Heavy/ABC "American Idol" judge and country star Luke Bryan
If the last two years have taught country superstar Luke Bryan anything, it’s that he “can survive” a jam-packed schedule. He’s grown accustomed to being constantly busy staging giant concert tours, performing residency shows in Las Vegas, judging “American Idol,” hosting major events like the “CMA Awards” and trying to squeeze in some family time
The trick to establishing a good “balance” between home and work in 2024, Bryan told Audacy’s Rob + Holly in a new interview, has been “brainwashing” his kids to like the same activities he does.
“I’ve done a really, really great job of brainwashing (my) children into doing exactly what I like to do,” he said, adding that they’re growing excited about all the “bucket list stuff” he has planned for 2024.
Here’s what you need to know:
Luke Bryan Says Last 2 Years Have Trained Him to Deal With Intense Schedule
In 2023, Bryan expressed worry that he had spread himself too thin to be around enough for his family, which includes wife Caroline and their boys, Bo, 15, and Tate, 13.
“I’m not really balancing it that well this year,” he told Entertainment Tonight in June, adding that he admitted as much to his wife. “I’m like, ‘Baby, this is a rough year, let’s just get through it and then we’ll find a boat and go to the Caribbean or something.’”
But by the time he chatted with Audacy’s Rob Stone and Holly Hutton, Bryan was singing a different tune.
“The past couple years of my life with ‘American Idol,’ Vegas, my tour dates and stuff put a lot on my plate and I’ve learned that I can survive it,” he told them. “It’s been like two years of Navy Seal training for me — but the main thing is a nice balance.”
Now that Bryan feels like he’s fine-tuned how to handle his intense work schedule, he wants to make sure any time he has with his family is spent doing the things they love together, including extravagant fishing trips.
“I’ve got a lot of crazy little things that we’ll try to check off the list as a family,” he said, but admitted that “sometimes I maybe plan too many things and sometimes it backfires.”
Luke Bryan Has Some Bucket List Trips on His Mind
One of the adventures Bryan said his boys are already clamoring to do, thanks to his so-called “brainwashing” techniques, is to repeat a trip he once took to the Amazon to fish for Peacock Bass.
Bryan told Rob+Holly, “I’ve done an Amazon Peacock Bass fishing trip. My children know that I’ve done it, and they want to go do it.”
“I’ve still got bucket list stuff and places I want to go and see and travel,” Bryan continued, adding that his biggest goal right now is “a New Zealand Brown Trout fishing trip.”
Another item on his bucket list, Bryan said, is “getting on, like, a horse and riding up into the Arctic Circle for two weeks and just, you know, going rugged.”
And the sooner the better, Bryan figures.
“You can’t be 75 and do all that kind of stuff,” he said. “You gotta do it now.”
But he’ll have to find spots in his packed schedule to make it happen. Bryan told Rob + Holly that though nothing has been officially announced, he will be going back on tour in 2024 and that he also hopes to write more songs and put out more music.
“My main thing is always trying to focus on writing songs,” he said. “Carving out enough time to write songs — and then making some albums and then having a nice balance.”