Try That in a Small Town Podcast
In 2023, Jason Aldean's groundbreaking song and video "Try That In A Small Town" resonated with a resurgence of conservative values in America. The writers of the song, Kurt, Neil, Tully, and Kelley, took the opportunity to launch the Try That In A Small Town Podcast. This platform allows them to reveal the true inspiration behind the song and discuss the importance of common-sense values. With a lineup of influential guests, the hosts will entertain you with the stories behind their music, while also addressing challenging topics affecting our communities and country.
Try That in a Small Town Podcast
Mustache and Music: The Rise of John Morgan :: Ep 60 Try That in a Small Town Podcast
A mustache, a North Carolina accent, and an impossibly high vocal range walk into a podcast studio – or more specifically, John Morgan walks in, bringing all three plus two recent #1 country hits to the conversation.
Morgan's journey reads like a Nashville fairy tale with an unexpected beginning. A chance meeting with songwriter John Edwards during an Uber ride led to a reconnection at Lucky Brand Jeans where Morgan was working. From there, a string of serendipitous events connected him with Jason Aldean's team, launching a career that's seen remarkable success in record time.
The conversation reveals how Morgan co-wrote "If I Didn't Love You," which became a massive hit for Aldean and Carrie Underwood. With disarming candor, he shares the rush of writing the song in a single evening as album deadlines loomed. "I didn't realize it would be a career-changing song," he admits, a testament to how quickly fortunes can change in Music City.
Between laughs and whiskey toasts, Morgan opens up about the surreal experience of touring with Aldean, including a hilarious moment when he "dribbled a little bit" after unexpectedly being called to sing a challenging high note in front of 30,000 fans. These stories paint a picture of the genuine relationships that have fueled his success – relationships that began with skepticism ("All of a sudden Aldean's calling? I don't think I believed it at first") and evolved into genuine creative partnerships.
Now balancing his skyrocketing career with being a father to three children under three years old, Morgan embodies the modern country artist – talented, hardworking, and refreshingly down-to-earth. "I've never had more to work for in my life," he reflects, capturing the drive that's taken him from playing in his father's woodworking shop to celebrating multiple #1 hits in a single month.
Ready to hear what authentic country talent sounds like? Join us for this conversation with one of Nashville's most exciting new voices and discover why timing, relationships, and raw talent still matter in music today.
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You know those early stages you're like you know we got to burn through, we got to play as many songs as we can. And then, because most of the time you're getting a 25 to 45 minute set right and you're just playing your heaters and get out and then you get a 90, like a year ago I would have freaked out at a 90, right.
Speaker 1:I'm like, oh, my God, that's so much talking, you know like, but now it's like you just feel it's just room to breathe. Now, by the time I got connected with you guys, it was almost too good to be true. If you think about it from my perspective, I'm like come on, dog.
Speaker 3:All of a sudden Al Dean's calling.
Speaker 4:You didn't believe me.
Speaker 1:I don't think I did at first. To be honest with you, most people don't. That wasn't because of you, it was just because of the situation. You're just like man. Man, I'm nervous already, you know. I was like don't do this to me, bro. I cannot hit this bridge you know, he's like I got, I got it, you know.
Speaker 1:So we're in the show 20, 000, 30, 000 people, however many, there's a million out there and I'm playing, you know, trying to, you know trying to just stay locked in. And we get to the bridge and and Aldean does this number right here and he's like he does the head nod to me. I was like living all the way up to the bridge. I mean, I was in the zone and he did that to me, dude, and I'm like I dribbled a little bit.
Speaker 6:I dribbled dude. The Try that in a Small Town podcast begins now.
Speaker 3:Jim, do you kind of have me. It's really kind of fun. I'm glad you're amused. All right, welcome back to the very festive Patriot Mobile Studios.
Speaker 7:This is looking good. We'll explain that in just a second Look at the balloons.
Speaker 3:We got, of course, all of the usual suspects.
Speaker 7:We got Kalo behind this balloon, we got Thrash, we got TK over here and we got hey, I like Kurt Fondue Myself, I do. I like not Kurt Mandu, I like Kurt Fondue Myself, I do. I like not Kurt Mandu, I like Kurt Fondue. When did you?
Speaker 3:come up with that. That's pretty good.
Speaker 7:It's like an overflowing, never stopping, never ending overflow of brilliance. Kurt Fondue.
Speaker 3:I don't hate it I don't hate it and let's introduce our guest Geez enough. This guy is the pride of.
Speaker 7:I don't think Kurt's on board.
Speaker 1:I'm not the pride of Silva. North Carolina, that's right, great place.
Speaker 3:Tony and I think that he single-handedly brought back the mustache he did, and he's bogarted the charts for about the last month. He's got a couple number ones in the last month or so, including tonight. Yes, welcome John Morgan. Let's got a couple number ones in the last month or so, including tonight. Yes, welcome, john morgan so uh, right now, today, whiskey drink is the number one song I got mine written by written by john morgan and telly kennedy till I can't heard out.
Speaker 3:And john edwards that's right, and cheers. Written by John Morgan and Tully Kennedy and John Edwards.
Speaker 1:That's right so.
Speaker 3:I guess we're going to toast early. Number ones don't come along very often, boys. No they don't, unless you're John Morgan.
Speaker 7:Let's do this, cheers.
Speaker 4:That is good, but it is filling.
Speaker 3:We are not sponsored by any whiskey congrats boys. I'm trying rats all three of you right now thank you uh, should I move this number one, or do we think we should just keep it right by me? I?
Speaker 7:don't know it looks so good.
Speaker 5:All right, let's put it over here.
Speaker 3:Those look pretty good uh okay so let's let's talk a little bit about we got whiskey drink, but just what? A few weeks ago, john, as an artist and a songwriter, had friends like that number one song yes you're on a street gracious, he's on a tear.
Speaker 1:We're trying, man. We're out here trying doing the lord's work right, hey man don't sound so excited.
Speaker 5:You're doing a lot of things, right?
Speaker 1:yeah, you can tell I'm just coming off the road, dude, dude, it's been great man we've been. I was telling y'all we've been doing a lot of things, right? Yeah, you can tell I'm just coming off the road, dude, it's been great man. I was telling y'all we've been doing a lot of fly dates, so those catch up to me a little quicker. But yeah, man, it's been so much fun. I think the funnest thing for me right now is like, well, we played Million Dollar Cowboy last week up in Jackson Hole. I've never been up there.
Speaker 7:What's that? What's Million Dollar Cowboy? Is it a club, big club?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a club up there in Jackson Hole Like a New Gillies or something. Yeah, it's Just old school kind of country, right yeah it is yeah, it's just a little hole in the wall, but Strippers Not at a lot at our show, I don't know beautiful place though.
Speaker 1:oh yeah, man, we, uh, we had such a great time, dude, it was our first sold out headlining show ah and it was just like, I didn't even think about it until they they came up and told us right before the show and I was like dude, it was just cool, you know.
Speaker 3:So that's one of those shows and we talk about that happening for us way back in, you know, 20 years ago. That's funny because I was going to ask you if you've had one yet. But that's going to be the show in 10 years you go, that's right.
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Speaker 1:Cleanse your body today, dude. I mean, there's nothing like going out on stage knowing that you already sold the place out. It was our best show to date. I think I told the guys when we got done.
Speaker 4:I was like happened, but that we had an encore as a first encore. Now let me ask you this how many times?
Speaker 1:during the set. Are you playing friends like that? Uh, right now one and a half.
Speaker 4:We really milked that outro we book ended the show. Oh, hick town. I love that.
Speaker 3:I mean started with it and we started with the three and a half minute version that you hear on the radio.
Speaker 4:Yeah, the radio cut, but I think the last, the ending version of it. That was 18 minutes because we needed to fill time. So you got band introductions, so don't lose the low hanging fruit. John's got these songs he's written he gets to do, he gets to fill up the show.
Speaker 7:Have the show with the hits that he's written.
Speaker 5:That's a great point, neil. We got three or four number ones right With Aldine just before.
Speaker 1:Who's counting really? Yeah, yeah, three to be exact but nobody's counting.
Speaker 3:So you do how long is your set? Is it an hour and a half?
