May 13, 2024 • 27 mins
Susie Evans is back to take you into the stories that grow deeper than the final rose! She’s hanging out with Mike and Jon from Eli Young Band to hear what it was like to become part of Bachelor Nation.
They take us through their memories of playing on Sean Lowe’s season, we hear how the franchise changed their career, and we get the honest truth on life as touring musicians!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is all most famous Beyond the Bachelor with Susie Evans.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you guys so much for joining us today on
Beyond the Bachelor. This is your host, Susie Evans. Today
we are joined by Mike Eli and John Jones from
the Eli Young Band, who performed on Sean Love's season
of The Bachelor. It's been a few years since you
guys were on The Bachelor, is that right?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Yeah, it feels like a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
It was Sean Lowe's season. I'm curious, reflecting back on
your performance during Sewan Loo's season, what was maybe the
most memorable or unexpected thing you saw, whether it was
like behind the scenes or after the show came out.
I'm curious.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Oh. I mean, at the time, we had just come
off of a big number one for us. It was
kind of one of the biggest songs that we had
ever had, and even If It Breaks Your Heart was
kind of the follow up to that. But we had
done all the big shows. We had done all the
late nights, all the tonight shows, the things, and then
morning shows and all that, and so doing The Bachelor
(01:03):
was kind of a new thing for us. But I
don't think that we realized the cultural impact that it
had already made and how much of an impact it
was going to make on us and our songs. And
I know that James, our guitar player, has mentioned it
(01:24):
quite a few times. But after you do all these
really cool things, you play all this cool stuff, you
play the Bachelor, and everyone is calling you because they
saw you on the Bachelor, and so you know, it
was probably one of the most impactful things that we
have done at the time.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Wow, that's really cool. Actually, that was kind of one
of my questions later on as well, was like, did
this impact your careers in any way? But it sounds
like it did kind of take things to another level,
or just I think the fandom of Bachelor Nation, like
people really underestimate it. And I mean people can either
get the wrath of Bachelor Nation or it can be
(02:03):
a really positive thing for you. But I'm glad it
was a positive thing for you guys. So it sounds
like it was a It was a really good thing.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
I think it moved the needle, even if it breaks
your heart, more than anything that we had done at
around that time.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
So yeah, just exposure to a wider audience than than
just you know, like the country world it was.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
That's really cool. And I know, obviously I'm a country
fan as well, but I know a lot of country
is love or romantic, but I feel like you guys
have some really iconic like love songs. So it really
was the perfect mashup between Bachelor and Eli Young bands.
So that's pretty cool. When you guys were there, So
you were on Ashley Fraser Fraser's date, did you guys
(02:45):
was it a live audience or was it a private
one on one performance for the two people? For the couple, it.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Was a very small audience.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
So they were at six Flags Magic Mountain and the
whole park was closed down for him that day, which
was kind of a real experience to be a theme
park shut down. But they were there with a couple
of girls that had like chronic illnesses, and so they
were there to like give them a really neat experience
for the day, which made for you know, interesting, kind
(03:12):
of a different kind of a date. So the performance
was really just for not just for the two of them,
but you know, for for them and the girls they
were there with, which we did a song called even
It Breaks Your Heart, which isn't. It's not so much
a love song, but it's more of like pursue your
dreams at all at all costs type of a thing,
which I think made more sense and a love song
(03:33):
given you know what their their date was all about.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, that's actually really amazing. So Catherine, Catherine and Sean
ended up together on the show. Did you guys watch
the season back by chance?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Like?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Have we watched it since then?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Yeah? Like when the show aired, did you guys watch
the full season?
Speaker 3 (03:54):
We we we casually followed it.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I'm not I'm not going to say that we the
four of us are down on the bus and watched it,
you know, front to back. But we've stayed in touch
with with Sean and you know everything, everything turned out
great for him.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
That's so cool. Yeah, I'm so curious. Did you guys
think after your date did you think that reality dating
was more legit or did you or were you like, oh,
this was a little bit like script Did it feel scripted?
I feel like that's one of the biggest questions people
ask me, is is The Bachelor scripted? And it's not scripted?
But did it feel more real or less real? After
(04:28):
performing on a date.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I think it became more real later once we hung
out with Sean and Catherine after the fact, after they
were still together for a while, and we realized that
that that there were actual, real connections that that are
made on the show.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, and honestly, I think that the filming that day,
I mean a lot of our job, which in TV
it's a lot of hurry up and wait, and so
there was a lot of just Joe kind of waiting
for a date to progress to where we did the song.
But it was haphazard enough that it definitely felt like
it was all unscripted and just kind of, you know, flowing,
(05:09):
and so we kind of had to be prepared for that.
I think we left with a sense of reality. Dating
is not for us, but it.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Did feel real. I think that that when when we
visited with them and that night after after playing for them,
it did it felt very real to us, you know,
but you know, that's cool.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
That's good insight. I do think that's one of the
biggest questions people ask when you've whether you're a producer
on the show, or you've been on the show, or
if you've entertained on the show, people are always like,
is it scripted is it real? And obviously it's produced,
but it's not scripted, So that's that's cool insight. And
were you both married at the time when you perform
on the show? Great? Yeah, so you both were married,
(05:56):
were you what? This is like a general question for
other people, but what is some general advice for people
that are looking for love, whether it's on reality TV
or in the real world. As two people that have
been in love and are married.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Find someone that gets you and can put up with you.
