the things that we connect over. He finally understands my uncle makes music and plays shows. He'll learn my songs! I thought, for me to be able to do a Disney song especially gives us an extra layer of something that we can do. My sister sent me a video of him singing Go the Distance, a couple weeks ago, and it was very cute. We all got a chance to go down to the Disney parks and had a really great time. I think for me at this point, I don't have kids of my own, I'm not a parent yet, but it's something that is cool as an uncle, and also just the inner child in me growing up on all of these Disney movies and amazing music that they've put out over the years. I feel like everyone's favourite karaoke songs, tend to be Disney songs!
You didn't try to negotiate a cameo voiceover in Toy Story 5 as you're fee then!
You know, I'd certainly put my name in the ring! I don't miss an opportunity like that! They do such a great job, and they've got such an amazing brand and audience that they've built for themselves, I'm obviously one of them, but going to the park especially, and I know so many people who are my peers in their 30s and even 40s who are unapologetic Disney adults, it's like, wow, because the music is so great, the parks are obviously a lot of fun, the TV shows, the movies, and it's a family-friendly brand, so something that I was excited to do. Go The Distance also is such a beautiful song. I think there are a lot of similarities between Go The Distance and the title track from my debut album, Cross Country, which is really just about perseverance, resilience and wanting to keep going. Even in the midst of circumstances that might not always seem favourable and I think some of the things that I went through over the last year and a half have forced me to dig deeper and recognise what it is that I really want to do here, and recognise what an amazing opportunity it is in front of me to be able to get out and try to seize the day. Go The Distance meant something to me personally and it was an exciting release.
Do you think it's one of those songs you're now going to try to incorporate into the live show, or do you want to almost leave it as done on the album, and have that special place there with its production?
It's tough, because I came out to Abbey Road in the UK to record it, because I've always wanted to record something at Abbey Road, and this was a cool, cool chance to try that. We had 12-piece live strings and I'd never done anything like that before either. All the music that I've recorded, even when we have players come in and play on these songs, usually they're adding elements to a song that I've already recorded. I'll go in and record it to a simpler track, and then we'll go ahead and get a steel player or guitarists, or live drums, or any of those things, and me and my producers will help put that together. Very rarely do I record in the room with the live musicians, as well as having a full string section! I think some of the magic of Disney songs in general, I realise, is actually in the strings, and some of those amazing arrangements that they have for it, so imagining trying to do this at a live show, we could obviously do a stripped-down version, but it's hard for me now to hear it without all of the extra elements musically that we were able to add in the studio that day. In that same vein, I've watched Bailey Zimmerman go out and do, perform The Climb from Hannah Montana and he’s just released his own version of that, and I guess Restless Road also did a version of that for this same Disney project. I'm like, if Bailey can go out and sing a Hannah Montana song in the middle of his set with the rest of his songs, I'm sure I could probably get away with doing Go The Distance as well!
We're not saying Abbey Road ruined it for you then, no!
No, not that Abby Road ruined it for me! The bar is set so high for what I want that song to sound like when I do it, and my band is super talented, no shade to any of them, but a three-piece band, 4-piece at times, versus an 18-piece band is two very different experiences!
Now, I'm obviously getting worried, because it feels like this is going to be the first year in a while where you haven't actually done a show over here, because, counting singing the national anthem at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it does feel like you've been here in some way for almost the last almost 4 years.
And guess what, man? The year is still young.
I like the sound of that!
The year is still young. You know, look, the UK has always been such a special place for me, and I haven't shied away from expressing that it is my favourite audience to play for. I just feel like all of the fans out there really do their due diligence in learning deep cuts. I'll introduce songs that I don't expect anyone to know, and everyone knows them! You feel like such a superstar when you come over and play in the UK as an American artist, or at least in my experience, that's what y'all make me feel like, and some of the support that I've gotten at BBC Radio, and opportunities that I've had to open for artists, whether it be a Russell Dickerson or a Shania Twain, as well as being able to come out and do C2C, and as well as some of the stuff that I've done for the NFL, and coming for Abbey Road. I always have these amazing experiences in the UK, whether I'm performing or writing or just living life. If there's ever an opportunity for me to be able to come out there, I will certainly take them, and it's my personal goals for the year to make sure that we get a couple shows in the UK as well.
