1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:01,360 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk. 2 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 2: I lost my record deal in twenty nineteen, and coming 3 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 2: with that loss of record deal, I lost my booking 4 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 2: agent and I also lost my manager. I didn't think. 5 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 2: I didn't know what to do. I was living on 6 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 2: my credit cards and side this idea, I was like, man, 7 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 2: am I still supposed to do music? I'll post on 8 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 2: social media. I'll play anybody's backyard it wants to happen me. 9 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 2: And I thought I'd get like ten people. 10 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: Man. 11 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 2: I got over twenty some thousand requests, and I ended 12 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 2: up going around the country for two years and turning 13 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 2: over three hundred people's backyard. 14 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast. Where Are Your Host? 15 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: Buzz Night talks with musicians and industry insiders on their 16 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: love of music. On this episode, Buzz heads back to 17 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: Nashville to meet up with country singer and songwriter Drew Baldridge. 18 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: You'll hear his amazing tales of independence and resilience as 19 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: he describes how he's built an audience nationally without big 20 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: label support and artist management. His organic fan growth is 21 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: a case study in building community, and by the way, 22 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: his music is great as well. Drew Baldridge joins Buzz 23 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: Night next on taking a Walk. 24 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 3: Drew Baldridge, thanks for being on taking a walk. We're 25 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 3: here in Nashville. I'm so grateful to be in personal 26 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 3: with you. 27 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 2: Man. I'm so glad this worked out. I'm excited to 28 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 2: be a part. 29 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 3: Of So what do moving cowss around there in uh Pakoda, 30 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 3: Illinois have in common with the music business? 31 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 2: Man? So I grew up on a farm and you know, 32 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 2: like you said, little town called Patoka, Illinois, and I 33 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 2: grab on a farm. My grandpa was like my hero, 34 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 2: you know, And and I always put farming and kind 35 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: of tie it to the music business in an interesting 36 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 2: way of like, you know, we write these songs and 37 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 2: we don't really know what they're gonna do. It's kind 38 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 2: of like, you know, putting the seed in the ground 39 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: and you don't know how it's gonna yield. You know, 40 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: you don't know what's gonna turn out, if it's gonna 41 00:01:58,360 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: have a big yield, if you're gonna get rain, if 42 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 2: you're gonna you know, if you're gonna have a good crop, 43 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 2: a bad crop, if your tractor is gonna break down, 44 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 2: you know. And I grew up a lot of with 45 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 2: a lot of old tractors that broke down a lot 46 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 2: of times, and so you know, that's kind of feel 47 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 2: like a lot of my journey in music has been that, 48 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,679 Speaker 2: you know, and it took you know, a couple of 49 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: years ago my grandpa passed away and me going back 50 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 2: home and kind of reliving that that country lifestyle, helping 51 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: with the cows for a while and just find getting 52 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: back to me and not so much of chasing a 53 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 2: sound in Nashville, but more of, like, you know what, 54 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 2: I'm making music for people, and my people are country people. 55 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: And so it's been, you know, like I said, I've 56 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: always tied farm and kind of the music industry my 57 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 2: whole life since I've since I moved here at nineteen. 58 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 3: But was there a period you felt like you were 59 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: chasing something that when you looked in retrospect, it wasn't 60 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 3: authentic to you. 61 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think I chased When I signed 62 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 2: my record deal, I was chasing everything. I was just 63 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: wanting to be heard in any any way possible, any 64 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 2: kind of sound, any kind of song. And I lost 65 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 2: my record deal in twenty nineteen. And coming with that 66 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 2: loss of record deal, I lost my booking agent and 67 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,119 Speaker 2: I also lost my manager in the same aspect and 68 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 2: I did this tour over twenty twenty you know, COVID hit. 69 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 2: I didn't think. I didn't know what to do. I 70 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 2: was living on my credit cards, and I was kind 71 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 2: of like, man, first off, I got a girl that 72 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 2: I want to marry. I can't even afford a ring, 73 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: you know. So I had this idea. I was like, man, 74 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 2: I am I still supposed to do music. I'll post 75 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 2: on social media and I'll just say, hey, whoever, I'll 76 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 2: play in anybody's backyard that wants to have me. And 77 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 2: you know, this is if as long as I can 78 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 2: do it, and you know, we can't do it for free. 79 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 2: We need help and get in there and travel expenses 80 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 2: and stuff. And I thought i'd get like ten people, 81 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 2: you know. I thought people would be like, hey, yeah, 82 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 2: we'll do it. Man. I got over twenty some thousand 83 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 2: requests and I ended up going around the country for 84 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 2: two years and turning over three hundred people's backyards and 85 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 2: just bring And that really changed my creative process to 86 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 2: be like, you know what, I'm making music for people 87 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 2: and not for record labels. I'm not making music for radio. 88 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 2: I'm making it to have a connection with real life people. 89 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 2: When I was in their yard, I was playing corn hole, 90 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: eating dinner with them. They were telling me what their song, 91 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 2: what the songs meant to them, and why thank you 92 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 2: so much. You know, you're thank you so much for 93 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 2: creating music that we can put into our lives. And 94 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 2: that's when it really changed for me also too, of 95 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: just like you know, I'm making music for these for people, 96 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 2: for real, authentic people, and that really helped me strive 97 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 2: to the music that I'm creating today. 98 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 3: That's when I first heard about you. Now many of 99 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 3: those were they were backyard barbecues, they were graduation parties. 