Noah Hicks

Speaker 1 00:00:14 What is up everybody? Welcome back to the In The Round podcast at Des Moine Map, peril hanging out with ya. And, uh, today an episode we've been wanting to get for a long time. Got my good buddy, Mr. Noah Hicks joining us today. He's got all, he's had a big year, you know, the last year, um, a lot's happened for him the last few years, uh, since we first got to know each other. And, uh, he had some new music come out recently called, uh, I Can Tell You're Small Town, which is just badass. We'll hear it at the end of the episode. But, uh, first got some housekeeping, of course. Gotta talk to y'all about the sponsors. Whale Tail Media. Uh, our close friends actually with Noah Hicks, um, our Boy Wales, uh, Bey, Gracie, the whole crew over there at Whale Tail Media. They get the job done. Speaker 1 00:00:57 You're looking for content creation. You're getting hitched. They even do whale tail weddings. Um, and they are awesome. Make sure you check them out. Whale Tail Media co. Happy to have them as a partner, not only here on the podcast, but also on the writer's rounds over at Live Oak every other Tuesday night. Speaking of Partners Saxon Studios, uh, big fan of, uh, what these guys do. Uh, Grady Grant, Saul, Tim will, the whole crew. They're, uh, top of the line. They're big supporters of the scene. They have been for a while, and, uh, they're always working and grinding on projects. And if you're looking for a place to get your project done, you know what you wanna say and you want someone to help you say it Hit up the boys at Saxon Studios, uh, they just moved to a brand new location and very affordable rates. Speaker 1 00:01:42 Um, top of the line, uh, production. And, uh, yeah, they, their resume speaks for themselves. Check them out Saxon at studios. And last, but certainly not least, our boys from Trailside, CCB d Emporium, Delta eight t h c. It's in, it's legal, it's great non-psychoactive, mostly a body high. Um, highly, highly, highly, no pun intended. Recommend it. Uh, make sure you guys check them out. Trailside, C B D Emporium, and use the promo code i t r at checkout. You get 20% off your order. So go and check them out. Have that further ado. Let's get into it. This fun conversation I got to have with my buddy Noah Hicks. Speaker 2 00:02:21 It's kind of funny. Speaker 1 00:02:22 Do people do people do it a lot. Speaker 2 00:02:25 People I know. Speaker 1 00:02:26 Well, how does, how do you do it? Speaker 2 00:02:27 Geez. I know Speaker 1 00:02:30 You have no idea where it came from. Speaker 2 00:02:32 Not really, but I kind of know when to use it. Speaker 1 00:02:34 Yeah, I was gonna say, I guess I have no, I have no idea where it, uh, where it came from, uh, where it came from either. But like, I just hear people hear people saying it. Yeah. Internet's a wild thing, man. It's Speaker 2 00:02:45 Like a TikTok thing. Speaker 1 00:02:46 Yeah, man. TikTok freaking dances and shees and there's some, I Speaker 2 00:02:51 Don't really that fancy like song, can't we Fancy Applebee's. Speaker 1 00:02:55 I mean, you see, I mean, you see, you see it with all, all kinds of, Speaker 2 00:02:58 It's crazy. That song just popped off. Speaker 1 00:03:00 Yeah, man. It could stay stuck in your head. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know, what's wild? Walker Hayes was like my first country artist that I ever interviewed. Really? Back in 2014, I was still drinking. Um, that Speaker 2 00:03:14 Was one year after I graduated. Speaker 1 00:03:16 Of what? High Speaker 2 00:03:17 School? Speaker 1 00:03:18 <laugh> High School? No, Speaker 2 00:03:19 No. Oh no. Excuse me. Whoa. Speaker 1 00:03:21 I was gonna say I graduated high school 2013. Speaker 2 00:03:24 Yeah. Uh, not high school. I think it was middle school. Speaker 1 00:03:27 <laugh>. Oh damn. Um, but yeah, we delta Speaker 2 00:03:33 That thing Delta Speaker 1 00:03:34 Trailside cbd. They got this new peanut butter stuff, guys. It is off the chains. Speaker 2 00:03:39 Straight up your Zeta Speaker 1 00:03:40 Sandwich. Had some p had some PB and J sandwiches. You guys can get it. Uh, 20% off promo code I t r, um, get some Trailside cbd. Shout out Andrew for hooking it up. Um, but yeah, Walker Hayes, at that time you had a song called Pants. You overhear that song. No. And he kind of had a haircut, like what you got right now. Like, he had like longer, longer hair and stuff that point. He was, he was, um, he was drinking pretty hard. Like we partied with him and stuff, but Oh, really? I saw him at my rider, my, the pub, this tiny little pub with maybe like 20 other people that's Speaker 2 00:04:12 Sick. Speaker 1 00:04:13 And now it's like, it's why, it's just kind of, kind of crazy to see that, you know? Speaker 2 00:04:16 For sure. And I bet he was still a hang, like he probably is now. Speaker 1 00:04:21 Yeah, well back then he was, now he's sober. Right, right, right. But I'm also sober, so we were, we both had to quit and at that time we were both using, um, lots of alcohol. <laugh>. Speaker 2 00:04:32 Yeah. Speaker 1 00:04:33 And, uh, had a good time. But thankfully he's sober. I'm sober. It's, it's all good. But, um, how have you, um, you see, I mean for, for up becoming artists, like the internet is a huge thing. Like facts, dude. It's, it's literally, it's like it can't pop up in these new places without it. Speaker 2 00:04:49 Dude, it, honestly, it's how I got, like, it started in everything. Social media, Instagram, Instagram, it being like, uh, it's how I met Dylan Marlowe. And that's how I got my first single Ray on the radio. Cause we were like, middle on Instagram, didn't even meet each other, texting each other or whatnot. And, uh, yeah, he sent me raising raised or whatever. I was like, dang dude, can I cut that? He was like, yeah, 300 bucks. Never paid him. Still cut. It been like a, you know, been a really big song for me. Like people like Yeah, dude, people kind of, people were like, dang, he's serious. Like, this is good. Speaker 1 00:05:31 Yeah, man. It's, it's, it's essential. And you think Noah Hits Speaker 2 00:05:34 And Dylan wrote that by himself, which is like pretty cool. Speaker 1 00:05:36 Yeah. And that was when he was first. You and him are, are you guys the same age? Speaker 2 00:05:40 No, he's, uh, 24, 25. Yeah, I'm 22. Okay. I'm pretty young. Speaker 1 00:05:47 Yeah. Cause I was gonna say you guys are both like, at that point, like, cause that song about what, 20 17, 20 18? Is that about 2019? Speaker 2 00:05:55 I think it was 2018. 2018. Because I did 2018. 2019 and 20. Yeah. Cause you guys and 21 guys, Speaker 1 00:06:00 You guys are, you guys are both Speaker 2 00:06:01 Starting out both. Dude, a hundred percent. Like, he was Speaker 1 00:06:03 Both doing pretty well for yourselves Speaker 2 00:06:04 Now. He had, he had like, I guess Trey Landon and kind of more people in his area. I had re Morris that was in my, uh, hometown that was kinda doing it. And some other people I guess you could say. But like, you know, Trey was already kind of doing it. I'm, I'm sure he had already had like, people in Nashville and I don't, I don't know really Trey's story, but Yeah. But yeah, so like, and Dylan's honestly one of the best songwriters I know personally kind of blows me away sometimes. And you know, especially during quarantine when he was on Zoom and he'd just be like in there playing my guitar and just like writing hit songs on it. And I'm just like, I'm gonna be able to sell that guitar one day. <laugh>. Speaker 1 00:06:43 But Speaker 2 00:06:43 Yeah, it's just, it was just cool man. He's just like, it's nuts how good he is. And Speaker 1 00:06:49 So you guys, guys, honestly the whole Speaker 2 00:06:50 Friend group? Speaker 1 00:06:51 Yeah, man. Cuz um, there's, um, there's all kinds. It's like Nashville is very much, it does have like this high school kind of feel to it. Facts. Like, you have, you literally, you have your class. I mean, people say it all the time. We say it on, on this podcast all the time. Like, like the people that move to town about the same time as you or Yeah. Have that same geographic thing. And like, y'all's crews pretty solid and, and it keeps like, growing, you know, facts. Everybody's out there networking, doing their own thing too. Speaker 2 00:07:16 A hundred percent. And like, you know, a lot of stuff happened for me quick, but it was a, like, I rode on the coattail. I, I wouldn't say I rode on their coattail, but they did a lot of the hard work for me. They were in the town, they were in town before I was meeting the people I needed to meet. So when I would meet them, the people I needed to meet outside when I was hanging out with, you know, tower Chambers doing Bryce, Derek, whoever, Chad, you know, whoever I was with. And, uh, yeah, they would just, Hey, here's my buddy Noah. And just made it so easy. And I had really long hair at the time. I remember that. Yeah. And nobody ever, and nobody had it at the time. I don't think like, I get people had long hair, but like, I don't remember a lot of like, fresh artists having like, super, like long hair. Speaker 2 00:08:00 Yes. That I considered that super duper long hair. But, uh, yeah. And it's funny, I remember when I cut my hair 20, 20 January or whatever, I fucking moved to town and people like didn't recognize me. Yeah. And I was just like, dang. But anyways, it all, you know, it all works out. But it's just cool that to know that we're that tight knit and that we all like, we all push each other to be the best. And we all like, you know, even though it's a, it's a rat race and we're all trying to get, we're all trying to climb the same mountain, but we're all like, we all still, you know, drop our ropes if they, you know, somebody needs getting pulled up or whatever. It's all, we all are boys. It's great. It's pretty, it's a pretty cool feeling to know that like, we're all doing the damn thing too. Like, we're like doing it. Everybody's got really cool things going on, so like, it's just, it's nuts. Speaker 1 00:08:57 Yeah. Yeah, man. And you talk about that friend group being tight-knit. Another thing that's tight-knit for you, you're, you're from, like, if you listen to Justin Moore's song, small Town USA Facts. Dude, Speaker 2 00:09:06 Dude, my boss wrote that. Speaker 1 00:09:07 It's crazy, bro. Bro. Yeah. That, we'll, we'll get to all that shit too. Um, I wanna go, I wanna back up. Um, and you talk about small town usa, Carrollton, Georgia, and your dude, your, you and your family super, super tight-knit. A hundred percent. You're very big. And I is was that a hard, was, was it hard to leave that for Nashville Speaker 2 00:09:26 Facts? It was, it, it was a, it's just hard, you know, luckily it's only four hours away. I can't imagine like Tower Chambers has a really, you know, pretty farm in South Georgia where he is from. And, uh, Dylan's got a really cool hometown too. And like, but, but they live eight hours, you know, or so I think, I think away I'm, I'm, yeah, Speaker 1 00:09:50 I'm 13, Speaker 2 00:09:51 I'm four. I'm literally like <laugh>. Yeah. It's like, it's nothing for me just to shoot down home to shoot down to home or whatever. And, uh, it was tough though, man. It's, you definitely miss a dirt, dirt road. Good. And you definitely miss like the things that, you know, you have, you know, a little bit of fomo when you see your buddies like doing some really fun things that you used to do back home. But at the same time, we're doing some really big things up here and it'll all, like, I have a, I have a, like I've learned to have a very, uh, not, not a hundred percent worry about what's going on right now. Like, think about it, but don't, you know, dwell on what's gonna happen in the next six months. Think about like, you know, what doors can you step through in the next year, five years? And dreaming big is kind of where I can, where my head's at, you know what I mean? I just always try to just think as big as possible. Speaker 1 00:10:43 Yeah, dude. Absolutely. I mean, hey, that's, uh, that positive, positive thinking and just they, it keeps you driving. And it, if you're, if you're a competitor, like wanting to really like compete against yourself to make, to get there, like Speaker 2 00:10:57 A hundred percent. Well it is, you just listen to the guys that, that are doing it right now that are like the big dogs and they didn't get, you know, stuff didn't start happening to them until they were, you know, in their thirties and whatnot. And, you know, it took them however many publishing deals. And you know, Shane, I know like Shane McInally story is pretty insane cuz like, he's like, you know, he's the bomb.com when it comes to being a hit songwriter as his, you know, record shows. And, uh, it's just nuts that we kind of stress now that we're not like in the same shoes as certain people. Like, you know what I mean? Like, worrying about somebody else, like, you know, thinking like, dang, I wish I was there. We're wish I wrote that song. Wish I could get that deal. Wish I could have that. Speaker 2 00:11:45 But you think about it and you're like, it could all like, it's all, it could all be a season literally. Yeah. Like people get dr Like, it's like people have to, the reality of like, you know, people get dropped and people like, things happen and if you, you know, if you get comfortable and stop working as hard as you did when you did when you were hungry, that's when you'll fall off the wagon. And I feel like, you know, not saying that there's a lot of people in this town that like, have that mentality that are super hungry and I feel like everybody gravitates towards them and