November 17, 2025 • 45 mins
Russell Dickerson on His Biggest Year Yet, Jonas Brothers Collab & RussellMania Tour!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, Hello, I'm a crystalal Sas.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is our Ze one hundred Artist Interview Lounge present
by Celsius Energy.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Today.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
He's a multi platinum chart topping country star with over
three billion streams, six number one hits and a reputation
for putting every ounce of heart into everything he does.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
With this sold out.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Russell Media tour, he's proven that he is just a
powerhouse performer and he is an incredible storyteller. His latest single,
Happened to Me Just spent two weeks at number one
on country radio, climbed the Billboard Hot one hundred, and
became his fastest growing single ever, racing up more than
two hundred and thirty million global streams. His fourth studio album,
(00:41):
Famous Back Home It is a hit, and he is
gearing up for even more tour dates. Please welcome Russell Dickerson.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Oh yeah, and Wifey here. I cannot in the house.
He's in that house. Wait you just did Kelly Clarkson?
What was that like?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Because being next to her her energy, she's so cool.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
She's funny.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
I know, like she Yeah, she's like I feel like
a lot of TV stuff we've done, people can be like,
oh hey, cool just you know, another guest. But she's like,
oh my god, thank you so much for being here,
like love your song this da da da, And I'm like.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I love your song, like I'm such a huge man.
Like Breakaway, who.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
I mean that was like the biggest album of oh
six whatever that was, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
What a time. So yeah, I like it was cool.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
And she's like she's like Nashville adjacent, you know what
I mean. So it's like, I don't know. She was
very complimentary and never I just was like me, really,
I'm like honored to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
That's so cool to hear.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Because she's been through so much recently and like a
heartbreak after heartbreak and in the worst ways, but hearing
that her spirit is still high and that she's been
able to be present with you.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Yes, yeah, yeah, and we have we both have kids
named Remington, so we bonded over that talk to of
course we talked babies and stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So yeah, and Peer seventeen kicking off the summer What
was that like, because that's an awesome venue.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
It's so sick.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
I mean there that was the like I said, kick
off to the summer leg of that tour, which was
like a huge step up and venues and everything and
sold out into Like, I mean, that was funny. I
was just watching this video from Pier seventeen. I was
like of me, just like weeping, crying, because I was like,
first of all, this is all I've ever wanted to do.
This is what I've been chasing, the dream I've been
(02:28):
chasing for a decade. And in this song called what
a Life, we on the video screen it pops up
of like me as a baby, and then me as
a five year old six seven, and in that is
a picture of me at the Statue of Liberty. And
so I'm just like watching the screen out cry talking
about it.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Right now.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
It's like seeing that photo pop up and then looking
out over this sold out crowd, you can see the
Statue of Liberty from the stage at Pier seventeen, and
I was just like it just like hit me and
I was like like dry heaving crying, you know, like
this is my dreams all coming true, like right here
on this stage right now.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
The fact that you have that much love for New York,
because I had that love too before I moved here.
And then that venue with the bridge there, and then
the outside and the sea of people and knowing that
you come from a really really small town and then
you were able to have so many fans pull up
in New York City, which one of the hardest places
(03:26):
to get around cause there.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I mean you're competing with everything, every other genre, Broadway,
you know, and to get to get that many people
out was just like mind blowing to me. And we
have family on Long Islands.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I didn't know that.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Yeah, Belmore shout out to the Muscarells. Uh yeah, so
we get we came up. We came to New York
like every other summer. I didn't know every other summer
growing up, and it was like the highlight of my
summer's like, oh, go to New York this year for
like a week plus and like we would come into
the city, we would go shows, we would hit the
(04:02):
you know, Broadway, and we would do twin Towers.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
But I mean I got like.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Like polaroids of the towers from in my like you know, kids,
my little scrap book, you.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Know, from New York was always really special.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Wow, it was like the highlight of yourself.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Absolutely, I did not know that.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
So do you have a.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Stand up moment from your summers in New York, like
just a really New York moment.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
I mean Statue of Liberty really like we would it would,
we would always do just like the super touristy stuff. Yeah,
you know, and seeing I mean, geez, we've seen. Stomp
was a big standout. Remember Stomp with the trash cans
and everything. Oh, Stomp was lit because I'm like, I'm
a drummer first, and so like That's where my music
(04:46):
journey started, and so it's just Stomp was crazy.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
You don't know. Stomp, Oh my gosh, you gotta look
it up. Yeah, was on Broadway that I must be
aging myself.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
No, but yeah, no, just always doing just the most cliche,
like buying fake Oakley's off the street for five dollars
and thinking I was so cool and then like the
next day the paint stars peeling off.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Yeah. Oh no, I forget.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
You talked about your your drummer start, because I know
that you have roots with music.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Your mom taught you pianos. That true, and your dad
at the choir and you were in the band. But
it was a cool band in high school.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Thank you? Yes, who told you that?
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I heard you talk about it?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
My wife likes to roast me for being in the
marching band, but ours was cool. We were really good,
I promise and yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
But the funniest part to me was that you had
a band like your own little band in high school
and that it was like teen inks.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
B oh yeah, it was a metal band for sure,
and we were just like garage, grunge, shred.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
As loud as possible, as like chug chug and you know,
screaming and everything.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Did you guys write your own songs too?
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Oh yeah, yeah, that's oh some standouts. Well.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
First of all, our band name was called Buried under
Broken Glass, so metal.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
It's the most metal band. It's it's one of the
best band names I've ever heard of.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So I'm an I'm honored to have been in, you know,
not the best band, but best band name in the
history of metal music.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Uh what was? What was?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
One song was called like Parachutes under Attack or something
like that. I really don't remember any other any other
song names.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
That's so.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
And it's funny because you've talked about how you grew
up with country like country like you, but then you're
gonna go.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Like hard hard Left.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Yeah, Hard Left had the emo swoop and everything oh yeah,
Oh yeah, I'm probably telling too much because people are
gonna go find this stuff and it's gonna get out.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
But whatever, No, I love it.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I love it, and that's the part of you.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
And that's actually we see that, like that performative but
kind of get in with it in what.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
You do now exactly, and like that's that's such a
huge part of like my live performances, like seeing all
these bands and stuff, just like jumping around, running around.
I'm like, this is the best and like screaming every
word of these songs that I loved and then like
but like also at the same time, growing up on
Garth Brooks, who does the same thing running around the
(07:27):
most energy I do.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
I do the headset mic.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Because of Garth Brooks, Wow, because I like I have to.
I can't just stand like they're so I'm very EIGHTYHD
and so like I can't just stand behind a microphone
and sing these songs. I'm like, I gotta run around.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I gotta rip.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
If you feel it, Oh yeah, that's so cool.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
And then I actually heard that you have some like
Cyrus family ties. Yeah, yeah, I'm a huge She's like
my number one, like Miley Cyrus really I know that
she went to your house and she was little.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Like, well, how does she There's no way she would
ever even remember this. Uh So Brandy, her older sister,
me and her were in college together. And it's so
crazy to see this now because like we would literally
talk to Miley on the phone of like she hopping
out the plane at Laxly.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
She just got to La.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
She was like telling it, like recapping her day of
like I think we're gonna do this show called Hannah
Montana and she's like it's like telling us what it's about,
and like she's like super nervous and all this stuff.
And it's just crazy to think back on those conversations
and what it because you never know, you know, like
you never know what's gonna happen with stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
So they're like, yeah, girl, go get it, go do
your thing.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
And then now it's Miley Cyrus. But yeah, it's just
crazy to you know, here and talk to these conversations
of oh no, that's this new TV show called Hannah Montana.
But yeah, there was there was one time when we
we were all there. We lived in the same town
and for some in or another we were all just
(09:02):
hanging out at my parents' house and Brandy and Miley
were all over there hanging and my.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Sister was like absolutely losing. This was after like a
couple of seasons of hand of Montana and everything.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
So if you were to run into her, would you
ask her about that? Or would you just.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Like maybe, I don't know. I mean it's probably knowing me, yes,
knowing my social cues, I would miss all of them
and just be like, remember that time we were just like, ah,
you know that. I totally was yeah, And there's no
there's no way. She's lived so much life since you know,
she was fourteen year old.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And so yeah, and then you fell in love with
your Wifey in college.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Too, and did I ever she's right here.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I know. It's so cool learning that you have done
video work with Norad Jones and all the accomplishments you
had that's filled into his work.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
You've done your research.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I'm a country fan, so I grew up on like
Tim mcgron, my dad put on to my girl God
Paisley guard Brooks. But I want to get back to
that because the I mean, you shared how you were
putting out music and you were working on the music thing,
but it.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Like didn't hit yet. Well were you also doing around
that time?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Like what did that look like? Was it all pouring
into music? Did you have another job?
Speaker 3 (10:20):
No?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
I never, I never. Luckily I never had to get
another job. I had a publishing contract, so that it
was like a little draw probably. I think the most
I ever made was like thirty five grand What does
that mean? So, like, you sign a songwriting deal, So
I was signed as a songwriter. So I was writing
all my own music.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
How did you do that? Though? What guests signed as
a songwriter? That's pretty big?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Oh huge?
