Backstage @ CMA Awards Rehersals DAY ONE

The CMA season is underway in Nashville and day one of rehersals brought Country Music's best to Music City.  We were lucky enough to catch up with Eric Church as he shared how special the moment will be for him when he performs Wednesday night.  We talk to him, Cody Johnson, Chris Janson, Ashley McBryde, Tucker Wetmore, Cole Swindell, Jordan Davis, Dan + Shay & more,

Don't miss the CMA Awards, Wednesday night @ 8/7c on ABC

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Wayne d in the CMA's and I got to
tell you, look, there's not many people that give me
a little starstruck man, but Eric Church is in the building.
How's the chief good?

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Wayne?

Speaker 1 (00:07):
How life is good? And I want to thank you
for taking the time out. You're part of the reason
why I do this, So thank you for the opportunity.
You stepped up in a big way, not only with
the song but with the concert partnering with Luke Combs.
There are things that are asking for your help and
your attention and your donation and time all the time.
Why did this make the most sense for you?

Speaker 3 (00:28):
Because that's home for me, So I spent half my
year there. I wouldn't be who I am if it
weren't for the people in North Carolina. Weren't being raised
by those people. So this was a special thing for
me when Helene happened, and you know, just doing everything
we can to help.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
We've committed to with the funds that we've raised to
put homes.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
In western North Carolina because the biggest problem that I
see is we're really good in this country at immediate
nine to one to one assistants, food, water, diapers, but
we don't do very good at the next part of
keeping people in the community. So we've committed to a
project there, and that's part of the reason I'm playing
the CMAS is I'm playing Darkest Hour Country Radio step
up in a big way to keep the attention on

(01:08):
Darkest Hour and what's happening to the people in North Carolina,
because we move on real quick, right, and it's about
keeping the focus on There's a lot of need there,
and there's going to be need for a long time,
so we're just trying to keep the focus on that.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Darkest Hour is a song that you don't only hear,
you feel, And I'd imagine that that was the same
way for you when you wrote it. But this is
a song that you had already just ended up falling
into place for this, right, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
Never never written with this in mind. Right, I'm working
on a project for next year and still am. And
when Helene happened and I saw what was happening there,
I was listening back to the mixes one day and
there's the line of the song in your Darkest Hour,
I'll come running, and it just made sense, and I
knew I would regret not putting the song out and

(01:54):
letting that be somewhat of an anthem for those people
that need help.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
What do you hope this song does for you to
look back and know that the song was successful. Obviously
the efforts and the financial lift of song, it helps
as many people as it can. I mean, I gave
the song to the State of North Carolina.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
I gave it away.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
They own it, so all the royalties and everything forever
and ever is them, they'll get to help that.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
That's massive.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, gave it away, so I hope it does as
much as it can do to help this people.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
A very special moment going to be created the CMA
Awards with you doing this song, man, Eric, thank you again, brother,
Thank you. CMA's are here, Wayne d and Cody Johnson
and I literally have had more conversations with Cody Johnson
in the last three months than I have with family
members all year.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
That's same man.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
We recently caught up about Vegas and you're getting ready
to do some riding there, which a lot of people
don't know, Like, you don't just sing the rodeo, you
live the rodeo as well. How do you you Obviously
we know how you get ready to sing, right you
write songs, you get ready to hit the tour. How
do you is there getting ready for writing a bullmore writing?

Speaker 4 (02:58):
In generally, riding bulls is a lot more preparation. It's
a lot more ground rider bush. Yeah, I used to
ride bulls and as a kid, are you kidding me?

Speaker 1 (03:04):
For real? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (03:05):
Man?

Speaker 1 (03:05):
How long ago? How long ago were you kid?

Speaker 4 (03:07):
I rode from the time I was about fifteen to
about twenty, and finally just said this is enough, Like
I've broken enough bones. I'm not getting anywhere. I got
the buckles in the stories. But team roping is a
lot better for me now.

Speaker 1 (03:20):
Well, so so take us through through how you get
ready for team roping, because are you training like a
normal athlete?

Speaker 4 (03:25):
Well, yeah, well it's mostly about your horse. You want
to make sure that your horse is loosened up, you know.
And I have certain horses that really have to be
rode down a lot to where their their nerves go
away and you can feel them kind of start to
lower their head and they're like, okay, they got their
energy out that way. When we get in the arena,
they're not amped up and they're not making mistakes. And
that's mostly for your younger horses. Now, I've got a
couple older horses running around a few times. Let them

(03:47):
get a little sweat and let's go to work. But
for me, it's it's mostly focusing on my shoulder, my elbow,
keeping it open, making sure my loop is sharp and
not too much slacked between my hands. You have to
look all that up for all you people out there listening,
But it's mostly a mental game.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
Well, we talked to a lot of country artists that
like that pretend to be cowboys. We'll have to edit
that out.

Speaker 5 (04:07):
No, you that up.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
But I love highlighting the fact that you are one.
What's the holidays looking like for you?

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Man?

Speaker 1 (04:13):
Easy?

Speaker 4 (04:14):
Like after the cmare Wars, I go home, quiet, little
Thanksgiving at the house we're gonna go for actually, you know,
after we get back from Vegas, we'll do a week
long there with me roping and playing two shows at
the mgm UH and then go home for Christmas and
we're gonna take the girls, put them on a jit
and we're gonna drive or fly out of the snow
and have a white Christmas for once, because there ain't
no such thing as a white Christmas in Texas.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
When you look forward to twenty twenty five. What's something
that you weren't able to check off a list this
year that twenty twenty five better bring your way?

Speaker 4 (04:43):
I mean Belfest Ireland sold out, So there's that. I mean,
we're going to the UK. We see London.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
We oh we are you and your team? Oh you
can go. I got vag case and days I'm giving
like two weeks of va case days back.

Speaker 4 (04:58):
We're doing England, We're doing Scotland, We're doing Ireland and
then Australia.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
And New Zealand. So hey, I want to say congratulations.
I know we're short on time. You just played the
definition of a hometown show. What was that like? Take
us through it?

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Man, nuts, I mean, pardon me.

Speaker 4 (05:17):
Everybody dreams about their first headline stadium show, but I
always wanted to be in Texas and it was and
it was like it brought tears in my eyes.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Man.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
It wasn't an emotional night like yeah that on stage
because you're not a big like no, I just you
just got to focus through it.

Speaker 4 (05:30):
But like the entire time you're playing and you're looking
at at almost fifty thousand people, it's kind of like
the first time I played Houston rodeo. You're looking around
and you're going, I remember what it was like to
get paid a hundred bucks to come singing a bar
for three hours, you know, and couldn't pay your bills,
and nobody really cared, you know, nobody give a damn
about what you were singing or the CDs you were
trying to sell. And Uh, to have that kind of
a reception in Arlington, it was I can't wait to

(05:51):
do it again.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
I wish I could Pokemo. I'd love to see you
a cry right now, but we ain't gonna do it
to them like that, like that, Cody, Cody Johnson. Enjoy
all things, ma, and you have absolutely crushed twenty four.
I can't wait to see what's next.

Speaker 5 (06:04):
And best friend Glen.

Speaker 6 (06:07):
Was in her kitchen trying to cook something and she
slipped on the mushroom and broke her But I was like,
you can't tell you no, Like you just can't, you can't.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
I was like, Oh, I hoped this old lady cross
the streets. She was getting mugged, all this bullshit, Yeah,
just but the problems. Then someone else would ask and
I'd forget, well, yeah go, And she's Hulk Hogan's piece.

Speaker 6 (06:25):
That's the that's the inherent problem with lying exactly.

Speaker 1 (06:29):
It gets hard forget it. Yeah, CMA season is here
and we are hanging with Ms Ashley McBride. How is
life as you It's good.

Speaker 6 (06:37):
It's good right now. We are still touring, of course,
and we go all the way through the end of
the year and start right back up in January.

