#136 - Jon Pardi

having someone paint for him at this point. I had somebody paint for me the last time, and uh, we did a better job than me and my dad. But we're painting. The decks, have three decks and who just remodeled the house, so they're pretty trash from foot foot, you know, foot in and out and carrying stuff and dry wall and white stuff paint that just we know when they're fixing stuff up. So it looks great now. So you go back and forth at home Debot, lots

of home Depot trips and loves. They know you when you walk, not by John part of the artists, but by the guy who comes in a lot. They know me by both. Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, you always like places that you enjoy going to enjoy you being there. Yeah. Well they always ask, you know, doing with your house yet, Man, it's been a long time. I'm like, yeah, well it has been a long time. We're playing at the Bluebird. You and I we put that charity event. You're like, yeah,

having got I got a dumpster out. We're tearing out the house. Still got the dumpster. Still the du dumpster still there. Yeah. It was kind of like it's a three story kind of cabin house that we started in the center of the house and then we moved to basically just remodeling the whole thing, like new windows, new a c and heating and and sand in the floors, a new kitchen, knocked down, three walls. You like that? Do you like that? You like the house? Well, I

didn't do I helped. I helped, you know, get kind of planed out. And because I'm on the road a lit if I could do with my schedule would be like four years. We'd still be talking about from all in my house four years from now. But you know, I enjoy it. It's a good released from music. This whole week, I've kind of just not really done anything with music until like today I picked up a guitar practicing a song I gotta play for a c monitors and and then we got the podcast and just kind

of taking off. Tomorrow I go back on tour. But it's good to like do something like paint a deck. That's just kind of satisfying. You know, you can get a hate painting walls. That's not my thing. It's just so like even like you ever pay in your house, did a good job, but like I did that, you did that a like, oh yeah, I'm great. I'm the opposite. When I could, I could hire someone to paint again. I never painted again. Yeah, I know. I messed up

a lot of ceilings with my paint jobs. But the deck was easy because it's it's kind of it's like but it's more like sweeping kind of mindless. Yeah, and you and you see, I could a dirty go to like super clean. You ever watched the stuff on Reddit where they do you ever get on Reddit? Because they have to have a whole like awbredded of satisfying things,

AND's exactly what you're talking about. Like they'll take a power washer, it's in power washing a deck and it goes from being disgusting and you watch it just gets super Yeah. Yeah, power washing day too. That the deckster look like crap after even after the power Yeah, we needed to be painting really bad. What are you planning at a CM Honors? Do you know? Can you say it's not on TV or anything? I guess or are you supposed to be quiet about it? Um? I don't know.

You know it's a it's a a good buddy. I've been on tour with them and I know his song means a lot to them. So I don't want to a CM honors. Are you honoring or you being honored? I'm the hope, I'm a host. So that's right, you and Lauren are hosting it. How about that? Yeah, I'm excited. That would be good. Then reading out loud a lot, trying trying to slow down my pronunciation, you'd be good. I'm trying to be you. Yeah, but you know you gotta read. I try to practice reading out loud, you

know telephone? Just do you? You promptly gonna ask you're using a prompter? Probably, I imagine? Oh so are you doing any jokes? Yes? But I uh, we usually don't write it, and we usually try to help them. It's like I won't say that. I would never say that. Like, let's try to get something else and it comes back okay, we'll say that's funny. We laugh, you know, kind of kind of we try to take if if it's cheesy, you know what, kind of trying to make it a

little more. Let's let let's do something with this. So I try to be hands on. That's that's what I do. I mean, Mike d and I write, we both right and new stand up comedy. But then we also I'll do award shows and I'll have writers come in and we're just sitting in a room and crank it out,

and I'll be like, I don't know even uh. Some of the sketches we did, I hosted them on Fox the Heart Country Special, and you know, you go and you sit in a bus, you do all these jokes, and I go, I kind of get a little devote just because I would. I'm like, I would never make this joke. And like my integrity though, who came up with the mini Bobby Bones? That was pretty good. That was not me. I wish I could take credit five for that though. Yeah, that was a great idea and listen,

I have no issue. Ever, It's like, I love great writers. I love working with great writers. I love when someone writes a joke that I use, you know for these um so yeah, a little bible is not me. There's one of the if you're that's why you got a good team and writers though where you can fantastic team. You know, you agree on things that you would we'd want to come up with, you'd want to say, and uh, that's why whenever we get so you like presentation, present whatever.

You know what I'm trying to say. You give award to somebody, but you're you tell them my presentation kind of work on that one already got him words of um but you know, just little things that we say, Oh that I would say more like that, you know. And there's some there's some cheesy jokes. Well cheese is good, ess, but it's good if you know, if you don't tell jokes all the time. Cheese is good if I go out and throw out some real cheese balls. If not

good because I'm suposed to tell jokes. Yeah, you're supposed to be able to see good and be you're funny. You know, you're naturally a funny, warm guy to be around. Yeah, I got to be funny, look warm, just be warm. Well this one was like bluegrass and was talking about weed and like I just did, oh no, I get that. I wasn't like, I don't know, that's not even that funny, Like you know, it didn't feel comfortable. There's a difference.

I was. I was, there's better high jokes. I mean, if we're gonna get down to like comedy, but like you you know, you're you're you c MT. I was like, man, that was when we did the Hode. It was me and Hode and we came back. We came back with like they when they like really you know me and big words, and it was they gave me this whole tongue twister and like just try to do this and it like I kind of ab live with it and it was really hard. It was like sea shores and

seashells all that. I'm like, oh my god, but it were it were it was really funny. So let me tell you what song I really like. I like this new in this night shift. There's a good one man. Whenever your record came out and I was listening to it, this one stuck out to me early. I was like, man, this was a jam. I like the record. It's been out for a while at this point as we record this with us today today is the August So when when when the record come out? June sixteen? Is that right?