you know, you're friends with 'em as well. Yeah. Because all our, like, cuz I'm in the same friend group as you as well, you know, we all know each other. Yeah. That's what's, that's what's crazy. Like this, you know, SIGs in the outfield. Yeah. Like that, like that, you know, that group chat. Like we all know each other. And I could go on and on on about that group chat, but like yeah. Just, yeah. So, but it's just nuts. Speaker 1 00:12:45 Yeah, dude. Um, so how many siblings you got? Two. You got two? Yeah. Two brother and a sister. Older Speaker 2 00:12:51 Brother, younger Speaker 1 00:12:51 Sister. Yeah. Cause I met your, so I met you, like I had known, I had heard raised on the radio and I don't know if it ain't me it was out yet when I met you. When did that come out? Speaker 2 00:13:03 I think it was when I said October 12th. Right Speaker 1 00:13:08 When it, it was already Speaker 2 00:13:09 Out. It ain't because I dropped it Juva Speaker 1 00:13:11 Seventh. Yeah. Cause I remember those were the two songs. I'm like, damn, there's no hicks. Good badass. Like, and then we met in Carrollton and yeah, met met the family and dude Carrollton, Georgia. That, that little amphitheater thing you guys got, Speaker 2 00:13:23 Man. It's dope. It's sick Speaker 1 00:13:24 And it ain't the biggest thing in the world, but I'll tell you what. Right. It, it holds a good amount of people and those people get rowdy and have a really good time. And that's a fun crowd to play to. Well Speaker 2 00:13:34 They shot off that street, bro. They can fit a lot of people. Yeah. Speaker 1 00:13:38 Honestly, that's the thing that you, you, you think, like, you see the way the venue's set up and, and um, and all that. And then, but then you realize when they shut down the streets, Speaker 2 00:13:47 There's Yeah, it there's a lot of room, honestly. It can be like, and it's a, it's so crazy that like I had that in my hometown. I've had it for a while. Of course, you know, it slacked off there for a minute. It was like every weekend. I wish I spent a little more time up there watching a bunch of bands and, but at the same time there was a lot of like getting hammered, you know, nonsense going on and yeah. Getting drunks, you know, just, I hate hangovers. So <laugh> I try, I try not to like drink a lot. Speaker 1 00:14:17 Yeah. Cause there's, there's a, there's, there's another bar like right next to it, dude. Speaker 2 00:14:20 There's like bars like, like right outside. There's, I mean there's a pub that like, has a window that opens up and sells beer out the back or whatever. But I mean, it's great. I mean it's, I mean, you can bring your coolers and whatever and like drink and I mean like, kids are up on top of the parking deck doing what kids do, like high school kids and stuff like that. You know, I, we didn't hang out with the park, hang out at the parking deck, but, uh, yeah, it's just crazy. You could drive literally not even 10 minutes outside, like from that spot right there. And you already hit cornfields and, which is great because, you know, it makes doing what I'm doing now, just natural. Like, it's like I, I pick out a lot of scabs. I was talking about this last night. Speaker 2 00:15:05 I pick, I pick out a lot of scabs, like when it comes to songwriting, like when it just, you know, especially like, wow, just girls, you know, whatever. It's just crazy how like I have to do that. But like, maturely do it, you know what I mean? It's just like, it's, it's anything like I, with just back home memories, you know, anything. I don't know. It can, some days are easier than others when you're about the happy go lucky, like that's how we do it around here kind of songs. But you know, when you write the like, heartbreak, you're like, dang, I did, I did have to do that. Or experience a little bit of that. And it's crazy to like know that I get, I'm getting to write the songs about that personally for me, with the people that I used to listen to, the songwriters that wrote the songs that I used to listen to. You know what I mean? That were about Speaker 1 00:15:57 That, that Speaker 2 00:15:57 Were about that. Like, that we're like writing about that. And then like, I'm sitting there and like, when we're just doing it, like, and I'm just like, dang. It's just like such a like, surreal moment. Like I think about it a lot. Yeah. It's just nuts. Yeah. Speaker 1 00:16:08 Cuz you, you experienced being a big part of, it seems like the, the, the style, like the southern country a big thing. People grew up in the country and every almost a lot of good, a lot of people experience a college town. Right. And you're in Carrollton, Georgia, you're getting both of that. I Speaker 2 00:16:25 Had it right. Yeah. I had both of it, which is cool. Which yeah, which is cool about like, the kind of singles that are fixing to drop or the next single that's fixing to drop October, August 13th. Right. I'm gonna make sure. But yeah, it's, it's called, I Can Tell you're a Small Town and Speaker 1 00:16:45 It's, I think, I think have you played it at Round? Speaker 2 00:16:48 Yes. I'm think I'm gonna Speaker 1 00:16:48 Play that. So I was gonna say I've definitely heard, heard you heard you mention that title before. Speaker 2 00:16:53 Yeah. And Speaker 1 00:16:53 It's a, it's, it's a good, it's a damn good song. Thanks bro. I'm Speaker 2 00:16:56 Excited. Speaker 1 00:16:56 Which Speaker 2 00:16:57 Is cool cuz I released that drinking into College Town with Langston and Travis, which is fricking just, that's a whole, you know, that's a whole nother Speaker 1 00:17:05 Topic. Yeah. Which one of those guys did you see, did you see in a show first? Did you see which one of those guys did you see Live first John up Speaker 2 00:17:13 To eight. John, uh, Speaker 1 00:17:15 Where was your first John Langston show? Speaker 2 00:17:18 Rome City Brewhouse. I, uh, that's, I went to a lot of shows up there. It was an hour away from the house, like straight up 27. So it was a quick little ride. And you Speaker 1 00:17:26 Know, you're saying Rome City brewhouse, like the smaller one? Speaker 2 00:17:29 Yeah, like the little, like the downstairs bar with the creepy upstairs. Is that Rome City brewery? Speaker 1 00:17:36 How big, how big is it, Speaker 2 00:17:39 Bro? I'm, I'm pretty sure you've been there. Uh, Speaker 1 00:17:41 I've been to Dub Brew House, but I think there's another one called, Speaker 2 00:17:43 It might be called The Brew House. Yeah, it might be the Brew Speaker 1 00:17:45 House now it's called Peaches. Speaker 2 00:17:47 Oh yeah, okay. I didn't know it was that. Uh, it's called the Brew House now or Peaches, whatever. Yeah. Is it like the little, like the backstage is like the te the quote unquote backstage is like a storage unit or storage like, or not a storage unit, but a storage place. Speaker 1 00:18:01 Like upstairs? No, no. Yeah, the different place. Speaker 2 00:18:04 Oh, definitely different place. We might be like, okay. I it's, it's a bar. It's like a bar restaurant. Yeah. But anyways, he was there and that's where I met, uh, Dylan. I asked Dylan, I was like, Hey, I need a producer. And uh, he sh you know, told me about Brad Wake or Brad Wagner and that's John Langston's guitar player. Yeah. And, uh, yeah, I went to the show and watched the whole concert, stayed in the back by the merch guy and was just watching John Langston just do his thing. And then after that I walked up to the Brad and was like, Hey, Dylan Marlow told me to get in touch with you about some songs. And he was like, yeah, he had my number. And then it all went, like, started kind of from there. And Brad, I didn't sleep on Brad's couch for the first time. The first time I went to Nashville was kind of crazy. Speaker 1 00:18:57 Yeah. I want to hear the, the couch crashing saga because people couch crashed and then you were coming up here a lot. Speaker 2 00:19:03 Yeah, I came up here. You Speaker 1 00:19:05 Spent, you spent some time on some couches? Speaker 2 00:19:06 I did, um, young too. I was like 17 <laugh>. Speaker 2 00:19:10 It was like the, the worst, the craziest one was when I first come to Nashville. I was in, uh, Alabama somewhere at like a, at a marina bar with a hotel outside of it. And like Cory Daley was there, Colton Friday, a guy named Brandon Henson, I think Brandon Oder might have been there. Some other people like that were like, Chad Miller I know was there, I think Brady thrower, like just a bunch of people that were like in the, like that were kind of early on in like a little bit of my musical career that were like, that were influences that, you know, helped me out along the way. But, uh, yeah, didn't have his place to stay the next day. And that's when I was driving to Nashville the next morning, met some lady and she was like half some friends had the car in my pocket the next day, called them. They were like, yeah, we're expecting you showed up. And it felt it was great. They treated me like one of their own and, uh, slept in their basement, but like, it was like, I had my own like room and like a bathroom and everything. It was kind of dope. Uh, the cat was kind of annoying, but like, I mean, I'm, I like cats. It just, Speaker 1 00:20:14 What was, what was the cat's name? Speaker 2 00:20:16 I don't even remember. Like, Speaker 1 00:20:17 Was it like a little, just like a little asshole cat? Speaker 2 00:20:19 No, it was just like, it just always wanted some attention and I gave, like, I would give it to 'em whenever, like I would, you know, wanna like, play with it. But like, I'd be trying to like do something and just like, it'd just be all up in my, my, you know, way. I'm just whatever. But it was cool. They, I mean, I got kind of did whatever I wanted. I showed up whenever I needed, like at what time they didn't, they didn't have like rules, you know what I mean? I had my own key. Like, it was kind of cool. Like, I, they trusted me a lot and I didn't even know them. And it was just like, that's nuts. Then I started kinda sleeping on Brad Wagner's couch. Some his girl had to like, kind of was the yay or nay to that situation, but at the time, his girl at the time. Speaker 2 00:21:01 But, uh, Brad's a solo stallion now. So, uh, he's out riding the planes, um, with John. Still <laugh>, but, uh, hell yeah. Yeah, I did his couch. Chapin Leatherwood. I sleep on his couch a few times, but he had a nice place in the Gulch. I think it was like right when he first moved here. Um, so not, not Scott, so not the, uh, element. He was in another place before that. Yeah. And then he, then he went to, uh, the Element, yeah, I don't know how long he stayed. He had, he had a house too. I know he like had a, I've known him in a few places and, uh, then I started staying with, uh, Chad Chadd Bishop's house. And that's when I like, I, well I wrote a song with Dylan, Marlo and Eja. We had a rescheduled. Right. And Tyler was like, lives there with Dylan and Chad at the time. Speaker 2 00:21:52 And uh, yeah, Tyler hopped on the right and that's when we wrote, it Ain't Me. And, uh, the well four way guy right there. And that's kind of like the beginnings of sleeping on their couch. And it's funny, when Chad would go to Texas, I would, uh, show up. He'd be gone for like three months and I would just like, what do we take advantage of that stay 3, 3, 4 weeks at a time, you know, maybe more if I could and sleep in Chad's bed and <laugh>. But I would like wa but I would like wash his sheets, you know, if you know Chad, you know Chad and, uh, I'd wash his sheets before I'd, you know, sleep there. And then, you know, obviously after when before he would show up and be all nice and, you know, tidy like it was when he, you know, left it. Speaker 2 00:22:39 And, you know, I wouldn't say, uh, he knew I was staying there, I guess because obviously like he seen my Snapchats and my stories and stuff like that, but he didn't know I was using his room <laugh>. I mean, which is, which is cool. I mean, Chad's my dude, so like, it don't, you know, he don't even care. He probably wouldn't even care anyways. He would, you know, but it's just funny how that like, that worked and that's when, you know, chambers took me under his wing tower. He, you know, we rode a lot together by ourselves and just, you know, I kind of, the way I take, the way I look at songwriting, I listen to everything and just like when you, if you listen to even like hit songs, you can hear it. They just, there's a lot of like little things that are that, that are ear candy that, you know, like talk in Tennessee, that talk in tennis, you know, that them teases and all that stuff. Speaker 2 00:23:30 And like, you know, just, just little things that I've picked up on, you know, I've like really tried to study songwriting, if that makes sense. And, uh, Tyler helped me out a hell of a lot with that. Just, you know, he's good. He's really good and it's crazy. You like to know that he's like that good. He like invited me on a lot of rights too, which is cool. Like I would be, didn't have anything to do that, do that day. And he'd be like, Hey, you wanna hop on my 11? It'd be like me and Ryan Nelson, me and Drew Baldridge me and whoever Speaker 1 00:24:04 You're getting in these rooms and you're, you're learning Speaker 2 00:24:06 Facts. I'm, I'm watching them like balance. But they, they write all the time. So like I'm watching them just do it. And you know, we wrote some really cool songs back in the day, which is kind of cool. You know, they wrote some really cool songs. <laugh> I would help out a little bit, but like, it's just, you know, it was cool to, to be able to experience that earlier. I remember Abram, I