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
RaeLynn - Finding Your Way When Nashville Says "No" :: Ep 68 Try That in a Small Town Podcast
When authenticity meets raw talent, something magical happens. RaeLynn's journey through the country music landscape reads like a novel of perseverance, faith, and unwavering dedication to her craft.
From her early days as a contestant on The Voice to navigating the challenging waters of Nashville as a female artist, RaeLynn has carved out her own path with a refreshing honesty that's become her signature. She doesn't just perform songs – she lives them, drawing from deeply personal experiences that resonate with listeners in profound ways.
During our conversation, RaeLynn pulls back the curtain on writing "Love Triangle," the heart-wrenching ballad about growing up in a divorced home that became her breakthrough moment. "That was the song that changed my life in Nashville," she reveals, explaining how it transformed her from a bubble-gum pop writer to an artist with something meaningful to say. The impact has been lasting, with fans regularly sharing how the song helped save their marriages or gave them strength during difficult times.
Perhaps most moving is the story behind "She Chose Me," where RaeLynn shares the discovery that her mother had once scheduled an abortion before changing her mind. This revelation in her mid-twenties profoundly shaped her worldview and artistic expression. Despite concerns about potential controversy, recurring dreams convinced her to include the song on her album – a decision that sparked over 250,000 videos from listeners sharing their own stories of adoption and gratitude for life.
Throughout five years as an independent artist, RaeLynn never stopped believing in her music, eventually purchasing her own tour bus and building a sustainable career through authentic fan connections rather than radio hits. Now back on Big Machine Records but on her own terms, she's preparing to release "Long Live Country Music," an album that promises to showcase her distinctive blend of country roots and rock edge.
Ready to discover an artist who refuses to compromise and creates music that matters? Listen now and experience why RaeLynn's star continues to rise through genuine connection and songs that touch the heart.
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I wonder how many marriages, how many couples or emails that you've got, or people that talk to you that didn't leave a situation. Maybe the husband and wife weren't getting along excellently. But then they hear that song and think about those kids and think you know what we can be together. You know what I mean. I just wonder how many thousands of lives that that song has blessed.
Speaker 3:I've had quite a few people say that there's been a few fans where their daughter would walk away and the mom would come up to me and she said I stuck it out in my marriage because of your song and because of that little girl right there. And I'm just like ugh, like the songwriters that don't write with you unless you have a single coming out or unless you have a record deal. And dude, I of right now, like I didn't have a record deal for five years I was independent, working my ass off Selling tickets. Like I said, I freaking bought my own bus by the grace of God and my father. But like, do you think that they wanted to write with me? Absolutely not. They didn't give a shit about me. And then, now that I'm signed to Big Machine again, it's like oh, you want to ride?
Speaker 4:I'm not doing the unicorn thing.
Speaker 3:Yes, you are. No, I'm not. It's demonic as shit. I'm not doing it. It's demonic. What about a unicorn's? Demonic?
Speaker 4:No horse has a horn going out of his face. It just doesn't happen.
Speaker 5:Oh my God, Listen, I will say when things are demonic and I think you're a little the Try that in a Small.
Speaker 6:Town podcast begins now. All right, welcome back. This is the Try that in a Small Town podcast, as you can hear, that's Thrash, that's K-Lo TK, right here. Fondue, fondue. I guess there's t-shirts, so it's what it is.
Speaker 4:When are you going to bring those in so we can wear them? I know I should have brought them.
Speaker 1:That's the only merch we have. We could sign them and make a store, sell those you know, just once.
Speaker 4:I want to see the Kurt that I see on stage sometimes. What does that mean, dude? I've seen videos of you at the edge of the stage, just freaking, rocking, and you're looking at it and you're pointing at it. And you come in here. It's Kurt, I want to see the fire.
Speaker 6:This is like Clark Kent.
Speaker 8:I saw some passion the other night. Can I tell them the story? I don't know, shirt on or off, shirt on, maybe last weekend, I can't remember where we were, but this is.
Speaker 7:This is actually embarrassing no, this is what I love about our band and this is what I love about it.
Speaker 8:So, um, we're playing try that in a small town. Then this year we go into like an extended guitar solo thing after try that we do. It's really cool. It's like a big twin guitar thing. It's pretty awesome. Well, at the end of it I look over and kurt looks pissed and he's looking at me and almost soon he takes jason's microphone and slams it into the, into the stage, throws it down what. And I was like oh shit, what, just oh, man, this is the middle of the show do we have?
Speaker 4:video footage of this, by the way who knows, it's probably out oh, we gotta find it.
Speaker 8:No, we have to find it it's there anyway, and what happened was he had missed a note in the in the dual in the dual guitar thing that him and jack do and he took jason's mic, oh, kurt's human, but we always talk about passion.
Speaker 6:We take a lot of pride in the show.
Speaker 8:And it was like seriously amateur hour.
Speaker 6:It's a very involved solo thing, though.
Speaker 2:I get it, but you took it out on me.
Speaker 6:Obviously, I've hit wrong notes before, but for some reason it just really irked me and I was just like you know and slammed the mic down.
Speaker 8:You took it out on Jason, of course, and his mic goes flying out. Yeah, he took Alvin's mic out of his statement.
Speaker 1:And probably it was big to you, but a fan would never know that you missed a note Actually nobody you missed actually nobody knew right okay no, it goes by really quick but it's.
Speaker 6:That's what I love, though, as a matter of fact, tully came by to me later. He goes, did I?
Speaker 2:do something.
Speaker 1:I thought it was happening or something. Oh really, yeah, that'd be my first thought.
Speaker 6:Yeah, tully did something obviously yeah, no, it's just listen tully. I've never to this day heard tully make a mistake he's, I mean we take a lot of pride in the show and we wanted to be right.
Speaker 4:I can't believe, though, it affected you that bad, because I mean we've done, I've done shows. We've done shows where I'd like I was flat that night or whatever, and I just wouldn't feel well. I never took it out well so what got into you?
Speaker 6:I don't know, maybe the whiskey I tell you what keeps the band operating on a.
Speaker 8:What's tricky these days is, in the old days we just toured. We never came off the road and toured. When you tour now, it's like we'll do. We may start the year and do three shows and next thing you know we've taken a month off and have to go back and do another random show or a festival, and so keeping it at the level that we wanted at is a little trickier these days. Right, it's not like we. You know it's. It's sporadic, can be sporadic in certain times of the year, Doesn't you know? We just want it to be perfect, so it makes it harder, and sometimes, you know, on a festival we might not even get sound check, you know so we're.
Speaker 8:It's just tough to keep it as tight as we expect it to be. So when something like that happens, that's what I love most about the band like it's.
Speaker 4:Like you know but if somebody would have asked me how kurt would respond to a mistake or if he didn't play it as well as he thought he should have, I would have never guessed that he would have lost his shit like that and usually you'd be right you would just let it go. It was just this one moment, I see you letting it go and it's like I'm not doing that again. You internalize it. I can see you internalizing that and going. I'm not doing that again.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 6:I mean that is my, to destroy your boss's microphone.
Speaker 4:I would have never guessed that you know it's great.
Speaker 6:I didn't. Well, once it happened I was like you, freaking idiot. I was probably more pissed then you're pissed.
Speaker 8:Yeah, then I was actually. And then our monitor guy evan richard, who's the sweetest guy he's been with us, probably got 19 years, now 18 years. Evan comes on the talkback mic that we hear and and he goes thanks, dude, which is Kurt's other nickname.
Speaker 4:What did Jason?
Speaker 6:say I don't even think he was out doing his shtick so he didn't know, he's got an alternate mic out at the end of the thrust which he was out there shaking hands or something, because, like Tully said, it's an extended solo bit. Speaking of shows? Yeah, anyway, speaking of shows, speaking of the tour, can I go off on one?
Speaker 8:thing. Oh yeah, sure, speaking of shows, there is a nasty trend going on with people throwing shit on stage.
Speaker 6:Yeah, and not just ours. I see it everywhere.
Speaker 8:No, not just ours, I mean, we had what?
Speaker 4:are they throwing? I mean, what is it Okay, just ours? I see no, not just ours. I mean we had.
Speaker 8:What are they throwing? I?
Speaker 2:mean what?
Speaker 8:okay, for example we were in canada a couple weeks ago and towards the end of the show we're playing and all of a sudden I saw like a shadow of something and feel something, skim the top of my head and and look down, somebody hurled a cell phone, like baseball just about, took me out and then threw another one at Jack, which makes no sense to me Throwing your cell phones, it's one of those.
Speaker 1:Obama phones. You think?
Speaker 8:Look, this is a serious issue. No, I know, I'm sorry, I'm actually getting a little bit fed up.
Speaker 8:So the phone issue, people throwing shit on stage. And the other night Jason's out there and he looks down. He's out in the thrust, the extended part of our stage. He looks down and there's french fries and there's tomatoes and all this bullshit on the deck on the stage fries and there's tomatoes and all this bullshit on the deck on the stage. And luke bryan was playing in uh, was it south dakota or north dakota? A few nights ago someone threw a ball at him.
Speaker 6:You know, I actually see it happen in a lot of concerts. I don't know what's going on wow but it's, it's stupid.
Speaker 8:We're out there, this is our job, taking it very seriously. And our fans we love our fans. They're amazing. Only takes a couple of them to ruin the whole thing.
Speaker 4:I don't think it's the true fans. I think it's the same people that are hiring these protesters to go out and burn shit.
Speaker 8:The point is they're hiring them to go to these shows and throw them to people like Jason. I don't know, but it's becoming a trend in all shows where we're out there performing for you and we make these stages so that Jason can get out there in the middle of the crowd.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 8:So I'm not sure what's happening. It's not cool, no, Because we're out there and you've got to remember the other night when we're up there, like.
Speaker 6:My first thought was like, are we getting shot at again, seriously? Well, yeah, I mean you're like like people don't realize how vulnerable you are up there.
Speaker 8:Oh my gosh, and it's, it's just not cool. We, we love the fair fans and I will say the alvin fans I say they're the greatest, like I'm not talking about our core fans, but there's some issues that does not exist for your playground and there's a respect factor there that we seem to have lost. And me and Kurt were over went to the Oasis show in Cardiff Amazing night. There was 80,000 people there, kids crammed into the front row and not once did anyone throw anything on stage or do anything. Look, this is a I hear problem. This is in this. I don't know if it's our genre or like our country, there's a lack of respect going on for the performers, like I don't know what it is, I don't know if it's, if social media is giving them a freedom of feeling that they're actually closer to the artists than they are. Yeah, I'm not sure what it is, but it's called alcohol and but we never.
Speaker 8:We've always had that like we've been on the road for 30 years like and in this I've never seen anything like occasionally we would have a stage jumper Back in the day. There would always be someone somewhere who would try to hop up on stage and our security guy would get them. But this throwing stuff, it's becoming a thing.
Speaker 6:Yeah, and it's like it used to be maybe a hat or a bra, which is fine.
Speaker 2:But now it's like people.
Speaker 6:I don't even know why you'd throw your phone or the Zen can't.
Speaker 8:It's like people. I don't even know why you'd throw your phone, but or the Zen, can't you know it's like stuff that could actually hurt you. Let me know what you guys think it is, but it's for the and, like I said, 99.9% of our fans are just there to have a good time. Only takes one to ruin it.
Speaker 4:That's a fact.
Speaker 8:Before next thing you know there are no thrust and there's fences and we're seven feet back, like it used to be. Yeah, yeah, where you can't, where it's, and just luke bryan. I felt bad for him. I saw that the other night and and hit him right in the face.
Speaker 4:Really yeah, hit him right in the face. What was it?
Speaker 8:it was a ball of some sort really, and you could tell. You know, if you're trying to antagonize our artists, you're going the wrong way. Trying to get attention or get a reaction, you're just going to ruin it for everybody else.
Speaker 4:Well, pull an Axl Rose man, just dive off in there, just do a face, dive right into their face it's going to happen. Lead with your base, just go straight down, right at them, right in the throat. It's just disrespectful.
Speaker 1:When that happens, surely the security is seeing that, because they've got to be close enough.
Speaker 8:Are they?
Speaker 1:getting thrown out and tackled.
Speaker 8:You've got to remember, though, if you're looking.
Speaker 1:Well, they should be. That would help. Yeah, but it's hard to tell it's packed in there and it's a separation here.
