Art Courtesy of The Valory Music Co.
NASHVILLE, TN (April 19, 2019): Brantley Gilbert is no stranger to the herb, so it’s not surprising he’d roll into 4/20 with a little music to honor his way of kicking back. And as only the CMA Song of the Year nominee can, he’s assembled a diverse crew for the trip to “Hazeville,” a track from the follow up to 2017’s The Devil Don’t Sleep. Fellow “Dirt Road Anthem” co-writer Colt Ford, Promise of the Real leader Lukas Nelson and the iconic Willie Nelson all appear on “Welcome to Hazeville.” Listen here: https://brantley.lnk.to/Hazeville.
“A song like this, you need just the right people,” says the platinum-selling superstar. “Folks who understand what we’re singing – or rapping – about, and who get the vibe. I was honored when Lukas and Willie agreed to be on the track with Colt and I, because, you know, these are all people who live what the song is about.”
With a laidback groove, “Welcome To Hazeville” revels in the good vibe of what a little smoke will do. With a slinky chorus of “Blowin’ smooooke, like fire to a hayfield/ Welcome to Hazeville/ See it risin’ from that shine still/ Welcome to Hazeville,” the Gilbert, Rodney Clawson, Andrew DeRoberts and Ford-penned song is slow roll through escaping what bothers you.
Taking that same kicked back vibe, director Chris Gregoire and producer Brittany Hughes tapped illustrator/animator Gavin Schlerf for the “Scooby Doo”-inspired animated video. Not only do you have the signature good friends rolling through the night, there is a mystery creature following Gilbert, Ford and Nelson with a surprise reveal at the end. Classic Saturday morning cartoon rendering, “Welcome to Hazeville” is given a playful take.
“Everybody who’s on here has a sense of humor,” Gilbert explains of his track guests. “This isn’t a fist-pumping kind of song, but more down low. So when I saw what they were thinking, I was like ‘That’s cool.’ I mean, who doesn’t like Scooby-Doo and Shaggy?”
Indeed. With a sense of the BG Nation, Gilbert once again drops a track that speaks to the way people really live – and offers a little relief from the things that bring you down. Following on last week’s “Not Like Us,” the man known for “Bottoms Up,” “The Weekend,” “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,” “Country Must be Country Wide” and “One Hell of an Amen” is giving his fans some pretty far-reaching glimpses inside what his next album is going to be.
Having spent the last six months writing and working on his upcoming Valory Music Co. project, the full-throttle songwriter/outlier rocker is climbing the charts with “What Happens In A Small Town,” his duet with kinetic guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Ell. With Ell and ACM Best New Male Artist nominee Michael Ray joining his Brantley Gilbert: Not Like Us Tour 2019, America is teed up to hear what’s shaping up to be a song for love in the hard-scrabble parts of America throughout the fall.
“There is so much great music coming,” Gilbert enthuses. “I hate waiting, and being out on the road, I want to share the stories, the inspirations and how these songs came together now! So, the label is being awesome – and letting me put some of these songs out ahead of the album. I know it’s not always the way in Nashville, but I think we know my fans are anything but typical – and the more music they get, the more music they want.”
For a full list of tour dates and more visit brantleygilbert.com.
