Jacob Hackworth: What Took You So Long, Songwriting Success & Betting on Yourself

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:12] Speaker B: Come on. [00:00:15] Speaker A: This is Outside the Round with Matt [00:00:17] Speaker B: Burrill for Rage Rowdy podcast. [00:00:20] Speaker A: What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to Outside the Round today, a very special guest, a longtime homie, A dude who has been as on brand for raise Rowdy as any guy or girl has ever been. It's our boy, Hack Jacob Hackworth. [00:00:35] Speaker B: Brother, I keep it true to the game, man. [00:00:37] Speaker A: You do, man, you do. And you've been busy, bro. Last time I saw you, we were hanging out at the baggage claim at DNA dog. [00:00:44] Speaker B: Yes. You like it? Just got back from a festival, right? [00:00:47] Speaker A: We were just getting back, Ike and I, from Country Rising in Winnipeg and [00:00:51] Speaker B: you were telling me about that festival. That sounds insane. [00:00:53] Speaker A: It's the. They do the. The first day is country and then the second day is like Ti and Fat Joe and Petey Pablo and Chingy. [00:01:01] Speaker B: Like, I mean, I don't know of a better setup. Honestly, for me personally, I would enjoy that. [00:01:05] Speaker A: Yeah, dude, it was wild. Where were you coming back from on that run? Because you've been busy this year, bub. [00:01:10] Speaker B: I don't know. Honestly, I can't remember. It's been kind of everywhere. [00:01:13] Speaker A: You were talking about going and playing something in Missouri. [00:01:16] Speaker B: We just did that this past weekend and talk about some insane. [00:01:21] Speaker A: Did it exceed expectations? Cuz you were saying it's like on the river. Like talk about that a little bit. [00:01:25] Speaker B: Yeah, like we. I mean it's a. It's like a two day festival type like style show, but it's in a campground. Oh, on the river stage is like sick. Like big setup and like you pretty much like they pretty much have three artists play Friday night and three artist play Saturday night. And then everyone floats the river during the day and then goes to the show in the evening. So it's just an absolute hammer. [00:01:52] Speaker A: And I'm imagining you and your guys got out on the river. [00:01:54] Speaker B: We didn't, we didn't float the day that we played, but the next day we floated. And I'll put it to you like this. I went to sleep at five in the afternoon. Five. Five in the evening. I was passed out. [00:02:04] Speaker A: Who else was on the day that you were playing? [00:02:06] Speaker B: We played a guy named Mark Perkins. Opened it. We were second. And then Walker Montgomery. [00:02:16] Speaker A: Oh, nice. [00:02:16] Speaker B: Was third. Yeah, he closed it out. So it was a great time, man. We had a blast. [00:02:20] Speaker A: That's awesome. And I'm sure anytime you can get back to the home state of Missouri. [00:02:23] Speaker B: Yeah, 100%, dude. I was. Everyone was loving it. There was just beads flying, dude. And no one had clothes on. It was awesome. [00:02:31] Speaker A: There you go. That's a summer. That's the summer in Missouri, bro. Hell, yeah. I love it, man. And last time we had. We had you on here, we had our brother Heath situation sitting in here with you, and he's been crushing it on the songwriter front as long as well as you have, bro. But at that time, you were just getting ready to launch this artist thing. And for sure, man, how this rocket ship has just. [00:02:51] Speaker B: It's worked. [00:02:51] Speaker A: Gone, dog. [00:02:52] Speaker B: It's been crazy. It has been really, really crazy. But it's been awesome, though. It's like, you know, you move like, I moved here to be an artist, but obviously Nashville has different plans for you, and if you let it kind of do its thing, then, you know, it'll work out how it's supposed to. And so to. To get to, like, do the songwriter thing and really learn how to do that and, like, craft, like, my music and then go into being an artist again, like, full blown. It's just been awesome, bro. [00:03:21] Speaker A: Just in 2025, I have on here in my. My going. I have my, like, notes because we've been boys forever. But, like, everyone, I asked the Robots for some extra information. 60 plus major label cuts and over 1 billion songwriter streams in 2025 alone. [00:03:36] Speaker B: I know, man. Crazy, dude. Like that just. That is insane. I haven't heard, like, that. [00:03:40] Speaker A: Billion. [00:03:41] Speaker B: Yeah, I haven't heard it put like that. [00:03:42] Speaker A: That was last year. [00:03:43] Speaker B: I know. I'm like, let's go. I don't know what. What this year is looking like with the songwriting stuff, but I'm. I'm good with a billion. That's crazy, dude. What the hell? [00:03:52] Speaker A: And to think, like, because you moved here around the same time I did, like, right before the pandemic, right before everything got weird and to see how. How the culture in town of, like, rounds and all that stuff has changed over the years. And you came up in that scene where we'd have you at Live Oak all the time. You'd be hanging out at Whiske Jam at Winners. You'd be hanging out at Tin Roof, going to watch for violence. [00:04:11] Speaker B: That was the game, dude. Like, you had to be like, you wanted to be out and do that. It was. It was a time, man. [00:04:16] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. So now we got to talk about this ep. I got. I got a nice leak from our friend over there in the corner. We were. We were bumping it. We were just down in Florida at another festival, and me and Ike were cranking the project, bro. We are super we are super stoked for this thing. So talk to me about what took [00:04:33] Speaker B: you so long, man. Well, you know, this is, this is my first ep. This is my first project that we've got to put out and going into it, you know, like, obviously, you know, we have a ton of songs, like hundreds of songs that are just, you know, kind of just in the ether and you know, we're, we're putting out music and then it comes to the point where it's like, all right now we have to like put this together and make this all make sense. So we got to kind of go back through and you know, comb through some stuff that we had, you know, that I've, that I'd written, you know, prior to this kind of being what we're doing and cut some songs that felt like they would fit into this thing that I didn't really know what we were going to do, like off the jump of like how to make it make sense because I'm like, in my mind I'm like, I just want to put out like some sick ass music. Yeah. And stuff that is true to me and that I think people can relate to and that, that do, that will do what songs do for me that I've listened to, you know, and. But as like we kind of got this like group of songs together, it kind of weirdly like fell into this like seven day span of like after you get dumped, like getting your heart broke and what comes after that and like how you kind of transition into, you know, being okay with it and like really what's the problem? Like how did it all work and how to happen? And so that's kind of how we like planned the, the CP was just to kind of, you know, start from the moment, you know, you get destroyed and you're all fucked up to. I'm back on the, like I'm back on the saddle and like I'm back in the game. [00:06:20] Speaker A: I love that, dude. [00:06:21] Speaker B: It's, it's really cool. I think it like, it explains it pretty well in my, my book and so I'm just excited to get it out there. A lot of really cool songs. [00:06:29] Speaker A: Yeah, dude, I absolutely love it. And it flows so well like, like. And it's a multi multi listen, like you listen to it one time through and then you listen to it second time. Then you're like, oh, there's another part in the story that I missed the first time, dude. And it's so cohesive. And what made you want to go with like a concept project like that for your first one. [00:06:47] Speaker B: That's the thing is a lot of [00:06:48] Speaker A: people don't do that shit, dude. [00:06:49] Speaker B: It really. It wasn't even, like, planned to be a concept thing. It just, like, we were sitting there, we had like, six songs, and then, you know, we're chopping it up on, like, damn. We really. I mean, this song is great. Like, we have to put this out. [00:07:02] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:07:02] Speaker B: But it's also gonna have to be a part of the cp. And so we're like, you know it. Let's just do seven songs. And then I'm sitting. I was actually with Skis. [00:07:10] Speaker A: Oh, shout out Skis. [00:07:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:12] Speaker A: Love that guy. What a time he is. [00:07:15] Speaker B: And we were, you know, we were about to fly to California, and we were at my house, just, like, hanging out in my shop, drinking a couple beers. And then we're about to head to the airport, and we kind of just started talking about, like, he was like, what songs are you going to put on the cp? And I started kind of listing them off. And, you know, as, like, I was listing them off, I was kind of explaining what the songs were about. And, like. And, like, it slowly just kind of like we talked or, like, talked our way through the cp, just randomly in, like, an Uber on the way to the airport. And I was like, holy, dude. Like, it's literally like you get. You know, you get dumped on, like, a Monday and, like, destroys your whole world. And then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, like, seven songs and what all, like, you know, the. How you go through the motions and everything. Just in the back of the Subaru with skis. And, like, we kind of, like, got it dialed. And I was like, holy shit. Like, that's it. Like, that's going to be the track list. And I called Sam, my manager. I'm just like, dude, what do you think about this? And he's like, that's sick. And, like, that's just. It went like that. [00:08:18] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. And breakup songs are so relatable for genre, dude. Like, that's. That's something the country music's always had. [00:08:25] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:26] Speaker A: But