John Rich is speaking the truth in his new album – “The Country Truth,” that is.
Rich explained how the catalog (released through his own Rich Records label) is filled with anthems and anecdotes that touched on a little bit of everything he’s experienced over the last few years, but that the “title kind of speaks for itself.”
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“This is a collection of songs that I wrote, recorded that are true statements put out in the form of songs that if I was on a major label, you would probably never hear these songs because they’re that true,” Rich said. “I mean, they get – they get right to it. Whether it’s funny songs – some of them are really funny, some are more serious, some are about my family. I’ve got a song about my two sons. I’ve got a song about my granddaddy in World War Two.
“But, then I’ve got I’ve got party songs, too. So it’s kind of a collection of just how I’ve been feeling over the last few years and how I think most Americans feel too. And it is the truth as I see it.”
Inspiration was quite literally everywhere for Rich to write the first single, “I’m Offended.” He drew upon the “absurdity” of current affairs while penning his latest hit, and even admitted to being “guilty” of reading into sensationalism, but hoped fans could get a “big laugh out” of the new music – just as he intended.
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“I look around our country and I don’t see anything funny going on at all. It doesn’t matter where you look. It’s just more bad news and more bad news,” Rich said. “So I thought, you know what America needs right now? They need something funny. They need something to come out that they can laugh with and put a grin on their face. So I was kind of looking at our culture these days, and I’m guilty of it, too, that everybody’s offended at something all the time.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re right, left or in the middle. Everything’s offensive all the time. I mean, nobody can take a joke anymore.”
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He added, “So I wrote this song that says, ‘I’m offended that you’re offended. Let’s all get offended tonight. I’ll order us a beer. We can sit down right here and scream and yell and cuss and fuss and fight, yeehaw …’ like just mocking the absurdity of how our country is right now because it’s just so ridiculous.”
The Redneck Riviera whiskey founder doubled down on his own difficulties abstaining from broadcasts that were less-than uplifting. “But like I said, I’m guilty, too,” Rich said. “So this is the first song coming out, and I think people are going to really get a big laugh out.”
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The Big & Rich lead singer didn’t have to look too far for inspiration for the song, and played upon his own frustration with current events.
“When you see people running crazy at Disneyland, you know, or something like that, you’re like, ‘Oh, now they’re messing with Disneyland.’ That is … I just can’t believe it. You get upset about it, and you’re like, ‘Well, hang on a minute. It’s a theme park. I don’t have to go there. Why am I, you know, why am I offended – whatever. Run your business like you want to. I may not go there, but hey, that’s OK.’
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“You find yourself getting all stirred up over everything that happens, and it seems like it never ends. And so I just thought, you know what? Let’s all just get together and get offended at each other and have a beer. How about that? Which is kind of like, throw some cold water on the situation, be an American for a minute and just have a good time with each other for a change.”
Rich hoped fans could have a good time once again when it comes to seeing live music, too. The award-winning musician has performed for decades and in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
Speaking from personal experience, he offered advice to fellow stars amid the latest craze of fans throwing objects at artists on stage (Kelsea Ballerini, Bebe Rexha and Harry Styles were three of the many musicians hit while performing live this summer.)
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“Yes, I’ve had some of that stuff thrown at me. More jobs than I can count,” Rich said. “Now, I started out with the band Lonestar back in the ’90s, so I’ve dodged beer bottles; I’ve dodged solo cups; I’ve dodged boots … I’ve seen guys pull the boots off and throw ’em at ya. So now that’s not a new thing.
“We used to have bars back in Texas. We call them chicken wire bars where they would actually put a chicken wire fence in front of the stage in case somebody threw something.”
Rich added, “Matter of fact, in the video of my new song, ‘I’m Offended,’ I’m singing on the Redneck Riviera stage with a chicken wire fence in front of me. And of course, everybody’s offended, right? So you better have some chicken wire. And they’re throwing beer bottles and stuff’s smashing everywhere. So yeah, that that’s not a new thing.”
