Trey Calloway - 7/20/26

You can hear it in Trey Calloway’s voice: the grind is still there, but something has shifted. The work feels more focused, the circle is tighter, and the next steps look a lot more like a real Nashville plan than a hopeful guess. Jay Franze sits down with Trey to talk through the behind-the-scenes moves that actually change a country artist’s trajectory: signing with manager Jerry Hines, learning how to lead with confidence, and building a team that believes in you when you are tempted to doubt yourself.

We dig into the advice Trey is getting from Jerry and Craig Morgan, especially the part most artists struggle with: stop selling yourself so hard and start trusting what you do well. Trey shares how he used to turn rejection inward, how that mindset can poison your momentum, and why positivity matters when you are the “CEO” of your own career. If you care about artist development, music industry mentorship, and the mental health side of chasing big goals, this conversation gets specific fast.

Then we go deep on the practical craft: working with producer Phil O’Donnell, recording at Soundstage Studios on Music Row, and why collaboration with great players can elevate a record without losing the heart of the song. Trey also breaks down a huge weekend as Craig Morgan’s special guest, what the tour bus life taught him, and how a single onstage introduction can translate into real social media growth.

We close with big news about Broken Compass and the broader mission of building careers the right way, plus plenty of road stories along the way. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with a friend who loves country music, and leave a review that tells us what part hit you the hardest.

Episode Links

• Trey Calloway: https://treycallowaymusic.com/

Transcript

Intro And What’s New

Jay Franze 0:23

Now, here's your host, Jay Franzi. And we are coming at you live. I am Jay Frenzy. And if you are new to the show, this is your source for the latest news, reviews, and interviews. And if you would like to join in, comment, or fire off any questions, please head over to JFrenzy.com. All right, my friends, tonight we have a very special guest with us. We have a return customer, a country music artist hailing from the great state of Tennessee. We have Trey Callaway. Trey, my friend, thank you for joining.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

What's up, Jay? How you doing, man? I was getting really hyped of that intro music you got there, man. That is that is some that's an awesome intro, brother. I was dancing backstage just now, man.

Jay Franze 1:11

Nice, nice. I like to hear it.

Meeting Jerry Hines And Leveling Up

Jay Franze 1:14

Well, sir, since the last time you've been here, you have got a lot going on. So let's just jump right in. Let's talk about the management piece first. What do you got going on in the form of a new manager?

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Uh the one and only Jerry Hines managing me. He's a great guy, become one of my best friends in the whole wide world, and uh I'm proud of him, and I'm proud of what we're accomplishing together. I think uh things are on the up and up, like you said, and uh just trying to keep working hard and and hang on for your life, Jay. That's how that's how I guess that's all I can do at this point, man. It's it's becoming quite the fun ride. It's been a fun ride so far, but the ride's getting crazier, so I'm excited for it.

Jay Franze 1:56

Now you say you've become best friends at this point, and he's become one of your better friends. How did you guys meet in the first place?

SPEAKER_02 2:02

So I was looking for a new fiddle player, and I met a guy named Jim Ed Hodges, which I'm sure you probably know Jim Ed too as well. Uh Jim Ed plays for Craig Morgan, which Jerry works with Craig Morgan as well and has for about 20, about 23 years now, as a matter of fact. So Jim Ed and I were playing some gigs together, and and uh after about a month, Jim Ed asked me if I had a manager. He said, Man, you know, you sing, you sing well, and you know, what do you have going on and this and the other? And I said, Well, I have a social media guy and publicist and yada yada, whatever. And I said, But no, no man, no Nashville management. He said, Well, I got a guy I want you to meet. And about a week later, uh Jim Ed set Jerry and I up for uh we went and had lunch. And I think it was I I don't want to speak for him, but it was almost immediate for me that I knew I wanted him to manage me. Uh he's a great guy, a family man, knows the business uh really well, has a lot of insight, a lot of a lot of good uh advice for an artist like me. We've been working together ever since that was back in November. He's been quote unquote managing me since November. Like I said, it's been a fun ride, man. He's uh introduced me to a lot of great people, Craig Morgan being one of them, uh Phil O'Donnell, my new producer, being one of them. Phil Billy and I also have been writing together as well. So it's it's been an all-in-all blessing. I mean, you know, Jerry, Jerry coming into my life and all those guys coming into my life, even Jim Ed, even, even Jim, he's become one of my best friends as well. So I feel like I've fallen into a circle of guys who all care about each other and all work really hard and and and you know, they've made country music their business. And and that that that's the business I'm in is country music. So that's the guys I want to hang out with, man. And I know you and Jerry have some history as well, don't you?

Jay Franze 3:46

Oh, yeah. We go back about 20 some odd years at this point.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

Yeah. Well, was it were you uh uh you were teaching a class that he was taking or something like that?

Jay Franze 3:55

Or yeah, I was teaching at the college that he attended, and yeah, he was one of the students.

SPEAKER_02 4:00

And so he's your protege.

Jay Franze 4:01

Yeah, that's exactly we're gonna we're gonna go with that. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't exist.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

Exactly. We'll tell Jerry that uh he's your protege, Jay. So he loves he loves you to death, man. He talks he talks really he talks really highly of you, brother. Well, I think that's a good thing. And uh yeah, man.

Jay Franze 4:15

No, he's a great guy. We had him on the show just a few weeks ago, and it was a great time having a mirror.

SPEAKER_02 4:21

Oh yeah, oh yeah.

Confidence Advice For The Long Haul

Jay Franze 4:22

But a couple of things you mentioned in there. You mentioned him giving you advice. So can you share a little bit of the advice he may have given you?

SPEAKER_02 4:31

Well, part of it is ties in a little bit with some advice that that Craig Morgan recently gave me as well. So I'll say that both of them gave me this advice. Jay, for so long I've been just working and grinding and just giving everything I have, and I still do. That's not going anywhere. Uh you have to in this business, but not selling yourself so hard, being confident in what it is that you do, what it is that you're good at, having a really strong vision for what you want and what you you need to happen in your music career in order to be successful, not being so hard on myself. I am probably the king, Jay, of of beating myself up. When something doesn't happen that I was looking forward to, when I just work and work and work and work, and it seemed like nothing was happening. In those moments in my career, I would turn that anger inward. I would I would beat myself up. You're not good enough, you're never gonna be good enough, this and this, that sort of thing. Jerry has really been good at saying, man, this is this is a marathon. This ain't no sprint, man. This ain't no, this ain't no wake up and the next day you're you're famous. You know, it doesn't work that way. It's it's one brick at a time. You know, we're building a we're building a house and you gotta do it one brick at a time. Jerry's really been good at and and other people too, but Jerry's been really good about making me see there's a lot more good stuff going on in my music career, and in li and my life in general, than there is bad.

