Brent Cobb is a celebrated American singer-songwriter known for his authentic blend of Southern country, rock, and Americana. Hailing from the small town of Ellaville, Georgia, Cobb grew up surrounded by the rich musical traditions of the South, which deeply influenced his storytelling style. His music often paints vivid portraits of rural life, with a focus on the everyday experiences and struggles of working-class people. Cobb’s distinct sound and lyrical prowess caught the attention of Nashville’s music industry, leading to a successful career as both a solo artist and a sought-after songwriter for other prominent country musicians. He has penned songs for the likes of Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, and Little Big Town, showcasing his ability to craft relatable and enduring songs that resonate with a wide audience.
As a solo artist, Brent Cobb has released six critically acclaimed albums, including ‘Shine On Rainy Day' (2016) and ‘Providence Canyon' (2018), both of which highlight his gift for blending introspective lyrics with laid-back, rootsy melodies. His work has earned him a dedicated fan base and respect from peers in the industry, cementing his place as a significant figure in modern country music. With a style that bridges the gap between traditional country and contemporary sounds, Cobb continues to evolve as an artist, while remaining true to the authentic storytelling that has defined his career.
Most recent album, ‘Southern Star' is perhaps Cobb's strongest album yet and he's playing the UK in August for the first time in 5 years so we were thrilled to catch up with him to talk all about it. Tickets for European shows right here.
Hi there my friend, how are you? Thank you for your time today as I know how busy you are.
Oh man, thank you for caring.
It's lovely to touch base and celebrate the fact we have you back in Europe after five years.
I know! I hope people still care, it's been a while.
What's kept you away from us for so long?
Man, multiple ‘out of my control things' really. We were supposed to be over with in 2020 or 2021 with the Cadillac Three but, for obvious reasons, that got cancelled. I think it's taken about this long for the whole touring industry to get back on their feet and pick up where we left off in 2019.
I'm happy that we are finally coming back. I guess I've put out three albums since the last time I was over in Europe! That's amazing! It'll be cool – it's only a short stretch this time but we are testing the climate and making sure that everybody is still all cool before a longer tour next year, maybe.
There's a whole new generation of Country fans come through over here now off the back of the success of Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and the newer class of artists so I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
No doubt. There's a whole new class of artists come through and that brings a whole new class of fans. When you think about the last time I was over in Europe some of those artists weren't really even a thing. In 2018 I had Colter Wall open for me and I don't recommend anyone ever letting that happen to them (laughing) but he's gone on to become something really legendary.
Since we last saw you you've left Nashville and headed back home to Georgia. where your last album, ‘Southern Star' was made. What prompted that move and is there anything about Nashville that you miss?
Home is where you make it, right? My daughter had been born so I had a couple of years off from touring but when Chris and Morgane Stapleton call you and ask you to go out with them for 2 years you can't really say no. So, by 2018, my daughter was coming up on four years old and starting to look at school and we decided we needed to move for the family.
I had been in Nashville for ten years at that point and gone from home for much longer and so it seemed like the right time. Everything I ever wanted to establish as an artist I had done at that point too and I felt like I could leave Nashville and it not damage my career, I didn't think people would forget about me.
I still go up to Nashville regularly. Me and Randy Rogers and Adam Hood all split a little studio-condo in town and I go there to work. I do miss some of my old friends – you know, you come up with a class of writers and artists and are in the trenches together – and there's some trauma bonding but none of us really live in Nashville anymore so when I do go to town it can get a little lonely because everyone has evolved and moved on and the old places aren't as meaningful as they once were.
‘Southern Star' was such a love letter to Georgia and the south. Was that always your intent going into the album or did that evolve organically?
Yes and no. On the surface, yes but, man, I've always tried to write songs that are personally universal and universally personal, right? The southern dialect and the way I speak is interesting to people so I try to write the songs in the way that folks in the south will relate to but people all around the world will find interesting and meaningful too.
I love Flannery O'Connor and the great southern writers – that stuff has always meant so much to me I just hope my music relates in the same way if I'm doing it right because we're all humans experiencing the same universal truths.
What did you learn about yourself producing ‘Southern Star'?
