#269 - Morgan Wallen Comes To The Studio To Talk About His Life, Career, Recent Success and Obstacles + We Talk with Harper Grae + New Music Friday

Morgan Wallen comes to the BobbyCast studio and addresses everything. He talks about his life growing up, going on the Voice, getting his first record deal and how much his career has blown up in the last couple years. Morgan also talks about his recent obstacles that you’ve probably seen in the news and he treats us with a special performance on piano. Plus we talk to Harper Grae and New Music Top 5!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to episode two hundred and sixty nine. We'll talk
to Morgan Wallen in studio in a bit which came
together extremely last minute, right, Yes, because I reached out
to him and I said, hey, come by the house,
because I think we're lucky to finally get to do
a little more in person stuff a little bit. And

(00:23):
also COVID testing is a little more prevalent, so it's
a little easier to get Yeah, so it's a little
easier to go, hey, get a COVID test. Then't come
over because if that happens two months ago, it was
impossible to get a COVID test. So we make a
couple of those calls, and he's performing luckily on a
couple of TV things, so he's already COVID tested. So
it just worked out. And he hasn't talked to anybody

(00:44):
in a long time ever since the controversy. And I
tell you you'll be able to hear it coming up
in a minute. But obviously I was gonna ask him
about it. And I like Morgan a lot, just as
a dude. Yeah, because it spent a little time with them,
just a little bit, but enough to go, man, is
I like the guy and so, but I definitely wanted
to to get his whole story because his controversy won't

(01:05):
be the long story about him. This is just a
blip on the radar of an extremely talented guy. He's
gonna have good blips, unfortunate blips, bad blips. So I
definitely didn't want to make it about that because I
want these podcasts, whenever we talk to them about their life,
to be you can listen to it in a year
and still enjoy it. And if he comes in and
I'm like, hey, what happened in Alabama, that the whole
podcast goes that way. So I felt I made the

(01:28):
editorial decision to just do it like we would normally
do it, and we're not in here trying to find
controversy anyway. But I was going to ask him about it,
and I didn't even have to get to it. He
brought it up, so and I was and I'll tell
you because you and I were talking about this last
night after it was over, because again I'm not trying
to got you anybody ever, And I was actually reaching

(01:49):
out to him before that happened. He should come by
because he's freaking blowing up like crazy, like I've never
seen before except for Luke Holmbs and so that stuff
happened kind of derailed us getting together here or uh,
they can took a little time. He's like, hey, I'm
coming in great, drove over to the house. He called
me before. It's okay, you want the gas station. I
stopped on the gas station and I was like, I'm good.

(02:09):
So he came in and the only thing I was
going to ask him was do you plan to get
to go back to Saturday Night Live? Because that was
him losing that spot was because of all of that
somewhat controversial weekend in Alabama, which which in my opinion
I have been saying the whole time, wasn't that controversial
as far as he was hanging out with a bunch

(02:30):
of girls kissing a few girls. The COVID part made sense.
If you have straight COVID rules and this and he's
gonna come play your show, that makes sense to go, hey,
we're watching you make out with checks on Instagram or
a TikTok, We're gonna have to punt. So what I
was going to say, and you'll hear the interview and
I'll just get to the music, was are they gonna

(02:51):
put you back on s n L because it's a
really cool get for a country artist. And he actually
brought up the situation first and we went into it
from there. Also, we're hanging out and you know, we
do this show for the most part at my house.
We have a studio built here and it's this studio
is built on a second house in the property, but

(03:11):
my house houses. You walk out the door and it's
probably forty steps to my where I live. We have
piano the living room and you'll hear Morgan walks over
and I was just shocked you with such a piano play.
And I was like, you canna walk over there and
playing piano. So there's even a clip of that of us.
You will cut to it of us over at the
house and I'm playing piano. Goes yeah, and I thought

(03:34):
he was warming up. He sat down. I was like,
give him second. I was like, oh, we better start
recording this. But I really enjoyed it. And I'm sure
Morgan's team will listen to this because this is the
first one he's done a long time person aview. We
just appreciate you guys trusting me with them to not
you know, be a douche because a lot of people
are douches and then have been chasing that click bath.
I never want to chase clickbait because clickbait comes and goes.

(03:55):
But relationships that you have, not even just with artists,
but with folks, you know that is consistently you know
what's going to be that that page of the dividends,
not just in radio but in life. So I get
off my little a lot soap box. I was pumped
to get Morgan in here and away we go. First up.

(04:15):
Not a lot of music. So when I had to
pick the five songs that was most excited about or
five projects, it wasn't like there was a bucket full
of amazing stuff. There's some stuff here that I'm excited
to check out. People took the week off this week. Yeah,
so when I do this, know that when you're like,
that's on his list. It was a lot to choose from,

(04:38):
but there's some stuff here. At number five. I do
enjoy the two guys from S four. They have a
song called close Enough Here you go we kissing to
get out. One of those guys looks like me, a
little bit, like a slightly younger version of me. There

(04:59):
from Australia. I think so yeah. I've met him a
couple of times. Nice guys turn it up all days, don't.
We don't know what this same at number four. Lucas
Graham has a new song out now. You would know
him from his song seven years one sounds seven years old.

(05:23):
My mama told me, make yourself some things or you'll
be lone giggy one song. Here's a new one called
where I'm From with Whiz Khalifa. The way for the
people coming up at to me to take the same length,
be in the same way since the game, in the game,
and it ain't changed. Man. Not forgetting I'm coming from,

(05:44):
but I won't forget where I'm going. He performed one
of the live performance nights of Dancing with the Stars.
I think he was the most difficult of all that
were there. That was word. I didn't experience it firsthand
because he wasn't my guy. I brought christianson. Somebody had
Lucas Graham and then we're like, he's got difficult to
work with. I think sometimes the translation from English to

(06:09):
American culture at times, with certain phrases and words and meanings,
I think sometimes that can be misconstrued. So I'm just
tall anywhere. I heard. Number three, Dan and Shay have
an original Christmas song out called take Me Home for Christmas,
Should Save Christmas, Show me Down, take me to watch

(06:31):
the Snow come down. You know, it reminds me the
Raging Idiots have a Christmas song out that we put
out last year. It's called Elf on the Shelf. The
Elf on the Shelf can go and elf himself. I
forgot about that, Okay, kind to bust it back out.

(06:52):
I think it is time to bust it back out.
At number two, Hansen has a new album out called Perennial.
Here's a new song called nothing Like a Love Song.

(07:21):
I like Hanson, I like their music. I like the
only thing that gets them is they were kids they
had long hair into do. But otherwise they're a great band.
And then number one, I'm gonna put Billy Ray Cyrus
in here. He put out the Singing Hill sessions. Uh,
this is Mama said Knock You Out, which is of
course an l col J cover. Here, you gomm don't

(08:05):
you call this a regular jam? Only put that at
one because I like Billy Ray and I think that's
that's very that's interesting. If anything, he's going after something.
And you may not even know the Yellow Cold JA
song if you're you know, but Ellow Cold J for
a while was the biggest rapper, probably before you a

(08:26):
little bit too. I remember that song though, Mama said,
knock you out video with him in a box singering yes.
So Daniel Bradberry released in my additional my honorable mention,
she released a version of her favorite Christmas song, Holy Night.
Oh Here. The Angel System of a Down put out

(08:50):
their first new music in fifteen years. They have two
new songs. Here's one called protect the Land. Fifteen years
that can't be right, that's right, Yeah, fifteen years since
they put out an album, an album. But who when
they did Steal this album? That was two thousand five.

