Kix Brooks has been around the country music scene for quite some time. And while some country old-timers are up in arms about the status of country today, he readily defends modern country.

Unlike Lucinda Williams, who says she can't stand current country production, or Merle Haggard who claims modern country doesn't carry enough substance, or Collin Raye, who states modern country is dumbed down, Brooks is speaking positively about artists and their music today.

"Obviously there's a lot of repetitiveness as far as lyrical content and melodic content," he tells Rolling Stone. "But I've been here 30 years now. Even at that time, the same exact conversation was going on that is going on now. People were complaining about [country] being too this or too that, or everything sounds the same. Any time you have something fresh, something new going on, there is always going to be pushback."

He adds, "I am in total defense of the amount of young people that are going to concerts. We've got Luke [Bryan] and Jason [Aldean] and Zac [Brown Band] selling stadiums! Hell, Ronnie [Dunn] and I never did that. Now we have four or five artists legitimately that can sell stadiums damn near anywhere. That is hard to argue with. You go to those shows and you see all these young people having a ball, singing every word. You go, 'Who would want to throw rocks at this? I mean, this is fun.'"

Brooks himself has pushed boundaries too, opting into additional ventures like a show on the Food Network, a winery, hosting his own radio show, and even starring in a movie which premiered in January. He's a man of many talents, and he's going to use them -- even if they aren't what a country artist would typically go after.

He believes there's something for every country fan, whether they lean traditionally or not. "Depending on what you're into, if it's Kasey Musgraves or Zac Brown, or great songs like 'I Drive Your Truck,' those songs are there. Those artists are there. And they are to be embraced. To me, there's something for everybody and, as always, the fans call the shots."

More From TheBoot