Open Book with Jenna Featuring Zac Brown

Summary

Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Special Episode: Open Book with Jenna Featuring Zac Brown
Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Jenna Bush Hager (substituting for Willie Geist)
Guest: Zac Brown
Main Theme: Zac Brown discusses his upcoming album Love and Fear, the band's ambitious residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, and his creative process.

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Episode Overview

In this special premiere of "Open Book with Jenna," Jenna Bush Hager sits down with Zac Brown, frontman of the Zac Brown Band and three-time Grammy winner. The discussion dives deep into Brown's major new artistic chapter: his album Love and Fear, the immersive Sphere residency in Las Vegas, and his unwavering commitment to crafting art without limits. Brown discusses embracing vulnerability, sharing his redemption story, collaborating with unique artists, and reinventing live music on a spectacular scale.

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Key Discussion Points

1. The Scope and Vision of the Sphere Residency

[00:40 - 04:38]

• Major Life and Career Changes:

  • Zac reflects on sending his daughter off to college, calling it "bittersweet."
  • Mentions how he’s juggled parenthood with an intensive 3-year writing process for Love and Fear.

• The Sphere Experience:

  • “The show at Sphere has been my baby for the last 14 months, making all the content, you know, you're only limited by your imagination and your budget.” (Zac Brown, [00:53])
  • Brown shares the immense effort put into every creative aspect: "I've been putting literally every bit of resource and time and energy and everything into this album and into what we're going to do there. Because what we're going to do there is not what people might expect." (Zac Brown, [01:06])
  • He describes the show as a highly personal "hero’s journey," sharing stories and struggles never before revealed.

2. Exploring the Album’s Core Themes: Love and Fear

[02:28 - 03:33]

• Conceptual Foundation:

  • Jenna frames "love and fear" as opposite drives for human action, to which Zac responds, "Every decision you make can be based on one of those two things. So that's really my guiding force in my life." (Zac Brown, [02:37])
  • He expresses a commitment to making choices rooted in love, not fear, despite inevitable criticism.

• Art and Authenticity:

  • Zac emphasizes the need for extraordinary effort to do something extraordinary: "If you know who you are, if you have something to say and you want to do something extraordinary, it requires an extraordinary effort." (Zac Brown, [02:52])
  • He discusses his passion for art and the decision to collaborate with visual artists to create bespoke elements for the show.

3. Collaboration with Artist Luis Marcoja

[03:33 - 04:38]

• Discovering and Partnering with Marcoja:

  • Brown tells the story of connecting with Luis Marcoja, Salvador Dali’s former protégé:
    • "I ended up finding one of his paintings. And I was like, who is this guy?...He’s super eclectic, but super gifted." (Zac Brown, [03:28])
  • Marcoja has painted original oil pieces inspired by the album’s songs, which will come alive in the show.

• Immersive Visual Storytelling:

  • The performance will feature cinematic and surreal visuals, including scenes of Zac himself underwater with sharks, performing stunts, and using high-tech cameras, all in pursuit of making the show uniquely memorable.

4. The DIY Ethic and Ambition Behind the Project

[04:38 - 06:00]

• Independence:
  • "We're doing this fully independent. Like, we're not using a record label. We're doing everything in house and everything in the sphere you have to do yourself." (Zac Brown, [04:44])
• Creative Control:
  • Brown details overseeing every aspect—visuals, wardrobe, choreography, lighting, staging—and reflects on the enormous workload.
  • "This is the greatest, like, mountain of work I've ever had to do. But it's super fulfilling." (Zac Brown, [04:56])
• Financial and Creative Risks:
  • Explains the high stakes of the Sphere residency: "You can't tour before that...you have to invest all the money to do it, but it's all a worthy cause." (Zac Brown, [05:53])

5. Zac Brown’s Creative Curiosity

[06:00 - 06:55]

• Jenna's Insight:
  • She highlights Zac's intensity as a student of every project, calling him a “real student, it feels like” for the depth and devotion he shows.
• Self-Description:
  • Zac proudly admits, "I'm a rabbit hole guy, you know, anything that I'm learning about, I want to do a full deep dive and that goes into everything." (Zac Brown, [06:17])
  • He shares hobbies like knife-making and spearfishing, rarely discussed, illustrating his wide-ranging passions.
  • Ultimately, Brown considers himself a fan first: "I'm a music fan first and so what...do I want that experience to be if I'm a fan in the show and getting to see it and working backwards from that experience. So this is our masterpiece so far." (Zac Brown, [06:51])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ambition and Vulnerability:
  “All the struggles that we go through as humans at the time are really hard, but those are the things that kind of define who we are and make us resilient, give us our character, our strength, help us find that code that we live by. And that's what the show's about. So it’s just really about just the hero’s journey that we all have in life. But I’m sharing my personal details of it, which I never have before.”
  — Zac Brown ([01:46])