And for us being in a band, I think a
big thing for us and our careers is trying to
find that balance, but always working to find that balance
and not like assuming that everything's gonna be fine at
home and you can just go on the road and
(06:33):
and and you know that'd be your life like it's
all it's it's it takes dedication from both people and
just really wanted to share your life together and constantly
figuring out what that means and trying to be on
the same page.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
And for me, I would think, without sounding too cliche,
but do I think listen and then you listen again,
and then before you talk, you listen and one more
time and then think and then and then talk. I
think that there's a lot of thought and care that
(07:08):
needs to go into any relationship in the beginning and
also when you're twenty years in, you know, I think
that a lot of care and thought and a lot
of listening.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
That's really those are really good. That's really good insight.
I feel like with The Bachelor as well, it's so
kind of over the top with their dates and I
mean they're literally getting a one on one performance from
you guys. I feel like people can't emulate that in
the real world. But as silly as it isn't kind
(07:39):
of cliche. I also think it's like find ways to
make life special even when it's mundane or uh, you know,
you're in a routine. I think that The Bachelor's a
good reminder of like you can you can find little
ways to do something special for your person. I'm curious
when you guys are approached to do the show, you
(08:02):
did the show, did it did it influence any element
of your songwriting? Did that romance like spark anything or
inspire anything in the in the future of songwriting for
you guys?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I don't know. I mean, I think everything we do
has some type of influence, but I can't necessarily say
that it that it necessarily produced any any song in particular.
But but we we we do tend to be sponges,
and and our outlook on on reality dating shows changed
(08:38):
after we did The Best or so I think that sure,
I mean it did. I just don't know if I
can recover exactly what I think.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
It is really cool that that Sean kind of introduced
us to Ashley's like this is my favorite band, which
is like, oh, that's cool that. I hope that wasn't scripted.
But you know, we we live in the Alice Fort
Worth area. That's where we started the band, that's where
we still are, and that's where they live in Dallas now,
so it's kind of you know, it's really cool to
think about the fans that you make in the beginning
(09:09):
and like how you can take them on that journey
with your through your through your career.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
That's really cool. Were either of your wives Bachelor fans
or was anybody in your life a Bachelor fan?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Oh? Yeah, I mean especially I mean especially around that time.
We were surrounded by it. So yeah, so I mean,
and we were kept into but at the time we
were so busy because we were in the middle of
really really hitting the road and promoting a very big
record for us. So but but they made sure that
(09:53):
we knew exactly what was going on.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
So and like our guitar player has mentioned many times,
like the amount of people to come out of the
woodworks after you do something like The Bachelor. Maybe they
knew we were in this band or whatever like second cousins, aunts, uncles, whatever,
And then you're on The Bachelor and you have now
made it.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You were now famous.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
That that was the thing. So that let us know
how many people are really really into the Bachelor.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah, it's interesting, but like I said, Bachelor Nation, they
are wild and it's a good thing. And it's a
good thing that Yeah, that they go so hard for
the show and stuff like that. And it sounds like
you guys have a really great support system. How has
your family contributed to the journey of just being in
the music industry. It sounds like you guys have been
(10:37):
on a wild ride and I can't imagine how hectic
and stressful and just jam packed your schedules can be.
So how is your family and wives and loved ones
supported you guys?
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I think it takes a lot of understanding. You know.
I know that there's a certain point where they know
what they signed up for a little bit, but as
time goes on, it really takes a lot of commitment
and understanding to to what comes along with this life
(11:12):
we chose of being artists. You know, it is it's
a passion thing, you know. I mean, you know, you
have this love for the road and this love for
playing shows. But sometimes it takes a takes you away
from this other thing that you love, and that's you know,
your home and family and your kiddo's and so it's
(11:32):
a balance. It takes a balance. And so there's our
support system has to understand us and and why we
do it, but also understand that that that that we're
doing our best to find the balance that keeps makes
make sure we're good fathers, we're present fathers, we're here,
(11:56):
we take overnight flights to to make sure that we're
at ballgame and those things, and we're going to do
that to make sure that we have a healthy, you know,
lifestyle at home and on the road.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
So yeah, when we started twenty three years ago, we
were all in college and we were doing it for
pretty selfish reasons, honestly, I mean, it was so much
fun and we just wanted to get our music out
there and be on the road and you know, be
willing to play for free beer.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
And I feel like as those years have gone on,
we've all settled down and between the four of us,
we've got nine kids eleven and under. That's kind of
shifted our reason for being, you know, like we it
means we have to be gone to support them and
still follow our dreams, but they have become the reason
(12:46):
that we do it, I mean, and that means that
we play you know, a few less shows than we
used to, or that we could we say no to
more things now because it is it's finding that balance.
And I think we grew up in the era of
like you know, VH one behind the music, with all
of the the stories of marriages and bands that just
(13:09):
ended in ruin and wreck and families you know, left
and in the dust there. And we don't want to
be those guys. We never did. We want to find
a way to make it all all work, to be
the you know, the success story, and that's it's it's
always a work in progress, but it's it feels like
being on the road is more fulfilling when you're coming
(13:30):
home to a family that's settled and and and feels
loved and all those things.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
So that's so cool. I can't imagine what it must
feel like for you guys when your family or your
kids come to a show. But I also can't imagine
what it must feel like to be your kid. To
look up and see your dad performing like that has
to be such an incredible cool experience. I don't I
(13:59):
don't know how how old are you your kids?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
My oldest is about to turn twelve, so she's kind
of the one that, like, yeah, she grapples a little
bit with that as some of her friends kind of realize,
you know, who we are and who her dad is,
and so sometimes you know something that she grew up with.