You also linked up with Ella Henderson last year. How was that to link up with a British artist compared to doing your collaborations with Americans? Was it quite different, or did it all feel very much the same?
You know, I guess it's funny because we do all speak English, but there are some little differences in how we would write based on how I would actually pronounce a word, and what rhymes are available for that, versus how she would pronounce a word, and what rhymes are available! The writing experience and then certain phrases will be a little different, so I'll say something that's a very American idiom and then she'd be like, what does that mean? And I'm like, oh, you don't know? And she's like, no, over here we would say this, so I guess it's a little different colloquially, but also, in that same breath music really is the universal language. I think we both have a good ear for melody, we both had a good feeling, and we actually wrote that song here in Nashville and recorded it in town. We got back together over in the UK, and wrote some other songs as well, so maybe there's more music in the tank. This has been such a cool year for me where a lot of old songs have come back into the picture, whether it be Keith Urban and Michael McDonald putting out a song like We Go Back, which we wrote in 2020. I've got another song that's coming out, shortly, in a couple weeks, that we literally wrote in 2021, and it's coming out summer of 26. I think with Ella, too, she's such a creative person, and she has such a great ear, that I hope we'll get even more music out than just One Door Opens, but I do love that song.
And guess what, man? The year is still young.
I like the sound of that!
The year is still young. You know, look, the UK has always been such a special place for me, and I haven't shied away from expressing that it is my favourite audience to play for. I just feel like all of the fans out there really do their due diligence in learning deep cuts. I'll introduce songs that I don't expect anyone to know, and everyone knows them! You feel like such a superstar when you come over and play in the UK as an American artist, or at least in my experience, that's what y'all make me feel like, and some of the support that I've gotten at BBC Radio, and opportunities that I've had to open for artists, whether it be a Russell Dickerson or a Shania Twain, as well as being able to come out and do C2C, and as well as some of the stuff that I've done for the NFL, and coming for Abbey Road. I always have these amazing experiences in the UK, whether I'm performing or writing or just living life. If there's ever an opportunity for me to be able to come out there, I will certainly take them, and it's my personal goals for the year to make sure that we get a couple shows in the UK as well.
You also linked up with Ella Henderson last year. How was that to link up with a British artist compared to doing your collaborations with Americans? Was it quite different, or did it all feel very much the same?
You know, I guess it's funny because we do all speak English, but there are some little differences in how we would write based on how I would actually pronounce a word, and what rhymes are available for that, versus how she would pronounce a word, and what rhymes are available! The writing experience and then certain phrases will be a little different, so I'll say something that's a very American idiom and then she'd be like, what does that mean? And I'm like, oh, you don't know? And she's like, no, over here we would say this, so I guess it's a little different colloquially, but also, in that same breath music really is the universal language. I think we both have a good ear for melody, we both had a good feeling, and we actually wrote that song here in Nashville and recorded it in town. We got back together over in the UK, and wrote some other songs as well, so maybe there's more music in the tank. This has been such a cool year for me where a lot of old songs have come back into the picture, whether it be Keith Urban and Michael McDonald putting out a song like We Go Back, which we wrote in 2020. I've got another song that's coming out, shortly, in a couple weeks, that we literally wrote in 2021, and it's coming out summer of 26. I think with Ella, too, she's such a creative person, and she has such a great ear, that I hope we'll get even more music out than just One Door Opens, but I do love that song.
I've saved this one till last, because it's probably going to be the one you're most passionate about, but Breland and Friends, from where you started it off to now having had its fifth annual event. What were your hopes when you did the first one? Did you think it was just a one year and thinking, cool, that was fun, or did you have this long-term vision?
