Meghan Patrick: Truth, Growth & 'Golden Child'

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:12] Speaker B: Come on. This is Outside the Round with Matt Burrill for Rage Rowdy podcast. What's going on, guys? Welcome back to Outside the Round with me, Matt Brill. Today, a very special guest, longtime friend of the raised Rowdy family. It's been a while since we've had her back here on Outside the Round. Was back when it was in the round. She's got a song charting at country radio right now, golden Child, and a lot of exciting things happen. She's our friend from north of the border. Ms. Megan Patrick says, how you doing? [00:00:42] Speaker A: I'm good. [00:00:43] Speaker B: Welcome. [00:00:43] Speaker A: Good. I'm really tired and blessed, you know? [00:00:47] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, we're. We're in that weird time of year where we were just talking about how freaking hot it is outside. Like, yeah, football's going. It's about to be. It's October. [00:00:57] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, I'm. It's going to be like deer season soon. And it's. Why is it still 90 degrees? I don't want to. I don't want to deer Hunt in 90 degrees. [00:01:05] Speaker B: No, nobody wants to deer hunt. [00:01:07] Speaker A: And, yeah, I want to do anything in this weather. Actually. I'm ready for fall. [00:01:11] Speaker B: Yes, I am, too. Like, it's. It's crazy the. The way the seasons have been. But speaking of seasons, it seems like this season of life, it's been. Life's been going pretty good. [00:01:20] Speaker A: Life is lifing right now, for sure. Yeah, it's. You know, I don't think I've ever been this tired, but also, I'm just. So many things are happening, so many good things, and I just have to remind myself when I am really tired. Like, you prayed to be this busy. You prayed to be this tired. What a blessing it is to be this tired. That means I'm doing what I love. It means people care about what I'm doing. So, yeah, I'll sleep when I'm dead. [00:01:48] Speaker B: That's what Nikki T. And I say to each other. And me and Nikki handle it in different ways. Cause nick's in his 40s. I turned 30 back in January, so it's like. But I'm. But I'm. I'm even feeling it where it's just. But the busier you are, it means the more shit that you're doing. [00:02:02] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:02] Speaker B: Which for. In our line of work. In my line of work, that's what you need to be doing. [00:02:06] Speaker A: What you need. Yep. [00:02:07] Speaker B: So have you been able to get back. Back home to Canada? No. CCMAs were just going on. [00:02:13] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah, I've been. I've been In Canada quite a bit this year. I mean, I always make a priority of making sure I'm getting back to my Canadian fans. You know, they're the ones that have been with me since the beginning. So. Yeah, we did some really great festivals this year in Canada. We were out for CCMAs. I actually went home a couple weeks ago. I did a couple, like, private shows and, you know, visited with my family and the kids, so. And then they're gonna come down for Thanksgiving here. [00:02:41] Speaker B: Oh, nice. An American Thanksgiving with the Canadian family. [00:02:44] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, it works out great because they're different times, so, you know, they can do their Canadian thing for Canadian Thanksgiving, and then they come down to Nashville for American Thanksgiving. [00:02:55] Speaker B: That's awesome. [00:02:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:56] Speaker B: That's so cool. [00:02:57] Speaker A: It's my favorite time of year. [00:02:58] Speaker B: Yeah. And hopefully it'll be cooler by then. If we're looking at 80 degrees Thanksgiving. Something is serious wrong. Something is wrong. It's football season right now. How we feeling about our bills? [00:03:10] Speaker A: I mean, we're. We're 4 0. I mean, it's. Unfortunately, you know, I haven't been able to watch as much of the games. I have been traveling or on the road. I've actually been in Canada a bunch and unable to even get the game, which is. Don't even get me started on. Why is it so hard to watch football? [00:03:27] Speaker B: Why is it so hard to watch football? Why is it so hard to watch the Buffalo Bills in Ontario? They're basically Ontario's team because you guys are right there. [00:03:34] Speaker A: Well, don't. Don't say that to the Argos fans, but to the what? [00:03:37] Speaker B: To the arc. Oh, the. To the Canadian Football League. What I'm saying, as far as NFL teams, because NFL goes internationally so much. [00:03:44] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it's. It's. It's really irritating. It shouldn't be this hard to watch football. But all that being said, I really do think this is our year. I think it's going to happen. And I think. I mean, the Chiefs haven't looked that great either. [00:03:59] Speaker B: No. [00:04:00] Speaker A: And that's been. And that's been our biggest. [00:04:02] Speaker B: And neither have the Ravens. [00:04:03] Speaker A: Yeah. And. Well, I mean, listen, the Ravens, it's still Lamar. He's a great player. I mean, they've got a great defense, but we beat him. Yeah. So I think we can do it again. [00:04:13] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:14] Speaker A: I think we can do it. [00:04:15] Speaker B: Yeah. How does it feel doing this as long as you've been doing it? To have a song like Golden Child climbing the charts right now and be getting the love at American radio, You. [00:04:24] Speaker A: Know, when I actually take a step back, instead of being, like, in the moment, which I am most days, I'm in the moment, which means I'm already thinking about the next thing I need to do and the next thing I need to, you know, accomplish. But when I really take a step back and zoom out, you know, a couple years back, and I think about, you know, writing this song and before I even started making this record and just where I was at in my career, I mean, it's like, day and night, and I just couldn't be more excited and more proud that it's this song that's doing all. Making all these big moments happen in my career because, well, one, I just. I love the song. It's truly one of my favorites I've ever written, and I love the message behind it. You know, a lot of things shifted for me in the last few years. Like, a lot of big changes just in my personal life and also, like, career wise, you know, losing my first record deal and then signing another record deal and getting a new team and everything, and just kind of trying to get all the pieces in place. And when I, you know, embarked on making Golden Child, my goals, you know, I had this vision for what I wanted to do, but I think my motivations changed a little bit. And, like, one of the things I think about now when I'm writing songs or I'm making a record is like, is this gonna make the world a better place? [00:05:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:05:48] Speaker A: Is this going to have a positive impact on the people that hear it? Is this gonna, like, do something good for my listeners? Because, you know, I think there's. I