#60 - Wheeler Walker Jr.

This is just a big disclaimer everybody's listening to I have no I have no interest in Wheeler Walker Junior's dirty music other than I think it's funny to read the titles. Now, you can say whatever you want, Alright, cool, Yeah, I want. I'm gonna keep it clean for this podcast, but I'm not gonna lie. It's definitely not the first interview I've done with it that starts with a disclaimer.

You know. That's the That's the bummer for me is I gotta sit down for interview and then the interviewer spends ten minutes apologizing before I have a chance to talk. But um, I appreciate you having me on and having me on, you know, over to your place and doing this, um, because my new the thing with my new record, and the first one was kind of just like kicking my

foot into nationale and see what I could do. And this one, I'm truly trying to, you know, I'm trying to be part of the conversation, you know in the Bobby Bones and well yeah, but I but I want I'm trying not to insult the other country acts as much as I used to because in my head I'm gonna be sitting next to him at the Grammys and it gets it gets a laugh when I say it. But um, I'm here to stay and I want to.

I want to out sell Sky Luke Combs. His album comes out the same day as mine, and I've decided he's my enemy because his album comes out the same day as mine. But I don't know, I don't know. If you don't think I don't think he's a bad dude. But your album comes out the same day as mind your mind, I'll find something bad about you. You know,

what are you thinking about a song? Hurricane? Um? I mean I guess it was it was, you know, as far as the stuff I like and don't it's closer to real music than then not really, you know who don't like? To me, I don't like it's weird because, um, I think a lot of people think because I make fun of a lot of pop country. But what's what's odd is I love I do love good pop music and I love good country music. And why the two coming together? I don't. It makes me so angry. It's

hard to say. And I don't think I'm any kind of purist. But my favorite Taylor Swift record was nine nine. I really liked that album. And uh, I thought Bangers was great, that Miley Cyrus record. So I like good pop and I love Michael Jackson. I just gonna go down the good pop music, you know, and I love good pop music. I just don't for some reason. I think it's a Did you have Brandy Clark on your podcast?

Because I was talking to her recently and it's not her, it's not her quote, but someone gave her a quote recently because it's hard. We're just trying to define what what is country music? And she said someone defined to her country music it's whatever white people are listening to. Well, that was a pretty good description, just because that these these days, who knows what is country and what's not

country because it's you know, are you country? I mean, I I claim I am, but in some ways it's not. I mean that's part of my thing. I claim I'm made more country to anybody else, but it's it's not really for me to sit. You know. June two, my Alms coming out. We have official seal of disapproval from Bobby Bones. No, it's not disapproval. I don't disapprove of because I personally think it's hilarious. But I'm not going to put my Yeah, I'm not gonna put my Hey,

you should go buy it. As you go check it out, Well, give me what's your quote? Then? All right? My quote is this stuff is crazy. Don't you don't approve of it? But I don't approve. Okay, if I said as, I'm not saying, I'm gonna use it like a sticker on the record. Here's my quote, stuff is crazy and I don't approve. I'll take that. Yeah, I'm gonna use that whatever. Great,

it's all you want. I said it, But secretly I do I approve because you just said you said both into the money that part you can't use the record. I'm gonna. I'm gonna when I leave here on a tweet, I don't approve Bobby Bones correct but for quotations, but secretly you can do quotations. But secretly I do. Okay, just just did the podcast with Bobby Bones quote. Here's this quote. I don't approve parentheses, but secretly, secretly he does.

I do. What if you're quote to me? He sasically, I do secretly, Okay, that's part of the quotote, But secretly I do. You might get like a like a kind of borrow laptop of this, clean up the third album and I'll play it. Yeah, you have my give me a song not right now? I hope, hope. Oh whiler does great. Well, here's my This leads to my question. Will probably get cut from the podcast. But if you have a song you love, can you just play it? Yeah? Nothing gets cut from the podcast the way ever, it's

our one role. Nothing gets cut. I got to a fight with Jake going right here, big one. By the way, as long we're talking about Jake going, uh, can we get it's my I got a message for Jake going, can we get his uh? His his cell phone? My cell phone number out of his phone two in the morning. He facetimes me the other I'm like, dude, like, I'm I'm in my underwear. Like he's on the road. He goes, I was, I just met John Dale, you know, the golfer. He's like, we're playing your stuff. He loves it. Like

that's a text brother, you know FaceTime. I'm like, anyway, so yeah, that's where I am, like, you know, I also haven't seen Jake going tweeting about him. I loves my record. It's just I gotta wake up at two in the morning. Answer at FaceTime, how do you get your number? I met him at a Here's here's an important thing to learn about Wheeler. So I played a a c M A party that was like the quote unquote the anti CMA party full of hipsters. And my

thing is I always want to be the opposite. If I hear it's ton me a bunch of hipsters, I go. I actually asked my friends, I go, who would be the list least hip person to have at this party. I'm gonna do that with them, and they go, well, the most a real corporate guy, because they were trying to be anti corporate this party. Well, they go, how about Jake Owen. I look, he's following me on twere. I go, you wanna do a duet and make all these hipsters mad? And he's like, he shows up and

we sang a song together. You know, it's just anyone who was a fan I want to. I'm just trying to lose any fans I have. You know, that's how you get I how you get people though, Yeah, what if you don't care? Yeah, I wanted to. I wanted to lose the fans I had, But yeah, no, you talked me into a clean third record, not even a whole claim record. If you get me something that's funny and it's a decent song, or it's just a decent song. You ask me if I can play whatever, I play

whatever all the time. Well, Summers in Kentucky's a pretty song. It's I've heard it, it's not i'ven't read the lyrics before I heard it. Could you post it them online? You're like, I was like I mentioned in this and I heard it. I was like, that's funny. Can't play it on the radio, but it is pretty. The entitle is And then halfway through we go a little I go a little it's a little medical, all right, Wheeler Walker Jr. June second. I'm a fan. I told you

the first time I met you. Well, I appreciate it, man. Yeah, And like I said, like all seriousness, like I'm a fan of what you do because you're you're doing something different, you're pushing the boundaries. Well, and I'm the first to admit that I I hit you pretty hard at first, and you took it like a champ and then we we worked through it. And I always like when it's it's funny for me to you know, like say like you like you worked, you didn't do anything you did

was sit there while I ripped on you. And then you know you turned me around. But I guess through reputation, I guess, and and also not caring not to be able to get up. What's up with you? And Dylan Scott? That one is real? That one I got really upset because to me, the Grand ol opertors a sacred place. He brought chewbacka mom on stage of the Grand ol Operty. I don't know if you know Hank Williams Seniors banned from the Grand ol Opry and Chewbacca moms up there.