(09:11):
Ye wow, that's crazy. They hated each other for a
while and he did a solo thing so in a minute,
steal this album with two five So if you're not
familiar their their literal album is called Steal this album
and are still this record and still this album? Right
step this album and it looked like you just wrote
it on the cover of it and it would be
the best buyer or be wherever people we're stealing it

(09:34):
as a joke for the most part, and also that's
a funny name. Uh Swei put out a song called
Crabby Step for the new SpongeBob movie. It's samples music
from the show. Here you go, feeling a little bit crabby?
How can I be happy when people are spending me money?
The Barnacles blew in the morning, I'm skipping us side
and yeah, snyny and I don't feel like a rapper

(09:58):
losers credibility for rapping about sponge Bob's for some reason,
because SpongeBob culturally is cool meme wise, which kind of
makes it cool in any culture because if you're a
cool meme, you're cool to gen Z and even you
know Little gen X two. Obviously, Yeah, that songs my
ring tone. This one is the actual like SpongeBob song

(10:20):
that it is. Finally, the Offspring, who you may know
from a couple of songs. You gotta keep them separated,
or all the girls say, I'm pretty fly for a
white guy. They have a song called Christmas Baby, Please
Come Home, which is a cover Here you Go, Christmas Christmas.

(10:55):
I like The Offspring a lot. When I was a kid,
they played the Studio UM when we were living in Austin,
and it was bad. I think it's just he had
such a distinct, high pitched voice. When you get older,
it starts to not be there. You lose some of
of that range. Dexter Holland and he was trying to
get it. I couldn't quite get it. Could do it
just enough where you knew that's who it was, but
just wasn't right there. Maybe he was sick, though, you know,

(11:17):
I don't think so. I just think when you're older,
that's how he sings. Yeah. I've seen Elton John perform
and he's lost some of his high and so he
has to just sing in a different key. But all right,
there you go by the way. New music, no clips,
no Young and Crazy Horse have a new live album.
Wilco has Summer Teeth Deluxe Edition f C. D Eddie
Freaking Loves Wilco. I've never been a Wilco guy. You

(11:39):
you wouldn't be. I'm a friends listening to him. I
never got into him. Yeah, I there's a possibility that
I would be based on There's but not. It's just
not for me. Like musical vegetables, meaning that you have
to like I get something you probably should listen to
because it's a great music. You don't want to alter Bridge, which,
by the way, walked this guy seven songs alter Bridge.

(12:01):
If I'm going from a memory, is the Creed band
without Scott Stabb. Mike is looking it up. I saw
it here on the list and I would mention it.
See if alter Bridge, it's got to be the Creedy
guest abou Scott Stab or it's one of those bands,
or it's like nickel Back without the nickel Yeah, you're right.
What's to say? After their former band Creed became an

(12:21):
active in twenty three, they formed this band Yep without
Scott's Stab without him. David Bowie, the metro bolist, the
metro bolist. I don't even know what that word is, honestly,
the metro ball ist, the metro balist, the metro balist
that we're going with originally the man who sold the
World fifth anniversary edition, Elis Costello, Perry Farrell, The Glitz,

(12:44):
the Glamour. It's a box set of the work outside
of Jaane's addiction to Porno for pyros Kylie Minogue has
disco and white Snake love songs, c d Or two LPs. Okay,
that's the music coming out. About to get to Morgan Wallen,
we'll run through the headlines streams of All I Want
for Christmas As You surged on November one, Mariah Carey
is All I Want for Christmas for as You immediately

(13:05):
started playing and she made a ton more money. Luke
Combs tops even more charts. You know, there's never been
a country artist top the Billboard Hot one, and he
was in the running. He ended up finishing second. Ariana
Grande beat him. I think it would have been anybody
else he had got it. I think he was unfortunate
to go up against new Ariana Music, Ariana or Taylor

(13:28):
or Drake. That's about the only three people I could
see beating him because it's an all consumption chart. But
he finished at number two. But he has just been
crushing everything else hot country songs, country streaming songs, country
digital songs, digital song sales forever after all, which by
the way, isn't even a single, which is crazy. I
guess it is. Now they're playing it as well. You're

(13:49):
gonna hear with Morgan Wallon. They're running two Morgan Wallon
singles right now. They're doing more than my hometown and
seven summers. But the same thing now they're doing with
Luke Hombs Charlie or showing it's proud of Mississippi for
voting to change the flag. It's something we've talked about
with Charlie on the show before. Lanco Intinil Town's book
live shows in Nashville. So Lanco is gonna headline show

(14:11):
November eighteenth, Sinil towns this book to full band benefit
concert December one. Coronavirus Marathon Music Works has reopened and
they got some upcoming shows. They can't fill it up,
and you're gonna wear masks, but good for music, and
if nobody gets sick, they'll allow it to keep happening,
you know. So I would encourage folks go be smart

(14:33):
about being there, wear your mask, have a good time,
go home. That's what's good. If we can intelligently have fun,
we can keep having fun. And eventually, once there's a
vaccine and once testing is even more readily available and rapidly,
we're gonna get back to normal. It's gonna take a while,
but as long as we're not idiots, we can start
to have a little more fun. You just have to

(14:53):
do it do it in a way that isn't setting
us back two steps. You agree with that or no,
So no mosh pits do virtual mysh. Did I have
no reason to go back to a show? Yeah you
don't because I'm like, Okay, that crap, you guys, it's
done for a while. But if you just want to
go watch a show, you can do that. The Strokes

(15:14):
Julian Casablancas, I'm playing old songs, he said, I couldn't
care less about playing last night, which, by the way,
last night she said, no, that's their big hit, and
he's like, I don't want to play it. Nobody, Honestly,
none of these big artists that have songs that have
been hits forever really want to play this song over
and over again. They do because they know the fans

(15:36):
want it, and they do want to keep having fans.
But he strikes me as kind of guys like, I
don't care. I'm just going to play music in You
may know this song right here. It was a jam
and I Follo commercial two back in the day. Yeah,
here you go, here's the Strokes. But he plays with
a new band and people want him to do this
song with the new band you know, here we go,

(16:08):
and finally Taylor Swift is free. She can officially rerecord
her first five albums. Fans are celebrating. What I'm curious
about is how it's gonna sound almost impossible to recreate
a sound. Now. Why she's doing it is because people
own the rights to her other music, and so she's
just gonna record it hopefully make it sound the same.

(16:30):
All right, that's it, Thank you guys. Enjoying Morgan Wallon
right here with Morgan Wallon. Hey, let me tell you
before we start. I broke a tooth, like and I
had my complete mouth is numb. I just came from
the dentist, so I'm not drunk. Does that feel kind
of nice or no? It sucks because here I am
trying to talk. That's a good point, and my lip

(16:52):
feels like it's about four pounds. So how did chap
your tooth? I was biting the tag off a T shirt.
I don't know what, Like, I literally was like all right,
and I couldn't get the tag offs, but I bite
fishing line constantly. Yeah, and I'm setting tags and my
tooth just goes crack and then half of it was gone.
So I was like, so I didn't really hurt or anything.
I've never done that yet. Really it hurt once it

(17:14):
was off. I went to dinner last night with a
couple of friends and while we were there, I started
to drink water and it was just like the cold.
But anyway, sensitive. If I look funny and my face
looks funny and that sound funny, I'm like Kanye through
the wire they had to wrap the first car accident.
But I wouldn't. I wouldn't have said anything. Man, good
to see you, Man, good to see you. How are
you all right? Other than that good, I think I

(17:34):
feel like my life a little bit is getting somewhat
back to normal. Yeah, we're in the studio. I know
you've got Cemmaze coming up and you're performing. I am
yeah with your band, which has kind of been a
rare thing for the last year and very rare. Um
it's it's been every time we've got a chance to
do it, I really really look forward to it and

