February 24, 2010 Mary-Kate Roan

mkroan@connectstatesboro.com

Connect Statesboro (CS): Things are a little different for you these days. How does it feel to be coming back to Statesboro with a new CD and a single that’s getting time on the radio?
Brantley Gilbert (BG): We actually hit number one in Texas, and we’ve never even played in the state of Texas. I think that’s actually the one state I haven’t played in. But Statesboro is actually like coming home. That was actually the third market we ever played in. That’s always been just a rocked-out show. It’s always been a blast. Any chance we get to come to Statesboro it always puts a smile on my face.

CS: What’s the subject matter for this new album?
BG: Song-wise, a lot of things happened in six years. Everything that happened, it may have taken me awhile to write about it but I tried to write about it. I took the ones that meant the most to me, but I guess it is what it is. It all just came together.

CS: What’s the difference in this record and your first?
BG: My first record, I actually recorded in two days at a gospel studio outside of Monroe, Ga. To be honest, I love that record. You can hear me miss pitch and go off key. It served its purpose. This one’s a little bit rocked up.

CS: What’s the gist of the new single, for those who haven’t heard it?
BG: The new single, it serves its purpose. A lot of these big labels are servicing songs to country radio and it’s a lot of the run-of-the-mill stuff. They’re all different voices, different faces, but it’s the same sound. We went back in the studio and put two songs together. It turned out to be our first single. It was intended to be a song that turned heads. If you were a radio statioin an dyou got that CD on your desk, even if you wouldn’t dare put it on your radio station it does turn your head and is different.

CS: Got anything to say about the new album?
BG: The first album kind of told a story of my life from my sophomore year in high school and into college. This new album that’s coming out March 16, covers six years. The whole album really comes together. Every song sounds like it stands by itself. We didn’t target a country market. We didn’t target a southern rock market. We had some songs we like. We brought my band in and we produced the album. We played on it and we put it out. It’s us. It is what it is. (Nathan Queen, general manager of Retrievers)

CS: Last time we spoke, you said you didn’t think you’d gotten your big break yet. How about now?
BG: A lot of the people you see that get big breaks disappear not long after. That’s not something we want to do. I want what we have going on to last for a minute. We don’t want overnight success. We want slow and steady. It’s comfortable for me. I want this to be around for awhile.

CS: What songs can fans look forward to?
BG: We’ve got a song called “Kickin’ It In The Sticks” that I’m really fire dup about. My granddad just passed away recently and we’ve got one on there called “Them Boys” that’s about him. There are several songs on there that I’ve written with Rhett Akins and Ben Halsey that we’re really excited about. There’s a song on there called “Take It Outside” that’s kind of against the grain. We save it til the end of the set now because it’s been an instigator. It’s definitely taking country to another level. Watching everybody’s jaw drop, going “Can they do that?” And I’m going, “Yep, we did.”

CS: What was it like working with Rhett Akins?
BG: It was awesome. I love Rhett to death. He’s actually a really good friend of mine. I think the world of Rhett and he’s been a really good friend to me. We met right in Nashville. I write with Warner Chapel Publishing Company in Nashville. And they set Rhett and I up and Dallas Davidson. Rhett and I and Dallas and Ben are all from Georgia. It’s kind of cool to go to Nashville and get a little taste of home. We write about back home, so it’s kind of easy for us to spit out songs.

CS: What inspired you to get into music?
BG: Actually, it was almost therapeutic. A guy named Corey Smith, from my hometown in Jefferson, was playing at this bar named Mike’s. I was way too young to be in there and I got caught. As they were escorting me out the door and he asked me to play a couple of songs. I got up and sang them. It sort of just went from there. I played with him for three years. The first time I played Retriever’s was the second time he played. I got to be really good friends with Nathan Queen. He’s been really, really good to me. We’re still kicking.

CS: How did growing up in Jefferson influence your music?
BG: It had everything to do with it. It’s home. Even though I don’t live there and my parents don’t live there anymore. Small town life and what all goes on: the small talk and getting in trouble. Everybody knows what you do in a small town. Word travels really fast.

CS: If it weren’t for music what would you be doing?
BG: If it weren’t for music I don’t even know if I’d be here.

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