Zach Bryan feels more creatively fulfilled after giving up alcohol.
The 30-year-old music star has opened up about his sobriety journey, revealing what led him to quit alcohol.
Zach said on his YouTube channel: “I always thought sobriety was a joke because it’s people who couldn’t control themselves celebrating not being able to control themselves. When I was drinking a lot, I thought, ‘Why can’t you control yourself?’ I never realised I had a problem.”
Zach recognised the extent of his drinking issues amid a month-long motorcycle trip from New York to Los Angeles.
The musician – who originally intended to share the journey with friends – spent much of his time drinking alone in bars.
He recalled: “I was stopping at all these bars and drinking myself to sleep. Waking up every morning, getting on my motorcycle thinking I was on some sort of soul journey.”
Zach’s ultimate turning point arrived in Seattle, where he contemplated whether the effort of his trip was even worth it.
He explained: “After all this beautiful scenery, all these nights, all these bars I’ve been to, all this s*** that I’ve done, I was at this Pilot truck stop right outside of Seattle. I’ll never forget this for as long as I live.
“I go into this Pilot and I grab a 40 Budweiser and I’m sitting on the curb with my motorcycle in front of me. I’m drinking [the beer] and I’m thinking ‘What the hell was all that worth? Why did I do any of that? I feel emptier than when I left.’”
Zach subsequently quit drinking and he believes that it’s helped his music career.
The country star explained that he’s rediscovered his love of songwriting.
He shared: “Quitting drinking has been really great. I’ve had a lot of fun.
“I enjoy writing again, I haven’t felt [like this] since I was 17. I feel like a kid again. I wake up and I’m ready to go, I want to jump in the pond. I want to play with the dog. I want to do everything.”