September 18, 2025 • 19 mins
In this episode, Wayne D sits down with country star Jordan Davis for a laid-back, insightful chat about life on and off the road. Jordan opens up about his jam-packed summer of touring, the joys and challenges of being a new dad as his family continues to grow, and his thoughts on how his beloved LSU Tigers will fare this college football season. From backstage stories to baby bottles and football predictions, it’s a fun and heartfelt conversation you won’t want to miss.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We'll find something to talk about. Yeah, uh in studio
and it's been too dang long. And I blame Jordan
Davis for that.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And I will accept that. I will accept that because
I know I know where you're at. So there's no
reason why I can't just oh, because I never have
anything going on. You're saying, I'm just here waiting for you.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
To repel them.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm just saying I could easily just come knock on
the window.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
But what ude, let me end and let me but
let me tell you, like, and this is maybe a
story I'll have to clip out, but there was a
time when I first got to Nashville and you were
like doing like a boys afternoon You're like, Hey, who
could I talk to at at Luke's? Like we're gonna
go out to Luke's? Like who could? Now? You just
go wherever you want? You know everybody? No, do you
remember that? Uh? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
A lot a lot of tequila in between there. I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Well, ain't kids? Yeah to kidlaw? Yeah it's different. Yeah,
Uh dude, how how is how is the dad life part?
Because as your career, your career was always steady, but
it feels like over the last year and a half.
I mean, yeah, it's really taken off, but so is
your family life.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
You know, it's been like the what the hell the
juggle of h Yeah, I mean that's just been a constant,
you know struggle of you know, working too much, not
enough time at home, too much time at home, not
working enough.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I feel like I'm getting I'm getting into a good
spot with it. Uh but yeah, I mean it's always that,
Like I mean, I love and I know we've talked.
It's like we love what we do, Like, you know,
this is fun, Like this is a dream job. So
like not going out and doing what you've wanted for
a long time is tough. So uh but I'm I'm fine.
(01:38):
I'm striking a good balance with it.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
I got to tell you. One of my favorite Instagram
accounts to follow is your wife's because like super mom
slash super supportive wife, Like she's pulling off everything right now.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, she's uh, she's rockstar man like, and even like
this month is like crazy for us. We're going all
the time and I'm like, hey, baby, you want me
to bring my mom up? Do you want to bring
like your family over? Like how you and she's like
I figured it out, you know, and like that's just been.
You know, I don't know how we ended up together
because we're both about as headstrong as the other.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
But uh, she is man, she's she's a rock star.
She keeps things afloat at the Davis household. I have
nothing to do with that house, like truly, Like I
give it to her and be like, hey, I even
give her my schedule, like will you let me know
what I got tomorrow? Like why in between doctor visits,
will you check in and make sure that I'm doing
what I'm supposed to be doing.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I know the I know the feeling. Yeah, how are
you happy with the balance that you're putting together for
yourself right now? Family and work wise?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, I think, like you know, there's always like a
few things that I think I could I could fix. Uh,
But yeah, I mean it's been, you know, it's been.
I think we're getting to a good spot where it feels,
it feels comfortable, And a lot of that is just
like the kids getting older. You know, my two older ones,
you know, one's about to turn six, one just turned four,
(03:03):
So it's like they they're able to catch up on
a little bit more stuff, you know, And and it's
it's tough. You used to be able to just leave
and they were like could care less, and then now
it's like, all right, they're kind of upset whenever I
gotta go. So that's been the that's been the biggest
poolback on like all right, maybe a little bit more
time at home.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Well there's a the age now where they know when
you leave here coming back, Well they do know that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, it's not like just like okay like back then
where it's just like okay, by dad, good knowing you.
It's like, well, no, no, no, I'll be back.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I live here, I'll live here.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
But yeah, at least and you know, and and that
could look like, you know, bringing them out a little
bit more and spending more time on the road. But
you know, that's that's something we can we can cross
when we get there.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Uh. You've had so much success musically with your radio
singles obviously bar none has been awesome. You're getting ready
to put out this full album. Are you more intentional
now with like what goes to cut? The word single?