they've never had it to where it's like, you started out and, yeah, you get dumped and then you're okay by the end, for sure. [00:08:33] Speaker B: But that's, like, how that has to go. Yeah. Because, like, I mean, of course, like, some, like, heartbreaks are worse than others or whatever. [00:08:39] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:40] Speaker B: But, like, dude, I'm trying to, like, you know, you're trying to get back in the game as soon as possible, you know, especially. And, like, this There's a lot more depth to, like, this project than just, like, break up and then get over it, you know? Like, there's the. You know, starts off getting dumped. The next day, you're like, you know, you want. You want her back, but you can't have her. And, like, it's. It's hard. And. Yeah, then you have, like, the. You know, last night I got lonely. You go back to it, knowing that you shouldn't, and you do it anyways, and then, you know, it just kind of all. There's a lot of, like, I feel, like, cool stuff that's in there, so. [00:09:13] Speaker A: Absolutely, dude. And the latest single that you've put out from when we're recording this, I want to quit. [00:09:18] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, bro. That's a. That's a dangerous one. I feel like I was pumped to. To get. To put that out. It's a little different than, you know, anything that we've done so far, but I feel like that's kind of my M.O. is pushing that. [00:09:30] Speaker A: What makes you say it's a dangerous one? [00:09:32] Speaker B: I just feel like it's. It's, like, very cool. It's very fresh, and, like, I think that it could, like, the more people that we can get here in that song, I think that people are going to really latch on to it. So I just think it's. It's definitely a special song to me, and I thought it was. I thought it was super dope, and it was just us guys just trying to do something really cool and. And write something. Something fresh, and that felt good. And that's. That's exactly what we did. [00:09:56] Speaker A: And speaking of people latching on to things, you got it. We got to talk about this. This debut, this. This ad to country radio, bro. I'm telling you, how crazy is that? The title track of this project sets a record. [00:10:10] Speaker B: I didn't. I don't know. I, like, truly was, like, what the is going on? I, like, truly did not know that would ever happen. [00:10:19] Speaker A: 128 stations. [00:10:20] Speaker B: I know. It was. It was nuts, dude. [00:10:21] Speaker A: It's like the entire country. [00:10:22] Speaker B: Well, like, and I'm sitting there, like, on promo tour going, like, is this going good? Like, I hope, like, we're like, hope things are going good, and all of my reps are like, dude, this is insane. Like, this is great. Like, we get to, like, 90 ads, and I'm like, what is going on? They're like, we wanted 60. If we had 60. We were gonna be, like, over the moon. And then it's like, 110, 120. And then ad day, it was just nuts. The funniest part about the whole bit was, you know, I'm like, the. Before the Monday that the song went to the radio, you know, obviously we kind of were like, holy, this is gonna be a big ad day. [00:11:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:11:00] Speaker B: And everyone's kind of, like, pumped about it, and so I'm kind of chilling. And Monday rolls around and, like, we kind of find out at 2 o'. Clock. You know, I think that's when, like, the chart, like, ends. And, you know, I'm sitting at my house by myself. Like, my girlfriend Shelly, she's, you know, doing something else, and I'm kind of like, what's going on? No one's hitting me up. Like, I thought today was gonna be crazy. And Sam shows up at my house and, like, we had a meeting to go to. And he's like. I'm like, so is like, everything good? Like, did we, like, have a big day? He's like, yeah, I'm pretty sure it was like, it's good. I haven't heard anything yet. And I'm like, okay. Like, what the hell is going on? [00:11:42] Speaker A: It's like you're. It's like you're that quarterback on draft day waiting for your name to be called. [00:11:45] Speaker B: Yes, dude. And we get in the car to go to this meeting at. I should have known. Duck Blind. This is where I'm meeting the radio team to go over how everything went. [00:11:54] Speaker A: Meeting him at a bar on Brand, though. But, yeah, there'll just be another meeting for you. [00:11:58] Speaker B: Exactly. That's why it worked. It worked. I never even caught on to it. We walk into the bar. There's like. I mean, my girlfriend and Sam and like, my label and. And team set up, like, had all of our, like, the. Everyone apart. That's a part of my thing. And our friends, like, at the second floor. Duck Blind, like, surprise. [00:12:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:12:17] Speaker B: Like, you guys, you just did it and it was. It was awesome, dude. Like, to. For that to happen, especially going into the artist thing, you never really know if people are gonna. You'll with it. Yeah. So when stuff like that happens, dude, it was just like, all right, I do love this as much as I thought I did. Like, this is sick. [00:12:33] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. I mean, you're really moving to town. You're betting on yourself. [00:12:37] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:12:37] Speaker A: Like, going into. Going into your first co writes, you're betting on yourself. But doing the artist thing, you're really betting on yourself. And you got all these folks in your corner that are taking the bets with you. 100 you don't know if it's gonna work or not. And then to have that moment in midtown celebrating like that where like that [00:12:54] Speaker B: was like my first job, you know, like to have like, I was bar backing at that bar when I moved [00:12:59] Speaker A: to town, so I didn't know you bar back. [00:13:01] Speaker B: That loser bar backed at Losers and Winners. Yeah, that was my first gig, dude. [00:13:04] Speaker A: Really? [00:13:05] Speaker B: Yeah, like second day in town. We went to Doghouse and. And filled out applications on like a Thursday and I was like, perfect. All of our friends are coming to town this weekend. We'll just like get the application out of the week or out of the way. They'll call us next week. We'll have a job. They called us that night. I was at Whiskey Jam. We're like, hey, we need you all weekend. And I'm like, but yeah, that was, that was my first gig. So to get to turn around and have just like a, you know, record breaking ad day, like with my first single at that place, like with all my. All my people was pretty awesome. [00:13:36] Speaker A: In the place where you were hustling and carrying cases here, bro. Dude, bar backing's a tough. That is a Sucked at it, to be honest. You're a big dude. You can lift a lot of. [00:13:45] Speaker B: I used to be. I used to be thinner. [00:13:49] Speaker A: You have to be nimble to get through those crowds. Dukes. I remember when I was my first job in town, it was funny. It was like a couple. I think it was like two days into me being in town, I started working security at Whiskey Row. [00:14:00] Speaker B: See that, that, the security thing was always like sketch to me, dude. Because you got to be ready to rumble at any time. [00:14:06] Speaker A: Yeah. But I remember watching the guys that were doing the bar back thing and being like, man, these guys are hustling. [00:14:12] Speaker B: Those guys are psychopaths. [00:14:13] Speaker A: Especially on Broadway. Like those stories. [00:14:15] Speaker B: That's what happened. Like, they sent me to Losers downtown. [00:14:18] Speaker A: Oh yeah. [00:14:18] Speaker B: And so we had the three floor. Like no elevator. [00:14:22] Speaker A: Oh, you guys had no elevator? [00:14:23] Speaker B: Hell no, dude. And the cool. There's like another cooler on the third floor that you have to stock at the end of the night. So like, like 4 in the morning, just eating shit, going up the stairs with cases of beer. It was definitely. It was a time. [00:14:36] Speaker A: Yeah, man. And that to me is a lesson for any guy or girl that moves to town. Like, you gotta take steps to figure it out. Everybody's journey very rarely does. It just. You move to town and it kind of gets handed to you. And I feel like it makes it so much more worth It. To have these wins. [00:14:51] Speaker B: Yes. [00:14:51] Speaker A: Having gone through the journey that you went through, even going back to Missouri when you were working on the damn railroad, bro. [00:14:55] Speaker B: For sure. 100. [00:14:57] Speaker A: You grinded to get here, dog. [00:14:59] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, No, I definitely have. Like, I've done a. Like. Like, if I look back, I'm like, really? I really have done, like, kind of a lot of. But I mean, it. The whole railroad thing taught me a lot about grinding and just, like, being able to stick it out, and I traveled a bunch of doing that, too. So coming into the music thing, I was used to flying around and never being home and all that already, so it's just. It is. It is cool. Like, you have a path that you have to take. Yeah. If you kind of, you know, let God do his thing with you and. And trust that. Trust that process, man, and it'll. It'll do it in a cool way, you know, you get to experience it, really. [00:15:37] Speaker A: Now, what's the juggling act of balancing the radio promo with being on tour with one of your best buds, Mr. Tucker Wetmore? Like, you've been. You've been on the road doing shows as much as you've been on the road doing radio tour, and you got. And you got your. Your amazing woman back here in Nashville. Like, balancing that in life, man, is something I don't think a lot of the fans realize. How do you keep all that together, man? [00:16:00] Speaker B: I don't know if you. I don't know if you do. I don't know if, like, you really, like, you can just. I mean, as long as you, like, you keep your. Keep your, like, your friend group close and you make sure you're hanging around the right people and you have a good team. I think that kind of takes care of all of the craziness, you know, being able to come home and, you know, have a normal life as normal as possible, and, you