Speaker 1:uh, I think that set was like a 90, yeah, um, so yeah, we haven't done a whole lot of those either. So that was, you know it's. It's fun at first. I feel like when you're building your show at those early, you know, those early stages, you're like, you know we gotta burn through, we gotta play as many songs we can. And then, because because most of the time you're getting a 25 to 45 minute set right and you're just playing your heaters and get out and then you get a 90 like a year ago I would have freaked out at a 90, right I'm like, oh my god, that's so much talking, you know like um, but now it's like you, you just feel it's just room to breathe.
Speaker 1:Now, you know, you feel like you've got, like we've got the songs. We've been learning a lot of the new material and stuff, so it's fun to just like be able to slow roll through a show.
Speaker 7:Yeah, you know how many shows are you doing this year?
Speaker 1:this summer. Uh, dude, we've. I don't even know, man, I don't I don't look past
Speaker 1:next week, to be honest you haven't, you haven't actually looked at the schedule to see, not in depth. No, uh, I, I love it. Show up and sing freaking love it. You got up and sing, freaking love it. You got to. Sometimes, man, I don't know, I've really enjoyed it. We've definitely been busy. It's been my busiest year yet. I can say that for sure. So, a lot of good things, man, a lot of good things. This is one of them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, dude, you're busy. That's a good sign. Yeah, neil, hold on, I'm going to deflect for a second. You got your golf garb on man.
Speaker 7:Oh yeah, I just got back.
Speaker 3:I mean, you literally just noticed the VIP above the parkings.
Speaker 1:Anyway, what's the handicap you?
Speaker 4:got to be to get that.
Speaker 7:No, I just came in here on two wheels. I thought I was going to be late, but John was late, so he's normal.
Speaker 1:He's like Kalo. Now you can count on that most times.
Speaker 3:You and Kalo. Yeah, count on it, I'm good.
Speaker 7:Yeah, but I played in a golf tournament today for Tunnel to Towers. Oh right, yeah, nice. Lee Greenwood was there. He sang God Bless USA. He sang the National Anthem. We had a flyover from the 101st Airborne. It was amazing.
Speaker 4:Did he golf too?
Speaker 8:No, no, he just gets it.
Speaker 3:He does his three and a half.
Speaker 7:Yeah, Lee didn't play golf. But anyway that's why, I was late. I would have left earlier if it had been something else but Tunnels to Towers. I had to stick around and finish out the whole round. How'd you shoot? I played good today. I've been playing good lately, guys, so I don't know if you guys really want to. You know Now.
Speaker 3:Neil is scratch he's, you know I believe that?
Speaker 7:No, we're supposed to do a golf tournament. Let's get John up to date here. Yeah, aldine's supposed to play with us.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, yeah.
Speaker 7:Cletus D Judd's supposed to play with us. We're going to go at us a six-em. They want to take me on, that's fine.
Speaker 3:It's five of us against Neil, five of us, and you know.
Speaker 7:I'm useless.
Speaker 5:No, I think you're going to bring up in threesomes, right.
Speaker 7:Like two threesomes, yeah, no, I'm just saying, guys, I'm playing really good, I got a new putter. It's really good If y'all want to do it, and we need to have something on the line, but it's going to be a podcast. We're going to have cameras with us.
Speaker 4:We're going to show everybody what's going on when I slay these boys? Maybe that's it. My putter's broken. I need a new putter.
Speaker 7:Dude Neil's got 17 putters here you know what, as long as you look good, tully, that's all that matters. As long as you look good, wear your knickers.
Speaker 4:Whatever the garb is you wear when you play golf, wear it Irish hat and everything the only thing better than the knickers is when I walk in, people are like super pumped about my knickers and the old ladies are flipping out and then they cause quite a stir, but then I go tee off.
Speaker 7:The look of disappointment is amazing, it's like oh shit, I know this episode was about John. Morgan and it should be, and it's going to be. Do you play golf, john, a little bit? Oh, he's good, oh really.
Speaker 1:John's an athlete. He's good, he's a natural athlete.
Speaker 5:We'll take John on our team I. He's an athlete, he's good, he's a natural athlete.
Speaker 1:We'll take John on our team. I'll slow down on the athlete.
Speaker 7:Do you put your hair in a ponytail when you play.
Speaker 1:No man. Golf. No, I let it. That's my tunnel vision, man. Oh really, no, it's part of the swing. Yeah, I get it. Yeah, yeah, I get it.
Speaker 7:I know it is, but I about that. It's the first golf tournament they've had in the state of Tennessee and I was honored to be a part of it.
Speaker 5:That's very cool. Nice work, Neil.
Speaker 1:Anytime Lee Greenwood is there, I'm there.
Speaker 7:It was amazing. It was awesome.
Speaker 3:Okay, so we were saying John's an athlete.
Speaker 1:He is. I thought we got over it.
Speaker 3:Well, we've been out golfing actually, and, of course, we did pickleball matches.
Speaker 4:Well, we've had some pretty heated pickleball matches.
Speaker 3:So he's a pickleballer, that is true. Well, John's just an athlete. But hey, let's go way back to athlete. You played ball in school, right? I tried.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I tried. Baseball is like first love I loved baseball. Uh, baseball is like first love I I loved baseball. And then when I got my freshman year high school, my our school program shut down so I switched to basketball and just kind of fell in love with that.
Speaker 3:And you know there's a lot more, uh, fast pace, I guess did google, tell me right that your dad switched you to be a right hand thrower in baseball even though you are a lefty are you serious?
Speaker 1:he wanted me. He wanted me to play short, so he taught me how to, you know, feel right because I know you're a lefty.
Speaker 3:You do everything left, right except for throw a baseball yeah, I do baseball.
Speaker 1:Football is left. Uh, basketball is left um golf's right. I kind of, I just, I mean, guitar is right, because that's the guitar.
Speaker 7:I had to learn on. That pisses me off, really that really pisses me off.
Speaker 1:You can do both we didn't say I could do them. Good, I can do them both, but no, it just depends. You know, it's just how I learned, whatever sport it was, that's what I had. Yeah, my guitar. My uncle had a right-handed guitar, so that's why I play guitar right-handed, just because that's what I had to learn on. You know, um, I was not smart enough to turn it upside down and give me a handrix or anything that's what dads do, though.
Speaker 4:Remember my son. He did everything left-handed, and he started playing guitar, and I said no, no, no, no, you have to play right-handed, and so you force that on your children but, john's it's a tough word out there for a little piece of that your dad, john's dad, is a warrior.
Speaker 4:He is one of my favorite people, so when John was on the road with us opening up the first time, a couple years ago 21, 22, yeah. They had this beat. Really, what was that? It was a little short kind of bus you converted into it.
Speaker 3:It wasn't even a sprinter, it was a short bus. It was a short bus. It was a short bus.
Speaker 1:No it was more of a church bus. Yeah, a church bus.
Speaker 4:It broke down. It felt like between every show these guys are rolling in barely making sound check. Well, his dad was driving, yeah, and his dad's an amazing man, so talk about pickleball. So every day at noon, you know we're out there playing pickleball getting ready to here comes the church bus. You know, pearl, last minute, last minute, and his dad's been driving all night pops out that thing changes pickleball right to the court. No breaks, no break. Drove all night.
Speaker 1:Two hours of pickleball yeah and whooped ass people yeah, I know the show you're specifically thinking of. It was corpus christi. Yes, and we drove through the night dude. I had the last leg of that too, because I was like I was driving and it was, I think I started at like five, five or six am something like that.
Speaker 1:So I'm like you know, drinking a monster, like just hanging in there for dear life. And we're in Corpus Christi, so there's nothing. You're just on this road for a hundred miles, right and dude I. We had one turn and I blew by it. I was.
Speaker 6:I was just in the zone you know and I blew by it and there was not.
Speaker 1:I promise you, there was 25 miles before we could turn around. And I blew by it and there was not a. I promise you, there was 25 miles before we could turn around. And I'm like, dude, I've never been more pissed in my life. That was probably the most angry I've ever been, because I'm like you couldn't turn around. There was nowhere to turn around, just a straight shot. I'm like oh boy. But yeah, that's when we rolled in hot and he was like let's pickle. I couldn't believe.
