Denton County Living Well Magazine Summer 2015 | Page 9

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Singer/songwriter Kristian Bush remains
determined to take country music by storm––again.

By Tricia Despres
ll Kristian Bush is trying to do is make a good impression.

“The teachers certainly know when you are a single dad,” laughs the country music singer/songwriter from the home he shares with his 12-year-old son Tucker and his fashion conscious 9-yearold daughter Camille. “I wanted my daughter to be proud of me so I’ve started watching these
YouTube videos about how to do hairstyles on girls. My daughter has super fine, super straight
hair, just like me. But last night, we pinned her hair up after her shower and when she woke up,
she had curls. Or at least she had curls long enough for the teachers to see it in the carpool line.”
Bush chuckles yet again, but there is an unspoken understanding that life hasn’t
been just about pin curls as of late. In fact, the struggles of the platinum-selling superstar best known as half of country duo Sugarland has been well-documented.
First there was the Indiana State Fair tragedy in which a sudden storm and a resulting stage collapse at a Sugarland concert in 2011 killed seven. Just a few short months later, Bush found

himself in the middle of a divorce with his
wife of 12 years. And then, he received the
news that his Sugarland band mate Jennifer
Nettles wanted a break to pursue Broadway
and motherhood––and a solo music career.
“It’s been hard all the way around,” Bush says
quietly. “Let’s just say it’s been a challenge.
The thing that has made it better has always
been the kids. No matter what, their lives were
still happening. I couldn’t give up because of
them…and I couldn’t give up on the music.”

THE MUSIC TIME

Indeed, the music remains and just might be better than anything Bush has created thus far in his
more than 20-year career. First breaking into the
music scene in 1994 as half of folk-rock duo Billy
Pilgrim, Bush’s debut solo album Southern Gravity has been called a “joyous” collection of songs
that pushes the traditional country barriers while still remaining true to the sound that made
Bush famous. “Every single song on this album is a wish,” says Bush, who reached the top
20 on the charts with his leadoff single Trailer Hitch. “I’d be the first person to testify with my
hand raised high in the air that songs can be wishes. I’ve done it before and they have sold
millions of copies. It’s hard to believe how powerful songs can be if they are actual wishes.”
His current single Light Me Up might be Bush’s wish of late, telling the stor 䁽