(CSC) 1. Let’s talk about your debut album “Here’s To The Good Times” and how you landed a record deal after impressively selling 200,000 digital downloads independently!!
(Florida Georgia Line)
That was kind of a contribution to how awesome our fans are from the beginning and how we kind of built it from the ground up you know. We did release "Cruise" independently and it was great, the fans are awesome and bought the heck out of it so it really helped out getting a deal and moving to the next level.
(CSC) 2. Congratulations on your #1 single “Cruise.” Did you ever imagine it would become such a huge hit in addition to garnering crossover success with Nelly?
(Florida Georgia Line)
I think the day we wrote it; it was kind of a process. We took it from our writer's house on the couch, to the studio, to the road, to editing it, and trying to make it the best it could be. We knew we had something special, but I don't think anybody could have imagined it; it's been four times platinum, it's completely changed our lives. Like Tyler said, "It's just a testament to the loyalty of country music fans and our fans in general."
The crossover thing came out of nowhere and we’re very proud of it. Nelly's been like a mentor to us and the success with that remix has been great. The cool thing with us is the relationship that we've built with him and his team, and I think that's something that will last for a long time. It's been a whirlwind and we're very grateful, and we're gonna keep working hard. It's crazy we get to do music for a living.
(CSC) 3. You two shared a special bond as songwriters before hitting the mainstream; tell us about the songwriting sessions that took place on the back of Tyler’s tailgate!
(Florida Georgia Line)
We just met each other and started hanging out and wrote a couple songs and realized we wrote well together and had something special and continued to write. We started out doing writing rounds in Nashville and one thing kind of led to the next and decided we wanted to hit the road and start trying to play our songs for our fans. So yeah, it worked out!
(CSC) 4. What series of events led the both of you to first meet at Belmont University, and when did you know that there was something special there musically?
(Florida Georgia Line)
We met on E-Harmony. (Laughs) No, we met at Belmont University through a mutual friend. I had a third-year writing class I transferred into. His roommate, and I got to know each other for a couple weeks and we hung out, talking music and what not. He’s like, “I have a buddy Tyler, my roommate, that is kind of writing the same stuff you're doing and you guys seem like you would get along. He's from Georgia.” He couldn't have been more right on the money; we hit it off immediately, creatively as friends, and moved in together. I think having a friendship there as the foundation is what's keeping this going, it’s not something that you wake up and go, "Alright, I gotta do music with this person, the label puts you together, you want a show or whatever." We choose to be together because we're better together.
(CSC) 5. Set aside from your smash hit “Cruise,” what are your goals to ensure that you have continued success with future singles released from this album?
(Florida Georgia Line)
We are just gonna keep working hard and do what we are doing, and write songs that we like to sing and songs that we feel like are strong and fresh; on the cutting edge of country music. We feel like it's kind of a God thing, it's very blessed; we feel like our fans have been amazing and continue to support us. We are not really worried about it, we are just gonna do what we love and see what happens.
(CSC) 6. What has been most exciting about touring on the road as artists?!?
(Florida Georgia Line)
The whole thing, we didn't think when we first met, it wasn't like, "Dude, we're gonna get good immediately, something's gonna happen organically." So, I think that makes it more special for us. It's not about us; we both wanna be bigger than music and give back. If you can do music and be successful, but not to do a living, you don't have to do another job. That’s kinda what we have always said we wanted to do, and our fans have turned that into something much greater; it's very special.
(CSC) 7. Let’s talk about your upbringing, Tyler being from Monroe, GA and Brian from Ormond Beach, FL. How has your faith, family, and the musical influences shaped who you are today as artists?
(Florida Georgia Line)
That's definitely a large impact on who we are. We were raised very similarly with our parents and raised up in church, both lived worship. That’s how we got comfortable on stage, and learned how to play the guitar, the basic of music, and stuff like that at church. Same influences as far as music and stuff like that growing up. Definitely shows how we write today, how we perform and just kind of do what we are doing; it’s definitely a lot from childhood experience.
(CSC) I understand that Tyler didn’t play country music in front of a crowd until attending Belmont?
(Tyler Hubbard)
Naw, I worshipped in church growing up. I started in high school, the last couple years of high school; I heavily worshipped my school, church, and stuff like that.
(CSC) 8. One of you, Brian, went to Tallahassee, FL on a baseball scholarship, how did you end up from baseball to music, and how difficult was it to choose one passion over the other?!?
(Brian Kelley)
I really started playing about the same time as Tyler. When I was sixteen, I started helping out with youth groups and stuff like that. Even after college we were doing it together and then separately. I just started writing songs when I was eighteen, wrote my freshmen year of college and just had a passion for it. I always had a thing for words and music. I was always the guy looking up song writers and liner books back in the day and in the CD booklets. I was never good with numbers, just always words; I always liked trying to figure out how they shaped into songs.
I moved to Nashville at some point, didn't get much playing time at Florida State, spent a couple years there, transferred back home for a year, then I spent two years at Belmont and that's how we met. I didn't get drafted and that book closed and we opened another one, and that's Florida Georgia Line, and hopefully that stays open for awhile.
(CSC) 9. This summer, you are hitting the road with Luke Bryan/Taylor Swift on his headlining tour. How do you plan to further expand your fan base through this prime opportunity to perform for thousands of people each night?
(Florida Georgia Line)
We learn a lot, we take notes every night from Taylor, Luke, Jake Owen, and all the guys we got to be out with. They are on another level and there's a lot to learn. So, we love just watching from the side of the stage and kind of taking our own little notes and picking up on things that they do, it's really cool.
(CSC) 10. Fan submitted question: What was it like being able to sing with Taylor Swift onstage?
(Florida Georgia Line)
We did one song during a smaller show in Nashville, she sang "Cruise" with us. That was an awesome experience. She is a legend and she's making history. Taylor has become a good friend. It was awesome; it was a great experience for sure.
(CSC) 11. Where would you like to see your careers head next, and what do you want to accomplish?
(Florida Georgia Line)
I think before the crazy year started last year, we just set out to work hard and try to make as many fans as we could. We had an unreal year; January 1 this year we said we wanted to out-work last year; whatever that brings, we'll see.
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