Speaker 1 (06:43):
No rest for the wicked. But I'd rather be busy
than be bored. Well, let me ask you life. I
feel like road life from the times that we've caught up.
Road life is happy life for you.

Speaker 6 (06:53):
Yeah, that's where I take better care of myself. I
make at least as good of new attrition choices.

Speaker 5 (07:00):
Sometimes you can't avoid it.

Speaker 6 (07:02):
But that is who I am, and it's who I
sing I am, and it's who I say I am,
And that is where I feel the most connected to
what I'm supposed to be connected to, which is my band,
of my guys and making music.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
I want to compliment you, and I swear it sounds
like a compliment, but it's like a random one. You
are one of the most authentic artists that country has,
I feel, and that's not a slight on other people,
but it's like, I don't. It feels like you've never
chased a hit. You're making music that listen, it vibes
with me. I recorded it. Hope you all dig it to.

(07:36):
Is that true? And if so, why have you made
short to stay that way? I tried.

Speaker 6 (07:43):
You have to make the music that's in you, right,
And I've tried doing the other thing, especially early on
in my publishing, you know, writing as a.

Speaker 1 (07:52):
Songwriter for a publishing house and all that, and there.

Speaker 6 (07:54):
Would be days where they're like, you need to write this,
but it can't say this, this or this and must
be this, this or this, and you're like, oh, wow,
those are terrible songs.

Speaker 5 (08:00):
They're terrible.

Speaker 6 (08:01):
They're all bad. I tried making music that wasn't in me,
and I sucked at it. So I figure, we'll just
make the music that's in us, and then the ears
that need it will get it because we all It's
like finding a cool show that your friends haven't heard
of yet on streaming services when you're like, no, you're
gonna love this show. And that's how our music moves

(08:23):
around too. We're all starving for something. We will go
and find what it.

Speaker 1 (08:29):
Is we need. Part of being authentic for me as
a country music fan when I'm you know, discovering different
music our artists. Is country is not defined like it
used to be. Now it used to be color in
the lines, and that's country? Why is it? Why has
it always been important for you? And maybe not on purpose,

(08:50):
but anyone listening to your music, you have a sound
that you are not willing to jeopardize at any point,
right and if somebody listens to you, and whether it's
working with Carly Pearce, so working with you are still
Ashley McBride. You don't lose yourself in whoever you're working with,
which I imagine can be tough.

Speaker 6 (09:07):
I just can't figure out how else to do it.
It's sort of like recently, the band and I were asked.

Speaker 5 (09:13):
To play How's op the World and Melt with.

Speaker 6 (09:16):
You, not a country song, right by a very British band,
and I was like, I don't know if that's going
to translate, well, it'll probably sound like a muppet, like
I was even practicing it as a muppet.

Speaker 7 (09:24):
Like.

Speaker 6 (09:25):
I've seen the difference and it's getting better all the time.
I didn't want I was like, I can't do it
like that, And then we just played it the way
we would play it. Even though we're playing it, we're
covering it right, so we're playing it the way they
played it.

Speaker 1 (09:36):
But then we played it.

Speaker 6 (09:36):
And it sounded different, and I was like, it actually
works as a country song. We weren't trying to make
it a country song. I literally can't figure out how
to do it another way.

Speaker 1 (09:45):
Listen, you are busy, and this is just the tip
of the iceberg. I feel like some of these grandparents, Yeah,
enjoy it. I will take a deep breast.

Speaker 6 (09:54):
I will this is such a busy time, all the
way until after the award show, and I don't I
know that we always get such sound advice.

Speaker 1 (10:03):
Enjoy it.

Speaker 5 (10:04):
You get to do this.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
You could just stand here.

Speaker 6 (10:07):
You know how many people would kill to.

Speaker 1 (10:08):
Be standing here. I'll tell you. We were talking to
Marty from Shenandoah last year and he said to me,
he goes, and I forgot what we were talking about.
But like, I mean, everyone's life goes one hundred miles
an hour. So I had mentioned something about my life
and he was saying something about his, and he goes,
it's important to always look.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
At your feet.

Speaker 1 (10:24):
He goes, You can't you can't appreciate where you've been
because it's over. You can't appreciate where you're going because
you don't know where you're going. So look at your feet.
And so I brought it up to him here and
he remembered it today and.

Speaker 6 (10:35):
Think about like I did this John Prime thing at
the Hall of Fame recently, and my dressing room roommate
was Kathy Matteya, and she's lovely. We had great conversations.
And when she left the room for a moment, I
looked at my team and I said, do you ever go,
oh my god, this is my life. What kind of
life have I lived? So that I get to live
this life? I just had a conversation with her, like

(10:58):
she's my neighbor. She's part of the reason I get
to do this for a living. Every door I walked through,
some other woman kicked it open for me, and I
get to thank her. Incredible, it's massive.

Speaker 1 (11:09):
Enjoy it, you guys, talk to her. I get to
talk to you. Ashle McBride's CMAS enjoyed Deer. It's CMA's
Matt Stella's here at Wayne d H. What's what's this
experience like for you? Man? Because you've done this time
and time again. Uh do you look forward to it?
I mean, I know it's work. I don't I look
forward to it.

Speaker 8 (11:27):
Man, Like I get to catch up with a lot
of like friends, you know, whether it's you know y'all
or artist friends or writer friends or like label promotions people.
You know, Like it's just where everybody kind of congregates.
So you end up running into people and it ends up,
you know, being a hay You know.

Speaker 1 (11:43):
I will tell you you are a guy who has
always worked your tail off. You obviously saw early success.
Uh you it felt like you ran into a wall,
like where it's like people weren't people were connecting, but
not enough people were hearing it, Like it wasn't it
on a platform? Right now you're back to conquering the
way you have in the past. How does it? How

(12:03):
does it feel to kind of I hate the word rebound.

Speaker 8 (12:06):
Well, but here's the thing, So that's that's very fair
because you know, we had our second number one in
country radio in the thick of COVID you know everything
we were in the middle of our headline and tour.
You know, we had twenty five dates for the most
part sold out, right, so we're up in the Northeast
and we're on a Wednesday, we're playing New York and
on a Thursday, that bus just turns around at hezbat

(12:27):
to Nashville for a year. And when that stuff happens,
you know, everybody and again, like I there's a lot
of people lost, a lot more than you know, just
touring days. But there has been, like you know, a
challenge to get back on the horse and to get
the ball roll in the way that we had it.
And that's what makes me excited about, you know, breaking
in boots, being in the top twenty and starting to
see that thing kind of do a thing and yeah, man,

(12:48):
it's cool, it's good.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
How do you stay because country music for everybody is
I mean, it's a grind man, and there's sometimes it
kicks you in the teeth and the sometimes it puts
you on the throne. Yeah, how do you stay positive
and moving forward when you're like, Okay, well we're gonna
try something different this time.

Speaker 8 (13:04):
Yeah, man, I mean a lot of it, you know,
a lot of it's mine. It's all mindset, man, you know,
because at the end of the day, like I don't
deserve I don't deserve to have a pity party.

Speaker 2 (13:14):
Man.

Speaker 8 (13:14):
There's too many people out there that that that have
to go through things that that I don't even understand
how hard it is. And and you know, I've got
people that are close to me that have to deal
with Like I was talking to a good friend of
mine today who's who I was checking in on them
because his dad passed away suddenly recently, right, And that
happens to you know, most all of us. But but

(13:35):
you know, when you're in the throes of that kind
of thing, man, you know that it'll put it in perspective.
And when I lost my dad, I remember, you know,
sort of getting a little bit of a of a
perspective shift. And and I think that's the most important,
wouldn't you know. I wouldn't preciate anybody or anything. But
keeping things in perspective is what I do because it
keeps the distractions away and it gets me focused on

(13:55):
the things that I can I can care that I
need to care about, and the things that I can do.

Speaker 1 (14:00):
We're just talking about the success of breaking in boots. Uh.
The music fans are like, that's great, but what's next?
That's great? But what's next?

Speaker 5 (14:08):
I love it.

Speaker 1 (14:09):
Are you focused on what's next? Is there? Have you
shared fully what what plans are post this single and
the next one and whatever?

Speaker 8 (14:17):
Man, you never know, Like there's uh, there's some songs
raising their hand on off of the new record that
I'm you know, I'm really proud of my record that
I put out this year, Born Lonely. I. I wrote
it from a place where I was just trying to
I was just trying to really make a record that
the kid that learned how to play guitar is in
his dorm room.

Speaker 9 (14:32):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (14:33):
Would would love, for the most part, you know, grow
up a little bit, you know, but but uh, but
be proud of and love. And I'm just gonna keep
on that train. And whether or not the next thing
is something that's out, whether or not the next thing
is new music that I just got done writing.

Speaker 1 (14:48):
You know, I'm excited about.

Speaker 8 (14:49):
All of it because I've learned in this business you
turn that loose and you let the you let the
suits worry about what they what they need to do,
and you just give them a just let them pick
from anything that you like, and you'll have something you
like out on the radio.

Speaker 1 (15:01):
So that's very motivating to hear the story of continuing
to grind. Man. Yeah, country radio definitely has a spot
for you, So keep going, brother man.

Speaker 8 (15:09):
There will be no I'm always gonna keep going, man,
I don't know no other way.

Speaker 1 (15:13):
Listen, and if it comes down to it, book birthday parties.
Matt Stell dot Com absolutely absolutely yeah. Dot Net congratulates
it's CMA time Wayne d hanging out. It's one of
the best doing it. Honestly, I'm gonna use the word
probably one of the most underrated artists we're gonna see
today is Russell Dickerson. That's a fact. Demand's had success.

(15:34):
He's still grinding. How you feeling, I I wish I
could disagree with you.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
I wish I was rated, but I'm I'm underrated.

Speaker 10 (15:42):
Yeah, it's all right, and that's I'm kidding. Listen, Okay,
we're thriving, we're hanging I'm gonna keep doing my thing.

Speaker 1 (15:49):
Let me ask you, what's the toughest part. This is
gonna be real, Okay, this is gonna be like therapist.

Speaker 2 (15:54):
We're getting into.

Speaker 1 (15:56):
Everybody wants a number one song, but as an artist,
we're going mental health on you. What is the hardest
part about putting out a song and have it not
connecting as fast as the last one.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
I mean really, just like you're like, what am I
doing wrong? You know? If we're getting real real, be
real bit. Yeah.

Speaker 10 (16:18):
But I mean, dude, if I that's like super zoomed in,
super focused on that specific subject. So if I zoom
out and look at I have five number ones, you
know what I mean, that's where that's where I gotta
That's where I gotta stay above the water, dude.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
I can't get that deep into the water.

Speaker 10 (16:36):
True, And you know, I you know, entertaining wise, like,
I feel like we we put on one of the
best shows in country music. So come on out to
russell Mania. By the way, twenty five plug there. So yeah, man,
I don't know here we are.

Speaker 1 (16:55):
Let me make a Russell I'm this is gonna be
a selfish port on the interview russell Mania. I see
merch all over country radio. It's fine, No, no, we
have no Rustlemania.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
Are you kidding me?

Speaker 1 (17:08):
Big facts?

Speaker 2 (17:09):
All right, Well it's about to change. You know what.
I'm going to get you the new line. That's fine,
get you that fresh line.

Speaker 1 (17:14):
I will come to your house. I drive by it
on the way home, you do, I stop looking at
the stopped looking at the Windowso because your wife is like,
would you leave?

Speaker 10 (17:21):
Wait, I swear to god, dude, you don't stop peeping.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
Powder bath?

Speaker 1 (17:29):
He was a powder bath. I'm not on that text bracket.

Speaker 2 (17:31):
Okay, me neither.

Speaker 9 (17:32):
Dude.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
It's a bathroom without a shower.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
Is that really what it's called?

Speaker 10 (17:37):
Yeah, all right, No, I'm just I've just been married.
I've been married for eleven years. You know, Yeah, that's
what That's how I know. That's how I know it.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
What are you? And I know you say that the
five number ones. I know how proud you are with that,
because you you're a guy who takes pride in the
songwriting aspect. But give me just the last three hundred
and sixty five days, right, nothing and before that? What
are you most proud of that gets you up doing
it again tomorrow?

Speaker 2 (18:05):
Your kids? Okay, no respect.

Speaker 1 (18:07):
I know you're a proud father, but career wise.

Speaker 10 (18:12):
I mean, dude, really, I think it was earlier this
year we celebrated that we had a triple number one
party insanity. But it's honestly, like the new music that
I have that is about to drop that like I'm like, oh, heck, yeah.

Speaker 2 (18:29):
Daddy's still got it. Daddy's home for the holidays. Baby.
You know what I mean. You know exactly what I mean.

Speaker 1 (18:37):
You're what never mind?

Speaker 10 (18:38):
Yeah, no, she says Daddy's home for the holidays when
I come in off the road anytime between.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
No, that's what she's talking to me, you know.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
On Instagram when we post this.

Speaker 2 (18:51):
Get the real story.

Speaker 1 (18:52):
Uh what are the plans for the holidays?

Speaker 7 (18:54):
Man?

Speaker 1 (18:54):
Are you get to wind down soon here? Or what's
the deal?

Speaker 10 (18:57):
So we're we're renovating our house. Our house is to
the studs and.

Speaker 1 (19:03):
There's always.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
Where get the stud finder?

Speaker 10 (19:08):
We found one and uh so we're living like basically,
I've rented my neighbor's house as my songwriting studio everything,
and so we're living in that right now. Yeah, it's
a little it's like a seventies little ranch. There's cockroaches.
We're figuring out life.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
It's great.

Speaker 10 (19:26):
Yeah, but uh so we're we're not hosting. We always
host we always have people over, but we're like, y'all
gonna have to figure something out because we we ain't
got it this year.

Speaker 1 (19:35):
Dude. We'll have you down at spring Hill Party in
spring Hill wait, I'm getting wrapped, but I have to Thanksgiving.

Speaker 4 (19:42):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (19:43):
Massive debate between Tay and I. Stuffing is number one
on her list for sides. Mine is sweet potatoes. Mmm.

Speaker 10 (19:52):
If if I was if I walked into a Thanksgiving
dinner and they didn't have one or the other, I
would leave if they did not have stuff in.

Speaker 1 (20:02):
Sorry, I just can't win this whole thing. It's fine.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
I would leave.

Speaker 1 (20:07):
Russell Mania taken over CMA Fest or CMA Wow, it's fine.
Well and at the end, russell Mania taken over cm
as right, it's Wayne d and c m A continues
and we're hanging with Tucker wet Moore. Who a year
ago this would have been a whole different experience. But
you got a big old hit on country radio.

Speaker 5 (20:26):
Oh yeah, yeah, it's awesome.

Speaker 11 (20:29):
Man.

Speaker 12 (20:29):
This is my first CMA fift Awards.

Speaker 1 (20:31):
See and I said CMA Fest earlier. Listen they like
wrap the city around it, so you listen flip a right.
Uh so with the CMA Awards, who are you going with?
And this isn't like a who are you doing? Who's going?
Who's who's going with? Show?

Speaker 13 (20:47):
Probably someone on my team, like my manager. Okay, yeah,
I think I'm taking my manager.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
Listen, they're part of the reason why you're going. That's
maybe maybe a couple down the line, we'll take somebody else.
What are you expecting from Have you been to the
show as a fan before?

Speaker 12 (20:59):
I have not, so this is you never that's my
first ever experience.

Speaker 1 (21:03):
Oh you excited?

