In an insightful interview with one of his musical heroes, Bruce Springsteen, rising star Zach Bryan opened up about his journey as a songwriter and why he prefers not to be labeled strictly as a “country musician.” Despite his success in the country music scene, including two songs that topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for weeks, Bryan revealed his desire to transcend genre boundaries and focus on crafting meaningful songs that defy classification.
During their conversation, which was part of Rolling Stone's Musicians on Musicians series, Bryan shared candid thoughts on his creative process, struggles with imposter syndrome, and how Springsteen’s genre-defying career has influenced his own aspirations.
Breaking Free from the “Country Musician” Label
While Zach Bryan has made waves on the country charts, including his 20-week chart-topper “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves and the six-week No. 1 hit “Something in the Orange”, he’s hesitant to embrace the title of “country musician.” For Bryan, the term feels limiting, especially as his songwriting has evolved to explore multiple genres and styles.
“Everyone calls me it,” Bryan told Springsteen during the interview. “I want to be a songwriter, and you’re quintessentially a songwriter. No one calls Bruce Springsteen — hate to use your name in front of you — but no one calls Bruce Springsteen a freaking rock musician. You’re all these things encapsulated in one man. And that’s what songwriting is.”
For Bryan, the term "songwriter" captures the essence of what he strives to achieve. Rather than being boxed into a single genre, he wants his music to resonate with listeners on a deeper, emotional level, much like Springsteen's career, which has spanned rock, indie, folk, and even country influences.
Springsteen responded by acknowledging Bryan’s connection to the country genre but also praised the energy of Bryan’s live performances, noting how his music breaks through genre boundaries.
“I don’t want to call it rock, but there’s just so much energy in your performance. You bust all those different genre boundaries down,” Springsteen said, reflecting on Bryan’s style.
The Impact of Bruce Springsteen on Zach Bryan’s Career
For Bryan, Springsteen has been a musical hero and a major influence on his career trajectory. He sees Springsteen as a figure who has navigated the complexities of multiple genres, crafting a body of work that defies easy classification. Bryan hopes to achieve something similar in his own career.
“That’s why you’re a hero to me,” Bryan told Springsteen. “Because no one’s ever come up to you and said you were in any sort of lane. When I first started making music, I told my managers I wanted to be in a lane where, when people look back, they can listen to my music and it’s supremely whatever you were doing.”
Bryan’s admiration for Springsteen goes beyond just his musical output. For Bryan, Springsteen’s refusal to be pigeonholed into a specific genre represents a creative freedom that he aspires to achieve in his own songwriting.
Battling Imposter Syndrome: Bryan’s Vulnerability as a Songwriter
One of the most touching moments of the interview came when Bryan opened up about his ongoing struggle with imposter syndrome. Despite his rapid success in the music industry, Bryan admitted that he still grapples with feelings of inadequacy when it comes to his songwriting.
When Springsteen asked Bryan when he first considered himself a “serious songwriter,” Bryan’s response was both candid and vulnerable.
“I still don’t!” Bryan confessed. “To this day I have really bad imposter syndrome. But I had a lot of friends in the Navy, and we’d go out to the bars and have these times, and I’d go back to my barracks room and sing about it. I never had anything else to express myself.”
For Bryan, writing music was a way to process his experiences, but he never imagined it would lead him to where he is today.
“I never in a million years thought I would become a songwriter because I never thought I had the talent. And that’s not a humble thing, it’s just that I never thought I would be sitting here with you.”
The conversation took a deeper turn as Bryan shared how much Springsteen’s music had influenced his own. He acknowledged that while his songs may not yet reach the level of complexity or poetic brilliance as Springsteen’s or Bob Dylan’s, they still resonate with audiences in their own way.
Springsteen on the Challenges of Songwriting
Bruce Springsteen, known for his poignant and timeless lyrics, also spoke candidly about his own journey as a songwriter. He shared with Bryan that songwriting is hard, and it took him several years to feel comfortable in his ability to write great songs.
“Songwriting’s hard. And I don’t think I felt really comfortable with the idea that I was writing good songs till I was about 22 or 23, when I was coming up with the songs for my first record, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., which came out in 1973,” Springsteen explained.
Despite Springsteen’s immense success, his words of humility about the songwriting process offered Bryan—and listeners—a reassuring reminder that even the most iconic artists face doubts about their craft.
Praise for Bryan’s Music
In a touching moment, Springsteen complimented several of Bryan’s songs, including “Revival” and “Open the Gate”, predicting that these tracks will have a lasting impact on his career.
“Those are songs you’re gonna be singing till you are as old as me,” Springsteen told Bryan, reinforcing the idea that truly great songs stand the test of time.
For Bryan, hearing such high praise from one of his musical heroes was undoubtedly a moment of validation and recognition of his talent, even as he continues to wrestle with imposter syndrome.
The Future of Zach Bryan’s Music
As Zach Bryan continues to break through genre boundaries, his music is resonating with a growing audience, from die-hard country fans to those drawn to his indie and folk influences. His latest project, The Great American Bar Scene, released in July 2024, showcases his ability to blend storytelling with dynamic musical arrangements, further cementing his reputation as a genre-defying artist.
Despite his reluctance to embrace the “country musician” label, Bryan’s success within the country genre is undeniable. Earlier this year, he took home his first Grammy Award in the best country duo/group performance category for his collaboration with Kacey Musgraves on “I Remember Everything.” But for Bryan, the accolades are secondary to his true passion: writing songs that connect with people on a personal level.
As he continues to evolve as an artist, Zach Bryan remains committed to crafting music that transcends categories and speaks to the universal human experience. His conversation with Bruce Springsteen highlights not only his dedication to the craft of songwriting but also his determination to forge a path that is uniquely his own.