Brantley Gilbert Preaches Tender Toughness in ‘Hard Days’

You can't appreciate the sun until you've been through the rain!

Brantley Gilbert Preaches Tender Toughness in ‘Hard Days’
Brantley Gilbert; Photo Credit: Jeff Nelson

Brantley Gilbert drops an acoustic ballad with resilient core as his new single, unveiling “Hard Days” today (June 5).

Standing tall behind the idea that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, the track places Gilbert’s gruff vocal in a tender setting — but deep down it’s all about toughness. Well suited to the “hard days” of unemployment and uncertainty his own fans are currently dealing with, the thoughtful track ultimately sees better times ahead.

“‘Hard Days’ is about finding and acknowledging hope in the midst of turmoil and taking the good with the bad,” Gilbert says in a statement. “I look back on some of the harder times in my life and think about where things are now, and I’m thankful for the bad that led to the good.

“This song means a lot to me,” he goes on. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a song that can stand on its own lyrically. Brock Berryhill, Logan Wall, Jimi Bell and Jay Brunswick gave me the opportunity to work with them, and it’s something I’m extremely proud to be a part of. I feel like all of us are in need of a little bit of healing and in need of a little bit of hope. And this song offers that.”

“If you never had hard days / If you never had a heart break / Never had more than you can take, or carried the weight / Of life on your shoulders / Would you feel like you earned it / Would you live with a purpose, or ever known your own strength / If you never had hard days,” goes the reflective chorus hook.

“Hard Days” is the first taste of an upcoming recording project, and follows the release of the hard driving “Fire’t Up” from Gilbert’s Fire & Brimstone album. The Georgia native hit Number One last year alongside Lindsey Ell with “What Happens In A Small Town.”