March 20, 2025 • 17 mins
Join @thebuzzknight with country music icon Craig Morgan. He shares inside stories about his latest project "American Soundtrack", a collection that weaves together themes of love, loss and patriotism. From his days as a soldier to his rise as a chart-topping artist on BBR/BMG Nashville, Craig shares experiences that have shaped his music and his life. Tune in for an inspiring conversation, that explores the intersection of music, faith, and the American spirit.
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Warmly
Buzz Knight
Founder Buzz Knight Media Productions
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You know what I've been, My platform has been for
some time, and I know it now is God, Family, Country.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
My music is going.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
To be in and around those things regardless, and I
personally believe that the majority of our listener base is
Middle America and those three things are of most importance
to them.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast, the show where
Buzz Night speaks with musicians of all type on their music,
their influences, and their passion for creative excellence. And today
Buzz is joined by country music singer songwriter Craig Morgan.
Craig's work spans beyond his music with his service to country,
his philanthropic work, and his love of the outdoors, but
(00:42):
his music carries all of the message. And he's got
a new album out and called American Soundtrack on BBR
BMG Nashville, and we're thrilled to have him joined Buzz
Night on the Taking a Walk Podcast right now.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Greig, thanks for being on Take a Walk. It's a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Oh, thank you. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
So since the podcast is called Taking a Walk, I
do want to ask you a question if you could
take a walk with somebody living or dead, who would
you take a walk with and where would you take
that walk with him?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Ooh, that's fascinating. Probably Mother Angelica. And wherever we walked
it wouldn't matter. I'm sure it would be someplace peaceful.
I just thought she was so insightful and so loving
and caring and honest. I've listened to some of her
(01:39):
older stuff, and I just absolutely love anyone who is
so spiritual. I would also say, like Billy Graham, you know,
I would love to listen to him, and I have
questions for them, you.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Know, And it would be a calming walk. I have
a feeling right, no.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
No question.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
For some reason, I can't help but think it would
be in a garden.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Not a bad place to be right with anybody, but
particularly those folks for sure. Well, congrats on American Soundtrack.
We're going to talk about the making of it and
sort of the behind the scenes of it, but I
did want to ask you who were the earliest influences
that gave you the inspiration to pursue a career in music?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Well, country wise, it was my all time favorite, who
is now very dear friend, mister John Conley.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I can remember as.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
A kid listening to a song called Rose Colored Glasses
and I just absolutely loved it, and then listen to
everything that he did. But I was also listening to
Gene Watson, George Jones, Merle Haggard, all of it. Likes
it and then got into the that brought me in
and then Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Alan j.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Those guys really influenced as well.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
But unlike a lot of country artists, I was also
very influenced by the likes of Luther Vandross, the Commodore's
Lionel Richie thirty eight Special, Leonard Skinnard. I had a
wide range of influences in my life.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
James Taylor was one of my all time favorites.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Anyone who sang a song that told such a great story,
that's what I was really into.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
And who embodied this spirit of incredible resilience that you've
had through through your life, through your work, and through
your life of serving the country. Who were the folks
in your life that inspired that resilience.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
All kinds of folks, I mean, I could from my
parents up to military personnel in particulars a gentleman who
I served with by the name of Bill Geer, Colonel Greer.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
He was an extremely influential individual.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
In fact, he's one of the main influences on my
being in.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
The music business.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
He's a guy that when I went to re enlist,
I asked him because I was contemplating the music business
at the time, and I said, you know, should I
stay in or should I get out and try this
music thing? Warn his honest opinion, and he said, I'll
be honest with you. If you stay in the army,
I think you'll be the stortain major of the Army someday,
he said, But I also think you've got a really
(04:27):
good skill set with this other thing, and you should
at least try it. He says, stay in the reserves.
If it don't work, you can come back in. You
don't lose your rank or time and service. So I
did that, and by the time I was at a
point to where I thought I might stay in or
get back out or whatever. You know, I was doing
so well with the music that it made sense.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
How do you make your faith impact so brilliantly and
seamlessly the music that you write.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
That's not me. That's just when I say that's not me,
that's a god thing.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But here's what I will say. I have said that
music does not dictate who I am.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
It's what I do, and I'm honored and grateful to
God and everybody out there for it. But that my
faith is what dictates who I am. That's what I
would you know, I hope people remember and I think
people remember a lot of the songs that I've been
blessed with over my career. But I would hope that
when they think of that, when they hear those songs,
(05:27):
they remember me as being a guy who genuinely cared
about people, genuinely cared about truth and that all that.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
That's that's my faith.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
And that you know, my our goal is Christians is
to attempt to be christ Like. That's what a Christian is.