Speaker 2 (21:04):
I'm so excited. What's this?

Speaker 1 (21:06):
Are we pulling the stash back more? Is it gonna stay?
Have you gotten that part knocked out? Oh? Yeah, I
got my outfit. Okay. Oh that's gonna look.

Speaker 12 (21:13):
It's gonna look so good.

Speaker 1 (21:15):
Did you pick someone else? Pigot, somebody else picked it?

Speaker 14 (21:18):
That's well, I'm in the game.

Speaker 12 (21:21):
They picked it out, and then they gave me options.

Speaker 1 (21:23):
Okay, and then I picked that. I can respect that. Uh.
There are a lot of things that happened CMA Awards.
Obviously the awards themselves. There's the performances. Are you excited
to see the performances? And is there anybody that stands out?
Because I mean, if we just talked to Eric Church
a second ago, which I'm a huge Eric Church fan,
that would be did you bump it in him? No, dude,
he's here for like two more minutes. He's literally right down.

(21:46):
I just met Cody Johnson.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
I love Cody.

Speaker 1 (21:51):
I love Cody Johnson. Uh, you're right. Who cares if
you could jump into somebody and this turns into a
collaboration together, because obviously that's like the hottest thing in country.
Who would it be if you could bump into somebody
outside of Eric Church and it becomes your first big
collab on country radio. Who would it be some of
that I haven't met yet or somebody you've met? Either way, ooh,

(22:14):
I don't know.

Speaker 12 (22:16):
Cody Johnson is still fresh on my mind.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
Probably would be.

Speaker 1 (22:19):
That would be really nuts. Yeah, because Cody Johnson throws
down dude, Yeah, would you be ready for that?

Speaker 9 (22:26):
I throw down that.

Speaker 1 (22:29):
When it comes to the end of the year. What
are your plans in between now and wrapping things up
for twenty four.

Speaker 13 (22:34):
A bunch of radio shows, Thanksgiving. I'll fly back home
for Thanksgiving, and I'm going to the Bahamas. I treat
I'm gonna treat myself to a trip to the Bahamas.

Speaker 1 (22:44):
They're a couple buddies.

Speaker 13 (22:45):
And my golf and play, you know, because play around
in the casino and it's gonna be awesome.

Speaker 1 (22:50):
Well deserved man, you've had a heck of a year.
Thank you. Congrats man, thanks, I appreciate it. Thank you.
The CMA madness rolls on, and I gotta tell you
one of the artists who has had the most buzz
behind their name in the last year. It's Wayne d
talking to Zach Top How's life of Zach top Man?

Speaker 15 (23:04):
I can't complain. If I was any meda, they'd be
two of me.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
It's cool because I hadn't heard your song, I hadn't
heard your name, But all of a sudden, I'm scrolling
through social media and I'm seeing names like Luke Comb's,
Laney Wilson and others praise this dude, Zach top checked
out your music. I'm like, okay for anybody that hasn't
heard your music yet, first of all, where you've been.

(23:31):
Second of all, it's like you have this new old
school sound to you. Why is that important for you
to I mean, it's very nineties country but today, Yeah,
that's kind of man.

Speaker 15 (23:42):
I feel like I cut my teeth on the same
guys that the nineties country guys probably cut their teeth on.
Marl Hygrid and George Jones and Lefty for Zeil and
you know, stuff like that, and so that was just
always my favorite stuff growing up, and so it kind
of just there wasn't any concerted effort to be the
you know, the throwback old school guy. This is just

(24:03):
what comes out of me when I sing and play and.

Speaker 5 (24:05):
Write, I guess.

Speaker 15 (24:06):
So it's I'm just grateful that folks are enjoying what
I'm doing. It's it's obviously a departure of from you know,
a lot of what's having success right now. So it's, uh,
I'm just glad people are loving it.

Speaker 1 (24:17):
Your song on the radio right now really was your
first introduction to mainstream country radio. It's called sounds like
the Radio. Yeah, a little helpful.

Speaker 15 (24:24):
Pandering never hurts, right, Yeah, right, well, how could you
not play it?

Speaker 1 (24:27):
It's exactly what's it been like to drive around Nashville
or your hometown and be able to turn the radio on.
And that's you're tucked in there between the George Straits
and the Luke Combs and the Lady Wilson's.

Speaker 5 (24:40):
It's crazy, man.

Speaker 15 (24:40):
That was you know, I grew up probably on the
tail end of like the streaming services were not a
thing when I was a kid learning about music and
fall in love with country music.

Speaker 1 (24:49):
It was the radio and so that was you.

Speaker 15 (24:52):
Know, that's still in my mind kind of the if
you got a song on the radio, you're somebody sort
of a thing. And so it's it gives me chills
every time I get to hear it on there, and
you know, it's cool to see everybody streaming it and
whatnot too. But it's kind of like there's it's almost
like there's more gatekeepers and taste makers in radio to
where it's kind of a little more of like a
notch in your belt or a feather.

Speaker 9 (25:13):
In your cap or whatever you want to say when
you get one on the radio.

Speaker 5 (25:16):
So it's really really cool.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
Are you looking past this on what you want to
give people next musically?

Speaker 15 (25:21):
Oh yeah, always looking past, you know, dropping cryptic hints
stuff like that. Hopefully some more stuff next year.

Speaker 1 (25:29):
Can't wait. Man, it sounds like the radio making a
big push. Congratulations on your success, brother, I appreciate you.
CMA coverage continues. It's winning deep with Blake Shelton. First
of all, it's so cool to be able. I'm gonna
I'm gonna give you your flowers. As the kids said,
it is so cool to be able to sit down
and chat and catch up with somebody who has done
this at such a high level for so long.

Speaker 5 (25:45):
Oh my god, thank you.

Speaker 16 (25:47):
Absolutely, it's you know, it's fun for me at this
time around. I haven't been to one of these, and
probably about ten years, I've just kind of been mia been,
you know, doing my other my other career that I've
finally got a chance to step away from. And it's
fun to be back here again and just being a
country music singer, you know, going back to what this

(26:10):
started out being, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (26:13):
So obviously you're home a little more, is there is
Gwyn kind of like, wow, I didn't sign a free
to be home this much?

Speaker 5 (26:20):
Is there anything you can go do?

Speaker 17 (26:23):
You know?

Speaker 16 (26:23):
It's funny as as I started slowing down, she's gotten busier,
so maybe I should take the hint. It's like, you know,
she's like, hey, you no, we booked another tour since
you're going to get home.

Speaker 12 (26:37):
I don't know.

Speaker 16 (26:37):
It's just funny how that's worked out because she's she
didn't step away from the voice, you know, she's still
a regular as far as she's in the rotation, you know,
and this is one of the seasons that she's on.
She just released an album and so she's up in
New York doing all her promotional stuff for a record,
So hadn't seen her in about two weeks, so we're
anxious for Thanksgiving.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
We talked a little while ago about your single coming out,
which is Texas. It's awesome now that fans have been
able to hear it, and obviously you are seeing the
numbers move as far as you know radio and streaming
and all that. Are you excited with how it's been
received or is this what you expected?

Speaker 12 (27:18):
I didn't know what to expect.

Speaker 16 (27:19):
I mean, you always in the back of your mind,
no matter what you say, hope, you know it's gonna
be number one, and you know all this stuff. But
at the same time, I try to be realistic about
what you just said a minute ago, like how long
I've been doing this and and I'm not the new
guy anymore. And you know, it's not like people are
sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for my

(27:40):
next piece of music. Because even if you're a fan
of mine, you're probably to the point where you're like, yeah,
I've got three of your records.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
We're good.

Speaker 16 (27:49):
You know, I've seen you in concert three times. But
and so it's been received better than I thought, meaning
the interaction with the song. I had a feeling people
would hear the song and not hate it, you know,
but I don't know that I expected the amount of

(28:13):
love that it's received.

