May 1, 2020 • 18 mins
Dierks Bentley’s taking a little time off from his music to work with his 90s comeback group, The Hot Country Knights. But, it's not been easy. He’s run into a few roadblocks working with these guys and is here to tell ALL, on this Cody Cast podcast.
Plus: Why is Cody Alan planning to arrive at all the 2020 award shows saying that he was “Dressed by Dierks Bentley.”
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Cody Allen's podcast. This is Cody Cast. Hey,
then that was awesome, moved by. Let be careful. So
I got kids in the house going crazy. I have
a dog in the house going nuts right now. Yeah,
it's pretty out of control right out. It's crazy. I
am first of all, that good. That felt pretty good.
(00:22):
That felt great. I would sat damn funny, dude, I
love that. I've already gotten a how people like texting
me like that was epic. Doug Douglason is my hero
Instagram Live at Cody Allen. Yeah, I mean I was
going out like this is definitely this has gonna be
one of the funnier interviews. I love, pretty good, awesome. Yeah,
(00:44):
you know, I didn't expect the crotch shot from the start,
so I yeah, you know, try to that's the nights
you can get away. We put away anything. It's amazing. Oh,
it's so good. It's such a funny thing. It's such
a funny big it really is. It's such a good one.
Bit that's just NonStop bits. It's just a bit after bit. Yeah.
I feel like it's a never ending and this is
(01:05):
obviously what it makes us to do. An album is
that there's just a never ending you can always go
back to it. Yeah, and we're you know, we're just
getting started on the bits because we'd come up with
all the bits on our own right as a man. Yeah,
we've got some pretty good bits on our own. But
when you start working with like all the friends in
town and profession people that really do this kind of stuff,
you know, talking to people that have you or anybody
just has ideas you can really start putting together. So
(01:27):
that has like amazing bits beyond just like bal ball taps.
And we're saying like you're walking on the hall in
eighth grade constantly looking for some one of your buddies
to make him keel over. So yeah, there's there's a lot.
It's good stuff. Um yeah, so please give my best
a Doug and thank him for the interview. Again. He
sits outside my house and um, and he uses the
(01:47):
WiFi and he said, you guys had a weird and
weird history, but it sounds like you guys have made up.
So you know, for years you would never talk to
me and we never do like interviews or anything. And
then yeah, he turned a corner. I guess because you know,
I'm super popular now more so than maybe I was
ten years ago. And yeah, people are you know, they
want to be on this show because they wanted like
(02:08):
their music to be out and so I don't know
if it's for reasons that probably an opportunist. Yeah, I
hate when people get that way. Yeah, he seems absorbed
by promoting himself constantly. Well he's always I mean, I
don't know if you can tell, he's always said nice
things about me, so I think, right, he was he
saying good things about me or though I don't think
(02:29):
he even knows your name really, I mean he keeps
calling you. All the work up risk my entire career
to make this thing happen to these guys, and I
think it calls you Dirk Brandley Dirk brand I think, yeah,
I've been letting that slide a little bit. Um. I
think he just's not that bright of a guy. But
obviously the name Dirk's is such a normal name it
should just rolled up his tongue. Yeah, I mean, Jerks
(02:51):
seems a little more. It rolls up that drinking. He
might have been drinking. So yeah, sorry, Jerk's gently I
think it's so, I don't know, I don't know what that. Yeah, yeah,
that's that's unfortunate. But you yeah, I've done a like
I mean, like, I take these guys in off the
another van, got a record deal, got in the studio,
got the best songwriters, help them. You know. Right now, woman,
(03:13):
I was gonna lost this huge tour of these guys.
And then they all kind of I was kind of
f part little bit and suddenly you don't even they
don't realize why. I told that, you know, why aren't
we going on the road, And I said, because there's
so much demand for the hot Contry nights that each
city is building its own stadium just like can hold
all the fans. I want to come out to the shows.
And they bought it right because they told me. They're like,
(03:33):
hey man, there's no there's no no virus or disease
that we haven't beat before, some cream and or rash.
You know, they faced them all down. So they're like,
we're not scared to go out on the road. But
then they're they're kind, they're not that they're not that smart. Well,
when you think about it, there is like an an
ointment for every virus. They think, yeah, they fought them all.
Lot viruses run from these guys, were you upset it
(03:55):
all over the fact they didn't invite you to be
on the album even though you produced all of it. Well,
as a producer, I could invite myself to kind of
do whatever I wanted to. I you know, the whole
thing went south. I really wanted to be able to
kind of just pull away from it. You know, it's
kind of like so nothing to see here, nothing to here,
just back in a way, So I kind I gave
myself that flexibility. Um, but yeah, it's you know, they
(04:19):
I think they love me. They had a kind of
a weird way of showing it, but well, it made
four an amazing album. Great job on producing these guys,
and it sounds so good and it just all the
songs sort of take you back to the nineties, which
I think was the idea with and obviously some of
the subject matter. You know, he's a little bit on
the edge, thanks Cody. I mean, on a serious note,
I mean, yeah, it's yeah. I've called the projects a
(04:39):
seriously fun project because it's it's fun and you've been
E've been there from the very beginning watching this thing grow.