It's someone who is christ Like. So that's what I
want to be. So my faith is everything. It's it's
you know, I always say God, Family, country, and it's
in that order.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
God is always first.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Well, you were kind enough to be on our music
Save Me podcast, which deals in the you know, the
the healing power of music and what it can mean
to people, and so you you keenly know that and
you certainly intersect that in your in your work. When
you wrote The Father, My Son and the Holy Ghost.
(06:22):
You know, that's the feeling of faith, but that is
also you know, a healing power of music moment in
my view as well.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Oh that was that was an all, all knowing God
thing right there. I woke up about four point thirty
one morning and wrote that song from front.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
To back the way everybody hears it today.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Uh. And what I've learned in my life, and I
think I talked about this.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I do talk about this a lot, and I speak
on it when I do speak.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
To soldiers, especially, is understanding and appreciating that we suffer
in life in order that things may be better. And
sometimes that suffering is not necessarily just for us. You know,
you think about Christ. His suffering was not for himself.
(07:11):
He didn't have to do that, but he did. He
suffered for others. You think about service members, men and
women in the military, and they're not necessarily suffering just
for themselves. Now they are. I'm not comparing, Don't get
me wrong. I'm not comparing soldiers to Christ. But they're
willing to put themselves in harm's way for others and
for the well being of others. When I wrote the Father,
(07:31):
my Son, and the Holy Ghost. I ever intended for
anyone to hear that song.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
It just happened.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
And some psychologists, psychiatrists would probably say that was.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
You know, one of those healing moments from me.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
But I don't know that it was because I'm under
the mentality that they will hot stove mentality. You know,
if you touch it and it burns, you don't touch
it again. But this song, it burns, but I continue
to sing it. But I sing it not for me,
but for other people people. And the stories that I
have heard, the people that have come up and told
(08:03):
me how this song saved them, lets me know that
my suffering wasn't just for me, It's for other people
as well.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Congrats on American soundtrack. Can you tell me and take
us behind the scenes to the beginnings of the creation
of it, the writing aspect of it, and how this
all came to this brilliant, you know, culmination of a
great release.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Well, first of.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
All, let me say I appreciate the brilliant comment, because
none of us that work on this project are brilliant.
You know what I've been my platform has been for
some time and I know it now is God, Family Country,
my music is going to be in and around those
things regardless, and I personally believe that the majority of
(08:51):
our listener base is Middle America and those three things
are of most importance to them. The American Soundtrack project
always was like any other music project I've ever done.
I just try to write, record, produce, and deliver songs
that we think will be hits and that the people
won't want to listen to.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And we did that. And in the process of doing that, when.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
We recorded American Soundtrack, after we wrote that, I'm like,
this whole project is an American soundtrack.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Blue collar prayer.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
That's I mean, that's just middle class America as it
gets God's problems.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Only song on the project.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I didn't write, and I had the most trouble singing
it because I do not want to be one of
God's problems.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Country education, Middle America. When we wrote that song.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
That song was all about the education that you get
not from a scholastic academy or school, but in life.
You know, and I know, I'm all over this country,
I'm all over the world. But those people who have
those basic life skill sets always do better than those
people who don't have those And Country Education is all
(10:03):
about that. And the American Soundtrack, which this whole thing
encompasses in the title cut, is all about songs that
have impacted our lives and how our lives literally can
just about be laid out to music.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
And two songs.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
You are with the folks at BBR BMG Nashville, which
is a great label that is very much of a
you know, artist first label. Can you characterize as an
artist how important it is to, you know, be in
that environment when you're creating such a project like American Soundtrack, Oh.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Well, I can.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It's like it's kind of like being in a marriage
and if you come home every day and your wife
is scriping about everything you're doing and not supportive or
vice versa. If you're coming home and you're not content,
it's very uncomfortable and it makes for a.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I was almost a combativevironment.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I'm very fortunate BBR BMG those folks allow us as artists.