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yeah, And like the even that alone was just a
huge step for me. I was writing actually with two
of my buddies back in the day, like oh nine
Florida Georgia Line, Like they didn't even have a band
name yet, and like they were just they wanted to
be songwriters, and like I was the artist.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Like I was like, I know, I want to be
an artist. I want to be on stage.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
I want to play the songs that we're writing for
myself on my stage at my shows.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
And they're like, dude, dope.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
So we wrote my whole first EP was like ninety
percent with them, and so I think the songs that
we were writing kind of started getting spread around town,
and like, next thing I know, I'm getting an email
from Craig Wiseman, who's like one of the most legendary
Nashville songwriters of all time and just like he wrote
(11:36):
live like eer Dyine Tim McGraw's just to name one
of his thousands of hits. So next thing I know,
I'm getting emails from him and his company. And then
once that kind of some something went out with my
music on it that got the attention of like five
different publishers, and I had, next thing, I know, it's
(11:58):
like I'm getting deal offers left and right right.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
To four songwriting.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
So like that's me signing like the song portion away,
like the nine point.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Twenty five whatever, yeah, to split it. So my songwriting deal.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
So yeah, next thing I know, I just had like
offers on offers, and so I got to like, well,
this person's offering me this, and they're like all right, yeah,
we'll give you that, and so like I negotiate it
actually a really good first songwriting deal, and so I
was just living off that and so that was I mean,
it's nothing, it's not crazy, it's just like a thirty
(12:36):
five grand a year advance just to just so you
don't have to go, you know, drive around or you
know whatever, that you can put your full attention in
to writing songs. So I was, I was living off that.
But I will say, when you have three roommates and
your rent is two fifty a month, three hundred bucks
(13:00):
and no car payment, no nothing, that thirty five g's
a year goes a long way. Your boy was bawling.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Straight out of college.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
I was taking our friends downtown buying, yeah, every buying
everybody's drinks. I went, you know, like we went to
Chicago or something, and like we walked into All Saints
and I was just like, let's go, and I like
bought my first like expensive leather jacket. And by expensive,
I mean at the time it was like four hundred bucks,
(13:29):
which I was like, yeah, baby, that check just hit.
So then you get married and now and then I'm
responsible for one thousand dollars of rent and you know,
and I actually got dropped that income stopped when as
soon as we got married, crazy enough, and then there
(13:50):
was another deal happening behind the scenes. But it just
took so long to get you know that roll in
and so we had a we had a It wasn't
it wasn't rough for us. It was just financially rough,
you know, first kind of year of marriage to you know,
just keep chasing this dream.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
And so I'm grateful for it. Though. It's like I
really got.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
To kind of hone in my production, like I was
just in my studio every day.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Oh so you got drops so you can focus everything
on your own stuff. Well, I mean right, just like
you were, like, I need to better myself because you
kept saying that like I was, I'm gonna make it
no matter what, like I was not giving myself other options.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
Yeah, so really it's just like, okay, this I just
got dropped. So I mean I need to like I'm
not like a double down, like I'm not gonna go
I'm not gonna go drive around.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I'm not gonna deliver pizzas. You know. I'm like, but
I will.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
I would rather be poor and be honing my music
and writing and figuring this out than than doing that.
So really, you know, I kind of dove in and
started producing my own demos and really kind of like
making sounds and like produce sing a sound, you know,
and so Uh, it was like six months after we
(15:05):
got married is when I wrote Yours, my first single, Yeah,
and it was with two of my best friends that
we all went to Belmont together. And it's just like
it was just like that click moment of like why
did it take us so long for us three to
get together? And Yours was the second song we even
wrote together, and then like Blue Tacoma was probably the
(15:27):
fifth song we wrote together, which was my second number one,
and then every Little Thing was probably the tenth song
we wrote together.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
It was the third number one, Yeah, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
So it's just like us all of a sudden, So
we had this EP and I'm getting to the music video, and.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
We had this EP, the Yours EP, which was.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Yours, Blue Tacoma, every Little Thing, and another song named
you Know and like that's had three number ones on
this EP, and we took it around town, took it
around town literally like literally know, I could not get
a record deal, yeah, with an EP with three number one,
three platinum songs, you know what I mean. I'm not
(16:09):
saying that to bragg On myself.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I'm saying that what's going on here?
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:13):
And I don't know if they're like if I was
just like Nashville's like little cute little brother, you know,
like oh Pat, Pat.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Good for you.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Sometimes they don't see the real gold from where you're
from because I grew.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Up in Yeahville and it's like, oh yeah, we know Russell.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
We remember when he was nineteen and you know he
crossed our desks back in whatever. So anyways, we got
to the point of like, I know, I hope I
know that these are hit songs, Like I believe in
this music. I made this little ep. Nothing's happening, what
the heck is going on? And so we're like, well,
(16:47):
I guess we'll just like start dropping this on like
YouTube and like whatever. And she's like, we're going we're
shooting the music video. I'm gonna shoot this music video.
She had shot shot for nor Jones as you just
said and all that stuff. So she's like, all right,
let's go. And I was like in workout clothes, like
let's just go like practice, make sure we got some
cool shots.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
She's like, no, get dressed, we're shooting the video today,
and we just go out.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
We're just like praying. It was like God, we need
a miracle, because like nothing's happening?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
What is what's the deal here? And this video, man,
it's like if you go watch it, it's like all
of a sudden.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
She's like, go go again, go again. This is crazy
and I'm like, what's crazy. She's like there's literally.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Lightning like flashing behind your head everywhere. It's nuts.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
And I'm like, okay, sick, am I gonna are? We
gonna die? What it was happening? And she's just like,
go dude again, doe again And it starts like pouring
down rain and we just keep going and keep going.
But my best friends in the front with the ox
plugged in, just blaring it through the speakers and like,
I mean, we call it the six dollar Music Video
just because of the gas money we spent driving up
and down this road.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
And then.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
CMT nominated Music Video. You know, it's just like it's
crazy off.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
I mean New Artists.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Yeah, song of the Song of the Year nomination. Crazy.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
You reflected how that's so uncommon, but how cool it
was for you to have that moment. You've said it
is one of your proudest moments looking back so far.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Yeah, it was such a naive thing too, Like, like, dude,
my first single just had my first number one, like
the song behind it, Blue Ta Coma was already popping boom.
I got the nomination for ACM Song of the Year.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
And yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
It's wild, like I was nominated for New Artist and
song like Song of the Year, which to me that
and Entertainer are the two biggest because like so yeah,
it's just it was just like so naive, like oh
this is easy, bro like once the once the floodgates,
once the floodgates broke open, I was like, oh, song
(18:51):
of the Year to Let's go.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
And we lost.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
We lost to Dan and Shay Tequila. But if we're
going to lose to somebody, I mean, I guess it's
that's fine.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
That is such a such a cool story.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Was there other moments that you can pick out that
you just like, listen to.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Her leading and you're like, okay, that blew up into something.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
That her Yeah everything, I'm like because I was just
I like sometimes I just get like just go, just
like put it out, go like if it works at worry,
I'm not too proud. If it doesn't work, we'll do
another one whatever, But like you know exactly what the
story I want to tell love You Like I Used To.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
So this was beginning of whatever year. Wrote this song
called love.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
You Like I Used To and I'm so excited to
get back in the songwriting swing, like I'm ready to
write my next album. And she's like, I play it
for her and she's like, hmm, you know, she's like
the song, the title of the song is better than
(19:58):
the actual song. She's like the payoff is just waste
it whatever, And I was so mad. I was like, oh,
what the heck? It is ridiculous, and but she text
she we're all friends, and so she texts the other writers.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
She was like, is it just me?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Or like, did you guys kind of miss the and
they're like, yeah, you know, we just we were excited
just to get back and blah blah. So we go
back completely, rip the song to shreds, start over, rewrite it.
They come out on the bus one weekend with we're
opening for Lady A. We're on the bus trying to
like piece together fix this song, and we walk out
and I'm like, I think we did it, and like
(20:35):
my label was there, you know, one of our head
radio guys was there, and I remember playing it for
him and they were just like bro Like they were
like they did like drop their phone, like Mike dropped
like oh shit, this is like this.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Is gonna be something, and I.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Was like, I hope so, you know, cause you know,
we wrote a really bad song and then we just
kind of ripped it to shreds and pieced it back
together and ended up being one of my biggest songs. Yeah,
it's like it's the longest running top ten in country
radio history. Crazy Wow, tied sorry with Lone Star Amazed.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Thank you for You're gonna get clocked for that one now,
I'm kidding. Thank you for sharing that, And it's it
puts a new perspective to like my better half because
I just got married too, and I feel like, because
thank you, I feel like things that I lack, like
he'll put me in my place and be like I
was like, you know, we could do better there, Like
you really had to do it. So it's it's cool
(21:36):
that you can recognize that and that you have that
relationship that you guys are so open with each.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Other like she's sorry, Yeah, she's like she's like seized
the moment. This is it, Like let's go. And I'm
more like God's gonna do it or ain't. You know
it's gonna happen there. But you know, if we cross paths,
if we.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
Send it, Like we were golfing in Hawaii and Justin
b was one hole in front of us.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Just like, Babe, go talk to him, go say hi,
this is your.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Chance telling me no, Dana Shay telling me that. I'm
just like if we if we meet, we meet bro,
like you know, it's like, but I didn't want to
it's beabes.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
You know, everybody's coming up.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
To Beaber but Dan and she was a perfect locking
like that was I would have really pushed for that.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yeah, yeah, I know you create your up. Maybe that's true. Yeah,
that's true.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
No, no, it's okay. That's so funny. Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
And just hearing that through that, I mean, so many
great moments have happened for you.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
I want to get into today, but there's just you
said that.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
One of your proudest moments as well was opening for
Tim McGraw back in I think twenty twenty two. And
he is one of my ultimates, right, and I met
him and he was so sweet and nice. He's so
down for things. So what did you learn going on
tour with them.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
I mean, he he just stays hungry. You know, he's
been doing this since eighty nine. You know that was
I was two years old. And he's still out here
selling tickets, selling tickets, you know, and so to be
you know, his opening act right before, right before he
(23:15):
goes on, just to see the crowd, the stage, how
he how he handles his band and crew, how he
handles his family.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
A family man, you know, and always there.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Yeah, and Faith was just you know, ninety percent of
the shows, Faith Hill was just right there behind the
monitor desk, just dancing and being his number one fan.
