1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:01,480 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk. 2 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 2: I lost my record deal in twenty nineteen, and coming 3 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 2: with that loss of record deal, I lost my booking 4 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 2: agent and I also lost my manager. I didn't think. 5 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 2: I didn't know what to do. I was living on 6 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: my credit cards and side this idea, I was like, man, 7 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,080 Speaker 2: am I still supposed to do music? I'll post on 8 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 2: social media. I'll play in anybody's backyard that wants to happen. 9 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 2: And I thought I'd get like ten people. Man, I 10 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 2: got over twenty some thousand requests, and I ended up 11 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 2: going around the country for two years and turning over 12 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 2: three hundred people's backyard. 13 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 3: I'm buzz night, and welcome to the Taking a Walk 14 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,639 Speaker 3: Podcast and another classic replay. Now, if you've checked out 15 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 3: this podcast, you know that I love stories of independence 16 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 3: and resilience. This one is so great. I was at 17 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 3: the Country Radio Seminar in late February in Nashville when 18 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 3: I got to meet up with country music singer songwriter 19 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 3: Drew Baldridge. Drew is pursuing his path with no label, 20 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 3: no manager. He's funding and forging his path, and it's working. 21 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 3: His music has just cracked the top twenty in the 22 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 3: country charts, and we couldn't be happier for him. Welcome 23 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 3: Drew Baldridge on this Taking a Walk classic replay Drew Baldridge, 24 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 3: thanks for being on Taking a Walk. 25 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 4: We're here in Nashville. 26 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 3: I'm so grateful to be in personal. 27 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 2: With you man. 28 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 4: I'm so glad this worked out. I'm excited to be 29 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 4: a part of it. 30 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:31,199 Speaker 3: So what do moving cows around there in Pakoda, Illinois 31 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 3: have in common with the music business? 32 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 2: Man? So I grab on a farm and you know, 33 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 2: like you said, little town called Patoka, Illinois, and I 34 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 2: grab on a farm. My grandpa was like my hero, 35 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 2: you know, And and I always put farming and kind 36 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 2: of tie it to the music business in an interesting 37 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 2: way of like, you know, we write these songs and 38 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 2: we don't really know what they're going to do. It's 39 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 2: kind of like, you know, putting seed in the ground 40 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: and you don't know how to gonna yield. You know, 41 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 2: you don't know what's gonna turn out, if it's gonna 42 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 2: have a big yield, if you're gonna get rain, if 43 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 2: you're gonna you know, if you're gonna have a good crop, 44 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 2: a bad crop, if your tractor is gonna break down, 45 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 2: you know, And I grew up a lot of with 46 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 2: a lot of old tractors that broke down a lot 47 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: of times. And so, you know, that's kind of feel 48 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 2: like a lot of my my journey in music has 49 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 2: been that, you know, and and it it took you know, 50 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 2: a couple of years ago my grandpa passed away and 51 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 2: me going back home and kind of reliving that that 52 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 2: country lifestyle, helping with the cows for a while and 53 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: just find getting back to me and not so much 54 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 2: of chasing a sound in Nashville, but more of, like, 55 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 2: you know what, I'm making music for people, and my 56 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 2: people are country people. And so it's been you know, 57 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 2: like I said, I've always tied farming kind of the 58 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 2: music industry my whole life since I've since I moved 59 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 2: here at nineteen. 60 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 3: But was there a period you felt like you were 61 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 3: chasing something that when you looked in retrospect, it wasn't 62 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 3: authentic to you. 63 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think I chase When I signed 64 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 2: my record deal, I was chasing everything. I was just 65 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,839 Speaker 2: wanting to be heard in any any way possible, any 66 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: kind of sound, any kind of song. And I lost 67 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 2: my record deal in twenty nineteen, and coming with. 68 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 4: That loss of record deal. 69 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 2: I lost my booking agent and I also lost my 70 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 2: manager in the same aspect. And I did this tour 71 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 2: over twenty twenty you know, COVID hit. I didn't think. 72 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 2: I didn't know what to do. I was living all 73 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 2: my credit cards, and I was kind of like, man, 74 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 2: first off, I got a girl that I want to marry. 75 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: I can't even afford to ring, you know. So I 76 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 2: had this idea. I was like, man, I am I 77 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 2: still supposed to do music. I'll post on social media 78 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 2: and I'll just say, hey, whoever, I'll play in anybody's 79 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 2: backyard that wants to happen me. And you know, this 80 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 2: is if as long as I can do it, and 81 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 2: you know, we can't do it for free. We need 82 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 2: help and get in there and travel expenses and stuff. 83 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: And I thought i'd get like ten people, you know. 84 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 2: I thought people would be like, hey, yeah, we'll do it. 85 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 2: I mean I got over twenty some thousand requests and 86 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 2: I ended up going around the country for two years 87 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 2: and turning over three hundred people's backyards and just bring 88 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 2: And that really changed my creative process to be like, 89 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 2: you know what, I'm making music for people and not 90 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 2: for record labels. I'm not making music for radio. I'm 91 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 2: making it to have a connection with real life people. 92 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: When I was in their yard, I was playing corn hole, 93 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 2: eating dinner with them. They were telling me what their song, 94 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:30,919 Speaker 2: what the songs meant to them, and why thank you 95 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 2: so much. You know, you're thank you so much for 96 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 2: creating music that we can put into our lives. 97 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:36,679 Speaker 4: And that's when it really. 98 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 2: Changed for me also too of just like you know, 99 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,119 Speaker 2: I'm making music for these for people, for real, authentic people, 100 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 2: and that really helped me stribe to the music that 101 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 2: I'm creating today. 102 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 3: That's when I first heard about you. Now many of 103 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 3: those were they were backyard barbecues, they were graduation parties. 