Love, heartbreak, and the pursuit of happiness are your typical inspirations for creating the right nation music. Brian Kelley checked all these bins on his path to turning into a multi-platinum nation famous person—however perhaps not to 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 goals.
“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 goals. Nonetheless, his ardour for performing was placing each abilities on a collision course—which required the athlete and artist to stay each mentally targeted and bodily match. “I didn’t care if I used to be the final choose, I’d go and not less than give it a shot,” he says. “But when my title wasn’t known 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 write down in his personal voice. “Each are nice,” he says. “I really like collaborating, nevertheless it’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 essential, Belmont was additionally the spot the place Brian Kelley met his spouse, Brittney. When he’s not performing all over the world, the 2 get pleasure from life pursuing what he refers back to the “Seaside Cowboy” life. They journey collectively, cook dinner collectively, and perhaps most essential he says, they oftentimes practice collectively, feeding off one another’s vitality or pushing each other. Staying match has been part of Brian Kelley’s routine since his enjoying days, and is what’s protecting him in sport form at age 38.
Kelley’s keys to sustaining Nation Muscle don’t all the time 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 all the time there, Brittney is, ensuring the couple will get a sweat in earlier than they get to any sort 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 arduous and enjoying arduous and having fun with life to the fullest. “I really like the barefeet or boots sort of way of life,” he says. “It’s essential for me to have the ability to join with nature, whether or not I’m looking or having a seashore day with Brittney. I really like all features of each life. 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 season” 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 diet. Whether or not it’s reeling in swordfish from the Gulf or enjoying catch and launch within the yard lake of his 18-acre cabin exterior of Nashville, for Kelley, no time is ever a foul time for just a little rod and reel remedy. “I’ll sneak in a fast half-hour at our home and be like, Babe, I’m working out to the dock and see if something’s biting,” he says. “Even when I’m tremendous busy, I’d slightly skip lunch and go fish for just a little bit.”
Kelley says he’s increase his bass inhabitants at residence, which he says is modest compared to different native nation superstars. “I’m attempting to maintain up with Jake Owen—he’s bought a pleasant property filled with bass,” he says. “I’m attempting to work my method as much as his measurement, so I’m not going to eat them.”
Fishing not solely helps feeds the physique, it could actually additionally assist gasoline creativity. One music he refers to was his 2021 hit “Sunshine State of Thoughts.” He says each the very best and worst moments of being on the water can encourage music lyrics.
“I had a very unhealthy hen’s nest in my reel,” he recollects. It was horrible. I used to be attempting to untangle it. I wasn’t speculated to be writing a music. However I used to be already pondering of some lyrics about this example…that’s what nation music is.”
There’s additionally the bodily component, particularly when caught reeling in an extended and fatiguing deep sea session. Kelley says the pulling and stabilizing required throughout some intense fishing moments mimicked a few of 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 have to work out that day, as a result of I simply had one.”
Put up exercise, when it’s time to fireplace up the Inexperienced Egg, Kelley appreciates the hassle put in to supply 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 principle course for Brittney, who he says places her personal spin on that day’s catch, whether or not it’s pink snapper or mahi mahi. “I really like her creations,” he says. “She’s bought just a little foodie factor happening within her. She will be able to take me to Flavortown, and I find it irresistible.”
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—working 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 might barely choose up my legs, however we did it. You may all the time do greater than you assume you possibly can. It’s nice cardio to your legs. After we had been exhausted, we both targeted or else we had been tripping on these steps.”
Due to its effectiveness, Kelley’s open to giving that sort of coaching another strive. “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.”
Lately, conditioning and adaptability are music musts. Oftentimes, Kelley will go for a light-weight run whereas touring. And so as to not pop a hamstring throughout certainly one of his high-strung live shows., he’ll typically add some stretching and mobility work.
However most essential for a singer, is, nicely, singing. And that requires an emphasis on cardio and conditioning.
“It’s not straightforward singing and working round and getting excited,” he says. “There’s so much to it at this degree, and for the exhibits I wish to produce. So protecting cardio intact is essential as a result of your breath is all the pieces in terms of 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 massive water trough principally, and I’ve bought just a little icemaker down there and so bought the true deal up right here. And I learn that down in Florida and simply put it exterior and simply go for it.
A couple of minutes within the ice tub, he says makes all of the distinction in terms of onstage efficiency. “That’ll take your breath away,” he says. “It’s a must to discover your breath if you get into that basically chilly water, however I simply tried to actually hyper-focus once I’m figuring out.”
Having the Excellent Coaching Associate
For anybody following in the identical path as Brian Kelley, his recommendation is easy: Comply with your goals and stand by your selections. He says that though he might 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 goals 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 interested by nicely, I’m wondering what would it not be if I’d have moved to Nashville? I’ve by no means would have identified. So I encourage folks 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 gymnasium to remain each match and collectively. On the couple’s Nashville residence, the couple maintains a modest residence gymnasium, full of free weights, kettlebells, and medication balls. “It’s fairly easy, nothing too loopy,” he says. “Nevertheless it’s ok to get a great sweat and a great pump.”
The couple additionally share Peloton periods. “Now we have a very 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 might go for a programmed exercise, he goes for going rogue and hitting the weights arduous. “On present day. I like being within the gymnasium and going old fashioned,” 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 method for everybody, however the further time the 2 spend coaching collectively has turn out to be 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 way of life? Kelley provides some recommendation: “I’d say strive a guided exercise—whether or not that’s any individual 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, get pleasure from it, and push one another.
