Jay Webb: Faith, Family & Building Country Music's Next Outlaw Movement

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. Come on. This is Outside the Round with Matt Burrill, a rage rowdy podcast. What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of Outside the Round with me, Matt Burrell. Today, a good homie of mine, someone who I've gotten to become boys with this summer because we've been rocking the country together. It's my boy, J. Webb. [00:00:32] Speaker B: What's good, dog Brother. [00:00:33] Speaker A: Thanks for coming and doing this, dude. [00:00:35] Speaker B: Thanks for having me. Been a long time viewer and fan of this and it's. It's surreal to be here, man. [00:00:40] Speaker A: Dude, your show. What people? Cuz I'm doing like 15 festivals this year, so. And I. And we host events and we see all kinds of performances and everything and everyone's asked me, like, what have been some of your favorites this year? And every time that we've gotten to have you on the Razor Audi stage has been a highlight for me. I, Nikki T. Like our whole crew, man. [00:01:01] Speaker B: Thank you, man. [00:01:02] Speaker A: Your live show goes so hard. [00:01:04] Speaker B: Thank you, dude. Yeah, we like, dude, I've only been doing this for. Since summer of 2024, really late summer, like, first time I ever stepped on a stage. [00:01:13] Speaker A: So we're two years in. [00:01:16] Speaker B: Yeah. If. And we're winging it, dude. Like, I'm winging it. Like, when you say that, it makes me feel so good because I'm like, oh, thank God it didn't suck. Like every show I'm just like, did it suck? Oh, thank God it didn't suck. [00:01:26] Speaker A: You know, you're. You know who your crowd is for sure. And that last show in Ashland, Kentucky, bro. [00:01:32] Speaker B: Oh, dude, it was insane. It was insane. Yeah, pop a picture of that, dude. It was when I showed my mom that crowd, she said, oh my God, how did you not throw up? And I was like, dude, it just kept going, man. And it was, dude, y' all stage is so lit and it's like the perfect fit for what we do, you know? Yeah, man. [00:01:48] Speaker A: And I mean whether. Because I think we had the first one we had. John was in South Georgia. Was Bloomingdale, Georgia. [00:01:56] Speaker B: That's right. [00:01:57] Speaker A: Then we had tailgates. [00:01:59] Speaker B: Yep, tailgates was great. [00:02:00] Speaker A: Tailgates. It's such a cool festival. [00:02:02] Speaker B: Might be my favorite day of any festival ever. [00:02:05] Speaker A: Yeah. Because who else was out was. Jesse was on that one. [00:02:08] Speaker B: Yeah, Big X, Jesse. Cameron Whitcomb was great. I. I thought we did great. And then I watched Cameron run on the stage and do a backflip and I was like, well, some things, you know, you just gotta. You gotta let it be. [00:02:19] Speaker A: Yeah. Dude, and then Sioux Falls, South Dakota. And then. [00:02:24] Speaker B: Are we doing South Dakota? [00:02:25] Speaker A: I think. Were you guys in South Dakota? [00:02:27] Speaker B: Oh, it already happened. Yeah. No, we weren't there. [00:02:29] Speaker A: You weren't there. I thought y' all were at that one. That one was. Oh, that one was Atlas and Demon then. Yeah, I got it. [00:02:36] Speaker B: Atlas is so sick. [00:02:37] Speaker A: Yeah. And he's. And he's part of that. That Real American tour as well, alternating on the dates. But, dude, I kind of want to back up. So you've been doing this, you said, for. [00:02:45] Speaker B: Since summer of 24, live shows? Because I waited until I had a million monthly listeners to perform because I was scared. I was scared shitless. Like, I was so nervous. And I grew up performing for family and stuff, but every time, even back then, it was just like, my nerves, dude. Like, they. I bad anxiety and they just, like, would take over, you know? And so summer 2024, I told myself, if you get a million monthly listeners, you have to, like, do it, you know? And I had a buddy really pushing me to do it, and I was like, I guess I gotta do it, man. We launched a headline tour, opened up for Chase Matthew at the same time, and just ran it. [00:03:26] Speaker A: Dude, that makes a lot of sense that your first opening slot was with Chase. [00:03:29] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:03:31] Speaker A: Shows are similar, that it's high energy. And I can tell that you picked up on some things of. Because Chase commands a crowd like nobody else. Like, he's one of the best doing it right now. Yeah, dude. [00:03:42] Speaker B: He, like. I watched him walk out for the first time, and I was like, oh, they're just like, glued to the way that he moves stuff. Then, like, watching Jelly on this last tour, we opened for Jelly, and it was like a. Even another level of just commanding a whole, you know, amphitheater of people. And it just blows my mind, dude. I'm just, like, sitting back there taking notes. Yeah. [00:04:03] Speaker A: What was that first show that you did? Remember where it was with Chase? Whether. Whether it was with Chase or one of the headline ones? [00:04:10] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. It was a festival in Kentucky, so. Crazy story, actually, it was supposed to be in Colorado with my buddy Eddie and this guy, Noah Hicks. [00:04:19] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Two great friends shout out Eddie in the getaway. Noah Hicks. [00:04:23] Speaker B: Day one, that was supposed to be my first show. So we pile up in my pickup truck, me, my drummer and my sound guy and my girl, and we head up to Colorado. Dude, it was like a 25 hour drive. And then that shit got rained out, dude. [00:04:36] Speaker A: Oh, no. [00:04:37] Speaker B: And I was sitting there in this, like, green room trailer they had. And I'm just, like, down in beers. Yeah. And I can't keep beer down because I'm so nervous, bro. And I'm like, God, the. There's like, maybe 50 people out there. And I'm like, oh, shit. And I'd puke up to beer, and I'd be like, damn, dude. You got to keep something down. So, like. Yeah, I was just, like, nerves were coming, you know, And Eddie starts playing, and then they cut it because of lightning. And I was like, oh, thank God. So then I was like. Went out there on the stage to tell everybody, like, sorry, we can't play, or whatever. And they were freaking out and, like, screaming and wanting me to sign shit. And I was like, oh, this is, like, more comfortable than I thought it would be to be up here, you know? So that kind of eased me in it for the next show we had, which was in Kentucky, and it was like a festival or something, and we just played it, and it was badass. But, yeah, I drank a lot back then. [00:05:27] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. I mean, I want to talk about your story of coming up because I think part of what draws the crowd in is similar to Jelly, similar to Chase, similar to Brantley. To a lot of people. You sing songs for the underdogs. You sing songs for guys and girls that grew up like you did and had to struggle through some difficult chapters in life. So walk me through. I know you're from Coleman, originally. Spent time down in Mobile. [00:05:53] Speaker B: Yep. It's hard to say. Like, I always. I don't. I feel like I'm not. I feel like I'm just from Alabama. From Alabama, dude. I've ripped up and down that state. Me and my mom lived in 26 different homes before I was seven years old. [00:06:05] Speaker A: Wow. [00:06:06] Speaker B: So we moved about 20. We kept moving back in with my grandma, too. So, like, we moved probably 35 times before I was eight total. You know, just back in with her. New house, new trailer, wherever we could find that was cheaper, you know, because she was working, like, two jobs and she didn't have a lot of money. So then my dad lived in Mobile. So I would drive, or they would drive every other weekend, five hours down the interstate one way, just up and down, just so I could see my dad. And so probably put. I think we added it up one time. It was so many miles before I was, like, 16 and could drive, you know. But, yeah, so we moved so many times. And it being back and forth in Mobile, I feel like I have two hometowns, Coleman and Mobile. But I graduated from Mobile, met my wife in Mobile. Like, almost feel like more roots there, you know, but spent a lot of time in Coleman. It was just a struggle. Yeah. [00:06:57] Speaker A: Yeah, man. And I've gotten to know both of those places really well. [00:07:00] Speaker B: Really. [00:07:00] Speaker A: Years of Rock the South, and my first touring gig was with the Muscadine Bloodline guys. [00:07:05] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:07:05] Speaker A: So I know Soul Kitchen very well. I know. I think it's Brickyard or Brick. Brick something. There's a bar. There's a bar down there. I've been to Boo Radleys. [00:07:15] Speaker B: Boo Radley. [00:07:16] Speaker A: I've been out in. [00:07:17] Speaker B: Have y' all played the Sanger? [00:07:18] Speaker A: Yes. Yeah, I've been. I've been through. Through Mobile a bunch of times, and the original home of Mardi Gras. I know New Orleans claims it, but it is. [00:07:27] Speaker B: If you ask anybody from Mobile, though, it's Mobile. [00:07:30] Speaker A: Yeah. What was it like growing up down there? [00:07:32] Speaker B: It was cool. Like, I felt like there was a lot more soul in Mobile than, you know, North Alabama was very country, like, almost Appalachian. [00:07:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:07:41] Speaker B: You know, territory. My parents have different accents, both Southern, but just that little bit of space created different, you know. So Mobile, you have Mardi Gras, you have the beach. Like, I'm a beach bum, dude. Like, I love the beach. You have a lot of different, like, options with stuff to do to. Whereas North Alabama, you're, like, kind of throwing rocks at a tree. Like, there's not a lot to do there, but I love it, but it's, like, it's not the same, you know? [00:08:06] Speaker A: Yeah. And just the. The music that has come out of Alabama over the years, going all the way back to the Fame Studios, Muscle Shoals stuff, to country stuff, to rap stuff. [00:08:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:18] Speaker A: To rock stuff. I mean, you have so much. So, like, what did you grow up listening to and bumping everything, man. [00:08:26] Speaker B: I'll say. Johnny Cash was my first. Like, I didn't. I don't think I knew what an artist was until I saw Johnny Cash. I didn't get it. Like, my grandma would be listening to George Jones or, you know, Waylon Jennings or, like, even down to, like, very Vern Gosden. I don't know if you know who that is. [00:08:42] Speaker A: Yes. Oh, yeah. [00:08:43] Speaker B: Deep cut, but, like, chiseled in stone. That was my first concert was Vern Gosden. [00:08:47] Speaker A: Wow. [00:08:48] Speaker B: In Coleman at the Civic Center. Yeah. And he sold his merch, and he was just there by himself, and then he came down and sold his merch and signed stuff after. And, like, I think I fell asleep, but I remember him playing that Song. [00:08:59] Speaker A: How old were you at a Vern Godsden? [00:09:01] Speaker B: He was. He was old. [00:09:03] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:03] Speaker B: I was maybe five. [00:09:05] Speaker A: Wow. [00:09:05] Speaker B: Like, he was old, though. Like, barely able to do it, I think, you know? But it was sick now. I didn't know who it was then, but it was sick now. But, yeah, when I saw Johnny Cash, like, I think my grandma had some posters or, like, I don't know, cassette tapes or something. And I saw it, and it was like, him. Whatever it was, is him flipping the middle finger. [00:09:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:25] Speaker B: And I was like, I've got to figure out what this is. Like, this is attitude. Yeah, dude, attitude. Like. And I dove into it, and he, like, represented people that were not doing great in life, you know? And I think I just fell in love with that. And Kid Rock was an early inspo for me. Just, like, found the. My dad would jam the CD with Devil Without a Cause. It had these, like, two middle fingers like this. And I would always look at it, and I'd be like, huh. I wonder what that means. I didn't know what the middle fingers meant. You know anybody like, that was a little outlaw, a little gritty, you know, they really inspired me to Yellow Wolf [00:09:58] Speaker A: an influence at all. [00:10:00] Speaker B: I didn't really know. I feel like when I was growing up, maybe I was in middle school when he was popping, not too much, but now I love. [00:10:08] Speaker A: Because I know he's a Gadsden guy. [00:10:10] Speaker B: He's a Gadsden guy. Half my. My mom's family's from Gadsden. So, like, I don't think we really listened to much of that, like. But now I realize how much of an artist he is, and it blows my mind that I missed that somehow growing up, you know? [00:10:24] Speaker A: But you're carrying the torch that he was carrying as well. Like, you are, man. [00:10:29] Speaker B: I hope so. [00:10:29] Speaker A: You are. You are dud. I see. I've gotten