The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett

Aged Wine, CMA Hot Takes & The Giving Machine: The Shoemakers Join the Show

• Chris Bennett • Episode 150

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Love can sound like a melody you’ve known your whole life—and today you get to hear it grow up on the air. We sit down with Nathan and Emily Shoemaker, a duo whose story runs from high school hallways to late-night songwriting sessions at the kitchen table, and celebrate the first radio spin of their single Aged Wine. From the first chord on a vintage Epiphone Texan to the line that stops time—“my dream was you”—they walk us through how a shared life becomes a shared song, and how discipline, grandparents, and guarded yeses keep a creative dream moving with three kids in the mix.

We dig into the craft: where hooks come from, how co-writing as a couple actually works, and why playing songwriter rounds in 2020 gave them the courage to plant a flag as The Shoemakers. There’s a clear roadmap for what’s next too, including the long-awaited American Dream, recorded one track at a time to fit real life. If you love country storytelling rooted in family, faith, and persistence, this conversation delivers the details behind the harmony.

Along the way, we keep the energy high with a spirited CMAs check-in, a playful Christmas Hallmark movie review from Chris's Wife, and a World Television Day trivia showdown that may or may not crown a redneck genius. Then we turn to service with Amber and Josh Beeler and the Light the World Giving Machine in Show Low: a hands-on way to donate essentials like water, bedding, sports physicals, and holiday meals to local, state, and global charities—with 100% of your money going straight to the item you choose. It’s music, community, and giving season all woven together.

Subscribe for more country artist spotlights, share this with a friend who needs a new love song, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Your support helps get indie artists like The Shoemakers heard.

SPEAKER_07:

From the Horn Auto Center Studios, Chris Bennett's Country Con, Star of the Week. And I am so excited to bring to you, they were uh A-listed by Austin Burke's Playlisted podcast. They are a story straight out of a country song. They've known each other their whole lives. They were high school sweethearts, and now they're making waves in music. Let's give it up for the shoemakers. Thank you for having us. Thank you. Heck yeah. Well, we will start with a little segment I like to call icebreaker questions. This is the first time we've had a couple on the show, so here we go. Alright, which one of you is a better driver?

SPEAKER_05:

Answer wisely.

SPEAKER_04:

I'm a very good driver who drives badly. My theory is that uh good drivers can drive, however, and not wreck. She's okay.

SPEAKER_05:

I am uh I'm the by the book driver for sure.

SPEAKER_04:

Depends on your definition of good. Like an N500, you want me. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

Uh like uh ambulance, you want her. Nah, no, I still think you want me.

SPEAKER_07:

Do you remember your first song as a couple?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, uh, I I do. I don't know if you remember it. It was um well, I had written her some songs and uh they were terrible, but she loves them, she cherishes them. But yes. I'd written her some songs before we started dating, and uh, or at least a song. Yeah, I think I'd written a couple, and uh, and she loved them, but I look back at them now, I'm like, whoo! I'm glad she liked me because the song was terrible.

SPEAKER_07:

And that was in high school when you wrote your first song for her or uh yeah, high school, yeah.

SPEAKER_05:

And then together, what was my first song?

SPEAKER_04:

We started writing uh honestly, we I think we started writing around like 2020, like officially for the shoemakers. We really started trying to write songs for the shoemakers for us to be able to do and play.

SPEAKER_07:

So and last question, this will be the hardest question I ask you all day. If you two had one country song you could request as a couple for the rest of your life, only one. What country song are you two requesting as a couple?

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, I'm thinking Hopi Dance. Yeah, Liam Woman, Hopey Dance.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, that's a good classic one.

SPEAKER_07:

We want to find out about their country climb. We're talking to Nathan and Emily Shoemaker, and uh, you guys have known each other your whole lives. You started dating in high school, and uh when did you both start this uh country climb and start working together?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, so we so around 2020 we started the shoemakers and uh we have played some songwriter rounds and and even been in some rounds and settings that we maybe didn't belong in right off the bat. And uh and we're grateful for those opportunities and just fell in love with even just the songwriting side of it. Um and and I think a lot of people experience that, a lot of artists experience that. Um, but we also have an artistry side uh to our relationship, and and so we we wanted to start uh doing the shoemakers and that being a thing. And so so we've been doing that since then.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, and we have played some shows and write songs, collaborate with some people, we write mingling with each other, yeah, we write together around the kitchen table when the kids are asleep, you know, whenever we can.

SPEAKER_04:

I've always got a guitar in my hand at the house, and uh and I'm always I've always come up with some kind of idea, and then I'm running it by her and like, what do you think? Is this stupid? And and then she usually doesn't say it's stupid, she's pretty kind. Um but we we come up with something, so yeah.

