Brantley Gilbert isn’t interested in internet beef with Zach Bryan… but he did appreciate the “Pink Skies” singer’s chili dog-themed “Dirt Road Anthem” parody.
Fresh off the release of his latest album, Sins of the Father, the country singer joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast and talked to us about his very personal record, broke down his song “F***ed Me Up” that featured over 15 f-bombs, how the one feature on the album with Jelly Roll tackled homelessness, and how he feels that modern music consumption has hurt country’s storytelling.
Gilbert also talked to us about the challenges of splitting time on the road and with his family, how he’s gotten back into church, the work he does to help veterans and why he saw Toby Keith as such an inspiration, and the importance of being open about mental health.
And in today’s day and age, where everyone can share what they are feeling instantly and send it out on the internet, being in tune with your mental health is arguably a necessity for artists like Gilbert. He’s ironically both not a fan and a huge fan of the current state of social media:
“The world has turned into a giant comment section. Which is kind of wild, and I ain’t gonna lie, kind of funny. I don’t really frequent social media much, but every now and then, people will send me stuff.
My buddy sent me one the other day… I’m on stage and I’m singing and two of the comments right next to each other (were hilarious). One was like, ‘This dude is a living, breathing affliction shirt.’ I about died. Another one was like, ‘This dude’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard.’ It’s just brutal, but it’s funny.”
In other words, Brantley Gilbert has learned to laugh it off.
He showcased that in his response to country superstar Zach Bryan drumming up an elaborate chili dog-inspired parody of Jason Aldean’s 2011 #1 hit, “Dirt Road Anthem,” which was originally written by Brantley Gilbert along with Colt Ford. Bryan posted it around the Super Bowl earlier this year… when Gilbert was one of the headliners at the TPUSA Halftime Show.
Here it is, in case you missed it:
@zachbryanarchivechilli on a hot dawg♬ original sound – Zach Bryan Archive
Admittedly… that’s hilarious.
And funny enough, that’s exactly how Brantley Gilbert viewed it. He says that a lot of people expected him to fire back with some sort of serious response. Instead, he just posted a video of him eating a chili dog and jamming to the parody:
“I think everybody expected me to be (angry). The f*** for? It was funny as s**t. And at the end of the day, I know he has had some back and forth with Gavin Adcock and stuff, I’ve never met Zach Bryan. I know he has some opinions different than some people that I know and care about. But I don’t know him.
And what is internet beef, dude? Are we gonna do east coast, west coast s**t? This is country music. To be completely honest, is his music my favorite? It’s not necessarily my cup of tea, but I have a deep respect for him as a lyricist.”
Just goes to show that people with differing perspectives on life can still come together for a laugh.
Gilbert says he has no issue with Zach Bryan, and has zero interest in leaning into any sort of internet beef:
“I’m gonna hand you respect until you give me a reason not to. And him writing a parody (isn’t a reason not to)… I’m not an internet beef guy. I don’t see the value in it.”
@whiskeyriff Respect. Check out the full Whiskey Riff Raff podcast, presented by Rock The Country out now. @@Brantley Gilbert@@rockthecountry##whiskeyriff##whiskeyriffraff##zachbryan ♬ original sound Whiskey Riff
You can hear more on that from Brantley Gilbert by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here.
We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts.
Cheers, y’all.
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While you are here, you’ll also want to make sure to check out Rock the Country, which is bringing the party to a few different stops across the country. Gilbert is actually performing at the next stop in Hastings, Michigan, and the lineup is stacked from top to bottom. After that, Rock the Country is heading to Ocala, Florida and Hamburg, New York with even more great artists and a full weekend of country music.
And don’t forget about Rock the South — one of the biggest country music festivals that was recently moved to October 1-4th in Decatur, AL. Whether you’re looking for a weekend with your buddies, a trip with your family, or just a chance to see some of your favorite artists live, these are the festivals you don’t want to miss. Head over to RockTheCountry.com and RockTheSouth.com to grab your tickets and see all the details.