Yeah, you know, I didn't really know exactly what was gonna happen. I think the first year, I was a little all over the place year one, because it was a crazy week leading up to that first Breeland and Friends. I remember it quite clearly. I was out in LA, taking some meetings earlier the previous week. I think Breland and Friends was on a Tuesday that year. Wednesday I was out in LA, I went up Thursday to go perform with Josh Groban at Radio City Music Hall in New York, then flew down Saturday for Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then came up for dress rehearsal for Breeland and Friends, and the following day was the CMT Awards, which were here in town, and we ended up adding Tyler Hubbard, Russell Dickerson, and Thomas Rhett, and I think maybe a couple other people, literally because I ran into them at the CMT Awards, and were like, hey, are you in town tomorrow? Do you want to come do this? We had some artists that ended up getting added last minute, so it was an even bigger success than I think it would have been otherwise, just based on who we all brought out. After that, I was like, okay, cool, not only was it a great show, but we also were able to raise a good amount of money, and it felt like something that I wanted to keep doing, and year two, went really well. Year three, was great. I felt like year four was a little tough, because we were doing it the same week as Stagecoach, so, there were a bunch of artists that were out of town, and I messaged people and always try to get different people to come out. I felt like year four was a little tough, but we still had a great lineup, but I felt like this year was maybe the best lineup, or at least second best, if we're counting year one. Such a good group of artists that came out. We had Hardy, Walker Hayes, we had a bunch of amazing young women in country, we had Lauren Alaina as a surprise guest, we had, Dasha, Kaitlin Butts, Ashley Cooke, Laine Gardner. A lot of people who have played shows over in the UK and come to do C2C. We had Cameron Marlowe, who was amazing, and then some great people from outside of the country music genre. Duran Bernard, Pink Sweats, my parents came and sang. So, it was just such a lovely night, and for me, man, I feel like music is one of those things that I know always has the power to be revolutionary in terms of people come in with a certain type of energy, or they might be dealing with any number of things, and then they leave in a much better position than they came in, whether it was dancing, or singing along, or making new friends, or being able to connect with the people that they came with, being able to meet me at an after-party, or a meet and greet, or what have you. Those moments are transcendental. Breeland and Friends as a show is so special because people really get a chance to do something for the good of the community, and I sometimes feel a little guilty. I'm sure my business manager and manager probably don't want me to say this, but I sometimes feel a little guilty even making money to play shows, because it feels like a public service where my heart is when I go out to perform. For a long time, I was making music for free, and I was actually quite happy doing it. It is a blessing and a gift for me to be able to do that, but Breland and Friends kind of take some of that guilt away, because I'm like, hey, like, I don't make any money off of this show, you know, and all of the actual, you know, profit made from this show is going toward people who need it. It's fully organic, cage-free, whatever the labels that they put on food, so you know that it's good for you. I'm like, if you're gonna come see a show of mine, and you can only come to one, I would say come to Breland and Friends, because we put a lot of time and energy to it, and it obviously benefits a lot of people, too.
Do you just feel now, like, the sky's the limit with it going forward?
Yeah, man, I mean, look, I would really love to be able to continue to grow it and do two nights at the Ryman, or bring it over to Bridgestone here in town, or an amphitheatre, something like that. I would love to do Breland and Friends as a touring thing where we do six shows and bring different artists out for different shows, and at some point, hopefully, we'll have the opportunity to do that. At some point, if and when I end up headlining arenas on my own, where I know that people are gonna show up regardless. I would really love to be able to do this as something that happens multiple times a year, and bring out a bunch of surprise guests, have some local artists on the bill for different places that we play, and have all the proceeds go toward local organisations. That's where I would love to take it, but to be able to do something like this five years in a row here in Nashville is definitely a good start.
So are we saying Breland and Friends are at Red Rock?
But you know what? Like, yes, like, that would be so fun, like, Breland and Friends at Red Rocks, Breland and Friends at the O2, Breland and Friends at the Gorge, Breland and Friends at Madison Square Garden, like, why not? You know, why not?
That sounds absolutely amazing, and we can’t wait to see where the rest of the year take you. Thank you so much for your time today. It's been brilliant to catch up and obviously, congratulations on the release of In My Truck
Thank you.
Go and enjoy CMA Fest!
Yes, and I can also say this pretty, pretty safely, I've got a few more songs coming out this summer, so it'll be a big, big summer of releases and collabs for me, too, so definitely stay on the lookout.
We will be. Make the most of it in festival season as well now.
I certainly will.