It's sixteen, two years? Two years. You gotta be kidding me. I bet you're just craving something new, like a new record. Huh yeah, we've been working on it. Well, this song is a jam and we'll come back to it. I love this song. Thanksh yeah, turn it up a little bit. Not a thing between you and me and it fields so nice when you now? Is this the fifth single from the record. This is the last single off California Sunrise five singles. Pretty good it's been. It's been a

great record and it's been a great time. It's brought me to a level I've never been before, and I'm very thankful for it. And uh but we're moving on next year, and you know how it is with labels man, and I was like, when's the next record? Can we get it out? They're like August? Do that night? Team Like, oh really right, but that's you know we're gonna Our goal was to turn it in in January to that nineteen and then hopefully we'll get another jum release or something.

There's just a lot of people on Universal. There's a lot of Yeah, because a lot of people putting out artists, I would say, putting out records. What that means is your record label. How they have a lot of people to put time and effort into investment, both money time promotion. They can't just throw them all out. They're looking for the fair slot. But basically and be almost three years. Yeah, it's crazy. I'll say this though. I know for you that it's felt like a long process because you were

in on the creation of this record. You were in on the curating of the tracks and what to put on, what to sing, you were in on the promotion. So it's probably felt much longer for me, someone who actually enjoys the record. I'm surprised it's been out two years and I've enjoyed the record since it come And I told you that when it come out, and said, wow, man, this thing sounds progressive but still still uh contemporary tree. It doesn't feel as tired as you probably feel of

just playing the same songs. Well, were sorry, I'm not overdriving this. We we get a lot of feedback and it's not I mean, of course fans want new music, but there's not like a super demand like they're like still rocking still and you know that and a lot of fans were happy the Night Shift was gonna be on the radio, and uh, when it comes on the radio, you know, it gives it's it's rocking and it it feels good. And I think it's got a good spot to have that kind of feel on the radio right now.

I like it. I wouldn't say I did. I would just ignore it. If I didn't like it, I just ignore it and not even not even do it. So what is your your quintessential Nashville story? And everybody's got one, like, well, what what was the moment for you where it kind of went all I gotta go? And then what's the story off you're getting to Nashville to actually pursue with the career that you're in now mm hmm, well, let's see.

I mean there's a lot before Nashville. When was it Okay, so you start making music in California about what age when you start actually performing and making some money and thinking okay, maybe I could do something musically. Well, I have a first band of fourteen and we played the Dickson Mayfair and you know, like during its kind of like rock and roll punkish, kind of like the rebellion from being growing up singing out Jackson and George Strait

and we're you still doing some like Nirvana. And in the nineties we we we did, you know, we were in the linear skinnered phase and like you know, some classic rock and Tom Petty lots of Tom Petty um mom my friends jammed out like Rage against Machine and Nirvana and you know, like Blink Blink went a two and Green Day were huge at a time, and and uh and I kind of took that one when you ask the question when you start like playing for real and kind of making tips and stuff eighteen but I

was singing country again, but I had this like kind of fast rock and roll vibe to it. And then when to a place called Chico, California, and has a college They're called Chico State, and it is like party down, good time and formed a country band and learned and I had a mandalin player and he kind of taught me a lot about blue grass, and so we had this up about eighteen years old here I was a

nineteen ninety basically that lasted nineteen to twenty two. And then after that I moved to Nashville, and uh, I was new. I wanted to move in Nashville. I took some trips out kind of you know, realize that mash should probably be twenty one so I can get into the bars, you know, like hang out and like get up and do a microphone you get there's still places you can play it back into that out and eight

you know, either that way may not. I moved here with an atlas, like I didn't have GPS on my phone, Like it's still kind of it was. It seems so like really did you have a horse and a buggy? And it seems like it's so long ago, like what would you do without your GPS now? But that we're back in the day. We had maps and it was pretty easy. Three three high ways and what's that drive?

What's that drive? Like? Three days? Um, three days of excitement, you know, twenty two was excited, like I'm doing it. My mom was sad. My dad was like, go get a job, you like trying to he's such a worker. Um, but he you know, my dad, everybody pushed me to

go to Nashville. You know, they always said it ain't gonna happen here, you know, And so saved up some money when I was working for my dad, and I got my dog in a p A system and I drove to Nashville, found a place to live and and was on the ground, you know, kind of hanging out. And you drove three days three three and a half. I think, so you and your dog, you're sleep in

the truck. You stop at hotels that we accepted dogs. Mm, we'd he'd stay in the truck because sometimes I'm sneaking in, but we had you know, he had guitars and stuff back there, and he like he wasn't the dog that you wanted to open in the campershill people are like he would buy you and he's scary, and uh so he kind of and he was fine staying in the truck. So how do you get a place to live? Like if you're coming from California, northern California or so, and

you gotta find a place to live. But well, what came a couple of trips that I've I've come out, you know, like you can easily network and you know, kind of meet people. And I just did that and I was, you know, I was excited. I don't live within you know, when you're twenty two, you live in

a of a bathroom. You know, if if you had, if it was cheap enough to you know, provide and and a lot of those people I don't even don't talk to anymore, like that, that phase where it's just you know, kind of starting at the bottom, I mean the bottom learning learning the town, learning learning how it was back in the day. I mean it's totally different. Now you move here, you're twenty two, you're moving with

the roommate or two. Yeah, how do you start meaning if you get here, you met a few people on some trips where you kind check it out, But how do you start making a life in music? What's the first thing that you do? Well? I had songs I've written in Northern California with my band called Northern Comfort Shoutout during the Comfort. That were fun, they were upbeat, they were different, you know, and so I always had that in my back pocket, never like really even shared that.