to see it in different markets with. With these crowds where it's not just, like, people in their 20s rocking out like, it's little kids. It's old heads. It's a mix of everybody. [00:10:43] Speaker B: It really is. [00:10:44] Speaker A: Like, talk about what you think a J. Web crowd kind of kind of looks [00:10:47] Speaker B: like and feels like at my headline shows. Dude, it's. It really is all ages. It's. It feels like family. I never feel like I'm going out, having to impress anybody. It's very much people that, you know, struggled at some point in their life or have been through some kind of pain or trauma in their life, and they're just kind of all there. They generally like each other. Unless they're in a fighting mood, then, like, they will throw down and we have to stop the show. But it feels like family, you know, it feels like family. It's definitely. We have. We've seen it all. But to me, it's like therapeutic to be around people that also share the same trauma as me, you know, as weird as it sounds. Yeah. [00:11:30] Speaker A: And you were talking about your grandma and growing up in that broken home environment and having to move around a lot. How important was it to have a rock like your grandmother? Oh, it was great in your life. It was great being a grandma's boy. Cause I'm a. I'm a proud grandma's boy. [00:11:44] Speaker B: Are you really? [00:11:45] Speaker A: Yeah, man. I'm a proud grandma's boy. [00:11:46] Speaker B: I mean, I had. So I had both. I had two sets of grandparents. My. On my mom's side, she lost her dad when she was pregnant with me. My grandma had remarried. That's the only grandpa I knew on her side. So, like, that was basically my granddad, you know, and then my dad's parents were. Are still together to this day. So I had two sets of grandparents. So, like, I was having so much love from them. And they were listening to old music. I thought they were the coolest thing, you know, they were all my rock. And then when I met my wife in ninth grade, I fell in love with her grandmother. And she's tattooed on the back of my neck now. She showed me a kind of love that I didn't know existed, you know, I mean, just took me in and we basically, you know, live there. And she's got this little house out in the middle of the woods. It was beautiful, like on a river. And like, basically raised me as from a 15 year old to an adult, you know. And so I feel like grandparents have been like my angels in this life. [00:12:41] Speaker A: Yeah. And there's the love that a parent can give, and then there's the love that a grandparent can give, you know, and there's nothing quite like it, you know, Like, I try my best to keep in touch with my grandparents that are back up north, like, as best I can. [00:12:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:12:56] Speaker A: Like, and there's just the love and support that you. That you get from them is unlike anything else, man. [00:13:01] Speaker B: Dude, the tiktoks of like, grandparents, like, it'll be like some sob stories, like we leave the front porch light on for. Dude, they make me cry my eyes out, dude. I'll be laying in bed at night and it'll be like. And then I pulled into the drive and the front porch light was on. And I was like, why is yalls front porch light on? And they're like, just in case anybody ever wants to stop by. And I'm like, I'm like sitting there crying, like, calling my grandma at midnight. [00:13:25] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, dude. It's special. It's special stuff. So what led to you making the drive up 65 to get here to Nashville? [00:13:34] Speaker B: Yeah. So graduated high school. Made music for a long time. Made music in high school. Got made fun of. It was bad, to be fair. I say I got bullied for it. I did, but it. It was really bad. So, like, you know, it was kind of granted, like, not that bullying's okay. [00:13:51] Speaker A: What kind of. What kind of music were you doing? Were you like the local. The local rapper kid on Soundcloud or what? [00:13:56] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that and whatever. I woke up and decided to try that day. Like, it could be jazz. It could be. I know me and my buddy did a Jason Aldean cover, and we walked into school at Saralyn High School, and everyone was pointing and singing the song and just making fun of us and laughing. And I was like, oh, shit, it must not been that good, you know, like. But I made music for another probably eight years, you know? Seven, eight years after we graduated and just chipped away at, like, the art of it. I knew I could get good enough to do it. And then I moved back up to north Alabama, and I think it was. I met Eddie in the Getaway through a mutual friend, and he was like, dude, you should move up to Nashville. Like, we did a song together. I came up here and I was like, dude, this kind of. There's a lot more people up here doing this than in Coleman, Alabama. Yes. Like, I was just sitting in my room making music in the dark all day, like. [00:14:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:50] Speaker B: And he was like, you need to like, get around other people that are doing it. And I was like, I don't know, man. Sounds like a crazy idea. It's like, no, this is what you do. So we took everything we had, we packed it up, moved up here, and things took off. Started touring and stuff. After that, you know, things got better. But yeah, it's. It was only like a two hour move from where we were at. [00:15:12] Speaker A: Yeah. Coming from Alabama, that's what I tell. I tell people. You have talked about that with. With Gary and Chuck and with. With Ella and Trey and all the Alabama folks that I know very well. Like, I've kind of adopted Alabama as like my. My third or fourth state. Just Because I've spent so much time down there. And I'm like, yeah, like, you guys have us have a music scene down there. [00:15:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:15:33] Speaker A: But it's not terribly far to where. It's like, coming up to Nashville is easy. [00:15:37] Speaker B: It's so easy. Yeah. I used to drive up for the day, you know, shoot videos or whatever. When we did that song, I was like. He kept calling me. He'd be like, we need more content. And I was like, dude, damn, I just left yesterday. And he's like, I know, bro. Would you mind? And I'm like, dude, you come to me. We'll shoot here. So we just went back and forth. But I drove up here a lot and then was just like, I was lucky. I was very blessed because when I got here, I think I signed. I signed with my booking agency before I even moved up here. Booking and possibly my publishing deal before I moved up here, too. So I was very lucky either right. When I moved up or, you know, somewhere. But I feel like I talked to a lot of artists that are like, hey, man, I'm trying to get in with this booking agency or this publishing company, and, like, I know it's a grind, but I. I don't even know what to tell them because, like, they just reached out and I came up and it just worked out. [00:16:32] Speaker A: That's caa, right? [00:16:33] Speaker B: Yeah, CAA and then Sony for publishing. Yeah. [00:16:36] Speaker A: Great places to be. It's funny. Michael over at CAA has texted me. [00:16:40] Speaker B: Oh, really? Yeah. [00:16:40] Speaker A: He's like. He's like. He's like, man, look, thank you for doing so many videos with Jam. Like, bro, thank you for having Jay on our stage. [00:16:47] Speaker B: I know. I thought, dude, seriously, thank y', all, though. Y' all post so much that we did, like, these festivals. [00:16:53] Speaker A: We want to showcase the best experiences that happen on our stage, man. And you're one of those guys that, like. It's when I think of what Raise Rowdy is like. It started with Nick and I going to a ton of concerts. Like, we like to say front row or don't go. And, like, being in the pit. Like, I haven't been. I'm side stage during your shows just because the crowd is so full. [00:17:16] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:17:16] Speaker A: I'd have to be back at Run a House. [00:17:18] Speaker B: Yeah, you're always right. [00:17:19] Speaker A: But whenever. But whenever I'm at whenever. We're. Whenever we go over to watch the main stage acts, like, we're in the pit. Like, Ike and I, we go in VIP side. I don't quite get the gen pop, but, like, we're in. We're in the VIP IP side. Like, for Treaty Oak. I'm in there. Like, I'm getting hit with. [00:17:33] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:17:34] Speaker A: Like, I want to be in it. [00:17:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:17:35] Speaker A: So it's like, to watch, like, the live music part of it and the live show part of it is what made Nikki T want to start this. [00:17:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:17:43] Speaker A: And whenever we see a guy or girl or a band doing. Just getting people going, bro, like, we're going to talk about it, you know, [00:17:51] Speaker B: man, I appreciate it, dude. I don't even know what I'm doing or any. We just run out there and I just try to make people happy. [00:17:57] Speaker A: To me, like, to. From my perspective of watching your show, you come out and you fire everybody up right away down here. We got like, you get the crowd just going right away. And then there's moments where you're singing broken and you get the waterworks start going for people and you're getting them in their field. Then you hit them with type shit. And then like, it's. It's a roller coaster, man. And that, to me, is what the best shows are. [00:18:25] Speaker B: Yeah, me too. [00:18:26] Speaker A: Ups and ups and downs. You want to make somebody feel something. Every song, whether it's for sure hype, whether it's. It's like a rallying cry or whether it's something sad. [00:18:35] Speaker B: That's right. The worst thing that can happen is they feel nothing, you know, then you're not doing your job. If they just start indifferent. Yeah. Like, yeah, I love that. And it's been cool, like, to change that. We change the set each tour to a new theme. And, like, for the headline shows, you know, it's like a new thing. And this fall is our, by far our best. We have some crazy, like, dude, if it don't go viral on TikTok, I will be so shocked. Like, it's the coolest set we've ever had and we spent so much time on it, so. [00:19:03] Speaker A: Man. And the homesick tours coming up, you're someone. Shout out to your booking agency and your team because it is hard out here for guys and girls to get shows. And you've got, like. I think we were talking in Kentucky, you got. There was like, 50. [00:19:18] Speaker B: Yeah, it's about 50 this fall before [00:19:20] Speaker A: the end of the year. [00:19:21] Speaker B: Oh, before Thanksgiving. Before second week in November. [00:19:26] Speaker A: Second week of November. [00:19:27] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. I just told my manager. I was like, can you please just book however many shows? And Michael, you know, I told him too. I was like, I just want to leave and not come back. And they were like, okay, well, are you down to do shows on Mondays? And I was like, dude, am I breathing? Then? Yes, I want to do a show that day. Like, if I could do a show every single day, I would. Yeah, it's my favorite thing in the world. [00:19:50] Speaker A: Yeah. What is that feeling on stage? Like, because you were talking about, like, you've struggled with anxiety and you've been through some shit in your life. Just talk about how freeing it is, whether you're up there for 25, 30 minutes or you're up there pulling an hour, a 90 minute. [00:20:03] Speaker B: Yeah, dude. It's like, I thought it was gonna be so bad, like, with anxiety and stuff, but it's actually the only place I feel at ease, really. Like, when I. When that intro track plays and I hit the stage, nothing else matters for 25 minutes or for two hours, however long it is, you know, nothing else matters. And until we do the meet and greet, like, every show I go down, I meet every fan that I possibly can that's there. Then we get in the bus and. Or get in the rv and I'm just like. Then nerves hit or whatever hits. But during that period of time, it's like complete peace, you know? And I. I wish I could live there. I would put a bed on stage and just sleep there. It would be so nice. I'd probably get good sleep for once. [00:20:48] Speaker A: Yeah. Dude, that's crazy, man. Where have you seen, like, the crowds, like, being the. The best from, like, a headlining perspective? Like, where would you say your. Your key markets are? [00:20:58] Speaker B: Right. That show in Kentucky the other day for one. But Pennsylvania really murders. [00:21:04] Speaker A: Really? [00:21:04] Speaker B: Pennsylvania kills for me. Like, every time they show up, they show up in the rain. Like, we did this one show in the cold. It was probably 20 degrees in the rain. I forgot the name of the town, but it was Pennsylvania. Outside, we took our shirts off and just, like, got in the rain with them. It was freezing cold. They had a bonfire and it was going out because it's raining on