Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Hello, everybody, and welcome to another edition
of Skip Happens.
Uh, my name is Skip Clark, ofcourse, your host, and uh, we're
talking with a guy, you'll seehim there on the screen, uh,
whose story feels straight outof uh a country song.
And I'll tell you why.
His papa handed him a guitar atthe age of five.
He grows up playing every showhe can around Knoxville, I'm
(00:22):
told, then moves to Nashville,becomes one of the most
in-demand young songwriters intown.
I know for a fact he's writtenfor Kenny, Cole Swindell, Chris
Young, Billy Zimmerman.
I think he had a track on theMorgan Wallen album.
Um, we talked about that when hewas in town here.
Of course, uh, he got his ACMsong of the year with the Jordan
Davis song.
Uh, next thing you know.
(00:44):
How about this?
Wait till you have kids andwater at a wedding.
If you don't know who I'mtalking to, this to give you a
little idea.
SPEAKER_00 (00:53):
I couldn't help but notice.
You're drinking water at yourwedding girl.
Ain't no bubbles up in thedrink.
If I'm a bedding man, I'mbedding girl.
You're scared of devil up thesmall top thing.
I think the tears ain't happytears.
(01:13):
I think you don't love him atall.
I think the two pink linesappear.
Now you can't have no alcohol.
Daddy's shotgun and your mama'spearls.
Drinking water.
SPEAKER_02 (01:24):
If you still do that, no.
Maybe this will bring backmemories here.
Listen.
That's when we brought up thesteroids.
Playing the son of the wolf.
SPEAKER_00 (01:39):
Listen up.
Here we go.
Wait till you have kids.
Wait till you're there,Superman.
Wait till they're your wholelife.
Right now, you think you'vegrown up, think you know what
tough and tired of real love is.
(02:01):
Wait till you have kids.
SPEAKER_02 (02:03):
There he is.
Everybody say hello to my friendGraylin James is with us here
tonight.
What's up, brother?
It's so good to see you.
SPEAKER_01 (02:10):
What's up, bro?
So excited to be here.
Chilling with you dogs.
SPEAKER_02 (02:13):
Yeah, it's good to see you, man.
We had you in town, I know withthe radio station uh a while
ago.
We did what we call a um what'snext private listener showcase.
Yeah, and uh Wait Till You HaveKids was the one that we were
playing on the radio.
And uh now, of course, it'sWater at a Wedding, which is pre
is that actually older than WaitTill You Have Kids?
Because I remember hearing thatsong like long before the other.
SPEAKER_01 (02:38):
It's gotta be Yeah.
So no, I mean Wait to Have Kidswas uh a song that I wrote, I
think it was like two or threeyears ago, but was kind of
sitting on it for a minute.
Um and yeah, I was just tryingto figure out you know what I
wanted uh to put out, but thenuh my record label got heard
Wait to Have Kids and was like,man, you gotta put that song
out.
And uh it really struck a chordwith a lot of people.
So uh yeah, when it went withthat song for a little bit and
(03:00):
uh was really blessed with it.
But um yeah, I uh I read whather at a wedding and I was like,
Yeah, this is the this is theone that I feel like could
change things for me.
And um you know, we're justtrying to find the right time,
and yeah, it did.
Yeah, it's been uh it's been aroller coaster.
SPEAKER_02 (03:15):
You know, I I have to ask for anyone who doesn't
know you yet, and I don't knowif that's even possible because
you're doing so well, how wouldyou describe Grayland James in
about 10 seconds?
How would you do that?
SPEAKER_01 (03:26):
Oh man, I think just uh stories.
Um, I think that that's uh whatI've been trying to do with uh
especially my last few releasesis kind of just uh thread a
story and uh kind of walk peoplethrough through my life, but
also uh hopefully take a littlebit of their journey uh with me
as well.
And um yeah, I would just saystories is kind of what what I'm
(03:47):
trying to do with my music.
SPEAKER_02 (03:49):
And because you're a songwriter, and it's all about
stories.
I love that.
So you know, you gotta take usback.
Your papa gave you a guitar atthe young age of five.
SPEAKER_01 (03:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (03:59):
And do you still remember that?
SPEAKER_01 (04:01):
Do you yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_02 (04:04):
And was it uh, you know, was it a hit in your
household?
SPEAKER_01 (04:09):
It wasn't a hit in the household, but um, it was it
was a loud, uh, a loudexperience, I think, for
everybody.
But um, yeah, I remember uhgetting that guitar.
It was just a a guitar you gotinto Kmart.
And um it was supposed to bejust another toy uh under the
Christmas tree, but uh you know,I looked at it like, oh my gosh,
like that's that's what I wantto do.
I want to be a you know playguitar and be a country singer.
(04:30):
And so I uh the story goes, Iplayed that thing till my
fingers bled that Christmasnight and just never put it
down.
Oh my god.
And uh before I knew it, theywere like my entire family just
said, yo, if you're gonna besinging and uh playing guitar,
like you might as well be goodat it.
So started taking guitar lessonsand singing lessons, and yeah,
kind of never stopped fromthere.
SPEAKER_02 (04:49):
Yeah, but when did the songwriting come into play?
Because really, I mean, beforethese songs hit the radio, I
mean, you you're on so manyother songs.
Tell us a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
Yeah, I mean, songwriting was kind of a uh up
and down journey for me when Ifirst did it.
I I gotta give credit to TaylorSwift.
Uh, because from afar, Iremember being 11 and 12 years
old, and that was when she firststarted to kind of pop off.
Um, and all I heard about inschool was just how Taylor Swift
is this girl that's writingsongs about her her boyfriends
and ex-boyfriends and all that.
(05:19):
And even just then, I heardabout a girl that wrote songs,
and I thought that was so coolthat um somebody was writing
songs that you know people wereconnecting to, even in my age,
and um, so I wanted to do that.
And I started writing about thegirls I was dating in middle
school and high school, and um,but they were terrible.
That that was the problem, isthey were they were bad songs,
(05:39):
and so yeah, do you remember thevery first song you wrote?
Yeah, the first time I wrote wasuh about my grandmother passing
away.
Um, because uh yeah, my myfamily they were really
struggling with that, it wasunexpected, and uh you know, and
at that time I was just startingto kind of learn guitar chords
and writing songs, and so Iwanted to write a song for it.
And so I I sang that at thefuneral.
(06:00):
I remember that being the firsttime I made people, you know,
like obviously, you know, crywith my my singing, guitar
playing that was because ofsongwriting.
So um, yeah, I definitely thinkthat that had an impact on me.
But um even then this that songwas you know it was sentimental,
but it was uh not great, and soum never is, but it's awesome.
No, no, yeah, you know, but ituh it was definitely a uh kind
(06:21):
of a life-altering experience,and um I just kept trying to
ride and get better, and um thatreally didn't happen until I got
to Nashville, but uh yeah, I'veI've always had a kind of a bug
for it.
SPEAKER_02 (06:31):
I love it.
You know, you were talking aboutTaylor, and um I gave her one of
her first radio interviews, andshe might have been only 17 and
she had come out with TimMcGraw.
So if you were 12 and so youwere right right there, yeah,
yeah.
I mean, how cool is that?
And to be a fan of you know, ofwhat she was doing.
SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
Oh, I'm I'm I'm really blessed that you know I
uh I came up in a time whereyeah, there was somebody that
was you know in in middle schooland high school, and kind of in
uh just earshot that was doingthat.
And I remember she was uh on myhometown station, W IBK, um, and
just hearing hearing her on theradio, and uh again, everybody
really just talked about howthis young girl is such a great
(07:13):
songwriter.
So um, I'm definitely thankful Ihad that inspiration uh you know
from afar because that really uhintroduced me to songwriting.
SPEAKER_02 (07:21):
Is uh W I V K, that's a froggy station, right?
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Yeah, I I think so.
I think so.
I think so.
SPEAKER_02 (07:27):
Well, all right, but back to back in uh tennis.
That's right.
Yeah, tell me about yourhometown.
Tell me about your hometown.
SPEAKER_01 (07:35):
Yeah, again, man, I've I've just been blessed with
uh with where I've grown up andhow I did.
But um I growing up there, youknow.
I grew up down the road fromKenny Chestney, where he grew
up.
Uh he's from Knoxville, uhMorgan Wallins from uh within
five minutes of me, and uhKelsey Ballerini, same thing,
five minutes away.
Um, and then further back, youknow, Chet Atkins grew up, you
know, probably about 10 or 15minutes down the road from my
(07:58):
childhood house, and then DollyParton from out there.
SPEAKER_02 (08:00):
Um dude, how cool is that to know that you you were
brought up in that neighborhood.
SPEAKER_01 (08:06):
Insane.
SPEAKER_02 (08:06):
That's that is insane.
SPEAKER_01 (08:08):
There's something in the water out there in each
other.
SPEAKER_02 (08:09):
Do you think it had a lot to do with why you're
doing what you're doing?
SPEAKER_01 (08:13):
I I definitely think so.
I I think it more had what todo.
I guess it more had moreinfluence on me just moving to
Nashville and uh also aninfluence on the people around
me.
Um, because when I you know whatto tell people I wanted to be a
country singer when I grow up,it wasn't that crazy because uh
there were so many people thatdid that around me.
And um even you know, there wasa bunch of songwriters from out
(08:35):
there.
I mean, Travis Hill, uh ScrewScooter Caruso's from out there,
and um you know, so I I I thinkreally growing up there um
helped me tell my parents, youknow, hey, I'm not gonna go to
college, I'm gonna move toNashville, be a country music
singer.
I was gonna ask you about that.
Okay, yeah, I you know, I justhad the blueprint from all these
people that had done it beforeme.
So um, you know, it's not like Igrew up somewhere where you know
(08:59):
chasing dreams was you know sucha uh a taboo thing, you know.
For me, it was um it was whatpeople from eCinnessee did a lot
of times.
We grew up loving country musicand around country music.
So um for me to chase thatwasn't wasn't that crazy.
SPEAKER_02 (09:12):
So when did you make the the move though?
You go from a songwriter tobeing an artist.
How did all that happen?
Did somebody say, Hey, you'rewriting these great songs, why
not perform these great songs?
Or how did all that go down?
SPEAKER_01 (09:25):
Yeah, yeah, no, for me it was uh it was crazy
because you know, growing up Iwanted to be a country singer,
not a songwriter, even though Iwas writing songs, um, you know,
I wanted to be the one singingthem.
And um to back up, even when Iwas 17 or 18, I uh yeah, I was
gonna move to Nashville to signa publishing deal.
There was this lady named LeslieDe Piro who's married to a Hall
of Fame songwriter, Bob De Piro.
(09:45):
And um together they had apublishing company and they saw
me on YouTube one night andoffered me a publishing deal,
and I didn't know what that was.
But um, and for people thatdon't know what it is, it's just
basically a company that callsyou and then they pay you to uh
write songs.
And you know, they'll they'lltake those songs and try to get
other bigger artists to recordthem, or just wait for for you
(10:06):
to record them yourself and uhmake them big.
So uh yeah, they offered metwelve thousand dollars, moved
to Nashville and write songs,and I thought that meant write
songs and put them out, but uh Ifigured out really fast that I
was I was bad, you know.
I was I was really bad, and um Ijust wasn't prepared to write
songs with other people and itit really set me back.
SPEAKER_02 (10:26):
Um, I felt insecure and why do you think, Grayland?
If you don't mind me asking, whydo you think that set you back?
I mean, just because you feltinsecure, maybe you inside said,
What am I doing?
I don't think I can do this.
SPEAKER_01 (10:39):
Yeah, it was just you know, I mean a small fish in
a massive pond, you know, whereI was like, you know, but if you
don't do it, you don't know.
No, I didn't, and you know, Ibut it was the first time I
didn't know how to get better.
Um and yeah, felt just like Ididn't have control.
You know, I had control overmoving to Nashville and uh had
control of picking up guitarsand uh singing at you know
(11:02):
little hometown spots, but uh Ifelt out of control, you know.
I I didn't have uh I didn't havethe power of just making myself
famous, you know.
It was uh it's just this thing.
I didn't know I didn't know howto write a good song, I didn't
know what it was.
Um and uh you know it turns outI lost that first publishing
deal after two years.
They dropped me, which isbasically fancy word for being
(11:23):
fired.
And uh so they let me go.
And then um for six months,seven months, I didn't have uh I
didn't have any form of income.
I was living with uh with abuddy here in Nashville and um
and his wife, and and then I hada another buddy that was writing
for another company in town, andthey were also a very small
(11:43):
company in Nashville.
Um but he convinced this guythat was running this company to
to take a chance on me and signme.
Um and the guy told me he'slike, Look, I I really don't
believe in you.
I don't think your songs arethat good.
Uh I don't like what you'redoing with this whole pop
country thing, but um, I'm gonnagive you a year because I like
you and I like your friend.
Um, I'm gonna give you a year towrite songs for me and just try
(12:06):
to find something else.
And uh thank God he did becausethat gave me another 12 months
of just really having to figureit out back up against the wall.
And um, that's where I fell inlove with songwriting was
because I kind of had to, and II uh Yeah, but that was a hurdle
and you got over it.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I'm super competitive.
I I hate being bad at something.
(12:26):
Uh all my friends know that.
Anybody that watches this andknows me will be like, yeah,
that makes sense.
But uh I hate being bad atsomething, I hate not being
good, and um I wanted to figureout how to be better, and so I
just started uh studying theliving hell out of it.
And yeah, yeah.
I listened to a uh I get you.
Yeah, I listened to an oldDominion record, looked at the
lyrics, and I kind of figuredout what they were doing.
(12:48):
They were writing songs likepoems, they were describing
sunsets in ways that I didn'tknow how to do that.
They were using wordplay and allthis stuff, and I was like, oh
man, I I I figured it out.
SPEAKER_02 (12:56):
And uh ever since then it was kind of a uh I don't
know, it just kind of clicked,and beyond that, I yeah, being a
songwriter, one of the the bigthings is that uh you need to
learn how to put a play onwords, you need you know, yeah,
you need to learn how to dothat.
I I think uh I when I hear thenew Lee Bryce song Kill the Man,
(13:18):
yeah, I'm going, that's a hellof a play on words.
When you listen to the song,it's not you know, you hear the
title, but then you go into it,and we all know that Lee's a
great songwriter, so that'sexactly it.
You gotta have a be able to puta good play on words.
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, uh, and I I I didn't knowthat the first few years I was
here, and then um, yeah, figurethat out.
And I don't know, it just kindof uh all changed for me.
Um uh before I knew it.
Yeah, people were recording mysongs, and I fell into the whole
songwriter thing, but I lovethat's so cool.
SPEAKER_02 (13:47):
That is so cool.
