Enjoy Part I and II of the Lee Brice Interview -
(CSC) 1. Thank you for your time! Your brand-new tour “Me & My Guitar” kicks off February 1st. Tell us about these very special intimate shows and what you’re most looking forward to!
(Lee Brice)
Yes sir! Well, I've just been playing music like that my whole life and just never really have turned it into a whole show. I love just kind of having those moments to where you know, you're connected with the fans on a whole other level, and so I’m excited about all that, but a big part too is we're going to play a bunch of songs that I don't normally play out when I have the band, I'm gonna play out a bunch of stuff that I love, that groomed me, that shaped me. May even be some cover songs that I grew up on that really were influences on my life. So, it's gonna be fun to be playing new music and be playing just by myself up there. I want people to leave there breathless. I want them to leave there, emotional and happy and not a lot of energy left (Laughs).
(CSC) 2. Compared to previous tours that you have done with a full band, without giving too much away, any sneak-peeks you could share with fans who are coming to the show!
(Lee Brice)
Well, there's a lot of little sneak peeks actually (Laughs). I mean we're gonna do some new songs and so I'll tell you this, I'm working on a record right now and I will most likely be playing at least one, if not two or three songs that are brand-new that nobody's ever heard, that will be off of this new record that I'm making. So, it'll be really cool to play brand new music, you know?
(CSC) 3. Congratulations on your album “Hey World” being certified Platinum! What a wonderful album of outstanding songs. I imagine it was also very sentimental having worked with your dear friend and producer, Kyle (Jacobs) on that project.
(Lee Brice)
Oh yeah! And you know, we've worked together before, well, all the time really. We've worked so much together. He had such a soul for music and we had kind of a connection on that level, a musical connection. And, those are days that I won't ever take for granted. Those are days that I'll remember forever and I appreciate. They were very special. He's not with us anymore, so we get out there, we keep doing what we do because that's what he would want us to do.
(CSC) 4. What are some of your most treasured memories shared with Kyle through the years – both professionally and as brothers?
(Lee Brice)
We went down to a place called Rosemary Beach (Florida) a lot, and we would go write songs. We would go on these retreats, and everybody, you know, we would write all day long, work hard, and then everybody would kind of go to bed, and then Kyle and I would always end up at a piano somewhere, just me and him, and we would just create music, write songs; and those were really special times for me.
Other than that, he was a competitive guy, you know, we'd be wrestling around and some of that stuff (laughs), it's like little kids, you know.
Man, he just had a personality and a talent like nobody else! I was just telling somebody yesterday that you know, he wasn't a big ole tall guy. He was kind of short. We picked him up sometimes (laughs), but he made a humongous footprint in this world, and anybody who came in contact with him. So, a special, special human being. And his wife Kellie (Pickler) is a sweet, sweet special spirit.
(CSC) 5. It’s hard to believe it will be a year since Kyle has been gone. Other than the heartfelt ballad “Save The Roses,” how do you plan or would like to continue to honor his legacy?
(Lee Brice)
Well, you know, it's gonna be hard, but it's also going to be easy to make music and make records because you know, like I said, he and I had a really cool chemistry when it came to writing songs. We would write songs and I would go to say something and he would spit it out first or opposite, vice versa. When we went to play different chords, nobody knew what the chords coming next that we were writing, but he and I would somehow get on the same chords, our brains just were sort of on the same level. So, I'm going to keep doing that, keep doing what I do. And every time I do, I swear, it just, you know, reminds me of him.
(CSC) 6. Back to the music, it’s been over 3 years since you last released a new record – when and what can fans expect regarding new music in 2024!?
(Lee Brice)
I believe March 1st, we’ll have our next single, as of right now, it's called “Drinking Buddies.” It's a collaboration with Nate Smith and Hailey Winters. And it's gonna be really fun! And you know that's going to be the kickoff. So, our goal is to put the whole record out in fall! Man, this record is so good. I always try to better myself. I always hope I can, you know, I feel like this record is as good or better than anything we've ever done. And so, I'm just really excited about it!
(CSC) When specifically, do you hope to have the record released?!
(Lee Brice) Yeah! Probably August 2024.
(CSC) 7. Your beautiful/lovely wife Sara is a talented songwriter – How did you initially meet and have you ever considered collaborating together on a musical project?
(Lee Brice)
Well, you know, we write together a decent amount. And I've always told her, that we should do a song together. Because she has this cool voice, you know, when she sings; so, I'm still working on that part. But we met back in South Carolina on the beach of all things, and on like a drizzly night, nobody else was out there. So that changed my life that night.