But I just go out and mingle. I got a job as a lifeguard, and uh, and after school counselor that kind of help me get by, and um and and and uh. I gotta back up before really getting down to the nitty gritty of how I survived the long hair days. Um So, in my neighborhood, while I was living in the basement, there was a townhouse that you can get with no payment down. Yeah, and my mom was like, she was, I'll co signed with it. It wasn't you know, going from cow California in Nashville.

That townhouse wasn't too bad. But I had like four rooms and their two and a half bathrooms. It was like I could totally rent this out. And like I literally rented every room at the house. And I that was I was paying my mortgage and I was playing and I had my little life guarden job. But I didn't um you know, through Mangland basically and kind of getting that one shot to get up there and play a song that at the time, you know, everybody kind of liked and it was fun and we get like

get and play that song again. And that kind of happened in place called Losers and that was kind of like my home and I ended up playing substituting, you know, the guy couldn't make a gig, They'd call me, come play four hours. I knew a bunch of covers because we played in covers. And we played for four hours in northern California, like we were you know. We started tending and we ended it too, So I was like, I can do that, man, I can do that. So we just kind of did that for two years, and

I landed through mingling and taking songs with publishers. And I knew Bart, my co producer. Now I kind of knew him, and he would sometimes answer my phone calls. I always make that a joke. Now he answered my phone calls. But he kind of set me up. We in with some people and and and just kind of climb the ladder. This is an old school way, like shaking hands. You know, I'm John, Yeah, I'm a songwriter. Yeah. I kind of focused on songwriting. I didn't want to

go play downtown. You didn't want to go play that Broadway where all the more? Right? No, I was I did that. You know, I got that I need to learn how to write, Like what how does Nashville right? How can I put? How could I fit into this this system that that there, it's obviously songwriters, you know, and really focused on that and got a publishing deal and then got some songs and you know how to show you know, started doing. We got enough songs for

a showcase. Three showcases in I got signed by UM Capitol Records with handshake deal what's kind of like, And it took a year to sign. The contract was two down eleven. We got signed, and then they're like, your first single comes out in two down twelve, so there's

another year. So two years and I just kept writing and writing and writing and recording songs, even demos and kind of learning, learning, and then you know, that felt like forever though, like from the moment that your handshakes signed, you're excited and you got your wait two years for your first song to come out. I bet that was I felt like a slow two years to get that first thing out there. Well, I mean, we had a great book and agent, and we had a lot of

we had a lot of through showcase. I found a band and we had a van, and we learned the South and there was a lot of places that we still talk about playing and like a lot of guys that are still I see all the time that that gave us a shot because we could play cover. If we could do this, you know, we could we could play for three hours. You know, I have no problem with me throwing some originals. Make eight hundred bucks, you know, max out your credit card, hopping a van and go

you know in the van. It's great. That's why not white Everyways asked why is music in Nashville, Well, it's it's easy for a van to get around really when it comes down to because back in the day was built for Cadillacs to get around. So we I mean, the van was really hard to keep up with the tour bus. Let me tell you that was like play a show, getting a van, drive for five hours, sleeping a hotel, wake up early to go keep you know, trying to trying to catch up. But um, we were

always playing. I was always writing, so it just and everything was new. You know, I wasn't from the South. I learned what college football was all about because back in the West it's not as huge as this year. Like, so I was learning all this stuff. I was making new friends and and of course you know I had a record deal. But you know, one day, it was always one day. It's still always one day, but just kept don't grind, and kept on believing still always one day.

You're right about that, It's still always one day for all of us. We y. I try to do a better job now and not always looking for one day when one day this next thing is gonna happen one day this next you know, I try. I really try to put myself in today. I think that's a struggle for me sometimes. Let me talk about Dollars Shave Club for one second. So no matter what you do in the bathroom to get ready, Dollars Shave Club has everything that you need to look, feel, and smell your best.

They have amazing shower stuff, hair styling products, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and of course razors shape supplies. I love Dollar Shave Club. I do this show from my house and so all the Dollar Shave Club stuff is down in my bathroom. Basically, I mused them, that's how I get ready. If you're not me, which I'm assuming you aren't unless I'm listening

back right now and hello to me. You have your own way to get ready and figure it out with Dollar Shave Club, and right now you can get ready with an amazing deal on any one of the starter sets. I recommend the Daily Essential Starter step because I love a lot of things. The you know, the amber lavender body clincher is good, but you can't go wrong with any of them. Head over two Dollar Shave Club dot

Com slash Bones. Pick up your own Dollar Shave Clubs Starter stept just five bucks after you started at products are a regular price. Get to go, and make sure you check out the new video to that's Dollar Shave Club dot Com slash Bones, Dollar Shape Club dot Com slash Bones. I love it, I use it. Dollar Shape Club dot Com slash Bones. Alright, so let me let's put this a little um head over boots from from John Party here before we get back each other. I mean,

this is the one here. They kind of catapulted the next level. Yeah, this was the next leveler. That's just the first one off the record. Huh. This thing came out and it was just like, oh yeah, well I felt that the record sounded sounded super super forward while still being a country record. You know, it wasn't one of these where you listen to and you go, oh, it's trying to be something new. You felt country. Yeah, yeah, it sounded you're using cool sounds. There are sounds that

I think, am I to you? Sonically? What's this record about? Um California Sunrise? You know? It was, it was, It was kind of this is where I am now because I had a first record. I had four singles on the radio. My first record is called Rayue Song, and we got up all night on the radio. We got to number ten, and that let me get my album out and my first record. Literally once he got on iTunes and people started listening to it, We're selling out clubs.

