Florida Georgia Line Delivers the Answers
Music and cars have always gone hand in hand. It’s a relationship that musicians and auto enthusiasts both cherish. Known for their chart-topping singles like Cruise and H.O.L.Y., Florida Georgia Line is a band that routinely ties their passion for trucks in with their music. With nearly 26 million tracks sold, the band has solidified itself as one of the strongest music duos to break out of the modern country music scene.
Band vocalists Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley have used their distinctive and powerful voices to merge country, rock, pop and hip-hop together. With a band as unique as theirs, Nitto Tire knew they would be the perfect partner to team up with for something truly special. As title sponsor of FGL’s 2016 summer concert tour, Nitto would make some noise of its own this year with the launch of the all-new Ridge Grappler. Landing somewhere between Nitto’s ultimate mud-terrain radial, the Trail Grappler, and its jack-of-all-trades Terra Grappler G2 all-terrain, the Ridge Grappler is a hybrid tire that refuses to be limited by a single category.
So what do you do when you love your fans and enthusiasts that enjoy your products? You say "thank you" by giving them this one-of-a-kind F-150. This was not a run-of-the-mill F-150, but rather a fully customized 2015 Ford F-150 Crew Cab 4x4 pickup truck. Powered by a twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine, the cutting-edge four-wheel-drive was the perfect platform to showcase some of the latest off-road components. The build was something that reflects the passion and creativity of Nitto and Florida Georgia Line.
When it comes to true truck enthusiasts, FGL is the real deal. In fact, both Hubbard and Kelley drive lifted trucks on 35s themselves. This made the decision to equip the F-150 with a 35x12.50R20 Ridge Grappler an easy one. Just like the band, the Ridge Grappler is breaking boundaries and refuses to be confined to a single category.
We recently caught up with the band for a quick Q&A, and this is what they had to say:
Florida Georgia Line has done a great job of mixing music and trucks together. The automobile and music certainly have a long history. Why do you think that is?
Tyler Hubbard: There is nothing better than cruising around in your truck, car or motorcycle and jamming to your favorite tunes!
How has being a truck enthusiast influenced your music over the years?
Brian Kelly: We write, record and sing about our lives. We love trucks, fast cars and riding four-wheelers, which organically seems to find a way into our music.
Who do you listen to when you're driving?
TH: This changes all the time, but there is always some Wiz Khalifa and Lil’ Wayne mixed in there!
What's your funniest car story or memory?
TH: My funniest memory is when I went by my best friend Bradley’s house after school, and at the time had a Toyota 4x4 pickup. We got stuck in the mud and had to get the tractor to pull us out!
All-time favorite car or truck?
BK: Definitely my first ride, a black 1996 two-door Chevrolet Tahoe. My dad located it in 2002 when I was a sophomore in high school in central Florida. It was owned at the time by a professional baseball player, who was only using it a couple months out of the year — if that. Dad worked his magic and got a really good deal. Since it was already broken in perfect, it felt like ‘the Chevy Gods’ were smiling down on me saying it’s supposed to be mine!
What's next for Florida Georgia Line?
TH: We'll be out on the road continuing the Dig Your Roots tour through the end of the year and into 2017.
What's one thing your fans should know about you both that you think they don't already know?
BK: It’s hard to pick one thing. As writers and artists, we’re constantly creating, evolving, and we’re just scratching the surface of showing fans who we are. We’ve been able to show a part of us on the first two albums, but there are so many sides to Tyler and I. This album gave us the chance to peel back another layer and let everyone see more.
Bigfoot or Gravedigger?
BK: Bigfoot, for sure!
Will we ever see a FGL monster truck?
TH: That would be pretty amazing. Thanks for the great idea! Maybe someday that will happen…