don't know, I just changed and a lot. A big part of it for me is my faith, you know, and my relationship with God and kind of also coming to this realization that, you know, God didn't just give me this platform just to. To. To make money and, like, have a career. I mean, it is my career, and I do have to make money because I pay my mortgage with it. [00:06:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:06:17] Speaker A: But, you know, he gave me this platform because he felt that I could fulfill a certain identity in a certain role. And I think that, you know, what I'm meant to do is, is help people heal and tell the truth in my songs and. And create songs that hopefully make people think and brings, like, something positive to their lives. [00:06:38] Speaker B: Yeah. Going back to that project, we're getting ready to drop the. The deluxe, which we're very. Nikki T. And I are very excited about, and talk about some of the other songs that are on the Golden Child that are on the project of that record where you're making people think. [00:06:52] Speaker A: On the deluxe or in the. Just because. [00:06:55] Speaker B: Either one. Yeah. Just in general. [00:06:57] Speaker A: Well, you know, I think, like, obvious. There's a couple really obvious ones. [00:07:01] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:02] Speaker A: Track number one. [00:07:03] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:05] Speaker A: You know, that was, I thought, very long and hard about releasing Blood from a Stone. You know, I really. I wanted to be really sure and really convicted in what my motives were, you know, and. Because it was a really painful song for me to write, but also a very cathartic song to write, you know, for me, it was like really telling the whole truth, you know, just out loud for, like, the first time in my life, really, and then even just saying it out loud, but then putting it into a song and then being like, okay, am I gonna put this out into the world and where I landed. Because obviously, you know, it's. It's written about a very difficult relationship with my mother. And, you know, the things that. Some of the things that my mother has done that have really deeply damaged me and shaped me into who I am today, like, for better or for worse. And, you know, I figured I knew there might be some people that might listen to it and say, oh, my gosh, how could you write a song like that about your mother? And it's like, well, first of all, because it's the truth. [00:08:10] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:11] Speaker A: Like, bottom line. And that's what I kept coming back to. Everything I said in that song is the truth. But I also, you know, I didn't do it to hurt her. You know, it really actually wasn't about her at all. It was about my experience and my story and, you know, like, going on TikTok and stuff. Like, I feel like our gener is doing a lot of healing and a lot of, like, therapy and. And footwork that, like, a lot of our parents didn't do. [00:08:39] Speaker B: Yeah. Wasn't a thing. [00:08:41] Speaker A: It wasn't a thing. Yeah. In fairness to our parents generation, but I feel like our generation is. Which I think is awesome, has become so pro therapy and pro healing and. And let's talk about it. Let's stop stigmatizing very normal mental health struggles and very normal struggles in life. And the reality is, is that, you know, it's been a while where we've been able to talk about abusers that are spouses, you know, and I've spoken very candidly about my own experience as a survivor of domestic violence. But why wasn't it okay. Why isn't it more okay to talk about, like, abusive relationships with Your parents? [00:09:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:09:18] Speaker A: I mean, and especially with mothers, it's like you hear some songs about, you know, the deadbeat dads or the. The dads that didn't show up. But I think that mother daughter relationship is so complicated, and there is so much pressure and shame put on the daughter in that scenario to kind of just take it on the chin and like. And never talk about it and never complain about. Well, it's your mother, you know, And I have all of the sympathy in the world for what my mother's been through that has turned her into who she is. And I can only. I'm sure there's a lot of pain there. That's. That's the old saying, Hurt people, hurt people. [00:09:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:09:56] Speaker A: But I just. I wanted to open up the conversation. I wanted to put it out there very plainly. There's no question what the song's about. It says it very plainly. And. And I wanted everybody who's been through what I've been through to hear that and go, thank you. [00:10:11] Speaker B: And I'm sure you've gotten messages. [00:10:13] Speaker A: Finally somebody said what I wish I could say what I felt like I couldn't say what other people tried to make me feel guilty for saying, because people that don't. And here's the thing. It's like, bless your heart if you don't get it. Like, I'm genuinely happy for you that you can't. Any. You can't even conceive of a mother inflicting that kind of pain and abuse on their own child. I'm so glad that you don't understand that. But if you don't understand it, then you don't get to, you know, tell me what I can and can't say about my own experience. And you don't get to tell me that I can't speak openly about it just because it's my mother, you know, being. Or a father, you know, family member, whatever. It doesn't give you a free pass, you know, to abuse the people in your family. And I just. I wanted to take that stigma away and open up the conversation and make those people feel less alone. [00:11:01] Speaker B: Yeah. And I think you definitely have them. I would imagine there's been. You've gotten messages and you've had folks reach out where you're like, thank you. They're saying, thank you for writing this song. I feel heard. [00:11:11] Speaker A: Yeah, well. And it's kind of. It's weird. It's a. It's a bittersweet feeling every time you know, we post something about it or, you know, I Get a DM or something. It's like this bittersweet feeling of like, God, I hate that you can relate to this song, because I can't. I could only imagine what you had to go through to relate to something like this. But I'm also really glad that. That you found this song and that it felt cathartic or healing or, you know, vindicating for you. And that's. I mean. Cause that's. That's life. And I think, you know, part of why I fell in love with country music and why, you know, all of my favorite songwriters and artists, like, they're storytellers and they tell the truth. [00:11:53] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:11:55] Speaker A: And they don't just skim the surface. And so I just got. I didn't want to skim the surface anymore. I wanted to tell the truth. I wanted to talk about real stuff and just say it plainly. Yeah. [00:12:07] Speaker B: And I think your fans have come to know that you're going to say it how it is, you know, like, you're mf. You're mfp. You're going to say what's on your mind. You're going to talk about the real shit. Like, that's what. That's