June 30, 2026 • 24 mins
Country music icon Trace Adkins joins Kyle McMahon on Pop Culture Weekly for an exclusive, reflective conversation celebrating his remarkable 30-year career and the release of his brand new song American Made exclusively on A Capitol Fourth.
From the release of his debut single in 1996, "There's a Girl in Texas," to his current anniversary tour, Trace discusses the evolution of his music, the industry's shift toward streaming, and why his passion for performing live remains stronger than ever.In this episode, Trace also offers a sneak peek at his brand new single, "American Made." He shares the deeply personal inspiration behind the track - rooted in his own family’s genealogy and his recognition by the Daughters of the American Revolution - and discusses the honor of debuting it live at PBS’s A Capitol Fourth.Whether you’re a longtime fan of his chart-topping hits or interested in the craft behind his dual career as an acclaimed actor, Trace opens up about the "magic" of the creative process, his reverence for the Grand Ole Opry, and the tenacity of the American spirit.
In this episode of Pop Culture Weekly:
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From the release of his debut single in 1996, "There's a Girl in Texas," to his current anniversary tour, Trace discusses the evolution of his music, the industry's shift toward streaming, and why his passion for performing live remains stronger than ever.In this episode, Trace also offers a sneak peek at his brand new single, "American Made." He shares the deeply personal inspiration behind the track - rooted in his own family’s genealogy and his recognition by the Daughters of the American Revolution - and discusses the honor of debuting it live at PBS’s A Capitol Fourth.Whether you’re a longtime fan of his chart-topping hits or interested in the craft behind his dual career as an acclaimed actor, Trace opens up about the "magic" of the creative process, his reverence for the Grand Ole Opry, and the tenacity of the American spirit.
In this episode of Pop Culture Weekly:
- Reflecting on 30 Years: Trace shares what he would tell his younger self, the reality of the music business, and his "old jock" approach to his career longevity.
- The Story Behind "American Made": Learn how Trace’s family history and genealogy research inspired his latest patriotic anthem.
- Acting vs. Music: Trace discusses his unique acting methods - "one on a motorcycle, one on a horse" - and why he finds movie sets as stimulating as the recording studio.
- The Grand Ole Opry: Trace explains why his induction into the Opry remains one of his proudest life achievements.
If you dig the show, subscribe, rate, and share - and tell your friend who's always stealing your streaming passwords.
📍 Watch now on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform
🎧 Subscribe for more celeb interviews, streaming picks and pop culture deep dives!
🗣️ Want to be featured on the show? 📱 Leave a voicemail here!
📧 Become a degenerate and join the newsletter to get exclusive content, interviews & more once a week! Subscribe here!
--------------------------
Kyle McMahon's Death, Grief & Other Sh*t We Don't Discuss is now streaming. Listen here!
--------------------------
Get all the Pop Culture Weekly podcast info you could want including extra content, uncut interviews, photos, videos & transcripts at Podcast.PopCultureWeekly.com
Read the latest at PopCultureWeekly.com
Get Social with Kyle on:
Kyle McMahon Facebook
Kyle McMahon Instagram
Kyle McMahon TikTok
Pop Culture Weekly YouTube
Kyle McMahon Website
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon, your pop
culture news, views, reviews, and celebrity interviews on all the movies,
TV music and pop culture u CRABE Weekly. Here's Kyle McMahon.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
All right, Well, first of all, thank you so much,
Trace for speaking with me again, and welcome to oop
Culture Weekly. You we're going to talk about PBS as
a Capital fourth and your new single, But I'd like
to you know, kind of look at as you're celebrating
thirty years. You know, it's a long time in any career,
let alone in the music industry. When you look back,
(00:36):
you know, to ninety six, you release Dreaming out Loud.
What is the biggest surprise? You know that you would
say Trace back then would say to Trace today or
the opposite.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well, uh, when Dreaming out Loud came out, my first
single I think got in the teams in. My second
single went top five, my third single went number one,
my fourth single one number one. The album went platinum,
and I thought, Wow, this is going to be easy,
you know, and then thing and then reality, you know,
(01:15):
sets in and it's not always going to be like that,
you know, the sophomore slump and all that kind of stuff,
and and uh, you know, I would just say to
myself back then, just be patient. It's all going to
be all right, you know, and everything's going to work
itself out. But I you know, thirty years, I wouldn't
(01:37):
have even allowed myself to dream that I would still
be relevant after thirty years. You know, that's that's a
long time. And I'm very grateful, and you know, it's
it's been a dream come true, and dreams do come true.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
And you're you're on tour right now. Is there a
particular moment, you know, where it really hit you that
you've been doing this for three decades.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah. I think it was that first weekend that we
went out on tour this year and I started setting
up the first single that came out in ninety six,
which was There's a Girl in Texas, and I was
telling the story about it before I sang the song,
and I started setting it up and it started to
(02:28):
hit me. It was like, wow, you know, this was it,
you know, this was the and it just happened to
be a song that I wrote, and the president of
the record label said, this is the one that I
think will introduce you to everybody and the way that
you should be introduced, and let's go with this one.