Speaker 4:And he's a player and his dad you can tell. I knew right away, the minute I could tell he played tennis. Your dad played some serious tennis and he was laying it on. I mean it was like, okay, well, and he's got no sleep and he's doing this.
Speaker 4:It's amazing yeah those were, those were great times, you know. Let's go back to you, know how we met you when we met you, which for us is like you know, I can't wait for you guys to tell it, because I'm always the one that has to tell it so I don't know we need your story, but we'll fill.
Speaker 3:We'll fill in you like how.
Speaker 1:I did that.
Speaker 5:I guess, nice work, john.
Speaker 4:Nice work, thank you, but it is it's what I love about this town and how one little chance meeting and how everything gets intertwined. Yeah, you know, god lays things out there.
Speaker 7:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I'll try to keep it short, but it's such a cool story. A friend of ours, john Edwards, who is a co-writer with us. He sent us half a song one day. He goes hey guys, me and me and kurt, you guys want to come in and finish this thing with us. And I said, well, who'd you write it with? And this is well. This guy met john morgan. Like okay, I'll listen to it, so I'm out walking. It was like what year was it? Was it? It was 2020 or something like that.
Speaker 4:So I put my phone in my ear and I listened to the song they started. I'm like I immediately sent it to kurt. I was I listened to the song they started. I'm like I immediately sent it to Kurt. I was like, listen to the song. There's something here and Kurt goes listen to the voice and we're like who is this guy? So I literally text John Edwards. I said send me this guy's number now. I walked back, got on my porch and I called him up. Oh, you got it, I got it and my you know anyone who knows me fairly aggressive personality every now and then.
Speaker 5:Well, it's just like you get things done, that's all.
Speaker 4:But I tell you this though we knew there was something here and I called John. I'm like man, I got a vision. You know how about you want?
Speaker 1:to be in a duo. You want to be in a duo, you want to? Oh yeah, remember, I forgot about that because I was like I've had my mind set and it's been telly's vision for a while to create a duo.
Speaker 3:You're gonna be in a duo and it's so funny, sure who's the other guy.
Speaker 4:Well, it's so funny knowing each other now and how, yeah, you know how how funny this is now, but you know, anyway, you know I won't bore you with all that stuff, but we started that process. But you know, we started the process of like john's like man, if I was gonna do a do, I'd do it with this guy. I'm like no, no, we'll work like that, we gotta do this, you know. And and then we let some time. We started writing, yeah, and that kind of let the dust settle. And I remember we wrote a few songs and they were all really cool and he would sing them and like man, this is great, and kind of made some calls, and then it, and then we finished the original song, the first song that they'd sent. We actually finished it and I that's when I sent it to aldine I'm like man, we have got to do something. And that that was in the morning, like at like 10 30 on a sunday, and by six we had formed what is now triple play.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because it was just that's I love how that worked and triple play is the publishing company that we have with jason uh and nitrine records. The label that jason has john is signed to and which I get nothing of. But what an honor but what some people don't know, and we can finish telling that part of the story with the as paul harvard. You guys don't know who, paul harvard old time radio guy come on.
Speaker 3:He used to say but the rest of the story, which is actually the more interesting part, is how you got to know john edwards. And I know you're sick of telling the story no, I'm, but it is never incredible.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, foreshadow tully story yeah, so yeah, it's fun to do duo thing I completely forgot about. We should revisit that, maybe at some point.
Speaker 5:I think it's working right now.
Speaker 4:What was funny, though and you may have to edit this out, jim, I don't know, but there's so many pieces of the story that get forgotten. After the whole duo thing, I could tell like, okay, well, he's not really into the duo thing Because you told me you weren't really into the duo thing.
Speaker 4:So I remember when we were writing songs, I remember telling you okay, I'm going to set up a meeting at BMG and I said I'm going to meet with like you know whoever, and thinking how can we get something going? We wrote a bunch of songs and you would call me and you were calm and you say, man, this is moving kind of fast. I remember having those conversations and what's funny about that is like, had we just moved quickly for with no purpose, none of this great stuff probably would have happened. It took like getting the right thing, getting jason involved, the whole vision like really, really cool. When you look back on it and you know if you're like us at all we just like full steam ahead, never really stopped to look back, but it's the whole how it happened. And you meeting John Edwards, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:No, I agree, man, it's I. You know you, I've been in a few different situations where it felt like there was an opportunity that was going to present itself, you know, in the music industry, and I got burned a couple of times. So, you know, by the time I got connected with you guys, it was almost too good to be true. You know, if you think about it from my perspective, I'm like come on, dog.
Speaker 3:All of a sudden, Al Deaton's calling.
Speaker 4:You didn't believe me.
Speaker 1:I don't think I did at first. To be honest with you, Most people don't. That wasn't because of you.
Speaker 1:It was just because of the situation. You're just like man. But no, I don't know. I think you're right. It took time for us to, I think, get to know each other too. That's the kind of you know people we are in the long run, anyway, is like you know, you get to know somebody and you know, I just I didn't really know I was super green when I moved here. You know, really green in a lot of ways and in a lot of ways that was good, it was beneficial, I think.
Speaker 1:In the writing sense, man, it's like when I first started writing, you know, with Hit Songwriters which was pretty early on, thanks to you guys, you know, it was just like I could tell that what I was writing back in North Carolina they weren't bad ideas. I just didn't know how to get them there. You know, that was the coolest thing to me. It was like seeing somebody turn that corner on a song and like hook it. I was like, wow, that's cool. You know, that's what I want to do, and so that that was honestly my whole goal in moving. I knew if being an artist was a was going to be a thing, it would happen or it wouldn't. You know it would. Either it would either happen or it wouldn't, and so, um, I was trying to prepare for that. But also, like, I love writing songs, and so, um, um, you know, before I moved to Nashville, um, you know, that's that's pretty much what I did, me and uh, rob, my drummer, we would, you know, get my, my dad's shop and, uh, it was funny because he had, he had added on this section of his shop, uh, for, like his, I guess it was his retirement plan to do woodworking.
Speaker 1:You know, he bought all these tools, you know, moved him into this, this section of his shop, and, you know, had a nice little space and he was still working his butt off. So, one by one, I would slowly move each piece out and, and, you know, just so, he wouldn't notice, and he obviously noticed, but, uh, I was just, I would just move one piece out at a time and I eventually, like, finished, I put some flooring in there, you know, treated it and I turned it into my music room and so, me and Rob, would you know, we would hang out and write, uh, you know, ideas there, a couple, a couple of my other buddies from back home, um, but that's when I caught the bug. I was like, man, this is fun, you know, you get to collab and like I'd never collab with somebody. I was always writing ideas. I'm by myself, you know, and it's like I would never. I felt like I would never finish anything because I was like, man, it's just, there's something missing, you know. So it was fun to catch that bug. But yeah, to tie all that in with meeting Edwards, I moved to Nashville in 2020 in pursuit of a pub deal.
Speaker 1:I wanted to write songs and so when I moved here, it was actually before I officially moved here, actually, I think it was like 20, late 2019.
Speaker 1:Um, and I can't. I was making trips down to, you know, right with with Rob and whoever I could write with at the time, um, playing bill court taps every night, you know, whatever, anybody, wherever anybody had me and, um, you know, started kind of getting established here and, um, we, rob was like hey, man, that's like you've never seen downtown. Let's go downtown, we'll find a place to eat or do something, I'll show you around. So we went, we, we call it Uber and we're, you know, riding downtown and this guy starts chatting with us, you know, and I'm like it was a cool guy and you know he's just a nice guy, you know you meet him, you're like, I like this guy and uh, you know he starts talking about you know being in town for a while and he's just kind of doing that on the side and uh you know, he was like he's, like you know, I'm, you know, writing a few songs.
Speaker 1:He told us some songs he had written and and we were like you know, this is awesome and so, for what you know, for whatever reason, um, I was, you know, I guess, just hungry or something, but I was just like, all right, cool man, nice to meet, you see you never. Well, you might not have believed him, it's an uber driver.
Speaker 3:Yeah, if an uber driver saying that to me, I'm like bro, yeah, whatever man, nice to meet you yeah, yeah, I was like cool man I appreciate it.
Speaker 4:Thanks for the ride, you know you know what's funny about that with edwards and edwards? We go so far back with edwards over 20 years.