I have so much respect for thesongwriters, and a lot of people
don't even think the songwritersthey hear the songs and they
think it's a great song, but yougotta look a little bit further
on because it's people like youin the small print, yeah, yeah.
Like Rail and James, you know,and you got a song on the Morgan
Wallen album.
I mean, we talked about thatwhen you played here in
Syracuse, and that is you'vedone that, man.
(14:10):
Uh to be picked out of how manysongs to be put on that album.
One of them is yours.
SPEAKER_01 (14:16):
Yeah, that was a crazy, that was a crazy
experience.
I uh I kind of felt down.
I've I've been on a lot of likerecords I wanted to be on, and
uh, but you know, Morgan was onethat you know, growing up in
Knoxville, I wanted to to be onthose records, and so you know,
to miss out on the on dangerous,uh, one thing at a time, was it
one thing at a time?
I think it was the last one.
Uh yeah, and then uh yeah, Ijust was like, I you know, I
(14:37):
want to be on those records.
They're they're so big andthey're so influential, but um
also all my friends uh have beenon those records, and I was
like, damn, you know, I I Ican't be the guy left out.
So I I was chasing that for forfive, six years, and then uh
finally got one on there.
And um, it's it's funny becauseit's also a song that talks
about Tennessee baseball, whichfor me, you know, was uh a cool
thing being from Knoxville.
(14:58):
So to get that in there, thatwas pretty sick.
But uh yeah, I mean that's thosealbums are huge, and um, you
know, to be part of a career,Black Morgan's uh especially
being from the same hometown,it's uh it's definitely a bucket
list thing.
SPEAKER_02 (15:11):
Yeah, are you a uh baseball player?
Were you a baseball player?
SPEAKER_01 (15:14):
Yeah, I was the baseball player back in the day.
SPEAKER_02 (15:16):
Yeah, I mean, did you play in college or was it
high going up?
Well, all right, where did youplay?
Did you play?
SPEAKER_01 (15:23):
Did you watch I ran into high school and then uh I I
got homeschooled, uh I gotsophomore year of high school
and then uh to to do the wholemusic thing and then uh watch
from afar.
But uh definitely loved itgrowing up.
That's where I think I got mycompetitive straight.
SPEAKER_02 (15:37):
We're a big uh yeah, we're a big baseball family
here, and of course, our team isthe New York Mets.
Sorry, but uh yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:46):
Hey, I'm I'm a Braves fan.
Oh my god.
Sorry, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (15:50):
No, that's okay.
It's all right, it's all right,but um, you know, we're a big
baseball family, and then I knowa lot of people in your position
now, a lot of artists inNashville.
Uh, I mean, look at Morgan, heplayed in the Little League
World Series.
He uh, you know, my son did too,by the way.
But yeah, but he was uh heplayed in the challenger lead,
but it was pretty cool.
Pretty cool, but still, oh mygod, it's just just awesome.
(16:13):
But uh, you know, um having thatopportunity is just wonderful.
But it's so cool when I hearthat uh artists like you,
songwriters like you, you know,baseball is your second love.
That that's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01 (16:25):
Braves fan, yeah.
I mean, it's the closest thingto uh to East Tennessee.
Either that or being a Reds fan,which uh you know oh my wife is
a huge Cincinnati fan.
SPEAKER_02 (16:35):
The Reds, she's all about the Reds.
She goes back to the JohnnyBench days.
I mean, let's it's like wow,it's crazy.
But uh let me ask you now you'vewritten songs, uh, Luke Combs,
Chris Young, uh so many more.
Uh be honest, do you rememberwhere you were when one of those
artists first cut your song?
SPEAKER_01 (16:53):
Yeah, I I pretty much remember where I was for
for all of them because it'sit's such a monumental thing.
Uh okay.
Somebody that you've you'velistened to for a long time or
that you hear all the time onthe radio, uh, when they take a
chance, you know, I I know whatthat feels like now being an
artist myself, you know, how howbig of a deal it is to to record
a song, put it out.
Um, I'd say, you know, for me,like Kenny Chesney was you know,
he's such a monumental part ofmy life.
(17:16):
Uh just going back to when I wasjust growing up as a kid, I I
absolutely I wanted to be KennyChesney when I grew up.
And uh so when I was um I'd sayI was 22 years old, and I I
wrote a song that talked aboutpalm trees in the chorus, and
somehow Kenny heard the song andrecorded it.
And uh, but for me, you know,when he he called me to let me
(17:37):
know that uh the song was goingto radio, um, I knew that that
was gonna change my life.
And you know, it's just such a Imean, the financial impact of
me, I was broke as hell.
I was eating tomato soup everyday and ramen noodles, and uh my
dad was actually in town and wewere uh we were taking a nap on
the couch and I got that phonecall, and my my phone was on my
chest, and I remember justanswering it.
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_02 (17:58):
Um's this?
What?
SPEAKER_01 (18:02):
Yeah, I mean it was when he called me.
It was a block number, you know,and it says like private number,
and I was like, either, youknow, either Kenny Chesney's
calling me or I'm getting soldcar insurance.
And uh and it turns out, youknow, it was Kenny, and uh yeah,
bro.
I I I remember just playing itcool on the phone.
I'm like, oh man, so you know,acting like I've been there
before.
Oh, that's so sick, dude.
(18:22):
You know, let me know how itgoes, whatever.
And then get off the phone andjust screaming.
And I was just gonna ask, whathappened when you hung up?
So you know, I I'd be all overthe place.
Yeah, I definitely ran aroundand you know, me and my dad ran
in the backyard and uh with mydog, and we're just freaking out
because I, you know, I just knewthat however it was gonna change
my life, however big, I knew itwas gonna make a massive impact
(18:43):
on it.
And so uh yeah, it it reallydid.
That was the a turning point forme.
And um, you know, and since thenit's been a uh it's been a
really fun journey.
SPEAKER_02 (18:52):
Do you do do you ever like kind of pinch yourself
and go, damn, look what I'vedone.
This is effing crazy.
I've done this and I've donethat, and I've I've written
these songs and they've becomebig hits.
And you smile every day when youwalk out to the mailbox.
Uh, you know what I mean?
It's wow.
Do you have to what do youthink?
What do you do you ever get thatmoment where you're like sitting
(19:14):
in a in the chair with thetelevision on and go, holy crap,
I'm doing this?
SPEAKER_01 (19:20):
Uh it's never it's never really that.
I mean, I think that um, youknow, I definitely feel blessed,
obviously.
Um, you know, if I if I could goback to being 18 years old and
see, you know, where I'm at now,um, I'd definitely be like, holy
crap, you know, but uh I thinkjust the way the the music
business and entertainment,honestly, just live, you know,
the way it it kind of goes, youknow, with more uh with more
(19:40):
work becomes more stress, youknow, and you just become more
busy and um you know you kind ofsee how the sausage is made, and
you're like, oh my gosh, likeit's even when the song gets
recorded, well then you hope itmakes it to the radio, and makes
it to the radio.
You hope that it keeps climbingup the charts, and then it's
climbing up the charts, andyou're watching.
Like making sure that the chartsand go back and forth.
SPEAKER_02 (20:02):
Yeah, I was gonna ask, how how much do you watch
that?
Because I don't know if it'sgood to watch it.
I think I would wait a littlebit and then go back, but uh I
get the excitement and I get theyou know the feeling of watching
a song climb the charts, but Idon't if I saw it going the
other way, I'd be like, Oh crap,what now what's going on?
SPEAKER_01 (20:22):
So I I think depends on you know how how big the song
is, you know, just in in theworld.
I think uh, you know, for for myKenny song, it was uh during
COVID, so it was like who knowswho knows what's going on, you
know.
Um watching it was a emotionalroller coaster that definitely
took exactly life took years offmy life, but uh and then uh with
the next thing you know, thatwas a song that um it took like
(20:44):
15 weeks since it was telleverybody what song was that.
SPEAKER_02 (20:48):
I want you to tell everybody.
SPEAKER_01 (20:49):
Yeah, next thing you know, I wrote that for Jordan
Davis.
SPEAKER_02 (20:52):
Uh yeah, and what about the Kenny song?
SPEAKER_01 (20:54):
Uh Kenny, uh it was uh Happy Is as Happy Does.
Uh yeah, I wrote that song forhim.
Um and since then I had a had afew more uh with him.
SPEAKER_02 (21:02):
Uh go ahead, name them, throw them out there.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
Yeah, yeah.
I wrote uh he put out a newalbum um called Born.
Uh I think it was this year orlast year, and and uh it was a
really cool story.
So I also wrote a song calledCome Here, Go Away.
That's on that album, too.
But um the title of the trackBorn, I wrote that song.
Um kind of like freshly out ofCOVID.
And uh I've really gotten intogolf, and so I was out golfing
(21:27):
one day, and I was actually withmy dad, and uh Kenny called me
to tell me he was recording it,and he wanted to match the demo,
which had a bunch of like gangvocals, which gang vocals is
just it sounds like there's acrowd singing along with the
vocalists on the uh on the song,and so um he wanted he wanted
that, but he wanted there to bemore like girls singing with him
(21:47):
on the song.
He's like, bro, can you get abunch of girls over to your
house and record record thissong?
And I was like, Oh yeah, dude,like I'll do that after I get
done golfing.
Like, I know so many girls, anduh and so I looked at my dad, I
was like, Yeah, we gotta wegotta wrap up golf, we gotta go
back to the house.
And uh, and so I had my dad justsing the song over and over and
over and over in my stuff in mylittle studio that I had uh back
(22:08):
then, and uh and I just pitchshifted my dad's voice.
I mean, probably a milliondifferent ways, and I sent sent
it back to Kenny, and he thoughtit was a bunch of girls.
He was like, Oh my god, likethose how many girls did you
have your house?
I'm like, Oh, so many.
And uh the place was packed.
Yeah, the place was packed, andthen uh you know the track
listing came out, the album cameout.
(22:28):
My dad one got the the copy atWalmart, uh back in Knoxville.
And uh when you open it and youread the credits, it says
vocals, Kenny Chesney, and thenit says my dad's name right
after uh oh how cool, then itsays mine after that.
So uh yeah, it's pretty cool.
So yeah, so my dad made a hemade a Kenny Chesney album.
SPEAKER_02 (22:46):
Oh my god, that's so cool.
Tell me about the relationshipwith your dad.
You've mentioned him quite a fewtimes.
Yeah, uh, you play golf withhim, he seems to get involved
with your recordings, uh yoursongwriting.
How is that relationship?
That's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01 (22:59):
That's been great, man.
I mean, my my entire family'sbeen super supportive uh from
the very beginning, and um youknow, made a lot of sacrifices.
I think uh anybody that you knowchases a dream in any family,
you know, they have to have thethe support uh somebody there.
And uh luckily I have my mywhole family, they're all like
super proud of me anytime I'mplaying a show within you know,
(23:19):
probably 300 miles.
Uh I'm gonna have uh entire crewthere, and so um I've been super
blessed.
SPEAKER_02 (23:25):
Yeah.
What do you um what comes firstwhen you're writing?
When Grayline James sits down towrite, is it the title, is it
the hook, or the therapysession?
SPEAKER_01 (23:37):
I mean, probably uh a little bit of all that.
I think uh definitely thetherapy part is part of I think
every song I've been writinglately.
But um, yeah, I think that uhtitles typically what I it's
like what I like to start with,I think.
And um I think just mainlybecause I I I just want to kind
of see the movie playing in myhead.
(23:58):
Yeah, yeah.
Uh I don't know.
And then uh just yeah, a coolconcept is always it's always
just a fun thing to chase andyou know, and and and to either
make up or uh you know walkthrough and in real life.
SPEAKER_02 (24:11):
And uh so if somebody wants to do what you're
doing being a songwriter, whichit's like the uh the hero that's
not recognized because, like Isaid a few minutes ago, I mean
you're putting all the songstogether and somebody else is
singing them, but for the mostpart, now you're doing your own
thing.
But what what advice would yougive to somebody that wants to
be a songwriter?
What should they do?
SPEAKER_01 (24:33):
Oh man, I think uh you know, a big part of it I
would say is just findingfavorite songs of yours and the
songs that make you cry, laugh,uh, drink a beer, whatever it
is, and figure out why it makesyou feel those things and what
to do those things.
Um what makes them great, whatmakes them connect to you, and
try to apply that same knowledgeand that same feeling to your
(24:56):
own stories and yeah, to yourown imagination.
I think that I didn't know whatmade my favorite songs my
favorite songs for a long time.
And when I figured that out, umit changed everything for me.
So um I think just kind ofpeeling back the curtain,
studying them and uh find yourfavorite songwriters, whether
it's the artists that's singingthem too, or whether it's the
behind the curtain people, youknow, people that are in in the
(25:19):
studios writing songs.
I think just figure out whattheir techniques are.
I think it's like a you know, anNFL quarterback, dude.
You think it's as simple aspicking up a court uh football
and throwing it, but there's alot more details that you're not
a Phillies fan.
SPEAKER_02 (25:32):
I'm not no, no, no, okay, good, because they lost
three in a row, they lostanother one last night.
SPEAKER_01 (25:37):
So yeah, I'm just kind of curious.
SPEAKER_02 (25:39):
Yeah, I got both lots.
SPEAKER_01 (25:40):
I'm a Titans fan, dude.
SPEAKER_02 (25:41):
So we oh, okay, all right.
Yeah, well, I get that.
I get that.
Of course, of course.
So you're living in Nashvillenow.
That's right.
What part of town are you in?
SPEAKER_01 (25:50):
Of Mount Julia, Tennessee.
Oh, okay.
So I home about like 25 minutesuh each.
SPEAKER_02 (25:54):
Outside of town.
Yeah, yeah.
On a good day, it's a 25-minutedrive.
SPEAKER_01 (25:58):
Yeah, hey, then today when it when I'm I when I
get up, it's 25 minutes.
When everybody else gets up, Ithink it's uh yeah, 45, 50.
SPEAKER_02 (26:04):
So you say when you get up, I mean what are you you
up super early?
You're out the door early.
What are you what's what's youoh late?
Yeah, yeah.
I was gonna say becausemusicians or songwriters, you're
never up early unless you got aflight to go to another radio
show or something.
Other than that, uh yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (26:22):
Yeah, I mean when I'm getting home and when I'm
home and having to drive intoNashville, it's usually when
I've I was flying in the nextthe day before and I uh I slept
in and needed it.
SPEAKER_02 (26:33):
Yeah, absolutely.
Um, water at a wedding.
Wow, you know, I mean that's onthe radio now, and uh, I'm
watching it grow, although we'veheard that for quite a while
now.
And I know you played it whenyou played here in the Syracuse
area.