Speaker 8:There's a respect factor here. If he's going to go out there and put himself out there, give him the respect of look, don't throw shit. The stage is not your desk. Don't rest your phone and your drinks and your crap on there. Don't grab at our legs, Don't pull us down, or we're going to be up there just far away.
Speaker 4:Maybe that dude doesn't like our podcast. Maybe that was like Amazing DV.
Speaker 8:It could have been him. No, Amazing DV loves our podcast. It wouldn't have.
Speaker 1:No, you weren't there. He would only throw it if you were there.
Speaker 4:My point is they didn't throw the phone at Jason, they threw it at Tully. But my point is they didn't throw the phone at Jason, they threw it at Tully and I'm like it could be like one of our people that doesn't One of our haters. They don't like where we're going or something it could be, and that's a good thing. Tully, we've got to have haters for our podcast.
Speaker 1:We've got to believe me? Yeah, but it is. I mean, is I mean you gotta think about that? If you're up there, when you're focused on what you're playing too, you know and what's next, and where are you?
Speaker 8:and we've seen Jason have the bottom weave around.
Speaker 1:You're gonna be looking up and be distracted by. I hope nobody throws something at us tonight.
Speaker 4:Well, trust me, you don't gotta keep you on edge we gotta get to ray.
Speaker 6:We're cutting into our time that's fantastic.
Speaker 1:Oh, this is great.
Speaker 6:We gotta talk about our guest tonight uh, ray lynn, who's out on tour with us. She's the opening act. She is, she's a spark plug, she's fantastic. She's an incredible performer, artist, writer. Uh, she's just a lot of fun. You guys have not met her before, right? No?
Speaker 1:no, I'm looking forward to it. I've researched, listened to a lot of her songs and everything like that, have a huge respect for her and just very anxious to meet her and talk yeah, she's great, and we'll talk about her husband a little bit too, who I know you've gotten to meet a little bit but he's amazing and they're amazing together and great heart, you know great.
Speaker 4:What's his?
Speaker 1:name Josh and he may be tougher than us. It's possible.
Speaker 4:He may have thrown the phone.
Speaker 1:No, definitely not him, definitely not him. Green Berets, don't throw phones.
Speaker 4:All he wanted was a selfie.
Speaker 6:Let's not wait any longer.
Speaker 3:Let's get to Ray All right, let's start off with the fact that how old are you and how old is your child?
Speaker 4:Hold on who's doing the interviewing here? Wait, I'm kind of like.
Speaker 8:Ray Lynn, that's what I'm saying I'm just curious Are we on Jim?
Speaker 3:Oh good, Jim is rolling. Jim, can I call you Jimmy Because?
Speaker 6:I love him. So go Ray. What do you got to ask how old are you and how old is?
Speaker 3:your child, because I'm really intrigued. And how old is your wife? Tell me your life story.
Speaker 1:Let's just jump right into it. My wife's going to love this time, okay.
Speaker 3:What's your wife's name?
Speaker 1:Rachel, that's my real name. I know, I know.
Speaker 3:My name is Rachel Lynn, my maiden name your government name. No, my government name now is Davis. I've been married for 10 years.
Speaker 6:When you were born.
Speaker 3:When I was born.
Speaker 1:Woodward, yeah, okay. Well, then you went to Ray Lynn because you wanted Wait, wait, wait that one.
Speaker 8:He's deflecting how old are you and how old is your child.
Speaker 1:I'm 57. Okay, so it's a normal and kid-rearing age.
Speaker 3:I think I'm going to start calling you a jagger.
Speaker 1:Baby Lucy is about 18 months.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, aw so, and we took her to preschool to meet her teacher this morning.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Which didn't go well because she's had several nannies, and the last, which is Emma, which is Neil's daughter, is amazing and they just love each other. And they're at home and they're playing, they're doing all this stuff and laughing, listening to music and coloring and everything. Anyway, we took her into preschool this morning. She screamed the whole time. We think it's because she thought she was going to the doctor, that's probably what it was. But we didn't drop her off, we just kind of put her in there, but how old is Rachel.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so Lucy's 18 months, and we're just doing great.
Speaker 3:And how old rachel? Yes, I think that's a great question. I think she's 33-ish. Hell, yeah, come on. Congratulations, kayla, did. They did good. Hey, I'm proud of you you must have a great sense of humor well, I don't know, we'll see we'll see, you must have a great sense of humor.
Speaker 6:That's his most redeeming quality. A good follow-up, Kurt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like that's the only thing possible. It could be no.
Speaker 3:Wow, I'm just kidding with you. That's amazing. Well, rachel sounds like a nice lady. She's amazing.
Speaker 6:We obviously share the same name.
Speaker 8:Let's get back to Ray, okay, I do feel like we're.
Speaker 3:I had to know the backstory on this. This is great. Only men could do that shit, though.
Speaker 6:It's like straight up Well women could do it, we could.
Speaker 3:It just doesn't ever get taken the same way.
Speaker 4:But that's okay. We're never going to ask them how old they are. How old are you? Never going to do it, Nah?
Speaker 6:doesn't work.
Speaker 3:We're not going to ask that. I'm not going to ask that Don't play this game.
Speaker 6:It's okay, I'm not going to be offended.
Speaker 3:You cannot offend me 24.
Speaker 4:No, she, you're born in 94 20 31.
Speaker 3:I'm 31, obviously 31. You just said the year I was born. If you didn't know I was born in 94. How old would you say? It's okay, do I look? I look like I'm in my 30s, don't I?
Speaker 6:20s. What's wrong with that Come?
Speaker 3:on. I'm actually. I love my 30s so far. I wouldn't go back to my 20s to save my life.
Speaker 8:We met you when you were- 19.
Speaker 3:19.
Speaker 6:Oh my gosh Are you serious.
Speaker 2:That's how old we are.
Speaker 3:But, it's so awesome.
Speaker 8:You're on tour with us now.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 8:And I got to tell you you probably don't realize this, but very rarely do we hang out with the opening act.
Speaker 6:This is true. This is actually very true.
Speaker 8:It's actually true and to all our other opening acts. This is no secret. It feels like we've been on tour together for a while. It's so fun, it's such a good hang.
Speaker 6:Did you know Jason and Brittany, and or Brittany beforeney, before this tour?
Speaker 3:yeah. So the first time I met jason I was gosh, was I like I think I was 19 and um, I was at some after party. It was after some cmt event. I was just off the voice and I was at this party with blake, blake shelton and, um, obviously it's my first time hanging out with any huge country stars. And Blake was like hey, just, you know, find me in a room if you'd like. You know, because I'm I'm like I will talk to everybody. And so I just kind of get lost in my own little world. And he knew that that would be the case with me, and so, but I met Luke for the first time that night and he was so precious. I met Ryan Tedder and then I met jason, and jason was the, you know, as kind as kind could be, and that was the first time I met him and I mean, I was just like I could not believe that I was in that room.
Speaker 8:It was wild but you too, though, you have this personality about you. Like we talked about it briefly, my son came out on the road last weekend, and the picture of you and him is now a screensaver so it's, it's like this personality and it feels so amazing to have you out. Thank you.
Speaker 3:You've got a great crew of people. Thank you.
Speaker 8:Just one of those rare times where, like, let's hang out with the opening act. She's awesome. Thank you. We've known you for a long time but it's nice to you, know your perseverance and what you're going through and you're cutting new music and it has been a long time.
Speaker 3:It has yeah.
Speaker 6:Which doesn't feel like it, but it has, yeah, so so let's, let's get some history, because I actually didn't even know that you were on the voice, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean right. Yeah, so I was on season two. I'm an original gangster on the voice. Huh, what year that was? I mean 2012.
Speaker 3:So because right after I was coming back and forth to Nashville in 2011, kind of getting my, you know, feet wet, writing music here my first meeting in town was BMI and then I went met with ASCAP and then I went and signed with ASCAP and then my girl at ASCAP was a girl named Leanne Phelan, yeah, and Leanne started setting me up with rights and my first writing session was with um, well, so backstory, a little more than that is I, um, before I did music, I actually was like doing the acting thing and so I was going. I graduated at 16. Um, I knew that college was not for me, but my dad was like, hey, you can try this for a couple years, but you got to go to college by the age of 19 if something doesn't work out, and I was like, okay, I can, I can do this. And so I was going to LA to to do like some auditions and stuff, and I grew up in a really musical family. But I think I didn't want to do music because I wanted to be like, I wanted to do my own thing and I was like, okay, I know already how to do music. I that's so funny because I really didn't know how to do music. But in my brain I was like my whole family does music. I want my thing to be acting.
Speaker 3:Well. I quickly realized la was not my scene, you know, and the acting just nobody, really just nobody. Wanted to help each other out like I would in these auditions and I felt like the country bumpkin in the room and I was trying to get rid of my accent to be this person that I'm not and I'm like. And then, like you know, I'm like oh, where are you from? How are you? And these like chicks would just like look at me and their moms were just so mean.
Speaker 6:I was like this sucks, this is.
Speaker 3:Very cutthroat. And so, while I was going back and forth to California from Texas, I just started writing songs in my off time and I met and I signed up for this open mic night on Ventura Boulevard. And it's just so funny because I wasn't even there for a year, I was just going back and forth for auditions and and this woman, I and I always prayed every morning. When I was praying to god, I was like, god, I pray that you would, you know, give me divine appointments and divine connections and open doors in any situation. Like I pray that you would just go before me. And I played at this little local coffee shop thing for, oh, to get a free music video. And I was like, yeah, I want a free music video.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry, if I can say that word, but I was like I want a free music video. Right after I just said, I was praying to God and this woman was there. And, by the way, people approach you all the time when you do music. They're like oh, I'll cut five tracks on you six grand a track.
Speaker 3:And you're like, yeah, hell, yeah, six grand a track. And you're like, yeah, hell, yeah, who would ever do that? And it's like you don't really know, like what you're getting into, and so, but this woman came up to me after I got done playing an original song and I sang like ingrid michaelson I forgot the way I am or something like that and she was like I think you're really talented. Would you come by my office and my home office? I used to work for Warner Chapel. My name is Judy Stakey and I was like I don't know if I believe this chick, but okay. And then I looked her up and I was like, oh wait, she actually worked with like Katy Perry and Sheryl Crow and she was the head of creative over at Warner Chapel, la, for a really long time, and so I went with her over.
Speaker 3:I went over to her house and um, and she was like I really do think that you have a gift for songwriting. And I was like, okay, well, that sounds cool. And so she was like let's do a guitar vocal of this song that I wrote called Baby. That's my Type. It was the first song I ever wrote and she said let's do a guitar vocal. I want to send it to some friends in Nashville and let's see if they want to write with you. And I was like, okay, and so it was just a little guitar vocal we did on GarageBand and she said, by the way, when I send this I'm gonna be, you'll be lucky if one person wants to write with you.
Speaker 3:I was like, okay, like you can't hurt my feelings, like whatever. So she sent it out to 12 different people and all 12 wanted to write with me. And she was like, oh, okay, this is like we've got something special here. And I was 17 at the time and um, well, I just turned 17. And so she was the one that set up the meeting with bmi and set up the meeting with um ascap. And then we quickly realized that ascap was the move. But my first writing sessions in nashville were with natalie hemby, nicole gallion and april jasper, a brad tercy, before he was um, before he was in old dominion. I'm trying to think who else? Like there was just so many legends that I was in the room or thought. I mean, when I wrote with natalie hembie, I was like freaking out, I was like shaking in the room because she wrote white liar and she's so great oh, and she's
Speaker 3:just sweet as sugar and like so kind and um. But that's kind of what started for me and so when I was here in nashville I was going back. So I moved back to texas where I wasn't really like gone from texas I was going back and forth to la. I came back home and then I started going back and forth to nashville and then they were having auditions in nashville for the voice and then that's how I auditioned for the voice was when I was here one time where did you?
Speaker 6:you finish Because you didn't win? Oh no, I didn't With quarter finals, Quarter finals.
Speaker 3:So that was when. So I think season four is when they started making it, where it didn't matter what team you were on. If you were the top eight, four people could be from Blake's team, but on season two they had one person from each team. So it kind of oh rather, I think the way that they did it in season four was better because it, like you wouldn't just make it in the finale just because you were on adam's team. You would actually make it to the finale because you were the top voted one. Does that make sense? Because it's like that's the crappy thing about season two is like I could have had more votes than the person that made it the highest on Adam's team, but he actually made it through because he was the highest one on Adam's team. Does that?