Speaker 3:I can't remember when he said he was driving Uber, so we've known him.
Speaker 4:We've gotten to the day we were playing on his demos and writing songs with him.
Speaker 7:Have I ever met John Edwards?
Speaker 4:John is like our little secret weapon and great guy.
Speaker 7:Where do you keep him? Where is he? We keep him in different parts of town.
Speaker 1:What's funny about this story? You can't keep that man anywhere. He's going to do what he wants to do.
Speaker 4:He never told me and kurt that he was driving uber yeah. So when this story came out, I'm like what the hell is he talking about?
Speaker 2:what. What did they?
Speaker 4:concocted because john told me he met you at lucky jeans well, this is the end of the story.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you, you don't know the end of the story, but he didn't.
Speaker 4:No, I I know oh, yeah, but he yeah, he met you driving uber.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but that was our initial, the first time we met, right. And so he drops me and Rob off to eat. I don't even remember where we went, but I was like appreciate it, man, cool, good to meet you, you know, didn't think anything of it, went about my way, went to eat, you know, I think so yeah, that was late 2019. So when I officially moved a year later fast forward a year from that I moved to town at 2020. I had a part-time gig working at Lucky Brand Jeans over at Opry Mills.
Speaker 7:If you can imagine that I would have bought some jeans for you, yeah, you would no doubt.
Speaker 3:You and your mask.
Speaker 1:No, I don't think John was wearing a mask. I was definitely not in a mask. Well, you might not have recognized me. I was a young lad back then. But no man, I was working. Typically, I was stocking shelves. When they gave me the job, they were like, yeah, you'll just be in the back stocking shelves. I'm like, perfect, give me some headphones, I'll be good, I'll get you dialed, and so, but they're, they got shorthanded. We had a few people leave and so they end, I ended up, you know, working the floor.
Speaker 1:And so, um, you like how I said that, uh, yeah, I was working the floor and uh, you know this, this dude walks in one day and I'm like, man, I know this guy, you know, I just recognized his face. So I went up to him, started talking and it was Edwards. It was my Uber driver from a year earlier and he was just in there shopping. I guess I don't know what he was, who knows with him, but we kind of reconnected and he was like, man, what are you doing? I'm like, well, uh, I, I was in the floor. Yeah, yeah, he's like you know, but I sent him some, some demos that I've been working on. Just, I had a little setup in my bedroom over in wedgewood and um, I sent him a few songs I'd been writing and just you know demos I'd done. And um, he actually you know Evers, well he, he left the store. I was like cool, got his number, sent him some songs, went back to work. He left. About an hour later he texts me what time you get off, and I'm like I think I was closing that night. I was like I'm, I'm late man, like I'll be here till midnight or whatever. He was like cool, I'll be back, I'll come, I'll come meet you whenever you close. So shows back up after I get off and we start hanging out.
Speaker 1:The weirdest part of it was that rob, my drummer, was he? He randomly, I hadn't texted him all day he showed up at opry mills and came in the store right after Edwards had left. So, edwards comes, I meet him again. You know, rekindle that friendship. He leaves, rob comes in right after. I didn't know, I had no idea he was in the mall. He was like hey man, what's up? I just figured I'd pop in since you were working.
Speaker 1:So anyway, long story short, we all meet back up. I was like dude, you'll never believe who I ran into. Know, I text him, and so we all meet back up, edward shows us some stuff, um at his studio that you know he'd been working on, and we just kind of chill for a little while and and hang out, become, you know, a little more acquainted with each other and um, yeah, it was like probably the next week he was like man, I'd love to, you know, try to write something. And that's when we wrote, um, over you, over me, I believe, was yeah, it was funny because he never, ever told me.
Speaker 4:I thought he goes. I said would you meet this guy? That day? When I called you, he said I met him at look I. He never told me anything about driving uber and at all so that when that story came, I was like what is it? Are they making this whole?
Speaker 1:thing up. Yeah, it's just all for the all for the headlines no, it's, it's awesome.
Speaker 3:It's wild. It is incredibly wild and actually we got to tell some other parts of that story. When we come back, let's do this, let's, let's take a break real quick. Let's get a word from the sponsors. We're here with john morgan, we'll be right back. This is a try that in a small town podcast vip parking. My name is glenn story. I'm the founder and ceo of patriot mobile parking.
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Speaker 8:Yeah, whiskey drink. I know it's been a while and gotta talk to you. Gotta catch you up on the hill. I'm in right now. Yeah, whiskey drink Now. You won't believe the things I said. The way she left, the way the leaving all went down. It might take all night get her off my mind. I need you one more time. Yeah, be a good friend. Come, come on, kick in whiskey drinks. I don't wanna think. Think, think About who she's with or where she is. How about I mess her now? Come on cigarette. Yeah, smoke out that regret. Pour it straight and strong, make her memory gone Before you let me leave. Come on, whiskey drink. Come on, whiskey drink you want the second one or no.
Speaker 8:Woo, you can go. Yeah, tell me, jack, tell me that you got my back, that you ran it with me till the bottle's empty, just like you always have. Come on, help me out, just give me a bye. I'd rather be hungover than cold sober, still hung up on goodbye. So come on whiskey drink. I don't wanna think, think think About who she's with or where she is or how bad I miss her now. Come on cigarette. Yeah, smoke out that regret. Pour straight and strong, make a memory gone Before you let me leave. Come on whiskey drink. Come on, whiskey drink.
Speaker 1:I forgot the bridge. Oh yeah, here we go. It might take all night.
Speaker 8:To get her off my mind. I need you one more time. Well, come on whiskey drink. I don't wanna think, think, think About who she's with or where she is or how bad I miss her now. Come on cigarette, yeah. Smoke out that regret Number one Right now. Come on whiskey drink. Be a good friend. Be a good friend, be a good friend. Whiskey drink, yeah.
Speaker 4:Nice, you wanted the verse Of course you got the whole thing.
Speaker 3:How could you possibly stop Number one right now, this week that's?
Speaker 5:more chords man. Neil, that was impressive. Hey, how could you possibly stop Number one right now? This week.
Speaker 1:That's four chords, man, neil, that was impressive.
Speaker 8:That's it.
Speaker 5:The number one song in the nation.
Speaker 7:That's right, so y'all got to give us a story in a little bit right In the world.
Speaker 8:I'm not selfish In the country world I like everybody's music.
Speaker 7:I remember listening. I remember the first time because when I flip through my phone and listen to new artists do stuff you know, whenever they post things on Instagram or TikTok or whatever. I remember the first time that I came across John Morgan and I'm going, because normally I don't listen to the whole thing I'm like next.
Speaker 8:And I'm like flip next flip next.
Speaker 7:My thumb's good at, I'm like next and I'm like flip next.
Speaker 8:Skip, skip my thumb's good at that Flip next.
Speaker 7:But when John comes up, I'm like oh God, and I'm like boom, and I'll watch the full story or whatever. I'm like this dude's solid. This dude's like no really. It's like I listen to the whole thing and I was like I'm a fan, I'm a huge fan thank you.
Speaker 3:Well, you are both.
Speaker 4:Thank you, yeah yeah, I mean this is you know, I feel like that end of the tale might just explode yeah, talking about a duo. Um, yeah, yeah neil's done that once he has very famous, once keyword, it once thrash your shadow.
Speaker 7:It led me into writing songs dude, you know what's funny?
Speaker 1:one of the first times we wrote, I remember like I I don't. I think it was over zoom, I think it was during cobia and all that, where I don't even remember who it was with um, did neil have a?
Speaker 4:mask on negative.
Speaker 7:He knows, I didn't have a mask, maybe a hockey mask.
Speaker 1:He did leave at one point during the zoom for about 25 minutes and it made me wonder if I was still like on the chat or if I guess I booted off or something I was just like. I don't, I don't know that's on you yeah, I, I figured it was nothing against you. Dude, I get out. Yeah, that was a weird time.
Speaker 7:I got to move, I got to walk around.
Speaker 1:I'm going to say it right.
Speaker 7:When I write. I got to get up and move. Yeah, if you don't see me on the screen, I'm just walking around, I'm putting or whatever.