I'm like, again, you don't have to be the most pure country arts in the world. But chewbacka Mom ain't supposed to be on stage of the Grand Ol Operation. So I ripped on him and then I got word that and I said, I when I when I make fun of someone on Twitter, I don't tweet one tweet. I do about fifty. And I'm like, Chewbacca Mom, you're the reason chewbacka Mom got on stage at the grand Ol Operate. You're my enemy now. And someone from his label contacted my drummer and said, you know, like, can

you tell him to knock it off? Which is just gets me going again. I mean, it doesn't take much for you to not get in my you know, just don't bring Chewbacca Mom on stage at the grand Ole operating your pone. Don't take Chewbaca Mom anyway. This will be playing on the radio. Cool with that? What this part you just said? I like it? Sure? I like I think that's a that's a good reason to be for somebody. Yeah, because I take I take the grand Ope.

You know, like I said, my family coming here from Nashville and the from my family been in Nashville since they went to the Grand operating the whole days, and to know that Hank Williams Sr. Is not a member and that and not like my aunt is really close with Crystal Gale and she just got in. I'm not saying they made Chewbaka member, but Cheebaka Mom being on the Grand Opery stage, that ain't right. He blocked you on Twitter, and he's blocking on Twitter. Now I can't

and now I'm missing out on all the good Chewbaca Mom. Juice. If someone's going on with Chewbaca Mom, I I am gonna know record together. You haven't heard heard well that I heard he was taking her on tour. You didn't really hear that. No, No, he said he was gonna take her on to I think he would never do that. I heard that well, I don't even know. I'll tell you what if I went to I'll tell you what.

I would probably go to that show to see. If if I heard that Chewbaka Mom was doing it was playing the country show and that Chewbacca mask, I'd probably be in the front row. I mean, can you imagine how crazy that would love? I can. I'm not terribly moved by the thought. Of it. Yeah, remembers Chewbacama came out of the CMT Awards and I was just like this joke old Yet, Like I said, being fat and putting on a Chewbacca mask is not a career. Like,

how's that you can make a living doing that? Why am I wasting my time writing songs for I should have just been fat and bought at Chewbacca mask. You still can't? There's still time. Oh yeah, I can eat, I can buy a mask, but I ain't got the I ain't got the goods she's got. You know, I don't have that special something that Chewbaca Mom has that Dylan Scott obviously found him liking and I love doing it ripping on guys like. I've never heard a note of his music, nor will I ever. But would you

like to hear something and decide for yourself? Um, I'm sure the answer is no, but now I really want to. Yeah. Are the songs? Are his songs about Chewbaka Mom. His whole album is called Me and the Chew Chewlie. Here's that. Here's a single, My girl? This is It's like Top twenty right now, taking a long time to get there, to be fair, But it's the top twenty song. Now here we go. This is um, Dylan Scott, I can already tell us this crap. I hate this bon Jovi country. Look,

I'm oh my god. You should hear talking to her mama on the phone. This is this was, this is a this is good as a garage band recording it. This This is made on garage band with like the country filter or something. This is this is this is god awful. This there like then let's let's wait for it. You should see a smile. When she called the baby, he sounds pretty good. I don't want to say that she saved me. My girl. It's called my Girl, yeah, the first song they ever called my Yeah. That's my

girl in the passenger seat. When the down dance in the round called in a scene, that's my girl sipping crown is sprite and a ball cap turned back. Good. She got me and I can't. Maybe girl, you're gonna turn it again. And they getting all the guys for she mute with them but a bit. They don't see what I see when I see my girl. There you go, there's Dylan Scott. Okay, can I give you my my grade F strong f. That was horrible and uh, you

know what he deserves Chewbacca mom. I honestly think Chewbacca mom, that is better than that. Yeah. By the way, I prefer that song. He was wearing a Chewbacca mask. Yeah, that was god awful. We don't have to agree on everything. You like. You like that song, I don't us like it. It hasn't growing on me fully yet, but I don't just like Itah, no problem with it. Well, I got some problems with it. Yeah, that that's just it's just I mean, you've heard this is the just the most

generic thing I've ever heard. So, okay, you're here. I'd like ole to know who you are listening to this. You're very I can't even retweet you sometimes, although I think it thinks they're very funny. Oh yeah, no, I'm I'm very vulgar. I'm very vulgar, and I really you know, it was a lot of anger and frustration that led to the making of this, the first record, in the second one, which is I'm just gonna go, I'm gonna because a lot of musicians, I think I know that

do this. A lot of songwriters, you know, they'll write the dirty version. There's like let's let's record it, let's go clean it up. I'm like, what if we made a record, we didn't do that second process or we cleaned it up. I go, it's two. You know it's two. Was two thousand and sixteen when did my first record. So it's like, we got a YouTube, we got sell like radio, we got podcasts. Why do I need the radio? Why do I need tell? You know? I don't need to on fallon? And I was a little wrong on that.

Um I was off five, but I think it would help him in the extra four million copies maybe. But um, what are some of the titles here? Uh? Fu By when he hits Yeah, it's a big one. That's got eaten p and kicking a Yeah, that's fan favorite. Yeah. So that was that was the one that broke. That was the one that uh, that was what got us our tony redneck s um blank on my face, which is actually you make it sound worse. Ah, let's see better off beating off. There's that. That's that. That's one

I can say that you can say radio. The thing is, we can say whatever we want. It's just if you say, hey, you have thirty minutes to go outside and play Give a Kick thirty they really have like forty five. If I tell Eddie to get to work it four thirty, he's really got to four. So I was like, hey, dude, we have big sponsors. You know, you can't come in here.