Speaker 6:make sense to them. Who did win, and are they?
Speaker 3:relevant, jermaine Paul won. He was Alicia Keys' backup singer and he's still doing a lot of stuff. He is, yeah, he's doing great. I made it to the semifinals. I actually remember when I choked on stage I was supposed I sang If I Die Young and I hit this note y'all, and it was so awful.
Speaker 8:It's the curse of Bam Perry.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what? Oh, don't say that.
Speaker 2:It's the curse of Bam Perry.
Speaker 8:I mean you just picked the wrong one.
Speaker 3:Well, I was pissed off because I only sang rock bangers. I started off singing Hell on Heels.
Speaker 8:You sang she's Country, didn't you? Yes, so I did Hell on.
Speaker 3:Heels. Then I did Wake Up Call. I did a country version of Wake Up Call by Marin Five, and then I did she's Country, and then my battle song is freaking If I Die Young. I'm about to die on this thing.
Speaker 4:Where was the bad note?
Speaker 3:Where was it? Oh, it was put on. Your best boys and I'll wear my pearls and I like my note. I mean I hit it that time but it was like, put on, it was awful. And then my eyes just started watering up.
Speaker 1:And I was like I'm done. But could you not hear I was just nervous and I was? This is bullshit. I was pissed that I was just nervous and I was. This is bullshit.
Speaker 3:I was pissed that I was even in the bottom two and like having to fight for my life. The only thing, the only thing that kept me going, was the fact that I met Justin Bieber that night. You know, like I remember thinking I was like I got to meet Justin Bieber. It's okay, but it was so funny because right when I know. But you know, another reason why I was upset is because me and Blake were obviously super close and it was me and this other girl and he had to pick between us and he picked her and I was just so upset I was like I thought you were my dog, bro, but honestly, like if he would have picked me.
Speaker 3:It would have been bad because, like I didn't hit the note and she whooped my ass, I mean like her, I mean she, she killed, she is are you and blake still friends?
Speaker 8:we're still friends. Yeah, I love Blake. You sing on Boys Around here, is that right? I sing on Boys Around here.
Speaker 3:I sing on Buzzin'. I've done a few little vocal things with him. Yeah, he's great.
Speaker 8:You know we talk about this a lot in here. I wish that the female artist thing in Nashville it's gotten a little tricky.
Speaker 3:It has.
Speaker 8:It's gotten a little tricky. It has we talk about, though you've got this cool edge to you that I think will make you continue to cut through, though I love that your show's great Energy You're bringing it. It's really, really fun.
Speaker 6:Yeah, you're right, we have talked about it.
Speaker 4:I've been a big critic.
Speaker 6:Of the female.
Speaker 4:Well, I'd love to get.
Speaker 6:Ray's take on this because, like a bunch of guys take, is that there are a lot of females that don't have a true identity.
Speaker 4:They might just be singers, I think there's more girls that have an unidentifiable sound than there are boys, but I think you definitely have an identifiable sound, but yes, I would say Ray is a true artist.
Speaker 6:Oh, you definitely haven't identified the sound, I would say Ray is a true artist. What is your take on the disparity between female? You pulled it up something it was like 8%, I forget what it was.
Speaker 1:It was something very low.
Speaker 3:I think it's tricky. I would say the biggest thing is I think people love authentic, you know, and I think the women that cut through and I think you're seeing a big you know, just surplus of them now, of girls that know who they are- and.
Speaker 3:I think we were all trying to chase. Just, you know, taylor was the mecca of of country pop and I think everybody was just trying to figure out how to and everybody like who's gonna be the next? I was like nobody needs to be the next, whoever, you just need to be the the best version of yourself and I think that I can speak on my behalf of, like finding who I was helped me break through and continue like I've.
Speaker 3:I've never had a number one on radio technically, but I've continued to have a career for the last 12 years and I've I've never not made money, which is such a blessing.
Speaker 3:I mean, I have friends that have multiple number one songs and you don't know who the hell they are and they can't sell out shows, and I'm not saying I can sell out huge venues, but I can at least make enough money to support this lifestyle. And I bought a bus last year and there was just things that as an independent artist I never thought I could do. But I think it's when a female does break, they break big because it doesn't happen very often. When a female does break, they break big because it doesn't happen very often. And you see it with like Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley and these women that are just coming up, and I think it's because they're authentic and their country is hell and we needed more like girls that were just like not scared to say something. And I think the reason why Gretchen Wilson was so big and Faith Hill, like those girls, I mean like I'll never forget what's the song by Faith Hill Mississippi girl don't change your ways, John Rich song yeah it's John.
Speaker 3:I love John Rich, but you know those they were just normal girl next door chicks, and I feel like that you're seeing that, and I think for for guys like there's so many I mean, I I'm not a dude, but a lot of them and I think the reason why Jason is still so big is because his voice is so unique and he cuts through and his music sounds like Jason and I think a lot of the guys they can, they can tend to sound alike, but that kind of works for them because then all of radio it's like it's it makes sense. Does that make sense?
Speaker 8:like it's that mold right as much of our problem as we have with females right now as far as getting female headliners, we have the same problem with the male acts of saturation if it's sounding the same, you can't.
Speaker 3:you can't.
Speaker 8:It's another guy with a hat turned backwards, who, who I you know named Brett, who I can't you know tell apart. Yeah, and they may be, like you said, your point, they might have two number one hits.
Speaker 3:But like who's going to like see their shows Exactly fan base, and like I mean, after every show I'm out there shaking hands, kissing babies, like I love my fans, like I don't care, and I even said this like when I was on the road and I've, I think, after I had um, I used to get in my head about how many people would come to my shows until until I had my daughter and I, because after, after I had her, I, I had a whole new identity about life. I was just like if this all went to hell and I never put out another song or did another show, I don't give a shit. I love being a mom, I love being a wife. I'm so happy.
Speaker 6:Your perspective changes my perspective of life changed.
Speaker 3:So when I went out on the road and I had an actual agent who was actually making me money, like when I was, and I was playing, you know, some clubs, there were like 400, 500 people. So when people like I remember one one show it was 80 people that showed up and it was about a year and a half ago. But if you would have, if that would have been me like eight years ago, I'd have been like oh my God, nobody hates you, but I like went out there and I was like, well, these 80 will tell, hopefully 80 more. And I went out there and it was the best show ever and we did our big like. We had a huge merch number because everybody there bought like two or three things.
Speaker 3:It was just like people don't want to do the work for the small to gain the big. And I think with any artist you have to do the work and then like and then it was so funny because that show was a week before and then we played um spokane and I sold it was 1500 tickets. We sold out the little because I've been there like six times. So it's just like you've got to put in the work, but it's just. Nobody wants to do that anymore and, and there's something about that.
Speaker 8:What they want to do now is you brought up a great point, you know. But you get that. Get that because, like when we were starting with Jason and Hicktown was at 40 and we're out there playing a thousand shows a year. You hit a pocket, you hit a. You know. I remember playing a club. There's 20 people there.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 8:But that mentality you have is important. Like well, those 20 people are going to get their faces melted.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 8:You know what I mean. And then you might do 500 the next night. But those are the. That's the magic time.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 8:When you know you're you're on the cusp of of something you know, which, which you definitely are. I mean, we see you like I'll be walking back and I'll see you outside your bus doing like a little meet and greet, or you're doing your meeting, you're shaking hands.
Speaker 3:It feels like you can't do that enough and I think that just having respect for people and like and caring about the people that care about you I, you can never over serve your fans and the people that do that for you. I get irritated artists that treat their fans like the scum of the earth because I'm like bro, you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. You wouldn't have a career, you wouldn't be on that bus, you wouldn't and I understand respect, like absolutely, but we wouldn't be here without fans and country music fans are the best fans in the whole world who are we talking about here?
Speaker 4:I don't know, well you know what?
Speaker 8:though they are loyal like if you put the work in yeah to this market, and you stay true they'll never forget you, they will you can have a 30-year career. Yeah, you said it you don't have to be the biggest star in country music to carve out a wonderful career.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and a wonderful lane.
Speaker 8:Yeah, it's great.
Speaker 3:And the fans are the reason why I feel like I've I call it the second wind. I feel like this last year and a half for me has felt like a resurgence of just my vision for music and the record and being back on big machine after I was there when I was, you know, 18, and being back with scotty b and my whole team and like as a mom and as somebody who's in the driver's seat of my life and career, on my terms it just feels so great. And then to be out, out with you guys and Jason giving me the opportunity to open up for him without really like I mean I don't have where we're about to go to radio or we're gearing up for country radio again, but it just it really does mean the world to me.
Speaker 8:Well, it's connecting, though, too, Like none of that goes unnoticed, too, with the way that you're. We've watched your show and the energy and love your guys.
Speaker 3:They're so sweet.
Speaker 8:It's great and, like I said, it's a blast for us to hang out with you guys and have a good time.
Speaker 1:That's how it's supposed to be. Speaking of that, since you're able to witness firsthand quite a bit when you're out on the road with Aldine and these guys, who is the most prima donna-ish? Is it Jason, or is it these two?
Speaker 3:It's definitely them two who needs them.
Speaker 2:That's what we thought but we weren't 100% sure.
Speaker 1:Thank you, for clearing this up for the listeners, absolutely.
Speaker 6:There's never been a question on that.
Speaker 4:You heard it here what's your second favorite tour to be on? We know what the first one is.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, there's been favorite moments for each of them. I would say probably my first tour because it was a miranda um, you know, I grew up on miranda's music.
Speaker 3:She I remember recording the cmt countdown so I could watch me and charlie talking her oh yeah it's great first single and, uh, she was the first record I bought with my own money and I still, like get goosebumps thinking about the fact that, like you know, being on her tour not only as a fan, but then she took me in like as a sister, like it was, that was a real, that was a real wild time for me, especially like not. I don't think every artist gets that kind of experience that quick me especially like not. I don't think every artist gets that kind of experience that quick and um, and between her and blake, uh they were. They both really helped me figure out nashville and put me in just really great rooms of really great people.
Speaker 3:Um, but that tour was really fun. It was. It was a co-headlining tour with her and dirks bentley and then um, which was so much fun. And then I went out with her for a while and then I ended up doing direct support for her for some aren um, which was so much fun. And then I went out with her for a while and then I ended up doing direct support for her for some arenas, which was really sick.
Speaker 3:So that was, that was a cool moment and then I mean I went out with um, so the tour that you know we're doing right now, a lot of those venues I played with, uh, rascal flats 10 years ago, oh wow, so it was so funny. All the fans that came up to me look at this photo from 10 years ago.
Speaker 2:Oh my god my hair.
Speaker 3:Thank you for botox and lip filler. I'm just kidding, but I you know we're thinking about that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you should, you should do it.
Speaker 3:You know, my favorite part is when fans are like you don't even look the same. I'm like bitch. That's the point.
Speaker 3:I don't know do you think that I don't know like I, I didn't want lizard lips anymore. Um, anyways, but I hate it when they think that that's like a them being, whatever. Anyways, it's still funny, but no, I um, flats was fun. I'm trying to think of some other fun tours. I got to open up for garth brooks for a show. That was a crazy experience. It was just acoustic, which I thought was cool. Like he only had openers, just them, and a guitar, and that was just a cool experience.
Speaker 8:Did he make you wear a headset mic?
Speaker 3:No, thank God. One of my favorite shows was when I was opening up for Maren Morris. Actually, we talked about her a lot. She's a huge fan of ours, huge fan of me too. Other than that, she did give me some really great experiences. One of the experiences when I got to open up for her and we played royal albert hall um and um, that was a great. That was a great show. And singing love triangle at royal albert hall, where the queen of england has been, that was like a pinch me moment. Um, I'm trying to think of some like oh. And another moment on stage I'll never forget is right after I got like fired off the voice when Blayton didn't choose me or whatever. I was obviously upset and I was crying. And Miranda calls me and she's like hey, stop crying, everything's good. She's like do you want to come out next week and sing with me at stagecoach? And I was like what stagecoach? And I was like do you want to come out next week and sing with?
Speaker 5:me at Stagecoach and I was like what's Stagecoach? I had no idea what Stagecoach was.
