Love, heartbreak, and the pursuit of happiness are your typical inspirations for creating the right nation tune. Brian Kelley checked all these bins on his path to changing into a multi-platinum nation celebrity—however possibly not in your typical nation music causes.
As an alternative of placing lyrics to music over a broken-hearted breakup, a redshirt designation as a freshman pitcher at Florida State started transferring the left-hander extra towards music whereas his Seminole teammates had been on the highway pursuing their baseball desires.
“I didn’t get to journey with the group, in order that left me with fairly a while to sulk in my residence and write songs about it,” Kelley recollects, laughing. “I simply made essentially the most of that point—I wasn’t out partying, I used to be in my room writing songs.”
Kelley says the frustration didn’t completely dissuade him from giving up on his Main League boyhood desires. Nonetheless, his ardour for performing was placing each abilities on a collision course—which required the athlete and artist to stay each mentally centered and bodily match. “I didn’t care if I used to be the final decide, I’d go and a minimum of give it a shot,” he says. “But when my identify wasn’t referred to as, that was going to be the signal that music was going to be my path.”
Shifting ahead required transferring to Nashville, the place Kelley transferred from FSU to tiny Belmont College, the place he was in a position to each pitch and pursue a music diploma. It’s the place he met Tyler Hubbard, the opposite half of the chart-toping Florida Georgia Line. The duo recorded 19 profession No.1 hits, together with the diamond-selling 2012 smash “Cruise,” and “Meant to Be.”
Now, following the group’s well-publicized break up in 2022, Kelley continues writing about heartbreak and happiness—and fishing—this time as a solo artist. He simply launched his new solo album, “Tennessee Fact” and his latest hit, Kiss My Boots, is an ode to being wronged. The change in record-making routine has reinvigorated the creativity course of, permitting Kelley to put in writing in his personal voice. “Each are nice,” he says. “I like collaborating, but it surely’s cool to have the ability to zoom in on who I’m, and share with people who find themselves like, ‘oh, that solely him. I believe that’s cool.”
Most vital, Belmont was additionally the spot the place Brian Kelley met his spouse, Brittney. When he’s not performing around the globe, the 2 take pleasure in life pursuing what he refers back to the “Seaside Cowboy” life. They journey collectively, prepare dinner collectively, and possibly most vital he says, they oftentimes practice collectively, feeding off one another’s power or pushing each other. Staying match has been part of Brian Kelley’s routine since his taking part in days, and is what’s protecting him in sport form at age 38.
Kelley’s keys to sustaining Nation Muscle don’t at all times contain heavy weightroom, baseball-specific periods, it now varies with cardio work, some deep sea fishing and even the occasional “redneck chilly plunge.”
And when the motivation isn’t at all times there, Brittney is, ensuring the couple will get a sweat in earlier than they get to any type of beachside chillin’. “I’m grateful I’m married her as a result of she’s a trooper,” he says. “She’s like, you higher rise up right here and work out with me. And I’m like, yep, [let’s go].”
Brian Kelley Retains Fishing for Success
So what actually is a seashore cowboy? Within the Ormond Seaside native’s phrases, it’s having the mindset of working onerous and taking part in onerous and having fun with life to the fullest. “I like the barefeet or boots type of life-style,” he says. “It’s vital for me to have the ability to join with nature, whether or not I’m searching or having a seashore day with Brittney. I like all features of each existence. However on the finish of the day, it’s simply that headspace.”
For Brian Kelley, paradise means having a bass on the finish of a fishing pole. The “See You Subsequent Summer time” singer says that casting a line oftentimes hits the coaching trifecta—fishing can goal each bodily and psychological well being in addition to nailing your vitamin. Whether or not it’s reeling in swordfish from the Gulf or taking part in catch and launch within the yard lake of his 18-acre cabin outdoors of Nashville, for Kelley, no time is ever a nasty time for a little bit rod and reel remedy. “I’ll sneak in a fast half-hour at our home and be like, Babe, I’m operating out to the dock and see if something’s biting,” he says. “Even when I’m tremendous busy, I’d somewhat skip lunch and go fish for a little bit bit.”
Kelley says he’s increase his bass inhabitants at residence, which he says is modest compared to different native nation superstars. “I’m making an attempt to maintain up with Jake Owen—he’s obtained a pleasant property filled with bass,” he says. “I’m making an attempt to work my means as much as his dimension, so I’m not going to eat them.”
Fishing not solely helps feeds the physique, it may possibly additionally assist gas creativity. One tune he refers to was his 2021 hit “Sunshine State of Thoughts.” He says each one of the best and worst moments of being on the water can encourage tune lyrics.
“I had a extremely dangerous hen’s nest in my reel,” he recollects. It was horrible. I used to be making an attempt to untangle it. I wasn’t speculated to be writing a tune. However I used to be already pondering of some lyrics about this example…that’s what nation music is.”
There’s additionally the bodily aspect, particularly when caught reeling in a protracted and fatiguing deep sea session. Kelley says the pulling and stabilizing required throughout some intense fishing moments mimicked among the heaviest weightroom exercises he’s carried out. “A number of years in the past we fought a white marlin for most likely 40 minutes. I used to be exhausted. I didn’t even must work out that day, as a result of I simply had one.”