But it's also you know, when it's time is serious.
We got really serious with with the writing on this
and production. I've been working on this since August, may
be working this for six years, but August is when
it really started coming together and just you know, booking
a separate writing retreat um to to write the songs
and uh and then to go to the the studio with
(05:00):
the guys in the band and also brought it bringing
Jim Beavers and Brett Beavers and John Randalled, all my
heavy hitter buddies that are great producers and know the
nineties really well because they were out there touring in
that time period. And and then you know the work
that goes behind the scenes as far as you know,
shooting five videos and planning a you know, a tour
that started in uh, San Diego would have ended at
the Rhyme and after going to Boston and Chicago. I mean,
(05:21):
it was we're having so much fun doing it, but
at the same time, it was a serious project. And
my goal with anybody that hears the record is hard.
The record would be, oh my gosh, it's funny, these guys,
can't they get away with us? But the musicianship and
the songwriting is great. That's uh, that's the goal with
the making the record, and that's what I've been hearing back,
So that's that's makes you feel good. Well when you
hear pick her up, for example, Um, with Trip, it's like, okay,
(05:44):
I can hear this being just a smatch in or
even now, I feel like if I put that under
my own name, it might have you know, they're a
little better, but it's just a slamming song and I
think people, you know, people can't I'll miss a little
bit of that. Just great fiddle steel, uh, you know,
great lyrics and it's not it's not lyrics are gonna
you know, be etched on the Hall of Fame walls.
(06:06):
But it's uh, but as people will get it. They
understand it's fun, it's it's country, it's it's something that
country fans can relate to. And I was happy to
get that out there for sure. Let's talk about the
quarantine a little bit. I Knowic, you're going a quarantine beard.
How's your wife feeling about this? Well, I mean, what
can you do? I think about shaving down to a
mustache might as well at this point. Um, but uh yeah,
(06:29):
I mean hi was just like it's hairs. My son
has the biggest. You know, he's always had a pret
good hockey mullet. But it's like taking on a whole
new life. It's has its own on the cargo BASCAR
system now things huge. I mean, it's got its own
thing happening. So who knows, man, I mean, I guess
I will open back up at some point, but um,
what's definitely hard to keep social distance to get a haircut. Yeah.
(06:53):
One of the things you told me before, which always loved,
was that you hate when the kids are in school
because when you're home on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, whatever to
the touring season, you just want to go and have
fun with them and get him out of school or whatever.
So how are you feeling about that theory now? Because
they're all knowing that we're rolling right. I rolled right
in the summer too, And honestly, not to be a pessimistic,
but I don't see how school even opens back up
(07:15):
again in the fault at this point. So yeah, it's
kind of like an endless homeschool situation. We're all looking
at for a little while, no no foreseeable future. Um,
I'm thankful that the school has been getting on some
projects to do. Uh, knocks. He's, uh, you know, we've
been reading a bunch together, my my fifth credit. She's
she stays pretty busy. But my job is kind of
like to be the camp counselor uh P coach and
(07:37):
trying to get him outside once or twice a day
and do something and you know, and just lucky to
have a backyard and and uh and and some bicycles.
And I don't think, but think about Nashville right now
is the roads are like wide open, so you can
actually ride a bike. It's pretty good neighborhood not get
killed for the first time ever. Nice so silver lining.
But we're just trying to do our part. I mean, yeah,
(07:58):
we're just I mean going start crazy at times. Uh,
certainly for someone like me, I really enjoying out outdoors.
So uh, he was trying to hang in there and
follow the rules and and hope there's some smart people
making decisions. New movie out Trolls World twur. And you
did the song on the soundtrack Leaving Lonesome Flats. Uh yeah,
pretty cool. Um, so I know justin timber Lake had
(08:20):
something to do with the soundtrack, and uh really did
he ask you to do the song? Yeah? I mean
Justin called me and said, hey, wrote the songs, Chris,
I love you to sing on it, And I mean
so excited. I love the movie Trolls and the big
JT fan and and so Ross Copper and I cut
the vocals. JT loved it, and my kids were so psyched.
(08:40):
My kids are funny, you know, They've seem to do
a lot of stuff in the road and had a
chance to do some pretty cool things. But when they
found out that I knew Blake Shelton, that was that
blew their mind, you know, Blake Shelton from the voice, Like, oh,
that made me really cool that time. So I'm talking
to Luke Brian on the phone while the American idols on.
They can't believe that Luke Bryan. But when they found
out that I was like in the Trolls soundtrack, it
(09:02):
became the coolest out of all time. And I was
really looking forward to doing the red carpet out in
l A. I submitted I could have just you know,
kind of everything I'd been done. Kids, I can never
getting cooler than that, But unfortunately that's not happening, but
pretty awesome to be in there. And and uh, and
I really appreciate it justin to have me involving. So
you guys pals, I know a little bit. I mean,
(09:23):
he's you know, he loves Tennessee, he's from Tennessee, he
loves Nashville. He's he's he's around quite a bit. And uh,
you know he played that at the pilgrimage to their
year and I saw him down there was unbelievable show.