(17:54):
really appreciate it, just because I don't know when we're
gonna get to do it again. You know, I've got
to do a couple of things like acoustically private or
you know whatever that kind of stuff, but it's not
quite the same and well, which the awards shows are
a little different too, just because there's not really many fans.
But you can kind of see that camera lens and imagine,
you know a little bit, and it gives you some energy.
But um, it's still really nice to just be with

(18:15):
my guys and get to play, you know, songs we love.
For me, I've been in Nashville now eight years or so.
How long have you been in town? I lived here
five and a half years now. Luke Holmbs and yourself
are the the fastest superstars I've seen in eight years.
It's and you guys did it differently, but for it
was for me it was Sam for a long time
because I saw Sam hit and then Sam was a

(18:37):
bit reluctant, didn't really He's just it really wasn't his thing.
It still wasn't fully right. But then here comes Luke
Holmbs and I think can't nobody And then here because
Morgan freaking Walling. I still think it's weird that people
call me superstar Man or whatever. It's it's a I
don't know. I'm still adjusting to to even hearing that

(18:58):
or or even consider myself that you know. So it's uh,
but it's nice to hear. It's nice to know that
my team and me all get are getting are getting credit,
you know. But it's uh, it's it's there's good and
there's bad that comes with it. You know. I want
to play a clip of up Down Mike, if you
don't mind playing that for me. So this is basically
when I was introduced raid to radio you, right, because
you had how I talked? Wait wait, I talked, and

(19:22):
so I've heard that kind of that kind of failed.
So I don't know if it failed. I think it
was your very first and you had I can't even talk.
You have to go first. I'm sorry, man, it's a professional.
You're You're fine, I promise. Uh. It was your it
was your first shot, and you were on a You're
on a small label, right, I mean I was the
second person they signed. So I don't know there was

(19:42):
a failure because of that. If you're on a Warner
or you're on Universal and that happens, it's a failure.
If you're on a team introducing you, I remember it.
I mean that's just what we had. Other choices. Whiskey
Glasses was there too. You know, like I thought Whiskey
Glasses was a better song, but it's not what I
wanted to introduce myself as a way. Talk was like
a almost like an autobiographer song, you know, for me,

(20:04):
So I wanted that to be the case and I was,
and I don't I shouldn't say failure because I'm it
led to to here. So you so you put you
put it out, up, down comes out. Now that's the
first time I really spent any time with hearing your music,
and for me, I go and a lot of people
probably did this because now I think you're seen as
one of the one of the artists with the most depth.

(20:25):
And it's a hard transition to go from a party
song like up down your introduction it's you and Florida
Georgia line and it's like, okay, what's this guy about what?
He just likes the party. That's probably as deep as
it goes. But now you know, with seven summers more
than my hometown, you're known as one of the guys
that can write real chasing. You write these real deep
songs that again, I haven't seen someone turn that corner

(20:47):
as fast either. Yeah, I know it's it. I thought
the same thing, and I wanted to make sure that
I wasn't known it's just that guy, because yes, I
do like to have a good time. I do like
to party a little bit, but that's not completely who
are you know, Like, I'm actually more drawn to the
songs that that dig a little deeper even when I'm
listening to music, you know, I listened to a lot
of like deep songs that some some of them might
have to figure out what I even think the meaning

(21:08):
of the song is. You know. It's like like the
World Drugs, for example, is like one of my very
favorite bands, and half the time him, I don't don't
I'm not even sure what he's saying. So I have
to like really think about it, you know, And I
really appreciate that, which you know, in country music you
need to be a little more literal or or you'll
probably funny gonna get as far but that's funny. Uh
So he moved to town five fives ago, you say, yeah, July,

(21:29):
And where did you live exactly before Nashville? Uh? In Knoxville.
I still, Uh, I live with my parents still. I'm
twenty seven now. But I was trying. I was in
a transition period. I didn't know because I just came
off the voice and I came back and I was
with my parents trying to figure it out and ended
up meeting some people here, Kevin Neal, Who's Who's Who's
my first book and agent Um. I got a meeting
with him, just me and my guitar came down here

(21:50):
and UH played him a couple of songs probably not
really not good songs, I don't think, but he saw
something in me man and he and he said, moved
to town and I'll help you out. And he did.
When you're eighteen, you to Way high school. I graduate. Yeah,
I don't know, right, and and and some people to
do art. I wasn't even asking like that, like artistic
people like I know what I want to do. I
don't want to do school. That is not what I

(22:11):
did not have. I had no idea this would be
my life, right. I mean, I always loved music. I
really I loved it my whole life. Since I was
three years old. I've been singing in church, but I
never saw a pathway for it to be possible, you know,
Like the only time I've ever even been in Nashville,
like was playing ball. A couple of times we played,
and I can't remember where we played now, but we
played somewhere in the Nashville area. But I've never been here,

(22:32):
like on a trip. You know. I was in Eastern
to see but Nashville seemed like a lifetime away for
me back then. You know, I've never been on a plane.
I just it was just it seems so foreign. But um,
I thought I was gonna play ball and then got hurt.
And then that's when I started writing songs just out
of sadness. You mentioned. We'll come back to the sadness.
You mentioned you're a kid at three singing in church.
But when you were young, to your you also kind

(22:54):
of took to the fiddle a little bit. Why the fiddle?
Who played the fiddle around you to make you go
that's cool? Well, I just really like bluegrass music when
I was when I was young, you know, coming from
East Tennessee, especially sneeed Vull area. You know, like Jimmy
Martin was born there, like the king of bluegrass was
born where I was born. So it was kind of
something that's in the culture. And I just I really
loved it when I was when I was that age,
and I still like it. From time to time. Um,

(23:16):
but I guess I'm not sure why I chose that
out of all, you know, out of ban Joe Mandling guitar.
I'm not really sure why because I like all those
other ones better than now. Still probably not I haven't
picked I don't know the last time I picked one up.
I still kind of remember, like the hand positions and stuff.
But it would take me. If you were doing a
show and you picked up a freaking fiddle and you
didn't say anything about it and you were like, all right,
let me, the place would go freaking nuts. Maybe maybe

(23:38):
I need to think about putting it in there. I
when I was doing my headlineing thing back and I
don't even know who that was now, But um, I
started bringing out a piano in the mid set because
I really I like to do that too. Um, just
like kind of a transition, know, get my band a
break all. I would bring on the opener. Ashland Craft
was opening for me, and she has a beautiful voice
and I just like to hear her sing, and she

(23:58):
would sing a song with me out there and we
would kind of just do our thing for you know me.
I would do my thing for probably ten fifteen minutes,
and she would do a song with me as well,
and I just I really enjoyed that. I think I'm
gonna keep doing it. So you're you're five, six years old,
you're kind of messing around on the fiddle a little bit.
When do you go, all right, I don't think fiddles
for me. Let me go to a more traditional instrument
or just sing. When was that? Uh? Well, I figured

(24:18):
out that I didn't want the fiddle to be for
me when I started playing ball, and I just it
didn't seem like the cool thing to do, you know,
like the shortstopping, don't play fiddle, come on now. So
I guess I did that for for reasons, not even
just because of myself. But um, I took piano lessons
to um around. I think I started doing that when
I was seven. I started violin when I was five,
and I started piano when I was seven, and I

(24:39):
did that for probably two two to three years. So
I played violin for five and piano for for three,
with lessons on each. So like I'm classically trained to
play piano and violin, but I just I just started.
I usually only play piano by ear. Now, who in
your life though, was motivating you, or at least encouraging
you to chase music early on. My mama yeah, she
uh even you know, like it sounds good to try

(25:01):
to learn something, but then you know, I'm a kid,
I don't want to learn something. Then then then you realize, well,
this is actually kind of it's kind of hard. So
I was wanting to quit obviously, like you know what
kids do, and my mom wouldn't let me. And she
always you know, by the time, you know, once I
got to be a certain age, she allowed me too.
She's like, all right, well, if you really want to
play ball, then focus on ball and get good at that.
So I did that. But she, while I was, you know,
still young enough to have a different life other than ball.