And it's so that was amazing to see. And there
was one night I remember we were all just sitting
around after a show and he, uh, he was just
kind of pouring into me and the other openers and stuff,
(23:50):
and he was just like, you can't, uh, you can't outwork.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
No.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
What did he say?
Speaker 4 (23:58):
It was like he was like, you can't. You can't
work a bad song? You know, does that make sense?
Like you can't like it's all about this song. Like
you can work as hard as you want on a
on a mediocre song, but like if you spend your
time and focus on like the right songs, the best songs.
He's like, it's gonna make your career so much better,
(24:19):
so much easier, and that just he's so right, because
I feel like I've I've had both, like I've had
like hit hits and I've had like hits and hit.
Then my hits are not fun because it's so much extra,
so much extra work.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Well, you even touched on that with the song that
you had to go rework and write that if you
would have just put that out, and even if your wife.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
Is saying, man, it wouldn't have even made it to radio,
you know what I mean, It would have been like
buried in like track fifteen of an album, a hidden.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Track at bed.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
And now with your baby that you put out this summer, congratulations.
You were saying that this is like the most you
felt you to put out and write and and then
seeing that Russell Mania just took off, the biggest shows
you've been able to play and the craziest how has
that been so far on this journey for this leg,
(25:21):
this is the year I've.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Been waiting for from a career standpoint, Yeah, just two
and it's like I finally feel like the dreams that
I dream in my mind and in my heart are
finally matching up with what I get to see every night,
you know, And it's like that's just it's just so
(25:45):
fun and this is all I've ever wanted to do
and like to see. What really is crazy is like
the shows that I used to be the opening act for,
like Thomas Rhett and Tim McGraw and you name it,
and it's like it's like, oh, man, like I know
they're not here for me, but I get to hopefully
make a new fan. And it's really been a hard
(26:06):
mind shift because it happened like the whole journey didn't
happen quick, but this this year happened quick, and I
had to like I've had to like reset my mind,
especially entering into these venues that I used to be
the opener for. And it's just like I'm still in
that headspace. All Right, I'm gonna go out there. I
gotta get the crowd super hype, I gotta run around
and not da da And like my wife, she's just
(26:29):
like that's what I's what else I learned from Tim
Or I'll just stick it, like you can go out
I can go out there now and just stand there.
You know what I mean, and they'll just like they'll
be so hype because.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
We try so hard to prove and prove and prove
and prove, and it gets to that point where we're
like we can just be and be loved.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
And I'm still learning how to do that because for
so long I was the opening act and that's why
people brought me on tour though, Like I was the
guy who, you know, no slow songs, boom thirty forty
five minutes of bangers, songs that they know ish and
running around getting everybody hype and dancing, and and then
I just had to like I'm still like learning how
(27:07):
to shed that off to be like the I don't
know what it's superstar performance, you know, the headliner, the
headlining performance instead of the opening act.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Also, you're really proud about how your past like big
big hits have been more like ballady, lovey songs, but
this one is really oh yeah, turned up, which is
reflective of your personality to talk about.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
That, and I just think that's it. It's all locking
in now. It's like I got Yours was just like
such a huge song for me, like my first song,
and so I was like, oh, okay, well like this
is my this is my lane, I guess. And then
but like blots come every little thing.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Weren't really like ballads, and then love you like I
used to, you know, another another one, and so I'm
like all right, well, like I'm fine with being the
love song guy, Like I'll be the Michael Bolton of
country music. I don't give a frick dude, you know
I can go the distance.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I can.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
So anyways, yeah, and so no I am.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
It's like I had it and again I had a
song called Bones right before happened to me, and I'm
on the phone, We're in the UK, We're like planning
the tour, like all right, we have to name this tour.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
What are we going to name it for next year?
And I was like it has to be Rustlemania.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
And he was like yeah, but like Bones is out
right now and it's like this again, a power ballady
love song. And I was like, yeah, I don't care,
you know, like sorry, it's just we're gonna do it. Yeah,
And little did we know that in two months happened
to me it was going to drop and just blow
(28:54):
Bones out of the water exactly. And then it just
that locked In, rustle Mania locked In came together, and
I mean we literally saw like ticket sales just you know,
wow instantly, which is creat I get chills, Like that's
because you don't know, like you like, you can have
a huge song, but that doesn't mean people want to
(29:15):
come to your show. But for some reason that yeah,
it really yeah. And I think if this would have
been my first single, I don't think that would have
been the case. It would have been like, oh, cool song,
Like who what is this guy? Like like, oh, this
is Russell Diggerson, Blue Ta Coma Yours, I love you
like every little you know, she likes it, you know,
like it kind of like stringing all these songs together
(29:38):
and maybe just like click for people or something and
now it's yeah, now we get to play sheds and
arenas and red rocks and all kinds of.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Stuff and pop out for a.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Jonas Brothers, Joe, j'n go back like your summers in
New York City because they're Jersey boys. I'll you guys,
cross paths. How did that even happen? Because I'm also
Hu Jonah's brother. I just saw them in San Francisco.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
So it started with management and then they sent like
fifteen dates and they're like, just let us know if
anything works.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
And I was like okay, crazy wow and uh. And
then Kevin texts my creative directory. They grew up together
some yeah, crazy connection, and Kevin texts her. He was like, hey,
I know this is happening, but like we want Russell
like on Friday. Oh, and she's like okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
It was like they're like either Chicago or.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Detroit, and I couldn't do Chicago and they were like okay,
Detroit like in three days. And she's like, okay, let
me check, and like she calls you like hey, Kevin,
just text me a sidebar that like they really want
you to do Detroit. And I was like, we have
a show the next night, but I think we could
do it, and so we just booked booked you her me, Danielle,
(30:58):
her husband, and I was like, Okay, we're gonna do this.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
We're gonna go out, but our goal is to walk
out of this night.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
This arena with them featuring on happened to me like
we went we went in with a mission and I
was like, Danielle, you're coming with us, You're flying. I'm
buying both of your plane tickets. We're all gonna go.
We're all gonna hang be cause they grew up together,
you know what I mean. So like yeah, yeah, and
like this is sad, but like her father passed away
and all the brothers came and their dad came to
(31:28):
the funeral. Like we were at that funeral together, you
know what I mean. So it's like I was like, okay,
we've we've got all these connections. Was like, we're going
to walk out of here with a Joe Bro feature
on Happen to Me? And we're talking to the dad.
We're talking to Kevin Senior backstage and he kind of
runs the hole behind the scenes, you know, and Danielle
is like, the boys should hop on this song, like
(31:49):
it's really popping off, like it's going it's about to
go number one on country and dah da dad, He's like, oh,
He's like why wouldn't we absolutely, and so uh, here
we are with Happened to Me featuring the Jonas brothers.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Who was more excited, Kaylin or you? Because I mean I'm.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Just like, yeah, I grew up Joe Bro adjacent. My
little sister was the you know.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Obsessed, and so I was like Okay, cool, I can
jam to three thousand, you know, I can jam to
you know whatever, burn it up, you know. But yeah, no,
it's just and my sister flew to the show.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
I was going to say, please help my sister.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
I flew my cousin Leanne the Moscarella from Long Island.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
You'd be looking at how all from Long Island beautiful?
Speaker 1 (32:39):
Wow, that is so awesome.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:43):
They were like, uh, do you know how much these
flights are. I was like, nope, I don't care. Get here,
this is this is only gonna happen one time.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
You gotta be there.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
And did you write that for them?
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Or how did the what their feature?
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (32:55):
They just sang verse two. They just took verse two.
They stacked their beautiful harm and he's on it. And
it's just so cool to like they like they have
like their thing and you can tell, like in the
I'm listening to all the different harmonies, I'm like, oh, yeah,
that's Joe's like signature, like yeah, you know, just like
cool stuff in It's just like Nick sent me a
(33:16):
video from the studio of him just like you know.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
All the vocals all stack and he was like it
sounded fire. I was like, Oh my god, bro, I
got chills. This is crazy. And yeah, just I can't
believe this is real.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
I can't believe this is real. That is so cool.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
So you get out on stage with them and then
now they're a featured all the songs.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
Now they're part of that journey for you.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Yes, it's cool.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
It's only gonna elevate it more to even more of
the pop fans. And I also live hearing.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
I mean when I heard your album, I even heard
one of your songs that has that like hip hoppy
twain because I.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Know you grew up like on that too, like I
did too.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
And it's so beautiful that we're in a time where
we can melt some of those together. Yeah, And you're
always defending any one that wants to come and celebrate
the country world. Where does that come from for you?