Uh, but tell me a little bit, isthat a real life experience?
You went to somebody's weddingand it you it was an old flame,
(26:54):
and uh it's like wow, but why isshe drinking water speaking,
right?
Yeah, is there something goingon?
You know, read between the linesa little bit, but tell us about
that.
SPEAKER_01 (27:04):
Yeah, I mean, I think uh you know, uh it's no
secret to my family and to myfriends, and I mean, I'd say to
a lot of people I work with thatum I I've kept my my personal
life pretty low-key.
Um and a lot of that's beenbecause I I've just been so
married to my career.
Um, and so I've been married tomy career, I've watched other
(27:26):
people I've dated marry otherpeople and uh and go down
through that whole thing.
And um yeah, this year I Ifinally wanted to kind of let
people in on myself because I'vejust been kind of putting out
songs that I thought were otherpeople's lives and you know it
was really cool.
And um, I was honestly taking asongwriter approach of just
(27:47):
writing other people's storiesand instead of telling my own.
And so um I got to the pointwhere I just wanted to put out a
song that uh was really personalto me, and it doesn't get more
personal than water at awedding, obviously.
And um it was so personal that II was afraid to put it out
myself.
You know, I I teased it for thefirst time on a fake account
(28:09):
that had zero followers, and um,I did that just because I wanted
to hit people that just didn'tknow who I was, right?
Exactly, you know, I can justbut you know, and and just see
what happened.
And uh I thought I'd get youknow 100, 200 views max.
Yeah, I got millions of views,and uh all of a sudden that fake
(28:30):
account was you know is I'mgetting more views than my main
one.
Yeah, it was great.
SPEAKER_02 (28:34):
You brought up a good point, Grayland, that uh
you're married to your job, andthere comes a time where Graylin
James, maybe you don't want tobe Grayland James for a day, you
know what I mean?
You want to go out and do thingsthat you want to do.
I've had people come up to me,some very good friends of mine,
and I've been doing the radiothing for a long time is Skip
Clark.
They're like, you know, don't Idon't want you to be Skip Clark.
(28:55):
You need to take take a breakfrom that for a day, you know.
Because you you know, being whoyou are and being who I am and
what I do, you feel that youalways got to be on, you gotta
shake hands, you gotta talk topeople, you gotta be nice, you
gotta do everything you gottado.
But you know what?
To be honest with you, it getstiring.
Although, yeah, yeah, you know,so you need to take that break.
(29:17):
And I'm I'm so glad somebodytold me that doing what I do,
and I'm telling you, you need totake a break too, but but not a
break like a break, you knowwhat I mean?
Just yeah, of course, maybe takea day and uh maybe go hit a
baseball or go hit a golf ballor go fishing, hunting, just
break away from it, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (29:34):
Yeah, yeah.
I'm I'm looking forward to theChristmas break coming up there.
Yeah, I was gonna ask.
SPEAKER_02 (29:41):
Yeah, so the Christmas break is right around
the corner.
I know the charts uh they shutdown here in a couple of weeks,
so you don't have to worry aboutwatching it.
But um, so are you off the roadnow?
Or you gotta you got more showsbefore the holiday, or well,
how's that working out for you?
SPEAKER_01 (29:54):
Yeah, I'm actually heading to uh tomorrow morning
and heading up to uh Albany, NewYork.
SPEAKER_02 (29:58):
Uh, GNA?
SPEAKER_01 (30:00):
Yeah, I think I'm I'm I'm heading up there and uh
doing some stuff and then umthen heading out to Long Island.
Uh and then after that, bro, I'muh I'm chilling.
And uh I'm really lookingforward to just relaxing and uh
hanging out with my my dog andum yeah, just catching up all
sleep.
(30:20):
It's been uh it's been a agreat, but yeah, really, really
long year.
And it's just an emotional yearagain, like um you know, going
through the whole water at awedding thing, you know, let
letting people in on that partof your life, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (30:31):
It's uh did that hurt I mean, did yeah, you know?
Yeah, I mean the the whole thingwas uh yeah, definitely a uh
maybe that's a stupid question,and I apologize for asking that,
but um no, it's just sometimesthe heart works in mysterious
ways.
SPEAKER_01 (30:48):
Yeah, no, for sure.
I mean it it's uh it's been oneof those those songs that you
know letting people in on thatthat part of my life.
Um, you know, I I took thatchance and uh I let people in on
that that part of things and Ididn't really know what all that
entailed, and it's been it'sbeen amazing to see how people
uh connect to something thatthey've never been through.
You know, that's um that's asong that I thought was a
(31:11):
original experience, and uh it'sdefinitely uh it's it's really
connected with a lot of people,and so um yeah, it it definitely
hurt, you know.
I mean, getting uh text fromfriends and family and people
that were involved but notinvolved and all that stuff.
But uh more than anything, it'sbeen amazing to see people uh
just sing that song and um andsing it back to me.
(31:32):
So uh yeah, man, I'm uh blessed.
SPEAKER_02 (31:36):
I'm just looking at some of the comments here,
getting quite a few of those.
Uh and uh let's see here.
Britt, uh so proud of you,Grayland.
Hope to see you in 2026.
Dude, your fan base is yeah,they crush, man.
SPEAKER_01 (31:48):
They crush.
SPEAKER_02 (31:49):
Uh oh yeah, there's Britt again.
So that's pretty cool.
Yeah, yeah.
Listening and editing, that's socool.
So um let me just click thathere.
I'm trying to do five things atonce here.
I do I do my own thing just likeyou do your own things.
SPEAKER_03 (32:03):
I love it, dude.
Hell yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (32:04):
So do you have a studio in the home now?
SPEAKER_01 (32:06):
Yeah, bro.
I'm actually sitting in mystudio right now.
Uh it's my my upstairs, and it'suh it's a lot nicer than what uh
what I started with and where Iwrote most of my early stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (32:17):
Cool, cool.
Yeah, so how long have you beenthere?
SPEAKER_01 (32:20):
Bro, I've been uh I've been in Nashville 10.
This is my 10th year.
Uh and so uh, but I've been inthe uh Mount Julia for for a
year.
I got you.
And uh I live uh I live rightaround the corner from my buddy
George Burge.
SPEAKER_02 (32:34):
He lives uh like George and I are really good
friends, and I'm not justthrowing that name out there.
We text each other all the time.
Um, he's just we had him backhere again for his show and just
love him and the family, and uhthat's cool.
So if you do see him, if you dosee him, tell him Skip said
hello.
SPEAKER_01 (32:51):
I see him every morning, dude.
He's he's just walking aroundwith his kids and uh and his
wife and uh Brandon Lancasterfrom Lanco.
He lives in uh yeah, yeah, andthen uh yeah, a bunch of bunch
of great songwriters live inthis neighborhood.
So I've um yeah, I've been justloving uh being around people uh
in the music business, but nottoo close to them.
(33:11):
It's been uh it's it's been adope place to live.
Yeah, um Albany's gonna be cold,just telling you, and there's I
think uh they love sending me tothe northeast when it's cold,
dude.
Uh I think it's just tochallenge me to to drink with
everybody up there, which I uhaccept every single time now.
SPEAKER_02 (33:31):
Bring bring gloves and dress warm if you're heading
to Albany, and that's rightthrough away from where we are.
I'll get another.
Oh, yeah.
So uh, what do you drink?
Do you are you a jack drinker?
SPEAKER_01 (33:41):
Or yeah, I mean I'm an alcohol drinker besides
vodka.
I think uh that I've walkedstraight away from vodka.
I went out with uh way too manygirls that drank that when I
first started drinking.
SPEAKER_02 (33:52):
So I feel another song coming out.
SPEAKER_01 (33:54):
Yeah, vodka brings up bad memories.
SPEAKER_02 (33:56):
Oh man, what about winter jack?
Have you ever had winter jack?
I have Jack Daniel Jack, yeah.
Like apple cider.
SPEAKER_01 (34:04):
Yeah, it's that's dangerous.
I've uh it's very I've had somecrazy Christmases with uh Winter
Jack for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (34:09):
I love that, I love that, and uh let's see here.
Um I don't know if somebody wastrying to read what they're
saying.
All right, never mind.
Uh, what's the most Tennesseething about you?
SPEAKER_01 (34:22):
Oh man, um I mean, you know, writing country music,
uh, I think it's a big one, butuh I'm a massive Tennessee Vols
fan.
Um, yeah, I I bleed orange.
Uh anything Tennessee, bro.
SPEAKER_02 (34:35):
I'm uh we bleed orange, but it's not Tennessee.
It's yeah, it's a differentorange.
SPEAKER_01 (34:40):
Yeah, y'all put you watch the basketball game.
SPEAKER_02 (34:44):
Yeah, I know.
Did you watch the basketballgame?
SPEAKER_01 (34:46):
I did, unfortunately.
SPEAKER_02 (34:47):
I was about to go on stage when uh when I was at that
game 62 to 60.
SPEAKER_01 (34:53):
That sucked.
That was unbelievable.
Stuff, you know what?
Like, I I knew y'all were betterthan what y'all played like in
uh in Vegas, and so uh yeah,yeah, y'all were y'all were
doing do a game.
SPEAKER_02 (35:06):
I just nothing better than going to a game,
it's always a lot of fun.
Um, what would be yourChick-fil-A drive-through order?
SPEAKER_01 (35:14):
Oh man, I usually do the spicy chicken sandwich with
a certain joy.
Uh but then uh you know, forbreakfast it's uh the chicken
minis.
SPEAKER_02 (35:21):
So you being a songwriter, is there any song
that you wish you had written?
SPEAKER_01 (35:26):
That you oh yeah, I've got uh I've definitely got
like a list um that I've beenworking on.
SPEAKER_02 (35:30):
Um do you steal ideas from certain songs or you
keep it all?
SPEAKER_01 (35:35):
No, but I I definitely like you know, try to
live up to, I mean, I mean, Ilove I love our format and you
know, I just love country music.
Um and so I always try to try todo it proud, man.
I you know, when I when I was akid and when I was a teenager
especially, and I was kind ofliving the songs I was listening
to.
Um, you know, I I try toremember that there's kids out
(35:56):
there that you know are livingthe same kind of life, you know,
and going through the sameheartbreaks and um moving away
from home, going to college,again, you know, getting broken
up with, breaking up withsomebody, um, losing to a
parent, losing their dog,whatever.
You know, they're they're kindof retreating the music to uh to
heal those things and um to livetheir lives through.
And so uh yeah, I'm alwaystrying to remember how my
(36:19):
favorite songs affected me andhelped me through things, and uh
so I'm always trying to do that.
I mean a song that I wish I'dwritten though.
Um I Love the Good Stuff byKenny Chesney.
Uh that's one of my favoritesongs of all time.
Um He Stop Loving Her Today, Ithink is original greatest songs
of all time.
Um, yeah, and I can go on andon.
(36:40):
I've got I've got I've got kindof good rankings, but I love
that you know, we won't gothrough those.
SPEAKER_02 (36:44):
No, that's okay.
Uh if you could collaborate, II'm sure everybody asks you this
question, but if you couldcollaborate with anybody, male
or female, dead or alive, whowould that be?
SPEAKER_01 (36:52):
Yeah, man.
I mean, I Kenny Chesney was abig one for me.
So, you know, knocking that oneoff, uh, it's been awesome.
I'd still love to uh have a afeature, and I think one day
we'll do that.
SPEAKER_02 (37:01):
But uh it might happen, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (37:02):
Yeah, yeah.
I think we're we've we've goneback and forth about a few
things on that, but um, youknow, he's he's definitely up
there.
But um I always try to likeshoot super high.
Um right now, you know, TateMcCray's been uh following me on
uh you know following a few ofmy songs and so and commenting
on a few of them.
So um she's pop star, so rightnow, you know, it'd be it'd be
(37:23):
awesome to uh to kind of do thatthing and bring uh bring her
even more into country music.
But um, you know, and I'd saydead.
Uh Glenn Fry from the Eagleswould have been really cool.
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02 (37:35):
Yeah, absolutely.
Have you seen the Eagles?
You ever had a chance to do it?
SPEAKER_01 (37:38):
Well, I've never I've I've never seen the Eagles.
I've uh I've actually playedwith Vince Gill before, like I
didn't so you know, but but notone not one of the OGs, no.
I've never I've never uh seenthem.
I I'd I'd love to you know oneday take my my family out to to
Vegas and Sphere and you knowsee that.
SPEAKER_02 (37:54):
But uh I'd love to see the sphere.
I haven't I haven't had theopportunity.
I just see the pictures.
SPEAKER_01 (37:59):
I saw Kenny at the sphere a few times.
SPEAKER_02 (38:00):
Um have you played Vegas at all?
Have you been able to do anyshows there?
SPEAKER_01 (38:07):
I actually played in Vegas on Sunday night.
Uh played uh I played at thePalms out there, so uh still
recovering from that.
No, it was uh it was a radioshow, so I played with uh Prison
Cooper and Vincent.
SPEAKER_02 (38:20):
Oh yeah, we've had them all.
SPEAKER_01 (38:21):
Yeah, yeah, and Dasha and Bread, dude.
So it was it was a good littletime out there, yeah.
We uh we had fun.
SPEAKER_02 (38:28):
I love it, I love it.
Um what um all right, so yourfull tell me about your band and
how would your band describeyou?
How let me I put it in quoteshere.
My band would describe me asblank on the road.
SPEAKER_01 (38:45):
Um uh tough one.
I I would say dramatic, I wouldsay dramatic.
Are you dramatic?
No, no, no, no, only becauseonly because going through uh
you you don't go you don't writea song of the water at a wedding
and some of the songs that havecome out since then without
(39:06):
having a very interesting lovelife, obviously.
Uh right, right.
And and for reference, I've I'veplayed, I think, 220 shows this
year.
And yeah, I've been gone only,I've been exclusively gone, and
so I'm gone with my band.
And so uh I'm an externalprocessor, so going through
those things, I had to havesomebody to talk to, and that's
(39:27):
my band.
So uh being with them that muchand going through that much,
they know more about you thananybody.
They know all that yeah, theyknow where all the bodies are
buried for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (39:38):
Yeah, exactly.
You're all on the tour bus,you're all in a bunk, you're all
doing whatever, hanging outtogether, drinking together,
just having a fun in betweengigs, and I'm sure the stories
come out soon.
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah.
Pretty cool stuff.
Um, let me ask um what's thedifference between writing a hit
and performing a hit?
SPEAKER_01 (40:02):
I mean, definitely performing.
Um I think writing hit, younever know that you're writing
one when you're doing it.
Uh I've I've never known thatlike I've I've I've had a few
and it's been I'm I'm I'mblessed to say that, but uh I
never knew ever uh that I waswriting a song that was gonna
change my life um or affectpeople like they have.
