Jason Aldean Interview
When you were getting started Tim McGraw was already huge and now you are playing with him, how does that feel?
It’s really weird man, this is the first time I’ve experienced this. I’ve always liked some of the people I’ve been on tour with but I played a lot of [Tim’s] stuff coming up in the clubs, it’s a really cool experience, a really weird experience. It shows how far things have come in the last few years and it’s exciting. During the day we play basketball and just kinda hang out. After the show everybody gets together and hangs out. There isn’t much to do [after the show] you are just waiting for everyone to tear everything down. During the day is really a lot of fun, everyone hooks up around lunchtime and then gets some exercise.
You’ve called your music “aggressive country” but “Why” and “Laughed until we cried” - two of your biggest songs are two of the nicest and least aggressive songs I’ve ever heard – how would you describe your music?
I don’t know man, I hate putting labels on stuff like that. I always try to say I record what feels right, with “Hicktown”, it was an amped up kinda song, then we turned around and came out with a song like “Why”. For me I wouldn’t classify my style as traditional country or rock, it’s somewhere in the middle, other than “Laughed until we cried” they still have an edge to them that a lot of ballads don’t. I grew up listening to a lot of types of music and it’s about what sounds right, what I can pull off, what sounds good lyrically. You can make a wimpy song sound big if you record it right but if the lyrics are not right you can’t do much. The tempos and ballads are really aggressive. I’ve heard people bring that out a lot and I hate to even put a label on it.
There definitely is a rock and roll feel now and then on your albums that is more prevalent in country music these days than in the past few years, why do you think that is happening?
The newer generation of artists grew up listening to a lot of different kinds of music, that’s ultimately what it boils down to. Guys who grew up listening to Guns n Roses, Bon Jovi, southern rock stuff. It’s a sign of the times – you’re starting to see a whole new generation of artists.
For those unfamiliar with it Macon is an interesting place, very country but also very gangster-ish, it’s a great little city metaphor for the music industry, the two strongest genres are still very much segregated, and for that part, so are the races behind them (even more so in country than hip hop), why do you think that is?
Macon’s always been a big hotbed for music, Otis Redding from there, Little Richard, the Allman Brothers, its always been a big music town. I don’t really listen to [rap] a whole lot but I know there are a couple of big groups [from the Macon area]. That’s one of the things that it’s known for. Why country music’s never broken the race barrier? I don’t think that’s a problem, that’s just the way it is. I’ve looked out and seen black fans at shows, there are not a lot and I don’t know what the reason for that is.
All musicians start out by writing their own stuff (and probably performing some real covers) but on your most recent album you only co-wrote a fistful of songs, how come?
For me songwriting was something that was kinda a way for me to get my foot in the door in Nashville. I still like to write songs but I’m not one of those people who likes to go and sit down and likes to write, that’s not my thing at all. I don’t wanna miss out on great songs because I didn’t write them.
Ever played Las Vegas before? Anything exciting to expect from you in Sin City?
First of all Vegas is one of the coolest towns that there is. There’s always something going on there, it’s just a fun town. I’ve played there quite a few times, the big rodeo they have to some of the casinos with guys like trace Adkins, it’s a cool town and there’s tons of stuff to go and do. Go win a bunch of money or lose a bunch of money. It’s one of my favorite cities to go and visit but I probably wouldn’t want to live on a full time basis.