Because there's other critics that want to kind of gatekeep it.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
There's they're either like they're either like not that country
and they're trying to pretend to be. You know what
I'm saying, like, why would you take this upon yourself
to defend somebody else's music and or critique some of
you know what I'm saying either that or they are
just like straight up the only thing they've ever listened
to is Waylon Jennings, which is fine, But I grew
(34:33):
up listening to Garth, Tim Shanaia.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Usher, Jagged Edge, Luda, Uh, you.
Speaker 4 (34:43):
Know what I mean, and so like I mean, my
mom like broke my little Wayne City in half because
she heard it, you know what I mean? Rightfully so,
and you know Marshall Marshall Mathers LP like like I
can't believe I listened to that. Listen to it now,
but yeah, like I grew up on every Red Hot,
Chili Peppers, Blank one eighty two metal, and I don't
(35:03):
know it just like why would you? Pop doesn't sound
the same. Pop doesn't sound like the Beatles anymore, you know,
And it's just.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Like why why would you? There's just purists and like they,
I don't know, they're self righteous thinking that they can
just like preserve a genre.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
But I'm like, why, dude, Like why not have a
little twang with a eight oh eight underneath it? And
so you're probably talking about heard it in a country song? Yeah,
and like that is directly inspired by nice and Slow.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Uhsure, Like if you hear the guitar that goes.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
Boom like that little thing was like straight up like
I was like maybe because they were playing the chords,
and I was like, dude, this kind of feels like that.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
I just take it.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
I'm probably gonna get sued now.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
But what is called what's that word infringement? Interpolation and
that's the word of the year.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
Dude.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
If if I got to put Usher Raymond on a song,
I'm just mad they call me us h E R
do you that?
Speaker 3 (36:10):
How old are you?
Speaker 1 (36:12):
I'm thirty one?
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Okay, you don't know.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
That I was a Confessions girly Confessions with my album
in middle school.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Yeah, this is this is going back to like ninety
eight my way.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah, I'll do my history. I'm sorry, I thought.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
You were just going to join in with me. Sorry,
she's too young for Usher's first album.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
No, No, I heard you talk about something that made
me giggle because I also strive to.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Not be a diva like you want to be.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
The anti diva correct, And especially.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Like radio, I hear a whole bunch of horror.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Stories and I've been like in rooms and work for
people that were that in radio, and I'm sure you've
seen it. In country with yourself. So how do you
how do you try to stay away from that stigma.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
I probably do it too much, Kaylee's yeah, oh yeah,
She's like, you do it too much. And I don't know,
I think, well, should I tell the og story? Like
she called me out one time for kind of kind
of being a diva? Oh and I still don't remember
(37:17):
what she said or something, but it just like it
like broke my heart.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
And she didn't mean to do that at all.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
She was just like, I don't even remember what she said,
but it was like something diva esque, like you in
my head, You're like you're just like X y Z artists.
And I was like, oh and just like something just
like broke in my heart and I was like, oh
my god, I never want to be no book.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
It's like who are you?
Speaker 4 (37:44):
You know, like cool, you have mass of massive success,
but like at the end of the day, we're all
human and we're all like, I don't know, I just
it's it is a goal to like not ever let
that creep in and no matter no matter how many
assistants we got carrying my Louis bag.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Don't have that. But uh, and you know, just I
just like, I don't know. I just I don't.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
I never want to let success and fame change who
I've always been as a human.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Period.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
That's one period.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Well, you've also shared how you grew up with the
people you're still around, your college squad, you call them
your fire squad.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Got it? Well?
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Was there like have there been moments where there too
have been like telling you, bro, like calm down a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
No, No, they've never. I think it's the opposite.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
I feel like they're like, oh wow, like you know Ardis,
I mean you can tell, they probably tell you. But
when people like outside of our circle ask them, I've
you know, they just tell us like no, like ardis
like shockingly the same same old.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
Goofy, ridiculous, over the top r D. I guess. Uh.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
And then something that I do want to bring up
is I see you on the PJ. You're playing cards?
You like, do you play cards often? What are your games?
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Yeah? We do uh called four card golf. I don't know, golf,
like even on the card Yes, it's crazy. Uh yeah.
Our our video guy, yeah, he taught us this game.
It's just four card golf.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
We play dice too, We do the uh like busts
or like one hundred. You have to get to one hundred.
If you roll a one, you lose your points that round,
if you roll snake Eyes, you lose all your points.
So the first two one hundred wins. It's so fun.
So it's just like, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
Well, what kind of a game? Where are you?
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Because me and my husband, like we were banned on
some games. We get way too competive.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
Like Nerts. You ever play Nerts couples with because.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
You're like, like when we play with our Fire Squad friends,
like there's a couple that can't be on the same
team because.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
They will literally get divorced. They're one round of nerds
away from divorce.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Ours.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
We can't play family like you can't play Setter Like.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
It was a blowouts in the worst way. So we've
had to pray about that one.
Speaker 4 (40:14):
After Settlers, that's funny.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
It's coming out with the Netflix. Got the rights to
a movie or a show or something about I know.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
I've never played Settlers. It's so good.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
Get into it with the Fire Squad. It'll get fighty.
I'll tell you, I'll tell.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
You something else. You like to find my friend's apple lot?
Speaker 5 (40:36):
Okay, yeah, like like, what do you do on there?
Speaker 3 (40:41):
Well, it's like you loved to Find my Friends app.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
She has like forty nine friends on usually like your mom,
your dad, your family.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
You know. It's like, but she you're the find my
friend er. She oh, man, Kate.
Speaker 4 (41:02):
We were on the road and we're like a three
hour time difference, so I'm still sleeping and she somehow
thinks I'm dead because my phone wasn't moving, or we're
on the bus and you can ping.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
It, you call and call and call and call.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
I wasn't answering, so she thinks I'm literally dead and
I just like finally fell back asleep. I was up
all night terrible bus drive and like it's just like
my phone starts and I'm just like, oh what, And
I know what it means. It means that I'm not
answering my phone. I know what that means.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
And I call her.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
I'm like, are you please what this bet? Did somebody
or our children alive?
Speaker 3 (41:44):
What? She's like, are you alive?
Speaker 1 (41:47):
Are you alive?
Speaker 3 (41:48):
I'm just making sure you're alive, okay, dude. And so
I was like, oh my gosh, find my freaking friends. Yeah,
but it is fun to look to see where people were,
what's your what's your homies up too?
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Exactly?
Speaker 5 (42:02):
Yes, and something beautiful to you brought your son on
stage and he did it like sing and do.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
You see that in the boys tubing a boy dad?
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
I mean Remy was so adamant because he we played
the Grand Ole Opry and he just it's a daddy
show to him, and that's a concert and he you know,
he can come out if he wants on my shows.
Speaker 3 (42:22):
I'm like, whatever you want to do, bro, Like the
crowd loves that stuff.
Speaker 4 (42:25):
And when she comes out too, and so he was like,
I'm coming out on stage. I was like, it's a
different vibe here, you know, the Opry is more buttoned up,
and did it and he.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
Just like I would. He was just like lost it.
He was like oh yes, he was.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
Like crying and I was like, bro, chill, chill out stop.
I was like, we'll figure something out. And then I
was just like, all right, fine at the end, at
the very end, just like run out and come give
me a hug. And so he just like at the
end of yours.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
It's very cute. He just like ran out there and
just jumped in my arms. It was adorable.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
It's funny that he dictates when he goes out or not.
I didn't realize that. I love that. I'm gonna go
out the the oprio. Okay, I don't care what you say. Yeah, yeah,
I love that.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Now, looking at twenty twenty six, I mean, we're here,
ready the holidays. So where's your brain now? Are you
still trying to stay as present as you can? Have
been working on more music? I mean, I'm sure you are,
But what are you what are you really gearing up
for the new year and next year?
Speaker 4 (43:25):
I mean, I'm we're winded down, and I really just
I think it's time to take a breath, you know,
because it's just a lot of stuff is coming in
next year because of what's happened this year. And yeah,
I think it's time to chill out. As much as
I want to, I mean we were just talking about
this the other night, as much as I want to
(43:45):
go straight into writing the next album and recording and
getting and going, like, I just canceled a whole like
writing retreat, and I'm just like, I don't, I can't
do it. I need a chill, I need a breath.
I need to hang out with my family uninterrupted and
be home and be present so until until next year. Yeah,
I just and I need to, like, I need to
(44:07):
prepare for next year. It's like it's going to be
the year of my bucket list dreams. You know we've got,
don't I don't know what we can and can announce.
Speaker 3 (44:18):
I don't care.
Speaker 4 (44:18):
It's like we've got red rocks and the Greek in
La and you know, these amphitheaters are just like the
most the biggest crowds that will ever be that we
have yet to be in front of, right, So it's like,
I don't know. I just want to, like, I want
to mentally prepare for that. I want to get creative
in our show and concept and have time to dream
again and all that.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
And just prep for next year.
Speaker 2 (44:40):
I'm really proudly are gonna take time to view with
the family. And there's so many families that look up
to you guys and your your dynamic and are working too.