(40:23):
And so um but yeah, when you'reperforming them, it's uh it's
insane to see people singing itback to you and you know, and
hearing the stories after theshows of people walking up and
being like, That song was thisand meant this to me and all
that stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (40:36):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's gotta be so just so
gratifying to hear, you know,they hear a certain song, you as
a songwriter, you know, likethat was me.
Thank you for saying that.
Thank you for writing that.
Thank you.
Because it made me realize,yeah, I love that.
I love that.
You know, Knoxville raised you.
What's the biggest way yourhometown still shows up in your
(40:57):
music?
SPEAKER_01 (40:58):
Oh man, I think uh it's been really cool to see
Knoxville like kind of stand upas like a uh a go-to place to
write about and sing aboutcountry music.
Um a lot of people uh when Ieven just play shows, you know,
I'll say, you know, I'm GraylandJames, I'm from Knoxville,
Tennessee, and uh I always get abig cheer for that.
Um I think just in uh you knowthe way that we communicate, and
(41:22):
I think it's just having anappreciation for so many
different things about life,man.
I mean, you know, growing uparound nature with the smoky
mountains, and um you know,there's a lot of God, and I
think that that comes throughour music, and so uh yeah, it I
think it really affects uh everyangle of my life, my career, and
yeah, definitely my music.
SPEAKER_02 (41:42):
So uh I'm gonna put you on the spot.
What do you remember aboutSyracuse?
Oh man, you know what?
Uh dude, I didn't mean to dothat to you because in all due
respect, you did two over 200shows.
You never and and I totally getit.
I don't know how you as anartist do it.
You have to keep a diary, Iguess, of who I would say this.
SPEAKER_01 (42:03):
I I would say this.
I uh I remember my radio rep ormy sorry, my publisher who used
to be a radio rep for Big Loudis from Syracuse.
And uh one of my closest friendshas a songwriter's name's Zach
Alban.
He's on the uh he co-wrote uh mythat's my favorite country song
for for Hardy.
Uh he's also from Syracuse, andso uh I remember them just
(42:25):
hyping me up.
They're like, Oh dude, you'regonna have the best time in
Syracuse.
And I'm like, Yeah, you gottahit.
They sent me just a laundry listof spots I had to hit, and yeah,
but you don't have time to dothat, you know.
But I will say, okay, I I playeda show.
Um, I'm trying to think what thethe town was called.
It was a little outside ofSyracuse, and I pronounced it
(42:45):
wrong, and uh people got mad atme for that.
But then uh I had to redeemmyself after, but uh I think
it's Olean or Olean?
Olean, Olean.
SPEAKER_02 (42:54):
Yeah, it's a radio station called the pig.
SPEAKER_01 (42:56):
Yeah, but I said oh I said what it was.
SPEAKER_02 (42:59):
It's hard if you're not from the area.
SPEAKER_01 (43:00):
How are you gonna, you know?
I I had no idea, but uh but Iwill say you guys have a great
time, bro.
I I did have a great time when Icame back and I was just like
chilling in Syracuse.
I did not wanna uh stray awayfrom there, but uh yeah, I
always have a great time, andalso you know, just watching uh
Syracuse basketball growing up.
Uh it was cool to see where thatto see where that was and Jimmy
(43:21):
Bahim being the Jimmy Bayheim,yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (43:23):
Adrian Autry, no.
But yeah, how cool is that?
Good for you, man.
SPEAKER_01 (43:27):
Seeing where Carmelo was from, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (43:28):
Oh, yeah, and now his son is playing on our team.
SPEAKER_01 (43:30):
It's crazy, yeah.
Isn't that crazy?
And and wow, I got bad respectfor Syracuse, so yeah, I look
forward to being back.
SPEAKER_02 (43:37):
Yeah, well, we are orange, so that's true, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:39):
So not too far off.
SPEAKER_02 (43:42):
Yeah, they put uh well, we were at the game the
other night, uh back on thesecond, that uh every once in a
while they'd show somebody in aTennessee jersey in the place
which is erupt and booze.
It's a booze, yeah.
You know, it's just it's justfun.
Yeah, it's good fun, definitelygood fun.
So because yeah, what they'reranked uh number 13, I think
you're too.
SPEAKER_01 (44:03):
Yeah, yep.
And we fell after that, youknow.
Yeah, did you go down a littlebit?
But yeah, I think we're I thinkwe're 20 now.
Oh yeah, sorry, yeah.
I know it's all right.
We'll be back, we'll work ourway back.
SPEAKER_02 (44:13):
Yeah, so if you weren't doing music, if you
weren't writing, you weren'tperforming, what would you be
doing?
SPEAKER_01 (44:19):
Uh it's hard to imagine that.
I've I've I've thought aboutthat a few times, but uh I think
now uh I can't find analternative good enough that I
would actually chase, but um nowlook at that, answer that
question with like what I willbe doing when I retire.
Sorry, um when I retire fromthis.
I think I'll uh I'd love to ownlike a boat marina or something
like that, and just uh live on awater.
(44:41):
Come on, kind of be around that,yeah.
Uh you know, when I'm like 60,70, dude, I'm chilling, and I'm
just the guy that used to writesongs.
SPEAKER_02 (44:47):
Yeah, used to you'll still be doing it.
I will be doing it.
It's what's gonna keep you aliveand it's gonna keep you happy,
and you're just gonna be you'regonna be banging out those hits.
Yeah, no, I guess you know, I'mjust saying, and and you know,
I'm the one that's gonna beretired.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (45:01):
Well, you can come to my marina, dude, and hang
out.
SPEAKER_02 (45:03):
Oh, yeah, I'd love to do that someday.
Absolutely.
Were you at the CMA's?
SPEAKER_01 (45:07):
I wasn't at the CMAs this year.
I went to a couple afterparties.
Um, I it's hard.
I felt like a little spoilednow.
Um, you know, I was nominatedlast year, and um and so you
know, this is uh the first yearI wasn't um since I could go.
So I think that now I'm justlike trying to uh get back when
I'm nominated.
SPEAKER_02 (45:27):
Were you on you weren't on the red carpet?
You didn't go to that either.
SPEAKER_01 (45:30):
No, I I didn't hit it.
I again I just I I I don't likeuh going there without being
nominated.
SPEAKER_02 (45:36):
Yeah, I respect you for that.
Totally respect you for that.
I don't I don't know if this isthe right thing to say or not.
And I apologize if anybody'swatching this and I offend
anybody, but uh watching the redcarpet, I didn't know half of
those artists.
It's like all right, who's thisperson?
Why are they talking to thisperson?
Who is it?
(45:57):
It's like, wait a minute, whydon't they have somebody like a
Graylin James or George Burge orsomebody, you know, these are
the up-and-coming artists, theseare the up-and-coming stars of
tomorrow.
Uh, but we're not seeing thosepeople.
Well, maybe a few, but most ofthem weren't on that red carpet.
And I'm going, This what's wrongwith this picture?
SPEAKER_01 (46:16):
So I don't know Yeah, no, I mean for sure.
I mean, I think uh I think nowit's it's so interesting seeing
the difference in you knowsocial media and uh oh yeah,
different different versions ofmedia.
Uh you know, but um I thinkpeople are kind of kind of
seeing the difference now, youknow, seeing that Morgan's uh
you know what's kind of going onwith him and award shows and
(46:36):
stuff.
And so uh I don't feel badmissing them anymore.
Um again, you know, I when Iwhen I deserve to be there, I
feel like I want to be there.
I think people that walk thecarpet that I'm like I to me,
you know, walking the carpet atan award show, you should be
walking from the carpet nervous,you know, that you're gonna win
or you're not gonna win.
And uh that's what I alwaysthought it was.
(46:57):
I love your attitude about that.
That's what I want it to be.
I want to I want to earn beingthere and not just awesome,
chilling there and drinkingthere, you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_02 (47:04):
Joe Joe Miller's saying Grayland opened up
outside Buffalo for Luke Combs.
Uh wrote the night, which weknow, and incredible artist,
Albany will be.
SPEAKER_01 (47:14):
It was cold, it was cold in Buffalo.
It was snowing that day.
SPEAKER_02 (47:17):
I was that that was in the the stadium.
Was that the one in the stadium?
My wife and I took the drive upfor the Luke Combs show.
Yeah, froze our asses off.
I'm just just saying it wasfreaking cold.
Yeah, it was, it was but uh Ifelt sorry for what Jordan was
on that show.
SPEAKER_01 (47:34):
Jordan was on that show.
I can't remember.
Mitchell, was it MitchellTenpenny?
Yeah, and I think uh I thinkMitchell played Drew Parker was
there.
Yes, Drew Parker was there.
There was a handful of buddiesout there, but we all two shows,
yeah.
Yeah, yeah, we all froze our assoff.
SPEAKER_02 (47:47):
Yep.
How can you it gets that cold?
How can you play?
How can it it's gotta it affectthe guitar and your hands, your
fingers?
SPEAKER_01 (47:58):
Don't play very good.
I I I take pride in you knowplaying guitar solos and stuff,
but I I definitely back off whenI'm playing outside in upstate
New York in the winter.
SPEAKER_02 (48:07):
I don't you're right though, we get a lot of uh lot
of artists are coming through,especially around the holidays.
You know, radio stations aredoing their holiday shows and
this and that.
SPEAKER_01 (48:14):
So y'all gotta get out of the house somehow.
SPEAKER_02 (48:17):
Yeah, I know, I know, but you'd much rather go
south than north this time ofthe year.
And you're like you say, you'reheading into Albany tomorrow?
SPEAKER_01 (48:25):
Sometime.
I I I don't even know when I'mgoing anywhere anymore.
SPEAKER_02 (48:31):
No, no, and I totally get that.
But the the weather is verysnowy, cold, stormy.
They're talking, depending onwhere you are, uh, six to twelve
inches of snow.
I'm just saying, hell yeah.
Can't wait.
Okay, let's go.
Graylin, James.
You're awesome.
By the way, you know, uh, wouldyou come back on Skip Happens
down the road if I if say, hey,I want Graylin back?
Absolutely, dude.
Anytime.
Love it, man.
(48:52):
Love it.
I love what you're doing.
I love your soundwriting.
I love the music that we get toplay.
Thank you so much.
And one thing I say as a programdirector and somebody that's on
the air each and every weekdayafternoon, that uh our radio
station would not be where it iswithout artists like you.
Um because it's a two-waystreet.
And yeah, exactly.
I catch you.
Yeah, this is this is your dreamdoing what you're doing, it's my
dream doing what I'm doing, andtogether we make it work.
(49:14):
It's what we do.
SPEAKER_01 (49:15):
But uh I'm blessed that people in Syracuse, New
York are hearing my music, anduh, I appreciate you giving me
that opportunity.
It's uh it's really cool tothink about.
SPEAKER_02 (49:22):
Do you have um before I let you go, one big
time experience that you willnever ever ever forget?
Was there a certain show?
I mean, were you at and I alwaysthink of Red Rocks.
Have you had the chance to playRed Rocks?
Yeah, I played Red Rocks, uhDominions because I always want
to go there and I haven't beenable to go there yet.
SPEAKER_01 (49:40):
Yeah, bro, you you you gotta you gotta check that
off the bucket list.
I mean that that's that'sdefinitely up there for me.
I think uh I think now, man, um,you know, getting to say that my
family, you know, could kind ofwatch me do this.
You know, my my grandfather whogot me that first guitar, he got
to hear my Kenny Chesney song onthe radio before he passed away.
SPEAKER_02 (49:58):
How long ago did he pass?
SPEAKER_01 (50:00):
He he passed away in 2021, and that's when that that
Kenny song was out and uh doingits thing.
So um, you know, I definitelygot I got lucky there, and um,
you know, getting uh to knowthat you know, because he
listened to the radio all thetime in his garage, you know, he
was working on his his cars, andum and so the to imagine that
his little workshop radio, hegot uh hear a song that that I
(50:22):
wrote, you know, on on a guitar.
SPEAKER_02 (50:26):
With uh like a garage with the radio, a hundred
percent station that you knowyour papa you papa used to
listen to.
Yeah, for sure.
It would be so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (50:35):
You know, I definitely want to keep that
stuff involved in uh yeah inmyself, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (50:39):
And he's at every show, just don't ever forget
that.
Oh, you may not see him, but youknow he's there.
SPEAKER_01 (50:44):
I say that all the time when I'm up there.
I'm like, you know, I know he'she's up there, uh, wishing he
could be down here uh listeningto us, but it's seven.
SPEAKER_02 (50:52):
Do you have a pre-show ritual?
SPEAKER_01 (50:54):
Uh shot of uh shot of whiskey or burber, whichever,
whichever one's hanging aroundthere.
Uh I love it.
SPEAKER_02 (51:00):
I love it.
SPEAKER_01 (51:00):
Yeah, we we take a shot and just uh again, you
know, it's it's always uh it'salways an experience getting to
go on stage and uh sing my ownsongs because uh you know
growing up I was coveringeverybody else's, so the I
always I try to take a secondand uh remember that it's it's a
it's a blessing to get up thereand uh tell my story through my
music.
SPEAKER_02 (51:20):
Absolutely.
Just don't stop doing it,brother.
Because you're giving us somegreat music.
I'm proud to play it.
Um glad to know you a littlebit, and uh you know, we'd love
to get you back on skip happensdown the road, and uh we'll keep
in touch and just kind of keepthings moving ahead.
Um somebody wanted to log on,check out whatever.
I'm sure everybody already knowsyou, but um the website is what
(51:42):
is it, Grayland James?
SPEAKER_01 (51:43):
Just GraylandJames.com.
Yes, I think it's justGraylandJames.com.
SPEAKER_02 (51:46):
Uh and I'll link you to everything, your socials and
all that good stuff.
SPEAKER_01 (51:49):
I mean, just yeah, just type them on name.
Uh, you don't have to spell itright.
It'll it'll come up and you gotit all covered, dude.
SPEAKER_02 (51:56):
Yeah, just just got a good team, takes care of a lot
of that.
So I love it.
SPEAKER_01 (51:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (52:00):
Well, I want to say thank you for being here.
I want to wish you all a happyholiday.
Um, everything hopefully you gethome safely after your travels
in the next couple of days.
Enjoy the holidays, take somedowntime, do what you gotta do.
Um, maybe I'll see you at CRS.
That's coming up in March thisyear.
And uh, so look forward lookingforward to it.
Graylin James, uh skip happens.
(52:21):
Thank you for joining me, myfriend.
I want you to stay right there.
Here we go.
Thanks for watching, everybody.
And don't forget, subscribe,skip happens on YouTube right
now.
Hello, everybody, and welcome to another edition
of Skip Happens.
