Florida Georgia Line Hope to Be Remembered as Songwriters First, Performers Second
As artists, Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley have mounted an impressive country music career as the superstar duo Florida Georgia Line: They've set numerous records for their longevity on the charts as well as scored massive hits ever since releasing their debut single, "Cruise," in 2014.
However, Hubbard and Kelley are also accomplished songwriters who have written a wide array of hits for other artists; many of their contemporaries -- such as Cole Swindell -- have expressed respect for the duo's songwriting prowess as well as their ability to wear multiple music industry hats so successfully. In a recent press conference, Hubbard explained that, while the jury's still out on what FGL's lasting legacy will be, both of its members hope that songwriting will be a large part of the impression they make on country music.
"I feel like, right now, FGL's kind of on cruise control. We're kind of on an off year -- an 'off year,'" Hubbard says with a laugh, miming air quotes. "It enables us to have more time to do things we love. That's turned into a lot of different things, and yeah, songwriting's a big part of that.
"I personally have written five songs in the last three days. BK, I think, wrote four or five too this week -- we had a camp this week," he goes on to say. "We love it. That's our passion. So, when you take a day off, what do you do? What are you passionate about?"
It was songwriting, after all, that initially drew both Hubbard and Kelley to move to Nashville and pursue a career in music.
"We look up to a lot of songwriters in Nashville. They have an amazing story, an amazing legacy, and that's what we moved here for," Hubbard continues. "So, I think Florida Georgia Line will be a part of [what we're remembered for], but we both want and hope that the songwriting will be bigger."
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