(14:23):
She I mean, she learned to walk on a tour bus,
you know, and so it's very normal for her. And
then when her friends tell her how not normal that is,
you know, And now that she's twelve, it's it's a
different thing. But I think she's she more so than
than my other kiddo, he's about to turn six. But
(14:44):
she's been a bit by the bug you know. So
she's like, she loves music and performing and she's been
getting up on stage with us since she was little,
and she loves being in front of thousands of people.
It makes her happy.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
So my eleven year old son could care less. He
acts that way, and I get it. But but yeah,
my son and his daughter are the same age, and
they were the they were the original two band kids.
So they really they're like best of friends because they
really grew up at a time when we only had
a couple of kids. We could bring them out on
the road a lot. Now that there's a whole bus
(15:20):
full of kids, it's a little bit harder, so we
kind of pick and choose what shows they come to.
My seven year old daughter actually introduces me to most
people as this is John Jones from the Eli Young band.
Now this is dad. So we'll see how that all
turns out. But she, yeah, she thinks it's awesome.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Oh that's really cool. Yeah, it's got to be. It
probably is really normal in some sense because they if
they grew up around it. But I'm sure someday, even
if right now they're like, yeah, this is my life,
this is normal, I'm sure some day they're going to
look back and like that was so iconic, Like my
dad is the coolest dad in the world. That is
like that is so cool. Even if it doesn't, it's
(15:57):
just normal to them now. You just know someday they're
going to have that realization.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
What age do you think that's going to happen when
our kids said, you guys are so cool.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I think maybe it'll go this way and then that way.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yes, I think it'll I think when you're young, like
your parents can't do anything that's really cool. So I
think it'll be like eighteen to twenty three, there'll be
adults and they'll look back and they'll be like, oh
my gosh, Like I can see it already. I feel
like that's how it's going to go. It'll be a
really cool thing to look back on. But when you're
in the moment, it's just normal, like it's just their life.
(16:30):
But but that is really cool. And I wanted to ask,
so you said the two is the two oldest. Did
they both play instruments and dabble in music or is
it or do does everyone in the family kind of
do something in music?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
I know both both of our kids the oldest ones
they both love music, but I think that they were
so just entrenched on the road with us, it was
just surrounding them. So Klein like, she's a little she's
a little musician, so she's just ready to move on
to get She's playing piano great, and they both of
our kids, actually all of our kids have the same
(17:05):
piano teacher who's really great at at instilling, you know,
the passion and then that they already kind of had,
but nurturing it even more. But she's definitely she wants it.
So she's she had the lead and the musical here
recently where we saw our perform and she she loved
(17:26):
the accolades. I mean, she was a little bit of
a little diva, which which I love but in a
good way.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, it's a thrill being on stage and even being
on The Bachelor and the live shows and stuff like that,
Like it's such a thrill. So I mean, if it's
it's pretty cool that they're interested and good at it too,
you know, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I think I think that's something that obviously we're you know,
make make music for a living, but we all definitely
agree that having some kind of bass and foundation of
music can be very helpful just in life, even if
it's not something you pursue or play your whole life.
The way that it kind of wires your brain. Learning piano,
it's like learning a foreign language at a young age,
and if you start young, you just take it all
(18:11):
in without really realizing it. So I think we all
have our kids playing music at a young age and
they may never do anything with it, but I think
it's you know, it's important and we'll serve them well.
You never hear of someone saying I am so glad
that I stopped playing piano after a couple of years,
as I hated it. It's usually I really wish I
(18:32):
would have stuff stuck with it, or I really wish
I would have really learned to play the guitar. So
if it takes a little poking and prodding again, I
think when they're a bit older, they will appreciate having
some of that music knowledge.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Yeah. Absolutely, And like you said, it's probably good for
the brain, you know, Like I feel like to be
able to to be able to play an instrument has
got to be so good for your mental health and
everything like that. And you guys all live in this
area into in is it North Texas?
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah, dw are okay.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
And you all came together in college. But are some
of you relate to you some of you are related?
Speaker 1 (19:12):
No, No, we're all fraternity brothers in college, and so
like Mike is technically my little brother, uh okay back
in those days, so sometimes he still introduces me as
his big brother.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Gotcha. Yeah, I think I saw something about the brothers
and I was like kind of confused. I'm like, everyone's
got last names, are different last names, so I wasn't
sure if you guys were real brothers or what. But
(19:44):
it sounds like you guys, I mean, you've been together
as a group for twenty years. Sounds like you're kind
of more family than just friends and coworkers at this point.
Is that how it feels when you're all together back
in Texas as well? Do you guys get together and
do the kids all hang out and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
We try to do it as much as we can.