was writing with Abram Dean the other day and he told me, he was like, the first time I I met you, I talked about getting a co-write with you and you were like, uh, yeah, I do. He just said, I said something that was like, definitely show that I how green I was like, I didn't even know what a co-write was. And he was like, dude, it wasn't that long ago. I was like, it's just, just wild. It's just, you know. Yeah. I don't know. The good Lord is good and he's blessed, blessed the crap man. Speaker 1 00:24:54 Yeah, it's nice to have nice to have some big brothers in town too, dude. Speaker 2 00:24:56 Facts. Big Speaker 1 00:24:57 Facts. That's been a big, that's been a big thing for you. Speaker 2 00:24:59 Yeah, man. I could call any single one of them up and just be like, yo, like I, I mean they've, it's funny like towers just shoot me straight and like piss me off when he tells me the truth, you know what I mean? And like, like there's, before I signed my deal, I had this stupid mentality for some reason and I just remember calling Tyler about it and Tyler's like, you're an idiot. You're just, you're literally an idiot. And, uh, kinda got pissed off at Tyler. And I remember calling Derek just mad. He was like, well, Derek's like, Tyler's not wrong. You know, Derek's explained it a little differently. <laugh>. Yeah. But it was in the same, it was in the same concept, which is fun. Like, but I needed to hear both. I needed to hear both that, you know what I mean? Yeah. Speaker 2 00:25:43 Because like if I'd have heard the one before the other, I I might not have took Derek serious. You know what I mean? Yeah. Does that make sense? And which is cool that I have that like circle that's with anybody. Dylan, we, any of my friends I can talk to, like, we're all like, we're all that tight. Like we're all, you know, that open with each other that we don't even Yeah. Like we don't really care. Like at the end of the day, like we are who we are and we all know that. You know what I mean? Which is cool. Speaker 1 00:26:08 Yeah, dude. Absolutely. Now who are some, uh, who are some people now? Cuz you've been in town now for a little bit of a mi like a little while you've been what now? Two years? Speaker 2 00:26:17 Yeah, well, it's like a year and eight months. Speaker 1 00:26:20 Okay, so just on, so just on over that year and a half. Um, but there's even guys coming to town now that are new guys in town and they're, they're coming to you now and you're kind of introducing them and Speaker 2 00:26:31 Yeah, dude, it's a doing all that. Oh yeah. Oh, oh yeah. Especially when I go out and, you know, just, I just, I don't know, it's just, I just, it's crazy how many people I've met already and I'm not saying like, and it's not even like, but everybody, everybody in this town I feel like I've met has been good mostly, you know what I mean? Everybody has their flaws, but don't we all, you know what I mean? Um, but there's not really a single person in this town that I've like had to really get away from like, you know what I mean? Like, there's like, or I don't see and want to dap up at the bar or whatever. Yeah. Shake their hand or whatever, give 'em a hug, which is pretty crazy. And you know, it's like I have friends back home and I have like my high school friends and stuff like that, but it's crazy how close we all are. Speaker 2 00:27:25 I guess it's because, you know, the industry's so big, you know, and there's so many like spots for everybody to hang out. Like, you know, I'm tight with publishers and stuff like that and like people in an a and r and all, you know, whatever. Like I see 'em, I give 'em big old hug and ask, you know, talk how, ask 'em how their mom and them's doing, yada, yada yada. Yeah. But it's just crazy that like, we have that tightness tight knit of, you know, that's why everybody say like, Nashville is like a big small town. I hear a few people say that very, Speaker 1 00:27:54 Very much is, which Speaker 2 00:27:55 Is like crazy. Like, I mean like dude, when it's a popping, when it's a popping round at Live Oak, dude, you know, like you show up. I mean you see me out like, and I know there's something going on, you'll see me, you'll be like, you here to like just hang. I'm like, yep. You know what I mean? Speaker 1 00:28:10 Yeah. No, we, and thank, thank you for coming out to support and for playing all of our, a lot of our Tuesday nights. Man, you were one of our first guys that we had on that thing. Speaker 2 00:28:18 It's crazy. I appreciate, you know, you always thinking of me man, cuz it's Speaker 1 00:28:22 You. Yeah. It'll be, it'll be two years in, uh, in September. Speaker 2 00:28:26 That's due time wise, bro. Speaker 1 00:28:28 Yeah. And we, and we did some, we did quite a bit in 2020, like we were doing, we were doing rounds, man, like when nobody else was doing them, which was pretty wild. And Speaker 2 00:28:36 They were like popping off dude. Speaker 1 00:28:38 Yeah. I mean, one, there wasn't much going on. Well fa but we also had some good lineups in there. Well the, Speaker 2 00:28:42 But also, dude, you pick the people, you pick people that Nashville like wanted to hear like, you just, like, it's not the re it's not reruns. Like, you know what I mean? Like, you pick the fresh people, like you pick who like, it doesn't matter. Like, it's almost like a little whiskey jam. Like, it's like the whiskey jam riders now, which is cool, you know what I mean? Speaker 1 00:29:03 I appreciate you saying that. Speaker 2 00:29:03 Like, it's like Yeah. For like, and, and like we all, we all talk about that. Like, I remember, I remember when you like it was popping off back in quarantine. Like we would go and like, we'd be like, dang, like this, this shit's getting it. Like this is cool. Like, I love it dude. Speaker 1 00:29:18 One of the wildest ones the first whale tail takeover. Yeah man, you were in that one. Uh, which we had like Jordan Fletcher on that one. We had chambers, we had Dylan, we had Sweet Leah. I'm trying to think who, well like we had like that, the whole that crew, cuz Wales is a part of the crew too, and Wales just happens to be the best con like insane. Speaker 2 00:29:37 That's, that's a whole nother, like, I gotta pull up the picture Speaker 1 00:29:41 Because that's a mutual, that's When did you first meet Wales? Cuz that's another, I mean obviously sponsors and as a partner help helps me do this thing, you know? Speaker 2 00:29:51 Yeah. So he like, here we go, because I screenshotted at the concert September 23rd, 2018. That's when I, uh, that's when I had my first ever amp show, amphitheater show in Carlton for the raising the radio song. And that's when like a bunch of people showed up. It was pretty freaking crazy. Like, it, like, I, I don't understand how to like explain the, like how it felt then. Like it was just, it was the ultimate push to like, this is, this can happen. This is real. Like this can, like this is just, this is not just, you know, bar gigs. This is something, you know, this is something more. And uh, you can go, you can look at it. But, uh, it was September 23rd, 2018 and uh, he commented and said this, this is dope dude, love your sound. I didn't even like it. I didn't even like notice it. He just commented that like as like a fan. That was his whales count. Like that was before he even touched a camera. Yeah. And he commented on my, he just like happened to see me on like explore page or whatever and was like, dude, I dig it. Next thing you know we're homies. He starts sleeping on my couch just cuz like it's, you know, we got a good house, good h good place to stay. And it's just nuts that like how far he's gone with it. Speaker 1 00:31:16 Yeah. How far, how far he's, how far he is going and how far Speaker 2 00:31:19 He's taking, how far he's taking it, bro. Yeah. And he's everywhere dude. Facts and like, and it, and it's, and it's, I mean, just wait till you see the drinking in a Collegetown video. It's like, it's next level. I mean, Wells is just, I mean he's, he mean he's arguably the best that I feel like. I mean, and the thing is it's a lot of, it's like by himself now, you know, he has people that helps him and work for him and stuff like that. But a lot of the musical stuff is done by him. Like, you know, like he has, I know he has his sister work for him and Beezy like, bro, Speaker 1 00:31:49 I love Beezy great dude. The whole, the whole thing, Speaker 2 00:31:52 The whole the hell, the whole fas great. I mean his mama always gives me love on, you know, Speaker 1 00:31:57 She comes to the rounds sometimes and just hangs man. Yeah. And I love it. I love it. It's a family affair. Speaker 2 00:32:02 Like, dude, dude, facts man. It's cool. It's so cool that like, it's all like this and you know, that's kind of how my family feels about it. Like, it's crazy. My si like my little sister, like, it's such a big fan of like what I'm doing, but like with all like musk, canon, bloodline, John Langston, like all them guys, like, she looks up to like how like I did and stuff like that. Had the same emotions but she, you know, she obviously like not homies with 'em. So like it's, she still has that crazy like fan girl and it's just so cool when I get to like do that. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's just like that brother the same way. You know what I mean? Parents, they kind of know what's going on but like they're worried about chickens and auctions and whatnot. Speaker 1 00:32:45 But yeah. What's, what's a day in the life at the um, the Hicks farm? Well like, I guess it really depends on what you're doing. Cause there's so much shit. Do you guys have like people working on the farm or is it just the family? There's Speaker 2 00:32:55 A guy that will come weed eat. There's another guy that dad ha has that, like his name's Randy. That'll just come help him and his son Chance will come help too. But, uh, dad, I mean wakes up at like three or four and goes and does like chickens till like eight chicken houses. We have chicken houses, bro, broiler chickens, meat chickens. And uh, yeah. And he does like a lot with that. Still hand feeds like when he like we have like automatic stuff but like he still puts out trays and hand feeds and does all that goodness. And, uh, there's that. And then dad has like real estate and does auctions like estate sales and stuff like that also does, he has a licensed gun bro. Like gun Yeah. License, whatever. He can sell you stuff and just, he's a hustler. And mom, you know, she's just stay-at-home. Mom does things now just does that just kind of thing now, which crazy, my brother's a cowboy does like, works with cows 24 7. That and hay. Like it's always that. And uh, and like does a lot of stuff on horseback and like catches cows with like, Speaker 1 00:34:02 So so what was like, what was your special, like what were you doing when you were living on the farm? What was your chore? Speaker 2 00:34:07 I cut a lot of grass and helped the chicken houses and helped papa all with like hay and helped did like, you know, cows but also like, had other jobs. When I turned 16 I started working my first job. Yeah. My first job was Patrick Steed and that was at p and m Farms or Aana Gas at the time too. They had a gas company that was like propane and I would freaking riding a gas truck in the winter in the cold, like for like cold and drag a fricking hose behind your house and fill up your propane tank. <laugh>. Yeah. I was like that little kid dragging the hose and it was like, it was a, you know, fun job we had. Like, it was fun cuz like Patrick's cool treated me like a son, you know, so it was like cool hangs and stuff like that. Speaker 2 00:34:52 Uh, family was also like, we've known 'em for like all of our lives. So like it was just, you know, I was like their son and uh, but I had that job but I guess I got tired and was like, screw this. And I quit and went to, uh, work for a guy named Mark Thompson and with my, my brother worked alongside with and worked for his nephew Eric Thompson. And they still do that stuff together. They still like build fences and do cattle and stuff like that together and lease property and all that mix up. That's their business. But I used to build barns and build fences and stuff like that. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, dude. Oh yeah, that was a, that was a rough job. That was like a me and I remember me and Brett Waldrop, we worked together at the same time. He worked for Eric and I worked for Mark <laugh>. Speaker 2 00:35:39 I was just, I mean, I just remember that that was just a rough job. We just, I mean, drank a lot of beer. <laugh>. I was like in high school and I'd just be drinking so much beer cuz like, I mean Mark cared but like, you know, Phil was five o'clock and he was getting off. He was gonna drink a beer and he didn't care if you had, I mean he wouldn't, he didn't buy his beer, but like if you had beer in your cooler, he's not gonna say anything. You know what I mean? But I was just, it's just crazy. Like, I literally was living the life of a like of a 21 year old farmer or like, you know, an adult farmer like at the age of 16. And then I like, I guess I got tired of doing that, but I did a lot of stuff with him. Speaker 2 00:36:15 Cows and hay and all that, whatever on the farm. He had farm too and he did, uh, he planted corn and soybeans and stuff like that too. But, uh, it was that. And then I guess I went, quit that and went back to Patrick and worked for him another summer and uh, winter I pretty sure. And then I just ended up drifting back, kind of helping at, always helped at home too at the same time. We would all, I would always be helping at home. They were getting up pay and I got home at five or six o'clock. I'd have to go out there and do it till dark, you know, whatever. Just grinding man. But it was cool. It was like, it was literally, it makes writing country songs super easy. Speaker 1 00:36:51 Yeah. Speaker 2 00:36:52 <laugh>. That's all I gotta say because like, I like man, I just lived it. It's cool. It's really cool. Cuz like, I, I think about it a lot. Like I write a lot about, a lot of the stuff I write about come from the heart, which is really cool. And like gives me like feelings of emotions, you know what I mean? Which is like, makes doing it very, very, very, very worth it. Speaker 1 00:37:14 Yeah. What was the first night in Nashville that you didn't remember what you did? Speaker 2 00:37:17 Oh, so that was New Year's, I think last year and got blackout with Reed Morris on Broadway, <laugh>. And I left my fuck Speaker 1 00:37:26 By, by the way. I love Reed. Reed Speaker 2 00:37:28 Reid's great bro. Incredible boy, man. He got me into music, like, or got me into like, th this is the thing. And uh, so credit a lot to Reid. He's always been there. He's like one of them guys that'll just come get you like off the side of the interstate. Speaker 1 00:37:41 Yeah, he's one of the nicest, like when you hear the term good old boy because it's just like the nicest, Speaker 2 00:37:46 He's like his grandpa. That's hilarious. He's like his grandpa. Yeah. Like if you can imagine what his grandpa is just he's grandpa. Like, you know what I mean? I love it. Like, I love Reed. It's so funny. But, uh, yeah. Uh, what we were talking about, Speaker 1 00:38:01 We were talking about, um, the first night that you didn't remember. Speaker 2 00:38:04 Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh, I, so I got super blackout. I was 21 at the time. I was like fresh P 21 too. So I was like partying. We were on Broadway and I left my, I had a phone wallet, like, you know, the little old man phone wallet and I left my phone and wallet in the Uber. I woke up in Reid's hotel room and I had my watch on and I was like looking for my phone. I was like, are you serious? And I luckily like found it on my watch somehow or whatever and the guy answered it and me and Reid drove out there to find him or whatever. And we got my phone back. But that was like, that night. I just, I didn't do anything too stupid. But Do you Speaker 1 00:38:40 Remember what bars you went to? Speaker 2 00:38:41 Man? What bars didn't we go to? I've already, I, I was already kind of like, I've had a few fake IDs in my life. So, and Nashville's taken a lot of fake IDs, so don't think it's like, you know, a fake Id town. Nah. Like, bro, I, I mean I had one of the best fake IDs ever and I used it a lot and it literally took one red door bouncer to like catch it and I was like, Speaker 1 00:39:01 Freak. Yeah. I used to do that for a living. I used to take IDs. Yeah. I mean Speaker 2 00:39:04 I was, I was a door guy. Yeah. I mean, nah, it's, it's, bro, it was a game that I knew I was playing. I, I mean, and I, I respect it. Like, you know what I mean? Like this, I think it was my 21st birthday, I kind of got screwed over, but, but like, you know, the door guy was literally doing his job and uh, Speaker 1 00:39:19 Is that the red door paper ID thing? Speaker 2 00:39:22 No, it was the red door. My Id even though my, I like, I still used that Id, it was 20, like, it, like, it doesn't expire. Like I wasn't 21 yet. It was like literally the ne like the, it was like I was partying on the 14th and then that, and that midnight was, I was 21. Speaker 1 00:39:38 And what time were you trying to go in the bar Speaker 2 00:39:40 At like, I think it was like 30 minutes before. But the only thing is I skipped, I skipped, uh, or I like what? Like, I didn't get, I didn't show up with like Derek and all them. They were already in the bar. If I show up with them, I show 'em my fake id. They don't even care. Like they're, they, I wouldn't say they don't care. They just, I just would like sneak by them. I would strategically be placed <laugh>. I, I mean I I I got turned. I mean, granted I have been turned down another like, you know, in Broadway trying to do the same thing, whatever, like don't, don't get any ideas, but you know. Yeah. They're not gonna like, they're not gonna punch you in the face, but they're gonna take your id. Do Speaker 1 00:40:15 You still get stopped? Speaker 2 00:40:16 No, not really. Which is funny cuz like, I usually, I mean I have once, but like, it was because I guess the dude just didn't really believe my Id like or whatever. Like I just, my long hair, I had to show 'em my concealed carry cuz like it's got my short hair on it. But no, I don't really get messed with. But it's still like, I just remember the, I remember the feeling of like being underage and being like, this could be it <laugh>, you know what I mean? And being like, and I wouldn't drive, sometimes I'd ride a tire and I'm like, man, how like, big of a burden would that be if I couldn't get in the bar, I had to just sit in the truck or whatever, <laugh>, you know what I mean? Whatever. Speaker 1 00:40:48 But it's like you're a kid again. Yeah, a hundred percent Sit, sit in the truck. No Speaker 2 00:40:52 Facts. But like, I just, I don't even, I mean I don't even think about it now. I'm 22, but my little t Swift year, but it's still cool to like know, like I got, like, I didn't back home. Like it wasn't, I wouldn't say it was too terribly hard to buy a beer, but there was a store. I knew the owner pretty well. And uh, but I just remember being up here. Like, I felt like such a freaking cool dude <laugh>. Like, I just felt so cool being in a bar like unrated. I was like, wow, this is crazy. Like this is, I didn't know this was even a thing. Like, you know what I mean? Like being from a small town. Yeah. Like, it's like nuts. Speaker 1 00:41:27 Like yeah. How, how many people are in Carrollton? Not counting. There's Speaker 2 00:41:30 Like 25,000, I think 20,000. It's pretty big. It's kind of big. Speaker 1 00:41:33 Does that count the college? Speaker 2 00:41:36 I think so. Speaker 1 00:41:36 That counts the college then it's, Speaker 2 00:41:38 I think so. Speaker 1 00:41:40 Probably even le less than that. But Speaker 2 00:41:43 I mean there's, I mean it's kind of big, but like, it's not, but like everybody's rule, Speaker 1 00:41:47 Like everybody, it's so spread out. People are out in the hills, Speaker 2 00:41:50 The fields's, I was talking to somebody last night and they were like, you had the drive in the town. I was like, yeah, it take me like 15, 20 minutes. Depends how fast I was going. And they're like, really? And I'm like, yes. Like, is that, is that like weird? I mean, I remember being on dates with girls or whatever and we'd be driving out to the farm or something like that and they'd be like, when are we gonna get there? Especially at dark. Cause like in the daytime it's a little easier to, you know, look outside and see the fields and stuff. When the doctor, they'd be like, golly, when we gonna get there? <laugh>. You know what I mean? Like, which is funny. Speaker 1 00:42:18 Yeah, that's, that sounds like a damn country songwriter. You literally lived Speaker 2 00:42:21 It, dude. I'm telling you man, I like gets, I lived at the dead end of a dead end road on a 75 acre farm. Grew chickens and cattle and road tractors and had paws and had grandmas and had best buddies that lived up the road from me that I had, I grew up living with. There was Zeke Mason, clay Cole, Tyler and my brother. And then when the Mike Thornton and or when Granddaddy and Grandmama, that's what I call 'em, when Mike Lane Thornton had their grandkids down, it was Wesley and Blake Thomas. And, you know, sometimes, uh, Barrett if he was from Alabama. So there was really that many boys that would be like on our road if, if we didn't have other friends come and hang, like hit 'em up, go just ride by their house and just walk up to their front door. Hey, can we hang out? No. Okay. And just, or yes, if they can, we then we'd go to a fort to the woods, do whatever we were doing. Like it was like to to a Speaker 1 00:43:20 Fort Speaker 2 00:43:21 Dude. Oh bro. But dude, we would get, we would get like our parents drills and our hammers and nails and dude build like straight up plywood like forres and like our fortresses and like Speaker 1 00:43:30 What, like in the house or like down in the Speaker 2 00:43:32 Woods? Field? In the woods, bro. In the middle of like, in like in the forest and like in the sticks, dude. Oh yeah. Like it's Speaker 1 00:43:38 The wildest thing you've seen in the woods. You seen a Bigfoot? Speaker 2 00:43:41 No, but I've seen a wild pig. Speaker 1 00:43:44 How big? Speaker 2 00:43:45 It was pretty big. It tripped me out. Bigger Speaker 1 00:43:47 Than you? Like bigger than me. Speaker 2 00:43:49 I climbed on the, I climbed on the full wheeler and I was like in a straight up like, like I'm about to like pee my pants like pose, you know what I mean? Is it Speaker 1 00:44:00 Charging you guys? Speaker 2 00:44:01 No, it was just running by and I was like, holy Speaker 1 00:44:03 Shit. Were you by yourself? Speaker 2 00:44:04 Yes. Speaker 1 00:44:05 Oh, that's terrifying. Speaker 2 00:44:06 It was just like, I mean I, and I was close to the house too, which was even creep creepier. I think it was like a, one of them like feral like pigs that can get out. Cuz people like wet shit out all the time, which is stupid. But I've, I mean I've just have to seen a lot of dogs and stuff like that and cats, you know, running wild and feral. Speaker 1 00:44:23 Yeah. Yeah. Speaker 2 00:44:26 But, uh, it's just, it's very, I mean I've definitely lived a very country life. I mean like the way my grandpa and the way my, so I lived, I was very blessed to have both grandparents still living on our, like they still live and they still live on our road. Like, I'm not even a mile from me. So like, and my grand, my dad and his family's from Kentucky and my, my grandpa or and my mom and her dad are uh, like, it's the family farm, born and raised where they're at and which is pretty cool. Like cuz fifth generation Yeah. Type stuff going on. Yeah. Fifth Speaker 1 00:45:10 Generation. Yeah. I would've been, yeah, I would've been fourth generation taking on my family business, you know, doing that water stuff I was about earlier, which is, which is uh, which is pretty wild and stuff. Speaker 2 00:45:20 Um, but we all have our own things. I mean, we'll all we'll all drift back to it, man. You know, know what I mean? That's like, you know, one day when we're like, you know, when I'm doing music thing and you're like Bobby Bones in it, like, you know what I mean? Like, you can own that. You can like, you know what I mean? You have enough money, you have to like, do something with your money. You know what I mean? Like Yeah. That's like, dude, dude, I dream so freaking big dude. Like I'm telling you like I can't wait to just like turn my road into Hicksville to Hicks land, just like, and I wanna like, you know, no disrespect, but there's something like, I just wanna take up some of the land that some of the houses that were put there and I don't, I don't know, you didn't make an effort to know me and bulldoze everything and just make it a freaking pasture land. I let my brother run it. Cows and horses and like yeah. Just make it like, you know what I mean? You're just like a dirt bike track and it's high of all these like, different things and just, I don't know. I think it, like, it's, it's closer than you think <laugh> and you just have to just reach for Speaker 1 00:46:17 It. Yeah, man. And Speaker 2 00:46:19 Not be afraid to fall on your Speaker 1 00:46:20 Back. What, what advice would you give to somebody? So, um, talking about some, some guys that are kind of newer to town, talking about, we were, we were outside, um, sampling that Delta eight. Um, the, um, Andrew Genus. Yeah. A guy that's newer to town and stuff and somebody that, that like there's, you have a lot of buddies that are coming to town within the last two years like, like you did. Right? Um, and what advice would you have for somebody, say, say there's a dude moving from X, Y, Z, wherever. Um, what would you tell him? Like what advice would you have? Speaker 2 00:46:50 Real recognizes real. Be yourself. Don't be anybody different. Don't tell, if it ain't true, don't tell it. Speaker 1 00:46:59 Yeah. Speaker 2 00:47:00 Cuz you'll get found out. People might believe you, but you'll get found out. And then if you, once you get found out, it's kind of like, mm. Be real as you can. If you, if you grew up hunting but you didn't really grow up hunting. Hunting, like, don't be afraid to be, you know, don't, don't like lie about whatever, like, you know what I mean? Just don't lie about what you did. Like people respect dude, people respect. I write with people, I write some of the country ist songs and they help out tremendously with people that don't know, like have a clue what I'm talking about when it comes to, like what I'm saying. But that doesn't mean they don't know how, they don't mean they don't know how to write a song or they don't know how to like, you know, be the fact they're like, Speaker 1 00:47:44 When you, when you say the real, real, real recognized is real. I mean, if somebody like you don't, like somebody could write a, like write a farming song but not know much about like facts, man. They, they could tell that story still. Yeah. It's not, it helps to have somebody that's got that experience in it. Speaker 2 00:47:59 A hundred percent. Cuz there's, I