Put up exercise, when it’s time to fireside up the Inexperienced Egg, Kelley appreciates the hassle put in to offer dinner. “When you possibly can go get your groceries out within the Gulf of Mexico or out within the Choctawhatchee Bay. That’s what it’s all about.” Whereas he can navigate the grill, he leaves the primary course for Brittney, who he says places her personal spin on that day’s catch, whether or not or not it’s pink snapper or mahi mahi. “I like her creations,” he says. “She’s obtained a little bit foodie factor happening inside her. She will be able to take me to Flavortown, and I adore it.”
Breath Work to Make the Music Work for Brian Kelley
At Florida State, Brian Kelley developed a love-hate relationship with squats. “We had been pushing a variety of weight again then,” he says. “I hated it however I loved it as a result of I used to be fairly first rate at it.” What he recollects being most dreaded was the post-legday conditioning—operating the steps of FSU’s 80,000-seat Doak Campbell Stadium. Every session was grueling take a look at of each bodily and psychological toughness.
“We had been, like, are you freakin’ kidding?” he says. “I may barely decide up my legs, however we did it. You may at all times do greater than you assume you possibly can. It’s nice cardio in your legs. Once we had been exhausted, we both centered or else we had been tripping on these steps.”
Due to its effectiveness, Kelley’s open to giving that sort of coaching yet another attempt. “Possibly the venues I’m at don’t have these sorts of steps.,” he says. “However subsequent time I see a set of steps, I’m gonna hit them.”
Today, conditioning and suppleness are music musts. Oftentimes, Kelley will go for a lightweight run whereas touring. And so as to not pop a hamstring throughout one among his high-strung concert events., he’ll typically add some stretching and mobility work.
However most vital for a singer, is, effectively, singing. And that requires an emphasis on cardio and conditioning.
“It’s not simple singing and operating round and getting excited,” he says. “There’s quite a bit to it at this degree, and for the exhibits I wish to produce. So protecting cardio intact is vital as a result of your breath is every little thing relating to singing.”
To do that night time after night time, he’s turned to counting on coaching from well-known breath specialist Wim Hof. “I did that fairly a bit over the previous two years. I believe it’s nice.” He’s additionally turned to his Plunge ice tub at residence in Nashville. In Florida, he created what he calls a “redneck plunge.” “It’s only a huge water trough principally, and I’ve obtained a little bit icemaker down there and so obtained the true deal up right here. And I learn that down in Florida and simply put it outdoors and simply go for it.
A couple of minutes within the ice tub, he says makes all of the distinction relating to onstage efficiency. “That’ll take your breath away,” he says. “You must discover your breath if you get into that actually chilly water, however I simply tried to essentially hyper-focus after I’m understanding.”
Having the Excellent Coaching Accomplice
For anybody following in the identical path as Brian Kelley, his recommendation is straightforward: Comply with your desires and stand by your choices. He says that though he could have turned down provides to play at bigger colleges, his transfer to Belmont has formed his total life.
“I’m a giant fan of individuals going after their desires and getting after it,” he says. “I can’t think about a life the place if I had by no means moved to Nashville, I wouldn’t be married to Britney. I wouldn’t be on this world. I’d be occupied with effectively, I’m wondering what wouldn’t it be if I might have moved to Nashville? I’ve by no means would have recognized. So I encourage individuals to go discover out go discover out.”
Now married for greater than a decade, the couple have constructed their very own model of happiness, which incorporates constructing a modest residence health club to remain each match and collectively. On the couple’s Nashville residence, the couple maintains a modest residence health club, full of free weights, kettlebells, and medication balls. “It’s fairly easy, nothing too loopy,” he says. “Nevertheless it’s ok to get an excellent sweat and an excellent pump.”
The couple additionally share Peloton periods. “We now have a extremely good routine of going upstairs and activate the peloton on the TV,” Kelley says. “We’ll get after it collectively and do the identical factor. We discovered a pair good instructors who’re unbelievable that we like. It pushes us, and that’s been actually enjoyable.
On the highway, when showtime nears, Kelley says the pair will enterprise into their very own coaching territory. He says whereas Brittney could go for a programmed exercise, he goes for going rogue and hitting the weights onerous. “On present day. I like being within the health club and going old skool,” he says. “I really feel like I’m in a highschool soccer weight class. It takes me again. I placed on my headphones on and I flip into a unique human.”
It might not be the health system for everybody, however the further time the 2 spend coaching collectively has change into a wholesome marital bonus. “We love working collectively and it’s simply one other 30 to 45 minutes we get to spend with one another,” he says. “It’s cool to look over and see her work, hear her breathe and know she’s placing within the work proper subsequent to me. It pushes me.”
What can different {couples} do to include health into their seashore cowboy life-style? Kelley provides some recommendation: “I’d say attempt a guided exercise—whether or not that’s anyone on YouTube or a subscription like Peloton,” Brian Kelley suggests. “Attempt one thing the place you each have a coach that’s presenting the exercise. Have enjoyable, take pleasure in it, and push one another.