(25:24):
She she really pushed me to do it. And now
I'm really thinking. She was like, you'll think me one
day and I'm like, yeah, right, but I do. Yeah,
so people will be surprised to hear you sit down
at the piano and play what what what do you play?
I played when I played the UH in my show,
I played UH, one of my first songs that I

(25:44):
wrote all my by, all by myself. I didn't even
know if the song was good or not, but it
it's ended up doing decently well, like on streaming and
on all that kind of stuff. So I figured the
fans really liked it, and I like playing. It's called
spinning around, um, and then I play you Make It Easier,
which I wrote with the fdo guys for for al deem,
I do that one, and then I then I did
uh just to cover that I did. I was on
the voice that people kind of like and um, which

(26:05):
was that how have friend who wrote that with how?
I really? Yeah, Kevin Griffin, that's cool. So it's an
I have a piano over the house. This isn't like
a second house. We should do or done. Take thirty
seconds to pop over there and play some of that
on this do you mind? No mind at the keys
and we can insert it inside of this and it's
ten steps and then oh you won golf simulator trip

(26:27):
for doing that. All right, you're in high school, you
graduate high school, and you think to yourself, are you
hurt by this point? Play ball? Did you hurt yourself?
And know well, I got hurt right when my senior
year was starting, so you didn't even get to fully
play your senior I got I only got to hit
twenty games. Um I was. I played picture in shortstop,
mostly shortstop from my high school team because we didn't
really have a deep team. There was nobody to play

(26:50):
shortstop really when I pitched or some or you know,
somebody could play shore. But then the third basement, nobody
could play third, so we had to you know, consolidate.
But um, yeah, that that happened, and you know, kind
of I just didn't really get a chance to prove
myself like I like I wanted, you know, and I
had a couple offers and they disappeared. Um but look,
you know that, and that I had putting put some
I played ball since I was four, so I had

(27:11):
put you know, fourteen years of competitive ball to like.
Once I got to be eleven, we started traveling my parents,
you know, they how good were you? I was good man.
I could have definitely played in college, but you know,
I don't. I don't. I wasn't like that good. And honestly,
as much as I played, I didn't try as hard
as I could have either. I was just from a
young age I was naturally gifted at it. So it
was almost like a curse for me too, because I

(27:32):
just I was always better than the kids when I was,
you know, eight, nineteen eleven, twelve, thirteen, and so I
figured out, I don't even gotta try, you know, I
don't even really gotta practice that hard. And I just
kind of kept that same mentality up through high school.
And once you get to high school, it's not even
you do have to have natural abilities. But some of
those kids that I used to be like or they
were not as nearly as good as me, they worked
their butt off and they, you know, they're in the

(27:52):
pros now. So it's like it really is a lot
about work, and I didn't I didn't have that work
ethic back down. I was talking to Jamison Rogers few
days ago talking about that the soft softball league that
are you are you playing with that? Did you guys
win that? No? I actually only got to play in
three games. I didn't even get to end up getting
to play. Um we had this championship was supposed to
be this past Monday, but I was back home when
seeing my dad, So I just I just didn't even

(28:14):
get it they win because he left here going No,
they didn't win. They they didn't even make it to
the championship game. How do they? How do you not?
It's all college ex college players. I don't, I don't know.
I'm not sure because I'll tell you this. Every game
I played and we won. That's all I know. Ahead. Yeah,
I'm still here. I'm I'm a little rusty on hit.
I'm still pretty good a fielding though I was playing
short out there. I don't. I always like defense better
I like hitting anyway. So you finished high school, But

(28:37):
if you were sixteen year old Morgan, does he want
to play ball or does he want to play music?
When did it happen? Where you go? All? Right? Now?
I think I really want to play music. Was it
when ball was no longer an option? Yeah? I mean
it wasn't even like I didn't even say, all right,
well ball is not an option, I'm gonna play music.
It was like, damn, the most important thing in my

(28:58):
life I thought was gone. And I've always liked music.
I've always like words, you know, I've I wrote rhunds
and and poems and stuff growing up. I always enjoyed that.
So I figured, well, all the feelings that I'm feeling,
maybe I'll just try to make some kind of music
just too almost like a therapy for me. You know.
I started writing all my parents workout bits in their

(29:19):
in their garage, Yeah, and write in their garage. I
remember always walking out my mom. She would always be
in the kitchen cooking or whatever, and I'd walk straight
into the kitchen and so here I just wrote this
what you think you know? And uh, that's when it started, man,
And I just developed a love for a SONGWRT enough
for just the craft of of creating something and just
to help me get through something. That's really what it

(29:40):
started as. It was never like a oh I'm gonna
be a rock star now, you know? Did you think though,
when you're writing music wherever you are at home? And
this is before you moved to Nashville's before you you
went an audition for the Voice, Well, what did you
think you wanted to do? Was it moved to Nashville eventually?
Was it? I don't. I mean, I don't know where
your mind is at this time. Man. I when I
went on the Voice, I was either twenty one and

(30:03):
I didn't really know, man, I didn't. I didn't know.
I just knew that I didn't me as a person.
I didn't know what it took to even get someone
to listen. You know. Um, I didn't even know that
much about Nashville. I just my mom signed me up
for the Voice too. I didn't even know what the
voice was, that's honest to go. So what does she
say to you? Just she says, Morgan, we're gonna do
this show or what. Basically, she's like, you know, you've

(30:24):
been writing and singing and you're really good at it. Um,
I signed you up for the Voice, and I'll drive
you if you want to go. And uh, we drove
to St. Louis and um man, there was a bunch
of people there. I don't even know how many people there,
you know. We it was in the arena in the St.
Louis Billikins or whatever they are um arena and they call,

(30:45):
you know, you shit out in the actual stands or whatever,
and then they call you and you walk down and
then go kind of backstage, you know, like back in
the in the locker rooms and stuff. And I was
in one of the locker rooms singing for the producer
and there was like twenty other people or something. They
give you like a verse in course or something like that,
and they asked me to stay out of all of them.
So I stayed and I went back home. They asked
me to come to St. Louis, and a couple of

(31:06):
days later went back. Made it through that one. Uh
what do you think are you? Are you even nervous
about it? Are you just like, you know, if it
works out good? I wasn't that nervous. Yeah, I mean
to an extent, you know, like I've never been around
all these bright lights and all these people and that
kind of thing, but not really like because it wasn't
some kind of big, huge plan, you know for me,
I'm like, I put all my cards in this, you know.

(31:27):
It was just kind of like, all right, let's let's
see what happens. And that's one of the things I
remember about once we actually made it onto the show.
All the people, all the other contestants, you know, they're like, god,
you know, this is this is my chance. You know,
they're all fired up and like they're like what about you?
Like my mom telling me, They're like what. So I
will always remember them being so just shocked though that

(31:49):
that was my attitude towards it. But I don't know,
I just I've always felt pretty comfortable in my in
my own skin pretty much anywhere you've finished the voice
you didn't win, right, No, not even close. So I
didn't even make it. I made it to top twenty.
What what what are you doing at top twenty of
the boys? Like are you just singing? You get the
judges chairs turned around for you though? Right? Yeah, I
made it past the blind audition. Um who who flipped over?