Yeah, you know, I didn't really know exactly what was gonna happen. I think the first year, I was a little all over the place year one, because it was a crazy week leading up to that first Breeland and Friends. I remember it quite clearly. I was out in LA, taking some meetings earlier the previous week. I think Breland and Friends was on a Tuesday that year. Wednesday I was out in LA, I went up Thursday to go perform with Josh Groban at Radio City Music Hall in New York, then flew down Saturday for Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then came up for dress rehearsal for Breeland and Friends, and the following day was the CMT Awards, which were here in town, and we ended up adding Tyler Hubbard, Russell Dickerson, and Thomas Rhett, and I think maybe a couple other people, literally because I ran into them at the CMT Awards, and were like, hey, are you in town tomorrow? Do you want to come do this? We had some artists that ended up getting added last minute, so it was an even bigger success than I think it would have been otherwise, just based on who we all brought out. After that, I was like, okay, cool, not only was it a great show, but we also were able to raise a good amount of money, and it felt like something that I wanted to keep doing, and year two, went really well. Year three, was great. I felt like year four was a little tough, because we were doing it the same week as Stagecoach, so, there were a bunch of artists that were out of town, and I messaged people and always try to get different people to come out. I felt like year four was a little tough, but we still had a great lineup, but I felt like this year was maybe the best lineup, or at least second best, if we're counting year one. Such a good group of artists that came out. We had Hardy, Walker Hayes, we had a bunch of amazing young women in country, we had Lauren Alaina as a surprise guest, we had, Dasha, Kaitlin Butts, Ashley Cooke, Laine Gardner. A lot of people who have played shows over in the UK and come to do C2C. We had Cameron Marlowe, who was amazing, and then some great people from outside of the country music genre. Duran Bernard, Pink Sweats, my parents came and sang. So, it was just such a lovely night, and for me, man, I feel like music is one of those things that I know always has the power to be revolutionary in terms of people come in with a certain type of energy, or they might be dealing with any number of things, and then they leave in a much better position than they came in, whether it was dancing, or singing along, or making new friends, or being able to connect with the people that they came with, being able to meet me at an after-party, or a meet and greet, or what have you. Those moments are transcendental. Breeland and Friends as a show is so special because people really get a chance to do something for the good of the community, and I sometimes feel a little guilty. I'm sure my business manager and manager probably don't want me to say this, but I sometimes feel a little guilty even making money to play shows, because it feels like a public service where my heart is when I go out to perform. For a long time, I was making music for free, and I was actually quite happy doing it. It is a blessing and a gift for me to be able to do that, but Breland and Friends kind of take some of that guilt away, because I'm like, hey, like, I don't make any money off of this show, you know, and all of the actual, you know, profit made from this show is going toward people who need it. It's fully organic, cage-free, whatever the labels that they put on food, so you know that it's good for you. I'm like, if you're gonna come see a show of mine, and you can only come to one, I would say come to Breland and Friends, because we put a lot of time and energy to it, and it obviously benefits a lot of people, too.
Do you just feel now, like, the sky's the limit with it going forward?
Yeah, man, I mean, look, I would really love to be able to continue to grow it and do two nights at the Ryman, or bring it over to Bridgestone here in town, or an amphitheatre, something like that. I would love to do Breland and Friends as a touring thing where we do six shows and bring different artists out for different shows, and at some point, hopefully, we'll have the opportunity to do that. At some point, if and when I end up headlining arenas on my own, where I know that people are gonna show up regardless. I would really love to be able to do this as something that happens multiple times a year, and bring out a bunch of surprise guests, have some local artists on the bill for different places that we play, and have all the proceeds go toward local organisations. That's where I would love to take it, but to be able to do something like this five years in a row here in Nashville is definitely a good start.
So are we saying Breland and Friends are at Red Rock?
But you know what? Like, yes, like, that would be so fun, like, Breland and Friends at Red Rocks, Breland and Friends at the O2, Breland and Friends at the Gorge, Breland and Friends at Madison Square Garden, like, why not? You know, why not?
That sounds absolutely amazing, and we can’t wait to see where the rest of the year take you. Thank you so much for your time today. It's been brilliant to catch up and obviously, congratulations on the release of In My Truck
Thank you.
Go and enjoy CMA Fest!
Yes, and I can also say this pretty, pretty safely, I've got a few more songs coming out this summer, so it'll be a big, big summer of releases and collabs for me, too, so definitely stay on the lookout.
We will be. Make the most of it in festival season as well now.
I certainly will.