Country radio single? Are you more mindful of that now
than you were before? On like what's going to represent
(04:06):
you to the masses that way.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Maybe, but well, I don't know, maybe not, because I
feel like the last ones have been kind of you know,
I think bar None, we did something that felt a
little different than we've put out before. Yeah, so yeah,
I feel like it's kind of fifty to fifty.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I love when the fans pick it, when they raised
their hand on like, hey, this is the one that
we're connecting with. I think the good thing is we've
been playing a lot of these songs out live, and
I feel like they're connecting with all of them, So,
you know, I think it will be something with me.
You know, maybe going forward, it's just like taking a
(04:48):
bigger swing. You know, there's a lot of songs on
this record that I feel are totally something out of
left field that maybe a fan that's been with me
for a long time will be like, I wasn't expecting
to put a song out like that, but uh so
maybe that would be the the risk of like sending
that out as the single and and seeing how it
(05:08):
goes as.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
You rewind your career back to I mean not too
long ago, but a while ago.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, is there you can say it. I'm getting older,
I get it.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yes, well we're talking about Beard Dies next. I'm kidding
we uh you You talked about how you like when
fans raise their hands for something right, like when they
picked something. Is there going back through album cuts, is
there one that like they were really like, oh, we love,
we love, and you just wouldn't get we never.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Got to it.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
I had a song called you Got My Number that
they really loved and a song called going Round off
my first record that I think if we would have
gone another single off of the first record, it probably
would have been going Around. But those are two that, like,
I still get a lot of requests to play those,
and going Around is still in the set, so like it.
(06:01):
Those are those are a couple that I think would
have would have done well if we just singled them.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Uh learn the hard Way is getting ready to come
out in just a couple of weeks here. Yeah. Is
the album cycle a weird thing to comprehend because there's
a lot of guys just putting out a song, a song,
a song, a song, and then there's guys putting out
fifty seven song albums. Yeah, Uh, it's like because so
the album cycle really is like the weirdest thing in
country music.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yea, it just feels like it's changed so much. Yeah,
which I mean music's changing.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
But like.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I think I'll always go back to the album.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I think there's something that you can digest with a
with a record, and I mean even too, like you know,
some of those bigger, bigger records, you know, I still
think you have a you know, you're going to gravitate
to your favorite songs off of them. But uh yeah,
I mean I don't mind the EP and I'm grateful
for the EPs we put out or the shorter records,
(06:59):
you know, because it's still gives the fans something to
listen to while you're maybe working on a record. But yeah,
I think I'm always going to be an album guy
and probably try to keep it between ten to twenty songs,
you know, watch this next record come out and beat
thirty five songs.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
But like.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
You know, to me, that's just like manageable to do
and still maintain a life and kind of go back
to that balance that we talked about and still give
the fans something new in a reasonable amount of time
that they don't feel like I'm holding out on music
because I'm never holding out of music. I would love
to give as much music as I can. Unfortunately have
to write these songs, and I don't write great songs
(07:40):
every time I write a song. So yeah, that's like
kind of maybe why this record took a little bit
longer than I would hope art.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
So, how many songs are on this upcoming album?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Seventeen?
Speaker 1 (07:53):
So out of those, how many didn't make the cut
because usually usually the album processes like, oh, I'm gonna
get it, I'm gonna get it down to fourteen.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Oh but this one, Oh but this you can, yeah,
throw stuff in. I think we cut about twenty twenty
to twenty five somewhere in there. So there's you know,
five or six that just didn't make it. And again
I'm not saying we don't. They don't ever get released.