Speaker 1:I knew that it was just funny, because I'm like I don't want to, because I didn't want to leave. So I'm like as soon as I leave he'll come back. You know I'll be like no, it was fun. But I remember getting the demo back and I can't remember. I know freight train was one where I was like yeah freight train was one.
Speaker 1:Why, why are you singing that high? I'm like, how do you even the range? It blew my mind Cause I'm like I'm even trying to sing like a low third to it. You know like I'm like trying to sing a low third. I'm like there's no way. Like yeah, that was stupid, yeah.
Speaker 4:I tell you what I love about writing. When, Neil, you'll sit there and you sit in your right and there's lots of time he gets quiet, which I'm completely Kalo knows. Just ask Kalo when he does this when he looks at you and he'll go. He'll say something. He'll be like what?
Speaker 7:What is that? That's what you do. What's the point? What is?
Speaker 5:that I don't point at people.
Speaker 4:No, you don't.
Speaker 7:But then what's the point? What's the hand? What is that? That, but then? But then, what's the hand.
Speaker 4:What is that? That's what I see.
Speaker 3:What You're me. It's a compliment. It means you're about to spew brilliance, don't?
Speaker 1:interrupt me, I love seeing the hand, because it's like this you want to see the hand, but in the moment it's abrasive.
Speaker 4:Shortly after that this thread of melody and some great stuff comes out and you're like, oh yeah. That's why you get the hand.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and the hand it signals. No matter what you're going to say, I've got something better.
Speaker 3:That's the signal and we all just wait for it. So we're all wrong.
Speaker 2:So then we start checking email catching up on text and stuff and just wait.
Speaker 1:We're waiting for it, so we're all wrong. So then we start checking email, catching up on text and stuff. Like I said, we're waiting for the hand.
Speaker 7:They're making me sound like an ass. No, no, no, a total ass.
Speaker 5:You're a genius. We're kind of kidding.
Speaker 4:This is what I love when I see this.
Speaker 5:And sometimes there'll be a there's that.
Speaker 7:When I play golf with guys, they there's that. When I play golf with guys, they say that after I hit a good shot, I do this little dance and I'm going. What are you talking?
Speaker 3:about what is a dance you?
Speaker 7:don't know.
Speaker 2:No, I have no idea what they're talking about. Like I do this little step.
Speaker 7:When I hit one perfect Like a shimmy. You do a little shimmy.
Speaker 5:Wade, you know what it is. We'll make sure Jim will capture it.
Speaker 3:It's, it's just shimmy and I'm like what?
Speaker 7:are you talking? I do a shimmy. What do you mean? I gotta see that on tape. What are you talking about? I don't do a shimmy wait, what is it wade?
Speaker 1:what's the correct term here?
Speaker 7:like a like a little like, a little two-step or whatever. Like, oh, like I'm a little two-step and go like I just hit that I hit it perfect. I'm going back to the car. Good Good luck, or whatever, and I'm like what I do that.
Speaker 3:That's so bad. I got to work on it. I'm sorry. I want to apologize.
Speaker 4:Don't apologize for it.
Speaker 7:That's amazing I don't want to put the hand up to anyone.
Speaker 1:The two-step feels like an off-the-tee move to me.
Speaker 3:You just hit an absolute bomb down the middle two-step back to bend down and pick your tiger spinning the the. Yeah, yeah, it's equivalent. Yes, it spins a club. Yeah, I don't want to. I don't know, john, what was the first cut that we got together? Was it if I didn't love you?
Speaker 1:it was. Yeah, that was the first one ever, yeah well, the first, it wasn't the first one we wrote, it was the first one. Get recorded, okay, yeah, yeah, that was. It was my first cut man, so at what point do you go?
Speaker 3:I mean, this is your first cut is like do you go? Do you realize the magnitude of what that cut is and means?
Speaker 4:no, yeah, we tried to tell him.
Speaker 1:He still didn't grab you a thousand percent tried to tell me um no, I, I didn't realize, I didn't know it would be a career-changing song. You know what I mean? Because that's the song. It's like you were saying, even in my set. I've got that in my back pocket Anytime I can pull that out. People are seeing that one back.
Speaker 7:Do you tell the people that you wrote these songs when you do those?
Speaker 1:Yeah, usually, you know, like in our show it has been, I try to break it down like kind of towards the middle of our set. I'll break it down and do some acoustic, do some covers, do some old rock songs, and then, you know, do If I Didn't Love you, and I usually kind of tell, you know that bit what I said earlier. Like you know, I moved to town to write songs and this was, this was one of the ones that changed my life, changed my career. Truthfully, um, you know, even though I didn't in the moment know it, but you know now, looking back, it was definitely, you know, a pivotal moment and also just ammo and, like I said, in my back pocket, for when I am out there and nobody knows who the hell I am, you know I play that.
Speaker 4:They're like oh, they can associate something you know, you ever tell them the story about how it came up. That was an evening, a night right there, because it was a very panicky time.
Speaker 1:You get to tell the text, bro. That's my favorite.
Speaker 4:Again. Long story, but the short of it is we were under the gun to try to come up with something, or we were going to get beat or something.
Speaker 1:You guys were a day or two out from finishing the record.
Speaker 4:We were two days out or something. You guys were a day or two out from finishing the record.
Speaker 7:We were like two days out or so Did y'all know it was going to be a duo record, no A duet.
Speaker 4:We knew. So here's the story Go ahead. We had written a song that was going to be a duet and then the person that Jason wanted to do it with said, no, they don't want to do it. And then that sparked a whole thing of like, ooh, let's do a duet with a different song. And we didn't have a different song. So, it said everyone in town was writing duets all of a sudden. So you guys know how small this town is in.
Speaker 3:Nashville the Bulletin is out, Aldine's looking for a duet song. So for three days everybody's writing what?
Speaker 4:could be a duet. We went from having the duet song to no longer having it to everyone in town wanting to write it, and I'll never forget it. It was COVID and we played a show at Bonnaroo and Jason's manager was there and he's like do you guys have any other songs for duets?
Speaker 4:I'm like Clarence, no, and we went home, got back from Bonnaroo and I was laying in bed the next night and I said I am very upset. So I texted John and Lydia Vaughn and who we've been writing a lot with at that point. These two and I just texted a bunch of like little did you get a text? I knew that was coming, I know wait, this is kind of pre-you.
Speaker 1:He actually waited longer than I thought he would.
Speaker 7:This is kind of pre-Calo, though really I didn't know, you guys, it wasn't pre-Ne-Lo, that's true.
Speaker 1:Pre-Ne-Lo, but I texted a bunch of little sirens and an ambulance. The ambulance emojis is what got me man.
Speaker 4:I was like all right, so we should write tomorrow night and it's a night time and you know it's like we had we were doing a vocal that day, producing, and it was like hey look, if we don't get something by seven o'clock, we'll just call it. Yeah, we went in there to our little shack and wrote if, if I don't love you and I love telling that story, because you never know when you're going to write that- we did the track that night saying that night.
Speaker 3:We sent it off the next day Patrick. Patrick mixed it.
Speaker 4:That's how it happens. That's how it happens, I'll do it. And I said, yes, we got to cut this Yep Nice we.
Speaker 3:Yes, we got to cut this.
Speaker 7:Yep, nice, we have to lick our wounds, caleb, that's how it happens, but you're right that is how it happens, and timing is everything.
Speaker 3:No doubt, and we just got blessed that day.
Speaker 1:I'll say this too, man, you guys will agree with me, I know. Had Lydia Vaughn not been in the room, that song never would have happened. Not a chance.
Speaker 1:She not really. She's detailed, I think you had the title. But having that viewpoint and that approach, you know just her another side of it. You know that that was a game changer, I think, for like really fast tracking, because I mean, I don't, I don't remember the last time we've written a song in a couple hours. You know what I mean. Usually it's, it's we chip away at it and make sure it's good. But that one, I think just having her keeping the wheels rolling, man, it was, it was a game she sang the girl part on the demo and carrie
Speaker 3:pretty much copped her part except for the high deal at the end.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean yeah it is well, especially the second, the second verse, because you know having the female perspective yeah of okay, where we go, what what?
Speaker 1:you know what's a girl thing we think, we know yeah, listen, I know this is a question we haven't already have an answer to, but we reiterate, you know I remember, I remember I remember texting aldine uh, we finished that I said we just wrote it.