• On the Creative Process:
  “We needed something, we needed a spectacle to kind of show our dedication to our craft.”
  — Zac Brown ([02:56])

• On Artistic Collaboration:
  “I get to know the artists that are creating things...So I had to make an original oil painting of the songs based on the content and that surrealistic kind of a style.”
  — Zac Brown ([03:41])

• On Independence:
  "We're doing this fully independent...And this is the greatest, like, mountain of work I've ever had to do. But it’s super fulfilling."
  — Zac Brown ([04:44])

• On Curiosity and Mastery:
  "I'm a hyper curious person. So with this...thinking about and I'm a music fan first...this is our masterpiece so far.”
  — Zac Brown ([06:17], [06:51])

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Key Segment Timestamps

• 00:40 — Zac Brown on Sphere show, family, and the making of Love and Fear
• 01:46 — Defining the personal and universal “hero’s journey” told in the show
• 02:37 — How “love and fear” guide every creative and life decision
• 03:28 — The story of discovering and collaborating with artist Luis Marcoja
• 04:44 — Why the project is fully independent (no record label) and the fulfillment of total creative control
• 05:53 — The financial and career risks of taking on the Sphere residency
• 06:17 — Zac describes his deep-dive, obsessive approach to every passion, beyond music

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Tone & Flow

The episode is candid and conversational, imbued with Zac Brown’s heartfelt passion for his craft and Jenna’s curiosity and warmth. Brown’s energy oscillates between the intensity of a craftsman and the vulnerability of a storyteller eager to connect with audiences both old and new.

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Summary Takeaway

Zac Brown’s upcoming Las Vegas Sphere residency and new album Love and Fear represent a daring leap—personally and artistically—into uncharted territory. Brown invites fans to experience not just his music, but an immersive narrative and visual journey crafted with uncompromising independence, deep artistry, and a reverence for authenticity. His story is a celebration of creative risk, curiosity, and leading with love, not fear.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, everyone, it's Jenna Bush Hager. You're about to hear a special preview of my podcast, Open Book with Jenna. Each episode I get to have inspiring conversations with celebrities, authors, fellow book lovers and more. And in the premiere episode of season three, I sit down with three time Grammy winning artist Zac Brown to talk about his upcoming album, Love and Fear, what fans can expect from the band's upcoming residency at the Las Vegas Sphere and his creative writing process. Here's Open Book with Jenna. Zach, I'm so happy you're here.

[B]

Me too. Thanks.

[A]

This has been a huge year for you and you've just announced something really cool. You're going to the Sphere, you have a bunch of shows. What's life like? What's life been like these days?

[B]

It's fun, you know, I got five kids, so just my first one's off to college, so that's bittersweet. But she's going to be close by and then creatively, you know, making this album, I've been writing for it for the last three years. It's called Love and Fear. And the show at Sphere is been my baby for the last 14 months, making all the content, you know, you're only limited by your imagination and your budget. And so we've. I've been putting literally every bit of resource and time and energy and everything into this album and into what we're going to do there. Because what we're going to do there is not what people might expect. And I'm really excited about it.

[A]

You say it's like kind of storytelling, like you're going to be telling a story of your life that people may not have heard or know for sure. I mean, I saw you too at the Sphere, which was amazing. But what does that mean for people that are wondering?

[B]

You know, I think all the things that we go through as human beings, I always try to think about when I hear something that is relatable. It's like that relates to me but could also relate to anyone else. So I try to write about things like that, whether it's just like having fun or if it's deep things about family and about reflection and about things. So, you know, all the struggles that we go through as humans at the time are really hard, but those are the things that kind of define who we are and make us resilient, give us our character, our strength, help us find that code that we live by. And that's what the show's about. So it's just really about just the hero's journey that we all have in life. But I'm sharing my personal details of it, which I never have before.

[A]

And love and fear, to me, they're sort of on the two different ends of the spectrum.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Like, to lead with love is the opposite of leading with fear.