104 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 4: Right, Yeah, there's a lot of I even did a 105 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 4: great like you said. 106 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 2: I had a song called Senior Year that kind of 107 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 2: had this moment during twent twenty because the hook of 108 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 2: the song said never thought it would disappear Senior year 109 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,039 Speaker 2: where all these kids a senior year disappeared, and the 110 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 2: song was already out I wrote it. When I wrote 111 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 2: that hook, I just meant lived up kids, It's gonna 112 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 2: go by fast. But third year really did disappear. So 113 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 2: I posted before I did the backyard thing. First, I 114 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 2: did this senior year thing and I posted. I said, hey, 115 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 2: I'll do a zoom concert for any class of twenty 116 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 2: twenty that wants a zoom concert. So I was doing 117 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 2: seven or a zoom concert today from my living room 118 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: couch and they'd be like thirty minutes a piece, and 119 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: I'd jump right into the next class play for another 120 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty kids. And then that turned into, hey, 121 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 2: we have a drive in graduation. 122 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 4: Would you come? 123 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 2: Would you fly down here and drive down here and 124 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,799 Speaker 2: play this drive in graduation because it's all social distancing, 125 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 2: And I said sure. So I went around and country. 126 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 2: I did about twenty schools where I just played drive 127 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 2: in graduations, parades and gave commencement speeches to kids all 128 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 2: around senior year. 129 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 4: And then that really sparked the idea, it's why it might. 130 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 2: Only doing this for senior year kids when I should 131 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: be doing it for people. And that's what turned into 132 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 2: the backyard shows. 133 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 3: And the way it struck me when I heard about 134 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 3: this was as the business and musicians were incredibly confused 135 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 3: and frustrated during the pandemic, you did something that was 136 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 3: reaching out and touching them, but it was also incredibly 137 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 3: unique compared to what anybody else was doing. 138 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was real different, and it was also the 139 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 2: real rewarding for a lot of people that need music 140 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 2: in their lives. And you know, some of these shows 141 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 2: where you know, we did social distancing shows, we d 142 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 2: had shows that were after COVID and they were just 143 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:31,840 Speaker 2: every all of them were outside. 144 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 4: You know, and it brought music to people and they 145 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 4: needed it. 146 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 2: You know. There were so many people that said, oh 147 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 2: my goodness, we normally go to concerts ten times in 148 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 2: a year, and we haven't. We haven't been able to 149 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 2: go to any This is our release, this is our 150 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 2: our life. We love country music, and now you get 151 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 2: to be here in our yard, you know, and it 152 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 2: just really it took down all the you know, all 153 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 2: the walls between artists and fan, artist and listener, and 154 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 2: it was just really I became friends with a lot 155 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 2: of these people. And I still today when I play 156 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 2: shows and you know, there's hundreds of people in the 157 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 2: crowd or whatever, I can look down and see that 158 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 2: they got the Baldridge and Bonfire shirt on. I know 159 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,559 Speaker 2: I was in their yard. You know, they have the shirt, 160 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 2: and it's really cool. To know that they were with 161 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 2: me at my hardest time in music for me personally 162 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 2: of just losing everything, but still having my people that 163 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 2: connect to my music to support me and believe in 164 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 2: me and keep me going. And so every show that 165 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 2: I play, and it's almost every show now every tour 166 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 2: that I go out and play now that we're back 167 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 2: to playing clubs, there's at least one person in there 168 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 2: I played in their backyard, and so that's pretty cool. 169 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 3: So the cool thing about podcasts are they are, you know, 170 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 3: domestically everywhere here in terms of where people consume them, 171 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 3: and they're also international. But let's deal with the domestic 172 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 3: part first. Talk about some of those small towns and 173 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 3: name them where you've played some of those shows. 174 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 2: Man, Yeah, we played a lot in upstate New York, 175 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 2: and we played some you know, from New York all 176 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 2: the way to California to Oakdale, California that I've never 177 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 2: heard of before. They call almonds amons, and I was like. 178 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 4: What are you talking about? 179 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 2: You know, And I just got to do a lot 180 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 2: of fun stuff on this and see a lot of 181 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 2: see a lot of people and towns differently, because most 182 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 2: of the time people are like, oh, my gosh, you're 183 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 2: a musician. 184 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 4: You travel all around the world. 185 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 2: It's like, yeah, most of the time, all I see 186 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 2: are pilot gas stations, the club, and where we're eating. 187 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 4: Dinner that night. 188 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 2: It's never I get I never hardly have enough time 189 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 2: to do anything. But this way of touring is I 190 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 2: got to see the back roads of the town, you know. 191 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 2: I got to go to these little towns, and all 192 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 2: these little towns are on the back I make their 193 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 2: own TOR shirt. I put their own little town name 194 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 2: on it, where they feel like, hey, we're not Chicago, 195 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 2: but we're a little town in Illinois outside of it, 196 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: but our name's on the TOR shirt. And so that 197 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 2: is what I love because I grew up in a town 198 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 2: of five hundred people, you know, so like our little 199 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 2: town's never got anything. So being able to go and 200 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 2: tour this way was really really special for me, but 201 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:03,679 Speaker 2: also for them because they got to do what they 202 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:05,719 Speaker 2: thought was fun with me. Like, hey man, we take 203 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 2: our four whilers down to this this this lake and 204 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 2: we sit here and we catch you know, Channel cat 205 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 2: like okay, well, let's. 206 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 4: Let's go do that. 207 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 2: Let's go take the Fowler down the lake, you know, 208 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 2: And so I got to do a lot of this 209 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 2: stuff with people on a human level that I would 210 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 2: have never got to do before if I was just 211 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 2: playing in clubs. 