what you. That's what it seems like this. I don't know how far it goes back, but this chapter of. Of you is telling it like it is. [00:12:26] Speaker A: You know, I think I've always wanted to do that, but I was also struggling with the side of me that was like, the people pleaser, and the side of me that was like, well, don't blow your career up by saying something that is the truth, but. And everybody else is thinking it, but nobody else wants to say it. And then, you know, and I used to worry. I used to just operate from a place of fear and. As opposed to. From a place of just, like, faith and truth. And now and again, like, the last, like, year or two has been. There's been an immense amount of growth for me in my. My faith journey and my relationship with God and just. It's been so strengthened that, like, I will never go back to writing songs the way I used to or, you know, I'm not going to stray from what my plans are and, like, what my vision is of who I'm meant to be as an artist. If. Even if it does, you know, I don't know, tank my career or whatever. I don't think it will because I have faith that. That, you know, God wants me to say these things, you know, but I just. Fuck it. Yeah, exactly. It's been so much of my life just worrying about what other people think, and I just am tired. [00:13:38] Speaker B: And I think country music is the genre that cuts deeper than the surface. I mean, you look back, I mean, even at, like, the 90s, females singing about tough topics, and it was like, it got away from that for a while. But now where we're at, like, people are talking about. People went through some weird shit about five years ago, and I think that just as a. As a world, we're talking about things that we weren't talking about in the 2010s. [00:13:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:13:59] Speaker B: I think your music is at the. Coming out at the perfect time right now. [00:14:03] Speaker A: Well, thank you. I think. I think so, too. And, you know, sometimes it's a slower journey. It's a slow burn, you know, with the kind of music that I want to make. I know that it's not the, like, instant, big, shiny, overnight viral on TikTok kind of hit, but I do think, more importantly, if I had to choose between having a big overnight viral song that nobody cares about in 10 years or writing a song that, like, be. You know, reaches lots of people and becomes, like, a hit, but, like, people still want to listen to it 20, 30 years from now, that's way cooler to me. Like, I want to create music that. That feels classic and that has longevity and that, you know, where the lyrics and everything, all of it is still gonna stand the test of time and, like, hold true in decades from now. I mean, because I think about, like, all of my favorite artists and the music that I listen to, some of it is 30, 40, 50, 60 more, you know, years old. And, like, the. That's why I did the COVID of Just a Girl on the record. That song is just as good and just, like, holds true and is, like, just, you know, it's a classic, and it's just as good now as it was when she released it. What is it like, at least almost 30 years ago? [00:15:27] Speaker B: It has to be over 30 years. [00:15:28] Speaker A: Yeah. Because I'm 38 and that. I'm pretty sure that came out when I was, like, a young teenager. Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:15:35] Speaker B: Which is. Which is wild, which is great. Talk about Jessica Jezebel. [00:15:41] Speaker A: Okay. I'm looking over at my publicist, just making sure. Thinking about what I can say and what I can't say. Jessica Jezebel. Well, we'll just say that, you know, I write a lot about my own life, but I also write about just the life that I see happening around me to people that I love. And, you know, there's somebody Close to me that was really badly hurt. And it kind of inspired me to write this song kind of in defense of her, you know, it's one of those things, you know, similarly, like, what I was talking about in Blood from a Stone. I wrote this, like, yes. It's about the Jessica's of the world, the homewreckers, you know, and not just like a one time. Oh, we fell in love and had an affair, and it never meant it to happen. Like, I'm talking about, she goes out of her way to pursue married men. [00:16:34] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:16:35] Speaker A: Over and over and over again. I got no sympathy for you. I will not mince words. And I don't think that I did. I don't think that me and Karen and Emily minced a single word on this track. But I wanted it to be kind of empowering for all of the women out there who've had to pick up the broken pieces of their family because of a Jessica and of course, because of their husbands. I just want to be clear, just because I wrote the song about Jessica, the Jessicas, does not mean that the. The husband is relieved of his responsibility. [00:17:09] Speaker B: Because not at all. [00:17:10] Speaker A: Mostly his fault. Yeah, it. And I want to be clear on that. But Jessica Jezebel just sounded really good in a song. And I just. I think at the time, I felt like I was looking at it from the perspective of the woman who had been hurt. And I'm like, what would make her feel good right now? What would make. What would make her feel, like, pumped up and, like, heal her in some way? And so I wrote a diss track about the other woman. [00:17:40] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:17:42] Speaker A: Because sometimes we just need to be a little petty when we get our hearts broken. [00:17:45] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. And that's another thing people are relating to, I'm sure. [00:17:49] Speaker A: Yeah. Well. And it's also just, like, a matter of, like, just calling it out, too. It's like, what gives you the audacity? What gives you the nerve to just, like, keep doing this? And, like. And just as a woman, like, I love other women, and I just can't imagine doing that to another woman. Like, I just. I cannot imagine knowingly doing that. Hurting another woman and their children, their families. Yeah, like, more than once. That's crazy. [00:18:18] Speaker B: Yeah, more than once is insane. [00:18:20] Speaker A: You're a horrible person. Yes. [00:18:21] Speaker B: Yes, yes. [00:18:23] Speaker A: So I don't feel bad for the song. [00:18:25] Speaker B: No, I think it's great. I think. I think it's great that it's out there. What went into the decision to make a deluxe out of Golden Child and it being the final chapter. [00:18:34] Speaker A: Well, to be honest, I was actually super against doing a deluxe for a while, because at the time, I felt like Golden Child was like, it was done. Like, I felt. I'm like, this is perfect the way it is, and I don't. And I also felt, too, like, there's been a little bit of, like, this. I don't know, what's the word? Like, a stigma, I guess, around deluxes, where it's like, sometimes I feel it's like, hey, here's some songs that didn't make the first round. It's a deluxe, so we can, like, sell more records and, like, boost streams or, you know, like, there's a lot of, like, political industry reasons why you do a deluxe. [00:19:11] Speaker B: Right? [00:19:11] Speaker A: And I