Z
AC BROWN BAND IS
accustomed to change,
opting to license its albums
through various label
partners instead of having a
permanent home. In March
2018, the Southern rock
group signed a new management deal with
Scooter Braun’s SB Projects; this February,
it signed a new global licensing agreement
with BMG; and in March, the group signed
a contract with WME. (The act was previ-
ously signed to Creative Artists Agency.)
The one constant? Zac Brown has
always had control over every aspect of
his career. “By owning our touring, publishing and
merchandise, if something doesn’t happen right, I
know exactly who to call,” says the frontman, 41.
Brown was never interested in signing a multi-al-
bum contract because, he says, the band’s musical
approach is always changing: “You’re talking nine
or 10 years,” he says. “[Think about] how much
life can change.” (Now a father of five, Brown
had his personal life shaken up in October 2018
when he and his wife, Shelly, announced they
were separating.)
The Atlanta native formed Zac Brown Band
in 2002; originally a threesome, with two mem-
bers who are no longer in the band, the act grew
through the years, and so did
Brown’s business ventures.
His Southern Ground label
rebranded late last year to
Zac Brown Collective, a mul-
tiplatform parent company
that includes his Zac’s Place
restaurant, Z. Alexander
Brown wine brand, ZBC ap-
parel and Southern Reel film
production company.
Zac Brown Band’s 2008
major-label debut, The
Foundation, established it as
a country act with acoustic-
driven melodies — and
its breakout hit, “Chicken
Fried,” solidified its place
within the genre. The group has landed 13 No. 1s
on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, but Brown
insists his music doesn’t fall under just one genre
classification, which is most apparent on The Owl,
the band’s new album out Sept. 20.
Signing per-album licensing agreements with
different labels has allowed Zac Brown Band to take
risks musically without fear of getting dropped.
Last November, the group teased The Owl’s more
daring sound with the electro-country lead single
“Someone I Used to Know.” The song peaked
at No. 34 on Country Airplay and No. 27 on Hot
Country Songs, only the second time an official Zac
Brown Band single didn’t crack the top 20 of either
chart since the band’s debut. Brown still sees the
format as a partner, but admits he boxed himself in
on the 2017 country-leaning album Welcome Home.
Brown counts himself a fan of artists ranging from
Jason Isbell to Kygo, and as such, The Owl is more
indicative of his wide-ranging musical interests,
with a superstar roster of producers including
Max Martin, Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, Skrillex,
Andrew Watt and Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd.
Before working with Braun, Brown says that
none of those names would’ve been possible gets.
The pair’s relationship dates back to the early
2000s, when Braun caught Brown performing at a
local Atlanta venue; they reconnected at the 2010
Grammys, when the band won best new artist and
Justin Bieber presented for the first time.
“[Brown] called me a little over a year ago and
said, ‘I’m doing things a little differently now —
would you mind coming along and helping me?’ ”
recalls Braun. “I’m a fan first, so when Zac told
me he wanted to work with
certain producers and really
venture out of his comfort
zone, that was uncomfort-
able for me at first. But he’s a
great artist, and he’s going to
push the boundaries.”
Despite The Owl’s most
ambitious tracks — including
the thumping “God Given,”
which boasts hip-hop-in-
spired lyrics like “Gucci bag/
Stacks on stacks/Diamonds
fill up the champagne glass”
— Zac Brown Band hasn’t
completely ditched its coun-
try roots. There’s the Brandi
Carlile- featuring “Finish
What We Started,” and an ode to the men and wom-
en of the armed forces (“Warrior”). On the band’s
current tour, Brown brings out a military member
during the bridge of “Chicken Fried.” “This is the
greatest country in the world,” says Brown onstage.
“I don’t give a shit what the media says.”
Zac Brown Band is a well-oiled tour machine,
having hit the road every year since its first head-
lining trek in 2012. The group recently broke its
own record for most tickets sold by a single act
at Boston’s Fenway Park. Even if the partnership
with SB Projects and its BMG deal prove to be
short-lived, Brown is confident in his capabilities
as an artist — and a businessman who isn’t afraid
to say no.
“Ten years ago, I was willing to do everything,”
he says. Now, “I don’t want to spend my life run-
ning around kissing people’s asses to try to be suc-
cessful. That doesn’t define success to me anymore
— we want to have an impact.”
“By owning our
touring, publishing
and merchandise,
if something doesn’t
happen right, I know
exactly who to call.”
—ZAC BROWN
LIVE:^ DANIEL^DESLOVER/ZUMA^WIRE/ALAMY^IMAGES.^ C
HANON:^ ANDYSAPP.ROAD TO
RICHES
In 2009, Zac
Brown Band’s then day-to-day
manager, Lynn Oliver, was scrambling to
find the act a point person for its upcoming
eight-week tour. So she enlisted her neigh-
bor Paul Chanon, 47, who has stayed with
the group ever since, helping it grow into a
touring force that has grossed $183.4 mil-
lion throughout its career, according to
figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
How did you become Zac Brown
Band’s permanent touring manager?
In June 2009 I was self-employed, booking
and producing concerts, festivals and
corporate events. I had booked Zac Brown
Band previously; the most I ever paid for
them was $500. But as I went to county fes-
tivals as their tour manager, I kept hearing
promoters say they had the biggest crowds
— this was just after “Chicken Fried” hit
No. 1 [on the Country Airplay chart]. I told
Zac there was no way I was going to walk
away from what he had going on.
How important is touring to an act like
Zac Brown Band?
It’s everything. Radio, streaming and digital
are critical to keep the touring strong, but
touring is where the money comes from.
How has the group’s touring structure
changed?
When I started with ZBB, we were 12 peo-
ple and a driver in an airport shuttle they
custom-made themselves with captain’s
chairs and bunks. Now that the band is
a household name, we have the luxury
of working when we want to. When we
left our longtime management company,
ROAR, a couple of years ago, I took over
the management side of booking respon-
sibilities. I have three kids and am at every
show — we book our schedule around
time with family as much as we can. —T.W.
Zac Brown Band onstage at the Summerfest
Music Festival in Milwaukee on June 30.
Chanon
94 BILLBOARD • SEPTEMBER 21, 2019