And yeah, I know him a little bit. We're friendly
when it comes to you know, things opening up again
and we're all looking forward to the bars being open
and whiskey row on Broadway your place. Um, I love
(09:45):
that you gave your employees, you know, money and try
to help him out. And so what's the mood like now?
Like how are you feeling? And when do you think
this is all going to break? Yeah? I mean I
from the very beginning, you know, back in February, I
was worried much more about the economic like falling from
the than just been the virus. I mean, obviously the
virus is terrible and and all that, and I just
(10:05):
but obviously still this is endless and uh, there's no
I don't understand how you get back anyone back together
anywhere without a vaccine. And you know, the last vaccine
we've created was the measles vaccine that took thirty years,
So people thrown around a year or six months or
even eight months. It all seems pretty unrealistic to me.
I think we're looking at like a three or four
year process here. So it's really we're kind of entering
(10:27):
our own World War two situation here where there's going
to be full episodes. We have to making long term
vision on how to get by here as a as
a country, in a society, and Whiskey Row, you know,
only the hour would like to get halfway open. So
we get some people working down and have some symbols
enormously normalcy and have some sort of job. And there's
some places in Nashville that I, you know, doing take out,
(10:48):
and I've been trying to support them. I ride my
bikes some places and pick up some spicy margaritea is
there something, you know? And I've prost some money around
and help out a little bit. But yeah, I don't know, man,
I have no idea. One day, I think, and they
will be open tomorrow, and I'm like, oh my gosh,
this is never opening back up again. But I have
not been downtown. I heard it's a ghost town. Um,
but you know, for a city like Nashville and we
(11:09):
that's kind of our thing is conventions and and and
bachelor that parties and people coming in and well and
music too. You mean you're basically you're trying to constantly
draw a crowd to whatever it is you're doing. Music. Yeah,
I know. The last thing is gonna open is a
glive concert. That's the last thing to happen, Like it
will be like you know, I think, you know, people
have been learning how to do some more work in
(11:29):
your line of how to not radio, but just like
you know, broadcasting through social media and and and just
kind of learn how to connect with fans in different ways.
And the main thing is just is just trying to
make sure people have a I don't know, man, I
just I pray that again smart people are making good
decisions to help out some many people are hurting out
there real quick to wrap. Uh. The season of awards
(11:50):
apparently looks like three in a row, Like we'll have
a c M s CMT Awards c M as back
to back to back. I'm thinking about like renting one
suit and wearing it to all three shows. You really
think those you really think those are gonna happen in
real life, That's what they say. I'm just going by
what people away. I mean, Okay, well I hope, so
I hate. I guess. I guess. It's always like, I'm
(12:11):
not pestimistic, but I'm just like I could be pleasantly surprised.
I've always said, don't believe it until you see in Walmart,
until your album is shrink wrapped in Walmart. Don't believe
it because you never know who's gonna get the rug
get pulled out from under you. But I hope we
have stuff in the fall. I can't imagine people gathering
in like an inside and an inside building. But uh yeah,
I wont suit. I'm all down to that, dude. Let's
(12:33):
keep it simple. Uh I tell you what they'll they'll
be the happiest people with country fans if we have
those award shows and and no one will be happy
with the country singers. And I say, one that will
come out this is the gratitude that we already have
to be on stage, already have to be doing our thing,
already have to be hanging out their fans. But I'm
just imagine not happy, like your your favorite country singer
(12:54):
is gonna be to be playing your hometown, and you
know it's gonna be. It'll be a cool thing when
we get out of it. But yeah, I hope, I
hope those divorces happen. But well I got here. I
gotta ask you about the new music for a second,
because I know that, um maybe this time like lends
itself to make new stuff or to inspire a different sound.
I don't know. Yeah, well, thanks for asking, you know.
I guess I've be ten years. I take a little
little reset. So I did the blue Grass Record in
(13:15):
two thousand and ten and the Nights to twenty and
two thousand and twenty. I I really I just try
to keep a total blank slate, you know. I feel
like I don't want Russian and trying to make music
right now because I don't even know what the ground
is like under my feet. So I'm gonna try to
probably go out west at some point and try to
get inspired. And I've been playing a lot of guitar.
I'm playing a lot of mantalina. There's a website called
(13:37):
artist Works that you can take lessons from anybody. So
I've been taking guitar lessons, taking man lend lessons, playing
a lot of music, just playing for the sake of
loving to play it. And my kids are all playing
piano guitar, and so just kind of taking a chance
to just to just to just to love playing music,
which you know, a lot of times I come off
the road, I don't. I never even picked my guitar
(13:57):
back up againntil I go back out. So just to
be playing it every day the point that's annoying my
wife a little bit here, these same fuddle tunes over
and over again with the guitar whiskey before breakfast for
that five buzzer time Arkansas Traveler. But uh, it's good
just to read, just to put fingers the strings the
wood and and just kind of get back to I
just trying to accept where we are. Man. Just know
(14:17):
that this is a weird sliving time when the treadmill
is literally stopped and we were stepping here, forced to
step off it and and just see what life's like.