I see you're putting your videos on you know, explicit websites. Yeah, well that's the thing too, is um Well, my thing is always for people to just be honest to who they are. That's why I what I I appreciate you that the fact that you don't cust in your your life and don't cost on the like, to me, that's being authentic. That's to who you are. You know, it'd be different if I don't like the guys who are just really I don't have as much problem as the guys.

It was just really clean in real life, and then it were some crazy persona on air that would bother me, probably just as much. I think the first time we met, do you remember start taking that CMT s right, yeah, c m T Awards and you had just put out your first record. Yeah, and I'd ripped. I had ripped on you quite a bit on a on a I was gonna say on Twitter, but probably everything yeah and everything.

But to me, that's funny, like if I find it when someone makes the time to put me in their heart, good or bad. Well you want the first The first thing that I became aware of you that got me push me on the other side is in a I usually listen to. I don't like other people's opinions of people, except when I hear the same thing over and over. And I kept hearing a lot of people say, you know your name coming up is like, you know, he

likes to push buttons. I go after Like the fourth person said that, I was like, I got the I got. I've picked this guy wrong, you know, because I'm thinking of you as this you know, goody goody pushing pop I mean posh pushing you know pop country onto the world. I mean, I don't know if that's wrong. Though, to be fair, I don't know that you were wrong about that. Well the button pusher part, which I don't know about,

which is what intrigued me. Which is and maybe you could tell explained to me where that that reputation came from. I don't think there's a button push your thing. I think what happens if you just say how you feel enough people get piste off. You give enough opinions, eventually you're going to make someone upset. This is the world of opinions anymore. It's either have all the opinions or

none of the opinions. You'd obviously angered enough people that, um it came back to me that I was like, Oh, I'd like to talk to this dude because he's he's anyone who angers people is like, I want to meet I don't anger people. Didn't for the sake of angering people, angry people just because I haven't. If you're angering people just because you're being honest, then that's why. That's what That's what I did. I don't I don't set out to make anybody that ever, but I don't want to

listen to that person. I don't want to listen to someone on the radio who's worried about everything. They're gonna say, yeah, that doesn't happen. But then again, I don't do it on purpose. But I've been in a few and I have people, but I've really got into fights with them buddies with that now, you know, because it's like, you know what, and probably went over a little bit, or you probably were a little too sensitive and now we're

cool exactly. Well, my my favorite one is I went real hard especially, I mean at the beginning, I went real hard on at Old Dominion, and they tweeted back something to me that I thought was funnier. I was like, well they win. I'm never gonna I'm never gonna do anything to them again. You know, like, you can't make fun of someone if they'd make fun of the Ruins, it's the eight mile, Like Eminem, you go at yourself. There's nothing else to say. Yeah, I was like, I'll

I go. I don't know that I'm gonna listening to Old Dominion all night, but I ain't gonna make fun of them again. You know who do you like? Um? Well, I mean obviously other than the old stuff. I'm trying to think who's out there right now? You know who your audience wouldn't know. It's not that like Margot Price has played the show. Yeah, I love I love Brandy and you had her on. I love um, I love really like John Party, um like Stapleton obviously obviously all

of America does. And uh, you know I'm Sturgil, you know, and is Bill who? These are something? I guess maybe some of the Outsiders that Europe is. My favorite is someone you actually you had on your show, which I love that you had her on. My favorite album the probably the past year or so was Laurie McKenna's album Yeah, Burton the Rifle, Yeah I got. I love that record. Yeah, I've had her on as a writer and an artist because I love it. I love it so much. But kids,

you know she writes everything. Yeah, that's a new thing that It's been really cool lately a lot of these songwriters have kind of been putting out their own records. That because Lorie's records great, Natalie Hemby's record is great. It's because, you know, because being around you know, I hear their demos and I you always wonder, like, why don't you put out a record? And that Pete they're finally starting to do it. I love when that happens. You know, you're not as angry right now as I

thought you might be. Yeah, I don't. People are always surprised because usually unless I just got someone just got angry at me when I walked in. I'm not in a bad mood because I've done interviews where I just got like one recently, I just found out because my album is now banned from Walmart. I don't want to get it wrong. I don't care if I get wrong. Actually Walmart cam Art best I think. And I just got that news right before an interview last week, and

the whole interview was angry. But right now, do you see that coming? Like, don't you make it and go, I'm going to get banned it probably eighty percent of the places. Yeah, but I thought I was gonna have a chance of beating this Luke Combs jerk. But um, it's just it. I mean, yeah, I know what you're saying, which is it's weird for me to really Um, I can't. I can't be seriously mad about it. You know. It's not like I can't call up a publicist or manager

and go, how in the world did that happen? You know, I'm not that dumb, although I'm pretty dumb, But um, I try because I really want to. That's the thing. Other thing people don't believe about it. I really want to compete with these guys. And I could say it's not fair, you know, it's not a level playing field, but I did. I did it to myself. You know, when you have pornographic titles on a record, like you're gonna be in places if they don't want take pornographic anything.

Oh totally yeah, I mean, I um, but you can use it you and you do use it your advantage, like it's a fun game you play where it's like I'm banned here. Uh, let's go to their website and trash it. Yeah, I mean, I think the part that angers me is when, because I know it's people listening right now are laughing at me, that I want to be taken seriously as an artist with titles like that.