it. And, dude, There was probably 400 people there. And this was like, I don't know, a year and a half ago or something. Just showed up and stayed, you know, I don't know something about it. Upstate New York kills. Where else? Kentucky usually kills. [00:21:42] Speaker A: Have you gotten to do any big shows down in Bama? [00:21:45] Speaker B: We did an album release show. We've played the Soul Kitchen a couple times. Two or three times we've played. Oh, we went with Jelly to Birmingham and Orange. [00:21:55] Speaker A: That's right. That's right. [00:21:56] Speaker B: Those were incredible, dude. I Felt like I did not expect the crowd to be full when I went on because I was like. I think I was direct support right in front of him, but I still expected it to be people. [00:22:07] Speaker A: Yeah. When you're opening, you don't. You don't expect anybody to be there. [00:22:10] Speaker B: But the feedback, dude. Like, the fans were all on their feet, like, cheering by the time we went off stage, like, for the last song and stuff. And I was just like, dude, I cried. I could probably cried three times for every Jelly show, like, on stage. I'd be like, oh, sorry. Shit. You know, it's just emotional, dude. Like, it's crazy. Like, I used to. We were living in Orange beach one time and he came. No, I'm sorry. Mobile Downtown. And he came and played the Soul Kitchen, like, before he really blew up. [00:22:39] Speaker A: Blew up. [00:22:39] Speaker B: Yeah. And we walked by and I was like, man, that's Jelly Roll. So badass. Let's just sit out here and just listen. Because I couldn't, like, buy a ticket or anything. Like, I was trying to scrape by, you know. [00:22:51] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:52] Speaker B: And to go from that shit. That was 2022, to, like, opening for him in 2026 at the wharf. At the Wharf. Yeah. Dude, is crazy. Dude, it's crazy. First of all, to see him go from that to the Wharf. [00:23:06] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:06] Speaker B: In that amount of time is insane. Then to, like, be direct support for him is crazy. Dude, never in a million years would have thought that. [00:23:15] Speaker A: Yeah. Talk about your faith and being a man of faith and someone that's been through a lot of struggles that we all see. The cross. [00:23:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:23:22] Speaker A: You and Jelly got in common, which I love that little bit you guys did about, man. I think the cross is a little too big. But. But talk about, like, having gone through so much shit in your life and your family going through so much shit, like, still having that. That faith in the man upstairs and carrying that with you, because you mentioned it on stage every night. [00:23:42] Speaker B: Yeah, I do. I actually. Yeah. I was raised Southern Baptist in church, but we went to a lot of. We went to Pentecostal churches, non denominational. It was never really about that, you know, and sometimes we just didn't go. Like, if my mom was, you know, dating a dude that just was an alcoholic, we just. Well, we ain't going right now. [00:24:01] Speaker A: You know what I mean? [00:24:02] Speaker B: Like, but it never altered or changed, you know, changed my faith because, like, I feel like once. Once that's inside of you, it never really leaves. But I. I prayed. I. I got. I was probably 10 years old and I went on my four wheeler. And I drove into the woods. This is like the most redneck shit ever. But, like, drove in the middle of the woods. And I wanted to do music so bad, and I knew that I wanted to do it at 10 years old. Like, I was like, there's nothing else that matters. I don't even want to go to school. Like, I want to do music. And I just asked God, like, if you could make this happen for me. Like, it was kind of like a deal with God instead of the devil, you know? And I was like, if you make this happen for me, I'll tell these huge crowds. It was like, he's looking down, he's like, yeah, buddy, I'm sure you will, you know, And I'm like, I'll tell every crowd that I'm ever in front of that you're the reason that I'm here and that you saved my life, you know? And I didn't even know really what that meant at the time. I was just, like, trying to bargain with God, to like, let me pop off with, you know, it was kind of messed up, but it. I was crying and stuff, and I was on my four wheeler, and then, like, I kind of forgot that that happened. And then, like, played my first show and it was probably late in the set or whatever, and I was like, had this moment and I was like, oh, my God, like, he did that. Like, this. This is happening, you know? So I just kind of made it a thing at every show to. To tell, to keep my end of the promise, you know, because I had kind of forgot about that prayer that. That whole thing happen. Just had that moment on stage of just that realization of like, oh, my God, he did this, you know, but he's done so many more impressive things for me and, like, really worked miracles in my life. I couldn't begin to even tell you the amount of things that God's done for me. If it wasn't for God, man, I would be long gone. Like. [00:25:48] Speaker A: Well, even. Even, like you were talking about you. You met your girl in the ninth grade. Yeah, that's not something that just happens, bro. [00:25:55] Speaker B: That's. We've been together 12 years. It's something I try to keep kind of protected and like a private part of my life and not blast, like, you know, everywhere. Not that she's not online or anything. It's just like, she's been so good to me, and it's been such a good thing that I don't want this world to, like, taint that, you know, But He. I also prayed for that. I prayed to find a wife, you know, that instead of having a ton of chicks or whatever could happen in [00:26:20] Speaker A: this industry, struggling or struggling on your own or something. [00:26:23] Speaker B: On my own. [00:26:23] Speaker A: Like, how important is it to have that rock and to have that privacy side of your life to balance what you're posting online and what you're giving to these millions of people that are following and listening to your music? [00:26:35] Speaker B: It's crazy. I wouldn't be here without her. She's my backbone. Like, she used to pay. She paid our bills for a while when I was recording in our closet. Dude. [00:26:43] Speaker A: Wow. [00:26:44] Speaker B: Like, I. For years, like, I, you know, I would chip in when I could. Like, I'd pawn a microphone or something and be like, here you go. Or do some things that I probably shouldn't have been doing and then give her money for that. But she paid our bills and kept a roof over our head while I recorded in the closet. And she had no. When I tell you this music was bad, bro, it was unbelievably bad. Like, and she's like, no, it wasn't. I saw it. Like, dude, there's no way. It had to be a God thing. Like, there's no way. But she did that. And so, yeah, I just. It's another blessing for him. [00:27:14] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's. And it's. To me, I love that it's on that private side, because it's like, I've got an incredible woman in my life, and she works at 9 to 5 and has a little. Has a little girl. Get ready to move in with her this fall. It's going to be awesome. [00:27:27] Speaker B: Congratulations. [00:27:28] Speaker A: But it's like, thank you. And she doesn't come out to any of the festivals. She doesn't come out to the events and stuff that I do every week. And it's kind of like I have my. My music side, and then when I. And then I get to get away from that and get out of that chaos when I'm with her and with her little girl. [00:27:45] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:27:45] Speaker A: And it's the best. And I imagine that's what it's like for you when you're with your old lady and you're with your dog. Like, it is. [00:27:51] Speaker B: It is. You saw him, right? [00:27:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:27:52] Speaker B: We bring the dog as my baby. Her name's Nellie. We've had her for eight years now, and she's a weenie chihuahua. [00:27:59] Speaker A: She was. She was having a little fun backstage. [00:28:00] Speaker B: Dude, she's lit. Dude, she is lit. Yeah, that's. That's. I. I love all that, man. I've never been interested in, like. Like, I guess the lifestyle that could come with this world. Like, I love a simple life, you know, I love. My goal is to move back to the beach, have a bonfire. Like, maybe, you know, if you got some woods, like, 10 minutes from the beach bonfire, and you go down there, you know, riding motorcycles, you know, do cool shit, you know. [00:28:25] Speaker A: Yeah, man. [00:28:26] Speaker B: Not the crazy shit. [00:28:27] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. I think it's because you grew up in such chaos that you're like, man, I can just have a simple good life. I can provide for the people around me, and I can do what I love and change people's lives with my music. [00:28:38] Speaker B: I've just craved peace, dude, like, forever. Even though the road is chaotic, if you came out with our crew for a day, you realize, like, we're actually a pretty tame. [00:28:46] Speaker A: You're very relaxed. [00:28:47] Speaker B: Like, it's so, like, categories on the bus. Like, we're very tame. [00:28:51] Speaker A: Yeah, you guys are very relaxed on that rv. But then when you get up there and play that show, you're putting on a spectacle. Oh, people. So it's like, during the show is the spectacle, and then the rest of the time can be chill. [00:29:03] Speaker B: Yeah, dude. Like, I love Travis Scott. I love Post Malone. Any, like, performers that, like, just, you know, create an experience. [00:29:12] Speaker A: And you were talking about Jelly. My first time seeing Jelly, I haven't gotten to see him in a minute, but, I mean, he's been on some of the rock, the. Some of the rock, the country. So I have seen him there. But I remember my first time seeing a Jelly show, and it felt like a sermon. Like, it felt like, what year was that? This was probably three years ago. [00:29:30] Speaker B: Okay. [00:29:30] Speaker A: At Tailgates and Tall Boys. And it was like he was just speaking to his people. And I didn't grow up like, the biggest Jelly roll fan in the world, but it just. It puts you in an experience. Like, it's a moment, and you're with thousands, tens of thousands of people in a moment, man. And I think anybody that can create an experience like that, that's a special thing. [00:29:54] Speaker B: So sick, dude. I feel like I owe so much to Jelly. Before I ever met Jelly, like, he came in looking like he looks like, you know, this vibe into Nashville and kind of chipped away and busted that door down for somebody like me to come in. Like, truly, I don't know what this would have looked like without him kicking that door. All the doors that he's kicked down, you know, even to. If I would have came up here 10 years ago and be like, I want to be on the radio. They'd have been like, we got some work to do. You know what I mean? Like, this ain't what we're. But he opened that up to where I don't think people think about it. But like, without him busting down all those doors, it would have been such a climb for somebody like me to be in this world and do this. So I'm grateful for that. And him and his crew were beyond. [00:30:45] Speaker A: They run. They run a. They run a business. Their structure, the way that, that his security team works, the way that the band is, man, like, it is. It is a. A rocket ship that they have all the doors latched down on and it runs like a fine tuned oil machine. You're gonna see that he's a very [00:31:03] Speaker B: smart, very smart guy. [00:31:05] Speaker A: Dude. He's an incredibly smart guy. He's a businessman. [00:31:07] Speaker B: Yeah. Extreme businessman. [00:31:09] Speaker A: Like, very smart. And I think you're going to see that. Have you gotten a lot of time with. With Brantley yet? [00:31:15] Speaker B: Not yet. But dude, just the little bit that we've, I mean, we've talked back and forth, you know, we got some stuff in the works and obviously the tour and stuff. But Brantley, so Brantley seems like a dude that's from my hometown. [00:31:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:31:27] Speaker B: Like, it's just the second we ever like, you know, messed around and was like, made some shit in the studio or whatever, he was like, I don't know how to explain it. It just seemed like somebody you knew your whole life, you know? So I just appreciate him, like, kind of opening up the opportunity for me and Jeff. It's a bunch of people that I looked up to, dude, are just like, [00:31:47] Speaker A: hey, isn't that the coolest part? Like when you get into create and be around and be in the same, like. [00:31:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:31:55] Speaker A: Same arena as you're both figuratively and literally. [00:31:58] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:31:59] Speaker A: As your heroes. [00:32:00] Speaker B: Yeah, dude. Actually, like. And I don't know that's. If somebody don't believe in God, always