Speaker 3:And I was like, okay, and so then, literally I went home for two days and then I flew out and right like not even a week and a half after being eliminated off the Voice, I got to play in front of you know, 60,000, 70,000 people when we did my version of Wake Up Call at Stagecoach, which was wild.
Speaker 8:Take that Blake.
Speaker 3:I know you talk about.
Speaker 8:Miranda. I got to talk about her real quick Because she's. It's funny you mentioned Miranda because you remind me of Miranda.
Speaker 4:I'm going to go get a refill while you talk about Miranda.
Speaker 2:I mean, oh, I thought, you said Hold on this way we'll
Speaker 8:take a break.
Speaker 4:No, I thought you said Maren Moore. Sorry, go ahead Continue.
Speaker 2:No we wouldn't, the Miranda thing.
Speaker 8:We toured with her 05, 06. We were doing little co-headlining stuff and I remember the first time we met her we played a show at some little place and she's sitting there chewing tobacco. I'm like this chick is awesome, she's killer. After Vegas happened. I'll never forget this. We've had a good run with Miranda. She's done two or three songs with us After Vegas, the shooting when we went back on the road. The first show was in Tulsa, which we just played. She flew down for it and was just here hanging out with us backstage just as a friend.
Speaker 8:It took time out of her schedule. You know, and flew down there will always mean so much to us, but that's the kind of person she is she is 100 is, and it sounds like she was a mentor and a confidante and it got me thinking.
Speaker 6:It's like al dean's got a a lot of friends in the business, but luke probably is his really close friend. Luke Bryan, do you have somebody like that, or is the women? Are they a little too catty for that?
Speaker 3:No, I think the whole women catty thing, first of all, I've just never let that get to me If you don't like me, I don't give a shit, I'm too exhausted to care. I know some girls like, when somebody tries it, I just don't give a shit, I don't. And it's literally. I've, and maybe it's because I've kind of I really have lived in my own bubble a little bit. I mean, I got married at 21. Like I was, I've always been like just all about family and kind of just keeping my mind in a good spot and I and don't don't get me wrong there's been times when I've, you know, been insecure about certain relationships, especially with women. But as you get older, especially like I'm just like we're all too old to to be catty and it's like and if you don't like me, I'm okay with it, and if you said something behind my back, it was behind my back, so I really don't need to know about it. Like that's just how I feel and uh, but I will say for the most part I feel like everybody, the ones that are that way get nobody wants to be around them. But the good ones, like you know, laney wilson's been a friend of mine for a long time. Um, she's so kind, ella's so sweet. I don't I'm not really close to ella.
Speaker 3:I met her for the first time at the opry um before look like you love me, like blew up and but she was the kindest of kind and then and miranda even too, like you know, because I was friends with them when, when her and blake were married and even through their split, you know, was still so, so kind to me.
Speaker 3:I didn't really know how that would be, because that was hard. I think that was hard for everybody, but they both really did. When I look at my first five and six years of being in Nashville, they helped me so much and miranda was such a mentor. I mean we wrote songs together, we were on tour together for so long, and so was blake. I mean blake just, and he's still like if I called him right now, I know he would be there for me and he's always cared about what songs coming out, and now he just wants photos of daisy like you know, he loves daisy, and and even that part of my life, like he's, like this will be the greatest thing you'll ever do is be a mother, and like it's just so precious, like it's just like that he knows what matters in life.
Speaker 3:But I, um, you know, I've just I feel really really fortunate and then, as, but now, I would say my mentors are just kind of like my peers, like Kane Brown's, one of my best friends, and Kate Caitlin, like, and I've been on tour with Kane a few times, oh my gosh, kane and Caitlin are, and we have daughters the same age and it's cool to see your friends just their star rise and them stay the same, and that's how Kane is. Dan and Shay were some or some, or you know, they were some of my first friends in nashville. Um, I'm trying to think of who else. I mean, I've just had so many like friends that have just like taken off um, but, and even john party they're, they're my neighbors too, john and summer. But even britney, like britney was a really me and britney got close, probably like it was right, when josh went off to the military, my husband and um, and then I started hanging out with her and jason and and obviously jason's close with kane. So it was just a really fun like girl, you know, hang with.
Speaker 3:You know me, caitlin and brit. But just, I think that's one thing that we can all say about country music is when you find your people, you find them and and you stick with them. And I think this industry just goes to show that. And it's like this tour. Like you know, I know that I probably wouldn't have had this opportunity if I didn't have the relationship that I had with Jason and Britt. And obviously they know that I'm a great artist and there's music that I have that's great, but I think it's mainly because I've you know we have a good relationship and they know that I'm going to put the work in and be easy to work with as well.
Speaker 1:So I think it's kind of unique a little bit to the music industry like you're talking about, um, like if people have number ones like we, we do compete, but it's mainly with ourselves yes, can we write a better song and things like that. But whether it's artists or songwriters, if these guys have a number one and Neil and I don't, are we mad? You damn right. No, but we're excited for them. Do you want to be on it, yes, but you're excited for them because you know how it feels or whoever it is, and so we really don't.
Speaker 1:we root against no one, which is kind of unique. I don't think that's always the same.
Speaker 3:Like, if I were a realtor, do all the realtors pull for each other? I don't know. No, not, because they're individuals. We're individuals, but we still play for each other and if anybody does root against anybody, they don't last. Like, think about the, the. I think about the songwriters and I'm not gonna name any like the songwriters that, like, don't ride with you unless you have a single coming out or unless you have a record deal. And dude, I, I has right now. Like I didn't have a record deal.
Speaker 3:For five years I was independent, working my ass off, yeah, selling tickets. Like I said, I freaking bought my own bus by the grace of God and my father. But like, do you think that they wanted to write with me? Absolutely not. They didn't give a shit about me. And then, now that I'm signed to Big Machine again, it's like, no, no, oh, you want to write you and like, and listen, and listen. I will write with whatever. But it's like the people that were there for me through that season of being independent and, like stood by me, like those are the people I want to be with and who helped me create this sound like.
Speaker 3:So I, I wrote this record with a guy named um, I don't know if you know of a band called under oath, but they're a huge like screamo rock band. Um, actually, the first time I went to a an under oath show with some kids from youth group, when I was like don't, I told this to aaron, he was so upset, um, but I was like 11, of course, they're all like you know, mosh pit and I'm like I'm in like my cowgirl boots and my sundress and I'm like this is weird but cool. I'm glad to be here. Um, but anyways, but a Aaron is, um, even though he's in this like screamo rock band, he is a country boy from Florida and so he like hit me up on Instagram. He's like listen, and if you're a drummer, like you know who Aaron Gillespie is and you, a lot of them look up to him because he's so badass. He's like this crazy redhead throat you know, throat tattoo. He's wild and he's like I would love to ride with you. I love love trying all of your music and I, you know, and I was like I'll ride with anybody once for sure. Like I love meeting new people and, honestly, I like riding with people that are left of center. Like I like, cause I know I'm going to be country, I know what I'm going to bring to the room, like, but I I like reading, writing with people that bring something different. You know me out.
Speaker 3:So anyway, so we wrote, and the first song we wrote was a song called if I make it into heaven, and basically the song is you know, a song I wrote about my husband, who is like so precious, like he's such a good dude, he's a badass, he's a green beret, like he could kick your ass, but he like loves the lord, like knows the bible back and forth, and you know I love jesus, but like I feel, like I I thought I knew the bible and then I met this guy and I was like I need to go to bible study. You know what I mean, and but his family's just like real tight knit, good, good crew, and so basically the hook is if I make it into heaven, it'll be because of you, and it's talking about a good man loving a wild child and like, and so it's literally our story of how we met. And so that was the first song we wrote.
Speaker 3:And the second song we wrote was a song called long live country music, which is the title of my next record and um, and so I was like, okay, is the magic in me and aaron riding together or is it his production? And so then there was a few songs that I wrote, like I wrote this song with john rich and bob de piro and bob's a legend called down and dirty, and um, and it was just like a guitar vocal and I was like, I love this song, let's see what you do with it. And then he made it into this map and I was like, okay, this is actually this, is there's something here? And so, um, we just started working on this project together and started bringing in different songwriters and um, that I love and trust. And and then, after we got done with the record, um, we were just gonna do it independently myself with, uh, my team at jonas group, so the jonas brother's dad manages me, kevin jonas, who is a legend he's so great cool guy oh is he awesome
Speaker 3:he is. Kevin is the best. I love kevin, um, but I had a song in my old catalog that was over a big machine, boyfriend and Love Triangle that were popping off on TikTok and I don't really know how that works, but the metrics were going wild or whatever. And so Scott was like our songs are doing great. I was like, oh yeah, fun. And me and Scott have always Scott Bruchetto, we've always remained friends. I had a single with Chris Jansen. That was my song is. What song was it? It didn't do much, but we had, we had a song out, um, and so he's always been there for me. He's always been kind to me. Anytime a song of ours has gone gold or platinum, he's always reached out to me. And that's how it is. Like you never burn any bridges. Like you just be kind, move on. Sometimes things don't work out for a reason. That's how it is. Like you never burn any bridges. Like you just be kind, move on. Sometimes things don't work out for a reason. That's okay.
Speaker 3:And he was like do you have any new music? And I was like, yeah, I mean, I have this new project, um, you know, but I'm putting it out independently. And he's like do you like, do you have a partner? And I was like I mean, I'm gonna put it out independently. I'm my partner with kevin. He's like, well, can I hear it? And I'm like, if you give me the deal you want, I want you can hear it. And so him and Kevin got on the phone and then we went over and played him the music and he's like I won't let you leave unless you come to Big Machine. And like we finished what we started. And I was like, yeah, let's do it, and so we ended up going with Big Machine.
Speaker 3:Um, it's cool because I have ownership of my own music, um, and then obviously I have catalog over there too. But, um, it really did start with, you know, me believing in what me and aaron were creating, and I think the reason why it was so good is we didn't have anybody telling us what it should sound like or what it should be like. You weren't thinking about the box.
Speaker 8:That's the thing like, sometimes like you gotta. When you have that freedom of thinking and creativity, you end up finding your fingerprint, naturally and that feels like from talking with you over the last few weeks too, hanging out like. It feels like what you've done, you know and got to talk about your husband too.
Speaker 3:He's awesome oh, I love josh he's like I miss him when he's not around where's frightening and comforting very large, same time very large human you know I love I think as a, as a wife or like and I'm sure you can feel this about you're like your spouse. When people love the person you love as much as you do, it's like, yeah, it's so rewarding and I I love he has made me like the woman that I am today, for sure a question, sorry, tell it, yeah, he joined the military after you got married yeah, so we that would be like for me.
Speaker 3:I was reading that I was thinking I'm not gonna lie. Is that a negative sign is?
Speaker 1:it me he wants to go to basic training honestly he probably needed a break from me.
Speaker 3:I'm, especially a younger version of me. I'm a little tired now 21-year-old me was like.
Speaker 2:I've got to get out of here. Send me to the Middle East, send me to the Middle.
Speaker 3:East. He's like put me on the front line bitch. I'm getting to go.
Speaker 1:I'll do it, Lord.
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Speaker 3:I think it was always something that he wanted to do. It definitely was. He'll tell you that and he needs to be on his own podcast. He's just Josh is like Anything he puts his hand to he's gonna do. And he got a full ride to Belmont. So he went to Belmont for baseball and all of his records are still when you go down the baseball halls. Really, I didn't know that about him, of course he didn't tell you.
Speaker 2:He's like he's a stud Like their baseball team has sucked since they left.
Speaker 8:He was a pitcher and then he, I think, one of the bases maybe second base, I don't know Like he did, he did, I don't know it's he confided me that you just got to give him time.
Speaker 3:He's like you just got to work with him a little bit, he's got a cool ride.
Speaker 1:Big leagues too, he went after.
Speaker 3:Belmont. After Belmont he got drafted to one of the farm teams for the Cubs and he played with them for a few years and then he threw out his arm.
Speaker 2:Same thing happened to me. Yeah, threw out his arm and then he's always he's always done.
Speaker 3:Like the finance thing, like you know, stocks, I mean it's way by my pay grade, I don't know how any of that shit works, um, and so he's, oh, he had a, he got a, he got his degree in business and stuff like that and business management or financial management, and so he's worked for a company and then he just wasn't feeling I mean, when you know, you know his backstory of getting a full ride in baseball and then playing for the Cubs, he just didn't feel fulfilled in an office, and I get that.