We're selling out clubs with with We're we're out selling people with number one. But and then you know that it was just kind of fun and you got that that crowd singing back with songs that were just on the on the record, you know, and and and it's still to this day we play songs about that first rick. But four years being on radio tour, you know, two down twelve January, Miss You Crazy comes out. Yeah, we got it already, got it, you know, we got it,

got it. We we got the whole story down then up all night and that was into down fourteen here up all night, this is the jam too. I'm gonna come back to this, but yeah, this is one. When I moved to town, I think this had had lived its life and had gone away, but was still one that people were kind of in love with. Still this is this is one turn up, a little bit of the wrong baby, that's a good one. Do you still like that one? Yeah? We played, we still played. I

still like what I can't put down? That was right? That was right before up all night and I was like, this is it. It's there's the one, you know, but it just it didn't you know, test well and people played it, but it got the thirty three and then we put up on I know, and uh, we have to put the album out, and which is a big deal because you have to have some momentum in that single for them to go okay, well, now put some

money behind over a full album. And it was a full album, had eleven songs on it, and it changed the van life basically. And so but what my point is of California Sunrise, there's four years of writing and being on the radio. Regardless of what you know, I still was always top forty because I still have believers in country radio. No matter how high, what failures, whatever it, I still believe, like we got in. The label was always like it's not a race, it's a it's a marathon.

You know, you gotta take your time and like just keep doing what you're doing. You believe that what is happening. Um, you know, I never really got two worked up about it because you know, if you did listen to what I was doing, it was kind of it was kind of different. You know, it was country, but it was upbeat, but it was the country, and um, I kind of

came into my own like I'm still growing up. I was only I got signed at twenty six, and I know, I don't even know, I don't even know, I don't remember. But I was still growing up as like a into a young man, into a man, and I got to do that with the record label and kind of under the radar, you know, not not like just boom, here

I am world. I kind of got to learn it all and and not be like the in the headliner, you know, where it's just like because you know, sometimes like boom, I'm here, and it wasn't like that for me. And then I kind of became this, you know, this is this is who I am. When California Sunrise came out, and I had friends on the works of radio, friends

that listen to my music. People are giving me great advice and all that just through hard Word and what California Sunrise with me is like, this is what I this is the new take on that. Four years of radio touring, country fiddle steel, you know, all this stuff I love And it was just at that point. I remember you posted the Instagram video probably two years ago, and it was at a festival and the entire crowd was singing head over boots, remember messaging going good God,

like it's a this is amazing like that. They were singing all of it. Watershed it was Watershed, yeah, and George Comma Washington, yeah, and it was the Gorge. Yeah, the Gorge. I probably spelled him wrong. It was so excit is it Gorge not George. No, it's the Gorge. I've played that. I played Watershed. I thought it was George Washington. I thought it was the Gorge and George. I mean it's cooler George Washington. I always thought that

was the thing. I was like, named George Washington. Did you ever think that, my dear, Oh, it is called the Gorge. I thought it was the Gorge and George anyway, I'm an idiot. But moving on, I were watching that video and going, oh, this is now arrived on kind of a macro level. No, it's not just a song that it's cool is gonna come and go like it's still the one when you have a whole thirty people singing every word of it. Give me some of that again. I mean, the whole crowd was out of their minds

singing this song. Bonkers. It was fun. That was the That was the first that was probably one of the most surreal, like, wow, this is the first you know you kind of get emotional and stuff, and it was that was that was really cool. And uh I was always remember that because that here we go with him words, but that slot, um was we finally got, you know a little later on and like Merle Haggett was supposed to play either I think right in front of me

or right behind me. I don't know. It was like, you know, but he passed like two months before and then then came out and played before us, and it was like kind of crazy that like with that moment and Merle hagg was, you know, gonna play right for me, which probably would have been like, no, Merle not playing before me, but it's like he just passed it, and it was It's one of those things like dang, you know uh from that crowd and that kind of just

that introspective me and Merle would have played together and it didn't happen. You know, It's one of the moments I'll never forget. Yeah, it's a good one, just watching it so that that hits. And then it was like, all right, what's happened next with John Party? He had head over Boots. Shirley's not gonna put another song with Boots in it? And then boy did you ever? Yeah, but I'm taking I mean, and you raised it. I mean you saw Boots and you raised that funkier Boots. Man.

What's that conversation like where you go, all right, well, you got another song that we love, but it's name is basically the same thing. What do we do? Is that a room conversation? Everybody's sitting around, Um, well, I you know, I researched a lot. I you know, I listened. You know. iTunes is great because they have like they have you know, things like playlists of like a you know, new mean artists from all the top of the levels, and you know, I'm always like listening and stuff and

and so like I do pay attention. And I pointed out that Keith Urban had too. He had at that year he had cop car and then somewhere in my car and I was like, well, there's there's another car song, another Boot song out, you know. And my favorite was the president of of Universal, Mike Dungan, was like, you know, I don't care about back back boot songs. I care about back to back hits. That's literally what he said. And I was like, all right, put it out. You know, Um,