Speaker 7 (28:14):
You know.

Speaker 16 (28:15):
I've released songs for the last ten years. When I
release a song, I don't even hear from my best friends,
like they're like I'll see them somewhere, like, oh, I
like that last song you had. It's like, oh yeah,
why didn't you tell me when it came out when
I was nervous about it, you know. And but on
this one, it's like the old days, Like, you know,
my phone had just exploded with people that I don't

(28:37):
normally hear from saying, man, that's you actually have a
song that's my favorite song right now, you know. And
so that's been exciting to hear, you know, after all
these years, because you never know when your last one
is your last one, you know, you just don't. And
so now I feel like this one's not going to
be my last one.

Speaker 5 (28:55):
So it's pretty exciting.

Speaker 1 (28:57):
Listen, we know how busy you are, the fact that
you took time out to come visit country radio again.
We appreciate you, man, We're glad to have some new
country music from you.

Speaker 16 (29:04):
Proud to be here, buddy, Thank you.

Speaker 1 (29:05):
Wade. Cole Schwindell, CMA Madness continues with a guy that
I'm very excited to hang out with. Man, I'm gonna
start with the festivities that just happened in front of
our little on air booth in here. Yeah it was
Cole Schwindell, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, we call them the
Country Luke's and then Drew Balders was in there. What's
it like in a time like this to be cause

(29:26):
y'all don't get time backstage to hang.

Speaker 18 (29:28):
Or I mean hardly ever.

Speaker 19 (29:31):
Man.

Speaker 18 (29:31):
I'll see Luke on the golf course every now and then.
I don't ever really see Luke, Colmbs or Drew Baldris,
but buddies with them. So that is a part of
this week, you know, getting to see all of you.
Then you know, I've seeing your artist buddies that we're
all doing the same thing. We're always on the go,
always busy. So this week I know everybody says it,
but it's the truth. I mean, that's what we all
get to hang out and try to make the most

(29:53):
of our two minutes or whatever they give us.

Speaker 1 (29:54):
You know that's right, listen, I can do it. Never mind,
what's well, let's before I move on to music. Who's
the best, because you mentioned golf, who's the best golfer
in country music? And who's the worst golfer in country music?

Speaker 18 (30:06):
Oh my gosh, I'll go best, probably Jacob And still
there's some good ones. I mean, Darius and Charles Killer,
they're they're really good.

Speaker 2 (30:15):
I feel like my game's gotten good.

Speaker 18 (30:17):
But I'm not.

Speaker 1 (30:17):
I'm not the worst.

Speaker 18 (30:18):
I'm definitely not the best. The worst gollee man.

Speaker 1 (30:25):
Somebody just called out the worst recently, and I forget, No,
I don't really know I have it's a young, it's
a young I'm.

Speaker 18 (30:30):
Gonna get It's might not be who you're thinking. But
my buddy, we have a new song, Grayland James, you're
the worst golfer, buddy.

Speaker 1 (30:39):
He no, Chris Young said Nate Smith is the worst.

Speaker 18 (30:43):
I haven't played with Nate, but when we me and
Nate and Thomas toured together, Nate kept saying, y'all got
to teach me. So hey, he probably doesn't claim to
play it. I've I don't have an excuse. I've played
my whole life, and golf's just God, it's tough, but
I love it. I'm a great spectator. I'll drive for you.

Speaker 1 (30:56):
There we go. Yeah. Cole Swindell is seeing some success
on the radio and streaming with your song Forever to Me,
a song that is so close to your heart, maybe
one of the most vulnerable times you've been career wise.
What does it mean that it's connected with people?

Speaker 2 (31:11):
For you?

Speaker 18 (31:11):
It's awesome, you know, Like I said, I mean to
still be able to do this and for just still
have the support of country radio is amazing. That's what
It's really all I've ever had and the reason I
have fans because you know, the radio is always played
my songs and this one was just one of those
songs that it's personal to me, and I think a
lot of people can, you know, hearing their stories there
Forever to Me stories has been really cool and just

(31:34):
something I haven't done before. So I'm hey, being right
in the point of my life, newly married and getting
to sing about it is every night.

Speaker 2 (31:41):
It's pretty cool.

Speaker 1 (31:42):
Have you had to tell her, Hey, just a heads up.
Not every song is going to be about you. I did.

Speaker 18 (31:46):
I've told people I'm not making a wedding album, but
I do have some spaces on this one for some
love songs. Thank God, finally, so I feel like I've
had enough of the breakup songs and all that. So
it's about time for a love song that I could
write and mean it and sing it and for radio
to play it.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
There is Colonelle, Thank you, brother, appreciate it. Always it's
Wayne Dy hanging out with the boys, Dan and Shay
or here. I want to ask you a question. This
is going to be very vulnerable, honest question.

Speaker 9 (32:11):
He's looking at our outfits when he says that, He's like, did.

Speaker 1 (32:13):
You think about what you're wearing?

Speaker 20 (32:15):
Did power go out in your house when you were
getting dressed today?

Speaker 1 (32:18):
I mean, listen, I appreciate like you look like you
might be.

Speaker 9 (32:21):
Just in case we need to do yeah, just in
case we need to do any work.

Speaker 1 (32:23):
And I'm getting like substitute teacher vibe.

Speaker 12 (32:25):
Yeah, yeah, I am, I'm just kidding. No, I am.

Speaker 11 (32:28):
I'm actually subbing today. I'm a kids school. I'm also
I'm also taking over this radio show. And we didn't
know how else to tell you.

Speaker 9 (32:35):
The TV that's right. Yeah, yeah, you know, wheeling in.

Speaker 1 (32:38):
On both my feet.

Speaker 9 (32:40):
Raw, dude, Ladies and gentlemen, we have an injured Wendy
in a house.

Speaker 1 (32:44):
Hey, I do want to ask, because we've been lucky enough. Well,
I've been lucky enough to catch up with y' all.
I was trying to say, look how lucky they are,
and I texted you recently. The energy y'all have, it's
like the album came out, the tour hit, and it's
like all new again, right would would that be accurate?

(33:04):
Thank you for saying that.

Speaker 11 (33:05):
First of all, it does feel that way to us too,
because we are genuinely having more fun than we have ever.
I think even you know, since the beginning of our career,
there's just a new found appreciation for what we get
to do.

Speaker 1 (33:17):
Man.

Speaker 11 (33:17):
I feel like you can, you know, go along, you know,
through the years, and you just you know, things kind
of happen, and you get you need to refocus every
once in a while, and I feel like Dan and
I were really able to kind of remind ourselves, like, dude,
this is the greatest thing on planet Earth. We get
to do something in music. We don't have to have
two jobs, and you know, be doing music on the
weekends and working at McDonald's. Like, we get to do
this as a living. That is the craziest thing, you know,

(33:39):
in the world. And we're just grateful to get to
do this. Man, we have people that want to come
see us play. Uh, and we're just we're very thankful
for the fans and for people like you man, honestly,
who have supported us through the years, and we would not.

Speaker 1 (33:50):
Be where we are without you to the very beginning.
Let's go, dude, that first picture I got, I'll dude.

Speaker 20 (33:57):
Speaking of the facial hair, you got it dies nice.
He was in like a wax or an ol. She
zoomed in for this camera.

Speaker 1 (34:03):
Yeah, what is it?

Speaker 9 (34:04):
What is it?

Speaker 1 (34:04):
Balm?

Speaker 9 (34:05):
Nice?

Speaker 1 (34:06):
Nice? Nice? And and I get it colored regularly.

Speaker 9 (34:09):
And here's another detail.

Speaker 20 (34:10):
I'm not getting too into it, but like the mustache
is perfectly like trimmed across the front.

Speaker 9 (34:14):
That's a huge part of it.

Speaker 1 (34:15):
That's what I'm And I love the the bear claw type.