100 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, there's a lot of I even did a 101 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 2: great like you said. I had a song called Senior 102 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 2: Year that kind of had this moment during twenty twenty 103 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 2: because the hook of the song said, never thought it 104 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 2: would disappear Senior year, all these kids a senior year 105 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 2: disappeared and the song was already out I wrote it. 106 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 2: When I wrote that hook, I just meant, lived up kids, 107 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 2: It's gonna go by fast. But third year really did disappear. 108 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 2: So I posted before I did the backyard thing. First, 109 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 2: I did this senior year thing, and I posted, I said, hey, 110 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 2: I'll do a zoom concert for any class of twenty 111 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 2: twenty that wants a zoom concert. So I was doing 112 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: seven or ay zoom concerts today from my living room couch, 113 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 2: and they'd be like thirty minutes a piece, and I'd 114 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 2: jump right into the next class play for another one 115 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 2: hundred and fifty kids. And then that turned into, hey, 116 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 2: we have a drive in graduation. Would you would you 117 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 2: fly down here and drive down here and play this 118 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 2: drive in graduation because it's all social distancing, And I 119 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 2: said sure, So I went around the country. I did 120 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 2: about twenty schools where I just played drive in graduations, 121 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 2: parades and gave commencement speeches to kids all around senior year. 122 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: And then that really sparked the idea, it's why it 123 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 2: might only doing this for senior year kids when I 124 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 2: should be doing it for people. And that's what turned 125 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 2: into the backyard shows. 126 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 3: And the way it struck me when I heard about 127 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 3: this was as the business and musicians were incredibly confused 128 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 3: and frustrated during the pandemic. You did something that was 129 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 3: reaching out and touching them, but it was also incredibly 130 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 3: unique compared to what anybody else was doing. 131 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was real different and it was also the 132 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 2: real rewarding for a lot of people that need music 133 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 2: in their lives. And you know, some of these shows 134 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 2: where you know, we did social distancing shows, we'd had 135 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 2: shows that were after COVID and they were just every 136 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 2: all of them were outside, you know, and it brought 137 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 2: music to people and they needed it. You know. There 138 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 2: were so many people that said, oh, my goodness, we 139 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 2: normally go to concerts ten times in a year, and 140 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 2: we haven't. We haven't been able to go to any 141 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 2: This is our release, this is our our life. We 142 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 2: love country music, and now you get to be here 143 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 2: in our yard, you know, and it just really it 144 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: took down all the you know, all the walls between 145 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 2: artists and fan, artist and listener, and it was just 146 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 2: really I became friends with a lot of these people. 147 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,919 Speaker 2: And I still today when I play shows and you know, 148 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 2: there's hundreds of people in the crowd or whatever, I 149 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 2: can look down and see that they got the Baldridge 150 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,119 Speaker 2: and Bonfire shirt on. I know I was in their yard. 151 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 2: You know, they have the shirt, and it's really cool 152 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 2: to know that they were with me at my hardest 153 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 2: time in music for me personally of just losing everything, 154 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 2: but still having my people that connect to my music 155 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 2: to support me and believe in me and keep me going. 156 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 2: And so every show that I play, and it's almost 157 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 2: every show now every tour that I go out and 158 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 2: play now that we're back to playing clubs, there's at 159 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 2: least one person in there I played in their backyard, 160 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 2: and so that's pretty cool. 161 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 3: So the cool thing about podcasts are they are, you know, 162 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 3: domestically everywhere here in terms of where people consume them, 163 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 3: and they're also international. But let's deal with the domestic 164 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 3: part first. Talk about some of those small towns and 165 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 3: name them where you've played some of those shows. 166 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 2: Man, Yeah, we played a lot in upstate New York, 167 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 2: and we played some you know, from New York all 168 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 2: the way to California to Oakdale, California that I've never 169 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 2: heard of before. They call almonds amons and I was like, 170 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 2: what are you talking about? You know, And I just 171 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 2: got to do a lot of fun stuff on this 172 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 2: and see a lot of see a lot of people 173 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 2: and towns differently, because most of the time people are like, 174 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 2: oh my gosh, you're a musician. You travel all around 175 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 2: the world. It's like, yeah, most of the time, all 176 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 2: I see are pilot gas stations, the club, and where 177 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 2: we're eating dinner that night. It's never I get I 178 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 2: never hardly have enough time to do anything. But this 179 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 2: way of touring is I got to see the back 180 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 2: roads of the town, you know. I got to go 181 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 2: to these little towns, and all these little towns are 182 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 2: on the back I make their own TOR shirt. I 183 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 2: put their own little town name on it, where they 184 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 2: feel like, hey, we're not Chicago, but we're a little 185 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 2: town in Illinois outside of it, but our name's on 186 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 2: the TOR shirt. And so that is what I love 187 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:48,559 Speaker 2: because I grew up in a town of five hundred people, 188 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 2: you know, so like our little town's never got anything. 189 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 2: So being able to go and tour this way was 190 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 2: really really special for me, but also for them because 191 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 2: they got to do what they thought was fun with me, 192 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:02,560 Speaker 2: Like hey man, we take our four oilers down to 193 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 2: this lake and we sit here and we catch you know, 194 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 2: Channel Cat Like Okay, well let's let's go do that. 195 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 2: Let's go take the Fowler down the lake, you know. 196 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 2: And so I got to do a lot of this 197 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 2: stuff with people on a human level that I would 198 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 2: have never got to do before. If I was just 199 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:18,719 Speaker 2: playing in clubs. 