And because it was personal to me and it still is.
(02:51):
The lyrically that song it it means more to me
now than it did when I wrote it. It means now,
But but the lyrics really hit me hard, you know
now when I do it. So Yeah, it was that
first weekend out that it was. They dawned on me
(03:13):
what this all meant.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
When you're putting I'm sorry, when you're putting together, you know,
a set list that's looking over your entire career thus far.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
How do you.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Balance playing you know, the hits and the songs that
people want to see versus the songs that mean the
most to you personally as an artist, or you know,
have some specific you know reason that you want to
do this song for this tour. How do you kind
of balance that?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, well, I do the greatest hits show. You know,
I know what the fans want. They want to hear
what they've heard on the radio. But since it is
a little different, you know, thirty year anniversary tour, I
do slip two or three in there, four mile gratification.
You know, these deep album cuts that meant a lot
(04:09):
to me. And uh, I don't do many of them.
I do two or three, but I am putting two
or three of those in there this year. That's great.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And you've watched, you know, over your career thus far,
you've watched the music music itself and the music industry change,
you know, so much over the last thirty years. What's
one thing today in the country music scene that excite
excites you and what's the what's one thing that you
(04:40):
hope never changes in the industry.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Gosh, that's a loaded question. You're trying to get me intro.
I would I would hope that vocal ability and that
kind of talent never go was away. I don't. I
don't care how much you can digitally massage things and
(05:07):
make them sound right. I don't think that's what this
business should be about. You know, it should be straight up,
you know, just sing it and and it is what
it is. But you know that's that's not the world
we live in. Yeah. But the thing that I hope
(05:29):
never goes away is just how big country music still
is as a genre. I mean, there are more country
music stations than any other genre in this country. That
was true when I started and is still true thirty
years later. And I think that's great.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Do you have a new song that you know you're
releasing American Made and you're gonna be debuting it live
on a capital fourth. What is it about this song
that made you say this is the one for this time?
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, I was thinking two fifty, you know when I
wrote this, and I and I thought, you know, I'm
going to personalize this. You know, this is how my
family came here, and how long ago my family came here.
I was fortunate enough a few years ago to receive
(06:32):
an award from the Daughters of the American Revolution, but
I didn't deserve but they gave it to me anyway,
and they gave me my family tree, my genealogy, and
was on a big board and I'd never seen that before.
And they went all the way back to the Revolution,
because that's what they're about. And if you had verifiable
(06:53):
patriots in your family tree, they had a little American
flag by each one of them. And on both sides
of my family, you have to go back more than
eight generations to find somebody that wasn't born in this country.
And I just I wanted to celebrate that and So
that's that's why I wrote this song, you know. And
(07:14):
it's not to diminish anybody else's heritage or how long
they've been here. This is just me. Yeah, You're a story. Yeah,
and so that that's why I wrote it the way
I did, and I celebrated that that's what American made.
That's what this song means to me.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
It's a great it's a great song, and I can't
wait to see you perform it live at a Capitol fourth.
But you've recorded, you know, a number of songs about
America and every day you know, everyday Americans and you know,
blue collar people, hardworking people. Why has that been a
theme for you?