So what about you, man? Has it affected your world? Um?
You know what the goodness is like? Four years, you know,
at least the radio stuff we've been able to be
on the road wherever I was be it you know
seven yes, you've traveled a lot seven Peaks, or on
(14:39):
the road with you somewhere or whatever artist was doing
something cool. We try to like be out so you
I know, And so we kind of had this little
system kind of built on how we would do it
on the road, like how we do the radio show
on the road. So we just kind of moved that
system to my house. So I'm literally my kitchen table
right now. And then for Hot twenty, believe it or not,
we do it all from upstairs in the guests room,
(15:00):
a corner of the room where we've got a few
like banners set up and a monitor and they got
they brought in the camera, a nice, nice camera and
lighting and stuff and made it all look pretty. And
uh so that's kind of how we're doing it. It's
it's it's nuts, but it's like we're getting by. And
I'm so happy that I can like be not only healthy,
but also to continue to work because so many people cannot.
(15:20):
And it's just it makes me sad. And I'll tell
you what I've told to you my friends in their
radio and in that business, just like what you're doing
is so important because fans of lost their connections, artists
have lost their connections. So many artists are lost are
now probably wandering through a Walmart literally just like what
what am I? What am I'm supposed to be on
the road. I have no connection. I've lost my identity.
(15:40):
And fans the same way too. You know, it's like,
so what you're doing connecting artists to fans, fans of artists,
keeping our community that literally has no physical connection in
physical community more, keeping some symbolans of the community is
so important now because this is where we're getting information.
This is where we find out how how we're hell
the fans of their other singers are coping and I
love listening to you show it is here. How how
(16:01):
my contemporaries you're doing? You know how these guys what
are people doing right now? Because it's such a such
a weird time, it's been thank you, well, it's thanks um,
it's been a complete learning experience. But I think that
you know, once you realize for the technologies there and
then you start hearing from people who are doing exactly
what you just described, connecting again, like oh my god,
Like I like media becomes more important, like that conversation
(16:23):
on a zoom that we do with you or whoever.
It's like, Okay, all of a sudden, it's like Okay,
Dirk's he's still there, He's I can go, oh, there's
new music. Let me check this out. You know. It's
like there's a level of excitement that begins again. It's
sort of a new way that maybe people haven't discovered before.
And I think it's really so there's something kind of
healthy about that reset, I think, and I think you know,
it's fun about the new music is. I think for
(16:43):
all all the artists out there, it gives you a
perspective how how hard it is getting new music hurt
because when you're on the road playing music and you're out,
you know, on stage, you're killing it every night and
you feel like you're quishing and you feel like you
have a much more bigger presence than you do. But
when you take away that live component you take with
the road, and you sit back here National and the
six one Area CO and you go, oh, my gosh,
there's so many as much music coming out and so
(17:04):
many people on their social on their Instagrams, twitters trying
to get my eyeballs in my attention. It makes you
realize how you know how many talented people are there
other on town and how much how much music comes
out all the time, and it's tough, man, So it
makes you definitely have a lot of gratitude for the
folks that give you a little push so on the
half hot country nights. Thanks for giving those guys a
little bump. They need it, We'll do it. Give them
(17:25):
lots of love and um thanks, Dirk's always great to
catch up with you, appreciate the time, look forward to
seeing you on the other side of this craziness and um, yes,
I'll give you a fist bump. I hope to see
if those award shows Okay, okay, sounds good. If they happen,
I'll buy your sup Okay, are you serious? Okay, if
at least that you want, I will buy the ones
that you have. You have to wear all three award shows.
(17:47):
When you say who you're dressed by, you guess they
dressed by Disks spelling. I'll get you a good one.
I'll get you whatever you want. I'll work with the
Annie and we'll get your good suit. But that will
be if I know if I'm buying you so will
it will be the best money ever spent because it
will mean that I'm back on the road. Someway. Dude, Okay,
it's on. Let's make it happen. All right, Thanks, We'll
see you later. Operation by Cody Suits. The lights have
(18:07):
been turned back on. Let's hope it's true. Let's hope
it happens. Hope. So, I hope, I hope. I'm buying
you the most expensive suit of all time. Do the
whole thing the best? Maybe a lighted suit. Maybe we
lighted those shoes. Get shoes too, We'll get a good
pair of shoes Porter Wagner like, I'm thinking yes, yes,
(18:29):
inside and outside yet opery style. Yeah, let's do it. Yeah.
