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Zac Brown says getting “sucked into” the growing political divides is “like sipping on poison”

By Carena Liptak Apr 21, 2022 | 1:00 PM


ABC

Zac Brown Band’s recent single, “Same Boat,” shares a message of unity, reminding listeners that — no matter where you come from or what kind of life you lead — people are more similar than they are different.

That’s an especially pressing message now, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and during a time when political divides seem wider and more intractable than ever before. But as they look toward a return to the road with their Out in the Middle Tour, the band is hoping to cut through all the noise and division.

“It’s like sipping on poison,” frontman Zac Brown tells Rolling Stone, speaking about the temptation to get sucked into the constant, combative voices from the far ends of the political spectrum.

Mark Twain had a quote about travel being lethal to ignorance and racism,” Zac muses. “After you’ve been out and you’ve seen a lot of things, you realize we’re all the same. We all have the same human condition — we fall in love, we have heartbreak, we have hard times, we have adversity.”

By creating unity through their live shows, ZBB hope they can provide a little bit of healing. “Music is one of those powerful things that unifies those through the stories,” Zac points out. “…And if it’s done the right way, other people can relate to it and feel that and just be reminded that, yeah, other people feel those things, too.”

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