mean that's how you, that's how you sometimes get the little things that like farm real, you know, real people that know what they're talking about can like, can understand it, but at the same time, like you ain't got, like, it helps if you lived it, but it's not hard to, it's not a hard thing to learn. You know what I mean? You know what I mean? If you just like, just that real recognized real. It's just being your, it's just being, don't be anything but yourself. And if that's like, I can't, I don't know. I mean, I guess it explains itself, but like, that's just with anything cuz you never know who you're like, you never know who you're talking to. And if you're not, like, and if you're like, if, if you're saying one thing to one person, you never, you're not, you might not know their friends and they're like, oh, whoever said this. And you're like, I don't know what heck said. Told me one thing and he told you another. Hmm. Speaker 1 00:49:04 Yeah. Word. Yeah word. Word travels. Just Speaker 2 00:49:05 Word travels fast in this town. Very fast. And that's, and that's just, and that's, you know, that, Speaker 1 00:49:11 Is that something that's, that's different from a small town or is that a small town aspect Speaker 2 00:49:15 Right there? That's pretty small town aspect. But this town way faster, bro. It's fast. Like, especially if like, we're all super tight-knit. So I mean it, I mean, I guess it, it's the same speed. I don't know. I've seen it, I've seen word travel faster up Speaker 1 00:49:31 Here. It's, it's because of the damn group chats. Speaker 2 00:49:33 Yeah. There's a lot of group chats up Speaker 1 00:49:35 Up here. You can tell, you can tell 20 people and less time than it would take you to tell one person before this technology. Speaker 2 00:49:42 Oh yeah. Oh yeah. That, I mean, real recognizes real. And also just be, just, just be a nice person. Like that's, that's really, that just goes out to anybody listening to the podcast cuz that just, that just anybody that's a nice, like, I've noticed that just sick, like succeeds so hard in this town. Nick Tressler. Speaker 1 00:50:07 Yeah. Speaker 2 00:50:08 You, you know, like, I don't know, just anybody, any, like anybody that's really humble about what they're doing and you know, and like, grateful and like grinds and you know, gives the shirt off their back even though they might need to still wear it. Speaker 1 00:50:22 Ward, ward, whiskey Jam, you know. Yeah. Speaker 2 00:50:23 Ward Grady. There's all, there's so many people that are just doing it. Like, I can't, I mean, I can literally like go on and on Speaker 1 00:50:28 And on. You talking about bar owners too? Yeah. Speaker 2 00:50:30 Bar owners. Speaker 1 00:50:31 Like, like Hasting. Speaker 2 00:50:32 Exactly. You know, know he's going like, I mean he's literally like, well Oak's kind of the spot. Like I've seen big artists do like videos there and like, that's crazy. And Speaker 1 00:50:41 Then, and then, you know what I mean? And then all the different rounds, like Rowdy on the road, rowdy on the road's, huge Speaker 2 00:50:46 Road. Dude, that's been huge. I mean there's that, it's just the, it's a great environment. Like they're strict but they're not like, you know what I mean? Like, of course they're not, they're not gonna put up with bullshit, but they're not, they're not also, they're like, you know. Yeah. And the Speaker 1 00:51:00 Food, it ain't a five star restaurant of course, but it's good freaking food dude. Speaker 2 00:51:03 It's for their chicken fingers smack. Speaker 1 00:51:05 Their chicken fingers are good. They got, they literally have a full menu of all different things. Facts. And the drink prices aren't too bad. I mean, granted, I don't drink, so I don't really know what the, I mean, I know there's $3 bush lattes and all that. They got non-alcoholic beers for guys like me. So its, uh, it's a, it's a good, uh, good spot. But yeah, people that are nice like that, like people want a lot of big part of what goes on up here is people wanting to work with each other a hundred percent because there's so much collaboration like all the time. Like so much talk about like, whether it's, whether it's, um, I mean just really anything cuz somebody always needs, like, everybody kind of works together in different things. Like, I'm not a songwriter, but I'm involved. Like, I know what you got going on and Speaker 2 00:51:49 Stuff and Yeah, I know what you got going on. Yeah. Speaker 1 00:51:51 And, and same thing as, uh, Speaker 2 00:51:52 Social media is a big help on that, but at the same time, like we're, we're all still tight enough. We I want to know what you're doing. Yeah. I wanna to know what Clay Barker's doing, even though I ain't talked to him and you know, like I, like on the phone or whatever, like texting in a minute. Or I see him out and I dap him up, talk to him. But I like, I click on his pay to see what he's doing. Anybody Blaine Rudd back home, I know. I wanna know what he's doing. Like all them, got all them boys. Like, you know, we're all, we're all like, we're all real and we're all really good people. Everybody's really good people. We all try to be, and it's, it's, we all have big, like everybody has a big heart. Everybody has like, you know, everybody has that tunnel vision in their own Speaker 1 00:52:38 Way. Yeah. Yeah. The tunnel vision's important, man. And, and maybe not even tunnel vision. Putting the blinders on, putting the blinders on is, is definitely a big, big part. Speaker 2 00:52:48 Big facts. Big facts. Big facts. Speaker 1 00:52:50 Yeah, man. Uh, so another a question we've been asking on, we've started a few episodes off with it and I kind of forgot to start it off with, with you. Uh, we were already made conversation, right. But, um, I like to ask people, when was the first time you met Ryan Nelson? Speaker 2 00:53:04 Oh, Tyler Chambers. I might have met him before at a bar I'm sure. But I know that like Tyler had a right with him and he invited me to be a third. And it was at Chad Bishop's house or whatever in, you know, the upstairs dining room table, whatever. And that's the first time I met Ron Nelson. And it, he's been literally the exact same person. And he, we wrote a really cool song. I mean, it was great. Like, I mean, Ryan's like, Ryan's like the real deal, you know what I mean? Speaker 1 00:53:38 Yeah. So my first Ryan Nelson encounter was at, at a whiskey jam and it was the night that show up drunk came out. I guess he had just cut his hair. Yeah. Um, and uh, and yeah, he's been one of my, my best buddies. But I always like to ask. Usually I ask it like, so how do you, how did you first meet Ryan Nelson? You know, it's just <laugh> a question we've had continuously. Cause it seems like everybody and their mother, if you've been in this town for a minute, you, you know, Ryan Nelson. Speaker 2 00:54:02 I'm sure there's been some wild stories Speaker 1 00:54:05 That Oh Speaker 2 00:54:06 Yeah. Some of the, on some of the podcasts I haven listen too, but, uh, frequently listen to this one on the drives. But anyways, yeah man, Ron's the real deal Speaker 1 00:54:17 Show. Yeah, man. He's good. He's good people. So this past year, man, it was for, it's like a lot of silver linings came from 2020 and came from quarantine and came from all this stuff. Yeah, man. So let, let's look back. So, um, I meet you October of 2019. Um, you moved to town literally to start off the year in 2020. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> January 1st, 2020. Speaker 2 00:54:39 Yeah, man. So like December, I think it was the, you know what it was a new, no, it was a couple, it was a couple nights before the New Year's Eve night, um, that I was out with like Dylan Marlowe and like Lee Langston, I can't remember who else is all out there. And, uh, there's a bunch of people. And uh, yeah, that's when Dylan asked me if I wanted to like live with him. And uh, dude, it was January 1st started packing stuff up, moving it in and man, I was, we had, I had this app called Tackle that Dylan and Lee were already using. Speaker 1 00:55:26 Oh. Lee Lee was a king on tackle. Speaker 2 00:55:28 So I thought I was gonna have it figured out. Didn't know you had to like, build your right credibility on there and they already were killing it. So there was already like people like itching for jobs. So like, I was like getting cut like slack, like so much. I didn't get any, hardly any jobs. I was like trying to pick up dog shit in somebody's yard and somebody got got to it for me, <laugh>. And I got my first one. I pressure wash this dude's fence. Um, made, you know, X amount of dar I done, I can't even remember, I just remember I had a hell of a time with the Home Depot that I rented that pressure washer from cuz they like, just the pressure washer they gave me was like something they were missing a, they were missing, uh, one of the ends on the hose. Didn't even realize it. I mean, I guess I should have looked, but I didn't, you know, expect to gimme a faulty thing, whatever. Yeah. But had that and then so it kind of started popping off. But that's when kind of the pa like that was like right before the pandemic and when the pandemic was March, right, that's when the all that virus crap hit, right? Yeah, Speaker 1 00:56:34 Right around St Patrick's Day. Speaker 2 00:56:36 Okay. Well I was, yeah, I was, I was just getting tackled. I had like probably two or three of them tackle jobs, whatever kind of staying afloat with, with a little bit of the money I had saved up. But I was, you know, on a stress level of like, crap, this is like not working out. I'm going to figure something out. And uh, I got a job scraping up, wax all the hardwood floors and the people had like, uh, chemicals to pull, like to strip it, whatever. But you still had to like hands and knees with a scraper and get this stuff up. And they had a pretty big house. This woman ended was, uh, her name is Ms. Patty Cake and she's a children's auth book author, children's Christian book author and does like, plays and skits and like DVDs and stuff like that. Speaker 2 00:57:29 And like, and supposedly kind of like I, when I said that to my mom, she was like, that sounds familiar. And she said that to another one of her friends, Melissa Beam. And Melissa was like, I know that woman. Like I showed my like kids that, like her books and stuff like that. Anyways, and her husband does something in the publishing Christian, uh, industry or whatever, the Christian publishing industry. And, uh, they had, they're a lawyer that was living with them at the time. Just so happened to be like working from there from home. And she was I guess supervising me or whatever. Her and her like cute dog. Uh, the name slipping my mind, but the dog is like the cutest thing ever. And uh, yeah, that job ended up getting me more jobs with Amy because Amy was like remodeling a house and like needed somebody to do a bunch of things that I can do, you know what I mean? And man, I started like work helping her and she started like really, you know, that that alongside with started working with Colt Prince and doing like lawn care. Like luckily that summer, you know, I was like kind of finally had my feet digging in the dirt, but I was working a lot more than I was probably like doing the music thing, which is kind of like crazy. Yeah. Speaker 1 00:58:51 So around that time I remember popping over and, um, checking, hanging out at the house, like during quarantine last year and you were coming over to the spot that I was living at in Antioch and, and all that. When did the, when, when did all the deal stuff start to pop up? Yeah. Because I remember you being like, dude, there's stuff going on. I can't really like talk about it, but like, we're like, good things are happening. Speaker 2 00:59:11 Yeah, man. That was an, they, they emailed me in August and I ignored the email and then I was like, who is this? I didn't know even dig deep into it, which is very stupid of me. Well then they DM me, red Creative did, Taylor did. Uh, and uh, I told Dylan about it. Dylan was like, man, you should entertain that for sure. Like, that's kind of a big deal. And I didn't even really know. And that's when that, that's what I was talking about, being salty. Cause I'm not saying that I like had a lot going on. I didn't have, I didn't have nothing going on. But just, you have like your big dogs in in mind of like the Sonys, the Universals, the Warner Chapels and all that. Like you have those people you see are those big publishing companies you see that you kinda wanna be a part of, but you don't realize, you know, there's a lot of stuff going on there. Speaker 2 01:00:08 Don't get me wrong. And no dis no hate, but there's a lot of stuff going. There's a, like a lot of shit happens in the Whittle publishing companies, the Combustions, the Reds, the, you know, big Louds big now, but I mean, big Louds always been a fricking powerhouse publishing company. And um, yeah, you're talking in about, in about like Seagall 58. Yeah, Seagall 50 Egg, all them. Dude, I, I, I rap with a lot of 50 Egg riders starting, I mean, I write with Seaga, I mean I write with, it's so crazy who like, how I used to think it was so clique-ish. I used to think it was, you know, like super, just 50 A going writes with, you know, 50 obviously they write who they wanna write with, but fact 58 only writes with 58 riders. Like no, I mean I've written so much with Rob Pennington, Eric Dylan, Rob Snyder. Speaker 2 01:01:05 Yeah. Just, I mean Reid, Isabel just like, it's crazy. Like with 58 over there C Gal and you have a deal at a different place. Yeah, I have a deal at, I have a