Brent Smith Explains Why Shinedown Pulled Out Of Kid Rock’s Rock The Country Festival

Shinedown frontman Brent Smith has opened up about the band’s decision to withdraw from Kid Rock’s Rock The Country festival, saying tensions around the event reached a point they hadn’t experienced before.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Smith said, “We saw infighting that we had never seen before, and for us, it was our job to diffuse it.

“I just want to remind everybody, it says the ‘United States of America’ — united,” he added. “And a lot of people right now don’t feel united.”

Backlash On Both Sides

Smith admitted stepping away didn’t silence critics:

“There were certain people that were not happy about [pulling back],” he said. “I will say that there was an overwhelming amount of people that agreed with the decision.… You’re entitled to your opinion 1,000 percent in this country, and that’s one of the beautiful things about it.”

The controversy began after Shinedown signed on to the 2026 edition of Rock The Country, a festival launched by Kid Rock, while not explicitly political, the event has drawn scrutiny over perceived political undertones.

Drummer Barry Kerch previously said the band received heavy pushback once political conversations intensified. “There’s been tons. The knives come out when they don’t like it, especially now politically. And we are an apolitical band. But the knives have come out. It’s crazy,” he told The Vinyl Road podcast.

Kerch also claimed he initially did not realise the festival was Kid Rock’s project, adding, “I don’t care. I’m just gonna go play a show. I really, really don’t care. You can keep your politics to yourself. I have no opinion one way or the other on Kid Rock. I love his music. This is about music.” (per Blabbermouth)

A Band Built On Democracy

Shinedown have long described themselves as a democratic unit, with decisions made collectively, the withdrawal, according to Smith, was less about politics and more about preventing further division.

In a climate where festival line-ups can quickly become flashpoints, Shinedown chose to step back rather than add fuel.

Follow me on Facebook: