#184 - Dustin Lynch on releasing a single that he didn’t like, playing weddings and Dating - Bobbycast

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
About to have Dustin Lynch on here. He just left
the house. Uh yeah, I don't forget. Check out Amy's
podcast Four Things with Amy Brown. I'm looking at my email, Mike,
do is anybody who can up about our producer's job yet?
Not yet? I usually get those pretty quick. Yeah, I've
been hit up by everybody, and good like there are
a couple of people like background to our show. Our

(00:23):
head producer is leaving to go work for me in
different capacity on my management team, which my management team
looks over like books and TV and even radio a
bit and just pretty much everything I'm doing touring. Um
so I need someone over there. So I've asked Morgan
number one to move over to that side, and it's
a promotion for her, but that means I gotta find

(00:43):
a new producer, like a new head producer executive producer
on the show. And so yeah, man, everybody I know
wants the job. I don't think people just even know
what the job is though, and I put on Twitter
it's a pretty heavy job, and so you know, people like, hey, listen,
I I did you know two years of media in
college and I love it. And shoot your shot, everybody, everybody,

(01:05):
shoot your shot, but it's it's a tough one. There
are some of my friends I'm even having to go.
I don't quite know that you're you're ready for this yet.
It's like, you know, a hundred and fifty cities in
the USA. In Canada we do night shows all over
the country too. We have a countdown, we book guests.
You have to manage all the morning show staff. You
have to work with sales the mornings, that part of it,

(01:26):
the whole thing, pitch segment, ideas, manager schedule, I'm traveling.
It's just a lot um but it's great that we
have so many people like trying for it. And I'm
glad everybodys raising their hand. I would raise my hand
even if I wasn't qualified, because a few people fall through.
You never know who's gonna be there waiting. But I
just wanted if you've been hit hit for it now.
I usually get those emails like, hey, here's my res

(01:47):
b throw Bobby, let me know what you do? All right?
All right, well, um, Caroline Hobby has a fantastic podcast
and she has on Katie Cook from cmta's really it's
a really good one. It's great in there, which he
Cook doesn't so much just talk about herself, but like
Dolly Parton Stories, Blake Shelton Stories. Um, just if you're bored,

(02:07):
check that podcast out, like if you're like man, she
talks to really interesting women, some of them having wives
of country stars. But it's called the Get Real Podcast
with Caroline Hobby and I hope you checked that out. Um,
I was just talking about the producer's job. I'm just
looking at my email because we just did you know,
hour and fifteen minutes with Dustin and have like eleven
of them just about that job. And I have to

(02:28):
have the awkward call with some of them. It's like, hey,
I don't think that this job and I don't like
having to have that conversation, but I do so Mike, sorry, Budd,
you can't have the job. Yeah yeah, And I get out.
You know what else, I get a bunch of relatives
and twenty three and me. I get those all the time.
It's like, do you have a new relative? They want
to reach out to you. It's like my ninth cousin
was like, hey, man, that's I'm gonna dance with the stars.

(02:50):
Were related? Uh so I haven't done that. This is
not a commercial. By the way, they're not I don't
think the response are they of podcast? Um? Yeah, all right,
anything you'd like to say? Am I missing anything? Check
out also store Losers, there you go, and Velvet Edge
and Velvet Sage. Um. All right, here's Dustin Lynch. That

(03:10):
the newest episode of the Bobby Cast. Kind of good
to get a man and gather on the show a bit.
He's coming out a few times. I don't think we've
ever really hung out socially though. Um, we've seen each
other like a a couple of festivals. But um, I think
as long as we ever spent together and we were
naked the whole interview, we weren't just half of it.
All right, here's Dustin Lynch. Hey, welcome to episode with
Dustin Lynch. I didn't see you drive up. They did

(03:33):
say you got your early, which I love. I'm such
a proponent of early, man. I I've been in the
studio and we got done, and I'm like, well, I
might as well get over there early. I don't know
in the studio I was afraid I would beat you here. Well,
you're ready, man, I came from the gym and I
can put on my best Jorgs. I don't know if
you noticed it summertimes and uh, I did try to think.
I'm like, what's appropriate the word of Bobby cast whatever

(03:55):
you want, and I just went with comfee. Man. But
you've been so you've been in the studio doing what.
But we were writing today. Yeah, I'm like, I'm in
this weird zone of need a couple more songs. I
need to write songs, a couple more songs for what
for the next album to make sense. There's there's a
few songs that we have that won't make sense until
I find the two I'm trying to find. So you

(04:16):
need a bridge in between, yes and see, like you
and See, you're just trying to find those be songs
that kind of close it up. Yeah, I have like
really well written, meaty songs, and I just need I
need that song that people want to dance and drink too. Well.
It's it's usually the other way around, I know it
really yea where people like we got the party songs.
We're just trying to find those song, those deep songs

(04:37):
that kind of express how I feel. The elusive up
tempo for me. Man, It's it's tough. I can't do
certain things I've learned, certain like the farther get in
my career, the smaller the bulls eyes gotten because I
know who I am, which makes things frustrating, it really does.
So who are you writing with? Today? Um? I was
with will Weatherly. I was with Jaren Johnson of Three, Um,

(04:59):
which I love, dude. We hadn't written in a while. Um,
and uh, James McNair. So you go into the room
and do they already know what you're looking for? Like
you just told me, like you're looking for that that
we'll call it the B Gap song. Do they know
you're looking for that song? Or do you guys all
go in and don't Really? I kind of direct them,
you know. Um. And I've been blessed to be able

(05:20):
to write with people that kind of know what I
am now and know what I do and know what
I need. Whenever I say, hey, I need a song
that gets people up in the arena or the amphitheater,
they know what that means. So, um, we instantly, you know,
gravitate towards a certain thing. Did you finish it today?
We did? Yeah. Actually they're kind of guitars on it
right now. So I kind of earlier. Once I sang it,
isn't it exciting to like get that song back? That's

(05:42):
like after you like you've you've written it all day.
And I do this with a lot of comedy songs
that we write. But you're right it all day and
then it feels good. But when they sit and they
because you're not, it's not that the song that's gonna
be on the record. But still it's kind of cool
to hear the demo back. Yeah, it is, And and
that's changed. I've been doing this long enough to it
used to be when we started, man, it was just

(06:02):
us and guitars in a room, and then you kind
of just had a recording on your phone and and
then you had to go back in and demo with
a whole band three weeks later and then wait on
that to get done. Now it's I mean tonight or tomorrow,
I'll be riding around at the song we wrote today.
So it's pretty cool. I was talking to Garth Brooks
this morning. We're talking about school, and there was a

(06:23):
story about because Garth had some stuff at school where
he wasn't always the best student. Yeah, Elvis had some
stuff where he wasn't the best student and it's something
where all of us is kind of seeing music. And
the teacher was like, I don't know if this thing
is for you. Yeah, yeah, like all of us. I
don't know, a little Elvis, I don't know if music
is your credit. I was reading this thing about you
where you gotta see it in music. I did my
only see in my life really vocal music, yes, and

(06:45):
vocal music. Vocal music. So tell me about this class
you go in and how big is the school you
went to? UM? I graduated like fo Yeah, so pretty big.
I mean we were the big town of of my area.
We had Applebee's and the movie theater. I think we
had eight theaters in it, so we were kind of
the We were the preppy kids of the county, right.

(07:06):
Everybody hated on us because we had a movie theater, Applebees.
But UM, vocal music too was a class everyone took
if they wanted to be in chorus. I guess junior
and senior year, which was kind of the cool kids
thing to do other than sports. And I gotta see
and I couldn't get in. Well why would you get
to see? Were you not a good enough singer? Did
you not know? I think it was I was talking

(07:27):
to a lot of girls like in the back, wasn't
paying attention, so you were goofing off the Yeah, I
think that's what it was. And you didn't get into chorus.
So then what you do? Just a band? No kidding?
Start um now, now I probably would have anyways, because
two of my guys in my band we're in the
course as well. But um, that was kind of my
I don't know. I like I like being the underdog man.

(07:48):
I like having a chip on my shoulder just the
way I'm programmed. I think my dad's programmed the same way.
Other than that, you though you're a great student. Yeah,
I love school, man, I love working hard. I wasn't.
It didn't come to me easy see. I got to college,
um from a golf scholarship, believe it or not. How
it got to Nashville and David Lipscomb and I fell
in love with I was good at biology in high school.
I fell in love with As a freshman, what do

(08:09):
I want to do? I apology? I'll take apology, of course,
and I did, will at it, and then that led
to another bology of course, and all of a sudden
I was like, man, I'm in love with science and
outdoors and how plants work. And um, I'm he's that
huge outdoorsman. And I fell in love with how the
body works. Human body is amazing machine. Let's back up
to the golf scholarship. How good of a golfer were
you in high school? Um? We were the first player?

(08:30):
Were you number one? I was number some weeks, number
two most of the time behind my actual my college roommate,
um Cody, But yeah I was. I won my senior year.
I won regional. I guess it would be right before
State by seven shots. Jeez. I was like Tigers the Masters,
like man. I was like, I'll never forget that day.

(08:52):
I could not make a bad sling, I mean or stroke.
It was awesome. So you're playing golf though at an
elite level. Were there golf courses in your town? Yes? Yeah,
we had a few. Yeah, and you're such a you
didn't been played basketball football? I didn't know I really
wanted to play football. Um. If I would to play football,
I don't think I would have payed the guitar up.
To be honest with you, that was kind of my

(09:13):
crutch of And no one cares about the guys that
aren't on the football field. What can we do? And
you can hang out up parties after after the football game,
and all of a sudden, the guy picking guitar gets
all the attention. I'm amazed at all of you guys
that are such good golfers. Because there's you and there's Jay.
There's something too. But I think maybe we we were
good at golf because we were I don't know. I

(09:34):
wasn't big enough to play high school football. I got
my bell around at an early age. I was like,
I'm out, this is this is not for me. Um.
I put on all my weight after college. Really, I
was a scrawny, scowny human. How good of a golfer
are you. I'm still fascinated with this good at golf
because I played golf forever and I couldn't shoot blow eight. Yeah,
it's a tough game, man. I played, of course, I

(09:55):
played every day for twenty years. Um got a full
ride of college that was back whenever could write, uh,
you know, if you got more, if I qualified for
more scholarship, they wrote you checks actual cash here, go
rent a house or buy clothes or whatever. And you
didn't play golf through college? Yeah. I played all the
way through college. Yeah, all for years. I stay good
enough in college of really fell in love with music

(10:16):
and chasing that because I found Tin Roof on the
Burming Street, which is you know, I don't know if
it still is, but back then wasn't the college bar
to hang out for for the lipscom of any kids.
And started playing there as a college kid. Dude, when
you have your Friday night and you're playing for tenda too,
and you're all your friends from college campus are coming down,
and it was insane. And so that became my love

(10:39):
and passion. And I would stay purposely stay good enough
at golf to keep my scholarship um obviously, because that's
how I pay my way for school. So you're living
in Nashville, you're playing golf, and you're you're playing music.
What are you kind of feeling the bug for more?
Though music for sure? Yeah, I never had it mentally
to make it professionally as a offer. I don't know why.

(11:01):
I just could not get over uh whatever hurdle that
was in my brain. I don't don't know if it's pressure,
I don't know. I just I was never good enough
or maybe mentally I get the ball good enough, but
I was never mentally good enough to win it. What
was it? You and Nashville when you're playing music, where
you go, oh, I think they can do this for forever, Like, well,
I know I was having fun at first as a

(11:21):
college kids, you're making good money on the weekends, not
only getting a party with your friends, but you're getting
paid to parties for friends. Um. And then those parties
turned into frat parties at other college campuses. And whenever
you start traveling and people want you to come to
their party and host the party, and and you see
that one invitation my first ever was at ut Knoxville

(11:44):
is a crawfish boil on a Thursday afternoon, I think.
And after we play that show, like three more frats
called him. When you were booked. The next month, three
frat shows up there, and you know they they've got
mom and dad's money, so they're paying us thousands of
dollars to come hang out, play and de craws fishes.
That's a confidence builder. This is like, oh, man, I'm
doing something right. And uh, are you playing in a
band or you just Dustin Lynch. Yeah, I was doing

(12:05):
a band. And then we would got there, me and
another guy as an acoustic guitar. Does you have a name?
I don't think we have ever had like a in
the you know, a band name. But you're playing these
uh frat parties, these sorority parties. I mean, as a
twenty year old, nineteen year old making good money, making
good money, don't know how you stay focused on playing golf.
It was tough because I would have to go, Um,

(12:27):
you play all night and then or even if it's
in Nashville, you play all night and then at six
am you're on a bus rolling to whatever golf course
to walk eighteen and play a practice round. And then
we played Monday Tuesday, eighteen thirty six. We had to
walk thirty six sols um on Tuesday, so or maybe
it was thirty six eighteen. I think it was thirty
six eighteen. But it was a long day, long days, man.
And then I have to you know, also do well
in school, and you do finish school. I finished. Yeah,

(12:50):
it's crazy that you're here, you know, when you're doing
music on a large level, but you stayed in school
and finished. I promised my parents. You don't wanted to
do that. And and also I mean Um, I wanted
a little bit of a backup plan. I think that
it's scary jumping out and trying to do music for
a living. Um, but I knew I had to give
it a shot. Um. Yeah, I graduated and and actually

(13:11):
got and I did all the med school prep stuff.
So I did. Um it's called the MCAT. So that
was like a prep class for a surgeon. Yeah. I
want to be a surgeon. That instant gratification. Man, you
fix somebody that's broke, Like, what's what's up with that?
Like why a surgeon? Where did you see surgery or
a surgeon? And that was like I said, I think
I should do that. Um, I think just being around
I don't know, maybe being around doctors at the golf

(13:35):
clubs or something that had the nicest cars. It's probably
you think about to you know, sixteen year old me.
Maybe why I thought that would be the past for me,
I don't know. But you love music more than you
loved That was a tough conversation man, because your parents
and and also inter dialogue too was like, you know,
having fun and making money, making good money, playing these
crap parties, wedding receptions and um, but then you have

(13:58):
four years of hard heart work in dedication that is,
you know, the premit degree. Yeah, there was a turning point.
It was actually um at my buddy's house over here.
I was helping him bartend for one of his mom's
she's a a big time lawyer, but she was holding
the conference and one of the guys there was a surgeon.
He came to get a drink and he's just being nice, like, man,

(14:19):
what are you studying the college? Is it? Man? I'm
actually to graduate. I want to be a surgeon. And
he goes, I'm a surgeon. Don't be one drab, just
drink and walk off. I was like, what did that mean?
You know, that's funny you remember that though likesion? That
was it? That was it? And then so then that
really gets your wheels turning, like, don't be one. Um.

(14:39):
I think the whole insurance thing and made a switch
at that time with UM. Maybe it's Obamacare or something.
I can't remember what it was, but I don't know
if that's what that comment was about. But it started
making me wonder and I was like, you know what,
I've got to give us a shot. I can't. I
feel like I'm having so much fun, and I feel
like I'm good enough to give us a shot. I
can remember another turning point, U I lost sleep for

(15:02):
weeks over trying to decide if I wanted to try
out from Nashville Star. Yeah, the old TV show, old
TV show. I think Miranda Casey was on there. Remember
the year I was. I was like losing sleep over
what do I do it or not? The first episode,
christ Young comes on and sings and I was like,
thank God, I didn't try out like you out. Unbelievable

(15:22):
I've ever tried out, and that was a blessing. Were
they trying to get to try out someone can watch
you from the show? Not at all. I just knew,
you know, at the time it could be kind of
a cool thing. And I think I'd gone to watch
a taping or two. You know. Now they do ringers
though ringers maybe isn't the fair word, but they'll do.
They'll go to YouTube and I'll find people who are
really good, and like half of them, they don't want

(15:43):
to just trust straight the audition pro I wouldn't either,
probably casting director, I wouldn't just go. My entire show
is gonna be based on who shows up, Like who
wants to stand in line, so they go when they
find That's why I asked you, like, did they have
you kind of set up to go on? But I
guess pre that one, so everyone about going on this
show and stand in line for forever. So he didn't
go on National Star. When did it start to happen

(16:04):
for you? When people started sniffing around, going hey, maybe
maybe pretty good, Like we may can do something with
you at a record label or a publishing deal. Like
when was the first time you were getting paid more
so than just to go out and play these parties? Yeah,
it was. It was. I got a cold call from
an old golf room teammate, his coworker. It was a
son in law of my future manager. Was the Sun. Okay,

(16:28):
so he's like, man, I got a friend that sayings
check him out, and that guy heard it and sent
it to his father in law, who ended up cold
calling me. Um. At the time, I was working at
an environmental lab in Nashville just to kind of have
a day job as well as still doing my frat thing,
making good money there and playing at the bars too. Um,
you're playing weddings too. By the way, I was playing

(16:49):
weddings Yeah, the college kids graduate and then they go
get married. Man, they haven't be back. What was the
one wedding song that you'd play the vanil at every time,
Like the one it was like, this is the one
they're gonna everybody's gonna get up and dance out of
slow dancing. Man. You know there's the classic shout. I mean, right,
you guys play shot absolutely, man, we go nuts. I
had a guy that that would I would. I was

(17:10):
always smart because I can't everybody likes eighties and I
can't say eighties stuff that well. Um, I would always
have a guy in the band that could just rip
eighties music, So I would do all the country hits
back then. Wagon Wheel was bigger than life back then.
Like that's twenty years ago, right, uh um, and then
we'd rip into some eighties Um. Yeah, living on a Fair,

(17:31):
I mean all that stuff. It still works, honestly, it's
still you still go to like these Broadway bars and
it's the same white people dancing to these same songs. Man. Right,
it's the same deal. This guy calls you cold and
you pick up yourself phone and you're like hello, he
says what he says? Hey? Um, this this is pete
hard tongue. Can I say his name? I guess I can. Um.

(17:55):
And I managed an artist, brand new artist that we're
just getting started um the name of Justin Moore, and
he's gonna have a single here in the next year
or so. And I would love to I've come across
your MySpace page. How long ago this was, and I'd
love to meet you in person. Man, I love what
you I'm a big fan. I love it. Do you
love to meet you? And I went over to his
house and uh, I went up into his bonus room

(18:15):
and play him a few songs that I had written.
And I was scared of death, uh, you know, because
it's just taking a call from a guy you don't
know that has an artist that hasn't had any success.
And but hey, it's a call and you go do it.
We hit it off and within two weeks, man, he
had me uh at Big Machine Records in the office

(18:36):
and because just Justin big ye yep. And so we
went in there. Man, I can remember I got out
of his car. Of course he's coached me up, you know.
And what does he tell you before you walk in, Like,
what does he tell a brand new artists going into
a label. Yeah, So he was like, just tell me
who's gonna be there, and kind of what was gonna happen.
You're gonna play song for this guy? And UM, how
deep you want to get in the weeds of this?

(18:57):
Very much? Okay? So I go in and actually Justin
was with Valerie Music, which is considering kind of an
imprint of Sure. And so I'll go up up there upstairs,
and at this time they had had Reeba McIntire, they
had Jimmy Wayne, just A Moore, maybe Brenton Gilbert. I
think I think it's right there. Um. And so I
go in there and I play, I play a couple

(19:19):
of my songs, and I was I was gonna say,
I remember, like yesterday, I get out of his car
and I'm so so nervous. I get out of his
car and I like brush my pants and I realized
my flies wide open, like walking across music road. So
that's how my days started, Like oh jeez, yeahs impot
my pants. Walking there, start playing songs and I think
it was my second or third song. Um. The VP
of Valerie at the time, his name is John Loeba.

(19:41):
He turns away from me and starts typing on his
computer and I'm just like, so you feel like i'd
like they're not feeling men. I was like, this is okay,
I get I'm catching the dose here, turns back around,
all right, play me another one. Um, and then goes, hey,
I'm opened the door real quick. And he opens at
the door and there's two girls on the floor with
their ears listening, and he goes, I want you to

(20:03):
know how excited like, I apologize for typing. I was
actually answering their emails. They're trying to figure out who
the heck in here singing because they're in love with you.
I wanna offer you record bill like that out of nowhere. Um.
Two weeks after getting this call from Peat and so
me is a science nerd, we're going to lab at
a job. I hated, uh playing frat music. All of
a sudden, I've got a record deal and published a

(20:24):
deal on the table like that. So what does that
mean for your life? Though? How does your life change
when they go, hey, you have a record deal? I
mean obviously you don't sign something right there. No, not
at all, not at all. You gotta get somebody on
the phone man like I. Of course, this is. You know,
the industry is evolved greatly since I was, since two
thousand eight or whatever that was nine. Um, but you

(20:45):
know I'm I'm here in hindsight to come in a
record deal, in a publishing deal. Those words mean nothing.
Uh that gets you nothing. All that really does is
sign your life away to someone else. Um. Because you
fast forward. Uh. You know, we went by and forth
to aango your question for months and months. I'm trying
to what's a fair deal? What's not a fair deal?

(21:06):
Do I want a day job doing? I want a
day job, don't want to you know, publishing deal that's
gonna pay me a little bit, allow me to focus
just on music. It's tough, especially for twenty four year
old kids. It has nothing going on. You know. It
wasn't like I was in the system of Nashville. I
didn't have anybody. I was just doing my frat thing,
trying to figure out who do I meet to go

(21:26):
get co writes and how do I get a publish
and jo I didn't know anything. Um. I didn't have
anybody holding my hand. You know, there was no family
member ahead of me that did it. I was just
kind of out in the Ocean, Shread and water. So, um,
you do now I know how kind of how this
story ends that you're not with Big Machine. So yeah,
so John um part of his deal when he signed

(21:47):
his contract over there, he got to sign an act
um of his choice and I ended up being the
one the card he wanted. So the guy that was
typing who turned around, you thought, man, he's not feeling
he's the guy that signed you. It was this one
like golden tick that was it and and so um man,
life's good. We end up getting the deal done. I
don't have a day job. I'm focusing straight up on music,

(22:07):
and I start writing and I'm writing, and I'm writing,
I'm writing. I write a song called Cowboys and Angels,
and there's a moment where I go, man, this song
feels different. Uh, there's something deep down inside and know
this is special, and I'm excited. We going to play
it and for the bing Machine team, and they're not
excited at all about it? Um why because it was
so cowboy or maybe so yeah, I don't know. You know,

(22:28):
it's one of those things where that song is every
song is not for everybody, and maybe that song wasn't
for for them. I don't. I'm not sure, but that
was a bit of a that was a tough pill
of s fault. We could not get any participation from
that label to give me a photo shoot, nothing to
really get the ball rolling. So John ends up getting
frustrated over that and some other things, I guess, and
ends up going to Broken Boat Records. And so I'm

(22:49):
stuck at a label that wants nothing to do with
me because your champions not with you. By the way,
they never they never messed with cowboys and angels. No, no,
they didn't like it at all. You go over to
Big Machine and how does that work? Or excuse me
to Broken Bow? Yeah, so I think did John still
get to have you? So they end up, you know,

(23:11):
doing a deal and buying me out of my record
contract with Big Machine. And was that a weird time
in between? Well? It was tough because here I am,
I've sawn my life away. I can't do anything. I
can't I don't have any money to you know, I'm
just paying rent with my frat party stuff and what
little pubs can draw. I was getting and trying to
write um and so yeah, you know, you fast forward

(23:31):
a couple of years and I was able to get
over to Broken Bow. They bought me, I guess out
of my deal and um, then Cowboys and Angels was
sitting there ready to rock and they felt differently a
Broken Bow. Yes, they said, this is access that we love. Yeah,
and so we went out. Man, we cut four or
five songs and uh often you know, they had a

(23:53):
plan in place. Off the radio tour went and this
song came out and man, not knowing any different, it
was an amazing I but now knowing how hard that
is to do to put out a ballot, put out
of but not only about it, just the first thing
one get a song at the charts. Yeah, yeah, this
thing was. It changed my life, you know, it did amazing,
amazing things and still is my favorite song play out

(24:13):
is it? No? I don't think so. I know, but
this is not one I can cut and it's it's
the one that started us. There's so many um guys
and girls that come back repeatedly. Um, maybe this is
the song that brought them together at the concert the
first time. And now they've got kids together, you know,
they keep coming back and dancing to it and all

(24:34):
every time. So was this a big song that was
played a lot of weddings, and honestly, um, I found
a little bit of a formula there early on in
my career where the song is that people can That's
what I was doing. I was playing wedding receptions, so
I think as a writer, I was grabbing from from
those experiences. There's a song called Daddy's Boots I have
that It's from us specific wedding reception in Kentucky where

(24:57):
this guy was just falling crying watching watching the father
daughter dance and that's kind of when inspired that song.
So those first couple of records, I had some songs
that were kind of directly from that frat party, wedding
reception type of you know this one, I'm going to
Heaven head of trying to feel your Daddy's booze, you know.
Cowboys and Angels peaked at two. Yes, not a lot

(25:20):
of songs. It's crazy. There are not a lot of
songs to stop it too. And I stuffed it too
behind my label mate Jason Aldean, which means you're label
was kind of in the they were totally in on it. Yeah,
so uh yeah, take a little Ride by Jason Aldean
song kept it out being a number one. I always
think back to like my my career, and I feel
like I'm just getting started, but I've been put through

(25:41):
the wringer man is an artist of like getting a
deal and they'm not even want to do anything. Then
finally I get this song that gets my life going
as an artist, and then it stops at number two
for through, you know, and then it takes me a
few years to get another hit on the radio. It's crazy.
Was it frustrating? And I know the ANSWER's gotta be yes,
but was I'm gonna ask you to say it was
a frustrating that didn't hit number one? Yeah? Because this

(26:05):
town is so funny. There's no celebration. There's no plaques
unless it hits one. You know they could and and
a lot of artists there there step out songs you
know or you know, let's take Luke Bryan for instance,
the country girl Shake It from Me. I think out
the five Yeah, no party for that song. Keith Urban's
had a bunch that didn't hit one that are massive,
massive that no parties for some of those songs, Chesney.

(26:28):
It's just funny as a town in an industry, we
don't celebrate career changing songs we celebrate a stat on
the chart that could be, you know, a flash in
the pan type of song you mentioned it took a
while to you can know the song on the radio.
So what happened? What what did you put out that
came out after that that didn't work so hot a
RADI there was a lot of confusion of we had

(26:48):
Cowed was an angel, so obviously we need tempo next.
Can't go slow slow, so you gotta go slow and up.
And we had we had a really a song doing
really well. Um that was a little bit slower, A
couple of couple actually, and we we felt victim of
the radio tour. I think we had cowboys and Angels.
And then we had another slow song and then a
tempo which was she Crates My Tractor, which is the

(27:09):
silliest song I've ever written in my life. Um, so
everybody you know that we're listening to out there, the
programmers go, man, we want the tempo next for sure. Well,
I didn't realize that I had written eight more songs
after the radio tour that may have been better candidates. Um,
this song came out and did what it did. It
was fine. And then because this song existed. You were

(27:33):
kind of pinned into it. It's what you're say a
little bit, but it did its thing. I mean, it's
still um. The next the next step is where we
took a bit of a tumble. I was talked into
recording a song I hated really um because as a
new artist, I got my way with all the other songs.
And uh, who now, who talks you into it? Is
that a label? Is it management? Because people try to

(27:55):
talk me and we're all victim of being led when
when we're not overly sure and almost arrogant about it,
we can be led into directions by people that we
feel like no more than us at times. Yeah, yeah,
that happens to me all the time. I was I
remember this call. I was out in front of my
girlfriend's house at the time, and I repeatedly said, I'm
not I don't like the song, I'm not doing it,

(28:16):
and I got a call it says, look these other
however many songs are on the first album. I think twelve,
these other eleven songs, we're kind of you and your
producer's choice. Give the owner of the record label one
song we promised we won't single, just just go record it.
Oh this is even about a single? This is this
is the old just to get you to record it,

(28:37):
so so I'll record it, go ahead. And the reason
I didn't want to record it because it's not what
we could do well. It's not what I could do well,
it's not what my producers do well. And we record
it and U that was angels success. Tractor hits a
ceiling because it's goofy and whatever, but this thing is cool.
And then I get the song that wasn't not going

(28:58):
to be a single that I didn't want to record,
um chosen for me to go next? The label picked
it as you're single? And uh man, that was that
started a dark dark my first dark time as an artist.
And what do you want to say? What song that was?
While your smile? You know what? And we don't even
have that was not even happen, is it? We have
it up? So okay tell me sorry Red Akins, I

(29:19):
don't and I don't even think he'd mind. I don't think.
So you didn't want to cut this? Why do you
say you didn't do this? This wasn't for you? Um?
Like what about the vibe? Where you going? You know?
This isn't what I do well, it just did. It
wasn't me at the time, man, Um, I didn't like
it at all. Well would you have put out from
that collection that would have existed? It wasn't a single,

(29:40):
but I can remember very specifically. Uh. It was our
first tour stop of my very first two or ever
with Keith Urban in a little big town. We're in Cincinnati,
and he called me on the bus after my first
step and I'm freaking out. I thought I did something wrong,
and he goes, man, great job. Uh, and I think

(30:02):
Nicole was on side stage. My band's freaking out, you know,
because it's our first tour and I so he goes, man,
great jobs. I'm like, all right, I relie, I want
you to come out and sing with me tonight. What song?
And uh? So we go through that. I'm like, all
I don't want it's take a first, She'll come in
and do that. And then he looks at me. He
goes tell me, uh, why didn't you put out last lap?

(30:24):
And it just broke my heart, man, because it was
the song that I knew we should have done. Um.
And then for Keith Urban to invite me on tour
because I think he thinks we're gonna put that song
out and then we don't do it, um and I'm
having to sing a song every night. I don't like, Uh,
what was tough man and and but a great lesson learned.

(30:45):
Here's the deal um and and knock on wood and
I hope it continues. My gut hasn't been wrong so far,
um and so I'm just that that right there in life,
I think you. I think he got through almost like that.
Where if that didn't happen, I don't know if I
would learn the lesson of trust your gut, you know.
And I don't know that you would have all the

(31:06):
success that you've had based on you learned so much
from now you've been able to make really great decisions,
but maybe even better decisions than you would have made
should not even happen. Yeah, without a doubt. And I'm
always good with bombing out if it's my gut, the
bombs out, because then I don't wonder, Yeah, like if
I screw up, or I write a joke and I'm like,
I feel pretty good about this and it doesn't work,

(31:27):
you know, that was that's on me. I would rather
be on me if it doesn't work then to God,
I wish I just would have trusted me. So no,
I get it, And I think we learned Listen, I
did a whole book on I think we learned so
much more mistakes that actually in the end, like the
net wind, is so much more than if the mistake
would have never happened without a doubt. This is otis
gray And for this season of On the Job, we're

(31:49):
hitting the road to tell amazing stories of real people
and their lives, working from a young woman making dolls
for an underserved market to folks falling in love at
the office. Each episode will so prize you. And just
when we thought it couldn't get any worse, we got
the job from hell. Check it out by searching for
On the Job from Express Employment Professionals, in the I

(32:12):
Heart Radio app or wherever you listen. So okay, So,
so that song doesn't go well wild and you're smiling,
then what how you say? A dark time? Like what
happens in an artist? Dark time? And we think everything
is wonderful and you're famous and you're making music, But
what's a dark time? Board? Yeah, because because now you're
second guessing, you come out and you have this gigantic

(32:32):
career song, and then you know, something that was kind
of whatever, and then I miss um and and everybody
in my hometown, including my family, were like, dude, you're
rich and famous. Oh my goodness, which is whatever you think.
Guess what, Yeah, making no money out there. Um, I'm
still you know, at the time, I was just now
kind of have enough money to pay rent because I

(32:54):
wasn't playing frat parties that pay well anymore. I'm playing
free radio shows. You're actually making way less. Yeah, there's
no income now. Um, even with a number one song,
there's no income because when we go play shows, now,
I've got how much expenses that going to put on
a show and a bust in the whole deal and
just to get in the wheat. A little deeper is
that these Fridays and Saturdays that you've been working before,
where you've actually had money coming in, now you're you

(33:17):
can't even go do you can't even do that because
those Friday and Saturdays are taken up by you doing
free shows. So the ability to even try to make
money doesn't exist for you anymore. Exactly. You know what,
I think that's I didn't understand that until I kind
of got over and and what's see, my friends do
it and you make less money when you're assigned artist,
at least in the whole beginning part of it, without

(33:37):
a doubt. So okay, it's you're finding songs, you're writing songs. Yeah,
so now it's okay, can we do this again? As
a young artist? You go, man, and I just get
lucky once. Um, you know, as a writer, as do
you get one hit wonder in your head started around
a little bit and uh, man, I had a very
and I gotta go do this again. Um. We worked,

(33:58):
we worked really hard on writing and trying to find songs.
And of course we're playing shows and getting the tour
and that brings on, you know, relationships and new experiences
and getting to see the world. And um, we we
cut our first handful of songs for the next album
with a new producer. UM that I was kind of, hey,
go try this guy. But I was also working with

(34:19):
with Prett Beavers, my my producer from album one. Um,
and I said, man, I just need to get away
for a minute. Let me I want to go to
the West Coast and rent a car for a few
days and just drive, uh the out there. One of
my reps lives on the inland side. I guess San
Jose of what would that be, Um, Santa Cruz so

(34:42):
nor yeah, north, So I jump over the mountain. I
drive from Santa Cruz down to Big sur and I'm
listening to these new tracks we cut. Man. I've never
seen that part of the world in my life, and
such a spirit, spiritual, just mind blowing. Ah. Drive me alone.
I had a right orange charger driving coast Man and
listening to new music, and it was like a light

(35:04):
bulb went off. I said, Oh, this is next, this
is this is what I'm supposed to say next, And
it was where it's at, and um, it just jumped
out out there and and came back and and uh,
that was a song that kind of just threw in
the mix last minute of that first batch of songs.
And we just found something magical in the studio and
it made sense for me to do. And and we

(35:25):
hadn't you know. All I knew is my gut told
me that should be first. And all of a sudden,
you know, country radio just embraces it and we get
our heart on the verge and cut boom um your
first number one. Yeah, it's multi weeks. Man, it's a
big one, yea yea Is that this ended up landed us? Yeah,

(35:47):
this ended up landing us. Uh but Luke Bryan's who
are the first time around? This song? That's pretty cool.
You get a flag now, yeah, I gotta get a trophy,
you get a party. It's a little bit. It's gonna
be a little bit of relief. Right sure, you're not,
you know, lou Bega. Now you have more than Mambo
number five for sure. And then but then this tops

(36:11):
out and then what you gotta pick the next one? Well,
and that will always be the process though, right as
you see now it's absolutely and it's never in. It's
never and um there's never a sure thing, man, which
keeps it exciting. I've learned instead of stressing about that,
it's it's about enjoy the ride. Okay, but you've learned
that after some success, that's true. Like I always feel
that way too, Like I, you know, I learned after

(36:33):
all the struggles. I wonder if I didn't find it
and it had continued to struggle, if I would still
have learned the same lesson. I can't imagine not having
a miss um. That'd be tough where it's at hits
and what's next? Uh next? To continue the story? Next,

(36:53):
I want a fall. Victim of this label wants this song.
I want this song. So they put out a third
song that we didn't want. So that was the compromise.
We'll put out that. Nobody wants her, you get her.
Um so okay, So what happened? What was that? One
hell of a night? And in neither one of you
guys were that wasn't your first choice? No, I wanted

(37:16):
it fourth. I think I wanted mine reader and then
I forget now, but hell haven't I went number one?
If I'm right? Okay? So so but you guys second choices.
You must have a bunch of music on this record.
We did, we had, we had some good stuff. There's
still a couple of songs that maybe three songs on
that album I think would be hit this one. It's okay.

(37:37):
Then then who gets the next choice? Though you get
to go, you get the next pick or today? Um no.
At this point still they're still kind of running things,
all right, and I kind of you have to earn
your I think it's a young artist. You know, it's
my money. I'm gonna pick the song because I'm with
an independent label. I'm not with some giant conglomerate well,
and also there is some some currency to the label

(37:59):
picking it and then having more invested in it, absolutely,
both with their money and their minds. Sure, because if
they've picked it, they're a little more responsible for it,
no doubt. And I mean even the specific people. If
you're the VP of X y Z picks that song,
you don't think they're going to be in the mixed
fighting for that thing all the time. Yeah, Whereas if
it's your song and they argued against you, they still

(38:20):
wanted to do well. But like human nature is I
told you exactly so mind Raader hits, then what comes
after that? Um gosh, this is You've got so many
I know it, it's tough. What is next? Is that
hell of a night? Hell of a night than mind
Raator right? Seeing red, I got you covered? Thank you.

(38:43):
I's trying to think about set list another number one.
At this point, you gotta feel pretty good, like the
world is your waist. You gotta feel that, Like do
you ever think, all right, I'm about two songs wife
Entertainer of the Year, Because I won't be thinking that.
I would be like Dan, I can't I can't be
go into that with you. Actually, yeah, go ahead later
on if we can do that. Absolutely, Uh seeing Red Hits, Yeah,
that was man, it's fun. We're rocking at this point.

(39:04):
We're we're two years into Luke Bryan tour. Man. I
mean we're playing Wrigley Field and massive massive two nights
in a road to let massive massive numbers. Man. So
we're in front of a lot of people in life
is good, it's easy, it's fun, such a funny and
it's a great camp is great to our west. So
we're having a blast. Small Town Boy was freaking awesome.

(39:25):
Here's this one. This one to me was another like
you you made it. You were climbing slowly, but this
was a just like a boom, like somehow you got
to jump up a whole other notch with this long
did you feel that way? And um, I actually argued
against this song, believe it or not. Um, So you know,
the story goes both ways. I'm glad that my label

(39:48):
pressured me and going no, I think we think this
is the right move. Here's why. Okay, let's do it
and kaboom a big one by changing good girl you
first number one of the song writer. Yeah, he's gotta
be cool, right. I remember you bringing this one in
and going, well, this is just my recollection. You're like, well,
we're just gonna put this out. We don't have anything
to go with it, just that we just have the songs.

(40:10):
I'm just gonna do it. And and now I think
this year that was last year. This year, I think
everybody can kind of consume that a little bit easier.
And last year that was kind of odd to do.
The album we put out was only a Current Moves,
only about eight months old when we did this. So
but now it's like, man, you write a song, your
start about put the dang thing out of it out. Yeah,
it's it's not even crazy to take it. And you

(40:30):
feel good about a demo put on Instagram if you
really want to, Yeah, for sure, because if you can
get anyone to pay attention to at any point, that's great.
That's because everybody there are ten thousand things coming to
people from ten Yeah. I was scared to death if
I had to wait two years for another album, cycle
or whatever for that song to come out, that it
wouldn't make sense. And it made sense to do last year.
From my life. So you know what I love is
to love me or leave me alone. I told time off.

(40:56):
When there's nobody around, I don't need to have a
radio or a phone or I would love to release
this one day, man. I just you know all these
factors go into can that be a radio hit? Is
it too slow? Is it too bare? I don't knows you?
And can fare chot from a little big down. I

(41:20):
think this shows the importance of getting to tour with
I mean, I never would have had the guts to
ask kar and fair Child to sing with me and
my wife. It may still not, but we're out on
tour together and it felt comfortable to do um and
that magical moment happened because of that. I bet you
that's a song though too that even though it wasn't
a single that people know. It's hard to have songs
that people know that aren't single. I gotta do something

(41:41):
really special This past fall with Lauren Elena, she was
out with with Cole and I and she would come
out and sing to you pop out on the second
verse and singing that song with me every night. It's goodness.
I took her out and she opened for me doing
stand up for a bunch of shows, and you've we
and we live in this world where we go and
do our thing on the weekend, so we don't see
everybody else do their thing right, and then we come

(42:02):
back together and you guys will come into my show
or I'll take heart, but you don't see people really
do their thing in their own elements. So many times
because we come we kind of get on this even
plane where we're like this, like I'm not watching you
do your thing on a big stage. You're not watching
me on a stage of comedy or so. But when
you like you watch I see Laura before and I go,
oh my god, like you forget how good she is.
She's unbelievable, like really one of the best singers. Yeah,

(42:24):
it's one of those things where she would come out
and sing, and after after she get all the stage,
I would question how am I a singer? Like how
am I hope you're doing this? And then after that
tour ends, we gotta do let me or leave me
alone without her? It doesn't feel right anymore. Whose things
the other part? And you want you no one if
you think all of it. Yeah, that's by keyboard players

(42:45):
doing some harmonies, but I mean, it's not Laura Atlena.
Come on, it is the gym. It is the jam though.
Thank you. I'm glad you dig that one. I was
watching your vlog. Did you have you have the flu?
Huh oh yeah, and you're had to play sick? Yes,
all right, so tell me your your guidelines on sick
and performing. I've never, um, I've had to cancel one
show because of food poisoning in my career. Um I

(43:10):
actually that was the first time I tried to fight
it off that, you know, organically. I guess I easily
could have gone I got a steroid shot and probably
would have kicked that, no problem. Um. I just wanted
to try to sweat it out and do it the
the natural way. In hindsight, I probably should have just
got a steroid shot. Been fine, That's what I do,

(43:31):
and it's always not good for me long term. You're right,
because it's not the best thing for us is to
do the quick hit. But then you go, okay, well,
I've had two weeks of craftic performance and I feel
I just feel guilty. I don't know if anybody can
can tell, but I feel like I know I can tell,
So maybe I'm not putting on the best show I
could if I was just taking a shot and people

(43:51):
can't really tell, Like I've been to shows and watch
people have been like, that's a great performance. I talked
to him after, like I've been feeling terrible. You can't
unless you're falling down. You're really can't tell. For me
if it's my throat, Like, if I can't talk, I'll
shut it down. Were with Mike Iowa. We did two
nights in Iowa Casino. I was really sick. Yeah, it
was in Iowa. I mean I was. I was so

(44:13):
sick and all I wanted to do is make it
to the show. You just want to get to that
point because when you go on, you do get a
little adrenaline. And it wasn't my throat, but I was
like poving myself. It was coming out every hole. There
was a hole there was and um and I got
through it. Okay, did you have to leave midway through

(44:33):
the show? I kept thinking I was gonna have to,
But did you let the crowd in on that? No?
Not if it's my throat. If I my voice is
a bit gone, I'll acknowledge it. If it needs to
be acknowledged. Only once because it gets annoying because it's
not as big a deal of them as it is you.
But I were I'm not kidding. I had black pants on,
so I really wasn't that nerves by craving myself. If
I just cried myself, I'd be like, hey, I'll be

(44:54):
back right right, But um yeah, but I feel like
for me, I had to removed myself from from stage.
Uh down in Mexico. Could you get sick water? Yeah,
bad fruit or something. And I just told the crowd
it was a pool party that crushed my plan. I said, hey,
the beers are running through me. I need to go
take a leak, and went compute and other things in

(45:16):
the bathroom and came back and finished the set. You know,
it was really complimentary of you, and that pool party
is carried Luke's manager because look, and I did I
don't think we've done I don't think it last tweeters
and she was like, you gotta come down, and she
was showing me a video of you at the pool party.
She was like, Dustin owns this pool party and people
as far as you can and I'm right right, like,
I'm not making this up. There are people in the water. Yes,

(45:38):
ours and their elbow to elbow packed in and you're
up on You're up on the stage crushing it at
the pool party. And she's like, Dustin's made this his
own thing, Like this is like he's so prideful of
how great this pool party is. It is, man, I
kind of want to like I want to see if
we can grow it into you know, other spaces. I
promise you that's not the only pool people want to
get in and do that, you know. So it's like, boy,

(45:59):
they're they looked awfully closed standing well. I think it
was year three. I finally told everybody said all right,
because they get there. I think we'd show up at
two there and they're tim waiting on us to get front.
That's like, you guys, realized you've been in the sun
and drinking all day and no one's getting out of
this pool. So what do you think is happening. It's
like everybody just don't touch the water. Everybody's just being
on each other. Whatever. You get recognized about the cowboy hat, yeah,

(46:21):
I do. Now think it's because I started flogging yeah
um and posting more on social with my ball capp
or no hat or whatever. Are you ever not going
to perform on stage with the cowboy hat? Have you
not performed? I don't know if you've ever done it.
I see you without the hat. I only see you
without the hat. Fact. Yeah, I feel completely naked without
it on stage. Luke used to We've got saying with Luke,

(46:44):
and he used to trade hats with me, and that
still felt weird in the ball cap. He'd switch it
up and did grab your hat and put and that
felt funny to you? Um it did? Yeah? Uh yeah,
I don't know what. I don't know how to be man.
I feel like I feel like I'm gonna change character
whenever I put the hat on. You know, Yeah, I
get that, like I I wear my big dark rum
glasses because to me, it's a bit of a hide

(47:07):
behind something that is a character almost in yourself. I
mean I'm the same way with my hat. Brown Man.
I cut light and you know what was up with
the hat? Why had the hat at the beginning? Like
you thought I'm gonna perform on stage with the hat? Yeah,
I was in and out of it, like the frat
party days. I didn't have I had just like a
buzz cut um and then I wore cowboy hat, but

(47:30):
it was it wasn't the right fit, and then it
was it was a bit of kind of collaboration with
management and my label and then obviously cowboys and angels. Okay,
it makes sense to let's keep the cowboy hat luck
and go with that. Do you have a deal with
cowboy hats now? I do? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I
started wearing the one that that I found that fit
my face. That's the main thing with the hat's just
gotta fit your head in your face and so you

(47:51):
don't look like a weirdo. Um was a two thousand
twelve resist all and they stopped making them. That was
only year they made them had happened. And that mean
I'll just buying them at boot Barn or whatever trap,
whatever Trail West or whatever is downtown. They're gone. I'm like, man,
I need some hats, So like, will we stopped making those? Well,
we can't stop making those for me because this is

(48:12):
my look. So now they have a press, just still
make that one. I don't think they sell them. I
think they're just making for me. You know you you're
making it though, when you're getting your own special hats made,
they tell me about this entertainment of the year. Talk
to me, so what is it? What? What do you
what are you gonna ask me about that? A lot
of thoughts about this UM and and this is something
I want to continue to ask close friends. I guess

(48:33):
why not do it on here? Right? I want the
whole world to know. UM is the constant battle of
what other than hit songs, big hit songs? We know
that that helps. How do you get from my level two?
That next step? It's funny that you say that because
you're in that that middle, the middle, like you're not
a new artist. I say, there are five levels, right, yeah,

(48:56):
what's it? Call them f we'll go backward. Hey, abc DF,
we'll call him like the five grades. And that's not bad.
But we're gonna say that's the brand new artist. Okay,
So everybody knows A and we'll put in the A
category the Luke Brian, your superstars, that Keith Urban, Miranda
Lambert's the church but they carry underwoods. That's a right.

(49:16):
And I would say with you, you're in that bottom
of the b you know, it depends how much people
know your music, maybe in the very tip top of
the sea, but you're right there. In that spot and
you've done a great job. I think freaking small town boy,
he kind of put you into that B level. Like
we talk about moments, moments are the things that move
you up a level. Moments or slash and doing things

(49:39):
other people can't do. For example, Eric Church goes out
in place four hours now, he should be in the
conversation for entertaining there without doubt, without it doubt with
doesn't have a bunch of hit songs. Now, he does
what I'm saying in comparison to someone like Luke, but
he doesn't all. He also doesn't walk the same highway

(49:59):
to the store that Luke does. And for him not
have hits is fine. He doesn't. He's not an artist
that's based on hits. He can go and play for
four hours. We sell at the freaking football stage. We
were talking about that today in co right. You know
how Church has his fan base. It doesn't matter what
he puts out, they're in, they're in. And I think
that's a big thing right now. Part of his brand
is not playing the game at all. If he and

(50:21):
I'm not telling him to and I'm not John Pizza
his manager, and I love him, But if he did
a bit. I think he'd win it, Yeah, I do.
But but part of his brand is he doesn't play
the game, and good for him, Like he does what
he wants to do like a loop. Look smash mash
smash mash mash mash, um and Lucas has a distinct
sound when Luke opens his mouth. Hey you I mean,

(50:42):
I mean he's so distinct. He's on television now as
a judge on UM the Middle of America Hit Show. Right,
but that was hit hit hit hit hit, So to
move you all you need those those moments like Stapleton,
his his album sales. He sells albums like nobody sells
albums and for a long time. Who I think now
is quickly and he's not going to be it now.

(51:05):
But because he streams so high, who to look out
for his Luke Holmes and he doesn't. You don't look
at him ago Entertainer of the Year because he's just
a normal dude. That's his appeal. But I think he's
really Him and Kane Brown are the guys that have
come around because they're in the class after you, maybe
even two classes after you. Um, they're in the classes
after you that I think they're about the only two

(51:26):
stars so far that streaming is really made like that.
They're big, like streaming has been a huge push for them.
Radio has two. But I think streaming is really um so,
I think it's a moment, a moment, distinction or in

(51:47):
a combination of some you can't not have hits, right, yeah,
you can't not sell shows. Um So, I think a
moment something big, a song that's so big that's the
thing is like what now you go, okay, well, what's
a moment you can undefinable at what a moment is?
Is it a song that just comes out like an

(52:07):
old town of road right that just everybody loves and things,
or is it a Stapleton where what put him on
was singing a cover at the c m as which
people know that song from him now Tennessee Whiskey, But
that was a cover with him and justin Timberlage. So
it's not just having a massive amount of success. There
are a lot of people who have a lot of success,

(52:28):
but who's and I would say even like a Keith
Urban who's in who's in his fifties now, I think
there's something to Keith and his kind of his comeback,
no doubt. It's almost like I was talking with Red
Side stage watching watching TR the other night, because you
know TR, TR and I got and we text about this.

(52:49):
When the tour announced, It's like, man, I can't believe
this is real life. Uh, we just met seven years
ago and we're having lunch with your dad and I
was asking Ran, I'm like, how in the heck because
I think TR sold out? You know, the two are
sold out all weekend, and it's like, how in the
heck are there twenty two thousand people here tonight singing
and dancing to these songs? Like what is the difference?

(53:13):
And he talked about, Man, it feels like to me
because RT's been around longer than we have right in
this business. And he says, you look at your superstars
and let's consider that t R is one because he's
selling out the same antheaters Luca is right now, and
you go, there's always something more than the music with
these guys and girls. Um, like the storyline of him

(53:36):
and Lauren or it was kind of tough to the
point of what Luke's is. I mean, he's got a
bunch I guess um. He had a breakout performance with
with country girls shaking from me at the c mt S.
I remember that. I think Luke, though a bit is
before like he's had so much, but again, he's so distinct.
I think his distinction helps him a lot. Yeah, yeah,
he doesn't sound like anybody else. But I agree with

(53:58):
what what he what you guys are saying, there's a
guy that there's something to it, like why he and
Rent was saying. I thought this was so so neat
to hear Dad saying this. He said, Man, I think
these people have bought into the reality TV show of
of tr and Lawrence Why Life and family just as
much of his as his music. That's why they spent
the money to be here tonight. Um, and it's just
me And I told Htta said, man, I'm I'm gonna

(54:21):
go to the grave with this. I'm never gonna be
it's never gonna be good enough. I'm always gonna want
more and drive to have more success and how can
I do that better? And how can we reach this
next level? Like always, I'm always fearful of what if
I do get Entertainer of the Year, then what you
know that's a great and then what though you know
it is a great. And then what I think though,

(54:42):
So that's like that's my new I mean, I think
about it NonStop, dude. It's it's a it's about something
that's more than just putting out a hit song, right
for a single guy, you know? And I mean, am
I boring? I don't know. I just I'm just living life,
having fun, making is it? But it's like, is there

(55:02):
enough enough of a story? You know? You just wonder, sure,
but the story could be I mean, you're still dating
the girl that you're dating or now, okay, so let's
just say hypothetically that she was someone that was on
The Bachelor. I don't know if she is was she okay? Okay, alright,
because I don't like if I don't know that, but
or she was another artist? Like I think who you're

(55:25):
dating is part of a story as a single guy.
I think with t R two Lauren, their kids are
a big part of their story, like he covers them
and makes and also to TR's credit, it's hit after
hit and he takes chances big chances of music. Some
of the songs is like do wop, they don't do
this this song? This is like a nineties country song,

(55:45):
and I'll do a song and he gets crushed for
being different, which is great, which I love. I'm a
fan of people who take chances even if it doesn't
go right. I love chances. But you're yeah, no, I
think you guys are right on. It's entertainment yours, not
just hits. If it was number one song, but have
a whole it'd be a whole different deal. Like Blake's
never nominated for it, and Blake put at one point

(56:06):
to get twenty number ones in a row. But you know,
since Blake moved to l A, it's just songs and
he doesn't play the game. And you gotta play the
game a little bit too, which Gus doesn't get it.
Entertainer of the Year and superstar a level touring act
or a different thing. I think that. I think the
Van Diagram they crossed the major cross, but they don't

(56:27):
have to all the way. And also I don't think
it's likely something I would say it out loud and
be like, hey, my goal is to be entertained of
the year, like I say all the time, like my
goal is to have a late night talk show. My
goal is to go down as one of the greatest
radio personalities of all time. All people to consider me
is that I think I'm the second best interviewer on
the radio period in the whole world. Right now. You know,

(56:48):
there's all this Howard Stern, I think still the best
until he retires. I'll never say other way. Um, but
I'm a big believer in I tell people what I'm
trying to get to because then they'll at least know
when they can help me. And you may rub an
eighth of them the wrong way that yeah, you may,
you may, but but the seventh aides that you didn't
actually know what you what you want in your desire,

(57:08):
and they can help you. And it's hard to help
someone if you don't know what they want. So if
your goal was too, hey, i'd like to be entertained
or male vocalists for the year, like Michael. When it
comes that voting time and people are rolling through because
I vote on this crap, I'm on the board and
some of this crap and I go, you know what's
kind of all the same, But I go, you know
what Dustin said, this would be something he'd really this
is one of his goals. I'll click it, especially when

(57:30):
it's a toss up and you know, someone actually desires that,
so not that that's you know, I mean, God, you
don't need my advice, but no, I just I do
I think, Um, I don't have the answer, you know. Um,
it's just nice to have other opinions. I thought, rhet
are you saying moments? Um, it's very vary insipable. Was
just like, because you go through life and if this
is a goal, you gotta figure out the path, right. UM.

(57:51):
I don't know if it's something you can manufacturer, and
maybe it is. Sometimes you can manufacture it, but most
times it comes organically and unexpected that super a tier,
like everybody's good. You can look around be artists, the artists,
and I use those those letters as only um indicators

(58:12):
that where people are right now because because bees moved A,
c's moved A, a's moved ds, So everybody's good. You
in this town, everybody's good. It's like in the NFL
where they say there's such a small distinction between superstar
and real good players. That's what it's like here, Oh,
without a doubt, And sometimes the good, the good performer

(58:33):
has more success in there freaking amazing one because of
a couple of decisions, someone's either made for them or
they've made themselves tiny decisions. So yeah, it's a there
is not a right answer I think is the right answer,
but it's something that's outside of just music, or you'd
see people with just all the number ones hitting it
every time. What do we have up here? Mons? No, No,

(58:53):
I'm talking about now like recently, No, like in the
past five six years or so, like whenever they announce,
even the Blake wanted. We're looking at the list here.
These are CMA urban Guarth like. You can look at Garth,
who's had really maybe I think one hit in the
past five or six years, but he doesn't need them.
But he goes out and he tours and he sells

(59:14):
that freaking arenas four and five, six nights in a row.
That's what's different about him is that he goes out
and tours. I would say Church is doing his best
best Garth impression right differently in a different way. But
no one does what Garth does. And that's why Garth
wins it. Man, I've got to open for Garth twice,
unbelievable crazy, you know, he and Georgia. The reason I've

(59:36):
picked a guitar up and and a cowboy hat when
I was five, so Urbane Garth see sixteen Luke Luke
George straight is that when he hit the fifty number
ones in a row. Have you ever hond with Chesney? Yeah?
I have. He's aid you ever hung with Chesney? No,
that's one guy I don't know anything about. You would

(59:58):
like hanging out with him because he's a dude. He's
a dude. We were, That's like one guy. I want
to get the note. He's really bad. He's the dude
that well once there are no microphones and again, I
kind of treasure my time away from the microphone. So
I'm not gonna share anything that we would stay here
but there are no walls. He's just like yeah, because

(01:00:19):
he just says what you think your dude friends would stay.
But I like hanging out Kenny a little bit. We've
done some West Coast stuff together. And you know, if
you're either waiting around or on a plane together, or
you actually get good human time where you're forced to
be together. Um, yeah, I like Kenny's I like him. Uh.
Taylor Swift Paisley, Now that's all this Paisley Taylor stuff

(01:00:40):
with pre me. Yeah, when did you get when you
signed a deal two thousand eight or nine, so that's
around the Chesney Taylor. Taylor won it twice man, and
she was young and one it. Yeah, that was she
was different in the world, in the country. Of course
he is still now Dixie Chicks or look, we get
the whole list up, ye, but yeah, I think at

(01:01:01):
the end is it's it's kind of under there's no
tag you can put on what winds entertain of the year,
and every year when they announced the nominate some people
left out. Yeah, every every category. Man. I caught a
lot of heat from I don't know if it's heat publicity,
I don't know. It was whenever vlogged my reaction to
small Town Boy not getting a nominated it that's the

(01:01:23):
first time that I had seen I told just before this,
first time I've seen you be human publicly or you
showed like real emotions because you were disappointed. Yeah, man,
but there's you know what I realized. I still get
asked about that and interviews, and I realized from from
that moment um and even very quickly I accepted it
because I think of this song by my friend and

(01:01:45):
that song by my friend that didn't get nominated either,
You're like, well, it happens every year in every category.
That's what it is. The beauty of that clip. And
I still remember it too. First of all, that's how
successful that clip was, good or bad. If you've got
any pushback, that means there was a lot of push forward. Um,
and you showed something thing that was so human and
relatable that people still remember it. I remember it. You
know clips I watch today? God du it. Just that's

(01:02:06):
all I do is watch clips. Um. I thought it
was fantastic. And as long as you're not in trouble,
if people are noticing you, you win. That's it. You win. Um, Mike,
we we've been a for hour. Huh, look at us.
You've done an hour our interview before I'm gonna of course,
I can man, I'm long winded. I can go. I
can go forever. That's an hour. That was quick. You

(01:02:26):
do you got a cycloud huh? Your sonic guy? Well,
I would like I pretend that I do. I just
heard it. I just heard a dairy queen ad this morning.
I was stretching and I love Reese's peanut butter blizzards
and blasts, and they've got multiple flavors of Reese. So
that's gonna be my next swan dive into the dark
side of desserts? Are you deprivation like with food to

(01:02:47):
stay in shape? Uh? And I've just gotten better at
I think I realized I feel better and I'm a
better person when I eat healthy. Yeah me too, Um
I can, I can. I'm going to hypernation mode pretty
quick if you junk. Yeah, I mean too. And I
love it for a second or now you've got to
be on every day. I don't have to be on it.
I just fit my clothes doing because this last year

(01:03:10):
I've done a lot of television last year and a half,
and I don't know if I don't put my clothes
really that quick. Give me three bad meals, I feel
like my gut what's good? When I fo help is.
One of my best friends in Nashville is same deal.
He's really watching what he eats and stuff. And when
you have friends that and I guess, in a roundabout way,

(01:03:34):
keep you in check because he'll pump me on my
body fat percentage and stuff. And we're always trying to
out do each other. It's like, man, you when you
when you're held accountable with friends, it's like You're very
much a product of your environment at all times, without
a doubt. Man, you realize the decision people around you.
You make better to realized that. Man. The past few years, UM,
it's become very important to me of watching who I

(01:03:54):
hang out with. And it's not even like there's bad people.
It's just people that have similar interests of you know,
long term term health and wealth and that kind of stuff.
My show, my radio show. None of them have ever
done radio. And I didn't go out and set out
to make the best radio show. I set out to
make a show with people that would make me the
best at what I guess around myself with positive attitudes.

(01:04:17):
For the most part, everybody's human, positive attitudes, great work ethic,
and people that helped me get to a better spot.
Not the best radio people. We even criticized harshly for
not being a very good radio show. But by the way,
don't trip on our nineteen A c M or c
M A S or like it. But it's the same thing,
like as all the all the everybody hates that's what
you want me. You're resonating. But you know, like Amy,

(01:04:41):
it was selling granted, and I was like, hey, come
in and but yeah, you surround yourself with great people,
you get better out of yourself. At least I found that,
even like my management team, I've put wonderful people around me.
And I yeah, well look, look I'm happy for you. Man,
I like you, but I'm not even gonna you go.
We're in They're like, what's up with your girlfriend? Is

(01:05:01):
that the number one thing? Now? Yeah? The question I
even got this morning was hey, when did you start dating?
And I'm like, man, I don't know how to answer that.
I don't know the official like, man, at this age
of life, you don't you don't go, oh my goodness,
do you want to be with my girlfriend? All right, June?
The second you know, it's like, there's not that, man,
It's just it's kind of happened naturally and organically, and

(01:05:23):
that's good. Has she been on your Instagram? I haven't
seen her? Yeah, and I watch your stuff. She came up,
she's been what she came to the cmas and they
see him? Oh she did, so it's out there. Yeah
who she is? Yeah? Oh yeah, I guess pictures I
would assume. So see I'm I'm I'm I'm so insulated
with let me my fan pages. I don't know. You

(01:05:45):
don't I don't like google myself. What's her name? Look
at it? Can you tell me? Or do you don't
want to say? I'd rather I'd rather not say. You
know what I say, here's what hal is. I've learned,
like whatever. But if she's out there, you're just typing in.
I won't even say type on my Instagram say no,
I'm just saying she gets. She gets like the bad
end of the sticky troll man and call her terrible names.
And that's why. Let me tell you one great story.

(01:06:07):
Let what if I hit it? It's like follow back? Yeah,
not bad, my friend. I didn't know that. I didn't
know that, so I guess I'm missing out because I
didn't know that was her. I know you had a girlfriend.
I didn't know that. So she's single. I'm like, hey,
be a twist, right, I'm dating someone's wife. You gotta

(01:06:31):
be careful because people will jump on and be mean. Yeah.
I noticed that inadvertently her sister posted something and my
fannin Counts caught it and it was like man, and
then you wonder, like, who are these people that I
think are running my fan pages? No, it's like, well,
they love you so much. If they can't have you,
no one will. Yeah. Man, I've noticed that. I was.

(01:06:53):
I went out with this girl. I'll end on this
selfish story. I was on a flight and this flight attendant.
I had my glasses on it. I can't see it's
not my glasses. And I'm like, I think she's super cute,
and I think she's like flirting with me, which it
usually doesn't go together. How far away she on this plane? Uh?

(01:07:13):
Like three or four rows up. I was flying back
and forth to Idol, and so they put me a
first class. I'm up in the front of the plane
and she's working first class, so so not that far
and and and I can't and I don't have courage
to just go out and be like, hey, what's I mean.
I'm sitting on an airplane. How do you hit on
a girl on an airplane? Here's I want to I
want to say this. How do you hit on a girl? Period?
No idea? Right? No, I don't on Instagram. I I'm

(01:07:35):
good with right here. Yep. I've never had practice. I've
been stuck on stage my whole life. I've been stuck
on nothing exactly. It's in my bedroom alone looking at
hercle going so I'm like hey, um, and then the
old guy next to me a first class elbows meet
and goes, hey, man, I think she's flirting with you.
And I was like, oh, cool, you're not. I'm not
only want to think of this. So she gets on

(01:07:55):
the thing and she does this thing where she sticks
her two fingers, puts in her eyes and then does
it to my eyes and back to her eyes like
I'm looking at you kind of thing. And so wait
before she gets on the microphone. Before she gets on
the microphone, and then she gets on the mind goes, hey,
tell us how we're doing. They do the shill where
they're like, tell us how we're doing, and she goes,
you can get online and submit your survey at Delta
dot com and she goes or and she looked at me.

(01:08:16):
Sure she can write it on a napkin. And I'm like,
am I in a movie? And it's like she was
she even talking to me? Because it never happened to
me on my love It never is this happening in
my life. That's exactly what you and I need, though, yeah,
I'm still not even sure. And so I go, okay,
and they have these napkins and I write my name
and I'm like, hey, Bobby, and I don't know prof
a phone number because she's take a picture of it

(01:08:37):
and put my phone number up on Instagram. I don't
want that, so I write Bobby and then I put
my Instagram name and I'm like, hey, send me a message,
and I hand it to her. So safe, right, And
I tell the story on the morning show Awake. I'm
been doing the Shore from California and I'm like, hey,
this happened to me. This girl. I think she was
flirting with me and the day and and she hadn't
reached out anything. And then she was like, you're an idiot.

(01:08:59):
She was like the no, she wasn't flirting with Nobody
flirts with you. The show isn't letting me have it.
So our listeners track her down. They find what they find.
I said, Yeah, they knew what flight I was on.
They knew it was Delta. They go to the Facebook page.
They track her down and they and no, I shouldn't
say my listeners, A few of them, of the ones

(01:09:19):
that shouldn't have been they were, they were wrong. And
they track her down and they go to her Instagram
and left the messages, and that's so she hits me
up and it's like, hey, what's whoa, whoa, what's happening here?
I know? I know, so I don't lie to anything anymore.
So that's what broke the eyes of and I had
always been like I've been open and I still and

(01:09:40):
that there was no like no, we went out a
couple of times. I played the operating to stand up.
She came out and and it was she lives in Utah.
But I was like, oh, I gotta be careful because
she had nothing to do with anything except me. She
was she was feeling the pain from my idiot actions.
And I wasn't even anything good or bad. I was
just telling my story. Worry right, yeah, And so I

(01:10:01):
can only imagine like when that's why it's tough. Man.
It's like I feel bad. Half of me feels bad,
like you're not claiming claiming her and blot and then
you go, man, it's not worth it. It's not good.
Yeah man, we're good protecting her, yeah, golden in real life,
But does she want to be out there with you? No?
I know, I don't. I don't think. So there's never

(01:10:22):
been even even like girls in the past i've you know,
hung out with I could I could see that was
that was a bit of the case. But this is
it's a it's cool not having to worry about that.
I don't think. Man, it's like it's like the first person.
I don't think I've had to work or even worry
about anything. You know. Does she live here? No, that's
good and bad. I guess it could be both. It's tough. Yeah,

(01:10:45):
I don't know. It's great to miss somebody, man, you know,
or have somebody listen. I don't know either way. There
was one one story. I feel like I talked about
these stories forever. There's one girl in town and she
had a boyfriend. I kind of I didn't she didn't
even know I was flirting with her, right, but I
was that She put post something on it's a story

(01:11:05):
sup posted like her music, and I hit I was like, hey,
I love that band too, because I did flirting with her.
And she goes, hey, I'll send you their record. It's
not out yet, you know a link to it. So
she texted me and I was like, dang. And I
looked at the last text side center and I said, oh, man, haven't.
We haven't texted since the last time I tried to
flirt with you. She goes, that was flirting and then
she and then she got a boyfriend I after that,
and she was like, yeah, we broke up and I

(01:11:26):
was like, oh cool, Well, um, I'll ask you out sometimes,
so I'm gonna right now, but I ask you out. Well. Then,
what I hear from somebody that I know is like, hey,
this certain girl was in the bathroom. She come to
me and said that you were hitting on her. And
I was like, I don't what I want I supposed
to do. It's tough. Nalls to Nashville. I've that's why

(01:11:47):
you're not da anybody Nahville. Like we've we've we've We've
said it all. I stay, I stay reclus to Nashville.
We've said it all. I'm good to see my friend.
Thank you. So here is hey, Mike, pull me a
little bit of Dustin's song right now because that's the
riding roads and down. You know people, you're gonna hear
this for years, but right now this is single. This

(01:12:11):
is you like this one? Huh yeah? I like this one.
This is inspired by on Instagram story. Yeah, who picked
this one? Uh to be a single? Yeah, I did. Okay,
there we have it yea, and the labels on board
with it, alright, riding road. Check it out stream it downloaded.
Dustin Lynch and your Instagram name is that Dustin Lynch, right,
Dustin Lynch music. Somebody, the real Dustint Lynch is taken

(01:12:32):
by somebody because I can't get Bobby Bones. Yeah. Yeah,
we had to do Dustin Lisch music, which is cool.
Trying to buy it though, Yeah, it's some guy. Um,
I think he's a painter or something. I try. I
looked him, I tried about my my dudes, like he
just didn't even use his account and he still wouldn't sell.
I don't think this guy does either. Yeah, all right,
thank you very much, thank you. Good to see my
friend will Ston next time here on the show.

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#184 - Dustin Lynch on releasing a single that he didn’t like, playing weddings and Dating

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}#184 - Dustin Lynch on releasing a single that he didn’t like, playing weddings and Dating