Speaker 3 (07:56):
That's that's country music, I think, you know, it's just
that goutry music was, you know, for the everyday guy,
the working man. You know, That's how it was when
it started, and it's still that way, and that's cool,
and I'm happy about that. But I've I've always there's
(08:17):
always been a spot or two or three on my
albums for those kinds of songs, uh, patriotic, celebrating working
man woman. You know, I've always had room on my
albums for songs like that. And I've always had a
deep appreciation for the men and women to serve in
(08:42):
the military, and I've on just about every album I've
done a song that pay tribute to them, at least
in some small way. And I'm proud of.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
That, well, as you should be. When you're introducing a
brand new song like you are with American Maid, you know,
you have audiences that have known your catalog for decades. Uh,
but you're putting a new kind of baby, if you will,
out into the world. Does that Is that still nerve
wracking for you too?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah? Yeah, oh gosh, And that's exactly what that's That's
the analogy that I've used over the years too. People
don't understand. You go into the studio and you have
this raw piece of material and you try to turn
it into a beautiful butterfly, you know, and you hope
that it's going to going to speak to people the
(09:35):
way it speaks to you. And and it's like having
a baby and you think it's the most beautiful baby
in the world, and the last thing you want is
somebody to come up to you and say, oh my,
what an ugly baby. You know, you just don't want
to hear that, you know, Uh, and it's it's always
been that way for me. I hate it when people
(09:57):
tell me I've got an ugly baby. Smile them what
I was?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You know, lucky enough, you guys sent over the track
so I could listen to it, and it really is
a beautiful song. What do you hope people? And I
love that I got to listen to it in my headphones,
you know, I got to focus on it for four minutes.
What do you hope people take away from it the
first time they hear American?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Mate? I just hope that they puff up a little
bit and be proud, you know, be proud that you're
in American. This is our two hundred and fiftieth of
this grand experiment, you know, this democracy that we've tried
so hard to keep for two hundred and fifty years.
And we've been through rough times. And some people think
(10:46):
we're going through rough times now, but we have the
spine to get through it. We have the tenacity. We've
proven it for two hundred and fifty years, and I
think every now and then we should beat our chest
little bit and be proud of it.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
That's great, and you will be performing this live on
PBS as a Capital fourth, which is always such an
incredible show, such a great celebration of America. You've performed,
you know, a number of times for them. Why do
you keep coming back.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
It's just it's almost just an overwhelming experience when you
walk out on that stage facing the capital and there's
a hundred piece orchestra behind you. It's that is something
that as a singer, those opportunities don't come around very often,
(11:40):
and you'd be a fool to not take that opportunity.
And anybody out there that has ever had the chance
to do it and maybe turned it down for whatever reason,
I would suggest if they offer you the chance to
do it again, you should go, just for selfish reasons.
It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, yeah, it really is.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
I've been lucky enough to go the last probably eight
or nine years, and every single time, whether it's rehearsals
or during the live show, I get chills, you know,
at one point or another, or multiple points, because it
really is a sacred space. And then you have these
incredible artists like yourself that are you know, either celebrating
(12:27):
the troops or remembering our troops or the country or whatever,
and it's very you know, and then for the live show.
You have one hundred thousand people watching you on the
lawn and around the Capitol and millions on television and online.
You know, it really is something special, you know, it
really truly is.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Yeah. And the production, you know, I tipped my hat
to the Capital fourth people. The production is always stellar,
just incredible, and it's is it really is an overwhelming
experience to go out on that stage with all the
production and the orchestra is always just insanely perfect. And
(13:12):
so it's a lifetime opportunity and I always enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
I'm looking forward to seeing you. Of course, you have
built a very impressive kind of I don't want to
say side career, but you know, aside from your main gig,
if you will, with acting right alongside your music career,
what does acting.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Do for you?
Speaker 2 (13:36):
You know what it's does it scratch that music may not?
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Well, I don't know that it scratches an itch that
music can't. It's just what I've likened it to is
when my favorite times in the music business really the
times that you get most inspired and creative. It's when
you're in the studio with some of the finest musicians
in the world, which is the pool we have to
(14:03):
draw from here in Nashville, the finest musicians in the
world that can play anything that you can imagine. Those
days in the studio are just magical and the creativity. Everybody
in there is on top of their game. And that's
the way I feel when I'm on a movie set
or a television set. Everybody around you is a professional,
(14:26):
and they're very good at what they do, and they're
very talented, or they wouldn't be there. And I just
find that environment stimulating and I just I enjoy it.
It's just like being in the studio. You're surrounded by
these incredibly talented and creative people and I just I
get a kick out of it.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
And you've worked in everything from you know, in faith
based to action to television. Is there a role that
you've done that has surprised you? How much has fuck
with you?
Speaker 3 (15:06):
I generally like playing surly gunfighters, but you know, and
you know people know that, you know they when they
want me, I'm probably gonna I have two two acting methods.
One's on a motorcycle and the other one's on a horse,
(15:28):
and those are my acting methods. And they pretty much
know that. Every now and then they'll throw me a
bone and let me do something else that I'm not
supposed to do. But most of the time it's horses
and motorcycles.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I love that. What was the moment in your acting
career that you realize like, okay, like I can do
this too.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
I have never felt that. Really. I always said that
my best acting job that I do is convincing the
director that I know what I'm doing, because I don't.