Speaker 3:And so he was like I feel like I'm called to more, and he wanted to join the military and be a Green Beret my brother's a Green Beret and so he talked to my brother about it and so he figured out when he was 26, he joined, we got married. When he was was he 24? About to be 25. So we were married for a little over a year and then he joined and got through all the training and I mean that was a wild time and so. But he never was officially deployed. He was about to be officially deployed and then the world shut down and then we got pregnant and he decided that he was going to get out.
Speaker 3:But it was about six years yeah.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Josh, for your service. That's amazing. Josh is the best.
Speaker 8:The other night we were talking about it and I was telling him we have so much respect for all the military, but we have a lot of friends in special forces and the military. Yeah, but we have a lot of friends and and special forces and was and uh, I said, man, I just can't believe the amount of training they do oh, it's why I was telling him like he goes. Well, you know, I never deployed and I said yeah, but dude, you're a warrior already.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're, you're a hero in our eyes, everybody's eyes.
Speaker 8:Here I mean you. You enlist, you put your, your life in their hands. And but the amount of training that they do around the clock, dangerous training, just to be ready.
Speaker 3:I mean the schools that they go through.
Speaker 4:It's shit people don't even know but he is a great guy, even though he didn't get deployed. Though it's like those guys are willing well, he's available they've already made their minds up.
Speaker 3:I said, like that's on your resume forever you are a Green. Beret, you're tabbed, you like there's.
Speaker 8:Nobody can take that shit from you like you know, and he's an amazing his, his person, like his, who he is, though, oh he's so, he's magical, awesome yeah, like we miss him when he's not around.
Speaker 3:We're like and I think that that's what they look for, like we were talking about it, like for when it comes to especially special forces and green berets. They're looking for a type of dude. They don't want the douche canoe, that's.
Speaker 3:You know out there getting laid blowing up shit they want somebody that's just as mentally strong, as they are physically strong and they want dudes that are, have families, that are married, that like have a purpose outside of themselves and think very self, like you know, not selfishly but very selfless, and you know I what a lot of green berets have that same temperament that josh has. I mean, so many people went through that training and only 70 graduated.
Speaker 3:Like a thousand guys went through it and you hear about the guys that don't make it, and it's the ones that you know. You think that they're physically strong but they're not mentally strong and, um, I have so much respect for our men and women, especially the ones that you know have had to go through that. I mean, like I'll never forget, I was on tour with was I on tour with flats? Was it flats? No, it's. Maybe blake shelton is blake, and then josh like left for for training and I was just like, and it was right when my first record came out. So, like you know, I he was, and my record went number one on Billboard country wild horse and I couldn't even tell him.
Speaker 1:What was the longest time that you couldn't contact him since when he joined Almost?
Speaker 3:two months one time, or it was like eight weeks or something like that, and he's my best friend. But also, I wish everybody could live the life of a military spouse for a couple months with the person that they love, because it makes you love them so much more, waiting for his letters me and the mailman, jimmy his name was Jimmy I would literally just wait and be like he goes. You got a letter from Josh. I was like, yes, and it's just like Sit down, jimmy, let's read it and I just and be like he goes.
Speaker 3:You got a letter from josh and I just like and I think the ones that get me like like reading his letters that weren't that long, but it's just like I miss you and it like it makes me tear up. But it was just like I miss you and josh and it was just like in a little like thing, but he still sent it like and it just you didn't have. I don't know how much time he had to write that, but he wrote it because he missed me and it's just like people. I wish people could experience that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, that's awesome, he's the best.
Speaker 1:He is here's, josh, come on. Hey, let's circle back, did I? Oh, go ahead Go ahead.
Speaker 4:You've been quiet. No, I just didn't want you to get married.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, Everybody was telling me not to get married.
Speaker 6:Oh, they don't want that they don't want to promote a wife or a mom.
Speaker 4:Well, it's not that you know it's not that like I know they think it would.
Speaker 3:I didn't know they would actually say it. I mean, and at the time let's, when I think back on it you know a 21-year-old getting married I feel like for me, like in my childhood I had so much uncertainty in my life and I had so many like, especially like with you know, the career path that I chose. I felt like it's not that I knew what I wanted to do, but I felt like with Josh, I was like this is the one thing that I know is right for myself and I don't care what anybody says to me, like I don't even care if I get it wrong. Let me go through my life and get it wrong, but what if I get it right? Like, and that's how I just I had that mindset. I was like, okay if it doesn't work out, okay. But like I know, in this moment of my life right now, the way that I feel with Josh is a piece that I've never felt and it's like a foundation that I've never had in my life.
Speaker 3:I mean, my parents were divorced growing up. Like I, I like am I just there was just there was a lot of rockiness and he was my steady and I was like I need something steady in my life and if I didn't and I and I say this, I don't even think I ever said this out loud on a podcast, but, like, if I didn't marry Josh at 21, I don't know what who I would be today. It wouldn't be this person today. It'd be a very different person and not the person that God created me to be. And so, yeah, I mean, yeah, it was definitely a rebel thing. I mean they did not want me, and it's not that they were. It was them giving advice to any new arts, like you know, whatever but at the time, like Thomas Red just got married, like, and obviously that was working out for him and I was just like I know, this is my person, but yeah, I didn't really give a shit.
Speaker 4:I just did what I wanted to do? No, it was. It just shows you that record labels don't know everything they don't.
Speaker 6:They don't Newsflash Breaking news here.
Speaker 4:I just want everybody to know.
Speaker 3:No, but it's true everybody.
Speaker 3:and at the end of the day, don't let, like people that are running your career, tell you how to run your personal life like that's just wild like I and I'm grateful I had that sense at 21 and you know, thank god I had that god gut and I have a relationship with the lord and I know when I have peace about something. But, like, I do think of a lot of artists. Let you know, people that sit in a chair like and at a big label, tell them how to live their personal life and they might have all these plaques on a wall but they're sad as shit when they walk through their door and have to come home to real life and they're depressed when they're not on a stage in front of fans getting that, you know. You know, dose of dopamine every freaking night.
Speaker 6:I don't need that to be happy you gotta have a bigger, you gotta have a bigger purpose, like I'm not saying that that's not awesome.
Speaker 3:Sure, hell, yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 6:But you gotta have a purpose outside of that for sure hey, let's go back, because you've mentioned first of all the song love triangle. Yeah, like a few times yes and you're talking about your childhood a little bit. There might be people here that don't know your story. First of all, you're an incredible writer and part of what sets you apart is that you can write these songs that are personal, emotional and all that. So tell people about Love Triangle, because you hear it, you might think one thing. It's another.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I wrote that song with Nicole Galleon, um, and Jimmy Robbins and um, I just moved to Nashville and I I think the biggest advice that Judy Stakey gave me as a songwriter is I remember when I first started writing songs, I would try to fit this whole movie into three minutes and she, when she broke it down to me like this, I was like okay, and it changed my, my mindset on songwriting forever. She goes how long is a song? And I said three minutes and she said how long is like an important scene in a movie? I was like probably like three to four minutes. She's like there is a different song for each part, for each scene, because every emotion like one. If you got the whole like, she's basically saying like, like, let's say it's a sad part of a movie, they have a sad song and that's a happy part, whatever. So she was like you don't have to fit a whole, you know story in three minutes, just write the moment. And when she said write the moment, or that feeling, it changed my perspective forever because I was trying to make everything fit, like this whole story fit, and I was like, okay, and so growing up, um, I've always wanted to write a song about growing up in a divorced home and filling that balance, and I never knew what the right, the right way to approach it was. And so I had the title on my phone love triangle.
Speaker 3:And, um, at the time, like I was writing a lot of sassy songs, I was like, oh, this is gonna be about me, you know, and a love triangle, maybe liking two different guys. I'm like that's not my personality. I've never done that in my life. And so we were going through titles or whatever, and I was having the toughest day with my parents that day and I almost didn't show up to the ride actually, and the only reason why I showed up is because they were my friends and I knew that I could be myself. But if it would have been a new duo, I would have said no. And so I get in there and I'm kind of just talking about my day and I was like you know what I'm? Just I'm sick of feeling like I'm 19. I live 12 hours away and how am I still in the middle of these two, my two favorite people in the world? And I was like, but you know what? I want to write a fun song today. I don't want to be sad.
Speaker 3:And so I started going through my titles and I said Love Triangle and he was playing that. He was just playing that while we were singing and you know, like every songwriter, they're just you know dwindling. And that while we were singing, you know, like every songwriter, they're just, you know, dwindling. And then we quickly were like that's the song, like being stuck in a love triangle between your mom and your dad and, um, we wrote that song in like literally two hours and I, that was the song that changed my life in nashville.
Speaker 3:Um, when that song like when, when publishers started hearing that song, when labels started hearing that song and I was already signed too, that's when everything started changing in my orbit and songwriters, writers that I wanted to write with, wanted to write with me. And I feel like that was the first song that I was really vulnerable and I felt like kind of gave me that stake that, oh, I can write more than you know. The fun bubble gum. That was easy for me, but I had actually something to say, and I love Love Triangle because it was a slow burn. That song, like you know, it's just continued to do well, it's continued to have success in its own way. I want to re-release it and put it on country radio, like that's my hope for that well, I do think that it lost an audience like there's.
Speaker 3:So I mean it gets a resurgence on tiktok every year and it's had thousands and thousands of like. I mean it's gone gold. I mean it's getting close, I mean it's it's still doing so.
Speaker 6:Well, it's an impact song without having chart success. Yes, there is a big difference.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I wanted to ask. And, like Curtis said, I mean, it's a brilliant song, it's written perfectly. I heard it for the first time this morning, first time.
Speaker 2:Because I was researching you.
Speaker 1:I'm upset. Everything you, I thought I liked you.
Speaker 3:but don't know, You're already on the cusp. Started with the young wife.
Speaker 1:No, but it's the first time I heard it and I watched the video at the same time.
Speaker 3:Oh, don't watch the video.
Speaker 1:No, but my thought was, as just the first time, listen is. I wonder how many marriages, how many couples or emails that you've got, or people that talk to you. That didn't leave a situation. Maybe the husband and wife weren't getting along excellently. But then they hear that song and think about those kids and think you know what, we can be together. You know what I mean. I just wonder how many thousands of lives that that? Song has blessed.
Speaker 3:I've had quite a few people say that like there's been a few fans where their daughter would walk away and the mom would come up to me and she said I stuck it out in my marriage because of your song and because of that little girl right there and I'm just like uh yeah uh, fans will get me, man, um.
Speaker 3:And then I had this one woman come up to me and said, um, that her husband was like dealing with like bipolar stuff and um, and she was like you know, it was really hard to stay on it, to stay with him and stay together. She's like, but your song Love Triangle, she's like. I just couldn't. When I heard it, I was like I know that God can get me through this and I know that I can figure it out. And she's like, and my husband was just on the wrong medication and we figured it out and now we're the happiest we've ever been and she's like, but like, but I almost didn't make it through it and it's just like.
Speaker 3:That's the power of songwriting, though. That's the power of music, I think. I think what we all realize in 2020, when all of our freedoms are stripped from us, is like how powerful it is when we all come together and we sing together and we release music like. I think we were all like, so sad because music really is so powerful and like. We need it. We need it to connect with each other. We need it. Like it, we wouldn't be here without it, and so I, um, I love.
Speaker 4:Triangle was definitely that pivotal moment for me, with my fans and and the songs I just we can say, we can say as songwriters and I can say this, and I know kaylo can, I know two can. It's like we write these songs for a living. It's our job, and I know you felt it too it's like we do it when we move on to the next song and it doesn't really hit home until we get to talk to somebody whose life it affected, and that could be two years down the road.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And we've all had those songs, yeah, and it changes our. It keeps us going. It changed.
Speaker 3:We don't take it for granted as much as we used to and it's not like when you do find a special song, I don't want to just write a song. To write a song, I want to write a special song. Like you know, I can sing my new songs all day long, but on stage with with aldine, when I say I want to thank you guys that have been with me from day one, y'all sing this next one with me, love triangle they get the loudest when I say I'm gonna sing love triangle and they love the new shit but it's not out yet. But it's my older stuff that like, or love triangle, those songs that have connected, and I think I mean, I'm sure, as a songwriter, I mean you're always trying to find the next song and whatever, but you should always like be grateful for the really great ones that you do. Right, because not everybody gets those.
