A Conversation with Brantley Gilbert
A Conversation with Brantley Gilbert
Singer/Songwriter Comes to the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino, February 10th
The Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino Event Center will be hosting singer/songwriter Brantley Gilbert on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 7:00pm as his “Off The Rails Tour” makes a stop in Salamanca, NY.
Gilbert’s musical style ranges from Country, Country Rock, Southern Rock to Hard Rock. Coming onto the music scene when he headed to Nashville as a songwriter in 2007, he found himself playing local venues until he released his debut album in 2009 titled, A Modern Day Prodigal Son. Having released six albums, with his most recent being So Help Me God in 2022, he has garnered several number one hit songs such as “Country Must Be Country Wide”, “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do”, “One Hell Of An Amen” and “Bottoms Up”.
Winning the Academy of Country Music’s New Male Artist in 2013 solidified his contribution to country music. In 2013 he toured with the USO for eight days to entertain our troops in Italy and Kuwait.
The singer has had some big time “Whose Who” of the country music world collaborations with Thomas Rhett, Justin Moore, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, HARDY, Vince Gill and Jason Aldean.
For his fifth album, Fire & Brimstone, he recorded a duet with Lindsay Ell called “What Happens In A Small Town”, which was something new to him as far as recording and writing with a female country artist. We talk about that in the following conversation.
The singer has toured with Eric Church, Willie Nelson, Tim McGraw, Kid Rock, Kenney Chesney and last year (2023) with Nickleback.
I was lucky enough to catch up with Gilbert and I asked him what he learned while on tour with all the artists above, does he have any advice to pass along to the new up and coming artists, if he has any new projects in the works and if he has a message for his fans that will be coming out to see him.
If you haven’t already, get your tickets to what is sure to be a fun night loaded with great music to start off 2024’s concert season.
For ticket information visit: SenecaAlleganyCasino.com
For more information on Gilbert visit: brantleygilbert.com
A CONVERSATION WITH BRANTLEY GILBERT
HULICK: Your tour will be making a stop at Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca, NY on February 10th. It seems most of the artists I’ve interviewed have some sort of “Buffalo connection”. Have you played the Western New York area in the past? Do you have a Buffalo connection?
GILBERT: Oh yeah, I think we’ve been all over New York by this point. I don’t think I have a Buffalo connection, but I always look forward to making my way to the area on tour.
HULICK: You’ve toured with some heavy hitters like Eric Church, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Kenny Chesney, Kid Rock, Willie Nelson and most recently this past summer with Nickelback. What was the best advice you got from any of these artists?
GILBERT: I think one thing I learned from them is that you set the tone for the tour with your attitude. If you go into it thinking, “Man, I’ve gotta be out on the road for x-number of days,” you kinda tire yourself out before you’ve even started. Keep the positives top of mind and remember, it’s a privilege to be able to do what we do for a living.
HULICK: Do you have any advice you’d like to pass on to the up-and-coming artists?
GILBERT: Do your best to stay true to yourself, no matter what happens. You’re the one that has to live with those decisions down the line, and if you follow your gut, you’ll be just fine.
HULICK: You’ve collaborated with the likes of Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, HARDY and Toby Keith to name a few. Is there anyone you would like to work with that you haven’t?
GILBERT: There’s not really one person that springs to mind. When I’m writing and recording, I try to do my best to serve the song as it takes shape, rather than writing it with a specific person in mind. The best collaborations happen organically that way, when you know there’s a certain voice that would complete it or take it to the next level.
HULICK: You did a duet with Lindsay Ell on the song, “What Happens In A Small Town.” Any thoughts of doing more duets in the future?
GILBERT: For sure! That was my first duet with a female voice on the track, and I really loved sharing that with Lindsay. She’s got an incredible voice and she’s one hell of a guitar player.
HULICK: You are a singer/songwriter. It has always fascinated me how songwriters do what they do. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing techniques… do you carve out a specific day or time to write or is it more spontaneous? Are you one of those writers that jot down any ideas that pop up in your mind at 2:00am that you work on down the road?
GILBERT: Probably a little bit of both. I’m a big fan of collaborating, and I typically host or go on a couple writing retreats every year with some of the folks I enjoy working with, usually with a wild card or two thrown in. We’ll work on ideas that we jotted down since the last one, but sometimes a song just comes out of a conversation outside of the writer’s room. That’s how “Heaven By Then” came about – we were all just sitting around talking late one night, and it just evolved from there.
HULICK: Do you have any new projects in the works?
GILBERT: I’m pretty much always writing, but I’ve been back in the studio working on something special, and I can’t wait to be able to share more!
HULICK: Do you have a message for your fans that will be coming out to see you February 10th in Salamanca?
GILBERT: Get ready to get a little rowdy and have a whole lot of fun! We’re pulling out all the stops on this tour, and I think BG Nation will love what we’ve got in store.
UPCOMING SHOWS AT SENECA ALLEGANY
LIVE: This powerhouse world renowned rock band will take the stage at Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino’s Event Center on Saturday, March 2nd at 7:00pm. Known for their list of musicians the band took a year-long break from touring and is back selling out venues wherever they go. With sales of over 22 million albums sold, this band is ready to rock out with their fans and take their place in rock music history.
Scotty McCreery: The American Idol winner of Season 10 in 2011 is hitting the road with his “Cab In A Solo Tour” and making a stop at Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino on Saturday, April 13th at 7:00m. McCreery is known for his low register vocals and hit songs such as “It Matters To Her” and “Cab In A Solo” and is experiencing sold out shows everywhere he goes. His newest single, “Can’t Pass The Bar”, is sure to be another hit song and is a song he can’t wait to perform live on the tour. NOTE: Watch for an interview with the singer/songwriter in an upcoming issue of ellicottvilleNOW!