I haven't had any training. I don't know what I'm doing.
You know, I'm saying, okay, you want me to say
these words. Okay, that's about the depth of it for me.
(16:13):
You know, I'm not you know, whoever you want to
name that's an incredible actor that's not me.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Has there been any dream roles or genres that you
haven't tackled yet that you want to.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
No, I think I know what lane I'm supposed to
be in, and I should probably stay there.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Okay, So no no trace as a as a scream
king in a horror or.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
A lawyer or a surgeon or nothing like that. It's
probably gonna work. You know, they don't want me going
in there going all right, what we're gonna do saw
top your head off of dig get tumor out. They
don't want to hear that.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
You performed at the Opry one hundred earlier this year,
and you know you were obviously inducted or is that
is that the word inductive?
Speaker 3 (17:12):
They make you a member. Yes, in the mob of guess.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
You were previously you know, had been made a member.
What did that moment mean to you? At the Opry
one hundred performing like that?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
It was just I wouldn't have been anywhere else on
this planet that night. Yeah, it means that much to me.
People ask me, you know, what's the biggest achievement that
you think you've you've what's the biggest thing you've achieved
in your career? And and I say, it's something that
I don't even feel like I achieved. It's just for
(17:47):
some reason, they decided to make me a member of
the Grand Ole Opry. And and on my list of achievements,
that's top five, that's the ta hole, that's one through five,
and then everything else comes after that. You know, grew
up as a kid. You could hear it on Saturday
nights and on the radio even in Louisiana, and it
(18:08):
was just something really really special, and it's such an
historic institution. I have such reverence and respect for it,
and I've never had a bad experience when I sang
at the Opry, and I've been doing it now for
thirty plus years.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I guess that's incredible. You know. What's interesting to me
is that you have earned You have had over a
billion streams with your music on Pandora alone, which is incredibly,
in my opinion, remarkable considering your career started when you
(18:47):
had to go to Walmart or best Buy or whatever
and buy an album. You know, to me, that really
says something about your music and how it doesn't matter
that the time frame that we are in, how we
consume music, people still relate to that. What does that
mean to you?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Uh? Nothing. I don't even know if that's a lot.
I don't know anything about the stream and stuff. I
don't know, you know, is that a lot? I guess?
I you know, I you know, I can't stream anything.
I don't know. It's not my thing. I don't, I don't.
I don't get into that world very often. So yeah,
(19:30):
I'm grateful, and it's and I'm honored that that there's
even a hundred that have streamed it. That's great and
moren I thought they would.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
What does that say, you know to you as an
artist as you see the way or maybe don't see
the way.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
People's consumption of music has changed over your career.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, and that has completely changed, it does. It's not
even in the A zip code anymore the way it
was when I first came out. I mean, my first
album came out on a cassette. You know, how long
has it mentioned? She saw one of those? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So things have definitely changed the way people get music.
(20:19):
It's a lot easier to get music to people these days.
And I'm really grateful, you know that, that I've been
able to take advantage of that. And I've got a
team of people that make sure that my music is
available and the places that it should be, and you know,
our Heart Radio being one of the many. And I
(20:40):
still I'm so grateful and thankful that people are still
playing it.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
What, you know, kind of winding down thirty years. What
gets you excited day after day in this in your.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Career, Well, there's still there's nothing like getting up there
and singing a song and hearing the crowds singing it
back to you. You know, that's just so special, you know,
and they have to have been or they have to
have familiarized themselves with your music. To do that, they
(21:19):
have to know you, and they've heard that song countless
times and then they just sing it with you. I mean,
that's a really special thing, and I'm I'm glad that
they still do that.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
When we're tall all in ten years, for your fortieth
anniversary tour, what do you think, what do you think
people will be saying about your legacy?
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Then for my fortieth, if I'm still doing this, they'll
probably say, boy, I hope he gets the urs paid off,
you know, because I don't expect to still be doing
this ten years from now. To be honest with you,
you know, I look at it like an old jock.
You know. This is a muscle, just like everything else.
(22:15):
And I quit playing bolved whenever I couldn't play at
one hundred percent anymore. You know, I had to walk
away from the game of football because I couldn't go.