But to me, especially the new records, I'm trying to say serious things, but in the way that I talk because I cursed all I want to talk, and I just I want to sing the way I talk. So it would be untrue to myself to sing instead of fub is seeing you know, love you girl, you know, miss you girl, or something. It wouldn't it wouldn't be how I It's not my natural inclination to do it like that. So I don't know. I don't people know

anything about your history that where'd you grow up. I'm from Kentucky, all right, so you grew up a Kentucky But I love it here and I've most of my families from here. By the way, this isn't I was just saying this is a must be noon new area in Nashville house. Well, I'm saying this area. Yeah, we won't say exactly what the area. They get too many people come about with guns. I was gonna say kind of about the address. I'll tweet the addressing, tweet a

picture in the front of the house. Um, so you grew up with Kentucky. Like, are you a real I mean, I don't even know how good are you are musically? Um? Like, are you do you consider yourself like an A level musician? B level musician? Well, anyone who just strumps and sings. I mean my albums both albums were recorded live um to tape, you know. So anything you're hearing is me. There's no auto tune, there's no you know, the second one, especially there. I didn't rerecord any lines, you know, So

what you're hearing on the album is is who I am. So, um, don't you wanna give me like a guitar to have me give me a test here? No? I just want to because again I see your your first record, which I did listen to all and I think it's really funny. It's the thing it's not. It's not fun I would put out, but I think it's really funny that redneck s s is an expert, so you put it out. And I remember sitting the studio with Addie, my producer,

listening to songs, laughing a lot. They go on, man, this is funny, but people listen to it to go is this guy even real? Like do you like do you really play? Yeah? These songs? Well, I think sometimes Well I didn't want to be on the comedy charts, and I got I got an argument with the people who distributed my record. They called me up and like tell me, because to me it was I want to

only want to be on the country charts. And we got in a big argument like it's not comedy, don't put it and they're streaming like I'm not on the comedy, don't put me on the comedy charts. And halfway through the argument I realized it. By the way before, I keep yelling and you know, blowing out my voice, what number am I on the comedy charts? And they're like number one. I was like, all right, keep me on the comedy charts. You know because to me it's not.

It's to me it's really serious stuff that I'm singing about. I'm just using bad words. You know it's not. But how was that serious that you're singing about? For example, in the song ah, let's see fighting, Well, that's about you picked the worst one. Yet I'm just picking one fighting and farting and nothing with fart I mean that one. I want that was the worst one, that you picked the worst one, because anything with farting is not gonna be serious. But so that was your one moving to comedy,

that's all. That was your one. No, I don't think it's my one moving to comedy, but it was all of It's kind of an f you to to Nashville to music rows. Okay, that's interesting. So you're angry at the whole establishment, which I am too. When I got into the studio, I'm like, I'm unsuccessful, and this is my middle finger to music. Row in my middle and I'm gonna make the song so catchy and good that people are gonna have to listen to them, and no

matter how dirty they are, I'm gonna sell. I'm gonna out sell all these guys, which I didn't do so I failed, but I'm gonna out sell these guys with filth. How high on their country chart? Did you ever get debuted a number nine? Which wasn't bad? I mean, we're you know, I was expecting number nine hundreds, so especially for a first record. So I mean, by the way, lad as a podcast you canna listen to. It's very

vulgar and dirty. I actually recommend you don't listen to it. So, but it's it exists, it's weird, it's ante that long. I've already gotten a lot of non recommendations. Yeah, that's what you want, though, it's like being kicked out of stores. Like if you you'd rather have people non recommended, then not mention it. Yeah, like I encourage people not to check it out. Yeah, and while you while you're at it, don't listen to Bobby Bones. Yes, that's my favorite thing.

I'd rather have those and people saying listen to it. Because I bought a bunch of billboards and didn't tell anybody about it, and they all said go away Bobby Bones, and I hit it for years into a book and everyone thought certain artists that bought them are record labels, and I put up all over town, huge billboards. It's a go away Bobby Bones, that's it. That's a pretty good Now you got me thinking, yeah, And so everyone was like, who's upset of Bobby? Is it? This artist

that I had to fight with? Is that this record label? Is that the other ready of stations? And forever they stayed and nobody knew until I put on my book and the people were pisted, like Flora George Line went on satellite and bash me because they were like, ain't putting up billboards about himself? Not understanding? I don't know. I didn't put them up about me. I did put them up about me, but in your own controversy. Yes, that's it. Controversies all I love controversy. Yeah, well, you

know these billboards still up. Let's get some fill, but they cost too much. I have to leave up. That's the thing is because I put my albums out of myself, I got a lot of ideas that don't ever that we can't pay for because it costs too much money. Let me talk about you get commercials in your podcast yet, no, we got we gotta offer. Some dog food company wanted to do it, and then I had that. I told him my idea what I wanted to do with the dog food, and then they disappeared. Okay, let me talk

about Let me talk about sleep number. One of my favorites here obvio sleep number and if you go into a sleep number store and adjusts on each side. So you married, by the way, No girlfriend? All right, Oh that's right, you have X wife. She's somebody sings on your record as your ex wife, but it's not really your ex wife. Right. Well, my ex wife's did sing on it, but then she took her name off, she took her vocals off, but we'd already made the artwork,

so her name's on it. But it's a country singer I love called Nicki. Her name is Nicky Lane. She sings on the track and it's it's uh, that one's called cheating. I'm just calling from my head. What's what's it called. It's called messing or messing her, but it's but it's the dirty word of messing around. That's what it is. Effing around. Yeah, that was why I did a shame. Okay, The bed adjust on each side, so it's right for both of you. The sleep number adjust

a firmness and comfort and sports. So you're sleep number setting. It's perfect for both couples with optional sleep i Q technology attract your sleep, it helps your sleep. And so my setting is thirty and my sleep i Q score last night was in the nineties. So you want to find a sleep numberstorinary, you can right now. There's a big deal semi annual sell where a Queen C two, mattress is six and you'll only find sleep number in

the fifties. Sleep Number stores nationwide and you can tell him you herd to hear on the Bobby Cast and there you go, sleep number. I have one my bedrooms, like right over there. Really, can I take it for a test? Dride whatever. I'd like to meet some of the girls on your radio show. They look. Am I wrong to say that I started? I think I followed on Twitter or something or Instagram? Is a lot of the girls who are on your show? Might wrong? Just

say that there's a lot of attractive women on your show? Yeah, I think everybody in our show keeps himself a pretty good shape. Who what are the women? Women names? Again? Amy is my man host? Yeah? No, na a, Yeah, that's I thought she's very really pretty. I saw picture of her. She tweeted out some article she wants some award or something, and then said I always noticed this stuff. Or sayce she said she graduated college when she was like twelve years old. I mean not twelve, but it

was something crazy. I'm like you guys in the high school like fifteen or sixteen and in college, I'd like to find a real smart woman, you know, to bounce me out. How do you tell girls about your Like if they say, hey, what do you do for a living?