say, like, dude, just let me talk to you for an hour about the crazy shit that's happened to me in the last two years. Like, I felt like I couldn't have been 10 years ago, five years ago, further from this or anything going on in this world. Like, I, you know, if you, if I broke up with my girlfriend and then I'm listening to, you know, a Brantley Gilbert song. You don't know her. Like, I do. And I'm crying in my car. Like, to me that was somebody on the radio that was so removed from my life or anything. Like, I'm trying to just afford some McDonald's tonight, you know? And it was. The gap was so huge, and I have no freaking idea how this happened. Like, not at all. Like, I have no idea. [00:32:46] Speaker A: You've got people buying T shirts with your name and face on. [00:32:49] Speaker B: No idea how, like, all over the. [00:32:51] Speaker A: All over the world listening to your music. [00:32:53] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, I have no idea how we got the. We got the Jelly tour. We got these things, dude. I have no label. Like, my label is called J Web Records, and that's just because that's what I type in on the things when I release the songs. Like, no label. Like, no anything. I take the money I make from streams and I put it into the live and, like, because I'm building that [00:33:15] Speaker A: business now, you know? You know who did that was the Muscadine Boys. [00:33:18] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. [00:33:19] Speaker A: They're 100%. [00:33:20] Speaker B: Absolutely. Yeah. [00:33:22] Speaker A: They're independent, and they run their business. And my reason for bringing up Brantley after we were talking about how Jelly runs that, like, runs a good ship and a good business. Brantley's the same way. [00:33:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:33:32] Speaker A: They've been doing that for 20 years. Yeah, dude, you know, like, you're gonna. Dude, you're gonna love being on. I had him on here a couple weeks ago, and he was like, yeah, man, I'm an old head now. And I'm like, don't say you're an old head, bro. Like, I know you're an og. Like, yeah. And it's. It's there in the position now to bring guys and girls up like yourself, you know? [00:33:53] Speaker B: And they are. And they do it. And that's what's so cool about it, is that I don't fit in a lot of pockets or lanes within the mainstream thing. But, like, they're doing it, and I'm working hard to try to appeal to a wider audience. And it's just the fact they recognize it is really cool, man. [00:34:09] Speaker A: And I love what you're doing because it isn't quite in a certain box. [00:34:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:34:15] Speaker A: Like, right now is the time when all the flavors of country music ice cream are being consumed. You go to that. That ice cream store that is country music, and there's a flavor for everybody all freaking selling right now, man. And that's. That's the thing, too, is, like, you can have the. The industry behind you here in Nashville, but if you don't have people in Ashland, Kentucky, or York, Pennsylvania, or Dubuque, Iowa, or wherever, like, listening to your music and buying Tickets and investing in you. If the fans aren't investing, you don't have anything. And you might not have the big, huge team. You've got a great booking agent. You got your manager. You've got that side of the team, but you've got an army of people scattered throughout the United States of America that are going to show out and come out and support you and keep this thing going. I think that's more important than having the buzz here in town. [00:35:10] Speaker B: Me too. It is. And I love this town. And I've a lot of people, I guess, as I've came up, like, I've got some hate from some different outlets and stuff online that I have trap drums in my music or you know who I'm. You know what I'm talking about. The whole typical thing. Like, but I actually grew up on traditional country music. Like, I grew up on, you know, George Jones and, like, Hank Senior. [00:35:33] Speaker A: You got a Johnny. [00:35:34] Speaker B: Johnny Cash. [00:35:35] Speaker A: Johnny Cash on your. Your arm, bro. [00:35:37] Speaker B: I just, when I look. Look back at those things, you know, I'm like, johnny was on the pop charts. [00:35:42] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:42] Speaker B: You know, at the time, people were like, that ain't country. I don't know what that is, but that ain't country. So I try to remember that now. Even if people hate sometimes for the way we've been, the genres and stuff, it's just like, music to me is music. And if it makes you feel something, it's. It's good. [00:35:58] Speaker A: Amen, bro. Because I've never been, like, the biggest country rap guy in the world. Like, honestly. [00:36:03] Speaker B: Me either. [00:36:04] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And. But it's just. It's a way of expression. And like, something that this. This rock the country tour has shown me is like, man, I get down with some Demon Jones. Yeah, man. Sierra the rapper kicked ass over the weekend. Like, I've loved Colt Ford for years and his live shows. I'm like, yeah, man. And it's like, you get to see. It's just. It creates a. Especially live. It goes so hard. [00:36:29] Speaker B: It does. [00:36:30] Speaker A: Like, I'd say that genre goes harder live than it does in the recordings. [00:36:33] Speaker B: I think so, too. Yeah. What's crazy about country rap? People started, like, throwing that out there. And, like, some of the blogs with that stuff would put me in it. Some of them were just like, oh, this just country. [00:36:43] Speaker A: I think you're adjacent. I don't think you're in that. [00:36:45] Speaker B: I don't think I am either. I never grew up listening to that. Like, I didn't really. I mean, I listened to Colt Ford Brentley. Like, that was about as close as I got to country rap. All the other guys, like, I think they're so sick when I see them live. I just. I'm not really that familiar, you know, besides, like, Yellow Wolf now. I dove into his catalog, and he's. That's an artist, though. Like, that dude, that's an. That's a real artist, you know, I love. There's also a dude named Clever from Gadsden. [00:37:11] Speaker A: I know Clever. I've had Clever on this podcast. [00:37:14] Speaker B: Really? Oh, yeah. We did a song together. It's not out that. You should encourage him to. [00:37:18] Speaker A: Okay, I'll hit him up. [00:37:20] Speaker B: Yeah. So sick, dude. He's got one of my favorite voices in the world, though. Like, he's just a true artist, you know? [00:37:26] Speaker A: Dude. And it's. It's like you said, it's a good song, is a good song. [00:37:30] Speaker B: Just a good song. [00:37:31] Speaker A: Like, and it's the way that it's written. And I want to talk about some of your catalog where a song like Broken, I mean, Bury Me With Bourbons, of course, been like, for sure. And something that you close out the show with. But a song like Broken and this and the kind of like. Like, speech you say, like, what you say on stage before you play that song, like, at such a moment. So talk about writing that and kind of the emotions of getting that out and how it feels, playing it live every night to people that are going through stuff. [00:38:00] Speaker B: Dude, it's. It's one of my favorites to play. We played it since day one. You know, it was out before. I think I did my first show. But we. I wrote Broken about my childhood and about, you know, being raised by a single mom, all the struggles we went through, all these things. So I do, like, a spill every night and talk about that. But I remember when we wrote it. It's one of them. When we wrote, like, we cried. You know what I mean? Like, it's like, you remember? I remember when I closed my eyes, every song I've ever made, where I was, when we recorded it, when we wrote it, how we wrote it, everything went over to my friend's house. We. It was Thunderstorm. We come in. It's like 10am and usually I don't like to write it like 10am I like to write, like, nighttime and shit. And I was just driving over there. I didn't turn the radio on. I didn't do nothing. I was just, like, thinking about my life, and I was like, why have I never talked about any of the things or the pain that I felt of my childhood and things that I went through growing up. And how could we do that in a bigger way to where everybody could kind of relate to it, you know? Got there, probably wrote the song in two hours and cut the vocals that are probably all together. It took us three hours to make that song. And it's one of the most, you know, impactful ones that I've got. [00:39:11] Speaker A: Yeah, you're somebody that I would imagine has gotten a lot of very heartfelt and impactfulness messages on whether it's Instagram, tik tok, Facebook meet and greets after the show. Like, what have been some messages that have stood out to you from people? [00:39:25] Speaker B: Oh, dude, they. Sometimes. I'm not even going to lie. It gets dark and it's a lot to go to bed at night to if you read all of them. So, like, I try not to read too. Too many. Like, if I see that first line of that message, how you get the preview if it's dark? I. I'm like. Like, I'll sometimes get my wife to read it. I'm like, just let me know if this is because I feel I'm an empath. Like, when I was a kid, I would feel bad for this water bottle if it was sitting here too long. Nobody drank it. [00:39:53] Speaker A: Really. [00:39:53] Speaker B: Just an empath, dude. I had to go to therapy for it. I just really felt for everybody around me. I would look at my mom and be like, God, she's just struggling, you know, I just cry and I'm just, you know, weird ass. But yeah, so I try not to, like, get too attached to it. But like, at the shows, whenever they're crying and like, pouring their heart out about their stories or things they've been through, dude, like, I'll just start. We'll just start praying. Honestly. Like, we'll just. I've literally been like, all right, guys, let's. We're gonna say a prayer real quick. They're like, okay, we just circle up. Everybody smells like beer. They smell like alcohol. You know, we've just partied for an hour and a half and we're just like. All of a sudden, everybody's got their hats off and we're just praying in this group and they might be drinking over here, doing shots, but we're praying right here. I feel like prayer is the most powerful. And this fall, we're actually doing a new thing to where at the merch booth, you could submit a prayer request and we're going to read them on stage. You know, as many as we can get to, but. Yeah, that's awesome. I feel like there's power in, like, community and everybody gathering at one place, and I feel like there's power in it being at a bar or a club, you know, and not in a pretty church with everybody's dressed up. [00:41:04] Speaker A: You want to give sinners a chance to be redeemed. [00:41:07] Speaker B: Exactly. That's what I mean. [00:41:08] Speaker A: That just makes sense that he's a testimony to your. To your life and what you've gone through and decisions that you. That you've made or folks around you have made and your people in your crowd have made, you know, and give a chance for that fellowship in that community, man. And that's how you build those. Those die hards, man. You make. You make it something to where people aren't just coming for the music. They're coming for an experience, and they're coming to be with each other. [00:41:32] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's. It just. To me, it makes sense. Like, it. I always thought that I'm like, okay, like, Christian music is cool. I thought about doing that. I thought about going down that path after I was saved, and it changed my life. But I was like, what did Jesus do? Did he go to churches where people were already Christians? And, like, did he preach to his disciples that already believed in him, like. Or did he go out and find the sinners, you know? And, like, he can't save somebody. It's already safe. So, yeah, that's kind of my goal, is to lead everybody to him. That's. That needs him. [00:42:02] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, you get me fired up over here, man. I love it. Now, talk about. I know we've been in the studio working on some new music. [00:42:09] Speaker B: Yeah, we have. [00:42:11] Speaker A: So tell me. Tell me what you can about this project in relation to some of the songs that have been out. [00:42:16] Speaker B: I feel like I just fill everything out. Like I said, there's no label. There's nobody telling me. I can't. Like, I feel like this would be a great time just to air it out. Like, we're dropping an album in October. I don't know the exact date yet, but it's something we've been chipping away at and working on and getting right for a minute. It's gonna come out in October. We got singles leading up to it. Like, Echoes is gonna be on it. What you waiting for? All these that I've been dropping got a song with Brantley that's gonna be on it, which is so sick, insane. That's my favorite song in the record, probably. And