Brian Kelley is telling his “Tennessee Truth” with his new album of the same name.
The former Florida Georgia Line star has struck out on his own after his split from duo Florida Georgia Line, but he is staying true to his roots with his new album “Tennessee Truth.”
The country music star, 38, told Fox News Digital that one of his Tennessee truths is that his father was born in Tennessee and moved to Nashville when he was about 2 years old.
“And I’ve got tons of aunts, uncles, cousins, family members out in Gallatin, Hendersonville area. And, so, No. 1, kind of the first Tennessee truth is, you know, this is this record’s a tribute to my deep Tennessee roots in my family.”
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Brian Kelley’s new solo album is called “Tennessee Truth.” (Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
He said he moved to Nashville in 2007 to become a songwriter.
“I’m just so grateful that music is still leading my life,” he added. “I’m still the guy hunting down songs, still may leave a conversation to go write down a lyric if it pops in my head, you know what I’m saying?” he explained.
“At the end of the day, my Tennessee truth is that, you know, I’m no different than those that are going to be jamming this record. Like I mentioned, you know, we’re in the same headspace on what our values are and how we navigate our life through fishing, hunting, the love of our lives, of family time, you know, God. We love this country. And we’re hard workers.”
WATCH: Brian Kelley’s new album ‘Tennessee Truth’ is about ‘loving and living life to its fullest’
He said his record, which includes songs like “Trucks, Ducks, Bucks and Beer,” “King Ranch” and “10 O’Clock on the Dock” are all about “living it and being it” and spending time with family.
“My wife Brittney, our family time together with our extended family means the world to me,” he said, adding, he pulls lyrics “from my lifestyle of being in the woods or in the water. That’s where typically you can find me unless we’re on the road somewhere.”
Brian Kelley’s “Tennessee Truth” is out now. (Big Machine Records)
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But he said his music is always about “just loving and living life to its fullest, you know what I’m saying? And working hard, having something to look forward to.”
Brian Kelley with his wife Brittney (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
He said he and Brittney work hard to make time for each other, whether it’s a “lake day” or “just being at the house doing nothing, literally watching the grass grow, you know what I’m saying? But just taking time to enjoy life. But I hope people can, you know, really grasp from this record that, you know, it’s just authentic to me, and I hope it’s really authentic to them.”
Brian Kelley said he has deep roots in Tennessee. (Ben Christensen)
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Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line perform in 2022, shortly before their indefinite hiatus. (Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)
Prior to his solo career, Kelley was half of Florida Georgia Line, which broke up in 2022, but Kelly said he never wanted to break up the duo.
He told Fox News Digital he thought he and Tyler Hubbard could mix their music with solo efforts.
WATCH: Brian Kelley put ‘curveball’ of Florida Georgia Line split into his work
“For me, it was really, you know, I was really pushing to keep it all together and, and at the same time, you know, it’s just life,” he explained of Hubbard and him going their separate ways.
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He said he would have preferred Florida Georgia Line stay together, but “at the end of the day, you know, life can throw you some curveballs. And so, really, man, I just took that curveball, really, and put it into work, you know? I really just reframed my whole mindset on, you know, how I want to make this record.”
His song “Kiss My Boots” has also sparked rumors lyrics like “you did me wrong” and “here’s a middle finger to you through this song” are about Hubbard, but Kelley claims his former partner is an “easy target.”
He said when he and the song’s co-writers sat down to work on it, they didn’t have the title “Kiss My Boots,” but once they found the line “It comes out with the whiskey,” it took them “on a whole rabbit trail, if you will, of, you know, our long list of kiss my boots list people. You know, being in the industry and being in Nashville, probably everybody’s got a couple.”
Kelley said he loves when he hears people say the song addresses “things that I’m going through in my life, stuff that I’ve been through. And so it was a great day to write. I mean, I’m just mind blown that we landed on that song, No. 1. It’s all about being patient and really, no pun intended, finding the truth in every session, every day.”
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Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line are on an indefinite hiatus. (Sam Morris/Getty Images)
Kelley said he’s also “beyond grateful” for the “amazing” years he spent with Florida Georgia Line, which he and Hubbard formed in 2010.
“I wouldn’t be the singer, you know, that I am today” without his experience in the duo, Kelley said.
“I know he’s as grateful as I am,” Kelley added of Hubbard. “And, you know, you never know what can happen — may circle back around at some point. We’ll see what happens.”
But, he said, for now, he’s focused on “really trying to connect with fans and let them know my heart and my story and get my voice out there in the world. And it’s really fun, man. Like, I love projects. I love building. I love a challenge.”
WATCH: Brian Kelley calls assuming ‘Kiss My Boots’ is about ex-Florida Georgia Line bandmate Tyler Hubbard an ‘easy target’
He said he wouldn’t have done anything differently regarding his time with Florida Georgia Line.
“I’m really proud of the efforts that I put in to trying to keep this thing together,” he said. “It didn’t necessarily go the way that I thought it could go and grow, but that’s OK, you know? People are allowed to have different opinions, and things can always circle back if that happens. So, you know, I hold a little bit of excitement for that. But, no, I wouldn’t do anything different.”
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Kelley added that he “gave it my best shot to keep it going, and so that’s all you can do, you know? And then really, just like I said, double down on, you know, what I can control. And that’s, you know, what my record sounds like. That’s what I’m singing, how I sound and what these songs are about. So, you know, I just put all that into my work.”
“Tennessee Truth” was released earlier this month.