Long Distance Marriage And Sacrifice

Jay Franze 6:05

Now, you have a a very unique situation. I mean, still fairly new to marriage. Yes, sir. Still live in a separate state from your your wife and your your child.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Yes, sir. My wife, my wife's our our life is crazy complicated, man. It is, yes, sir.

Jay Franze 6:22

So I mean, like you said, you're probably one of the hardest working people I've ever met, and I appreciate that because I think that's what it takes to make it. Thanks, Jay. But it's hard. It's hard to do that. It's hard to do that with a family. And I'm curious, does the advice that both Jerry and Craig give you, does that include your family?

SPEAKER_02 6:42

Uh yes, it does. Um I don't think there's any, you hit the nail on the head. I don't think there's any easy way to do this. You know, a lot of people they they ask, they and they get the service, that the surface level explanation of what's going on. And and in a nutshell, my wife is an engineer, my wife is a civil engineer. She has to, she has to stay there in at the beach in South Carolina. Uh but anyway, she's she's there for a reason. It's not like she supports me more than anything in the world. That woman wants me to succeed more than anything in the world. Um and and I her, but but my career, I have to be in Nashville. I have to be here because this is where the lottery is played. In order to win that lottery, you got to be where it's played. And I I am still a firm believer. There have been some exceptions of guys and girls who haven't lived in Nashville and have made it. It seems to me that my career, that I am not one of those people. So I would love to go back to South Carolina and and be successful in the music business, but it's not looking like it's shaken out to be that way for me, uh, which is is it is a grind, it is a struggle. I just talked to her before I jumped on this call with you, and we're talking about how much we miss each other, but that love is still very strong and it's there, and and we both believe in each other, and it is, man. It's a it's a it's a lot of sacrifice. And for anybody out there listening that thinks they might want to make this your career, get ready to sacrifice because it's it takes a lot from you before it ever gives anything back. Now the rewards are rewarding, but it's a lot of sacrifice too.

Jay Franze 8:15

It takes time.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

Yes, sir.

Jay Franze 8:17

So let me get this straight. Right before the show, you were telling your wife how much you missed me?

SPEAKER_02 8:21

I sure was. No, that's fantastic. I sure was. I said that Jay. He's just there's something about that guy. I just love him to death, man. Yeah, I did. Yes, sir.

Jay Franze 8:32

You were also talking about the struggle and how you're hard on yourself and you look in and you probably beat yourself up harder than anybody else is gonna beat you along the way. When you're doing that with your family in a different state, that's gotta compound the beating that you take. So can you tell me the struggle of what it's like to not only face a rejection, but then face a rejection with your family so far away?

SPEAKER_02 9:00

Man, that's a fantastic question. I have to talk it up to the fact that I've made some some some what I call family in in this town in Nashville. Some some guys that are all had had my back through thick and thin. Um, I had a friend of mine, a guy named Jordan, recently tell me that uh he said, if you don't stop being so hard on my friend, he said, I'm gonna kick your ass if I'm if if if you don't stop being so hard on my friend. And it made me laugh. You know, it cheered me up in that moment. That's what I needed was to laugh. He said, Man, he said, you're the CEO. Nobody can follow you if you have a negative attitude, if you have a negative spirit, that that is infectious. Whatever, as the leader of this, whatever emotion you convey is what the people that behind that are behind you are going to, that's what they're going to take in. It's going to bleed into their mentality as well. So I've really, for the, for the past while, have been trying to always be optimistic, even in moments where I don't know what the future holds. Nobody does, but you know what I mean, where I'm unsure of myself, unsure what the future might hold. I try to be strong and I try to uh exude that confidence because it it is infectious. The people that are around me, when I show that strength, they pick up on it too. And it really, it really does a lot to um to keep people's spirits up, you know, because this is a team effort. I mean, nobody makes it all by themselves. Nobody in the music business or any business makes it by themselves. So I have to keep those people around me uplifted as well. And it and it really does wear off on them. It does. Um and it makes me feel better. And in turn, it's almost like a self-feeding thing. The more positive that I am and the more positive I positivity that I spread to others, I get that back tenfold and return it. And it keeps me up. You know what I mean? I've I've been, you know, I've been I've been negative in the in the in the past when things didn't go my way. But lately, man, I'm I'm feeling pretty on top of the world. Things just keep kind of falling into place. The momentum is really building. I feel really positive about the future. And so I'm gonna keep that going as long as I can, Jay. As long as it'll last, brother.

Jay Franze 11:11

Knock on some wood while you can, sir.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Absolutely.

Producing At Soundstage On Music Row

Jay Franze 11:15

Now, one of the other things you mentioned earlier when we brought up Jerry was the introduction to your producer. So can you tell us a little bit about that relationship there?

SPEAKER_02 11:24

The GOAT, the absolute goat, Phil Billy, Phil O'Donnell. He is, God, how do I explain Phil Billy? He is not only one of the most incredibly talented musicians and songwriters I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, he is one of the nicest fellas I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Very religious, family man. Always leaves the room with a positive spirit. He's like that. He's that attitude that I'm trying to beat, that I'm trying to emulate, which is that positivity. That that when I first time I met him, he gave me this little Jesus, this little Jesus figurine. And he said, now you got Jesus everywhere you go, man. And I do. I carry it in my truck. It's everywhere I go with me now. Every time I see it, I think of it. I think of that. We've had the pleasure of writing some songs for this new album I'm working on. I'm really excited. They're they're great. I'm I'm proud of it. I think this is my finest work that I'm that I'm working on right now. He's also in Craig's band. So when I was out on the road this past weekend with them, I got to share the stage with Phil Billy for the first time, which was another kind of bucket list item. I mean, 3,000 people out there watching you sing is nice. It's awesome. I love it. But turning around and seeing Phil Billy playing the banjo behind me is is like another layer of awesomeness to add on to that. So, and Craig's band is just top notch. Every player in Craig's band is top notch. But specifically looking around and and seeing uh seeing Phil Bailey back there playing the banjo was was pretty cool, man. He really is. He's had a he's had a tremendous impact on my career and life thus far. So a lot of good news, a lot of good news coming y'all's way. I'm not officially allowed to talk about it yet, but a lot of good stuff's coming out.

Jay Franze 13:02

No, we'll talk about it in a minute.

