Home Free kicked off the opening night of the Country Music Cruise with two back-to-back shows of nonstop music, both covers of songs like Little Big Town’s “Boondocks” and The Oak Ridge Boys‘ “Elvira,” along with several of their originals. The all-vocal group is part of an all-star lineup that includes Tracy Lawrence, Shenandoah, Neal McCoy, Joe Nichols, Darryl Worley and more.

For all of the Home Free members, the decision to be part of this year’s Country Music Cruise was an easy decision for them to make, with the nonstop music, from morning to night, their favorite part of the experience.

“Pretending like we belong with all these country superstars,” Austin Brown told Everything Nash of the best part for him.

“I was going to say the food, but I should probably say the music,” added Tim Foust with a laugh.

With a stellar list of artists performing this year, Brown went from being a performer to a fan when he realized one of his all-time favorite artists, namely Billy Dean, was part of this year’s roster.

“I grew up on his stuff,” Brown said. “Him being here, and getting to shake his hand again. Every time I see him, I’m like, ‘I’m still your biggest fan, man. I promise.'”

“I didn’t realize he was such a sweet guitar player,” Foust remarked. “It was really a treat to hear him playing that guitar. I had never seen Sister Sadie before. They blew me away.”

With two shows, including one that began at 9:00 PM, Home Free was pleasantly surprised by the way the audience reacted to their music.

“[They were] surprisingly energetic,” Foust said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but they were the party crowd.”

Home Free has already agreed to return for the 2025 Country Music Cruise, joining an impressive list of artists, including McCoy, John Michael Montgomery, Deana Carter, The Bellamy Brothers, Diamond Rio, The Isaacs, Jamie O’Neal and others.

“As country music fans, we’ll do it every time,” Foust said. “Especially seeing the rest of the folks that are going to be here. Diamond Rio. That’s an automatic yes if Diamond Rio’s going to be here. The whole lineup is incredible.”

Home Free will embark on their Crazy(er) Life Tour on March 27, and although they revealed that they would be scaling back from their former nonstop schedule, all of the Home Free members still say their favorite part is performing in front of their fans.

“The shows are the best part of this whole thing,” Brown said. “Sitting there in front of the crowd, just getting people going wild. Knock on wood, it’s what happens most of the time.”

Home Free will continue to add dates for their Crazy(er) Life Tour, and are also working on a new album, part of an unstoppable work ethic that all of the members share.

“We love making music,” Foust said. “We love making music together. We may not always be as full of energy as we look on stage, but we are having fun.”

The 2025 Country Music Cruise will depart from Fort Lauderdale on January 19, and head to Key West, Cozumel and Costa Maya, returning on January 26. Find more information at CountryMusicCruise.com.

All of Home Free’s music and upcoming shows can be found at HomeFreeMusic.com.