And I can say that because I'm friends with the
other artist, Lanny Wilson, Jelly Row, Blake Shelton.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
We're all friends. Blake one of my closest friends.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
And when you're in an environment where they're supportive and
they love you and allow you to use.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Your creative sense to develop a project.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
It makes for a It makes for a much more comfortable,
much more creative environment.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
It allows you to be that way if they're not restrictive.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
They allow us to do our thing and then give
them what we do what we do, and then they'll
have some input after the fact maybe, But but yeah,
it's it's again a whole lot like a marriage.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Well, you mentioned, you know, making hits, and obviously that
comes down to airplay as well. But as an artist,
when you're really working that creative process and pouring out
your heart for a project such as American Soundtrack, isn't
that the almost last thing you're thinking about? The airplay
(12:11):
the hit aspect you're You're it's certainly in your mind,
but you're really trying to be true to yourself as
an artist first and foremost, and what you stand for
is that right?
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Uh? You know?
Speaker 2 (12:24):
For most people in our business, yes, I do believe that,
you know, and I think it's imperative that for me.
It's the music industry and I think you must absolutely
must find.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
A balance in order to maintain relevance.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
There's not a successful artist who did just what they
wanted to do. They're just not They do great in
coffee shops, they have fun in the in those little
places like that. And I'm not knocking it by any means,
but if you want to be successful, you must be
appealing to the masses.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
So that's the biggest for me, that was always the
biggest struggle, finding the balance.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
And I've just that's why I take a whole lot
more time in pre production. I might spend a year
writing and listening to songs in order to find those
songs that are great for me to be able to sing,
be believable to deliver, and at the same time be
appealing to our demographic and sometimes even reaching beyond our demographic.
(13:27):
You cannot just do what you think is best. I'm sorry,
and I would apply that to everything in your life.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
You know, your faith.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
How arrogant of someone to think that they can completely
comprehend every line.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
In the Bible in their own way and that is
their truth. You know, that's the problem with our society
these days.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
We've gotten away from the truth and gone to their
truth or my truth.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
And that's a problem.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
And you can apply that same analogy to what you're
doing in your occupation and for me the music, I
absolutely have stayed true to my message who I am
and what I believe.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
But at the same time.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I feel like we've delivered music that is appealing to
our fan base, and that's what I want to do.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
And someday I may not and if I'm no longer relevant,
I'll move on.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
I want to pick a song like Roots off of
American Soundtrack as an example. So from the beginnings of
the creation of Roots and then to the ultimate final product,
how much does that shift and change and get tweaked
as you as an artist or sort of working through
(14:34):
that until it's final delivery.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I think, just like anybody and anything else in life
experience time. If you're referring to this simple song, the
song of Roots, we wrote that song pretty much the.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Way you hear it.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
But it's easy to do that because we're applying what
we know, feel think here to our writing process.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah, the roots, the roots have never changed in my life.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Where I come from, who I come from, the upbringing.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
The.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Philosophies, the basic simple life philosophies that I learned as
a child are still very true to me today.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And that's what that song's all about, being being true
to your roots.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It comes through shining, shining clearly for sure. In closing,
the art of performance is so critical to you know,
releasing and then getting out in the road and connecting
with your fans and showcasing it in front of a crowd.
Can you, just for someone who's never done that, describe
(15:47):
the magic of being out there performing in front of
your fans, making them happy, moving them, engaging them. What's
it like from an artist's perspective to experience that.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
It's very What is the word I'm looking for? It's
very empowering. I think people have to be real careful
when they're doing something like that. Whatever it may be,
you have to be real, real careful not to allow
it to.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Dictate who you are.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
It's a moment, and again, it's very empowering, very it's
very energetic, and.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
It can be extremely exciting. For me, I know what's
going on, and I'm grateful for it. I'll be honest
with you. Most of times, I'm so.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Focused on just trying to remember the words to my songs,
especially the ones I wrote. But it's also very exciting,
and for me it's humbling and I'm honored. I'm just
always so honored to see so many people.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
I mean, this tour we're doing right now.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Every night it's over twenty thousand people there, and to
see the real and to hear that, it's very humbling,
and I'm just grateful. And my objective is to always
maintain that sense of gratefulness and not allowed to dictate
my thought process.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Greag Morgan, I'm grateful for you being Untaken a Walk
and for the music you continue to give us, and
congratulations on American Soundtrack. It is awesome, and thanks for
being Untaken a Walk.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Well, thank you, thanks for having.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Me, Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking
a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your
friends and follow us so you never miss an episode.
Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You know what I've been, My platform has been for
some time, and I know it now is God, Family, Country.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
My music is going.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
To be in and around those things regardless, and I
personally believe that the majority of our listener base is
Middle America and those three things are of most importance
to them.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast, the show where
Buzz Night speaks with musicians of all type on their music,
their influences, and their passion for creative excellence. And today
Buzz is joined by country music singer songwriter Craig Morgan.
Craig's work spans beyond his music with his service to country,
his philanthropic work, and his love of the outdoors, but
(00:42):
his music carries all of the message. And he's got
a new album out and called American Soundtrack on BBR
BMG Nashville, and we're thrilled to have him joined Buzz
Night on the Taking a Walk Podcast right now.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Greig, thanks for being on Take a Walk. It's a pleasure.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Oh, thank you. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
So since the podcast is called Taking a Walk, I
do want to ask you a question if you could
take a walk with somebody living or dead, who would
you take a walk with and where would you take
that walk with him?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Ooh, that's fascinating. Probably Mother Angelica. And wherever we walked
it wouldn't matter. I'm sure it would be someplace peaceful.
I just thought she was so insightful and so loving
and caring and honest. I've listened to some of her
(01:39):
older stuff, and I just absolutely love anyone who is
so spiritual. I would also say, like Billy Graham, you know,
I would love to listen to him, and I have
questions for them, you.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
Know, And it would be a calming walk. I have
a feeling right, no.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
No question.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
For some reason, I can't help but think it would
be in a garden.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Not a bad place to be right with anybody, but
particularly those folks for sure. Well, congrats on American Soundtrack.
We're going to talk about the making of it and
sort of the behind the scenes of it, but I
did want to ask you who were the earliest influences
that gave you the inspiration to pursue a career in music?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Well, country wise, it was my all time favorite, who
is now very dear friend, mister John Conley.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I can remember as.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
A kid listening to a song called Rose Colored Glasses
and I just absolutely loved it, and then listen to
everything that he did. But I was also listening to
Gene Watson, George Jones, Merle Haggard, all of it. Likes
it and then got into the that brought me in
and then Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Alan j.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Those guys really influenced as well.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
But unlike a lot of country artists, I was also
very influenced by the likes of Luther Vandross, the Commodore's
Lionel Richie thirty eight Special, Leonard Skinnard. I had a
wide range of influences in my life.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
James Taylor was one of my all time favorites.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Anyone who sang a song that told such a great story,
that's what I was really into.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
And who embodied this spirit of incredible resilience that you've
had through through your life, through your work, and through
your life of serving the country. Who were the folks
in your life that inspired that resilience.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
All kinds of folks, I mean, I could from my
parents up to military personnel in particulars a gentleman who
I served with by the name of Bill Geer, Colonel Greer.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
He was an extremely influential individual.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
In fact, he's one of the main influences on my
being in.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
The music business.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
He's a guy that when I went to re enlist,
I asked him because I was contemplating the music business
at the time, and I said, you know, should I
stay in or should I get out and try this
music thing? Warn his honest opinion, and he said, I'll
be honest with you. If you stay in the army,
I think you'll be the stortain major of the Army someday,
he said, But I also think you've got a really
(04:27):
good skill set with this other thing, and you should
at least try it. He says, stay in the reserves.
If it don't work, you can come back in. You
don't lose your rank or time and service. So I
did that, and by the time I was at a
point to where I thought I might stay in or
get back out or whatever. You know, I was doing
so well with the music that it made sense.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
How do you make your faith impact so brilliantly and
seamlessly the music that you write.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
That's not me. That's just when I say that's not me,
that's a god thing.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
But here's what I will say. I have said that
music does not dictate who I am.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
It's what I do, and I'm honored and grateful to
God and everybody out there for it. But that my
faith is what dictates who I am. That's what I
would you know, I hope people remember and I think
people remember a lot of the songs that I've been
blessed with over my career. But I would hope that
when they think of that, when they hear those songs,
(05:27):
they remember me as being a guy who genuinely cared
about people, genuinely cared about truth and that all that.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
That's that's my faith.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
And that you know, my our goal is Christians is
to attempt to be christ Like. That's what a Christian is.