I think that's one of the things that with us, like,
because we we spend so much of our time out
on the road together, we have to we try to
make sure that when we come home that we find
the times to get the kids together so that they
you know, spend spend some time together. So but it
is really neat, Like especially Hudson and Kline too oldest,
(20:24):
because they spend so much time together early, they have
this kind of really special connection. So they get really
excited about seeing each other and so and I think
for the most part, all the kids really have this
admiration for each other and get excited. And so they'll
have their piano oversital when we're doing like a piano
(20:45):
recital all together, and and so that that that is
kind of a neat moment where they get to do it,
you know, and perform for each other. You know.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Yeah, it's really cool. I know. So we're coming, we're
coming to the end here. But I know that the
entertainment industry in general has a lot of highs and
lows really no matter what you're doing in entertainment. You know,
sometimes careers are booming, sometimes they have lules and things
like that. I'm curious, how is it that you guys
(21:19):
have overcome some of those tougher times or the challenges
that you face in your careers, Like what are some
what are some of the things that you guys have
done to either cope with that, or how do you
move past that and reinvent yourself and keep moving forward.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Sometimes there's no other choice. I feel like our highs
have been high, but compared to some other artists not
that high. And our lows have been low, but compared
to other artists, you know, not not like debilitating. I'd say,
when it comes to song choice and singles and that
kind of cycle, we realize that we only have so
(21:56):
much control over that, and you just got to keep
moving on to the next thing, and it's always gonna
be our live show that kind of sustains us. And
when you have a single that kind of hits it radio,
all that goes up quite a bit. But when it's not,
I think we have enough of fan base where it
never dips down too low. It's just kind of the
exposure you get changes. The biggest thing I think for
(22:18):
us to cope with was honestly COVID and everybody has
their own stories and how they did that, but you know,
our world just shut down for quite a while. But
luckily we had been a band for enough years before
that that we were able to kind of, you know,
weather that storm and you know, come out swinging but
the four of us doing it together I think has
(22:41):
always been helpful. I it's a really tough industry to navigate,
and people that do it on their own have a
lot of respect for because not having other brothers. You know, yes,
sports is and build to bounce off of people to
lift you up when you're down, you know. I think
that would be one piece of advice if you're out
trying to do something like this is don't surround yourself
(23:03):
with the y s people, but surround yourself with honest
people that will help bring you up when you need
it and because they.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Care about you, you know. So I think we were
always realistic. I think that we always try to when
the highs are high, you know, don't don't spend all
your money, and when the lows are low, you have
money to spend, you know. I think that that one
of the biggest things that is a stress to artists
(23:30):
is because they run out of money. And that's you know,
in the financial side of things. Is like you know,
can tear a band apart.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Or yeah, I mean it's kind of like I mean,
in a way, it's like The Bachelor talking about these
you know, extreme dates and the environment and these really
great things they get to go do. It's really TV,
but it's not real life. Like you look at people
you think, you know, celebrities, musicians and the Instagram posts
and that's that's a version of life, but it's not
(24:01):
real life and people that I think it's it's nice
to escape into that and find those little moments like
you were talking about, but don't buy into all of
it and think that that's what you have to make
your life look like all the time, because that that
can that's not gonna last very long. And it also
doesn't you know, it's great to have these really cool moments,
but trying to do all the time doesn't really bring
(24:22):
you happiness, you.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Know, mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Absolutely. And it sounds like you guys have a really
solid fan base. Do you guys have a favorite memory
with a fan, like a fan encounter or or maybe
a Bachelor fan encounter where somebody's knew you from The
Bachelor and met you in person. Do you guys have
a funny moment or a favorite moment like that?
Speaker 1 (24:46):
So many, but yeah, well I think it was when
Sean came out to the first show after the season.
It was It's interesting the kind of the different kind
of celebrity that you become after being honestre like The Bachelor,
and so it's like, does the energy in the room
gravitate towards the band that you're there to see? So
(25:08):
much of it gravitates over towards Sean, the guy who's
famous in The Bachelor, which is really kind of funny,
and realize that there's different different types of celebrity and
we're the kind of guys that we love being on stage,
but we don't necessarily always like the spotlight on us.
So it's really great and we're sharing that kind of
space with someone that oh, oh yeah, no, go over
(25:29):
there and talk to him.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
We're good, We're good. Yeah, he's over there.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Yeah, that's awesome. Well that's really cool. And do you
guys have any projects coming up that you want to
share with people, either like personal or professional things that
you have on the horizon.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Well, we just released a deluxe edition of our ten
Thousand Towns record, which has a few songs that hadn't
been released before and then you know that song had
a drunk last Night and dusk big songs for us,
But we released some unreleased songs for the deluxe edition,
and it was the first time we've done vinyl on
(26:08):
that album. And we released a record not too long
ago called Love Talking, which was a really fun record
to make because we wrote all those songs during COVID
and so it was a very interesting time to try
to stay positive. But there's also some really vulnerable moments
on the record as well. And we we just started
(26:29):
a new record that hopefully we're gonna start releasing songs
from here in the next few months. So, oh, and
then Tom Petty, we were part of the Tom Petty
Tribute record. We did a song called Learning to Fly,
which is a song that we've been playing for years
in our live show, and so we were able to
be a part of the Tom Petty Tribute record, which
(26:50):
is really really fun for us. So that's it.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I didn't have an answer for any of that. It
turns out we've got a few things going on.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Started coming out.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
The new music that we're gonna start rolling out. We
just started recording back at the studio that we started
at in Denton, Texas, where we went to college, and
it's a really awesome studio that it feels like home
going back there, and we're getting some really neat, really
neat stuff out of all that, and we can't wait
to share that with the world.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Very cool. Well, thank you guys so much for joining
us on Beyond the Bachelor. It's really cool to hear
the behind the scenes and just to get to know
you guys a little bit better. You know your personal
lives and what you've got going on in your careers.