Speaker 4:We wrote it. Yeah, I knew it. Yeah. The weird thing was, though, when we tracked it, we didn't have anyone to do it. There was no partner, there was no duet partner, so we just tracked it, bare bones, yeah. And remember, aldine goes Clarence, I want to get Kerry on this and he's like glad you got him and it happened, yeah yeah fun story yeah yeah you know, wow, yeah, it was definitely fun for me.
Speaker 1:Thank you, guys.
Speaker 4:I saw a picture of the night you were and I took it in the shack. I mean you were singing the demo in our little shack. Of you singing it, it felt like, yeah, the Shaq Gosh. Everybody got sick after they left the Shaq, but it's okay.
Speaker 1:Everybody should have worn your mask.
Speaker 4:You guys would have loved the Shaq man.
Speaker 1:There were a few people who did.
Speaker 7:I'm glad I missed the Shaq. You would have loved it actually. Well.
Speaker 5:John, let's talk about your first number one.
Speaker 1:You had several number ones, but your first number one is an artist. Yeah, friends like that, to tell a story about that a little bit, please. Yeah, it's another kind of situation. I just I feel like I've been so fortunate man and just timing it's like you guys were talking about timing does go a long way and I feel like, um, you know, I, I, I wrote with a couple of buddies of mine Brent Anderson, will Bundy and Lydia Vaughn and I just remember you know that song when we wrote it, it wasn't I didn't think it would be a game changer, I didn't think it would be what it was.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. It was just a song that we, I write with those guys a lot. So sometimes you get in a room and you don't necessarily nobody has an idea they've been sitting on right, and you just kind of, you know, try to come up with something together, and that's kind of what happened. And, if I remember right, we were kind of on a different vibe. We started writing it more like heartfelt, I guess, and it was just like it was too much because the lyric's depressing already, you know. So you can't have the music be depressing too. Um, so we, we kind of got a verse course down.
Speaker 1:I think we, we kind of shifted gears and tried to put, like you know, more lighthearted chords underneath of it, to to lighten it up, and I don't know, I just remember writing it and be like man, this is fun, this would be sick in our live show, like you know, I loved it. I was out the gate, I wanted to cut it, um, but I just didn't. I never thought it would be the one you know to put me on the map, so to say. And, um, you know, I just remember, um, we had I guess it was, I guess friends, we put it out, I put it out by myself, and it was out to streaming to the streaming world. Uh, maybe four or five months, I think at the time. And, uh, we'd all been talking about, you know, writing something. Aldina had texted me and said hey, man, at some point I'd love to do some kind of collab, you know, and I didn't. I didn't really know what that meant, but I was like cool you know, yeah, sure, yeah, you just send me a two makes and I'll throw a vocal on it, but
Speaker 1:no, he was like, yeah, I'd love to do something. So you know, I think there were some that we wrote that I that I was like man, this would be cool or this would be cool. And I think you know it just from what I remember, like the timing of it when he texted me there was a couple months, I think, passed after that and friends just started raising its hand on the string and you know, in the streaming world, and I remember we were playing a show out in uh, out in minnesota, and I remember kind of waking up, like you know, getting ready for sound check, you know, at 1, at 1 pm, uh, and you know I'm like checking my phone, I looked check spotify and just had overnight, for whatever reason, a ton of organic streams hit friends and it just kind of it went from, like you know, 10 K to like a hundred K or something crazy like that, and so I was just like man, that's crazy. And so, um, long story short, I ended up, I think, somebody I can't remember whose idea it actually was, but somebody hit me up about hey, would you be interested in, you know, doing a collab?
Speaker 1:Doing a collab, um, you know, I feel like it might have been somebody from the label was like this might be a good idea and I, I hit jason up and was just like, hey, man, like you know, I know we were talking about, you know, trying to find something. I was like this, this song's kind of raising its hand right now, and it was funny because it's talking about friends. This is, you know, the subject, the song, and you know I felt like it fit both of our worlds, sonically too a little bit. It kind of touched in both lanes with, you know, just a driving song. So he was all about it and I twisted his arm a little bit but I didn't have to do too much.
Speaker 7:Thankfully, he was like yeah, let's do it, so it kind of worked out, man it for you. He was like yeah, let's do it, so it kind of worked out, it was perfect, it was such a good song too.
Speaker 5:Yeah, thanks, man. It was great. It's a cool video. I kind of refreshed on it today.
Speaker 1:And yeah, it was really cool.
Speaker 5:Brent Anderson's, a mutual friend.
Speaker 7:I've written a lot with him. I just love him. Yeah, he's a freak of and everything yeah, just a great guy.
Speaker 2:I'm glad yeah because he produced.
Speaker 5:Uh, I mean your album just dropped, right?
Speaker 1:yeah, a bit ago.
Speaker 5:Uh, carolina blue.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's been out a month or so I guess now, and it's been fun. Man, I just, you know, I there's a couple different things I could. I could say, you know, touch on, but I am super grateful, you know, to have a label that even you know lets me have any kind of say on the creative side of things, because you know to have a label that even you know lets me have any kind of say on the creative side of things, because you know they could most most don't from what I understand, and so it's, that was a lot of fun. You know to have, uh, you know, a lot of input just being on the ground floor of building these tracks, and you know, that's that's when I, when I got found, when these guys found me, it was like, you know, that's what I was doing. Anyway, I was in producer mode. You know I was about to sign a track guy deal with you know another company and it was just like that's where Tully comes in.
Speaker 3:People don't realize, though. John is like uber talented. He's not. You know, he's a a great singer.
Speaker 2:But he's a great guitar player.
Speaker 7:I know he's a great producer in his own right. Yeah, what do you like more? You like writing more or performing more?
Speaker 1:man, right now it's I was gonna throw that question on you, I know but but you'll get this though you'll get this. I'm in the sweet spot right now in my career where you're doing both. I'm doing everything, man, I man. I get to create. I get to bring an idea, a baby idea, to life in a writing room with you know some of the best in the world, and then I get to go in the studio, bring it to life, you know, do whatever it is I do on it. And then you get to go out and play it live, and you know, and even with friends, you hear people singing it back.
Speaker 7:It's cool. There's a fan base out there for you that wants to hear you sing yeah.
Speaker 1:I hope so, no.
Speaker 7:No, no, there is. There is because you sell it and you're really good and I'm a huge fan of your voice. Thank you, man.
Speaker 1:That means a lot coming from you. I just love doing it, man. I that means a lot coming from you. I just love doing it, man. I love anything. My goal was to make a living doing music, whatever way that was. I knew production, doing tracks, whatever it may be. Writing would get my foot in the door with better writers If I was doing a track. At the end of the day, if I could sing it, if I could play the instrument, you're going to get in better rooms that was a good piece of advice, I was told early on. And in better rooms. You know, that was a good, good piece of advice. I was told early on and so I just went all in on it and uh, you know, thankfully these guys found me before I got locked into a 10-year production deal.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah, you fell into it, fell into a great group, you know for sure. But you'd mentioned the track, I think, which is kind of interesting because I think you and I'd written maybe twice, but the first time we wrote is with Jesse Alexander. You know amazingly talented, you know incredible and everything. And so we're coming in there, we're writing with you. That was the first time I'd met you, but, but, but you were the, you were the track guy, you were the singer and we used your idea and you already had something going.
Speaker 1:I'm like and he played guitar all the time. This is fantastic, yeah. So anyway, yeah, it's just part of I don't know man I, I don't think I could write with. I mean now I feel more confident in writing, without having a crutch or like needing a guitar or whatever. I feel like I can hang. But yeah, it's, it's. I definitely feel like I get my best stuff when I am at least on guitar and, you know, just noodling around, because I feel like I sing, like I play guitar. You know what I mean. So sometimes that hearing, hearing a few notes that I wouldn't normally hear, you know, without a guitar, kind of makes me think differently, melodically, sometimes it just takes you in a different direction. So, I don't know man, I, I, I just love doing it. That's the bottom line.
Speaker 7:What did Al Dean think of you covering the truth like you do?
Speaker 1:Dude, you know what?
Speaker 7:I'm like the first time I heard you do the truth I was like, oh shit, they need to put that out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man Him and.