I always say that. Everybody asked me. It's like I wear boots all the time. I wear on boots right now. So it's not it's not like something that it is a just a thing. You know. I have a lot of boots. And I look at that two Boots song gonna row, you know, look at that hit after a hit. He started, So when did you go from the vand of the tour bus. That's a big step in in the life because the tour bus expensive. Yeah, well they're still expensive. Two of them are really how you got

two now? Humble brack right there? Oh, it's so expensive good too? It really is it? Really? Uh? Now up at the end of the year went up. All night was was peaked and we started going in and we started selling records and kind of selling out clubs. We've got our bus. Uh it was fun. You know what

the wrap is on you is that. And we have similar team members and so we have people that are close to us and they're they're work together and they're like, man, that John Party is one of the hardest working guys. Like that is what you're known for, and that's cool. I think it's cool because that's what I'm known for. Just work. That's all you do. Which but for me, like I I see the effort and I go, man,

like a lot of respect. You grind, grind, you grind, and I say this as respectful as possible, Like you grind hard and then you post picture your girlfriends but on Instagram, Hey, it's too that in eighteen I mean that in all sincerity, Like you you know from one guy who just grinds it out. I think you grind with more talent than I have. But you grind it, man, You you go hard, and that's what everybody. That's the story. People love you and they go, man, we just root

for him because he works so hard. He's one of these guys that doesn't take anything for granted and and you know, puts it all out there. I try not to have to mean, you know, it's kind of like what you see is what you get. And from Instagram, two songs and to working hard, it's it's all about how I was raised and and things that Joel, you know.

And I think the more honest you people, more honest you are with fans these days, with social media and everything, is the more that you're gonna they're gonna know that, like this guy is real. I mean this, you know, I love like in summer was funny about the whole but thing I was like, by the way John posted a picture of his we we all both broke the Internet. I was scrolling through my pictures, right, I mean, I'm hitting,

I'm scrolling and I see like a thong. But and I'm like, what one of my friends because I don't follow anything about accounts, and I was like, what's my friends post? I was like jump posting a picture of his girlfriends and I was like, holy crap, that's John's girlfriend's butt, Like right up, on the camera. So she's laying uh tanning in a bikini. Yeah, and do you say, hey, m I take a picture of your butt posting online And I was like, hey, it's cool if I posted.

They're like, yeah, we had a little bit of vodka at the time. But it's all right, we're a day off, We're we're just chilling at the pool. I mean, that's not my fault that the new high cup bait bikinis are so in style. I mean, you didn't make the bikini, don't. You don't set the trends. I'm not setting the trends. You did. So the internet starts to go all the heads. Do you get any text from your buddies or anybody at the label going what are you doing post some

butts on your Instagram? No, actually got a lot of likes people and from everywhere managing in the only thing my manager was like, well, don't comment back. You know, I'm I'm like whatever, I was just messing with people. But you know, there's there, you know, regardless of what you're gonna do, there's always gonna be some negativity. But there was there was a lot of like it's somewhere we go through the commas, and our favorite was which

my husband Pop pitched from my butt on Instagram. Right, and obviously you know I got a girl. I got a girlfriend. Now she's got a great butt. Like here it is, I'm not lying, right, you're being honest, honest with the people. How's that going? By the way's their girlfriend? She's great? I mean it's it's the first time that you realize you you found somebody great. Oh yeah, yeah, it's a tough that's a tough thing for a man to be, Like, I could be good when you when

you're so used to being bad. But I've been super respectful to her, and we we don't fight, and we do everything together and we talk about things. That's a big thing to talk about things, to talk about things, and it's never on a high level. It's always on a very even even and like calm because she's so calm, and uh, it's been an eye opener for me. So we have fun and we live it to the fullest. And and you know, we we'd like to. We don't argue about things. Were like the same things. We're both

from California and out west. You know, it's just it's a whole different kind of thing out there, and but I love the South too, so it's kind of like I said, I grew up here too, so there's both both worlds. You know. It's funny about northern California because I spend a good amount of time. I might actually wanta te This weekend, I'm doing two comedy shows, one in Sacramento, one in Bakersfield, and so I spend a

good amount of time nor the California. But it's probably the closest thing to the South in form of people. The people are very similar, and I think that's why that I have embraced them and they have embraced me so much because the sensibilities are very similar. They love country too, they love country music, but they're they're real people, and the southern California is tough for me. I'm not a big Los Angeles guy. Everything feels a little plastic

to me. It's a good place to visit. The weather is good, and I get I also get carsick, like bait. Yeah, I like Northern California though, like the people, there's some hospitality there. Maybe maybe that's what it is. Everybody's just so aspitable it They're really hard workers out there. And and most of my my my friends and the towns that you know, my mom lives and sheets from Winners, my dad's from Dixon is two small towns and right

next to each other. Most of all my friends got a jobs and they're working hard, and and they're struggling just to find a house because real estate is so higher out there, and and it's just but they're still working and they work hard, and they chase their dreams. And I feel like like any you know that blue collar red neck you know, not even you don't have to be ready to work at a bank. I don't know, it's still like in all involved in that area is it's like let's you know, go get it, you know.

And I feel like the South is a lot like that too, and and there's nice people and and uh the only thing with Nashville now is it's like you gets spoiled here with food. So care food. Yeah it's too good a food. You go back, you go back home. I was like, where are we going? Babble Bees? Like you know, but there's and great, that's some great little restaurants.