So thank you guys for coming on to chat for
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Thank you, See you next time.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
See you next time.
This is all most famous Beyond the Bachelor with Susie Evans.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you guys so much for joining us today on
Beyond the Bachelor. This is your host, Susie Evans. Today
we are joined by Mike Eli and John Jones from
the Eli Young Band, who performed on Sean Love's season
of The Bachelor. It's been a few years since you
guys were on The Bachelor, is that right?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Yeah, it feels like a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
It was Sean Lowe's season. I'm curious, reflecting back on
your performance during Sewan Loo's season, what was maybe the
most memorable or unexpected thing you saw, whether it was
like behind the scenes or after the show came out.
I'm curious.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Oh. I mean, at the time, we had just come
off of a big number one for us. It was
kind of one of the biggest songs that we had
ever had, and even If It Breaks Your Heart was
kind of the follow up to that. But we had
done all the big shows. We had done all the
late nights, all the tonight shows, the things, and then
morning shows and all that, and so doing The Bachelor
(01:03):
was kind of a new thing for us. But I
don't think that we realized the cultural impact that it
had already made and how much of an impact it
was going to make on us and our songs. And
I know that James, our guitar player, has mentioned it
(01:24):
quite a few times. But after you do all these
really cool things, you play all this cool stuff, you
play the Bachelor, and everyone is calling you because they
saw you on the Bachelor, and so you know, it
was probably one of the most impactful things that we
have done at the time.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Wow, that's really cool. Actually, that was kind of one
of my questions later on as well, was like, did
this impact your careers in any way? But it sounds
like it did kind of take things to another level,
or just I think the fandom of Bachelor Nation, like
people really underestimate it. And I mean people can either
get the wrath of Bachelor Nation or it can be
(02:03):
a really positive thing for you. But I'm glad it
was a positive thing for you guys. So it sounds
like it was a It was a really good thing.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
I think it moved the needle, even if it breaks
your heart, more than anything that we had done at
around that time.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
So yeah, just exposure to a wider audience than than
just you know, like the country world it was.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
That's really cool. And I know, obviously I'm a country
fan as well, but I know a lot of country
is love or romantic, but I feel like you guys
have some really iconic like love songs. So it really
was the perfect mashup between Bachelor and Eli Young bands.
So that's pretty cool. When you guys were there, So
you were on Ashley Fraser Fraser's date, did you guys
(02:45):
was it a live audience or was it a private
one on one performance for the two people? For the couple, it.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Was a very small audience.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
So they were at six Flags Magic Mountain and the
whole park was closed down for him that day, which
was kind of a real experience to be a theme
park shut down. But they were there with a couple
of girls that had like chronic illnesses, and so they
were there to like give them a really neat experience
for the day, which made for you know, interesting, kind
(03:12):
of a different kind of a date. So the performance
was really just for not just for the two of them,
but you know, for for them and the girls they
were there with, which we did a song called even
It Breaks Your Heart, which isn't. It's not so much
a love song, but it's more of like pursue your
dreams at all at all costs type of a thing,
which I think made more sense and a love song
(03:33):
given you know what their their date was all about.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, that's actually really amazing. So Catherine, Catherine and Sean
ended up together on the show. Did you guys watch
the season back by chance?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Like?
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Have we watched it since then?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Yeah? Like when the show aired, did you guys watch
the full season?
Speaker 3 (03:54):
We we we casually followed it.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I'm not I'm not going to say that we the
four of us are down on the bus and watched it,
you know, front to back. But we've stayed in touch
with with Sean and you know everything, everything turned out
great for him.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
That's so cool. Yeah, I'm so curious. Did you guys
think after your date did you think that reality dating
was more legit or did you or were you like, oh,
this was a little bit like script Did it feel scripted?
I feel like that's one of the biggest questions people
ask me, is is The Bachelor scripted? And it's not scripted?
But did it feel more real or less real? After
(04:28):
performing on a date.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I think it became more real later once we hung
out with Sean and Catherine after the fact, after they
were still together for a while, and we realized that
that that there were actual, real connections that that are
made on the show.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Yeah, and honestly, I think that the filming that day,
I mean a lot of our job, which in TV
it's a lot of hurry up and wait, and so
there was a lot of just Joe kind of waiting
for a date to progress to where we did the song.
But it was haphazard enough that it definitely felt like
it was all unscripted and just kind of, you know, flowing,
(05:09):
and so we kind of had to be prepared for that.
I think we left with a sense of reality. Dating
is not for us, but it.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Did feel real. I think that that when when we
visited with them and that night after after playing for them,
it did it felt very real to us, you know,
but you know, that's cool.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
That's good insight. I do think that's one of the
biggest questions people ask when you've whether you're a producer
on the show, or you've been on the show, or
if you've entertained on the show, people are always like,
is it scripted is it real? And obviously it's produced,
but it's not scripted, So that's that's cool insight. And
were you both married at the time when you perform
on the show? Great? Yeah, so you both were married,
(05:56):
were you what? This is like a general question for
other people, but what is some general advice for people
that are looking for love, whether it's on reality TV
or in the real world. As two people that have
been in love and are married.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Find someone that gets you and can put up with you.