was like, I don't want to do that to this record. Like, this record so special. Like, I don't. It. If we're gonna do a deluxe, like, it needs to make sense, and it needs to be like. Like, the bar is already high. And so whatever we add to this, it needs to make sense to the story of the record, because it does have a story. It does have a flow. It has a concept. It's not just a bunch of songs thrown together that we thought sounded hitty, you know? And so at first, I was against it, and. But then when we started, like, listening song to the songs and I started writing a few more different songs, kind of with that in mind, I realized, like, oh, you know, this does. This is part of the story. This is. This is the end of the story. Because, you know, where you start with Blood From a Stone, there's a lot of pain there. Like, that's just the beginning. Starts out very heavy, Very heavy. And that's just the beginning. Like, that was the beginning of a lot of really difficult, really painful healing for me, and just a lot of big changes. And I realized, like, no, there's more to this story. Because now I'm in such a different place where I am currently today in comparison to where I was when I wrote Blood From a Stone, that there is an end to this chapter and to the story of Golden Child because, you know, I'll always be Golden Child a little bit. But, you know, the. The main idea behind Golden Child, it's the first line in Blood From a Stone, is this idea that, like, I just kind of grew up and was conditioned to believe that my value was tied to my success and my accomplishments. And so if I wasn't accomplishing things and if I wasn't successful, like, commercially on paper, awards, whatever, Successful, then I wasn't valuable. And, I mean, that's just not true. No, I'm, you know, first. My first and foremost, my worth and my values in God and how God sees me. But I also. I cut the fat of some people around me that weren't for me. And I kept only the people that truly loved me and saw me and appreciated me for who I was, and it had nothing to do with my talent. So I made my group smaller in a lot of ways, and that was really helpful because I just. I no longer surrounded myself with people who made me question my worth. And that was, you know, and that came with a lot of understanding that, like, setting those boundaries and kind of cutting those people off. It doesn't have to be like, this bitter, angry, like, spiteful thing. It can be like, I forgive you for what you did. I hope the best for you. I just don't have, like, space for you. [00:21:59] Speaker B: I'm gonna go a separate way. [00:22:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:01] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:22:01] Speaker A: Like, I don't hate you. We don't have beef. Like, I forgive you. We're good. I just don't have space for you in my life. That's it. And so there is, you know, the songs that are on the deluxe. There's some really fun stuff because I also felt like, okay, this has been, for the most part, a fairly heavy record. [00:22:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:22:21] Speaker A: And so, you know, songs like Jessica Jezebel and. And Can I talk about. Can I say titles for the. Yeah, okay. Okay. Yeah. So, you know, I want to. I wanted to show some more, like, a more fun side of me, because that is a side of me, especially in the live show. You've seen the show enough times. [00:22:41] Speaker B: One of the best. [00:22:41] Speaker A: So I always. I always need to service my live show when I think about making a record. And, you know, so songs like Jessica Jezebel and project, like, definitely showing a little more fun, you know, tongue in cheek kind of side of me. We've actually. We've started playing Jessica Jezebel live, and I think it's my absolute favorite song. [00:23:01] Speaker B: Crowds got to go nuts. [00:23:02] Speaker A: There is a kazoo solo. I actually. It's actually. So I got really stoned one night after we had, like, recorded it, and I was like, I feel like I just need to get the most ridiculous, obnoxious kazoo that I can find. [00:23:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:23:16] Speaker A: And so I went online and I found. I call it a kazoomp because it looks like a trumpet, but it's actually a big gold kazoo that looks like a trumpet. [00:23:24] Speaker B: No way. [00:23:25] Speaker A: And so I. That is the Kazoom Pit has been incorporated into the live show, and she's a hit. The fans love it. [00:23:33] Speaker B: Ideas are the best ideas, dude. [00:23:35] Speaker A: I just. Well, I also was like, music is fun. [00:23:38] Speaker B: Yes. [00:23:39] Speaker A: Like, I love creating music. I love being in the studio. I love recording, and then I love playing it live. And I wanted to have fun with it. I'm like, yeah, we're going to have a kazoo solo because it's fun, funny, and it's fun, and, you know, people like it and that. I just took off all the. The, like, rules and, like, boundaries of, like, what I could or couldn't create or could or couldn't do in my music and just was like, I'm gonna do whatever I want. And people seem to be really digging that. So, you know, some. There's. There's some songs that are a little bit heavier, but in a different way. Like, they're more hopeful. Like, they're emotional. You know, for example, you. For me, you know, that song is really about forgiveness. And the way that I came up with the idea for this. This song. Do you know who J.B. mooney is? Yeah. So, like, world class. One of the best bull riders to ever live. And his story, you know, he. Years ago, he got on a bull named Arctic Assassin and took his last ride. And he got bucked off, broke his neck, thankfully. Didn't, you know, it ended his career, but not his life. And, you know, he made the decision to retire and focus on his family. And I watched this interview he did, and he's on his farm and he's got these bulls and stuff, and he's talking about it, and, you know, he just was, like, so at peace about it. And as. Like, as someone. I was a former athlete, you know, I kind of had my dreams ripped away as a snowboarder when I had a really bad injury, too. And so I understood that, you know, But I think it was for him, the way he talked about it, he. You know, he. He was just like, well, it's just. It's just part of the job, you know, and I had a good ride, but my family's more important. And I just knew that I couldn't feel right about going and putting myself at risk, knowing what it would do to my family. And so I don't have any regrets about this decision. Like, this is. I'm happy with this. It's what's best for me kind of thing. And you realize as he's talking, he's petting this bull, and you come to find out it's Arctic Assassin and that he bought the bull that ended his career, broke his neck, and cares for it. And I was like, man, that's crazy. Yeah, but so cool. And the way he saw it was like, well, you know, they're like that. How could you. Like, how can you have this bull here? Like, this bull ended your career? Like, he's like, I mean, that's just a bull doing what a bull does. And I thought about that, and it's again, back to the hurt. People hurt people. Like, when. When people