Brandon Lake in Charleston: ‘Hard Fought Hallelujah’ Success, Jelly Roll & More | Billboard Cover

Billboard cover star Brandon Lake takes us through 24 hours into his life and shows the studio where he created “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” how he was able to get Jelly Roll on the song, where he goes to ground himself and relax from touring, how he first started singing, his relationship with the local church and more!

Brandon Lake:

I think the reason why Christian music is probably more consumed now than maybe years ago is because there’s a greater level of hunger for what’s real. People are desperate for something that is going to lift their spirit, you know, and give them faith to get through another day. And I don’t know anything more true than what we’re singing about. I think touching on different genres isn’t something I intended to do, set out to do. It’s just like, I can’t help it, honestly. Growing up on Christian music, country music, fell in love with rock and roll later on in life, because I pretty much grew up, wasn’t allowed to listen to much except for Christian music and James Taylor, and then I’d come home from school and turn on CMT. And so then I grew up around country and then discovered rock and roll later. Got into metal, got into like, I had, like, a metal garage band for a little while, and I just kind of fell in love with all genres of music. And I think because I was a sponge and just trying to, like, steal and learn from all these different expressions of music, it just inevitably like that’s just who I came to be. So now, like, when I go to write a song, I think I’m less focused on, like, what does this need to sound like? And I’m just like, “What am I feeling right now?” And just- I follow the feeling. 

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