Uh, my name is Skip Clark, ofcourse, your host, and uh, we're
talking with a guy, you'll seehim there on the screen, uh,
whose story feels straight outof uh a country song.
And I'll tell you why.
His papa handed him a guitar atthe age of five.
He grows up playing every showhe can around Knoxville, I'm
(00:22):
told, then moves to Nashville,becomes one of the most
in-demand young songwriters intown.
I know for a fact he's writtenfor Kenny, Cole Swindell, Chris
Young, Billy Zimmerman.
I think he had a track on theMorgan Wallen album.
Um, we talked about that when hewas in town here.
Of course, uh, he got his ACMsong of the year with the Jordan
Davis song.
Uh, next thing you know.
(00:44):
How about this?
Wait till you have kids andwater at a wedding.
If you don't know who I'mtalking to, this to give you a
little idea.
SPEAKER_00 (00:53):
I couldn't help but notice.
You're drinking water at yourwedding girl.
Ain't no bubbles up in thedrink.
If I'm a bedding man, I'mbedding girl.
You're scared of devil up thesmall top thing.
I think the tears ain't happytears.
(01:13):
I think you don't love him atall.
I think the two pink linesappear.
Now you can't have no alcohol.
Daddy's shotgun and your mama'spearls.
Drinking water.
SPEAKER_02 (01:24):
If you still do that, no.
Maybe this will bring backmemories here.
Listen.
That's when we brought up thesteroids.
Playing the son of the wolf.
SPEAKER_00 (01:39):
Listen up.
Here we go.
Wait till you have kids.
Wait till you're there,Superman.
Wait till they're your wholelife.
Right now, you think you'vegrown up, think you know what
tough and tired of real love is.
(02:01):
Wait till you have kids.
SPEAKER_02 (02:03):
There he is.
Everybody say hello to my friendGraylin James is with us here
tonight.
What's up, brother?
It's so good to see you.
SPEAKER_01 (02:10):
What's up, bro?
So excited to be here.
Chilling with you dogs.
SPEAKER_02 (02:13):
Yeah, it's good to see you, man.
We had you in town, I know withthe radio station uh a while
ago.
We did what we call a um what'snext private listener showcase.
Yeah, and uh Wait Till You HaveKids was the one that we were
playing on the radio.
And uh now, of course, it'sWater at a Wedding, which is pre
is that actually older than WaitTill You Have Kids?
Because I remember hearing thatsong like long before the other.
SPEAKER_01 (02:38):
It's gotta be Yeah.
So no, I mean Wait to Have Kidswas uh a song that I wrote, I
think it was like two or threeyears ago, but was kind of
sitting on it for a minute.
Um and yeah, I was just tryingto figure out you know what I
wanted uh to put out, but thenuh my record label got heard
Wait to Have Kids and was like,man, you gotta put that song
out.
And uh it really struck a chordwith a lot of people.
So uh yeah, when it went withthat song for a little bit and
(03:00):
uh was really blessed with it.
But um yeah, I uh I read whather at a wedding and I was like,
Yeah, this is the this is theone that I feel like could
change things for me.
And um you know, we're justtrying to find the right time,
and yeah, it did.
Yeah, it's been uh it's been aroller coaster.
SPEAKER_02 (03:15):
You know, I I have to ask for anyone who doesn't
know you yet, and I don't knowif that's even possible because
you're doing so well, how wouldyou describe Grayland James in
about 10 seconds?
How would you do that?
SPEAKER_01 (03:26):
Oh man, I think just uh stories.
Um, I think that that's uh whatI've been trying to do with uh
especially my last few releasesis kind of just uh thread a
story and uh kind of walk peoplethrough through my life, but
also uh hopefully take a littlebit of their journey uh with me
as well.
And um yeah, I would just saystories is kind of what what I'm
(03:47):
trying to do with my music.
SPEAKER_02 (03:49):
And because you're a songwriter, and it's all about
stories.
I love that.
So you know, you gotta take usback.
Your papa gave you a guitar atthe young age of five.
SPEAKER_01 (03:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (03:59):
And do you still remember that?
SPEAKER_01 (04:01):
Do you yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_02 (04:04):
And was it uh, you know, was it a hit in your
household?
SPEAKER_01 (04:09):
It wasn't a hit in the household, but um, it was it
was a loud, uh, a loudexperience, I think, for
everybody.
But um, yeah, I remember uhgetting that guitar.
It was just a a guitar you gotinto Kmart.
And um it was supposed to bejust another toy uh under the
Christmas tree, but uh you know,I looked at it like, oh my gosh,
like that's that's what I wantto do.
I want to be a you know playguitar and be a country singer.
(04:30):
And so I uh the story goes, Iplayed that thing till my
fingers bled that Christmasnight and just never put it
down.
Oh my god.
And uh before I knew it, theywere like my entire family just
said, yo, if you're gonna besinging and uh playing guitar,
like you might as well be goodat it.
So started taking guitar lessonsand singing lessons, and yeah,
kind of never stopped fromthere.
SPEAKER_02 (04:49):
Yeah, but when did the songwriting come into play?
Because really, I mean, beforethese songs hit the radio, I
mean, you you're on so manyother songs.
Tell us a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
Yeah, I mean, songwriting was kind of a uh up
and down journey for me when Ifirst did it.
I I gotta give credit to TaylorSwift.
Uh, because from afar, Iremember being 11 and 12 years
old, and that was when she firststarted to kind of pop off.
Um, and all I heard about inschool was just how Taylor Swift
is this girl that's writingsongs about her her boyfriends
and ex-boyfriends and all that.
(05:19):
And even just then, I heardabout a girl that wrote songs,
and I thought that was so coolthat um somebody was writing
songs that you know people wereconnecting to, even in my age,
and um, so I wanted to do that.
And I started writing about thegirls I was dating in middle
school and high school, and um,but they were terrible.
That that was the problem, isthey were they were bad songs,
(05:39):
and so yeah, do you remember thevery first song you wrote?
Yeah, the first time I wrote wasuh about my grandmother passing
away.
Um, because uh yeah, my myfamily they were really
struggling with that, it wasunexpected, and uh you know, and
at that time I was just startingto kind of learn guitar chords
and writing songs, and so Iwanted to write a song for it.
And so I I sang that at thefuneral.
(06:00):
I remember that being the firsttime I made people, you know,
like obviously, you know, crywith my my singing, guitar
playing that was because ofsongwriting.
So um, yeah, I definitely thinkthat that had an impact on me.
But um even then this that songwas you know it was sentimental,
but it was uh not great, and soum never is, but it's awesome.
No, no, yeah, you know, but ituh it was definitely a uh kind
(06:21):
of a life-altering experience,and um I just kept trying to
ride and get better, and um thatreally didn't happen until I got
to Nashville, but uh yeah, I'veI've always had a kind of a bug
for it.
SPEAKER_02 (06:31):
I love it.
You know, you were talking aboutTaylor, and um I gave her one of
her first radio interviews, andshe might have been only 17 and
she had come out with TimMcGraw.
So if you were 12 and so youwere right right there, yeah,
yeah.
I mean, how cool is that?
And to be a fan of you know, ofwhat she was doing.
SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
Oh, I'm I'm I'm really blessed that you know I
uh I came up in a time whereyeah, there was somebody that
was you know in in middle schooland high school, and kind of in
uh just earshot that was doingthat.
And I remember she was uh on myhometown station, W IBK, um, and
just hearing hearing her on theradio, and uh again, everybody
really just talked about howthis young girl is such a great
(07:13):
songwriter.
So um, I'm definitely thankful Ihad that inspiration uh you know
from afar because that really uhintroduced me to songwriting.
SPEAKER_02 (07:21):
Is uh W I V K, that's a froggy station, right?
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Yeah, I I think so.
I think so.
I think so.
SPEAKER_02 (07:27):
Well, all right, but back to back in uh tennis.
That's right.
Yeah, tell me about yourhometown.
Tell me about your hometown.
SPEAKER_01 (07:35):
Yeah, again, man, I've I've just been blessed with
uh with where I've grown up andhow I did.
But um I growing up there, youknow.
I grew up down the road fromKenny Chestney, where he grew
up.
Uh he's from Knoxville, uhMorgan Wallins from uh within
five minutes of me, and uhKelsey Ballerini, same thing,
five minutes away.
Um, and then further back, youknow, Chet Atkins grew up, you
know, probably about 10 or 15minutes down the road from my
(07:58):
childhood house, and then DollyParton from out there.
SPEAKER_02 (08:00):
Um dude, how cool is that to know that you you were
brought up in that neighborhood.
SPEAKER_01 (08:06):
Insane.
SPEAKER_02 (08:06):
That's that is insane.
SPEAKER_01 (08:08):
There's something in the water out there in each
other.
SPEAKER_02 (08:09):
Do you think it had a lot to do with why you're
doing what you're doing?
SPEAKER_01 (08:13):
I I definitely think so.
I I think it more had what todo.
I guess it more had moreinfluence on me just moving to
Nashville and uh also aninfluence on the people around
me.
Um, because when I you know whatto tell people I wanted to be a
country singer when I grow up,it wasn't that crazy because uh
there were so many people thatdid that around me.
And um even you know, there wasa bunch of songwriters from out
(08:35):
there.
I mean, Travis Hill, uh ScrewScooter Caruso's from out there,
and um you know, so I I I thinkreally growing up there um
helped me tell my parents, youknow, hey, I'm not gonna go to
college, I'm gonna move toNashville, be a country music
singer.
I was gonna ask you about that.
Okay, yeah, I you know, I justhad the blueprint from all these
people that had done it beforeme.
So um, you know, it's not like Igrew up somewhere where you know
(08:59):
chasing dreams was you know sucha uh a taboo thing, you know.
For me, it was um it was whatpeople from eCinnessee did a lot
of times.
We grew up loving country musicand around country music.
So um for me to chase thatwasn't wasn't that crazy.
SPEAKER_02 (09:12):
So when did you make the the move though?
You go from a songwriter tobeing an artist.
How did all that happen?
Did somebody say, Hey, you'rewriting these great songs, why
not perform these great songs?
Or how did all that go down?
SPEAKER_01 (09:25):
Yeah, yeah, no, for me it was uh it was crazy
because you know, growing up Iwanted to be a country singer,
not a songwriter, even though Iwas writing songs, um, you know,
I wanted to be the one singingthem.
And um to back up, even when Iwas 17 or 18, I uh yeah, I was
gonna move to Nashville to signa publishing deal.
There was this lady named LeslieDe Piro who's married to a Hall
of Fame songwriter, Bob De Piro.
(09:45):
And um together they had apublishing company and they saw
me on YouTube one night andoffered me a publishing deal,
and I didn't know what that was.
But um, and for people thatdon't know what it is, it's just
basically a company that callsyou and then they pay you to uh
write songs.
And you know, they'll they'lltake those songs and try to get
other bigger artists to recordthem, or just wait for for you
(10:06):
to record them yourself and uhmake them big.
So uh yeah, they offered metwelve thousand dollars, moved
to Nashville and write songs,and I thought that meant write
songs and put them out, but uh Ifigured out really fast that I
was I was bad, you know.
I was I was really bad, and um Ijust wasn't prepared to write
songs with other people and itit really set me back.
SPEAKER_02 (10:26):
Um, I felt insecure and why do you think, Grayland?
If you don't mind me asking, whydo you think that set you back?
I mean, just because you feltinsecure, maybe you inside said,
What am I doing?
I don't think I can do this.
SPEAKER_01 (10:39):
Yeah, it was just you know, I mean a small fish in
a massive pond, you know, whereI was like, you know, but if you
don't do it, you don't know.
No, I didn't, and you know, Ibut it was the first time I
didn't know how to get better.
Um and yeah, felt just like Ididn't have control.
You know, I had control overmoving to Nashville and uh had
control of picking up guitarsand uh singing at you know
(11:02):
little hometown spots, but uh Ifelt out of control, you know.
I I didn't have uh I didn't havethe power of just making myself
famous, you know.
It was uh it's just this thing.
I didn't know I didn't know howto write a good song, I didn't
know what it was.
Um and uh you know it turns outI lost that first publishing
deal after two years.
They dropped me, which isbasically fancy word for being
(11:23):
fired.
And uh so they let me go.
And then um for six months,seven months, I didn't have uh I
didn't have any form of income.
I was living with uh with abuddy here in Nashville and um
and his wife, and and then I hada another buddy that was writing
for another company in town, andthey were also a very small
(11:43):
company in Nashville.
Um but he convinced this guythat was running this company to
to take a chance on me and signme.
Um and the guy told me he'slike, Look, I I really don't
believe in you.
I don't think your songs arethat good.
Uh I don't like what you'redoing with this whole pop
country thing, but um, I'm gonnagive you a year because I like
you and I like your friend.
Um, I'm gonna give you a year towrite songs for me and just try
(12:06):
to find something else.
And uh thank God he did becausethat gave me another 12 months
of just really having to figureit out back up against the wall.
And um, that's where I fell inlove with songwriting was
because I kind of had to, and II uh Yeah, but that was a hurdle
and you got over it.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I'm super competitive.
I I hate being bad at something.
(12:26):
Uh all my friends know that.
Anybody that watches this andknows me will be like, yeah,
that makes sense.
But uh I hate being bad atsomething, I hate not being
good, and um I wanted to figureout how to be better, and so I
just started uh studying theliving hell out of it.
And yeah, yeah.
I listened to a uh I get you.
Yeah, I listened to an oldDominion record, looked at the
lyrics, and I kind of figuredout what they were doing.
(12:48):
They were writing songs likepoems, they were describing
sunsets in ways that I didn'tknow how to do that.
They were using wordplay and allthis stuff, and I was like, oh
man, I I I figured it out.
SPEAKER_02 (12:56):
And uh ever since then it was kind of a uh I don't
know, it just kind of clicked,and beyond that, I yeah, being a
songwriter, one of the the bigthings is that uh you need to
learn how to put a play onwords, you need you know, yeah,
you need to learn how to dothat.
I I think uh I when I hear thenew Lee Bryce song Kill the Man,
(13:18):
yeah, I'm going, that's a hellof a play on words.
When you listen to the song,it's not you know, you hear the
title, but then you go into it,and we all know that Lee's a
great songwriter, so that'sexactly it.
You gotta have a be able to puta good play on words.
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, uh, and I I I didn't knowthat the first few years I was
here, and then um, yeah, figurethat out.
And I don't know, it just kindof uh all changed for me.
Um uh before I knew it.
Yeah, people were recording mysongs, and I fell into the whole
songwriter thing, but I lovethat's so cool.
SPEAKER_02 (13:47):
That is so cool.