SPEAKER_02 13:04

As soon as I can. As soon as I can, Jay, I will let you know everything, man. And and and Jerry will tell you on the down low, as long as you keep it between us. Jerry will just call Jerry, he'll tell you everything, man. All right.

Jay Franze 13:17

Well, again, a couple more things, Jim. Every time you talk, there's a like another little nugget that you've just kind of glossed over. So, first of all, before we leave the conversation about Phil, what's the studio arrangement like? How does he produce music?

SPEAKER_02 13:35

Well, Phil Billy is like unlike any other producer I've ever had the pleasure of working with. I know, I know that there are many of them out there like this. This is probably the kind of producer I would be. Uh he lets me have my input. He lets me say uh anything that's on my mind, whether it's dumb or or stupid or not a good idea or whatever, at least he lets me say it. We we we work together on these records that we make. This was my first this past session, this new album we're working on was my first time at Soundstage. And I I've been in some awesome studios already. I mean, I've recorded it at the castle and I've recorded it.

Jay Franze 14:10

What did you think of Soundstage?

SPEAKER_02 14:12

I th I think it's my favorite studio I've ever worked in before.

Jay Franze 14:15

Why is that? I like I love it too, but why do you love it?

SPEAKER_02 14:18

Just so much. I mean, well, one not only the history of the place, I mean, it's on Music Row. It was my first time ever cutting on Music Row, but but also just the vibe in that place is really something, man. You walk in there and you you're like, man, this is it. This is where it happens. These are where these hit records are getting made, son.

Jay Franze 14:35

Do you remember what room you were in?

SPEAKER_02 14:37

I know that we when you walk in the when you when you drive around Soundstage and you go where where the players all park, and you walk through that door, it was that first studio on the left.

Jay Franze 14:48

Okay, so you were in what what I call Chuck Ainley's room.

SPEAKER_02 14:51

Chuck Ainley's room, yeah.

Jay Franze 14:53

When Chuck was working out of there, he was uh he was one of the investors in that studio, and that was his studio that he worked out of where he recorded with Mark Knopfler and you know several others.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

I mean, it was something else, man. And he did, you know, and he and he lets the players have their input too. We had a guy named Moose play on this on this record, and Moose had this really cool uh idea about uh um going to the three, going to the three on a change, and uh it changed the song in the bridge a little bit, but it just it was just this little bit of sweetness, and it made that ending of the song. But letting those guys have that influence, letting them have those ideas, it's not every producer is like that. And he uh he is, man. I mean, he's not Philbilly for for no reason, you know what I'm saying? He he really is uh something else, man.

Jay Franze 15:40

Did you just say somebody in Nashville played a three-chord?

SPEAKER_02 15:44

They did. I know it's rare, but they still happen. They still happen, man. A three and a three with a seven on it.

Jay Franze 15:50

The rare three chord. We've seen him out in the wild, but we've never seen him in the studio.

SPEAKER_02 15:55

Well, I tell you what, man. Uh it's good to see that those uh those chords are still in there somewhere, man. And they're especially in my music. You'll find some threes all over my stuff, man. Nice.

Jay Franze 16:05

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 16:05

Yes, sir.

Jay Franze 16:06

Yes, sir. So you go into Soundstage. How much time did you guys spend in Soundstage?

SPEAKER_02 16:11

We were, I think our session was for six hours. Uh we were going, we we did six songs. We were gonna try to get seven done, but we ran out of time. There was a song in particular, one that I wrote with a buddy of mine, Joe Bizzelli, that's called New Heart to Break. I was going to, you might have actually heard me play that one when the last time you came to see us. That was gonna be the last one we were gonna cut. We got six done. We ran out of time around the six, around the six-hour mark. But uh we're gonna we're gonna go back and finish it. I don't know if we're going to do a whole length. We may just go in and start a new album when the time comes, but but uh that's to be determined. Kind of waiting to see what what some people in Nashville are gonna do with this record once they hear it, and then and then I'll have you an answer. I'll have you an answer after that, man.

Jay Franze 16:54

So well, I think it's important to state that when you're in a studio like that in Nashville, you're recording with union players and you're doing everything on a three-hour block. So when you say you did six hours, you did two blocks, and you're able to get roughly one song per hour. That's why you ended up leaving with six songs and it was hard to fit in a seventh. Now you probably could have done it, but you would have sacrificed the quality of your recordings. Yes, sir. So, no, that's good to hear that you did not sacrifice the quality of your recordings.

SPEAKER_02 17:25

Yep. And New Heart to Break is gonna be a super simple record. We're thinking, we're thinking kind of the way we play it live. When I play it, when I do an acoustic trio at the local in Hendersonville every Sunday, and I usually have Jim Ed playing fiddle and you know, Jason or Zach playing guitar and singing and playing, you know, singing harmony. Uh so that's probably how I'm gonna keep the record for New Heart to Break. It's it's not gonna be a tough one to record. I think we're gonna do it just three, just just my acoustic or an acoustic rhythm, basically, and then an acoustic lead and a fiddle, really nice fiddle on there and a harmony part, and that's probably gonna be the record because that's that's the way I've played it live so much, and it just has such an impact on people, just like that. So I'm probably gonna just try to capture that on a record.

Jay Franze 18:10

It's just got a feel for you.

SPEAKER_02 18:11

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Jay Franze 18:13

That is very cool. And you mentioned the the local, which is a pretty cool venue in Nashville, and I know you've played there quite a bit, but I that's where I actually had the opportunity to see you play what, maybe a month or so ago.

SPEAKER_02 18:27

And you wrote just about the kindest article about somebody else you could ever write, man. I I did I haven't gotten to thank you for that personally. And I want to say to everybody out there listening, you did that without anybody asking you, anybody giving you anything. You just did that out of the kindness of your heart, Jay. That really, that really means a lot to me, man.

Jay Franze 18:48

Well, thank you, sir. I appreciate that. I always say that you never know what people think because when you're writing or when you're doing these interviews, there's no live audience. You're not getting feedback. So it's good to know that you appreciate it. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Oh man, absolutely. My my family were calling me telling me about your article, and I said, I went and read it, and I dude, I almost shed a tear, man. It was something else, Jay. I I really appreciate you saying that because that's how I feel. You captured in words how I feel really well, man, how I've tried to model my music career, what the art kind of artist I've tried to be. You nailed it. So that means a lot, man. Thank you, sir.

Jay Franze 19:27

Anytime, sir.

First Tour Bus Weekend With Craig

Jay Franze 19:29

Now I want to move on just to hear, because the other thing you mentioned was you were playing with Craig Morgan and you were playing in front of 3,000 people. Yep. So what was that like?