So thank you for being an example of that and
we cannot wait to see what you have for us
the next year.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
Fans in the comments want to see you in Germany.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
Ooh.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
They want to see you do more with Trey Kennedy.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
Yes, so that was a.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
Fun moment and and us too. We can't wait to
see so thank you so much for the time. I
know you're so busy and.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
We really appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
Congratulations on everything, and we're going to be there rooting
you on for every next.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
Up of the way, great interview by the way you
Speaker 1 (45:14):
Do of course, Man Russell Dickerson
Hello, Hello, I'm a crystalal Sas.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is our Ze one hundred Artist Interview Lounge present
by Celsius Energy.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Today.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
He's a multi platinum chart topping country star with over
three billion streams, six number one hits and a reputation
for putting every ounce of heart into everything he does.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
With this sold out.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Russell Media tour, he's proven that he is just a
powerhouse performer and he is an incredible storyteller. His latest single,
Happened to Me Just spent two weeks at number one
on country radio, climbed the Billboard Hot one hundred, and
became his fastest growing single ever, racing up more than
two hundred and thirty million global streams. His fourth studio album,
(00:41):
Famous Back Home It is a hit, and he is
gearing up for even more tour dates. Please welcome Russell Dickerson.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Oh yeah, and Wifey here. I cannot in the house.
He's in that house. Wait you just did Kelly Clarkson?
What was that like?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Because being next to her her energy, she's so cool.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
She's funny.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
I know, like she Yeah, she's like I feel like
a lot of TV stuff we've done, people can be like,
oh hey, cool just you know, another guest. But she's like,
oh my god, thank you so much for being here,
like love your song this da da da, And I'm like.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I love your song, like I'm such a huge man.
Like Breakaway, who.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
I mean that was like the biggest album of oh
six whatever that was, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
What a time. So yeah, I like it was cool.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
And she's like she's like Nashville adjacent, you know what
I mean. So it's like, I don't know. She was
very complimentary and never I just was like me, really,
I'm like honored to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
That's so cool to hear.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Because she's been through so much recently and like a
heartbreak after heartbreak and in the worst ways, but hearing
that her spirit is still high and that she's been
able to be present with you.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Yes, yeah, yeah, and we have we both have kids
named Remington, so we bonded over that talk to of
course we talked babies and stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
So yeah, and Peer seventeen kicking off the summer What
was that like, because that's an awesome venue.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
It's so sick.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
I mean there that was the like I said, kick
off to the summer leg of that tour, which was
like a huge step up and venues and everything and
sold out into Like, I mean, that was funny. I
was just watching this video from Pier seventeen. I was
like of me, just like weeping, crying, because I was like,
first of all, this is all I've ever wanted to do.
This is what I've been chasing, the dream I've been
(02:28):
chasing for a decade. And in this song called what
a Life, we on the video screen it pops up
of like me as a baby, and then me as
a five year old six seven, and in that is
a picture of me at the Statue of Liberty. And
so I'm just like watching the screen out cry talking
about it.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Right now.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
It's like seeing that photo pop up and then looking
out over this sold out crowd, you can see the
Statue of Liberty from the stage at Pier seventeen, and
I was just like it just like hit me and
I was like like dry heaving crying, you know, like
this is my dreams all coming true, like right here
on this stage right now.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
The fact that you have that much love for New York,
because I had that love too before I moved here.
And then that venue with the bridge there, and then
the outside and the sea of people and knowing that
you come from a really really small town and then
you were able to have so many fans pull up
in New York City, which one of the hardest places
(03:26):
to get around cause there.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I mean you're competing with everything, every other genre, Broadway,
you know, and to get to get that many people
out was just like mind blowing to me. And we
have family on Long Islands.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I didn't know that.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Yeah, Belmore shout out to the Muscarells. Uh yeah, so
we get we came up. We came to New York
like every other summer. I didn't know every other summer
growing up, and it was like the highlight of my
summer's like, oh, go to New York this year for
like a week plus and like we would come into
the city, we would go shows, we would hit the
(04:02):
you know, Broadway, and we would do twin Towers.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
But I mean I got like.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Like polaroids of the towers from in my like you know, kids,
my little scrap book, you.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Know, from New York was always really special.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Wow, it was like the highlight of yourself.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Absolutely, I did not know that.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
So do you have a.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Stand up moment from your summers in New York, like
just a really New York moment.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
I mean Statue of Liberty really like we would it would,
we would always do just like the super touristy stuff. Yeah,
you know, and seeing I mean, geez, we've seen. Stomp
was a big standout. Remember Stomp with the trash cans
and everything. Oh, Stomp was lit because I'm like, I'm
a drummer first, and so like That's where my music
(04:46):
journey started, and so it's just Stomp was crazy.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
You don't know. Stomp, Oh my gosh, you gotta look
it up. Yeah, was on Broadway that I must be
aging myself.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
No, but yeah, no, just always doing just the most cliche,
like buying fake Oakley's off the street for five dollars
and thinking I was so cool and then like the
next day the paint stars peeling off.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Yeah. Oh no, I forget.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
You talked about your your drummer start, because I know
that you have roots with music.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Your mom taught you pianos. That true, and your dad
at the choir and you were in the band. But
it was a cool band in high school.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Thank you? Yes, who told you that?
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I heard you talk about it?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
My wife likes to roast me for being in the
marching band, but ours was cool. We were really good,
I promise and yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
But the funniest part to me was that you had
a band like your own little band in high school
and that it was like teen inks.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
B oh yeah, it was a metal band for sure,
and we were just like garage, grunge, shred.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
As loud as possible, as like chug chug and you know,
screaming and everything.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Did you guys write your own songs too?
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Oh yeah, yeah, that's oh some standouts. Well.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
First of all, our band name was called Buried under
Broken Glass, so metal.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
It's the most metal band. It's it's one of the
best band names I've ever heard of.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So I'm an I'm honored to have been in, you know,
not the best band, but best band name in the
history of metal music.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Uh what was? What was?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
One song was called like Parachutes under Attack or something
like that. I really don't remember any other any other
song names.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
That's so.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
And it's funny because you've talked about how you grew
up with country like country like you, but then you're
gonna go.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Like hard hard Left.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Yeah, Hard Left had the emo swoop and everything oh yeah,
Oh yeah, I'm probably telling too much because people are
gonna go find this stuff and it's gonna get out.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
But whatever, No, I love it.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I love it, and that's the part of you.
Speaker 5 (06:59):
And that's actually we see that, like that performative but
kind of get in with it in what.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
You do now exactly, and like that's that's such a
huge part of like my live performances, like seeing all
these bands and stuff, just like jumping around, running around.
I'm like, this is the best and like screaming every
word of these songs that I loved and then like
but like also at the same time, growing up on
Garth Brooks, who does the same thing running around the
(07:27):
most energy I do.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
I do the headset mic.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Because of Garth Brooks, Wow, because I like I have to.
I can't just stand like they're so I'm very EIGHTYHD
and so like I can't just stand behind a microphone
and sing these songs. I'm like, I gotta run around.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I gotta rip.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
If you feel it, Oh yeah, that's so cool.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
And then I actually heard that you have some like
Cyrus family ties. Yeah, yeah, I'm a huge She's like
my number one, like Miley Cyrus really I know that
she went to your house and she was little.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Like, well, how does she There's no way she would
ever even remember this. Uh So Brandy, her older sister,
me and her were in college together. And it's so
crazy to see this now because like we would literally
talk to Miley on the phone of like she hopping
out the plane at Laxly.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
She just got to La.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
She was like telling it, like recapping her day of
like I think we're gonna do this show called Hannah
Montana and she's like it's like telling us what it's about,
and like she's like super nervous and all this stuff.
And it's just crazy to think back on those conversations
and what it because you never know, you know, like
you never know what's gonna happen with stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
So they're like, yeah, girl, go get it, go do
your thing.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
And then now it's Miley Cyrus. But yeah, it's just
crazy to you know, here and talk to these conversations
of oh no, that's this new TV show called Hannah Montana.
But yeah, there was there was one time when we
we were all there. We lived in the same town
and for some in or another we were all just
(09:02):
hanging out at my parents' house and Brandy and Miley
were all over there hanging and my.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Sister was like absolutely losing. This was after like a
couple of seasons of hand of Montana and everything.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
So if you were to run into her, would you
ask her about that? Or would you just.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Like maybe, I don't know. I mean it's probably knowing me, yes,
knowing my social cues, I would miss all of them
and just be like, remember that time we were just like, ah,
you know that. I totally was yeah, And there's no
there's no way. She's lived so much life since you know,
she was fourteen year old.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And so yeah, and then you fell in love with
your Wifey in college.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Too, and did I ever she's right here.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I know. It's so cool learning that you have done
video work with Norad Jones and all the accomplishments you
had that's filled into his work.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
You've done your research.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I'm a country fan, so I grew up on like
Tim mcgron, my dad put on to my girl God
Paisley guard Brooks. But I want to get back to
that because the I mean, you shared how you were
putting out music and you were working on the music thing,
but it.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Like didn't hit yet. Well were you also doing around
that time?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Like what did that look like? Was it all pouring
into music? Did you have another job?
Speaker 3 (10:20):
No?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
I never, I never. Luckily I never had to get
another job. I had a publishing contract, so that it
was like a little draw probably. I think the most
I ever made was like thirty five grand What does
that mean? So, like, you sign a songwriting deal, So
I was signed as a songwriter. So I was writing
all my own music.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
How did you do that? Though? What guests signed as
a songwriter? That's pretty big?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Oh huge?