212 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 3: I'm just so fascinated by it, so I'm hung up 213 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 3: on it in a good way. There was a man 214 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 3: that I did some work with as a former radio 215 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 3: programmer who since passed away. His name was John McGann. 216 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 3: He worked at MTV for a while and v H one, 217 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 3: and he was a real trailblazer, and he had a 218 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 3: statement that sort of applies to what you succeeded at 219 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 3: doing with those tours that you made think like a fan, 220 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 3: make everyone a star. What's your reflection on that? 221 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 2: No, I think that's awesome. I think you know, we 222 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 2: can get caught up artists sometimes and egos and you know, 223 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 2: and I've been there before where I'm like, well, I'm 224 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 2: a country singer and I'm rolling in and I'm you know, 225 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 2: nobody can see me before I take stage. 226 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:13,319 Speaker 4: I'm backstage. 227 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 2: It's this cool moment. And you know, when you do 228 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 2: it like how we did it in those backyards, there 229 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 2: ain't nothing glamorous about that. Just being honest, you know, 230 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 2: it was like we're playing on the freaking Haywagon. They 231 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 2: just took the bails off of you know, the morning before. 232 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:34,839 Speaker 2: It's it's not you're rolling in and you're fancy Dan 233 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 2: and your bus and stuff. You know, it's it's really 234 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 2: just knocking those walls down and treating people like humans. 235 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 2: And it takes and it makes me go in and 236 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 2: being you know, we're all humans, we're all put our 237 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 2: pants on this morning. And it really gave a whole 238 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 2: new connection to me for the people that listen to 239 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 2: my music. And you know, because I even hate the 240 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 2: word fan, I just that's a weird word to me. 241 00:10:58,040 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 2: I think just people that listen to your music is 242 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 2: is better is what I like to say more of. 243 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 2: And it just the people who listen to my music. 244 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 2: It really allowed me to have a connection with them. 245 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 2: I could have put out of all those three hundred 246 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 2: yard this was the coolest thing for me on this 247 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 2: whole thing buzz was. You know, on my social media 248 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 2: I post about my family, I post about God, I 249 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 2: post about the music that I make. And it's really 250 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 2: interesting what you post and put out in the world. 251 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:27,199 Speaker 2: Those are your people that follow your social media pages. 252 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 2: And so out of all those three hundred backyards. I 253 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 2: could have put all those people in one big shit 254 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,839 Speaker 2: and it would have been the all good time. They 255 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 2: were all solid, salt of the earth humans and it 256 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 2: was really cool to see, like, Hey, whoever listened to 257 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 2: your music is an extension of who you are. And 258 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 2: these were all people that I would genuinely hang out 259 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 2: with in my little town back home on a Saturday night. 260 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 4: It was just really it was really cool. 261 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 3: Do you believe it really was the beginning that fueled 262 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:59,239 Speaker 3: your organic growth as an artist with your fans? 263 00:11:59,720 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 4: Yeah? 264 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I was very lucky. I've been in 265 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,319 Speaker 2: Nashville for thirteen years. You know, I had a record 266 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 2: deal before that where I created fans. I've well created listeners. 267 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 2: I've been on Sirius XM Radio. I've created listeners that way. 268 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 2: I had a lot of things that built up to that, 269 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 2: but this was, I think the most genuine way I've created, 270 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 2: you know, people following my music and what I'm doing, 271 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 2: because it was a real connection. You know. 272 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 4: It was they see me on their social. 273 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 2: Media and talking about my music, but I actually got 274 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 2: to stand there next to them and talk about their 275 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 2: grandma passing away or their daughter going through high school 276 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 2: and I think that was what was really different for 277 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,680 Speaker 2: this tour and really catapulted us to allow what we're 278 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:49,079 Speaker 2: doing today is to know that we have those people 279 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 2: out there that shared that story with the surrounding towns 280 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 2: that they were hated. You know, Drew Balters came to 281 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 2: our house. You know that guy right there that's playing 282 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 2: on the radio now, he was in our backyard. And 283 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 2: that really, I think does have some sort of you know, 284 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 2: you kind of start seeing the branches kind of go 285 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 2: out when you come to these when I come, Like 286 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 2: in last week, I was in Omaha, Nebraska, and you 287 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 2: know I did. I played first school up there, not 288 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 2: that far away, and the principals text to me and saying, hey, 289 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 2: I'm so glad you come back. We're going to come 290 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 2: watch it. You know. It's just like all these little 291 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 2: you know, finger legs kind of come out and. 292 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 4: Start kept touching people. 293 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 3: It's like a textbook in marketing. You didn't know you 294 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 3: were coming up with that. 295 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 2: No, I had no idea, man, I just I just 296 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 2: wanted to play music, and I knew that this was 297 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 2: a way that I could continue to do that. 298 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 4: And I really believe God built me to write songs. 299 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 2: And play them and entertain people when I can, and. 300 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 4: It was it was a special way for me to 301 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 4: do that. 302 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 2: And I don't know. I always tell my band too, 303 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 2: it's like, this might be something I do every year. 304 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 2: I'm even talking about maybe going out and do another 305 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 2: twenty yards again because I just enjoyed it so much 306 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 2: of meeting people on an everyday life level, and you know, 307 00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 2: for maybe for the rest of my career on now, 308 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 2: I don't know I do this again. Who knows. 