Brandon Lake on Religion, Politics, and Jelly Roll

Christianity has always been a key component of country music, from the Louvin Brothers’ Satan Is Real way back in 1959 to Carrie Underwood’s faith-based 2021 album My Savior. Now, Contemporary Christian artist Brandon Lake is having crossover success through collaborations with country stars like Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson, and is gearing up for his own country album. On Good Friday, Lake and Wilson will release their new song together, “The Jesus I Know Now.”

In this week’s episode of Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, the Grammy-winning South Carolina native talks about his inroads to Nashville, teaming up with Jelly Roll, and the message he’s trying to share in his songs like “Hard Fought Hallelujah” and “When a Cowboy Prays.”

He also broaches the topic of where religion and politics intersect, a line that has become increasingly blurry over the last year. Is Lake worried about Christianity being exploited by politics?

“I’m human, so yes I worry,” Lake says. “I believe that God’s bigger than it all. I think he’s above it all. And I think he sits with everyone on every side — if there are sides.”

Lake contends his goal is to make a connection, regardless of his listeners’ faith. “My greatest hope is that when people get me, they get somebody that’s here to listen and here to love, and I’m trying to figure it all out myself,” he says. Watch his full interview below.

Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone’s weekly country-music podcast, Nashville Now, hosted by senior music editor Joseph Hudak, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature interviews with artists and personalities like Vince Gill, Lainey Wilson, Hardy, Charley Crockett, Kings of Leon, the Black Crowes, Carly Pearce, Breland, Bryan Andrews, Noeline Hofmann, Devon Gilfillian, Gavin Adcock, Amanda Shires, Shooter Jennings, Margo Price, Ink, Rival Sons’ Jay Buchanan, Halestorm, Dusty Slay, Lukas Nelson, Ashley Monroe, Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, Clever, and authors Marissa R. Moss, Josh Crutchmer, and Jonathan Bernstein.

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