Mitchell Tenpenny was born and raised in Nashville, TN and has an interesting perspective growing up around country music his entire life. He talks to Bobby about what it was like having a grandmother and mother who worked in the music industry, the other artist he grew up with in town and how he made the shift from rock music to country. Mitchell talks about writing his current duet with Chris Young and getting to perform it with him recently on the ACMs. He also talks about getting engaged and how the relationship dynamics works with his wife who is also an artist. He reveals what song he wrote about her on his new upcoming project The Lowlight Sessions.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
M episode three thirty nine with Mitchell Tinpenny. You will
know him from this song right here and Copia no
hang over like you. He's got a lot more on
his on his resume as well. We'll talk about that.
But I mean it's an hour and I actually had
(00:22):
a great time doing this talk. So Mitchell tin Penny,
who grew up here in Nashville, which is so rare
that someone who grows up here actually stays, and then
his successful My mind was blown later on when I say,
and you can listen to see what he says, but
I said, hey, anybody else you know you grew up
here with the Nashville kind of making it, And not
only did he name somebody, but he goes, yeah, we
were a duo once and I was like, wait, what
(00:43):
are they crazy? The second time it's happened on this podcast,
so that comes up. But enjoy Mitchell Tinpenny, follow him
M one zero Penny, mit m tin Penny, get it
and here we go. It's Mitchell tin Penny myself here
on the Bobby Case. This is a special occasion because
I just got off the air. I mean, I drove home.
(01:03):
Where'd you come from home? It's a minute from yours.
Are you leaving? Yeah, I'm flying to Dallas right to this. Okay,
so we're both running right. So we lined it up,
but on the air for five hours, you're leaving immediately.
But we made it happen. And so if my voice
starts to sound like yours, that's being cool because you
got the good then you know that I've just been
(01:25):
on the air for like five or six hours. But
it's really good to see you, man. It has I
feel like we've we ran into each other a couple
of times. A couple of times at the golf course,
probably when I was playing down in Brentwood with one
of my managers. Yea, a governor's Governor's club, and I
believe you had a broken golf club. I've just broke it.
(01:48):
I hit it was actually one of my only good
drives all day, but the club snapped in half after
I hit the ball. And it was a good drive
that happened. That's not usually how it happens. Usually, you know,
it's when I mess something up in a rock, it
chips it out. So and you're what are you going today?
Heading to Dallas to do? Yeah? To do what I'm
eating a new PD up there because you got a
(02:08):
new song, new well, new song. But also it's just
you know, since my radio tour, a lot of things
have changed. I just want to get to know everybody.
So we're heading up there. It's gonna have dinner and
then come back tomorrow. Yeah. I guess my point is, Um,
you have a new project coming out, and that's kind
of you know, you go, oh, I gotta make sure
I know everybody, got to make sure make those relationships
because they're so important. No, absolutely they are. And um,
(02:29):
yeah we have a new song and you know, doing
all that, and I just I don't know. That's how
I've always been in town. I want to actually know people.
And um, so yeah, he's you know, we're gonna go
out there. You down just for dinner, just for some
supper man go back. Who's the program director. I don't
even know his name yet. I mean, like that a
good reason to go. Yeah, they told him. They're like
he's brand new and love and I'm like, well, I
(02:49):
want to go. So let's set it up. They're like,
well you have to fly dollars. It's like, let's fly
to Dallas. Let's go. I like the hustle. Um, so
let's run through a few things might before we kind
of get going with Mitchell here, Uh, play drunk me
please COPI Sometimes you hear a song and just remind
(03:11):
you of a time, and that song to me, it
almost it reminds me of a good time, but it
makes me feel tired because I was doing Dancing with
the Stars and that song was crushing, or maybe I
just finished and I remember that's all they would sing.
And I think you came in. I brought you into
the studio because a couple of the I was training
and I was like Jarna and there was another girl
(03:32):
that was training. They won't stop singing this song. And
that's what that reminds me of. It's like that feeling
of like not that the song. I love the song,
but that's that's a that's a rough one, my guard.
That one. Mike and I were living in an apartment
in l A. Yeah, that's the first time I met
you during all them, I know, we met out like
a lunch well something like super quick, but that was
(03:52):
the first time I got to we get to hang
out and talk and do the whole thing. And and yeah,
we we talked about it how tired you. I was like,
I can't imagine going back like you and Luke Brian.
I don't know how you are alive. I don't know
has so much energy. That's a difference. I don't have
any energy. Laugh, I'm always doing stuff. I have any energy,
looks like you know a mile a minute. Um, Here
is if the boot fits from Granger Smith which you wrote, whoa,
(04:21):
And here is the current song truth about you? Here
you go if you wait last about me, I won't
tell the truth of aout you. That's Brad Cutts. That
that cuts Yeah, when you're in a room and you
guys are writing that song because you know it kind
of sounds like that would be a love song if
you know, but it hits you. It reminds me. Not
(04:42):
written the same way or anything, but the feeling I
got when I heard Gabby Barrett. I hope because the
whole song they're like, I hope it's everything is good,
everything is good. Then I hope she eats like, oh God,
I mean that's why I love this. I love that
song so much. I love waiting to the end. Yeah,
you know I love movies like that. I love make
people you don't have to wait, you know, to find
out what the song is about. And um, you going
(05:04):
to a room, you Matt Alderman, Thomas Archer, you go
into this room and who think it's hard to remember
an exact conversation, but kind of walked me through that
creative process. Yeah, I mean we were you know, we
had nothing that day and you you you know you
have a hookbook on your iPhone. We started going through
stuff and I don't know, some kind of phrase came
out like if you if you quit lying, I promise
(05:25):
I won't tell truth or something, and and I was
like immediately I stopped. I was like, hold on, we
need a massage that out, because I know exactly how
to write that song. I have lived that song and
all honestly, I've been the guy that hasn't told the
truth about a relationship afterwards, you know, and I've been
on the other side that it hasn't been told the
truth about. You know, we always want a better story.
And I was like, I just want to write that song.
(05:46):
And from a perspective of you know, when I think
a lot of people dealt with and then apparently they
have and you were gonna come to the studio perform that,
but somebody gets sick. Yeah maybe a band member was
my brother, Yeah, he's my Bambi. Yeah, he was just
just the actual cold. It was crazy. Well, every cold
is COVID until it's not. You gotta prove everything it's not. Um.
(06:07):
By the way, you're on the song with Chris Young here,
which is I think a number twenty six right now
here is at the end of the bar. You can
hear a cover. Man. Man, So what's been happening with
you during the last year and a half or so,
(06:27):
if you've just been writing a lot? Yeah, Man, writing
a lot and and just you know, getting back to
what we did at the beginning, you know, trying to
trying to trying to play a lot of shows and
make fans like you know, even you know, Quarantine was
it sucked for a while, honestly, but we got out
pretty early. Uh you know when we started to when
we were a loud and we just played everywhere that
(06:47):
would let us play UM and kind of built that
go and built that fan base we started with. Man,
it was just fun to get out and play shows
and in experienced life again because I had nothing to
write about, you know, I like to yeah, that's true too.
How do you create when there's nothing that's actually inspiring
you to create? Absolutely? I mean I get my ideas,
you know, sitting with friends or you know, even sitting
at a barn, you know, with Chris. That's where that
(07:07):
idea came from. And so I wasn't living a lot
of life. So I was like, man, we need to
get back down the road. And a lot of ideas
came from them. So you're out playing a lot of
shows and again, you have I'm not just saying this,
a lot of people say this, you have like really
one of the best voices in Nashville as a singer.
Do you feel because your voice is such a prize
if you're playing a lot of shows, you have to
do things to make sure that now as you get
(07:28):
a little bit older, that doesn't just you know, fade
off or you break something. It is the biggest stress
of my life, man. It is not being able to
sing is It's the heaviest way I have to deal with.
It's just every single day, like you show up and
you realize, like this is what you're paid to do,
and you have people that work with you, and they
get paid because you're seeing it's it is stressful. So
(07:50):
I've learned who knows what I can do and what
I can't do on the road and a lot more water.
I'm like when you ask for water, like a year ago,
I've been like, no, I'm cool, but I've made in
my mind if I get asked for water, I say yes. Like, so,
is there a pressure on you too, because as you
mentioned there, you're not just providing for you, but you
are also the basis of other people's lives too. Yeah, man,
(08:12):
And that's uh, you know, it's it's not really why
you pick up a guitar as a kid. You don't think. Yeah,
and I love it. I'm enjoying every second of it.
But it's part of growing up, man, and it's something
you learned. And it's just being responsible, maturing. I guess
um a few years ago you just you think you're invincible.
But as you get on the road and you're touring,
you're singing every day, like you said, you've been working
for five hours already. Your voice it's just a muscle.
(08:34):
It's a tiny muscle and it's got to have rest.
And so yeah, man, I do, but it's you know,
it's also a muscle that's trained. You do it over
and over again. It does help, you know, I can
go a little bit longer than some people who screamed
for a night at a at a concert because I
do it every day. That's true. It's like one of
my biceps is so big. You know, I do it
since I do curls a lot of single time. So
you are. And I've had a couple of these conversations recently, oddly,
(08:58):
if I'm correct, you up here in Nashville, and so
one of the conversations that I have with people is like,
who was in your class, like when you came to town,
Because when I moved here, it was also Dan and
Shay and like we were. I was doing my thing
on a low young level they were doing And so
there's that group. But for you, that's not really a
(09:18):
question because you've always been here. But I guess, in
a way, are there those other people that have been
here the whole time that you've kind of grown with? Um?
I was just Earnest Man. That's exactly what I was
talking about, was Earnest Yeah. I mean we've been since
eight years old. I mean we we first signed as
a duo to Sony. Wait, did you know that, Mike,
(09:40):
I didn't know that. No. Um, Sony Publishing signed us.
The Warm Brothers signed me and him. Um the war
you know the word. They're great songwriters and yeah, we
were supposed to be a duo developing thing and uh
we played a whiskey jam and Um, his name's Jimmy Robbins.
She's a great songwriter. Came up to us afterwards and
just pumped us up. We thought we were like making
(10:01):
it and it was just a special time in writing
really cool music. And then Keith really wanted to focus
more on the writing. I want to do this other thing,
and we just mutually said, hey, let's let's do it.
Let's split up for a minute. Like not. There was
never any hard feelings on him. We kind of both
took our own lanes. And I mean, look what he's
doing now. I couldn't be more proud of him, man.
And and he's actually my my younger brothers three years
younger than be their best friends. They grew up in
(10:22):
high school together. Every studio I would build around my place,
they would be there and we just has kids were
playing music together. Man. So he's he is the writer
Die from the beginning. And but everyone else I played
music with the bands were smart and they got out
of it. I guess my mind because I was had
Earnest here last week a couple of weeks ago, weeks ago,
and was talking to about growing up in Nashville, and
(10:43):
didn't know you guys had that relationship. Definitely didn't know.
It's interesting too. I had another guy up here and
he plays guitar for Tim McGraw and uh, he played
a lot of guitar stuff for al Dean on Aldeen's records,
and he just was like yeah, And you know what,
one time Aldi and I were a duo and they
tried to sign us and I was like, wait, what
that's like you guys just dropping out the hundred dollar
(11:04):
bill and um, So, as a kid in Nashville, was
it normal to see some of the greats just out
at the groceries? Because I see Kip and Brett, like
those are like and and Brett and I are actually
really close friends. But it's like they're just normal. They're
(11:25):
just normal folks here now. But when you were young,
did you ever see the normal folks that we think of?
It's like, wow, that those the gods of country music. Yeah,
you know, I have a little bit unique situation, but
that my my grandmother was president of Sony Publishing for
thirty years, so I got to see, you know, I
got to see a lot of artists as she signed
Brooks and Dunna, you know, Taylor, so I got to
(11:47):
be in I got to see them. But I think
it was a different time too, is like, I don't know,
I didn't I didn't see people walking around. I only
saw him an industry things with my grandmother. It was
a different time like they were for me, such super ours,
you know, like you you didn't see you know, Ronnie
Dunne walking down the block or something, or Kicks Brookes,
you know, or I don't know, Randy Travis. You didn't
(12:08):
see these guys out that. I was like, But I
think I don't know. As we got as we get younger,
I mean, as as the music progressed and times changed,
I think people are like, I don't know. I see
him at the bar, I see him at tin roof.
You know, there's a lot of people out there. I
was like, you said, I see Brett Aldre just walking
his dog, probably this backpack on with the water it
coming out the absolutely, So I don't know why did
you walk in your dog? You're not going to tracking
(12:28):
the him alas, like, why do you got a backpack
of water? Uh? Growing up in Nashville's your perspective of
Nashville is obviously different then, because this is normal everybody else.
Like you drive up in a Nashville you see the
buildings like, wow, okay, I'm here, but you grow up
in it, yet you still wanted to stay in it. Now,
if your grandmother had a big job at a major
(12:49):
record company, did your parents do anything in music at all?
And my mom uh did building for demo writers. She
still does, so okay in the industry, yeah, she's in
the dad worked U I'm telephone poles for Bell Seuth,
so completely opposite. That was smart then, yes, my dad
got out of that stuff first. So then were they going, Hey, Mitchell,
(13:10):
I don't I've been in the music industry. I don't
think it's the best thing to do. If you want
to do it, We're not gonna stop you. But it
ain't what it seems, man. I'll be honest. I've had
these conversations with my friends that I moved here that
their parents didn't agree with them, and it actually made
them feel, you know, like they'll never make it. And
I never had that an incredible parents, incredible grandparents that
(13:33):
came to every sporting event I did. I was, I
was a drummer, Leeds screamer, and my parents herode that shows.
And they didn't like the music, but they were there.
And you know, I remember I played my mom and
acoustic thing one time. She started crying because she was
just so happy I wasn't playing in a metal band anymore.
And I was like, man, I want to make my
mom cry again like that. So it's it's uh. I
was very lucky, very blessed, and I and I and
(13:55):
I can't imagine the pressure of trying to prove your
parents I'm wrong. And I have a lot of friends
that have done that and all the all the power,
more power to them. But I didn't, you know, very blessed.
You know, I wondered though, if and if I when
we have kids, I won't want them to do this.
If they want to do it, I will support them wholeheartedly,
(14:15):
but I'm going to make sure I'm not gonna force
anything to them. I'm gonna make sure they see both sides.
Of it. This is for of it. People. It's a
really terrible job where you make no money. And I
say that now and that's not the case with me anymore,
but for most of my life or less significant part
(14:36):
of my life, it was. And I think it's explaining
that and going, hey, I'm gonna let you know all
the words to all the wards, all the it's it's
not just on TV, it's not just a big concerts.
But if you want to, I'm gonna convince them. I'm
gonna work so hard and making sure they know that.