I have so much respect for thesongwriters, and a lot of people
don't even think the songwritersthey hear the songs and they
think it's a great song, but yougotta look a little bit further
on because it's people like youin the small print, yeah, yeah.
Like Rail and James, you know,and you got a song on the Morgan
Wallen album.
I mean, we talked about thatwhen you played here in
Syracuse, and that is you'vedone that, man.
(14:10):
Uh to be picked out of how manysongs to be put on that album.
One of them is yours.
SPEAKER_01 (14:16):
Yeah, that was a crazy, that was a crazy
experience.
I uh I kind of felt down.
I've I've been on a lot of likerecords I wanted to be on, and
uh, but you know, Morgan was onethat you know, growing up in
Knoxville, I wanted to to be onthose records, and so you know,
to miss out on the on dangerous,uh, one thing at a time, was it
one thing at a time?
I think it was the last one.
Uh yeah, and then uh yeah, Ijust was like, I you know, I
(14:37):
want to be on those records.
They're they're so big andthey're so influential, but um
also all my friends uh have beenon those records, and I was
like, damn, you know, I I Ican't be the guy left out.
So I I was chasing that for forfive, six years, and then uh
finally got one on there.
And um, it's it's funny becauseit's also a song that talks
about Tennessee baseball, whichfor me, you know, was uh a cool
thing being from Knoxville.
(14:58):
So to get that in there, thatwas pretty sick.
But uh yeah, I mean that's thosealbums are huge, and um, you
know, to be part of a career,Black Morgan's uh especially
being from the same hometown,it's uh it's definitely a bucket
list thing.
SPEAKER_02 (15:11):
Yeah, are you a uh baseball player?
Were you a baseball player?
SPEAKER_01 (15:14):
Yeah, I was the baseball player back in the day.
SPEAKER_02 (15:16):
Yeah, I mean, did you play in college or was it
high going up?
Well, all right, where did youplay?
Did you play?
SPEAKER_01 (15:23):
Did you watch I ran into high school and then uh I I
got homeschooled, uh I gotsophomore year of high school
and then uh to to do the wholemusic thing and then uh watch
from afar.
But uh definitely loved itgrowing up.
That's where I think I got mycompetitive straight.
SPEAKER_02 (15:37):
We're a big uh yeah, we're a big baseball family
here, and of course, our team isthe New York Mets.
Sorry, but uh yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:46):
Hey, I'm I'm a Braves fan.
Oh my god.
Sorry, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (15:50):
No, that's okay.
It's all right, it's all right,but um, you know, we're a big
baseball family, and then I knowa lot of people in your position
now, a lot of artists inNashville.
Uh, I mean, look at Morgan, heplayed in the Little League
World Series.
He uh, you know, my son did too,by the way.
But yeah, but he was uh heplayed in the challenger lead,
but it was pretty cool.
Pretty cool, but still, oh mygod, it's just just awesome.
(16:13):
But uh, you know, um having thatopportunity is just wonderful.
But it's so cool when I hearthat uh artists like you,
songwriters like you, you know,baseball is your second love.
That that's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01 (16:25):
Braves fan, yeah.
I mean, it's the closest thingto uh to East Tennessee.
Either that or being a Reds fan,which uh you know oh my wife is
a huge Cincinnati fan.
SPEAKER_02 (16:35):
The Reds, she's all about the Reds.
She goes back to the JohnnyBench days.
I mean, let's it's like wow,it's crazy.
But uh let me ask you now you'vewritten songs, uh, Luke Combs,
Chris Young, uh so many more.
Uh be honest, do you rememberwhere you were when one of those
artists first cut your song?
SPEAKER_01 (16:53):
Yeah, I I pretty much remember where I was for
for all of them because it'sit's such a monumental thing.
Uh okay.
Somebody that you've you'velistened to for a long time or
that you hear all the time onthe radio, uh, when they take a
chance, you know, I I know whatthat feels like now being an
artist myself, you know, how howbig of a deal it is to to record
a song, put it out.
Um, I'd say, you know, for me,like Kenny Chesney was you know,
he's such a monumental part ofmy life.
(17:16):
Uh just going back to when I wasjust growing up as a kid, I I
absolutely I wanted to be KennyChesney when I grew up.
And uh so when I was um I'd sayI was 22 years old, and I I
wrote a song that talked aboutpalm trees in the chorus, and
somehow Kenny heard the song andrecorded it.
And uh, but for me, you know,when he he called me to let me
(17:37):
know that uh the song was goingto radio, um, I knew that that
was gonna change my life.
And you know, it's just such a Imean, the financial impact of
me, I was broke as hell.
I was eating tomato soup everyday and ramen noodles, and uh my
dad was actually in town and wewere uh we were taking a nap on
the couch and I got that phonecall, and my my phone was on my
chest, and I remember justanswering it.
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_02 (17:58):
Um's this?
What?
SPEAKER_01 (18:02):
Yeah, I mean it was when he called me.
It was a block number, you know,and it says like private number,
and I was like, either, youknow, either Kenny Chesney's
calling me or I'm getting soldcar insurance.
And uh and it turns out, youknow, it was Kenny, and uh yeah,
bro.
I I I remember just playing itcool on the phone.
I'm like, oh man, so you know,acting like I've been there
before.
Oh, that's so sick, dude.
(18:22):
You know, let me know how itgoes, whatever.
And then get off the phone andjust screaming.
And I was just gonna ask, whathappened when you hung up?
So you know, I I'd be all overthe place.
Yeah, I definitely ran aroundand you know, me and my dad ran
in the backyard and uh with mydog, and we're just freaking out
because I, you know, I just knewthat however it was gonna change
my life, however big, I knew itwas gonna make a massive impact
(18:43):
on it.
And so uh yeah, it it reallydid.
That was the a turning point forme.
And um, you know, and since thenit's been a uh it's been a
really fun journey.
SPEAKER_02 (18:52):
Do you do do you ever like kind of pinch yourself
and go, damn, look what I'vedone.
This is effing crazy.
I've done this and I've donethat, and I've I've written
these songs and they've becomebig hits.
And you smile every day when youwalk out to the mailbox.
Uh, you know what I mean?
It's wow.
Do you have to what do youthink?
What do you do you ever get thatmoment where you're like sitting
(19:14):
in a in the chair with thetelevision on and go, holy crap,
I'm doing this?
SPEAKER_01 (19:20):
Uh it's never it's never really that.
I mean, I think that um, youknow, I definitely feel blessed,
obviously.
Um, you know, if I if I could goback to being 18 years old and
see, you know, where I'm at now,um, I'd definitely be like, holy
crap, you know, but uh I thinkjust the way the the music
business and entertainment,honestly, just live, you know,
the way it it kind of goes, youknow, with more uh with more
(19:40):
work becomes more stress, youknow, and you just become more
busy and um you know you kind ofsee how the sausage is made, and
you're like, oh my gosh, likeit's even when the song gets
recorded, well then you hope itmakes it to the radio, and makes
it to the radio.
You hope that it keeps climbingup the charts, and then it's
climbing up the charts, andyou're watching.
Like making sure that the chartsand go back and forth.
SPEAKER_02 (20:02):
Yeah, I was gonna ask, how how much do you watch
that?
Because I don't know if it'sgood to watch it.
I think I would wait a littlebit and then go back, but uh I
get the excitement and I get theyou know the feeling of watching
a song climb the charts, but Idon't if I saw it going the
other way, I'd be like, Oh crap,what now what's going on?
SPEAKER_01 (20:22):
So I I think depends on you know how how big the song
is, you know, just in in theworld.
I think uh, you know, for for myKenny song, it was uh during
COVID, so it was like who knowswho knows what's going on, you
know.
Um watching it was a emotionalroller coaster that definitely
took exactly life took years offmy life, but uh and then uh with
the next thing you know, thatwas a song that um it took like
(20:44):
15 weeks since it was telleverybody what song was that.
SPEAKER_02 (20:48):
I want you to tell everybody.
SPEAKER_01 (20:49):
Yeah, next thing you know, I wrote that for Jordan
Davis.
SPEAKER_02 (20:52):
Uh yeah, and what about the Kenny song?
SPEAKER_01 (20:54):
Uh Kenny, uh it was uh Happy Is as Happy Does.
Uh yeah, I wrote that song forhim.
Um and since then I had a had afew more uh with him.
SPEAKER_02 (21:02):
Uh go ahead, name them, throw them out there.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
Yeah, yeah.
I wrote uh he put out a newalbum um called Born.
Uh I think it was this year orlast year, and and uh it was a
really cool story.
So I also wrote a song calledCome Here, Go Away.
That's on that album, too.
But um the title of the trackBorn, I wrote that song.
Um kind of like freshly out ofCOVID.
And uh I've really gotten intogolf, and so I was out golfing
(21:27):
one day, and I was actually withmy dad, and uh Kenny called me
to tell me he was recording it,and he wanted to match the demo,
which had a bunch of like gangvocals, which gang vocals is
just it sounds like there's acrowd singing along with the
vocalists on the uh on the song,and so um he wanted he wanted
that, but he wanted there to bemore like girls singing with him
(21:47):
on the song.
He's like, bro, can you get abunch of girls over to your
house and record record thissong?
And I was like, Oh yeah, dude,like I'll do that after I get
done golfing.
Like, I know so many girls, anduh and so I looked at my dad, I
was like, Yeah, we gotta wegotta wrap up golf, we gotta go
back to the house.
And uh, and so I had my dad justsing the song over and over and
over and over in my stuff in mylittle studio that I had uh back
(22:08):
then, and uh and I just pitchshifted my dad's voice.
I mean, probably a milliondifferent ways, and I sent sent
it back to Kenny, and he thoughtit was a bunch of girls.
He was like, Oh my god, likethose how many girls did you
have your house?
I'm like, Oh, so many.
And uh the place was packed.
Yeah, the place was packed, andthen uh you know the track
listing came out, the album cameout.
(22:28):
My dad one got the the copy atWalmart, uh back in Knoxville.
And uh when you open it and youread the credits, it says
vocals, Kenny Chesney, and thenit says my dad's name right
after uh oh how cool, then itsays mine after that.
So uh yeah, it's pretty cool.
So yeah, so my dad made a hemade a Kenny Chesney album.
SPEAKER_02 (22:46):
Oh my god, that's so cool.
Tell me about the relationshipwith your dad.
You've mentioned him quite a fewtimes.
Yeah, uh, you play golf withhim, he seems to get involved
with your recordings, uh yoursongwriting.
How is that relationship?
That's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01 (22:59):
That's been great, man.
I mean, my my entire family'sbeen super supportive uh from
the very beginning, and um youknow, made a lot of sacrifices.
I think uh anybody that you knowchases a dream in any family,
you know, they have to have thethe support uh somebody there.
And uh luckily I have my mywhole family, they're all like
super proud of me anytime I'mplaying a show within you know,
(23:19):
probably 300 miles.
Uh I'm gonna have uh entire crewthere, and so um I've been super
blessed.
SPEAKER_02 (23:25):
Yeah.
What do you um what comes firstwhen you're writing?
When Grayline James sits down towrite, is it the title, is it
the hook, or the therapysession?
SPEAKER_01 (23:37):
I mean, probably uh a little bit of all that.
I think uh definitely thetherapy part is part of I think
every song I've been writinglately.
But um, yeah, I think that uhtitles typically what I it's
like what I like to start with,I think.
And um I think just mainlybecause I I I just want to kind
of see the movie playing in myhead.
(23:58):
Yeah, yeah.
Uh I don't know.
And then uh just yeah, a coolconcept is always it's always
just a fun thing to chase andyou know, and and and to either
make up or uh you know walkthrough and in real life.
SPEAKER_02 (24:11):
And uh so if somebody wants to do what you're
doing being a songwriter, whichit's like the uh the hero that's
not recognized because, like Isaid a few minutes ago, I mean
you're putting all the songstogether and somebody else is
singing them, but for the mostpart, now you're doing your own
thing.
But what what advice would yougive to somebody that wants to
be a songwriter?
What should they do?
SPEAKER_01 (24:33):
Oh man, I think uh you know, a big part of it I
would say is just findingfavorite songs of yours and the
songs that make you cry, laugh,uh, drink a beer, whatever it
is, and figure out why it makesyou feel those things and what
to do those things.
Um what makes them great, whatmakes them connect to you, and
try to apply that same knowledgeand that same feeling to your
(24:56):
own stories and yeah, to yourown imagination.
I think that I didn't know whatmade my favorite songs my
favorite songs for a long time.
And when I figured that out, umit changed everything for me.
So um I think just kind ofpeeling back the curtain,
studying them and uh find yourfavorite songwriters, whether
it's the artists that's singingthem too, or whether it's the
behind the curtain people, youknow, people that are in in the
(25:19):
studios writing songs.
I think just figure out whattheir techniques are.
I think it's like a you know, anNFL quarterback, dude.
You think it's as simple aspicking up a court uh football
and throwing it, but there's alot more details that you're not
a Phillies fan.
SPEAKER_02 (25:32):
I'm not no, no, no, okay, good, because they lost
three in a row, they lostanother one last night.
SPEAKER_01 (25:37):
So yeah, I'm just kind of curious.
SPEAKER_02 (25:39):
Yeah, I got both lots.
SPEAKER_01 (25:40):
I'm a Titans fan, dude.
SPEAKER_02 (25:41):
So we oh, okay, all right.
Yeah, well, I get that.
I get that.
Of course, of course.
So you're living in Nashvillenow.
That's right.
What part of town are you in?
SPEAKER_01 (25:50):
Of Mount Julia, Tennessee.
Oh, okay.
So I home about like 25 minutesuh each.
SPEAKER_02 (25:54):
Outside of town.
Yeah, yeah.
On a good day, it's a 25-minutedrive.
SPEAKER_01 (25:58):
Yeah, hey, then today when it when I'm I when I
get up, it's 25 minutes.
When everybody else gets up, Ithink it's uh yeah, 45, 50.
SPEAKER_02 (26:04):
So you say when you get up, I mean what are you you
up super early?
You're out the door early.
What are you what's what's youoh late?
Yeah, yeah.
I was gonna say becausemusicians or songwriters, you're
never up early unless you got aflight to go to another radio
show or something.
Other than that, uh yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (26:22):
Yeah, I mean when I'm getting home and when I'm
home and having to drive intoNashville, it's usually when
I've I was flying in the nextthe day before and I uh I slept
in and needed it.
SPEAKER_02 (26:33):
Yeah, absolutely.
Um, water at a wedding.
Wow, you know, I mean that's onthe radio now, and uh, I'm
watching it grow, although we'veheard that for quite a while
now.
And I know you played it whenyou played here in the Syracuse
area.
Uh, but tell me a little bit, isthat a real life experience?