yeah, it comes out in October. It's. I don't think I'm gonna say the name yet, though. [00:42:54] Speaker A: No, you don't have to do it, but just talk about where. Is it in a different. Any different direction or is it further along? Like, how would you describe it compared to all these songs? Because you've got a lot of music out. [00:43:04] Speaker B: I got a lot of music out. It's gonna be. I think it's 11 songs. Okay. So not a crazy amount. I'm already planning the next album after this, though. It's gonna be like 20. [00:43:13] Speaker A: That release bug has been. [00:43:14] Speaker B: Dude, it's bit me, dude. I just wanna. [00:43:16] Speaker A: Just wanna get him out. [00:43:18] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. I wanted through the catalog and see what's the biggest songs that we have right now that people gravitated towards. And let's try to throw one of each on this record like a new. You know, if it's broken, let's. We need to dig deep for one. You know, like, let's throw that on there. Let's throw a little bit of something that they've heard, but also try to make it better, you know, how can we one up it? How can we take Broken and make it even cooler? How can we take a song about God and make it even more powerful? You know? So just trying to beat what we've done already was the goal. And I think we did it. I really do think we did it. So I'm excited. [00:43:55] Speaker A: That has me stoked, man. [00:43:57] Speaker B: Yeah. Seven new songs in the set this fall. [00:43:59] Speaker A: Wow. [00:44:00] Speaker B: Covers, like. [00:44:01] Speaker A: Okay, speaking of covers, you covering Blue Strips. [00:44:05] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:44:06] Speaker A: Has been a highlight for a lot of the folks on the festival team. [00:44:09] Speaker B: Really? [00:44:11] Speaker A: They like a lot of the. Like all the. All the girls and guys that are, like, on the marketing and the social media team from the festival side are like, that's the guy that does Blue Strip. Like, we gotta. It has stood out because nobody. It's. Not many guys can cover a girl song like that, but Jesse's somebody that you identify with a lot. [00:44:31] Speaker B: Sure. [00:44:31] Speaker A: North Alabama. Yeah. Has been through some. And that. That song, just the way you and the boys cover, it gets. Oh, dude, everybody's so hyped. [00:44:40] Speaker B: Yeah. It fires us up. Dude, it was my favorite song. I think I played that the year it came out. I guess last year. Yeah, last year. So when it came out, it was just. All that was playing. I would just click repeat and it would just play all day. And everybody was like, dude, quit playing this song, bro. And then it would be the last song that played before we went on stage, then I was like, dude, this year we need to cover it. I bet people would like it, because I feel like the fans are kind of, like, similar. [00:45:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:45:04] Speaker B: So we did it, and it just popped off, dude. People love it. I enjoy it. [00:45:10] Speaker A: What do you think it is about Jessie Murph that has taken her on the rocket ship that she has? [00:45:15] Speaker B: I think she. That's a good question. Because everybody's just like, oh, you're a fan. They never ask why. Right. But I think in my opinion, and I'm passionate about this, there's not a lot of true artists anymore. Like, what I mean by that is, like, somebody that doesn't care about the social media. Like, if it pops off, great. If it's blue strips, great. But there's heroin that maybe didn't. But it's an incredible song, and she doesn't care who likes it. You know, it's. She has to make it for her, and she knows it. I mean, she's got to know it's an incredible song. But, like. And it will pop off and it will blow up because it's a great song. But she doesn't care about those views or about those numbers. She wants to push the boundaries. And I think not. Not enough people do that anymore. [00:46:02] Speaker A: Yeah. The man who Came Back is a song on that record. [00:46:05] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:46:06] Speaker A: That, like, the way. And kind of like how you let people into your life. Brantley's done this with his music over the years. Jelly's done it on a regular basis throughout his whole. His whole long career. Jesse is somebody that lets people in for her story about having. Having the messed up life at home. [00:46:23] Speaker B: Yeah. And nobody thinks about how uncomfortable as an artist that is to, like, live your regular life. Yeah. Making shit that you just aired out. Like, you just air out your dad and then you're like, all right. Hope I don't see him. Like, yeah. [00:46:37] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:46:38] Speaker B: Just so other people can relate and have something that, you know, feels that hole for them, which is dope. But what's another one off that record? [00:46:46] Speaker A: That's heroin, like you said. I mean, even, like, heroin fun. Even, like, her certain kind of love. [00:46:52] Speaker B: That's what I was. [00:46:53] Speaker A: Certain kind of love her. Her, like, remake, like, sampling the. The Gucci Man. [00:46:58] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:46:59] Speaker A: Gucci man song. [00:47:00] Speaker B: Right. Yeah. Right. [00:47:01] Speaker A: Like, and that being kind of like the monologue to kick off that record of being from. I'm from Alabama. Like, it's like her. Her artistry is so great, and you got to be on that tailgate show with her yes. And you're gonna be on. [00:47:16] Speaker B: And I went to the pit and I watched her set. Enraged. [00:47:20] Speaker A: Unbelievable. [00:47:20] Speaker B: I actually. There were fans. When I got there, they were up on the barricade where I wanted to be. So I walk up and I'm like, yo. And they're. They're like, hey, can we get a picture? Blah, blah. I'm like, yeah. Hell, yeah, dude. Now I'm like, I'll get y' all drinks and bring them back in here from the green room if y' all let me get up on the barricade. And they were like, say less. Like, absolutely. So these dudes gave me their spot in between their wives, and I'm up here between two, like, super fans right here, just, like, just turning up, and I just go get them drinks and bring them back, and I'll be like, here you go. [00:47:54] Speaker A: So you're watching the show with fans of yours that are. That are also super fans of Jesse. [00:48:00] Speaker B: Like, they had on her merch, and they were definitely more of her fans. [00:48:03] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:48:03] Speaker B: Like, I was just. They were screaming everywhere. I almost wish that they would have screamed the words less so I could hear better. But, like, I was like, it, dude. It's cool. [00:48:13] Speaker A: And you're gonna be on a. On another. On another show with Jesse. Rock the south. Which is a. I'm sure a big moment for you. [00:48:23] Speaker B: Used to be in my hometown. They moved it about 20 minutes. [00:48:26] Speaker A: Yes. Over in Decatur. [00:48:27] Speaker B: Dude grew up not affording tickets to it. It'll be my first time there. [00:48:32] Speaker A: Wow. [00:48:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:48:34] Speaker A: And you were never able to go. [00:48:37] Speaker B: No. [00:48:37] Speaker A: Now your first time going is playing on the same day as Jesse. Murph, Big X, Stella Lefty Lakeview, Ian Harrison's on there. Kg in the Bad Habits, Grace Tyler. I mean. [00:48:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:48:50] Speaker A: And I think that's another one that you're going to be closing out. [00:48:53] Speaker B: Are we closing, y' all stage? [00:48:54] Speaker A: I think, dude. [00:48:55] Speaker B: I hope. [00:48:56] Speaker A: I think so. The way it looks on the graphic. It looks like it. [00:48:59] Speaker B: I hope so. [00:49:00] Speaker A: Yeah, dude, you. [00:49:01] Speaker B: That's my favorite thing, bro. [00:49:02] Speaker A: I mean, that crowd indicator is going to be wild. [00:49:06] Speaker B: It's going to probably be more lit than Kentucky. [00:49:07] Speaker A: And then you get to watch Jesse again. [00:49:09] Speaker B: Again. [00:49:10] Speaker A: Oh, and Big X. [00:49:11] Speaker B: Will do. Yeah, will do. I'm literally get done playing, and I just walk right to the pit. [00:49:16] Speaker A: And I bet you. And I bet you, hopefully they do. They do. Holy ground. [00:49:21] Speaker B: I hope so. They didn't last time. [00:49:22] Speaker A: No. But I'm thinking this one, maybe. I'm thinking this one. That whole lineup's crazy. Looking at it right now because they moved it to October. And I already checked. Bama and Auburn are both out of town that weekend. [00:49:33] Speaker B: Really? [00:49:33] Speaker A: That helps. Yeah, so that helps. And you're. You're on a Saturday night that the Tide are not playing in Tuscaloosa, which definitely helps that. [00:49:39] Speaker B: That's not to be biased, but that's the best lineup of Rock the South ever. I think that's. I mean, that's dope. [00:49:46] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, the whole weekend is. [00:49:48] Speaker B: I know I'm not supposed to say that, but yeah, that day is going to be. [00:49:51] Speaker A: That date's going to be wild. Yeah. I mean, and then the next night, you got Riley Brantley, Abriana, Graham Barham, Austin Snell, Tyler Nance. [00:49:59] Speaker B: That's actually going to be a great day, too. [00:50:00] Speaker A: Yeah. And then freaking Zach Top and Craig Morgan. [00:50:04] Speaker B: Ours is the most hated on day. If you look at the comments, they're like, what is Saturday? But, like, it's my favorite. [00:50:11] Speaker A: Like, bro, it's. And. And I mean, the fact that you. You get to play with Jesse in North Alabama at the Festival of Alabama. [00:50:18] Speaker B: Crazy. Yeah. [00:50:19] Speaker A: Like, that's gonna be a big moment for not only you, but for her, too. [00:50:22] Speaker B: Yeah, it's dope. [00:50:24] Speaker A: Like, that'll. That might be one of the bigger crowds that she plays to all year. [00:50:27] Speaker B: I think so. I hope so. I mean, bro, we got locals on the stage. [00:50:31] Speaker A: She's from H town, bro. She's from Huntsville. That's not a far drive. [00:50:35] Speaker B: Yeah, Yeah, I know, dude, it's gonna be great. [00:50:38] Speaker A: That's gonna be absolutely wild, man. And I want to ask you about your new song that you. That you put out. What you waiting for? [00:50:46] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, it's great. Love song. I thought it was. Dude, I wanted to make something that just, like, bumped, but was also, like, a love song because we got Love Me Tonight, which is kind of slower. [00:50:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:50:56] Speaker B: But this one kind of just jams. And I feel like a lot of people ride around in the country and want to bump some stuff for their girl in the passenger seat, and that's what I made it for, so. [00:51:05] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. [00:51:06] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:51:06] Speaker A: What do you. What do you like doing when you're not doing this music stuff? Because I know it takes up a lot of time. I mean, you're about to be gone, like, from the beat from August 19th through. Like, through Halloween. [00:51:17] Speaker B: Oh, at least. Yeah. Yeah. Into November. So it's. Yeah, August 19th kicks off basically till the holidays. Yeah. But no, I like to go to the beach. Like, lately I've been spend every time we come home. We just go to the beach. Then I spend every waking moment there until I have to leave. I'll come home the day I have to leave. [00:51:36] Speaker A: Now, are you a. Are you a. You get in the water guy? [00:51:40] Speaker B: Yeah, I get in the water, dude. I go. I go to the gym. I go to wake up, go to the gym. I'll come home or to the room or my RV usually is. What we just take. [00:51:48] Speaker A: You guys just take the rv. [00:51:50] Speaker B: Rv, Might as well. You're in it all the time anyway, bro. Yeah, so we take it. You know, I'm actually. I'm going to this show in Wisconsin today. I fly out doing it tomorrow. It's Country Thunder. [00:52:03] Speaker A: Yep. [00:52:03] Speaker B: Coming back Sunday, picking up my new Harley and driving straight to the beach until August when we leave. [00:52:11] Speaker A: Wow. So you're about to have some time. [00:52:13] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, bro. [00:52:13] Speaker A: That's. That I'm sure is much needed. [00:52:16] Speaker B: Much needed, dude. And we made the whole album. Eddie Everly produced it. You know, Eddie Hegel, legend came. He went to the beach with me to make it. [00:52:27] Speaker A: Oh, so you all made it at the beach? [00:52:28] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, dude. I was. I don't feel like the beach, but I just need to be there. I think there is something. I think I was listening to, like, Rick Rubin or somebody talk about. I could be wrong on that. Somebody was talking about, like, making