SPEAKER_02 19:40

Uh it was my first turb tour bus experience, and it was everything I hoped it was gonna be. It was awesome, man. And you know, I'm out there with these seasoned musicians who have been doing it for years and years, and it's just another day at the office. They're just they're just getting on the bus again for the thousandth time. But for me, I'm like everything I was doing, it's like first time making coffee on the bus, you know. First Red Bull on the bus. Like everything was everything for me was like a first, and uh God, but it was awesome, man. The worst part of it is I didn't want to go home, man. I didn't want to come back to Nashville. I wanted to stay out there. I could have stayed out there for another month. Dude, it was something else, man. The guys are all cool. Craig's Craig's band and crew are uh a um um a family. It's very apparent that they're all a family. They love each other and they've all accepted me. I mean, Craig was really the last one that I didn't know that well. His band and crew have all a lot of them have become some of my best friends. And I got to get to know Craig a lot more this weekend and uh have some talks with him, get some advice from him. And uh it was it was it was advice that I'll never forget. It was it was uh talks I'll never forget. Uh and getting to sit side stage and see him in in action. I mean, he's not he's not Craig Morgan for no reason, that I can say. Right. Uh the the dude is the dude is a legend for no for a very good reason. He's one of the best, he's one of the best singers. He's one of the best singers uh that I've ever heard live, man. Pitches his pitch is and it's impeccable, man. He's awesome.

Jay Franze 21:12

Tell us about some of the talks.

SPEAKER_02 21:14

Well, we um he talked about the selling yourself thing. That was a big one. We were sitting around the table in the bus, and it was me and him and Jerry, and he said, he said, you don't have to convince me, Trey. He's like, I already have heard you and and know that you're a good singer and good songwriter, and I believe in you. You know, we just gotta, we gotta, we gotta get you, you know, we're talking about the numbers, you know how the the social media stuff nowadays, man. And and we're getting there slowly but surely. It's a it's like I said, it's a it's a house, but you're building it brick by brick. Just advice that's you know, it's like you're not gonna not listen to him tell you when you're when you're talking. I I just I just sat there and soaked it all in, man. Like I said, I was everything. was a first for me. Even sleeping in the bunk. You know, I didn't know how I was gonna, I didn't know how I was gonna sleep. I don't, I'm not always the best sleeper. I guess maybe the musician thing, I'm kind of a night owl, so I don't always sleep well at night. But I got up in that bunk and of course they put the new guy on the top bunk. They made me get on the top. Oh yeah. They gave me the definitely the top. But I didn't mind. I didn't mind at all. I got used to climbing up there. Once I figured out how to get up there it was easy.

Jay Franze 22:28

It's easy for you because you're the young guy. That's exactly what I mean for me climbing up there is rough.

SPEAKER_02 22:36

But they did I mean I I was I didn't know how I was going to sleep up there but I got in there and and uh the I guess the vibration and the the sway and man I was out like a light dude I slept like a baby on that bus man it was uh it was something else man no did it have the TV and everything in there oh yeah oh yeah for sure man it's uh it's it's fun time man everybody sits in there and tries to see who can stay up the longest that was the that was the one thing I noticed is like it's a competition then you know and all the all the older guys they all go to bed super early you know as soon as the show's done they're going to bed yeah so they all go to bed and all the young guys are in there uh of course I don't drink but but uh uh a lot of other guys are you're are partying and telling good stories and uh it it's it was something else man it was a it was I I thanked all the guys after it was over and and uh hugged all of them and told them thank you for a first tour bus experience that was that was something I'll never forget man that is we went to a we went to Wisconsin in Iowa uh one of them was a private party for Folds of Honor the other one was a uh a county fair in Iowa and uh they were both they were both great man crowds were great on both of them so when you performed I'm assuming you were performing with his band back in you yes sir it was it I wouldn't call it an I wasn't their opener it was along the lines of more of like a special guest I went out there and and Craig would announce me and brought me out on stage which was I mean probably arguably I could say cooler because the that crowd was paying attention. Right. You know it wasn't like being I've been an opener on on gigs before and it's like who's this guy? Nobody cares. Just bring on Craig Morgan. But but when Craig Morgan says tells a a a minute long story about you and then brings you out on stage with him and his band people pay attention and I did man I picked up like a hundred followers on Facebook and Instagram in like a day. So that was pretty cool. That was a good way to that was a good way to pick up some followers. Right uh that's about the funniest way I've ever picked up any followers man didn't cost me a didn't cost me a penny. You know what I'm saying?

Jay Franze 24:34

So I was gonna ask you you know you play a show like that you're in front of 3,000 people and that's not your typical size. So when you play in front of a crowd like that did you take the opportunity to ask for the follow or did they just do it?

SPEAKER_02 24:50

I always forget my my team and stuff fusses me because I don't do that. I'm not like hey follow me on social media he said it he said if you have a if you don't mind please follow my friend Trey Calloway on social media. He said it before I came out there yeah I I I've always felt bad asking I guess I should get better about the the self-promotion stuff but uh I'm I'm not any good at it I totally forgot and you get you get caught up in the moment I mean you really do you get caught up in the moment and it's like an adrenaline brush and you're you're sitting there thinking man I've I remember being six years old in my in my bedroom singing into a microphone that was a hairbrush you know what I'm saying and now I'm hanging out with somebody I mean I mean I grew up I mean Jay I grew up listening to International Harvester. I was in high school I think I was in high school when that song came out or no I was younger than that I was a kid let's just say I was a kid but old enough to be listening to country music when that song came out so to hear it on the radio and be like to see this world from behind the radio and to now be there singing with them it's just it's like a pinch me moment man. It was like the same way with meeting Neil McCoy Neil McCoy was a pinch me moment for me he's he is have you ever met Neil no McCoy he is the freaking coolest guy I have ever met in my life nicest coolest dude he is uh he is genuine as he seems truly a good person man we we did third and we did the country for a cause this year at Third and Lindsley there in Nashville. Oh yeah and uh and so I got to hang out with him backstage and talk to him a whole bunch and uh he was just talk to us about 20 30 minutes and then his TM came over and said hey man we gotta go it's time to play and he's like I'll see you bitches later and then he was gone man but it was man I I it was uh he's cool man all right so you're on the road you're playing with these amazing musicians you're hanging with Craig Morgan which to be fair most of the time you don't get to do even when you're on the road with them.

Jay Franze 26:58

You know they're separate tour buses you're exactly different groups of people.