You went to somebody's weddingand it you it was an old flame,
(26:54):
and uh it's like wow, but why isshe drinking water speaking,
right?
Yeah, is there something goingon?
You know, read between the linesa little bit, but tell us about
that.
SPEAKER_01 (27:04):
Yeah, I mean, I think uh you know, uh it's no
secret to my family and to myfriends, and I mean, I'd say to
a lot of people I work with thatum I I've kept my my personal
life pretty low-key.
Um and a lot of that's beenbecause I I've just been so
married to my career.
Um, and so I've been married tomy career, I've watched other
(27:26):
people I've dated marry otherpeople and uh and go down
through that whole thing.
And um yeah, this year I Ifinally wanted to kind of let
people in on myself because I'vejust been kind of putting out
songs that I thought were otherpeople's lives and you know it
was really cool.
And um, I was honestly taking asongwriter approach of just
(27:47):
writing other people's storiesand instead of telling my own.
And so um I got to the pointwhere I just wanted to put out a
song that uh was really personalto me, and it doesn't get more
personal than water at awedding, obviously.
And um it was so personal that II was afraid to put it out
myself.
You know, I I teased it for thefirst time on a fake account
(28:09):
that had zero followers, and um,I did that just because I wanted
to hit people that just didn'tknow who I was, right?
Exactly, you know, I can justbut you know, and and just see
what happened.
And uh I thought I'd get youknow 100, 200 views max.
Yeah, I got millions of views,and uh all of a sudden that fake
(28:30):
account was you know is I'mgetting more views than my main
one.
Yeah, it was great.
SPEAKER_02 (28:34):
You brought up a good point, Grayland, that uh
you're married to your job, andthere comes a time where Graylin
James, maybe you don't want tobe Grayland James for a day, you
know what I mean?
You want to go out and do thingsthat you want to do.
I've had people come up to me,some very good friends of mine,
and I've been doing the radiothing for a long time is Skip
Clark.
They're like, you know, don't Idon't want you to be Skip Clark.
(28:55):
You need to take take a breakfrom that for a day, you know.
Because you you know, being whoyou are and being who I am and
what I do, you feel that youalways got to be on, you gotta
shake hands, you gotta talk topeople, you gotta be nice, you
gotta do everything you gottado.
But you know what?
To be honest with you, it getstiring.
Although, yeah, yeah, you know,so you need to take that break.
(29:17):
And I'm I'm so glad somebodytold me that doing what I do,
and I'm telling you, you need totake a break too, but but not a
break like a break, you knowwhat I mean?
Just yeah, of course, maybe takea day and uh maybe go hit a
baseball or go hit a golf ballor go fishing, hunting, just
break away from it, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (29:34):
Yeah, yeah.
I'm I'm looking forward to theChristmas break coming up there.
Yeah, I was gonna ask.
SPEAKER_02 (29:41):
Yeah, so the Christmas break is right around
the corner.
I know the charts uh they shutdown here in a couple of weeks,
so you don't have to worry aboutwatching it.
But um, so are you off the roadnow?
Or you gotta you got more showsbefore the holiday, or well,
how's that working out for you?
SPEAKER_01 (29:54):
Yeah, I'm actually heading to uh tomorrow morning
and heading up to uh Albany, NewYork.
SPEAKER_02 (29:58):
Uh, GNA?
SPEAKER_01 (30:00):
Yeah, I think I'm I'm I'm heading up there and uh
doing some stuff and then umthen heading out to Long Island.
Uh and then after that, bro, I'muh I'm chilling.
And uh I'm really lookingforward to just relaxing and uh
hanging out with my my dog andum yeah, just catching up all
sleep.
(30:20):
It's been uh it's been a agreat, but yeah, really, really
long year.
And it's just an emotional yearagain, like um you know, going
through the whole water at awedding thing, you know, let
letting people in on that partof your life, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (30:31):
It's uh did that hurt I mean, did yeah, you know?
Yeah, I mean the the whole thingwas uh yeah, definitely a uh
maybe that's a stupid question,and I apologize for asking that,
but um no, it's just sometimesthe heart works in mysterious
ways.
SPEAKER_01 (30:48):
Yeah, no, for sure.
I mean it it's uh it's been oneof those those songs that you
know letting people in on thatthat part of my life.
Um, you know, I I took thatchance and uh I let people in on
that that part of things and Ididn't really know what all that
entailed, and it's been it'sbeen amazing to see how people
uh connect to something thatthey've never been through.
You know, that's um that's asong that I thought was a
(31:11):
original experience, and uh it'sdefinitely uh it's it's really
connected with a lot of people,and so um yeah, it it definitely
hurt, you know.
I mean, getting uh text fromfriends and family and people
that were involved but notinvolved and all that stuff.
But uh more than anything, it'sbeen amazing to see people uh
just sing that song and um andsing it back to me.
(31:32):
So uh yeah, man, I'm uh blessed.
SPEAKER_02 (31:36):
I'm just looking at some of the comments here,
getting quite a few of those.
Uh and uh let's see here.
Britt, uh so proud of you,Grayland.
Hope to see you in 2026.
Dude, your fan base is yeah,they crush, man.
SPEAKER_01 (31:48):
They crush.
SPEAKER_02 (31:49):
Uh oh yeah, there's Britt again.
So that's pretty cool.
Yeah, yeah.
Listening and editing, that's socool.
So um let me just click thathere.
I'm trying to do five things atonce here.
I do I do my own thing just likeyou do your own things.
SPEAKER_03 (32:03):
I love it, dude.
Hell yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (32:04):
So do you have a studio in the home now?
SPEAKER_01 (32:06):
Yeah, bro.
I'm actually sitting in mystudio right now.
Uh it's my my upstairs, and it'suh it's a lot nicer than what uh
what I started with and where Iwrote most of my early stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (32:17):
Cool, cool.
Yeah, so how long have you beenthere?
SPEAKER_01 (32:20):
Bro, I've been uh I've been in Nashville 10.
This is my 10th year.
Uh and so uh, but I've been inthe uh Mount Julia for for a
year.
I got you.
And uh I live uh I live rightaround the corner from my buddy
George Burge.
SPEAKER_02 (32:34):
He lives uh like George and I are really good
friends, and I'm not justthrowing that name out there.
We text each other all the time.
Um, he's just we had him backhere again for his show and just
love him and the family, and uhthat's cool.
So if you do see him, if you dosee him, tell him Skip said
hello.
SPEAKER_01 (32:51):
I see him every morning, dude.
He's he's just walking aroundwith his kids and uh and his
wife and uh Brandon Lancasterfrom Lanco.
He lives in uh yeah, yeah, andthen uh yeah, a bunch of bunch
of great songwriters live inthis neighborhood.
So I've um yeah, I've been justloving uh being around people uh
in the music business, but nottoo close to them.
(33:11):
It's been uh it's it's been adope place to live.
Yeah, um Albany's gonna be cold,just telling you, and there's I
think uh they love sending me tothe northeast when it's cold,
dude.
Uh I think it's just tochallenge me to to drink with
everybody up there, which I uhaccept every single time now.
SPEAKER_02 (33:31):
Bring bring gloves and dress warm if you're heading
to Albany, and that's rightthrough away from where we are.
I'll get another.
Oh, yeah.
So uh, what do you drink?
Do you are you a jack drinker?
SPEAKER_01 (33:41):
Or yeah, I mean I'm an alcohol drinker besides
vodka.
I think uh that I've walkedstraight away from vodka.
I went out with uh way too manygirls that drank that when I
first started drinking.
SPEAKER_02 (33:52):
So I feel another song coming out.
SPEAKER_01 (33:54):
Yeah, vodka brings up bad memories.
SPEAKER_02 (33:56):
Oh man, what about winter jack?
Have you ever had winter jack?
I have Jack Daniel Jack, yeah.
Like apple cider.
SPEAKER_01 (34:04):
Yeah, it's that's dangerous.
I've uh it's very I've had somecrazy Christmases with uh Winter
Jack for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (34:09):
I love that, I love that, and uh let's see here.
Um I don't know if somebody wastrying to read what they're
saying.
All right, never mind.
Uh, what's the most Tennesseething about you?
SPEAKER_01 (34:22):
Oh man, um I mean, you know, writing country music,
uh, I think it's a big one, butuh I'm a massive Tennessee Vols
fan.
Um, yeah, I I bleed orange.
Uh anything Tennessee, bro.
SPEAKER_02 (34:35):
I'm uh we bleed orange, but it's not Tennessee.
It's yeah, it's a differentorange.
SPEAKER_01 (34:40):
Yeah, y'all put you watch the basketball game.
SPEAKER_02 (34:44):
Yeah, I know.
Did you watch the basketballgame?
SPEAKER_01 (34:46):
I did, unfortunately.
SPEAKER_02 (34:47):
I was about to go on stage when uh when I was at that
game 62 to 60.
SPEAKER_01 (34:53):
That sucked.
That was unbelievable.
Stuff, you know what?
Like, I I knew y'all were betterthan what y'all played like in
uh in Vegas, and so uh yeah,yeah, y'all were y'all were
doing do a game.
SPEAKER_02 (35:06):
I just nothing better than going to a game,
it's always a lot of fun.
Um, what would be yourChick-fil-A drive-through order?
SPEAKER_01 (35:14):
Oh man, I usually do the spicy chicken sandwich with
a certain joy.
Uh but then uh you know, forbreakfast it's uh the chicken
minis.
SPEAKER_02 (35:21):
So you being a songwriter, is there any song
that you wish you had written?
SPEAKER_01 (35:26):
That you oh yeah, I've got uh I've definitely got
like a list um that I've beenworking on.
SPEAKER_02 (35:30):
Um do you steal ideas from certain songs or you
keep it all?
SPEAKER_01 (35:35):
No, but I I definitely like you know, try to
live up to, I mean, I mean, Ilove I love our format and you
know, I just love country music.
Um and so I always try to try todo it proud, man.
I you know, when I when I was akid and when I was a teenager
especially, and I was kind ofliving the songs I was listening
to.
Um, you know, I I try toremember that there's kids out
(35:56):
there that you know are livingthe same kind of life, you know,
and going through the sameheartbreaks and um moving away
from home, going to college,again, you know, getting broken
up with, breaking up withsomebody, um, losing to a
parent, losing their dog,whatever.
You know, they're they're kindof retreating the music to uh to
heal those things and um to livetheir lives through.
And so uh yeah, I'm alwaystrying to remember how my
(36:19):
favorite songs affected me andhelped me through things, and uh
so I'm always trying to do that.
I mean a song that I wish I'dwritten though.
Um I Love the Good Stuff byKenny Chesney.
Uh that's one of my favoritesongs of all time.
Um He Stop Loving Her Today, Ithink is original greatest songs
of all time.
Um, yeah, and I can go on andon.
(36:40):
I've got I've got I've got kindof good rankings, but I love
that you know, we won't gothrough those.
SPEAKER_02 (36:44):
No, that's okay.
Uh if you could collaborate, II'm sure everybody asks you this
question, but if you couldcollaborate with anybody, male
or female, dead or alive, whowould that be?
SPEAKER_01 (36:52):
Yeah, man.
I mean, I Kenny Chesney was abig one for me.
So, you know, knocking that oneoff, uh, it's been awesome.
I'd still love to uh have a afeature, and I think one day
we'll do that.
SPEAKER_02 (37:01):
But uh it might happen, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (37:02):
Yeah, yeah.
I think we're we've we've goneback and forth about a few
things on that, but um, youknow, he's he's definitely up
there.
But um I always try to likeshoot super high.
Um right now, you know, TateMcCray's been uh following me on
uh you know following a few ofmy songs and so and commenting
on a few of them.
So um she's pop star, so rightnow, you know, it'd be it'd be
(37:23):
awesome to uh to kind of do thatthing and bring uh bring her
even more into country music.
But um, you know, and I'd saydead.
Uh Glenn Fry from the Eagleswould have been really cool.
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02 (37:35):
Yeah, absolutely.
Have you seen the Eagles?
You ever had a chance to do it?
SPEAKER_01 (37:38):
Well, I've never I've I've never seen the Eagles.
I've uh I've actually playedwith Vince Gill before, like I
didn't so you know, but but notone not one of the OGs, no.
I've never I've never uh seenthem.
I I'd I'd love to you know oneday take my my family out to to
Vegas and Sphere and you knowsee that.
SPEAKER_02 (37:54):
But uh I'd love to see the sphere.
I haven't I haven't had theopportunity.
I just see the pictures.
SPEAKER_01 (37:59):
I saw Kenny at the sphere a few times.
SPEAKER_02 (38:00):
Um have you played Vegas at all?
Have you been able to do anyshows there?
SPEAKER_01 (38:07):
I actually played in Vegas on Sunday night.
Uh played uh I played at thePalms out there, so uh still
recovering from that.
No, it was uh it was a radioshow, so I played with uh Prison
Cooper and Vincent.
SPEAKER_02 (38:20):
Oh yeah, we've had them all.
SPEAKER_01 (38:21):
Yeah, yeah, and Dasha and Bread, dude.
So it was it was a good littletime out there, yeah.
We uh we had fun.
SPEAKER_02 (38:28):
I love it, I love it.
Um what um all right, so yourfull tell me about your band and
how would your band describeyou?
How let me I put it in quoteshere.
My band would describe me asblank on the road.
SPEAKER_01 (38:45):
Um uh tough one.
I I would say dramatic, I wouldsay dramatic.
Are you dramatic?
No, no, no, no, only becauseonly because going through uh
you you don't go you don't writea song of the water at a wedding
and some of the songs that havecome out since then without
(39:06):
having a very interesting lovelife, obviously.
Uh right, right.
And and for reference, I've I'veplayed, I think, 220 shows this
year.
And yeah, I've been gone only,I've been exclusively gone, and
so I'm gone with my band.
And so uh I'm an externalprocessor, so going through
those things, I had to havesomebody to talk to, and that's
(39:27):
my band.
So uh being with them that muchand going through that much,
they know more about you thananybody.
They know all that yeah, theyknow where all the bodies are
buried for sure.
SPEAKER_02 (39:38):
Yeah, exactly.
You're all on the tour bus,you're all in a bunk, you're all
doing whatever, hanging outtogether, drinking together,
just having a fun in betweengigs, and I'm sure the stories
come out soon.
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah.
Pretty cool stuff.
Um, let me ask um what's thedifference between writing a hit
and performing a hit?
SPEAKER_01 (40:02):
I mean, definitely performing.
Um I think writing hit, younever know that you're writing
one when you're doing it.
Uh I've I've never known thatlike I've I've I've had a few
and it's been I'm I'm I'mblessed to say that, but uh I
never knew ever uh that I waswriting a song that was gonna
change my life um or affectpeople like they have.