309 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: They'll be right back with more of the Taking a 310 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:12,439 Speaker 1: Walk podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast. 311 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 3: So when was the first moment that you remember that 312 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 3: music touched you? How old were you when What do 313 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 3: you remember most about being first touched by music. 314 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 2: I grew up singing in church, my dad singing church, 315 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 2: and I think there was this old song my dad 316 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 2: always used to sing at church and sitting you know, 317 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 2: in the pews and watching my dad sing. He's still 318 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 2: my hero, you know, And that's I go back to 319 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 2: those early moments of there was a song called when 320 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 2: the Anchor Holds and my dad used to sing that 321 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 2: at church on Easter Sundays, and that is a moment 322 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 2: that really moved me of watching my dad go up 323 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 2: and sing, and I was like, wow, that's something that 324 00:14:59,040 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 2: my dad does. 325 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 4: It want to do that, And then I started singing. 326 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 2: My first time performing in front of people was my 327 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 2: first grade Christmas program. I sing all the different languages 328 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 2: of Goodbye there was. It was like the finale of 329 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 2: the thing, and it was like chew audios. I mean 330 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 2: I can remember, it's so goofy, but but yeah. That 331 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 2: was the first time I sang in public and then 332 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 2: got the bug and I was like, man, I loved 333 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 2: doing that. I loved being in front of people. I 334 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 2: loved entertaining. And that then turned into doing multiple talent 335 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 2: shows every year in our little area and it wasn't 336 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 2: much singing then. It was more dancing and lip singing 337 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 2: to like, you know, there's some really embarrassing videos out 338 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 2: there because of me doing Thriller and trying. 339 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 4: To act like I know how to moonwalk. Oh yeah, man. 340 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 4: And then the Blues. 341 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 2: Brothers and give me a sing me a chorus of Thriller. 342 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 4: I can't sing. 343 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 2: You don't want to hear that, but but just like 344 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 2: that's why I lip sing it all. But like the 345 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 2: Blues Brothers, we did some some of that and some 346 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 2: dance into that and grease lightning and it was it 347 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 2: was fun. Man. And then looking back, my mom and 348 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 2: dad really always pushed me along through that. I started 349 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 2: taking piano lessons in kindergarten and that was something that 350 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 2: really started driving me to music too, was you know, 351 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 2: learning piano. And then about third grade, I said that 352 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 2: was a girl instrument playing piano and I was like, 353 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 2: looking back, like, well, that was dumb. 354 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 4: Why'd I do that? 355 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 2: So I picked up guitar at sixteen and been been 356 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 2: writing songs ever since. But it's always Music's kind of 357 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 2: always had a hold on my soul and since I 358 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 2: was you know, like I said, kindergarten, first grade is 359 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 2: when I started, you know, really performing in public in 360 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 2: front of people. 361 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 3: And talk to me about the musical influences that you 362 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 3: had as you you know, would hear music on the 363 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 3: radio or just see it in person. What were those influences. 364 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, so they were kind of all over the board. 365 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 2: You know, you just heard my Talent show influences. I 366 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 2: mean we're talking you know Michael Jackson, who I loved 367 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 2: the energy and the performing the performer that. 368 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 4: He was at that age. 369 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 2: That was like, Wow, this guy is larger than life, 370 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:06,439 Speaker 2: you know, with his performances and how he does it 371 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,440 Speaker 2: on stage. And then you know, when I got old 372 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:12,880 Speaker 2: enough and was thirteen fourteen and got into you know 373 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:15,880 Speaker 2: what we all did in that small town farming and 374 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:20,199 Speaker 2: helping my grandpa out and watching my older cousins on 375 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:23,360 Speaker 2: the tractor and driving the tractor. Country music became life 376 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 2: because that was what we did. You know, we were 377 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 2: on the tractor from sign up to sundown. And so 378 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 2: like people like Brooks and Dun and Alan Jackson and 379 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 2: you know, Randy Travis and those people that could really 380 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 2: have those voices that could bring my lifestyle to life. 381 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 2: That was what, you know, I think the songs like 382 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:44,120 Speaker 2: Red Dirt Road by Brooks and Dunn, that was literally 383 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:45,239 Speaker 2: my life, you know. 384 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 4: And Alabama the very first country. 385 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 2: My dad had this old mixtape that he bought this car, 386 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 2: and the mixtape was was stuck in it and it 387 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 2: was and it was a mixtape of Alabama singing born country. 388 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 2: And we would listen to that song over and over 389 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 2: and over again. It says, you know, I got a 390 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 2: hundred years of down home running through my blood. And 391 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 2: we had a my grandpa had this this plot of 392 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 2: land on the outskirts of town. He called it down 393 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 2: Home because that's where he grew up and his great 394 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 2: grandpa was first there. 395 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:18,639 Speaker 4: And so it's been in my family for over one 396 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 4: hundred years. 397 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 2: And so when that line came across and it was like, 398 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 2: got one hundred years of down Home in my blood, 399 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 2: that's when I realized, like. 400 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 4: Man, country music is life. It's my life, you know. 401 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 2: And so that's what I always try to strive to 402 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 2: do in my music now, is write those real things 403 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 2: to me, because Alabama back then could do it, you know, 404 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,439 Speaker 2: and it really struck a chord in my soul that 405 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 2: this is really authentic to me and who I am. 406 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 2: And so Alabama was a big was a big big. 407 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 2: John Anderson was also on that mixtape. 