The Zac Brown Band’s first five albums reached the top of the Billboard Country Charts. Their newest release, “Love & Fear,” is being celebrated with a series of performances at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I’m Michel Martin.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
And I’m Steve Inskeep, speaking with musician Zac Brown. Mr. Brown.
ZAC BROWN: Yes, sir.
INSKEEP: You don’t have to call me sir, by the way.
BROWN: It’s either sir or ma’am. You got to pick one. I’m from the South.
INSKEEP: (Laughter) Well, sir, then I’m going to call you sir, sir.
BROWN: Sounds great.
INSKEEP: For years, I’ve enjoyed Zac Brown’s music, which celebrates simple pleasures.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “CHICKEN FRIED”)
ZAC BROWN BAND: (Singing) You know I like my chicken fried, cold beer on Friday night, a pair of jeans that fit just right and the radio up.
INSKEEP: The band is renowned for their harmonious, vacation-like tunes.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “TOES”)
ZAC BROWN BAND: (Singing) Adios and vaya con Dios.
INSKEEP: Yet, there seemed to be deeper themes in his music, something unspoken.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “TOES”)
ZAC BROWN BAND: (Singing) Life is good today. Life is good today.
INSKEEP: Zac Brown now shares stories of darker times in his new album, “Love & Fear,” inspired by his challenging youth near Atlanta, despite the album’s upbeat nature.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I AIN’T WORRIED ABOUT IT”)
ZAC BROWN BAND: (Singing) Everyone’s gunning for that milk and honey, and some folks are so broke. All they got is money. I ain’t worried about it. I ain’t worried about it.
BROWN: Unless someone knows me well, I haven’t shared much about what led me to music.
INSKEEP: That’s the story he aims to tell now.
BROWN: Growing up, my mom and stepdad both struggled with mental illness. I spent time in and out of battered women’s shelters, trying to protect my mom. Music became my refuge, and I started playing guitar at seven. It became my safe space. I don’t share this from a victim’s perspective.
INSKEEP: Yeah.
BROWN: Those experiences shaped me, giving me resilience and empathy, which serve me well as an artist.
INSKEEP: Yeah.
BROWN: At the time, it was just…
INSKEEP: It’s just suffering.
BROWN: Trying to make sense of the chaos.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BUTTERFLY”)
ZAC BROWN BAND: (Singing) Innocence doesn’t last for long, but whatever don’t kill you makes you strong.
INSKEEP: Brown’s desire to draw inspiration from his past is evident in songs like his duet with Dolly Parton.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BUTTERFLY”)
ZAC BROWN BAND AND DOLLY PARTON: (Singing) Butterfly, you will see. You’re so much stronger than you think you are. You just have to believe. You can fly, mend your wings. Any moment, you can free yourself and fly out of the darkness, butterfly.
BROWN: I’m not religious, but spiritual. The faith I’ve found has helped me do incredible things beyond myself.
INSKEEP: Can you explain the difference between being religious and spiritual for you?
BROWN: Religion often dictates beliefs, but spirituality is about loving others, being a good person, and living by the golden rule.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “THE SUM”)
ZAC BROWN BAND: (Singing) If we try to act like Jesus and end up on the cross, remember we can rise again, no matter what we’ve lost. You need the dark to see the stars. That’s the sum of who we are.
INSKEEP: Are these things you couldn’t express 10 or 20 years ago?
BROWN: Absolutely. You learn over time. I’ve been on my own since 16, touring since 17.
INSKEEP: His writing style has remained consistent.
BROWN: It’s a process to refine our music. With nine band members, what you don’t play is as important as what you do.
INSKEEP: You might remove parts from a song.
BROWN: That happens often. We play together, then subtract what’s unnecessary.
INSKEEP: This explains why some songs are just him and a guitar.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “WHAT YOU GONNA DO”)
BROWN: (Singing) What you going to do?
INSKEEP: Other songs feature elaborate harmonies, reflecting another side of his youth.
BROWN: I grew up in choir, singing barbershop and chamber choir. The right story, melody, and harmony create that visceral feeling, those “money bumps.”
INSKEEP: (Laughter).
BROWN: As a fan, I seek music that moves me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ANIMAL”)
ZAC BROWN BAND: (Singing) Fire is my spirit, and the earth, it is my flesh. Water is my blood, and the wind, it is my breath.
INSKEEP: Zac Brown, it’s been a pleasure. Thank you.
BROWN: My pleasure.
INSKEEP: Rather than subtract, Zac Brown is adding to his new music, recording with an orchestra, choir, and video for a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The first show is tonight.
(SOUNDBITE OF ZAC BROWN BAND SONG, “ANIMAL”)
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