So what’s more nerve-wracking: Reading off a teleprompter in front of a national TV audience, or performing a song in front of the same audience? If you answered the former, then you have something in common with Florida Georgia Line.
“I’d rather play a whole show and I’d be less nervous than getting up there and trying to read,” singer Tyler Hubbard told “The Ralphie Show” ahead of this weekend’s American Music Awards. Last year the duo presented an award; this time the group has four nominations and will perform. “It’s just a whole another ball game for me at least but we got through it.”
Florida Georgia Line is up for Best New Artist, Single Of The Year, Favorite Country Band, Duo or Group, and Favorite Country Album. Of course the band’s big 2013 was fueled by the hit “Cruise,” with a crossover-friendly remix featuring rapper Nelly.
“We grew up listening to him,” Brian Kelley said of the “Country Grammer” star. “When we got the mix back, I still think about it. I’ll never forget the day we got it back. We were on the bus, and we listened to it probably a hundred times.”
Hubbard noted that Nelly proved to be more than just a solid musical collaborator.
“He gives us all kinds of advice. He’s a smart, smart guy,” Tyler said. “One thing that we definitely took from the beginning was, he’s just big on, yunno everything is just happening so fast for us and he’s just like, ‘Man, you can only be the new guys once. So just enjoy it, live it up, and keep working hard.’”
FGL will round out the year with a performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and some December commitments before calling it a year on December 16. Suffice to say the southern boys haven’t quite acclimated to the northern weather yet.
“We’ll be back in New York, trying to stay warm,” Hubbard said. “I need to find me a scarf.”
“You probably won’t recognize us on the float,” added Kelley. “The only thing that’s going to be showing is our eyes and maybe our nose. We will be bundled up.”
Leave a Reply