If you’ve encountered Bryan Andrews on social media, he probably made an impression.
The rising country singer is known for his fiery, left-leaning political views. He posts impassioned, often expletive-filled videos filmed in his truck, where he speaks emotionally about various political points and beliefs.
In those videos, he condemns billionaire greed, stands up for undocumented immigrants being unfairly jailed, defends programs like SNAP and food stamps and more.
Now, he’s going viral on TikTok after the Oct. 10 release of a song called “The Older I Get,” which landed at No. 3 on the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales Chart for the week dates Oct. 25.
That song addresses many of the same issues Andrews raised on social media — some of them, in sharper detail than ever.
- In “The Older I Get,” Andrews sings about undocumented immigrants being denied basic human rights and ripped from their families.
- Another lyric advocates for workers to be paid a living wage.
- A third condemns the Israeli aid blockade keeping Gaza from accessing food and causing rampant malnutrition and starvation deaths.
A country singer who talks about politics in this much detail — on either side — is a rare breed, and it’s even more unusual to find a mainstream country singer speaking from a left-leaning perspective.
Taste of Country recently spoke to Andrews to learn more about who he is, what he believes in and why he sings about the issues he does.
Maybe the most surprising thing we learned in that conversation? Andrews doesn’t hate country singers with conservative viewpoints, and he’s not trying to sow division in the genre.
Keep reading and we’ll break it all down.
Where Is Bryan Andrews From?
- 29-year-old Andrews hails from Carrollton, Mo., a small town of about 3500 people.
- He worked as a welder on the road for about five years, alongside pursuing music in the country and rock genres.
- Both of his parents are music teachers who lean left politically.
Andrews says his upbringing isn’t the only reason he speaks out for the causes he does.
His grandfather and great-grandfather were both farmers, and he has close ties to his town’s farming community.
He says he’s witnessed the negative effects the Trump administration has had on farmers and the working class in his hometown — even, and perhaps especially, among those who lean right politically
What Inspired Bryan Andrews to Write “The Older I Get”?
Andrews says that he wrote the bulk of “The Older I Get” about six months before its release.
He returned to the song this July after the Justice Department stated that the Epstein list — aka the much-talked-about, not-publicly-released document listing high-profile people to whom Jeffrey Epstein allegedly trafficked children — doesn’t exist.
“I just festered on it, and I was like, I’ve got to somehow include the things we’ve seen in this world around us in this song,” Andrews remembers.
So he wrote a new bridge, which pushed the song’s general topics of injustice and discrimination into very specific new territory. “Tryna cover up names on a list / Lie and say that it doesn’t exist,” reads one lyric.
“Work two jobs tryin’ to make rent / Heaven help ya if you’ve got brown skin / Watch ’em starve on the Gaza strip,” reads another line in that new bridge.
What Does Bryan Andrews Think of Openly Conservative Country Stars Like Jason Aldean and Nate Smith?
You might assume Andrews would have some animosity for those on the opposite end of the political spectrum, especially after watching his response to a video Nate Smith made suggesting anyone “anti-American” should leave the country genre.
But Andrews says he actually welcomes the perspective, for one important reason: It opens the door for everyone in the genre to be more vocal about what they believe.
Read More: Nate Smith Shares His Political Beliefs
“It’s a conversation that needed to be started in country music a long time ago,” Andrews states.
“I know that labels and stuff used to say, ‘Never talk about your politics.’ Dude, f–k that,” he continues. “It’s a new age of music. It’s a new age of the industry itself, and it’s a new age of listeners.”
“[Fans] want to relate to the person that’s singing the songs more than they ever have. I think it’s important to advocate for what you believe in,” he adds.
That being said, Andrews did have a couple barbs to throw Smith’s way when we asked if he’d responded to Andrews’ video about him.
“I don’t think so, and I wouldn’t give a f–k if he did,” he shot back.
Which Country Stars Does Bryan Andrews Admire?
Another big revelation? Andrews has a lot of admiration for the Nashville industry, especially the songwriters working in town.
And when we asked him about stars he looks up to, he had plenty of answers, rattling off names like Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce, Elizabeth Nichols and Carter Faith, as well as Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers.
But he had the most to say about Luke Combs. Andrews has been a fan of Combs’ for a long time, and he says he admires the way the star operates in the music industry, both as a superstar and as a man.
“I think if there’s any positive role model in country music that a young artist can look to, it’s Luke Combs,” he affirms.
Why Does Bryan Andrews Keep Aligning Himself With Small-Town America?
Nearly all contemporary country singers who are known for their left-leaning views trend away from mainstream, radio-friendly country.
Think Tyler Childers, Margo Price, Jason Isbell — even Maren Morris shifted out of the mainstream when she began to speak more openly about politics.
But Andrews is unabashedly mainstream, and he says that’s intentional.
“I want mainstream country music to be represented by people that think the way that I think…who spend time advocating for oppressed groups and marginalized communities,” he says.
Read More: 9 Country Songs That Criticize the Cops
He also won’t ever stop trying to engage with the people in his community who disagree with him, even though some people have wondered why he keeps trying.
“Some of them will say, ‘Dude, you’re wasting your time.’ To you, maybe. But my best friends that I go drink beer with on the weekends are Republicans,” Andrews responds. “I still live in my hometown where I’m surrounded by these people.”
“I’m never going to give up on people in rural America who are just trying to get by,” he continues. “We’re all tired of getting railroaded. It’s just, I think they think they’re getting railroaded by poor people on welfare and undocumented immigrants in the emergency room.”
“And I think we’re getting railroaded by billionaires who have seen their incomes and profit margins increase by 1,000 percent in the last 10 years, but yet workers’ wages have gone down,” Andrews adds.
How Does Bryan Andrews’ Faith Play Into His Music?
Andrews says his Christian faith is a big reason why he advocates for the causes he cares about. In fact, he’s surprised that more Christians don’t share his perspective.
He stresses that he’s not a perfect Christian, and he makes mistakes all the time — but also says the Bible’s pretty clear about how you’re supposed to treat others.
Read More: These 11 Country Stars Are Unapologetically Vocal About Their Faith
“I have a severe problem with seeing people who go to church in my small town leave that church, after worshiping the same God that I worship, go to the Mexican restaurant and have a nice lunch, then come home and go in the comments section of a Fox News article to say some s–t like ‘I like my country like I like my tea…full of ICE,'” he says.
“It’s appalling to me that Christians would say things like this.”
Will Bryan Andrews’ Politics Keep Him Out of Mainstream Country?
Andrews’ career is still very fresh, and he says he’s had limited contact with the Nashville industry, aside from a couple of positive songwriting trips.
He also says that some songwriters and artists have reached out to give him a pat on the back for speaking his mind.
We asked Bryan if he would feel comfortable entering a big industry event, like the CMA Awards, if he were invited, knowing that many in the room don’t see eye to eye with him.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he responded immediately, pointing out he doesn’t personally know the artists who are far to the right, and won’t venture a guess as to their character or how they’d handle meeting him face to face.
“I mean, the [Jason] Aldeans of the world — that dude would never speak to me,” he admits.
“If the situation ever presented itself, I would definitely show up, because I would want people who think like I do to be represented,” he continues.
“I would stand tall in the things I believe and the things I’ve said. Anybody who’s got a problem with it can address me there in person, and if you don’t, then shut your f–king mouth.”
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