hurt you, it's like, that's just what a hurt person does. And you realize that, like, you can stay angry, you can stay bitter, and you can hold on to that and let it eat away at you, and it doesn't do anything to the other person. It just. It just ruins you, you know? Or you can say, you know what? I'm not saying what you did is okay, but I'm forgiving you for me and so that I can. I don't want to give you the power to own my. My emotions, my feelings, my thoughts anymore. Like, I'm just. I'm taking it. I'm taking that power back, and I'm going to forgive you so that I can move forward and, like, be happy, you know? And I just thought that story was so inspiring. And so that was. That was. The inspiration behind that song was JB Mooney. So I'm really hoping that one day maybe he will hear the song. [00:27:00] Speaker B: Oh, I'm sure he will. I'm sure. Well, he strikes me as a country music fan. I'm sure he'll get his ears on it. [00:27:05] Speaker A: I think he dig it. Yeah. [00:27:06] Speaker B: And he does a bunch of stuff. Like his little guys involved in rodeo now, too, right? I think his little guys, like, starting to hop on bulls and horses and all that stuff, which is cool because I've seen that pop across my feed, even though I'm not around rodeo and stuff at all. [00:27:19] Speaker A: I. Yeah, I. I mean, I love it. I. I've never done it myself. I've got. I've got enough back problems for my days of the snowboarder. I don't need to be getting on a boat. [00:27:27] Speaker B: I didn't know you did a bunch of snowboarding. Was that, like. [00:27:29] Speaker A: I did? Yeah. [00:27:30] Speaker B: Big part of your life? [00:27:31] Speaker A: Yeah, it was everything. I was. I was competitive snowboarder all through high school. And yeah, my senior year of high school, like, my dream was to go to the Olympics. That's what I was training for. And I was having, like, my best season yet. And I think I had almost qualified for Junior Worlds. And, like, it was. Everything was going right and I was warming up in a competition, had a really bad fall, broke my back, dislocated my shoulder, snapped my collarbone, broken ribs, severe concussion. Like, all my lower back was, like, severely severe compression fracture. Like, I should have been paralyzed. Honestly, I was lucky to walk. And, yeah, it was like all of my dreams just ripped away in a split second. And at the time, I didn't see it. I was, like, severely depressed. But I really turned to music during that healing period because there wasn't much I could do. I was kind of laid up for a while. I struggled reading because of my concussions. And so I just listened to a lot of music and was writing some stuff. And, you know, music was always there. I liked singing and doing all that. You know, I had a band and stuff. But, yeah, the whole. The whole focus shift shifted then to. To music, so it was a blessing. [00:28:53] Speaker B: That's, again, being a woman of faith. It's like everything happens for a reason. And look at how your life has panned out after that accident. [00:29:01] Speaker A: God knows I don't do subtle. He had to literally, like, break my back to be like, hey, I know you think this is for you, but I actually have something over here that's. That's more. That's better. [00:29:11] Speaker B: Yeah, I see those. Those. That, like that meme of that graphic all the time where it's like, you give, like, the small bouquet of flowers, and then he's got a whole pile of flower. Find them. Like, just wait for what's on the other side. Have you felt like that with your journey? Because you've been in town now for a while, and it's like, right now things are going and it's. You've had the ups and downs and the new record deal and all this stuff where it's like, on the other side of it, you're. You're doing. You're doing really well for yourself right now, sis. [00:29:39] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Well, thank you. And no, and you're right. There's. There's still. You know, you have to find the happy medium between saying, man, look at all everything we've accomplished. Look how great we're doing. But also, like, you know, there's. There's a lot still. I want to do, like, I want to get out of the van. I'm getting too old to be traveling in these vans. I want a bus. You know, I want to be able to put my band on salary. I want to be able to have A bigger band. [00:30:07] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:30:08] Speaker A: You know, I, I hate that. And I know there's been a, like, I feel like there's controversy about this all the time now. And it kind of pisses me off when people talk about using tracks in live show. As if like using tracks in your live show makes you less legitimate or something. [00:30:23] Speaker B: No, it's there to fill the holes because you don't. You can't have the rest of the instruments there. [00:30:27] Speaker A: Well, yeah. Right. [00:30:28] Speaker B: Completing the show. [00:30:29] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, if you use common sense, then you understand. Yeah. It's like I don't, I don't use tracks because we, we all. Everyone on stage is playing their instruments. I am actually playing guitar. Everyone's playing their instruments. It's just. I can only. Call me crazy. I'd rather pay my three guys a living wage so that they can like pay their rent and feed their family then like, cheap out on what I pay them just to have a couple extra guys on stage for my ego to be like, I'm better than you because I have more players on my stage. Like, cool, man. If you can afford a six piece band, I love that for you. I can't. Not without like screwing my guys and expecting them to live on nothing. Yeah. That's crazy. [00:31:09] Speaker B: It's the same thing with the bus versus the van. It's like you want to take care of your guys and take care of your team versus having this. The bragging rights or the I'm cool factor. [00:31:19] Speaker A: Yeah. I'm not gonna have anybody that works for me living in poverty. [00:31:23] Speaker B: No. [00:31:23] Speaker A: While I'm living above my means. That's crazy. But I. I think we all would like to get on a bus. That's. I actually wrote a song called Bus for Annie because my dog's name is Annie and I'm like, I just. While she is alive, I'm like, I need her to see why I leave every weekend. Like, I need her to be like, this is why I always left you so that I could make this money and buy you a bus. And now come with me. Like, I need. My dog needs to come on the road with me with the. In her remaining years. So please go stream my record so. [00:31:55] Speaker B: That we can get Annie a bus. [00:31:57] Speaker A: Andy needs a bus. [00:31:58] Speaker B: What kind of dog is Annie? [00:31:59] Speaker A: Oh, man, she's. She's like Heinz 57. Like everything. [00:32:06] Speaker B: She's a big dog, little dog. [00:32:07] Speaker A: She's like just under 40 pounds. [00:32:09] Speaker B: Okay. [00:32:09] Speaker A: So she's a decent size, like a medium sized dog. I guess she's red healer. I think she's Got some Jack Russell terrier, maybe some kind of terrier. So she's got some energy shepherd and husky and I think some pitbull. I don't know. She's extremely energetic, extremely