Speaker 11 (34:19):
I I aspire to the nice little plump. It goes
this way and then down. It's not just like straight.
You have created body, That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (34:27):
And I love that for you.

Speaker 11 (34:29):
And by the way he says he colors his beard,
he's talking about the gray.

Speaker 1 (34:32):
He does that to act wise. He does that. He
doesn't have any gray hand.

Speaker 9 (34:37):
It's a humble guy.

Speaker 5 (34:38):
There's a humble guy.

Speaker 1 (34:39):
Enjoy all things CMA's boys. I appreciate you so much.

Speaker 9 (34:41):
We love you man, thank you for everything.

Speaker 1 (34:42):
It's Wayne d It's all things Cmas. And here's the deal.
Russell Diggerson was coming. We're pushing him aside because DASA
has one of the biggest songs of the year. So
Russell Digerson gonna have to wait to say that. Tell
me how nuts this success of this song was because
it had to outperform anything you could have, even yeah,
are you getting me?

Speaker 7 (35:00):
Hit a billion streams overall, a billion a year in
less than a year.

Speaker 1 (35:03):
It's just like, oh God, I don't even know what's
going on.

Speaker 7 (35:06):
Like I feel so blessed to have this song and
what it did, and like how country music in general
just opened their arms to me and like really helped
pour fuel on this fire.

Speaker 1 (35:15):
You say country music, but this song has gotten so big.
I think there's a kids bop version already.

Speaker 7 (35:19):
It's in fortnite. We toured the world with this song. Yeah,
it's in Fortnite.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
That's got Fortnite takes care of you, right, Yeah, they'll
take care of you. But let me ask at any
point where you like, because any song that is massively
successful and becomes an earworm, at some point you're like,
oh god, this song is everywhere? Yeah, do you feel
that way as the artist? Are you?

Speaker 20 (35:40):
Just?

Speaker 7 (35:42):
Honestly, I'm so grateful for it and like seeing people's
reactions and how the excited they are when they hear it.
I'm like, oh, it like gets me excited even more.
I feel like every time I listen to Austin or
perform it, I hear like another lyric or like a
little thing I did, I'm like I forgot I did that,
Like that's clever, or like, damn, that's.

Speaker 1 (35:57):
Catchy, and I'm like, okay, So let me ask what
type of pressure do you put on yourself to follow up?
Because it's the most ever.

Speaker 7 (36:05):
I mean, I'm there's so much new music that I'm
working right now that I'm so proud of and it's
hard because it's really catchy and it's my favorite stuff ever.
And I also have a hit song, a global hit
song that I have to follow up, so it's like, well,
it's not just on the song, it's on the whole
team to step it up.

Speaker 1 (36:23):
So collaborations are red hot in country music right now
as you're creating new music. Are there any names that
you are trying to connect with that you can share?

Speaker 5 (36:33):
I can share.

Speaker 7 (36:34):
I'll share some that are like I would love to
do a song with Casey Musgraves.

Speaker 5 (36:39):
I think she She's one of the reasons.

Speaker 7 (36:40):
I write the way I write, honestly, so I like
admire her so much for that, So I think doing
a song with her would be amazing. Maybe even a
song with Thomas htt We're gonna be on tour together,
so we'll see.

Speaker 1 (36:50):
We're gonna put that on the universe right there. Maybe. Hey, Dasha,
thank you so much appreciation.

Speaker 5 (36:55):
Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (36:56):
We're hanging out all things CMA Awards with Drew Baldridge's
and man, life is nuts for you. Life is crazy
because a couple of years ago you were like, what
am I gonna do?

Speaker 21 (37:06):
Yeah, yeah, one hundred percent, And this this year has
been so wild for us, and you know, to think
a year ago, I was just trying to be a
part of CMA awards any any way possible, and you know,
begging to be on radio stations, begging to be on tours,
just trying to get my music hurt anyway possible, being
an independent artist totally, no manager, no agent, no nothing,

(37:29):
just being by ourselves. And you know, this year has
been so monumental to have our first number one and
to think, you know, we get to come into my
first ever CMA Awards with an actual hit. You know,
most of the time, I'm just like sneaking in, right.

Speaker 1 (37:42):
Like walking in with a guards can work. Yeah, And
I know you so I can ask this question as
brutally as it sounds, but I mean it with the
best intention. How does it feel to go from losing label,
label and all that right representation on that side and
then to turn things around where they're calling you to
be like, hey want to work together? Yes, man, because

(38:06):
it because give yourself credit. I hope you do because
you did that.

Speaker 21 (38:09):
Oh man, well thanks thanks for saying that, buddy. It
has been a it's been a whirlwind of feelings, you know,
of like I told you you know a little bit
of that. I told you so, you know, but no,
it's just also just been like also scary, and a
lot of pressure on the other side of I just
don't want it to go away again. So I feel
a lot of weight of making sure I'm doing everything

(38:32):
right where you know, I don't lose that again, I
don't lose the opportunities that I'm getting, and I want
to just make sure I'm putting out great music and
music that's touching people's hearts, that actually makes an impact.
And so yeah, there's there's a little both sides, a
little bit of like I knew we could do this.
It's it's so much rewarding, just like anybody in life
out there, no matter what you're doing, whatever your job is,

(38:53):
if you do it by yourself and you win, the
reward is bigger than having somebody else do it for you.
And so I feel this reward of like, man, I
really did that. We had our first number one, We
did it independently, nobody's done it before, and so there
is a big, a big like, wow, I knew we
could do this, you know, so so but a lot

(39:14):
of pressure also.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
I'm glad it worked out too, because as much as
I appreciate you, you ain't pretty enough for OnlyFans. This
country thing worked out. I love it last thing. Do
you feel pressure now with the follow up single and
whatever music you were focusing on now after this?

Speaker 21 (39:29):
Yeah, I definitely. Did you know when we got top
fifteen was She's Somebody's daughter. Everybody in radio and everybody's like,
what's next, What's next?

Speaker 2 (39:35):
What's next?

Speaker 21 (39:36):
And I had this song tough People that I really
love that we just put out a couple of weeks ago.
And that was a whirlwind song to get because I
recorded it in December and then Luke Combs recorded it
in January and I got to sit in and watch
him record it. There was talks of Laney being on
it with him. Laney was over at my house. She
loved the song. Luke asked to be on it, and

(39:58):
then life happens.

Speaker 2 (39:59):
You know.

Speaker 21 (39:59):
They had albums put out. He put out a Father's
Day album, He had the Twister song. And I'm sitting
over here like waiting on my next single, and this
is my favorite one. You know, I'm sitting on my
favorite song. So I just call him say, hey, man,
I don't know what you're doing. This is my follow up.
It has to be the best song I've ever put out,
and this is it. Like, if you want to do it,
it's great. But if you know, if you're in limbo

(40:20):
and you don't know when your next album is like,
let me know. And he hit me right back. He's
just like, man, you wrote the song, you should sing it.
And so that was really really cool of him. And
now you know, it took me five months for She's
Somebody's Daughter to chart, and this song charted in the
first week, which is crazy to think about, and it's
climbing faster at radio than I've ever had anything do that.

Speaker 1 (40:40):
By the way, when you're doing an interview with somebody
and they use the word charted, you kind of have
to do a double take. Oh totally totally, Drew Bald,
thanks for coming back. Thanks, I appreciate you. Man. Amazing
it's Wayne d CMA Awards are here. This season has
officially kicked off, and my man, Dylan Marlowe is all
in it deeper than ever, man, because you got a

(41:00):
big old song on country radios.

Speaker 5 (41:02):
Hey, such a blessed dude.

Speaker 1 (41:03):
I gotta ask because you're somebody who has written a
lot of songs leading up to this moment, and you've
written for other people as well. Before we ever knew
your name, right, Yeah, what are some of those right
stories that kind of turned you into like, hey, I'm
hanging out to these ones for me?