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yeah, And like the even that alone was just a
huge step for me. I was writing actually with two
of my buddies back in the day, like oh nine
Florida Georgia Line, Like they didn't even have a band
name yet, and like they were just they wanted to
be songwriters, and like I was the artist.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Like I was like, I know, I want to be
an artist. I want to be on stage.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
I want to play the songs that we're writing for
myself on my stage at my shows.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
And they're like, dude, dope.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
So we wrote my whole first EP was like ninety
percent with them, and so I think the songs that
we were writing kind of started getting spread around town,
and like, next thing I know, I'm getting an email
from Craig Wiseman, who's like one of the most legendary
Nashville songwriters of all time and just like he wrote
(11:36):
live like eer Dyine Tim McGraw's just to name one
of his thousands of hits. So next thing I know,
I'm getting emails from him and his company. And then
once that kind of some something went out with my
music on it that got the attention of like five
different publishers, and I had, next thing, I know, it's
(11:58):
like I'm getting deal offers left and right right.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
To four songwriting.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
So like that's me signing like the song portion away,
like the nine point.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Twenty five whatever, yeah, to split it. So my songwriting deal.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
So yeah, next thing I know, I just had like
offers on offers, and so I got to like, well,
this person's offering me this, and they're like all right, yeah,
we'll give you that, and so like I negotiate it
actually a really good first songwriting deal, and so I
was just living off that and so that was I mean,
it's nothing, it's not crazy, it's just like a thirty
(12:36):
five grand a year advance just to just so you
don't have to go, you know, drive around or you
know whatever, that you can put your full attention in
to writing songs. So I was, I was living off that.
But I will say, when you have three roommates and
your rent is two fifty a month, three hundred bucks
(13:00):
and no car payment, no nothing, that thirty five g's
a year goes a long way. Your boy was bawling.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Straight out of college.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
I was taking our friends downtown buying, yeah, every buying
everybody's drinks. I went, you know, like we went to
Chicago or something, and like we walked into All Saints
and I was just like, let's go, and I like
bought my first like expensive leather jacket. And by expensive,
I mean at the time it was like four hundred bucks,
(13:29):
which I was like, yeah, baby, that check just hit.
So then you get married and now and then I'm
responsible for one thousand dollars of rent and you know,
and I actually got dropped that income stopped when as
soon as we got married, crazy enough, and then there
(13:50):
was another deal happening behind the scenes. But it just
took so long to get you know that roll in
and so we had a we had a It wasn't
it wasn't rough for us. It was just financially rough,
you know, first kind of year of marriage to you know,
just keep chasing this dream.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
And so I'm grateful for it. Though. It's like I
really got.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
To kind of hone in my production, like I was
just in my studio every day.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Oh so you got drops so you can focus everything
on your own stuff. Well, I mean right, just like
you were, like, I need to better myself because you
kept saying that like I was, I'm gonna make it
no matter what, like I was not giving myself other options.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
Yeah, so really it's just like, okay, this I just
got dropped. So I mean I need to like I'm
not like a double down, like I'm not gonna go
I'm not gonna go drive around.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I'm not gonna deliver pizzas. You know. I'm like, but
I will.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
I would rather be poor and be honing my music
and writing and figuring this out than than doing that.
So really, you know, I kind of dove in and
started producing my own demos and really kind of like
making sounds and like produce sing a sound, you know,
and so Uh, it was like six months after we
(15:05):
got married is when I wrote Yours, my first single, Yeah,
and it was with two of my best friends that
we all went to Belmont together. And it's just like
it was just like that click moment of like why
did it take us so long for us three to
get together? And Yours was the second song we even
wrote together, and then like Blue Tacoma was probably the
(15:27):
fifth song we wrote together, which was my second number one,
and then every Little Thing was probably the tenth song
we wrote together.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
It was the third number one, Yeah, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
So it's just like us all of a sudden, So
we had this EP and I'm getting to the music video, and.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
We had this EP, the Yours EP, which was.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Yours, Blue Tacoma, every Little Thing, and another song named
you Know and like that's had three number ones on
this EP, and we took it around town, took it
around town literally like literally know, I could not get
a record deal, yeah, with an EP with three number one,
three platinum songs, you know what I mean. I'm not
(16:09):
saying that to bragg On myself.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I'm saying that what's going on here?
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:13):
And I don't know if they're like if I was
just like Nashville's like little cute little brother, you know,
like oh Pat, Pat.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Good for you.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Sometimes they don't see the real gold from where you're
from because I grew.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Up in Yeahville and it's like, oh yeah, we know Russell.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
We remember when he was nineteen and you know he
crossed our desks back in whatever. So anyways, we got
to the point of like, I know, I hope I
know that these are hit songs, Like I believe in
this music. I made this little ep. Nothing's happening, what
the heck is going on? And so we're like, well,
(16:47):
I guess we'll just like start dropping this on like
YouTube and like whatever. And she's like, we're going we're
shooting the music video. I'm gonna shoot this music video.
She had shot shot for nor Jones as you just
said and all that stuff. So she's like, all right,
let's go. And I was like in workout clothes, like
let's just go like practice, make sure we got some
cool shots.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
She's like, no, get dressed, we're shooting the video today,
and we just go out.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
We're just like praying. It was like God, we need
a miracle, because like nothing's happening?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
What is what's the deal here? And this video, man,
it's like if you go watch it, it's like all
of a sudden.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
She's like, go go again, go again. This is crazy
and I'm like, what's crazy. She's like there's literally.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Lightning like flashing behind your head everywhere. It's nuts.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
And I'm like, okay, sick, am I gonna are? We
gonna die? What it was happening? And she's just like,
go dude again, doe again And it starts like pouring
down rain and we just keep going and keep going.
But my best friends in the front with the ox
plugged in, just blaring it through the speakers and like,
I mean, we call it the six dollar Music Video
just because of the gas money we spent driving up
and down this road.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
And then.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
CMT nominated Music Video. You know, it's just like it's
crazy off.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
I mean New Artists.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Yeah, song of the Song of the Year nomination. Crazy.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
You reflected how that's so uncommon, but how cool it
was for you to have that moment. You've said it
is one of your proudest moments looking back so far.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Yeah, it was such a naive thing too, Like, like, dude,
my first single just had my first number one, like
the song behind it, Blue Ta Coma was already popping boom.
I got the nomination for ACM Song of the Year.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
And yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
It's wild, like I was nominated for New Artist and
song like Song of the Year, which to me that
and Entertainer are the two biggest because like so yeah,
it's just it was just like so naive, like oh
this is easy, bro like once the once the floodgates,
once the floodgates broke open, I was like, oh, song
(18:51):
of the Year to Let's go.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
And we lost.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
We lost to Dan and Shay Tequila. But if we're
going to lose to somebody, I mean, I guess it's
that's fine.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
That is such a such a cool story.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Was there other moments that you can pick out that
you just like, listen to.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Her leading and you're like, okay, that blew up into something.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
That her Yeah everything, I'm like because I was just
I like sometimes I just get like just go, just
like put it out, go like if it works at worry,
I'm not too proud. If it doesn't work, we'll do
another one whatever, But like you know exactly what the
story I want to tell love You Like I Used To.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
So this was beginning of whatever year. Wrote this song
called love.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
You Like I Used To and I'm so excited to
get back in the songwriting swing, like I'm ready to
write my next album. And she's like, I play it
for her and she's like, hmm, you know, she's like
the song, the title of the song is better than
(19:58):
the actual song. She's like the payoff is just waste
it whatever, And I was so mad. I was like, oh,
what the heck? It is ridiculous, and but she text
she we're all friends, and so she texts the other writers.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
She was like, is it just me?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Or like, did you guys kind of miss the and
they're like, yeah, you know, we just we were excited
just to get back and blah blah. So we go
back completely, rip the song to shreds, start over, rewrite it.
They come out on the bus one weekend with we're
opening for Lady A. We're on the bus trying to
like piece together fix this song, and we walk out
and I'm like, I think we did it, and like
(20:35):
my label was there, you know, one of our head
radio guys was there, and I remember playing it for
him and they were just like bro Like they were
like they did like drop their phone, like Mike dropped
like oh shit, this is like this.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Is gonna be something, and I.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Was like, I hope so, you know, cause you know,
we wrote a really bad song and then we just
kind of ripped it to shreds and pieced it back
together and ended up being one of my biggest songs. Yeah,
it's like it's the longest running top ten in country
radio history. Crazy Wow, tied sorry with Lone Star Amazed.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Thank you for You're gonna get clocked for that one now,
I'm kidding. Thank you for sharing that, And it's it
puts a new perspective to like my better half because
I just got married too, and I feel like, because
thank you, I feel like things that I lack, like
he'll put me in my place and be like I
was like, you know, we could do better there, Like
you really had to do it. So it's it's cool
(21:36):
that you can recognize that and that you have that
relationship that you guys are so open with each.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Other like she's sorry, Yeah, she's like she's like seized
the moment. This is it, Like let's go. And I'm
more like God's gonna do it or ain't. You know
it's gonna happen there. But you know, if we cross paths,
if we.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
Send it, Like we were golfing in Hawaii and Justin
b was one hole in front of us.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
Just like, Babe, go talk to him, go say hi,
this is your.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Chance telling me no, Dana Shay telling me that. I'm
just like if we if we meet, we meet bro,
like you know, it's like, but I didn't want to
it's beabes.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
You know, everybody's coming up.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
To Beaber but Dan and she was a perfect locking
like that was I would have really pushed for that.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yeah, yeah, I know you create your up. Maybe that's true. Yeah,
that's true.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
No, no, it's okay. That's so funny. Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
And just hearing that through that, I mean, so many
great moments have happened for you.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
I want to get into today, but there's just you
said that.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
One of your proudest moments as well was opening for
Tim McGraw back in I think twenty twenty two. And
he is one of my ultimates, right, and I met
him and he was so sweet and nice. He's so
down for things. So what did you learn going on
tour with them.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
I mean, he he just stays hungry. You know, he's
been doing this since eighty nine. You know that was
I was two years old. And he's still out here
selling tickets, selling tickets, you know, and so to be
you know, his opening act right before, right before he
(23:15):
goes on, just to see the crowd, the stage, how
he how he handles his band and crew, how he
handles his family.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
A family man, you know, and always there.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Yeah, and Faith was just you know, ninety percent of
the shows, Faith Hill was just right there behind the
monitor desk, just dancing and being his number one fan.
