Brantley Gilbert Breaks Wide Open: The Raw Truth Behind ‘SINS OF THE FATHER’

After fifteen years of chart‑topping, nonstop success — and the hard‑won sobriety that helped fuel it — Brantley Gilbert remains anchored by the three things that never wavered: his family, his faith, and the Georgia dirt that raised him.

In SINS OF THE FATHER, he turns that foundation into his boldest, most honest chapter yet.

His success stretches far beyond the charts, too. Gilbert co‑owns two PBR bulls, partners with Real American Beer, and even helped set a Guinness World Record when a 99‑year‑old fan crowd‑surfed at his show. If anyone proves you can do it all, it’s Brantley Gilbert.

“I still live in Georgia, where I was born and raised. I made kind of a half move to Nashville for about a year. There's nothing wrong with people in Nashville. It just wasn't for me. I'm a small-town dude. I take care of my family. My family's here. My wife's family's here. So, this is home. “

Rodeo On SI had the incredible opportunity to sit down with him and talk about life, adventure and music. Enjoy the conversation.

SI: So, can we just start with the fact that you own PBR Bulls? How did that come about?

BG: Well, so the story goes, I was playing Billy Bobs in Texas years ago. They have bull riding. PBR was in town and I’ve always loved bulls. I was fascinated by them. I went to kind of wander around, you know, back behind the gates and look at the bulls. This little old man, bless his heart, was like, son, you can't be back here. I was like, all right, I'm going to play out. Well, this tall, big old cowboy said, hey, man, are you Brantley Gilbert? I said, yes, sir. He said, “my name's Blake Sharp, and I own a lot of these bulls.” Then he asked if I'd like to see them, I was like, heck yeah, man.

So long story short, we ended up partnering on a few of them. Mojo Bone, he went back to the amateur last year. He had a little injury. Then we picked up a new one this year. His name is Dirty South after one of my songs, and he made it to the finals. Now I’ve got to get with Blake and get my finals jacket.

SI: Do you get out to watch them in action?

BG: Yeah, we do. I took Amber and the kids out. Man, they just love the environment. I've always loved rodeo. It was just super cool to watch. Of course they couldn't wait to see him buck. And when they did, it was really cool. They'd seen a lot of pictures and videos of him, but when they finally got to see him in person, they were just over the moon.

SI: Let’s talk about your new album, SINS OF THE FATHER. It is so raw, so honest, and so good. It's blown me away.

BG: Well, thank you so much. That's a huge compliment. This album's my first with the new label, BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. I haven't had a new label in 15 years. They're a great group. They really encouraged me to kind of take creative control and put me back into a co-producing, like a big co-producing role. So, my buddy and I, Brock Berryhill, produced this album.

It's unapologetic. It's meant to be its own playlist, but it's also meant to be reminiscent of some of my older stuff. My first two records are probably my favorite. You have your whole life to write those two, and you kind of piece it together, the rest of them, from little bits and chapters, and new chapters of life.

This one, we kind of went back to the unapologetic version of writing and the whole time we went old school. We wrote a lot of this record on flat top guitars as opposed to pre-programmed tracks and stuff like that. So, we went old school with it. And I couldn't be happier with it. We put in a lot of work. When I signed with this new label, the day I signed with them, I turned in over 100 songs.

We kind of worked our way down to 15 from 100. So, it was quite a chore, but so worth it. I feel like we got a heck of a collection of songs here. We can't wait for folks to hear them. You know, there are a couple explicit ones. I didn't want to lose the honesty in the songwriting. We're actually simultaneously releasing an edited version for moms like my wife that won't play the original, you know, for kids.

There are some four-letter words you don't want your kids going to school saying. But those four-letter words weren't used for shock factor. It was really like the one, “[Expletive] Me Up”, in particular is a ballad. You see the song title and then the song is the last thing you'd expect. But it’s a breakup song and it's kind of about my, well, it's not kind of about, it is about my wife and I, our love story, and that thing's not pretty. At one point we spent six, seven years up here not speaking to each other and this was written during that time. It was one of those breakups that didn't mess me up, it [expletive] me up, you know what I mean?

SI: Your other single that’s out right now, is “Good Damn” and moving up the charts.

BG: Yes, “Good Damn” is out now and moving up the charts. First time we've seen this kind of movement in years. It was the biggest ad, the second biggest ad day of my career was “Bottoms Up”, and that was 13 years ago.