deal at a completely different place, but we're still like collaborating. Yeah. And it's the same, I mean it's the same with anywhere I write with like, it's just so that's such a cool thing that like, and then that and, and then that intakes when I like, you know, I know Universal just, uh, they just did that. Why not Wednesday? Was it last week? A couple weeks ago? Yeah, yeah, whatever it was. And yeah, um, when I went out there, like I got introduced to some of the people right behind, a little bit more behind the scenes. And that was just because I knew, you know, it's just crazy how like I how such a big family it is not only outside cuz when like, the outside family, when one starts happening, it's cool, like watching everybody seep through seep in. Speaker 2 01:01:59 But it's crazy how like welcoming and like, you know, if, if you're real and a good person, like the the Hugs are plentiful and like they're warming and welcoming. Like everybody like wants to see you win just as much as they want to win. It's pretty, you know, there's not much cutthroat, you know, it's a cutthroat business, you know what I mean? But like, it's not like everybody helps each other. Like everybody, every, everybody's still like, it's the cut the cutthroats not like when it comes to deals and stuff like that, the cutthroat is just like, either you're here to play ball or you're you're here or not. And if you're not working, we're not gonna keep entertaining you. Yeah. It's, Speaker 1 01:02:34 It's more cliquey by work ethic than facts. Speaker 2 01:02:37 Anything else. Exactly. If you're not putting in the work, they're not gonna look, they're not gonna like, entertain you. And that's why, you know, the sad story of people getting dropped, whatever what you mean, there are a lot of cool, a lot of like super cool famous people now that like songwriters have been dropped. Like Chris Stapleton I'm pretty sure like got dropped a few times and a lot of people told him no, you know, but it was just insane to think about, you know? Speaker 1 01:03:01 Yeah, no, absolutely. You a big LaCroix guy. Speaker 2 01:03:05 Big fat LaCroix guy. This black raspberry was hitting the Spiz. Speaker 1 01:03:09 I was gonna say, I, I got in this, I started drinking LaCroix's about last year too. Speaker 2 01:03:13 Like man publishing companies. Speaker 1 01:03:16 Yeah. What's the inside of a publishing house look like? I've never, never been in Speaker 2 01:03:19 One. Okay. Well it depends on where you go. Our publishing, uh, house office, whatever is in Berry Hill towards Baja Burrito, walking distance, eat a lot of Baja Burrito. But like, if you walk into our offices or our office, it's just, I mean, there's like rooms that have like, you know, people's office obviously. But there's usually a room that has like some speakers on like, you know, that people like track guys can hook up to. Like we have a, my boss Jeremy Stover has a studio in there that, you know, we ride in, I ride in a lot with other writers and you know, they, they can have the capabilities of, you know, recording vocals if you have to, whatever in there. But, uh, there's also like, it's cool too in our office, in our building, there's another publishing company in a one in one of the rooms, but also has like, can use another writing room if they need to. Like, you know, like Speaker 1 01:04:19 There's a lot of resources Speaker 2 01:04:21 In there. So I don't, I haven't shake, I haven't, I'm pretty, I've seen her in passing. I haven't like, just stopped shaking her hands. We've both, you know, been talking or she's on the phone or whatever. Aya, that's Seth England's now fiance. Yeah. Um, which is cool cuz I got, I followed them both and they, uh, they're like engaged, like the way he did that. Kudos to that guy. Like, I wanna like, man, I like, I I'm a simp when it comes to like the girls. I, I really, really like, and I like, I go overboard and like the way he did that, like I like bro, that's how I wanna do it. Well, you know what I mean? But like, it, it was cool like how he like planned all that and uh, it was beautiful. And uh, but she's up there. So like I see Ashley Cook a lot. Um, I know she has some other people sign Blake, uh, Speaker 2 01:05:10 His last name's, uh, he's, I know he is got two, I can't think of it. Pender, guess Penda. Yeah. Okay. I about to say Pendergrass. Pendergrass might be Pendegrass. Yeah. Yeah. You got that walling cut, which is cool, man. But he's like, I see him a lot. Like he's got, he's got a studio up there. Um, but they're publishing companies in the office, but like man on the road, they're like houses. They look like they're really old houses that some 'em really redone. Nice seagull's dope. Seagall looks super sick. 50 eggs, another dope like Vibe 50 Eggs is like 50 50 Egg is one of the houses that you like, you just like, I feel like you can just kick back in. I remember one Friday, <laugh> I showed up at, I was hungover as shit <laugh>, but I, like, I walk in and I was just a hair weight with a right with James McNair and Reid. Speaker 2 01:05:57 Isabel and James is, I think he signed it, Sony or somewhere like that. He signed it a complete another like how big the pot is or whatever. Yeah. But I walk in with my little like grocery sack and like Rob Pennington's down there and like, everybody Talley, uh, Joey, they're all sitting down there we're, you know, chatting. They walk like I walk up, they're like, hell yeah. Casual Friday. Because they were all like, dressed the same. It's just cool. Like everybody's just to hang. Like, but then you can go to like Curb or you know, or starstruck and it's like big money and you're like, dang, this is like starstruck looks like, I remember the first time I gonna starstruck, I was like, wow, this is like pretty insane. And I was riding with Derek Austin and Sam Martinez. Sam Martinez has an office there. Speaker 2 01:06:39 And uh, I was, Derek was like, yeah, this is that like early two thousands money and it's just like freaking gigantic ceilings and like marble everything. And like, so there's like, there's like those poping houses, like, and then there's those like, you know what I mean? But like, it's cool. Big Louds got cool little spot, big Louds, an old, an older building. I know that. Which is cool. But, uh, never been inside Sony. I've been inside the Rider's house, whatever. But I mean, there's just, you know, every single one of 'em is different. Every single one of 'em has a different vibe and you know, it's really cool to, even though I might write, even though I write at the same, I could write at the office twice. It's cool to know that I can pick a different room or even if I write in the same room, it's still a different, like every day is so different. That's why I think it's so cool that like they, you know, you, you do what you love. You never work a day in your life. And it's crazy how fast this year's flow by. Yeah. Speaker 1 01:07:37 Do you still ride at people's houses or is it pretty much a lot on the road? Speaker 2 01:07:41 Well, I mean, I wrote at, so Today technically I rode at, uh, tradey Team's house and, uh, his apartment or whatever with a, uh, another boy named Adam Sweat. And, uh, a really good song actually. And, uh, so you there is that Occasionally, but I mean, yeah, I like writing at the office. I like going somewhere and like, it's, it's just because Speaker 1 01:08:07 Now that now that you're signed it is, it is a Speaker 2 01:08:09 Job. Yeah. Facts. It's crazy to think that I'm like, I'm technically a professional songwriter even though like, I'm like, it's, it's damn sure. Don't know it all. But it's cool to like know that that is what I get paid to do. Yeah. And like, it's, it's just, it's like, it's so wild. Just, you know, it's just the dream big. That's all I can say. And work, work your ass off. Speaker 1 01:08:38 Yeah. So you talked about Dream Big and we talked about it earlier, man. Um, like you're drinking a beer in a college town and like you're partying and with, um, drinking in a college town with, um, with John and Travis Brown. Yeah. Speaker 2 01:08:50 Like, I remember riding around and my old truck and playing like cigarettes and me by John Ton and David Ashley Parker and like all them like songs like Travis and just like, just jamming them songs, red Akens songs. Like I've played a Red Akens song in my set every single time I've ever played a like, live show. Just about, just, it's crazy to even like to even have those guys feature on like a song. It's just, I mean, it's it's wild dude. It's so Speaker 1 01:09:21 Crazy. Yeah, man. I mean those are, those are guys you look up to and Facts. Facts. Now where we're now. I know. Um, so where, where in Georgia are all those guys from? John's from like Loganville area, right? Speaker 2 01:09:34 Yes. And tr I guess Travis is, uh, Speaker 1 01:09:37 Is he Macon or Warner Robins is one Speaker 2 01:09:39 Of those. Yeah, I think he's, I think he's Warner Robins Macon's area. Okay. And then Red's from Valdosta. Speaker 1 01:09:42 Oh, it's so red. So R's down. So Val Valdosta's down there. I've never been to Valdosta. I've driven through Valdosta Red's from Valdosta. There ain't a whole lot in Valdosta. <laugh>. Speaker 2 01:09:52 Yeah, they, I mean that's what's another cool thing that we're all Georgia boys and how we all stick together and like, and how we've, and how even if I meet somebody that the second, you know, we're from Georgia and there's a lot of Georgia boys up here, it's really cool to like know that they got my back in some way, way shape or form. You know what I mean? Like, it's just like, shoot, I don't, I don't even think, I feel like the living from Georgia sometimes is like kind of like a, a real, it's like, it's like a kind of a flex. I don't know how to explain it. Like, you know what I mean? But if, if you, if you meet the people that are like big cats in Georgia, like remember the first time I met Dallas Davidson, you know, or the first time I gotta like talk to Dallas Davidson. Um, that's Dylan's publishing. Uh, yeah. Boss or whatever. He's about, Speaker 1 01:10:49 He's his boss. I'm then responsible for a lot of hit songs, Speaker 2 01:10:52 Facts, 30 number ones I think. Yeah. 30 something plus number ones. Um, something like that. And just I'm being saying that I'm from Georgia is like crib boom. You have it like, it's like you have, you automatically like in the group, like, I don't know how to explain it. Like, it's just like automatically, like that's what Tyler doing. I mean even like people outside of like Alabama boys, Florida boys, you just meet people from Geor. Like, I mean, I'm sure you met so, so many people from Georgia. I'm sure when you first met me you're like, you're okay a Georgia kid. He's probably like these people right here. Right. And I'm kinda am and I kind of am in a sense. Everybody's a little different, but like we all have the same Speaker 1 01:11:35 Morals. Yeah. It's funny too because there's the different ends of the Georgia spectrum too. Yes. Because you look on another side. We were talking about it outside earlier. Um, you and um, a guy we actually had on an episode recently with with his lovely girlfriend, um, miss Meg McCree, uh, we had Ben Chapman on Ben Chapman, and Ben's another guy, Georgia boy. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, I think he's right around your age, right? Maybe a year older. Speaker 2 01:11:57 Yeah. He's, I think, I think I think he might be a year older Speaker 1 01:11:59 Than Yeah, I think you, yeah. But like, but Speaker 2 01:12:01 Yeah, same Speaker 1 01:12:02 Age. You guys used to play Eddie's attic shows. You put that coming up in like that same circuit and, and you guys both incredibly talented, both doing big things just in just in very different lanes, Speaker 2 01:12:12 Dude. And it and Speaker 1 01:12:13 Yet you're both from Georgia. Yes. You know, so that's not like, like states don't have just a just a, just a straight up sound, but Speaker 2 01:12:20 No, a hundred percent man. I mean we're all, we, we all have every us growing up all gives us different vibes. Andrew, Jen, Andrew Janki. Yeah. Or Andrew Jackalope is what I like to call him. Jackalope. Speaker 1 01:12:34 The Jalal Speaker 2 01:12:36 <laugh> or Nighthawk <laugh>. That's his, uh, that's our walkie-talkie app by name. Jeb Gibson's, uh, wall Sheep. I kinda wanna give him more of a man leader one. I love Jeb <laugh>. Like, I don't know why it's all sheet, but I, I don't know, I just think about that. But uh, yeah, like, kind of forgot what we were talking about. <laugh> that damn deal. Date Speaker 1 01:12:59 Peanut butter baby 20% off promo code T r check him up. Hey, let's go. Um, but um, no, you were talking about Andrew Janki. Oh Speaker 2 01:13:07 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jackalope. So like Jackalope, his sound and even Jeb's sound, his sound jeb's from order too. J uh, his sound is like, you hear it and hi, you hear how he grew up and you listen to how he thought, like you, I kind of see like Snapchat memories when we're hanging out together or whatever. Like of how he was, what he was doing. Very similar to mine. But like it shows in his music and it shows in his style what he likes. Yeah. You know, and it like, when we put each other in demo jail, same thing with Jeb. Like, we all like it, like it all like mixes in, like, you know, like, it's like it's really, really, really cool if you, you know, kind of pay attention. It's everybody. It's like, it's everybody where they come from. Like, you know, Chad Bishop's sound is definitely from where he is from. Same thing with Ron Nelson. That, Speaker 1 01:13:57 That those, those are the Florida boys that Bishop is the Gator man. Like Speaker 2 01:14:01 Exactly. And I mean, I'm trying to think of just some other people from out, like okay from Alabama, like Speaker 1 01:14:07 Oh yeah, no trust that Speaker 2 01:14:08 Just anybody from like, look at Muscadine and Bloodline and their, their sound definitely comes from like a Montgomery aspect. I feel like, you know what I mean? They're like, they're, they're in a weird spot. They're close to that Louisiana swamp, you know, that kind of stuff. But they're just closer to Birmingham where they can get that like, well, well Speaker 1 01:14:24 There's, there's the reason they call it the, they call it Red Clay country, you know? Yeah. That's, that's the term term. Gary and Chuck have coined and I think it says true for, for a lot of artists at Alabama, you know, it's hundred percent it's cool. But like yeah, there is like that, that Georgia sound. Um, favorite college town in Georgia? Not in counting Carrollton, cuz I know Carton's a college town. That could be an easy answer. Speaker 2 01:14:43 I mean, I went to Athens and it was pretty rad. I was dating a girl at the time. I be closer to the microphone. I was so when I was like going up there, haven't been since. Um, I need to go back and just get, you know, just go experience the bars. But, uh, Statesboro looked pretty rad Speaker 1 01:15:07 Too. Statesboro holds a special place in my heart. Speaker 2 01:15:10 I have a show in Statesboro coming up. Open it up for Musqueam Blood wine. Speaker 1 01:15:14 Oh, you're on, oh, you're, you're on the Blue Room show. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> bro. Is that your first time going there? Yes, man, bro, you have no idea what you're in for. Speaker 2 01:15:21 Yeah, I'm actually like, bro, super Speaker 1 01:15:23 Excited. It's one of the, I've, I've had, I've only been there, I've been there three times now technically, but, um, September 16th. Speaker 1 01:15:31 Yeah. So Blue Room was the first place, um, first show I ever did with Trey Lewis was, um, was at the Blue Room, bro. And, um, D D I D came out, um, came out like three days before the show and they'd been playing the Blue Room as a cover cover act for the last few years. So they know the, the owners there really well. And yeah, they've been going there. So it was booked as a cover show and then the song came out, it turned into the 90 minute set, like the, the, um, like the headliner thing. And um, bro, that crowd is rowdy. Yeah. To me, to me, to me, Statesboro is one of my favorite places to go. And I can't wait till I get to go back there. Speaker 2 01:16:07 I, I'm excited to go back. I went there one time instead of the night, but I did go to Nats Landing and ate or whatever. There's something in the water. Tifton, Georgia's office also of Speaker 1 01:16:20 Tifton Rowdy Speaker 2 01:16:20 Place. I mean, I got, I like kudos to that place. First time I ever went down there, first time I ever went down there, I puked in their green room. And I've seen Sonny since then and he's brought it up and he was like, dude, I've never seen any an opener get so drunk before this play. That was a little different. Different No at the time. But I, I very well respect. He was like, I know you've already grown. Like I know. I just like, he's like, he's still a cool guy, Speaker 1 01:16:50 You know what I mean? Yeah. Terminal, terminal South. Another wild venue. Facts, man. Speaker 2 01:16:54 Tifton Hey back. Baby Speaker 1 01:16:55 Tifton is stallions. Yeah. Tifton. They get after it. Statesboro. They get after it. Milledgeville, you been there? Speaker 2 01:17:01 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I need to, Speaker 1 01:17:03 Yeah. I've, I've been there and they, they are definitely rowdy. It's a little bit of a different kind of rowdy in Milledgeville compared to Statesboro and Tifton and like Athens of course is great. Yeah. Ro Rome is a wild time too. Speaker 2 01:17:15 Fact Rome. But I was gonna say also like the ksu like, uh, the Buckhead area, kinda like Atlanta. They're pretty, you know, isn't it Speaker 1 01:17:23 Is Mis is, uh, misfits over there. There's a couple clubs that are over in there not counting the big Buckhead theater. Of course. Speaker 2 01:17:29 Yeah. Which is, Speaker 1 01:17:30 And then isn't the Roxy over in that area too? Yeah, Speaker 2 01:17:32 The Roxy's in the, uh, in by the stadium. Speaker 1 01:17:36 Oh, the battery. Speaker 2 01:17:36 The battery. That I cannot believe I gotta play that. Like it's still like I had the, I like that was the, that was one of the coolest moments and thank big thanks to Musk night, Gary and Charlie for, you know, asking me to be come play that. Cuz not only that was just like a big venue. It was just really, really cool to like, bring my brother and sister and his girlfriend and there and gotta like to V ip it and like kind of get to see like what's to come. And when my name's on that wall, like, it's just like, oh, it's just so cool. Like, it's just so like the, the fans are just Musk on Bloodline fans or something else, you know what I Speaker 1 01:18:17 Mean? Oh, I know, I know a thing or two about that. A hundred. Speaker 2 01:18:19 I about to say they love, Speaker 1 01:18:20 They love to buy some merchandise. And uh, and there, there is something about that man. Like, that's something cool too is that you have guys like Gary and Chuck, you've got guys like John, you've got guys, guys like Travis and they've all come up playing the same place. Like the gigs that you've had. They've played similar gigs. Like when they were starting out, they literally did, they came up in the same circuit, which is why it's so cool that there's the, like the Big Brother aspect and there's like this fraternal kind of feel to, to Georgia, Alabama, a little bit of Mississippi, the car. Like, there, there is that, and you're getting to see how their fan bases are and their fan bases are hungry for the next guy too. Right. And when you're out opening for these guys, it's like, they're like, it's like, okay, so Gary and Charlie, like this kid, we're probably gonna like him too. And then they hear you play and they're just so, they're great listeners. Yes. Langston Crowd, the Musk and iron crowd, they're, they're great listeners. They, um, and they're, they're gonna support you every way they can. So when you put out a song, they're gonna pre-shave, pre-order, do whatever with that shit. Man. Speaker 2 01:19:24 Dude, Speaker 1 01:19:25 Do you have those yet? Do you have like the diehards where you're like, you know, some, like, you know, the fans' names and like, they're coming out to a lot of shows For Speaker 2 01:19:31 Sure. I mean, absolutely. I mean, I try to, I mean, most, most of my, Speaker 1 01:19:36 Like that diehard group outta like that Georgia. Alabama, like Oh, absolutely. Speaker 2 01:19:41 And a lot of, a lot of 'em are from Alabama, Speaker 1 01:19:43 Bro. Like Big Worm Speaker 2 01:19:44 Dude. Big worm, bro. He comes, he, I like, he hasn't been, he's come to a few of the, like the smaller shows that I've played, like in Alabama before, uh, I even really started coming to Nashville. But I see him like involved in everything. Him, a girl named Chaston. Yep. Uh, I'm trying to think of just other, I mean there's so many people that I just know her diehards. I mean, there's Speaker 1 01:20:09 Li Liza Culberson, uh, Lauren Farmer. Yeah. She's another Carrollton, Speaker 2 01:20:13 Uh, Michelle. Yep. I can't think of her last name. She comes to everything. Speaker 1 01:20:17 Kko, Klik something with a K. Yeah, Speaker 2 01:20:19 It's, uh, I, I hug her neck every single time. I just, I mean, I know 'em, I know their Instagram handles. I know what I know. I know. I see. I check. I kinda like, I mean, I, I see the comments. I know what you're saying. Like, sometimes I can't reach every read, every DM and sometimes I, you know, Speaker 1 01:20:35 But it's like, but that's how you build a fan base. Absolutely. But that, cause you have, you have a foundation like that and it's, it's cool that you've got that going on. Well Speaker 2 01:20:42 That's just, I just remember being that person, how I remember how cool it was when Riley Green would ask me to, or like would respond to a DM or, or you know, or whatever. Like, I don't know how like, it, like he's, you know, he's somebody I haven't talked to in a long time. But, uh, I remember just when he would play them shows I would like, he would always allow me to hang out with the band and be like around them. And like, I would just, I was basically shadowing and it's cool. Muscadine and Riley, or it was, Riley was putting on a back 40 Bash and Musca. I was playing Ty Reeve was playing and that's the night I really fell in love with music. And it's really cool to watch all them guys. Cause I knew they were playing in some of the same bars and they even played in some of the same areas that I could potentially play at even after that night. Speaker 2 01:21:35 But they were also doing really big things as well when they had the opportunities, like Riley's show on Mountain Street. You can go all the way back on his Instagram, do his last show on Mountain Street. And I took that picture with my, or my red iPhone, whatever, I can't even remember what it was. But I, he like, I remember there was a lot of people from my hometown that were there. And I remember being, I was in high school, I remember how cool it felt to have him like point at me, like outside of the, while he was standing on stage, he was like, he was like, Noah, come here. And I was just like, people were like hitting me like holy crap. And I was just like, I knew what I was about to go do. Like, I kind of like already knew. Speaker 2 01:22:11 Like I didn't never, I'd never done it before, but it was the first time and I just remember that was just like a, such a, that was like one of the moments that like drove me. Cuz like, I just remember being like, man, I'm not, I'm, I'm, I'm not far from being that. Like, you know what I mean? Because I sang Hurricane at Back 40 Bash that show I was talking about that Muscadine Tower was there and they sang and they, his crowd sang, sang it to me back like it was my song. And I was like, man, what if that was Speaker 1 01:22:37 My song? That that's a high, you never want to come down from percent. And that's what you keep chasing, Speaker 2 01:22:41 Dude. Yeah. And it's crazy. I was, I got, I was sitting with Thomas Archer, we were eating lunch after we were riding and I just remember getting to tell him that story and he just, dude, he was like, man, that's really cool. And I was like, dude, yeah, you wrote us like you wrote a song that like put me into a place of like, this is gonna be something I'm gonna do for the rest of my life. Speaker 1 01:22:59 Yeah. Biggest um, oh shit moment when you're like, oh, I'm right with this person. Wow. Speaker 2 01:23:05 Haven't written with him yet, but I got a Rodney Clauson date coming up soon. No Speaker 1 01:23:08 Shit. Speaker 2 01:23:09 Oh yeah, man. I mean it was kind of co It was, I mean, I could, I I don't like Crazy Behar when I seen him on my calendar I was like, dang, that's pretty freaking crazy. Yeah. Like that was a kind of a wild moment. Speaker 1 01:23:18 Was what was the, what was the first one where you went in? Were, were you kind of, was the like that intimidating feeling a little bit where you're like, holy cow or your first co-write where you were kind of intimidated. It could even be somewhat early, Speaker 2 01:23:29 Early on. Its, yeah, I mean, you know, let's just, let's just check the old calendar and just go back. Cause I mean, there's honestly, like, I, my Taylor my publisher man, he's literally the, the freaking man. Like, he, there's not anybody I wanna write with. He's gonna hook, he's gonna like do it. He's gonna hook me up. So I had a, um, I guess my first big boy Wright. Yeah. My first big boy Wright was, uh, Eric Dylan and Alex Palmer. And that did, that did Eric was on Zoom and Alex was in person. And uh, the next one was Rob Pennington and James McNair. That was pretty crazy cuz James, like, has written some hits and Rob's just a really good songwriter and you know, he's in, he's in. And then another meeting that's what's on my sound. Another meeting <laugh> October or October 18th. And then I had a, uh, yeah, a Josh Dun Emil Mason. Right. That was another freaking crazy Cadillac threes, uh, drummer. Like that was like Josh Dune. Excuse me. Just there's just crazy. Yeah. Eric, Joe and Ronnie Mount ran. But, but Speaker 1 01:24:43 Did, but did you have that moment? Like, Speaker 2 01:24:45 You know, I, I still have it. Oh, I mean, every single riot I go into, I still, like, I'm sitting there across from Brad Clawson and whoever and I can just literally just think about the songs they've written and I'll just go into that thing Girl moment. And I mean, like, I'm to the point now, I'm cool. Mostly everybody that I'll go, I'll tell 'em. Or like, or I'll be, you know, I'll bring like woke key, bring it up, whatever. But I mean, there was, I went home this past weekend and dude, I turned on the radio for 15 minutes and I knew every single writer personally written a song with every single writer that came across that radio. 