A year ago, country star Brad Paisley watched on television as Russian troops invaded Ukraine, and he felt impotent as he saw images of people fleeing their homes.
“The world seemed to be in a place it hadn’t been in decades,” recalls the three-time Grammy winner.
Paisley will release a new song titled “Same Here” on the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the conflict, which will feature Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking proudly about his country and people.
This is the first single from Paisley’s forthcoming album, “Son of the Mountains,” which will be released later this year by Universal Music Group Nashville.
The tune was co-written by the native of West Virginia, Lee Thomas Miller (co-writer on Brad Paisley’s “The World” and “Perfect Storm”), and Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith. It is a three-part narrative that considers universal similarities regardless of distance and language.
The song concludes with Paisley and Zelenskyy’s recorded video call conversation, which does not specifically mention Ukraine. Zelenskyy discusses the Ukrainians’ yearning for freedom and adds, “There is no gap between our two nations in terms of these values.”
Paisley told the Associated Press, “There are simply no distinctions.” You can place us in various locations with different flags and languages, but we share so many similarities.
Paisley is one of several celebrity ambassadors for Ukraine’s United24 crowdfunding campaign, and he has donated his time to other efforts to raise funds for Ukrainians. But even he thought it unlikely that Zelenskyy, who has traveled the globe advocating for Ukraine’s military and recovery efforts, would be directly involved.
Paisley said of Zelenskyy, who was an actor and comedian prior to becoming president, “I believe he recognizes that art is how you reach the most people, particularly in the heart.”
“He can give as many speeches as he wants, but it might be simpler to listen to something melodic.”
Paisley stated that Zelenskyy didn’t just approve the song; he also suggested alterations.
According to Paisley, the song’s royalties will be donated to United24 to assist in the construction of housing for thousands of displaced Ukrainians whose homes were devastated during the conflict. Using his platform to advocate for causes he cares about has always been a part of his career, whether it was establishing a free grocery store in Nashville with his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley or fighting hunger by donating 1 million meals during the pandemic.
Paisley stated, “I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t sort of aim for the fence in situations like this.” “As a songwriter, I’m happiest when I’m dealing with material that is both authentic and extremely impassioned. And occasionally, I wouldn’t call it risky; it’s more like it’s larger than me.”
Paisley demonstrates his passion during live performances. For instance, he has been altering the lyrics to his successful song “American Saturday Night” to replace references to the U.S.S.R. with “There’s a Ukrainian flag hanging behind the bar.”
The new album will be his UMG debut following his departure from Sony’s Arista label, and he stated that “Same Here” reflects the album’s universal themes.
Paisley stated, “We do grapple with what’s going on in the world.” “How do you sing about things that are truly significant — a big deal right now — but don’t feel like the sort of thing you would normally sing about? On this album, I have delved quite deeply and attempted to convey a message.”
Paisley, who has visited American forces in Afghanistan, stated that he has been invited to visit Ukraine, something he would like to do. In the interim, he hopes that the song’s message will encourage the nation as it enters the second year of the conflict.
Paisley stated, “That’s when it gets really rewarding… when you realize that the heart of this helps them paint the picture they want to portray.”
»Brad Paisley’s new song features Ukraine’s Zelenskyy«
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