For Brantley Gilbert, getting to the truth of how life feels is everything. As an artist, he only cuts songs he writes, or co-writes, so he knows the songs come from a real place — and the emotions are the ones that fit the story. Whether it’s the awe and respect of “One Hell Of An Amen,” the gobsmacked “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do” or telling the truth without the whiskey “Stone Cold Sober,” the Jefferson, Georgian puts everything he’s got into the songs he records. For him, there’s no other way.

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Brantley Gilbert – have to be a writer (2:05)
“Songs that I cut, first of all I have to be a writer on it, I have to have at least co-written it. That could just be a personal thing, but I just feel closer when I have to opportunity to know it’s my story and it reflects something I’ve been through in my life. It just feels dishonest to me if that’s not the case. A song’s gotta have a bit of everything…it depends what emotion or what form of expression you’re going for, because it’s …if you want something intense, your chords and your melodies have to match up. It’s really all got to come together to evoke that emotion. If I’m angry, I want you to feel it and hear it, and just if I’m sad, it’s a different set of chords, a different melody structure. When it all comes together, when you hear a song and it really just hits you in the chest, whether it’s in a good way or a bad way, those are the ones I gravitate towards. You know, I’m not good enough at my job, I’d like to think that there’s not anyone good enough to just sit down and say, you know I’m going to write a number one song today! It’s kinda…you write the best song for the moment, and make sure it’s the best, and double check your words about a million times, and see if you’d have written it different a month later. I constantly go back in and almost rewrite these songs, and at the end of the day I feel like really whatever communicates the message the best. And to be honest, you know like I know that sometimes it’s the hookiest thing, sometimes a little cheesy gets you in the door, but I …that’s not really me. Everything I make I try to do as authentic as possible, and if my lyrics don’t do that for you, if they don’t paint that picture, if they don’t give you that object, well more than likely that’s not a song that needs to go on the record.”