You talk about this this music. Um, you know, what I've noticed is the best thing for with with with girls about the Wheeler stuff is as you're you're seeing that this side of me, which is if you put out music like this and you're not a complete, um degenerate, they think they reached, you know, they got past the dark side and the soft cuddy inside, which is not that hard to get to. So they think I'm some crazy bad dude, and then they I can surprise them

by being nice and it kind of works. What was it that I do so mad at everybody? Like in Nashville, Like, what what was it? It said? I think, Uh, the one word I use is failure. You know, your failure, My failure. Yeah. I spent a lot of time trying to, you know, make it and it just didn't happen. Um. And you know, I had some record company issues and I had UM, I had some bad deals I signed. I mean, at the end of the day, your career is your fault. But I was just so angry. I'm like,

I'm gonna put this anger onto onto a record. And my hope being UM, that are there people out there who as angry as me and like listen to the kind of music which I think you know, they answered to a lot of angry people around America right now. So you you go out and you're doing a whole uh wheeler tour. Yeah, we're doing a tour. We're doing a three dates the week of the release, and then we're waiting a couple of weeks and we're gonna do uh,

I guess, like a whole another tour. I don't know if you get this a lot with your when you tour, right when people just when you announce the tour, all yours like eight million comments, why aren't you coming to my city? It's like, anyhow touring works, you know. I wanted to explain that to people and people just think you pick cities. Yeah, and you don't really just go I think I'll go there. We'll just think about like if I was a kid and like what I tweet Actel,

you know, come to so in Kentucky? You know, like in acts would reading go tell his major? This guy Wheeler wants us to play a lesson and make sure it happens, Like, well, what do the thing is gonna happen? And now we're booked in l A one, but let's go to lex to this day. I mean, we don't want we don't meant this little kid Wheeler, we don't mess up mess with him. So um yeah, it drives me. You know, it's just like you think your real country

and you ain't playing in Texas. I'm like, they didn't rub me to Texas, wait me to do and there wasn't a venue available in the area that I could get to in time. Yeah, what I didn't call up? Let's do a tour and make sure we stay out of Texas. Do you know a lot of country artists stay out of Texas really because of the Texas country scene. Yeah, I was gonna say, there's all I know. I was gonna see the options. I know artists who really don't leave Texas and that's why, because what happens is some

of the Texas artists will vilify the Nashville artists. So in the Nashville artists going to Texas, they've been trained by the Texas country artists that that's all bad. That's interesting because we actually actually had a good time doing Texas on the last were But yeah, it's funny. It's funny for you to say that, because not I forget that I'm in Nashville because I'm such an outslayer that I am to that I'm a Nashville artist still, which I you know, I just have no pride take pride

in that. But um yeah, I guess you would get territorial because I've heard before that there are people who make millions of dollars just in Texas. Just I want to say millions. Very comfortable. I would say, Also, you only gotta you gotta you know you have to buy a house in Texas that you're gonna cost that much and you don't want to buy a house in Texas. Listen, I live in Austin for it's the greatest. And when I go and we play Texas it's awesome for us

because weird Mike's everybody's Texan. I grew up in Arkansas. Yeah, I know that because the basketball battles be battles. Really about that too, by the way, Yeah, well, thank well. I'm very passionate about Kentucky basketball and I'm and I make no apologies about it. But it's also the one thing that I can make fun of people and I'm probably gonna win. It's only one of the few arguments I know I'm gonna win. Kentucky basketball is a thing. This music and the new record comes out Jean second

Old Wheeler. It's called what's the difference in the First Record and the Second Record? To me, the second record is well, the main thing is the second records better? And it's um to me, it's really more focused because it's a you know, it's a famous thing. The first records. You's got twenty years to make the first record in six months to make the second record. But I used that to my advantage and made it much more focused. Second records really about everything that happened from the first

record to the second record. So it's really um a, it's really a snapshot of that portion of my life. I mean to me, it was it's an album about I call a wheeler because it's an album about growing old.

You know, this new world that we're living in right now, I feel like a man out of time, you know, like going to gigs and girls asking me from my snapchat and I don't even know what that, you know, I didn't know what what I got it now, I didn't know what at the time, just you know, trying to play this type of music in this new world was very strange to me and being you know, and a lot of it, you know, being I felt like I was too old, Like why wasn't I doing this?

Why didn't this happen when I was twenty three? You know, why didn't happen you were twenty three? What were doing at twenty three? Um? I was just about you know, I couldn't. I was just stepping on my own feet.

I couldn't get out my own way, you know. So it was probably a lot of um and a lot of insecurity, and a lot of blaming things and other people, you know, like a labeled big deal goes bad and I, you know, say it's their fault when I actually actually you know, the songs weren't you know, it wasn't good. But you know, I think people are gonna hear this and hear a more sensitive side. You bring it out of me. But Wheeler, Yeah, I thought you were gonna come in right a lot me on fire. No, I

mean seen looking forward forward to it a bit. Yeah, I mean I could, but I mean I wasn't. I'll tell you what I wasn't expecting is coming in and having you tell people not to buy my record or to listen to my podcast. Yeah. Yeah, I think people shouldn't yeah anymore anymore. Great, but they should sleep on that bed, absolutely, they should what kind of bed is And not only that they should they should buy Blue Apron. You read Blue Apron before I've heard about it, but

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cast Blue Apron dot com slash Bobby Cast. You'll know if I get a fields and taste and it's incredible home cook mills Blue Apron dot com slash Bobby Cast. It's a better way to cook. I feel like they're with the Luke Combs having the number one and maybe suck a little bit out of you know, like you thought you had a shot at beating and well, that's the thing is I've kind of I don't know if you noticed. My thing was to kind of battle him to the top of the charts. Now he's gonna number

one song, it's gonna be impossible. So that battle may have already been been one. But may I lose the battle, but win the war. Let's check back in a year. And so you sold more. I saw you. I'm playing it too. I saw you're playing Faster Horses and that was real because you've done the fake things were like, look look at Wheeler I'm starting wheeler Fest. I started.

