Courtesy of Big Machine Records
ATLANTA, GA/NASHVILLE, TN (March 25, 2022) – Grammy-winning, MULTI-PLATINUM musician KRISTIAN BUSH today released 52 – ATL X BNA, volume one of his new layered album 52, via Big Machine Records. Pairing Nashville’s Country storytelling with Atlanta’s famed R&B musicians, the debut installment brings a unique energy and fusion of sounds to the genre that cemented his career. Stream/Purchase here.
The singer and multi-instrumentalist, who splits his time between Nashville and Atlanta, got the idea for the collaboration after performing at Atlanta’s Independence Day celebration a few years ago. Along with his brother and frequent collaborator Brandon Bush (Train), Kristian took the stage anchored by R&B legends Jorel “JFly” Flynn (Aretha Franklin, James Bignon, Bobby Brown, Montell Jordan); Justin Gilbert (Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Eminem, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin) and Jerry Fermon of Hornz Unlimited (John Legend, Lionel Richie, OutKast, TLC).
“My brain exploded because it felt like they were throwing a party, and I thought on the way out, ‘Country music needs that party,'” Kristian says.
As he began conceptualizing 52 – ATL X BNA, featuring Kristian’s autobiographical “Tennessee Plates” and “Everybody Gotta Go Home,” that nuanced, yet free flowing instrumentation remained a focus.
“The idea is we take the songcraft of Nashville and find out what happens when we squish it with the backbeat of Atlanta,” he says.
Kristian co-wrote nine of the 10 songs on 52 – ATL X BNA with Music City hitmakers then headed south to record with resident musicians in his home city, including The Black Bettys. He fittingly named the first group of songs after the letters on his well-worn luggage tag, pointing to his decades traveling between Atlanta (ATL) and Nashville (BNA) airports.
“We’re just going to add our feel to his creativity and see what the secret gumbo holds,” Flynn says. “JFly meets Kristian. Urban R&B meets Nashville. ATL, we collide.”
Step inside the studio with this behind-the-scenes video.
The musical party is a two-fold celebration that comes as Kristian turned 52 (March 14) and plans to launch three additional collections this year. To introduce the new songs, he teamed with CMA Award-winning Country music journalist Cindy Watts to present “52 – The Podcast.” The Sevierville, TN-raised talents will explore the parallels between one of the popular songs from Kristian’s back catalog and a new track from 52 as new episodes drop each Tuesday throughout the year everywhere podcasts are available.
LISTEN TO EPISODE 1 OF “52 – The Podcast” HERE.
“The only thing better than listening to music is listening to music with someone else,” Kristian says. “I met Cindy years ago — me writing songs and her writing about songs. Somewhere along the way, we discovered we were both from the same tiny hometown and have been friends ever since. This podcast is like the liner notes I always wish I had, with the person that I always wished had written them.”
The 52 collection follows Kristian’s critically-acclaimed solo debut SOUTHERN GRAVITY. In addition to Sugarland and solo projects, his eclectic career also includes successful runs with Folk-Rock duo Billy Pilgrim and Rock Jam band Dark Water. “An auditory shapeshifter, Bush has proven adept in several roles and styles over the course of his nearly three decades in music” (Billboard) and 52 nods at each of his creative iterations with upcoming volumes themed around summer, Rock ‘n Roll and love.
52 – ATL X BNA TRACK LIST:
1. Everybody Gotta Go Home | Kristian Bush, Taylor Davis, Steve Bogard
2. After The Wine Wears Off | Kristian Bush, Brett James, Andrew DeRoberts
3. Mansion | Kristian Bush, Liz Rose
4. Unbroken | Kristian Bush, Andrew DeRoberts, Bob DiPiero
5. I’m With You | Kristian Bush, JT Harding
6. Tennessee Plates | Kristian Bush, Andrew DeRoberts, Rodney Clawson
7. Heart Of Yours | Kristian Bush, Jeffrey East, Dean Alexander
8. World Ain’t As Bad As You Think | Luke Dick, Ben Hayslip, Chase McGill
9. Gasoline | Kristian Bush, Bobby Pinson
10. I’m Coming Around | Kristian Bush, Stephen Wrabel, JT Harding