Speaker 4:We're all human. I lose appreciation for what we do for a living. I lose appreciation for it until I get to talk to somebody that it affected.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:You know, and help turn their life around a little bit.
Speaker 1:Well, and I like the titles too, because like being, you know, an idea guy always think about what titles would look like on a strip ad and would it make somebody want to hear it Like bra off? I saw that this morning.
Speaker 3:Can't tell you what I thought.
Speaker 7:It changed my life? No, but I'm saying I was curious, I listened to it and I thought okay, how did they do that?
Speaker 3:What's it about? And then I listened to it and I said, oh, it's totally good. Breaking up with you is like taking my bra off Freedom, freedom, that's awesome. No, I always like. My thing with music is I always try to have like some twist to it.
Speaker 3:I don't ever like, want you to figure out what I'm going to say Like I always want you to be like oh, that's funny you know, I don't know, maybe it's my sense of humor, I don't know, but you're doing it. You're a great writer. Oh, she's incredible. There's a, there's a few, there's actually a song I'm really pumped about. That's gonna be on my christmas project.
Speaker 3:Um, and I can't believe I'm talking about but it'll be on my christmas project, so I don't care, but it's called the barn and it's basically it's talking about, like, the birth of jesus. You know he was well, he was born in a stable or whatever, um, but it's basically talking about like all these moments that you like had the barn, like your first cigarette, your first kiss, your first, this, your first that, the moments you talk to god and relating that to jesus being born in a barn and like all the. It's like one of the coolest songs ever. It was like, but it's just like. But like it's my I mean, we always say that our last song but it's just like watching us like a song come to life, like that Like, and it's songwriting is so fun.
Speaker 3:It's like putting a puzzle piece together and making it work and making you feel something.
Speaker 6:But yeah, it's a uh, it's super cool let's talk about one of the other songs that may have, I guess, had some controversy over it, which seems odd to me and coming from guys that have written a song with some controversy. Um, she chose me. Yeah, uh, another song, but apparently some pro-choicers thought that that was the other side of the argument. Yeah, but it's a very personal song. Yes, can you talk about how that came?
Speaker 3:about Very, very personal. So I was a couple years into my marriage and I started just asking questions about my like because my mom and dad got married. Um, I thought they were already pregnant with me, but they were actually pregnant with me and then they got married after that and my mom was, um, married for 12 years. Um, her and her husband were in a split and then that's when she got pregnant with me, with my dad and, um, you know, my mom, she, like I, said she had four kids with her first husband and when she found out she was pregnant with me, she, she was just like I just don't know if I can have this kid with this guy, that I'm not in love. And she, you know, set the appointment to have an abortion. Um, and not a lot of people knew that she was pregnant, except her husband at the time, I think maybe my dad did, and then one other, maybe my, maybe my aunt, her sister, and so when she was headed there, um, one of her friends had a dream that she was pregnant and called her. She was headed there um, one of her friends had an, had a dream that she was pregnant and called her and was like hey, are you? You know, are you carrying a child? And she was like, yeah, and she's like, well, I don't know what you're about to do, but I just want you to know that, like, that child's gonna be the light of your life and she's gonna change. Like you don't think she I don't even know if she said she, but if you, you do this, you will never. There'll be a day that won't go by that you won't think about that child. And so my mom decided not to have an abortion and she decided to keep me, and but I didn't find this out till, like, I was in my mid twenties and I don't know, I've always been, I've always been somebody that's been pro-life, um, you know, I've.
Speaker 3:I feel like to me, the unborn are the ultimate underdogs. Like, and I've always been somebody that's that's fought for the underdog. When I was in school, and if somebody was being made fun of, I would kick somebody's ass that made fun of anybody. Like, I sat with kids that were not the cool ones. I've always just loved being friends with anybody that nobody wanted to be friends with, because I knew it. I got bullied in school too. I hated bullies, and so to me, the unborn. Nobody's there to fight for them. They don't have a voice.
Speaker 3:And so when I found out that, when I found this out, this part of my story, I was like that. Like when I found this out, this part of my story, I was like shit, you're telling me I almost didn't exist. Like you're telling me that, like Josh almost didn't have a wife, daisy almost didn't have a mom, like I just started getting like I saw the true realization of what life means and you're taking somebody's choice away from them of life. And listen, I can get along with anybody, I can talk to anybody.
Speaker 3:I love hearing people's stories. I'm somebody. Let's sit down and let's hash it out, let's talk about it. But one thing you can't take away from me is my story, and God gave it to me for a reason. And when I found out that that was you know the reality of my situation I knew that God had given me that for a reason. And instead of being sad about it, I was like well, first of all and I always process things by writing about it and um, so I wrote this song, um, the song called she chose me and I wrote with Joshosh thompson oh, yeah, so good I mean, when I told them what I wanted to write about that day, josh, I thought that I was like.
Speaker 3:I thought he was gonna be like no, I read that was gonna be crazy. And I was like, if we do this song the right way, I know it's gonna be special, because my thing is is I didn't want to, I didn't want to bully the mother like I wanted it to be. If it went the other way, nobody would have blamed her. Like, think of all the small. Like, think of it is the easy choice, but it doesn't mean it's the right choice. And I that's the way I wanted to write it where it's like because I have so much compassion for my mom and how she felt in that moment. Like she was in a freaking bible belt church. You know her going in there pregnant and like I, I can't imagine the shame that these like like and that's awful. Like we should never anybody that's like. You know, like any unwed mothers like we, we as the church, we as people, should take care of those women like that's our job. Are you a freaking christian or not? Like, don't even get me started on my soapbox with that. So it's just like, you know. But to even feel like you have to make that decision for like it's just, it breaks my heart because there is so much around it.
Speaker 3:But anyways, I really wanted to ride it from a non-judgmental stance and I feel like that's one thing that I love about she Chose Me is it's not judgmental, it's just my story. And I said, if we stick to the story, it's not. And of course it became that. Yeah, but I don't let people like try to run over me because I'm like you can't take my story away from me.
Speaker 3:This is the my life, I lived it, this is my song. I lived it and um and it's so. I teased it on social media and I almost didn't put it on my record. And this is like where jesus comes in. He always comes in, but I I didn't want to put it out because I didn't want to be controversial and I had three dreams every night I was picking songs from my record and I was talking to my manager and I was like going through my singles or my songs and she chose me was always a song that I said this was in your dreams, in my dream, in my dream and I had the first night and I was like all right, whatever you're saying, god, I'm not putting it on my record, whatever.
Speaker 6:Second, time I had it.
Speaker 3:Third time I had the same exact dream three times in a row wow and I was like, all right, god, I'm not gonna not listen to you, like whatever. And then I was just like I was thinking about the way I would talk about it on a podcast, thinking about, and I was like, well, nobody can take my story away from me. Like this is just like if you've been abused or if, like you know, nobody can take away from what you've been through and that's not controversial, like to me, like your story shouldn't be controversial. And johnny cash saying about hard shit, loretta lynn, like all these amazing country artists, have sung about really hard things, and I sung about love. I mean, love triangle was my song. So I was like god has equipped me for this and so, anyways, I put it on the record and I was pregnant at the time when my record Baytown came out.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:And it was my first independent release, and so, right when the song came out, over 250,000 videos were made within a week on TikTok and Instagram of women telling their stories and people choosing life, and my favorite ones were kids that have been adopted and then just thanking their adoptive parents for their biological parents, for choosing to give them life and then them giving them in the hands of people that won.
Speaker 3:Think about how many like I have. So I know, so I know four couples right now that would give anything to be a parent and it's like so there's, you know, there's definitely a space for it, but it just that song, and that's why I always say like, whatever your, whatever your truth is like and I hate when people say that's my truth, but but like whatever, like you've gone through, write about it, because it will connect to somebody and when it does, it could in a major way and it could change your life, but change their life too. And to be able to have a song that you know is somebody's story, like that, and I'm super thankful that I put it out, you know, I would have been regretful if I didn't.
Speaker 1:How did that topic come up? You said you were around 20 when your mom told you or you learned. It seems like I might've been willing to take that to my grave, like how did that come up?
Speaker 3:It was kind of a difficult way it came up and I don't want to get into like the nitty gritty of that, but, um, it was unfortunate the way it came up, but my, my husband, was there to help me navigate it, which was really special. So, okay, yeah, it was, but it was. I think it was really my dad never wanted me to find out and so I think my dad would have taken it to his grave.
Speaker 8:You know, it's a crazy part of life, yeah lately I've been thinking about that where you, when you're, you're growing up and your parents are. You know, my parents were divorced as well, but you're still your parents, so they're they're on this kind of pedestal they are and there's an interesting part of life when you realize that your parents are just people they're human yeah, and that and that they've had to learn and go through things as well made mistakes and you know, and that's an interesting part of life, though.
Speaker 8:When that just like a light switch for me was, like you know, years ago, I'm like, wow, my, they're just people who were trying to figure out. My mom had me and she was 20 years old, you know 21. So it's interesting, you start to figure that out. Yep, you know that they had to navigate tough stuff too and they're growing up.
Speaker 3:I mean like, yeah, I mean I, like I said, and my mom, my mom, grew up in a pentecostal church. Like she was like, like you know, whatever, and then she left the church. It was just like there was so much. And my dad was recently saved and like it's just my dad, like my dad owns his own tire company. He's owned his own tire company. He was 23. My dad is epic, he's from Louisiana, he's Kunas, he's awesome, such a different time and like they were just figuring it out too, and um, but, yeah, I but, and I've had so many amazing fans that have, like, talked about that song and um, and I've gotten, I got to go to mar-a-lago and I was, um presented with most influential mother of the year by mothers of america, um, which was so crazy, crazy to be in a room full of women that have fought for life, and I've gotten to do some things with live action. So it really opened a lot of doors for me in that field too, which was really cool.
Speaker 6:We're super proud of you. Thank you, that's seriously the strength.
Speaker 2:Thank you, that's incredible.
Speaker 6:Let's kind of wrap it up with this Current single is Heaven is a Honky Tonk right. Let's talk about that so people can be aware of it.
Speaker 3:So Heaven is a Honky Tonk is my new single, and I'm about to release a song in like two weeks. I think it's the night. Wait, what's Bridgestone?
Speaker 3:We're playing August 7th or 8th so this song comes out the 8th, okay, and it's Long Live Country Music title of my project. And, um, I mean I'm just super excited. We're gonna figure out which one's gonna go to radio. We haven't decided yet. I'm just like letting the lord lead and like figuring out kind of what do they say? Let's see what raises its hand. I guess we're seeing which one raises its hand or its leg, I don't know.
Speaker 3:But I, um, I love, uh, I love long live. I mean long live has been heaven, is a honky Tonk, is badass. I mean it's great, but to me it was always like the bridge to really what this project is. And Long Live Country music is, just like you know, punching you in the face. I'm here to stay. I will kick your ass. It's so good. Like the bridge is. I walk that line like Johnny, but I'll do it looking like Dolly, like it's just like you know it's. It's a really fun song.
Speaker 3:Um, but I'm super excited about this music. I feel like it's the perfect mix of, you know, my spunkiness, but also like I feel like with all my music there's been this edge to my voice that's always been maybe tuned out a little bit and over produced, and I think one thing that um, aaron I mean, by the way, I love all the music that I've done, but when I listen to this music I have so much rasp in my voice that didn't get left behind and I love that. And it's like you know, it's so hard to carve out your own lane, and so I feel like this this next project is um is really special because it just it's so hard to carve out your own lane, and so I feel like this next project is really special because it's really country but it's really rock and really fun and I'm just really freaking proud of it and I just can't wait for the fans to hear it. But it still has that heart. I think we're going to have one ballad on the whole project, which is hilarious.
Speaker 3:I was just sick of writing sad songs. I like, I was just, I'm not a sad person, I'm just like you know. But like, um, we might have one more. But, uh, if I do do anything, I'd like to recut love triangle with like another artist or something like that. I think that giving it another perspective would be kind of cool. But yeah, I'm, um, I'm really excited about it. It's gonna be, it's gonna be cool and I'm putting on a christmas project later this year and um, but I have a lot of faith in long live country music in this record. Um, I think it's gonna do do really well and aaron gillups be is a badass and um, we all gotta write soon. Hopefully you guys want to write with me and if not, we will not talk again.