I love you, buddy, Thank you, see you later. See
Thanks for listening to Cody Cast. Follow Cody right now
at Cody Allen on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Care Cody
on hundreds of radio stations every day, and watch Cody
on twenty this weekend, Saturday and Sunday and n M
(18:49):
eight Central on CMT. Bye for now,
This is Cody Allen's podcast. This is Cody Cast. Hey,
then that was awesome, moved by. Let be careful. So
I got kids in the house going crazy. I have
a dog in the house going nuts right now. Yeah,
it's pretty out of control right out. It's crazy. I
am first of all, that good. That felt pretty good.
(00:22):
That felt great. I would sat damn funny, dude, I
love that. I've already gotten a how people like texting
me like that was epic. Doug Douglason is my hero
Instagram Live at Cody Allen. Yeah, I mean I was
going out like this is definitely this has gonna be
one of the funnier interviews. I love, pretty good, awesome. Yeah,
(00:44):
you know, I didn't expect the crotch shot from the start,
so I yeah, you know, try to that's the nights
you can get away. We put away anything. It's amazing. Oh,
it's so good. It's such a funny thing. It's such
a funny big it really is. It's such a good one.
Bit that's just NonStop bits. It's just a bit after bit. Yeah.
I feel like it's a never ending and this is
(01:05):
obviously what it makes us to do. An album is
that there's just a never ending you can always go
back to it. Yeah, and we're you know, we're just
getting started on the bits because we'd come up with
all the bits on our own right as a man. Yeah,
we've got some pretty good bits on our own. But
when you start working with like all the friends in
town and profession people that really do this kind of stuff,
you know, talking to people that have you or anybody
just has ideas you can really start putting together. So
(01:27):
that has like amazing bits beyond just like bal ball taps.
And we're saying like you're walking on the hall in
eighth grade constantly looking for some one of your buddies
to make him keel over. So yeah, there's there's a lot.
It's good stuff. Um yeah, so please give my best
a Doug and thank him for the interview. Again. He
sits outside my house and um, and he uses the
(01:47):
WiFi and he said, you guys had a weird and
weird history, but it sounds like you guys have made up.
So you know, for years you would never talk to
me and we never do like interviews or anything. And
then yeah, he turned a corner. I guess because you know,
I'm super popular now more so than maybe I was
ten years ago. And yeah, people are you know, they
want to be on this show because they wanted like
(02:08):
their music to be out and so I don't know
if it's for reasons that probably an opportunist. Yeah, I
hate when people get that way. Yeah, he seems absorbed
by promoting himself constantly. Well he's always I mean, I
don't know if you can tell, he's always said nice
things about me, so I think, right, he was he
saying good things about me or though I don't think
(02:29):
he even knows your name really, I mean he keeps
calling you. All the work up risk my entire career
to make this thing happen to these guys, and I
think it calls you Dirk Brandley Dirk brand I think, yeah,
I've been letting that slide a little bit. Um. I
think he just's not that bright of a guy. But
obviously the name Dirk's is such a normal name it
should just rolled up his tongue. Yeah, I mean, Jerks
(02:51):
seems a little more. It rolls up that drinking. He
might have been drinking. So yeah, sorry, Jerk's gently I
think it's so, I don't know, I don't know what that. Yeah, yeah,
that's that's unfortunate. But you yeah, I've done a like
I mean, like, I take these guys in off the
another van, got a record deal, got in the studio,
got the best songwriters, help them. You know. Right now, woman,
(03:13):
I was gonna lost this huge tour of these guys.
And then they all kind of I was kind of
f part little bit and suddenly you don't even they
don't realize why. I told that, you know, why aren't
we going on the road, And I said, because there's
so much demand for the hot Contry nights that each
city is building its own stadium just like can hold
all the fans. I want to come out to the shows.
And they bought it right because they told me. They're like,
(03:33):
hey man, there's no there's no no virus or disease
that we haven't beat before, some cream and or rash.
You know, they faced them all down. So they're like,
we're not scared to go out on the road. But
then they're they're kind, they're not that they're not that smart. Well,
when you think about it, there is like an an
ointment for every virus. They think, yeah, they fought them all.
Lot viruses run from these guys, were you upset it
(03:55):
all over the fact they didn't invite you to be
on the album even though you produced all of it. Well,
as a producer, I could invite myself to kind of
do whatever I wanted to. I you know, the whole
thing went south. I really wanted to be able to
kind of just pull away from it. You know, it's
kind of like so nothing to see here, nothing to here,
just back in a way, So I kind I gave
myself that flexibility. Um, but yeah, it's you know, they
(04:19):
I think they love me. They had a kind of
a weird way of showing it, but well, it made
four an amazing album. Great job on producing these guys,
and it sounds so good and it just all the
songs sort of take you back to the nineties, which
I think was the idea with and obviously some of
the subject matter. You know, he's a little bit on
the edge, thanks Cody. I mean, on a serious note,
I mean, yeah, it's yeah. I've called the projects a
(04:39):
seriously fun project because it's it's fun and you've been
E've been there from the very beginning watching this thing grow.