SPEAKER_02 27:01

He was stuck when we this time so yeah it was it was a lot of fun so you're you're hanging with him you're you're living the life you said you're out with seasoned musicians who have been on the road for a long time oh yeah now I know what that means in Nashville to be out with some seasoned musicians especially when you're out on the road so what kind of hijinks did they get in and did they pull any on you I gotta I gotta keep the road code my man I gotta keep the road code Jay I'll tell you tell me if they got anything on you oh yeah one a bunch yeah there there are some pranksters there are some pranksters and I got a feeling it's gonna get even worse if I go out there with them some more I think start getting worse but I'll get them back don't worry hazing you're gonna you're gonna be haze for sure don't you worry I'll get them back but yes they are up to some hijinks and uh I can't tell on the guys though. No fine it's the broken but I'll tell you I'll take fun tonight. Jay you know I'll tell you in person you know I'll tell you in person next time I

Turning A Big Crowd Into Fans

SPEAKER_02 28:04

see you.

Jay Franze 28:04

That's all right yeah I'm worried that if I tell you it'll get worse it will that's the whole point that's what makes the show good that's why our one listener listens.

SPEAKER_02 28:14

I will say I will say uh I will say there's some pictures I'll show you some pictures man there's some good there's some good pictures I'll let you see when I see you again man he said you're no fun tonight no no fun tonight um Jerry will tell you too man Jerry's right there with him man I'm gonna call your wife and give her a hard name tonight you won't even believe when Trey came on the show didn't want to share anything with us tonight. Exactly man exactly bro but I will tell you I will tell you uh they're all good guys man and and it is true you you're right man it's like I hope I kind of hope and I think I did like especially with Jim Ed and Phil Billy and Jerry and those guys that you know and Jerry's even told me this you know because I I'm I'm I'm one of the first artists that Jerry has really gotten serious about managing. He'll tell me things like you know it's so good to see to be with a young artist again who's on the the come up who's got that Rocky mentality right now. You know what I mean? And it's so it brings new life. I think it's bringing some new life to him too. You know what I mean? Because right now Jay I got nothing but the love for the game baby you know what I'm saying? Like right now it's the love of the game for me. You know what I'm saying? It's it is it right now it's like I'm you know I'm in the minor leagues yeah I'm trying to I'm trying to break into the bigs but I'm still in the minor leagues man. You know I got I got caught up for a weekend. So you're one pitch away exactly I got caught up for a weekend but you know I'll be back in the minors next week and and until I go up there and stay up there I'm I am I'm I'm I'm hungry and I'm fighting and and I I think that is rubbing off on those guys too. I think uh that me it being so new to me and seeing that for the first time and then them I think they were it had them excited too. I can only assume that playing a game in the majors for the weekend just re-energizes you and now you're ready to fight a few more rounds down in the well man I told him I told uh once you once you've once you had a guy come up on stage and grab your guitar from you or bring it to you or you know you don't want to you don't want to go back and not do that again you know it's like playing first class is if you do it one time you never want to sit coach again.

Jay Franze 30:32

I mean my in-air monitor mix this weekend the guys in in the crew they're they're great and my in-air monitor mix this weekend was just spot on damn right and and and I'm like man it's hard to it's hard back to go back to a to a monitor that ain't sounded like that you know well see now you mentioned that so let's tie that back into the beginning here it was Jerry who started as the monitor engineer he sure did he's come a long way he worked a long time to to move on and move forward and keep moving up but he's the one who mentored and trained the current monitor engineer.

SPEAKER_02 31:09

Yes sir so well they got their monitor guy now is a guy named Izzy and he's relatively new I'm pretty sure you maybe think about another guy but that I don't know but um their front house guy is a guy named Jordan. Both those guys have become good buddies of mine they're they're they're great they're great sound men matter of fact Izzy ran sound for us last night me and Jim Ed and Zach Robertson played an acoustic show over at local and uh Izzy came out there and run sound for us had us sound the best we've ever sounded there that's really cool and it was cool man the local had no problem with you doing that well he's he's Jeff Jeff's hired Izzy when he's not on the road yeah jeff's Jeff gave Izzy a job so Izzy's working there now. Gotcha when he's not on the road he's gonna be there running sound and stuff but uh that's pretty cool.

What A Tour Manager Really Does

Jay Franze 31:57

Yes sir absolutely all right well I want to keep tying it back together. So we were talking about Jerry at the beginning and we talked about how you're out with Craig and you you had that great weekend and all that but let's tie it back together with the reason why you were out with Craig in the first place and the role that Jerry had to play in it. So can you kind of describe the role that Jerry plays not only with you but with Craig and then how it came together.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Yeah so he is um he has done a really good job and I commend him for this Jerry has done a really good job at keeping Craig's business and my business separate. He's done a really good job at being being professional in that regard Craig flat out told me you know I didn't do this for some favor to Jerry. He said I love course Jerry I love Jerry but I I wouldn't have had you out here had I not believed in you and and Jerry's over there grinning you know what I mean because that's what he wants to hear. Right of course that's what he wants to hear. And that also made me feel a whole lot better too but Jerry as you know Jerry is Craig's TM and he's been that for a long time and like I said I'm I'm one of the first artists that Jerry is has has managed and he's got an act for it man he really does. He does a good job at keeping the two separate and I think he wanted the relationship between Craig and I to grow organically and and it is starting to so which makes me makes me happy well again let's just back up a hair just TM for those who don't know is tour manager. Tour manager sorry I'm sorry sorry tour manager and a tour manager's job is basically get the mud slung on them so the artist doesn't have to I mean in a nutshell the TM's job is to make the tour go smoothly no matter what no matter what and it is a very difficult job it is probably the hardest job in the music business.

Jay Franze 33:46

I was gonna say it's probably the thankless job and it's something that is you don't know when it's going well and you will know if it's not going well.

SPEAKER_02 33:57

Yes sir the TMs are the unsung heroes of the music business. I I I completely agree with that.

Jay Franze 34:04

Yeah so Jerry's been doing that he's been working with Craig for 20 plus years now and he's worked his way into that role like we said from monitors to guitar and up through front of house and so on. But he's been in this role for quite some time and he's mentored the team of people around him but what I'm getting at is that he's worked with Craig and whether he'll flat out say he's got an influence on Craig or not, he does you know they're good friends at this point. And if he says he believes in you then Craig's gonna approach you with that same kind of respect. Of course you have to earn it you have to keep that respect once once you get it.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

That's a fair and it's a fair point that you bring up. I mean he does have a lot and I I he definitely does have a ton of respect for Jerry's opinion. I think Jerry from what Jerry has told me Jerry wanted to use that card once he knew that he had found the guy that he really wanted to put it behind. And that makes me so freaking honored to hear that. You know what I mean? And and it is the truth. I mean he and I have become he's one of my best friends you know and uh you have to be with your manager. I think an artist and a manager has to have that relationship. So you're right he did and he and he he he did it for me and it it adds some it adds some some I mean I've been under pressure my whole career but it it adds some pressure but it also adds a sense of man to have guys like Phil Billy and Jerry and Craig and Jim Ed. I mean I'm gonna throw Jim Ed on that too you know to have those guys believe in me um it keeps me going. It keeps me wanting to say you know what I can do this.

