Brian Kelley Tells His “Tennessee Truth”
Photo by Ben Christensen.
Brian Kelley is starting over and he’s not holding back. The former Florida-half of iconic country music duo Florida Georgia Line released his first official debut album since stepping out as a solo artist, “Tennessee Truth,” on May 10th. The twelve-track album follows Kelley’s 2021 passion project, “Sunshine State of Mind,” that he released as a love letter to his low-key life in Florida. Packed with soulful lyrics that tell of the restorative powers of rural living (“Acres,” “How We’re Livin’”), everlasting love (“Dirt Road Date Night,” “King Ranch”), and taking the high road (“Kiss My Boots”), the album invites listeners into Kelley’s world, where authenticity stands paramount.
Kelley logs onto our Zoom call for his interview from his Florida home dressed like the beach cowboy everyone knows and loves him to be. Right away, I notice a fish hanging around his neck, one on his hat, and two fishing poles propped up against the wall directly behind him. “One of the country boy conditions I sing about is this tackle and these fishing poles,” Kelley says, gesturing behind him, “and all the stuff you see behind me. I’m ready to go at any second,” he says, laughing.
Kelley, who splits his time between his Nashville home and his coastal escape in Grayton Beach, Florida, is the quintessential coastal cowboy. Yet, the living isn’t always as easy as it looks. “Emerging as a solo artist and, in a sense, starting over, has been a challenge for sure,” Kelley admits. But if there’s one thing Kelley excels at, it’s having fun while navigating the challenges. “I know my voice is kinda new to the world, but I just try to live in the moment, not rush anything, and really just try to connect with fans and allow this music to speak and be heard,” he says.
Although there are roadblocks along the way, Kelley has little difficulty accomplishing his goals because, at his core, he’s a down-to-earth, God-fearing country man with a strong work ethic. As our interview progresses, it feels more like I’m catching up with an old friend rather than interviewing the multi-platinum award-winning artist and co-inventor of the “bro-country” sub-genre of country music that Kelley just so happens to be.
“I’ve got quite a few Tennessee truths,” Kelley tells me. “But when it’s all said and done, my Tennessee truth is that I’m no different than those who are going to be listening to this record,” he shares. “It’s all about my core values: God, family, and country. I enjoy a lot of the same things that this record reflects – being outdoors, huntin’, fishin’, being in love with my wife, and enjoying each other’s company.”
The album is also a tribute to Kelley’s family and deep Tennessee roots. “My dad was born in Palmersville, Tennessee and moved to Nashville when he was about three years old, and I’ve got tons of family out in Hendersonville and Gallatin,” he proudly shares.
Kelley’s wife, Brittney, is also a constant source of inspiration. The two celebrated their ten-year wedding anniversary last December. “I knew from the moment we met that she was extra special and just a different person, one of a kind,” Kelley reflects. “We fell in love quick, got married quick, and couldn’t wait to start our lives together. Ten years has flown by, and it’s been the best ten years of my life.”
Kelley shares that Brittney, a creative in her own right who is arguably best-known for the massively-popular clothing brand that she owns and operates with Brian, Tribe Kelley, has helped to shape a number of records over the course of Kelley’s career. Unsurprisingly, Brittney, the queen of Kelley’s King Ranch, pushed hard for the crowd-favorite “King Ranch” to make Kelley’s debut album. “We played that song out so much before I had even recorded it that it was obvious that it was a little bit of a needle-mover in the lights. You could see people – they don’t know this song, it’s not out, but as soon as I play it, it gets ‘em movin’,” Kelley shares of the song.
When the pair isn’t busy planning their next Tribe Kelley drop or managing Papa Surf Burger Bar, the Florida restaurant they co-own with Jason Aldean and baseball Hall of Famer Tom Glavine, they enjoy living the simple life. “We love celebrating, going out to a nice restaurant when we can, and enjoying a good A5 steak just like everybody does, but our favorite nights are just at the house,” Kelley says. “We got the dogs runnin’ around, we’re both cookin’ and it’s pretty simple. Just bein’ around family, havin’ people over, throwin’ on some vinyl, and makin’ some drinks. Nothin’ too crazy goin’ on in the Kelley household.”
Brian and Brittney Kelley wearing Mossy Oak pieces from Tribe Kelley's "Back Home" collection. Photo by Ben Christensen.
Brian Kelley for Tribe Kelley's "Back Home" collection. Photo by Ben Christensen.
Yet, even with his extensive experience both inside and out of the studio and a plethora of inspiration to pull from, Kelley admits that the songwriting process is still a mystery to him. “It’s crazy how it works because there will be days where I show up and go, ‘I have this title that I’ve saved for this specific group, and we’re going to write it,’ and we knock it out of the park. And then there’s days where I show up and I feel like I’ve written all of my good ideas and have no idea what I’m going to leave with,” Kelley says. “Tennessee Truth’s” “King Ranch” is one example of the former, while “Doin’ Nothin’” and “Kiss My Boots,” the album’s final track and metaphorical middle finger that many have speculated is about Kelley’s former Florida Georgia Line bandmate, Tyler Hubbard, are examples of the latter.
“The Tennessee truth is that I’ve gone through things in my life,” Kelley shares. “I’ve gone through rough patches and dealing with different relationships and navigating how to do that in a healthy way, so I was really excited to put ‘Kiss My Boots’ out.”
Yet, Kelley tells me that the song almost didn’t get written. Kelley and the song’s co-writers had spent hours one Friday afternoon throwing around song titles to no avail. “None of us came in there with that title or the intention of writing a certain type of song,” Kelley says. “Through being patient and through hard work of sitting around and allowing time to just tick by while we’re waiting, it just turned into this song that’s about standing up for yourself. It’s almost like we were fishin’ that day. There’s a lot of similarities between fishing and songwriting, and it felt like we just had our poles in the water and were watchin’ a bobber all day, and then the bobber finally went down, and it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re callin’ it ‘Kiss My Boots,’ and this is the direction,’ and it’s something that we were all really excited about,” he reflects. “I think everybody in the room that day had multiple people on their “kiss my boots” list,” Kelley shares with a hearty laugh.
One thing that won’t be kissed away anytime soon is Kelley’s solo career. “Tennessee Truth” marks the beginning of a new chapter for Kelley – one that represents the power of hard work, perseverance, taking the high road, and staying true to yourself.
Kelley is already diligently working on his next album, which is set to be released this Fall. The Tennessee truth is that I simply can’t wait.