I put out a thing called on April Fools. I announced wheeler Fest with a bunch of huge artists and wheeler Fest dot Com go there for tickets and it just had an expletive that led you to preorder my new record. And people are supps still mad, you know, they're like, you know, and yeah, I was like, that's your fault. There's no place to buy tickets. How are you gonna go book a vacation on somewhere there's no tickets, But yeah, faster Horses, And uh, there was another one.

I forget what it was. Um, yeah, they're having me on late night spots. I guess, you know, adult entertainment, although you know these guys. I guess people are getting roundy around midnight. I guess I can go on after the headliners done, I'm gonna play. I think it's what they're saying, that's that would be the headliner. Then of the headliner, Well, that's what I said, and that means I'm the headliner. They said, no, no, no, I don't say that, And I thought at first it may be

a joke, just because it's what you do. You put things out there. Well, I like making enough, like making up enough stuff so no one knows what's real. Like if I put out number one country album in America, I like that people wouldn't even believe me. Haven't you noticed that anything that's put online is just fact until it's proven otherwise. By the time it's proven otherwise, it doesn't matter. It's already people's heads. It's fact. We sat

with the last election. Yeah, I mean, it'sn't it's it's true because when you see it, something in like the right font, because it looks like what old media used to look like. It's just like it was written down

on my computer. It must be true, you know, It's like because I was trying to to um, it looks like it's not gonna happen, But I tried to because a lot of the this election was a lot about fake news and about all that stuff, and so I wanted to plant a fake news story about Wheeler, like kind of like your Bobby bone, like the Billboard thing.

I wanted to get a crazy story about myself, playing the news that went viral and plant like, you know, like that pizza place, what was that thing called pizza Gate something like that about me and have it go big. Not like that though, not like that. Now. I was like a sex I didn't want to get in anybody in trouble, but I wanted to. Can I tell you what I wanted to do, as long as you don't feel like you're running it for later use, Well, yeah, I might want to do it, so I'll keep it

to myself. But it was something. It was something bad that happened to me, and I wanted people I wanted to do. I wanted to hire someone to put out fake news about me. But it's hard to find these, you know, these dudes stay pretty underground. Yeah, they're mostly from other countries. Yeah, they are. They all the ones I've been finding. It's like I gotta pay them in you know, some weird kind of bitcoin. Bitcoin. Yeah, I'll tell you what. I don't have a lot of bitcoin.

How's that bitcoin thing work? Basically, you take money and you it's a currency exchange. It's just like any other dollar, but it goes up it does it like a stock point? No, I don't know. I thought I may have to if my computer gets hit by one of these malware viruses, because they did the whole cyber attack and they hit all the UK. It's they have FedEx in the United States, but all the computers will pop up and it would say, boom, we got you. We need three hundred dollars. And what

you can do is send it to bitcoin. To send it to this address. You can't track the addressing bitcoin. It's not a real post office box. So it's it's how hackers are making money right now. I think they made a couple of billion dollars. If someone hacked me and they said three inner bucks will unhack you, I'd pay you in to seconds. So what I would be some way like Durnner Bucks. But how do I know that?

I gotta come back at me again. And even then, you can't be like, here's my credit card, you know, take three you know in bitcoin exactly. Yeah, that's I'll get bitcoin for that. I get unhacked, I save them off files, and I throw that computer away. So you you got you bought the bitcoins to get ready for that. I'm a whole closet full of bitcoin. It's not a real thing, is not a tangible Bitcoin's intangible thing. It's it's a bitcoins like credit. So they can't throw it

to you onto your own stage when you're playing. They don't asked to get paid. I can't, can't, I can't. I can't. I can't put bitcoin in a girl's bottom. And I'm at the club. You can't know. Are you expecting people to come to your shows? Yeah, I mean that's the point. That's why I'm doing it. Yeah, I mean Exit in sold out. Um, we're doing three shows that week, and I think it's Exit. It's Nashville doing Exit in uh New York Bowery Ballroom and troubad Or

in l A. I think they're all sold out. New York might be you have some tickets, but um, they're buying tickets, so that's my thing. I'm playing the shows as long as people buy tickets. You're gonna Is this the thing you're gonna stick to doing? Are you gonna try for album three, four or five? Yeah? I mean it always comes up. Well, I always gonna stay one

step ahead of them. But unfortunately, like I'm thinking, like you know, like the biggest trick I could play right now would be to come out with like a clean record, but I don't know that. I want. You know, that would shock everyone. But is that really the game I want to play? I don't know. You know, I don't know. Do you find artists are trying to be your friends?

You don't attack them? Yeah, I mean I will. I won't name their name, but I think people would be surprised what country artists have come out privately to me through whoever. Like, I just want to let you know I'm a fan. Like no, I don't want nothing about I want you to open a show. I don't want to see d I don't want to agreh and just want to let you know I'm a fan. I think what you just said is the reason why I think what they're saying is to leave me, leave me alone.

But I've met a lot of these dude, you know, the big the big guys who are fans of mine. I'm just like, can you tweet about it? We're a T shirt or something. It doesn't help me. If you're a big star and you're a fan, you keep it to yourself. Spit it out, dude. To be fair, I retweet you when I can because I think it's funny. Yeah, you're good about that. You don't, I mean, you don't care. Aubrey Sellers is a big fan. She's a friend I love. I love Aubrey. You guess she's really good. She came

in with singing your praises. Yeah, and I think it's a you know, um, I don't think it. It's gonna In fact, you you're you're you know Stapleton in my podcast, So he's obviously not worried about it. But it's not gonna affect your sales, isn't you know? You know, like if I could see why, you know, like Luke Bryan ain't canna cover fu b But if he said in an interview that he was a fan of mine, it's not gonna He's not gonna go broke, you know, but why would it benefit him to say he's a fan

of something that could cost him money. I don't know. I just want. I just want people like that to say it. I want. I can't argue why. I can't argue why people like that shouldn't say. I mean, I understand why they're not, but I want still who publicly has been the biggest person to Counting go. I enjoy Wiler Walker Jr. Publicly. Um, if we're just playing a pure numbers game, I would say I did the Joe Rogan podcast because he was a fan of Holy Mackerel.

