Florida-Georgia Line gets into the whiskey business
Florida Georgia Line dabbles in whiskey
You might not be able to have a drink with Florida Georgia Line this weekend at Big Valley Jamboree but you can definitely have a drink made by members of the band.
The pop-country duo has been spreading the word about its own flavoured whiskey, a tipple it’s named Old Camp Peach Pecan. It’s a back-road beverage, perfect for sipping on the back of a tailgate while listening to one of the band’s many chart topping hits.
“It seemed like we were drinking everyone else’s whiskey, so why not make our own?” Florida Georgia Line co-leader Tyler Hubbard said. “We figured the fans would like it as well.”
The two have been spot-on about figuring out what fans would like over their eight-year career. They have three charttopping albums and a long list of No. 1 songs, including debut single Cruise, still their most popular effort, as well as their recent collaboration with Bebe Rexha, Meant to Be. Released near the end of 2017, Meant to Be is still at the top of the Billboard Hot Country charts, making it the longest-running country No. 1 ever.
Considered along with Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean to be the originators of “bro-country,” Florida Georgia Line has weathered critical barbs, shifts in musical tastes, and the fickleness of the music industry. We spoke with Tyler Hubbard:
Q Was it a long process making sure that Old Camp turned out the way you wanted?
A You know, it did take a number of months. Just about every weekend on tour we’d get the new samples, sip on them, kind of test them with friends. That was probably the longest part of the process, tasting and sending it back.
Q What was the intent behind having your own brand?
A We were sort of shooting to create something that would be enjoyable for non-whiskey drinkers in the peach pecan flavour. We also wanted a straight version (The American) for guys like us to drink as well; that was the goal going forward in the creative process. It’s a big part of the tour — that’s the brand that we drink backstage.
Q Your late 2017 collaboration with Bebe Rexha, Meant to Be, is still tearing up the charts. That must be mind-blowing, even if you experienced a similar thing with Cruise back in 2012.
A Yeah man, that’s pretty wild. It’s crazy to think that it entered the charts back on Dec. 16, before my daughter was born, and it’s still on the charts now, when she’s seven months old. It’s been really surreal because of that, a pretty cool week for sure. It’s also very motivational. We want to continue to write and record music and keep stepping up to the plate when it comes to the charts.
Q Is that something you guys keep in mind at all times? Chart performance?
A I’d say I try to keep up enough to know what’s going on, but not so much that it stresses me out. Sometimes I think I should keep up a little more, but you don’t want to get too wrapped up in it. The charts are only a small part of it.
Q In your case a large part of it, actually, because much of what you release turns into hits. Are there deep cut songs in your discography that you like to drag out, hoping that the audience will take them up?
A We do have new songs that we like to bring out on tour, but not really, because it’s still fun to play the hits. That’s what the fans want to hear, the songs that they recognize and sing along to. It’s just so much fun to have that happen. It’s rewarding as an artist to get to the point where they’re singing back at you. You don’t ever get tired of it.