200 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 3: I'm just so fascinated by it, so I'm hung up 201 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 3: on it in a good way. There was a man 202 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 3: that I did some work with as a former radio 203 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 3: programmer who since passed away. His name was John McGann. 204 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 3: He worked at MTV for a while and v H one, 205 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 3: and he was a real trailblazer, and he had a 206 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 3: statement that sort of applies to what you succeeded at 207 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 3: doing with those tours that you made think like a fan, 208 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 3: make everyone a star. What's your reflection on that? 209 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 2: No, I think that's awesome. I think you know, we 210 00:09:55,000 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 2: can get caught up artists sometimes and egos and you know, 211 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 2: and I've been there before where I'm like, well, I'm 212 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 2: a country singer and I'm rolling in and I'm you know, 213 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 2: nobody can see me before I take stage. I'm backstage. 214 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 2: It's this cool moment. And you know, when you do 215 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 2: it like how we did it in those backyards, there 216 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 2: ain't nothing glamorous about that. Just being honest, you know, 217 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 2: it was like we're playing on the freaking haywagon. They 218 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 2: just took the bails off of you know, the morning before. 219 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 2: It's it's not you're rolling in and you're fancy Dan 220 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 2: and your bus and stuff. You know, it's it's really 221 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 2: just knocking those walls down and treating people like humans. 222 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 2: And it takes and it makes me go in and 223 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 2: being you know, we're all humans, we're all put our 224 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 2: pants on this morning. And it really gave a whole 225 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 2: new connection to me for the people that listen to 226 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 2: my music. And you know, because I even hate the 227 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 2: word fan, I just that's a weird word to me. 228 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 2: I think just people that listen to your music is better, 229 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 2: is what I like to say, more of it, and 230 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 2: just the people listen to my it really allowed me 231 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,079 Speaker 2: to have a connection with them. I could have put 232 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 2: out of all those three hundred yard This was the 233 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: coolest thing for me on this whole thing buzz was. 234 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 2: You know, on my social media I post about my family, 235 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 2: I post about God, I post about the music that 236 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 2: I make. And it's really interesting what you post and 237 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 2: put out in the world. Those are your people that 238 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 2: follow your social media pages. And so out of all 239 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 2: those three hundred backyards, I could have put all those 240 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 2: people in one big shit and it would have been 241 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 2: the all good time. They were all solid salt of 242 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 2: the earth humans, and it was really cool to see, like, Hey, 243 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 2: whoever listened to your music is an extension of who 244 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 2: you are. And these were all people that I would 245 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 2: genuinely hang out with in my little town back home 246 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 2: on a Saturday night. It was just really it was 247 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 2: really cool. 248 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,319 Speaker 3: Do you believe it really was the beginning that fueled 249 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 3: your organic growth as an artist with your fans. 250 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I was very lucky. I've been in 251 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 2: Nashville for thirteen years. You know, I had a record 252 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 2: deal before that where I created fans. I've created listeners. 253 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 2: I've been on Sirius XM Radio. I've created listeners that way. 254 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 2: I had a lot of things that built up to that, 255 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 2: but this was I think the most genuine way I've created, 256 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 2: you know, people following my music and what I'm doing, 257 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 2: because it was a real connection. You know. It was 258 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 2: they see me on their social media and talking about 259 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 2: my music, but I actually got to stand there next 260 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 2: to them and talk about their grandma passing away or 261 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 2: their daughter going through high school. And I think that 262 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 2: was what was really different for this tour and really 263 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 2: catapulted us to allow what we're doing today is to 264 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 2: know that we have those people out there that shared 265 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 2: that story with the surrounding towns that they were Hey, 266 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 2: you know, Drew Balters came to our house. You know 267 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,319 Speaker 2: that guy right there that's playing on the radio now, 268 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 2: he was in our backyard. And that really, I think 269 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 2: does have some sort of you know, you kind of 270 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 2: start seeing the branches kind of go out when you 271 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 2: come to these when I come, Like in last week, 272 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 2: I was in Omaha, Nebraska, and you know, I did 273 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 2: a I played first school up there, not that far away, 274 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:09,079 Speaker 2: and the principals text to me and saying, hey, I'm 275 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 2: so glad you come back. We're gonna come watch, you know. 276 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 2: And it's just like all these little you know, finger 277 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 2: legs kind of come out and start kept touching people. 278 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 2: It's like a textbook in marketing. 279 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 3: You didn't know you were coming up with that. 280 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,680 Speaker 2: No, I had no idea, man, I just I just 281 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 2: wanted to play music, and I knew that this was 282 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 2: a way that I could continue to do that. And 283 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:33,079 Speaker 2: I really believe God built me to write songs and 284 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 2: play them and entertain people when I can, and it 285 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 2: was it was a special way for me to do that. 286 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 2: And I don't know, I always tell my band too. 287 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: It's like, this might be something I do every year. 288 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 2: I'm even talking about maybe going out and doing another 289 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 2: twenty yards again because I just enjoyed it so much, 290 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 2: of meeting people on an everyday life level, and you know, 291 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 2: for maybe for the rest of my career on now, 292 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 2: I don't know, I might do this again. Who knows. 