I'll tell you what, And that's bigger than SNL. That's Beard is a night show. He uh. Someone told me some of his his podcasts get up to ten million downloads, So that's bigger than network TV. That's what I'm saying. The new which I don't need to explain to you, we're doing it right now, but this new media is it's crazy what you can do out there. I mean, I think if you were a new artist, I think going on Joe Rogan would be a better use of

your time than SNL. Honestly, I understand the prestige of it. But as far as what's going to move the needle, I think they go that those numbers are just getting so big. Right Now, here's the difference, because I agree with you, Like, if I had something to promote and it was me and I already had a name, I would try to go on Joe Rogan because he has such a first of all, it's hilarious exactly, he is such a loyal if when he says it's good, they

go by. You know. The difference is when you do a SNL, it's not so much to sell, it's to sell your peers that they should sell you so it verifies you. Yeah, So when it's like the blue check on your Twitter. When Maren goes on SNL, I don't think SNL sold a bunch of records for her. But then some more people were like, oh let me, okay, I should get in on this, and the next thing you see time you see you in the paper, you're like, oh,

I know her. So I think they're used for different things. Yeah, But as far as just moving units, I think nowadays podcasts and all these other weirds. Because my thing is I like to always say yet like this guy. His name is Jehovah Jehovah I would assume not his birth name, but he plays video games on the on YouTube and he goes, hey, man, I've never done a podcast before,

but would you skype in? I would like to try a podcast, And he has a head a million YouTube followers, and I'm just like, yeah, just to do a podcast and you know, half a million people listen to it. Just be open to that, you know, I like to be open to that kind of stuff. I'll talk to thee. What happened was he was playing my he was playing video games while and singing my songs while he was playing, and people were listening liked watching him play video games

while he's saying my songs. Because we were noticing a lot of people mentioning Jehovah on my videos. I'm like, our people finding God while you mean, it turns out this this this uh, this gamer guy was so there's like there's unlimited ways to now promote yourself. That's just so strange, you know, um, other than I mean, they used to be radio only and now it's well, I guess I should ask you your opinion on that. Being a radio guy like does that worry you or do you? Well?

I do everything else, so it's all I guess. I think it's cool that you do radio. I don't like I want to compliment you too much because it roun my image, But that you're doing the podcast with the radio thing, I think there's there are a million ways to promote yourself. I tell artists all the time, like, hey, you don't have to have radio to succeed. Well, that's why I started the podcast because they were all these

podcasts helped me out. Was like, wouldn't it be easy if I just did my own and then my podcast will help me out? But I'm not getting rogue numbers, so you won't until you do. It's just I mean even for I, I mean before we hit seven figures, it took forty episodes. Well you haven't had me on yet. This one probably break the all, so can I I'll answer you much out radio right now in our format and country radio moves and need more than anything else does. Yeah,

well that's my problem. That's that's where I'm hurting myself. And that's why Luck Luke komb singing about the weather's outside, so he's me doing a tie in with the Weather Channel is there? So I gotta beat this guy. I mean, you can't. You can't playing country music and doing a tie in with the Weather Channel. You're saying that's not country. I don't. I don't even know. I don't know what that is. But like, you know, hey, man, you gotta check out this new artist on the Weather Channel. No,

I would be like, you know, man, that's enough. Shut up? What about who? While Walker Senior? That's my dad and who now wishes he'd called me Carl. He's nothing too happy about it, just because he doesn't call himself wheel Walker, so years called himself We have a walk and they're like, oh, you must be relations Like, don't even bring it up. You know, giving your mom and I headache. You know it's enough already. So I actually did my first interview.

I didn't interview with an Alabama paper last week. They won't interview my dad to me and my dad both got on a conference call and talked to this guy. And I can't wait to read this article. Is me with my dad yelling at me for forty five minutes. Well, this guy tried to break up and fight, so we'll

see how it comes out. It was like he was listening into a call from back in the day when you pick up the phone and two people are on it talking exactly and he's like, we have time for a question that my dad's yell and I'm like, no, we're in the middle. We're in the middle. I'm in the middle of yelling at what's your mom think about this? She mean, she's she's such a sweetheart that she's you know, oh, you're selling records, you're selling tickets. Is good? But you know,

what did I do wrong? Is? Really? I thought I raised you right? You know. I see your song is going for radio play next week. Yeah, it's going for radio ads. It's summer, summer. I can tuck you right. Some was in Kentucky. We're gonna see if people will have the colonies to play this thing. By the way, I can tell you the answer if you want to know. You know, they ain't gonna play it. But it's fun to try because I'm trying to play the game. But are you like trying to play the game again, You're

doing the opposite that I got in trouble for. Like I didn't I in trou for not playing the game. I have a question well, you might be asking like, that's whatever you want? Are you? Are you? Do you get in trouble for playing a song where they're like, you're not supposed. I don't mean dirty, I'm just talking about, like, especially at first a lot. Here's here's a really good example for you. There was yeah the answers yes many

times earlier in the first couple of years. And so there was an artist, it was mostly songwriter in town. So I called him. I was like, because I seen him on YouTube and I had some friends who had written with them a lot, and so I'm like, hey's regrets. I called him once and he was in the shower and he's like, oh, man, let me call you right back. This is on the air. Calls me back. I was like, hey, did you come up and play our show? And he