It's someone who is christ Like. So that's what I
want to be. So my faith is everything. It's it's
you know, I always say God, Family, country, and it's
in that order.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
God is always first.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
Well, you were kind enough to be on our music
Save Me podcast, which deals in the you know, the
the healing power of music and what it can mean
to people, and so you you keenly know that and
you certainly intersect that in your in your work. When
you wrote The Father, My Son and the Holy Ghost.
(06:22):
You know, that's the feeling of faith, but that is
also you know, a healing power of music moment in
my view as well.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Oh that was that was an all, all knowing God
thing right there. I woke up about four point thirty
one morning and wrote that song from front.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
To back the way everybody hears it today.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Uh. And what I've learned in my life, and I
think I talked about this.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I do talk about this a lot, and I speak
on it when I do speak.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
To soldiers, especially, is understanding and appreciating that we suffer
in life in order that things may be better. And
sometimes that suffering is not necessarily just for us. You know,
you think about Christ. His suffering was not for himself.
(07:11):
He didn't have to do that, but he did. He
suffered for others. You think about service members, men and
women in the military, and they're not necessarily suffering just
for themselves. Now they are. I'm not comparing, Don't get
me wrong. I'm not comparing soldiers to Christ. But they're
willing to put themselves in harm's way for others and
for the well being of others. When I wrote the Father,
(07:31):
my Son, and the Holy Ghost. I ever intended for
anyone to hear that song.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
It just happened.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
And some psychologists, psychiatrists would probably say that was.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
You know, one of those healing moments from me.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
But I don't know that it was because I'm under
the mentality that they will hot stove mentality. You know,
if you touch it and it burns, you don't touch
it again. But this song, it burns, but I continue
to sing it. But I sing it not for me,
but for other people people. And the stories that I
have heard, the people that have come up and told
(08:03):
me how this song saved them, lets me know that
my suffering wasn't just for me, It's for other people
as well.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Congrats on American soundtrack. Can you tell me and take
us behind the scenes to the beginnings of the creation
of it, the writing aspect of it, and how this
all came to this brilliant, you know, culmination of a
great release.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Well, first of.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
All, let me say I appreciate the brilliant comment, because
none of us that work on this project are brilliant.
You know what I've been my platform has been for
some time and I know it now is God, Family Country,
my music is going to be in and around those
things regardless, and I personally believe that the majority of
(08:51):
our listener base is Middle America and those three things
are of most importance to them. The American Soundtrack project
always was like any other music project I've ever done.
I just try to write, record, produce, and deliver songs
that we think will be hits and that the people
won't want to listen to.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And we did that. And in the process of doing that, when.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
We recorded American Soundtrack, after we wrote that, I'm like,
this whole project is an American soundtrack.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Blue collar prayer.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
That's I mean, that's just middle class America as it
gets God's problems.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Only song on the project.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I didn't write, and I had the most trouble singing
it because I do not want to be one of
God's problems.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Country education, Middle America. When we wrote that song.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
That song was all about the education that you get
not from a scholastic academy or school, but in life.
You know, and I know, I'm all over this country,
I'm all over the world. But those people who have
those basic life skill sets always do better than those
people who don't have those And Country Education is all
(10:03):
about that. And the American Soundtrack, which this whole thing
encompasses in the title cut, is all about songs that
have impacted our lives and how our lives literally can
just about be laid out to music.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
And two songs.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
You are with the folks at BBR BMG Nashville, which
is a great label that is very much of a
you know, artist first label. Can you characterize as an
artist how important it is to, you know, be in
that environment when you're creating such a project like American Soundtrack, Oh.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Well, I can.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It's like it's kind of like being in a marriage
and if you come home every day and your wife
is scriping about everything you're doing and not supportive or
vice versa. If you're coming home and you're not content,
it's very uncomfortable and it makes for a.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I was almost a combativevironment.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I'm very fortunate BBR BMG those folks allow us as artists.