(32:12):
I actally I don't know anyth about the boys because
I working American idols. I'm acting so dumb, like what
that's what you're supposed to be? So Shakira and Usher right, um,
which they didn't show it this way on television, but
those those were the only two spots left. I went
there was like five five days of tryouts, and I
was on the very last day. At the very end
of the very last day. I thought for a while
I wouldn't even get to try out because some of

(32:33):
the people out there didn't even get to try out
because the team's filled up before they got a chance.
Um some of the A couple of those people are
in Nashville now that I that I met out there.
Um seth Ennis was one of them, and um man,
I you know they that sow those two had had
a chair, so they turned around. I was happy about that.
My mom, uh said you not not at this point? Um?

(32:56):
Actually yeah, yeah. She's with me at the blind audition.
But before we went, I was like, all right, I
don't know anything about this show. Who you think who
should be my coach if I get a chance? She
said Usher, So I said, all right, I'm gonna pick usherly.
So I picked Usher and uh then I had a
battle and he like he he picked the other guy
went against and then Adam put me on his team,
stole me, and uh then the top twenty. I think

(33:16):
it was still decided by by them and I tried
to because they really wanted me to be a pop singer,
like pretty hard, and I didn't really but I was
also young, and I was like, I don't really know.
Maybe you guys are right. I don't know. It's not
really what the kind of songs are, right, not really
what I am. But if you guys, you guys, you know,
I thought these yeah, yeah, you guys think I should be.
Maybe I should be. And uh, finally, once he got

(33:40):
the top twenty, I was like, man, I really don't
want to sing this kind of music. I'm I'm gonna
sing country music. And the only song that was on
there that was a country song was for the Georgia line.
It was Stay. I really didn't sing it that well.
I really didn't do it that well. Um, I was
still kind of figuring out my voice and and you know,
just growing up man, and uh, because I would really
had a probably a more raspier of was then because

(34:00):
I forced it and didn't really realize it. And I
was still trying to figure that out. So I really
didn't sing that song that well. And that's when they
got so I understand why they didn't keep me on there.
So that's when I that's when I got booted. And
but luckily, you know, it was like if i'd have
made it another step, they would have had maybe part
in my career and things like that. So it was
really a blessing. So are you destroyed whenever you get

(34:21):
kicked off the show or you're like, hey, that was cool,
But now I have a little confidence. That's exactly right,
because you know, I try to be pretty self aware
and and what I just told you about me not
crushing that performance, I knew that then too, So I
I you know, I was a little bit upset and
myself for not crushing it. But I also didn't necessarily
know why I didn't crush it, so it was it

(34:41):
was me trying to figure that out. So I wasn't
mad at myself for failing. I was just trying to
figure out what why did I fail? And you know,
I think that really pushed me to get better as
a vocalist and as a you know, just as a
as a singer. So, um no, I didn't. I did
not freak out. It was just I mean, there was
a little bit of scared and worried this. You know're like, well,
now what I do. I gotta go back to Knoxville

(35:03):
and move in with my parents again, and and who
knows what after that. Um, but you know, obviously it
turned out okay. So you met Sergio Sanchez, he was
your vocal coach and was he living here? No, man,
no he he uh Sergio? Um yeah, I owe a
lot to him too, man. Um my mom. So like
whenever we I can't remember exactly at what point during

(35:25):
the show, but they get let they let us come
home for a couple of months and right before the
live shows, I guess or whatever. So we gotta. We
had a couple of months break and they strongly advised
us to get a vocal coach while we were home.
And I ain't never had a vocal coach, you know.
I was like, I don't, I don't know. I just
I guess it could help. So my mom was looking
and she was like, hey, I found this guy, Sergio Sanchez.
He you know, he's a former rock guy. I found

(35:46):
all these other classical guys. But I don't know, I
don't know if that's what you want, you know, like,
that's not really what what how you sing? So I
found this guy. My mom found this guy, and I
went and he was actually uh he had started like
a bakery business. He had he had a know what
exactly what it was called. I'm sorry, Sergio, if you're listening,
I'm sorry. I remember that it was called. It was
called fit Sweets, is what it was called. And I

(36:07):
think he actually ended up one of the things that
he has, he ended up selling a bit of it here.
He actually did okay with it. Um. But that's where
we would go. He was just starting that that that
little storefront up and we'd go in the back room
of there and just uh, kind of singing. Then he
was like, man, he he's he told me from from
uh that after what we met for the first time,

(36:27):
he called another guy that he knew and he said, dude,
I think I just met the next like the next guy.
And they're like, what do you mean? You know whatever?
But he's always from day one believed to me. And
and uh we started writing songs together and getting some
demos done. And he used to be in a rock
band called Adam Smashed and they were signed to Atlantic Records,
and you know there he's a legit singer and legit
music music musician and um man, he he I owe

(36:50):
a lot to him, man, he he really he pushed
me as well to to write songs into to keep going.
So when you guys did Morgan Wallen and them shadows,
how come it wasn't Morgan and Sergio? I mean he
trust you to meybe? Was he that much on team
Morgan Wallon? He was, Man, I mean, you know, I
think there was still a little bit of a part
of him. I'm I'm imagining. I don't know, I'm just
thinking if it was me and you know, I've been

(37:12):
through a record deal and we got dropped and then
you you meet some other guy. I'm trying to put
myself in those shoes. I'm sure that I would have
to swallow that a little bit, you know. And and
but he never he never really made me feel that way.
He was always you cheering me on and and and uh,
I really respect him for that. Here's a clip of
Young Yang Girl from Morgan Wallen and the Shadows. So

(37:37):
all right, you're shopping music around talent at this point,
right because you well know, no, this is before we've
even got to Nashville. Oh, this is um, this isn't
back home. Yeah, well now I recorded him in Florida, actually,
so one of the guys that he knew who had
helped him get a record deal was a producer more
in the rock world. And uh, he was like, hey,

(37:58):
we can record some songs or some demos or whatever,
you know, we'll go down earned do it. So that's
what we did. We went to Florida. And this is
before I'd even before I'd even moved to Nashville yet.
So it's kid to move to Nashville. You got a
guy that says, hey, I kind of got your back
if you come out here. What does that even mean though,
because listen, I'm from a small town in Arkansas. I
was broke, and it's like you've got nothing to lose

(38:20):
because you're not losing anything. I was about to say
I was already broke, So yeah, I just moved cities
and broken. So you and what kind of place do
you move into? Uh me and actually me and my
guitar player dominic, which you've met. We've been in the
studio with you before, um he, uh me and him
moving got an apartment in Mount Julia and in in

(38:41):
Century Providence is where we lived, um for for a
while for a couple of years, I guess. And uh Man,
my my band, they've everybody except for Sergiyo was not
my band anymore. It wasn't anything, uh you know, harmed
for we had a good split. He he just got
married and wanted to be at home, you know. And
so he's the only one I've replaced in my band.
I still have the same band. They all moved here

(39:03):
with me for me, and um man, they're there. I
have them to think a lot too. Isn't it great
that you get to like take them along on a
journey and they kind of get to create their own
journeys too. They are they are right now and I
love to see it, you know, it's it's a it's
a cool thing to to be a part of. And
they're like my they're like my family. I don't get
to see them as much right now, and that that
that part sucks. But I think they know that I