music close to where you were born. Oh. Is like. There's something spiritual about that. So I always try to make music, like, close to Mobile, Florida. We, you know, we'll go kind of down the Panhandle a little bit, but close to that, like, vibe. I feel like there's something in the air down here, was made down there. What else do we make down there? There's a lot, dude. A lot of the biggest songs were. Were made down there. [00:53:09] Speaker A: And then. How are you doing? Eddie's just got his rig, and you guys are just. [00:53:12] Speaker B: So I told him originally. He was like, I don't think, you know, whatever. We're always talking about album. No album. You know, do you do singles? Whatever you do? And he was like, I don't know about an album. And I was like, yeah, dude, I don't know either. And then I came to him, like, two days later, and I was like, yeah, dude, we're making an album. You want to make it for me? And he was, like, doing all his shit. You know, he's got to do, like, touring all the time and making music. And I was like, dude, if you just load up, we can go to the beach for A week, and we can just make it. And he was like, all right. We had zero songs for it, dude. Like, none. So we load up. He packs up. He's doing work on his laptop and business shit. I'm just hauling down the interstate, you know? We pull up, we set up our entire studio rig. Like, he brings every guitar, everything on the porch of this Airbnb on the beach. So, like, there's an enclosed thing with, like, a porch. Yeah. Facing the beach, and that's where our stuff is. [00:54:08] Speaker A: Wow. [00:54:09] Speaker B: And we started drinking at the time, and we were. We started drinking at like, 4pm and over the next 15 hours, we wrote six of the songs on that album. [00:54:21] Speaker A: Wow. [00:54:21] Speaker B: Straight back to back in 15 hours [00:54:25] Speaker A: on a porch, looking out at the [00:54:26] Speaker B: porch, looking at the beach all night. Like, my wife was like, I was way down there, and I heard y', all, and we were doing Echoes or something, you know. It was just awesome, dude. Yeah. [00:54:34] Speaker A: That's so cool, man. It's got to be great having a brother like Eddie. [00:54:38] Speaker B: Yeah. Coming up with this, he pushed me to do shows, you know, he produced Down Here when I didn't know what to do with it. It would have never been a thing because I was. I produced Bury Me with Bourbon, but it's very minimal. Like, I was. I got lucky, you know, I was just winging it again. [00:54:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:54:55] Speaker B: And he produced Down Here out. We did it on FaceTime. And we had this software where you could both be in Logic, making music and, like, see each other's. What you're doing. Oh. So face. [00:55:06] Speaker A: So you were in. [00:55:07] Speaker B: So you were in still in Alabama. [00:55:08] Speaker A: And he was up here. [00:55:09] Speaker B: Ye. Cause he had sent me this loop, and so I ripped the little thing on it. Then I went. I went to the beach and made five choruses for that song and finally landed on the Down Here chorus. And then I came back up to North Alabama, and I was like, hey, man, I don't know. And I had weird shit all through the song. And he was like, we gotta take this out and make it into an actual record, dude. [00:55:28] Speaker A: You know? [00:55:29] Speaker B: So he did it, and we laughed, dude. We cut up, and that's kind of the first time we actually, I guess, hung out, was over that. We made our song together. [00:55:38] Speaker A: Yeah. And he's absolutely crushing it with his artist stuff, too. [00:55:41] Speaker B: Yeah, he's killing it. Killing it, dude. We write a lot of each other's songs with each other, and it's just a blast. We have a lot of fun. We really get each other musically, I think. [00:55:49] Speaker A: Yeah, man. And you're two guys that are pushing the boundaries, like, doing what you want to do. And he's. And you've got the opportunities where you're getting out. You're getting out there playing. Playing in front of different folks, crowds. Whether it's. Whether it's Chase back in the day or it's Jelly or it's Brantley or it's. Any of these festivals. And he's going out there with freaking Pecos, and he's going out there doing his thing, man. Like. [00:56:08] Speaker B: Yeah. And he might have some bigger. [00:56:09] Speaker A: Oh, I'm sure. Oh, I'm sure. And he's another one where. His live show. Because he was on tailgates. I think he was there the day before you. [00:56:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:56:16] Speaker A: And we were like. And I think. What was the bit that we did with him? He's like, this is. It's like you go down to Colombia and steal all Pablo Escobar's cocaine. [00:56:25] Speaker B: Yeah. They have a lot of energy. That crew probably is the direct opposite of our crew off stage. Yeah. Like, they're in the van. Just cracked out. He'll drive 25 hours straight. [00:56:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:56:36] Speaker B: Just built different and didn't do a show. [00:56:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:56:38] Speaker B: Built different. Yeah. Yeah. He's the man. [00:56:41] Speaker A: I love it. Who are some other, like, homies that you've gotten to. Gotten to make here in Nashville? Like, other music folks. Whether it be. I know we were talking about Brantley and Jelly and Chase and folks like that. Other folks coming up, like Colt Ford. Okay. [00:56:55] Speaker B: Colt Ford. When I first came up here, Colt Ford hit me up on TikTok and was like, what's up, dude? Good shit. And I was like, damn, dude. Colt Ford. I'd never had, like, nobody that, like, I thought was, like, famous, you know, hit me up. And I was like, damn, man, that's crazy. And he was like, what's your number? And so I sent him my number, and he just called, and it said colt Ford. And I was like, what's up? And we talked on the phone for three hours one night that night, first time he ever called me. And then he, like, got me on a song. We went to the studio. I think it was the last song he recorded, if I'm not mistaken. I could be telling this wrong. Before he had his heart attack on stage and, you know, technically flatlined and died. And they brought him back, and that was our song. It was a cut off his album that Hardy wrote. And it was just. I couldn't believe I was cutting a Hardy song. Like, even the God vocal in the Studio was Hardy's. And I was like, man, this is crazy. Like, Colt Forge right there, you know? Crazy. And he hit me up, of course. You got Eddie Chase. Matthew showed love on my first song that I ever posted, which was very nice of him. And, yeah, Jelly Brantley is everybody kind of in between. I feel like writing it. Sony was cool. [00:58:03] Speaker A: You talk about how. How Jelly kicked the door down. Colt Ford, to me, is another pioneer of bending the things. That was something me and. Me and BG were talking about on here was like, Colt was doing, like, this lane of experimental with country music and singing about country shit, rapping about country shit, doing it all before anybody gave a shit, you know, I feel like. [00:58:28] Speaker B: Yeah, they both did things for the genre in different ways, you know, Like, Jelly kicked the door down for somebody like me, I feel like. For mainstream. [00:58:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:58:36] Speaker B: Like, worldwide. [00:58:37] Speaker A: And the rough and the rougher exterior, things like that. Yeah. [00:58:40] Speaker B: But doing it and, like, being on SNL and being country and are coming to Music Row and getting to write with, you know, Taylor Phillips or whoever. Like, but being that guy, you know, like, to me, Colt was like, the originator of the entire sound. [00:58:57] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:58:57] Speaker B: And genre bending, you know, like, when him and Brantley made Dirt Road Anthem, that was Where I'm from. That was the song. And when Jason cut it, he stole it. That's what the word on the street was. Everybody refused to play Jason's because they were bumping Brantley and Colts. [00:59:14] Speaker A: Wow. [00:59:14] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. And I think Colt told me the numbers were crazy. Like, if they would have. Because it was lime wire and shit. So they weren't getting anything off of these records, really. It would have been like, I forget how many times diamond or, you know, some crazy shit. If they were, you know, platinum, whatever it would have been. But it would have sold, like, 30 million records, I think, because everybody in the country was just jamming there. [00:59:38] Speaker A: Yeah. And I'm even thinking about his, like, Ride through the country song that he had, like, the features that he had back in. In the day, like Chicken and Biscuits was with James Otto, bro. [00:59:48] Speaker B: Huge. Yeah, dude was James Otto on that, dude. [00:59:51] Speaker A: That's the. That's the chorus. And then Ride through the Country's John Michael Montgomery. [00:59:56] Speaker B: Okay. Damn. [00:59:57] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, all those features he had. [00:59:59] Speaker B: Oh, Riding around song. [01:00:00] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Riding around song with Jason Aldean. And then he had. What was the other one? He had a song called Cold Beer was like. And it's Jamie Johnson singing the hook, and he's like, crack Me or Cold Beer. He had. He had a Song called. He had a song called Waffle House. Meet Me at the Waffle. It's about his woman cheating on him. Sitting at the Waffle House, getting his gun. [01:00:22] Speaker B: Yeah, he's been so. He's been so real to me. Like, when we even went and did that music video for our song. Yeah, he picked me up in his bus. He picked me and my wife up and let us ride with him out there to the country to shoot that music video. [01:00:35] Speaker A: He's the most. Give this shirt off. [01:00:38] Speaker B: Absolutely. [01:00:38] Speaker A: That guy. [01:00:39] Speaker B: Absolutely. [01:00:40] Speaker A: To anyone coming up, bro. [01:00:41] Speaker B: While also taking no from anyone about anything, like. But he is. He is that guy. Yeah, he. He's been nothing but good to me. Always supportive and for no reason. Just got on Tick Tock one day and thought I was, you know, worthy, I guess of what song was. Was. [01:01:00] Speaker A: All of it was like. Like he just found the catalog. [01:01:03] Speaker B: Yeah, he found the catalog. It wasn't a single song or nothing. Like, every song I've posted, he's always liking it and comment, you know. Same with Jelly Roll's brother, Scott. Yeah. I don't know how public he wants to be on the Internet or nothing, but he's just been so supportive. Everything I post, you know. I went to Jelly's Opry induction and Scott was standing outside and he was like, j. Webb. And I was like, oh, shit, what's up, dude? I knew it was Jelly's brother. I didn't know he knew me, you know. And I was like, hey, dude, I think I know, you know? And. Yeah, then, yeah, shortly after that, I got the Jelly spot. So I'm sure that didn't hurt. Yeah, he's. Scott's my homie too. They're all just like. They feel like people I've known for 100 years that were like my uncles back home, you know, so. [01:01:46] Speaker A: Yeah, because how. How old are you? [01:01:47] Speaker B: I'm 29. [01:01:48] Speaker A: You're 29. Okay. So around the same age. I'm 31. So, yeah. It's like you have these big brothers, these guys that you like. Like you were talking about. Dirt Road Anthem was like the song of small town Southern folk. [01:02:01] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, dude. [01:02:01] Speaker A: And now you've got to do music and you're going out on. [01:02:06] Speaker B: Crazy, Crazy. [01:02:07] Speaker A: God is good. [01:02:08] Speaker B: God is great. [01:02:09] Speaker A: God is great. [01:02:10] Speaker B: God is great. And I sometimes I'm like, things are too good right now. And. Because I don't really look at it. Like I'm chasing a bigger picture. But, like, the win to me of like, when it happens is like, irrelevant, you know, Like, I'm just enjoying the moment and enjoying this ride. And I have more than enough of anything I've ever dreamed of having, so it's like, why not just enjoy it? [01:02:32] Speaker A: Like, yeah, yeah. [01:02:33] Speaker B: Let's see if we can get a song on the radio. Cool. If not, cool. [01:02:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:02:36] Speaker B: I'm going back to the beach and riding my Harley, you know, like. [01:02:39] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm sure maybe you and Brantley end up on some motorcycles on that tour. [01:02:44] Speaker B: For sure. [01:02:44] Speaker A: I think. I know back in the day, he used to go riding. [01:02:47] Speaker B: Oh, I bet. Yeah. [01:02:48] Speaker A: He's telling a story that he used to. Him and his guys, he would keep. He would pull his. One of his Harleys, like, in the trailer behind the bus, and they would go and find, like, random, like, vet rallies that were