SPEAKER_07:

And then how do you manage this music career and everything? And you have three little ones, you just had a new edition.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, manage is a very generous way to say it. Yes. We have uh grandparents and and people that help out with watching them and uh so we we make it work when we can. Really, we try to say yes to things that we really want to do, and uh and that's been our rule is like and and here we are.

SPEAKER_03:

So you're part of that.

SPEAKER_05:

Yes, so we we try to be careful with what we say yes to, because I mean you have to when you have three kids, and so and really they're getting used to we've done music their whole lives too, so they're getting used to seeing us write or like record content or go to shows and perform and all of that. So they're it's kind of part of their little lives too.

SPEAKER_04:

It is.

SPEAKER_07:

We are back with our country climb stars of the week. It is the shoemakers, Nathan and Emily. And uh coming up next, we're playing a song that has never been played on country radio before, but it's gonna be played right now. It is their song, Aged Wine. Uh, Nathan Emily, tell us a little bit about this song, how it came about, and uh we're gonna spin it here in a second.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, so um our story goes way back as we talked about earlier. Um we have been together since senior year, high school. Um, and so we've got we've got a long stuff together our whole lives. And uh so it just I was I was playing um my old my granddad's old guitar, it's an old like 1967 uh Epiphone Texan. It's a real special guitar to me. Started playing it, and I just hit the first chord of the song and before it was written, and I started singing that first line, and she goes, You need to write that. Like that's really cool. And uh so I did, and the rest is history. We just kind of line for line came up with stuff together, and um, and then uh then we recorded it and loved it.

SPEAKER_05:

So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07:

Well, we are going to play it right now on Q Country 925. This is the shoemakers with their song Aged Wine on Q Country 925.

SPEAKER_11:

You and I go back like an aged one, it gets sweeter with time. Everybody said we wouldn't make it, but our love is on fire. We're long gone and we're still proving wrong. I guess I can't help it, baby. I keep on writing a song I start at the bottom to get to the top I be well to won, but we ain't gonna stop building what we believe in watching our dreams come. Like a flower blooms in the sunshine, you bring me light when the rainy days keep us inside, we know how to make it all right. We ain't no one upon the bay, we run up the life when we look back on his glory day, we say we're about to fail. I start at the bottom to get to the top. We ain't gonna stop building what we believe. Watch our dreams.

SPEAKER_02:

I dream, what we believe, watching our dreams come true.

SPEAKER_11:

What we believe, watching our dreams come true. My dream was true.

SPEAKER_10:

My dream was you.

SPEAKER_07:

Holy moly, the first time on radio right here on Q Country 925. That song is absolutely beautiful, and thank you for letting us play it. And uh, I love that line. Uh uh, my dream was you. That's so beautiful. I gotta play the song for my wife.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, thank you. I'm so glad you took it.

SPEAKER_07:

How does it feel to have one of your songs uh played on the radio? You have streaming, you have everything going on, uh, you know, the internet, but how does it feel to get your song played on radio?

SPEAKER_04:

Feels good, it feels real. That's the thing. Yeah, you that's how I found country music, and that's how I fell in love with it. And so the FM and AM, there's something uh pretty cool about that, magical about it. So yeah, it feels really good.

SPEAKER_07:

Sounds good. Well, what's next for the shoemakers? How can we follow you? How can we support you in your journey?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, follow us on Instagram, uh, TikTok, um, YouTube. Uh I think we're on everything. And so uh the shoemakers music, um, at the shoemakers music, follow us there. And um kind of what's next for us, we're uh working on uh a new song, and so we're we've recorded a bunch or we've uh written a bunch of songs, but we're working on recording. We right now we're only able to do like one song at a time. So with three kids, that's just part of it. Yeah, we just try to keep it realistic. But we've got a song called um American Dream that we did uh on Austin's show, and we want to get that song out really soon. And so he was pushing us to get it done, and we're like, Yep, you're right. I need to get it done. It's been written for like three years now, and just need to get it recorded and finished and and out.

SPEAKER_05:

So yeah, we've got a big archive of songs that we revisit every now and then, and new songs that come up just oh yeah, every you know, every so often, so we'll keep writing and yeah, keep up with us on social media.

SPEAKER_04:

That's the best way to do it right now.

SPEAKER_07:

So heck yeah, this has been the Shoemakers, Nathan and Emily. They have been today's country climb stars of the week. And now it's time for Chris's wife to give us her Christmas Hallmark movie reviews. All right, my hunkah hunker burn in love. What Hallmark Christmas movie are you reviewing today?