But it's also you know, when it's time is serious.
We got really serious with with the writing on this
and production. I've been working on this since August, may
be working this for six years, but August is when
it really started coming together and just you know, booking
a separate writing retreat um to to write the songs
and uh and then to go to the the studio with
(05:00):
the guys in the band and also brought it bringing
Jim Beavers and Brett Beavers and John Randalled, all my
heavy hitter buddies that are great producers and know the
nineties really well because they were out there touring in
that time period. And and then you know the work
that goes behind the scenes as far as you know,
shooting five videos and planning a you know, a tour
that started in uh, San Diego would have ended at
the Rhyme and after going to Boston and Chicago. I mean,
(05:21):
it was we're having so much fun doing it, but
at the same time, it was a serious project. And
my goal with anybody that hears the record is hard.
The record would be, oh my gosh, it's funny, these guys,
can't they get away with us? But the musicianship and
the songwriting is great. That's uh, that's the goal with
the making the record, and that's what I've been hearing back,
So that's that's makes you feel good. Well when you
hear pick her up, for example, Um, with Trip, it's like, okay,
(05:44):
I can hear this being just a smatch in or
even now, I feel like if I put that under
my own name, it might have you know, they're a
little better, but it's just a slamming song and I
think people, you know, people can't I'll miss a little
bit of that. Just great fiddle steel, uh, you know,
great lyrics and it's not it's not lyrics are gonna
you know, be etched on the Hall of Fame walls.
(06:06):
But it's uh, but as people will get it. They
understand it's fun, it's it's country, it's it's something that
country fans can relate to. And I was happy to
get that out there for sure. Let's talk about the
quarantine a little bit. I Knowic, you're going a quarantine beard.
How's your wife feeling about this? Well, I mean, what
can you do? I think about shaving down to a
mustache might as well at this point. Um, but uh yeah,
(06:29):
I mean hi was just like it's hairs. My son
has the biggest. You know, he's always had a pret
good hockey mullet. But it's like taking on a whole
new life. It's has its own on the cargo BASCAR
system now things huge. I mean, it's got its own
thing happening. So who knows, man, I mean, I guess
I will open back up at some point, but um,
what's definitely hard to keep social distance to get a haircut. Yeah.
(06:53):
One of the things you told me before, which always loved,
was that you hate when the kids are in school
because when you're home on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, whatever to
the touring season, you just want to go and have
fun with them and get him out of school or whatever.
So how are you feeling about that theory now? Because
they're all knowing that we're rolling right. I rolled right
in the summer too, And honestly, not to be a pessimistic,
but I don't see how school even opens back up
(07:15):
again in the fault at this point. So yeah, it's
kind of like an endless homeschool situation. We're all looking
at for a little while, no no foreseeable future. Um,
I'm thankful that the school has been getting on some
projects to do. Uh, knocks. He's, uh, you know, we've
been reading a bunch together, my my fifth credit. She's
she stays pretty busy. But my job is kind of
like to be the camp counselor uh P coach and
(07:37):
trying to get him outside once or twice a day
and do something and you know, and just lucky to
have a backyard and and uh and and some bicycles.
And I don't think, but think about Nashville right now
is the roads are like wide open, so you can
actually ride a bike. It's pretty good neighborhood not get
killed for the first time ever. Nice so silver lining.
But we're just trying to do our part. I mean, yeah,
(07:58):
we're just I mean going start crazy at times. Uh,
certainly for someone like me, I really enjoying out outdoors.
So uh, he was trying to hang in there and
follow the rules and and hope there's some smart people
making decisions. New movie out Trolls World twur. And you
did the song on the soundtrack Leaving Lonesome Flats. Uh yeah,
pretty cool. Um, so I know justin timber Lake had
(08:20):
something to do with the soundtrack, and uh really did
he ask you to do the song? Yeah? I mean
Justin called me and said, hey, wrote the songs, Chris,
I love you to sing on it, And I mean
so excited. I love the movie Trolls and the big
JT fan and and so Ross Copper and I cut
the vocals. JT loved it, and my kids were so psyched.
(08:40):
My kids are funny, you know, They've seem to do
a lot of stuff in the road and had a
chance to do some pretty cool things. But when they
found out that I knew Blake Shelton, that was that
blew their mind, you know, Blake Shelton from the voice, Like, oh,
that made me really cool that time. So I'm talking
to Luke Brian on the phone while the American idols on.
They can't believe that Luke Bryan. But when they found
out that I was like in the Trolls soundtrack, it
(09:02):
became the coolest out of all time. And I was
really looking forward to doing the red carpet out in
l A. I submitted I could have just you know,
kind of everything I'd been done. Kids, I can never
getting cooler than that, But unfortunately that's not happening, but
pretty awesome to be in there. And and uh, and
I really appreciate it justin to have me involving. So
you guys pals, I know a little bit. I mean,
(09:23):
he's you know, he loves Tennessee, he's from Tennessee, he
loves Nashville. He's he's he's around quite a bit. And uh,
you know he played that at the pilgrimage to their
year and I saw him down there was unbelievable show.
