Southern rockers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant of the country duo Van Zant have teamed up once again. The Florida natives recently released “Always Look Up,” their first spiritually themed record debuting after a two-decade hiatus. After their smash hit “Get Right With the Man” in 2005, the duo took a break from touring and recording, releasing only one previously recorded live album in 2016.
The Top of Country Music
The Van Zant duo officially formed in the 1980s as a Southern rock group, but the brothers’ resumé is bigger than their duo. Donnie helped form the popular rock band .38 Special in 1974. Johnny has long provided vocals for Southern rock staple Lynyrd Skynyrd after the untimely passing of his brother Ronnie, the band’s lead singer. Ronnie lost his life in a plane crash in October 1977 that took the lives of other band members as well.
As the brothers worked on their individual projects, they also released music as a duo. In the late 1990s, they switched things up. Instead of strictly Southern rock, they began releasing country music and kicked off several years of nonstop recording and touring. Their 2005 single, “Get Right With the Man,” made them one of the country genre’s top acts. Two years later, their follow-up release, “My Kind of Country,” solidified them as a country music powerhouse.
But decades of constant traveling and a never-ending work schedule were causing burnout. Just as Van Zant climbed to the top of the country music mountain, they decided to take a break, vowing to only focus on music they were passionate about writing and releasing.
Between 2007 and 2024, the lone official project the brothers released was a 2016 live CD called “Red, White, and Blue (Live)” featuring a 2006 performance in Georgia while on the only tour they did together as Van Zant.
Deeply Personal Songs
“Always Look Up” comprises 12 songs that, according to the duo’s official website, “offer hope, faith, and unity in these challenging times.” While staying true to the Southern fried sound that has brought them so much success, the brothers also boldly and elegantly mix a hearty dose of Southern gospel into the mix.
One of the album’s singles, “Warrior,” speaks to the commitment one has in one’s spirituality even when facing great obstacles.
He’s my strength He is my song He’s my hope to carry on And even on my darkest night I see for miles in His light.
With uplifting harmonies and moving lyrics, the song has become one of the album’s popular tunes and acts as a mid-track-listing meditation as the band reflects on the power of prayer.“It’s Up to You” is an especially personal song for Johnny. He drew inspiration for the track from their father, Lacy Austin Van Zant (1915–2004), who often quoted scripture and talked to his sons about God as they grew up.
A Longtime Dream Come True
Johnny and Donnie still reside in Northeast Florida, an area that shaped their earliest musical days. Throughout their multi-decade careers, the brothers have experienced great triumph and loss. They view the “Always Look Up” album as a way to reconnect with their roots and make a record on their own terms.
For Donnie, the album is a longtime dream come true:
“This has been on our bucket list for some time. We’re big believers … and with ‘Always Look Up,’ we’re sharing that faith through our music.”
The brothers also view the project as a way to spiritually uplift others.
Donnie stated, “We’ve tried our very best to just write about truth, about people, about problems and situations and just try to be true to ourselves. ... We try to touch people emotionally and spiritually. If we can do that, I think we’ve done our jobs.”