Said I go to back home to you and what I'm saying, but it's funny because back in the day when I moved in Nashville was like the Longhorn Roots Chris was we were going out, you know, that was we were going there. Wasn't you know Caine Priyan or Jeff Rubies or like all these like independent restaurants and stuff. So I don't know how I'm talking about restaurants, but I used to go to a place called Bonanza and um Hot Springs, Arkansas. That was town from Mountain Pine,

seven hundred people. We had to go to town to get town stuff like Walmart and Bonanza. It's got a place called Bonanza. And the art of the salad bar, I feel has been lost a bit lately. At nice restaurants, they had the greatest salad bar. I crush a sala bar. Hey, when I moved to Nashville, if you would have asked me, what what's your idea of a great night and a great restaurant all garden all day, I just still me

too super well. I think my car got busted into Memphis Alive Garden like eight months ago, but I stopped All Garden. I wanted it so bad. The super and salad, the bread rolls, everything is good at Aden I think too, the thing birthday dinner at all. I think the things that we liked and that we found were special when we were growing up are still special to us. For example, I mean, it's simple stuff, you know, but it was great, uh red lobster to me once a year my family,

you know, poor family. We we went to town have one dinner a year, and it was a red lobster every year. And because of that, I still drop out red Lobster and go. I love that place just because of that. That was That's a special place for me, and so I still go. But I think samething with Alive Garden, like, I really don't even know how good Alive Garden is anymore because I still go and I just enjoy it because what it used to tastes like

I don't know if it's good anymore. If I went into it today, it's still pretty good and I still eat it today, but I wouldn't know if if I walked in for the first time today. If you can postmates that you can Postmates now you can just have it come come to the house. That's true. You get Postmates in Malive Garden. Um. We'll talk about LifeLock for just one second. Always gotta be careful. Sometimes you can

be careful and you still get hit. Now that's something called crypto jacking, which it makes it sounds kind of fun until you actually uh learn what it is. Cyber Thieves are getting access to personal computers with these malicious emails or even simple browsing using special programs. It's all about things I don't even understand. So many threats in today's connected world, and it takes just one week link for criminals to get in. But that's why I have

Debtada LifeLock. That's right, New LifeLock. I did any depth protection as the power of Norton Security to help protect you against threats to your identity and your devices that you can't easily see or fix on your own. If you have a problem, their agents will work to fix it. No one can stop every cyber threat, prevent all identity

after monitor transactions all businesses. But as I've been saying, New LifeLock with Norton Security can't see threat you might miss on your own LifeLock dot com or call LifeLock use the promo code bones for an extra ten percent off your first year or twenty five Amazon gift car with annual enrollment promo code bones terms supply. Okay, so I want to bring up this story about you getting I did. I didn't know. Um, I feel like I knew everything about you already. I'm stalker, a big John

Party fan. Yeah, but I know you got stabbed uh in the belly? Yeah five times? Oh, I didn't see. I didn't even know it's five times. So you're you're You're like a bar No. I was eighteen, so the the first two are just slices on the arm. But okay, so where were you. I was out in the country and I was at my one of my best friends, and we were two towns that we're not rivals, which just you know, you always kind of have bad kids

in in your town. Man, there's always the guys that always get in trouble or fight, you know, and Uh in this town and I won't name towns or anything. Um, he got jumped by my hometown by guys I didn't even know. But he found out that I was from my hometown. And you know, we had a great time at this party. I met a bunch of new people and we were high. You know. I was nice to meet you. We gotta go. We're leaving, and uh, he was waiting outside for me, and he was like having

me pinned out. And I was walking back to the to the car and he came up and asked me where I was from, and I told where I was from. I said, yes, you know, and he popped me in the mouth, knocked me down, yeah, busting my lip. I got back up and I started, you know, I started fighting him, you know. And it wasn't he said, he got scared and pulled a knife out, but he started to fight, you know, and and uh, I ended up with losing that fight. You know. He you know, he's

just swinging. You know, I'm not like a trained karate man or something. You know, I was just swinging. I just it's you know, that adrenaline at eighteens like ah. And then I didn't even know I got stabbed, and um my buddy came and broke up the fight and pushed me back in his hands full of blood. And then that was like the beginning of the ride to the hospital. So what happens. So we're in the country and my my, my buddy, he's now firefire to paramedic.

But he was always trying to be a firefighter paramedics. So he's like, I'll drive. We're going to hospital. So he's like he knew the back roads. So we're like screaming down his back roads. Girls are screaming and crying, calling nurses, and like the nurse through the phone was like, you know, compressing the wounds. Took my shirt off, blood everywhere. You got to have a part of your belly. Leven, it's eleven inches across the center. Oh, he stuck it and then went across and I got to right on

the left side. Wow, so you're bleeding pretty hard. Yeah. No, we were bleeding and we were bleeding. Um. The first hospital we stopped at didn't have emergency room. It was like an animal hospital I at the time, they didn't have emergency room. So we had to drive I don't know, fifteen miles to U C. Davis and we got there

and they didn't even know what do mean that? Like there's not ever a feeling you want to go through when you're like going into like the sports e er and like just a guy in the football paths like busted arm and like you know, hold hold. It was just kind of very calm injuries and where I busted to the door, like you know, like he's dad. It's just blood everywhere. Like I couldn't imagine being in a lobby and like, oh my god, this guy comes in here.

There's blood everywhere. Um. And so they kind of did some tests on me, like for visual and like asking me like you know, they wanted me to pee and try to see if there's blood in the ear and the kind of see if they caught any into an organs and I couldn't pee. I she was kind of cute nurse and was like She's just sitting there like pee and I'm like I can't pee right now, Like

stop it stop, I'll be fine. Uh. And so they sent me off Sacramento and ambulance and man, I was it's and then you know, going from that like kind of sports and you're not saying that they always get anybody will get bad things in the art, but when you got to a big city like Sacramento, man, there was it was people were shot. One girls to the side of me got chopped up by a bulb appeller. One girls just grabs the curtain says how back. How man?