They just maybe didn't feel like they needed to be
on this one. But yeah, I don't think we went
(08:27):
like crazy on cutting. Yeah, I think twenty four. I
think we cut twenty four songs for this record.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Can you explain what if how does it cause like
a page of a book, right, Like if you rip
it out, the book doesn't make sense or the chapter
doesn't make sense. A lot of artists. I feel approach
albums that way, Like if I take this song out,
this album doesn't make sense. If that's if that's the
case for you, this group of songs that didn't make
this album, how do you know they'll fit what's next?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
And that's the thing is, like you don't you don't know,
cause I'm definitely I've cut a lot of songs for
Bluebird Days that didn't make it, and they didn't make
Bluebird Days that didn't make this record. Still love the song,
but you know, I don't know. And I've never made
like a concept record, you know, I try to like
(09:17):
not get too caught up in that, in that like
consistent flow. I want there to at least be a theme,
but like it doesn't have to be like you know,
one through seventeen. If you listen to fourteen and then
go back to two, it doesn't make sense, like that
would just be that just sounds really hard, But like
you know, and maybe a lot of times I feel
(09:40):
like some of those songs you end up pitching, you know,
I end up sending to somebody else and be like,
hey man, it just didn't fit what I was doing,
But maybe it fits what you're doing. But yeah, I've
you know, and who knows, maybe my next record is
going back and grabbing all those songs and being like.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Hey, this is what didn't make those records.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Maybe they work here.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
But yeah, it's a it's not easy. It's a it's
a it's a task that you got to really be
all in on to make records.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
A lot of artists who overthink album titles. Are you liking?
Are you like whatever pops up we'll run with? Are
you like?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
No?
Speaker 1 (10:16):
It needs to be meaningful for where I'm at and
where these songs are.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
I think there's got to be it's got to be
something that pulls it back to a majority of the record,
you know. I think it's and again with it not
being like a true concept record, I think you just
kind of want to grab the common theme at least
with majority of the songs. Bluebird Days, I was pretty
big on on that being the title. Uh and in
(10:42):
Home State too, at least I knew like when we
kind of started the record, like, hey man, I think
this record's gonna be called this Uh this one the record.
The name came super late into the process, but yeah,
it's it's something that it at least got to be
able to to explain why that record is called this,
(11:04):
And I've also hated to just like, you know, I
know I have a self titled EP, but like, you know,
it's it's you know, so I guess I can't say that,
like just calling it Jordan Davis would be weird. But yeah,
it's it's it's something that is a tough task, but
I don't I don't have to think too much into what.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So this is, Uh, this has learned the hard way.
But what would what would we have gotten if it
wasn't named that? Like what was a backup name? Uh?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Louisiana Stick, which is a song off the record, you know,
mainly because that was my nickname in high school, Stick
because I got tall really early and just like was
like one hundred and thirty five pounds. Some of my
friends just called me stick figure. Uh, and I'd always
had that title, you know. But again, the reason why
(11:52):
I didn't make that is because I was like, all right,
that's like highlighting one song that's like got this really
heavy Louisiana theme, and there's only really one song that
kind of fits that. It doesn't do justice to the
other songs. So learned the hard Way was the one
we went to because there's at least a little bit
of thread through all those songs that could kind of
(12:14):
come back to learn the hard Way.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
So with that being the title, I will ask, what
is the two part question. What is the musically the
heart the lesson you had to learn the hard way,
you had to go out and fall on your face
and learn the hard way, And what's the life version
of that?
Speaker 2 (12:32):
I think the life version is is kind of that
balance of doing something that you love to do, but
also knowing that that's not at the end of the day.
What you what your number one goal is? You know,
number one goal is being a dad and a husband.
(12:53):
Music is my job, and sometimes over the past three
or four years that is kind of teetered on what
what goes first, and through some hard conversations I kind
of had to learn the hard way that the balance
wasn't quite there. Yeah, and then musically, you know, taking
(13:15):
I don't want to say like safe safe risk on
the last record and not really kind of taking a
big swing or a swing that I wanted to take
and doing something totally different that somewhat kind of scared me.
Bluebird Days was like in my wheelhouse, every song was
like something that I felt like I knew was me
(13:37):
and I could I could do that and go out
and play that and believe it to where this one
was like I've gotten more gratification through making this record
by taking a chance on a few of these songs
and being like, all right, I know that a fan
is that's listened to me from day one, or a
new fan that maybe is listened to my last three
(14:00):
single has been like Huh, I didn't think you would
ever put a song out like that. Uh.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
And is that insulting to hear or is that like
a compliment?
