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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIn their 2024 Musicians on Musicians conversation, Bruce Springsteen and Zach Bryan describe songwriting as a way to turn lived experience into music—while differing in how they talk about country, family, and the United States. Bryan says he loves country but wants to be known first as a songwriter; Springsteen reflects on the country influences in his own work and on the long road to trusting his songs.
Two different paths to trusting the songs
The conversation was recorded in late April 2024, while Bryan was working on what became The Great American Bar Scene. Warner Records announced the feature on October 16; the accompanying Rolling Stone All Access podcast episode appeared on October 17 and is listed at 26 minutes. Rolling Stone Australia published the full interview on December 3, 2024. Those dates mark separate stages of the conversation, not the date it was recorded.
Bryan recalls writing after Navy friends’ nights out. Back in his barracks room, he would write about the people and experiences he had not had time to talk through. He says he never expected to become a songwriter because he doubted his ability.
Springsteen describes a different timeline: he did not feel confident that his songs were good until he was about 22 or 23, while working on material for his first album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Their careers were not the same, but both accounts link uncertainty with continuing to write. Springsteen puts the difficulty plainly: “Songwriting’s hard.”
Country music without a limiting label
Bryan is explicit that he loves country music. He also names other artists he likes, including Kings of Leon and Jason Isbell, and says he does not want “a country musician” to be a boundary around his work. “I want to be a songwriter,” he tells Springsteen. That is a preference about how he is described, not a rejection of country.
Springsteen recognizes country in Bryan’s music and performances, saying, “There’s a lot of country in it.” He also describes his own relationship with the genre as something that developed through listening and songwriting. Around Bryan’s age, Springsteen says, he began listening to Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. He traces those influences in his account of songs and records including “The River,” Darkness on the Edge of Town, and Nebraska.
Why Nebraska matters to both artists
Bryan names Nebraska as his favorite record. Springsteen recalls making it during a period when he wanted to slow down and save studio expense; he says it was made at the same time as Born in the U.S.A. In the interview, the album becomes a way to discuss pace and artistic choice, not simply a landmark in Springsteen’s catalog.
Springsteen advises Bryan to listen to his inner voice. Bryan, whose rise and output had moved quickly, says he wanted to slow down and focus his work. The exchange is specific to their circumstances: it is about the choices each artist was weighing, rather than a universal formula for managing a career.
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Springsteen’s later history reinforces that country remained part of his musical life, though it was not part of this 2024 conversation. In a May 14, 2025 announcement, he described Somewhere North of Nashville, a 12-song collection released within Tracks II: The Lost Albums. Recorded during sessions for The Ghost of Tom Joad in 1995, the material drew on honky-tonk, rockabilly, and uptempo country. Springsteen said the country songs and The Ghost of Tom Joad material were made in overlapping sessions.
Family, memory, and the material of songs
Both musicians describe family as part of what they write about, but in distinct ways. Springsteen says his father’s pain and his mother’s life informed his work. Bryan explains that he released DeAnn for his late mother, hoping the songs would keep her name alive. Their comments frame songwriting as a form of remembrance rooted in their own family histories.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What they said about America
Their comments about the country are personal reflections from the 2024 interview, not a shared political statement. Springsteen expresses hope that the United States can move beyond its division, while acknowledging uncertainty about whether it will. Bryan describes the country as changing over time: “I think America ebbs and flows, and it always has.” He emphasizes gratitude for living in a free country and respect for people from different backgrounds.
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