92.1. That's crazy. And I, I'm talking about like had a, like they were in my phone cause I looked him up. That's crazy. And I, I mean, of course something I knew off the top of my head, but I was just like, everywhere from, you know, like Luke Bryan to fricking Luke Combs, to Jason Aldean, to Brett Young, to all these people. Like, it's just like, what? It's just like that, that that's a thing that's like, that's something I never, I dreamed about and I knew and I, I got, but I didn't think it was, you know, I, well I I I knew it was something, I knew it was possible. I didn't think it would come this fast. And very blessed for it. It's been a very, uh, it's been a very, very, very, very long but short. Right. I don't know how to explain that. Speaker 1 01:26:08 Well the thing is you started young. Speaker 2 01:26:10 Yeah. Yeah. Like, right, right. Like, I mean, I just remember when I was 17 and when I did that back 40 bash show, I just remember I was like, man, this is what I gotta do. And I just remember like, screw screw school. Speaker 1 01:26:20 Yeah. That's, that's five years, bro. That's not this quick. I mean, the thing is maybe you're saying quick cuz you're doing it young, right? Because you've been putting in the work Yeah. For five years. Speaker 2 01:26:29 Yeah. I guess. Yeah. You've Speaker 1 01:26:30 You've played those restaurant games. Yeah, I have. Yeah. You've done that, man. You're not Yeah, that's man, I've You put in the work bro. Fact, bro, it's happening. Dude. Dude. Speaker 2 01:26:38 I, I, man it's, it's, and it's kind of hard to even, like, I feel like, man, I'm playing it freaking, you know, a Mexican restaurant feels like literally so, so not so long ago. You know what I mean? Yeah. Like I can remember that like, very vivid vividly tugging that lu Speaker 1 01:26:55 You ever played for just chips and salsa? Speaker 2 01:26:57 Dude, I mean, I usually got paid most likely. I didn't, I didn't take no free gigs. But I mean, I definitely had some places that were like, I don't understand why they don't like treat the band a little better. That's even, that's, that's been used now sometimes. I'm like, man, it ain't, it ain't nothing to give somebody a hot meal. You know? Especially at a restaurant that's like, like pumping out food. Speaker 1 01:27:23 Yeah. Yeah. So you were doing the Mexican restaurants. I, I'm guessing I was Speaker 2 01:27:26 Playing anywhere that anybody would pay me. I've played at a girl's 16th birthday in three hours away in Alabama. I've played your backyard party gig. I've played on a boat, played, you know, in the house I've played like I, I, dude, you name it, I've played it. Like, I don't like do not discriminate on going out and making money, playing a gig. Cuz I mean that's like private parties. I wouldn't say suck. They can get like the, when you, when they're drunk. And how many trying to grab the microphone and sing. Speaker 1 01:28:00 How many frat parties have you done? Speaker 2 01:28:02 Oh, I mean, I've done a few. Um, man, I'll tell you what, what was it Really crazy Frat party or I gotta see my first one. Riley Green was playing at KA in Alabama. <laugh>. Oh shit dude. I was in high school. Who Speaker 1 01:28:13 Were, who were you? Who'd you go down there with? Speaker 2 01:28:15 A guy named Chad Miller. And uh, he just knew Riley and a guy, another guy that was, I guess Riley's manager at the time was kind of like steering me in directions. Like when I, I could call him and talk to him, Brady thrower, he was also showed up down there. But man, Riley's just playing. And I remember that was one of the times, I gotta actually first hang out with Riley's band, meet Quinn, Tyler Galloway. Tyler's not there no more. But I mean like a lot of like the early on band Quinn still plays, but, uh, man, that was like, I'd never forget that night just because how crazy that party was. Also Riley let me get on stage and sing Jason One Delight and I forgot the words to it. <laugh> Speaker 2 01:28:58 Facts, which is, there's a video on Facebook somewhere and I like, I mean you, when you learn, knew the song, but when you're in high school and you're, you know, they're giving you hunch punch from a ka party <laugh>. Like, you don't know what at University of Alabama? I had no idea frat houses had a fricking elevator. Yeah, dog had an elevator and a house Mom. I was like, what? That was crazy. I met the house mom, she show me all the cameras. <laugh>. I was like, wow, this. I'm sure you've seen some shit, but yeah, I mean, that's crazy. I play, I even played something for my hometown in West Georgia. I played for like Pike played for them a few times. Man, Pike's Rowdy is all get out, bro. We've like, they live in Greek Village, which is on campus and dude, we have, they have like thrown down to the sun Speaker 1 01:29:44 Camp. Is that where is that who? Brendan? Um, Speaker 2 01:29:47 YesTo is the pike. He's the pike, yeah. Oh, Speaker 1 01:29:49 That's all I need to know. <laugh>. Speaker 2 01:29:50 That that dude. Yeah. And then I've also played at Kfi ca FI's Rowdy. I played 8 0 1 at kfi, bro. And there was like, I I tell you, okay, 8 0 1 is where all sororities can't drink for a certain amount of time when, uh, when school first starts. And 8 0 1 is when they can drink. Can't remember the exact day of it, but I remember those so many girls, it was like a sea of women of college girls and Kai Fi frat and me and my band playing. It was like one of the best times of my life. <laugh> played for Ka, same thing. I mean they were beer showering in their party barn. Just literally like route like straight up rowdy. Like that's, and but, and they all show every single frat shows up to, uh, to shows and they like, like outside party on the farms and the, you know, the drive-in show and they like, they, it's, Speaker 1 01:30:37 And these are people that are posting about the music when it's coming out? Yes. That are, that are, that are keeping up with what you've got going on. Releases, merch shows. Speaker 2 01:30:44 Yeah. There's good and there's good, just good people. And that's just, I mean, and it's honestly everywhere I go cuz I kind of, I have a pretty good me, I have a very good facial memory. Like I remember people's faces a lot and I might not remember your name and I hate it if I don't, you know, that damn that de day <laugh>, you know, that's a memory loss or whatever. But yeah, it's just, I, the support from day one has been unreal. And everybody's just like, if, you know, it's just, there's, I mean there's Angie Gregory, she's been like, there's, there's so many people I can name off that literally like just have been there that just her, her and her crew. Like, they're just like, there's just so many people that I've been able to meet. Hell Speaker 1 01:31:34 Yeah. That's, that's awesome man. Now who are, um, or for the rest of this year, what are some goals to close out 2021? I know we got the new song that Speaker 2 01:31:43 Yeah man, I got, I can tell you small town coming out and hopefully Dr. Gonna drop another one. You know, um, I, my team, uh, over at Red, they, they have a lot. I I have a lot of faith in them and like, on their plan on what they want to do. You know, I'm Speaker 1 01:31:59 So you're kind of just, you're kind of just sitting, oh man, I you're not, you're not as involved Speaker 2 01:32:02 As I am, but I ain't, they run things by me and, but I mean I had no idea we were dropping the song August 13th, but I was like, hell yeah, let's go. Let's, I mean I thought it was gonna be a little later maybe. Yeah. But like, I'm like, sh let's run it. Like, I mean heck yeah. Like, you know what I mean? Like before my Eddie's attic show, like, I mean that's dope. Like, you know, like that they, I just, that that's where I trust him because like I know that that's what they do and they like, they just tell me like, Hey, write songs and, you know, focus on the artist thing. And, which is cool cuz I mean my team literally John, like, he does things and he sends me things in pictures and like, and does just things from my Instagram and takes pictures and does photography and does, it's just the work ethic between John Taylor and Jeremy, it's literally unmatched. Like, I feel like, like I do, I like feel like the wave we're fixing, like that we're creating is gonna be tremendous. I mean it's just like, cuz everything's there. Everything. Like just, it's such a, it's so cool to know that like, I got such a good team and it's such a blessing to know that like they're they who, that they're, they're who they are. Yeah. It's literally, like I say like I like it was home when I walked through those doors. It's still, it feels like home. Yeah. Head to Speaker 1 01:33:24 This day, headlining show's coming. Speaker 2 01:33:26 Yes. I have that Eddie's attic show, um, August 19th, Speaker 1 01:33:30 So I know, and then I know obviously the the opening slots. Yeah. Those, those are great too. But yeah, but I'm, I'm thinking like, no, like, when are we getting like Noah Hicks shows like hour plus sets of your music, not just the covers Speaker 2 01:33:44 You Well that's a good, that's, that's the beautiful thing about when you ha if you anybody listen to this that wants me to come open a show for them, you're gonna get my covers. I'm, or excuse me, <laugh>, you're gonna get my originals. You're not gonna get no covers. Yeah. And my old drummer, he's playing for John Langston now, which is super cool. Um, Eric Pritchard, he got, he, he sparked that fire under me. You know, and it's the, the, the hardest thing about it is though that anybody that wants to try it, you, you know, one, sometimes you have to have one cover in there. If the crowd's not throwing it back, always have one prepared. But if you can sell your original music, if you get up there and not only to sing your songs but entertain, I don't think you need covers because I think people are so, like, like country music fans are so hungry for new music and the new acts. I mean, look at the people that pop up on TikTok all the time and like, you know, Instagram and stuff like that. It's like, I mean like, like Zack Bryan, he just came to mind like, I don't really know much about him. I know. Like I was, I know like his songs are fricking popular. Speaker 1 01:34:44 Yeah. His his his stuff, he's like a different level. Yeah, Speaker 2 01:34:48 Yeah, he's great. Like I gotta listen to some of his stuff, but like, I mean I just know he's like, I know he's killing it. And it like kind of came by. It came that viral moment for like, same thing with Janus. Like Speaker 1 01:34:57 Off Speaker 2 01:34:58 The originals. Yeah. All them off their originals and which is, that's what's, because that's what people want to hear. They want to hear that new. They want to hear the new, they wanna be the first people liked. Cuz I used to like to send this be the first one to send the song to people, you know what I mean? Yeah. And it's what's really cool is being able to get to write the songs that are, you know what I mean? Yeah. Speaker 1 01:35:15 It's so crazy. That is, that is freaking awesome, man. Well, dude, this has been, this has been a freaking blast, bro. Speaker 2 01:35:21 I'm same man. This has been, this is Speaker 1 01:35:23 Cool. Second podcast ever. Speaker 2 01:35:25 Second podcast ever. And I got first podcast with a homie and another homie, second podcast with a homie. Dude, this is great. Why? Speaker 1 01:35:33 Yeah, man, we're, we're, um, I, I, I really enjoyed your episode with, with Nikki t and, uh, and Kurt over on, uh, over on the, uh, tails from the front row. Well Speaker 2 01:35:42 I enjoyed the hell out Speaker 1 01:35:43 Of there. Ready? And this was a lot of fun too, man. Man. I appreciate you coming. Where can people find you? Speaker 2 01:35:46 They can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, um, Noah Hicks music. Um, you can find, you can find a number to text me on my Instagram bio, my Facebook bio. I'm on TikTok as well. Speaker 1 01:35:57 How does that work, by the way? Because I, so Speaker 2 01:35:59 I have a little app that, that, I mean, I can actually respond. Um, Speaker 1 01:36:02 Do you have any in there right now? Speaker 2 01:36:04 Yeah, we can just check it out and see what's up, <laugh>. Speaker 1 01:36:07 See, I've wondered how that works because Speaker 2 01:36:09 I've never, haven't got anything crazy. But we'll see what the last, uh, the Chance King messaged me and say Wednesday nine 11 and said PM and said, Hey man, just wanted to say I love your music. I love the music. Just text back. Thanks brother. That's Speaker 1 01:36:25 Awesome. So be sure to check out, uh, that texting service. You can find that Noah's ig uh, make sure to follow him on all the socials. Stream his music. He's got some great songs out and, uh, he's got some more great songs coming along. And be sure to check out, uh, shows he might be coming to you soon. And, uh, check him out if he's playing somewhere in town. Uh, also quick shout out to the sponsors, whale Tale Media Trailside CBD Saxon Studios. And, uh, remember to leave a five star review. Y'all, we, um, enjoyed this episode with our boy Nome. We're gonna let him take us out. Come on with his brand new one. I can tell you're a small town. Y'all have been listening to the In the Round podcast. Speaker 2 01:37:00 Let's go Speaker 3 01:37:17 Girl. I can tell you glad we got out of that downtown bar. Got a fixer, drove up Pine Creek just to see these midnight stars. Baby, you look unreal. Them high heels and that dread, but you little more t-shirt and blue jeans. If I had to guess, I can tell you small town, when I threw some gravel off them tires you didn't buy. And I said, I'm sorry about the dirt and the floorboard. You laugh it out on mind right now. I can tell. I can tell you small town, town, like me town, it's in the way. Say good night, the, and maybe we can go back there on day. I can tell your small town. I can tell your small town. Come on, let's go.