Speaker 2 (14:08):
No, I think it's I think it's to me, it's
a compliment of like taking a chance and going in
and recording something that like, I think my biggest fear
and putting a record out is having a fan say
like I feel like he kind of cast that one in,
you know, or it sounded like the last record and
I don't want that to be the case ever, And
sometimes that's taking a risk that on the flip side
(14:30):
of that could be like hey, bro, that song stupid
or that song that sounds not good? Why did he
put that on there? Like that's just kind of the
chance you got to take. And you know, I think
by maybe being a little safer on the last record,
I learned that that true true, like doing what you
(14:51):
want to do is maybe getting outside of your comfort
zone a little bit.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Watching you over the years talk about the Bluebird Days album,
I feel like, and correct me if I'm wrong. You
love what you do, You love all your music, but
there's something about Bluebird Days that like will live closer
to your heart than any of the other projects. Is
that right?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Yeah? I think it's a it's the typical like second record,
you know, and again maybe this is a little too
inside music. And you probably know you have your life
to make your first record, and then you got a
quick amount of time and you've really got an audience now,
so the second one needs to be who you are.
And I do feel like I put a little bit
(15:29):
more into that one, just from like a personal standpoint.
You know, some songs, whether it be Bluebird Days itself,
like that, you know, you just write about stuff that
maybe you wouldn't have done on your first record, or
you just want to be a little bit more open
on it. And and yeah, Bluebird will always have that
that that kind of feel for me.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
There's something when you have been talking about the amount
of times you've talked about balance and like, you know,
learning the hard way of trying to balance things out right.
There's somebody that I work for one time who said
to me, at some point the people you're sacrificing for
become more of what you're sacrificing, because if you're out
all the time trying to make every dollar you can
(16:12):
write all of the big hits you can, at some
point it's and you're like sending the money home and
I'm taking care of everybody, taking care of everybody. At
some point, that's what you're sacrificing. And when he said that,
I was like, damn.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Well, I mean that's it, and it's That's been a
struggle for me of conversations with with Kristen, with other
artists that I look up to that have kind of
walked you know this in front of me, where it
was like, man, how much of this is you have
to go out and play shows or you want to
(16:45):
go out and play shows, And sometimes it was well,
I want to go play music. I love this, Like
this is awesome, and you miss stuff on the family
in and you can't get that stuff back. So it's like,
you know, I've had to learn a few of those
lessons the hard way. The hard way, I know, and
(17:08):
and and at least now I can always go back
and be like, all right, I didn't like the way
I felt when I when I was leading up to
the show that weekend, so maybe next time before taking
that show, it's like, all right, you know what, I
probably ought to be at home this weekend. So yeah, Well,
congrats on the new album, Congrats on bar None, Thanks buddy,
congrats on the family. And it's funny because when you
(17:31):
bring up your wife kind of keeping everything together, scheduleizing
all that. When we saw I mean, we haven't seen
you in a little while, but we saw you at
CMA fes a year ago.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
And you were like, yeah, good to see you guys.
And she came in like the calm breeze behind your storm,
and it was like, hey, how is everybody? Are you good?
So good to see you. I appreciated the time you
had with Jordan and his interview.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Like she she's she's something else, man, She's uh, she's
not like that with me. It's like, where are you at?
I got all these kids. You need to get home now.
So yeah, it's uh, she is, she's something else.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Last thing I want to ask is we had out
you're a football fan. Oh yeah, you're a big, big
Tigers guy. How are you feeling about LSU this season?
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Undefeated national champion?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
That's crap, you're you, that's still lie.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
But what else will you say we hoped for? But
realistically Okay, actually no, realistically I think Okay, maybe not undefeated, Okay,
maybe not under still national champion. I still think national champions.
I think we are. I think we have we have
the best offense in the SEC. Okay, maybe top three
(18:42):
offense in the SEC. And I think we got a
top five defense. And I think Garrett Nesmyer is the
best quarterback in college football. So we have the best quarterback. Uh,
this is his last year. He's got something to prove.
We got a we got a better defense.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Team still have to beat us in the real death valley,
not the death valley over in Carolina, which we're going
to prove that at the end in a couple of
weeks when we beat Clemson. Uh so you get me
fired up now?
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Yeah? All the best part is we're clipping this whole
damn thing and the amount of hate we're gonna get.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
We beat I think we I think maybe we drop
one conference game to who uh. So we got to
play Alabama at Alabama this year, so maybe we drop Alabama.