If they still tell me they want to do it,
I'm like, then let's go, because you must really want
to do it. Yeah, I mean, but that's good parenting.
(14:57):
I mean, they told me some advice, they told me
the horrors. I was like, I know, whatever, did awesome. Yeah,
And then I've seen them and I'm like, yeah, you're right.
But they didn't say don't do it, and uh say,
I'm saying I want kids too, man, And I with
the two things I loved for football and and uh music,
and I would warn them about both. You know what,
you know, you're the rarity that it's football. You know,
obviously with most of these brownies are all big baseball studs. Hey, yeah, Keith,
(15:20):
Keith played a lot of or Earnest sorry he's Keith
to be Earnest Ernest. K Yeah, he played baseball growd.
I mean we we went to David Lipcom right down
the road together, so like we were all in sports
and he was great. And how good of a football
player were you in high school? And I don't want
to so I'm asking. You're not bragging. I am actually
I'm kidding extracting this from you. I I started, you know,
(15:43):
all four years. He started as a ninth grade on
thee on this yeah, and then um, and then we
won a state championship with Glenn McAdams, who was you know,
rest in Peace, one of the best coaches. And uh,
you started in ninth grade. So I'm a back hurt everything.
For those that maybe you don't know, I don't care
what classification school you're in, what class you guys planning? Uh? Well, shoot,
(16:06):
I was too. I graduated two thousand and eight. Oh
what class we were? We got moved up to three
A from two A. So I don't care if you're
single A, which was what high school was when I
was going if you're starting in ninth grade, you gotta
be really good. And that's pretty cool. And you were
were you what position? Yeah? Wow, look at you. So
(16:28):
how did you get the punting job because that was
always on our team somebody that was just screwing around
a practice and the coach is like, oh, you're pretty
good at that. Let's see if you can do it.
Here that just screwed around a practice pretty naturally athletic.
I don't look like it anymore. But I love sports
more than anything. I love to compete. I'm I loved it, man,
and that's I would just whether, you know, I don't
know how good I was, but I just really wanted
(16:49):
to win and I would give my body to it.
Like and that's what I would tell my kids. Now
it's it's not worth it, man. I remember we played
Dante high Tower, who's a you know, Super Bowl champion.
I was just so tired of hearing about Dante Hi Tower.
He was a running back from Marshall County. I said,
I'm gonna hit him. I'm gonna hit him hard because
I'm tired of y'all tell me how good he is.
I remember we met right in the middle and he
and I just remember that day everything shivered down my spine.
(17:12):
We both dropped. I made the tackle, but my life
was changed where I was like, I know why I'm
never playing football. This guy's going with the pros because
he was just so big and strong and I was
just so not even stupid to think that I could mind,
could I could take him one on? More? Brave it
how it ends up, if it ends up with you, Dominie,
Like I was just so brave. Yeah, yeah, I mean whatever,
But I I remember like that day it changed my lad.
(17:35):
I was like, wow, that that hurt really bad being
here in Nashville. And again, I'm just trying to put
myself into your situation. I think I would hate country
music because it was because it was everywhere. I think
that to me, growing up with it everywhere, I would
purposefull be like I don't like it because it's everywhere. Um,
and obviously you probably loved I didn't. And it came
(17:57):
back to it, how did that work out for you musically? Yeah,
that's exactly how it was. I just heard it in
the car with my mom all the time, and and
you know, um, I got into high school or you know,
really middle school, and really got into the emo scene.
Rocket Town was a big thing, um, and we started
bands like that, Like I loved under Oath, I loved
(18:17):
We're like, hey, a lot of don't yeah, I'm Bryant k.
You know a lot of those Christian bands actually at
the time that I just we I wanted to be
them so bad. So we started those bands and pop punk,
pop punk and pop pun man and even and then
into high into high school went in the more metal.
But and then yeah, like I said, you know, you
you kind of gotta get your teenage dankst out and
(18:39):
do that and get away from country music. And then
when I got to college, my buddy, um Brad Clawson,
I was, He's Rodney Clawson's son, and we've grown up
together writing songs. And we got to college. It's just
me and him and our you know, our room in college,
and we're like, we don't have amps. We have two
acoustic guitars, and we just started playing. And that's when
it kind of transitioned from the rock and roll back
(18:59):
to to home. You know, right, probably naturally, probably a
little more naturally than you would have expected. After absolutely, yeah,
so you live here, you stay here for college you
live here. Now, there's a little bit of you wanna
be like, let's gonna live somewhere else for like a year. Yeah,
I get it. I get a little bit of it
(19:20):
because I get to travel all the time. But I've
always thought that, man, I mean, it just happened to
be that I'm in the perfect place for what I
ended up doing. But I am envious. I always think
it's so cool when someone moves um somewhere for to
pursue a dream, like my fiance from Canada to here.
I mean, all my friends and you know, back to
what you were saying earlier, it's like they get to
go to their hometown and play a hometown show. Like
(19:42):
you go to your place it says home of Bobby Bones.
I don't get a hometowl show. No one cares here,
you know. I got. I got to do the Rhyman
and that's amazing, Like, yeah, we've seen it before. So
I can't like come home to Nashville to have a
big bow out hometown show. It's like it's uh, I mean,
it's a blessing and a curse, I guess, but it's uh,
it's pretty you know. I love Nashville, so much. I'm
(20:03):
so proud of this town. Um, but yeah it is.
It's a little different. You mentioned your fiancee, Megan. What
are you do you have a time when you're getting married?
And if you don't, if you haven't said it yet,
don't say it. October at it all right, at to
exactly two thirteen on the day. So I love Megan.
(20:27):
I was just having a conversation and I'm not uh
purposefully in as many of these high level level music
meetings anymore because I just I like to do my thing.
I kind of don't with all the respect, I don't care, however,
my boss ish um cause it. Hey, I need to
(20:47):
ask you of your opinion. A couple of things you
bring a Megan remind me of this, like what do
you think? What do you think of Megan? Thank Patrick?
And I said, well, what do you mean? What do
I think about her? He's like, do you know her?
Or like matterr matter with Mitchell um Nor music you
know from just listen to stuff? And he goes, do
you think you think I think she has it? Like, yeah,
(21:09):
she has what you can't manufacture somebody to have and
then believe it for a long time, like somebody can
do the little act for a year. Somebody can do that.
But I was like, you know what, she has it.
And I don't know what they were trying to do,
but you know, they all these high level people getting
there like they can only decide on a few things
(21:30):
to really and he was like, I think so too,
And I was like, yeah, she's raw, got energy, she
can sing like the same as you, right, Like you're raw,
you're a great singer. Like it to to be engaged
in to marry someone that's also doing the same thing
at around the same stage of of your careers. You're
(21:52):
obviously in a little different places, but you know, you're
not Brooks and Done yet, and one of these not
Brooks and One, he's done a new artist at that point, right,
you're kind of experienced a lot of together that would
be awesome and difficult. It's, uh, it's the only thing
we find about and it's probably what you relate to
each other the most about. It's yeah, well, you know,
(22:12):
I tell her. We told her. I was like, you know,
I fell in love with music before you and saying
and I want you to pursue this dream more than anything.
She's you know, every other ex I had would make
me choose, and you know I don't make me choose.
You're not gonna like the choice, and we don't make
each other choose that way. But if you come home
and you have a hard day in the music industry, um,
(22:33):
and I want to give you some advice, you don't
want that advice. You just wanted to I had a
hard day in the industry too. If you want to
come talk about your mom, your mom, you know you're
having problems with that, or your sister. You're arguing with
a sister. I'm there for you, but it's really hard
to communicate when you had a hard day in the industry.
It's it's it's very hard all the time. So we
came were like, hey, you know what we're not gonna
(22:53):
do talk about that. You have a hard day in
the industry, call your best friend, Landy Wilson, case Inton,
you know who you come up with, tell them and
I'll do that with my my friends and then let's
let's come home and leave that behind. Otherwise, you know,
it gets pretty stressful. I mean, she's a woman too.
It's it's a whole different thing for us, and it's
it's tough. Man but what about traveling, because again you
have to hop on a plan and go eat dinner,
(23:16):
and that's part of the job. That's the nature of
the business. You have to play a bunch of shows.
She is a new new artist here. Um quite successful
in Canada, but you know, it's welcome to the big leagues.
She has big league talent. So she has to go
out now and show everyone. Do you guys mean what
what's that juggling? Like, Well, it's just starting back for
(23:37):
her now, which is great because yeah, you're right, she
came from Canada. Here she had to get do the
whole thing, get the booking agents, start building relationships. So
she's finally getting shows bolt here when she normally would
have done you know, a hundred something in Canada that
she couldn't do. Canada has been pretty shut down still
kind of is. So it's all opening back up now
and you know, I'm I'm going today and I'm flying
back tomorrow and make it to her birthday. So you know,
(23:58):
we we we make it where like when when we're
when we're home, we everyone said, are y'all writing or
singing when you're home? Like no, no, you're chilling on
the couch with our dogs and the opposite. Um, well,
I'll just wrap up with this on Megan and not
think I plan to talk about all this but you
when you mentioned I was like, oh, yeah, say a
couple of things. And Megan, if you happen to listen
to this, I'm such a big fan and advocate of
(24:20):
not just what you do, because everybody does everybody does that,
but how you do it? I think it. I think
that's a difference. And so yeah, just just a big
fan and the fact that she could go and do
a bunch of shows and get paid in Canada and
make a lot more money, and now she has to
sacrifice a bunch of money to kind of start over here.
That's why I've married her or if I am man,
(24:41):
she is inspiring and even to her man during Quarantine,
her songs, just her songwriting, Man, it was just all
U biased aside like she it was. I was like, man,
why didn't I come up with that title? How are
you know? How are you doing that? So being on
the lookout for I think she's got a lot of
a lot of good stuff coming up there. Do you
ever do that with It's tough, She's in the business
but like, my wife will say something so funny, like
(25:04):
she's the funniest person I've ever met, my wife, and
she shouldn't be as funny as she is because she's pretty.
And I'm like, well, somebody got screwed because they got
they didn't get anything, like there's only so much to
go around you. You're pretty and you're hilarious, So somebody
is ugly and not funny because they actually gave you both.
And so she'll say something randomly and I'm like, oh
my god, that is so funny, and I want to
(25:24):
steal up for a joke for my stand up act.
And I used to do it all the time and
not tell her, and then I would do a joke
and she'd be like, where did you get that joke?
And what do you want to get the joke? I
don't know. I just kind of came to my show.
I said that to you, and you stole it, and
you didn't say anything to me that you were going
to use it in a joke. And so I'm like,
then I try to lie and be like, no, I
probably said it to you, but it's absolutely her. Does
(25:48):
that ever happen? And like, you guys are an idea
that and you're like, oh, man, I love to have that, Like,
can I go with that idea? Yeah? Man, I mean
we you know, we we talk like songwriters too, sometimes
when we don't even know it. So she'll say something
and I'll be like, grab my phone and just kind
of type it down. Or we'll be watching a movie
or something in a cool phrase will come out and well,
I'll notice how the corner of my eyes she's got
(26:09):
her phone too, and we're writing stuff town. It's like,
I'm like, oh, the you know, the Diary of a songwriter.
But man, it's a yeah, I'm with you, it's you
kind of you're together. It's here, it's both y'alls, but
shere's his mind. Right. Is it annoying that people? And
I'm not sure it may not even be annoying, but
everybody's like, all right, when you guys gonna do a
big duet? Yeah, that's what I was saying. Yeah, it's like,
I don't, I don't know, we don't we're at home,
(26:31):
we don't do that. I don't know. It's just not
something we we do when we're home together. We're trying to,
I mean, hopefully if we get to the Brooks and
done and we have more time on our heads maybe,
but right now we're both trying to you know, break
it together, you know or separately. Sorry. Craig Wiseman, Yes,
I say that name what what comes to mind? Um?
He helped me early on when I was starting Riser
(26:53):
House Records, giving me advice of how to start a
business to hire people that it's gonna take a year
and a half to figure out if someone's the right
person sometimes, and he had no reason to do that.
He wrote with me when I had no cuts. Um.
He is the epitome of what Nashville is man and
I have the utmost respect for that guy and when
(27:16):
he's done and how he continues to want to write
with new people and stay current and be the legend
he is man. It's a He is somebody that I
will always think higlie of and preach to my kids,
to everybody about Craig Wiseman. Man, he is an amazing guy.
If you were doing amount rushmore for people that personally
(27:36):
inspire you as an artist, and you don't have to
have met them, but I don't want to make all
four of them. Um, people from the twenties, Yeah, right,
just because I actually I would like to eliminate that
because I think a lot of people feel pressured, so
I don't if you do or don't, I'm gonna eliminate it.
A lot of people felt pressured to go, well, whalon
(27:58):
and they can't name three Whitland song so they can't do.
And that's okay that they can't. But I think a
lot of times this town, they're like, well, you probably
need to like at least act like you're a big
fan of the people to before. So I'm gonna eliminate
that current day, give me four people that inspire you
as an artist. As an artist, John Mayor for sure,
(28:20):
I'm a massive John Mayer fan. And Michael Jackson. Um,
those two growing up, we're I don't know every kind
of everything I wanted to imitate musically. Um. And then
I mean as far as the industry man, my my
manager does. She's young. She's like twenty five and just
crushing it. And she's only she might just turn yet.
(28:43):
I mean I remember when I met her years ago
and it was like, this is Mitchell's manager, and I
was like, wow, she's her head was so on straight
and still as at such a young age. She's incredible. Man,
she is pushing down walls and it's watching that. It's is,
it is, it's inspiring. It makes me want to work harder.
It makes me want to work harder for her. Um
(29:05):
the wholetel needs to know her name? Man, Kristin Nashley,
she's amazing. And then Kristen Nashley, Kristen Ashley, that's pretty good.
That's pretty good. Yeah, she's awesome. She's amazing, man. And
then um, and then I'm gonna I'm gonna put my
grandmother up there. I mean she was everything to me, inspiring,
the way she treated people, the way she walked into
(29:25):
a room and took it over, but humbly, like from Alabama.
You know, it's just that's my grandmother. So I'm gonna
I'm gonna do that if that's my four Yeah. What
about her do you think made her such a success? Uh?
She was a godly woman. First off, you know she
had faith, Um, but she came from nothing, She had
(29:46):
no reason, and she was in that time women didn't
get those chances. She worked away up from receptionists at
Sony to running the whole thing and just didn't take
no for an answer. But like this southern bell polite,
but like you didn't want to. I don't know, you
just you respect her. She treated everyone with that, and
that's why I you know, I was thirteen or fourteen
(30:08):
when she passed, so I didn't get like the music
industry stuff from her, but I got I was surrounded
by and I just got to watch how she treated
people and ran you know, her life, and it was
very inspiring to me that I wanted to take that
over from my family as that next person. You know,
she would hold all the Christmas parties, the family, every
birthday they come to hers, and it's like, that's what
I want to do. That's my goal now, is to
(30:29):
you know, be a family person first and and do then.