293 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,719 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with more of the Taking a 294 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:08,359 Speaker 1: Walk podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast. 295 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 3: So when was the first moment that you remember that 296 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 3: music touched you? How old were you when What do 297 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 3: you remember most about being first touched by music. 298 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 2: I grew up singing in church, my dad singing church, 299 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 2: and I think there was this old song my dad 300 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 2: always used to sing at church and sitting you know, 301 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 2: in the pews and watching my dad sing. He's still 302 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 2: my hero, you know, And that's I go back to 303 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 2: those early moments of there was a song called when 304 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 2: the Anchor Holds and my dad used to sing that 305 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 2: at church on Easter Sundays. And that is a moment 306 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 2: that really moved me, of watching my dad go up 307 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 2: and sing and I was like, wow, that's something that 308 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 2: my dad does it. I want to do that and 309 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 2: then I started singing. My first time performing in front 310 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 2: of people was my first grade Christmas program. I sing 311 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 2: all the different languages of Goodbye there was It was 312 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 2: like the finale of the thing, and it was like 313 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 2: check audios. I mean I can remember, it's so goofy, 314 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 2: but but yeah, that was the first time I sang 315 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 2: in public and then got the bug and I was like, man, 316 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 2: I loved doing that. I loved being in front of people. 317 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 2: I loved entertaining. And that then turned into doing multiple 318 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 2: talent shows every year in our little area and it 319 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 2: wasn't much singing then. It was more dancing and lip 320 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 2: singing to like you know, there's some really embarrassing videos 321 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 2: out there, but of me doing Thriller and trying to 322 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 2: act like I know how to moonwalk thrill. Oh yeah man. 323 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 2: And then the Blues Brothers and give me a sing 324 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 2: me a chorus of Thriller. I can't sing. You don't 325 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 2: want to hear that, but but just like that's why 326 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 2: I lip sing it all. But like the Blues Brothers, 327 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 2: we did some some of that and some dancing to 328 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 2: that and Grease Lightning and it was it was fun. Man. 329 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 2: And then looking back my Mom and Dad really always 330 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 2: pushed me through that. I started taking piano lessons in 331 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 2: kindergarten and that was something that really started driving me 332 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 2: to music too, was you know, learning piano. And then 333 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 2: about third grade, I said that was a girl instrument 334 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 2: playing piano and I was like, looking back, like, well, 335 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 2: that was dumb. Why do I do that? So I 336 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 2: picked up guitar at sixteen and been writing songs ever since. 337 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 2: But it's always Music's kind of always had a hold 338 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 2: on my soul and since I was you know, like 339 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 2: I said, kindergarten, first grade is when I started, you know, 340 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 2: really performing in public in front of people. 341 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 3: And talk to me about the musical influences that you 342 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 3: had as you you know, would hear music on the 343 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 3: radio or just see it in person. What were those influences. 344 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, so they were kind of all over the board. 345 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 2: You know, you just heard my talent show influences. I 346 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 2: mean we're talking you know Michael Jackson, who I loved 347 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 2: the energy and the performing the performer that he was 348 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 2: at that age. That was like, wow, this guy is 349 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 2: larger than life, you know with his performances and how 350 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 2: he does it on stage. And then you know, when 351 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 2: I got old enough and was thirteen fourteen and got 352 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 2: into you know what we all did in that small town, 353 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 2: farming and helping my grandpa out and watching my older 354 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 2: cousins on the tractor and driving the tractor. Country music 355 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 2: became life because that was what we did. You know, 356 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,120 Speaker 2: we were on the tractor from sign up to sundown. 357 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 2: And so like people like Brooks and dumb and Alan 358 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 2: Jackson and you know, Randy Travis and those people that 359 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,959 Speaker 2: could really have those voices that could bring my lifestyle 360 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 2: to life, that was what, you know, I think a 361 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 2: song was like Red Dirt Road by Brooks and Dunn. 362 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 2: That was literally my life, you know. And Alabama the 363 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 2: very first country. My dad had this old mixtape that 364 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 2: he bought this car, and the mixtape was was Stuck 365 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 2: in it and it was and it was a mixtape 366 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 2: of Alabama singing born country. And we would listen to 367 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 2: that song over and over and over again. It says, 368 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 2: you know, I got a hundred years of Downhome running 369 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 2: through my blood, and we had My grandpa had this 370 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 2: this plot of land on the outskirts of town. He 371 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:07,360 Speaker 2: called it down home because that's where he grew up 372 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 2: and his great grandpa was first there, and so it's 373 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,679 Speaker 2: been in my family for over one hundred years. And 374 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 2: so when that line came across and it was like, got 375 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:19,920 Speaker 2: one hundred years of down home in my blood, That's 376 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 2: when I realized, like, man, country music is life. It's 377 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,400 Speaker 2: my life, you know. And so that's what I always 378 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 2: try to strive to do with my music now, is 379 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 2: write those real things to me, because Alabama back then 380 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 2: could do it, you know, and it really struck a 381 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 2: chord in my soul that this is really authentic to 382 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 2: me and who I am. And so Alabama was a 383 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 2: big was a big big. John Anderson was also on 384 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 2: that mixtape you Look Better than Money Anybody. I always 385 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 2: just thought that was his voice was so different, you know, 386 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 2: and stood out in such a cool way. And so 387 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 2: John Anderson was alsously a big influence. 388 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 3: And it's the simplicity of the life and how these 389 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 3: songs come to life in a very clear way, right. 