Jay Franze 35:48

I am doing this we're doing this well with a team of people like that behind you you know there's no better words of encouragement for sure. Yes sir yes sir now I want to just go back to Jerry for one more minute here not that he's I will talk about Jerry all night I will talk about Jerry all night man that's my boy that's my boy but I think it's fair to say that he put his job in jeopardy to to work with you he did because is he texting you right now he said he's like tell him he's in the chat right now commenting he definitely he definitely did he definitely did you know and that that is not lost on me Jay but I will say this with confidence I was the guy he could make that gamble on I am that guy he could make that gamble on I I'm not going to let him down it's like all I ever needed and I told everybody this I mean I think I've even told you this before all I ever needed was somebody to believe in me all I ever needed was the chance to prove myself and I think that is coming.

SPEAKER_02 37:02

I think it's it's here I don't want to say it's here it's coming it's in the process of of developing like he hasn't let me down I'm not gonna let him down either.

Jay Franze 37:13

Right now Craig could have easily said you know what no you're splitting your time yeah you either cut it with Trey or I'm gonna let you go. And he didn't and I think the reason for that is because Jerry was smart and he he worked with you outside of Jerry like like you say completely 100% isolated between the two of you he did. However he also introduced you to Craig and wanted him to take involvement with you. He wanted to include Craig so yeah so Craig never felt left out which was a smart move.

SPEAKER_02 37:50

Yes it was and and Craig is becoming a member of the team too he is I don't know how much I'm allowed to talk about yet but I will say so let's talk about all of it then.

Jay Franze 38:01

Yeah exactly I'm gonna call him after I get off Jay was hitting me with the hard ones there Jerry but no I will say I will say that that Craig is is um uh warming up to us and me so I could I leave it there Jay I leave it there but you know as soon as Jay you know as soon as I could talk about it you'll be the first one I tell man I uh I uh I will say and I but I will tell you this we had some really good conversations this weekend that's good no that's good and I do think I'm gonna get it I I think I'm gonna get it to go I think I'm gonna get to go hang out with him in uh in Alaska I told him I wanted to build I told him I wanted to build a log cabin he laughed nice tell tell us more about Alaska well I haven't been there I've never been there I know he uh I know he he does his hunting stuff and his fishing stuff up there and he yeah he brings people up there and they they do like um uh outfittings and retreats and stuff like that and and uh so he's all about the hunting all about the nature and all about the outdoors are you and I oh yeah absolutely I uh I am not nearly as much of a hunter as I am a fisherman I don't I don't I don't lie about hunting I didn't grow up with a bunch of land if I had I I would have hunted I grew up in a trailer park Jay uh I wouldn't have no land to hunt on but I do fish I love to fish that's probably hunting and not so much I love guns I grew up right I grew up around guns we're more of like target shooting people gun range kind of people I guess you could say trailer park you could hunt squirrel we did and we did I'm almost embarrassed to talk about it but no we did I remember my dad and I squirrel hunting I remember my dad squirrel hunting with a 22 and back so what the trailer park that I grew up in was over in uh Lucia by Castania I know I know you don't know what I'm talking about it's it's outside of Charlotte there was this our trailer park and then there was this big big patch of woods behind our house um and we would go back in there and we would squirrel hunt and we would we would camp and I got lost back in there a couple times when I was a little little kid I'd go back in there and get lost my mom my mom freaked out a couple times because I was out there lost and but yeah man it it was we but but hopefully one of these days I will have some land and I will do some hunting but I'll always fish I'll always fish man that's that's probably my favorite hobby that video games nice my wife and I we just moved up here in Kentucky I say up here because we moved from Nashville but we're up in Kentucky now and the house we bought is on a lake and it has the biggest catfish I've ever seen in it but I'm not really the biggest fisher but people come from all around to my yard because it's the best yard on the lake to to fish in yeah and I just think it's the greatest thing I watch them all out there doing their thing. My wife

Alaska Dreams And Fishing Detours

Jay Franze 40:59

hates it she's and she's the one from the country I'm the one from the city you'd think I would be the one to hate it. But no she's like why are they always in our yard? Yeah so y'all got the spot man y'all got the honey hole man next time I'm on your show I need to show you my tackle box you're gonna you are gonna be impressed I have quite the tackle box man dude I have a tackle box too it's actually called the ugly stick and it's the brand and I I use it as a toiletry bag so my toiletry bag is the ugly stick no mine is like you know like a like a duffel bag mine is like the size of a duffel bag I can talk about something a lot I'm about to I'm about I'm about to buy a boat if my wife will let me I'm gonna buy me a boat pretty soon.

SPEAKER_01 41:44

All right well let's go back to trash and Jerry for a minute you were telling me you were on your way to tell me the worst thing and the reason why he's not somebody worth liking so can you go ahead and tell me where you're at a little more what's up brother you can do us I've been talking I've been talking good about you buddy no he hasn't yeah I heard good man he's been asking me did he tell you he's been asking me the hard questions man oh yeah yeah you don't want to give him any answers Jerry so come on let's talk to you now I can't man I if he'll give you the he is more than welcome to give you any answer he wants to brother they're asking me Jay's asking me about all the like all the hazing stuff on the bus are y'all playing any pranks on me all this stuff man so I gotta I gotta there's there's always pranks always pranks share one with us sir oh let's see so I'll tell you one this is a good one so this was a long time ago this has nothing to do with anybody on the bus except for Craig and myself but John Stone I don't know if you know him or not he used to be a uh a Tootsie's artist and he came out on the road with Craig for I don't know about 15 or 20 shows this had to be 2005 six era uh we were doing a county fair and him and John was going back and forth bantering just picking on each other well John was on stage and Craig said come here he said let's go get a cow and put it on John's bus I said no shit I said okay so we went and got a got a cow from uh from the FHA and uh put it on John's bus. Greg had it by its neck I had it by its ass we pushed it on up air shut the door went back off and that cow shit all over his business all over it so the town didn't know the rules of the bus no didn't didn't know the rules of the bus no cows were harmless making a dis no but there's been all kinds of stuff you know Chad Boricks he's a good buddy of mine him and uh David of Halfway to Hazard back in the day they were a duo if people don't know them check them out they're great on one of their projects did you really yeah sweet guys very talented um but we put uh probably about 50 mic on on Chad's bus one time when he was on tour with us. I think Craig put about, I don't know, a hundred or two hundred crickets on Brad Pacey's bus one time. We've done all kinds of stuff, man. Those are the those are the mild ones though, Jay. I'll leave the names and the uh ordeals out of that. You gotta redact some gotta redact some names, man.