SI: When did you get started in music?

BG: I came up playing in church and stuff. Around the age of 16, I met a guy named Corey Smith. He’s still one of the best songwriters in my book. You know, he's a singer-songwriter from my hometown. Between him and Skynyrd, they showed me it was cool to write about home. I met him and went on the road with him, touring college markets. Early on, it was just me, a guitar, him and a Ford Explorer, you know, traveling around in the Southeast. Then, I kind of got into playing with a band. I always liked a little rock in my stuff.

Corey really showed me the ropes, man, and I'll forever be thankful to that guy. He's incredibly talented, and he owned the college market back then. This was back when there was kind of a circuit you could play around the Southeast and make a living at it. I thought to make a living at it, you had to go to Nashville and sell your soul and all this stuff. And he showed me that wasn't the case. My goal in the music business was to sell out the Georgia theater. It's about 20 minutes from where I'm sitting right now in my hometown, and that happened really, early on.

It's been a heck of a ride, man. We’ve spent 20 years building something that I feel like matters. You know, we had guys like Toby Keith along the way we got to tour with that showed us what it was all about. When it came to big touring, you know, we had a family out there. We're a bunch of pirates, man. We travel the country and sometimes the world playing music and having a lot of fun on stage.

I'm a blessed, blessed man. We have done a lot of work over the years to build something special, to build something different, and I feel like we've done it.

SI: This album feels like you finally put everything on the table; the mistakes, the lessons, the redemption. What’s the one thing, or one message, that defines SINS OF THE FATHER for you?

BG: You know, you've said a lot of it. It's like being a dad is the coolest job I've ever had. It's also the most difficult, it's scary, you know. So that's kind of where I'm at in life. Sins of the Father is referenced twice biblically, once in Exodus and once in Ezekiel. And it was the closest the Bible would come to contradicting itself. You know, we're taught that it doesn't do that. But, when I actually dug into the book for more understanding, because I was absolutely paranoid, you know, with the stuff I did, that another chapter of life would come back and haunt my kids. You know, in Exodus, it says that children in the third and fourth generation will bear the sins of the Father. And then later it says that that's not the case at all in Ezekiel.

I wrote that song before I called a pastor. I wanted to write it from that place of confusion because as a dad, you know, it was like I sought confirmation of some things or some definition and didn't find it. So, I ended up talking to a pastor afterward.

You can't explain it in Exodus. Moses was talking to some people that were going wild now and eventually wiped those folks off the map. In Ezekiel, it's Ezekiel prophesying that Jesus is going to come and take all that. So no longer would your kids suffer the sins of the Father. But for me, in that spot of confusion, the song became a prayer. I love songs like that that are super honest and just come from a place of confusion, not having the answer. There are more people who spend time in that place of confusion, than time being in the place of confidence, once you know the truth.

As a dad, I find myself questioning things more than I did confirming them. It's a huge learning process on a daily basis. The title song itself really kind of encases this chapter of my life. We spend a lot of the rest of the time on the album, just being unapologetic with songs, letting them be what they want to be. I grew up playing on farms and working on farms, country's all I know. You know what I mean? I like my music to rock a little, and sometimes I just like to be outside the box.

I've always felt like I was more of a songwriter than I was an artist. You can definitely see that on this album. It's supposed to be its own playlist. And it is one of those-- I feel like it's a no skip album, which those are hard to do.

Brantley Gilbert cover of ‘Sins of the Father’ — Brantley Gilbert Cover | Brantley Gilbert

SI: This album is definitely a no skip album. Tell us about the powerful song, “Begging for Change,” that features Jelly Roll.

BG: I appreciate you saying that. Yeah, there's only one feature on this album. So, we went out on a limb in a few different ways on this album. One of the things that I felt like we'd gotten away from was the grassroots. At my core, that's who I am. We don't fit anywhere. We don't really fit in at the award shows. We don't really fit in with a lot of cats out on the road. We just do things differently. I wanted this album to reflect that, and I feel like it really does. There are definitely some songs that don't belong on the same album, and we put those right next to each other just to show people it's on purpose. If you buy an album right now in the country genre, there's 15 other people on it. There's only one feature on this album, and that was because he (Jelly Roll) wrote the song and the story, you know, one half of that story was his. He's got a powerful one. It came from a real, personal place for him.