I wasn't even ninety percent anymore. If I was so
banged up. And once this doesn't perform the way that
I want to be able to perform every night, I'm
(22:38):
gonna walk away from it. I don't know when that's
going to happen. So far, I can still sing every
song that I recorded in the same key that I
recorded them in. I'd actually like the sound of my
voice better now. I think it's smoother. I listen to
that first record and I think, man, that sounds kind
of thin, you know. Now, I think my voice sounds warmer,
(22:59):
and the high is still there and the bottom's gotten
even better. So, you know, as long as I can
still perform, I'll keep doing it. But I just don't
know how much longer that's gonna hold up.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Well, hopefully for us. You know, we are discussing this
in ten more years selling.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
If we are, that's great.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Finally, what does success mean to Trace Adkins?
Speaker 3 (23:27):
It happened twenty years ago. You know, I'm content. I'm
happy with the way my career turned out. I wouldn't
change a thing. Everything's been great, man. I mean, even
the ones that didn't work at radio or whatever, those
were all it didn't matter, you know. Yeah, people aren't
(23:52):
always going to lack everything you do, you know, but
I can't complain about anything. I know how fortunate and
how blessed I am to be where I am, and
it's because I've had a lot of very competent people
working with me over the years have steered this ship
(24:12):
and made it into port when I was just floundering.
But you know, it's been great. I'm just I'm very
pleased with all of it.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Trace, Thank you so much for taking the time with me.
You are a legend. You're an incredible artist, an incredible guy.
I can't wait for everybody to hear American Maid, and
I can't wait to see you on PBS as a
capital fourth.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Thank you man, I've enjoyed it.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Thank you, cal, thank you, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Thank you for listening to pop Culture Weekly. You're all
the latest at pop culturewekly dot com.
Welcome to Pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon, your pop
culture news, views, reviews, and celebrity interviews on all the movies,
TV music and pop culture u CRABE Weekly. Here's Kyle McMahon.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
All right, Well, first of all, thank you so much,
Trace for speaking with me again, and welcome to oop
Culture Weekly. You we're going to talk about PBS as
a Capital fourth and your new single, But I'd like
to you know, kind of look at as you're celebrating
thirty years. You know, it's a long time in any career,
let alone in the music industry. When you look back,
(00:36):
you know, to ninety six, you release Dreaming out Loud.
What is the biggest surprise? You know that you would
say Trace back then would say to Trace today or
the opposite.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well, uh, when Dreaming out Loud came out, my first
single I think got in the teams in. My second
single went top five, my third single went number one,
my fourth single one number one. The album went platinum,
and I thought, Wow, this is going to be easy,
you know, and then thing and then reality, you know,
(01:15):
sets in and it's not always going to be like that,
you know, the sophomore slump and all that kind of stuff,
and and uh, you know, I would just say to
myself back then, just be patient. It's all going to
be all right, you know, and everything's going to work
itself out. But I you know, thirty years, I wouldn't
(01:37):
have even allowed myself to dream that I would still
be relevant after thirty years. You know, that's that's a
long time. And I'm very grateful, and you know, it's
it's been a dream come true, and dreams do come true.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
And you're you're on tour right now. Is there a
particular moment, you know, where it really hit you that
you've been doing this for three decades.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah. I think it was that first weekend that we
went out on tour this year and I started setting
up the first single that came out in ninety six,
which was There's a Girl in Texas, and I was
telling the story about it before I sang the song,
and I started setting it up and it started to
(02:28):
hit me. It was like, wow, you know, this was it,
you know, this was the and it just happened to
be a song that I wrote, and the president of
the record label said, this is the one that I
think will introduce you to everybody and the way that
you should be introduced, and let's go with this one.
And because it was personal to me and it still is.
(02:51):
The lyrically that song it it means more to me
now than it did when I wrote it. It means now,
But but the lyrics really hit me hard, you know
now when I do it. So Yeah, it was that
first weekend out that it was. They dawned on me
(03:13):
what this all meant.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
When you're putting I'm sorry, when you're putting together, you know,
a set list that's looking over your entire career thus far.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
How do you.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Balance playing you know, the hits and the songs that
people want to see versus the songs that mean the
most to you personally as an artist, or you know,
have some specific you know reason that you want to
do this song for this tour. How do you kind
of balance that?
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, well, I do the greatest hits show. You know,
I know what the fans want. They want to hear
what they've heard on the radio. But since it is
a little different, you know, thirty year anniversary tour, I
do slip two or three in there, four mile gratification.
You know, these deep album cuts that meant a lot
(04:09):
to me. And uh, I don't do many of them.