390 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, the simplicity of it, but also just the authenticity 391 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 2: of it of you know, when you hear Brooks and Dunn, 392 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:14,159 Speaker 2: you know sing I believe, Oh my goodness, like that 393 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 2: is so the emotion in that is so real. But 394 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:18,919 Speaker 2: it's also so real for the town that I was 395 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 2: in right of, like old man regularly living in that 396 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 2: white house. I can picture my neighbor running down the 397 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 2: street and seeing him. You know, we're a quarter mile away, 398 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:27,439 Speaker 2: so we'd have to drop full of so there's no 399 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:29,640 Speaker 2: really running down the street. But it was just those 400 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 2: kind of things that Country music was my life growing up. 401 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 2: And I hope that whatever I put out into the 402 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 2: world music wise, that there's some kid out there that 403 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 2: can say, Wow, that's that's my life too. 404 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 3: One of your fans, Deborah k Is how she listed herself. 405 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 3: She says, Drew's the man Drew draws pictures with his music. 406 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,120 Speaker 3: How does that make you feel when you hear one 407 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 3: of your fans talk like that about your work. 408 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 2: That's I mean, that's exactly what I hope for, you know. 409 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 2: I hope that when people hear my mute that's. I 410 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 2: always try to sit in the writing room when we write, 411 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 2: and I always say, hey, no, we gotta we gotta 412 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 2: draw a better picture of what's going on and so 413 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 2: here and her say that that's super amazing. I mean, 414 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 2: it puts a smile on my face knowing that you 415 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 2: know what I'm trying to do is being you know, 416 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 2: portrayed in the right light. And I really, you know, 417 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 2: I really do strive hard to make sure that all 418 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 2: the images are there, because I always tell everybody I 419 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 2: want to close my eyes and see what's going on, 420 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 2: you know. And and if I can close my eyes 421 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 2: when the song's playing and I and it takes me somewhere, 422 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 2: that means we did our job. 423 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 3: How about tell me about the creation of the song before. 424 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 2: You, oh man. So I was actually out on tour 425 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 2: with low Cash at that time. We were playing on 426 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 2: we were in Long Island. We're not in on Long 427 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:54,479 Speaker 2: You can't say in Long Island. You gotta say on 428 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 2: Long Island, Lung Island. Yeah, on Long Island. So we're 429 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 2: on on Long Island, playing at a place called Cakes, 430 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 2: which were actually playing March seventh, and we were up 431 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 2: above and we were writing songs, and I was about 432 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 2: to get married, and we were talking about just all 433 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 2: of our wives, and we were talking about little Cash boys, 434 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 2: you know, they'd like to have fun, just like you 435 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,199 Speaker 2: know I did too. And we talked about all our 436 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 2: wives about how we were just saying, man, before then, 437 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 2: we were crazy, we were wild, and so coming across 438 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,120 Speaker 2: writing that song was talking about all the crazy things 439 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 2: that I did before finding my wife and how she 440 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 2: made me, you know, a better person, and so that 441 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 2: was actually the song that I kind of wrote for 442 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 2: her for our engagement. And funny story, it was right 443 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 2: at COVID and we were supposed to get engaged in France, 444 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 2: and so we were going to get engaged right in 445 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:48,200 Speaker 2: front of the Eiffel Tower. I had it all planned out, 446 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,199 Speaker 2: and there's a line in the song that said I 447 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 2: never thought I'd fly to Paris to get down on 448 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 2: one knee. And what happened was three days before we left, 449 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:00,679 Speaker 2: they had the travel band. We couldn't go to Paris, 450 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 2: and so I'm like, I got this song. I got 451 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 2: this it says Paris, I'm gonna play it for So 452 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 2: I had to go in literally call my producer and said, 453 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 2: we have to change it. We have to change it. 454 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:12,359 Speaker 2: We're gonna fly we flew to Aruba. I was like, 455 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 2: we gotta change it to I never thought I'd fly 456 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 2: to an island to get down on my knee, and 457 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 2: so we changed it to this, and then we ended 458 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 2: up going to Aruba and that's it. It all worked out. 459 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 2: But that was a song that I used to propose 460 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 2: my wife with. 461 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, wow, and then the song lost in Love. Talk 462 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 3: about that and talk about collaborating with the Harper Harper Grace. 463 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, so Harper Grace. She sent me a message years ago, 464 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 2: she was probably sixteen seventeen years old on Instagram and 465 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:41,880 Speaker 2: was like, hey, I'm a big I had a song 466 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,160 Speaker 2: out at that time called Rebound. And she's like, I'm 467 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 2: a big fan of Rebound. You know your music is awesome. 468 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 2: Blah blah blah blah blah. I'm a songwriter too. I 469 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 2: make trips to Nashville, and most of the time when 470 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:56,159 Speaker 2: I get those, I'm just like, you know, I don't know. 471 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 2: I try not to dive too much into that. That's 472 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 2: side of discovering artists or anything like that. And I 473 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 2: went to her page and I just listened to her 474 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,880 Speaker 2: sing and she was so good, and I hit her back. 475 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 2: I was like, hey, you're amazing, Like when you come 476 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 2: to Nashville's let's rite. So she started coming to Nashville 477 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 2: and then now she has a record deal on Curb 478 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 2: and she's really doing some amazing things. And so we 479 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 2: wrote this song together called Lost in Love, and I, 480 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:25,360 Speaker 2: you know, put a record out year and a half 481 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 2: ago called Country Born, and I always thought she was 482 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 2: an incredible singer and I wanted to, you know, my 483 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 2: listeners to hear her, you know, to see what she 484 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 2: has to offer. And so I think the track turned 485 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,639 Speaker 2: out really, really awesome. We wrote it together, which is 486 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,439 Speaker 2: really special. It was kind of like her first cut 487 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 2: outside of her own project, and it was she came. 488 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 2: We do a festival in my hometown called the Big 489 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,360 Speaker 2: Baldridge and Bonfire, and because I did the backyard tour, 490 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 2: was called the Baldridge and Bonfire. So I decided to hey, 491 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:56,680 Speaker 2: I'm gonna put a festival on called the Big One. 492 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 2: And so we put a festival on in my hometown 493 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 2: last couple of years, and I brought her up the 494 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 2: first year we did it, and she got to sing 495 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 2: in front of a couple thousand people and sing that 496 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:06,640 Speaker 2: song with me, and that was really special. 