Speaker 19 (41:18):
Yeah, probably just having to like take a leave of
faith in my own career and say, you know, I
could keep pitching these songs to other people. And I
always I never intended on writing songs for anybody else.
It just kind of they started finding their homes and
uh so I kind of had to be like, all right,
I'm keeping this one, you know. I think we were
about to pitch Boys back Home even and I was like,
now we just need to I'm gonna keep this one,

(41:40):
and thankfully I did kind of taught me a good lesson.

Speaker 1 (41:43):
So let me ask you this because it feels like
an anthem song, which we talked about before. Yeah, was
it like, hey, this is the single? Like there was
no there was no other competition.

Speaker 19 (41:55):
I mean, we had a song out called Record High, uh,
and we were going to go radio with that, and
at the last second we didn't, and so we were
kind of just you know what's next, and Boys back
Home was ready to go because we were gonna put
it out a little earlier. But Dylan had a record
coming out, and so it just didn't make sense to
put one out with his record coming out, and.

Speaker 5 (42:15):
So, you know, a few months after that sounded like shay.

Speaker 1 (42:19):
Yeah, god forbid, we'll do interviews here and they're on
I think they're singing on Broadway from lunch Money right now,
and yeah, it just.

Speaker 19 (42:27):
We we posted about it on TikTok and kind of
blew up on there, which is I try not to
really get on there too much, but I'm not mad
about it.

Speaker 5 (42:35):
And uh, then we were like, hey, this has definitely got.

Speaker 1 (42:37):
To be the one. So so what are the CMA
Awards like this time around for you? Obviously the big
show is Wednesday, but what's what's the scene like for
you that life is now, that life is literally completely different,
uh from a year ago?

Speaker 19 (42:49):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I'm about to find out.
This is my first one. So I just learned that you.
Somebody was like, what are you? Who are you going
to talk to? Who are you looking forward to talking
to during the commercial break? And I was like, do
you talked during the commercial break? So like, yeah, you
get up and talk to somebody. And I was like, oh,
I don't know. I didn't know.

Speaker 1 (43:06):
That I went last year, my daughter went with me
and Matthew Ramsey from Old Dominion walk by and she
goes and then the Golden Bachelor guy. I guess I'm
not huh, so there's it's like Bachelor for old guys.
So but she was like, oh, and so there's some
of that. Yeah, So who do you hope to talk
to during the commercial.

Speaker 5 (43:25):
During the commercial break?

Speaker 19 (43:27):
If Eric Church walked by, I would definitely like probably
talk to him.

Speaker 1 (43:30):
He's gonna be here in a little bit, is he.
I'm gonna record that whole thing. God dude, he's my
like be do something awkward, be memorable.

Speaker 19 (43:38):
When I see Yeah, I feel like that's the only
person I would kind of like be like, oh crap,
that's that's Eric Church. Like most people, I don't really care,
Like I don't really gets other.

Speaker 5 (43:49):
Than you and probably Eric Church.

Speaker 19 (43:51):
But that's just like, you know, when I got into
country music and started listening to the way he wrote songs, like,
I feel like I had this meter in my head
now for when I cut a song, I'm like, dang,
what would not like would Air Church cut this?

Speaker 5 (44:04):
Because his Thingk's completely different?

Speaker 19 (44:05):
But like I have this like par now just from
listening to all his stuff, like Okay, it's got to
at least make me feel like this for me to
put the song out so like, I feel like I
all that to him.

Speaker 1 (44:14):
So let's get it. Well, I'm we're putting it in
the universe that Dyla Marl is about to run an
our church shortly here. Let's get I get good to
see it. Brother, you too, bro CMA's are here and
you can't celebrate dang find country music without Chris Jansen.

Speaker 12 (44:28):
H thank you.

Speaker 1 (44:30):
How's life? You're making some great music right now. I
mean you always are.

Speaker 17 (44:33):
Thank you dude. Well, what you see is what you
get's doing good. We're thankful for that. It's in the
twenties on the chart. I also just released a new
single that's people are loving man. They like I can't
believe how much love is coming off of it. With
cheap time makes money look cheap. We've talked about this
multiple times on and off record, like you can't buy
back the time, man, you can't buy the memories. And

(44:53):
as you know, well, I'm that kind of guy and
that kind of husband and father and man, and so
I'm proud of that. And I didn't even tell you this,
I don't think but I cut Christmas in Dixie because
we needed a Christmas song.

Speaker 12 (45:05):
I want to do it Christmas EP.

Speaker 17 (45:07):
I wanted to package the last couple of years of
my Christmas songs together, and so I cut the song.

Speaker 1 (45:12):
We love it.

Speaker 17 (45:12):
We cuted the cabin in the country and then we
were trigger treating and I said, Kelly, I'm.

Speaker 12 (45:18):
Gonna call Randio and she was like, yeah, I do it.
So I called him.

Speaker 17 (45:21):
I said, hey, Randy, I'd love for you to join
me on this. He was trigger treating with his grandkid's
so awesome, and he called Teddy that is Alabama, and
I said, I want you guys to join me.

Speaker 12 (45:30):
Not a collaboration, but like a duet.

Speaker 17 (45:31):
I really do it, and they were so gracious and
so that was on Friday. Then they recorded on Monday,
and we recorded a video and it comes out November
twenty second next week, and I'm super stoked about it. Man,
I gotta tell you, it's one of my favorite things
I've ever done. And it sounds I mean, I'm not
to brag on myself, but they sound amazing.

Speaker 1 (45:51):
That's awesome, man. I can't wait to hear it. Thank you.
You are not a guy who has and I don't
want to say you're rushing music out but you've never
rushed music out there. No, never know. But there's something
real that has you putting out Yeah, like.

Speaker 12 (46:03):
I feel like it. I just feel like I don't know, man.
I well, I just uh.

Speaker 17 (46:07):
I went through a little bit of a hiatus, Like
I wrote really hard for the record with All I
Need is You, What you see is what you get,
those kind of things, and it's like.

Speaker 12 (46:16):
I just got back in songwriting mode.

Speaker 17 (46:18):
I mean Mitch Oglesby, one of my the collaborator who
I wrote Done with, who I wrote All I Need
Is You with, whoever read Nick Life with, who wrote
Country On for Luke and so many other hits. One
of my best buddies in life. He was like, CJ,
you got it. We got to get to work, man,
we got to get to work. And you know me,
it's like like pulling tea sometimes said I'm touring all
the time and I want to do it, and then

(46:39):
I finally just did it and I gave in.

Speaker 12 (46:41):
And that's how I am.

Speaker 17 (46:42):
Whenever I get drug into songwriting. Right in one of
those brief moments, I don't feel like doing it, which
sounds so pitiful, but then I'm like full fledged in.
It's like cigars and me. You know, it's like I
quit Mountain Dew and then I go extra hard on cigars.
So with songwriting, man, I've just been cranking songs seit.
I've written like I don't know, I've written like twenty

(47:02):
new songs in the last month.

Speaker 12 (47:04):
Yeah, and uh, and.

Speaker 17 (47:06):
So I just wanted to start putting them out and
that's it, and like you can do that now.

Speaker 12 (47:09):
So that's that's what we're doing.

Speaker 1 (47:11):
Well, we're loving it. And she was fantastic and obviously
what you see is what you get. Finally took a minute,
but here we go. Everybody's finally catching up. Yeah to
the big old song again.

Speaker 17 (47:21):
Well, I appreciate that, thank you, and uh, I appreciate
all the support. I mean that's personally thank you. And uh,
you know, hey, man, iheart's been good to me.

Speaker 12 (47:28):
I'm an I heeart guy. From the very beginning. Let's
not forget that I wasn't on the verge.

Speaker 20 (47:32):
Guy.