smart. Like, honestly, too smart for her own good. She can jump all of our fences. She can open every door in the house. She can open zippers. She's wild. Yeah, but that's my girl. [00:32:38] Speaker B: Sounds like she belongs on a tour bus. [00:32:39] Speaker A: That's what I'm saying. She'd be a great little bus dog. [00:32:41] Speaker B: Yeah, she'd be a great bus dog. She could help load in. It sounds like she would. [00:32:45] Speaker A: Would. [00:32:45] Speaker B: Yeah, she'd fight. [00:32:46] Speaker A: Put a little harness on her. [00:32:47] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. So have we been getting out, doing a lot of shows here lately or what's the road been like? [00:32:54] Speaker A: It's. Yeah, it's been pretty constant this year. Yeah, we've just. And I'll be honest, it was. It was tough. Like, the beginning of the year, we didn't. We didn't have any big tour offers and. Which was really disappointing and frustrating. But, you know, we pivoted and we. We were like, okay, well, I. We started, you know, we did the Rolling Stone tour with Ashland, and, you know, we. That was just us kind of both being like, this is bullshit that we don't have any tour offers, but, like, let's just do it ourselves. And so that was both of our first times doing any. Any headlining in. In for me in the US and, you know, it was terrifying because we're like, what if nobody comes? Like, it's just us trying to sell these tickets, you know, but it was great. I mean, we had a blast and we had definitely more people than we thought show up, and we sold lots of merch and we made some lifetime fans and some great memories and, you know, so that was. That was a big, big milestone this year. A big scary step to take that ended up being awesome. And then it, you know, tons of great festivals this year, both in the US and in Canada, and a ton of radio shows just sprinkled in all over the place. [00:34:11] Speaker B: How's the radio? [00:34:12] Speaker A: That's. That's where you get real exhausted because it's like you've got your regular, you know, Thursday through Sunday touring, but then the radio shows are Monday through Wednesday. So, you know, I would say more often than not, most weeks this year, I might have gotten one to two days at home of the week. [00:34:30] Speaker B: Wow. [00:34:30] Speaker A: And then with some longer stretches of, like, weeks at a time. We also went to Europe this year for the first Time, which was incredible. Just so cool and so fun. And we had fans out there. We'd never been there. That's what's so crazy. Like, in Europe, like, they just also. They don't care about radio singles or, like, Spotify playlists or, like, any. Like, if they like you, they buy your whole record and they. They learn every song. Yeah. Like, they love it. And so that was really cool. And then, yeah, this year, this fall, we're going out with Brad Paisley. We're going to be in Canada, finishing out the year with him, which is going to be really cool. I've. I've never met him, but, I mean, he's a legend. [00:35:14] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:35:15] Speaker A: So I'm excited to see the live show, like, to. Just to see him play. [00:35:19] Speaker B: Have you ever seen him in concert? [00:35:20] Speaker A: I haven't. [00:35:21] Speaker B: His shows are some of the best. [00:35:23] Speaker A: I mean, I just know what a great musician he is, so I was like, I can only imagine how incredible the show is. I mean, I almost always watch whoever I'm opening for. Like, I usually stay and watch the show, but I definitely want to catch some of his sets, for sure. [00:35:36] Speaker B: His video wall is, like, insane. And he always has, like, crazy debauchery on the video wall. Like, going back. Yeah. Like, back in the day, he would bring a kid. I remember seeing him in Jersey when I was. I think I was in college. And he would bring fans, like, these kids on stage, and they would be playing Mario Kart while he would be soloing. Like, they'd be playing a song and on the video while you'd be watching these kids play Mario Kart. [00:35:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:57] Speaker B: Like, crazy stuff. I see you'. To. You're going out to Charlotte. You're going to Raleigh, Memphis, some of my favorite rooms. Have you been to Coyote Joe's before? [00:36:05] Speaker A: I haven't. I. But I've been hearing about Coyote Joe's for years. Our friend Caroline, actually, Ian Muncick's wife, Caroline, because that's kind of like her old stomping ground. So I'm. I'm really excited. [00:36:18] Speaker B: Legendary spot, like it is. They like to dance, they like to drink, and they love country music. You're gonna have a ball out there. [00:36:25] Speaker A: I can help them do all three. [00:36:26] Speaker B: Yes. Oh, yeah. No, Coyote Joe's is great. Lincoln Theater, Minglewood, all venues that I've gotten to have some good times in. So you'll. [00:36:34] Speaker A: Yeah, we've. The radio shows, honestly, I mean, yeah, you're. You know, you're playing for free, and. And it's exhausting. But, you know, you get to play some really cool venues. And I've made friends with a lot of other artists too, like who are up and coming with me because you do the rounds and stuff together, which is cool. And I, you know, I get to play to a brand new built in crowd every night. So it's regardless of what you're getting out of it. Radio wise. I'm making fans every night because my biggest goal is, everything I do is just to try and be able to sell tickets so I can go on tour. Because there's a lot that you can't control in the industry. There's a lot of politics and bs, but I can control making fans and selling tickets. So every time I get to go play to a new room, I just see it. I'm like, everybody in this room is a potential new fan and I've got four songs to make them like me. Enough to buy a ticket to my show. [00:37:28] Speaker B: Yeah. Talk about Nashville, when you first got out here. Because I feel like you came out in like the golden era of just looking back because you got here what year? [00:37:38] Speaker A: I always forget. [00:37:39] Speaker B: So I was 18. [00:37:40] Speaker A: It'll be, it'll be nine years that I've been here this coming March. [00:37:43] Speaker B: Okay, so that puts you at 16. 