Maybe I don't know. But if we lose one, maybe
we get beat by Alabama, we go to the SEC Championship,
we win SEC. Uh, we get in the playoffs, and
(19:43):
we beat Ohio State in NAS Championship. Book it Vegas,
take my money. He might want to take that bet
right now.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Jordan. Thanks brother, Love your dog.
We'll find something to talk about. Yeah, uh in studio
and it's been too dang long. And I blame Jordan
Davis for that.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And I will accept that. I will accept that because
I know I know where you're at. So there's no
reason why I can't just oh, because I never have
anything going on. You're saying, I'm just here waiting for you.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
To repel them.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm just saying I could easily just come knock on
the window.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
But what ude, let me end and let me but
let me tell you, like, and this is maybe a
story I'll have to clip out, but there was a
time when I first got to Nashville and you were
like doing like a boys afternoon You're like, Hey, who
could I talk to at at Luke's? Like we're gonna
go out to Luke's? Like who could? Now? You just
go wherever you want? You know everybody? No, do you
remember that? Uh? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
A lot a lot of tequila in between there. I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Well, ain't kids? Yeah to kidlaw? Yeah it's different. Yeah,
Uh dude, how how is how is the dad life part?
Because as your career, your career was always steady, but
it feels like over the last year and a half.
I mean, yeah, it's really taken off, but so is
your family life.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
You know, it's been like the what the hell the
juggle of h Yeah, I mean that's just been a constant,
you know struggle of you know, working too much, not
enough time at home, too much time at home, not
working enough.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I feel like I'm getting I'm getting into a good
spot with it. Uh but yeah, I mean it's always that,
Like I mean, I love and I know we've talked.
It's like we love what we do, Like, you know,
this is fun, Like this is a dream job. So
like not going out and doing what you've wanted for
a long time is tough. So uh but I'm I'm fine.
(01:38):
I'm striking a good balance with it.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
I got to tell you. One of my favorite Instagram
accounts to follow is your wife's because like super mom
slash super supportive wife, Like she's pulling off everything right now.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, she's uh, she's rockstar man like, and even like
this month is like crazy for us. We're going all
the time and I'm like, hey, baby, you want me
to bring my mom up? Do you want to bring
like your family over? Like how you and she's like
I figured it out, you know, and like that's just been.
You know, I don't know how we ended up together
because we're both about as headstrong as the other.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
But uh, she is man, she's she's a rock star.
She keeps things afloat at the Davis household. I have
nothing to do with that house, like truly, Like I
give it to her and be like, hey, I even
give her my schedule, like will you let me know
what I got tomorrow? Like why in between doctor visits,
will you check in and make sure that I'm doing
what I'm supposed to be doing.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I know the I know the feeling. Yeah, how are
you happy with the balance that you're putting together for
yourself right now? Family and work wise?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, I think, like you know, there's always like a
few things that I think I could I could fix. Uh,
But yeah, I mean it's been, you know, it's been.
I think we're getting to a good spot where it feels,
it feels comfortable, And a lot of that is just
like the kids getting older. You know, my two older ones,
you know, one's about to turn six, one just turned four,
(03:03):
So it's like they they're able to catch up on
a little bit more stuff, you know, And and it's
it's tough. You used to be able to just leave
and they were like could care less, and then now
it's like, all right, they're kind of upset whenever I
gotta go. So that's been the that's been the biggest
poolback on like all right, maybe a little bit more
time at home.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Well there's a the age now where they know when
you leave here coming back, Well they do know that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, it's not like just like okay like back then
where it's just like okay, by dad, good knowing you.
It's like, well, no, no, no, I'll be back.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I live here, I'll live here.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
But yeah, at least and you know, and and that
could look like, you know, bringing them out a little
bit more and spending more time on the road. But
you know, that's that's something we can we can cross
when we get there.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Uh. You've had so much success musically with your radio
singles obviously bar none has been awesome. You're getting ready
to put out this full album. Are you more intentional
now with like what goes to cut? The word single?
Country radio single? Are you more mindful of that now
than you were before? On like what's going to represent
(04:06):
you to the masses that way.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Maybe, but well, I don't know, maybe not, because I
feel like the last ones have been kind of you know,
I think bar None, we did something that felt a
little different than we've put out before. Yeah, so yeah,
I feel like it's kind of fifty to fifty.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I love when the fans pick it, when they raised
their hand on like, hey, this is the one that
we're connecting with. I think the good thing is we've
been playing a lot of these songs out live, and
I feel like they're connecting with all of them, So,
you know, I think it will be something with me.
