Brad Paisley Wants to Use Visual Album to Help Fans Connect to Songs

When Brad Paisley told his label, Arista Nashville, that he wanted to turn his newly released Love and War record in a visual album, executives were skeptical that he could actually pull it off. It took 18 months and a lot of hard work, but Paisley did it -- and he says there was an important reason that drove him.

"The album as an art form is dying. We can see that every week," Paisley explained at a private screening of Love and War in Nashville. "But it’s still my favorite way to make music. I have more to say than one song at a time."

Paisley's desire to connect with his fans on a more personal level -- and have them connect to his songs more deeply -- birthed his idea for a visual album. From the tear-jerking "Today" video to the tender clip for "Gold All Over the Ground," written from a Johnny Cash poem, Paisley used each music video to help fans understand each song in a more meaningful way.

"I want people to love these [songs] as much as I do," Paisley explains. "I want people to come to a concert and want to hear some of these, and not just things they’ve heard on the radio over and over.

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"For me, all throughout my career, I’ve loved the video process; I’ve loved the process of film-making. So me and my team of guys that are all experts at this, we sat around and said, ‘What if we could make this album something that resonates on a deeper level for people, and they won’t miss it?’ Anything that keeps them from missing the work we did, that’s what you want as an artist; you want people to hear it," Paisley continues. "I want people to say, ‘This is my song for this reason,’ whatever that may be. So that’s what drives me."

Although Paisley is unsure how exactly Love and War will be received, even if it isn't a commercial success, he's still proud of the finished product.

"I always get really nervous when we’re releasing an album. I’m nervous about the response," Paisley concedes. "I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s a thing called Twitter, and sometimes, they’re not perfect on there. As well as the fact that, like I said, it’s dwindling returns as you make these. I wrote a letter to my kids and basically said, ‘I don’t really care about how successful you are. If you believe in something this much, I’ll be proud of you.’"

Love and War, which features collaborations with Timbaland, Mick Jagger, John Fogerty and Bill Anderson, is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes.

See Pics From Brad Paisley's Love and War Release Concert at Tootsie's

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