Austin Brown has a powerful new song out, and he wrote it with country music superstar Chris Young. Brown reveals he took the title to Young, who immediately latched on to the idea.
“I took the title idea into the room with him,” Brown tells Everything Nash. “I’d taken it to several people, and nobody really resonated with it. But I said, ‘Burn the Boats,’ and he immediately was like, ‘I love it.’ He sang that hook going into the chorus immediately. It just came out of him. I was like, ‘That’s it,’ and we wrote the rest of the song. It’s a song that, for me, it’s about cutting the safety nets. It’s about jumping over the cliff, yelling ‘Geronimo.’
“‘Burn the Boats’ is an idea. It’s something the Vikings would do, that the Conquistadors would do as well,” he continues. “A lot of times, when they would get where they were going, they would burn the boats, so there was no option to retreat. It was either win the war or die trying. And so that’s really where I’m at in my life right now. I’m just ready to give it my absolute best. Full send, no looking back. We’re gonna win, or we’re gonna die trying.”
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The Message in ‘Burn the Boats’
“Burn the Boats” says in part, “When there’s a fight we get the job done / Retreat is not an option / So burn the boats / If we go down, we go down swinging / If they say run, we won’t / We’re in this together, singing everybody home / Don’t give up, just go / And burn the boats.”
It’s a message that Brown has already lived. He famously left Home Free, where he had been for 12 years, to pursue a solo career. In 2025, Brown auditioned for America’s Got Talent. After not getting through the first time, he returned, singing an original song, “Somebody Believed.” The song not only got him onto the show, but also earned him high praise from Young.
Brown made it to the Quarterfinals on AGT before being eliminated. Still, the Georgia native is still grateful for the opportunity.
“Put my all into this performance and no matter what I’m dang proud of it!” Brown said on social media. “Thank you to all who took time out of their busy lives to watch me on AGT! And if you just found me, don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”
What Austin Brown Says About Being on ‘America’s Got Talent’
Brown may not have won America’s Got Talent. But the fact that he made it onto the show is validation that he made the right choice by pursuing a solo career.
”“Having this opportunity, there’s nothing better,” Brown tells Everything Nash. “I was just looking at the stats and stuff. It’s literally the No. 1 talent show out there. There’s no comparison.
“And so, it gives me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams,” he adds. “To maybe one day be a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and to win CMA awards, and make it on the country radio. This is a step in that direction. And I’m just looking forward to every step that comes after it.”
Find all of Brown’s music and tour dates at AustinBrownMusic.com.