Photo: Dallas Riley
Brian Falduto delivered a collection of toe-tapping anthems and soulful ballads about love and heartache, reminiscent of electrifying 90s and early 2000s country music that he’s listened to throughout his life.
Falduto has long been known for his role in the Jack Black-led film School of Rock in 2003, and now, he’s marking the release of his debut album. The 8-track LP, Gay Country, released on Friday (March 10). Falduto co-wrote the album, which was recorded in Nashville and offers “an anthemic, playful and heartfelt” energy, reads a press release.
Some listeners and social media users will undoubtedly recognize some of the highlights on the track list already, including Falduto’s viral “Same Old Country Love Song,” which Black showed his love for as it garnered millions of views on TikTok. Gay Country also features “Big Boys Club,” which Falduto spoke to iHeartRadio about last month. He shared at that time that the upbeat anthem stemmed from feeling “a little fed up with the dating scene,” and serves as a tribute to “those of us who are taking dating seriously.” The whole project nods to Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain, Rascal Flatts, The Chicks and other artists who have inspired Falduto throughout his life.
- Hottest Guy Here
- Same Old Country Love Song
- Big Boys Club
- Skip the Step
- When Your Home Don’t Feel Like Home
- Kiss You Back
- Slow Down Town
- When Your Home Don’t Feel Like Home (Stripped)
“Country music has always been my heart and soul, ever since I was a little kid,” Falduto said. “I’m really proud of what I’ve done here. I am loving all the new and exciting sounds that are out there these days, particularly much of what’s coming from emerging queer artists who are pushing the envelope. But with this project, I wanted to return to the classic 90’s / early 2000’s vibe that ‘little me’ used to bop around to but could never quite see himself in. I’ve always wondered what it would have been like if smack dab in the middle of the latest Tim McGraw and Jo Dee Messina hits, a song came on the radio that normalized who I was. I hope Gay Country provides some joy, some laughter, and some sense of belonging to those who need it most. If nothing else, it’s certainly done so for the little kid inside of me.”
Gay Country marks Falduto’s long-awaited debut project after he released “God Loves Me Too” in 2020, establishing himself as a singer-songwriter who is passionate about telling his story. “God Loves Me Too,” which offers a heartfelt message to queer youth of faith, garnering support from LGBTQIA+ organizations like The Trevor Project, GLAAD, Loved Arise and more, notes the press release issued Friday.
“Even as recently as four years ago, I was really unclear about my identity as an artist in the country lane,” Falduto said. “I knew that I would never deny being gay for the sake of being a successful country music artist but I simultaneously felt as though I had to be careful how I presented myself. How much of my queerness would be acceptable amongst the audience I’m trying to reach? I found familiarity in navigating what might be too much or too little because that’s what I used to do when I was younger to survive. Thanks to continual internal work and the external influence of trailblazers like Kacey Musgraves, Orville Peck, Lil Nas X, TJ Osborne, Brandi Carlile and Ty Herndon, I now know what’s possible in this genre — and in life — when you put the rule book down for a minute and dare to be yourself boldly. I refuse to play a game I wasn’t picked for or follow a formula that wasn’t built for me.
“I think this album is a testament to who I am now in that I was able to let myself just have fun with it because I’m finally grounded in who I am,” Falduto added. “There is an undeniable fulfillment I get from telling my stories through song. I hope Gay Country can offer a space for fellow queer country fans to connect with themselves .. and each other!”
Listen to songs from Falduto’s debut album below, with Falduto’s reflection on each track:
Hottest Guy Here
“I’ve always wanted to write a country music revenge song - all the best ones are. This song is based on an actual situation I was in, where a guy I was talking to at a bar lost interest in me but, oddly, when he walked away, remembered his drink but left his wallet. I thought, ‘Hmm, you left your wallet but you took your beer - that’s a country song!’ I went about writing this playful little track describing what would happen if I then took his wallet and bought everyone drinks. It’s pure fun and not something I’d ever do but whatever…Carrie Underwood probably wouldn’t dig her key into the side of a car either.”
Same Old Country Love Song
“I’ve always wondered what it would have been like if smack dab in the middle of the latest Rascal Flatts and Jo Dee Messina hits, a song came on the radio that I didn’t have to search for myself in but that normalized who I was. ‘Same Old Country Love Song’ does just that. For the video, I really stepped out of my comfort zone. I think it’s a testament to how much I’ve grown as I finally let myself step into this playful artistic space. I remember I used to feel silly saying that country queens like Shania Twain, Dolly Parton, and Carrie Underwood were my influences because I didn't think that was an answer I should give as a boy. But I don’t care anymore. They are my influences. If someone wants to call me the gay Shania Twain, I wouldn’t be mad about it!”
Big Boys Club
“‘Big Boys Club’ is a commentary on the dating scene in gay culture but it's delivered through the Trojan horse of a country song that contains many of the stereotypical sounds & themes you'd expect from the genre. It has a similar energy to Blake Shelton's ‘Boys Round Here’ as far as the tone of the song goes--but it's gay! We even went so far as to include some baseball references throughout. If you weren't paying attention, you might be surprised to find out that it's actually a celebration of a deeper queer love that questions the limiting hetero and homo-normative dating constructs that have left a lot of us feeling unfulfilled.”
Skip the Step
“‘Skip the Step’ is based on a conversation I had in therapy once. I was stuck in a hard place trying to move on from some relational pain, AND I was doing everything I knew how to do in order to process that pain: journaling, talking about it, meditating, traveling. Then one day it finally hit me: I needed to FEEL my pain, not just process it. It's an emotional song at its core but it's delivered as one of most rockin' tunes on the album. It's very high energy; very crank it up and roll your windows down and let it out - it's fun! I had to fight to get this song with a key change included on the album because I was told, ‘there aren't key changes in country music anymore’ and ‘country radio would never play this.’ Mainstream country radio isn't playing music from queer artists anyway so why would I follow a formula that's designed to leave me out? If anything, it just made me want to include a key change more.”
When Your Home Don’t Feel Like Home
“Country music is full of songs about how great home is or about love for hometowns, but when you grow up queer, that's not always the experience. When you're queer, it's often your chosen family in adulthood where you feel most at home. So, while I'm already questioning the genre's constructs with this project, I thought why not flip one more trope on its head. This song draws on personal experience as well as countless stories I heard while counseling youth for the Trevor Project for two years; it's written for anyone whose home didn't feel like home--whether just at times or always.”
Kiss You Back
“I wrote this song a long time ago--much earlier than the rest of the songs on the project, but I felt that it matched the tone of what we're doing here and decided to include it. The hook sings, ‘If you kissed me, I would kiss you back, but I'm not gonna kiss you first,’ and while it's not the most mature or healthy approach to dating, I think it's something relatable because we can all be a bit gamey when there's a chance of getting hurt. Relationships are inherently vulnerable and risky in that way.”
Slow Down Town
“This song is my love letter to Nashville! Nashville is where I was stranded during the height of the pandemic. Not only did I spend three extra months in a slower-paced city than the hustle and bustle of New York, but the condition of the world slowed things down even more. That time was challenging and scary but it also offered many introspective moments of discovery that I'll be forever grateful for.”
When Your Home Don’t Feel Like Home (Stripped)
“I love the full band version of this track but I also wanted to share the version that I perform live because it provides a moment of stillness that's refreshing. I also think it brings the listener more directly into the emotional place from which this song was written.”