Jay Franze 44:24

Those are the mild ones, you know, hundreds of mice on a bus. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:28

Names and locations are changed to protect the innocent.

SPEAKER_01 44:32

Yeah. But no on the on the on the the inner uh portion of our bus with all the guys there's I mean every day there's always picking there's always playing it's locker room mentality. You better be a man or or it'll make you one for sure. Right. But but but it's it's it's fun man it's all in fun and everybody loves each other and it's uh if if we're not picking on each other then there's a problem. Right. You know then then then something's off. But uh but yeah it's it's it's always fun. It's Trey Trey it was a mild trip for Trey this this this run. Everybody's very kind to him I think that he uh as he has more opportunities to do this with us it's uh all all hands will be on deck to uh to making sure that he uh he fits in just like everybody else but you tell him you tell him you tell them I'll get back at him if they if if they want to if they want to play I'll get back at him that's not how hazing works Trey if you want to be respected I don't get mad I don't get mad Jay taking I don't get mad Jay I'll just get even man I'll just get even man all right Jerry well the the other thing that Trey didn't want to tell us about is any upcoming news.

Jay Franze 45:37

So do you have any upcoming news you could share with us?

Broken Compass Plans And What’s Next

SPEAKER_01 45:40

Uh I mean yeah so like like Trey mentioned earlier he got to come out and finally have a sit down with Craig and everything went well you know it kind of went like I thought it would Craig is is really behind this as well as I am and and with Broken Compass Jay it's going to be more of I'm that manager for Trey or whatever artist we bring aboard and Craig's more of a consultant. He he wants to be that that mainstay of an artist to give these young kids foundation and and kind of a a drive forward and kind of a a direction because we're missing that artist development in in in today's world of music I think that we have a little bit of advantage of over anybody else of a young management company to where we have somebody in a in a hall of fame stature as Craig to to help guide them on the mental aspect of of doing it the business side of it the ups and downs that he's gone through and he's he's probably the best guy in the business for a young artist like Trey to to mentor and and listen to and and get direction from. And myself, you know I mean I obviously I have that experience too but I think it's a different when you're that guy when you're in the driver's seat when your name's on the on the marquee your name's on the semi you have to deal with all these folks I think it just puts Trey in a better mindset going forward on on what it's actually going to be like once he takes the reins and and leads up his own company.

Jay Franze 47:04

Now you mentioned Broken Compass which is the management company that you put together with Craig.

SPEAKER_02 47:10

So that's what you're talking about where you're gonna be the hands-on guy and he's gonna be the mentor right I'm ecstatic I'm I'm over here going I'm glad that Jerry is talking about it I want to tell the world I just come from a place of not wanting to count my tickets before the hatch I am so ecstatic Jay I could not be more excited about where my career's going uh how close Jerry and I have become of friends how much I trust him and uh that's all it was so don't be mad at me Jay that I wasn't spilling the beans don't be don't be too mad at me I'm glad that Jerry's on here and trashing Jerry before he came on now that he's on here you're talking nice I mean I I see how it is with you. Yeah he's too smart to know that's true. He's too smart to know he knows that's not true Jay all right I feel like this is the I feel like this the two of y'all this is the longstanding relationship man you guys have been friends for what 20 years now probably 20 plus at this point.

SPEAKER_01 48:04

Yeah yeah at this point a little bit over so yeah yeah well with that said Jerry let's go back to that relationship let's think about that relationship as I ask you this question sure so what other things can we expect between Trey and Craig are there any other opportunities that might be coming our way absolutely well as I I think I mentioned on the the last show I was on with you Trey's going to open up for him at the Ramen on November 7th Ramen Arturo is a big a big showcase for a uh for a young artist like Trey especially with with Craig and there'll be some surprises during that show that I I'm not at liberty to to discuss yet but uh November 7th get your tickets come out and you'll see them. All right now I gotta call um I gotta call Craig and get him on he's gonna call Craig hold on just give me a second yeah by the way Craig here he is no bring Craig on now I think it's uh we've me and Trey's decided that that's gonna be the target for his album release that same week that we've been working on since February. So we're really excited about that. And then past that we're gonna see how many shows we can get get him out there with Craig and get him on the road with us the remaining of 2026 and going through 2027. So I I'm looking forward to that I think it's a it's a great match the demographics fit perfectly I think they kind of mimic each other they're they're they're about 30 years apart but they compliment each other they do they they do they do compliment each other.

SPEAKER_02 49:42

Music musically our styles are are very close aligned. He loves that those good heartfelt country ballads that he just sings so well and then he has everything from that to Bonfire and International Harvester that's just like right up you know just right to you straight up the middle country rock which is what I like so it does it's a good fit.

SPEAKER_01 50:04

I'm trying to go two for two here Jay I'm trying I've been working with one for almost 23 if I can make it 23 with Trey and just have two artists like that.

Jay Franze 50:11

That sounds good your career is set.

SPEAKER_02 50:15

Yeah correct if I have anything to say about it Jay that's what's going to happen brother.

Jay Franze 50:19

But I think it's also two different crowds of people so you get it the younger crowd come in for Trey and the people who have been with Craig all along are now being introduced to Trey.

SPEAKER_02 50:31

We you know what's the cra you know what's the crazy thing Jay is when I was out there on the road with him this weekend the amount of I mean there were every bit if not more young people and I'm talking like high school it's a college age kids out there watching Craig. He has a very large young fan base. I was surprised by it honestly and they're out there and they're singing every word to Almost home and this ain't nothing and they're singing all those ballads and then they're of course they they all want to hear international harvester and they know every single word. So I it was man it was crazy.

Jay Franze 51:05

But it's a great opportunity for you because now you get to capitalize on his fan base. So no I think this is a a great match all around I don't think Jerry really knew what he was doing when he put it together but no not at all not a clue.