It was like literally like I said't I was in like this is where it goes down, like what you see on you know, drama hospital movie or you know television shows, and uh and the doctor was like, oh, Victor, you know, and he like put his glove on, put like put his fingers inside of my wounds and and just kind of felt muscle. You knew you could like fill any my organs, and uh, they stitched me up.

And then the next day I was out and I had to have a nurse come to the house and pack my We stitched him an inch apart so we'd pack alcohol gauze down in the wound so it grew from the bottom up, so you know, you didn't just have a big hole inside your your stomach. So we had to pack wounds for I don't know. It was a long time ago, but would you ever do that dude to get whatever happened to that dude? Um, they jump, he's still happening in town. They're still pay half on

each other. Everyone. Um, you know he uh he got away with he has a phony and he got away with. Um I saw it with that weaplin a deadly weapon. And uh, two years later, you know, I was I needed some money, and there was some he he got a job and he offered to pay the restitution, and uh and all realness, like he looked at me like he messed up, Like that's I didn't talk to him, but you know, it was just kind of that moment because I'm like, you know, we're all young, you know.

I I'm just thankful to be alive basically and not peeing out of a bag for the rest of my life, you know, because there was there was that option, and uh, I don't know that's what what's that option? I don't know. Well, you guys terrible. You get cut cut right, you know, and your your center and your all your organs. I don't know that that's that's that's what somebody told me. But that may not even be true. But regardless, I survived.

I didn't die. Nothing really bad happened. I got big scars across my stomach um, and I was, you know, I was getting ready to moving Nashville. You know that that would help out with the whole move, you know. And uh, he paid me like I don't know, eight or nine grand and and uh I got to keep it, and he got he got a little life of a felony, which isn't easy and um, but I didn't you know it was No. I think we both moved on and

he's looking for better things, you know. In that guy's name at Dirk S. Bentley and that's how I met Dirk's Bentley And that's the rest of the story. But yeah, you know, and how about that? That's crazy, huh. It happens. Happens to a lot of people around around the world, you know, and you always think, man, never happened to me, but it sneaks up on you. So what are you doing right now in musical are you? Are you creating music? I know you're writing, like, well, what happens right now?

You know, you have the last single on the record that's on the radio now, and you're looking forward to a new record next year. You have some songs already recorded, you have worked out, like where are you now in the process of eight teen songs recorded? Well, you recorded like fully, fully full studio recorded. If you wanted to, you could put that album this week if I wanted to, know, I had to sing vocals, and it's been hard with

touring and analogies and flaming and stuff. So they're all tracked, so they all this music, all the songs are down, the musicians recorded that, you just haven't sang on them yet. But we're you know, we're gonna have to windle them down. We're still still writing, you know, still you know, looking still kind of trying to see what the next movie is. But we're taking our time because we have time and there's no need the rush. That we don't need the rush, but our goals to get you know, at all kind

of figured out by January Favruary. That way we get, we turn it into the label and like, hey, we really could use like a June you know, release state and kind of say like we're ready, Danny good or not. They're great, Yeah, they're great. Feel good about him? It's yeah, I mean I feel it's guy. You know, it's it's it's a little more countrier, but if it's upbeat, and and that's the thing it's it's it's still the same, but it's it's just a little country. What are people

gonna say when they hear the record? We're like, oh, this new John Party album. We'll just call it right now, John Party's Birthday, This new John Party Birthday album. It's it's blank. Whenever they finally get to hear the new stuff, they're gonna say, wait, it's blank. They're gonna say it's fun in his country is different. Um. I feel like as an artist like John Mayor just pulled. She just posted something about songwrite it was great, you know, and well I was reading it two or before we came

with me. Read it was great, and it was talking about doing your own thing and being you because that's what people want to remember you for. It was something that I don't know. Yeah, it was a reminder that he posted to himself. It says songwriting reminders to myself. This is from John Mayer's Instagram. Be brave. You're not here to line up behind what's cool. You're here to share what you truly love, even if people aren't into it at the moment. Walk alone and gather a line

behind you. That's pretty cool, he said. Seeing real words, even if they're nonsense, they usually hold subconscious truths. Number three, write lyrics and total silence for at least twenty minutes a day. If you're cool, your beats are cool. Everyone is beat shy. I felt like he has some real I think the rhythm on your California Sunrise super strong. There's lots of rhythm on next, a lot more so. I think that a lot of people would have expected

of a John Party record. I think all about grooving. Yeah, it's it's gotta groove I love. I mean, I can play the drums. I'm not good, but you know I still feel like that in your drummer. Whenever you get a good beat by a great drummer, you're like lip rises up and you want to go yeah, you know, like um, but this when I saw this today, all you know, all my kind of like, you know, it's hard being traditional, but this record is is upbeat in it and it it's in a different like. It goes

to number one on John Mayer's Instagram. Be brave. You're not here to line up behind what's cool. Here to share what you truly love, even if people aren't into it at the moment, walk alone and gather a line behind you. When I read that, I was like I needed that, thanks brother, John. Yeah, isn't it too. Whenever

you have like minded people. I find this with one of my one of my friends who does radio and television, that whenever you share your insecurities and even we'll call them problems with what you do that they often relate and you go, oh, I'm not alone, like I would like that. Walk alone and gather a line behind you. I would got I would have to think someone like you who you definitely have your own style. At times you gonna like, boy, this is it's kind of risk.