497 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 3: So take us inside the collaborative process of a writing session. 498 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 3: How do you like to work and how are you 499 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:17,679 Speaker 3: most productive in that session? 500 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think most of the time now, 501 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 2: like when I first came here, was a lot of 502 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 2: new people you write and you've never written with before. Now, 503 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 2: I kind of have my group of friends that I've 504 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 2: written a lot with and it's all give and take, 505 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 2: and most of the time there's three of y'all, and 506 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,159 Speaker 2: I can even go in and have, Hey, this is 507 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 2: what I want to write today. I've been thinking about this. 508 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 2: I haven't written down. I have some lines, but there's 509 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 2: sometimes you go in and you don't have anything. You know, 510 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 2: you're kicking around ideas and you're like, hey, I wrote that. 511 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 2: I was at you start talking about life and you're like, hey, 512 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 2: you know. A couple of weeks ago, I was at 513 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,159 Speaker 2: the beach and I saw this and led me into this, 514 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 2: let me into this title. Most of the songs that 515 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,439 Speaker 2: I write always start with the idol or an idea, 516 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 2: like she's somebody's daughter, like our single that we're working 517 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,200 Speaker 2: in the radio now. I started off with she's somebody's daughter, 518 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 2: you know, And I knew coming into that right, this 519 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,679 Speaker 2: is what I wanted to write about. After meeting my 520 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 2: wife's dad for the first time. This was a message 521 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,920 Speaker 2: to myself to not screw it up, but treat her right. 522 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 2: You know, if I break her heart, I'm breaking her 523 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 2: mama's heart and her daddy's heart too. And so going 524 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 2: into that right, I knew I'm gonna write she's somebody's daughter, 525 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 2: and yes, I'm going to take outside ideas. Being the 526 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:36,120 Speaker 2: artist in the room, you kind of got to drive 527 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 2: it to what you would say. But having writers in 528 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 2: the room, they really bring it to the next level 529 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 2: of ideas, of experiences that they've been through, and you 530 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 2: got to listen to those in a big way. But 531 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:48,920 Speaker 2: the artist, you know, you got to really be honest 532 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 2: of what you will say and what you won't say. 533 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 2: And I think that's that's key for an artist in 534 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 2: a songwriter's room that's coming to Nashville. Of if somebody, 535 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 2: if you're writing with a hit writer and they say 536 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 2: this line and you're like, man, I wouldn't say that line, 537 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 2: but they really like it. I'm just gonna go with it. 538 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 2: And then you get to the point you get done 539 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,440 Speaker 2: with the song and you're like, wow, there's no me left. 540 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 2: You know, it's a cool song, but there's it's not 541 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 2: how I would have said it. And so that's what 542 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,400 Speaker 2: I always try to remember when I'm in the writing room. Now. 543 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 2: It's like, if I'm going to record this, I need 544 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 2: to make sure that I really love it. And say 545 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 2: what I would say, and take take other people's opinion 546 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 2: because it's such a give and take in a writer's room. 547 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 2: And if you're on the other side, if you're a writer, 548 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 2: you know obviously give and take, but also lean on 549 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 2: your artists that you're in the room with that's going 550 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 2: to record that song, that you want to make sure 551 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 2: that they are loving where this is headed. And so 552 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 2: that's that's been a you know, obviously a big couple 553 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 2: of ways you can go in not have an idea 554 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 2: at all, kick around ideas. Somebody says something, you're like, wow, 555 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 2: I've never thought of it that way. Yeah, let's write 556 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 2: that title that you have and let's point everything to 557 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:51,919 Speaker 2: that to that title. Or you're going in you have 558 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:55,120 Speaker 2: something really convicted on your soul that day and you're saying, hey, 559 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 2: I think we should write this, and if we write 560 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 2: this and it comes out correctly, I think it's something 561 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,120 Speaker 2: that could be really special and powerful. 562 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 3: We produced this other podcast. It's called Music Save Me. 563 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:10,159 Speaker 3: It's about the healing power of music. Do you believe 564 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 3: music has healing powers? 565 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 2: Yeah? I really do, you know, I really saw it 566 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 2: a lot over this tour where I played in people's 567 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 2: backyards and people wasn't getting music, they weren't gathering around music. 568 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,119 Speaker 2: They were you know, COVID had kind of had them 569 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 2: stopped up and not seeing music alive. And when I 570 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 2: was in these people's yards and playing songs, I could 571 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:35,400 Speaker 2: see them come to life, you know, I could see 572 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,600 Speaker 2: their soul open up. I could see the smiles on 573 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 2: their face or their tears in their eyes that you know, 574 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,399 Speaker 2: it really does affect them. Even for me. I mean 575 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,400 Speaker 2: when I listened to the right song, I get goosebumps 576 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:49,359 Speaker 2: over my entire body. You know, it puts me in 577 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 2: it can transport me to a whole other place, and 578 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 2: it can you know, I've seen so many videos too 579 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,679 Speaker 2: of people going through dementia or Alzheimer's, but when the 580 00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 2: right song comes on, they know the words, you know, 581 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 2: or they it takes them back and you see them dancing. 