SPEAKER_02 51:23

Not a clue I wasn't even thinking about it until this weekend I couldn't believe it's like huh he does he goes he goes Jay call he texts me uh this is probably about two weeks in ago now he says you're probably too busy with your with your gigs downtown to come out on the road with us and I thought he was messing with me and I was like I was like all right Jerry you're being mean quit messing with me and he and he said no I'm serious man and I was like well whatever I had to do just opened up real fast. Whatever I had on the calendar just opened up real fast. Yeah I am free but no it was it was a lot of fun man and it was like I was telling Jay Jerry the the the their their crew is all super kind. I mean they're all they're all good guys so it was it was a lot of fun to be out there.

Jay Franze 52:08

Jerry

The Craig Shrine Wall And Closing

Jay Franze 52:09

before we go can we talk about that wall that's behind you looks like a all-star wall there what do you got up there?

SPEAKER_01 52:17

Yeah it's it's a shrine my wife made for me really of Craig Morgan when I was out on the road one weekend we just wanted to make a shrine my wife made of the centerpiece is a locked hair different literally it was not here one week I left on a Friday come back on a Sunday and this was up yeah um but but you know that's just uh she's proud of me and everything we both accomplished together uh it's it's it's pretty hard as as you know in this business to uh to be with with with an artist that that long you know it it just doesn't happen in this day and age there's a lot of opportunities people jump you don't stay dedicated and it's just hard to get together with anybody in a relationship and stay that long whether you know the wife your your you know brothers and sisters they all have problems but you know but yeah there's Craig's gold record I was in 2004 my kind of living and I got my name on that so I guess I got a gold record so that's cool. What about the baseball baseball bat's a great story. So I'm a huge baseball fan we were doing a nonprofit show in Utah for a gentleman named Don Pay he's a he's a very sweet guy we do a lot of shows with him and he brings some artists together as well as some athletes and that day he had Bo Jackson there and I wasn't going to leave without a signed Bo Jackson baseball bet. Heck no and everybody everybody's like why does that fit? I was like well it fits because I would probably never have met Bo Jackson if it wasn't for Craig Morgan.

Jay Franze 53:39

So yeah that's a good that's why it's that's why it's up there greatest natural athlete of all time in my opinion in my humble opinion greatest natural athlete of all time yeah he's one of my favorite baseball players so it just it just fit and my wife she she loves it because if somebody breaks in she says something really easy in the the kitchen to uh to beat somebody up so let me just take a second to point out too that you're in your home and the wall behind you is painted black and it has all the pictures of Craig and all the memorabilia up from your time with Craig. So it's not only a great wall of memories but it's it's very aesthetically pleasing.

SPEAKER_01 54:19

Sure well thank you she she'd love to hear that she uh she prides herself in that and it it is it it is very pleasing um I was uh very surprised and humbled that she did that for me it means a lot so my my family come over and they're like why why is that up there in the kitchen because my wife's like because it is that we I want to show it right you know that's awesome but yeah it's it's it's definitely something to be proud about it's uh and Jay there's even there's even more to it it's bigger than what you can see in there right now like it's there's quite the few accomplishments in there man it's something very well i've got a I've got a basement and a closet full of a bunch of other that crap but if I did all that it'd be a Craig Morgan museum in there and I can charge a mission right you know never say never Jerry never say never well maybe all right so so I've got more wall space Trey we can we need one of your training callaway wall in here when they put them when they put them in the country music hall of fame they're gonna come see you that would be that's the go that's the plan.

Jay Franze 55:16

That's the plan Jerry don't worry we'll get one yeah my wife busts my cookies because I've got all the the plaques and records that I worked on are all in the garage.

SPEAKER_02 55:27

Not one of them is is hanging in the office here I don't know I had them hanging up everywhere we moved and when we moved in this house I just wanted m my space right um it's all right there I gotta ask a question I gotta put the two buddies together pity pit them pit them pit y'all against each other who's the better who's the better sound engineer Jay or Jerry the master or the teacher the student or the teacher nice well you know I mean neither one of us is doing it anymore so there you go.

SPEAKER_01 56:02

Nice man I got I don't think it's a fair I got what I needed yeah exactly well well well we'll put it this way I need to have a Jay wall too because if there wasn't no Jay there wouldn't be a Craig there wouldn't be a Trey there wouldn't be the music industry for me.

SPEAKER_02 56:16

We were talking about that we were talking about the impact that Jay's had on you man and and the impact he's had on me already as well you're quite the guy Jay we we all love you brother well thank you I will send the check in the mail sounds good to go to go back to your question Trey Jerry did live sound I did studio work.

Jay Franze 56:36

Yeah so just do apples and oranges it's two entirely different things otherwise I would absolutely say I'm better.

SPEAKER_01 56:41

I mean he's better yeah you see what he did there Jerry did there well see my my uh my tenure in studios downtown uh Trey was making coffee and bagels see I I did I did that for four years and I I did patch some cables and plug in some microphones but other than that uh he knows back in those days man it it was it was almost if not more competitive than how it is for young independent artists right now if you didn't know somebody a buddy or you just could wait it out and and and call and and and allow yourself to not make money for at least five years to try to get just one opportunity you wasn't going to do it the the road is where you made money and that's where I had to go I mean I had a wife I had a child coming I I'm I had to I had to go work.

Jay Franze 57:28

Well that's a good point too because the college you know it was good for you because you you're working but it was pumping out hundreds of students a year into the industry and not all of them had the opportunity to work. So if you it's like we said earlier it's like winning the lottery you are the you in your case Jerry you're the one person that is working. So you look back at your your class how many of those people are still working in the industry at all?

SPEAKER_01 57:58

I don't know a lot of them at all. I mean some of them's been working in a little bit now they're doing something else. Right. So where I'm still doing it. So well you know that just means you're crazy.

SPEAKER_02 58:07

Because he's the man yeah maybe a little bit of both crazy and the man they kind of go hand in hand together. Yeah.

Jay Franze 58:15

All right well we're gonna have to bring both of you back again because I I'm sure the stories can go on forever but we have done it. We have reached the top of the hour which does mean we have reached the end of the show. And if you've enjoyed the show please tell a friend and if you have not well tell two three four or five you can reach out to all three of us tonight over at jayfrenzy.com we will keep this and any other conversation you want going. Trey since technically you're the guest we would like to leave the final words to you thank you for having me Jay it's been an honor and a privilege to be here I love you like a brother.

SPEAKER_02 58:45

I appreciate everything you do for me man. All right same to you as well Jerry thank you for everything brother oh whatever yeah see you guys later I'm gonna come up with sitting next to him on the show I'm gonna come up with something funny.

Jay Franze 59:02

I'll have something funny for the next time we'll wait till next time for that and have a good night