know, you can kind of turn it off a little bit. That's kind of. I think that's the key, you know, for sure. When it comes. When it gets like, this hectic and crazy where we're really not home. [00:16:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:16:32] Speaker B: And we're also not like, the biggest thing ever, you know, so, like, you're kind of just, like, in this weird middle part, just trying to just grind a whole lot. Yeah. I think just. Just making sure you got the right people around you and a good team, that that means the whole world, I think. [00:16:47] Speaker A: Yeah. How much have you learned now, being on the road and how cool is it for you getting to watch Tuck Right, because that's been your guy. And another. Another winner's losers story of you guys kicking it and hanging out. I remember you and he telling the story of getting to know Tuck. I'm telling you on the patio, right? [00:17:04] Speaker B: Bars in Nashville will change your life, man. You got to. You got to go hang out and do the thing. But, yeah, dude, it's been. It's been amazing. You know, just watching. Honestly, getting to watch him do all of this kind of in front of me has been amazing. Just number one, because he's a solid ass dude. He's an amazing guy. He's a great businessman and he's. I mean, he's just all around solid, solid dude. And he does a really good job. And I've learned a lot, you know, kind of watching him go through the process before, you know, I was, you know, and he. He sets a really good example, I think, for country music and just on how to do this thing the right way. I think he does a really good job with that. So it's been. It's been awesome. And also I'm like, that's my fucking dog. He's just sold out 10,000 people, you know, And I'm like, damn. And then he brings me out to, you know, do a song with him. It's just. It's been a lot of fun. I'm very blessed to. To get to work with that dude for sure. [00:18:03] Speaker A: And that, to me, is one of the best parts about country music because, I mean, you see it a little bit in other. But you don't see it as often as you do here in Nashville, where it's like, guys and girls, they bring their homies up with that. I mean, you look at the. That tree of what FGL created with bringing Morgan and Hardy and Earn and Red and those guys up. And now for Tucker to be bringing you along for the ride, like, and give you the opportunity to play in front of a crowd that's there for him, and you're getting fans out of those 10,000. [00:18:35] Speaker B: That's. Yes. I think that that is what country music is. [00:18:37] Speaker A: It's always been like, it's a family, bro, for sure. [00:18:39] Speaker B: You've had, you know, Cash, Waylon, you know, they did the same thing. And I just, I think the fact that, you know, we're kind of keeping it rolling, and I think that's. That's important for country music because, dude, at the end of the day, everyone's homies and buddies and, like, hanging out before anything for anyone knows who anyone is. Seriously, you know, so like, when once everything goes, it just. It kind of looks like, oh, man, these guys are like the perfect thing. They like, came together and they're like friends in all reality. Like we were, you know, running around spending our last dollars on, like, trying to get another beer at, you know, Red Door, you know, so it's. It. I think it just kind of works like that in general, but it's dope, man. It's been fun. [00:19:24] Speaker A: Yeah. 20, 26. What a year, dude. [00:19:26] Speaker B: It's been insane. [00:19:27] Speaker A: What a year, bro. [00:19:28] Speaker B: Been crazy. And it's like, it's not done yet either. We got more. We got a bunch more shows. We got Zack, John King. [00:19:34] Speaker A: Yeah, bro, that tour, I was looking at some of the rooms you guys are going to, cuz. Cuz like, have you gotten to do a lot in like the club level or has most of it been like the smaller amphitheaters in these bigger rooms with Tuck? [00:19:46] Speaker B: Right? Yeah, it kind of went. Yeah, we went straight into the. Like, when he started having me out, that was the first. That's the only tours I've been on was. Was with him and they were like, you know, two, three thousand cap rooms off the bat. [00:20:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:20:00] Speaker B: So like, when Zach reached out, you know, to. To have us out, I was so pumped. And I'm also a massive fan and [00:20:06] Speaker A: what a great guy he is, dude. [00:20:08] Speaker B: Another guy ever. That's what I'm saying, dude. Everybody's so solid. [00:20:11] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:20:12] Speaker B: In. In country music and just. I'm. I'm very blessed to get to work with. With these guys. I'm pumped about these shows with him though. This new record. Have you listened to that new record? [00:20:21] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:20:22] Speaker B: Fire. [00:20:22] Speaker A: It's so good. [00:20:23] Speaker B: Absolutely. Fire. [00:20:24] Speaker A: It's so good. And I love how he's like how. Cuz his. I remember when he first came on the scene and he had. He had had a rock band back in Athens, Georgia, and I was like, how's he. I remember him saying, like, he was trying to figure out how to. How to do what he was doing down in Georgia and tie it into what he's been learning here in Nashville. And he's blended it all together so [00:20:43] Speaker B: well and like, sonically, the music is. Is so sick. And weirdly enough, we actually. I signed with my publishing company or I signed my first pub deal. Shoot, when was it? 20, 23, I think. No, it was at the end of 22 and then Zach actually signed to the same publishing company in 23, so we were signed to the same pub comp. Yeah, like early on. And writing songs early on together. So it's just been another one of those crazy full circle things. [00:21:13] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm looking at some of these rooms. One of the things I love, I like, I like the streaming services for a lot, but one of my. Obviously they don't take care of the writers like they should. And that's another. That's a whole other podcast. But what I love is that they. The way it's synced up, where you can look up events to where you're going on the tour. And you're going to like the Texas Club in Baton Rouge, bro. You go to stage up in Pittsburgh. Brick street in Oxford is freaking awesome. The Rave Eagle Club, you're gonna get to see the Mac Miller Pool. [00:21:40] Speaker B: That's the thing I like that is the. You. You've been to more venues than. [00:21:45] Speaker A: And so like former tour manager, bro. [00:21:48] Speaker B: I'm like, you, like just going through that? Like, I didn't know that that was the pool venue. Oh, bro, I will shit my pants. [00:21:55] Speaker A: Sick. Dude. They take you on like the Ghost tour to all the creepy shit, dude, [00:22:00] Speaker B: I shit my pants. [00:22:01] Speaker A: Yeah, no shit. We're just shitting our pants out here. Milwaukee is awesome. Like, you're going to get some good cheese curds there. The Mercury Lounge in New York City, bro. Yeah, I don't know if you've. If you heard. So that room, it's like, it's a very small room, but it's the. It's a rite of passage and it's kind of like a room like the. Like the OG basement where it's like they do multiple shows in a night. So I've been there before and it's like right on Houston Street. Like. What do you mean? [00:22:26] Speaker B: Like multiple shows. [00:22:27] Speaker A: Like, they'll have like a 7 or an 8 o' clock show and then they'll do like an 11 o' clock show and it'll be a completely different format. So, like the crowd will get filtered out and then another crowd will come in. So like I remember seeing. I remember seeing Luke com films in there in freaking 2016, bro. And then afterwards was like an EDM or like some weird, like. Like they'll have like an indie like. Because New York, it's weird. [00:22:48] Speaker B: It is. It definitely is. [00:22:49] Speaker A: You get everything. So you'll have like, I've gone there to see like a southern rock act. Like my friend Hannah Wickland played there. And then after it was like some weird like underground hip hop thing, you know? And it's like you can buy if the next show hasn't sold out. You can get the ticket for like a discounted rate and just stick around the whole night. [00:23:07] Speaker B: That's dope. [00:23:08] Speaker A: But it's just a small room that like, everybody. That's everybody has played for sure. So you got you going in there is going to be awesome. Smith's old bar down Atlanta is freaking awesome, dude. Like, these are some great markets that you're going to get to experience 100%. [00:23:22] Speaker B: And like the whole ride of passage thing, like, that's. I'm excited about that. Yeah. [00:23:25] Speaker A: What are you doing in. In Los Los Paradis? Los Cabos. Oh, dude. [00:23:31] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:23:32] Speaker A: That's this week. Yeah. [00:23:33] Speaker B: Where Country Splash. It's a. Oh, that's right. [00:23:35] Speaker A: I was talking with my boy Travis about that. [00:23:37] Speaker B: Yeah, it's gonna be sick, bro. I was. I was. I think they booked. They. They might have. I think they booked Tuck. [00:23:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:44] Speaker B: And then, then they. They sent us the offer too. And I was like, dude, this. I was like a festival in Cabo. [00:23:52] Speaker A: We got pitched it just a little too late because we've been going to all these festivals. I got my little brother's bachelor party this weekend, which is gonna be awesome. It's gonna be cool. I'm excited for that. He is 28. [00:24:02] Speaker B: Oh, dude. [00:24:03] Speaker A: So. And he's like New York City, like, works on Wall street, so it's the boys party hard. So, yeah, I'm gonna be. I'm gonna be like sober big brother, where it's gonna be. It's gonna be fun, dude. So that's gonna be good. But yeah, that one, it looks like it's at like it's on the beach and then some of the sets are like by the pool. So it's like Key west vibes. [00:24:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:24:21] Speaker A: You're gonna be doing like, at an all