There is a version of Tyler Hubbard that the world knows well. The one who helped turn Florida Georgia Line into one of the most commercially dominant acts in country music history and who co-wrote songs that became the soundtrack to a generation of tailgates, summers, and Saturday nights. That Tyler Hubbard is still very much present. But sit down with him now — or in his case, catch him in his backyard with his dog — and you'll find someone who has settled into exactly where he wants to be.
"I love country music, and I still get excited about it, so why not do it?" Hubbard says. "I get to call this my work and a career. It's something that never gets old and nothing else I'd really rather do."
Hubbard recently released his new single, "Land." He wrote it a couple of years ago with friends, loved it immediately, and then spent an unusually long time trying to get the recording right. "I've recorded it probably three different times and just had a hard time feeling like I had it right," he says. "But I loved the tune and really wanted to make sure I did right by it and let the production match the quality of the song. So it took a few runs, a few laps in the studio to get it right."
The tell that something was off? He didn't want to play it for his friends at first. "One of the things I noticed is that I wasn't super excited to play it for my friends, and I didn't like the way that felt, so that was one of my signs," Hubbard says. "That's usually a tell. If you're not excited about a song that you were originally excited about, then I think you've not done it justice."
"Land" arrives as the next chapter in a solo run that has already produced four consecutive number one hits at country radio — "5 Foot 9," "Dancin' In The Country," "Back Then Right Now," and "Park." "5 Foot 9" has since been certified three times platinum, a milestone that still carries a sense of grateful surprise for Hubbard.
"I think it surprised me a little bit," he says. "I probably left the room feeling like we had a really good song. But a lot of times, it's hard to tell the difference between a good song and a great song. I knew it was a good one and was really grateful as a first single that it did what it did and being able to connect with the audience the way that it did. And it's inspired a whole new wave, so I'm excited about it and grateful for it."
This summer, Hubbard heads out on tour with Dan + Shay. Some of his favorite road memories involve touring with the duo before, and he's carrying that enthusiasm into this run.
"Those guys are some of the best in the game," he says. "Their energy is amazing and they're pumped for the tour and have been waiting a minute for this. My energy matches their energy and I'm super excited and grateful for the opportunity. We're going to bring the fans one heck of a night and make some memories, for sure."
Beyond his own recording career, Hubbard has built one of the most impressive songwriting resumes in Nashville, with cuts for Jason Aldean, Little Big Town, Cole Swindell, Kane Brown, Zac Brown Band, and others. But he doesn't approach a writing session with any grand strategy about who might record the result.
"I try not to overthink who may cut this song, whether it's me or another artist, and just do my best to read the room and write what the room has to offer that day," he says. "I approach it with an open mind and see where the song takes us, and then see where the song wants to go after that, whether it's on my record or one of my buddy's records."
As for what fuels the songs in the first place, he says, "I always say life inspires the songs, life inspires the ideas. I think the foundation of a good song is a good concept or a good idea or good title that you can turn into something special."
Writing, he adds, is more than a professional practice. "I call it my first instrument. I call it my day job." He loves running up and down Music Row, he says, huddling with songwriting peers and "seeing what the day has to offer."
After several years apart, Hubbard reconnected with his Florida Georgia Line partner Brian Kelley. "It was amazing, to be honest," he says. "It felt like I got my best friend back, and just very light, very fun. We went on a hike. We've done some fishing now, some deep sea fishing together, and really just decided let's hang out again and get our friendship back. For lack of a better term, it feels like we're in our honeymoon phase, and it's a lot of fun, so we're enjoying it."
The Florida Georgia Line years, 2010 through 2022, remain something Hubbard looks back on with deep gratitude. "The journey with FGL led me to being a solo artist and has inspired me in different ways," he says. "The older I get and the more into this solo career I get, I feel like it really has given me a cool perspective and even a bigger gratitude for what happened. It felt like it was truly the hand of God that was opening all the doors for us, and it was a special season."
So what's next for Hubbard? More shows. More music. The Dan + Shay tour. New singles. And as much time as possible with his wife and three kids — ages five, six, and eight.
"They're at a fun age where it's important that I'm around and present as much as possible, and I'm prioritizing that," he says. "Right now, that's really my number one focus, writing songs and being with my kids and my wife."
Tyler Hubbard is someone who has figured out exactly what matters, and is simply showing up for it, every day, one song at a time. TylerHubbardOfficial.com
"I get to call this my work and a career. It's something that never gets old and nothing else I'd really rather do."
Tour Dates
26 Jun Dauphin's Countryfest, Manitoba, Canada
27 Jun Country Thunder, Alberta, Calgary, Canada
04 Jul Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI
10 Jul Country Boom, West Salem, WI
11 Jul Windy City Smokeout, Chicago, IL
18 Jul Cedar County Fair, Hartington, NE
31 Jul Sunfest, Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada
06 Aug Daiquiri Shop, Kansas City, MO
08 Aug Fourth Street Live, Louisville, KY
13 Aug Brown County Fair, Aberdeen, SD
14 Aug Corcoran Country Daze, Osseo, MN