You know, maybe going forward, it's just like taking a
(04:48):
bigger swing. You know, there's a lot of songs on
this record that I feel are totally something out of
left field that maybe a fan that's been with me
for a long time will be like, I wasn't expecting
to put a song out like that, but uh so
maybe that would be the the risk of like sending
that out as the single and and seeing how it
(05:08):
goes as.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
You rewind your career back to I mean not too
long ago, but a while ago.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, is there you can say it. I'm getting older,
I get it.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Yes, well we're talking about Beard Dies next. I'm kidding
we uh you You talked about how you like when
fans raise their hands for something right, like when they
picked something. Is there going back through album cuts, is
there one that like they were really like, oh, we love,
we love, and you just wouldn't get we never.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Got to it.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
I had a song called you Got My Number that
they really loved and a song called going Round off
my first record that I think if we would have
gone another single off of the first record, it probably
would have been going Around. But those are two that, like,
I still get a lot of requests to play those,
and going Around is still in the set, so like it.
(06:01):
Those are those are a couple that I think would
have would have done well if we just singled them.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Uh learn the hard Way is getting ready to come
out in just a couple of weeks here. Yeah. Is
the album cycle a weird thing to comprehend because there's
a lot of guys just putting out a song, a song,
a song, a song, and then there's guys putting out
fifty seven song albums. Yeah, Uh, it's like because so
the album cycle really is like the weirdest thing in
country music.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yea, it just feels like it's changed so much. Yeah,
which I mean music's changing.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
But like.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I think I'll always go back to the album.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I think there's something that you can digest with a
with a record, and I mean even too, like you know,
some of those bigger, bigger records, you know, I still
think you have a you know, you're going to gravitate
to your favorite songs off of them. But uh yeah,
I mean I don't mind the EP and I'm grateful
for the EPs we put out or the shorter records,
(06:59):
you know, because it's still gives the fans something to
listen to while you're maybe working on a record. But yeah,
I think I'm always going to be an album guy
and probably try to keep it between ten to twenty songs,
you know, watch this next record come out and beat
thirty five songs.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
But like.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
You know, to me, that's just like manageable to do
and still maintain a life and kind of go back
to that balance that we talked about and still give
the fans something new in a reasonable amount of time
that they don't feel like I'm holding out on music
because I'm never holding out of music. I would love
to give as much music as I can. Unfortunately have
to write these songs, and I don't write great songs
(07:40):
every time I write a song. So yeah, that's like
kind of maybe why this record took a little bit
longer than I would hope art.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
So, how many songs are on this upcoming album?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Seventeen?
Speaker 1 (07:53):
So out of those, how many didn't make the cut
because usually usually the album processes like, oh, I'm gonna
get it, I'm gonna get it down to fourteen.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Oh but this one, Oh but this you can, yeah,
throw stuff in. I think we cut about twenty twenty
to twenty five somewhere in there. So there's you know,
five or six that just didn't make it. And again
I'm not saying we don't. They don't ever get released.
They just maybe didn't feel like they needed to be
on this one. But yeah, I don't think we went
(08:27):
like crazy on cutting. Yeah, I think twenty four. I
think we cut twenty four songs for this record.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Can you explain what if how does it cause like
a page of a book, right, Like if you rip
it out, the book doesn't make sense or the chapter
doesn't make sense. A lot of artists. I feel approach
albums that way, Like if I take this song out,
this album doesn't make sense. If that's if that's the
case for you, this group of songs that didn't make
this album, how do you know they'll fit what's next?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
And that's the thing is, like you don't you don't know,
cause I'm definitely I've cut a lot of songs for
Bluebird Days that didn't make it, and they didn't make
Bluebird Days that didn't make this record. Still love the song,
but you know, I don't know. And I've never made
like a concept record, you know, I try to like
(09:17):
not get too caught up in that, in that like
consistent flow. I want there to at least be a theme,
but like it doesn't have to be like you know,
one through seventeen. If you listen to fourteen and then
go back to two, it doesn't make sense, like that
would just be that just sounds really hard, But like
you know, and maybe a lot of times I feel
(09:40):
like some of those songs you end up pitching, you know,
I end up sending to somebody else and be like,
hey man, it just didn't fit what I was doing,
But maybe it fits what you're doing. But yeah, I've
you know, and who knows, maybe my next record is
going back and grabbing all those songs and being like.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Hey, this is what didn't make those records.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Maybe they work here.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
But yeah, it's a it's not easy. It's a it's
a it's a task that you got to really be
all in on to make records.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
A lot of artists who overthink album titles. Are you liking?
