Laurie: It seems to me in Nashville, everyone wants a piece of you and expect so much from you, and tries to tell you who you should be, but you know who you are, and if you don't have a good support structure around you it could be really hard.
Bryan: Exactly.
Laurie: So your production company is a way to give something back and help out some of those people? It sounds like an awesome resource for them to draw from.
Bryan: It's the business part of it that can have such an impact in the music, and sometimes a negative way. That's why I wanted to bring this to the table, as a way of trying to help, or be in a mentor position to help make a record with somebody.
Laurie: When I listened to your song bites off the new album, you sounded strong, revitalized and excited. Was it kind of like a rebirth to be back into the whole process again?
Bryan: Yeah, it always is. I got this feeling in me that I still don't think I've done the greatest that I can do. Maybe that's a good thing that I've got this intuition that maybe my best is still hiding up my sleeve. I still think my next few years are going to be better musically and be even more honest as I go down that road with myself and with the listeners. Just doing records that are so much more organic in the lyrics sense that people just go WOW, that guy is dealing with the same thing I was dealing with last week. I was definitely excited to be back in the studio. I pretty much don't leave the studio because I'm always doing something. When it was tackling my career again and getting back on it, it was definitely that old nostalgic feeling that felt great.
Laurie: It really comes across in this record!
Bryan: Well thank you.
Laurie: It is rare for me to hear an album and have it make me feel so good. It gives you the feeling of a beautiful summer morning when everything is crisp and clean and clear. I really expect great things from this album, it just puts you in such a good mood.
Bryan: I know exactly what you mean. Thank you so much.
Laurie: Is there any special message you would like to share with your fans before we go?
Bryan: Thank you to the fans both new and old. I hope you enjoy the music, and what I do. I hope it encourages you. I hope I am always somewhere near you, so you can come out and see a show. Overall, thanks for hanging in there with us, and we are glad that we are still loved out there. That is the great thing about every year. It's just amazing how many people still come to the shows. You just want to hug everybody and say thank you so much. I think I'm more thankful now than I've ever been. When it's all happening, and you are having your heyday, you don't even know what's going on. You are living out of a suitcase. The older you get the more you appreciate things, and I definitely appreciate the fans more now then I ever have. Thank you for being you, and for supporting me through every phase of my career.
Note from Laurie: Following our conversation I debated whether or not I was going to paraphrase this interview. I decided I could not do justice to the sincerity and genuine kindness of this man by using by own words to say what he says so well.