SPEAKER_06:

I'm reviewing a Newport Christmas.

SPEAKER_07:

Ooh, a Newport Christmas. Here's what I think it's about. I think it's about a hot grandma that smokes Newports. And uh she ended up uh running out of Newports at her local gas station, has to go to another gas station on Christmas Day, ends up running into Santa, he convinces her to stop smoking Newports, and uh she ends up finding love. How'd I do? No. Ah, gosh dang it. What is a Newport Christmas really about?

SPEAKER_06:

So this is kind of a knockoff of the movie Kate and Leopold with Jacqueline and Meg Ryan. Oh, okay. I don't know. That's a great movie. This one was not quite like it. Ummediately form between knowing that she has to go back because she will not fulfill all of the amazing things that she's done that made her such an important, important person in history, um and just wanting her to stay.

SPEAKER_07:

Oh, wow. Sounds good. I'm not gonna let you give it away. I'm gonna let people watch it. But this sounds like uh a pretty high-caliber uh Hallmark uh movie.

SPEAKER_06:

It was, yeah. I really liked it.

SPEAKER_07:

And how many uh cups of hot cocoa would you give a new porn Christmas?

SPEAKER_06:

I gave it four and a half cups of hot cocoa.

SPEAKER_07:

Oh, dang. It must be pretty good. My wife recommends you watch a new porn Christmas on the Hallmark channel. We love you, my love, and talk to you soon. Okay, bye. Yay, yay! It is everyone's favorite redneck from Beaumont, Texas, Paul from Beaumont, aka the incredible shrinking redneck. What do you got going on this weekend? Any fun redneck shenanigans with the family?

SPEAKER_08:

Uh oh. Ronda's got like four years. And uh I think she thinks uh I'm putting Christmas lights on.

SPEAKER_09:

When is she gonna she got so kind of lights, man? You gotta screw them up there and the only good thing they say is they say up there you can change the colors of them through the year, or whatever. I whatever. Yeah, I think she I think she's under the impression I'm doing that this week.

SPEAKER_07:

But you're not.

SPEAKER_09:

She's wrong.

SPEAKER_07:

She's wrong. You watched the CMAs uh the other night, and uh they uh one of the stars of the CMAs was a new artist named Steven Wilson Jr. who's gotten really popular this uh this year, and he sang a cover of Stand By Me and brought the the place you know to their feet. And uh Paul, you were not a fan of Stephen Wilson Jr.

SPEAKER_09:

I'm like my beard. You trying to sound like Chris Mason. Really?

SPEAKER_07:

I don't I I highly I I feel like uh he's got his own uh voice, his guitar playing is amazing.

SPEAKER_08:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07:

And yeah, I like his guitar playing. And his music is so personal and emotional to him, and that's what I love. Like he sings with so much emotion, I feel like. I could hear it in his voice, and uh uh that song was dedicated to his father who passed away, and he also has uh a great song called uh My Father's Son. And uh he's just amazing. So I recommend you give him more of a shot, uh Paul. Stephen Wilson Jr.

SPEAKER_08:

I'll take another bad shot.

SPEAKER_07:

It is now time for Are You Smarter Than a Redneck? Today is World Television Day, Paul. So we're gonna do some television trivia. If you know the answer, say your name. That is your buzzer. Are you ready? Action. Action. All right, what decade saw the invention of the first fully electronic television? Was it 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, or 1940s? Chris. I'm gonna say 1940s. Nope. What's your guess, Paul?

SPEAKER_08:

I'm gonna say the 30s.

SPEAKER_07:

The 30s? Dang, there we go. Tune in Tokyo, he's up 1-0. Which country was the first to offer regular public television broadcasts? Was it the US, Germany, UK, or Japan? Chris. I'm gonna say US. No. No, US is Germany, UK, or Japan? I'm gonna say UK. Holy moly, he's up to zero. This last question is worth a million points. If I get it right, I win. If I get it wrong, I lose. What was the first TV show broadcast in color? Was it I Love Lucy, the Queen's Messenger, Colgate Comedy Hour, or Dragnet? Chris. I'm gonna say I love Lucy. Nope, you win, Paul. Do you still want to guess? The Queen's Messenger, Colgate Comedy Hour or Dragnet? What was the first TV show broadcasting color? Dragnet? Was it Dragnet? No, it was the Colgate Comedy Hour, but you are smarter than a radio DJ, Paul. We love you, best friend. Thanks for having fun and have a good weekend. And uh don't get hurt putting those uh Christmas lights up.

SPEAKER_08:

Yeah, I'm not I'm not coughing though loud.

SPEAKER_07:

All right, buddy, we love you. Bye.

