Nashville Shooting: Musician Calls for Country Music to Confront Gun Culture

Country musician Ketch Secor, founding member of the Grammy Award-winning band Old Crow Medicine Show, has issued a call for the country music community to lead a national conversation on gun reform. Following the mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, Secor authored an opinion piece for The New York Times and recorded a new song addressing the violence. His advocacy highlights the unique position country artists hold in influencing cultural attitudes toward firearms in the United States.

Personal Connection to the Tragedy

The catalyst for Secor’s public stance was the shooting at the Covenant School on March 27, 2023. The incident resulted in the deaths of three nine-year-old students and three adult staff members. Secor’s connection to the event was multifaceted, serving as a parent, a school administrator, and a local musician. He co-founded the Episcopal School of Nashville in 2016, where his own children, aged nine and 11, were students.

In an interview with CNN’s The Assignment with Audie Cornish, Secor described the immediate impact of the news on the local community. He recounted receiving a text message from his school attorney on the morning of the shooting with a prayer hand emoji, signaling the gravity of the situation before details were confirmed. Secor noted that while his school did not go into lockdown, adjacent schools did, creating a somber atmosphere during parent pickup lines.

It’s your kids. It’s someone else’s kids. You know, the head of school was murdered. The connections between our school are very present, and it’s as a community member in Nashville, this shocking realization. Oh, this thing that happens in other towns has come to our town.

Ketch Secor

Call for Industry Action

On April 5, 2023, Secor published an op-ed in The New York Times titled Country Music Can Lead America Out of its Obsession with Guns. In the piece, he urged fellow musicians to speak candidly to their audiences about gun culture. According to CBC Radio, Secor specifically called on country musicians to oppose assault-style rifles. He argued that the genre has a unique opportunity to bring together the demographics capable of influencing legislative changes, such as red flag laws.

Secor contrasted his response with other figures in the industry, noting that some mainstream artists have remained silent or maintained a status quo regarding gun culture. He described silence from artists as complicity. While acknowledging that contemporary country music often serves as a safe space avoiding political divisiveness, Secor argued that the genre must evolve to address current realities.

Country music has a great destiny in these times to swing out past the fences that have corralled it in so tightly. That I believe in this genre. And I believe that it has the power to carry that truth.

Ketch Secor

Louder Than Guns

As part of his response, Secor wrote and recorded a new song titled Louder Than Guns. He stated that he recorded the track shortly after the shooting. The lyrics focus on the grief of the community and the insufficiency of passive responses to violence. Secor performed portions of the song during his interview, emphasizing the need for vocal advocacy over silence.

Thoughts and prayers ain’t enough. Louder than guns. More powerful than bullets flying. Is the voice rising up saying it’s about time to put the last nail in the coffin, put the last body in the ground, calling on every town, shout.

Ketch Secor, Lyrics from Louder Than Guns

Search results from 2025 indicate that Secor continued this work by producing a documentary also titled Louder Than Guns, focusing on America’s gun violence issue. This suggests a long-term commitment to the cause beyond the immediate aftermath of the 2023 shooting. In early 2026, podcasts continued to feature Secor calling for artists to oppose assault rifles, indicating the persistence of his campaign.

Cultural Context and History

Secor addressed the historical relationship between country music and firearms, noting that songs often reference hunting or family heirloom rifles rather than modern assault weapons. He argued that this nostalgia allows listeners to avoid confronting the reality of current gun violence. He compared the potential shift in gun culture to the South’s evolution regarding other symbols, such as the Confederate flag.

He also highlighted Nashville’s historical role as a bellwether for social change. Secor pointed to the city’s involvement in the civil rights movement and women’s suffrage as evidence that progressive action can originate in the region despite state-level political opposition. He expressed hope that Nashville could lead a response to the school shooting epidemic, leveraging the influence of its music community.

This is the part of the death knell of the old South, which is going to have to change. You know, 50 years from now I think we’re going to be looking back at these couple of years as the deciding time for a assault weapons ban in the United States.

Ketch Secor

Secor acknowledged the risks artists face when engaging in political activism, referencing historical precedents where musicians faced professional consequences for their stances. However, he noted that some chart-topping artists had already participated in benefit concerts supporting the Covenant School. He maintained that while the movement was in its infancy, the presence of major performers indicated a willingness to engage.

Through his advocacy, Secor aims to bridge the divide between different cultural silos. He described himself as someone who moves freely between different audiences, including those who display NRA stickers on their trucks while listening to his music. His message remains focused on the safety of children and the responsibility of the community to effect change through legislation and cultural shifts.