I think everything kind of surrounds your you know, kind
of fits in place when you do that first. I
mean my business, your business family. You got to build
that strength and trust, and I think I learned that
from her, for sure. It's pretty cool that you had
(30:49):
such a positive influence that was influencing you without even
knowing you were being influenced. Like that's why I'm hearing,
like you have all these things that now affect your
life in a very positive way. But at the time
you didn't know you were a accepting them. No clue.
She was just grandmother. But uh, but she's a grandmother
with some with with some swagger for her. If she's
running ny, that's awesome. The song with you and Chris Young,
(31:09):
I didn't I want to play it again now? So
he wrote this. How how did this whole this uh
collaboration come together? Yeah, I've got to know Chris over
the last four years, she became friends and you know
(31:31):
you On that day it was Chris Young and Chris
and Stephano on my phone, so like you know, our
publishersual book dates and but that day was during quarantine
with quotation marks. I don't really know when that ended
her what it was. But and then um, it was
a snow apocalypse. So I was so, we haven't been
writing a lot. I hated zoom rights. So I called
(31:51):
Chris up and I was like, dude, I need to
get out of the house today. I need to write
a song. I know it's snow and he goes, boody,
I got four wheel drive, come on, let's go. So
we show up at to Stephan Knows and we just
started talking, you know, catching up again and been and
Wallison saw of us had done that, and Chris said
something like, man, you should have seen me and Mitchell
at the end of the bar like a year ago,
were like we were we were, you know, vin and
talking about all the industry stuff. And I was like, oh, wait,
(32:13):
what did you say right there? I think that's that's
that's the song when you read today, because I met
you there, I met Megan there, I see my cold still,
see my ex there. I made best friends I don't
even know their name there. I was like, look, I
think that could be a cool song of writing. I
just wanted to Chris young cut because I love his
voice like more than anything. But then after the end
of that we wrote it, Chris like, we'll get on
in there and sing it, and I'm like, dang, man,
(32:34):
I really wanted you to sing it, so I got
in there. My voice is trash that day too, because
I've been singing a lot in my studio, and I
gave everything I had on it, man the demo, and
Chris called me two days later and he's like, man,
do you might have put a voke on it? And
I was like yes, yes, And I was like yeah.
Then of course. And then two days later, Hey, buddy,
I think I want to put this on my record.
(32:54):
I'm like, it's all happening. And then then he called
and he said, well, would you want to be a duet?
And you mind if it's the single? And I'm like,
it happened that fast for me a week because it's
so hard to get a cut, let alone a single,
And you know, all I wanted was, you know, Chris Young,
to hear Chris Young sing on a song of mine.
So it was just I don't know, it just kind
of happened really organically and fun, and it was just
(33:15):
one of those cool, cool things. And he's an amazing
singer man, so it was really fun to sing with him.
When you guys saying, I believe it's the A C
M S Right, that's the show, right, Yeah, we just
did just a couple of weeks ago in Vegas. Um,
being such a good singer and you're singing with somebody
else that's such a good singer, do you feel like
you gotta be like, well, I really gotta I gotta
stretch it and try to get a little better, because
when you're by yourself, you're not you're not compared to
anybody well, of course, yeah, and especially up to him.
(33:38):
And that is the highest song I have in my catalog,
saying with him because that day, I really I was
trying to impress Chris Young and when we wrote it,
and so I sung it way too high and then
so now it's a challenge and dude, I had the
flu with the A C M S not God, I
had the flu, and so I had to get a
steroid shot. I had to. I was so scared that
I wasn't gonna be able to hit the note. Um,
(33:59):
I don't think, you know, like you did in your mind.
I think so. Yeah, the adrenaline kicked in. It was fun.
You know, it's my first at M performance ever, and
so we just kind of like you do. You turn
it on and you figure it out and then you
kind of black out and then it's over. And then
I'm like, it's over. There's nothing to do about it now.
And you know, I got a lot of good feedback,
and but I was so nervous all day. Man, to
(34:19):
be honest, what he really was being sick on a
performance day, especially a big performance. Say that you can't
really get out of yea and that steroid show. I've had,
I've just hadn did a bunch of time for all
just losing and for a second it's like this, you're awful.
Then you're like, whoa that's going and then when it
goes away, it's just like like a train's run you over.
(34:43):
You're very thankful. Did it exists and you were able
to use it powerful tool sparingly though, Yeah, you can't
use it too much. It's just not really helping. It's
it's hiding the help and it's not healthy. But it's
not helping her healthy. Yeah, so you use them when
you absolutely have to, that's yeah, But but there's the
fact that they exist. Yes, it just saved my life
(35:04):
five times for sure. A few for me too. I'll
be in a city once we were snowed in and
a casino in Iowa that, Mike, do you remember that,
as sick as a dog, we went and track down
a steroid shot and I'd be behind like a bowling
alley and a waffle house even a Yeah, it was
like a hash Brown special and and I remember I
(35:26):
just felt terrible, but layd in bed, going there's no
chance that I'm going to fill in you. Oh and
then afterwards you're just alright, congrats on that. Though for
you know, the big Awards show, it's you know what's
great about that for you? Is it now that you
have your first one? It's almost like this is my
audition tape for other shows. If you're like considering me
(35:48):
and you're on the fence, watch me do it. I
didn't think about the Yeah, man, absolutely, it was awesome.
It was an honor. Man. That's just to sit down
there in the artist with everybody and you know, I
have an artist, our respect come up saying, man, that
was awesome, really great. I mean, whether they were just
being a nice or not, that it feels good. It
inspires you. Man, it was a lot of fun. You
wrote a Christmas song for Dan and Shay um So,
(36:09):
I have two questions and like, can I hear a
little bit this first? Chris? So, My first question is
when you write a song like this and you talk
about writing it high low, are you in Shay and
the same you sing in near the same vocal spot?
He's he's he's definitely a highest. He's got more ranged
in me. Okay, But I'm not saying range or better singer,
(36:30):
but I'm saying, when you in your most present singing voice,
are you in him and his? Are you around the same? Yeah?
I think yeah, I think we can. Yeah, I think so.
So when you ride, is it pretty easy for him
to do it? Like, oh yeah, I mean he's such
an amazing melodic person. Like he's just so good. I
(36:51):
don't know, it's just you kind of just like like
you said, you kind of just gotta up your game
when you're around. He's, in my opinion, the best singer,
and I mean not just Nashville that I've ever heard.
Control wise, he is just so good. So like even
like you know, when you're growing up learning guitar, you're
you want to put yourself in the room with people
that are better than you because it makes it ups you.
And he is definitely that. So to me, I don't know,
(37:14):
it's just something happens those days because you just like
really want to be able to do what they're doing,
and then I think you and then you'll leave and
you can't do what you just did in the room,
if that makes any sense at all. He's that kind
of singer, man, So I mean, he truly is the
best I've never heard him seeing have a bad day.
Like ever, he's just like incredible, he really is. I
have um yeah, yeah yeah, opt on his tour bus
(37:38):
once and he was in his underwear. He has slept
until like Daniels are already running hills and that day
was still asleep into like one pm. Like like that's
a bad day, right, you have it right there, buddy, Yes,
let's let's let's say um but yes, but I would
he would probably say similar things about you as far
as how good of a singer that you are. And
with that song, my prediction, well prediction forward face my
(38:01):
um suspicion with that song that song specifically Christmas song
is it? It It made a lot of money. I don't
even know, you know, I have to look. I mean
that one was kind of me and Andy and Jordan's
started that song and then we ended up writing Naughty
List for my record and then they gave that the
Then Dan and Shaye added to that song. So my
(38:22):
I don't know what addition is. It did extremely well.
I hope so that watch was bought probably with just
that song. Uh yeah maybe, I hope so. I just
my business manager hasn't yelled at me yet, That is
all I care about. As long as she doesn't scream
at me, then I feel okay, do you ever call her?
And I did this a lot whenever I first started
(38:43):
to have any taste of success, I didn't know what
a business manager was. To be honest, I didn't grow
up in an industry un industry. I didn't. I still
didn't didn't write. So they're like, well, I was having
to pay people, right, I started to pay um a
tour manager. I was having to pay people. And when
I was doing cord, there's all all these percentages, was
trying to pay man and and finally I was like,
you have to get a business manager. I was like,
(39:04):
I have enough manager or any pay anybody else. They said, well,
they'll do all that for you. They just get a
really small percentage, but you don't worry about anything anymore.
And I'm like, wow, I just I couldn't understand it,
couldn't Now. I can't live without her. But I would
call anytime I was gonna buy anything. Hey, I'm I
got a new heir headphones? Is that okay? Enough? And
(39:24):
so I would make those calls and I will do
that now occasionally, um, But do you have to do
that now? If it's like I'm gonna buy a nice watch,
do you call and check it? Like? Are we cool here? Yeah?
I definitely do. I mean I'm not. I'm not, you know,
crazy rich by any means. You know, we're living okay,
we're blessed, but I do. It's just it's just out
of respect to everyone else, you know, I want to
(39:46):
make sure that I don't buy something and I can't
pay another obligation. But to your point, like I couldn't
live without her, she does that and I asked her
and she's be like, yeah, okay, you're fine, We're okay,
just you know, chill out on the chill out on
the on the drinks at the bar that you're buying
people and you refuse. And you know what, I appreciate
that about you. Yeah, it's it's and I think until
(40:06):
I actually for me, it was about I had to
pay so many percentages and I was I would sit
there with a notebook and in my computer and be like, Okay,
if I get to this person, I gotta docks. I
spent all my time doing it, and I'm very like
that too. I enjoyed doing my bills and then you know,
I was paying my band, and then I realized I
wasn't taking taxes out. I got screwed, you know, when
(40:27):
we were in a van and all that. And it's
like when she said I'm gonna handle it all. I mean,
you play forty eight states. There's a different tax in
every state. It's unbelievable. Who does that. She will send
me said, hey, you need to send sign your California
tax returning. I don't live in California. Did a stack
you know? It's as high as his water bottle of
tax you know, of every state and all this stuff.
I'm just like, this is what you do every day.
(40:48):
She loves it, and I'm very grateful for those kind
of people, because I would lose my head. There'll be
no chance. And I never learned it and I never will.
I'm gonna tell you why I was to pull or
to understand it or think I would ever know anything
about money? Yeah, just we never We never had anything.
And then I made a lot of money quickly. So
(41:11):
then I was like, I'll just I need to hire
people to do it. Why do I need to know?
So I was too poor to understand, and now I'm
just like, I don't. I never I'll never understand. I'm
just dumb, and I'm just gonna have people do it
until I can't afford it anymore, and then I'm just
gonna go back being dumb again and not do it. Well,
you've been there before, you know you can. I don't
know that. If this ever doesn't work out anymore, I
can't get back. And I'm telling you right now, there's
(41:32):
not a ladder to get back here. This is my
one shot. No, no, I mean, like you know, yeah,
I'm the same way. I mean, if it doesn't work
out whatever, I'm ill. I know I've made it with
nothing before. I'll do it again. That's my thing. I
won't make it. I will not do it again. I'll
just go work at the mill. Well yeah, yeah, I
mean I'm all homeless aside. If we had to go
back to a van, i'd quit, like, but you wouldn't.
(41:55):
And that's the truth. Yeah, probably you would. You do
it and you love it, And you know what. If
I was kicked off of here, I'd go. I'd go
back to Arkansas. I'd lick my wounds and I probably
hop on a station in Fayetteville, Arkansas and be like
here we go let's see if we can. Because we
love what we do, and that's with anyone and what
they do. If you love what you do, you work
harder at it. If you work hard at something long
(42:17):
enough and smart enough, you will be successful in your
your own version of success. I totally believe that. I
love that. So we're just a few weeks out from
the low Light Sessions, the actual data that is April fifteen.
One song out now, Horseshoes and hand Grenades. Uh here,
(42:38):
let me play do you have? Oh nice? So feel
don't see the cowshoes? And so what what's what's what's
the vibe with these next eight songs inside of this
(42:59):
the low Light Sessions? Yeah, man, just just you know,
not as produced up. There's you know, nothing that I
went in like, oh, we gotta make something that sounds
very radio single. These are more singer songwriter, deeper lyrics,
which I hope could work at radio too. But they're
they're more, you know, stuff that I wanted to write
and I've been one to put out for five years.
(43:19):
Some older songs from the first girl I met that
didn't work out to the last songs about Megan and
uh and everything in between, and just you know, just
deeper lyrics and just a chiller vibe, something like low
light sessions. You can kind of chill out, you know,
sitting the fire, drive around and not even listen, but
just here in the background. I like that that unoffensive
won't hurt your ears. You could you could be playing
(43:41):
anywhere and you'll you know, it'll be a good vibe.
That makes sense. Chili's I want to be my case,
so skill it and I want to hear grenade. That's
what I'm talking about. Going to get a case of skillet.
Do you know where you guys are going tonight? No? Um, no,
I don't make sure. Hope I have and your uncle uncle, Well,
(44:04):
it'll be aunt Sonny tonight. It's my page. Is my
region out there? Yeah? Aunt Sony will be paid to night.
What time? What times you fight? Three? Okay, we're wait
a few minutes. I just got a backpack with a
shirt in it. I'm gonna walk right there. It's and
then you're gonna not spend the night or get on
a flight tonight and come back. I'm gonna spend a night.
We were gonna do lunch and come back, but couldn't
find one. I was like, let's just come back in
the morning. I used to do that whenever I was
(44:27):
a radio guy, and like before I started syndicating my
own show, and I was just hustling. Um, I would
fly places. Well, what I would do is I would
hit up people and be like, Hey, I'm gonna be
in town. Are you free for lunch. I'm in town
for like a day. And I wasn't going to be
in town, But once they would agree to lunch, I'd
freaking I'll buy me a flight on Southwest. I'd fly
over meet m for lunch and be like all right,
(44:47):
and then I'll just fly back home. And it would
be exhausting. But they would not go to lunch. They
wouldn't have happened. I was like, Hey, I want to
fly in and meet you for lunch, and they say, no,
don't do that. That's crazy. You're you're crazy. But I're like, hey,
I'm gonna be in town. Any chance you want to
grab lunch? Like five times out of six they would
say yes. And I made a lot of my relationships
that way, very smart man, by just hustling and and
(45:07):
you know, wearing it out. And so when you mentioned
the last song is about Megan on this is that
the way you are about her and you wrote it
by yourself. Was that important to you when writing a
song about her to write it by yourself or is
that just how it happened. Yeah, man, I wanted to
write that song. I'm not gonna sing for her at
my wedding this song, but I wrote the song thinking
about the wedding and thinking about that whole how we
(45:30):
how do we get to the point of wanting to
marry each other? And how did I fall in love
with somebody so much that I want to marry you?
