Kid Rock Previews New Album ‘Sweet Southern Sugar’ In Nashville

During an album preview on his 200-acres of property that overlooks Nashville, Kid Rock opened up about his new project, Sweet Southern Sugar, and his quiet life in Nashville.

Written by Annie Reuter
Kid Rock Previews New Album ‘Sweet Southern Sugar’ In Nashville
Kid Rock; Photo courtesy Webster PR

Kid Rock will release his new album, Sweet Southern Sugar, on Nov. 3. The Michigan native is well known for dabbling in multiple genres and his forthcoming project promises a blend of country, blues, rap and rock.

During an album preview on his 200-acres of property that overlooks Nashville, Kid Rock opened up his famed camo-wrapped double wide palace to press for Prince’s Hot Chicken, drinks and a listening party where he discussed the evolution of his first-ever album recorded completely in Nashville. In an interview with Sounds Like Nashville later that night, Kid Rock shared that while he’s been dipping in and out of Music City for years he now calls Nashville home.

“It just feels like somewhere I’m supposed to be,” he tells us at Cowboy Town, a renovated bar on his property. “When I was spending a lot of time in Malibu, it didn’t feel like I was fully supposed to live and plant roots there. This has always felt like that since I started terrorizing Nashville in the late ’90s. I just love the people here.”

He further explained that he is able to relate to the community living here as most of the people residing in the area also have careers in music.

“Whether they’re roadies, musicians, singer-songwriters, record companies, I can relate to a lot of people here on a lot of levels and have conversations here that I can’t in a lot of places,” he admits. “They say it’s the biggest small town in America. The unwritten laws of how you treat people and how you treat people with notoriety — in Nashville, we don’t bother each other. We say hello but they’re not hawking over us for pictures. It’s very attractive for me and a lot of people in my position.”

While Sweet Southern Sugar includes plenty of rock and rap features, the artist’s country influences are also present. Songs like the Joey Hyde-penned “American Rock n’ Roll” and country tear-jerker “Raining Whiskey” can be easily heard on country radio and it’s something Kid Rock isn’t opposed to.

“I’ll throw a Hail Mary pass and hope somebody catches it in the end zone,” he remarks when asked if country airplay is something he’s hoping for. “I’ve gotten lucky a couple times with ‘Picture’ and ‘All Summer Long’ but at my age, I’m just not willing to run myself into the ground anymore. I see how these people are passing on around me and researched it a little and the average age of a pop or rock star is 40 years old. This does take years off your life if you let it. I’m not willing to do everything that a 30-year-old kid is breaking into country music, going to every station to play. I’m not willing to beat myself up like that anymore.”

Kid Rock’s latest single “Tennessee Mountain Top” could also be a contender for country radio. The vivid imagery paints the picture of a man who moved to California looking for love but finds himself dreaming of Nashville instead. “There ain’t nothin’ like a Tennessee mountain top / Some straight-shooting neighbors that don’t namedrop / With a preacher man prayin’ for peace but still packin’ a gun,” Kid Rock croons on the chorus. It’s this lyric that’s a favorite of his.

“‘The preacher man prayin’ for peace is still packin’ a gun,’ it says a lot about what’s going on right now especially being somebody who’s a gun owner and supporter of the NRA but also a supporter of common sense of who should have guns,” Kid Rock says. “I’m praying for peace, too, just like the preacher man but I would like to be able to stand up for you if something terrible were to happen, or myself and my family, and be ready and I pray it doesn’t. Nobody wants to be in that situation.”

As he gets older, Kid Rock says he continues to strive to make classic records. His latest release, Sweet Southern Sugar will be available on Nov. 3. Complete track listing below. He’ll kick off his 2018 Greatest Show On Earth Tour on Jan. 19 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Sweet Southern Sugar Track List:
1. “Greatest Show On Earth”
2. “Po-Dunk”
3. “Tennessee Mountain Top”
4. “I Wonder”
5. “American Rock n’ Roll”
6. “Back to the Otherside”
7. “Raining Whiskey”
8. “Stand the Pain”
9. “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch”
10. “Grandpa’s Jam”