Speaker 1:You've been here.
Speaker 4:I got like five times I am, oh, I'm a walking I might let you in on them.
Speaker 1:I don't know, I'm a walking like literally there's no telling what the hell I'm gonna say, like my aaron always just keeping his phone out when I'm when I'm around yeah, yeah, we were hoping that, like when you said earlier, like the people that wrote with you, you know, back in the day and then then they didn't write with you and they waited.
Speaker 3:I hope I'm not one of those guys. Well, you're not, because I'm meeting you now, right? So that's what I was hoping.
Speaker 1:So if we never had written with you at all, then that's still new dude, I listen.
Speaker 3:I hope you want to write okay like, let's do it.
Speaker 4:We've already talked about it, we do, we do for sure. What's your football team?
Speaker 3:so it's Tennessee, yes, tennessee, and I.
Speaker 1:Well, it was LSU because of my dad, but when I got married to my husband. Touch the jersey behind you. Please Just touch the Peyton Manning jersey.
Speaker 3:Thank, you, but it's Tennessee because obviously I've lived here for 12 years and my husband's a Tennessee fan.
Speaker 7:I didn't want him to leave me. I love Tennessee. I love Tennessee.
Speaker 3:Where's?
Speaker 2:Josh from.
Speaker 3:Josh is from Georgia, but his family grew up in Tennessee, josh is from Georgia, but his family grew up in Tennessee. One thing that I love is that his family held the line in Georgia, because Georgia Bulldogs fans, please don't tell me you're a Bulldogs fan. Well, you have Jason.
Speaker 6:Yeah, my wife went there, so it's like and listen.
Speaker 3:They're just but the fact that they held the line as Tennessee fans in Georgia, because my father-in-law is a pilot for Delta, so they moved when he was in his you know like late 20s to Atlanta. But they're all from Tennessee and so my Josh is one of seven too. He's the middle of seven kids and his like. He has a musical family too, like his uncle's.
Speaker 1:Michael W Smith oh, really didn't know that.
Speaker 3:Seriously oh you should have Josh on the podcast.
Speaker 6:No, I told him he was going to have his own podcast. We love Josh. We miss him.
Speaker 3:No, like Josh's uncle. So Michael W's wife, debbie, is my father-in-law's sister. Wow. So friends, of friends forever.
Speaker 2:I mean, what doesn't Josh do? I know?
Speaker 8:Financial advisor, baseball player, American hero.
Speaker 1:Green beret, friend of us, another one of those guys that makes us feel small.
Speaker 8:He's a really great guy, seriously, though. I know I told him the other day. I said you're coming to the podcast, right? I thought he was going to be here.
Speaker 3:I know he had to work. I get it.
Speaker 4:We have to have all Green Berets, as many as we can.
Speaker 3:No, we're going to have him actually on his own, he's just you know, tell him I'm really funny, because that's all I care about.
Speaker 2:I'm like do you think I'm funny?
Speaker 3:He's like yeah, you're so funny we don't really have the same humor, but we kind of do. I mean, he's been dealing with my bullshit for 10 years. He's probably over me. We've been married for 10 years, which is wild isn't that crazy.
Speaker 4:It went by fast, didn't it? It went by so fast.
Speaker 3:I was like we like woke up and I was like, holy shit, it's been 10 years and our daughter will be 4 in September how many kids do you have?
Speaker 4:I only have one. No, I know how many you have. How many are you going to have?
Speaker 3:I would like two or three. Yeah, three, I think, is the magic.
Speaker 6:Does he know that?
Speaker 3:I don't know.
Speaker 6:You're about to tell.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 8:But also I love your perseverance in the business, though, Thank you. Like we were talking about the other night, and it was like you know, look, if it was easy, everyone would do it.
Speaker 3:Oh my god. But yeah, keep going and and the the perseverance is is. That's inspiring and you can't. I mean, there's been times where I wanted to give up and I think another I hate to bring up again. But, josh, I was like there was a time I was like I just don't want to do this anymore. I'm exhausted, I'm tired. Nobody cares, nobody wants to ride with me, everybody's blowing me off, like, and there was, of course, a few people in the business that wouldn't let me.
Speaker 3:But then josh was like, you know, selfishly, that'd be great, but also it's like this is what god's called you to do, like you are meant to write songs and put them out and and do this and and you, just you gotta have people around you that don't let you give up too, because it's easy to give up on yourself, but you gotta have an army of people that are like, believe in you and your talent, that say, no, you are called for this, you are made for this, and um, and I just I'm, I'm super grateful if I mean, if I wouldn't have, I wouldn't be where I'm at today, you know, and um, but it perseverance is, and I always like in my mind I was like what if I'm just six months from my breakthrough? I'm like, I'm like I'm a music addict straight up, like I'm like a song addict, I'm like I'd be like want to give up, and then I'd write a great song.
Speaker 8:Be like oh god, I love music again like you're really only one great song and one moment away from your breakthrough and I think that people don't realize that like you never know when that day will be, when you don't know when you might, might write it, and there is, you know as much as we say national supportive. I I do think it is supportive. There's also an underbelly of it, like you said, that isn't like not wanting to write with someone because they don't have a deal at that point, or, you know, we've all had those breaks.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 8:Like at some point, you know, everyone was starting out at some point.
Speaker 2:You're right.
Speaker 8:You know, you can look back years and years and you look at the people that were there for you and, like I know, for me and Kurt specifically, guys like Dave Lee Murphy, who we saw yesterday, Mike Delaney, who's very close to us. Those guys wrote with us when we were just session players and we weren't really writing a lot, but they still wrote you know, josh Thompson, another one.
Speaker 3:Josh Thompson. Josh Thompson wrote she Chose Me when I didn't have a deal or anything.
Speaker 8:I think those people are the ones that you end up keeping.
Speaker 3:You don't forget.
Speaker 8:Yeah, in the circle that they'll be there for you regardless.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 8:Which that part of the town I do love, you know, because there's a handful of people that that you know would really do want the best for you, you know, and they want to be there for you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, through that journey and it's like I don't know I've, I really do. I'm so grateful because I can look and I and I see also the genuine friendships you have and you, I want to know who has my back. They're thick and thin. And then, especially like I mean I feel like the last couple years have been kind of crazy with the industry and like knowing, being nervous, to tiptoe around and say this or it's like no, it's like y'all, like we're all gonna do what we want to do, we're all gonna put out we want to put out, we're gonna say we want to say and we all support each other, like you know, and if you don't, that's fine, and I think people are really coming into their own, which is cool, um, but I'm I'm really grateful for my friends in this business and songwriters, and well, we're lucky to know you, oh my gosh, you're so sweet.
Speaker 4:No, it's great great to meet you, thank you I'm a huge fan.
Speaker 3:Now I was a fan funny after after meeting you do you think?
Speaker 4:I'm more funny no, I think you're fantastic. I think you're fantastic, I think you're well-spoken, thank you. You're witty, thanks Wow.
Speaker 3:I can't wait to talk through these titles. Man, see what kind of songs you write, if you can get him off the golf course. Oh shit.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's the first challenge. Hey, you've got to come play my golf tournament this year.
Speaker 3:All right, I have a Raylan Diabetes Fund tournament.
Speaker 6:Kid.
Speaker 3:Rock played it last year, so hopefully I can get you.
Speaker 6:Wow, she did that to you?
Speaker 2:I did that to you. Well, Bob played it. Yeah, well, Bob played it. This is Bob Thornton.
Speaker 3:I love Bob. Talk about a fun dude.
Speaker 6:There's Bob, and then there's Kid Rock.
Speaker 2:Oh believe me, we know the difference too, yeah yeah I love them both.
Speaker 8:It depends when you get them, each one of the funniest things.
Speaker 3:Okay, I do have to tell a story. So we were at bob's house for um. It was I think it was a memorial day weekend and it was my first time to meet theo vaughn. You know thea, oh yeah and um, like me and my husband are huge fans of Theo. Like he is hilarious. I was almost kind of like nervous to meet him and like and like me and Josh like send each other videos of Theo all the time, Cause I just love how he's uncancellable. Like and you know it's because he's genuine.
Speaker 3:I think, if you're genuine, like he's just, he is who he is. But, um, so Josh was shooting the show with them and they were talking about like life, and he's like so how did you and ray meet? And josh was like, oh, we met at church. And then theo goes oh the lord, strip club baby. And then, of course that's amazing josh just started dying laughing. He was laughing a little too hard. I'm like quit laughing. It was so funny. Oh, lord, strip club baby.
Speaker 3:And uh, and then our girlfriend was pregnant and she had had really massive boobs and he commented on that. It was just great have you heard him sing.
Speaker 2:Who.
Speaker 3:Theo, I bet he can actually sing. Is it actually good, have y'all heard him?
Speaker 6:sing. I did not know that was a thing.
Speaker 3:Oh my God, is it actually a. Thing?
Speaker 4:No, the dude can. Are you serious? He can bring it. There's video footage of him singing in a worship service.
Speaker 3:Is that AI or is that real?
Speaker 4:No, it's got to be real.
Speaker 1:Is it the adult baby?
Speaker 2:No, no no, I like the adult baby version.
Speaker 4:I don't think it's real. It has to be him. It has to because it's too perfect. It matches his speaking voice.
Speaker 6:Fake AI Fake news. Fake news.
Speaker 2:Fake news baby.
Speaker 4:I bought it. If it's fake, then I'll fake news give me the die cut button.
Speaker 3:Hey, I bought it. If it's fake, then that I mean. But anyways, that was one of my most favorite moments ever, like it was just. It was hilarious, it was funny, it was funny.
Speaker 6:I, like these guys, says we're fans, we're friends, we'd love you. I appreciate y'all. We're gonna have a fun summer. See you in a couple days. I know we'll. We'll see you.
Speaker 8:We'll play Watershed. That'll be fun. Watershed's great.
Speaker 3:Watershed's great. I haven't played it since 2018.
Speaker 8:Hey, any, any. Brian O'Connell, who's our brother and who's heads up Live Nation Country Division. He's his festivals, did I tell you?
Speaker 3:my Brian O'Connell story.
Speaker 6:Do it. Oh yeah, I mean go ahead Did. Did we tell you yeah.
Speaker 3:First of all, brian is. You know he's a badass, but he is a sweetheart too, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:And I'll never forget. I was on tour with Miranda and I have type 1 diabetes I was talking about my diabetes foundation earlier but we were in a van, we were doing the van thing. We wanted to afford a bus that year but we just couldn't afford it. Obviously I was like making nothing and so couldn't afford it. Obviously I was like making nothing and so, um, and we couldn't get a sponsor because nobody did sponsors back then, and so I, um, I had had a, so we'd have lack of sleep. We'd gotten up at like 2 am to drive to our next show and I had a like my sugar dropped and I went into, I had a diabetic seizure at a. Um, at some we're at some gas station or whatever. And so, you know, get resuscitated or whatever, I'm fine, I get to the hospital, ended up making it to the show and played the show with miranda that night.
Speaker 3:I was like, did not, you know I'm wild, you know we did it, um, but my first manager was a woman named carrie, uh, hansen, she managed, uh, the judds, and then winona judge, she did all her career and she was my manager for about eight years, uh, before I went with kevin, um, and we parted ways in the most beautiful way. It was just, you know, she wanted to do other things, she wanted to get out the business, but anyways. But carrie worked for brian in chicago and he used to call her lou and because he met her at bar louie when she was a bartender at Louie, a bar at Bluey, and she would like organize tickets or whatever. But, um, so he goes up to to Carrie and he's like Lou, like what do we got to do? Like what happened today?
Speaker 3:And she was talking about, um, just kind of like what happened and me having type 1 diabetes and the biggest thing with diabetes is hydration and sleep, and it's like you just can't mess with those two things. And so she was like we're just gonna have to bite the bullet and get a bus and we'll figure it out. We're just gonna go in the red. But ray has to be like we have to figure this out. And he's like, well, how much do you need? And she's like I think we need about 40 000. And and he's like, okay, and I was on four of his festivals that summer and he bumped my guarantee up by 10 grand each festival, so that way I could afford a bus that summer.
Speaker 6:That's the kind of guy he is, but that's like I will never, ever forget.