And so I'm not I don't want to do the
cliche like here, I'm gonna make this whole moment about
me when you're walking down the aisle. But I wanted
to write the song about her walking down the aisle,
and so, you know, that's kind of where where my
head was that when I wrote that, and I was
just you know, we were still in the same house.
This was during quarantine stuff. So I'm just downstairs in
(45:52):
my studio writing and hoping she's upstairs not listening, and uh,
and she's feet in the bathroom. I'm just hoping she's
not near her me listening because I'll be a little embarrassed.
I'll be like, man, I turn on a blow dryer
and just do my thing when you ride your bathroom. Okay, okay,
So you write the song, and how do you when
you write a song about someone, especially one that's very
(46:14):
vulnerable and personal. Will you play it for her with
your guitar in mouth? Or will you play it for
her after you record a demo? UM I had her
could just come down listen to it. M guitar and
mountains like weird, dirty weird things. You gave her guitar
and mouth. I gave her a little guitar and mouth
last night. And then what then what not what happens,
(46:37):
but what happens because she has to listen and there's
now a reaction that she needs to give you, even
if she's not I'm not gonna say feeling it, but
if you're making yourself so vulnerable, she owes you something
in vulnerability back, even just to make you feel like
it's even it's the toughest thing then because she'll come
(46:58):
home too with that same thing. I just wrote this
song about you today. You want to hear it? Yeah,
of course? And then you and then you hear it,
It's like, it's not that, Like, what reaction are you
looking for? Like, I don't know what. Like I'm more
now I'm thinking about the reaction, and said listening to
the song because I don't want her to think that
I don't love it. I'm sure she got some of that.
I mean she you know, she teared up actually on it. Really,
(47:19):
so you got emotion that one. Yeah, that was a
good one. No, I mean, we were very honest when
it comes to songs. Man, that's just the way it is.
We We write a million of them, but that one
she did. And then she just wrote one call my
left Hand, that the best thing about my left hand
is a ring on it from the right man. And
that one got me, you know, I was that that
was like, Now, I was like, dang, dude, you really
(47:41):
you really got me on that one. So every now
and then, those songs do work. I'm gonna play the
way you are just thinking about that's good. If I
were to write my left hand because I'm left handed,
that would be dirty. All right, here we go, Here
is the way you are. So you can fear my
happy girl singing along to the read the movie jee
(48:01):
Minoria I'll be proving an amazing don't change a thing
about because I love you just the way I would
like if I were you and an artist and a songwriter.
If she said, hey, listen to this song, I would
be going, Okay, now, am I listening with my heart?
(48:22):
Am I trying to listen to how deep the words
are as to me? Or am I listening for the hook?
Like going, hey, this would be this is a great
catchy song. It is. It's almost like I would really
be given into me and then go I want to
go away. Let's do it by myself a few times,
and then let me have my my thoughts on both
because I may not give you what you're looking for.
As far as why you were looking for me to
(48:44):
listen to the song, No, that's very fair. I mean, yeah,
it's the what you do with when you live with
another artist and a songwriter for sure. And like like
we just said, man, it was I don't know that one.
That one worked, But I've done it before and did
not get the reaction I was expecting. And I'm I
know I've even heard the not giving her the reaction
she's expected you, especially when we're like driving the car
(49:05):
and I truly just don't want it, Like I want
to turn on old pop punk music and she's got demos,
you know, like and like no offense to her at all.
I'm just like, can we listen to those later? But
she really wants to play them. Then it's like my
heads is not in the like hearing any of it.
It's it's all great, she's great. So it's like I
know it's great, but I'm just not there so I know.
And then I'm sure I give that to her too,
and I'm in the truck, I'm like, hey, I gotta
do move, you know, And it's it's gotta be the
(49:26):
same way I like it to do a movie voice
that when it's a demo and my mine is on
such a lower level than yours. But there are times
where I write a song that is so freaking funny
that I will I will write it, I will laugh
out loud, I will think about it and laugh out loud.
I will randomly laugh out lot and what you laugh
(49:48):
a loud about myself? I'm like, oh, yeah, that song
I wrote, like it's that funny to me, And then
I will play it for Caitlin and she'll go, oh
is that one of those. Is that a serious when
you tried to write yes, and I'm like, she's like,
oh yeah, there are some funny parts. And I'm like,
oh man, that I suck. And then I have to
get over my little my little pride. I'm like, how
would you make it funnier? It's like, well, what I
(50:09):
would do? And I'm like, oh, that's that's perfect. God
dam I mean, that's why we have Oh man, that's
why we're lucky. It's okay, keep us in checking. I
don't know, man, it's a deal with it too. It's funny.
It's it's just funny. It is. What if we see
each other, We're gonnae each other a lot over the
next few years, unless I die a plane crash, which
I still think could happen. You heard it here first,
(50:32):
I say it a lot. Yeah. Um, I'm really scared
iFly so me too. If in five years we're sitting
down the same situation, like then, we've only really said
like this, you know a few times of the last
five years, Mitchell, like, we're in five years, do you
feel like you need to be And I don't care
(50:53):
what what platform you choose, where do you need to
be to go like, yeah, I feel good about where
I am right now. What's that goal I want? I
want a kid or two with megan, um, and I
want music to not be why I have to make money.
I want to be financially sound so that music is
(51:13):
just music again, you know. Right now it's my job
and I'm trying to set it up, like I want
to make money in music, put it in something else
to make me money so I never have to think
about it again. Then I can just pick up a guitar,
go to my kids game, you know, like I want to.
I want kids and I want to watch them grow up,
and I don't want to be on the road this much.
That would be my goal in five years and hopefully
(51:34):
you know we can get to that point. Um yeah.
And you know, and obviously just to still be in
this industry in five years, man, that would be a
That'd be a huge blessing. That's a big win. Yeah,
just to be in, to stay in, I mean, somebody
believes in you, somebody's investing in you, Somebody thinks that
you got enough in you that they can make something.
(51:56):
And just being in is a win. Um. I think
sometimes it and I get lost too with like, wow,
I wish I could do this, have this show to
this award. But in the end that's definitely doesn't matter
as much as we think it does. In the moment
it's happening, right, I got all the awards. I'm telling you, well,
the second you get it, you forget about it because
you went the next I do immediately. It's not even that.
(52:18):
It's like mine too, isn't just about the next It's about,
oh god, well if I don't win the next one,
I'm a freaking loser. Yeah, you're done. It's not it's
not like I'm cocky. It's like, well, I won this one,
but if I don't want the next one, I'm on
the way down and I'm out of here and I
don't get to work anymore. Well, it's just competitive and understanding.
I mean, it's just you. This industry is such a
roller coaster, man, and it is what it is. And
(52:40):
it's very hard, you know, It's it's it's hard, Like
I tell all the time, these songs. I had to
learn that these songs aren't my babies, they're my business.
And I've got to you know you, it's a really
hard thing to put that aside and figure that out
and understand that. Man, you're gonna you'll have a high
moment and then you could be two weeks later. This
industry is what have you done for me lately? And
it takes a toll on everybody. Man, it's there's no
(53:01):
doubt about it. But what's it? Do you think about
what you said a second ago and you're talking about
your goals? He said, you know, you want to make
music to not have to make money. And listen, if
you make money, great, that's amazing. But you want to
make me But what's funny is your goal is to
be back where you started. Because I feel like that
in a lot of ways too, because I didn't make
any money. I was doing it because I love to
(53:23):
do it, and that's the only reason I did it.
And I never thought I would make money because nobody
made money around me. It wasn't a job you can
make money in. But I just loved it and I
was okay not making money because I was fulfilled, like
I was already in my mind successful because I was
doing what I love and if I could just stay
in it, that's a win. That was the beginning. That's
the beginning. For you too, because you weren't you're not
making any money in the early on. Then you get
(53:46):
the middle stage where you've got to make money because
you got bills, you got a But you want to
get back to that feeling like when you first started
that that then is in the evity? Is it aware, naiveness?
I don't know what is it, but it's like you know,
any you get a little bit of success, you start
thinking you know everything, and that's when stuff stops happening.
But I thought that before I had success. Yeah, yeah,
(54:07):
but when you get but I want to get back
to like, you know, not knowing any rules, not knowing
any better. I think that's when some of the best
stuff happened. And I think that is some of the
best stuff that came out of you know, the COVID
thing was I I quit trying to do everything for
everyone else and started writing music again like that, you know,
And I want to get to a place right it
is so free that I have nothing else to worry
(54:28):
about except the music. Again, that's very poignant, and I
like that because I believe too that not knowing the
rules is actually better than breaking the rules, because I'll
use my career as an example, I have never had
a mentor or anyone to tell me, hey, look that's
(54:48):
really not how we do it, or that's how to
do it. And I didn't like that. I was like, man,
I'm always just floating vote, I'm solo. Um. However, I
did think so different than every everybody else, and I
was always told it was weird and I never fit
until you realize you're not weird. You don't fit anymore.
Everybody's weird for not trying to fit into what you've created,
(55:10):
and now you've to And so me, not knowing the
rules was the greatest thing that ever happened to me,
because I made my own and I made my own path,
and yeah, I messed up a lot, but not knowing
allowed me to go in places that other people really
hadn't been. Yes, that's why you're here. I don't know
by that, I mean that's a luminati. But still, well,
(55:34):
I thought we weren't talking about that. Okay, listen here,
we've done an hour here. It's been a lot of fun.
I'm glad that we've really enjoyed this Probby thing. Yeah,
we were trying to get you in already. And then
Michael was like, hey, he's leaving, can you fly home?
And I was like, I was like, what's your name again?
What was that? Was that guy? And then after he
showed me a picture of you? I was like, I
(55:54):
remember that, just a little me. I live right down
the road. We go golf whenever you won't. And so
are you? Are you good? No, I'm like a I'm
like a ten. Okay, I'm gonna hold you up better
than I am. I know you're better than I'm like
a twelve or thirteen. We'll probably the same. No, you're
better than I am. And I have a little machine
out there, and I still I'm not good. I did
see that very envious. I need one of those in
(56:16):
my life. That's when I know I'll make it. That
Bobby bones it's pretty. I'm not gonna have all the
things that's pretty. But I should be better and I'm not,
because well, I'm gonna give you my platter of meat
and cheese here. I work a lot. Yeah, I am
(56:37):
constantly working. Therefore I can afford that. Yeah, but because
I'm working so much, I can't really get on that.
And because I'm not on that that much, I don't
have time to go play the core. So it's a
weird situation here, Isn't that what it is? Man? You
buy all this stuff and can't use it because it's
the only way you're able to buy in your face off,
(56:59):
and you still keep working your face off. That's why
it's like, spend your money now, man, because that I'm not.
I'm just I'm scared of money. I'm scared of it.
I don't know anything about it. Um I. My therapist
says that people that and generally that uh don't have
a lot either are very selfish with their money and
(57:19):
hide and keep it all or give it all away.
And I very much so to a detriment in that
second one where I'm just like, oh, you want here,
why don't you take Let me help you here, let
me do this, let me help you. And I know
for a fact if I wanted, nobody's gonna help me.
You know, of those idiots, I think I'll be like
I always spent it. Man. But that's more of my
point is you can have the golf simulator when you watch,
I'll just pick it up the truck. It's the size
(57:41):
about five trucks. But yeah, we'll make it. Okay, okay,
Mitchell Tenpenny. Uh, we're gonna we'll actually go over this
again the week that you're the low Light sessions come out.
But for everyone out there, you can get horses and
hand grenades. Can you pre save this? Yeah, it's a
it's tough for pre sale now. And that's the song
that comes. You know. What is an onliner The fact
(58:06):
that people are like, hey, going and pre like and
pre save my song. I'm like, well, I don't know
that I like it or want to save it yet,
but I understand why you're getting me too. But what's next? Hey,
go ahead and click that button? So when I think
of an idea, your you get first DIBs on it.
You know, it's it's a weird situation. But if you
had that button, I push it. And that's my point.
(58:27):
I pushed the dang button, Megan. I push your button, Megan.
I would like so you guys check it out again.
The new single is we're playing it. You got to
You got two songs on the radio right now. That's
what I was confusing to me, because you have Yours
is actually on the chart now. It just this week, yeah,
(58:49):
just charted. I just want to get a little red
arrow beside it, and that's it, and that's a big deal.
You got the look. That's the goal to keep the
little red arrow. And then so truth about you and
here's the clip of that one more to if you last.
And then Chris Young and Mitchell tin Penny uh the
duet here and I will say this, you're double dipping
(59:10):
here and I like that you're on it and you're
getting publishing too because you wrote it. Spent a minute
since we've been up here, So thank you. It's going
to have to read Mitchell is here, ask him one
Our final question is from read read was caller tent?
So we got to be part of this interview? Um,
no he's not either, he's our video guy. I'll say, well,
I didn't know that you read. What's your question? All right?
(59:32):
Let's see, since recording equipment is like so accessible nowadays,
like you probably have a home studio, Um, how often
do you end up recording parts at home that end
up in the final cut? Or you mainly do a
good question, sir? Are you mainly just doing demos and
stuff like that? A lot of demos? Who you are?
(59:54):
Everything I did down there that um, the whole things
just played at all, wrote it all, did it down there,
and I just sent it off to Jeff Brown to
get mixed. I'm not to make sure I do not
have those years, but produced it, played it, recorded everything
down there with you know, I have a universal audio
preamp and a knee and and then I mean a
compressor and a knee preamp and into a manly man
(01:00:15):
and that's all you need now. I used to I have.
I have like a hundred microphones I need to just
sell because you don't need them anymore. Man, I don't
need to do a whole drum kid. I've got to
I've gotta lect your kid that goes through the computer
and it's playing real drums. Like I was with near Z,
an amazing drummer yesterday, and I programmed using his drums already.
So but then I went into the studio for him
(01:00:37):
to do real drums. I'm like, hey, can you do
it like I did it with your drums on the computer?
Plase it was. It's a weird thing, man, But yeah, man,
I I do a lot of back and forth and
overdubs in my studio to Yeah, I stopped listening, I
don't know, five or six aboards then because I'm gonna
talking about I was just really waiting for you you to
turn your chair around and talking again. The one thing
(01:00:57):
I did here, you say, because I understood the words,
is we have too many microphones. You don't need them all. Now,
my wife might say that about my shoes. I'm right
there with you on that one. Yeah, and she likes
shoes too, but I think even with mine, she's like, hey,
you don't have that many feet like you don't you
won't have that many feet. Um. So that part I
(01:01:18):
understand that I related to. Okay, Mitchell, t we did.
We've done an hour look at us. That's how you know.
This was a plus. And the funny thing is we're
gonna start recording now. So this was all like we're
good and warm. Now follow follow Mitchell m the number
ten penny. You see what you did. They're in ten
penny um, and follow him on TikTok to guys things
(01:01:40):
on TikTok. Yeah, I love TikTok. Come on, come on over, Mitchell.
