... to exist?

Yeah, I think it's just being accepted in those spaces.

Like, I mean, when I think about my own career, like, that's why I wanna play the Opry so bad or w- why I wanna play the Ryman and stuff like that because I think it needs to be accepted in those spaces.

And, like, you know, doing interviews like this I think is really important and stuff, you know, being able to talk to people that may not think the exact same as I do but at least hold space for this kinda conversation in country music.

You know what I'm saying? I mean, and I'm not the first one to do it.

Like, you know, people have been outspoken in country music before, they just kinda got ostracized.

So I don't know.

Um, is that, like, a strategic thing that you're sticking, like you want?

You're not preaching to the choir.

Yes, exactly.

So, um, I think for me, like, I'm still, I still drink beer with, you know, all my buddies from my hometown.

I told you, you know, I, I still live in my hometown and stuff.

And it, it's been much easier to have these...

Since I've started speaking out publicly it's been much easier to have these conversations with my friends and, like, actually come to meaningful, you know, conclusions and be like, "Hey, you know, this shit is fucked up," you know? And we can both say that and be able to move forward collectively because, you know, obviously we do have to vote again in a certain time period.

So I think that's the most important thing for me as, like, a straight white guy from a small town, is just being able to, you know, hold that space.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm

... you know? And so I think it's really a big part of why I stayed in my hometown, you know? And, and I don't know, I also think that, like, there's some people, you know, on the left side of politics, this is something that frustrates me about the left, is that, you know, there...

A lot of times people will be like, "Well, how do you still hang out with these people?" Or, "How have you not cut these people out of your life?" And it's like, did you ever think that maybe you from suburban America next to some city or something like that may not be the best spokesperson to talk to these people about these issues?

Mm.

You know what I mean? Like, I always said the, the thing that doesn't really drive me up a wall is, it's not the- Like advocate, advocacy against or anything like that, it's that a lot of people just don't give a fuck.

Like, they'll see...

It's the total apathy towards specific issues.

Like, they'll see a fucking ICE agent shoot somebody in the street, and they don't f- they don't, they don't, like, not only not s- support it or anything, they don't give a fuck.

because like oh well he's a Christian

You know, I always said this, but like, especially in predominantly like white Christian places, like where I'm from.

Somebody will look at me and be like, you know, they'll hear me talk about, you know, religion or whatever we've just talked about and be like, well, he was never a real Christian in the first place.

You know, he was never a Christian.

He didn't really actually believe or whatever.

And you know what? You can have that.

But every time they look at someone who's done some fucked up shit while they're in the church, they'll be like, oh, that's too bad.

yeah,

Here it is.

Oh, yeah, you already knew this one was coming.

You know, people always come on here and be like, "Brian, why are you always yelling in these videos? It's not that serious." You wanna know why I'm yelling? I'll tell you why the fuck I'm yelling.

I'm yelling because I just watched a federal fucking agent shoot a woman in the fucking face in broad daylight with fucking witnesses! You don't do that unless you already knew you were gonna get away with it, and you wanna tell me it's not that serious? How many times are we gonna walk past the bodies like if we don't look, they're not there? Listen to me, Donald Trump said once, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and not lose any voters," okay? That is a direct fucking quote, and you know what? He just indirectly proved it to be fucking true.

I am begging you to wake up at this point.

You saw the same video I did, and I need you to know that you are not a bad person if this is where you draw the line.

I mean, for fuck's sake, man, people tell me all the time, "Why don't you just keep politics out of your music?" Okay, what would you rather me do? Come on the internet like I didn't just see with my own two fucking eyes what I saw yesterday, and be like, "Hey, guys, here's my new breakup song?" Yeah, I'll take fuck that for 500, Alex.

Wow