408 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 4: You Look Better than Money Anybody. 409 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 2: I always just thought that was his voice was so different, 410 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 2: you know, and stood out in such a cool way. 411 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 2: And so John Anderson was alsually a big influence. 412 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 3: And it's the simplicity of the life and how these 413 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,360 Speaker 3: songs come to life in a very clear way, right. 414 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, the simplicity of it, but also just the authenticity 415 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 2: of it of you know, when you hear Brooks and Dunn, 416 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:18,239 Speaker 2: you know sing I believe, Oh my goodness, like that 417 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 2: is so the emotion in that is so real. But 418 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 2: it's also so real for the town that I was 419 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 2: in right of, like old man regularly living in that 420 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 2: white house. I I can picture my neighbor running down 421 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 2: the street and seeing him. You know, we're a quarter 422 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 2: mile away, so we'd have to drop full of so 423 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 2: there's no really running down the street. But it was 424 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 2: just those kind of things that Country music was my 425 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 2: life growing up. And I hope that whatever I put 426 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 2: out into the world and music wise, that there's some 427 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 2: kid out there that can say, Wow, that's that's my 428 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 2: life too. 429 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 3: One of your fans, Deborah k Is how she listed herself. 430 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 3: She says, Drew's the man Drew draws pictures with his music. 431 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 3: How does that make you feel when you hear one 432 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 3: of your fans talk like that about your work. 433 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 2: That's I mean, that's exactly what I hope for, you know. 434 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 2: I hope that when people hear my mute that's I 435 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 2: always try to sit in the righting room when we write, 436 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 2: and I always say, hey, no, we gotta we gotta 437 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 2: draw a better picture of what's going on and. 438 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:19,640 Speaker 4: So hearing her say that, that's super amazing. 439 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 2: I mean, it puts a smile on my face knowing that, 440 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 2: you know, what I'm trying to do is being you know, 441 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 2: portrayed in the in the right light. And I really, 442 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 2: you know, I really do strive hard to make sure 443 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 2: that all the images are there, because I always tell 444 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 2: everybody I want to close my eyes and see what's 445 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 2: going on, you know. And and if I can close 446 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 2: my eyes when the song's playing and I and it 447 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 2: takes me somewhere, that means we did our job. 448 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 3: How about tell me about the creation of the song 449 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 3: before you. 450 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 2: Oh man. So I was actually out on tour with 451 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 2: low Cash at that time. We were playing on we 452 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 2: were in Long Island. We're not in on You can't 453 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,159 Speaker 2: say in Long Island. You gotta say on Long Island, 454 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 2: Lung Island, on Long Island. So we were on Long Island, 455 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 2: playing at a place called Multkahes, which were actually playing 456 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 2: March seventh, and we were up above and we were 457 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 2: writing songs, and I was about to get married, and 458 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,120 Speaker 2: we were talking about just all of our wives, and 459 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 2: we were talking about little Cash boys. You know, they'd 460 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:20,920 Speaker 2: like to have fun just like, you know, I did too, 461 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,239 Speaker 2: and we talked about all our wives about how we 462 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 2: were just saying, man, before then, we were crazy, we 463 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:30,159 Speaker 2: were wild, and so coming across writing that song was 464 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 2: talking about all the crazy things that I did before 465 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 2: finding my wife and how she made me, you know, 466 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 2: a better person. And so that was actually the song 467 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 2: that I kind of wrote for her for our engagement. 468 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:43,879 Speaker 2: And funny story, it was right at COVID and we 469 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 2: were supposed to get engaged in France, and so we 470 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 2: were going to get engaged right in front of the 471 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 2: Eiffel Tower. I had it all planned out, and there's 472 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 2: a line in the song that said I never thought 473 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:56,879 Speaker 2: I'd fly to Paris to get down on one knee. 474 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 2: And what happened was three days before we left, they 475 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 2: had the travel band and we couldn't go to Paris. 476 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 4: And so I'm like, I got this song. 477 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 2: I got this it says Paris, I'm gonna play it 478 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 2: for So I had to go in literally call my 479 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 2: producer and said, we have to change it. 480 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 4: We have to change it. 481 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:16,439 Speaker 2: We're gonna fly we flew to Aruba. I was like, 482 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 2: we gotta change it to I never thought I'd fly. 483 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 4: To an Island to get down on one knee, and 484 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 4: so we changed it to this and then we ended 485 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 4: up going to Aruba and that's it. It all worked out. 486 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 2: But that was a song that I used to propose 487 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 2: my wife with. 488 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:32,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, wow, and then the song lost in Love. Talk 489 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 3: about that and talk about collaborating with the Harper Harper Grace. 490 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 4: Yeah, so Harper Grace. 491 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 2: She sent me a message years ago, she was probably 492 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 2: sixteen seventeen years old on Instagram and was like, Hey, 493 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 2: I'm a big I had a song out that time 494 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 2: called Rebound. And she's like, I'm a big fan of Rebound. 495 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 2: You know your music is awesome. Blah blah blah blah blah. 496 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 2: I'm a songwriter too. I make trips to Nashville, and 497 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 2: most of the time when I get those, I'm just like, 498 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 2: you know, I don't no, I try not to dive 499 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:06,159 Speaker 2: too much into that that side of discovering artists or 500 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 2: anything like that. And I went to her page and 501 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 2: I just listened to her sing and she was so good, 502 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 2: and I hit her back. I was like, Hey, you're amazing. 