(39:26):
root for him and whatever whatever they end up doing
on their own tool. When you signed with Big Loud,
did were you in demand where lots of folks are
trying to sign you or it was a Big Loud
like the one and I don't know. I didn't. I didn't.
I took a meeting with Big Loud. Um, So what
happened is Kevin Neil, who the guy who originally told
me to ask me to move here. I was sending

(39:48):
my demos around town and ended up one of them
ended up getting into Seth Seth in England's hand. And
I was not even looking for a record deal really,
I was just looking for some co rits to try
to try to get to be a better songwriter, just
you know, get better songs and learn stuff from these people.
And Um, Seth got it and was like, what's up
with this kid? Um is he looking for a record deal,

(40:11):
and I was like, well, I mean that's not I
wasn't I wasn't asking you for one, but yeah, eventually
I was gonna be looking for one, you know. Um
So I went in there and played for for him,
Joey and Craig Joey Moy and Craig Wiseman. UM played
a few, played like two of my own songs, and
then I sang uh Talladega by Eric Church, and I raised,

(40:35):
I jacked the key up real high. Figured out might
as well try to try to show off a little bit,
you know. And uh, I could tell that they that
got their attention, and they were just they I don't know, man,
we just all kind of missed and and I feel
like they understood me from that first day that I
met him. And uh so the next week I went
in and played for the conference room for the whole
staff at that time. You know, we wasn't even that
many people. I think they still I'll sit at the

(40:57):
table at that point, and uh I played, I played.
I kind of think I did the same same set
a little three songs or four three or four songs.
UM did that, and you know, I I went around
and shook everybody's hand and met everybody, you know, Like
that's what I was, That's what I was thought to do.
That's just what you do when you meet somebody, you know,
you kind of talked to everybody in the room, and

(41:17):
they were they were like after I left, they were
like shocked by that. I was like, what was that?
Not normal? You know? But I remember that for some reason.
And uh then the week after that, they offered me
a record deal and I just didn't go nowhere else.
I was just like, I don't know, and I don't
know why. Looking back now, it's like this record label
has not proven anything at all. They haven't done anything,

(41:39):
not a damn thing. But uh, obviously Joey Moore was
very you know, successful in the rock world. But at
that point and with F g L and I knew
a little bit about SETH, knew a little bit about
Obviously Craig's a great songwriter, but that doesn't mean that
they know how to do anything with radio. So I
don't know why, but I just I'm I'm pretty big

(41:59):
off gut instincts a lot of times when it comes
to stuff like that, and I just had a real
piece man. I prayed and talked to my parents, and
I just had a real big piece about them, and
I just never looked anywhere else. And so you start
off with the EP, They're going, we're gonna put a
few songs out first. Were they basing anything off the
success of the EP or were they just going, we're
gonna kind of put your foot in the water, and
then while we're doing that, we're gonna make the big records, right, Yeah,

(42:22):
the plan it was, Yeah, they they and I and
I knew that it might be a little slower just
based off who they were, but I just really believed
in them and the things that they that they stand
for and believe in, and just their work ethic and
I just really they just, I don't know, they just
had a different I'd still you know, I'd still done
a little bit of studying on the labels and that
kind of thing, and I knew about the other ones,
and I don't know, man, I just felt like I

(42:43):
was really gonna be a priority. I knew that, and
I really had one other artists they had, Chris Lane
was the first one they signed, And uh, I don't know,
they just have a different way of doing things, you know,
it's like a it's a unique label in town. And um, yeah,
I don't know. We've been we but they back to
the EP. Yeah, they that's what they said. You know,
like this may work, it may not. You know, we're

(43:04):
we're learning with you. We're still building these relationships. We're
working on it, like we know these people, but we
got to prove ourselves too. So I knew that it
might take a while, and I knew that there was
a bigger project coming. Do you have a mullet then? No?
I did not actually had long hair, just regular long
hair then. And I remember you from having a regular
long hair, you look like a poet. You look like
a guy doing slam poets. It was not it was
not the move for sure, definitely, But when you cut

(43:28):
the mullet, because I credit you to the entire country
music mullet world, you were the first one that said, hey,
this is just what it is. Now. Everybody does that
a little bit, but honest to God, and I'm not
just blowing smoke every buck as you're here. You were
the first one to kind of bring it back and
make it cool again. Back. Yeah, I'll say I didn't
invent it. I mean, yeah, but I'm saying that the
next generation of country guys, even some of the older

(43:51):
guys that are being funny and cutting, it's all because
of you. You know that, right. I got a pretty
good feeling that I definitely had a good part in it.
Why why did you cut them all in? And did
you expect it to last? Uh? Well, I had a
after I cut my long hair. I kind of just
had a haircut, you know. And as as I remember,

(44:12):
Stacy at CMT told me one time, he was like,
you can usually tell if you can look at a
silhouette of a person, you can usually tell that's them.
I was like, well, I don't know if you could
do that with me right now. So I started thinking,
you know, and I couldn't really didn't really think anything.
So I was like, well whatever, I'm just gonna to
let my music speak for itself, I guess. And then

(44:32):
I went back home to uh my parents on Easter.
I guess it was three years ago. Now, maybe maybe
you have three I think. And uh, I was looking
through a photo album of my parents when I got married.
My dad had a mullet, and uh, me and him
look a lot of like we're just a lot of
like in general. And he was twenty five when he
got married, and I was twenty five at the time,
so I guess not even three years almost three years ago,

(44:55):
and uh I was either five whatever. I was around
the same age as him. Like, well, Dad, you look
pretty good in that. If if you can do that,
I can do that. I'm gonna wear a mullet. He
was like, all right, man, I don't. He probably didn't
believe me or whatever. But I went back and told
Amy Amy Cruise is my Amy George julas Now is
her last name. I knew her when she was Amy Cruise,
but um she I told her. I said, hey, Amy,

(45:16):
I think I think I know what her could. I
want to think I'm gonna get a mullet. She was
like really, I said yeah, and she was awful. She's
like yeah yeah. So I'm like all right, cool, And
then you know my label management there they I tell
him I'm getting one, like what, no, please, God no,
And I'm like, y'all know what happens when you'll tell
me no, I'm gonna do exactly the opposite of that.

(45:37):
So I did. I grew it, and uh I did not.
But I didn't expect it. It wasn't like I had
forgotten about the whole silhouette thing at that point. It
wasn't like I didn't expect it to become a thing.
I didn't expect to show up at shows and dudes
are wearing mullets and cut off flannels. I just I
don't know. I just I just liked how it look
and and and uh, Herry, we are, Yeah, that's I mean,

(45:59):
that's what I know, isn't it you? And because it's
such a lasting first impression. But again, much like up down,
it's like you're the mullet guy. That's how you get
in the door. But then you kind of open your
rib cage up and you're like, this is the rest
of me, Like the mullet gets you in the heart
is what makes you last. Right, Yeah, And that's a

(46:20):
good way to put it. I've never thought of it
that way. But you know, people, whether they like it
or they hate it, they're still gonna say that's a mullet,
you know. Well, and I wear really darker un glasses.
I'm just a generic white guy, right, I really am
just another generic white And so I was going, well,
I can't see what can I do to make me
stand out because I always thought if someone could draw
a character of you pretty easily, that means that what

(46:42):
you're doing stands it. So I was like, I'm just
gonna have a big, darker un glasses and that's where
that comes from. Kind of the same idea about the silhouette. Yeah,
I guess I'll just never forget Stacy saying that to me. Man.
He said that. I was like, that's a good point, man,
because I hate there was there was like a picture
of it, so luettes or I don't even know if
it was a picture like a piece of art or something,

(47:03):
but there was people and I knew them all from
the back, not even from the front, from the back,
and uh, I made me think a little. So I've
always remembered that the first show I went to yours,
I was at Marathon music work and at a bunch
of it was like during radio one of those radio seminars,
and I don't do a lot of that stuff, but
I was in talent for that maybe, so yeah, and

(47:23):
a couple of guys like, hey, you're in town, come
come to Morrigan Wallen show. And I was like, I'm
just gonna be honest with Yeah, I was like, I
was like, he making to be there, and they were
like they're like yeah. I was like, I know like
two of the songs. Um, yeah, I'll go just because
I want to see you guys. And I go and
it is packed to the guild and you freaking blew there.
And then I was like, oh, man, like I missed on.