And yeah, I know him a little bit. We're friendly
when it comes to you know, things opening up again
and we're all looking forward to the bars being open
and whiskey row on Broadway your place. Um, I love
(09:45):
that you gave your employees, you know, money and try
to help him out. And so what's the mood like now?
Like how are you feeling? And when do you think
this is all going to break? Yeah? I mean I
from the very beginning, you know, back in February, I
was worried much more about the economic like falling from
the than just been the virus. I mean, obviously the
virus is terrible and and all that, and I just
(10:05):
but obviously still this is endless and uh, there's no
I don't understand how you get back anyone back together
anywhere without a vaccine. And you know, the last vaccine
we've created was the measles vaccine that took thirty years,
So people thrown around a year or six months or
even eight months. It all seems pretty unrealistic to me.
I think we're looking at like a three or four
year process here. So it's really we're kind of entering
(10:27):
our own World War two situation here where there's going
to be full episodes. We have to making long term
vision on how to get by here as a as
a country, in a society, and Whiskey Row, you know,
only the hour would like to get halfway open. So
we get some people working down and have some symbols
enormously normalcy and have some sort of job. And there's
some places in Nashville that I, you know, doing take out,
(10:48):
and I've been trying to support them. I ride my
bikes some places and pick up some spicy margaritea is
there something, you know? And I've prost some money around
and help out a little bit. But yeah, I don't know, man,
I have no idea. One day, I think, and they
will be open tomorrow, and I'm like, oh my gosh,
this is never opening back up again. But I have
not been downtown. I heard it's a ghost town. Um,
but you know, for a city like Nashville and we
(11:09):
that's kind of our thing is conventions and and and
bachelor that parties and people coming in and well and
music too. You mean you're basically you're trying to constantly
draw a crowd to whatever it is you're doing. Music. Yeah,
I know. The last thing is gonna open is a
glive concert. That's the last thing to happen, Like it
will be like you know, I think, you know, people
have been learning how to do some more work in
(11:29):
your line of how to not radio, but just like
you know, broadcasting through social media and and and just
kind of learn how to connect with fans in different ways.
And the main thing is just is just trying to
make sure people have a I don't know, man, I
just I pray that again smart people are making good
decisions to help out some many people are hurting out
there real quick to wrap. Uh. The season of awards
(11:50):
apparently looks like three in a row, Like we'll have
a c M s CMT Awards c M as back
to back to back. I'm thinking about like renting one
suit and wearing it to all three shows. You really
think those you really think those are gonna happen in
real life, That's what they say. I'm just going by
what people away. I mean, Okay, well I hope, so
I hate. I guess. I guess. It's always like, I'm
(12:11):
not pestimistic, but I'm just like I could be pleasantly surprised.
I've always said, don't believe it until you see in Walmart,
until your album is shrink wrapped in Walmart. Don't believe
it because you never know who's gonna get the rug
get pulled out from under you. But I hope we
have stuff in the fall. I can't imagine people gathering
in like an inside and an inside building. But uh yeah,
I wont suit. I'm all down to that, dude. Let's
(12:33):
keep it simple. Uh I tell you what they'll they'll
be the happiest people with country fans if we have
those award shows and and no one will be happy
with the country singers. And I say, one that will
come out this is the gratitude that we already have
to be on stage, already have to be doing our thing,
already have to be hanging out their fans. But I'm
just imagine not happy, like your your favorite country singer
(12:54):
is gonna be to be playing your hometown, and you
know it's gonna be. It'll be a cool thing when
we get out of it. But yeah, I hope, I
hope those divorces happen. But well I got here. I
gotta ask you about the new music for a second,
because I know that, um maybe this time like lends
itself to make new stuff or to inspire a different sound.
I don't know. Yeah, well, thanks for asking, you know.
I guess I've be ten years. I take a little
little reset. So I did the blue Grass Record in
(13:15):
two thousand and ten and the Nights to twenty and
two thousand and twenty. I I really I just try
to keep a total blank slate, you know. I feel
like I don't want Russian and trying to make music
right now because I don't even know what the ground
is like under my feet. So I'm gonna try to
probably go out west at some point and try to
get inspired. And I've been playing a lot of guitar.
I'm playing a lot of mantalina. There's a website called
(13:37):
artist Works that you can take lessons from anybody. So
I've been taking guitar lessons, taking man lend lessons, playing
a lot of music, just playing for the sake of
loving to play it. And my kids are all playing
piano guitar, and so just kind of taking a chance
to just to just to just to love playing music,
which you know, a lot of times I come off
the road, I don't. I never even picked my guitar
(13:57):
back up againntil I go back out. So just to
be playing it every day the point that's annoying my
wife a little bit here, these same fuddle tunes over
and over again with the guitar whiskey before breakfast for
that five buzzer time Arkansas Traveler. But uh, it's good
just to read, just to put fingers the strings the
wood and and just kind of get back to I
just trying to accept where we are. Man. Just know
(14:17):
that this is a weird sliving time when the treadmill
is literally stopped and we were stepping here, forced to
step off it and and just see what life's like.