inclusive, like, similar to what Luke does with the crash. My play and stuff. So. Dude, you're gonna have like. Oh, you are built for a festival. [00:24:30] Speaker B: I'm gonna get this. This festival tattooed on my back. [00:24:33] Speaker A: You were built for it. [00:24:34] Speaker B: But I'm bringing my dad, like. [00:24:36] Speaker A: Oh, you're bringing. [00:24:36] Speaker B: My dad's never been to Mexico and I've been to Cabo a couple times just with like for like, I think like, we went for a wedding and Heath actually goes down there quite a bit. So we've been down there with. With him and his family and. But yeah, getting to take my dad down there and also like, play a show in Cabo, it's gonna be crazy, bro. [00:24:53] Speaker A: Yeah. Because when I think of like the guys that Are the kings of the Key West Songwriters Festival. I think of you and he, like, dude, and you guys. I remember having you gu. Had island dogs. And what's fun is our. We don't. We haven't been able to go the past few years because we've been. We've had other festival obligations that same week. But Nikki T. Was putting together like, bootleg because those rounds weren't even a part of the official festival. We would just go down and we just knew everybody. [00:25:19] Speaker B: Yo, you want to play? [00:25:20] Speaker A: Yeah. We'd be like, we're down. We see you're down there. You want to. You want to come play and drink. Drink for free and just hang out. And I remember having you and Heath on around when Rocking a Hard Place went number one, like, it all lined up. [00:25:32] Speaker B: It was. We went down there and the song had been number one, like, for six weeks. It was the sixth week that Key west was. And I mean, we were just like, we are the. [00:25:41] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. [00:25:42] Speaker B: And then, like, I remember, like, another song went and rock fell off. We were like, but. [00:25:48] Speaker A: And that, to me is one of the best parts is like, if you have a song that's up towards the top of the charts or at the number one spot. Because I remember Taylor Phillips telling me this story of when Hurricane went number one and he was down there. Cuz that lined up back in the day. Like, there's something special about being somewhere tropical with your boys and just celebrating. And the Key West Saunders Festival. Like, I remember. I remember watching the moment Nikki T. Just did a video on it of like watching Ella down there, like four or five years ago I played. [00:26:15] Speaker B: The last time I was down there, we played a show together, me and Ella did. Now I can't. Even if I walk by her, she'd be like, she wouldn't even know who the I am. [00:26:22] Speaker A: It's wild. [00:26:23] Speaker B: She probably would. [00:26:23] Speaker A: Yeah, she's. [00:26:25] Speaker B: Yeah, she's amazing. [00:26:26] Speaker A: She's solid and great. [00:26:29] Speaker B: What a crazy. Like, I'm so pumped for her. [00:26:33] Speaker A: Yeah, dude, it's wild. I mean, I remember when I was out the ddid. I remember when she was traveling in the van with me and Trey Lewis, Bro, for real. You got the papa gotta keep it on. Shout out to Trey and Mitch and the Pawpaws boys. [00:26:47] Speaker B: I try to keep one on all the time. [00:26:48] Speaker A: We gotta get you one of our. We did a collab hat with them. I don't know if you have that. [00:26:51] Speaker B: No, I don't. [00:26:52] Speaker A: Paul line. It's the Pawpaw's critter control and it's got a raccoon on it, and it says Race Rowdy on the side. [00:26:57] Speaker B: Okay. [00:26:57] Speaker A: It's like a green. That. That same sty. [00:26:59] Speaker B: Like, do you have one laying around? [00:27:02] Speaker A: I will. We'll get you decked out and some paw paws. Critter control. [00:27:07] Speaker B: That's what it's all about. [00:27:08] Speaker A: He was like, what about this? I was like, yes, that's perfect. [00:27:11] Speaker B: You guys are so good at branding, dude. I truly love it, man. [00:27:14] Speaker A: It used to be we would just get high and just be like. We call them ideas, bro. Like, our Butt Rock night that we do, which we're looking at doing another one October 25th, we're going to call it Butt Rocktoberfest. And it's gonna be at Live Oak. And it's the tribute to, like, Creed and Biscuit, Nickelback, all that. We keep that going and the memes still roll with that page. Now our new phase. I don't know if you've been so busy, we weren't able to. To relay it to you. We did an event. What was it, like, two or. It was the week. It was the Sunday at the beginning of CMA Fest. We did our first Bro Country Night. [00:27:46] Speaker B: Dude. [00:27:46] Speaker A: I saw at Odie's. [00:27:48] Speaker B: I saw. [00:27:48] Speaker A: And it was electric because it's like you have all these kids that move to town now, and it's like, they don't quite. They're. They were born in, like, 0405, so they don't remember Limp Bizkit 99. They don't remember Nickelbacks. All the right. All the re. All the right reasons. I'm like, oh, my God, they missed. They were born when Lipsum and Angel came out. So Butt Rock's a little too old [00:28:09] Speaker B: for them, for real. [00:28:10] Speaker A: But they know every FGL. [00:28:11] Speaker B: For sure. [00:28:12] Speaker A: They know those first three, which is Brian Record. That's. [00:28:15] Speaker B: That's their butt rock 100, dude. And. And like, now, like, it's the crazy things going on. Tick tock. And like, everyone is like. Like, I see people covering anything goes. [00:28:24] Speaker A: Yeah, bro. [00:28:24] Speaker B: And I'm like, this is sick. [00:28:26] Speaker A: I feel old 100. [00:28:28] Speaker B: I'm like, damn it. But I still. I love it so much. It makes if. When I hear it, I'm 16. Yeah, that's the cool part. [00:28:33] Speaker A: So next. Next time we do that, we'll definitely let you know. Even. Even if you just want to come and crush some surfsides. [00:28:38] Speaker B: Like, it's because I will go. [00:28:40] Speaker A: Everybody got in bit, too. Like, all the. All the guys were wearing, like, jorts. Like, I Brought my cut off Brantley Gilbert BG Nation shirt and had people wearing it. Like, we had the cut off, like Wallen style flannels. We had. We had kids. We. Cause we like cosplayed all the kids at odys. Like, it was awesome. Like, just having people belt back barefoot blue Jean knight and country girl. Shake it, dude. [00:29:04] Speaker B: I would have had the night of my life, bro. [00:29:06] Speaker A: Yeah. And we. We were trying to get Fireball to sponsor it. We're going to try and do that on the next go around. That's going to happen. I'm like, Fireball, they all need like this. [00:29:13] Speaker B: This is what, like, made Fireball. [00:29:16] Speaker A: Fireball. Yeah. [00:29:17] Speaker B: These songs fgl, bro, they might as well had a Fireball jet. [00:29:22] Speaker A: Are you excited? Are you excited for that come back? [00:29:25] Speaker B: 1,000%. 1,000%. I'm like, I mean, obviously, you know, they're everyone, you know, Tyler and Brian are amazing writers and, like, I don't know if they'll like, do projects or whatever, but, like, have you got. [00:29:37] Speaker A: Have you gotten to work with either of those guys? [00:29:38] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've worked with. I've worked with Brian. I haven't got to work with Tyler, but we're at the same label. So, like, I'm just waiting for that moment to like, hey, man, I really love all your stuff. It's truly changed my whole life. And just like, whisper it. Maybe like, buy him and like, try not to freak him out. But no, and. [00:29:55] Speaker A: And they're. They're part of the. Part of that family, the. The chief tree, if you will. You've gotten to be a part of. As a collaborator and as a writer. Dude. [00:30:05] Speaker B: 1000. [00:30:05] Speaker A: Which. How wild is that now that for like, you met Bailey when he was a kid. [00:30:10] Speaker B: 1,000. [00:30:10] Speaker A: Like, when he was. He wasn't even old enough to get in the bar. [00:30:13] Speaker B: No. Nope. He really wasn't. And yeah, that's. It's just crazy, man. It's crazy to look back and like, just kind of be like, damn, we've. We're still doing this and like, everyone is. Is rocking. It's been. It's been freaking awesome, dude. [00:30:28] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:28] Speaker B: Dude, Bailey's crushing. [00:30:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:30] Speaker B: I've had a second or not a second. Number one. I think it's. [00:30:33] Speaker A: I think. I think it was five or six. [00:30:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:30:35] Speaker A: And Heath was on that one. [00:30:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:30:37] Speaker A: Chevy Silverado. [00:30:38] Speaker B: It was Heath's second number one. That's where I was going. But yeah. Chevy Silverado. Dude. Shout out. Great song. [00:30:43] Speaker A: I mean. And how does it feel now to have. I mean, You've. As an artist, you. You broke the. The first week AD record at country radio, and then you've got number one songs as a writer. [00:30:54] Speaker B: Yeah, I. I don't know. I'm just. Just like. [00:30:56] Speaker A: Do you even think about it or do you just keep your head down and just keep going? [00:30:59] Speaker B: I'm kind of just. Yeah, I don't really focus too much on it. I'm glad that, like, that those things have happened. I've got to, like, do stuff, do those things and, like, have number ones and, like, the record breaking thing was crazy. But at the end of the day, you know, like, I think I just want. I want it, you know, I want to play big shows. I want to sell tickets. Like, that's kind of like really the chase, I feel like, is like getting out there and like, being able to put on a really solid ass show and, like, feel good about that. [00:31:25] Speaker A: At the end of the day, how does it feel to see your name on a flyer for Red Rocks? [00:31:29] Speaker B: That's another ridiculous thing. So you can't really focus on it too much. [00:31:33] Speaker A: No. [00:31:34] Speaker B: The hell. [00:31:34] Speaker A: It's crazy because that's not until October. Now, when is that show in relation to the EP coming