I do two or three, but I am putting two
or three of those in there this year. That's great.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And you've watched, you know, over your career thus far,
you've watched the music music itself and the music industry change,
you know, so much over the last thirty years. What's
one thing today in the country music scene that excite
excites you and what's the what's one thing that you
(04:40):
hope never changes in the industry.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Gosh, that's a loaded question. You're trying to get me intro.
I would I would hope that vocal ability and that
kind of talent never go was away. I don't. I
don't care how much you can digitally massage things and
(05:07):
make them sound right. I don't think that's what this
business should be about. You know, it should be straight up,
you know, just sing it and and it is what
it is. But you know that's that's not the world
we live in. Yeah. But the thing that I hope
(05:29):
never goes away is just how big country music still
is as a genre. I mean, there are more country
music stations than any other genre in this country. That
was true when I started and is still true thirty
years later. And I think that's great.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Do you have a new song that you know you're
releasing American Made and you're gonna be debuting it live
on a capital fourth. What is it about this song
that made you say this is the one for this time?
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, I was thinking two fifty, you know when I
wrote this, and I and I thought, you know, I'm
going to personalize this. You know, this is how my
family came here, and how long ago my family came here.
I was fortunate enough a few years ago to receive
(06:32):
an award from the Daughters of the American Revolution, but
I didn't deserve but they gave it to me anyway,
and they gave me my family tree, my genealogy, and
was on a big board and I'd never seen that before.
And they went all the way back to the Revolution,
because that's what they're about. And if you had verifiable
(06:53):
patriots in your family tree, they had a little American
flag by each one of them. And on both sides
of my family, you have to go back more than
eight generations to find somebody that wasn't born in this country.
And I just I wanted to celebrate that and So
that's that's why I wrote this song, you know. And
(07:14):
it's not to diminish anybody else's heritage or how long
they've been here. This is just me. Yeah, You're a story. Yeah,
and so that that's why I wrote it the way
I did, and I celebrated that that's what American made.
That's what this song means to me.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
It's a great it's a great song, and I can't
wait to see you perform it live at a Capitol fourth.
But you've recorded, you know, a number of songs about
America and every day you know, everyday Americans and you know,
blue collar people, hardworking people. Why has that been a
theme for you?
Speaker 3 (07:56):
That's that's country music, I think, you know, it's just
that goutry music was, you know, for the everyday guy,
the working man. You know, That's how it was when
it started, and it's still that way, and that's cool,
and I'm happy about that. But I've I've always there's
(08:17):
always been a spot or two or three on my
albums for those kinds of songs, uh, patriotic, celebrating working
man woman. You know, I've always had room on my
albums for songs like that. And I've always had a
deep appreciation for the men and women to serve in
(08:42):
the military, and I've on just about every album I've
done a song that pay tribute to them, at least
in some small way. And I'm proud of.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
That, well, as you should be. When you're introducing a
brand new song like you are with American Maid, you know,
you have audiences that have known your catalog for decades. Uh,
but you're putting a new kind of baby, if you will,
out into the world. Does that Is that still nerve
wracking for you too?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah? Yeah, oh gosh, And that's exactly what that's That's
the analogy that I've used over the years too. People
don't understand. You go into the studio and you have
this raw piece of material and you try to turn
it into a beautiful butterfly, you know, and you hope
that it's going to going to speak to people the
(09:35):
way it speaks to you. And and it's like having
a baby and you think it's the most beautiful baby
in the world, and the last thing you want is
somebody to come up to you and say, oh my,
what an ugly baby. You know, you just don't want
to hear that, you know, Uh, and it's it's always
been that way for me. I hate it when people
(09:57):
tell me I've got an ugly baby. Smile them what
I was?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You know, lucky enough, you guys sent over the track
so I could listen to it, and it really is
a beautiful song. What do you hope people? And I
love that I got to listen to it in my headphones,
you know, I got to focus on it for four minutes.
What do you hope people take away from it the
first time they hear American?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Mate? I just hope that they puff up a little
bit and be proud, you know, be proud that you're
in American. This is our two hundred and fiftieth of
this grand experiment, you know, this democracy that we've tried
so hard to keep for two hundred and fifty years.
And we've been through rough times. And some people think
(10:46):
we're going through rough times now, but we have the
spine to get through it. We have the tenacity. We've
proven it for two hundred and fifty years, and I
think every now and then we should beat our chest
little bit and be proud of it.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
That's great, and you will be performing this live on
PBS as a Capital fourth, which is always such an
incredible show, such a great celebration of America. You've performed,
you know, a number of times for them. Why do
you keep coming back.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
It's just it's almost just an overwhelming experience when you
walk out on that stage facing the capital and there's
a hundred piece orchestra behind you. It's that is something
that as a singer, those opportunities don't come around very often,
(11:40):
and you'd be a fool to not take that opportunity.