503 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 2: Like when you come to Nashville, let's let's rite. So 504 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 2: she started coming to Nashville and then now she has 505 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 2: a record deal on Curb and she's really doing some 506 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 2: amazing things. And so we wrote this song together called 507 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 2: Lost in Love, and I, you know, put a record 508 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,919 Speaker 2: out year and a half ago called Country Born. And 509 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 2: I always thought she was an incredible singer and I 510 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 2: wanted to, you know, my listeners to hear her, you know, 511 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 2: to see what she has to offer. And so I 512 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 2: think the track turned out really, really awesome. We wrote 513 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 2: it together, which is really special. It was kind of 514 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 2: like her first cut outside of her own project, and 515 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 2: it was she came. We do a festival in my 516 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 2: hometown called the Big Baldridge and Bonfire, and because I 517 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 2: did the backyard door was called the Baldridge and Bonfire. 518 00:23:58,000 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 2: So I decided to, hey, I'm gonna put a festival 519 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 2: on off the big one, and so we put a 520 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 2: festival on in my hometown last couple of years, and 521 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 2: I brought her up the first year we did it, 522 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 2: and she got to sing in front of a couple 523 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 2: of thousand people and sing that song with me, and 524 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 2: that was really special. 525 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 3: So take us inside the collaborative process of a writing session. 526 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 3: How do you like to work and how are you 527 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 3: most productive? In that session. 528 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think most of the time now, 529 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:26,439 Speaker 2: like when I first came here was a lot of 530 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 2: new people. You write and you've never written with before. 531 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,159 Speaker 2: Now I kind of have my group of friends that 532 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:34,640 Speaker 2: I've written a lot with, and it's all give and take. 533 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 2: And most of the time there's three of y'all, and 534 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 2: I can even go in and have, Hey, this is 535 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,880 Speaker 2: what I want to write today. I've been thinking about this. 536 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 2: I haven't written down. I have some lines, but there's 537 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:50,479 Speaker 2: sometimes you go in and you don't have anything. You know, 538 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 2: you're kicking around ideas and you're like, hey, I wrote that. 539 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 2: I was at you start talking about life and you're like, hey, 540 00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 2: you know, a couple of weeks ago, I was at 541 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 2: the beach and I saw this, and let me in this, 542 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 2: let me into this title. Most of the songs that 543 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 2: I write always start with a title or an idea, 544 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:08,800 Speaker 2: like she's Somebody's daughter, like our single that we're working 545 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 2: in the radio. Now, I started off with she's somebody's daughter, 546 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 2: you know, And I knew coming into that, right, this 547 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 2: is what I wanted to write about. 548 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 4: After meeting my wife's dad for the first time. 549 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 2: This was a message to myself to not screw it up, 550 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 2: but treat her right. You know, if I break her heart, 551 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 2: I'm breaking her mama's heart and her daddy's heart too. 552 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 2: And so going into that right, I knew I'm gonna 553 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 2: write she's somebody's daughter, and yes, I'm gonna take outside ideas. 554 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 2: Being the artist in the room, you kind of got 555 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 2: to drive it to what you would say. But having 556 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:44,199 Speaker 2: writers in the room, they really bring it to the 557 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 2: next level of ideas, of experiences that they've been through, 558 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 2: and you got to listen to those in a big way. 559 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 2: But the artist, you know, you got to really be 560 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 2: honest of what you will say and what you won't say. 561 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,680 Speaker 2: And I think that's that's key for an artist in 562 00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 2: a songwriter's room that's coming to Nashville. 563 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 4: If somebody, if you're writing with a hit writer and 564 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 4: they say this. 565 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 2: Line and you're like, man, I would never say that line, 566 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 2: but they really like it. I'm just gonna go with it. 567 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 2: And then you get to the point you get done 568 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 2: with the song and you're like, Wow, there's no me left. 569 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:14,919 Speaker 2: You know, it's a cool song, but there's it's not 570 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 2: how I would have said it. And so that's what 571 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 2: I always try to remember when I'm in the writing 572 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 2: room now, it's like, if I'm going to record this, 573 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 2: I need to make sure that I really love it 574 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 2: and say what I would say, and take take other 575 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 2: people's opinion because it's such a give and take in 576 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 2: a writer's room. And if you're on the other side, 577 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 2: if you're a writer, you know, obviously give and take, 578 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 2: but also lean on your artists that you're in the 579 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 2: room with that's going to record that song, that you 580 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 2: want to make sure that they are loving where this 581 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 2: is headed. And so that's that's been a you know, 582 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 2: obviously a big couple of ways you can go in 583 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 2: not have an idea at all, kick around ideas. Somebody 584 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 2: says something, you're like, wow, I've never thought of it 585 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 2: that way. Yeah, let's write that title that you have 586 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 2: and let's point everything to that to that title. Or 587 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 2: you're going in you have something really convicted on your 588 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 2: soul that day and you're saying, hey, I think we 589 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:01,760 Speaker 2: should write this, and if we write this and it 590 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 2: comes out correctly, I think it's something that could be 591 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 2: really special and powerful. 592 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 3: We produced this other podcast it's called Music Save Me. 593 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 3: It's about the healing power of music. Do you believe 594 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:15,880 Speaker 3: music has healing powers? 595 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,679 Speaker 4: Yeah, I really do. You know, I really saw it 596 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 4: a lot over this. 597 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 2: Tour where I played in people's backyards and people wasn't 598 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 2: getting music, they weren't gathering around music. They were you know, 599 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,399 Speaker 2: COVID had kind of had them stopped up and not 600 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 2: seeing music alive. And when I was in these people's 601 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 2: yards and playing songs, I could see them come to life, 602 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 2: you know, I could see their soul open up. I 603 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:43,679 Speaker 2: could see the smiles on their face or the tears 604 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 2: in their eyes that you know, it really. 