And I can say that because I'm friends with the
other artist, Lanny Wilson, Jelly Row, Blake Shelton.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
We're all friends. Blake one of my closest friends.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
And when you're in an environment where they're supportive and
they love you and allow you to use.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Your creative sense to develop a project.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
It makes for a It makes for a much more comfortable,
much more creative environment.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
It allows you to be that way if they're not restrictive.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
They allow us to do our thing and then give
them what we do what we do, and then they'll
have some input after the fact maybe, But but yeah,
it's it's again a whole lot like a marriage.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Well, you mentioned, you know, making hits, and obviously that
comes down to airplay as well. But as an artist,
when you're really working that creative process and pouring out
your heart for a project such as American Soundtrack, isn't
that the almost last thing you're thinking about? The airplay
(12:11):
the hit aspect you're You're it's certainly in your mind,
but you're really trying to be true to yourself as
an artist first and foremost, and what you stand for
is that right?
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Uh? You know?
Speaker 2 (12:24):
For most people in our business, yes, I do believe that,
you know, and I think it's imperative that for me.
It's the music industry and I think you must absolutely
must find.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
A balance in order to maintain relevance.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
There's not a successful artist who did just what they
wanted to do. They're just not They do great in
coffee shops, they have fun in the in those little
places like that. And I'm not knocking it by any means,
but if you want to be successful, you must be
appealing to the masses.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
So that's the biggest for me, that was always the
biggest struggle, finding the balance.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
And I've just that's why I take a whole lot
more time in pre production. I might spend a year
writing and listening to songs in order to find those
songs that are great for me to be able to sing,
be believable to deliver, and at the same time be
appealing to our demographic and sometimes even reaching beyond our demographic.
(13:27):
You cannot just do what you think is best. I'm sorry,
and I would apply that to everything in your life.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
You know, your faith.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
How arrogant of someone to think that they can completely
comprehend every line.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
In the Bible in their own way and that is
their truth. You know, that's the problem with our society
these days.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
We've gotten away from the truth and gone to their
truth or my truth.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
And that's a problem.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
And you can apply that same analogy to what you're
doing in your occupation and for me the music, I
absolutely have stayed true to my message who I am
and what I believe.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
But at the same time.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I feel like we've delivered music that is appealing to
our fan base, and that's what I want to do.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
And someday I may not and if I'm no longer relevant,
I'll move on.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
I want to pick a song like Roots off of
American Soundtrack as an example. So from the beginnings of
the creation of Roots and then to the ultimate final product,
how much does that shift and change and get tweaked
as you as an artist or sort of working through
(14:34):
that until it's final delivery.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I think, just like anybody and anything else in life
experience time. If you're referring to this simple song, the
song of Roots, we wrote that song pretty much the.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Way you hear it.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
But it's easy to do that because we're applying what
we know, feel think here to our writing process.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah, the roots, the roots have never changed in my life.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Where I come from, who I come from, the upbringing.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
The.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Philosophies, the basic simple life philosophies that I learned as
a child are still very true to me today.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And that's what that song's all about, being being true
to your roots.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It comes through shining, shining clearly for sure. In closing,
the art of performance is so critical to you know,
releasing and then getting out in the road and connecting
with your fans and showcasing it in front of a crowd.
Can you, just for someone who's never done that, describe
(15:47):
the magic of being out there performing in front of
your fans, making them happy, moving them, engaging them. What's
it like from an artist's perspective to experience that.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
It's very What is the word I'm looking for? It's
very empowering. I think people have to be real careful
when they're doing something like that. Whatever it may be,
you have to be real, real careful not to allow
it to.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Dictate who you are.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
It's a moment, and again, it's very empowering, very it's
very energetic, and.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
It can be extremely exciting. For me, I know what's
going on, and I'm grateful for it. I'll be honest
with you. Most of times, I'm so.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Focused on just trying to remember the words to my songs,
especially the ones I wrote. But it's also very exciting,
and for me it's humbling and I'm honored. I'm just
always so honored to see so many people.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
I mean, this tour we're doing right now.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Every night it's over twenty thousand people there, and to
see the real and to hear that, it's very humbling,
and I'm just grateful. And my objective is to always
maintain that sense of gratefulness and not allowed to dictate
my thought process.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Greag Morgan, I'm grateful for you being Untaken a Walk
and for the music you continue to give us, and
congratulations on American Soundtrack. It is awesome, and thanks for
being Untaken a Walk.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Well, thank you, thanks for having.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Me, Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking
a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your
friends and follow us so you never miss an episode.
Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Lynn Hoffman
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