Speaker 3:And I didn't have shit, I didn't have God made girls, I didn't have nothing. And he did that because he's just that kind of guy Like he is. And then when I said that to him a couple like I was telling that story a couple weeks ago he goes oh, I did that.
Speaker 2:I was like shut up you know you're the best guy, but he is just, yeah, he is salt of the earth he really.
Speaker 6:He's taking care of, obviously, jason and us personally as well.
Speaker 4:He's I don't know man. We uh me and wendell opened for rascal flats one, one tour wendell mobley. Yeah, I love that guy we wrote, we opened for and, uh, brian gave us mcdonald's gift cards at the end of the tour.
Speaker 3:Well, I guess you weren't funny enough, so I don't get it. It's not my fault. I don't get the whole.
Speaker 2:And you don't have diabetes.
Speaker 4:Yeah, he didn't bump anything. I don't know what y'all are talking about. I love the guy, though he's a sweetheart.
Speaker 3:But anyways, I could talk to y'all all day. This is fun. We'll have to have you back. We'll have you and Brittany together, oh that'd be fun, oh geez.
Speaker 6:We'll just leave Let them.
Speaker 3:I love Brittany. She's incredible. That's my girl.
Speaker 8:Straight up. That's my sister. She's incredible.
Speaker 3:She's a really good friend.
Speaker 8:It's been so fun having you out.
Speaker 3:I can't wait for more weekends.
Speaker 8:Hey, can you do me?
Speaker 4:and. Kalo a favor when you're out there. Would you remind these two knuckleheads? To get some content while they're out there with their phones.
Speaker 6:We're not good at that.
Speaker 3:I'll make them do a funny TikTok. I'll do some funny TikTok.
Speaker 6:We'll do something with you.
Speaker 4:You got to.
Speaker 3:No, I got it, I got you.
Speaker 4:I'll make them do some funny shit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we need your help. It maybe, maybe it's. I dressed them in one of my outfits. Oh jeez, oh god, you can, you can anything, oh yeah but the the unicorn thing. I read about the unicorn thing yeah, the bet, because you can, you might be able to help us real quick before you go, because we, we have a little bit of a bet. Can you tell the unicorn thing, like, why you did that?
Speaker 3:you dress as a unicorn and I was just really into unicorns for a second. I thought they were magical, are they not? They are magical. When I hit 100k on Instagram.
Speaker 2:I would run around Music Row and eat a full one.
Speaker 6:Now you're tying it in.
Speaker 3:I ended up getting a horse, but every once in a while I'll draw a horn on him.
Speaker 1:That's really cool. Telly said when we get to a million, we, you know we get to a million. He wanted us to get to a million followers but we didn't have any.
Speaker 3:We all have to. If you get to a million, I'm not doing the unicorn thing yes, you are. No, I'm not. It's demonic. I'm not doing it it's demonic. What about a unicorn?
Speaker 4:it's demonic, no horse has a horn going out of his face. It just doesn't happen.
Speaker 3:Oh my God, listen, I will say when things are demonic, and I think you're a little crazy right now I'm not doing it.
Speaker 1:Mickey Mouse isn't real either, but he's entertaining. I'll get a tattoo.
Speaker 4:If Kurt gets a tattoo, I'll do a tattoo. If we get that, I think that's a good one.
Speaker 3:Just a tattoo's fine. It's tequila shots in at Hardy's wedding.
Speaker 8:That's what I love. That's a story, that's a memory.
Speaker 3:That's a memory I mean I was, and I remember when I was.
Speaker 1:It's a memory you can't remember. Yeah, yeah, I was driving back. I was like, and then I actually talked to the tattoo artist.
Speaker 3:I saw him. He was actually at the Jason. He was at the first Jason show.
Speaker 8:Oh he, oh, thanks for saying hi, and I was like who?
Speaker 4:hardy oh no, hardy wasn't his tattoo artist.
Speaker 3:Okay, and I said he goes, I gave you that tattoo. I said why did you give me this when I was so intoxicated? Like, is that a thing? Like you know, I was like aren't you not supposed to?
Speaker 3:drink. He's like well, I mean it's a wedding and I was like I mean I love it. Thank god I love it because some people don't like tattoos that they get and I, I remember I was like that hurt and I was like driving home j I was like that hurt and I was like driving home and Josh was like, yeah, it's real.
Speaker 2:And I was like, ha ha, it was so funny, we could talk forever.
Speaker 6:Okay.
Speaker 3:We'll do a part two. Part two we will. We love you, Ray. After the tour.
Speaker 6:Yeah, love stories. Love you. Thanks for coming on, love you, thank you for having us.
Speaker 8:Thank an episode Rae Lynn bringing it. She's amazing. That's what I mean. I feel good about female artists. Now we got Mary Cutter we got Rae Lynn. They got some edge to them. Rae Lynn's killing it out there. She's killing it, she's her own person.
Speaker 6:She doesn't give a shit about what people say about her. She's just who she is Unapologetic, genuine.
Speaker 1:that's what a female country artist should be yeah, and she's not waiting on anybody to make it happen for her she's, she's just doing it, you know and it's really awesome.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's right. And the way she talks about her husband and how, how much she loves that guy. Yeah, and and how I can see why we love him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I was saying just the few things that we learned about him did make us feel a little small, but we do have a podcast. You know, sure, he's a Green Beret, but we've got a podcast.
Speaker 6:We're not making any money, but we're thankful to have her out there. She is killing it Like like I know both of us gone. I've seen her show. I mean, she, she delivers and the crowd reacts to her. Yeah, and I think everybody should pay attention. She's got new music coming out. Just make sure you're aware of that, because she's one of those people that you definitely need to follow.
Speaker 4:Yeah, for sure yeah, she's a true, she's a true artist.
Speaker 6:Oh my gosh right, and it doesn't even matter to me like I. I know it does matter, but has she had like a ton of chart success to this point? She's had some, but not as much as she deserves. But she is a true artist.
Speaker 4:You know what, and what was what I thought was cool about her? She's so passionate about songwriting, which is it's our passion, you know right, and I heard to listen to her talk about her passion for songwriting. She's getting it. It's such a young age and the work ethic yeah, you know that's the thing it hasn't been.
Speaker 8:I think that's what a lot of I know for a fact. Young artists today um, it's different now with streaming, because you you can find yourself on a tour, because you have big streaming numbers but may have never really played live shows. Yeah, you know. So we all grew up playing. You know clubs and bars and working way up. I think the struggle is what makes the success even sweeter. So she's really in a good spot, like every night after the show we talk and her head space is like really it's great, like she's in a really good spot in her life and career.
Speaker 4:Yep, and I believe she's one of those people that if the artist thing went away, like it did for me, she would keep on writing songs in spite of the artist thing you're right, yeah, she wouldn't, she wouldn't bat an eye, she would, because she loves writing songs she's putting in god's hands too, so she knows that he's got it, you know, and she's grounded and it's always cool.
Speaker 1:Like we talk about some of our other guests is like when you, when you meet them, it's you're even more of a fan because she's just a real, a real person. She taught. How much did she talk about being being a mom, a wife, uh, a christian, you know, and and then, oh yeah, and I'm a singer also, you know, and an artist and everything. So so just cool that she just connects at a real level and you could just see it in her face and it was. She was great, that was. That was uh inspiring that's really cool.
Speaker 6:It was a great good guys. Uh, she's fantastic. Believe me, we were excited to uh be able to have her on so that, uh, I guess it was michigan.
Speaker 1:There's a walmart in michigan, jill hear this story happened this weekend, so this is this is monday, so either saturday, I think, and uh, and this crazed guy went and I think at stabbed 11 people, you know, I don't think he may died, but but a uh civilian who, who was carrying, you know, packing uh, stopped the guy, you know, ran him down the parking lot and kept anybody from getting killed, you know, and, and for me I was sitting there thinking that's, that's the whole message of the song, that aldine, you know, try that in a small town you're taking care of people. And anyway, I just thought that was great because for all the tragedies that you see, not that being stabbed is a small thing, but they're alive, you know, because somebody was there.
Speaker 6:See, this is crazy. I didn't even hear about that and you would think that should get national news.
Speaker 8:Well, and of course they tried to turn it around on the guy. That kind of saved everybody. Oh sure I haven't heard much.
Speaker 1:It was so new. I don't know what's happened. Hopefully nobody did die after I heard that, but I thought it was cool that somebody did step in until the authorities got there.
Speaker 4:There is nothing more patriotic than good people packing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nothing.
Speaker 4:Yeah, more patriotic than that? It packing, yeah, nothing. Yeah, more patriotic than that may save lives? No, no doubt, absolutely. When you have a sane person that's packing, I mean, everybody should be able to walk around, do what they do, go shop and do what they do.
Speaker 1:If more good people, more good people, were packing well, I would learn how to use a firearm and pack and take it yeah, if anybody's listening this and they know the guy, it would be cool to get him on the podcast that'd be awesome, it'd be really fun. So if anybody any listeners know that guy or situation or family, or whatever, please contact us and and uh, that'd be great to get him on yeah, that's.
Speaker 8:That's a great idea, kaylo that'd be incredible.
Speaker 6:I love it. Great story. Kay Kayla's wearing the OG shirt so we need to mention them. Original Glory.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 6:I love it. What's the drink you always ask us to put in?
Speaker 1:Oh they've got a Beer Mosa.
Speaker 6:Beer Mosa.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which I hadn't had one of those before, but now I have them on the way to this podcast. I like it, but they're really great and refreshing. You just try them out, I like it, but they're really great and refreshing.
Speaker 6:Thank them, patriot Mobile. They've been out at the shows with us Great.
Speaker 8:Unbelievable people.
Speaker 6:Starting with Glenn all the way down. Those guys are incredible. We're thankful to be with them. Believe me, jason's thankful that they're part of the tour. And then eSpace is a course. Look at us we're loving this.
Speaker 4:Look at us, look at us. We're loving the new studio. Look at us, look at this.
Speaker 8:Amazing, even with that horrible orange jersey staring at me.
Speaker 4:Well, I mean, to me it looks. I think it's fitting, though, when it's behind my head for sure. Yeah, we need to raise the cameras so we can see the Alabama hat that's hanging over the jersey.
Speaker 1:Well, and we did find that, that Ray Lynn was a Vols fan and she did, you know, touch the jersey which you know gives it we got another volunteer in here, which is great. That's exciting.
Speaker 6:If you're watching on YouTube, make sure you're commenting, you're reviewing. Give us a five stars download do all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1:Follow us on Insta X TikTok. We're everywhere, we're growing and we got big news coming. We've got an announcement coming very, very soon. We thought it was going to be this time, but it's not.
Speaker 2:It's happening, it's happening. The wheels are in motion. How long are we going?
Speaker 4:to keep teasing them, hopefully not long.
Speaker 1:No, I think it's happening soon. Where's Wade?
Speaker 4:Nobody knows.
Speaker 2:He was in.
Speaker 4:Bandon. I got a picture. He was in Bandon Dunes for a little while playing golf.
Speaker 8:Oh yeah.
Speaker 4:I hope he's doing deals and stuff.
Speaker 8:I feel like we're doing more podcasts and working harder than ever. I feel like Wade stopped working, taking more vacations vacations.
Speaker 4:You know, the thing about wade is, just when you think he's not been working, oh no, I know he's been playing. He's like all of a sudden we get this, yeah, pull something out, we get and we get flying, oh look what happened?
Speaker 6:yeah, you did what we love wade. He's doing stuff we. We couldn't do it without wade. Yeah, we're just kidding. You notice?
Speaker 4:we didn't hear from jim today oh, that's right, he didn't have his mic turned, that's right. Something I don't know, it was weird.
Speaker 8:Hey guys, there he is. We love our Jim too.
Speaker 1:Well, we're doing this podcast six hours earlier than usual, so maybe he's just not awake enough.
Speaker 6:Hey, I agree I had a hard time getting awake tonight.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so you guys leave. I'm trying to stay off the Epstein list. Oh jeez.
Speaker 1:Oh no, there we go, and that does it.
Speaker 6:Yeah, yeah. Thanks for everybody for watching. We're very appreciative of you. Rutherhash Kalo GK Fondue, fondue, whatever you want to call me, this is a Try that in a Small Town podcast, thank you, make sure to follow along, subscribe, share, rate the show no-transcript.