605 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 4: Does affect them. 606 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 2: Even for me. I mean when I listened to the 607 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 2: right song, I get goosebumps over my entire body. You know, 608 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 2: it puts me in it can transport me to a 609 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 2: whole other place, and it can you know. I've seen 610 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,399 Speaker 2: so many videos too of people going through dementia or 611 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,960 Speaker 2: all time, but when the right song comes on, they 612 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 2: know the words, you know, or they it takes them 613 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:07,679 Speaker 2: back and you see them dancing. It brings cheerful, it 614 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:12,439 Speaker 2: brings happiness. And as a writer, I don't take that lightly. 615 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:14,160 Speaker 2: That's something I want to go in the writing room. 616 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 2: I want to make sure that I'm making music that 617 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,400 Speaker 2: people can can do their life to and make memories 618 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:25,879 Speaker 2: to and make, you know, long lasting connections with and 619 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,880 Speaker 2: so yeah, I totally believe that that music can heal. 620 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,560 Speaker 2: Music can bring so many great things that you can't 621 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:35,239 Speaker 2: get a point across just talking sometimes, you know, like 622 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 2: if I would just sit here and talk to you, 623 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 2: she's somebody's daughter, she's somebody's baby, she's somebody's everything, it's 624 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:42,479 Speaker 2: not gonna connect as much as you have a melody 625 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 2: to it. And so I really believe that that music 626 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 2: can heal. But also I believe that music can can 627 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 2: change lives. And you hear a song that says, you know, 628 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 2: I'm really friends close friends with Tim Nichols, and he 629 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 2: wrote Live like You Were Dying, and it talks there's 630 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 2: a line in there that says, you know, called somebody 631 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 2: and forgave them, you know, for a long lost thing 632 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 2: they did to me in the past. And he has people, 633 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 2: he said, people messaged me and said he I forgave 634 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 2: my dad after hearing your song because I realized life 635 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 2: was too short. And and that is amazing. That's what 636 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 2: music is all about. I have people call me about 637 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,240 Speaker 2: She's somebody's daughter. It says, hey, you know, i've you know, 638 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 2: I haven't talked to my daughter in a long time, 639 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 2: but I heard your song. Maybnet want to pick up 640 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 2: the phone call her, you know, And it's like it 641 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 2: changes lives. 642 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,960 Speaker 3: It must strike you as you're crisscrossing all over the 643 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 3: country at a very divided time, how music unites everybody. 644 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, it really does. And you know, it's interesting. There's 645 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 2: what we were talking about this today. There's just there's 646 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 2: no rules in music, and I think that's cool. Like, 647 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 2: you know, you can be creatively different and you can 648 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 2: be creatively authentic, and it can. 649 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 4: There is a lot of. 650 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:00,720 Speaker 2: Opinions in music, you know, in country music too, Like 651 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 2: on social media, you can let it get to you 652 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 2: a little bit of people saying, well it's not country enough, 653 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 2: you know, or it it's two country. I don't listen 654 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 2: to that. So there is still some divisiveness even in music. 655 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 2: But like songs that have powerful messages, they can get behind, 656 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 2: they can get behind what that song is saying. 657 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 3: For sure, we're kind of looking out over downtown Nashville. 658 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 3: And as you do that, and you imagine, you know, 659 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 3: maybe a year from now, what do you hope is 660 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 3: happening in your career next year at this time after 661 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 3: all your hard work. 662 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 2: Man, I hope I have a number one song. Baby, 663 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 2: that's the goal, you know. We I did something really 664 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 2: unconventional the last year. I created my own label and 665 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 2: I sent a song of mine that we've been talking about, 666 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 2: she Somebody's Dollar. I sent it to radio myself because 667 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 2: I didn't have a record label that believed in me. 668 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:54,479 Speaker 2: And I've had people that believed in me and then 669 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 2: gave up. And you know, you kind of get one 670 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 2: shot here in Nashville sometimes, and I think taking this 671 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 2: song to radio and showing that it's a hit, and 672 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 2: we already know it's a hit, but like at radio 673 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 2: it's a number one song, it's a top ten song. 674 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 2: I would love for that to have. I've been here 675 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 2: for thirteen years and never had a number one hit. 676 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 2: And I've had friends that's been here for three and 677 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 2: they do. And I'm not saying that number one is everything, 678 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 2: but I want as many people to hear She's Somebody's 679 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 2: Daughter as possible and the message that that. 680 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 4: Song brings about. 681 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 2: And you know, sitting here looking over Nashville, I moved 682 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,479 Speaker 2: here at nineteen with nothing you know. And now I 683 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,600 Speaker 2: have a wife and a little boy that's fourteen months old, 684 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 2: and we have a house and it's all paid for 685 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 2: by music. And it's like that's a pretty big blessing 686 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 2: in itself, and I'm just I'm happy to still be here. 687 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 4: I'm happy to create music every day. 688 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 2: And yes, I hope we have a number one, But 689 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 2: in a year's time, if that's not the case, we'll 690 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 2: have another song that's out there that's touching other people's 691 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 2: lives in a different way. And my goal is I'm 692 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:57,240 Speaker 2: going to put another record out within that time. Also, 693 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:01,560 Speaker 2: we've been recording new music and maybe even some outside 694 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 2: songs like that I've recorded that other artists record, hopefully 695 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 2: have a hit hit or two on some other artists 696 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 2: besides myself as a songwriter. 697 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 3: So in closing, I asked this question frequently, but I 698 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 3: think you're more supremely equipped to answer this than most. 699 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 3: What advice to someone listening who's a musician who's trying 700 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 3: to work it, break in, make a difference with their music. 