ABC/Randy HolmesIn both life and songwriting, Sam Hunt knows first-hand how important it is to be honest.

“You can’t fake it if you want to make it,” the singer reflects in a new interview with HITS Daily Double. “Some of that life you don’t wanna put out there, but it’s still a part of it.”

That’s why he didn’t try to keep it a secret when he got arrested for driving under the influence last November in Nashville.

“It happened,” the singer admits. “People in my camp were talking about suppressing it, but why would I be afraid to talk about it? If it happens, it’s true. I was raised and taught to respect [alcohol.] Moderation is important.”

Alcohol also plays a central role in country songwriting, but Sam says he tries to stay away from the tropes of drinking and partying hard in his own songs, in part because they don’t typically feel that true to his life.

“I’ve never wanted to glorify that,” he adds. “It’s a cheap trick in country music, and I’ve always wanted to avoid that. I don’t like using [drinking] as a party song; for me, that wouldn’t be honest. I’ve never been the guy who shotguns a beer. I know people who partake that way, and I wouldn’t want to shake my finger or look down on them.”

As for his 2019 DUI, Sam admits that that event was the result of poor decision-making.

“I should’ve been more conscious, but I wasn’t. So I take responsibility,” he says.

By Carena Liptak
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