We were in a studio for a week on a writing retreat and he showed up one day and I could just tell something was heavy with him. We stepped outside to smoke, and I was like, man, what you got going on? That morning, he had an event for the label early before he got to the studio, and as he was getting in the car, he saw a group of homeless guys. One of them turned around and he recognized the guy. He was a guy he went to high school with. He said in high school, he was the it guy, you know what I mean? He was the man. He was like, man, it was just hard to see him in that position.

Something I've said for years since I've been in recovery, being an addict myself and going through some stuff, we'll say; nobody wakes up one morning and goes, you know what, I think I'm going to be an alcoholic and drug addict for the rest of my life. Or, I think I'm going to end up homeless. Like, no, that's not how it works.

Addiction is the one thing that in life is truly colorblind. Addiction doesn't care what color you are, where you come from, what tax bracket you're in, it just wants all of us dead. I've been in treatment with homeless people and I've been in treatment with billionaires. It's like it just wants us all bad.

So that perspective and that experience, that perspective of me and him and that experience from him really came together to make one of those songs that you get to release very few times in your career. That's a song that has the potential to change things you know what I mean? The song has a unique way of meeting someone where they're at and possibly lead them to the other side or just let them know that they're not the only person that's been there.

I'll never tell anybody I know what they're going through because we're all as different as our fingerprints, but you know, I do think talking to like-minded people who have been through similar situations, that helps people like me. This song is one of those that I'm really excited about. As a songwriter, there's nothing more rewarding than somebody coming up to you and telling you that one of your songs changed their life. You know what I mean? It's like, I'm really excited to get that one out there and start getting that thing in some ears and some hearts.

SI: You’ve been really open about owning your story — the mistakes, the lessons, the growth. Someday, when your kids are old enough to listen to this album, what do you hope they understand about the man you are now, what you’ve learned, and why you made SINS OF THE FATHER the way you did?

BG: I think, you know, the overall thing is that, hey, man, when you stop learning, you stop living. And a lot of this album for me is realizing that in coming to terms of the fact that I've been through a lot of stuff, right, I don't mean that I know everything. You know, I know a lot about my life and my experiences. I've had good and bad, but you know, like I said, we're all as different as our fingerprints and everybody's got a rock bottom. It may not be as bad as yours, but that's in your eyes. For them, it is their rock bottom. You know, so it's kind of a perception altering album. You get in there in some places and it's like; you may relate to it. You may be like, man, this guy has been through some stuff, you know? We all have.

We all have a rock bottom, and those experiences are the ones that shape us and mold us into who we are. So, we wanted to center in on a lot of those for this album and not approach them all dark and kind of moody stuff. We do have a few of those, but you know, it's more about an album. The album is more about, hey, it's okay to be in a season of learning. Matter of fact, that's where I hope I spend a lot of the rest of my life. We get too set in stone and too set in our ways. I feel like we're just missing the boat as a whole. I hope that resonates a little bit, and then it's reminiscent to people my age, younger and older.

There's some stuff on here you listen to, and it'll take you back to the earlier chapters of your life. Those songs are always fun to me. The ones you have your buddies from high school calling you going, man, this was about us, wasn't it? I love that. There's something about bearing your soul on an album. Who you are, and what you've been through. That's one of the things, you know, there's people out there that give me crap for being a little too open and a little too honest about who I am and what I've done. But I wouldn't change that for anything. What you see is what you get. I am transparent about it. Because I am proud to a certain extent. I have a long way to go. I have a lot to learn, but I'm doing better than I was 14 years ago.

SI: You’ve always kept it real, no chasing trends, no singing what someone else tells you to. Fans feel that.

BG: For sure. There are a lot of people on sides of life that may have dealt with some things and handled it their way. When somebody goes into treatment or something, it's still kind of taboo to a certain extent. I personally believe, man, if everybody went to get help that needed it, there would be a lot more of us than there are now. But, you know, the people that do seek out treatment, I don't see that as a weakness. I mean, that's brave, you know? That's courageous to me.

To come to terms with something like that and realize that it's out of your hands, and to do whatever it takes, including checking yourself in somewhere. That doesn't need to be taboo, it needs to be encouraged. I think there's so many people with vices in their life that are just keeping them, and it’s just holding them back from what their life could be.