didn't have song, didn't have a never record out. I've been in bands before, but he didn't have a song. He's promoting then, and so it came up and played and it was amazing. He left and said, hey, should come up again. Two weeks later, comes up, plays again, amazing. My boss calls, he goes, hey, we're getting complaints because this artist nobody knows who he is, and you're on in a hundred cities and you have the unknown artist that nobody and I was like, but he's so good

does that even matter? And that was the argument, he's so good, he's so good. Played one more time and they're like, you have to stop having them on, so smash cut to about two months later, he's playing the Cima with Justin timber Lake. It's Chris Stapleton, and all of a sudden, it's like, okay, you know what we're gonna So basically they don't trust you to break new artists. They didn't, and that was the That was kind of the final pop. If I were you do you use

as examples sometimes? But the thing is I didn't break Chris. But but I'm saying, look, but I guess my question is to them, it does them no good for you to break an artist, is what you're saying. It doesn't out because the artists that I've had in before, like I broke Jansen, Chris Jansen, like he even't even record label. When I played this song Cam she came in. It wasn't even her single. Burning House wasn't a single. I'm just gonna show up at your station just start playing.

We had Marin before her songs were even downloadable that it was just well, I thought it was cool, you know, like I said, I thought it was cool for you because like Lorie's albums on a really small label. I thought it was cool for you to have Lori and that was really cool. You know, getting that out there is cool because that's that obviously had to help. I got a lot of trouble at first, but then they started to say, okay, well he's he's batting pretty high

and it's good for the company. Tucker Bethard, you know, his song wasn't even threw him on. So yeah, I know, I don't even more. Now you're just rubbing it in about what what I could get if I if you just showed up with We've had artis show up with the guitarsist in the in the lobby and then get really upset they couldn't get in the studio. So I could, I could, I could play a clean version on my acoustic I clean version of what summers in Kentucky? Then

why not make a clean version for radio? Because you know radio playing to act like a bad bad MF. You know, I gotta go. But a bad m F doesn't get on the radio. And you don't need the radio. But a bad m F does not get on the radio. I know. I again, where were you two years ago when I when I was trying to do you know, what kind of song did you have two years ago? I'm saying, when I made the first record, if you told me make a clean version and I'll play it,

I would have done it. But I just assumed no one was gonna play it anyway. That's why I didn't do it. Yeah, I'll come by place a clean version of Somers in Kentucky. But um, uh, you know uh, because I mean the other thing too, is it's hard because I'm doing New York Press next week and we're gonna do Stern I think, So it's like there, I'm not gonna have to to do it. So then do I want to come back and do Rigor Radio and clean it up? My answers probably yeah, because I gotta

I gotta get this. I get I gotta get the this. Uh the lead singer of the Weather Channel off the charts. The fact that you're getting starting is pretty awesome. Um yeah, I'm I was psyched about it. I think to be honest. So we're doing I know, we're doing the after show show, and then I'm not sure, and then there was the possibility of doing the actual Stern maybe the week after. I don't know. Yeah, I'm a huge fan. Yeah, I love him. Yeah, even now, I don't know, do you

I still do? Yeah? And I, Um, I did the I did the wrap up show last year and um sal and Richard gave me a tour the studio was like the best part of my whole my whole, the whole promo experience. Like I saw the studio, Howard's desk and everything, and I had a blast. It was like it was better than country music called thing for me. You meet Gary and John? Yeah, because she did the show with them, right. Yeah. You know I love about

about the wrap up show is Gary and John. They'll come in arguing about it's you realize when you're there, this is real. They're arguing about what just happened on the air, and they sit down and just flip the mics on. They're going like, did you meet j D. Yeah, so you get to meet it. I'm as you can say, I'm I'm a super fan. Yeah, I met you. I hung out with j D a little bit sal Richard Um John Heine and uh hit him with the hind and uh uh and boba booie. Um. So it's yeah,

I was a heck of a day for me. Satellite is playing some of your stuff. Yeah, all all countries playing it? Yeah, Al, who's the host? Mojo Nixon? Mojoe Nixon? Do you ever? Do you ever hear him? Growing up? He used to. He had a song that MTV played for a while. No, you know that's he. He had one called Elvis is Everywhere that people would play. And there's also that Dead Milkman song that they used to play on MTV a lot with a Dead Milkman. The

song is called punk Rock Girl. He's just singing about punk rock Girl. It's like he's talking about the local record store. If you're if your story ain't got Mojoe Nixon and your store could use some fixing. I'm not saying his poetry, but that's how I first heard the name Mojoe Nixon. It was the guy in in the video was mad that the local record store was Karen Mojo all right. I was coming out of June second. I hope people that are of Mike, How would you

say this? Who should we tell to check this record out? Because a lot of audience to listen to it prisoners, um, degenerates. Uh, people who hate Dylan Scott but also like to sell a copy of Dylant Scott's gotta buy it. I ain't gonna get him one. Um. If you like if you like country music and you like you don't and you like it, you're you like it your music uncensored, you know,

that's this is what this is for you. If you don't mind the dirty words and you're sick of people trying to hold back with if you hate what you just heard, it's this album for you. It's the anti Dylant Scott. If people listen to this and yeah, maybe I don't like the music, but it is paying that ten bucks free record or whatever it is. Is that also paying? Is it? Is it money toward or against the current state of country music? Absolutely? That's what I'm

trying to do. I'm trying to try to turn this into a war. All right. Uh, Wheeler Walker Jr. A lot of people are gonna check you out and something they're gonna be mad at me for it, and that's okay. And Can I just say one thing. Don't blame don't blame Bobby. Don't yell at him. I did bring you up and put you on to be fair so they could blame me. I got blame for a lot of things. You know what. Blame Bobby. I don't care. I didn't care. All Right, Um, we're gonna go. We appreciate you coming by.

Good luck with the record. Thanks man, I'm going to do an interview or I'm here. I'm doing press all day, so everybody wants to talk to you. He's taking the headphones off and he's he's done. We haven't even wrapped the show. He's out though, all right, Wheeler Walker Junior, Episode sixty Mike, all right, there he goes, all right, buddy, all right, he's out of here and he leaves the room. All right, weel Walker Junior, everybody, and he's he's out.