(40:23):
And so um but yeah, when you'reperforming them, it's uh it's
insane to see people singing itback to you and you know, and
hearing the stories after theshows of people walking up and
being like, That song was thisand meant this to me and all
that stuff.
SPEAKER_02 (40:36):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's gotta be so just so
gratifying to hear, you know,they hear a certain song, you as
a songwriter, you know, likethat was me.
Thank you for saying that.
Thank you for writing that.
Thank you.
Because it made me realize,yeah, I love that.
I love that.
You know, Knoxville raised you.
What's the biggest way yourhometown still shows up in your
(40:57):
music?
SPEAKER_01 (40:58):
Oh man, I think uh it's been really cool to see
Knoxville like kind of stand upas like a uh a go-to place to
write about and sing aboutcountry music.
Um a lot of people uh when Ieven just play shows, you know,
I'll say, you know, I'm GraylandJames, I'm from Knoxville,
Tennessee, and uh I always get abig cheer for that.
Um I think just in uh you knowthe way that we communicate, and
(41:22):
I think it's just having anappreciation for so many
different things about life,man.
I mean, you know, growing uparound nature with the smoky
mountains, and um you know,there's a lot of God, and I
think that that comes throughour music, and so uh yeah, it I
think it really affects uh everyangle of my life, my career, and
yeah, definitely my music.
SPEAKER_02 (41:42):
So uh I'm gonna put you on the spot.
What do you remember aboutSyracuse?
Oh man, you know what?
Uh dude, I didn't mean to dothat to you because in all due
respect, you did two over 200shows.
You never and and I totally getit.
I don't know how you as anartist do it.
You have to keep a diary, Iguess, of who I would say this.
SPEAKER_01 (42:03):
I I would say this.
I uh I remember my radio rep ormy sorry, my publisher who used
to be a radio rep for Big Loudis from Syracuse.
And uh one of my closest friendshas a songwriter's name's Zach
Alban.
He's on the uh he co-wrote uh mythat's my favorite country song
for for Hardy.
Uh he's also from Syracuse, andso uh I remember them just
(42:25):
hyping me up.
They're like, Oh dude, you'regonna have the best time in
Syracuse.
And I'm like, Yeah, you gottahit.
They sent me just a laundry listof spots I had to hit, and yeah,
but you don't have time to dothat, you know.
But I will say, okay, I I playeda show.
Um, I'm trying to think what thethe town was called.
It was a little outside ofSyracuse, and I pronounced it
(42:45):
wrong, and uh people got mad atme for that.
But then uh I had to redeemmyself after, but uh I think
it's Olean or Olean?
Olean, Olean.
SPEAKER_02 (42:54):
Yeah, it's a radio station called the pig.
SPEAKER_01 (42:56):
Yeah, but I said oh I said what it was.
SPEAKER_02 (42:59):
It's hard if you're not from the area.
SPEAKER_01 (43:00):
How are you gonna, you know?
I I had no idea, but uh but Iwill say you guys have a great
time, bro.
I I did have a great time when Icame back and I was just like
chilling in Syracuse.
I did not wanna uh stray awayfrom there, but uh yeah, I
always have a great time, andalso you know, just watching uh
Syracuse basketball growing up.
Uh it was cool to see where thatto see where that was and Jimmy
(43:21):
Bahim being the Jimmy Bayheim,yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (43:23):
Adrian Autry, no.
But yeah, how cool is that?
Good for you, man.
SPEAKER_01 (43:27):
Seeing where Carmelo was from, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (43:28):
Oh, yeah, and now his son is playing on our team.
SPEAKER_01 (43:30):
It's crazy, yeah.
Isn't that crazy?
And and wow, I got bad respectfor Syracuse, so yeah, I look
forward to being back.
SPEAKER_02 (43:37):
Yeah, well, we are orange, so that's true, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (43:39):
So not too far off.
SPEAKER_02 (43:42):
Yeah, they put uh well, we were at the game the
other night, uh back on thesecond, that uh every once in a
while they'd show somebody in aTennessee jersey in the place
which is erupt and booze.
It's a booze, yeah.
You know, it's just it's justfun.
Yeah, it's good fun, definitelygood fun.
So because yeah, what they'reranked uh number 13, I think
you're too.
SPEAKER_01 (44:03):
Yeah, yep.
And we fell after that, youknow.
Yeah, did you go down a littlebit?
But yeah, I think we're I thinkwe're 20 now.
Oh yeah, sorry, yeah.
I know it's all right.
We'll be back, we'll work ourway back.
SPEAKER_02 (44:13):
Yeah, so if you weren't doing music, if you
weren't writing, you weren'tperforming, what would you be
doing?
SPEAKER_01 (44:19):
Uh it's hard to imagine that.
I've I've I've thought aboutthat a few times, but uh I think
now uh I can't find analternative good enough that I
would actually chase, but um nowlook at that, answer that
question with like what I willbe doing when I retire.
Sorry, um when I retire fromthis.
I think I'll uh I'd love to ownlike a boat marina or something
like that, and just uh live on awater.
(44:41):
Come on, kind of be around that,yeah.
Uh you know, when I'm like 60,70, dude, I'm chilling, and I'm
just the guy that used to writesongs.
SPEAKER_02 (44:47):
Yeah, used to you'll still be doing it.
I will be doing it.
It's what's gonna keep you aliveand it's gonna keep you happy,
and you're just gonna be you'regonna be banging out those hits.
Yeah, no, I guess you know, I'mjust saying, and and you know,
I'm the one that's gonna beretired.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (45:01):
Well, you can come to my marina, dude, and hang
out.
SPEAKER_02 (45:03):
Oh, yeah, I'd love to do that someday.
Absolutely.
Were you at the CMA's?
SPEAKER_01 (45:07):
I wasn't at the CMAs this year.
I went to a couple afterparties.
Um, I it's hard.
I felt like a little spoilednow.
Um, you know, I was nominatedlast year, and um and so you
know, this is uh the first yearI wasn't um since I could go.
So I think that now I'm justlike trying to uh get back when
I'm nominated.
SPEAKER_02 (45:27):
Were you on you weren't on the red carpet?
You didn't go to that either.
SPEAKER_01 (45:30):
No, I I didn't hit it.
I again I just I I I don't likeuh going there without being
nominated.
SPEAKER_02 (45:36):
Yeah, I respect you for that.
Totally respect you for that.
I don't I don't know if this isthe right thing to say or not.
And I apologize if anybody'swatching this and I offend
anybody, but uh watching the redcarpet, I didn't know half of
those artists.
It's like all right, who's thisperson?
Why are they talking to thisperson?
Who is it?
(45:57):
It's like, wait a minute, whydon't they have somebody like a
Graylin James or George Burge orsomebody, you know, these are
the up-and-coming artists, theseare the up-and-coming stars of
tomorrow.
Uh, but we're not seeing thosepeople.
Well, maybe a few, but most ofthem weren't on that red carpet.
And I'm going, This what's wrongwith this picture?
SPEAKER_01 (46:16):
So I don't know Yeah, no, I mean for sure.
I mean, I think uh I think nowit's it's so interesting seeing
the difference in you knowsocial media and uh oh yeah,
different different versions ofmedia.
Uh you know, but um I thinkpeople are kind of kind of
seeing the difference now, youknow, seeing that Morgan's uh
you know what's kind of going onwith him and award shows and
(46:36):
stuff.
And so uh I don't feel badmissing them anymore.
Um again, you know, I when Iwhen I deserve to be there, I
feel like I want to be there.
I think people that walk thecarpet that I'm like I to me,
you know, walking the carpet atan award show, you should be
walking from the carpet nervous,you know, that you're gonna win
or you're not gonna win.
And uh that's what I alwaysthought it was.
(46:57):
I love your attitude about that.
That's what I want it to be.
I want to I want to earn beingthere and not just awesome,
chilling there and drinkingthere, you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_02 (47:04):
Joe Joe Miller's saying Grayland opened up
outside Buffalo for Luke Combs.
Uh wrote the night, which weknow, and incredible artist,
Albany will be.
SPEAKER_01 (47:14):
It was cold, it was cold in Buffalo.
It was snowing that day.
SPEAKER_02 (47:17):
I was that that was in the the stadium.
Was that the one in the stadium?
My wife and I took the drive upfor the Luke Combs show.
Yeah, froze our asses off.
I'm just just saying it wasfreaking cold.
Yeah, it was, it was but uh Ifelt sorry for what Jordan was
on that show.
SPEAKER_01 (47:34):
Jordan was on that show.
I can't remember.
Mitchell, was it MitchellTenpenny?
Yeah, and I think uh I thinkMitchell played Drew Parker was
there.
Yes, Drew Parker was there.
There was a handful of buddiesout there, but we all two shows,
yeah.
Yeah, yeah, we all froze our assoff.
SPEAKER_02 (47:47):
Yep.
How can you it gets that cold?
How can you play?
How can it it's gotta it affectthe guitar and your hands, your
fingers?
SPEAKER_01 (47:58):
Don't play very good.
I I I take pride in you knowplaying guitar solos and stuff,
but I I definitely back off whenI'm playing outside in upstate
New York in the winter.
SPEAKER_02 (48:07):
I don't you're right though, we get a lot of uh lot
of artists are coming through,especially around the holidays.
You know, radio stations aredoing their holiday shows and
this and that.
SPEAKER_01 (48:14):
So y'all gotta get out of the house somehow.
SPEAKER_02 (48:17):
Yeah, I know, I know, but you'd much rather go
south than north this time ofthe year.
And you're like you say, you'reheading into Albany tomorrow?
SPEAKER_01 (48:25):
Sometime.
I I I don't even know when I'mgoing anywhere anymore.
SPEAKER_02 (48:31):
No, no, and I totally get that.
But the the weather is verysnowy, cold, stormy.
They're talking, depending onwhere you are, uh, six to twelve
inches of snow.
I'm just saying, hell yeah.
Can't wait.
Okay, let's go.
Graylin, James.
You're awesome.
By the way, you know, uh, wouldyou come back on Skip Happens
down the road if I if say, hey,I want Graylin back?
Absolutely, dude.
Anytime.
Love it, man.
(48:52):
Love it.
I love what you're doing.
I love your soundwriting.
I love the music that we get toplay.
Thank you so much.
And one thing I say as a programdirector and somebody that's on
the air each and every weekdayafternoon, that uh our radio
station would not be where it iswithout artists like you.
Um because it's a two-waystreet.
And yeah, exactly.
I catch you.
Yeah, this is this is your dreamdoing what you're doing, it's my
dream doing what I'm doing, andtogether we make it work.
(49:14):
It's what we do.
SPEAKER_01 (49:15):
But uh I'm blessed that people in Syracuse, New
York are hearing my music, anduh, I appreciate you giving me
that opportunity.
It's uh it's really cool tothink about.
SPEAKER_02 (49:22):
Do you have um before I let you go, one big
time experience that you willnever ever ever forget?
Was there a certain show?
I mean, were you at and I alwaysthink of Red Rocks.
Have you had the chance to playRed Rocks?
Yeah, I played Red Rocks, uhDominions because I always want
to go there and I haven't beenable to go there yet.
SPEAKER_01 (49:40):
Yeah, bro, you you you gotta you gotta check that
off the bucket list.
I mean that that's that'sdefinitely up there for me.
I think uh I think now, man, um,you know, getting to say that my
family, you know, could kind ofwatch me do this.
You know, my my grandfather whogot me that first guitar, he got
to hear my Kenny Chesney song onthe radio before he passed away.
SPEAKER_02 (49:58):
How long ago did he pass?
SPEAKER_01 (50:00):
He he passed away in 2021, and that's when that that
Kenny song was out and uh doingits thing.
So um, you know, I definitelygot I got lucky there, and um,
you know, getting uh to knowthat you know, because he
listened to the radio all thetime in his garage, you know, he
was working on his his cars, andum and so the to imagine that
his little workshop radio, hegot uh hear a song that that I
(50:22):
wrote, you know, on on a guitar.
SPEAKER_02 (50:26):
With uh like a garage with the radio, a hundred
percent station that you knowyour papa you papa used to
listen to.
Yeah, for sure.
It would be so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (50:35):
You know, I definitely want to keep that
stuff involved in uh yeah inmyself, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (50:39):
And he's at every show, just don't ever forget
that.
Oh, you may not see him, but youknow he's there.
SPEAKER_01 (50:44):
I say that all the time when I'm up there.
I'm like, you know, I know he'she's up there, uh, wishing he
could be down here uh listeningto us, but it's seven.
SPEAKER_02 (50:52):
Do you have a pre-show ritual?
SPEAKER_01 (50:54):
Uh shot of uh shot of whiskey or burber, whichever,
whichever one's hanging aroundthere.
Uh I love it.
SPEAKER_02 (51:00):
I love it.
SPEAKER_01 (51:00):
Yeah, we we take a shot and just uh again, you
know, it's it's always uh it'salways an experience getting to
go on stage and uh sing my ownsongs because uh you know
growing up I was coveringeverybody else's, so the I
always I try to take a secondand uh remember that it's it's a
it's a blessing to get up thereand uh tell my story through my
music.
SPEAKER_02 (51:20):
Absolutely.
Just don't stop doing it,brother.
Because you're giving us somegreat music.
I'm proud to play it.
Um glad to know you a littlebit, and uh you know, we'd love
to get you back on skip happensdown the road, and uh we'll keep
in touch and just kind of keepthings moving ahead.
Um somebody wanted to log on,check out whatever.
I'm sure everybody already knowsyou, but um the website is what
(51:42):
is it, Grayland James?
SPEAKER_01 (51:43):
Just GraylandJames.com.
Yes, I think it's justGraylandJames.com.
SPEAKER_02 (51:46):
Uh and I'll link you to everything, your socials and
all that good stuff.
SPEAKER_01 (51:49):
I mean, just yeah, just type them on name.
Uh, you don't have to spell itright.
It'll it'll come up and you gotit all covered, dude.
SPEAKER_02 (51:56):
Yeah, just just got a good team, takes care of a lot
of that.
So I love it.
SPEAKER_01 (51:59):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (52:00):
Well, I want to say thank you for being here.
I want to wish you all a happyholiday.
Um, everything hopefully you gethome safely after your travels
in the next couple of days.
Enjoy the holidays, take somedowntime, do what you gotta do.
Um, maybe I'll see you at CRS.
That's coming up in March thisyear.
And uh, so look forward lookingforward to it.
Graylin James, uh skip happens.
(52:21):
Thank you for joining me, myfriend.
I want you to stay right there.
Here we go.
Thanks for watching, everybody.
And don't forget, subscribe,skip happens on YouTube right
now.
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