Why Brandon Lake's Mom Was 'Heartbroken' When He Quit Sports for Music

Nov. 23First of all, what you see is exactly what he was from the very beginning. Brandon was full of life," Cindy Lake says. "It was a great thing. I remember my mom one day telling me — she said, 'Cindy, don't you realize that Brandon never stops?' And I said, 'Well, isn't that what he's supposed to be like?'"

John Shearer/Getty Brandon Lake in Nashville in June 2025

John Shearer/Getty Brandon Lake in Nashville in June 2025

Then, Brandon, 35, says that his love for music flourished when he was in Sunday school and saw a kid playing guitar. From there, he started playing for his youth group.

"When you came to us and said you didn't want to do sports anymore, that you wanted to pursue playing music, we were heartbroken," his mom says in the clip. "We just thought, 'No! Because we loved going to all the ball games.'"

Once he decided to focus on music, the "Gratitude" singer says he had a few teachers but he largely taught himself. His main influences were Christian music and country music: "That honestly formed my musical palette early on," he says,

At the end of the clip, Brandon performs a snippet of his song "Honey in the Rock" with a band and a small audience gathered around.

Brandon is the latest artist to be featured on Songline, which is a series that offers an intimate look at an artist's songwriting process and artistic journey. More artists who've been featured on Songline are Ed Sheeran, Maren Morris and HARDY.Brandon is currently on the road for his King of Hearts tour, which will wrap for the year on Nov. 23. Then, the tour will pick back up in March 2026.

The tour is in support of his latest record, King of Hearts, which he released in April.

"I’m not sure if I knew who this record was for when I started writing it, but as the songs came the more I realized it was not for the seemingly put together, but rather those who are honest about their brokenness, but also have a desire to connect with their creator and experience Him in everyday life," Lake wrote on Instagram after the album's release.

Adding, "This creator is King of the universe, King of Nations, King of creation, but none more important than King of hearts. ♥️"