582 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,720 Speaker 2: It brings cheerful, it brings happiness. And as a writer, 583 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 2: I don't take that lightly. That's something I want to 584 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 2: go in the writing room. I want to make sure 585 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 2: that I'm making music that people can can do their 586 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 2: life to and make memories to and make you know, 587 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 2: long lasting connections with and so yeah, I totally believe 588 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 2: that that music can heal. Music can bring so many 589 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 2: great things that you can't get a point across just talking. Sometimes, 590 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 2: you know, like if I would just sit here and 591 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 2: talk to you, she's somebody's daughter, she's somebody's baby, she's 592 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 2: somebody's everything, it's not going to connect as much as 593 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 2: you have a melody to it. And so I really 594 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 2: believe that that music can heal. But also I believe 595 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 2: that music can can change lives. And you hear a 596 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 2: song that says, you know, I'm really friends close friends 597 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 2: with Tim Nichols, and he wrote Live like You Were Dying, 598 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 2: and it talks. There's a line in there that says, 599 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 2: you know, called somebody and forgave them, you know, for 600 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 2: a long lost thing, and they did to me in 601 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 2: the past. And he has people, he said, people message 602 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 2: me and said I forgave my dad after hearing your 603 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 2: song because I realized life was too short. And and 604 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 2: that is amazing. That's what music is all about. I 605 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 2: have people call me about she's Somebody's daughter. It says, hey, 606 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 2: you know, I've you know, I haven't talked to my 607 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 2: daughter in a long time, but I heard your song. 608 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 2: They don't want to pick up the phone call her, 609 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 2: you know, and it's like it changes lives. 610 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 3: It must strike you as you're crisscrossing all over the 611 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 3: country at a very divided time, how music unites everybody. 612 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:40,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, it really does. And you know, it's interesting. There's 613 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 2: we were talking about this today. There's just there's no 614 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 2: rules in music, and I think that's cool. Like, you know, 615 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 2: you can be creatively different and you can be creatively authentic, 616 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 2: and it can. There is a lot of opinions in music, 617 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 2: you know, in country music too, like on social media, 618 00:29:57,400 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 2: you can let it get to you a little bit 619 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,239 Speaker 2: of people saying, well it's not country enough, you know, 620 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 2: or it it's two countries. I don't listen to that. 621 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 2: So there is still some divisiveness even in music. But 622 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:13,160 Speaker 2: like songs that have powerful messages, they can get behind, 623 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 2: they can get behind what that song is saying. 624 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 3: For sure, we're kind of looking out over downtown Nashville. 625 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 3: And as you do that, and you imagine, you know, 626 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,959 Speaker 3: maybe a year from now, what do you hope is 627 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 3: happening in your career next year at this time, after 628 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 3: all your hard work, Man, hope. 629 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:33,840 Speaker 2: I have a number one song. Baby, that's the goal, 630 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 2: you know, we I did something really unconventional the last year. 631 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 2: I created my own label and I sent a song 632 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 2: of mine that we've been talking about, she Somebody's Dollar. 633 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 2: I sent it to radio myself because I didn't have 634 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 2: a record label that believed in me. And I've had 635 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 2: people that believed in me and then gave up. And 636 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:53,480 Speaker 2: you know, you kind of get one shot here in 637 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 2: Nashville sometimes, and I think taking this song to radio 638 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 2: and showing that it's a hit, and we already know 639 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 2: it's a hit, but like at radio it's a number 640 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 2: one song, it's a top ten song. I would love 641 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 2: for that to have. I've been here for thirteen years 642 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 2: and never had a number one hit, and I've have 643 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 2: friends that's been here for three and they do. And 644 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 2: I'm not saying that number one is everything, but I 645 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,239 Speaker 2: want as many people to hear She's Somebody's Daughter as 646 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 2: possible and the message that song brings about. And you know, 647 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 2: sitting here looking over Nashville, I moved here at nineteen 648 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 2: with nothing, you know, and now I have a wife 649 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 2: and a little boy that's fourteen months old, and we 650 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 2: have a house and it's all paid for by music 651 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 2: and It's like that's a pretty big blessing in itself, 652 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:36,239 Speaker 2: and I'm just I'm happy to still be here. I'm 653 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 2: happy to create music every day, and yes, I hope 654 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 2: we have a number one, But in a year's time, 655 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 2: if that's not the case, we'll have another song that's 656 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 2: out there that's touching other people's lives in a different way. 657 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 2: And my goal is I'm going to put another record 658 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 2: out within that time. Also, we've been recording new music 659 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 2: and maybe even some outside songs like that I've recorded 660 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 2: that other artist record hopefully have a hit hit or 661 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 2: two on some other artists besides myself as a songwriter. 