And for us being in a band, I think a
big thing for us and our careers is trying to
find that balance, but always working to find that balance
and not like assuming that everything's gonna be fine at
home and you can just go on the road and
(06:33):
and and you know that'd be your life like it's
all it's it's it takes dedication from both people and
just really wanted to share your life together and constantly
figuring out what that means and trying to be on
the same page.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
And for me, I would think, without sounding too cliche,
but do I think listen and then you listen again,
and then before you talk, you listen and one more
time and then think and then and then talk. I
think that there's a lot of thought and care that
(07:08):
needs to go into any relationship in the beginning and
also when you're twenty years in, you know, I think
that a lot of care and thought and a lot
of listening.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
That's really those are really good. That's really good insight.
I feel like with The Bachelor as well, it's so
kind of over the top with their dates and I
mean they're literally getting a one on one performance from
you guys. I feel like people can't emulate that in
the real world. But as silly as it isn't kind
(07:39):
of cliche. I also think it's like find ways to
make life special even when it's mundane or uh, you know,
you're in a routine. I think that The Bachelor's a
good reminder of like you can you can find little
ways to do something special for your person. I'm curious
when you guys are approached to do the show, you
(08:02):
did the show, did it did it influence any element
of your songwriting? Did that romance like spark anything or
inspire anything in the in the future of songwriting for
you guys?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I don't know. I mean, I think everything we do
has some type of influence, but I can't necessarily say
that it that it necessarily produced any any song in particular.
But but we we we do tend to be sponges,
and and our outlook on on reality dating shows changed
(08:38):
after we did The Best or so I think that sure,
I mean it did. I just don't know if I
can recover exactly what I think.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
It is really cool that that Sean kind of introduced
us to Ashley's like this is my favorite band, which
is like, oh, that's cool that. I hope that wasn't scripted.
But you know, we we live in the Alice Fort
Worth area. That's where we started the band, that's where
we still are, and that's where they live in Dallas now,
so it's kind of you know, it's really cool to
think about the fans that you make in the beginning
(09:09):
and like how you can take them on that journey
with your through your through your career.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
That's really cool. Were either of your wives Bachelor fans
or was anybody in your life a Bachelor fan?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Oh? Yeah, I mean especially I mean especially around that time.
We were surrounded by it. So yeah, so I mean,
and we were kept into but at the time we
were so busy because we were in the middle of
really really hitting the road and promoting a very big
record for us. So but but they made sure that
(09:53):
we knew exactly what was going on.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
So and like our guitar player has mentioned many times,
like the amount of people to come out of the
woodworks after you do something like The Bachelor. Maybe they
knew we were in this band or whatever like second cousins, aunts, uncles, whatever,
And then you're on The Bachelor and you have now
made it.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You were now famous.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
That that was the thing. So that let us know
how many people are really really into the Bachelor.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah, it's interesting, but like I said, Bachelor Nation, they
are wild and it's a good thing. And it's a
good thing that Yeah, that they go so hard for
the show and stuff like that. And it sounds like
you guys have a really great support system. How has
your family contributed to the journey of just being in
the music industry. It sounds like you guys have been
(10:37):
on a wild ride and I can't imagine how hectic
and stressful and just jam packed your schedules can be.
So how is your family and wives and loved ones
supported you guys?
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I think it takes a lot of understanding. You know.
I know that there's a certain point where they know
what they signed up for a little bit, but as
time goes on, it really takes a lot of commitment
and understanding to to what comes along with this life
(11:12):
we chose of being artists. You know, it is it's
a passion thing, you know. I mean, you know, you
have this love for the road and this love for
playing shows. But sometimes it takes a takes you away
from this other thing that you love, and that's you know,
your home and family and your kiddo's and so it's
(11:32):
a balance. It takes a balance. And so there's our
support system has to understand us and and why we
do it, but also understand that that that that we're
doing our best to find the balance that keeps makes
make sure we're good fathers, we're present fathers, we're here,
(11:56):
we take overnight flights to to make sure that we're
at ballgame and those things, and we're going to do
that to make sure that we have a healthy, you know,
lifestyle at home and on the road.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
So yeah, when we started twenty three years ago, we
were all in college and we were doing it for
pretty selfish reasons, honestly, I mean, it was so much
fun and we just wanted to get our music out
there and be on the road and you know, be
willing to play for free beer.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
And I feel like as those years have gone on,
we've all settled down and between the four of us,
we've got nine kids eleven and under. That's kind of
shifted our reason for being, you know, like we it
means we have to be gone to support them and
still follow our dreams, but they have become the reason
(12:46):
that we do it, I mean, and that means that
we play you know, a few less shows than we
used to, or that we could we say no to
more things now because it is it's finding that balance.
And I think we grew up in the era of
like you know, VH one behind the music, with all
of the the stories of marriages and bands that just
(13:09):
ended in ruin and wreck and families you know, left
and in the dust there. And we don't want to
be those guys. We never did. We want to find
a way to make it all all work, to be
the you know, the success story, and that's it's it's
always a work in progress, but it's it feels like
being on the road is more fulfilling when you're coming
(13:30):
home to a family that's settled and and and feels
loved and all those things.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
So that's so cool. I can't imagine what it must
feel like for you guys when your family or your
kids come to a show. But I also can't imagine
what it must feel like to be your kid. To
look up and see your dad performing like that has
to be such an incredible cool experience. I don't I
(13:59):
don't know how how old are you your kids?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
My oldest is about to turn twelve, so she's kind
of the one that, like, yeah, she grapples a little
bit with that as some of her friends kind of realize,
you know, who we are and who her dad is,
and so sometimes you know something that she grew up with.
