In the 2010s, Brian Kelley became one of the most successful country artists of all time as part of the duo Florida Georgia Line, achieving Diamond sales status and winning numerous prestigious music industry awards. But in 2021, he began a new phase of his career when he released his solo debut album, Sunshine State of Mind Season One. With it, he showcased his ability to write breezy, upbeat songs—what he calls “Beach Country”—that reflect his own laid-back coastal Florida lifestyle.
Videos by American Songwriter
“I felt like I had created something so genuine and so authentic to me and my life,” he says. This feeling prompted him immediately to formulate a plan: “The minute I created Season One was when I knew there would be multiple seasons.” The result is Sunshine State of Mind Season Two, Chapter One, which is set for release on July 20 via Nashville South.
But between Season One and Season Two, Kelley put out two other releases. “It just felt like it was time to keep my toes in the sand, per se, for a while,” he says. “With Tennessee Truth and Ed & Mary Margaret’s Son [both released in 2024], I was able to do some things I’ve never done, and gave it my all.”
But he decided to revisit the Sunshine State of Mind theme this year, he says, because “It was an obvious direction to go back to. Moving forward with Sunshine State of Mind as a whole, sonically and holistically as a lifestyle brand, was always the plan. Season Two was calling my name, and the songs were just sitting there staring at me, so it was a no-brainer. It’s the most obvious, authentic way to follow my creativity right now.”
With this latest installment, Kelley says he aimed to show people that this Sunshine world he’s creating is more encompassing than fans may initially realize: “A ‘sunshine State of mind’ is not just Florida; it’s not just the islands,” Kelley says. “It is, to me, so many things. It’s important to me to show fans that you don’t have to be from Florida—you can be in Cheyenne, Wyoming, singing ‘Tropical Storm’ because you’re feeling it.”
Kelley notes that the majority of the songs on this album were actually written at the same time as the ones that ended up on Season One. “I think that was a cool element, circling back to these songs that stood the test of time to me,” he says.
A big part of the laid-back atmosphere on these songs comes from the fact that a major part of them was recorded right in Kelley’s own home. “We turned the living room into a little mini studio—I’ve been wanting to do that for a couple of years, so it just felt super homey and really relaxed,” he says. “I was able to really nail the sentiment on all the vocals, and spend more time on them and find the intricacies in my voice that I want to reflect on this record. It just feels really, really good.”
When creating new material, he says, “I just try to do the best that I can and write songs that I love, that move me. You always hope that it can do something for the fans that listen, whether it makes them want to call their mom and tell them they love them, or getting ready for a Saturday night out at the honky tonk, whatever it may be. I’m hoping it continues to be a light, and to be some sunshine in people’s worlds.”
He says he has no set songwriting process. Instead, “It can happen a thousand ways,” he says. “My favorite way is having a title and an idea, and then it’s a lot easier to write. Sometimes you’re filling in the blanks and you’re just going off of vibe, but those are always harder songs for me to write.” But, he adds, “I would say the most consistent way that I have found success is all about believing in the songs and what they mean to you, and what they can mean to the fans.”
Even though he’s one of the most successful modern country artists, Kelley remains modest about his songwriting skills: “I don’t have it figured out. I always try to remain a student of the game. I’ve taken notes. I’ve gotten to work with some of the best in the game—there’s so many legends that I’ve shared a room with, and also studied.”
Though he often works on songs on his own, Kelley says he particularly enjoys writing with other artists, pointing to Corey Crowder and Kalin Owen, the producers for Season One and Two, respectively, as being integral to helping him achieve his vision for Sunshine State of Mind. “You’re putting your life together collaboratively with the other co-writers. It’s a little bit of everybody, and I think that’s what makes it so special.”
He advises aspiring songwriters to pay attention to the entire collaborative experience in order to maximize the potential inspiration for songs. “You just never know where they’re going to come from—you try to be in tune with the conversations that are even happening in between the writing, while you’re getting an extra cup of coffee or stepping out to catch a breath of fresh air to clear the vibe for a second. Somebody can say something, or you can think of something, and you just need that one little fire starter to get you going.”
Kelley says it was always clear that he was curious about cultivating his natural creative streak. Growing up in Florida, he especially gravitated toward anything involving words. “I always loved poetry, and I love literature and writing,” he says. “I never really fretted if I had any kind of paper due—I’d most likely wake up early that morning and just knock it out. If it was math or anything else, I’d have to have a tutor. I’d be struggling.”
He remembers writing songs in his head while sitting in a math class when he was attending Florida State University. “That was my first sign of, ‘Maybe I need to figure out how to try to be a songwriter.’ It was all I was thinking about: ‘How can I get into the music world? How can I get a publishing deal? How can I be a songwriter? How can I put out some music?’”
While Kelley has always listened to many musical genres, he was drawn to creating country music for his own work because “That’s just where I’m rooted,” he says, noting that he’s been a lifelong country music fan.
And to become a country artist, he knew there was a clear destination: “There finally comes a time when you’re like, ‘All right, I’m going to move to Nashville, I’m going to go chase the dream, and I’m not going to listen to any of the ‘no’s’ that I get. I’m going to listen to my heart, and I’m going to trust God and know that He has a plan for me, and I’m going to trust these feelings that I have that I get excited about creating and singing and writing.’ It takes over your life to where it really is the only option.”
After arriving in Nashville, he befriended Tyler Hubbard, another aspiring artist who came from Georgia, and they formed Florida Georgia Line. Their 2012 debut studio album, Here’s to the Good Times, immediately yielded the hit single “Cruise,” which went all the way to the top spot on the U.S. country charts. The duo went on to have many highly successful singles, including “Stay,” “This Is How We Roll,” “Dirt,” “Anything Goes,” “H.O.L.Y.,” “May We All,” and more.
Since closing that chapter of his life and launching his solo career, Kelley has never stopped working. “Music, songwriting, creating, touring, singing. What’s the next song? What’s the next move? That’s what my world revolves around,” he says. “It’s consumed my life.”
Besides this new album, Kelley will also undertake a string of tour dates from July through September. “I couldn’t be more excited to connect with fans out on the road in real time, and really bring these songs to life,” he says.
Among his many other enterprises, he’s also been busy overseeing Tribe Kelley Surf Post, a surf shop he owns in Grayton Beach, Florida. He and his band often perform stripped-down shows in the backyard of the shop. In February, he released a live album of one of those shows, Surf Post Sessions Live.
And Kelley is already looking ahead to the next installment in the Sunshine State of Mind series. “I’m going to keep my anchor down here for a while,” he says. “Everything was pointing back to this, so I’m really excited to dive in more. I’ve already got some songs that I’m excited about recording for Chapter Two.”
He credits his father with instilling such a strong work ethic in him. “Still to this day, he loves working, no matter what it is, yard work or going to fix up some of his rental properties,” Kelley says. “He’s just very, very active. So I think I get that naturally from him.”
But for Kelley, music “doesn’t really feel like work, the majority of it, to be honest with you. I know the old saying, ‘Find something you love, and you don’t work a day in your life,’ and I find a lot of truth in that. It’s really, really fun. It always has been, even when we didn’t even have a publishing deal, and didn’t feel like anything was going on, but the songs kept me going and kept giving me hope. You keep getting better, and doors keep opening. Now, I find so much fulfillment in chasing down songs and finding what’s next and trying to grow my brand as a solo artist.
“And I know that the music business can be hard. I’ve seen all sides of it, so I’m not immune to any of that. But at the end of the day, I always try to channel that guy who was at Florida State writing songs during math class. I’m still that guy.”
Photos by Ben Christiansen
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.