out? [00:31:40] Speaker B: It. The EP comes out before the show. Okay. So I think the EP is the 23rd. [00:31:45] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah, that's what it says. Good job knowing the dates. How about the team is happy. [00:31:50] Speaker B: I'm dialed. Dude, I'm dialed. I care about this now, but, yeah, I think it comes out. I don't. The bad part is I don't know what day we play Red Rocks, but I know the EP comes out before the 27th. [00:32:00] Speaker A: Also, it's right. It's. That's right after. [00:32:02] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. So, like, it'll be cool to. And the. I don't know, it's just gonna be freaking nuts. And, like, it's with the dogs. So, like, that's just gonna be a freaking crazy night. [00:32:12] Speaker A: What a week that's gonna be. It's gonna be the least week into Red Rocks with Tuck, and I'm pretty [00:32:17] Speaker B: sure I'm in Vegas for like, three or four days. [00:32:19] Speaker A: Yeah, that's right. I saw Vegas on the list. Yeah, dude, Speed soldier. [00:32:23] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm gonna just lock myself in a hotel room. [00:32:25] Speaker A: No, you're not. [00:32:26] Speaker B: No, no, you're not going to. We're gonna celebrate. [00:32:28] Speaker A: What do you. What do you. What do you like doing at a casino? Because you're from Missouri, where casinos are a thing. [00:32:33] Speaker B: So, I mean, honestly, I didn't really, like, grow up gambling A whole bunch. But I have, you know, found. Found a love for some of it. But I honestly kind of suck at gambling. I like. [00:32:45] Speaker A: Well, it's designed for us to lose. [00:32:46] Speaker B: Yeah. 100%. Like, I won't go into detail on how bad I suck, but, like, what game fluctuates? [00:32:53] Speaker A: What do you find yourself on the slots tables? [00:32:56] Speaker B: I love, Like, I love roulette, and I wish I was a better blackjack player. But, like, honestly, I get to having too much fun. And, like, I'm not. I won't. I just. I. I won't be paying attention, and. And I'll just be screwed up. [00:33:06] Speaker A: That's why they feed you the. The comp tricks. Those servers are on. They're with it when they. They just go around. [00:33:12] Speaker B: I'm like, I'm getting two at a time, and I'm just crushing them. [00:33:16] Speaker A: You don't know how to add to 21. You get. You get enough doubles in you. Literally, I'm like, how do I break this? [00:33:22] Speaker B: For sure? And then there's a. There's a threshold where, like, you. You need to. You know, I'm like, there's. It's too much. [00:33:28] Speaker A: There's too much going on. [00:33:28] Speaker B: I'm asking questions the whole time. People probably hate playing with me. They're like, can you get up? But no, I definitely. We'll do a little gambling. For sure. [00:33:37] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:37] Speaker B: I love it. [00:33:38] Speaker A: Have you gotten to do the award show thing yet? [00:33:39] Speaker B: Dude, we went to the. We went to ACMs this year, and that was in Vegas. It's just. And it has been, I guess. [00:33:47] Speaker A: And it was in, like, Dallas. [00:33:48] Speaker B: Yeah, Dallas. It's been Dallas the last few years. So it was back in Vegas, and, like, everyone's raving about how fun it is in Vegas. And it was. But I lost my ass as far as gambling goes. But it was so fun. [00:34:00] Speaker A: Yeah. And getting to be there with. [00:34:02] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:34:03] Speaker A: I feel like our class is what's at the top. Right. [00:34:06] Speaker B: For sure. [00:34:06] Speaker A: Like, our class has all grown up. Because I think about, like, you and I. I moved here October of 18. You moved here in 19. Ella moved here around that time. Dylan Marlowe moved here around that time. Like. Like all the guys and girls that came just before the pandemic and slightly after. That's who's at the top of the charts right now, bro. [00:34:25] Speaker B: It was. [00:34:26] Speaker A: It's our classes all, like, we've all graduated. [00:34:28] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:34:28] Speaker A: Where we're at. [00:34:29] Speaker B: Kind of like. It's kind of like everyone went to, like, a different high school and then we all got to like, go. We all, like, had to play in the championship or something. Everyone was like, in the same spot in Vegas. You know, you're just like walking around like, oh my gosh, what's up? I haven't seen you in forever. Has everything going. [00:34:42] Speaker A: Have you had like an oh, shit moment where you've gotten to meet somebody that's like an og, like at one of those kind of things and you're both. You're both a little sauce? [00:34:51] Speaker B: I'm trying to think. Well, yeah, for sure. Like, I would have to say, like Brothers Osborne, like tj and like getting to meet. Like, I wrote with him, but, like, he's such a gangster. Like, and just like getting chopping up John are awesome. Two of the gnarliest big dudes. [00:35:08] Speaker A: You're a big dude. You're probably eye level one up at. [00:35:10] Speaker B: They're tall, dude. TJ's taller than I am. [00:35:12] Speaker A: They're taller than you. [00:35:13] Speaker B: Yes, bro. And I'm like, number one. They're like, I said I'm big fans of them, but like, those are some massive dudes. And then Big John just crushing the guitar. He might as well break the thing in half. So it's just, It's. Those guys were cool to get to meet them and like, those guys actually chop it up with me and be like, hey man, like, how's everything going? And I'm like, guys, are your autograph. No. But like, it's been cool to. To get to meet some people like that, man. For sure. [00:35:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:41] Speaker B: That. [00:35:41] Speaker A: I remember their early records, like 21 Summer. [00:35:45] Speaker B: I've. I've got a song on. On their upcoming project. [00:35:51] Speaker A: Oh, really? [00:35:51] Speaker B: And sick. Dude, I'm so pumped to hear what they are doing cuz I mean their music's always just been sick as hell to me. So I'm excited to definitely get to hear what that project. [00:36:02] Speaker A: What's been like the wildest cut where you're like, holy, this guy the wall. [00:36:06] Speaker B: And cut like, dude, yeah, like when. When. When Morgan cut that song out and [00:36:09] Speaker A: which record was that on again? [00:36:11] Speaker B: On the last. Last one. It was on. On his last. Last album. And yeah, dude, for. I mean, his. Just where he's at and like his. The size of what he's doing. [00:36:21] Speaker A: It's cultural. It's bigger than country music. It's hundreds. It's like a hundred thousand people a night up to that in a stadium. [00:36:28] Speaker B: Yeah. And just like. And it's. That's just normal at that point. So like, yeah, when he. When he cut Jack and Jill, that was like. That was like a holy moment. Because, I mean, like I said, he's one of the. In my book, definitely one of the greats. And, you know, to be a part of something, like, that's pretty. Pretty special. [00:36:45] Speaker A: Did you write that song? Like, was that. Was that, like, a writing camp song for that project, or was that just you and some homies? [00:36:52] Speaker B: It was booked, right? Me, Jared Mullins, and Ned Cameron at. At Ned's studio. And it was. I think it was the first time I'd ever worked with Jared. And we were tossed around stuff for, like, an hour. Just couldn't really get on anything. And then, you know, I kind of. I think I'd had, like, a start to something that I brought in, and we were kind of messing with it, but didn't really go anywhere. And I, like, stepped out for a second, and when I came back, you know, Jared was like. Ned's like, hey, Jared, tell him. And Jared was like, man, what if we just, like, do this, like, life story of, like, Jack and Julie, like, actually, like, write it about this? And we kind of used the thing that I brought in to start it off, and then we wrote half a song, and then Jared let. Jared had to leave, and so we were like. Like, this is actually pretty dope, actually. Is this dope? Like, is this too dark? And then we got back together in two weeks and wrote the rest of it, and it got even darker, the back end of the songs, even, you know, so. And then, yeah, Morgan. Morgan ended up taking it. But that song was two years old by the time the record came out. [00:38:00] Speaker A: Wow. [00:38:00] Speaker B: So, like, it. It hung around and, like, stuck it out. So, like, the fact that it made it on there was even cooler. [00:38:05] Speaker A: I'm like, yeah. [00:38:06] Speaker B: All right, let's see. [00:38:06] Speaker A: How do you balance the. Jacob Hackworth, the writer, like, out there to. You always want to get song cuts to now Jacob Hackbert, the artist who's releasing bangers. And, like, how do you. How do you pick and pick and choose? Like, do you know, is it, like, kind of set up to where, you know, on that day you're writing for you as the artist and it'll get laid out in that type of way? Or, like, how do you balance that? Because that's something I've always kind of wondered with guys that are massive writers of artists. [00:38:34] Speaker B: It's. It's tough. I mean, I. It's kind of. It's actually one thing that, like, I'm still. I'm still trying to figure out. I feel like, because you Know, used to, you know, I was going in and we were just like, let's write. Let's write the best song we can. Like, if we have a focus point or like something we can go off of, then, yeah, we'll chase that for sure. But, you know, now going into, you know, to write for me, I think we're just going in there trying to. We're still doing that, like, trying to write, but like, there. It also has that other side of things where you're like, well, I want this to like, make sense for something. You know, I want it to be a thing and not, you know, because you can write a million sick ass songs. But if it's not cohesive with something that people can understand, I don't feel like it does the right thing as far as, you know, putting out music as an artist. So, like, I'm still trying to figure out how to, you know, pick and choose and decide, you know, what is what. Yeah, I think if