And anybody out there that has ever had the chance
to do it and maybe turned it down for whatever reason,
I would suggest if they offer you the chance to
do it again, you should go, just for selfish reasons.
It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, yeah, it really is.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
I've been lucky enough to go the last probably eight
or nine years, and every single time, whether it's rehearsals
or during the live show, I get chills, you know,
at one point or another, or multiple points, because it
really is a sacred space. And then you have these
incredible artists like yourself that are you know, either celebrating
(12:27):
the troops or remembering our troops or the country or whatever,
and it's very you know, and then for the live show.
You have one hundred thousand people watching you on the
lawn and around the Capitol and millions on television and online.
You know, it really is something special, you know, it
really truly is.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Yeah. And the production, you know, I tipped my hat
to the Capital fourth people. The production is always stellar,
just incredible, and it's is it really is an overwhelming
experience to go out on that stage with all the
production and the orchestra is always just insanely perfect. And
(13:12):
so it's a lifetime opportunity and I always enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
I'm looking forward to seeing you. Of course, you have
built a very impressive kind of I don't want to
say side career, but you know, aside from your main gig,
if you will, with acting right alongside your music career,
what does acting.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Do for you?
Speaker 2 (13:36):
You know what it's does it scratch that music may not?
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Well, I don't know that it scratches an itch that
music can't. It's just what I've likened it to is
when my favorite times in the music business really the
times that you get most inspired and creative. It's when
you're in the studio with some of the finest musicians
in the world, which is the pool we have to
(14:03):
draw from here in Nashville, the finest musicians in the
world that can play anything that you can imagine. Those
days in the studio are just magical and the creativity. Everybody
in there is on top of their game. And that's
the way I feel when I'm on a movie set
or a television set. Everybody around you is a professional,
(14:26):
and they're very good at what they do, and they're
very talented, or they wouldn't be there. And I just
find that environment stimulating and I just I enjoy it.
It's just like being in the studio. You're surrounded by
these incredibly talented and creative people and I just I
get a kick out of it.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
And you've worked in everything from you know, in faith
based to action to television. Is there a role that
you've done that has surprised you? How much has fuck
with you?
Speaker 3 (15:06):
I generally like playing surly gunfighters, but you know, and
you know people know that, you know they when they
want me, I'm probably gonna I have two two acting methods.
One's on a motorcycle and the other one's on a horse,
(15:28):
and those are my acting methods. And they pretty much
know that. Every now and then they'll throw me a
bone and let me do something else that I'm not
supposed to do. But most of the time it's horses
and motorcycles.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I love that. What was the moment in your acting
career that you realize like, okay, like I can do
this too.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
I have never felt that. Really. I always said that
my best acting job that I do is convincing the
director that I know what I'm doing, because I don't.
I haven't had any training. I don't know what I'm doing.
You know, I'm saying, okay, you want me to say
these words. Okay, that's about the depth of it for me.
(16:13):
You know, I'm not you know, whoever you want to
name that's an incredible actor that's not me.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Has there been any dream roles or genres that you
haven't tackled yet that you want to.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
No, I think I know what lane I'm supposed to
be in, and I should probably stay there.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Okay, So no no trace as a as a scream
king in a horror or.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
A lawyer or a surgeon or nothing like that. It's
probably gonna work. You know, they don't want me going
in there going all right, what we're gonna do saw
top your head off of dig get tumor out. They
don't want to hear that.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
You performed at the Opry one hundred earlier this year,
and you know you were obviously inducted or is that
is that the word inductive?
Speaker 3 (17:12):
They make you a member. Yes, in the mob of guess.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
You were previously you know, had been made a member.
What did that moment mean to you? At the Opry
one hundred performing like that?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
It was just I wouldn't have been anywhere else on
this planet that night. Yeah, it means that much to me.