Are you like whatever pops up we'll run with? Are
you like?
Speaker 2 (10:15):
No?
Speaker 1 (10:16):
It needs to be meaningful for where I'm at and
where these songs are.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
I think there's got to be it's got to be
something that pulls it back to a majority of the record,
you know. I think it's and again with it not
being like a true concept record, I think you just
kind of want to grab the common theme at least
with majority of the songs. Bluebird Days, I was pretty
big on on that being the title. Uh and in
(10:42):
Home State too, at least I knew like when we
kind of started the record, like, hey man, I think
this record's gonna be called this Uh this one the record.
The name came super late into the process, but yeah,
it's it's something that it at least got to be
able to to explain why that record is called this,
(11:04):
And I've also hated to just like, you know, I
know I have a self titled EP, but like, you know,
it's it's you know, so I guess I can't say that,
like just calling it Jordan Davis would be weird. But yeah,
it's it's it's something that is a tough task, but
I don't I don't have to think too much into what.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So this is, Uh, this has learned the hard way.
But what would what would we have gotten if it
wasn't named that? Like what was a backup name? Uh?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Louisiana Stick, which is a song off the record, you know,
mainly because that was my nickname in high school, Stick
because I got tall really early and just like was
like one hundred and thirty five pounds. Some of my
friends just called me stick figure. Uh, and I'd always
had that title, you know. But again, the reason why
(11:52):
I didn't make that is because I was like, all right,
that's like highlighting one song that's like got this really
heavy Louisiana theme, and there's only really one song that
kind of fits that. It doesn't do justice to the
other songs. So learned the hard Way was the one
we went to because there's at least a little bit
of thread through all those songs that could kind of
(12:14):
come back to learn the hard Way.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
So with that being the title, I will ask, what
is the two part question. What is the musically the
heart the lesson you had to learn the hard way,
you had to go out and fall on your face
and learn the hard way, And what's the life version
of that?
Speaker 2 (12:32):
I think the life version is is kind of that
balance of doing something that you love to do, but
also knowing that that's not at the end of the day.
What you what your number one goal is? You know,
number one goal is being a dad and a husband.
(12:53):
Music is my job, and sometimes over the past three
or four years that is kind of teetered on what
what goes first, and through some hard conversations I kind
of had to learn the hard way that the balance
wasn't quite there. Yeah, and then musically, you know, taking
(13:15):
I don't want to say like safe safe risk on
the last record and not really kind of taking a
big swing or a swing that I wanted to take
and doing something totally different that somewhat kind of scared me.
Bluebird Days was like in my wheelhouse, every song was
like something that I felt like I knew was me
(13:37):
and I could I could do that and go out
and play that and believe it to where this one
was like I've gotten more gratification through making this record
by taking a chance on a few of these songs
and being like, all right, I know that a fan
is that's listened to me from day one, or a
new fan that maybe is listened to my last three
(14:00):
single has been like Huh, I didn't think you would
ever put a song out like that. Uh.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
And is that insulting to hear or is that like
a compliment?
Speaker 2 (14:08):
No, I think it's I think it's to me, it's
a compliment of like taking a chance and going in
and recording something that like, I think my biggest fear
and putting a record out is having a fan say
like I feel like he kind of cast that one in,
you know, or it sounded like the last record and
I don't want that to be the case ever, And
sometimes that's taking a risk that on the flip side
(14:30):
of that could be like hey, bro, that song stupid
or that song that sounds not good? Why did he
put that on there? Like that's just kind of the
chance you got to take. And you know, I think
by maybe being a little safer on the last record,
I learned that that true true, like doing what you
(14:51):
want to do is maybe getting outside of your comfort
zone a little bit.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Watching you over the years talk about the Bluebird Days album,
I feel like, and correct me if I'm wrong. You
love what you do, You love all your music, but
there's something about Bluebird Days that like will live closer
to your heart than any of the other projects. Is
that right?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Yeah? I think it's a it's the typical like second record,
you know, and again maybe this is a little too
inside music. And you probably know you have your life
to make your first record, and then you got a
quick amount of time and you've really got an audience now,
so the second one needs to be who you are.
