Florida Georgia Line Give Dan Rather ‘The Big Interview’ [Exclusive Premiere]

Florida Georgia Line are sitting down with Dan Rather for The Big Interview, and Taste of Country readers are getting an early look at the episode.

Rather is one of the most respected journalists in the world, and he's teamed with AXS TV for the show, which features his in-depth conversations with some of the biggest names in entertainment. Previous episodes have featured country legends including Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Trisha Yearwood and Vince Gill, and in an upcoming episode, Rather talks to Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard about their diverse influences.

"I'd say for us, our music is just who we are," Hubbard says. "Growing up, we actually both had very similar taste in music and very similar influences, and they were all over the map. Something that a lot of people don't understand, but we listen to everything," he adds.

"So for us, we're songwriters at heart; we're songwriters first and foremost, and that kinda gives us the creative freedom to write whatever kind of music that we want to write. We just write music that we want to sing every night, and that we feel our fans will connect with."

Kelley says those shared influences include "Garth Brooks, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alabama, Alan Jackson ...  even in the Christian world, Shane & Shane -- growing up, we loved them."

They also include artists who might make some country fans raise an eyebrow. "Lil' Wayne, Eminem in the hip-hop world," Kelley adds. "We both loved making mix tapes, where you had anything from Kenny Chesney to literally Lil' Wayne, to a Shane & Shane song or a Casting Crowns song."

That's why the duo are so quick to embrace a diversity of styles in their own music. "To us, we're just music lovers," Kelley observes. "Country to the core, but I mean, music's always got to evolve, or you're going backwards."

Rather's interview with FGL will debut on AXS TV Tuesday night (May 12) at 8PM ET.

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