701 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 3: What's the advice you would give them? 702 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think first off, we need to figure out 703 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 2: how serious you are. You know, music is an amazing path, 704 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 2: like to be able to wake up and play music 705 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 2: every day is awesome, but it's also you're so tied 706 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 2: to your dream, you're so tied to the like your 707 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 2: opinion of what you're doing, you can let those people 708 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,480 Speaker 2: tear you down with one word of a no. You know, 709 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 2: when I remember I moved here and on the first 710 00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 2: time I heard no, I thought I was destroyed. But 711 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 2: it's like the note let the nose drive you. And 712 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:05,720 Speaker 2: I think that's that's a really big powerful thing for 713 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 2: me now, is all the notes. And even when you're 714 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,560 Speaker 2: you know, you're the biggest artists in country music are 715 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 2: still hearing no. Country radio programmers are still telling them 716 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 2: they don't like that song, we're not gonna play it, 717 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 2: But guess what, they end up playing it whenever when 718 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 2: other people do. And so it's like, let the nose 719 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 2: fuel you. But also, if you have a plan, B 720 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 2: this plan's never gonna work. That's I think the big 721 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 2: thing if you if you come here to Nashville and 722 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 2: you say, I give myself two years and now I'm 723 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 2: gonna move home if it don't work out, all right, 724 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 2: y'all right, at the beginning, it's not gonna work because 725 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 2: you have a plan B and you wanna get you 726 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 2: want to put those other eggs in other baskets, and 727 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 2: that's not gonna It doesn't fly in music. And it's like, 728 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 2: you know, if you're gonna come here and people say 729 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 2: it's a ten year town, sometimes it's a fifteen year town. 730 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 2: You know Ashley Gorly who's written seventy number ones in Nashville, 731 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 2: seventy the biggest songwriter that has ever been in Nashville, 732 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:00,520 Speaker 2: he didn't have his first hit for a lets in years. 733 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 2: And it's like, if you move to town and you think, hey, 734 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 2: I'm going to do this, I'm going to go back 735 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 2: to the farm or I'm going to go back and 736 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 2: work my daddy's business, You're going to fail. There's no 737 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 2: I believe there's no failure in country, in music in general, 738 00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:19,439 Speaker 2: there's just quitters. And I think that if you really 739 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 2: want to do this and you're in some small town, 740 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:24,800 Speaker 2: now it's the best time because you have the power 741 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:26,840 Speaker 2: of social media that a lot of us didn't have 742 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 2: when we moved here. We had to be here, we 743 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:30,200 Speaker 2: had to be on the radio to be heard, we 744 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:32,279 Speaker 2: had to be playing shows. And now you can post 745 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 2: a video and reach millions of people from your doorstep 746 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:39,040 Speaker 2: right now, on your phone, wherever you're at. If you 747 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 2: jump on TikTok or Instagram or Facebook, you have the 748 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 2: chance to reach multiple stadiums full of people from your device. 749 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,279 Speaker 2: And I think if you're in some little town you're 750 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 2: a songwriter right now, or if you're an artist, there's 751 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:53,799 Speaker 2: no reason why you shouldn't be posting every other day 752 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:57,840 Speaker 2: about your music or writing songs right right You could write. 753 00:34:57,640 --> 00:34:58,279 Speaker 4: A hundred songs. 754 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,319 Speaker 2: Maybe only two of them are good, or maybe they're 755 00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 2: all good and you're phenomena. I don't know, but I'm 756 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:05,879 Speaker 2: just saying, like I think, right now is a great 757 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 2: time you should be posting to get your music out. 758 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 2: Don't be too gun shy and too like protective. I 759 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:14,880 Speaker 2: think there's sometimes there's people that's so protective of their 760 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:18,880 Speaker 2: music that they're never gonna build a listenership. They're never 761 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 2: gonna build a following if they don't throw it out 762 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,160 Speaker 2: there and see if people like it, and if they 763 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 2: like it, build on that, put out another one, put 764 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 2: out another one. That's the business that we're in now. 765 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:29,960 Speaker 2: And it's very lucky that there's a lot of people 766 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 2: that you can do that from your You can live 767 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 2: in Michigan right now and have a great artist career 768 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:37,880 Speaker 2: and put out songs and own your masters and do 769 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 2: all that. You couldn't do that ten years ago when 770 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 2: I moved here, you had to be on the radio 771 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 2: to be heard. 772 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 4: Now you can be discovered every night. 773 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:49,040 Speaker 2: Somebody's millions of people are swiping on their phone in 774 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 2: their bed and you could be discovered and that song 775 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 2: could change their life in a day's time. So it's 776 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 2: pretty pretty wild where we're at in the industry. So 777 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:01,520 Speaker 2: that's just a little bit of advice obviously, you know, 778 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,239 Speaker 2: don't get you know, kind of put your blinders on 779 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:08,399 Speaker 2: and don't compare yourself. I think that's another big thing 780 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 2: for me and that I've had to learn over the 781 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 2: years of you know, I've moved here and had some 782 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:14,840 Speaker 2: some of my friends when I first moved down to 783 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,560 Speaker 2: the biggest artist in country music, and I haven't got 784 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 2: that shot yet. And and maybe that's not in my cards, 785 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,200 Speaker 2: but maybe it is, you know. And so I think 786 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 2: putting your blinders on and just saying this is my path. 787 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:29,319 Speaker 2: Nobody's gonna run my path except me. I just need 788 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:32,279 Speaker 2: to do what I'm here to do, and don't look 789 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:34,720 Speaker 2: at you know, your buddy down the street, that's also 790 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 2: that maybe further along than you, or maybe a better 791 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:40,560 Speaker 2: guitar player than you, or maybe he's more talented than you, 792 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:44,080 Speaker 2: but you outworking, you know. I think that's that's a 793 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 2: couple of little tips along the way. I guess, I 794 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:47,960 Speaker 2: don't know. 795 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 4: Keep kicking it, man. 796 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:54,799 Speaker 5: Appreciate you, Thanks for standing, Thanks for listening to this 797 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:58,400 Speaker 5: episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and 798 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,360 Speaker 5: other episodes with your friends and follow us so you 799 00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:02,839 Speaker 5: never miss an episode. 800 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:07,520 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 801 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:10,000 Speaker 1: and wherever you get your podcasts.