And it's so that was amazing to see. And there
was one night I remember we were all just sitting
around after a show and he, uh, he was just
kind of pouring into me and the other openers and stuff,
(23:50):
and he was just like, you can't, uh, you can't outwork.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
No.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
What did he say?
Speaker 4 (23:58):
It was like he was like, you can't. You can't
work a bad song? You know, does that make sense?
Like you can't like it's all about this song. Like
you can work as hard as you want on a
on a mediocre song, but like if you spend your
time and focus on like the right songs, the best songs.
He's like, it's gonna make your career so much better,
(24:19):
so much easier, and that just he's so right, because
I feel like I've I've had both, like I've had
like hit hits and I've had like hits and hit.
Then my hits are not fun because it's so much extra,
so much extra work.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Well, you even touched on that with the song that
you had to go rework and write that if you
would have just put that out, and even if your wife.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
Is saying, man, it wouldn't have even made it to radio,
you know what I mean, It would have been like
buried in like track fifteen of an album, a hidden.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Track at bed.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
And now with your baby that you put out this summer, congratulations.
You were saying that this is like the most you
felt you to put out and write and and then
seeing that Russell Mania just took off, the biggest shows
you've been able to play and the craziest how has
that been so far on this journey for this leg,
(25:21):
this is the year I've.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Been waiting for from a career standpoint, Yeah, just two
and it's like I finally feel like the dreams that
I dream in my mind and in my heart are
finally matching up with what I get to see every night,
you know, And it's like that's just it's just so
(25:45):
fun and this is all I've ever wanted to do
and like to see. What really is crazy is like
the shows that I used to be the opening act for,
like Thomas Rhett and Tim McGraw and you name it,
and it's like it's like, oh, man, like I know
they're not here for me, but I get to hopefully
make a new fan. And it's really been a hard
(26:06):
mind shift because it happened like the whole journey didn't
happen quick, but this this year happened quick, and I
had to like I've had to like reset my mind,
especially entering into these venues that I used to be
the opener for. And it's just like I'm still in
that headspace. All Right, I'm gonna go out there. I
gotta get the crowd super hype, I gotta run around
and not da da And like my wife, she's just
(26:29):
like that's what I's what else I learned from Tim
Or I'll just stick it, like you can go out
I can go out there now and just stand there.
You know what I mean, and they'll just like they'll
be so hype because.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
We try so hard to prove and prove and prove
and prove, and it gets to that point where we're
like we can just be and be loved.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
And I'm still learning how to do that because for
so long I was the opening act and that's why
people brought me on tour though, Like I was the
guy who, you know, no slow songs, boom thirty forty
five minutes of bangers, songs that they know ish and
running around getting everybody hype and dancing, and and then
I just had to like I'm still like learning how
(27:07):
to shed that off to be like the I don't
know what it's superstar performance, you know, the headliner, the
headlining performance instead of the opening act.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Also, you're really proud about how your past like big
big hits have been more like ballady, lovey songs, but
this one is really oh yeah, turned up, which is
reflective of your personality to talk about.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
That, and I just think that's it. It's all locking
in now. It's like I got Yours was just like
such a huge song for me, like my first song,
and so I was like, oh, okay, well like this
is my this is my lane, I guess. And then
but like blots come every little thing.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Weren't really like ballads, and then love you like I
used to, you know, another another one, and so I'm
like all right, well, like I'm fine with being the
love song guy, Like I'll be the Michael Bolton of
country music. I don't give a frick dude, you know
I can go the distance.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I can.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
So anyways, yeah, and so no I am.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
It's like I had it and again I had a
song called Bones right before happened to me, and I'm
on the phone, We're in the UK, We're like planning
the tour, like all right, we have to name this tour.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
What are we going to name it for next year?
And I was like it has to be Rustlemania.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
And he was like yeah, but like Bones is out
right now and it's like this again, a power ballady
love song. And I was like, yeah, I don't care,
you know, like sorry, it's just we're gonna do it. Yeah,
And little did we know that in two months happened
to me it was going to drop and just blow
(28:54):
Bones out of the water exactly. And then it just
that locked In, rustle Mania locked In came together, and
I mean we literally saw like ticket sales just you know,
wow instantly, which is creat I get chills, Like that's
because you don't know, like you like, you can have
a huge song, but that doesn't mean people want to
(29:15):
come to your show. But for some reason that yeah,
it really yeah. And I think if this would have
been my first single, I don't think that would have
been the case. It would have been like, oh, cool song,
Like who what is this guy? Like like, oh, this
is Russell Diggerson, Blue Ta Coma Yours, I love you
like every little you know, she likes it, you know,
like it kind of like stringing all these songs together
(29:38):
and maybe just like click for people or something and
now it's yeah, now we get to play sheds and
arenas and red rocks and all kinds of.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Stuff and pop out for a.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Jonas Brothers, Joe, j'n go back like your summers in
New York City because they're Jersey boys. I'll you guys,
cross paths. How did that even happen? Because I'm also
Hu Jonah's brother. I just saw them in San Francisco.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
So it started with management and then they sent like
fifteen dates and they're like, just let us know if
anything works.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
And I was like okay, crazy wow and uh. And
then Kevin texts my creative directory. They grew up together
some yeah, crazy connection, and Kevin texts her. He was like, hey,
I know this is happening, but like we want Russell
like on Friday. Oh, and she's like okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
It was like they're like either Chicago or.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Detroit, and I couldn't do Chicago and they were like okay,
Detroit like in three days. And she's like, okay, let
me check, and like she calls you like hey, Kevin,
just text me a sidebar that like they really want
you to do Detroit. And I was like, we have
a show the next night, but I think we could
do it, and so we just booked booked you her me, Danielle,
(30:58):
her husband, and I was like, Okay, we're gonna do this.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
We're gonna go out, but our goal is to walk
out of this night.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
This arena with them featuring on happened to me like
we went we went in with a mission and I
was like, Danielle, you're coming with us, You're flying. I'm
buying both of your plane tickets. We're all gonna go.
We're all gonna hang be cause they grew up together,
you know what I mean. So like yeah, yeah, and
like this is sad, but like her father passed away
and all the brothers came and their dad came to
(31:28):
the funeral. Like we were at that funeral together, you
know what I mean. So it's like I was like, okay,
we've we've got all these connections. Was like, we're going
to walk out of here with a Joe Bro feature
on Happen to Me? And we're talking to the dad.
We're talking to Kevin Senior backstage and he kind of
runs the hole behind the scenes, you know, and Danielle
is like, the boys should hop on this song, like
(31:49):
it's really popping off, like it's going it's about to
go number one on country and dah da dad, He's like, oh,
He's like why wouldn't we absolutely, and so uh, here
we are with Happened to Me featuring the Jonas brothers.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Who was more excited, Kaylin or you? Because I mean I'm.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Just like, yeah, I grew up Joe Bro adjacent. My
little sister was the you know.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Obsessed, and so I was like Okay, cool, I can
jam to three thousand, you know, I can jam to
you know whatever, burn it up, you know. But yeah, no,
it's just and my sister flew to the show.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
I was going to say, please help my sister.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
I flew my cousin Leanne the Moscarella from Long Island.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
You'd be looking at how all from Long Island beautiful?
Speaker 1 (32:39):
Wow, that is so awesome.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:43):
They were like, uh, do you know how much these
flights are. I was like, nope, I don't care. Get here,
this is this is only gonna happen one time.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
You gotta be there.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
And did you write that for them?
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Or how did the what their feature?
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (32:55):
They just sang verse two. They just took verse two.
They stacked their beautiful harm and he's on it. And
it's just so cool to like they like they have
like their thing and you can tell, like in the
I'm listening to all the different harmonies, I'm like, oh, yeah,
that's Joe's like signature, like yeah, you know, just like
cool stuff in It's just like Nick sent me a
(33:16):
video from the studio of him just like you know.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
All the vocals all stack and he was like it
sounded fire. I was like, Oh my god, bro, I
got chills. This is crazy. And yeah, just I can't
believe this is real.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
I can't believe this is real. That is so cool.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
So you get out on stage with them and then
now they're a featured all the songs.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
Now they're part of that journey for you.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Yes, it's cool.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
It's only gonna elevate it more to even more of
the pop fans. And I also live hearing.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
I mean when I heard your album, I even heard
one of your songs that has that like hip hoppy
twain because I.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Know you grew up like on that too, like I
did too.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
And it's so beautiful that we're in a time where
we can melt some of those together. Yeah, And you're
always defending any one that wants to come and celebrate
the country world. Where does that come from for you?