(14:23):
She I mean, she learned to walk on a tour bus,
you know, and so it's very normal for her. And
then when her friends tell her how not normal that is,
you know, And now that she's twelve, it's it's a
different thing. But I think she's she more so than
than my other kiddo, he's about to turn six. But
(14:44):
she's been a bit by the bug you know. So
she's like, she loves music and performing and she's been
getting up on stage with us since she was little,
and she loves being in front of thousands of people.
It makes her happy.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
So my eleven year old son could care less. He
acts that way, and I get it. But but yeah,
my son and his daughter are the same age, and
they were the they were the original two band kids.
So they really they're like best of friends because they
really grew up at a time when we only had
a couple of kids. We could bring them out on
the road a lot. Now that there's a whole bus
(15:20):
full of kids, it's a little bit harder, so we
kind of pick and choose what shows they come to.
My seven year old daughter actually introduces me to most
people as this is John Jones from the Eli Young band.
Now this is dad. So we'll see how that all
turns out. But she, yeah, she thinks it's awesome.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Oh that's really cool. Yeah, it's got to be. It
probably is really normal in some sense because they if
they grew up around it. But I'm sure someday, even
if right now they're like, yeah, this is my life,
this is normal, I'm sure some day they're going to
look back and like that was so iconic, Like my
dad is the coolest dad in the world. That is
like that is so cool. Even if it doesn't, it's
(15:57):
just normal to them now. You just know someday they're
going to have that realization.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
What age do you think that's going to happen when
our kids said, you guys are so cool.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I think maybe it'll go this way and then that way.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yes, I think it'll I think when you're young, like
your parents can't do anything that's really cool. So I
think it'll be like eighteen to twenty three, there'll be
adults and they'll look back and they'll be like, oh
my gosh, Like I can see it already. I feel
like that's how it's going to go. It'll be a
really cool thing to look back on. But when you're
in the moment, it's just normal, like it's just their life.
(16:30):
But but that is really cool. And I wanted to ask,
so you said the two is the two oldest. Did
they both play instruments and dabble in music or is
it or do does everyone in the family kind of
do something in music?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
I know both both of our kids the oldest ones
they both love music, but I think that they were
so just entrenched on the road with us, it was
just surrounding them. So Klein like, she's a little she's
a little musician, so she's just ready to move on
to get She's playing piano great, and they both of
our kids, actually all of our kids have the same
(17:05):
piano teacher who's really great at at instilling, you know,
the passion and then that they already kind of had,
but nurturing it even more. But she's definitely she wants it.
So she's she had the lead and the musical here
recently where we saw our perform and she she loved
(17:26):
the accolades. I mean, she was a little bit of
a little diva, which which I love but in a
good way.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, it's a thrill being on stage and even being
on The Bachelor and the live shows and stuff like that,
Like it's such a thrill. So I mean, if it's
it's pretty cool that they're interested and good at it too,
you know, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
I think I think that's something that obviously we're you know,
make make music for a living, but we all definitely
agree that having some kind of bass and foundation of
music can be very helpful just in life, even if
it's not something you pursue or play your whole life.
The way that it kind of wires your brain. Learning piano,
it's like learning a foreign language at a young age,
and if you start young, you just take it all
(18:11):
in without really realizing it. So I think we all
have our kids playing music at a young age and
they may never do anything with it, but I think
it's you know, it's important and we'll serve them well.
You never hear of someone saying I am so glad
that I stopped playing piano after a couple of years,
as I hated it. It's usually I really wish I
(18:32):
would have stuff stuck with it, or I really wish
I would have really learned to play the guitar. So
if it takes a little poking and prodding again, I
think when they're a bit older, they will appreciate having
some of that music knowledge.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Yeah. Absolutely, And like you said, it's probably good for
the brain, you know, Like I feel like to be
able to to be able to play an instrument has
got to be so good for your mental health and
everything like that. And you guys all live in this
area into in is it North Texas?
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah, dw are okay.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
And you all came together in college. But are some
of you relate to you some of you are related?
Speaker 1 (19:12):
No, No, we're all fraternity brothers in college, and so
like Mike is technically my little brother, uh okay back
in those days, so sometimes he still introduces me as
his big brother.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Gotcha. Yeah, I think I saw something about the brothers
and I was like kind of confused. I'm like, everyone's
got last names, are different last names, so I wasn't
sure if you guys were real brothers or what. But
(19:44):
it sounds like you guys, I mean, you've been together
as a group for twenty years. Sounds like you're kind
of more family than just friends and coworkers at this point.
Is that how it feels when you're all together back
in Texas as well? Do you guys get together and
do the kids all hang out and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
We try to do it as much as we can.