SPEAKER_08:

All right, y'all have a great weekend.

SPEAKER_07:

I am so happy to have some guests with me in studio. It is Amber and Josh Beeler here to talk about the giving machine in Sholo till December 1st at the Sholo Meadow. Amber and Josh, thank you so much for joining me on the Morning Brew this morning.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, thank you so much for having us.

SPEAKER_07:

Yes, the giving machine, we've uh we've had some charities on the show talking about it. Um, but for those of uh the listeners that might not know what the giving machine is, go ahead and give us a quick synopsis of the giving machine.

SPEAKER_00:

So the giving machine is a uh if you look at it out there in the meadow, it's a couple of vending machines there in the barn. And um as you look at the items to that are being vended there, they are not sodas and candy bars, they are uh really items of hope for individuals both here locally and throughout the state and throughout the world.

SPEAKER_07:

And what's so great about the all the donations that are made to the giving machine. So say uh you donate uh you know five dollars or ten dollars uh for an item, a hundred percent of that item or uh of that money goes towards that item. There's no admin.

SPEAKER_00:

That's exactly right. That's exactly right. Those uh those uh administrative uh expenses have been taken care of.

SPEAKER_07:

And uh if you want to feel the uh the holiday spirit, the Christmas spirit a little early, you gotta get down to the giving machine. Uh when is it open, Amber? And then there's there's some events going on each night, right?

SPEAKER_01:

That's right. Um it's open, it's manned 9 to 9. It's open 24 hours a day. You can just go down to the meadow anytime um and visit the vending machines. Um there's a couple every night at six o'clock, there's a program that goes on. It's different every night. And I do know, I'm not sure the exact dates, but there will be a live nativity there sometime this weekend.

SPEAKER_07:

Oh, nice. Everyone, uh, go on out and uh go to the Sho Lo Meadow and check out the Light the World giving machine. It's so beautiful and uh uh give to a charity in need. Also, we have local charities. What are some of the uh there's there's local charities that people can donate and there's national charities, and again, 100% of the the the funds that you're donating go towards the item you're purchasing for that charity.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's right. Um the three local charities are the Corporal Joe McCarthy Foundation, right out of St. John's. We've got Round Valley Cares, and we've got the White Mountain Coalition Against Homelessness. Um, and then there's a couple of state charities, Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, the Hope Women's Center, and then a couple of international ones, UNICEF and Lifting Hands International.

SPEAKER_07:

And what are some of the items uh that people can buy in the Giving Machine? I'm used to buying sticky buns and chips, uh, but the giving machine is much more than that. Uh, what are uh some of the items that you could give to people in need?

SPEAKER_01:

You know, uh for$40 you can give somebody a month of water. Um, there's a month of electricity, you can buy bedding, personal care kits, um, there's veterans' flags, a wreath for a grave, uh my favorite sports physicals for a kid so that they can play sports and um then just the fees to play the sports program. Uh there's also a lot of uh Thanksgiving meals, holiday meals.

SPEAKER_07:

Nice. So many, so many amazing things you could uh uh give to and really help those in need, and it really makes you feel good and you feel the Christmas spirit. And this is the first year that uh Solo has the opportunity to have the giving machine. Our neighbors in Snowflake have had it the last couple of years. So everyone in Sholo, head on out and donate to the giving machine and show them that Sholo knows how to give. What does the giving machine uh mean to you two?

SPEAKER_01:

The giving machine is a just a great opportunity to take your family down and feel the spirit of giving. I mean, you put your you pick your thing, and I can just imagine, you know, a sheep dropping right into somebody's home and helping them provide for their families. Or um, you know, a a stack of books. You pick the books and it just drops right into somebody's classroom and kids can learn. Um, it's just a great way to help your kids get involved in giving.

SPEAKER_07:

And how about you, Josh?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, same thing. So for me, um, we've been doing this for years. It's become a family tradition since our kids were young. Um, but really, I also think it's it's this awesome opportunity for the the white mountains of Arizona to come together. They they're involved, the people here on the mountain are involved in so many acts of service and giving, and this is just one more opportunity to sort of highlight uh charities that maybe would go unnoticed, and we can we can help them out.

SPEAKER_07:

Absolutely. There are local charities in the giving machine, national charities, and uh it's going on till December 1st, so head on out to the giving machine. My favorite thing. A hundred percent of the money you donate goes towards that item in that giving machine to help someone give them hope and help them in their time of need. So head on out to the giving machine. Thank you so much, Amber and Josh, for coming in. Oh, thank you. And uh uh Merry Christmas, happy holidays, Merry Christmas to you.

SPEAKER_01:

Thanks for having us.

Contributor

Chris Bennett

Host