Speaker 17 (47:32):
I wasn't on the verge. Guy before on the verge
was a thing, and uh, and then I was on
the verge. You know with boat and and uh so,
like you know, without iheartman's support, I wouldn't be where
I'm at. And I recognize it, and I appreciate it,
always will appreciate it, always have and and uh, you're right,
some things take a minute. But once they start hitting
their stride, they start hitting their stride and we're hitting
our stride.

Speaker 12 (47:53):
So I'm I'm happy.

Speaker 1 (47:54):
Christians is hanging. I appreciate you, brother, I appreciate you.
Man the man of the hour. He's back doing the
dang thing. It's Wayne d you hanging with Luke Bryant
all things cmas. Is it going to be weird for
you one day when this show is happening and you're
not there?

Speaker 21 (48:07):
Well, uh, you know, yeah, I mean it's all I
often think about if I'm not judging idle and if
I'm not, I don't know.

Speaker 12 (48:16):
It's it's uh you you.

Speaker 21 (48:18):
Fall in love with with being a part of this,
and because as a kid, you know, I dreamed.

Speaker 12 (48:23):
Of being in these situations where.

Speaker 21 (48:27):
To have been even at the CMA's and then to
win a CMA and then to host it and all that.
So it's just pretty wild that this has become my reality.
And uh so, yeah, I think if I'm ever at
home and other people are hosting, uh, it'll you know, it'll,
but it won't be you know. I think I won't
be bitter about stuff. I don't want to be the

(48:48):
old bitter person that's mad because things are the way
they not, you know what I'm saying. I don't want
to ever get in that spot. I mean, I'll probably
be in a deer stand. I'd have to watch it
from a deer stand.

Speaker 1 (49:00):
So, uh, last thing I want to ask is award
show related? You know what it's like to be nominating,
know what it's like to win, you know what it's
like to have number ones in salad arenas, but in
that host seat. What's something you've been able to appreciate
about the award show process that as an artist you
you would have never known about.

Speaker 21 (49:16):
Well, what's great about it is when you when you
have artists that are backstage and these are the these
are the inner workings of their biggest moments ever. And
I get to be back there as they go out
on stage and and you know, you got your people
like me. Now, it's like I walk out there, I'm comfortable.

(49:37):
I do my songs. But then when you see younger accent,
this is their first biggest moment. I mean I remember
when I was asked to like present my first award,
just presenting, I was freaking out. So when when you
can watch these people really working hard to take their
career to another level, it's pretty special. In the CMA

(49:58):
Awards is a big moment to do that.

Speaker 1 (50:01):
It's awesome. Luke Bryan, thank you man and c MA
Matt continues, Wayne d and the one and only Luke Combs.
So I gotta ask you we could talk music and
I respect the music, and yeah, nothing but bangers is
what I'm gonna say. Maybe maybe that's an album name.
Moving forward, Uh, hit me with the bar because we
haven't caught up since the bar opened. How are you

(50:22):
feeling now that it's wide open and fans are wrong?

Speaker 11 (50:24):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (50:24):
Man, it's great.

Speaker 22 (50:25):
The reception has been really, really good.

Speaker 11 (50:28):
You know.

Speaker 22 (50:28):
I think people were like, oh, you're gonna take the
dance floor out of the you know, and it's like, no,
we're not doing that. It it turned out really well.
The food one of my favorite parts for sure. The
wings are insane. I love the wings, but it's just
goodbyes Man. It's really well done, you know, Rhyme and Group,
all those folks, and they just crush everything they do.

(50:48):
So I'm just proud to have an awesome partner in them.

Speaker 1 (50:51):
Is it something that you want to turn into a
home musically at some point where maybe maybe I would
love a handful of shows.

Speaker 22 (50:57):
I would love to do something like that in future,
you know, whenever that. Whenever that happens, you know, I'll
be excited to do it there for sure.

Speaker 1 (51:04):
Good deal. Cmas are here? Something you look forward to
anytime this time of year?

Speaker 2 (51:07):
Is man?

Speaker 22 (51:08):
I feel like just seeing people you don't get to
see a lot, you know, whether that's you guys and
radio or artists and commercial breaks at the show. It's like,
you know, we don't really all get to spend any
considerable amount of time together, so it's nice to be
able to have everyone in one location and be able
to catch up.

Speaker 1 (51:22):
Man, congratulations on everything that. Thank you, I appreciate it. Guys,
take a picture, hang it out with Mitchell tenpenny. Uh, listen,
have you let it sink in? I know this is
like the most asked question of the whole dang thing.

Speaker 14 (51:35):
Yeah, I no, Sorry, I thought you were talking about
something else. Have you let it sink in that we're
here but getting no, it's a man, It truly is
an honor. I don't think it'll hit me t im
walking the carpets, seen all, seeing everybody. It's I've never
been nominated for sing of a It's it truly is
an honor to be acknowledged by your peers, like this
is the biggest night for country music, and so I'm

(51:58):
very excited to be a part of it.

Speaker 1 (51:59):
He as somebody who loves and respects you for you
and your work.

Speaker 2 (52:03):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (52:03):
I will say, what the hell took so long? But
it's fine, man, I'll take it man.

Speaker 14 (52:09):
And again, yeah, I know I'm not the newest of
new artists in the world, but it just takes a
while sometimes. And again, I'm just honored to be acknowledged.

Speaker 1 (52:17):
That's a take me through that process. Anything that takes
time is frustrating, because, especially in twenty twenty four, the
world is a give it to me now world, Yes
it is. How do you keep yourself like now, I'm
doing the right thing and it'll happen.

Speaker 14 (52:30):
Man, To be honest, it's been playing shows, playing live
shows and hearing people doing me and greets, having people
come up and tell you their stories how your music's
affected them. Hearing people singing back songs, just talking to
the real world and not this thing right here.

Speaker 1 (52:47):
It's very healthy.

Speaker 14 (52:48):
I'm trying to get out of this thing and get
to people, and that's been a blessing this year to
get to do that and to really hear real stories
and see what's actually going on in seat of this
stuff that's not real.

Speaker 1 (52:58):
Listen, we are coming up on Thanksgiving. Let me ask you, Uh,
there is a healthy debate between Tay Hamilton and myself. Okay,
she says stuffing is the best side, and I feel
like that's the Walmart answer. That's like generic, that's like
let me get let me get you like vanilla. I
scream too. No, it's sweet potato casserole. Sweet potatoes are

(53:20):
my jam.

Speaker 14 (53:21):
I'm not a sweet potato or a stuffing. I'm sorry,
what's wrong with you? It's mac and cheese that's the best.

Speaker 1 (53:27):
But let me ask, is this like a family recipe?

Speaker 14 (53:29):
Are you just saying like, yeah, my aunt makes up
She'll bake rich crackers over the top of it, give
a little texture, but all the cheeses, like five cheeses.

Speaker 1 (53:37):
It's nuts.

Speaker 14 (53:38):
But I'm not. I my family and my brother everyone
loves stuffing. But I've never been a.

Speaker 1 (53:43):
Sweet potato guy. I don't know why.

Speaker 14 (53:45):
I don't know why I love I love regular potatoes
with salt and butter.

Speaker 1 (53:48):
The wild thing is, I'm like mildly offended, and I
don't know why. I'm he never had them, or you
just don't like them.

Speaker 14 (53:56):
I'm man, I I just don't like the French fries.
Maybe I need to just do the I don't think
I've ever actually eating like.

Speaker 1 (54:02):
No, like you. You cut them up and then you
put marshmallows over him and then bake.

Speaker 14 (54:06):
Well, see, now that's interesting.

Speaker 2 (54:07):
I've never done that.

Speaker 1 (54:09):
We're gonna hook that up. I'm coming over for thanks again.
That's really the whole point of this. Sounds right here,
and he enjoy the c m A. I was gonna
say weekend. We're so used to saying weekend. I don't
think it's ever been on a weekend. Enjoy the CMA, run, brother,
because you definitely deserve it. You