Well, I learned that I could trust myself to go and play with the band and be the person behind the technical side too. I'd blocked off 6 days to make the album and, in my mind, what I thought I was going to to do was lay all the songs down to a click track so I could sit behind the console and produce the band as though I was separate from them. I really wasted 2-3 days trying to do it that way at first because I didn't know any other way – I'd produced Wilder Blue and Adam Hood before that and that was how I'd done it but we didn't use any of that stuff!
The band came in on day 3 and we really recorded the album in just two days with me playing with the band rather than being separate from them. When you're in the producer's seat you need to be able to see everything and sometimes the artist can't see the forest for the trees whereas the producer needs to be able to do that. I was worried I wouldn't be able to do that wearing the same hats but I learned that I could do that really well. I learned to trust myself.
You've released six albums in the last eight years which is quite prolific. Do you consider yourself a prolific writer because I guess those albums were just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what songs you've written in those years?
I wish I could release more music to be honest. If I had a studio at my house, we got the space, we can do it, we just haven't had the time yet – I would go in that studio everyday and I might put out 2-3 albums out a year if I could. I would probably write even more if I had a home studio on hand to record them! (laughing)
These days, once I've recorded a batch of songs and put an album out and I know it's time to make another one, the songs tend to just come to me. Thank goodness! The muse happens when it needs to. If I had the capability to record the songs after writing them I would probably write even more frequently too! (laughing)
Look at Charley Crockett – that dude slings out albums every few months, that joker is amazing! Such high quality too. When I first moved to Nashville people would be obsessed with quality over quantity but look at artists like Otis Redding – that dude would go into the studio and record three albums worth of material in one day and he didn't get why everybody thought that was a big deal, he was inspired. Charley Crockett is doing it the same way and I think I would if we had a studio at home too. If you're creating for the sake of the art and not for the content or the market you are doing it the right way.
How do you feel you've grown and evolved as a writer since ‘Shine on Rainy Day' back in 2016?
None! (laughing) I just continue to try to hone in on what I do. I want to sharpen my point on how I say things and express those universal truths. I have learned to drill down right into the absolute core of what it is I want to say when I am writing a song.
I really love a song like ‘When Country Came Back to Town' which references the industry, Nashville, the genre and even your own crowd like your friend and sadly departed Rowdy and even your cousin, Dave. Speaking of Dave (Cobb – renowned producer) – is there a project of his that you admire over any of the others he's done? I really loved what he did with rock band Europe on their ‘Walk the Earth' and ‘War of Kings.'
Man, everything he does is so good. I don't say that because he's my cousin, I say it because he is the best. There was a special album he did about ten years ago with an artist called Lucette. I don't even know if she still writes anything anymore. It's a cool project that Strugill Simpson was a guest on, as was I. I felt like the sound of those songs were so good and this was even before Dave was a superstar! He was hungry at that point and had something to prove.
Coy Bowles from the Zac Brown Band is releasing children's music. With your history of music in your family and you now having a couple of kids, have you ever thought about releasing children's songs?
Well, man, I love Coy and we often talk and have tried to get together to do something, Man…..yeah, I did put a children's song on my ‘Keep ‘Em on They Toes' called ‘Little Stuff' and then I wrote a children's book of the same name to go along with that. My good friend, Aaron Raitiere, who is one of the best songwriters out there, has done some children's songs and he's really good at it. Him, me and my wife, when my son Tuck was just a baby, got together once and started writing a classic Country for kids album which was full of humour and things that the parents could identify with.
Will your kids learn instruments? Are you going to pass your love of music down to them?
My son has a drum kit now and my daughter is always writing and she's a dancer too. There's always a melody in the air in my house but I don't force it on either of them. It's just around if they choose to pick it up.
You mentioned the muse earlier. Have you begun the process of following up from the ‘Southern Star' album yet?
Yes, I have! I've not recorded anything yet but I am writing. There's something that you said in this interview earlier which lets me know that you are probably really going to like my next album! (laughing) The songs are happening and I have some studio time booked for later in the year and I am in the process of writing it right now.
Don't miss out on a chance to see Brent Cobb later this month in Europe. Tickets available right here.