16. Yeah. So that was when like Whiskey Jam was really getting going. That was when revival was the spot three some Thursdays over there. Like it was like, because I, I came in fall of 2018. I remember coming down and just being like the people that were coming up in the scene at that time and the round culture and the in town events and just. It had to be an electric time to move here of just watching guys and girls just go. And you being part of that. [00:38:14] Speaker A: Well, seeing, seeing how different it is now. I'm becoming more and more aware of like how lucky I am that it was that way. Well, especially when I think about, I just, just the way the, the artist community has changed. Like, like you said all these things like Whiskey Jam Revival Losers, Winners, Red Door, like the scene. Like I went out like every single night. [00:38:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:38:36] Speaker A: And there was always people out. There was always a party, there was always around, there was always a show. And everybody went to everything together. And like, I mean, all of my best friends I met at these, all of these, the places that you're, you're mentioning people who are big artists now, you know, like Lainey and Casey and Ashlyn. All these girls I met playing these rounds, like Ryan Nelson. [00:39:00] Speaker B: Oh, God bless them. Yeah. [00:39:01] Speaker A: You know, all these people and Channing Wilson and, and Just like. Like I remember the first. The first round I ever played in Nashville was Revival, and I was. I was going with Lainey because she had invited me. She's like, yeah, like, you should. You should try and get on some rounds. And I was like, what's that? She's like, well, I'm playing. When it was cma, it was during CMA Fest. And she's like, I'm playing one. You should come and I'll introduce you to Rob. He runs this round. And I guess whoever was supposed to be in their round with Laney and Rob had to bail last minute. And so Laney was like, well, you know, I've got my friend here. She's really good. You know, she's big in Canada. Like, you should. We should just have her join in. So next thing I know, I'm in a round with Laney and Rob, and that was my first time ever playing wow. In Nashville. And I just was like, I was so enamored by the whole scene. Like, just. It was exactly what I wanted. It was exactly what I moved for, which was to be completely inundated with just music and creative people and songwriters and like, incredible musicians, people that were better than me and more experienced than me. And like, I just wanted to, like, be a sponge and soak it all up and just learn and meet as many people as I could. And I mean, yeah, it just. It feels like so much of that community, it doesn't even exist anymore. The same events and spots, like, they're. They're just gone. It's just different. [00:40:19] Speaker B: It is a different. It is a different thing. And we're. We're kind of out there trying to fight the good fight is still doing. Totally were doing. Thankfully, we were doing 10amonth. Now we're down to six because we're doing so many out of town things. But it's like there's something special about where I. I like to hand pick. Me and Nikki. We like to hand pick them where it's like, I think this girl would vibe with this guy or vibe with this girl, and let's put them on around together and then maybe they'll go write cool songs together. [00:40:43] Speaker A: Right? [00:40:43] Speaker B: You know, like creating those friendships and that sense of community and you start to. And. And we tell. When young kids move to town, the best advice is it doesn't have to be ours. Like, go. Go hang out with Ward down. Down on Broadway. Go go see grindhouse things. Like, that's the best way to find co writers, to find friends, to find managers. To find everybody. [00:41:01] Speaker A: Well, and I mean I did have a publisher at the time, but I was booking everything myself and it's like, especially if you don't have a pub deal, like that's how, that's how you're going to get it. You just go and play as much as you can, meet as many people as you can and just like create like actual real connections with people and, and learn the game. [00:41:20] Speaker B: Yes. [00:41:20] Speaker A: Learn how to do it Right. Don't be weird about it. You know, don't be gurmy about it. Yeah, you gotta, you gotta play it right. [00:41:27] Speaker B: Yeah. The 2:00am Red door. Germs. [00:41:29] Speaker A: Yeah. That's why I don't go there anymore. Well, there's a lot of reasons I don't go to Red Door. [00:41:33] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Why? Yeah, it was wild, man. It's funny you brought up Ryan Nelson. The. The old, the old, the old fire parties back in the day. Damn. Dancing on the Palace. [00:41:43] Speaker A: The wildest human I think I've ever met and, and so talented. Yeah. I love the out of Ryan, man. [00:41:49] Speaker B: He. [00:41:49] Speaker A: He is, he is in so many of my earliest memories of Nashville. [00:41:53] Speaker B: Yeah, mine too. [00:41:55] Speaker A: I think he's in everybody's. [00:41:56] Speaker B: Yeah. The first Whiskey jam that I went to was the week that Show Up Drunk had come out and he was dressed up on stage. He had just cut his hair. He was wearing like a. Like a blazer. I was like, this looks like Joaquin Phoenix playing Johnny Cash and Walk the Line. I'm like, who is this guy? And then I went out and partied with him after. I was like, holy. I was like, so this is what a Florida man is like? [00:42:14] Speaker A: No, he is the definition of like, like Florida man. Headlines. [00:42:18] Speaker B: Yeah. And just a brilliant, brilliant songwriter. [00:42:21] Speaker A: Oh yeah, big time. [00:42:23] Speaker B: It's wild. It's wild. What's something that you would tell that. That young girl that moves out here and coming from Canada where you were, you were having success and then you, you bet on yourself to jump into the scene down here. Like knowing what you know now and going through as many chapters as you've gone through in these last coming up on nine years. What's something that you would tell that. [00:42:44] Speaker A: Don'T date anyone in the first year that you move to town? None of the. Especially not a 22 year old songwriter that thinks he's God's gift to women in country music. He's just. Just stay focused on your career and the sooner you can be extremely comfortable with exactly who you are and do it unapologetically, the better. Don't I think for me, especially, like, moving from Canada, there was like, a weird stigma around, like, Canadians moving to Nashville. It was like, I felt like they looked down on us. Kind of like, you know, Canadian country was sort of like the. The. The farm team to the big leagues or something. And respectfully, you know, I. I did. I would hear a lot of, like, Canadians cutting songs from Nashville, but, like, it would be. It was always derivative of something that already worked. Like, you could just tell it was kind of, like. Kind of just taking, like, hand me downs or, like. [00:43:45] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:43:45] Speaker A: You know, the. The C cuts that nobody else in Nashville wanted. [00:43:50] Speaker B: Scraps. [00:43:50] Speaker A: The scraps. Yeah. And. And I get it, because Canadians. Well, that's a whole other conversation. We don't have to go down that rabbit hole. But all that is to say, like. And I also literally had people on my team telling me, like, don't tell people that you're Canadian. Don't tell people how old you are. You know, like, all these things that I was, like, right off the bat, I feel like I've got to hide these things about me that I can't change. [00:44:20] Speaker B: Brooks and Dunn met when they were 34 years old. [00:44:22] Speaker A: Right, Right. [00:44:23] Speaker C: Age. [00:44:23] Speaker A: Well. [00:44:24] Speaker B: And shit. [00:44:25] Speaker A: Well, you know, it shouldn't and it doesn't, but to a lot of the fucking good old boys in this industry when it comes to it, does they? Literally. And I think a lot of that actually has to do with, like, we're not going to be able