Brad Paisley is sharing a powerful message with his new song, “Same Here.” The song, from his forthcoming new album, Son of The Mountains, features Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, released in a somber remembrance of the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
“‘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 shares. “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.”
Zelenskyy shares his thoughts in “Same Here,” and the similarities that people have, in spite of the seemingly vast differences.
“We speak different languages in our life, yes,” Zelenskyy says in the song. “But I think we appreciate the same things – children, freedom, our flag, our soldiers, our people, the biggest treasure we have. And friends. And we’re proud of our army who defends our freedom and will defend our lives.”
“We’re fighting for our children, our parents to defend our houses and families …There is no distance between our countries in such values,” he continues later in the song. “That is very important to see that they are really in many, in many things, really the same.”
In “Same Here,” which Paisley wrote with Lee Thomas Miller and Taylor Goldsmith, his biggest goal was to convey that people have so much more that unites them than divides them, even if they have to look for it.
“That’s one of the things the President says in the song, ‘There is no distance between our two countries in such values,” Paisley reflects. “They are longing for what we as Americans have already. It’s heartbreaking watching this struggle in modern time for freedom and democracy and the ability to just simply be who they want to be in peace. And this song is something that I hope resonates not only with my fans and people in America, but people anywhere that feel a similar desire to be free and safe and happy.
“Because I really do believe that as human beings when you take away the banners that determine what country we all live in, we all want the same things,” he adds.
Paisley’s last studio album, Love and War, came out in 2017. Since then, the Grand Ole Opry member has been writing songs that he is eager and ready to share with the world.
“Son of The Mountains is a collection of songs that I’ve been writing and working on for a while now,” Paisley explained. “The music encompasses a lot of big themes and perspectives from a kid that came from a small town in West Virginia after having seen a bit of the world. The record doesn’t shy away from reflection, real life and situations that are going on and what I think country music is- which is truth.”
“Son of The Mountains will be Paisley’s first record released on UMG Nashville, after spending his entire career, up until now, at Arista. The 50-year-old made the move thanks to the label’s chairman and CEO, Mike Dungan, as well as the label’s president, Cindy Mabe.
“There were two people that should get the credit that you even know my name – Mike Dungan and Cindy Mabe,” Paisley said when announcing his decision. “I ran into Mike at the fishing department at Walmart after having met with several labels and he talked me into signing my first deal with Arista. They assigned this woman named Cindy Mabe to me –– we graduated the same day at Belmont. I got to work with her on my first few albums and now I get to work with her at UMG,
“Cindy’s a genius and terrific human being,” he continued. “She heard what I was up to with the new music, and she pointed me further into the direction I was headed. I’ve never had this kind of enthusiasm and empowerment. She said, ‘Make music that matters.’ It’s an amazing thing to work with Mike and Cindy again. It’s great to know they believe in this music as much as I do.”
Proceeds from “Same Here” will go to UNITED24, for their Rebuild Ukraine program, launched by President Zelenskyy as the main venue for collecting charitable donations to rebuild and restore homes damaged by the current war. Paisley was recently named an ambassador for UNITED24.
Find music and tour dates at BradPaisley.com.