Good to see you, buddy, Good luck and have fun
at your dinner and we'll talk to you sim
M episode three thirty nine with Mitchell Tinpenny. You will
know him from this song right here and Copia no
hang over like you. He's got a lot more on
his on his resume as well. We'll talk about that.
But I mean it's an hour and I actually had
(00:22):
a great time doing this talk. So Mitchell tin Penny,
who grew up here in Nashville, which is so rare
that someone who grows up here actually stays, and then
his successful My mind was blown later on when I say,
and you can listen to see what he says, but
I said, hey, anybody else you know you grew up
here with the Nashville kind of making it, And not
only did he name somebody, but he goes, yeah, we
were a duo once and I was like, wait, what
(00:43):
are they crazy? The second time it's happened on this podcast,
so that comes up. But enjoy Mitchell Tinpenny, follow him
M one zero Penny, mit m tin Penny, get it
and here we go. It's Mitchell tin Penny myself here
on the Bobby Case. This is a special occasion because
I just got off the air. I mean, I drove home.
(01:03):
Where'd you come from home? It's a minute from yours.
Are you leaving? Yeah, I'm flying to Dallas right to this. Okay,
so we're both running right. So we lined it up,
but on the air for five hours, you're leaving immediately.
But we made it happen. And so if my voice
starts to sound like yours, that's being cool because you
got the good then you know that I've just been
(01:25):
on the air for like five or six hours. But
it's really good to see you, man. It has I
feel like we've we ran into each other a couple
of times. A couple of times at the golf course,
probably when I was playing down in Brentwood with one
of my managers. Yea, a governor's Governor's club, and I
believe you had a broken golf club. I've just broke it.
(01:48):
I hit it was actually one of my only good
drives all day, but the club snapped in half after
I hit the ball. And it was a good drive
that happened. That's not usually how it happens. Usually, you know,
it's when I mess something up in a rock, it
chips it out. So and you're what are you going today?
Heading to Dallas to do? Yeah? To do what I'm
eating a new PD up there because you got a
(02:08):
new song, new well, new song. But also it's just
you know, since my radio tour, a lot of things
have changed. I just want to get to know everybody.
So we're heading up there. It's gonna have dinner and
then come back tomorrow. Yeah. I guess my point is, Um,
you have a new project coming out, and that's kind
of you know, you go, oh, I gotta make sure
I know everybody, got to make sure make those relationships
because they're so important. No, absolutely they are. And um,
(02:29):
yeah we have a new song and you know, doing
all that, and I just I don't know. That's how
I've always been in town. I want to actually know people.
And um, so yeah, he's you know, we're gonna go
out there. You down just for dinner, just for some
supper man go back. Who's the program director. I don't
even know his name yet. I mean, like that a
good reason to go. Yeah, they told him. They're like
he's brand new and love and I'm like, well, I
(02:49):
want to go. So let's set it up. They're like,
well you have to fly dollars. It's like, let's fly
to Dallas. Let's go. I like the hustle. Um, so
let's run through a few things might before we kind
of get going with Mitchell here, Uh, play drunk me
please COPI Sometimes you hear a song and just remind
(03:11):
you of a time, and that song to me, it
almost it reminds me of a good time, but it
makes me feel tired because I was doing Dancing with
the Stars and that song was crushing, or maybe I
just finished and I remember that's all they would sing.
And I think you came in. I brought you into
the studio because a couple of the I was training
and I was like Jarna and there was another girl
(03:32):
that was training. They won't stop singing this song. And
that's what that reminds me of. It's like that feeling
of like not that the song. I love the song,
but that's that's a that's a rough one, my guard.
That one. Mike and I were living in an apartment
in l A. Yeah, that's the first time I met
you during all them, I know, we met out like
a lunch well something like super quick, but that was
(03:52):
the first time I got to we get to hang
out and talk and do the whole thing. And and yeah,
we we talked about it how tired you. I was like,
I can't imagine going back like you and Luke Brian.
I don't know how you are alive. I don't know
has so much energy. That's a difference. I don't have
any energy. Laugh, I'm always doing stuff. I have any energy,
looks like you know a mile a minute. Um, Here
is if the boot fits from Granger Smith which you wrote, whoa,
(04:21):
And here is the current song truth about you? Here
you go if you wait last about me, I won't
tell the truth of aout you. That's Brad Cutts. That
that cuts Yeah, when you're in a room and you
guys are writing that song because you know it kind
of sounds like that would be a love song if
you know, but it hits you. It reminds me. Not
(04:42):
written the same way or anything, but the feeling I
got when I heard Gabby Barrett. I hope because the
whole song they're like, I hope it's everything is good,
everything is good. Then I hope she eats like, oh God,
I mean that's why I love this. I love that
song so much. I love waiting to the end. Yeah,
you know I love movies like that. I love make
people you don't have to wait, you know, to find
out what the song is about. And um, you going
(05:04):
to a room, you Matt Alderman, Thomas Archer, you go
into this room and who think it's hard to remember
an exact conversation, but kind of walked me through that
creative process. Yeah, I mean we were you know, we
had nothing that day and you you you know you
have a hookbook on your iPhone. We started going through
stuff and I don't know, some kind of phrase came
out like if you if you quit lying, I promise
(05:25):
I won't tell truth or something, and and I was
like immediately I stopped. I was like, hold on, we
need a massage that out, because I know exactly how
to write that song. I have lived that song and
all honestly, I've been the guy that hasn't told the
truth about a relationship afterwards, you know, and I've been
on the other side that it hasn't been told the
truth about. You know, we always want a better story.
And I was like, I just want to write that song.
(05:46):
And from a perspective of you know, when I think
a lot of people dealt with and then apparently they
have and you were gonna come to the studio perform that,
but somebody gets sick. Yeah maybe a band member was
my brother, Yeah, he's my Bambi. Yeah, he was just
just the actual cold. It was crazy. Well, every cold
is COVID until it's not. You gotta prove everything it's not. Um.
(06:07):
By the way, you're on the song with Chris Young here,
which is I think a number twenty six right now
here is at the end of the bar. You can
hear a cover. Man. Man, So what's been happening with
you during the last year and a half or so,
(06:27):
if you've just been writing a lot? Yeah, Man, writing
a lot and and just you know, getting back to
what we did at the beginning, you know, trying to
trying to trying to play a lot of shows and
make fans like you know, even you know, Quarantine was
it sucked for a while, honestly, but we got out
pretty early. Uh you know when we started to when
we were a loud and we just played everywhere that
(06:47):
would let us play UM and kind of built that
go and built that fan base we started with. Man,
it was just fun to get out and play shows
and in experienced life again because I had nothing to
write about, you know, I like to yeah, that's true too.
How do you create when there's nothing that's actually inspiring
you to create? Absolutely? I mean I get my ideas,
you know, sitting with friends or you know, even sitting
at a barn, you know, with Chris. That's where that
(07:07):
idea came from. And so I wasn't living a lot
of life. So I was like, man, we need to
get back down the road. And a lot of ideas
came from them. So you're out playing a lot of
shows and again, you have I'm not just saying this,
a lot of people say this, you have like really
one of the best voices in Nashville as a singer.
Do you feel because your voice is such a prize
if you're playing a lot of shows, you have to
do things to make sure that now as you get
(07:28):
a little bit older, that doesn't just you know, fade
off or you break something. It is the biggest stress
of my life, man. It is not being able to
sing is It's the heaviest way I have to deal with.
It's just every single day, like you show up and
you realize, like this is what you're paid to do,
and you have people that work with you, and they
get paid because you're seeing it's it is stressful. So
(07:50):
I've learned who knows what I can do and what
I can't do on the road and a lot more water.
I'm like when you ask for water, like a year ago,
I've been like, no, I'm cool, but I've made in
my mind if I get asked for water, I say yes. Like, so,
is there a pressure on you too, because as you
mentioned there, you're not just providing for you, but you
are also the basis of other people's lives too. Yeah, man,
(08:12):
And that's uh, you know, it's it's not really why
you pick up a guitar as a kid. You don't think. Yeah,
and I love it. I'm enjoying every second of it.
But it's part of growing up, man, and it's something
you learned. And it's just being responsible, maturing. I guess
um a few years ago you just you think you're invincible.
But as you get on the road and you're touring,
you're singing every day, like you said, you've been working
for five hours already. Your voice it's just a muscle.
(08:34):
It's a tiny muscle and it's got to have rest.
And so yeah, man, I do, but it's you know,
it's also a muscle that's trained. You do it over
and over again. It does help, you know, I can
go a little bit longer than some people who screamed
for a night at a at a concert because I
do it every day. That's true. It's like one of
my biceps is so big. You know, I do it
since I do curls a lot of single time. So
you are. And I've had a couple of these conversations recently, oddly,
(08:58):
if I'm correct, you up here in Nashville, and so
one of the conversations that I have with people is like,
who was in your class, like when you came to town,
Because when I moved here, it was also Dan and
Shay and like we were. I was doing my thing
on a low young level they were doing And so
there's that group. But for you, that's not really a
(09:18):
question because you've always been here. But I guess, in
a way, are there those other people that have been
here the whole time that you've kind of grown with? Um?
I was just Earnest Man. That's exactly what I was
talking about, was Earnest Yeah. I mean we've been since
eight years old. I mean we we first signed as
a duo to Sony. Wait, did you know that, Mike,
(09:40):
I didn't know that. No. Um, Sony Publishing signed us.
The Warm Brothers signed me and him. Um the war
you know the word. They're great songwriters and yeah, we
were supposed to be a duo developing thing and uh
we played a whiskey jam and Um, his name's Jimmy Robbins.
She's a great songwriter. Came up to us afterwards and
just pumped us up. We thought we were like making
(10:01):
it and it was just a special time in writing
really cool music. And then Keith really wanted to focus
more on the writing. I want to do this other thing,
and we just mutually said, hey, let's let's do it.
Let's split up for a minute. Like not. There was
never any hard feelings on him. We kind of both
took our own lanes. And I mean, look what he's
doing now. I couldn't be more proud of him, man.
And and he's actually my my younger brothers three years
younger than be their best friends. They grew up in
(10:22):
high school together. Every studio I would build around my place,
they would be there and we just has kids were
playing music together. Man. So he's he is the writer
Die from the beginning. And but everyone else I played
music with the bands were smart and they got out
of it. I guess my mind because I was had
Earnest here last week a couple of weeks ago, weeks ago,
and was talking to about growing up in Nashville, and
(10:43):
didn't know you guys had that relationship. Definitely didn't know.
It's interesting too. I had another guy up here and
he plays guitar for Tim McGraw and uh, he played
a lot of guitar stuff for al Dean on Aldeen's records,
and he just was like yeah, And you know what,
one time Aldi and I were a duo and they
tried to sign us and I was like, wait, what
that's like you guys just dropping out the hundred dollar
(11:04):
bill and um, So, as a kid in Nashville, was
it normal to see some of the greats just out
at the groceries? Because I see Kip and Brett, like
those are like and and Brett and I are actually
really close friends. But it's like they're just normal. They're
(11:25):
just normal folks here now. But when you were young,
did you ever see the normal folks that we think of?
It's like, wow, that those the gods of country music. Yeah,
you know, I have a little bit unique situation, but
that my my grandmother was president of Sony Publishing for
thirty years, so I got to see, you know, I
got to see a lot of artists as she signed
Brooks and Dunna, you know, Taylor, so I got to
(11:47):
be in I got to see them. But I think
it was a different time too, is like, I don't know,
I didn't I didn't see people walking around. I only
saw him an industry things with my grandmother. It was
a different time like they were for me, such super ours,
you know, like you you didn't see you know, Ronnie
Dunne walking down the block or something, or Kicks Brookes,
you know, or I don't know, Randy Travis. You didn't
(12:08):
see these guys out that. I was like, But I
think I don't know. As we got as we get younger,
I mean, as as the music progressed and times changed,
I think people are like, I don't know. I see
him at the bar, I see him at tin roof.
You know, there's a lot of people out there. I
was like, you said, I see Brett Aldre just walking
his dog, probably this backpack on with the water it
coming out the absolutely, So I don't know why did
you walk in your dog? You're not going to tracking
(12:28):
the him alas, like, why do you got a backpack
of water? Uh? Growing up in Nashville's your perspective of
Nashville is obviously different then, because this is normal everybody else.
Like you drive up in a Nashville you see the
buildings like, wow, okay, I'm here, but you grow up
in it, yet you still wanted to stay in it. Now,
if your grandmother had a big job at a major
(12:49):
record company, did your parents do anything in music at all?
And my mom uh did building for demo writers. She
still does, so okay in the industry, yeah, she's in
the dad worked U I'm telephone poles for Bell Seuth,
so completely opposite. That was smart then, yes, my dad
got out of that stuff first. So then were they going, Hey, Mitchell,
(13:10):
I don't I've been in the music industry. I don't
think it's the best thing to do. If you want
to do it, We're not gonna stop you. But it
ain't what it seems, man. I'll be honest. I've had
these conversations with my friends that I moved here that
their parents didn't agree with them, and it actually made
them feel, you know, like they'll never make it. And
I never had that an incredible parents, incredible grandparents that
(13:33):
came to every sporting event I did. I was, I
was a drummer, Leeds screamer, and my parents herode that shows.
And they didn't like the music, but they were there.
And you know, I remember I played my mom and
acoustic thing one time. She started crying because she was
just so happy I wasn't playing in a metal band anymore.
And I was like, man, I want to make my
mom cry again like that. So it's it's uh. I
was very lucky, very blessed, and I and I and
(13:55):
I can't imagine the pressure of trying to prove your
parents I'm wrong. And I have a lot of friends
that have done that and all the all the power,
more power to them. But I didn't, you know, very blessed.
You know, I wondered though, if and if I when
we have kids, I won't want them to do this.
If they want to do it, I will support them wholeheartedly,
(14:15):
but I'm going to make sure I'm not gonna force
anything to them. I'm gonna make sure they see both sides.
Of it. This is for of it. People. It's a
really terrible job where you make no money. And I
say that now and that's not the case with me anymore,
but for most of my life or less significant part
(14:36):
of my life, it was. And I think it's explaining
that and going, hey, I'm gonna let you know all
the words to all the wards, all the it's it's
not just on TV, it's not just a big concerts.
But if you want to, I'm gonna convince them. I'm
gonna work so hard and making sure they know that.
If they still tell me they want to do it,
I'm like, then let's go, because you must really want
to do it. Yeah, I mean, but that's good parenting.
(14:57):
I mean, they told me some advice, they told me
the horrors. I was like, I know, whatever, did awesome. Yeah,
And then I've seen them and I'm like, yeah, you're right.