I think that's one of the things that with us, like,
because we we spend so much of our time out
on the road together, we have to we try to
make sure that when we come home that we find
the times to get the kids together so that they
you know, spend spend some time together. So but it
is really neat, Like especially Hudson and Kline too oldest,
(20:24):
because they spend so much time together early, they have
this kind of really special connection. So they get really
excited about seeing each other and so and I think
for the most part, all the kids really have this
admiration for each other and get excited. And so they'll
have their piano oversital when we're doing like a piano
(20:45):
recital all together, and and so that that that is
kind of a neat moment where they get to do it,
you know, and perform for each other. You know.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Yeah, it's really cool. I know. So we're coming, we're
coming to the end here. But I know that the
entertainment industry in general has a lot of highs and
lows really no matter what you're doing in entertainment. You know,
sometimes careers are booming, sometimes they have lules and things
like that. I'm curious, how is it that you guys
(21:19):
have overcome some of those tougher times or the challenges
that you face in your careers, Like what are some
what are some of the things that you guys have
done to either cope with that, or how do you
move past that and reinvent yourself and keep moving forward.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Sometimes there's no other choice. I feel like our highs
have been high, but compared to some other artists not
that high. And our lows have been low, but compared
to other artists, you know, not not like debilitating. I'd say,
when it comes to song choice and singles and that
kind of cycle, we realize that we only have so
(21:56):
much control over that, and you just got to keep
moving on to the next thing, and it's always gonna
be our live show that kind of sustains us. And
when you have a single that kind of hits it radio,
all that goes up quite a bit. But when it's not,
I think we have enough of fan base where it
never dips down too low. It's just kind of the
exposure you get changes. The biggest thing I think for
(22:18):
us to cope with was honestly COVID and everybody has
their own stories and how they did that, but you know,
our world just shut down for quite a while. But
luckily we had been a band for enough years before
that that we were able to kind of, you know,
weather that storm and you know, come out swinging but
the four of us doing it together I think has
(22:41):
always been helpful. I it's a really tough industry to navigate,
and people that do it on their own have a
lot of respect for because not having other brothers. You know, yes,
sports is and build to bounce off of people to
lift you up when you're down, you know. I think
that would be one piece of advice if you're out
trying to do something like this is don't surround yourself
(23:03):
with the y s people, but surround yourself with honest
people that will help bring you up when you need
it and because they.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Care about you, you know. So I think we were
always realistic. I think that we always try to when
the highs are high, you know, don't don't spend all
your money, and when the lows are low, you have
money to spend, you know. I think that that one
of the biggest things that is a stress to artists
(23:30):
is because they run out of money. And that's you know,
in the financial side of things. Is like you know,
can tear a band apart.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Or yeah, I mean it's kind of like I mean,
in a way, it's like The Bachelor talking about these
you know, extreme dates and the environment and these really
great things they get to go do. It's really TV,
but it's not real life. Like you look at people
you think, you know, celebrities, musicians and the Instagram posts
and that's that's a version of life, but it's not
(24:01):
real life and people that I think it's it's nice
to escape into that and find those little moments like
you were talking about, but don't buy into all of
it and think that that's what you have to make
your life look like all the time, because that that
can that's not gonna last very long. And it also
doesn't you know, it's great to have these really cool moments,
but trying to do all the time doesn't really bring
(24:22):
you happiness, you.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Know, mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Absolutely. And it sounds like you guys have a really
solid fan base. Do you guys have a favorite memory
with a fan, like a fan encounter or or maybe
a Bachelor fan encounter where somebody's knew you from The
Bachelor and met you in person. Do you guys have
a funny moment or a favorite moment like that?
Speaker 1 (24:46):
So many, but yeah, well I think it was when
Sean came out to the first show after the season.
It was It's interesting the kind of the different kind
of celebrity that you become after being honestre like The Bachelor,
and so it's like, does the energy in the room
gravitate towards the band that you're there to see? So
(25:08):
much of it gravitates over towards Sean, the guy who's
famous in The Bachelor, which is really kind of funny,
and realize that there's different different types of celebrity and
we're the kind of guys that we love being on stage,
but we don't necessarily always like the spotlight on us.
So it's really great and we're sharing that kind of
space with someone that oh, oh yeah, no, go over
(25:29):
there and talk to him.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
We're good, We're good. Yeah, he's over there.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Yeah, that's awesome. Well that's really cool. And do you
guys have any projects coming up that you want to
share with people, either like personal or professional things that
you have on the horizon.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Well, we just released a deluxe edition of our ten
Thousand Towns record, which has a few songs that hadn't
been released before and then you know that song had
a drunk last Night and dusk big songs for us,
But we released some unreleased songs for the deluxe edition,
and it was the first time we've done vinyl on
(26:08):
that album. And we released a record not too long
ago called Love Talking, which was a really fun record
to make because we wrote all those songs during COVID
and so it was a very interesting time to try
to stay positive. But there's also some really vulnerable moments
on the record as well. And we we just started
(26:29):
a new record that hopefully we're gonna start releasing songs
from here in the next few months. So, oh, and
then Tom Petty, we were part of the Tom Petty
Tribute record. We did a song called Learning to Fly,
which is a song that we've been playing for years
in our live show, and so we were able to
be a part of the Tom Petty Tribute record, which
(26:50):
is really really fun for us. So that's it.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
I didn't have an answer for any of that. It
turns out we've got a few things going on.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Started coming out.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
The new music that we're gonna start rolling out. We
just started recording back at the studio that we started
at in Denton, Texas, where we went to college, and
it's a really awesome studio that it feels like home
going back there, and we're getting some really neat, really
neat stuff out of all that, and we can't wait
to share that with the world.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Very cool. Well, thank you guys so much for joining
us on Beyond the Bachelor. It's really cool to hear
the behind the scenes and just to get to know
you guys a little bit better. You know your personal
lives and what you've got going on in your careers.
So thank you guys for coming on to chat for
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Thank you, See you next time.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
See you next time.
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