So what about you, man? Has it affected your world? Um?
You know what the goodness is like? Four years, you know,
at least the radio stuff we've been able to be
on the road wherever I was be it you know
seven yes, you've traveled a lot seven Peaks, or on
(14:39):
the road with you somewhere or whatever artist was doing
something cool. We try to like be out so you
I know, And so we kind of had this little
system kind of built on how we would do it
on the road, like how we do the radio show
on the road. So we just kind of moved that
system to my house. So I'm literally my kitchen table
right now. And then for Hot twenty, believe it or not,
we do it all from upstairs in the guests room,
(15:00):
a corner of the room where we've got a few
like banners set up and a monitor and they got
they brought in the camera, a nice, nice camera and
lighting and stuff and made it all look pretty. And
uh so that's kind of how we're doing it. It's
it's it's nuts, but it's like we're getting by. And
I'm so happy that I can like be not only healthy,
but also to continue to work because so many people cannot.
(15:20):
And it's just it makes me sad. And I'll tell
you what I've told to you my friends in their
radio and in that business, just like what you're doing
is so important because fans of lost their connections, artists
have lost their connections. So many artists are lost are
now probably wandering through a Walmart literally just like what
what am I? What am I'm supposed to be on
the road. I have no connection. I've lost my identity.
(15:40):
And fans the same way too. You know, it's like,
so what you're doing connecting artists to fans, fans of artists,
keeping our community that literally has no physical connection in
physical community more, keeping some symbolans of the community is
so important now because this is where we're getting information.
This is where we find out how how we're hell
the fans of their other singers are coping and I
love listening to you show it is here. How how
(16:01):
my contemporaries you're doing? You know how these guys what
are people doing right now? Because it's such a such
a weird time, it's been thank you, well, it's thanks um,
it's been a complete learning experience. But I think that
you know, once you realize for the technologies there and
then you start hearing from people who are doing exactly
what you just described, connecting again, like oh my god,
Like I like media becomes more important, like that conversation
(16:23):
on a zoom that we do with you or whoever.
It's like, Okay, all of a sudden, it's like Okay,
Dirk's he's still there, He's I can go, oh, there's
new music. Let me check this out. You know. It's
like there's a level of excitement that begins again. It's
sort of a new way that maybe people haven't discovered before.
And I think it's really so there's something kind of
healthy about that reset, I think, and I think you know,
it's fun about the new music is. I think for
(16:43):
all all the artists out there, it gives you a
perspective how how hard it is getting new music hurt
because when you're on the road playing music and you're out,
you know, on stage, you're killing it every night and
you feel like you're quishing and you feel like you
have a much more bigger presence than you do. But
when you take away that live component you take with
the road, and you sit back here National and the
six one Area CO and you go, oh, my gosh,
there's so many as much music coming out and so
(17:04):
many people on their social on their Instagrams, twitters trying
to get my eyeballs in my attention. It makes you
realize how you know how many talented people are there
other on town and how much how much music comes
out all the time, and it's tough, man, So it
makes you definitely have a lot of gratitude for the
folks that give you a little push so on the
half hot country nights. Thanks for giving those guys a
little bump. They need it, We'll do it. Give them
(17:25):
lots of love and um thanks, Dirk's always great to
catch up with you, appreciate the time, look forward to
seeing you on the other side of this craziness and um, yes,
I'll give you a fist bump. I hope to see
if those award shows Okay, okay, sounds good. If they happen,
I'll buy your sup Okay, are you serious? Okay, if
at least that you want, I will buy the ones
that you have. You have to wear all three award shows.
(17:47):
When you say who you're dressed by, you guess they
dressed by Disks spelling. I'll get you a good one.
I'll get you whatever you want. I'll work with the
Annie and we'll get your good suit. But that will
be if I know if I'm buying you so will
it will be the best money ever spent because it
will mean that I'm back on the road. Someway. Dude, Okay,
it's on. Let's make it happen. All right, Thanks, We'll
see you later. Operation by Cody Suits. The lights have
(18:07):
been turned back on. Let's hope it's true. Let's hope
it happens. Hope. So, I hope, I hope. I'm buying
you the most expensive suit of all time. Do the
whole thing the best? Maybe a lighted suit. Maybe we
lighted those shoes. Get shoes too, We'll get a good
pair of shoes Porter Wagner like, I'm thinking yes, yes,
(18:29):
inside and outside yet opery style. Yeah, let's do it. Yeah.
I love you, buddy, Thank you, see you later. See
Thanks for listening to Cody Cast. Follow Cody right now
at Cody Allen on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Care Cody
on hundreds of radio stations every day, and watch Cody
on twenty this weekend, Saturday and Sunday and n M
(18:49):
eight Central on CMT. Bye for now,
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