Hard 8 Management

What sets Brantley Gilbert apart?

What doesn’t? Everything about him sets him apart. There is no one doing what he does. He writes about life—and it’s his life. But it’s also the life of the fans. How else is there to explain over 2.5 million albums sold? His fans relate to Brantley in a way I’ve never seen. He speaks directly to them, he’s exactly what you see and he makes no apologies. You will not find a more genuine artist or human being.

You’ve very aggressively chased the road.

That is the only way to have a career measured in decades rather than months. I came up in punk rock. My bands have always relied on the road to build their fanbase. Radio wasn’t playing their records, but kids were coming to the shows—first in dozens then in tens of thousands. When Dashboard Confessional sold out Madison Square Garden or likewise when Brantley sold out Bridgestone Arena, they were reaping the fruits of their labor, which was hundreds of shows a year—year in and year out. Brantley’s an artist who, when you go to the show, you see it. That’s a whole other kind of connection, and you can’t fake it. You can run records up the charts, but you can’t get that passion in a room.

You’ve had hit records—especially the #1s “Bottoms Up” and the very personal “One Hell of an Amen”—but there’s more to his sales success than that.

Radio is massively important in country music—and thankfully, radio took a chance on Brantley, and it paid off for everyone. We are so fortunate to have what I consider the finest radio team in any genre in Valory/Big Machine. Scott Borchetta and company are unrivaled. They took what Brantley built on the road and added fuel to the fire. What really stands out to me, though, is that Brantley is a true songwriter; he has written or co-written every song he has ever sung—as well as Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” and “My Kind of Party.” You can’t underestimate that when looking at his success. He has three gold singles that were never played on the radio, which is unheard of in Country. But again, Brantley is the exception to so many of the rules; that’s why he has such a dedicated fanbase.