(47:45):
I missed on knowing how great you were early. Well
you I mean, but it doesn't matter. Yeah, I see
a lot of acts. That's what I about to say.
Whether whether whether I'm great or not, you get you
get swamped with. But I still missed. I still missed.
And I'm usually pretty good. And I'm telling you that
to your face, like I'm missed. And I was like,
I don't know about what were they gonna be thirty
people there and I get there, I can't even move.
They had to put us in like a little cage

(48:08):
to make sure nobody did. Yeah, it was phenomenal. And
and you came and you played the st Judo last
year and I was just like, god, damn man, this
guy is so good. And then you know, so your record.
What's crazy about it is like it comes out and
does well, but it's it's the biggest snow slow building

(48:29):
snowball I've ever seen. It's wild. It was like I
can't even remember. It was like a hundred in something
weeks after that it finally made it to number one
on like on Billboard for like it was like a
hundred seventeen weeks or something wild like it. Are you
feeling it now where it's like, I know you're not
going to use the word, but just for the fort
sake of conversation, are you feeling it now where you
kind of like I can actually feel some of the

(48:51):
superstardom or did it hit you like this or was
it kind of like slow? I think you hit me
an out of Mamma about six weeks ago. Well, what's
funny about that, too, is like I I've probably on
TikTok when you sing straight into TikTok, Yeah, I think
it blows people's socks off because you're so freaking good

(49:12):
you and I don't think people expect force like a
country boy like yourself with a mullet to just sound
so good. Probably not. And then I would see this
is way before the Alabama stuff. I would see you
were worshiped on TikTok there was just a culture of
and I would get them all and I'd be like,
why am I watching these girls? I'm talking about how
much they love Morgan waugh Man, and I swiped away

(49:33):
from him. I didn't want to spend too much time watching.
But yeah, I well, I kind of realized that about
TikTok once the Seven Summers thing happened, because I didn't
even really know what TikTok was. Whenever that whole thing happened,
because I Ja jakeo On had nominated me for a
demo challenge on Instagram, like remember when everybody's doing those
challenges at the beginning of Quarantine just to keep you know,

(49:56):
we thought it was gonna be a little month or whatever.
This will be fun. Eight months later channeling, I haven't
seen any challenges lately, have y'all? Uh, But you know,
somebody I guess screen grabbed it and put it on
TikTok and somebody from my team I can't remember feel
Set or tracker, but I said, hey, have you seen

(50:17):
what's going on with with TikTok, And like TikTok, I
really didn't even know what it was, and they said, yeah,
it's a new app, and somebody's got on there. You know,
they've got seven summers are using that sound by a lot.
I was like, okay, that's interesting because I originally put
that sound bite out on my Instagram to gauge if
I even wanted to cut the song or not. I
didn't even know if I was gonna record it. And

(50:39):
um so I was like, all right, that's cool, you
know whatever. A couple of weeks ago by they're like, dude,
this thing is like really going off on there. I'm like, well,
don't you guys think we might need to put it
out then, you know if it's doing that. So we
went and recorded it, and I think it had like
thirty million hits on there or something before it every
even came out. So I started like being like, man,
this could be a real tool we could use for
for music and trying to drop people to their new music. So,

(51:01):
um man, I just started you know, leaking a demo
on my Instagram ever so often, or you know, playing
an acoustic thing on my Instagram. And I didn't even
have to post it on TikTok. They would just do it,
and um just you know, just giving little pieces of
stuff and and and I did that without asking, you know,
the first couple of times they're like, dude, what do
you do? What are you doing? But these songs out

(51:22):
and then they you know, they kind of were they
were like, well, they didn't get mad at me. Actually
my team, they're they're they're so good and understanding. They
didn't they didn't get mad. But there, you know, they
they're gonna ask or ask a questions what do you do?
But so I told them and they're like, all right,
that's cool, that's a good idea. So we just kept,
you know, I've kind of just continued to do it
a little bit. And then somebody is like leaking some
demos that I don't even know where they came from.
I don't even have it. I don't even have the demos.
I don't know where they even came from that are

(51:42):
on there. But uh, the ones that I lead can
put on my Instagram that we I like to do that.
I'd like to get people's hopes up for that, and
then you know, drop them soon after, hopefully on TikTok.
You're a lower case of g God for sure. And
and somehow I see all these girls just like guys
get over it, Like I don't even want to see
them anymore. It's great, it's great. I love I love
that how your fan base was organically created, and just

(52:05):
because you brought it up, and I'll only ask a
few more questions. It's like I'm enjoining. When the Alabama
stuff happened, I was like, Yeay's get off his jock,
Like I didn't. I understand the COVID stuff too, but
I was like, what do you want from this guy?
He's twenty seven years old. People were just having fun.
I know, I mean, I get it, but I also

(52:25):
I understand both sides of it a little bit, you know.
I know, I got I know that I got young
kids that look up to me and all those kind
of things too. So I do want to be mindful
of things. I'm not gonna let people control the way
I live my life, but I do also want to
be mindful. And honestly, I have I have a son now,
and I don't know that i'd be proud to show
him those videos. You know, I'm like, I gotta think
about some things a little bit differently, and honestly, I
have I have been in you know, throughout this whole process,

(52:48):
there's been times where for a while, I would just
be like, man, I'm really I'm kind of like lonely
and I don't know if I even like this, and
and then you know, there's and then there's another high
and you're like, oh, yeah, I love this, you know,
and it just kind of goes goes to phases and
I kind of just have been living like that, you know,
and it's like, I don't know, can I not maybe
do something to combat that. Maybe you don't have to
be so moody, you know. So it was almost a

(53:10):
good thing for me, you know. It kind of forced
me away and just to kind of reflect and look
at myself and kind of get to know myself again.
And it was good for me. So I took like
a while, like almost two weeks, and just turned my
phone off and just didn't didn't even look at it,
you know, drove on the track care of things like
that and just clear my head. And uh, that was
it was really really good for me. So I don't

(53:30):
I don't really love the circumstances that led to that,
but I'm thankful for for where it leave me. And
my only point was you were living your life. You're
gonna have to You're gonna have to learn somehow what
you like, what you don't like. And I was just like,
let's let the guy you weren't doing any illegal, like,
let the guy live his life. But I was vocally
pro you live in your life. I appreciate that man. So,

(53:52):
you know, I had a very similar situation. I'm just
now getting married in April. I've never been married on
how many kids. But I was struggling with being single
and Tyler and Florida Georgia Lyne ty pulled me to
the coffee shop. Was like, dude, you're kind of spiraling.
It was a different spiral. My spiral was straight loneliness,
and I just could not. I was like, my thing
was a ratio of loneliness to happiness. That's where and

(54:15):
I would I would have some hit and I'd feel great,
but then because I'd be I do a stand up
show and I feel so loved on stage, but then
you go back to your hotel room and you're just like,
well this sucks. It's so easy to base your feelings
off of what other people think, because that's what the
that's my job. You know. It's like I pour my
heart and soul into this. I really want these people
to like it, and damn they do like it. You know,

(54:37):
they do like me. That's awesome. And then but you
start chasing that, you know, that's what that's You start
wanting that, feeling it all the time and more and more. Yeah,
it's like it's almost like a drug. Just keep on.
You know, that feels good. I like it when people
like me. I mean, who don't. And I've always been
the type of guy I really want to make everyone
around me have a good time and feel good. That's
like I love that. I don't I want people to

(54:58):
to love me. I just always have. UM. So it's
it's kind of like it's it's a catch twenty two.
You know, it's like you're gonna go back and do SNL.
Do they think you'll They originally told me that they
were gonna invite me back. If they do, I'll go
do it. Yeah. I hate the situation that happened for you.
But I think if if I'm standing back ten feet

(55:18):
for your career one, I think you learned a lot
from it. But too, it was great. I saw you
pop up on the E news feed. You crossed over
into the news because of this. People were sending me
like litte screenshots whatever, like we've never heard of this
guy before. I'm like, well that's good. Yeah, you know,
I wouldn't want you to go through it again. However,
it takes, it takes some deep valleys to to to
understand how hard it is to climb the tall mountains.

