Morgan Wallen and Eric Church‘s shared appreciation for nature served as the main inspiration behind their latest collaboration.
The country music stars purchased the outdoors brand Field & Stream earlier this year and launched plans to revamp its magazine and website. The duo also announced plans for the inaugural Field & Stream Music Fest festival, which will take place in Winnsboro, South Carolina, this October.
“My grandfather always kept a few of his favorite issues on the dash of his truck, and I all but memorized the stories and pictures,” Church, 47, exclusively shares in the newest issue of Us Weekly. “It’s both an honor and a huge responsibility to be carrying on that legacy for future generations.”
It’s Church’s grandfather who sparked his love of nature. “My grandfather had 100 acres in North Carolina when I was growing up and that land was heaven to us kids,” he explains. “There’s something special about the Appalachia region and the majesty of those mountains — you can’t help but reflect in that environment.”
Wallen, 31, shares his fellow musician’s sentiment, telling Us, “Being outdoors is my favorite place to be. Life moves so fast, and nature forces me to slow down and be grateful for what God has created.”
Their shared attachment to the outdoors helped spark a friendship between the two musicians, who collaborated on the 2023 country track “Man Made A Bar.” Church and Wallen also share similarities as fathers and enjoy spending time outdoors with their kids. (Eric and his wife, Katherine Church, are parents to sons Boone McCoy, 12, and Tennessee “Hawk” Hawkins, 9. Wallen shares his son Indigo, 3, with his ex-girlfriend KT Smith.)
“[As a kid,] I spent a lot of time outside running around in open spaces,” Wallen tells Us. “I bought a farm with loads of land to give my son the same feeling — space to roam and fish and hunt. As he gets older, I can’t wait to do these things together.”
Church and Wallen announced their relaunch of Field & Stream, which was first established in 1871, in January. “It is both this responsibility to an American Icon and also to a young boy in his papaw’s truck that will be the compass that guides our steps,” Church captioned an Instagram video of him and Wallen fishing.
In an Instagram post of his own, Wallen wrote, “There’s nothin’ I love more than being with friends around a campfire, on a boat or in a deer stand – and Field & Stream represents all of those to me. Being part of its future is incredible and we want to keep bringing people together outdoors, makin’ memories, for generations to come.”
Church is set to perform at this year’s Field & Stream Music Fest along with some of music’s biggest stars, such as Lainey Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Riley Green, ZZ Top and more.
