Brad Paisley released “Same Here” earlier this year, which features Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with proceeds from the song going to UNITED24, for their Rebuild Ukraine program, But Paisley’s devotion to the war-torn country goes much deeper, which is why he recently visited Ukraine, performing “Same Here” in St. Michael’s Square in Kyiv.
“It’s an emotional experience seeing all of this firsthand,” Paisley said. “For me looking around this city and being here for the first time, I’m absolutely struck by the resilience of life and the beautiful nature of the way this city is trying to thrive in the middle of conflict. And also trying to be as free as they can be in this hard time. I think as an American it is one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever seen and I’m absolutely honored to be here.”
Paisley shared a video of his performance on social media.
Same Here, from St. Michael’s Square in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Emotional experience seeing all this first hand. So much more to share.Posted by Brad Paisley on Wednesday, April 12, 2023
“Emotional experience seeing all this first hand. So much more to share,” Paisley captioned the video.
The Grand Ole Opry member also shared photos of his time in Ukraine, including meeting with President Zelenskyy in person.
“There are risks you take going into a war zone, and I was made well aware of that,” Paisley said of his visit. “But I was more than willing to do it because I believe in these people, this cause, this freedom. In the middle of a full scale invasion, I never expected to find such a fiercely hopeful city, its culture and daily life on display. Defiant life. Determined to breathe free. A city under constant threat. Refusing to buckle. I fell in love with Kyiv immediately.
“And I got to do this all because I wrote a song asking about our similarities,” he continued. “Now I’ve seen them first hand. But it’s so much more than that. They idealize us. They wanna be us so badly. They believe in us. They see us as the goal. It’s as if they’re holding up a mirror that not only shows us who we are, but who we are capable of being as well.”
There are risks you take going into a war zone, and
I was made well aware of that. But I was more than willing to do it…Posted by Brad Paisley on Thursday, April 13, 2023
“Same Here” is from Paisley’s forthcoming new album, Son of the Mountains, his first on UMG Nashville
“‘Same Here’ with President Zelenskyy is one of the pieces of this album that represents so much a part of my journey from West Virginia to now,” Paisley said of the track. “One of the prevailing themes on this album is freedom. That’s something I truly believe in, and think is our most precious gift as Americans. The song is grounded in observing life in the United States, then to people from other countries who speak different languages and to one across the ocean that’s at war. We start to realize how similar we all are.”
Find “Same Here” and all of Paisley’s music and upcoming shows at BradPaisley.com.
Photo Credit: Schmidt Relations
