Zac Brown Band kicked off its 2026 Love & Fear Tour this summer, giving fans a chance to experience Love & Fear — the group's eighth studio album, released Dec. 5, 2025 — in a live setting that goes beyond charts, streaming numbers, and short-form clips. Frontman Zac Brown said building an album that holds listeners' attention has grown more difficult in a market saturated with content. Brown described Love & Fear as a project built to exceed expectations, saying his own reaction to the finished work is the clearest measure of whether it succeeded. And I know if I get it to a point where I really love it, just as a fan of music, then that's really all I can do." Despite the fatigue, Brown said he stands behind the finished product, pointing to songs on Love & Fear that rank among the strongest of the band's catalog.