But they didn't say don't do it, and uh say,
I'm saying I want kids too, man, And I with
the two things I loved for football and and uh music,
and I would warn them about both. You know what,
you know, you're the rarity that it's football. You know,
obviously with most of these brownies are all big baseball studs. Hey, yeah, Keith,
(15:20):
Keith played a lot of or Earnest sorry he's Keith
to be Earnest Ernest. K Yeah, he played baseball growd.
I mean we we went to David Lipcom right down
the road together, so like we were all in sports
and he was great. And how good of a football
player were you in high school? And I don't want
to so I'm asking. You're not bragging. I am actually
I'm kidding extracting this from you. I I started, you know,
(15:43):
all four years. He started as a ninth grade on
thee on this yeah, and then um, and then we
won a state championship with Glenn McAdams, who was you know,
rest in Peace, one of the best coaches. And uh,
you started in ninth grade. So I'm a back hurt everything.
For those that maybe you don't know, I don't care
what classification school you're in, what class you guys planning? Uh? Well, shoot,
(16:06):
I was too. I graduated two thousand and eight. Oh
what class we were? We got moved up to three
A from two A. So I don't care if you're
single A, which was what high school was when I
was going if you're starting in ninth grade, you gotta
be really good. And that's pretty cool. And you were
were you what position? Yeah? Wow, look at you. So
(16:28):
how did you get the punting job because that was
always on our team somebody that was just screwing around
a practice and the coach is like, oh, you're pretty
good at that. Let's see if you can do it.
Here that just screwed around a practice pretty naturally athletic.
I don't look like it anymore. But I love sports
more than anything. I love to compete. I'm I loved it, man,
and that's I would just whether, you know, I don't
know how good I was, but I just really wanted
(16:49):
to win and I would give my body to it.
Like and that's what I would tell my kids. Now
it's it's not worth it, man. I remember we played
Dante high Tower, who's a you know, Super Bowl champion.
I was just so tired of hearing about Dante Hi Tower.
He was a running back from Marshall County. I said,
I'm gonna hit him. I'm gonna hit him hard because
I'm tired of y'all tell me how good he is.
I remember we met right in the middle and he
and I just remember that day everything shivered down my spine.
(17:12):
We both dropped. I made the tackle, but my life
was changed where I was like, I know why I'm
never playing football. This guy's going with the pros because
he was just so big and strong and I was
just so not even stupid to think that I could mind,
could I could take him one on? More? Brave it
how it ends up, if it ends up with you, Dominie,
Like I was just so brave. Yeah, yeah, I mean whatever,
But I I remember like that day it changed my lad.
(17:35):
I was like, wow, that that hurt really bad being
here in Nashville. And again, I'm just trying to put
myself into your situation. I think I would hate country
music because it was because it was everywhere. I think
that to me, growing up with it everywhere, I would
purposefull be like I don't like it because it's everywhere. Um,
and obviously you probably loved I didn't. And it came
(17:57):
back to it, how did that work out for you musically? Yeah,
that's exactly how it was. I just heard it in
the car with my mom all the time, and and
you know, um, I got into high school or you know,
really middle school, and really got into the emo scene.
Rocket Town was a big thing, um, and we started
bands like that, Like I loved under Oath, I loved
(18:17):
We're like, hey, a lot of don't yeah, I'm Bryant k.
You know a lot of those Christian bands actually at
the time that I just we I wanted to be
them so bad. So we started those bands and pop punk,
pop punk and pop pun man and even and then
into high into high school went in the more metal.
But and then yeah, like I said, you know, you
you kind of gotta get your teenage dankst out and
(18:39):
do that and get away from country music. And then
when I got to college, my buddy, um Brad Clawson,
I was, He's Rodney Clawson's son, and we've grown up
together writing songs. And we got to college. It's just
me and him and our you know, our room in college,
and we're like, we don't have amps. We have two
acoustic guitars, and we just started playing. And that's when
it kind of transitioned from the rock and roll back
(18:59):
to to home. You know, right, probably naturally, probably a
little more naturally than you would have expected. After absolutely, yeah,
so you live here, you stay here for college you
live here. Now, there's a little bit of you wanna
be like, let's gonna live somewhere else for like a year. Yeah,
I get it. I get a little bit of it
(19:20):
because I get to travel all the time. But I've
always thought that, man, I mean, it just happened to
be that I'm in the perfect place for what I
ended up doing. But I am envious. I always think
it's so cool when someone moves um somewhere for to
pursue a dream, like my fiance from Canada to here.
I mean, all my friends and you know, back to
what you were saying earlier, it's like they get to
go to their hometown and play a hometown show. Like
(19:42):
you go to your place it says home of Bobby Bones.
I don't get a hometowl show. No one cares here,
you know. I got. I got to do the Rhyman
and that's amazing, Like, yeah, we've seen it before. So
I can't like come home to Nashville to have a
big bow out hometown show. It's like it's uh, I mean,
it's a blessing and a curse, I guess, but it's uh,
it's pretty you know. I love Nashville, so much. I'm
(20:03):
so proud of this town. Um, but yeah it is.
It's a little different. You mentioned your fiancee, Megan. What
are you do you have a time when you're getting married?
And if you don't, if you haven't said it yet,
don't say it. October at it all right, at to
exactly two thirteen on the day. So I love Megan.
(20:27):
I was just having a conversation and I'm not uh
purposefully in as many of these high level level music
meetings anymore because I just I like to do my thing.
I kind of don't with all the respect, I don't care, however,
my boss ish um cause it. Hey, I need to
(20:47):
ask you of your opinion. A couple of things you
bring a Megan remind me of this, like what do
you think? What do you think of Megan? Thank Patrick?
And I said, well, what do you mean? What do
I think about her? He's like, do you know her?
Or like matterr matter with Mitchell um Nor music you
know from just listen to stuff? And he goes, do
you think you think I think she has it? Like, yeah,
(21:09):
she has what you can't manufacture somebody to have and
then believe it for a long time, like somebody can
do the little act for a year. Somebody can do that.
But I was like, you know what, she has it.
And I don't know what they were trying to do,
but you know, they all these high level people getting
there like they can only decide on a few things
(21:30):
to really and he was like, I think so too,
And I was like, yeah, she's raw, got energy, she
can sing like the same as you, right, Like you're raw,
you're a great singer. Like it to to be engaged
in to marry someone that's also doing the same thing
at around the same stage of of your careers. You're
(21:52):
obviously in a little different places, but you know, you're
not Brooks and Done yet, and one of these not
Brooks and One, he's done a new artist at that point, right,
you're kind of experienced a lot of together that would
be awesome and difficult. It's, uh, it's the only thing
we find about and it's probably what you relate to
each other the most about. It's yeah, well, you know,
(22:12):
I tell her. We told her. I was like, you know,
I fell in love with music before you and saying
and I want you to pursue this dream more than anything.
She's you know, every other ex I had would make
me choose, and you know I don't make me choose.
You're not gonna like the choice, and we don't make
each other choose that way. But if you come home
and you have a hard day in the music industry, um,
(22:33):
and I want to give you some advice, you don't
want that advice. You just wanted to I had a
hard day in the industry too. If you want to
come talk about your mom, your mom, you know you're
having problems with that, or your sister. You're arguing with
a sister. I'm there for you, but it's really hard
to communicate when you had a hard day in the industry.
It's it's it's very hard all the time. So we
came were like, hey, you know what we're not gonna
(22:53):
do talk about that. You have a hard day in
the industry, call your best friend, Landy Wilson, case Inton,
you know who you come up with, tell them and
I'll do that with my my friends and then let's
let's come home and leave that behind. Otherwise, you know,
it gets pretty stressful. I mean, she's a woman too.
It's it's a whole different thing for us, and it's
it's tough. Man but what about traveling, because again you
have to hop on a plan and go eat dinner,
(23:16):
and that's part of the job. That's the nature of
the business. You have to play a bunch of shows.
She is a new new artist here. Um quite successful
in Canada, but you know, it's welcome to the big leagues.
She has big league talent. So she has to go
out now and show everyone. Do you guys mean what
what's that juggling? Like, Well, it's just starting back for
(23:37):
her now, which is great because yeah, you're right, she
came from Canada. Here she had to get do the
whole thing, get the booking agents, start building relationships. So
she's finally getting shows bolt here when she normally would
have done you know, a hundred something in Canada that
she couldn't do. Canada has been pretty shut down still
kind of is. So it's all opening back up now
and you know, I'm I'm going today and I'm flying
back tomorrow and make it to her birthday. So you know,
(23:58):
we we we make it where like when when we're
when we're home, we everyone said, are y'all writing or
singing when you're home? Like no, no, you're chilling on
the couch with our dogs and the opposite. Um, well,
I'll just wrap up with this on Megan and not
think I plan to talk about all this but you
when you mentioned I was like, oh, yeah, say a
couple of things. And Megan, if you happen to listen
to this, I'm such a big fan and advocate of
(24:20):
not just what you do, because everybody does everybody does that,
but how you do it? I think it. I think
that's a difference. And so yeah, just just a big
fan and the fact that she could go and do
a bunch of shows and get paid in Canada and
make a lot more money, and now she has to
sacrifice a bunch of money to kind of start over here.
That's why I've married her or if I am man,
(24:41):
she is inspiring and even to her man during Quarantine,
her songs, just her songwriting, Man, it was just all
U biased aside like she it was. I was like, man,
why didn't I come up with that title? How are
you know? How are you doing that? So being on
the lookout for I think she's got a lot of
a lot of good stuff coming up there. Do you
ever do that with It's tough, She's in the business
but like, my wife will say something so funny, like
(25:04):
she's the funniest person I've ever met, my wife, and
she shouldn't be as funny as she is because she's pretty.
And I'm like, well, somebody got screwed because they got
they didn't get anything, like there's only so much to
go around you. You're pretty and you're hilarious, So somebody
is ugly and not funny because they actually gave you both.
And so she'll say something randomly and I'm like, oh
my god, that is so funny, and I want to
(25:24):
steal up for a joke for my stand up act.
And I used to do it all the time and
not tell her, and then I would do a joke
and she'd be like, where did you get that joke?
And what do you want to get the joke? I
don't know. I just kind of came to my show.
I said that to you, and you stole it, and
you didn't say anything to me that you were going
to use it in a joke. And so I'm like,
then I try to lie and be like, no, I
probably said it to you, but it's absolutely her. Does
(25:48):
that ever happen? And like, you guys are an idea
that and you're like, oh, man, I love to have that, Like,
can I go with that idea? Yeah? Man, I mean
we you know, we we talk like songwriters too, sometimes
when we don't even know it. So she'll say something
and I'll be like, grab my phone and just kind
of type it down. Or we'll be watching a movie
or something in a cool phrase will come out and well,
I'll notice how the corner of my eyes she's got
(26:09):
her phone too, and we're writing stuff town. It's like,
I'm like, oh, the you know, the Diary of a songwriter.
But man, it's a yeah, I'm with you, it's you
kind of you're together. It's here, it's both y'alls, but
shere's his mind. Right. Is it annoying that people? And
I'm not sure it may not even be annoying, but
everybody's like, all right, when you guys gonna do a
big duet? Yeah, that's what I was saying. Yeah, it's like,
I don't, I don't know, we don't we're at home,
(26:31):
we don't do that. I don't know. It's just not
something we we do when we're home together. We're trying to,
I mean, hopefully if we get to the Brooks and
done and we have more time on our heads maybe,
but right now we're both trying to you know, break
it together, you know or separately. Sorry. Craig Wiseman, Yes,
I say that name what what comes to mind? Um?
He helped me early on when I was starting Riser
(26:53):
House Records, giving me advice of how to start a
business to hire people that it's gonna take a year
and a half to figure out if someone's the right
person sometimes, and he had no reason to do that.
He wrote with me when I had no cuts. Um.
He is the epitome of what Nashville is man and
I have the utmost respect for that guy and when
(27:16):
he's done and how he continues to want to write
with new people and stay current and be the legend
he is man. It's a He is somebody that I
will always think higlie of and preach to my kids,
to everybody about Craig Wiseman. Man, he is an amazing guy.
If you were doing amount rushmore for people that personally
(27:36):
inspire you as an artist, and you don't have to
have met them, but I don't want to make all
four of them. Um, people from the twenties, Yeah, right,
just because I actually I would like to eliminate that
because I think a lot of people feel pressured, so
I don't if you do or don't, I'm gonna eliminate it.
A lot of people felt pressured to go, well, whalon
(27:58):
and they can't name three Whitland song so they can't do.
And that's okay that they can't. But I think a
lot of times this town, they're like, well, you probably
need to like at least act like you're a big
fan of the people to before. So I'm gonna eliminate
that current day, give me four people that inspire you
as an artist. As an artist, John Mayor for sure,
(28:20):
I'm a massive John Mayer fan. And Michael Jackson. Um,
those two growing up, we're I don't know every kind
of everything I wanted to imitate musically. Um. And then
I mean as far as the industry man, my my
manager does. She's young. She's like twenty five and just
crushing it. And she's only she might just turn yet.
(28:43):
I mean I remember when I met her years ago
and it was like, this is Mitchell's manager, and I
was like, wow, she's her head was so on straight
and still as at such a young age. She's incredible. Man,
she is pushing down walls and it's watching that. It's is,
it is, it's inspiring. It makes me want to work harder.
It makes me want to work harder for her. Um
(29:05):
the wholetel needs to know her name? Man, Kristin Nashley,
she's amazing. And then Kristen Nashley, Kristen Ashley, that's pretty good.
That's pretty good. Yeah, she's awesome. She's amazing, man. And
then um, and then I'm gonna I'm gonna put my
grandmother up there. I mean she was everything to me, inspiring,
the way she treated people, the way she walked into
(29:25):
a room and took it over, but humbly, like from Alabama.
You know, it's just that's my grandmother. So I'm gonna
I'm gonna do that if that's my four Yeah. What
about her do you think made her such a success? Uh?
She was a godly woman. First off, you know she
had faith, Um, but she came from nothing, She had
(29:46):
no reason, and she was in that time women didn't
get those chances. She worked away up from receptionists at
Sony to running the whole thing and just didn't take
no for an answer. But like this southern bell polite,
but like you didn't want to. I don't know, you
just you respect her. She treated everyone with that, and
that's why I you know, I was thirteen or fourteen
(30:08):
when she passed, so I didn't get like the music
industry stuff from her, but I got I was surrounded
by and I just got to watch how she treated
people and ran you know, her life, and it was
very inspiring to me that I wanted to take that
over from my family as that next person. You know,
she would hold all the Christmas parties, the family, every
birthday they come to hers, and it's like, that's what
I want to do. That's my goal now, is to
(30:29):
you know, be a family person first and and do then.