we're going in and writing for someone else, we're writing for someone else. [00:39:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:32] Speaker B: And like, I think you have to know that pretty. I think one of the best people to listen to that about is Hardy, because I've, like, listened to a lot of podcasts and like, him talk about his process and stuff. And, you know, he, like, he. He decides pretty quickly, like, this is either for me or, like, we're writing this for somebody else. And so I think that's the. That's the biggest key. But it's hard because you're like, damn, I don't know at the end of the day. So you got to just kind of make your mind up on it. I'm sure I'm still figuring it out. [00:39:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:59] Speaker B: At the end of the day. [00:40:00] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, it's cool you mentioned Hardy because I've known your. Your guy in the corner over there, Sam. And I remember. I remember the Hardly was it hardly the. The bit back in the day. So me and your manager, Sam, we go back to during COVID summer of 2020, going to house parties together. [00:40:18] Speaker B: I did not know this. [00:40:19] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I've known. I've known Sam for a while. That was like before I'd met Trey and Ella and then. And we were hanging out with. He actually just played our rowdy on the rail. Our buddy Matt Gorman. [00:40:28] Speaker B: Yes, dude, the man. [00:40:30] Speaker A: And Matt was. Matt was playing baseball at Lipscomb at the time and had all of his. Was. They were living in a house together, all these guys on the Lipscomb baseball team in Green Hills. And we Used to have, like. I wouldn't quite call them ragers because they weren't ragers, but they were definitely not, like, small. They were definitely not like, they were party. They were parties. They weren't. [00:40:49] Speaker B: Yeah, they kick back. [00:40:50] Speaker A: They weren't. We were kicking back and smoking upstairs. But it was like, I got to know Sam through that. Dude, I want to ask, like, what's it been like having a team around you? Because Sam's been with you for a minute now, right? [00:41:02] Speaker B: Yeah, dude, We've. We've been together since, you know, the beginning. He. We became friends when I moved here and then just were hanging out and like, you know, I was going over to his crib and we were writing songs and, you know, partying and just doing what, you know, young ass dipshits do. And then he started work. He started working with a guy named Kos Weaver. [00:41:25] Speaker A: Yep. [00:41:27] Speaker B: Who owns the company Goat island, which is the management company that I'm. That I'm with. And Sam, I think you hit me up and we're just like, yo, send me a comp. [00:41:37] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:41:37] Speaker B: And I was like, I don't know what a comp is. I was like. I remember like, asking people like, dude, what is a comp? And they're like, just like, send him like five songs. I'm like, oh, okay, cool, cool. And like, I said, him sent him some songs and he played them for Kass. And then Cost was like, hey, this is really cool. And we started kind of meeting up and talking and having some meetings. And then we had rock and a hard place. And, you know, we. They were like, all right, let's do it. Let's sign that. Let's sign this deal. And yeah, we. I signed with. With Goat island and boom. For publishing. And then Sam pretty much like, legitimately started working with Goat island around that time. Because you were like, interning for a minute. Yeah, yeah. Mowing grass, intern again. [00:42:23] Speaker A: The grind, bar back bouncer, lawn care. Like, that's what you do 100%. [00:42:27] Speaker B: And yeah. Then, you know, when I signed, Sam, like I said, started working with costs legitimately. And we've been doing that since day one, so it'll be almost five years. Wow. [00:42:41] Speaker A: It's so important to have that. That ride or die and have that in your corner. Oh, yeah, you get. You've. You've got that. Where you've got a whole frickin team around you. Like, how great does that feel to have a label that's supporting you to the point of. [00:42:55] Speaker B: Dude. [00:42:55] Speaker A: Of helping your song, your debut country radio do what it did. And to have a booking agency that's getting you out there like you've got. Because usually it's like one arm on the octopus of what's helping for sure isn't quite doing it. But it seems like all the arms are behind and 100% together. [00:43:12] Speaker B: Dude. I've been very, very blessed with the people that, that I've. That I've gotten to work with and I get to work with like as far as, you know, my management team. And now I'm with, I would say the best label in town. Everyone, everyone's great. [00:43:26] Speaker A: There's a roster over there. [00:43:29] Speaker B: Everyone that works over there is. They're. They work their ass off and they truly give a. Like, that's the. And that's one thing that we fell in love with early on is like I could tell that they genuinely cared about me and they loved what I did and they felt like we could, we could do something special. I think that's where it all stemmed from. And then the Neil Agency. [00:43:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:49] Speaker B: Also the, like it doesn't get any better. Yeah. Like I'm super blessed to have the people around me that I do for sure. [00:43:57] Speaker A: And they, they let you be you because someone. Such an important thing is like, you're the boss. [00:44:02] Speaker B: Oh, my publicist, she's. She's amazing. Don't let me forget. Don't forget Quinn. Shout out Quinn. [00:44:08] Speaker A: I love one of the best. [00:44:10] Speaker B: I couldn't leave her hanging right there. I went through everyone and then just didn't even mention. [00:44:13] Speaker A: But such a big. All right. But such a, such a big part of it is like you're responsible for starting the fire. And then their job is to pour gas. [00:44:21] Speaker B: Gasoline for sure. [00:44:22] Speaker A: The flame that you've lit. [00:44:23] Speaker B: Yep. [00:44:24] Speaker A: You know, dude, and they're letting you start the fire for sure. Letting you write all these songs like put out what you want to freaking put out. [00:44:31] Speaker B: They are, dude. [00:44:31] Speaker A: And they're just dumping gas on it, bro. [00:44:33] Speaker B: They're crushing, dude. And I'm. I mean I yeah. Definitely owe them a lot of. A lot of love and respect for what they're doing for me. And we got a long cool ass road. [00:44:42] Speaker A: We're just getting started, bro. [00:44:43] Speaker B: Bro, it's gonna be the rocket's like [00:44:45] Speaker A: not even at the moon yet. Like it's still just. It's getting out of the atmosphere to where you're going, bro. [00:44:49] Speaker B: Oh yeah. [00:44:50] Speaker A: You're going through the whole damn galaxy 100%. [00:44:52] Speaker B: Once we get up there, everybody's gonna know. They'll be like, oh, they already know, bro. [00:44:55] Speaker A: Your song's being played on a freaking 128 radio stations right now. They know. [00:44:59] Speaker B: Yep. I think I looked. I think we're at 35 this week on the chart, so, like, it's still climbing. And I mean, we're. We're going and playing. We're playing every single thing that we can go play. And I've always told myself that's what I wanted to do if I ever got the opportunity to do it. And I think that that goes a long way too, and. Or just, you know, building this thing from the ground. [00:45:18] Speaker A: Have you been to all 48 of the continental United States by now? [00:45:21] Speaker B: Dude, I think I've. I have to have been, at least. I think I haven't been to Alaska. [00:45:27] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. [00:45:27] Speaker B: That's so the content. [00:45:28] Speaker A: Yeah. The continental. [00:45:29] Speaker B: Like, not. [00:45:30] Speaker A: Not counting Alaska, Hawaii, and whatever Puerto Rico is. [00:45:33] Speaker B: It took me a second to figure out what continental. [00:45:35] Speaker A: Yeah, it's okay. [00:45:38] Speaker B: But yeah, I definitely. I think I have for sure at this point. Like. Like, obviously, like up north. Like, there's a lot of states up there that, like, I don't even know. [00:45:47] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:45:48] Speaker B: Really. Where anything is. [00:45:49] Speaker A: And they're all close together. [00:45:50] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, you could go through two of them accidentally. [00:45:53] Speaker A: I feel like Rhode Island's small. [00:45:55] Speaker B: For sure. For sure. So I've definitely probably been. Been. Yeah, I have. [00:46:00] Speaker A: Is there a. Is there a spot around the country that you, like, the first time you went, you're like, man, I. With this place, dude. These folks are rowdy. Or these people. [00:46:09] Speaker B: Like, probably one of the dopest spots was. Was Minneapolis, Minnesota. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. I really got to think hard about this. I'm not geologically. But you're. [00:46:23] Speaker A: But yeah. When you're going and going, like, it all starts to. Slowly. [00:46:26] Speaker B: For sure. [00:46:26] Speaker A: What was it about Minnesota? I'm guessing you went in the summer, right? [00:46:30] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, well, it was. It was like spring. It was earlier this year, and I think it was like we were just coming out of like, real cold. But, dude, like, they. They partied, bro. Like, yeah, it was. There's a place called the Armory. And it's like. It's. It's an old basketball, like. But they turn it into like, like a venue. And so like, everyone's on the floor and then you have just a few people, like, on the edge. [00:46:57] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:46:57] Speaker B: But it's just like loaded. And I don't know if this place had like 15 bars in it, but it had a lot of bars, like, all the way around it, and everyone was just hammered and just ripping and, like, I was brand new, but, like, the. Everyone was with the music, and, you know, the flashlights came out and everything. It was. It was. It was a really cool show. But, yeah, definitely Minneapolis. That was a fun one. [00:47:18] Speaker A: That's sick, dude. Yeah. I love getting up there in the summertime because those folks, like Minnesota, Wisconsin, north and South Dakota and Idaho, like, that whole region, they only have a couple months a year of. [00:47:30] Speaker B: Of great weather, and they take advantage. [00:47:32] Speaker A: Oh, bro. I mean, there's a reason there's a million and one country music festivals in the state of Wisconsin. [00:47:37] Speaker B: That's nuts. [00:47:38] Speaker A: Wisconsin has the most country. How many festivals? I think it's like. It's like 25 or 30 country festivals in the one state. They're like, every weekend there's. In the summer, there's like, multiple festivals going on in that state, dude. And it's a. [00:47:51] Speaker B: They. [00:47:52] Speaker A: So they go out there, dude. I mean, and all of them sell really well. [00:47:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:47:56] Speaker A: And they just party. Nobody can drink. Like an upper Midwestern. [00:47:59] Speaker B: There is no doubt about that. [00:48:01] Speaker A: And they're. That they're the happy folks. [00:48:02] Speaker B: For sure. It's a good time. [00:48:03] Speaker A: See, you don't see fights and stupid shit up there. [00:48:06] Speaker B: For sure. [00:48:06] Speaker A: Like, they're like, we only get a couple months of this warm weather. We got to get drunk and enjoy music, and we're going to celebrate together [00:48:12] Speaker B: for sure, you know? Yes, dude. I'm definitely excited to, like, get into the festivals and like, hopefully, you know, next year we get to play some of those and start playing a more and. Because, I mean, dude, like, just even the, like, Yalls videos of, like, y' all just going out and tailgating and, like, hanging. [00:48:27] Speaker A: If we line up at the same festival at some point next year, because what we have, we've. We've grown with Razor Audi to where we get some street cred now, so. Oh, yeah, they. We. We have, like, it's not quite a rider, but it's like a list of, like, hey, it'd be cool if y' all gave us this stuff. And it's like a spot like. Like, not quite a green room, but like a trailer for Ike to edit in for us to get out of the sun, like, keep some cold drinks, keep my cigars, all that kind of. But they give us a golf cart now at, like, 95. [00:48:57] Speaker B: That's the. That is the money. [00:48:58] Speaker A: And then what we would do is, if we were at the same festival, I'd shoot. Shoot you, Sam, a text, and we'd figure out what time of the day would be best and I'd get you out there with the people, bro. [00:49:07] Speaker B: I love it. [00:49:08] Speaker A: And, and the content that you get and the, the joy on no matter how, how early in the day, like what level of opener or headliner an artist is, you get them out into the wild. [00:49:18] Speaker B: Yes. [00:49:19] Speaker A: Out in the gen pop, bro, with the, with the public. Those people get wild for sure. The tailgating and the campsites are so much fun, dude. [00:49:28] Speaker B: It's, it might be, I might like that part more than the show and then that, to be honest. [00:49:33] Speaker A: And like, there's so many guys and girls that have built that as a part of their brand. Like the, like a guy that I think of when I think of like folks that get out there with the people on the golf carts is Dustin Lynch. [00:49:44] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, dude. [00:49:45] Speaker A: Dustin has built a brand over the last 15 or so years of. If he's at a festival, him and his guys will have a cart and they'll get out there and they'll be on the beer pong table, they'll be on the flip cup game, they'll be playing dizzy bat. They'll be doing whatever like they, they [00:49:59] Speaker B: a good time, man. [00:50:00] Speaker A: And that's. And, but that's what connects you with the fans for sure. You know, and that, and then fans have that moment and they're going to ride or die with you 1000 forever. They're going to be like, I, they're going to be like, I shotgunned a beer with Jacob at XYZ Festival this year. Like it's important for life. And they go, they buy the merch. They're going to want like the meet and greets. I'm sure you do those, right? [00:50:20] Speaker B: Yeah, of course, of course. Definitely as many. And however long it is, I will do it. [00:50:26] Speaker A: It's the wildest thing you've signed so far, brother. [00:50:30] Speaker B: Man. I don't know. I try to keep. Everyone keeps it pretty kosher with me, but yeah, I mean, and I'm, I'm probably not ripping like, I'm probably not signing anything I shouldn't. [00:50:41] Speaker A: Okay. [00:50:41] Speaker B: You know. [00:50:42] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:50:42] Speaker B: So like, it's been pretty straight with me, but definitely have been offered to sign who knows what. [00:50:48] Speaker A: Yeah. Because I've asked that recently to like the Lakeview Boys and to Hudson Westbrook and they had the same answer. They both have signed prosthetic legs. I have their shows. [00:50:57] Speaker B: I haven't signed a prosthetic, like fake. [00:50:58] Speaker A: Like, like, like prosthetic legs. [00:51:01] Speaker B: Still trying to get her prosthetic Leg. [00:51:02] Speaker A: I know. That's. That's what you get to, like. Everybody has signed a Zincan at this point, you know? Or like. [00:51:07] Speaker B: Yeah, of course. [00:51:08] Speaker A: Signed. Sign an arm. What's been, like, the wildest interaction of, like, like, folks, really, whether. Whether it's on social media. Tattoos. [00:51:15] Speaker B: The. The, like, tattoo of, like, a signature. Like, a sign. Sign an arm and, like, got it tatted. And I'm like, damn. Like, this is my third show I've ever played, and you want to get like. I was almost like, are you sure you want to get that tattooed on you? Like, you don't have to do that. And they did. Wow. I was like, holy, that's sick. [00:51:34] Speaker A: That's. That's how you know you're building those. Ride or dies, for sure. [00:51:37] Speaker B: Yeah. No, it's. It's definitely awesome to see because, I mean, dude, I was a fan first. [00:51:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:51:41] Speaker B: So, like, to get to, like. I know how that feels like in it. It is the shit to get to be on the other side of it and, you know, get to see somebody light up, because, I mean, that was, like. That was what I wanted to do is, like, go meet an artist, like, go watch him play a show. And so, like, to get to do it is sick. [00:51:58] Speaker A: Yeah, man. The world's a wild place, especially right now. So the fact that you can be that beacon of joy, whether they're. Whether they're streaming the song, they're cruising around listening to any of the radio stations that are playing your song right now, or especially getting to watch you live, and they can Forget about the BS that they're dealing with with their 9 to 5, their life, their ex, whatever. And you, during your set are given that, right, bro, there's nothing better. [00:52:22] Speaker B: No, that's what it's all about, Truly. It is. It is the only. It is the biggest reason why anyone should want to do this. Is that right there for sure. [00:52:30] Speaker A: What was the concert that made you want to. Want to really get into this, dude? [00:52:34] Speaker B: Aldean Big Green Tractor Tour. I think it was. I'm not sure, but it was. Yeah. I was like, 9 years old, and I watched him play. [00:52:42] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:52:42] Speaker B: And I was like, yeah, I want to do that. I just didn't know if I could rock the pocket chain. And, like, his. His. His jeans that he. That he rocks, like, they have to be tailored. Have you seen those jeans? [00:52:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:52:54] Speaker B: Because those fit perfect. [00:52:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:52:56] Speaker B: And I've never seen anything. [00:52:57] Speaker A: It's that, bro. Country arrow, bro. [00:52:59] Speaker B: 100, dude. It's on it every time. He looks the Same fits apart. Yeah, but definitely Aldean was the first one that I was like, holy, that's wild. [00:53:06] Speaker A: Was that one of your first shows that you got to go to? [00:53:08] Speaker B: Yes. [00:53:09] Speaker A: Also that was like the first concert. So I was eight. I think I was eight or nine when I went to my first show. Was Tim McGraw pre. Pre sobriety McGraw. So this was like 2003. [00:53:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:53:18] Speaker A: And this was like the tour when he was doing like the. What Eric Church did a few years back where there were no openers and it was like a three hour set. It was like when. When Real Good man and all those songs were coming out, bro. And I remember going to that one with my mom, my aunt, my grandma, who were all massive. I was like with three generations of like, motherly figures in my family that are all love Tim. We were like on the floor. And then I was in school the next day with like a glow stick. Tired as in the third grade. [00:53:44] Speaker B: With a glow stick? [00:53:45] Speaker A: Yeah, with. With a Tim McG. Dance Hall Doctors. [00:53:49] Speaker B: Yes. Dude. I mean, that was like. I don't know. Everyone's had one of those concerts and like, they're. They are crucial to your life. [00:53:57] Speaker A: Life. And now folks are gonna say that about some of the shows you've gotten to be a part of. [00:54:00] Speaker B: Man. [00:54:01] Speaker A: 100, which. That's gotta be such a cool feeling. I want to go back to some of these venues that you're going to kind of give. You coach me up on them. [00:54:08] Speaker B: Because you know, the game. [00:54:09] Speaker A: The Ranch in Fort Myers, bro. That place is. [00:54:12] Speaker B: I have played that place. [00:54:14] Speaker A: You have played that. [00:54:14] Speaker B: That was like one of the first times when I opened up for Tucker. That was at the Ranch, I'm pretty sure. Right? Is it outdoor? [00:54:21] Speaker A: No. So it's indoor. [00:54:22] Speaker B: Never mind. [00:54:22] Speaker A: It's indoor. It's like an 18. 