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Stickin’ to his guns Luke Bryan writes what he knows
By JOHN BENSON
Rising country music artist Luke Bryan has a simple litmus test for his songwriting: Would he listen to it as a raucous teenager growing up in rural Georgia? So far, the recipe has worked out just fine with top 15 hits “All My Friends Say,” “Country Man,” “Do I” and current single “Rain Is a Good Thing,” which earlier this year led to the 33-year-old’s being named Academy of Country Music Awards “Top New Solo Vocalist” and “Top New Artist.”
“Anytime I sit down with a song idea, I write it from the aspect of is that something I’d want to hear back when I was in college, is that something I would have went riding around dirt roads listening to with my buddies and stuff like that,” said Bryan, calling from Nashville on his way to do some fishing on the Tennessee River. “I just kind of write music that would work in that scenario and setting.”
Billed as the Music City’s latest offering of a traditional country-inspired lyricist with a modern sounding flair, Bryan is targeting like-minded males with his 2009 sophomore effort “Doin’ My Thing,” which so far has sold more than 200,000 copies. Specifically with his songwriting method in mind, the new CD includes the self-explanatory song “Drinkin’ Beer and Wastin’ Bullets.”
“It seems to be a song that really hits home with the younger guys,” Bryan laughed. “I love that song; it’s probably my favorite on the album. It’s fun watching the 19-year-old guys with the camouflaged hats getting all fired up over it. A lot of people can really relate to that. It’s a lifestyle. I wouldn’t say I made a practice out of getting drunk and firing firearms, but that’s kind of how I grew up, being out in the woods hunting and doing a lot of outdoor stuff.”
Outdoor stuff today for Bryan — when he’s not fishing — is touring sheds with hot crossover country act Sugarland. The bill rolls into Northeast Ohio for a Saturday show at Blossom Music Center. Though he’s no stranger to large tours and the road, Bryan admits opening for Sugarland puts him in front of a different audience, which is kind of the point.
“I toured with [Kenny] Chesney two summers ago in stadiums, and I was out with Jason Aldean this past winter and spring,” Bryan said. “That was a big, fun tour, so I’ve done a little bit of it all at this point. Now with Sugarland, they have a very diehard fan base and their fans probably aren’t necessarily what my fans are, so it’s always nice to get in front of new people and have the opportunity to kind of capture that audience.”
If Bryan’s recent success has taught him anything, it’s to stick to his guns, and more importantly, his earnest songwriting style.
“I’m just putting out songs that are connecting with audiences,” Bryan said. “Things are kind of connecting on all cylinders is what [my success] tells me. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”