[B]

Every decision you make can be based on one of those two things. So that's really my guiding force in my life. I don't make my decisions based on being afraid of something. And I think these days, you know, you're going to be criticized for anything that you do. So you might as well own the things. If you know who you are, if you have something to say and you want to do something extraordinary, it requires an extraordinary effort. And that's the sphere. That's what this show is. And we needed something, we needed a spectacle to kind of show our dedication to our craft. And, you know, I'm a huge art collector as well, so we've used some really amazing art, had some art created for this show as well. There's a guy, Luis Marcoja, that I've been working with since the beginning of this sphere journey. He was Salvador Dali's protege in the 70s and was. Salvador died, he quit painting and he started again five or six years ago. And I ended up finding one of his paintings. And I was like, who is this guy? So I get to know him and he's super eclectic, but super gifted.

[A]

So you saw the art and you were like, I need to know more about this painter. And you've reached out.

[B]

I reached out to him. I did that a lot, actually. I get to know the artists that are creating things and you know my tastes and things. Like, you get a taste of it if you come see our show or one of those bands that you really have to see a show to understand. And all of my tastes in. In art and pulling on every human emotion that there is bringing it. So I had to make an original oil painting of the songs based on the content and that surrealistic kind of a style. And so we're bringing that artwork to life. And then I'm really involved with every single step of this, from wardrobe to being actually in the footage. So I've been a stuntman. I've been on stunt wires getting thrown in the air and slammed against walls and drug across the ground and, you know, diving, free diving. We had the 16k camera underwater swimming with sharks and whale sharks. And so it's going to be. It's. People are not going to expect what it is, but, you know, it's A. It's a redemption story and one that people can connect to on a human level. But it's a flex for us.

[A]

But it's a flex. And it's taken all of this hard work, like you. It is a. It matters to you. It's not just.

[B]

It does. Throwing something together because of it. The budget that we have to make the album and the album launch, and we're doing this fully independent. Like, we're not using a record label. We're doing everything in house and everything in the sphere you have to do yourself. You have to make all the visuals, you have to make the wardrobe, make the choreography, build the stage, build the lighting, and so the intention behind every single step of that. And this is the greatest, like, mountain of work I've ever had to do. But it's super fulfilling. And it's just about. We were almost there where we're about to get in. In rehearsals and see everything up there and stitch it together, and it's just a story together. So it's a. It's a real. It's a story that we're following throughout the thing. And I haven't seen anyone do that yet, so I've seen five shows there.

[A]

Did you see you too? I did, yeah.

[B]

That was their opening night.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Incredible.

[A]

It was pretty cool.

[B]

Everyone's done incredible things. There were moments and things that I wish I had a little bit more of as a fan.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so that's the, you know, adjustments that we're making for our show. So it's been great to see other people do it and, you know, be brave enough to go and take it on, you know, financially, time wise, everything. Because you can't tour before that, so. You can't.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You can't make any money through the year and then you have to invest all the money to do it, so. But it's all a worthy cause, you know, Like Teddy.

[A]

I saw Teddy right there staring at me. I was a little intimidated. There's something about you that I don't know, that everybody knows. Like, you're a real student. It feels like. Like you're studying this to make it. You've gone to five shows. But, like, in all aspects of the word.

[B]

Yeah, I'm a rabbit hole guy, you know, anything that I'm learning about, I want to do a full deep dive and that goes into everything. Like, I make knives. I've been doing that since I was about 18. You know, I free dive. I'm a spear fisherman. There's lots of things that I do that I don't really share that much, but I've tried to utilize the best of my ability and my curiosity. Like I'm a hyper curious person. So with this thinking about and I'm a music fan first and so what do what do I want that experience to be if I'm a fan in the show and getting to see it and working backwards from that experience. So this is our masterpiece so far.

[A]

I love that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Thanks for listening. Search Open Book with Jenna to listen to the rest of the conversation now and follow for all new episodes every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

With my job, I can't drink during the week. Weekends are a different story.

[A]

After eight hours of this, I have earned my wine. You know what I'm saying?

[B]

My family is a lot. It takes me four beers just to hang out with them. Binge drinking isn't all college kids doing cake stands. Oregonians in their 30s and 40s binge drink at close to the same rates as younger people, raising our risk for long term health problems. [e-mail] an OHA initiative.