On June 10, Kristian Bush met with Goodwill donors, signed autographs and posed for photos outside the Riverside Goodwill in Madison. But first, he visited the organization’s downtown headquarters, where he performed several acoustic songs for a group of employees with disabilities and sat down to answer a few of our questions. Following is the full transcript of that interview.

What was the inspiration behind your hit single, “Trailer Hitch”? “The inspiration behind ‘Trailer Hitch,’ was literally the phrase, which came first. It’s a Southernism or colloquialism: “I’ve never seen a hearse with trailer hitch.” I thought that was hilarious, and I also thought it was very true, and that began tipping me off that this was maybe a good song.”

How did your partnership with Goodwill come about? “When you write a song, or I write a song, I’m always conscious of the messaging that’s inside it. Whether it’s a love song, or heartbreak or leaving town, if you are a Sugarland fan you have been hearing these for a long time. In this case, the story surprised me that it was this character who decided to give away his stuff, and the more he did it the better he felt, and really the song ended up asking this question: What do we need all of this stuff in our lives for? We collect things, and do we really need all of this? It didn’t answer the question, which is something I’m also known for in songs is asking the question. But what I thought was cool is that Goodwill provides the answer, and says, bring your stuff to us, and let us turn your things into jobs.”

How do you hope your partnership with Goodwill will help to raise awareness of Goodwill’s mission of transforming lives through the power of work? “I hope that my partnership with Goodwill facilitates in a lot of ways the story that I didn’t even know about Goodwill. To me, it was a store that I took stuff to, and what I have discovered is that it is an engine that creates jobs — maybe more jobs than any other engine in the entire United States. I just didn’t know that. So I hope that my time spent telling this story affects people and allows them to connect the front piece, which is this idea of ‘Where do I go to buy things,’ or ‘Where do I go to give my things,’ to the back part of the mission. It’s very personal to me, because I see Goodwill as something that’s been there the whole time, I just didn’t know what they did. And in a lot of ways I feel that way as an artist — that I’ve been here the whole time, and you didn’t know what I did.”

As you have traveled the country as a Goodwill Ambassador, what has impressed you the most about Goodwill’s mission and its work in the community? “I think the thing that’s impressed me the most is its effectiveness. When I go and I speak to some of the people in the job training programs, I’m moved by how effective it’s been in their lives to help them stand back up. And not everybody is knocked down; I think  they’re just interested in getting a little bit of help, trying to find a job, and I think everybody needs that.”

Why did you decide to hold this event on June 10 in Nashville? Is it special for you and if so, why? “One of the fun things about this for me is, I’m hoping to connect people who are fans of my music and country music to a level of awareness with Goodwill which they may not have already. Now, maybe a lot of people do, and in that case we’ll just celebrate. But for those people who haven’t quite figured it out yet, if they show up just to meet me, and they discover Goodwill along the way, or if the opposite is true and they show up because they’re just bringing stuff in today and I happen to meet them and they don’t know me from Adam, and I can play some music or shake their hand and make their day better, then I think that it begins a conversation that I want to keep going.”

What is your impression about the simple act of giving and how it helps? I think the act of giving is something you do that’s very personal. I don’t think you do it because of societal pressures. I don’t think you do it for any reason other than personal choice. Maybe you’re moving, maybe you’re leaving school. There’s awareness that maybe we’ve collected a little too much in our lives, or people have given us things, or we’re just carrying it all around, and it’s real. I think it’s emotional as well as physical. We all carry around way too much stuff. And being able to find a safe place and a great place and a place that makes you feel better when you give it, knowing that you’re effecting change in people’s lives in your own community — not even another community but in your neighbor’s life — that’s powerful.

If you could inspire other celebrities to get involved with Goodwill, what would you say to them? If I was talking to celebrities or a peer, the first thing I would say to them is, experience it first. Don’t just take my word for it. Clean out your closet and then go see what that feels like. Maybe come down and meet some people at a Goodwill. Go shopping. No matter who you are in what line of business, but especially celebrities, for me it starts with being authentic. If it’s something that’s really happening in your life, and you want to stand up and add your voice to it, and if your voice is loud enough that people are paying more attention than your neighbor’s voice, then make sure you are telling the truth. I would encourage people to bring their stuff down, or, come down and see what these programs are doing, meet some people who have gone through it, and then go clean your closet out.”

How has your awareness of Goodwill and its mission influenced your life? “I think the mission of Goodwill has influenced me by reflecting back on how many good things are happening that you’re not even seeing. It makes me feel good, because there’s so much bad news. It’s just very refreshing to be in a place where everybody is marching in the same direction of trying to make it a little bit better than they found it.”