Kane Brown Says His Family Helped Him Out of a ‘Dark Place’ During Quarantine
The COVID-19 pandemic and its global shutdowns posed or exacerbated mental health challenges for many, and Kane Brown is no exception. In a new clip from his Today's Country Radio With Kelleigh Bannen interview that previewed on People, the singer opens up about the challenges he faced in quarantine, and how his family helped him pull through during those difficult times.
"During quarantine when COVID and all that happened, I was in a very dark place," the singer shares with show host Kelleigh Bannen, adding that both he and his wife Katelyn struggle with different mental health challenges.
"I go through depression and she goes through anxiety, so we're perfect for each other," Brown continues.
When pandemic shutdowns began impacting the U.S. in early 2020, Brown, like most country superstars, was in the midst of a rigorous touring schedule. Immediately, his entire calendar was wiped clean, and he found himself at home, unsure of when he'd next be able to play shows, co-write songs in person or spend time with his friends.
"It was just, you know, not being able to do shows, not being able to release music, not being able to be creative and write music because we weren't having conversations or leaving the house," he details. "So I couldn't think of anything to write about. Just wondering if any of this is ever going to stop. I'm a worrier."
Brown found a shift in perspective, though, when he thought about his family: Katelyn, as well as the couple's then-infant daughter, Kingsley Rose. (They have since welcomed another daughter, Kodi Jane.)
"So I finally just was like, 'I've got a beautiful family.,'" the singer recalls. "I go outside and look [at] my pool. I never had a pool growing up as a kid and I was just like, 'I'm so grateful. Life's grand.'"
Funnily enough, it was letting go of these anxieties that allowed Brown to find his creative spark again. That moment of looking out at his pool and reflecting on his family life inspired his song, "Grand," which appears on the track list of his recently-released Different Man album.
Elsewhere on that project's tracklist, Brown duets with his wife on "Thank God," a long-awaited husband-and-wife duet that spotlights both their love story and Katelyn's powerful, R&B-tinged voice.