Brian Kelley Says the 'Timing Kind of Aligned' for New Solo Project

Brian Kelley released his first solo project, the laid-back four-track EP BK's Wave Pack, on Tuesday, April 13, and it's something he's been wanting to share for a long time. Kelley opened up about the EP during an appearance on The Ty Bentli Show on Apple Music Country, explaining that his new songs were the result of the unexpected break he took in 2020.

"COVID really gave us time that we've never had, man," he said. "You know, I took the summer off from probably May to August 25th, which I wrote the first song for this project called 'Boat Names.' I kind of realized I was writing for me." Kelley has previously written songs for other artists and co-written a number of songs for his duo Florida Georgia Line, but that writing for himself is "a really cool outlet." The Florida native told Bentli that while he wasn't expecting the songs in the first place, when they arrived, he knew he had to share them. "Right when I felt like the door was opening after a couple of songs I had written, I said, 'I think this is kind of my moment to see what I can do,'" he recalled. "And I think the timing kind of aligned, man."

"I approached [bandmate] Tyler [Hubbard] and just said, 'Hey, I think ... I wasn't planning on it, wasn't really trying. But, these songs are different to me,'" Kelley continued. "So we created a really cool outlet, man, that's in addition to what we're doing already."

Hubbard is also currently working on his own projects including releasing collaborations and writing for other artists, but he'll reunite with Kelley later this year for a headlining tour. "But in between that it's fun to, like you said, play around and life is short, man," Kelley said. "You know, I think it's important to honor our calling, to honor our creativity and our artistry, and for me that means, you know, I've got to ... If there's something stirring in my soul, I got to get it out."

The 35-year-old added that he and Hubbard are "trudging forward, and nothing's changed other than we've added some extra outlets for ourselves to create, and have fun, and collaborate with other people and just see what happens, man." "Creativity is everything for us," he explained. "It drives us, and I already feel extremely fulfilled, man. I feel very happy. And just that extra ... It's like the cherry on top, I guess." Listen to BK's Wave Pack here.