(55:42):
And it's not even you know, it's not even gonna
be the lowest. We're gonna go through so many highs
and lows. But I'm proud of you, man, Thank you.
I really appreciate that. I'm I'm just I'm just such
a big fan too, and I'm not someone who claims
to be there from the start, you know, I'm like, hey,
what the heck is this guy doing? I don't I
was the hardest fun to convince. I can't even say
I blame you, man. I came out, I came out

(56:02):
of the gate with songs that weren't even my personal favorite,
So you know, I I understand. Chasing you just still
my favorite. Uh. Seven Summers. The weird thing about the
Seven Summers and more than my hometown is they kind
of are running alongside each other, which is rare. They're
both on top thirty of the chart. I think hometown
is almost it's in top three right now. Maybe I

(56:23):
believe top three. I think they go what is today
the fifth? They told me they were going for number
one on starting pushing spins on theft. So and you
already have a song it's number or something. Yeah, yeah, dude,
it's it's wild. And you know, like we were talking
about the TikTok thing earlier, I knew I had a
good feeling in that seven Summers would come out out
of the gate, you know, pretty strong, definitely not as
strong as it did. Had no idea it was gonna

(56:44):
do any of that stuff. I would have worried that
it was gonna take Spins off of I did have
that worry. I did have that worry. But like we
didn't even we didn't even plan on putting that out
as a single. It was almost forced upon us, like
people were just playing it. So we're like, well, if
these people are plunting, they're plointing. Maybe we just started
making a single and my I mean my label. And

(57:05):
you know, I asked him every week of Michae yeo,
I'm mad at me. Yet you're having to work two singles.
I know that's got to be a pain, but they
obviously I think they're pretty happy about it too, and
they work really hard and they're doing a good job.
All right, Well I'm done with you, but are you
sure you don't mind walking over the house? Mind? We can?
I want to play it on this It don't be
like thirty seconds. I think people would be playing. I
ain't playing the piano. About a month. We'll try, all right,

(57:26):
Morgan walland we're gonna go. But the next thing you
hear is us walking over to the house and doing
it over there by that earlier. That's it. That's it

(58:08):
on right now is new artist Harper Gray. She has
a new song called Muddy Water. I want to play
a clip of this right now, me jesus my fancy dress. Harper,

(58:32):
how are you? I'm good? How are you? I'm really good?
You know. I had reached out to Harper when before
COVID got weird again. I was like, we can have
a softball team because she's like a nine sports star.
Well we're still when we do in spring, if we can,
I still want you to play with us, if you can.
You still you still down? All in all in, I'm ready,

(58:54):
So you're you're athletic history. You were you played softball
and basketball, right, softball and swimming, okay, so were you
good at both of those? I was swimming with my
main sport until I had three shoulder surgery, so that
was actually my like my main you know, waking up
doing two a days at age twelve four, and then
softball was my my off season sport. But I was

(59:18):
pretty good at it, so I ended up playing in
college until I had my fourth shoulder surgery. Shoulders you
do your parents have mess up shoulders? I honestly that
every doctor kept saying, this is genetics. It was my big,
my first big lesson of knowing your limits, because I
also was a kid that was like, no, I'm gonna push,

(59:38):
I gonna go, I'm gonna do because I wanted to
be the best. So I think it was a mix
of genetics and then me also not knowing when to
stop at an early age. Well, now I'm scared to
play softall whether you're gonna blow out your shoulder again,
I wonna be on the hook for that. I won't
blow out my shoulder, but I will be competitive, all right,
that's what we like. Hey, So tell me about the

(59:58):
song here? Because you know, I heard it. We're we're
playing it on you know, the women of my Heart
Country tell me about Muddy Water. Yes, thank you guys
so much to for your support. Um. Muddy Water came
about where I was, you know, in a space right
before quarantine and I was about to go out on
tour and I was like, I really want to write
that song and I can perform. That's talking about, you know,

(01:00:19):
owning who you are and being unafraid to own who
you are, and like if you have a crazy back story.
I always saying, my my story is kind of like
a lifetime movie on steroids. But owning it, you know,
and let your drive and your work ethic and your
hard work be what speaks for you. And that's what
Muddy Water is all about. I always gravitated towards, you know,

(01:00:42):
water in general as a kid. I loved I grew
up in near the Chattahoochee River and just like ponds
and lakes, and even though those water the water was
like not like the ocean where it looks crisp and clean,
it still felt very clean to me. So I wanted
to write a song about that. And that's what Muddy
Water is all about it. I owning who you are
and showing that you know your character will always lead

(01:01:04):
out and went out either someone besides you, some human
needs water, or there's a dog panting his face off
her I besides you. Right now, Luna is here. Luna
is my shat oh and she's she's like, are we
going to Percy Warner right now? And she's she's my
best friend and with me more times than not. So yeah,
she's she's breathing really hard. And how how big is Luna?

(01:01:27):
How big is Luna? She's sixty five pounds, but she
should probably be like forty. She actually just got put
on a diet. So my dog is a bulldog and
he's sixty three pounds, but he got put on a diet.
Is at fifty nine now, so I know he listens
to this podcast like to recognize him and say good job.
Wait what how what kind of dog is Luna? She's
a mix. She has a beagle mixed with Australian shepherd,

(01:01:49):
so she's got these really beautiful blue eyes and then
she's built like a beagle. You musically played tuba and trombone?
Is that true? I do tuba, trombone and and piano,
but I tuba was my main instrument for a long
long time. How in the world do you go to tuba?
Because I see tubas, but I don't know anyone who

(01:02:10):
just went, Like all my life, I've been dying to
play the tuba. What got you into tuba? It was
my band director. She made everything seems so cool and
they needed a bassline and she knew that I would
like commit hard to it, and tuba and trombone were
on that bassline and I was like, okay. I started
out on trombone, but then I just loved the tubas.

(01:02:30):
I thought they had the coolest part. And like in
Marching Band, if there was a tuba solo, like we
sold the show, you know, like it was just cool.
I've never heard of tuba solo. I'd like to. I'm
gonna YouTube of tuba solo as soon as things over
come through with it, Bobby, because it's those are the best. Well,
I would encourage you guys to check out at Harper
Gray Music g r a E. Harper Gray Music check

(01:02:53):
out her new song Muddy Water. I'm super happy you've
spent a few minutes here talking about it, and hopefully
I'll see you around soon, and hopefully, if shoulders are
all healthy, we'll get our softball team going next spring.
Let's do it. Thanks so much, Bobby all Right by
harbary Y m HM