Luke Bryan: What Makes You Anxious

With everything Luke Bryan has going on right now, it’s hard to imagine how he found time to take hold of a song, record it and then release it. Let alone answer fans’ questions about it. But that’s exactly what he did on Friday morning (March 29), right after he shared the new tune, “Knockin’ Boots.” And would you believe that even at his level of stardom, Bryan admitted that he still gets anxious when he plays new music for fans?

“There’s always an anxiety level. You’re very anxious, because you’re wanting to hear feedback from your fans. And the most important thing is that you’re always trying to grow musically, change things and do things a little different because you don’t want to bore everybody with the same stuff over and over,” Bryan said in the quick Q&A. “So that makes it a little stressful: to see if the fans are on board with the way you’ve changed some things about your music.”

Other questions Bryan answered:

Favorite part of touring?

“There’s like 100 amazing aspects, but walking out on stage, seeing the crowd for the first time and watching the fans react to the old music and to the new music. It’s just a blast every single night. Touring and being on the road is a dream come true every time I’m out there.”

Getting excited for the summer tour?
“To be able to have a whole summer to be able to see (Cole) and see how his show has grown, and then obvioulsy I’m excited for my buddy Jon Langston to get out there and get in front of you guys and learn a little more about touring and amphitheaters and stadiums. It’s gonna be a great summer.”

The sound of the new song?
“It’s got kind of a retro sound — really just simple — and it lets my voice hopefully really carry the whole tune. Ready for the world to hear it now.”

The biggest fish he’s caught?

“I’m still on my quest for a 10-pound bass. I have never caught a 10-pound bass, but it’s going to happen. The biggest fish I’ve ever caught was like probably a 100-pound sailfish. And I’ve caught some big grouper. I caught a 300-pound nurse shark one time. I’ve caught a lot of fish, but I plan on do some marlin fishing one day.

“Which reminds me,” he said when the session was over, “I’m going fishing.”

Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Jon Nite wrote the new song, and it will be on Bryan’s next album due out later this year. His Sunset Repeat Tour starts on May 31 in Philadelphia.

Alison makes her living loving country music. She’s based in Chicago, but she’s always leaving her heart in Nashville.