to control this one. She's. She's. She's not pliable. She's not compliant enough. She's not going to work. [00:44:44] Speaker B: And now we're in the age where they don't have that control. And the artist is the artist. You're the CEO of what you do, you know? [00:44:52] Speaker A: Yeah. I would just say, like, just. And. And don't. Don't worry about what's, like, cool in Nashville or, like, what's trending. Like, really focus on finding your own sound more than anything because you're, you know, eventually, like, you can. You can make a little money and you can get a little bit of attention by kind of following trends, for sure. Like, but it's not gonna give you. It's not gonna build any kind of real foundation for a true artistry, you know, or a true career, if that's what you want, you know, and so just really focus on. And don't worry about the names either. Like, don't feel like you have to get into rooms with the big names or, like, the hot writers at the time. Because they may or may not even be right for you. Like you might get. Because I've made that mistake where I've gotten so hyper focused. Like if I just write with so and so, like I'll get this big hit and it'll be perfect. And then you get in and they're. You. They're talented, but they're not right for you. Or the chemistry isn't there or it's just like not what you thought it was going to be. So it's like, like, just don't worry about like, like the names and the, the hierarchy of things. Like, just find people that you love creating with and that you love writing with and that like believe in you and see your talent and understand your vision. Just do that and just, just like don't worry about what everybody else is doing. Find your own lane. Yeah, it'll pay off in the long run. [00:46:14] Speaker B: And you never know where you and your friends are going to go. Like, look at who you were, look at who your homies are. [00:46:19] Speaker A: And well, that's. And they're. And there's. Right. And there's plenty. There's plenty of artists you can point to and people that I know that got their first big hits and continue to get hits with just their friends started writing with like they, they became big together. It wasn't like. And yeah, there's some artists they go and like they write a song with a, with an Ashley Gourley or whatever and that's their first hit and that was the first time they wrote and they don't even know each other. Whatever that happens too. But I mean, you know, my husband Mitchell is one of them. Like him and Jordan and Devin, Dawson and Hardy, all these guys, like and Ernest, like they all came up together, you know. And so don't worry about feeling like you have to get in with like the, like that's what I'm talking about in Golden Child. And I say don't trade in your ride or die for the cool kids down at the bar, you know, because you're gonna feel like you should be doing that because that's part of what the industry is, is like feeling like there's an in crowd and a not in crowd, you know, but that's just all B.S. [00:47:15] Speaker B: Yeah. Amen. I love how freaking honest you are. You've always been this way. Just say it like it. Say it like it freaking is. And I'm so excited for this deluxe to come out and talk about the, the second single coming out too. [00:47:28] Speaker A: Yeah, both can be true. I Love this song for so many reasons. Well, first, speaking of Ride or Dies and like good Friends, I wrote this with some of my kind of day one OG friends, so. Dallas Wilson, Michael Whitworth, and Tranny Anderson. Yeah. And I mean, you know, they're just some of. Truly some of my closest best friends in the industry. And so that's always, like. Just feels extra special. Same with Golden Child, you know, Aaron and Joey. And it actually was something that Dallas and Tranny and Michael had got started on, and they brought it to me, and they're like, we just felt like this, like. Like this would fit your. Your vibe. Like, you'd be into this. Would you be down to. To finish it out with us? And it was. I mean, it was just such a really cool hook. But I also knew that there were a few songs out that had kind of touched on that concept. And I was like. And I'm somebody that. I'm like, I. I don't. I don't like to. I don't like to get too close to anything that's already out. You know, I'm like, if. I mean, obviously you can't copyright a title, and they can be written in different ways. So I'm like, as long as we can do this in a way that feels totally fresh and unique, like, I'm down because I loved what they had. And it also just felt like it really. It was like a perfect song of, like, to come at the end of the whole Golden Child record to say, like, this is what I've learned. Here's where I landed on all this crazy stuff that I went through, all the pain and the hurt and the good and the bad and the healing and everything. And the reality is, is that sometimes, like. Like, two things can be true at once, you know? Like, right now, like, we're talking about, I'm like, I've never been more tired or, like, stressed. But also, so many great things are happening, you know, and the best thing you can do is just feel all the feelings through it all and accept that it's okay, that two things can be happening at the same time. And that's kind of like the beauty of life. And because I used to struggle so much with, like, well, everything has to be black or white, this or that. And the reality is there's. It's just. It's just not that way in life. And you'll have a better time in life when you can just accept that both can be true. [00:49:44] Speaker B: Amen. Amen. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for hanging and coming out and joining me this morning. So excited. Y' all be sure to check out our girl Meg Patrick. Both Can Be True is out right now. And the deluxe album for Golden Child, the Final Chapter, coming to you on January 9th 9th. And thank you for being such a great, like, ambassador to rage Rowdy. Because when I talk with Nikki about, like, it was funny when I, when Nick and I were talking last night, he's like, oh, you got a podcast tomorrow, right? I'm like, yeah, it's with Meg. And he's like, no way. That's awesome. Like, thinking back to the early days of raised Rowdy, like, you were in. [00:50:18] Speaker A: My corner since the beginning too. [00:50:19] Speaker B: So, yeah, you're one of the OGs. Seriously. So thank you for everything. And y' all be sure to go. Go stream Meg's music. Get out there. Pre save the deluxe album Golden Child, the Final Chapter Chapter. For more on us, visit ra.com Shout out to Surfside. No bubbles, no troubles. It's not a seltzer, it's a surfside. Vodka, lemonade, vodka, iced tea, green tea, they got it all so go check them out. We will see you next time. For my girl Meg, I'm Matt Braille. This has been outside the round? [00:50:46] Speaker C: I never been the kind for still one place for too long I never been the best at sin I love you to a girl I love Only got a couple tricks up my sleeve? They usually just make them leave? So if you know me, if you really know me? You know I'm just a two trick pony? But maybe the drink and the lack of money for show I'm just a two trick pony. [00:51:21] Speaker A: Yeah.