going on in that town. And him and his guys would just get in formation with these guys, not even say who they were. They just. They just roll up, get in formation, and then end up at whatever bar, whatever restaurant they ended up at. [01:03:15] Speaker B: You know, I was raised around that stuff, man. Bikers. My dad was a biker. He had a bunch of biker friends. I was kind of raised by dudes like that. [01:03:22] Speaker A: Like a club. [01:03:23] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. You know, loosely. [01:03:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:03:26] Speaker B: Yeah. Some wild stories with that. But that would be badass to ride on the road, though, too. [01:03:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:03:31] Speaker B: Trailer behind the. [01:03:32] Speaker A: Have you thought about doing that? [01:03:35] Speaker B: Yeah, it's just right now I have to sleep at some point, so I have to have some. Had you drive it? [01:03:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:03:41] Speaker B: And pulling a trailer behind the 37 foot RV is. [01:03:44] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:03:46] Speaker B: You know. [01:03:47] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, that's what I used to. I used to drive those bandwagon things and I was with Trey Lewis. Have you seen those before? [01:03:52] Speaker B: Come on, come join us then. We'll do it on the road. [01:03:56] Speaker A: If I got out there, I mean, I kind of helped TM you a little bit in Kentucky. [01:04:00] Speaker B: You did. You always do. It was great. Did. You gave me markers. [01:04:04] Speaker A: You got me. [01:04:04] Speaker B: Because my team wasn't there. [01:04:05] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:04:06] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:07] Speaker A: That meet and greet was wild. [01:04:08] Speaker B: Thank God for you. I thought about that last night. I was like, thank God that Matt [01:04:12] Speaker A: was there being Ike. [01:04:14] Speaker B: Were right there making sure you bring me sunglasses. I was like, damn, bro. [01:04:18] Speaker A: I'm like, gotta make sure he's got what he needs. [01:04:20] Speaker B: Are you sure you don't want to go on the road? [01:04:22] Speaker A: I did my time, bro. [01:04:24] Speaker B: A good TM is hard to find. [01:04:25] Speaker A: Yeah. And I mean, I got to learn touring from Muscadine. When I was selling their hats and T shirts. We were in a sprinter van, bro. Yeah, that Was back. That was. Yeah, I was. I wasn't drinking at that point, but I was smoking a lot of pop back. [01:04:37] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. I would sprinter too. [01:04:39] Speaker A: I would just. I would just get high in the. I would just get high and then sell the hats and T shirts. [01:04:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:43] Speaker A: And I was just. [01:04:44] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:44] Speaker A: And I was. I got really good at selling Port Swing angel koozies. [01:04:48] Speaker B: Yeah. Dude, you sound like my old tour manager, Brady. That's my dog. He's from Alabama too. The first time he was out, he. I walked in to the meet and greet or like, walked out to it. He was on the merch table waving a shirt in the air going, make some noise. And I was like, now that he had a basketball hoop, he would let him shoot a basketball for a free shirt. [01:05:07] Speaker A: I never did that. That's. [01:05:09] Speaker B: He's standing on the thing. [01:05:10] Speaker A: Standing on the loop. [01:05:11] Speaker B: I mean, dude, that. [01:05:13] Speaker A: The papa shot to win a. Win a shirt or a koozie while [01:05:16] Speaker B: he's on the table. Yeah, the thing. And like, just getting down. He'd be dancing, turning on music. [01:05:21] Speaker A: Yeah. My buddy Caleb Conrad, who works for. He works on Travis Tritt's crew now. Yeah. He was one of Luke Combs first merch guys. And back in the day, Caleb used to be a get on. When Luke was playing like small bar shows back like 2017, 20, 2016, Caleb would get on and be waving the shirt guy like. Like back in the day at like small club show, Luke Combs days. Yeah. [01:05:44] Speaker B: I will say Brady sold the most merch. [01:05:46] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, bro. [01:05:46] Speaker B: Nobody sold as much as dude. [01:05:49] Speaker A: Yeah. And then I. And then I got my tour managing chops being with Trey on the dick down in Dallas stuff. Yeah, I was throwing to the ringer, bro. Yeah, man. He's another Alabama guy. He's. He's very excited that I have you on here. [01:06:00] Speaker B: Really? [01:06:01] Speaker A: I talk to Trey almost every day like that. [01:06:03] Speaker B: He's sober too. [01:06:04] Speaker A: Yep. Yeah, that's my. That's my big brother, man. I would not be where I'm at today if it weren't for Trey Lewis. [01:06:09] Speaker B: Trey Lewis is when I. I didn't know what to expect. I mean, you see Dick down in Dallas and shit, you're like this dude, like, crazy rowdy to where you can't talk to him or whatever. You never know with artists either. And I met him and it was like, oh, this is like the homie I've known. [01:06:22] Speaker A: If you listen to his old stuff, like, the whole reason Dick down happened was three of our buddies wrote it. [01:06:28] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:06:28] Speaker A: Trey had been doing music for 10 years, nobody had ever cared. And they were all scared to put it out. And Trey was like, you know what? It. I'll put it out. [01:06:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:06:35] Speaker A: Because if you listen to like his further catalog, like, he's more as a songwriter more that Americana, a million percent, like, writing about his faith, writing about sobriety, writing about the heartbreak, his divorce from back in the day. Like, Trey's been through a lot of stuff. And ddid was just. It just happened. We used to sit around a bonfire. Joe. We used to sit on a fire at the house. Him and Ella and Clay Barker, Mitch Wallace, Justin Holt, Joy Beth Taylor, they all used to hang out there. And we would just pass around the guitar during COVID And that was just one of the songs that three of our buddies wrote. Damn. Trey was like, it. [01:07:10] Speaker B: I'll put it out, but it is a heater. It's a one in a life changed my life. [01:07:15] Speaker A: Yes, it changed my life. And I'm not a songwriter and artist. I just happen to be there and change my life, change Nikki T's life. [01:07:21] Speaker B: Like, ain't it crazy how one song can change your life? [01:07:24] Speaker A: It really is, man. But then there's the. There's the pressure following it up. [01:07:28] Speaker B: Yeah, but that's the hard part. Who cares if I. If something happened to me today? I've done more than everything I ever wanted to do. Because one song, dude, yeah, absolutely. [01:07:39] Speaker A: And bro, the streaming numbers that you have as an independent, like, what's your secret? How do you do this? [01:07:44] Speaker B: I don't know, man. I don't. Dude, if there's a day on Tick Tock, people think I'm like, on the social media stuff and I am. But like, if there's a day on Tick Tock, I don't have time to post. I just don't post. [01:07:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:07:55] Speaker B: Like, my. My fans know. I don't even like to call them that. My listeners know they're my family. I'm going to keep putting out great music. I'm never going to stop. But I don't know how that number doesn't dip. I have no idea. [01:08:08] Speaker A: You just know. You're like, you're. You just know your. Your audience, but you also are just. I think it's authenticity. [01:08:14] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:08:15] Speaker A: Like, you put out J. Webb's songs for sure. Like, you're. You're. [01:08:18] Speaker B: You. Yeah, I'm. I've never. I don't know how to not be. [01:08:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:08:22] Speaker B: You could put a camera on me from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed at night and like you're not going to be surprised at anything that happens. Yeah. Like there's no secrets. I feel like I just know those people really well and I write these songs for myself and I assume they might like them too, you know? [01:08:40] Speaker A: Yeah, dude, I mean, I'm just looking, looking at like your top 10 thing that's on Spotify. And I mean, dude, just millions and millions and millions on everything. [01:08:48] Speaker B: Bury Me is about to go gold. That'll be my first gold record. And I made that song in 30 minutes in my bedroom in Alabama by myself. Mix mastered, produced, written, made to cover art by me. And I released it, I think three days after I made it. Yeah. So I don't know, bro, but I [01:09:06] Speaker A: think that's also like the world we're in right now. The access to getting music out there and the access to finding music is. Is better and more artist friendly than it's ever been, dude. [01:09:18] Speaker B: I got one song I made while I was on anesthesia from after surgery that I didn't remember making until the next day. It's called Lighter. And it's an emotional ass song. And I was like, I got out of surgery, I had a colonoscopy where they shoved the tube, that camera, but [01:09:35] Speaker A: I haven't done one of those yet. [01:09:36] Speaker B: And I got home and I went in the studio and I remember like floating in there and being like, whoa. You know? And then I woke up the next day and I played this thing on my phone and it was the whole entire song. Lighter. [01:09:48] Speaker A: It's. [01:09:48] Speaker B: It's great song, dude. And I don't remember making it. Produced it too. [01:09:53] Speaker A: Did it ever get released? [01:09:55] Speaker B: Yeah, dude. It's got millions of streams. It was great. Jelly. That's the song Jelly found me on and commented on. Yeah, I was on anesthesia. Didn't even remember making it, dude. [01:10:08] Speaker A: That's how you know it's a God thing. [01:10:09] Speaker B: It's a God thing because that stuff doesn't happen. Anesthesia gets you closer to God, really? I don't know. [01:10:15] Speaker A: I mean, it might. [01:10:15] Speaker B: It might. [01:10:17] Speaker A: Imagine that's the thing. [01:10:20] Speaker B: I don't know. [01:10:21] Speaker A: That's wild, man. Now you've been. You've been off. You've been off the drinking now for a little bit, right? [01:10:26] Speaker B: Yeah. I think this was three weeks is this week so very new. Drinking is not that I quit nicotine at the same time. Nicotine is the problem. Not drinking. Drinking was easy. I prayed. I asked God to deliver me from it. He did. And I hadn't craved it since. I can smell it. I Can drink non alcoholic. I can throw it at the shows. I don't crave it. I don't want it. It's not something that serves me no more. I'm done. No problem with it. Nicotine. I wake up in the middle of the night dreaming about nicotine, bro. That's been the hard one. [01:10:58] Speaker A: That's one that I've not kicked, really. I've been off booze. I just hit 10 years, which is awesome. But the nicotine is. I mean, I've got. How many do I got in? I just got one in. So I got 8 milligrams in my mouth right now. I'll go up to like 20 before I did too. [01:11:15] Speaker B: This is my first full 7 days is tomorrow without any. [01:11:20] Speaker A: God bless, man. [01:11:22] Speaker B: And the withdrawals are crazy. [01:11:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:11:24] Speaker B: And the cravings are. [01:11:25] Speaker A: I tried doing it before, man, because I. I mean, I used to be two packs of cigs a day. Yeah, I was. I was. Marlboro Lights. [01:11:33] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, me too. [01:11:35] Speaker A: There's something about just packing it and being like, hey, you want to dart? And then you just. There's that. That community of smoking a beautiful with the homies at a shitty bar. [01:11:44] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:11:44] Speaker A: There's nothing like being on the Red Door patio and just ripping a cig with the boy. And that's how you make friends. But I've been off the cigs, which is good. [01:11:52] Speaker B: Sometimes you make me want a cigarette. [01:11:54] Speaker A: Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Cigarettes. Cigarettes. [01:11:57] Speaker B: Well, I'm off pouches, not cigarettes. [01:11:59] Speaker A: Yeah, I know, I know, I know. [01:12:00] Speaker B: But I hadn't done one of them either. But there's always today. [01:12:04] Speaker A: No, and my thing is I'm a. I'm a big cigar guy. [01:12:09] Speaker B: That don't count, right? I mean, that don't count. [01:12:12] Speaker A: We won't count. [01:12:13] Speaker B: Okay. Cigars are cool. [01:12:14] Speaker A: Next time we're together at. At Rock the South, we'll smoke some cigars together. Because I have. We have a deal with a company called Crowned Heads that's here in Nashville. They make. I think they have like 20 or 30 different kinds of blends, but they give us cigars to like, give the artists. So we get like three or four boxes from them a month. [01:12:31] Speaker B: Oh, wow. [01:12:32] Speaker A: So I've. I've got a stash and I buy cigars too. I've probably got like 200 cigars at my house. Wow. I got one of those humidors. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Me and Brantley were talking about that too. Brantley, you know, he's a big. You know, he's A big gun guy. He's got two. He's got a humidor on the bus. He brought me cigars the other day when we were in there in the pod studio, I'm like, brother, you don't have to give me cigars. And I gave him a raised row flag, which. I got to get you one of those too. [01:12:54] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, dude, we'll hang it up. [01:12:56] Speaker A: I got to give you a flag, bro. That's what I got to do. I got to get you one of those. We just got new ones with the raccoon on it. It's like razor out with the big raccoon. Big black. Big black flag. So please give it to me before [01:13:07] Speaker B: August so we can start. [01:13:08] Speaker A: Oh, bro, yeah, absolutely. We will do that for sure. But he has two humidors at his house that are like 6ft tall. Like, he has. They're like gun safes that were converted into humidors. [01:13:20] Speaker B: Wow. Full of cigars. [01:13:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:13:21] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:13:22] Speaker A: That's crazy. [01:13:24] Speaker B: He's just. Yeah. Yeah, man. [01:13:26] Speaker A: I mean, me and Nikki T, we bonded over country music when we did start doing Razor Audi together, but we really bonded over cigars. Like, our friendship started with smoking cigars and listening to music, man. Yeah, yeah. You want. You ever want to go get a cigar? We know all the good cigar lounges in town too, so. [01:13:40] Speaker B: Oh, really? I'd love to. [01:13:42] Speaker A: You ever want to get together, go to a spot and just sit around, smoke a cigar? Like, let's. [01:13:46] Speaker B: Let's do that. Like, seriously, hit me up. [01:13:48] Speaker A: It's the best, bro. I love doing it. [01:13:50] Speaker B: I would love to. Have you ever gotten drunk off a cigar? Like, I. I think I OD'd on a cigar one time. Like, I smoked so many sitting in my jeep with my buddy. [01:13:58] Speaker A: What kind of cigars you smoke smoking? [01:13:59] Speaker B: I don't know. We just smoked six of the. Like, we would. We were inhaling them. [01:14:04] Speaker A: Oh, you were inhaling them? Yeah. Don't do that. [01:14:06] Speaker B: And then my buddy goes inside, dude. My buddy goes inside his house. And I guess I time gapped or something, cuz like, when I stood up and got out of the Jeep, I was like, where'd you go? And he was like, at his front door, peeking out, looking at me like, what are you doing, man? And I was like. Like, you were just in the Jeep? And he was like, I've been inside for five minutes, dude. What are you talking about? And I was like, oh. And then I started spinning, dude. Six full cigars. Yeah. [01:14:34] Speaker A: If you have. Yeah. I mean, the most I've done In a day, I think I've done five or six before, and I did not feel great the next day. Yeah, that was a lot. [01:14:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:14:42] Speaker A: I mean, you can hear it in my voice that I've smoked. Yeah. [01:14:44] Speaker B: But I got to be careful about that with cigars, bro. [01:14:47] Speaker A: I lose my voice. Like, how do you lose my voice? How do you keep your. [01:14:50] Speaker B: I don't like that last. [01:14:52] Speaker A: You have a trick? Do you have a trick? [01:14:53] Speaker B: Like, I've tried it all and none of it works. Dude, throat coat makes my voice worse. [01:14:58] Speaker A: Really? [01:14:58] Speaker B: That Kentucky show, I should have never drank it before or I would have been okay. But it. [01:15:02] Speaker A: I don't know. See, I've heard different things from different people. So Atlas, he's another one with that rasp. And Atlas says his thing is blowing through a straw. So he'll just walk around you like that. Yeah, just blowing with the liquid in it. Like, I don't even think the liquid. I think he's just blowing. Yeah, I think he's, like, got like an empty McDonald's cup off the double check with him. But he's another one where his voice is. [01:15:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:15:27] Speaker A: Like, he's a vocal guy. Like, he's a big vocalist. Yeah. Where he's done that. We were at tailgates last year and somebody told me about olive oil. So one of the catering ladies. I forget her name, sweet little lady, went and got me a bottle of olive oil. [01:15:42] Speaker B: Okay. [01:15:43] Speaker A: And I was doing swigs of olive oil on the. The main stage at tailgates when I tell you my stomach was upset. Oh, I bet, bro. It was hilarious. [01:15:51] Speaker B: I bet. Does that work? I mean, did it bring it. [01:15:55] Speaker A: It cleansed me out. [01:15:57] Speaker B: Oh, God, dude, it was. [01:15:58] Speaker A: It was just hilarious. Cuz I'm up there with DJ Cliffy D, and we're passing a blunt back and forth, and I'm just swinging up. [01:16:04] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I've tried. Honey, you know, I. Honey, I got this spray that I'll spray sometimes. [01:16:09] Speaker A: I got. Yeah, I got a spray off of Amazon, but. But I lose my voice on, like, day. Usually by, like, day three or four if I'm doing. If I'm doing a main stage. [01:16:18] Speaker B: It's tough. Yeah, usually. Yeah. Day three or four of the tour, if we're doing week shows, weekday shows too. I'm like. I'm pretty cooked. It's the meet and greets that I lose my voice at, though, because it's. [01:16:28] Speaker A: The music's loud in the venue and you're talking over. [01:16:32] Speaker B: Yeah. And I'm gonna give them that Like, I'm not gonna be like, sorry, my voice. [01:16:37] Speaker A: No, you can't do that to yourself. [01:16:38] Speaker B: I'm gonna give those people in that room everything that I have. Yeah. Even if the people tomorrow have to sit and, like, shake my hand because I can't even sing. [01:16:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:16:47] Speaker B: Like, I have to do it while you know what I mean? Like, we're there. [01:16:49] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. It's important. What's something. What's a piece of advice that you would have for a guy or girl that was in your situation a few years ago and trying and making music that you were. You were proud of, but you knew wasn't quite it? Like, what would you tell that kid? Like, that's coming up in a situation like you were? [01:17:07] Speaker B: I would probably say just, you know, you don't have to post the. The shit until you get it where you want it. [01:17:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:17:16] Speaker B: Like, you don't have to post it and show your friends, show your family, but, like, you'll know when that music gets to where it's postable. Right. Because I've got a lot of songs out that I'm not proud of because I just posted everything. Right. So it's like, if you keep chipping away at that thing, there's. It's like the gym. You're gonna get better at it. You know, just keep on chipping it. I don't believe that I have any natural talent or anything like that. It's just, like, purely a skill that I developed over time to be is where it's at now. And I think if you just don't quit, the only way to fail is if you quit. Right. So it's like, just don't ever quit. There's nothing in me that will ever give up. [01:17:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:17:55] Speaker B: So I was just gonna chase it, I would say, and just, you know, you don't have to post it. Wait till it gets good enough, then post it. [01:18:02] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:18:02] Speaker B: See what happens and. [01:18:03] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:18:03] Speaker B: Then let it fly. [01:18:05] Speaker A: And now what's something that you would tell younger you? Like, you're getting to do things that you couldn't even. Could have. Could not have even expected in your wildest dreams, brother. Like, yeah. You talk about seeing the flyers for Rock the South, and now you're on the damn lineup with. With a girl like Jessie Murph, you're get. You've gotten to do crazy. You talk about the Wharf experience with Jelly Roll, and you've got millions upon millions of people listening to your music Daily Monthly people paying money to come out and see you and your boys play. And then Wait in line to shake your hand and tell you a story about what their song, what your song has done for them. Like, what would you tell that that kid, whether it was down in Mobile or Coleman or that kid that was getting picked on in school to where you are now at 29 years old? [01:18:51] Speaker B: I would say that you are good enough. You know, I never thought I was cool enough. I never thought I was, you know, good looking enough or popular enough to, to be worth it, you know, to, to try to even socialize. I wasn't very social. I didn't have very many friends. You know, I didn't try. But I would tell that kid, like, dude, the bigger your personality is, the more you just let that thing shine, you know, who cares if these five popular kids at your one school, that's a little pin dot on the map, don't like you? You got the rest of the world, you know, like, you're good enough, you relate to enough people. And there's way more people that aren't those five popular kids in the world than there are popular kids, you know, so it's like whatever that is. But I would, I would tell that kid that he is good enough not to listen to everybody saying he's not and just grind your ass off. It's gonna get better. [01:19:45] Speaker A: Hell yeah, man. Well, thank you so much for coming on. [01:19:48] Speaker B: Thank you. [01:19:48] Speaker A: And this was long overdue. And I can't wait for October. I'm so stoked. I can't wait for. We're going to. That'll be the month that you're doing that that the record will be coming out is the month that you're doing. Rock the South. [01:20:04] Speaker B: What a month, dude. [01:20:05] Speaker A: And you will have been, you will have been a couple months deep on the Homesick tour. Some of those Brantley shows, our show, [01:20:11] Speaker B: our set will be different. Different that that show. Oh, totally different. [01:20:15] Speaker A: Yeah. I'm pumped, dude. And anything we can do album wise, I'd love to talk with you about, please. We can promo. I mean, I, I see a night where you come in and just blow the door off Odies on a Wednesday night, if you're not on the road, you'll probably be on the road, but [01:20:30] Speaker B: we'll figure probably will be but out. Not every day, you know, like, who knows? Let's do it. Yeah, I would love to help. [01:20:35] Speaker A: We had that. We had Eddie, we had Trey. [01:20:38] Speaker B: Dude, let's do it. I would love that. [01:20:40] Speaker A: We just have a night of Jay and the Homies. [01:20:43] Speaker B: Dude, let's call it that. [01:20:44] Speaker A: Jay and the merch and everything. Yeah, yeah, we would love that. [01:20:49] Speaker B: Let's do it. [01:20:49] Speaker A: I'd be so down. So I'll have to talk to Michael and the team about that, but please do. Y' all be sure to go check out my man Jay Webb. We love this dude. Be on the lookout for the new music. Go stream. Go stream. Watch you waiting for the newest song out. [01:21:03] Speaker B: And echoes. [01:21:03] Speaker A: And echoes. Yeah. This will be a couple. This will be coming out. I'm trying to think. This will be out in three weeks. [01:21:11] Speaker B: Okay. Echoes. [01:21:12] Speaker A: Echoes. Yeah. What's that one about real quick? [01:21:15] Speaker B: It's. It's kind of like broken. It's about the deeper, darker side of. Of the. That I've been through. So. [01:21:21] Speaker A: Hell yeah. [01:21:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:21:22] Speaker A: Hearing those echoes. [01:21:23] Speaker B: Yep. [01:21:23] Speaker A: Sick. Hell yeah. Well, y' all go check out echoes and be sure to get your tickets for the homesick tour, Brantley Gilbert's real American tour. Rock the south. If you're watching this and listening to this and you see us at rock the south, come on over, say hey and have a party. Maybe we'll have. Maybe I'll bring some extra cigars for the people we just smoked cigars. That'd be wild. But seriously, brother, appreciate you. Y' all be sure to go check out J. Webb. For more on us, visit raised rowdy.com and yeah, we'll see y' all next time. This has been outside the round with me naparel I ain't never been the kind for st in one place for too long I ain't never been the [01:22:09] Speaker B: best at sin I love you to [01:22:12] Speaker A: a girl I love only got a couple tricks up my sleeve they usually just make em leave so if you know me if you really know me [01:22:23] Speaker B: you know I'm just a two trick [01:22:25] Speaker A: pony but maybe the drink and the lack of money show I'm just a two trick on it [01:22:36] Speaker B: yeah.