662 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 3: So in closing, I asked this question frequently, but I 663 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 3: think you're more supremely equipped to answer this than most. 664 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 3: What advice to someone listening who's a musician who's trying 665 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 3: to work it, break in, make a difference with their music, 666 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 3: what's the advice you would give them? 667 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think first off, we need to figure out 668 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:36,840 Speaker 2: how serious you are. You know, music is an amazing path, 669 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 2: Like to be able to wake up and play music 670 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 2: every day is awesome, but it's also you're so tied 671 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 2: to your dream. You're so tied to the like your 672 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:47,800 Speaker 2: opinion of what you're doing. You can let those people 673 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:51,280 Speaker 2: tear you down with one word of a no. You 674 00:32:51,320 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 2: know when I remember I moved here and the first 675 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 2: time I heard no, I thought I was destroyed. But 676 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 2: it's like the no, let the nose drive you. And 677 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,640 Speaker 2: I think that's that's a really big powerful thing for 678 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 2: me now is all the notes and even when you're 679 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 2: you know you're the biggest artists in country music are 680 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 2: still hearing no. Country radio programmers are still telling them 681 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:11,840 Speaker 2: they don't like that song, We're not gonna play it. 682 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 2: But guess what they end up playing it when when 683 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 2: other people do. And so it's like, let the nose 684 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 2: fuel you. But also, if you have a plan B, 685 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 2: this plan's never gonna work. That's I think the big 686 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,640 Speaker 2: thing if you if you come here to Nashville and 687 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:29,120 Speaker 2: you say, I give myself two years and now I'm 688 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:32,160 Speaker 2: gonna move home if it don't work out, all right, 689 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 2: y'all right, at the beginning, it's not gonna work because 690 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 2: you have a plan B and you want to get 691 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 2: you want to put those other eggs in other baskets, 692 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 2: and that's not gonna It doesn't fly in music and 693 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 2: it's like, you know, if you're gonna come here and 694 00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:44,960 Speaker 2: people say it's a ten year town, sometimes it's a 695 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,840 Speaker 2: fifteen year town. You know Ashley Gorly, who's written seventy 696 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 2: number ones in Nashville, seventy the biggest songwriter that has 697 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:55,560 Speaker 2: ever been in Nashville, he didn't have his first hit 698 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 2: for eleven years. And it's like, if you move down 699 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 2: and you think, hey, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna 700 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:02,440 Speaker 2: go back to the farm, or I'm going to go 701 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 2: back and work my daddy's business, You're gonna fail. There's 702 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:10,120 Speaker 2: no I believe there's no failure in country, in music 703 00:34:10,160 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 2: in general, there's just quitters. And I think that if 704 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:16,960 Speaker 2: you really want to do this and you're in some 705 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,160 Speaker 2: small town, now it's the best time because you have 706 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:22,399 Speaker 2: the power of social media that a lot of us 707 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 2: didn't have when we moved here. We had to be here, 708 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:26,000 Speaker 2: we had to be on the radio to be heard, 709 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 2: we had to be playing shows. And now you can 710 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:31,799 Speaker 2: post a video and reach millions of people from your 711 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,880 Speaker 2: doorstep right now, on your phone wherever you're at. If 712 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:37,520 Speaker 2: you jump on TikTok or Instagram or Facebook, you have 713 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:41,840 Speaker 2: the chance to reach multiple stadiums full of people from 714 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,799 Speaker 2: your device. And I think if you're in some little 715 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 2: town you're a songwriter right now, or if you're an artist, 716 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,480 Speaker 2: there's no reason why you shouldn't be posting every other 717 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,759 Speaker 2: day about your music or writing songs right right right 718 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 2: You could write a hundred songs and maybe only two 719 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 2: of them are good, or maybe they're all good and 720 00:34:57,640 --> 00:34:59,920 Speaker 2: you're phenomena. I don't know, but I'm just saying, like 721 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 2: I think, right now is a great time you should 722 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 2: be posting to get your music out. Don't be too 723 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 2: gun shy and too like protective. I think there's sometimes 724 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,439 Speaker 2: there's people that's so protective of their music that they're 725 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,360 Speaker 2: never gonna build a listenership, they're never gonna build a 726 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:17,799 Speaker 2: following if they don't throw it out there and see 727 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:19,720 Speaker 2: if people like it, and if they like it, build 728 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:21,640 Speaker 2: on that, put out another one, put out another one. 729 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:24,160 Speaker 2: That's the business that we're in now, and it's very 730 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 2: lucky that there's a lot of people that you can 731 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:28,719 Speaker 2: do that from your You can live in Michigan right 732 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:32,239 Speaker 2: now and have a great artist career and put out 733 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 2: songs and own your masters and do all that you 734 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:36,919 Speaker 2: couldn't do that ten years ago when I moved here. 735 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:38,680 Speaker 2: You had to be on the radio to be heard. 736 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 2: Now you can be discovered every night somebody's millions of 737 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:45,880 Speaker 2: people are swiping on their phone in their bed and 738 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,040 Speaker 2: you could be discovered and that song could change their 739 00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:51,879 Speaker 2: life in a day's time. So it's pretty pretty wild 740 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 2: where we're at in the industry. So that's just a 741 00:35:54,560 --> 00:36:00,399 Speaker 2: little bit of advice. Obviously, you know, don't get kind 742 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 2: of put your blinders on and don't compare yourself. I 743 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:05,359 Speaker 2: think that's another big thing for me and that I've 744 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,399 Speaker 2: had to learn over the years of you know, I've 745 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 2: moved here and had some some of my friends when 746 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:12,280 Speaker 2: I first moved town to the biggest artists in country music, 747 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 2: and I haven't got that shot yet. And and maybe 748 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 2: that's not in my cards, but maybe it is, you know. 749 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 2: And so I think putting your blinders on and just 750 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,439 Speaker 2: saying this is my path. Nobody's gonna run my path 751 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,759 Speaker 2: except me. I just need to do what I'm here 752 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,520 Speaker 2: to do, and don't look at you know, your buddy 753 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:31,960 Speaker 2: down the street that's also that may be further along 754 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 2: than you, or maybe a better guitar player than you 755 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 2: or maybe he's more talented than you, but you outworking, 756 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 2: you know. I think that's that's a couple of little 757 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:46,200 Speaker 2: tips along the way. I guess I don't know. Keep kicking. 758 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 2: Man appreciates you. 759 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:51,520 Speaker 1: Thanks standing, Thanks for listening to this episode of the 760 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:55,239 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with 761 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,759 Speaker 1: your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. 762 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 763 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:05,919 Speaker 1: and wherever you get your podcasts.