Speaker 7:Al Dean need to put that out again. And this is a. I'm going to give Brett James some love here. That is one of my favorite songs. It's a great song. It's fantastic.
Speaker 3:Top three for me, man, we didn't even do it in our set for a couple of years and then John was opening for us and we were talking about bringing John up and like, hey, what do you want to do? And you're the one that brought up that song, right, yeah?
Speaker 1:Jason was like hey man, you know, he's never given me a run through of my life.
Speaker 2:He's just like yeah you're good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we got it. We got it. I'm like cool, yeah, 20,000 people. Cool, I'm there, but no, he was like, yeah, I want you to come up and do one with us. And he was like what would you want to do if we brought you out? And I was like, well, you don't even have my favorite song on the set right now. I was just kind of joking. He's like what is it? I was like the truth.
Speaker 4:He's like all right.
Speaker 1:So of course they just pull it. You know, I don't remember the last time you guys have probably played it, but played it to the record.
Speaker 1:To the freaking note, down to the downbeat, and you do it so good. Well, dude, you know what's funny is that was speaking of your range. That was one of those songs that I've heard a million times, right, and I sing every damn word of it in the truck. You know I'm ripping right. And then it comes down to you to sing the bridge by yourself and you realize how freaking high that song is. What are you talking about? Yeah, you don't. Freaking high that song is. What are you talking about? Yeah, you don't.
Speaker 1:For me, and I remember telling him like because I think we had a couple run throughs with it was like the first night of tour, I think we were out, and and he and I, I remember telling him you guys remember this too I was like dude, I cannot hit that bridge, you gotta sing the bridge and and and I was like I can't hit it, man, I just you know I was, I'm nervous already. You know I was like don't do this to me, bro, I cannot hit this bridge, you know he's like I got, I got it, you know.
Speaker 1:So we're in the show and I remember this vividly. Dude, this is like a stark, like piss yourself moment. And we're in the middle of the show 20, 000, 30, 000 people, however many there's a million out there, and I'm playing, you know, trying to, you know trying to just stay locked in, and we get to the bridge and aldine does this number right here and he's like he does the head nod to me I was like living all the way up to the bridge.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I was feeling I was in the zone, you know, and he did that to me, dude, and I'm not. I dribbled a little bit. I dribbled, dude it free, and and, and, as he did, the head nod and he went right into it, right into the mic. So it was just a split second of like, like just straight terror you know, there's no way I'm hitting that dude.
Speaker 4:It happens to all trust me, you know it was a great happy accident. It was. You remember, a couple years ago, the label we needed some content right and we had to. They said shocker, yeah, they needed content and we're like well, let's just do this. Remember we said let's all just set up some amps and go to a you know rehearsal space and just play some music. Yeah, and they're like trying to. Of course, what labels do? They're trying to recreate the reinvent the wheel.
Speaker 4:You know we're like look, we're taking some road cases, some amps, some we're gonna sit down. Here's a bunch of guitars, little smoke two lights anyway, we did the truth like who's rear view? Uh, a handful trouble. The heartbreak, yeah, a couple others, and it's one of the coolest things on youtube. They're all there, yeah, and the truth like lit up yeah, like that version of the truth, and it's just so good, it's just five guys sitting around.
Speaker 7:Yeah, playing and singing it's like a guns and roses video. It's really fantastic.
Speaker 4:It's one of the and we literally went in there one day and did it, and it's one of the, and we literally went in there one day and did it and it's like, of course, we didn't rehearse for it.
Speaker 1:I was gonna say did you guys get a run through?
Speaker 1:no that was another time where I'm like, oh boy, no, we just literally show up. You know, not not a single run through like I've played. I played, the truth, you know, in the live full band setting, whatever. Not a single run through. I think we might have hit it once or twice before we went, but yeah, not singing right, not singing it down. And we get up there and they're like all right, we're rolling. I'm like all right, I hope I'm still singing the second verse, because I didn't even ask. But here we go. But, dude, it's so much fun, it's fun to do that every once in a while. Just get up there and see what happens you know yeah, you've got that thing.
Speaker 7:It's like when somebody calls on you and you're not expecting it, yeah. It's like just clench your butt cheeks together and go yeah, all right, it's, I'm on, let's go. Yeah, and you deliver.
Speaker 1:yeah, every time yeah, well, somebody gives. Yeah, somebody gives me a job, my I gotta I gotta go.
Speaker 7:It's time to go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm on yeah, I would have definitely drilled that bridge to the wall but we did every night in that tour and it was, yeah, you know it's, uh, one of my, yeah, one of my favorite tour memories just to date. Man, just so much fun getting to get up there, especially with you guys too. You know that makes it even funner when you know I get to get out there and, you know, just just just enjoy the moment. You know, because after after the nerves kind of where I got nervous every time we did it, but you know, you get through a verse and you're like all right, this is fun.
Speaker 3:Yeah, right, it's so cool. You know, I know toly, and I say this all the time and we talk about this. It's amazing that we get to do this for a living anyway, but when you get to deal with people you love, it's that much better. Yeah, and you know, we've been went through a lot with john and then to have him up there on stage with us, it was a very cool moment every night.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's really awesome yeah I think, people. You know it's hard to realize as fans, like all the space in between these big events. Yeah, all this, you know, meeting you and then writing the songs and then getting you to come out on tour and getting friends, like that, like all the things that go on in between those big moments. Yeah, you know that I like looking back on now. Yeah, it's, it's fun, it's it's you get caught in the hamster wheel and you, it's hard to like.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to get better at looking back at those things you know, yeah.
Speaker 4:But.
Speaker 1:But it's important to like even these times with the band, when you're right now, when you're, you know, all together and yeah, but you look back on this and those will be the best time I know, man, I know I, I've, you and you've, you've, you've told me that, um, specifically, a few other times, and I think it was one of the times you told me really hit home because I'm like dude, I gotta, I gotta remember to enjoy this while it's happening.
Speaker 1:You know, like, because you know you get in the Sprinter van, you know you crawl into, whatever it is anything but a Prevost. And you know, and you're just like man. Like you know, there are moments where you're like God, dude, this sucks. Like you're 12 hours into an 18-hour trip. You know, and you're like.
Speaker 1:I cannot see any more of new upstate New York, Like I can't. It just doesn't end, you know, and you get in those, you hit. You hit those moments, but you know, I, I feel like those are like you said, those are the rubber meets the road moments where you're like, is this really for me or not? You know, do I love this? Do I like being out here enough to do this? Because if you do, then you know, more power to you, and that's where I've been, man, I've been, you know, in that grind season. I'm just like I got to get it.
Speaker 1:Now, this wave only comes one time, you know it only comes one time. You miss it, it's gone, it don't come back or you're not, you're not the new kid on the block twice. You know what I mean. So I've just been trying to, you know, keep my nose to the grindstone and really take every opportunity, you know, and try to enjoy the moment, because it is hard sometimes. I've got all my. I mean you guys know this too. It's like all the guys that are on the road with me are all my best friends too.
Speaker 3:So it's like that makes that it fun but also even more challenging, because you're like always, there's always drama, there's always something going down, there's all, and you're like come on, boys, like, and a lot of responsibility and people don't realize that. I mean you're responsible for these guys having work and yeah that all is all on you that's true.
Speaker 2:That's a tough thing, that's true yeah, yeah, god.
Speaker 3:God has called you to be a lot of things, and in this business is one. But before we leave, I want to say this too because you're such a good human being you were also born to be a dad. Yeah, and you're put on this earth to be a dad, and he is three times over now in the last, you have three quick, oh bro, three kids under the age of three. Is that right three? And under? Dude, I don't. Is that right Three?
Speaker 1:and under Dude. I don't waste. My days off are well accounted for Well accounted for yeah 303.
Speaker 1:It's a lot, man, but same thing If I didn't love it. I love being a dad. There's nothing more fulfilling than that, I don't think, especially when you do, when you do have the opportunity to do what you love and still have that at home, like, I don't know how I looked into that, but you know it's. That's where I'm at right now and that's why when I do get tired, I'm like dude. No, I have nothing to complain about. You know, I have everything. You know that that I could possibly have ever dreamed of, and on both ends of it. And so you know it definitely makes it, you know, challenging. Like I said, trying to be present. I think that's the key I've learned, and you guys, you know, from many years of being on the road. It's like you don't have to necessarily be at everything, but when you are there, you got to be there. You know've.