(CSC) This is back in high school?
(Lee Brice) No, this was after high school. This is in college, you know, I was 21 and she was 18. And it was just for me, it was like love at first sight, you know (laughs), I don’t know about her.
(CSC) 8. You’ve been a partner of American Born Whiskey – a Tennessee produced whiskey that honors the spirit and tradition of America. Why American Born out of all the whiskeys and how did this opportunity come together?
(Lee Brice)
Yeah, I am. I love what they do. I love the branding of what they were doing. They were starting this new whiskey. I've seen them work through other products before, you know, and ended up selling companies and stuff like that. And man, the guys were just, they're like a family. They were just good dudes. And we’re the same kind of person I am as far as, just doing what you say you're going to do and having values and all those things. So, I really just wanted to be in business with them as well. So, there were a lot of factors that made it just feel right and it's been really, really awesome with them. And we're gonna hopefully keep continuing on!
(CSC) 9. I know you are an avid hunter and family man – what do you enjoy about those special moments with your family and how do you maintain the balance between work and family time?
(Lee Brice)
Oh man, I mean hunting and fishing is a big part of our family time because, you know, I get to kind of relax, but they get to do special stuff with daddy and so we do that all the time. We cherish every little minute, we really do! I balance it because it's just every time I'm off the road, first thing we want to do is go to the farm, you know? And like, “everybody go to the farm.” Hopefully we get to live there one day, but right now we're just commuting back and forth. And those kids, they don't ask for iPads, they just want to get on a four-wheeler, they just want to go on a trip through the woods. And that's the kind of stuff I really did myself growing up, and I really want for them.
(CSC) 10. Congratulations on the Pandora Billionaire plaque being the second country artist behind Keith Urban, thinking about the early days of your career, did you ever imagine such wonderful blessings of success?
(Lee Brice)
Well, you know you always imagine that you're going to be playing out stadiums every day, but you know, sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn't, but having an accolade like that, really kind of blew me away because I'm a huge fan of Keith Urban and I also know there's a lot of huge artists out there that weren't on that list at the time. So, that really showed me that the music we put out is what we wanted it to be. It's classic, it’s timeless and people will listen to that music for a long time. And I think that's why those numbers got up so high. And that just was a huge compliment. I just was honored!
(CSC) 11. You’ll be performing a very special benefit show, “One of Them Nights” in beautiful Naples, Florida (February 12th, 2024), can you tell us about this cause, how you became involved and what others can do to help?
(Lee Brice)
Well, they've kind of combined a few different charities. And we knew this family, my wife and I and our kids for a long time. And we'd go over to their house for Christmas, and we would spend some really, really valuable time with them. And they moved down there (Naples, FL), and they saw a lot of things going on and wanted to start some stuff. So, it was really easy to get with them and just support them. Sometimes they will change the beneficiary for these concerts and stuff like that. But it's always very, very worthy for some folks that are in need or need help. I love their spirit and so I just always have been wanting to support them and that's what we do!
(CSC) So this show will be an acoustic setting?
(Lee Brice) Yes! It’s like a songwriters round, so in other words there will be three of us songwriters on the stage at the same time and we will just take turns back and forth telling stories, where the songs came from, and then play them. So, it’s really cool for the folks in the audience because they get to hear all that stuff at home that they wouldn’t get to hear. They’ll hear hit songs they may hear by the songwriter that didn’t sing it. It’s really interesting to be able to hear that any time you can!
(CSC) 12. What’s the best piece of advice you ever received and how do you strive to apply it to your daily life?
(Lee Brice)
You know, I think honoring God in everything you do has been a really big part of my life and he continues to bless me back and also honoring yourself. There's times when you say okay, I'll do that, and you don't really want to, you don't really even need to, it might even be to a detriment to yourself, but you still do it because you're giving or you’re, you know, you want to help somebody.
Sometimes, one of the big things about what we're doing is, you know, you can't do everything. And so sometimes it's okay to just honor yourself and say, “You know what, this is something I can't really afford to do right now, I just respectfully decline.”
So, it's hard for me to do in this business because everybody wants to do something. They want to do something with me or have me on a show or, they want to come out on tour with me, or they want to ride with me. And then, it's such an honor to have that, you know, just being in the business this long. But sometimes, you just have to honor yourself and remember that life is short and you got to give some time to yourself, you know?
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