1800 cap. [00:54:25] Speaker B: Oh, no, no, no. Yes. [00:54:27] Speaker A: Green room has like a bunch of signatures on it. It's like. Like a. Like the walls don't go all the way up to the ceiling, so you can hear how the crowd is sounding out there. Okay. When somebody else is playing, that's a. Like Florida folks are just different. [00:54:39] Speaker B: So, yeah, I played. I didn't play that venue, but I went and watched the Cameron Marlowe tour [00:54:45] Speaker A: and then the Baton Rouge show at the Texas Club, bro. [00:54:48] Speaker B: The Texas Club. I heard gnarly. [00:54:50] Speaker A: Everybody that's. Everybody's been there. Like, Garth played the Texas Club. Kenny played the Texas Club. McGraw played the Texas Club. Aldean, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Morgan, like, everybody. The Foot and what they do is they're one of those venues that has all the old posters and has all the old photos. [00:55:06] Speaker B: They keep it all. [00:55:06] Speaker A: Like, it was one of the spots, like, the 70s 80s, where, like, they would have, like, the obscure. Like, like, like. Like the jello wrestling of, like, the 70s 80s. Like the midget wrestling. [00:55:17] Speaker B: Wrestling. Like. [00:55:17] Speaker A: Yes, the random. The random. Like, it's a staple. [00:55:21] Speaker B: I'm pumped, dude. [00:55:21] Speaker A: Of the club circuit. [00:55:23] Speaker B: It's like Texas club. I'm getting to, like, play where some people that, like, have. I've literally been obsessed with, you know, as a younger guy I've played. I'm, like, pumped. [00:55:32] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. And. And it's. And it's got so much history. Stage AE in Pittsburgh's beautiful. It's right out, dude. [00:55:37] Speaker B: And I wasn't gonna get to play that one. [00:55:38] Speaker A: Really. [00:55:38] Speaker B: I've been in Pittsburgh a million times this year for, like, just radio stuff and hanging out mountain and. And they're like, man, I wish you were gonna get to play that. And I wasn't supposed to play it. And then we wound up getting to play it. And so everyone's pumped to get up there. [00:55:50] Speaker A: Yeah, that's right by the stadium and right by the casino. Right on the north shore, which raised rowdies where raise Rowdy started in Pittsburgh. That's where Nikki T's from. So. Yeah, that you'll have. You'll have some Razor Audi folks there, for sure. [00:56:01] Speaker B: I'll make sure. I'll rep. I'll rep the game. Yeah. [00:56:03] Speaker A: And then Brick street in Oxford is like, one of the best college bar. Top five. [00:56:07] Speaker B: Yeah, we were talking about that. [00:56:08] Speaker A: Top five college bar in the country. Those kids go nuts. [00:56:11] Speaker B: I'm pumped. [00:56:12] Speaker A: They go ape. [00:56:13] Speaker B: Like, I will go apeshit. [00:56:15] Speaker A: They. [00:56:15] Speaker B: They. [00:56:16] Speaker A: They are like. It's. It's like you're playing to, like, a rat. Like a rabbit base in there. Like the. They have a barricade, but they are right on. They are right on. Like, you're. You're gonna be in it with the people. Yes. [00:56:27] Speaker B: I think I'm playing those shows solo acoustic, too. So it's just me and a guitar. Not that one. Okay, cool. I'm. I'm pumped about that. I'm pumped to get to play acoustic, but that would be a good. [00:56:38] Speaker A: Like I was saying with Milwaukee, you're gonna have a ball. And the tour that they give you, because it used to be. It was like a Polish social club or something. And then underneath, there's a tunnel system that I haven't been in. I don't know if you can go in it, but it connects to the hotel across the street. And that was one of the Jeffrey Dahmer hotels. [00:56:57] Speaker B: What? [00:56:57] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, like, Dahmer. Dahmer has history in there. There's a lot of. Like, the ghosts in that building are real. Like, you. You. [00:57:06] Speaker B: I'm gonna have to carry a flashlight. [00:57:08] Speaker A: Oh, no, no. They have them on the tour. Like. Yeah, yeah, they give you. They give you. They give you like a tour of it. You get to go down by the pool. And it's one of those venues that has. I think they have like three or four venues within the building. So, like, they'll be sick. There's a ballroom upstairs. There's a club room that. There's one club room that's like 1500 cap, another one that's like 3000 cap. The upstairs, I think, is like 8 or 9000. And then there's like a bar room that's like 750 or like 500. [00:57:36] Speaker B: That's crazy. [00:57:36] Speaker A: I got to do that with Muscadine in 2019. And we did like the 500 cap room. While we're doing that, Galantis, like, the EDM DJ was upstairs in the ballroom. So as we're loading out, you see, like, you just see the building shaking. Muscadine Bloodline, Port Swing, angel downstairs, Galantis rave upstairs. And that's just a Thursday in Milwaukee, bro. [00:57:57] Speaker B: 1,000%. Dude, that is so. [00:58:00] Speaker A: So you're going to get to see, like, you are getting the. The alt like you were talking about. Those are size rooms that you haven't had the opportunity to play yet and you're getting. And what's going to be so cool is you're going as an opener right now, and then you get to go in there as a headliner dog. Like, that's the. That's what you do for sure. You get introduced and then you get to go back and do your own show down the road. [00:58:19] Speaker B: Yeah, dude, I'm. I'm pumped, man. Like, just the fact of getting to play these shows and like, like you said like it. To hopefully build that fan base and get to go back and. And rock it more. Like, it's just gonna be so sick. Yeah, dude. So. [00:58:31] Speaker A: So we're. We're sitting right at like a little under two months from the. From the project coming out. What do you hope people get from your first project? Like, what do you take away is from people? [00:58:41] Speaker B: I think. I mean, it would just. Let me see. I think I would want them to get what I got from the songs that I came up on and that I fell in love with. I think that's the whole goal with, if anything that I put out is, you know, for someone that anyone's going through anything or needing a second to just, you know, check out, I think that that's what I want the music to do is just give, give them that, that little minute or three minutes of time where you can kind of just like separate yourself from whatever bullshit you got going on and, and just kind of lock in and enjoy some solid ass country music. [00:59:15] Speaker A: Amen, brother. Amen. Now what's something that you would tell if you could go back to 2019, tell that kid that got the call that he's got that bar backing job in midtown over at Losers. What would you tell that kid about where his life's going to be seven years later? [00:59:31] Speaker B: I'd be like, don't. Don't change anything that you're doing. Just keep doing what you're doing and you're going to be really, really excited and really happy. [00:59:39] Speaker A: And then lastly, what advice would you have for that kid moving from a small town like West Plains, Missouri, to [00:59:44] Speaker B: pursue this dream, hang out in midtown and play all the rounds and build a good friend group and trust Nashville and trust the songwriting stuff and yeah, just pretty much trust Nashville because it's going to take care of you if you let it. [01:00:01] Speaker A: Yeah. If you're a good person, good things will happen. [01:00:03] Speaker B: 100. [01:00:03] Speaker A: Just don't be an asshole. [01:00:05] Speaker B: It's easy, dude. It's an easy thing. Have fun and get drunk and party and work your ass off and be a good dude, good girl, good whatever. And you're gonna be just fine. [01:00:15] Speaker A: Hell yeah, dude. Well, I appreciate you so much coming on here and hanging. Thank you for always being like, when folks, when we get to tell folks like who can't who's who. Some of the early goers were like on our rounds like the OG Rowdy on the Row on Sundays in the round like our key Key west happy hours. We love telling the stories of, of you, Heath Van Houten, like all the OGs. We've gotten to be lucky enough to have play Raise Rowdy Stages. And thank you for always being such a great ambassador to our brand. And we love it, bro. I can't wait to be talking to you when. When the single goes number one, dude. [01:00:47] Speaker B: I'm pumped. [01:00:47] Speaker A: It's coming. [01:00:48] Speaker B: We'll have to come back and hang, bro. [01:00:49] Speaker A: We definitely will. We'll have to go out for a night in Midtown. You got the OGDD here, I'll make sure everybody gets home safe. [01:00:54] Speaker B: That's what I'm saying, man. I need, need it. But dude, thank you man for having me. [01:00:57] Speaker A: Always, always, man. Appreciate you. Y' all be sure to check out our boy Jacob Hackworth. Be on the lookout for the new project. What took you so Long? Coming October 23rd and get your tickets, get out there, see the homie on the road, go buy those meet and greets and go check them out at the merch table and get out there, see our boy Zach, John King, our boy Tucker Wetmore and go stream I want to quit. That's out right now. Call up your local radio station. It's still works like that. They pick up the phones when you call. It works, it very much works. And tell them you want to hear what took you so long. Cuz it is all over the country at nearly every country radio station. So shout out to our friends from Surfside. No bubbles, no troubles. I'm going to send you home with an eight pack of those so you can enjoy them on a boat day. Take them on the road with you. [01:01:41] Speaker B: I had a few yesterday. [01:01:42] Speaker A: Perfect. [01:01:42] Speaker B: Hell yeah. [01:01:43] Speaker A: That's great. So on brand and for more on us visit Razor.com for my man Hack, I'm Matt Brilliant. This has been outside the round [01:01:52] Speaker B: I ain't never been the kind for star one place for too long I ain't never been the best AT s I love you to a girl I love Only got a couple tricks on my sleeve they usually just make them leave so if you know me if you really know me you know I'm just a two trick pony but maybe the drinking.