Because there's other critics that want to kind of gatekeep it.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
There's they're either like they're either like not that country
and they're trying to pretend to be. You know what
I'm saying, like, why would you take this upon yourself
to defend somebody else's music and or critique some of
you know what I'm saying either that or they are
just like straight up the only thing they've ever listened
to is Waylon Jennings, which is fine, But I grew
(34:33):
up listening to Garth, Tim Shanaia.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Usher, Jagged Edge, Luda, Uh, you.
Speaker 4 (34:43):
Know what I mean, and so like I mean, my
mom like broke my little Wayne City in half because
she heard it, you know what I mean? Rightfully so,
and you know Marshall Marshall Mathers LP like like I
can't believe I listened to that. Listen to it now,
but yeah, like I grew up on every Red Hot,
Chili Peppers, Blank one eighty two metal, and I don't
(35:03):
know it just like why would you? Pop doesn't sound
the same. Pop doesn't sound like the Beatles anymore, you know,
And it's just.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Like why why would you? There's just purists and like they,
I don't know, they're self righteous thinking that they can
just like preserve a genre.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
But I'm like, why, dude, Like why not have a
little twang with a eight oh eight underneath it? And
so you're probably talking about heard it in a country song? Yeah,
and like that is directly inspired by nice and Slow.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Uhsure, Like if you hear the guitar that goes.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
Boom like that little thing was like straight up like
I was like maybe because they were playing the chords,
and I was like, dude, this kind of feels like that.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
I just take it.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
I'm probably gonna get sued now.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
But what is called what's that word infringement? Interpolation and
that's the word of the year.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
Dude.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
If if I got to put Usher Raymond on a song,
I'm just mad they call me us h E R
do you that?
Speaker 3 (36:10):
How old are you?
Speaker 1 (36:12):
I'm thirty one?
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Okay, you don't know.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
That I was a Confessions girly Confessions with my album
in middle school.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Yeah, this is this is going back to like ninety
eight my way.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah, I'll do my history. I'm sorry, I thought.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
You were just going to join in with me. Sorry,
she's too young for Usher's first album.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
No, No, I heard you talk about something that made
me giggle because I also strive to.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Not be a diva like you want to be.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
The anti diva correct, And especially.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
Like radio, I hear a whole bunch of horror.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Stories and I've been like in rooms and work for
people that were that in radio, and I'm sure you've
seen it. In country with yourself. So how do you
how do you try to stay away from that stigma.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
I probably do it too much, Kaylee's yeah, oh yeah,
She's like, you do it too much. And I don't know,
I think, well, should I tell the og story? Like
she called me out one time for kind of kind
of being a diva? Oh and I still don't remember
(37:17):
what she said or something, but it just like it
like broke my heart.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
And she didn't mean to do that at all.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
She was just like, I don't even remember what she said,
but it was like something diva esque, like you in
my head, You're like you're just like X y Z artists.
And I was like, oh and just like something just
like broke in my heart and I was like, oh
my god, I never want to be no book.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
It's like who are you?
Speaker 4 (37:44):
You know, like cool, you have mass of massive success,
but like at the end of the day, we're all
human and we're all like, I don't know, I just
it's it is a goal to like not ever let
that creep in and no matter no matter how many
assistants we got carrying my Louis bag.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Don't have that. But uh, and you know, just I
just like, I don't know. I just I don't.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
I never want to let success and fame change who
I've always been as a human.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Period.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
That's one period.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Well, you've also shared how you grew up with the
people you're still around, your college squad, you call them
your fire squad.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Got it? Well?
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Was there like have there been moments where there too
have been like telling you, bro, like calm down a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
No, No, they've never. I think it's the opposite.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
I feel like they're like, oh wow, like you know Ardis,
I mean you can tell, they probably tell you. But
when people like outside of our circle ask them, I've
you know, they just tell us like no, like ardis
like shockingly the same same old.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
Goofy, ridiculous, over the top r D. I guess. Uh.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
And then something that I do want to bring up
is I see you on the PJ. You're playing cards?
You like, do you play cards often? What are your games?
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Yeah? We do uh called four card golf. I don't know, golf,
like even on the card Yes, it's crazy. Uh yeah.
Our our video guy, yeah, he taught us this game.
It's just four card golf.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
We play dice too, We do the uh like busts
or like one hundred. You have to get to one hundred.
If you roll a one, you lose your points that round,
if you roll snake Eyes, you lose all your points.
So the first two one hundred wins. It's so fun.
So it's just like, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
Well, what kind of a game? Where are you?
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Because me and my husband, like we were banned on
some games. We get way too competive.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
Like Nerts. You ever play Nerts couples with because.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
You're like, like when we play with our Fire Squad friends,
like there's a couple that can't be on the same
team because.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
They will literally get divorced. They're one round of nerds
away from divorce.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Ours.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
We can't play family like you can't play Setter Like.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
It was a blowouts in the worst way. So we've
had to pray about that one.
Speaker 4 (40:14):
After Settlers, that's funny.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
It's coming out with the Netflix. Got the rights to
a movie or a show or something about I know.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
I've never played Settlers. It's so good.
Speaker 1 (40:27):
Get into it with the Fire Squad. It'll get fighty.
I'll tell you, I'll tell.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
You something else. You like to find my friend's apple lot?
Speaker 5 (40:36):
Okay, yeah, like like, what do you do on there?
Speaker 3 (40:41):
Well, it's like you loved to Find my Friends app.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
She has like forty nine friends on usually like your mom,
your dad, your family.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
You know. It's like, but she you're the find my
friend er. She oh, man, Kate.
Speaker 4 (41:02):
We were on the road and we're like a three
hour time difference, so I'm still sleeping and she somehow
thinks I'm dead because my phone wasn't moving, or we're
on the bus and you can ping.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
It, you call and call and call and call.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
I wasn't answering, so she thinks I'm literally dead and
I just like finally fell back asleep. I was up
all night terrible bus drive and like it's just like
my phone starts and I'm just like, oh what, And
I know what it means. It means that I'm not
answering my phone. I know what that means.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
And I call her.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
I'm like, are you please what this bet? Did somebody
or our children alive?
Speaker 3 (41:44):
What? She's like, are you alive?
Speaker 1 (41:47):
Are you alive?
Speaker 3 (41:48):
I'm just making sure you're alive, okay, dude. And so
I was like, oh my gosh, find my freaking friends. Yeah,
but it is fun to look to see where people were,
what's your what's your homies up too?
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Exactly?
Speaker 5 (42:02):
Yes, and something beautiful to you brought your son on
stage and he did it like sing and do.
Speaker 1 (42:06):
You see that in the boys tubing a boy dad?
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
I mean Remy was so adamant because he we played
the Grand Ole Opry and he just it's a daddy
show to him, and that's a concert and he you know,
he can come out if he wants on my shows.
Speaker 3 (42:22):
I'm like, whatever you want to do, bro, Like the
crowd loves that stuff.
Speaker 4 (42:25):
And when she comes out too, and so he was like,
I'm coming out on stage. I was like, it's a
different vibe here, you know, the Opry is more buttoned up,
and did it and he.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
Just like I would. He was just like lost it.
He was like oh yes, he was.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
Like crying and I was like, bro, chill, chill out stop.
I was like, we'll figure something out. And then I
was just like, all right, fine at the end, at
the very end, just like run out and come give
me a hug. And so he just like at the
end of yours.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
It's very cute. He just like ran out there and
just jumped in my arms. It was adorable.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
It's funny that he dictates when he goes out or not.
I didn't realize that. I love that. I'm gonna go
out the the oprio. Okay, I don't care what you say. Yeah, yeah,
I love that.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
Now, looking at twenty twenty six, I mean, we're here,
ready the holidays. So where's your brain now? Are you
still trying to stay as present as you can? Have
been working on more music? I mean, I'm sure you are,
But what are you what are you really gearing up
for the new year and next year?
Speaker 4 (43:25):
I mean, I'm we're winded down, and I really just
I think it's time to take a breath, you know,
because it's just a lot of stuff is coming in
next year because of what's happened this year. And yeah,
I think it's time to chill out. As much as
I want to, I mean we were just talking about
this the other night, as much as I want to
(43:45):
go straight into writing the next album and recording and
getting and going, like, I just canceled a whole like
writing retreat, and I'm just like, I don't, I can't
do it. I need a chill, I need a breath.
I need to hang out with my family uninterrupted and
be home and be present so until until next year. Yeah,
I just and I need to, like, I need to
(44:07):
prepare for next year. It's like it's going to be
the year of my bucket list dreams. You know we've got,
don't I don't know what we can and can announce.
Speaker 3 (44:18):
I don't care.
Speaker 4 (44:18):
It's like we've got red rocks and the Greek in
La and you know, these amphitheaters are just like the
most the biggest crowds that will ever be that we
have yet to be in front of, right, So it's like,
I don't know. I just want to, like, I want
to mentally prepare for that. I want to get creative
in our show and concept and have time to dream
again and all that.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
And just prep for next year.
Speaker 2 (44:40):
I'm really proudly are gonna take time to view with
the family. And there's so many families that look up
to you guys and your your dynamic and are working too.
So thank you for being an example of that and
we cannot wait to see what you have for us
the next year.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
Fans in the comments want to see you in Germany.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
Ooh.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
They want to see you do more with Trey Kennedy.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
Yes, so that was a.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
Fun moment and and us too. We can't wait to
see so thank you so much for the time. I
know you're so busy and.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
We really appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
Congratulations on everything, and we're going to be there rooting
you on for every next.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
Up of the way, great interview by the way you
Speaker 1 (45:14):
Do of course, Man Russell Dickerson
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