I think everything kind of surrounds your you know, kind
of fits in place when you do that first. I
mean my business, your business family. You got to build
that strength and trust, and I think I learned that
from her, for sure. It's pretty cool that you had
(30:49):
such a positive influence that was influencing you without even
knowing you were being influenced. Like that's why I'm hearing,
like you have all these things that now affect your
life in a very positive way. But at the time
you didn't know you were a accepting them. No clue.
She was just grandmother. But uh, but she's a grandmother
with some with with some swagger for her. If she's
running ny, that's awesome. The song with you and Chris Young,
(31:09):
I didn't I want to play it again now? So
he wrote this. How how did this whole this uh
collaboration come together? Yeah, I've got to know Chris over
the last four years, she became friends and you know
(31:31):
you On that day it was Chris Young and Chris
and Stephano on my phone, so like you know, our
publishersual book dates and but that day was during quarantine
with quotation marks. I don't really know when that ended
her what it was. But and then um, it was
a snow apocalypse. So I was so, we haven't been
writing a lot. I hated zoom rights. So I called
(31:51):
Chris up and I was like, dude, I need to
get out of the house today. I need to write
a song. I know it's snow and he goes, boody,
I got four wheel drive, come on, let's go. So
we show up at to Stephan Knows and we just
started talking, you know, catching up again and been and
Wallison saw of us had done that, and Chris said
something like, man, you should have seen me and Mitchell
at the end of the bar like a year ago,
were like we were we were, you know, vin and
talking about all the industry stuff. And I was like, oh, wait,
(32:13):
what did you say right there? I think that's that's
that's the song when you read today, because I met
you there, I met Megan there, I see my cold still,
see my ex there. I made best friends I don't
even know their name there. I was like, look, I
think that could be a cool song of writing. I
just wanted to Chris young cut because I love his
voice like more than anything. But then after the end
of that we wrote it, Chris like, we'll get on
in there and sing it, and I'm like, dang, man,
(32:34):
I really wanted you to sing it, so I got
in there. My voice is trash that day too, because
I've been singing a lot in my studio, and I
gave everything I had on it, man the demo, and
Chris called me two days later and he's like, man,
do you might have put a voke on it? And
I was like yes, yes, And I was like yeah.
Then of course. And then two days later, Hey, buddy,
I think I want to put this on my record.
(32:54):
I'm like, it's all happening. And then then he called
and he said, well, would you want to be a duet?
And you mind if it's the single? And I'm like,
it happened that fast for me a week because it's
so hard to get a cut, let alone a single,
And you know, all I wanted was, you know, Chris Young,
to hear Chris Young sing on a song of mine.
So it was just I don't know, it just kind
of happened really organically and fun, and it was just
(33:15):
one of those cool, cool things. And he's an amazing
singer man, so it was really fun to sing with him.
When you guys saying, I believe it's the A C
M S Right, that's the show, right, Yeah, we just
did just a couple of weeks ago in Vegas. Um,
being such a good singer and you're singing with somebody
else that's such a good singer, do you feel like
you gotta be like, well, I really gotta I gotta
stretch it and try to get a little better, because
when you're by yourself, you're not you're not compared to
anybody well, of course, yeah, and especially up to him.
(33:38):
And that is the highest song I have in my catalog,
saying with him because that day, I really I was
trying to impress Chris Young and when we wrote it,
and so I sung it way too high and then
so now it's a challenge and dude, I had the
flu with the A C M S not God, I
had the flu, and so I had to get a
steroid shot. I had to. I was so scared that
I wasn't gonna be able to hit the note. Um,
(33:59):
I don't think, you know, like you did in your mind.
I think so. Yeah, the adrenaline kicked in. It was fun.
You know, it's my first at M performance ever, and
so we just kind of like you do. You turn
it on and you figure it out and then you
kind of black out and then it's over. And then
I'm like, it's over. There's nothing to do about it now.
And you know, I got a lot of good feedback,
and but I was so nervous all day. Man, to
(34:19):
be honest, what he really was being sick on a
performance day, especially a big performance. Say that you can't
really get out of yea and that steroid show. I've had,
I've just hadn did a bunch of time for all
just losing and for a second it's like this, you're awful.
Then you're like, whoa that's going and then when it
goes away, it's just like like a train's run you over.
(34:43):
You're very thankful. Did it exists and you were able
to use it powerful tool sparingly though, Yeah, you can't
use it too much. It's just not really helping. It's
it's hiding the help and it's not healthy. But it's
not helping her healthy. Yeah, so you use them when
you absolutely have to, that's yeah, But but there's the
fact that they exist. Yes, it just saved my life
(35:04):
five times for sure. A few for me too. I'll
be in a city once we were snowed in and
a casino in Iowa that, Mike, do you remember that,
as sick as a dog, we went and track down
a steroid shot and I'd be behind like a bowling
alley and a waffle house even a Yeah, it was
like a hash Brown special and and I remember I
(35:26):
just felt terrible, but layd in bed, going there's no
chance that I'm going to fill in you. Oh and
then afterwards you're just alright, congrats on that. Though for
you know, the big Awards show, it's you know what's
great about that for you? Is it now that you
have your first one? It's almost like this is my
audition tape for other shows. If you're like considering me
(35:48):
and you're on the fence, watch me do it. I
didn't think about the Yeah, man, absolutely, it was awesome.
It was an honor. Man. That's just to sit down
there in the artist with everybody and you know, I
have an artist, our respect come up saying, man, that
was awesome, really great. I mean, whether they were just
being a nice or not, that it feels good. It
inspires you. Man, it was a lot of fun. You
wrote a Christmas song for Dan and Shay um So,
(36:09):
I have two questions and like, can I hear a
little bit this first? Chris? So, My first question is
when you write a song like this and you talk
about writing it high low, are you in Shay and
the same you sing in near the same vocal spot?
He's he's he's definitely a highest. He's got more ranged
in me. Okay, But I'm not saying range or better singer,
(36:30):
but I'm saying, when you in your most present singing voice,
are you in him and his? Are you around the same? Yeah?
I think yeah, I think we can. Yeah, I think so.
So when you ride, is it pretty easy for him
to do it? Like, oh yeah, I mean he's such
an amazing melodic person. Like he's just so good. I
(36:51):
don't know, it's just you kind of just like like
you said, you kind of just gotta up your game
when you're around. He's, in my opinion, the best singer,
and I mean not just Nashville that I've ever heard.
Control wise, he is just so good. So like even
like you know, when you're growing up learning guitar, you're
you want to put yourself in the room with people
that are better than you because it makes it ups you.
And he is definitely that. So to me, I don't know,
(37:14):
it's just something happens those days because you just like
really want to be able to do what they're doing,
and then I think you and then you'll leave and
you can't do what you just did in the room,
if that makes any sense at all. He's that kind
of singer, man, So I mean, he truly is the
best I've never heard him seeing have a bad day.
Like ever, he's just like incredible, he really is. I
have um yeah, yeah yeah, opt on his tour bus
(37:38):
once and he was in his underwear. He has slept
until like Daniels are already running hills and that day
was still asleep into like one pm. Like like that's
a bad day, right, you have it right there, buddy, Yes,
let's let's let's say um but yes, but I would
he would probably say similar things about you as far
as how good of a singer that you are. And
with that song, my prediction, well prediction forward face my
(38:01):
um suspicion with that song that song specifically Christmas song
is it? It It made a lot of money. I don't
even know, you know, I have to look. I mean
that one was kind of me and Andy and Jordan's
started that song and then we ended up writing Naughty
List for my record and then they gave that the
Then Dan and Shaye added to that song. So my
(38:22):
I don't know what addition is. It did extremely well.
I hope so that watch was bought probably with just
that song. Uh yeah maybe, I hope so. I just
my business manager hasn't yelled at me yet, That is
all I care about. As long as she doesn't scream
at me, then I feel okay, do you ever call her?
And I did this a lot whenever I first started
(38:43):
to have any taste of success, I didn't know what
a business manager was. To be honest, I didn't grow
up in an industry un industry. I didn't. I still
didn't didn't write. So they're like, well, I was having
to pay people, right, I started to pay um a
tour manager. I was having to pay people. And when
I was doing cord, there's all all these percentages, was
trying to pay man and and finally I was like,
you have to get a business manager. I was like,
(39:04):
I have enough manager or any pay anybody else. They said, well,
they'll do all that for you. They just get a
really small percentage, but you don't worry about anything anymore.
And I'm like, wow, I just I couldn't understand it,
couldn't Now. I can't live without her. But I would
call anytime I was gonna buy anything. Hey, I'm I
got a new heir headphones? Is that okay? Enough? And
(39:24):
so I would make those calls and I will do
that now occasionally, um, But do you have to do
that now? If it's like I'm gonna buy a nice watch,
do you call and check it? Like? Are we cool here? Yeah?
I definitely do. I mean I'm not. I'm not, you know,
crazy rich by any means. You know, we're living okay,
we're blessed, but I do. It's just it's just out
of respect to everyone else, you know, I want to
(39:46):
make sure that I don't buy something and I can't
pay another obligation. But to your point, like I couldn't
live without her, she does that and I asked her
and she's be like, yeah, okay, you're fine, We're okay,
just you know, chill out on the chill out on
the on the drinks at the bar that you're buying
people and you refuse. And you know what, I appreciate
that about you. Yeah, it's it's and I think until
(40:06):
I actually for me, it was about I had to
pay so many percentages and I was I would sit
there with a notebook and in my computer and be like, Okay,
if I get to this person, I gotta docks. I
spent all my time doing it, and I'm very like
that too. I enjoyed doing my bills and then you know,
I was paying my band, and then I realized I
wasn't taking taxes out. I got screwed, you know, when
(40:27):
we were in a van and all that. And it's
like when she said I'm gonna handle it all. I mean,
you play forty eight states. There's a different tax in
every state. It's unbelievable. Who does that. She will send
me said, hey, you need to send sign your California
tax returning. I don't live in California. Did a stack
you know? It's as high as his water bottle of
tax you know, of every state and all this stuff.
I'm just like, this is what you do every day.
(40:48):
She loves it, and I'm very grateful for those kind
of people, because I would lose my head. There'll be
no chance. And I never learned it and I never will.
I'm gonna tell you why I was to pull or
to understand it or think I would ever know anything
about money? Yeah, just we never We never had anything.
And then I made a lot of money quickly. So
(41:11):
then I was like, I'll just I need to hire
people to do it. Why do I need to know?
So I was too poor to understand, and now I'm
just like, I don't. I never I'll never understand. I'm
just dumb, and I'm just gonna have people do it
until I can't afford it anymore, and then I'm just
gonna go back being dumb again and not do it. Well,
you've been there before, you know you can. I don't
know that. If this ever doesn't work out anymore, I
can't get back. And I'm telling you right now, there's
(41:32):
not a ladder to get back here. This is my
one shot. No, no, I mean, like you know, yeah,
I'm the same way. I mean, if it doesn't work
out whatever, I'm ill. I know I've made it with
nothing before. I'll do it again. That's my thing. I
won't make it. I will not do it again. I'll
just go work at the mill. Well yeah, yeah, I
mean I'm all homeless aside. If we had to go
back to a van, i'd quit, like, but you wouldn't.
(41:55):
And that's the truth. Yeah, probably you would. You do
it and you love it, And you know what. If
I was kicked off of here, I'd go. I'd go
back to Arkansas. I'd lick my wounds and I probably
hop on a station in Fayetteville, Arkansas and be like
here we go let's see if we can. Because we
love what we do, and that's with anyone and what
they do. If you love what you do, you work
harder at it. If you work hard at something long
(42:17):
enough and smart enough, you will be successful in your
your own version of success. I totally believe that. I
love that. So we're just a few weeks out from
the low Light Sessions, the actual data that is April fifteen.
One song out now, Horseshoes and hand Grenades. Uh here,
(42:38):
let me play do you have? Oh nice? So feel
don't see the cowshoes? And so what what's what's what's
the vibe with these next eight songs inside of this
(42:59):
the low Light Sessions? Yeah, man, just just you know,
not as produced up. There's you know, nothing that I
went in like, oh, we gotta make something that sounds
very radio single. These are more singer songwriter, deeper lyrics,
which I hope could work at radio too. But they're
they're more, you know, stuff that I wanted to write
and I've been one to put out for five years.
(43:19):
Some older songs from the first girl I met that
didn't work out to the last songs about Megan and
uh and everything in between, and just you know, just
deeper lyrics and just a chiller vibe, something like low
light sessions. You can kind of chill out, you know,
sitting the fire, drive around and not even listen, but
just here in the background. I like that that unoffensive
won't hurt your ears. You could you could be playing
(43:41):
anywhere and you'll you know, it'll be a good vibe.
That makes sense. Chili's I want to be my case,
so skill it and I want to hear grenade. That's
what I'm talking about. Going to get a case of skillet.
Do you know where you guys are going tonight? No? Um, no,
I don't make sure. Hope I have and your uncle uncle, Well,
(44:04):
it'll be aunt Sonny tonight. It's my page. Is my
region out there? Yeah? Aunt Sony will be paid to night.
What time? What times you fight? Three? Okay, we're wait
a few minutes. I just got a backpack with a
shirt in it. I'm gonna walk right there. It's and
then you're gonna not spend the night or get on
a flight tonight and come back. I'm gonna spend a night.
We were gonna do lunch and come back, but couldn't
find one. I was like, let's just come back in
the morning. I used to do that whenever I was
(44:27):
a radio guy, and like before I started syndicating my
own show, and I was just hustling. Um, I would
fly places. Well, what I would do is I would
hit up people and be like, Hey, I'm gonna be
in town. Are you free for lunch. I'm in town
for like a day. And I wasn't going to be
in town, But once they would agree to lunch, I'd
freaking I'll buy me a flight on Southwest. I'd fly
over meet m for lunch and be like all right,
(44:47):
and then I'll just fly back home. And it would
be exhausting. But they would not go to lunch. They
wouldn't have happened. I was like, Hey, I want to
fly in and meet you for lunch, and they say, no,
don't do that. That's crazy. You're you're crazy. But I're like, hey,
I'm gonna be in town. Any chance you want to
grab lunch? Like five times out of six they would
say yes. And I made a lot of my relationships
that way, very smart man, by just hustling and and
(45:07):
you know, wearing it out. And so when you mentioned
the last song is about Megan on this is that
the way you are about her and you wrote it
by yourself. Was that important to you when writing a
song about her to write it by yourself or is
that just how it happened. Yeah, man, I wanted to
write that song. I'm not gonna sing for her at
my wedding this song, but I wrote the song thinking
about the wedding and thinking about that whole how we
(45:30):
how do we get to the point of wanting to
marry each other? And how did I fall in love
with somebody so much that I want to marry you?
And so I'm not I don't want to do the
cliche like here, I'm gonna make this whole moment about
me when you're walking down the aisle. But I wanted
to write the song about her walking down the aisle,
and so, you know, that's kind of where where my
head was that when I wrote that, and I was
just you know, we were still in the same house.