But walk alone and gather a line behind you, which John Merrod, I would think you would relate to that a bit. Yeah, and and and this records you know it's more country. But we're never not thinking about being played on the radio, like there's something you know, like there, I'm just gonna do my own thing. You know, I don't need radio blah blah like they I've just heard that too many times. It's like, no, my dream was

always be played on the radio. But I have to be me, you know, I have to you kind of have to meet that best of both worlds where he's like, this is it. This is the one that that I want to hear on the radio. Who do you call if you're like, man, I'm struggling artist wise, you're are just man, let me let me ask you some advice. Who what artists would you call that's kind of taking you under the wing or you've grown up with in Nashville where you could actually lean on them for advice. Um,

Dirk Spiley, Luke Bryan. I mean, Thomas Rhett's really great because you know, he's he's a guy that that figured you know, he had started out with like that kind of redneck rock and stuff and then he kind of changed this whole world into this whole kind of almost j T a little bit, but you know, and he's doing great, but like he's still a huge fan of my music. And like we wrote together and we just kind of hung out and try to write a song.

We got a verse into course and and we just kind of talked about where we were, you know, because me and Tomas went way back. We played acoustic together,

both had long hair, and uh it. You know, it's just those moments that are like our release, you know, and I haven't really you know, I've had great a lot of my label I'll ask for advice from and of course Dirks and Luke and everybody, but um, I spent a lot of time just figured it out, you know, and then Instagram stuff like that's my favorite, Like when I when it was really awesome. And actually Jared Jared Johnson,

he's he. I followed John and Jared he posts he reposted it and I started really, I was like, oh my god, this is great. And um so there's a lot of things that you kind of remember and I think that that post is something that thing will always kind of be burned in my brains. Vulnerable Luke. Luke told me a great line back in the day, and it was right when some some didn't work out and and he told me, the longer it takes more time

you get to figure it out. I was like that, that's that's pretty good, you know, and I kind of kept that with me and figured it out. That's another guy too, who is as country as could possibly be. He had is able to do some really progressive stuff and nobody really questions how country is and they showed it because he is. Yeah, you know, he's able to really be on both sides of it like he is who he is. Uh yeah, I mean that's I see a lot of you and that. I mean he's hutting,

fishing them and every day man and that. But that's Luke, that is he and he's always fishing, he's always doing something on tour and he's working. He's a workaholic too. I mean he he has to work. He's so mean. Fifty six million dollars last year. He's doing good. I spent a much time in Luke. Ain't no different look now than was three years ago. Still goes the fly rods and and fishing trips. Look at that. I don't

even know. I don't even know. It's it's fun to watch you kind of you know, take take control of this thing. And you never really have control. But like you're freaking John Party now. And I met you. You were John Party. This is other people. You've always been you, but now you're walking around people like freaking John Party. That's cool, man, It's cool. Yeah, I love it. I just respect what you do. Mom was looking for the next move and and and it is have been stressful.

It has been stressful just with time being on tour, not having new new music to play and and having a bunch of songs and not being done with that batch to really start carving in your your final track list and so we're not there yet and that that's it's very stressful. But this week, you know, painting the deck, organizing the tools, getting the pressure wash your route, mowing the lawns, and just kind of doing that. It's really

just kind of really helped. And and and the reason I kind of just give that advice to anybody is like I picked up the guitar to day and I had that feeling of like, man, I missed just playing the guitar by myself, you know, and just and sometimes you lose that when you pick it up every night and you you get in your singior songs every night, and you come back and you're tired and you gotta

do it all over again. So it's really good to put it down and just remember that that's a special bond that you have with that guitar and songwriting, and that's that's that magic that I felt it in the day and it was awesome, Like at as we've done an hour, it's in here talking. It's very selful. That was a solful hour because how we ended on such a poignant note, poignant party. Hey, I can I can get down. I can get down. I have no doubt. I'm not afraid to do some self healing and talk

about things. And I feel like, yeah, you know, Summers, another person that taught me, like we really have to talk about things because uh, you know, going from being single maniac single artists too, you know, trying to make things work. You know, it's honesty and talking about things. And she's she's really showed me a lot. So that's good man. You know she'll be listening. Look at you, look at your self healing. I did something I went to on site. You know that place you ever heard of?

That place like a little therapy camp self field, self field. Yeah, they don't let them. I'll let yourself love though they have to get the rules walked out six ft dollar film. Yeah, I did feel good four days. I didn't know writing, no anything. I just went and do like therapy. But it was the same thing. It was like I didn't write anything while I was there. I have a phone

that took my phone, took my computer, no TV. And so you do all this and you go back like, oh man, I forget how much actually enjoy like creating things. It's a good good break. Well, listen to my friend. I can't wait to you know, we'll do this again whenever you got some new stuff at night shift. Now I'm here a little more this night shift. One of my friends, co writer of the song tofer. Yeah, he's proud of this. I love the song. It's a great song.

Jam We're getting ray shoot the music video. Are you at Night? At Night Downtown nash alright, had John Party Picks. That's is that the name at John Party Picks? John p I c s like John Party Pictures? Is that what the inspiration? Yeah? I should I should change that. But at the time I thought it was cool. Yeah, you know, being new to Instagram, who like that? It was like when Instagram kind of first started. Who knew

what was gonna be like? But it was fun. And I don't know who need to be posting the thong, but hey, there is so much booty on Instagram that that should not be an issue. All right, John Party, good to see my friend. Alright, everybody, everybody, no, no, this only record this. Let's go it back myself, no one else, Here's this just me. Hey, I've I've had a lot of friends and people in the business truly say that they really enjoy your podcast. I was excited too.

I forgot because I was working. I forgot to text you that I was excited about coming over here. But I was I was covering in brown paint. All right, I want thank you very much. We'll see you next time.