Speaker 1:I've tried to, like, you know, really cut down on phone time, anything that's distracting me from like being present, you know, because they're gonna. They're not gonna remember the times that I'm out playing shows, but they're gonna remember the times I'm there. Was I paying attention? You know, like, those are the things I try to try to remember. But, dude, it's hard, man, it's hard to, you know, get off.
Speaker 1:When you are in grind season too, you're like, always trying to like. You know you're always chatting with somebody, you're always on the phone and you're trying to. You know work angles or whatever it may be, and so, uh, I don't know man, it's, it's a lot of fun. I'm so thankful for, for that piece of it too, cause it's definitely, uh, kept me sane on the road and and some ways, um, but you know it's, it's definitely been like, you know, a big driving. I've never had more to work for in my life. You know what I mean. So it's, it's a lot of fun. I told them they gotta book me some more shows because I cannot afford any more days off you got your head on straight bro yeah, thanks man absolutely you're approaching it the right way.
Speaker 1:Well, like I said, man, I, I think, truthfully, I think, when it comes down to it, I, I would be happy doing whatever, whatever you know worked out. If I'm writing songs for the next 10, 15, 20 years, that'd be great. If I'm on the road, that'd be great I'm, I'm on the road, that'd be great I'm. I'm in that spot where I'm like I'm, I'm putting a hundred percent in every, every lane and whichever one you know, like you said, god has for me and, you know, wants me to take. That's, that's kind of. I'm just trying to, trying to chase it all right now and see which, uh, which, which one's dead end and which ones don't you know. So it's a lot of fun.
Speaker 5:Well, you're doing an amazing job at it and, uh, and you're one of the only artists actually that as succeeding as an artist and still having hits not just cuts on other artists, but but number one hits. And so let's kind of end where we started, with whiskey drink being the number one song in the nation right now.
Speaker 1:You want us to play it again.
Speaker 5:Play it one more time. But but, uh, you know a lot of things but, besides it being a great song and a great artist, a lot of timing and you know record labels, time and promotion, all that stuff to, you know, to a little bit of luck sometimes, and hard work to get to number one. There's a lot you know a lot of difference between number two and number one you know Fingers and a Plaque is one of them, but number one is really cool. So, for all the long bus rides and all the stuff and a lot of songs that don't get recorded.
Speaker 5:number one feels amazing and we'll just start. Let's start with Tully, then we'll go to Kurt. I want to congratulate you we have to congratulate the three of you guys, we want to supremely congratulate you.
Speaker 3:Jesus. Very nice Caleb.
Speaker 5:Absolutely. It's huge and it feels impossible, but when it happens it's just an amazing feeling. I just want to know.
Speaker 7:Live it up.
Speaker 5:Tully, what are you feeling right now about having the number one song in the nation?
Speaker 4:Whiskey Drink by Jason Aldean and go Well. I mean, I think what I'm learning and trying to be better at is really appreciating the moment instead of worrying so much about trying to do it again. Yeah, you know which?
Speaker 4:is hard because it's like you said you have family's responsibilities and you want to keep things going well, yeah, but I got to stop and enjoy it. Yeah, to keep things going well, yeah, but I gotta stop and enjoy it. Yeah, you know which is trying to get better at, but you know my ocd and my I'm just some well, we're wired, we're wired.
Speaker 1:The same. In that sense, man, I'm like always what's next? What's next you know what? How are we gonna follow it up and you, yeah, you gotta you gotta enjoy it.
Speaker 7:Yeah, there's a fine line between getting um greedy and enjoying the moment. Yeah, there's a fine line right there.
Speaker 3:But do people like 100 us, if you're driven and you're competitive and you have that in you, do any of us actually enjoy the moment and this is sad to say but you just probably don't um because we do.
Speaker 7:But when you say the word moment, it is a moment.
Speaker 3:But I'm telling you, we're talking about it right now. We had a shot, but I'm honestly probably not celebrating it Like I should.
Speaker 7:Yeah, I'm well, you're driven and that's, but we all are, yeah, that's, that's the key word we're. We're driven, and it was like, thank you, Now what's next?
Speaker 4:I'm pretty stressed out actually about what's next.
Speaker 3:I'm going to go, you know what You're right.
Speaker 4:I'm really not enjoying it. I'm trying to lie for the podcast sake, but I'm really amped up about what's coming.
Speaker 3:I'm very stressed.
Speaker 7:Never mind, I'm really not enjoying it at all If you stop for two seconds and think about the percentage. Yeah, that's true. And how blessed and fortunate you are.
Speaker 3:You are right, I know you're right.
Speaker 7:It really is. I mean you have to stop for like.
Speaker 3:I know you're right.
Speaker 7:And not just for right now, but even tomorrow.
Speaker 1:You know what dude? This is straight up, man. I feel like I've celebrated these riding successes, especially Whiskey Drink man. I feel like I celebrated it early just out of pure schedule.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Not because of the number, but just because I I mean, dude, I have a song on the charts, yeah that by itself. That's right. Top 10, top five. It's hard to do that's right, just and and so, from you know, doing like I said, I've been doing a lot.
Speaker 7:It was hard to get you here. Yeah, a lot of isolated time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, southwest doesn't always have wi-fi, so a lot of times I'm sitting there like twiddling my thumbs, you know, thinking about stuff, but yeah, I feel like I was just like man, you know I did. I was able to do that with friends and whiskey drink, and then when it actually happened, I was already like not past it, but, like you know, I was already in appreciation mode. Like you know, it wasn't like wow, it hit me all at once. You know, I think that's, that's the thing for me. I've just, I've just appreciated, you know, being in the game, because it is hard, it's very. The percentages are very low, yes, you know.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, it's, it is, it's a lot of fun, but I agree with you, it's hard to appreciate it all at once in the moment you know, I think it's a stage of life too, you know, if you you know, I got son going to college and daughter's good, so it's like, okay, there's a lot going on a lot going on, so it's like I need what's next. This is great and that's very. You're right. It's not a great way to think.
Speaker 2:I'm very stressed out, yeah it's gonna be what it is guys, I'm not gonna get less stressed, so well, that's.
Speaker 5:That's really good. I think we we need Kurt to enjoy it a little more. I want Kurt to enjoy it a little more, yeah, my wife would tell you the same thing.
Speaker 3:Kurt, fondue, kurt fondue.
Speaker 1:Now you just pissed him off. I actually love it. He's not about it.
Speaker 3:Neil, I actually love that. I think it's fantastic. It's pretty good Now he's on.
Speaker 5:Fondue.
Speaker 3:I don't have anything else. We better end this.
Speaker 5:All right, we've got to let John get going.
Speaker 4:All right. John, actually off to rehearsal We've kept you too late. You know what?
Speaker 1:No, they need this. They need this. Let's see what they do by the time I get there.
Speaker 7:No, John, you need this.
Speaker 4:Thanks, need this thanks, neil.
Speaker 3:You know what you're right. I do, you do. I do need this, you need this. We're very appreciative of john. He's a you know, he is our friend, but he is a solid human being. We're proud to know you. We're proud that you came here and spent your time, very busy time, with us, yeah thank you, buddy, thank you guys, man.
Speaker 1:This has been one of the fun ones. You know, a lot of times you never know what you're getting, by the way you're all over the podcast world. I'm seeing you everywhere.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wish you would have saved it all for us, Dude.
Speaker 1:I would have Trust me, it would have been my choice.
Speaker 3:I would have not. No, seeing all of that stuff yeah uh, we want to thank john. We want to thank our sponsors. Uh, we got who? All we got? Let's remind me, we got the wellness company.
Speaker 7:We're working with them.
Speaker 3:Patriot mobile, the og beer wellness company it's uh, everybody we've been, so yeah, e-spaces it's been really dot com. That's pretty so good thank you, these are the Patriot Mobile Studios. Or this is the Patriot Mobile Studios. We've got our balloons somewhere.
Speaker 7:We're going to get back in. We'll get those back. Congrats on the number one boys. Thanks, john Morgan. Thank you, buddy.
Speaker 1:Thanks for having me, man. Small Town Podcast. Yeah, man, thank you, brother, make sure to.