People ask me, you know, what's the biggest achievement that
you think you've you've what's the biggest thing you've achieved
in your career? And and I say, it's something that
I don't even feel like I achieved. It's just for
(17:47):
some reason, they decided to make me a member of
the Grand Ole Opry. And and on my list of achievements,
that's top five, that's the ta hole, that's one through five,
and then everything else comes after that. You know, grew
up as a kid. You could hear it on Saturday
nights and on the radio even in Louisiana, and it
(18:08):
was just something really really special, and it's such an
historic institution. I have such reverence and respect for it,
and I've never had a bad experience when I sang
at the Opry, and I've been doing it now for
thirty plus years.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I guess that's incredible. You know. What's interesting to me
is that you have earned You have had over a
billion streams with your music on Pandora alone, which is incredibly,
in my opinion, remarkable considering your career started when you
(18:47):
had to go to Walmart or best Buy or whatever
and buy an album. You know, to me, that really
says something about your music and how it doesn't matter
that the time frame that we are in, how we
consume music, people still relate to that. What does that
mean to you?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Uh? Nothing. I don't even know if that's a lot.
I don't know anything about the stream and stuff. I
don't know, you know, is that a lot? I guess?
I you know, I you know, I can't stream anything.
I don't know. It's not my thing. I don't, I don't.
I don't get into that world very often. So yeah,
(19:30):
I'm grateful, and it's and I'm honored that that there's
even a hundred that have streamed it. That's great and
moren I thought they would.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
What does that say, you know to you as an
artist as you see the way or maybe don't see
the way.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
People's consumption of music has changed over your career.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, and that has completely changed, it does. It's not
even in the A zip code anymore the way it
was when I first came out. I mean, my first
album came out on a cassette. You know, how long
has it mentioned? She saw one of those? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So things have definitely changed the way people get music.
(20:19):
It's a lot easier to get music to people these days.
And I'm really grateful, you know that, that I've been
able to take advantage of that. And I've got a
team of people that make sure that my music is
available and the places that it should be, and you know,
our Heart Radio being one of the many. And I
(20:40):
still I'm so grateful and thankful that people are still
playing it.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
What, you know, kind of winding down thirty years. What
gets you excited day after day in this in your.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Career, Well, there's still there's nothing like getting up there
and singing a song and hearing the crowds singing it
back to you. You know, that's just so special, you know,
and they have to have been or they have to
have familiarized themselves with your music. To do that, they
(21:19):
have to know you, and they've heard that song countless
times and then they just sing it with you. I mean,
that's a really special thing, and I'm I'm glad that
they still do that.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
When we're tall all in ten years, for your fortieth
anniversary tour, what do you think, what do you think
people will be saying about your legacy?
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Then for my fortieth, if I'm still doing this, they'll
probably say, boy, I hope he gets the urs paid off,
you know, because I don't expect to still be doing
this ten years from now. To be honest with you,
you know, I look at it like an old jock.
You know. This is a muscle, just like everything else.
(22:15):
And I quit playing bolved whenever I couldn't play at
one hundred percent anymore. You know, I had to walk
away from the game of football because I couldn't go.
I wasn't even ninety percent anymore. If I was so
banged up. And once this doesn't perform the way that
I want to be able to perform every night, I'm
(22:38):
gonna walk away from it. I don't know when that's
going to happen. So far, I can still sing every
song that I recorded in the same key that I
recorded them in. I'd actually like the sound of my
voice better now. I think it's smoother. I listen to
that first record and I think, man, that sounds kind
of thin, you know. Now, I think my voice sounds warmer,
(22:59):
and the high is still there and the bottom's gotten
even better. So, you know, as long as I can
still perform, I'll keep doing it. But I just don't
know how much longer that's gonna hold up.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Well, hopefully for us. You know, we are discussing this
in ten more years selling.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
If we are, that's great.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Finally, what does success mean to Trace Adkins?
Speaker 3 (23:27):
It happened twenty years ago. You know, I'm content. I'm
happy with the way my career turned out. I wouldn't
change a thing. Everything's been great, man. I mean, even
the ones that didn't work at radio or whatever, those
were all it didn't matter, you know. Yeah, people aren't
(23:52):
always going to lack everything you do, you know, but
I can't complain about anything. I know how fortunate and
how blessed I am to be where I am, and
it's because I've had a lot of very competent people
working with me over the years have steered this ship
(24:12):
and made it into port when I was just floundering.
But you know, it's been great. I'm just I'm very
pleased with all of it.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Trace, Thank you so much for taking the time with me.
You are a legend. You're an incredible artist, an incredible guy.
I can't wait for everybody to hear American Maid, and
I can't wait to see you on PBS as a
capital fourth.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Thank you man, I've enjoyed it.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Thank you, cal, thank you, thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Thank you for listening to pop Culture Weekly. You're all
the latest at pop culturewekly dot com.
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