And I do feel like I put a little bit
(15:29):
more into that one, just from like a personal standpoint.
You know, some songs, whether it be Bluebird Days itself,
like that, you know, you just write about stuff that
maybe you wouldn't have done on your first record, or
you just want to be a little bit more open
on it. And and yeah, Bluebird will always have that
that that kind of feel for me.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
There's something when you have been talking about the amount
of times you've talked about balance and like, you know,
learning the hard way of trying to balance things out right.
There's somebody that I work for one time who said
to me, at some point the people you're sacrificing for
become more of what you're sacrificing, because if you're out
all the time trying to make every dollar you can
(16:12):
write all of the big hits you can, at some
point it's and you're like sending the money home and
I'm taking care of everybody, taking care of everybody. At
some point, that's what you're sacrificing. And when he said that,
I was like, damn.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Well, I mean that's it, and it's That's been a
struggle for me of conversations with with Kristen, with other
artists that I look up to that have kind of
walked you know this in front of me, where it
was like, man, how much of this is you have
to go out and play shows or you want to
(16:45):
go out and play shows, And sometimes it was well,
I want to go play music. I love this, Like
this is awesome, and you miss stuff on the family
in and you can't get that stuff back. So it's like,
you know, I've had to learn a few of those
lessons the hard way. The hard way, I know, and
(17:08):
and and at least now I can always go back
and be like, all right, I didn't like the way
I felt when I when I was leading up to
the show that weekend, so maybe next time before taking
that show, it's like, all right, you know what, I
probably ought to be at home this weekend. So yeah, Well,
congrats on the new album, Congrats on bar None, Thanks buddy,
congrats on the family. And it's funny because when you
(17:31):
bring up your wife kind of keeping everything together, scheduleizing
all that. When we saw I mean, we haven't seen
you in a little while, but we saw you at
CMA fes a year ago.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
And you were like, yeah, good to see you guys.
And she came in like the calm breeze behind your storm,
and it was like, hey, how is everybody? Are you good?
So good to see you. I appreciated the time you
had with Jordan and his interview.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Like she she's she's something else, man, She's uh, she's
not like that with me. It's like, where are you at?
I got all these kids. You need to get home now.
So yeah, it's uh, she is, she's something else.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Last thing I want to ask is we had out
you're a football fan. Oh yeah, you're a big, big
Tigers guy. How are you feeling about LSU this season?
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Undefeated national champion?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
That's crap, you're you, that's still lie.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
But what else will you say we hoped for? But
realistically Okay, actually no, realistically I think Okay, maybe not undefeated, Okay,
maybe not under still national champion. I still think national champions.
I think we are. I think we have we have
the best offense in the SEC. Okay, maybe top three
(18:42):
offense in the SEC. And I think we got a
top five defense. And I think Garrett Nesmyer is the
best quarterback in college football. So we have the best quarterback. Uh,
this is his last year. He's got something to prove.
We got a we got a better defense.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Team still have to beat us in the real death valley,
not the death valley over in Carolina, which we're going
to prove that at the end in a couple of
weeks when we beat Clemson. Uh so you get me
fired up now?
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Yeah? All the best part is we're clipping this whole
damn thing and the amount of hate we're gonna get.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
We beat I think we I think maybe we drop
one conference game to who uh. So we got to
play Alabama at Alabama this year, so maybe we drop Alabama.
Maybe I don't know. But if we lose one, maybe
we get beat by Alabama, we go to the SEC Championship,
we win SEC. Uh, we get in the playoffs, and
(19:43):
we beat Ohio State in NAS Championship. Book it Vegas,
take my money. He might want to take that bet
right now.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Jordan. Thanks brother, Love your dog.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.