I hope this album is one of those that meets them where they're at. I think there are some songs on the album that'll definitely go to your rock bottom with you and meet you there and remind you that you got down there somewhere, and there's a way out. So, I hope it's a hope record, a reminiscent record. There's a little bit of something for everybody. Those are exciting. All my albums try to lean in that direction, but this one, we unapologetically just went there.

SI: How was the process, with all that, in making this album?

BG: We wrote a lot of these songs on flat tops, like I said. We went back to the old school style of writing. Before we knew there was a program you were supposed to write by, you know? Before we knew how to write things that might be commercial successful, it was like, let's just write a good song, then let's produce it like it wants to be produced. You know, don't take a rock song that wants to be rock and try to make it country. People hear that. So, if it was a rock song and wanted to be a rock song, it got to be what it wanted to be as a song.

I mean, not admitting, but talking about whatever struggles we have is part of our healing, and I really feel it in my bones. I say this sincerely that some people, wherever they are in life, may think it's taboo or they can't talk to somebody. I really think that some of these songs are really going to get them thinking and, help them go in the right direction.

SI: Do you have a song that really stands out above any other?

BG: That is super tough. They do feel like they all have their purpose. Like when I signed at that new label, I turned in over 100 songs and we're literally down to 15. These songs went through a pretty intense selection process, and they made the final cut. That was tough. There were a couple that snuck in late. Good bangers that we wrote. I wanted to have some brand new and exciting songs on there. So, we did that, but we really took some songs that I felt had been overlooked in the past. Some of these songs are years old. So, we went back and re-addressed some of those and dressed them up and put them where they needed to be. Now they're about to have their moment, and that's fun for me.

When you switch to a new label, it's a new set of ears, but it's also a new approach to your career. This label's been incredibly good about leaning on me artistically and really looking for direction there. It's been a push. It's been back and forth because I'm like, hey, guys, we signed with you guys for a reason. You guys know what's working, and you're making it work. We'll take all the advice and feedback you guys can give. A lot of it was, hey, think Creative Control, you know what your stuff needs to sound like. It was a full process, but golly, it was a long one. It was a hard one, but I feel like it definitely paid off.

SI: Let’s talk about Real American Beer for a moment. You support and give back to veterans and the service members and their families. But how long have you been part of that?

BG: Being an investor kind of came after the fact. So, when Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Izzy Martinez and Chad Bronstein were coming up with the American Freestyle, Real American Freestyle, the world's first professional freestyle wrestling league, DJ Silver hooked me up with them because they were looking for somebody to write the theme song. He told them, “I got the guy.”

In writing that song, I got one of my all-time heroes, Hulk Hogan, it was wild, man, seeing his name pop up on my phone. He was a good one. Yeah, that was bigger than life. Getting to work with him, you know, before he passed, and, the last text I got, or not the last one, but the last one I got about the song was like, “hell yeah, brother, you killed it. This is the one.” That coming from Hulk Hogan was like, all right, I really did something. It wasn't selling millions of albums. It was Hulk Hogan telling you, you did something right.

So anyway, it kind of rolled from that into them releasing a beer brand and then a zero-alcohol brand. That's been a jam, man. The fact that that company was willing to give back to veterans, that's a big deal to me. Anybody that knows me knows it's a big deal to me. Right off the bat, that was that. We talked about that at a very granular level before anything got started, that was established. That was going to be the goal of that product, and that the company was to give back. I was like, all right, let's go. I'm in.

Then, Colby Covington joins. He's a good friend of mine. I mean, I think the world of that dude. He is incredible. He's a dog too. That dude can fight. He's a good dude. He's a patriot. He loves his country. So, bringing him into the fold was super cool for both of us. We've known each other for a long time and partnering on something like this was cool for us. So, it's been a hell of a chapter.

SI: I have to bring up your Bellevue, Texas show earlier this year. You broke a Guinness record with the famous, Gangster Granny (Pauline Kana)?

BG: I've known Ross (Smith), her grandson, for a minute and we've had some stuff for Granny in the pipeline, but it just hadn't worked out for one reason or another. You know schedules are hard to match up these days, but that one ended up working. That was one of the craziest ideas I heard. I was like, bro, don't strap your grandmother to something and just give her to drunk people. That's terrible. But, you know, she was down. She was talking about it. And she was ready the whole time. She had a blast!

I don't know if I'll live to see my grandkids, but if I do, I hope they do some fun stuff like that with me. If they tell me they're going to strap me down and make me do crazy stuff, I’ll be like yeah, bro, let's go.

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