This was during quarantine stuff. So I'm just downstairs in
(45:52):
my studio writing and hoping she's upstairs not listening, and uh,
and she's feet in the bathroom. I'm just hoping she's
not near her me listening because I'll be a little embarrassed.
I'll be like, man, I turn on a blow dryer
and just do my thing when you ride your bathroom. Okay, okay,
So you write the song, and how do you when
you write a song about someone, especially one that's very
(46:14):
vulnerable and personal. Will you play it for her with
your guitar in mouth? Or will you play it for
her after you record a demo? UM I had her
could just come down listen to it. M guitar and
mountains like weird, dirty weird things. You gave her guitar
and mouth. I gave her a little guitar and mouth
last night. And then what then what not what happens,
(46:37):
but what happens because she has to listen and there's
now a reaction that she needs to give you, even
if she's not I'm not gonna say feeling it, but
if you're making yourself so vulnerable, she owes you something
in vulnerability back, even just to make you feel like
it's even it's the toughest thing then because she'll come
(46:58):
home too with that same thing. I just wrote this
song about you today. You want to hear it? Yeah,
of course? And then you and then you hear it,
It's like, it's not that, Like, what reaction are you
looking for? Like, I don't know what. Like I'm more
now I'm thinking about the reaction, and said listening to
the song because I don't want her to think that
I don't love it. I'm sure she got some of that.
I mean she you know, she teared up actually on it. Really,
(47:19):
so you got emotion that one. Yeah, that was a
good one. No, I mean, we were very honest when
it comes to songs. Man, that's just the way it is.
We We write a million of them, but that one
she did. And then she just wrote one call my
left Hand, that the best thing about my left hand
is a ring on it from the right man. And
that one got me, you know, I was that that
was like, Now, I was like, dang, dude, you really
(47:41):
you really got me on that one. So every now
and then, those songs do work. I'm gonna play the
way you are just thinking about that's good. If I
were to write my left hand because I'm left handed,
that would be dirty. All right, here we go, Here
is the way you are. So you can fear my
happy girl singing along to the read the movie jee
(48:01):
Minoria I'll be proving an amazing don't change a thing
about because I love you just the way I would
like if I were you and an artist and a songwriter.
If she said, hey, listen to this song, I would
be going, Okay, now, am I listening with my heart?
(48:22):
Am I trying to listen to how deep the words
are as to me? Or am I listening for the hook?
Like going, hey, this would be this is a great
catchy song. It is. It's almost like I would really
be given into me and then go I want to
go away. Let's do it by myself a few times,
and then let me have my my thoughts on both
because I may not give you what you're looking for.
As far as why you were looking for me to
(48:44):
listen to the song, No, that's very fair. I mean, yeah,
it's the what you do with when you live with
another artist and a songwriter for sure. And like like
we just said, man, it was I don't know that one.
That one worked, But I've done it before and did
not get the reaction I was expecting. And I'm I
know I've even heard the not giving her the reaction
she's expected you, especially when we're like driving the car
(49:05):
and I truly just don't want it, Like I want
to turn on old pop punk music and she's got demos,
you know, like and like no offense to her at all.
I'm just like, can we listen to those later? But
she really wants to play them. Then it's like my
heads is not in the like hearing any of it.
It's it's all great, she's great. So it's like I
know it's great, but I'm just not there so I know.
And then I'm sure I give that to her too,
and I'm in the truck, I'm like, hey, I gotta
do move, you know, And it's it's gotta be the
(49:26):
same way I like it to do a movie voice
that when it's a demo and my mine is on
such a lower level than yours. But there are times
where I write a song that is so freaking funny
that I will I will write it, I will laugh
out loud, I will think about it and laugh out loud.
I will randomly laugh out lot and what you laugh
(49:48):
a loud about myself? I'm like, oh, yeah, that song
I wrote, like it's that funny to me, And then
I will play it for Caitlin and she'll go, oh
is that one of those. Is that a serious when
you tried to write yes, and I'm like, she's like,
oh yeah, there are some funny parts. And I'm like,
oh man, that I suck. And then I have to
get over my little my little pride. I'm like, how
would you make it funnier? It's like, well, what I
(50:09):
would do? And I'm like, oh, that's that's perfect. God
dam I mean, that's why we have Oh man, that's
why we're lucky. It's okay, keep us in checking. I
don't know, man, it's a deal with it too. It's funny.
It's it's just funny. It is. What if we see
each other, We're gonnae each other a lot over the
next few years, unless I die a plane crash, which
I still think could happen. You heard it here first,
(50:32):
I say it a lot. Yeah. Um, I'm really scared
iFly so me too. If in five years we're sitting
down the same situation, like then, we've only really said
like this, you know a few times of the last
five years, Mitchell, like, we're in five years, do you
feel like you need to be And I don't care
(50:53):
what what platform you choose, where do you need to
be to go like, yeah, I feel good about where
I am right now. What's that goal I want? I
want a kid or two with megan, um, and I
want music to not be why I have to make money.
I want to be financially sound so that music is
(51:13):
just music again, you know. Right now it's my job
and I'm trying to set it up, like I want
to make money in music, put it in something else
to make me money so I never have to think
about it again. Then I can just pick up a guitar,
go to my kids game, you know, like I want to.
I want kids and I want to watch them grow up,
and I don't want to be on the road this much.
That would be my goal in five years and hopefully
(51:34):
you know we can get to that point. Um yeah.
And you know, and obviously just to still be in
this industry in five years, man, that would be a
That'd be a huge blessing. That's a big win. Yeah,
just to be in, to stay in, I mean, somebody
believes in you, somebody's investing in you, Somebody thinks that
you got enough in you that they can make something.
(51:56):
And just being in is a win. Um. I think
sometimes it and I get lost too with like, wow,
I wish I could do this, have this show to
this award. But in the end that's definitely doesn't matter
as much as we think it does. In the moment
it's happening, right, I got all the awards. I'm telling you, well,
the second you get it, you forget about it because
you went the next I do immediately. It's not even that.
(52:18):
It's like mine too, isn't just about the next It's about,
oh god, well if I don't win the next one,
I'm a freaking loser. Yeah, you're done. It's not it's
not like I'm cocky. It's like, well, I won this one,
but if I don't want the next one, I'm on
the way down and I'm out of here and I
don't get to work anymore. Well, it's just competitive and understanding.
I mean, it's just you. This industry is such a
roller coaster, man, and it is what it is. And
(52:40):
it's very hard, you know, It's it's it's hard, Like
I tell all the time, these songs. I had to
learn that these songs aren't my babies, they're my business.
And I've got to you know you, it's a really
hard thing to put that aside and figure that out
and understand that. Man, you're gonna you'll have a high
moment and then you could be two weeks later. This
industry is what have you done for me lately? And
it takes a toll on everybody. Man, it's there's no
(53:01):
doubt about it. But what's it? Do you think about
what you said a second ago and you're talking about
your goals? He said, you know, you want to make
music to not have to make money. And listen, if
you make money, great, that's amazing. But you want to
make me But what's funny is your goal is to
be back where you started. Because I feel like that
in a lot of ways too, because I didn't make
any money. I was doing it because I love to
(53:23):
do it, and that's the only reason I did it.
And I never thought I would make money because nobody
made money around me. It wasn't a job you can
make money in. But I just loved it and I
was okay not making money because I was fulfilled, like
I was already in my mind successful because I was
doing what I love and if I could just stay
in it, that's a win. That was the beginning. That's
the beginning. For you too, because you weren't you're not
making any money in the early on. Then you get
(53:46):
the middle stage where you've got to make money because
you got bills, you got a But you want to
get back to that feeling like when you first started
that that then is in the evity? Is it aware, naiveness?
I don't know what is it, but it's like you know,
any you get a little bit of success, you start
thinking you know everything, and that's when stuff stops happening.
But I thought that before I had success. Yeah, yeah,
(54:07):
but when you get but I want to get back
to like, you know, not knowing any rules, not knowing
any better. I think that's when some of the best
stuff happened. And I think that is some of the
best stuff that came out of you know, the COVID
thing was I I quit trying to do everything for
everyone else and started writing music again like that, you know,
And I want to get to a place right it
is so free that I have nothing else to worry
(54:28):
about except the music. Again, that's very poignant, and I
like that because I believe too that not knowing the
rules is actually better than breaking the rules, because I'll
use my career as an example, I have never had
a mentor or anyone to tell me, hey, look that's
(54:48):
really not how we do it, or that's how to
do it. And I didn't like that. I was like, man,
I'm always just floating vote, I'm solo. Um. However, I
did think so different than every everybody else, and I
was always told it was weird and I never fit
until you realize you're not weird. You don't fit anymore.
Everybody's weird for not trying to fit into what you've created,
(55:10):
and now you've to And so me, not knowing the
rules was the greatest thing that ever happened to me,
because I made my own and I made my own path,
and yeah, I messed up a lot, but not knowing
allowed me to go in places that other people really
hadn't been. Yes, that's why you're here. I don't know
by that, I mean that's a luminati. But still, well,
(55:34):
I thought we weren't talking about that. Okay, listen here,
we've done an hour here. It's been a lot of fun.
I'm glad that we've really enjoyed this Probby thing. Yeah,
we were trying to get you in already. And then
Michael was like, hey, he's leaving, can you fly home?
And I was like, I was like, what's your name again?
What was that? Was that guy? And then after he
showed me a picture of you? I was like, I
(55:54):
remember that, just a little me. I live right down
the road. We go golf whenever you won't. And so
are you? Are you good? No, I'm like a I'm
like a ten. Okay, I'm gonna hold you up better
than I am. I know you're better than I'm like
a twelve or thirteen. We'll probably the same. No, you're
better than I am. And I have a little machine
out there, and I still I'm not good. I did
see that very envious. I need one of those in
(56:16):
my life. That's when I know I'll make it. That
Bobby bones it's pretty. I'm not gonna have all the
things that's pretty. But I should be better and I'm not,
because well, I'm gonna give you my platter of meat
and cheese here. I work a lot. Yeah, I am
(56:37):
constantly working. Therefore I can afford that. Yeah, but because
I'm working so much, I can't really get on that.
And because I'm not on that that much, I don't
have time to go play the core. So it's a
weird situation here, Isn't that what it is? Man? You
buy all this stuff and can't use it because it's
the only way you're able to buy in your face off,
(56:59):
and you still keep working your face off. That's why
it's like, spend your money now, man, because that I'm not.
I'm just I'm scared of money. I'm scared of it.
I don't know anything about it. Um I. My therapist
says that people that and generally that uh don't have
a lot either are very selfish with their money and
(57:19):
hide and keep it all or give it all away.
And I very much so to a detriment in that
second one where I'm just like, oh, you want here,
why don't you take Let me help you here, let
me do this, let me help you. And I know
for a fact if I wanted, nobody's gonna help me.
You know, of those idiots, I think I'll be like
I always spent it. Man. But that's more of my
point is you can have the golf simulator when you watch,
I'll just pick it up the truck. It's the size
(57:41):
about five trucks. But yeah, we'll make it. Okay, okay,
Mitchell Tenpenny. Uh, we're gonna we'll actually go over this
again the week that you're the low Light sessions come out.
But for everyone out there, you can get horses and
hand grenades. Can you pre save this? Yeah, it's a
it's tough for pre sale now. And that's the song
that comes. You know. What is an onliner The fact
(58:06):
that people are like, hey, going and pre like and
pre save my song. I'm like, well, I don't know
that I like it or want to save it yet,
but I understand why you're getting me too. But what's next? Hey,
go ahead and click that button? So when I think
of an idea, your you get first DIBs on it.
You know, it's it's a weird situation. But if you
had that button, I push it. And that's my point.
(58:27):
I pushed the dang button, Megan. I push your button, Megan.
I would like so you guys check it out again.
The new single is we're playing it. You got to
You got two songs on the radio right now. That's
what I was confusing to me, because you have Yours
is actually on the chart now. It just this week, yeah,
(58:49):
just charted. I just want to get a little red
arrow beside it, and that's it, and that's a big deal.
You got the look. That's the goal to keep the
little red arrow. And then so truth about you and
here's the clip of that one more to if you last.
And then Chris Young and Mitchell tin Penny uh the
duet here and I will say this, you're double dipping
(59:10):
here and I like that you're on it and you're
getting publishing too because you wrote it. Spent a minute
since we've been up here, So thank you. It's going
to have to read Mitchell is here, ask him one
Our final question is from read read was caller tent?
So we got to be part of this interview? Um,
no he's not either, he's our video guy. I'll say, well,
I didn't know that you read. What's your question? All right?
(59:32):
Let's see, since recording equipment is like so accessible nowadays,
like you probably have a home studio, Um, how often
do you end up recording parts at home that end
up in the final cut? Or you mainly do a
good question, sir? Are you mainly just doing demos and
stuff like that? A lot of demos? Who you are?
(59:54):
Everything I did down there that um, the whole things
just played at all, wrote it all, did it down there,
and I just sent it off to Jeff Brown to
get mixed. I'm not to make sure I do not
have those years, but produced it, played it, recorded everything
down there with you know, I have a universal audio
preamp and a knee and and then I mean a
compressor and a knee preamp and into a manly man
(01:00:15):
and that's all you need now. I used to I have.
I have like a hundred microphones I need to just
sell because you don't need them anymore. Man, I don't
need to do a whole drum kid. I've got to
I've gotta lect your kid that goes through the computer
and it's playing real drums. Like I was with near Z,
an amazing drummer yesterday, and I programmed using his drums already.
So but then I went into the studio for him
(01:00:37):
to do real drums. I'm like, hey, can you do
it like I did it with your drums on the computer?
Plase it was. It's a weird thing, man, But yeah, man,
I I do a lot of back and forth and
overdubs in my studio to Yeah, I stopped listening, I
don't know, five or six aboards then because I'm gonna
talking about I was just really waiting for you you to
turn your chair around and talking again. The one thing
(01:00:57):
I did here, you say, because I understood the words,
is we have too many microphones. You don't need them all. Now,
my wife might say that about my shoes. I'm right
there with you on that one. Yeah, and she likes
shoes too, but I think even with mine, she's like, hey,
you don't have that many feet like you don't you
won't have that many feet. Um. So that part I
(01:01:18):
understand that I related to. Okay, Mitchell, t we did.
We've done an hour look at us. That's how you know.
This was a plus. And the funny thing is we're
gonna start recording now. So this was all like we're
good and warm. Now follow follow Mitchell m the number
ten penny. You see what you did. They're in ten
penny um, and follow him on TikTok to guys things
(01:01:40):
on TikTok. Yeah, I love TikTok. Come on, come on over, Mitchell.
Good to see you, buddy, Good luck and have fun
at your dinner and we'll talk to you sim
Host
Bobby Bones
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