4 hours ago
3
Country singer-songwriter Eric Church went on record to defend Bruce Springsteen’s right to free speech in the wake of The Boss’ fiery speeches lambasting Donald Trump’s and his second term’s policies.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Church said he saw Springsteen and the E Street Band perform in Manchester on his “Land of Hope and Dreams Tour,” but revealed he couldn’t quite make out his political musings at first: “I was side stage when that was going on, and frankly, I couldn’t hear very well… I saw some of it after the fact.”
But Church supported Springsteen’s ability to speak out on issues he believes are important to him. “Bruce, he’s earned the right to say and do what he wants. It could have been about hunger, it could have been apartheid. I respect the hell out of somebody having the balls to do something like that,” he stated. “If you’re Bruce Springsteen, at 75 years old, if that’s what floats your boat, then you should do that. I was just ready to hear ‘Chimes of Freedom'” (the Bob Dylan song which Springsteen has been covering to close his shows as of late).
Church remained discreet about his own political leanings, but showed disdain at the idea of having to stick to one political party. “I have a problem with the political system where I believe things on both sides, but if I have to pick a party, it means that I can’t believe some of those things…the problem I have there is you have to pick a side and have to say the other side’s wrong because you’re under that flag. That’s total bullshit.”
Church also expressed disapproval at independent political labels. “I hate ‘independent,’ because it sounds like I can’t make up my mind. I bristle at that. But if you look at how broad these issues and topics are, I think there’s a small percentage of Americans that truly believe in 100 percent of a party’s platform. Most Americans go back and forth. I change my mind all the damn time.”
During Springsteen’s current European tour, The Boss has repeatedly railed against Trump’s administration. In response, Trump has threatened to bar Springsteen’s return to the US, and said he would launch an investigation into him and other musicians who supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Since then, several other artists have come out in support of Springsteen, including Eddie Vedder, Tom Morello, and Bono. Despite everything, The Boss seemingly remains unbothered, most recently dropping an anti-Trump EP featuring live recordings of his songs and speeches from the ongoing tour.
Church’s eighth album Evangeline vs. the Machine was released this May. Read our guide to find out how you can get tickets to see Eric Church live on his “Free the Machine” Tour. Tickets are available now (get tickets here).
English (US) · 