In Case You Missed It: #31 Maren Morris

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the Bobby Cast. And then this the first one, first second one of the year, right, second year Marion Morris is here, high Mary h Finally good to have you at the house, at the beautiful house. Oh thanks. I put you off for a while because you're too good to come in for a while. God, I felt like, I don't know about interview Stal, but I thought, you know, I want to hold off because it was right when you were blowing up. And this last year and it's weird because I want to go back for a second.

But this last year feels like it has been a tornado of just the tornado of Maren. Does it feel like that to you as well? Yeah? It does. And I'm still processing even after the holidays, still processing everything that had happened last year because it is too many things I think to be in one window of time. But I, yeah, my my head is still getting wrapped around everything, especially towards the end of the year. I

feel like so much crazy stuff happened. If we were sitting in these chairs a year ago today, so January of and I would say, hey, what is your goal this year, like a year ago, what would you have said your goal was a year ago? Well, a year ago, Um, I just put Church out like it had just gone to radio. So that's just like a crazy concept. But I guess my hope a year ago was I hope people like my music enough for me to put this record out, because it's all really contingent on that um.

And luckily, you know, people really responded to my Church, and I had Hero already waiting in the wings, and once it started to pick up traction, Um, we got an album at date and that was just an album, yea. Even to get an album for a new artist in the land of EPs first where they'll put out four or five songs kind of and you did that. But um, but to get an album, that's a big deal because that's a commitment financially from a record label. It is.

It's it's a very big deal. And I've had so many friends in this town that have had record deals where they're so good and they've made these full records, but then they get shelved and they never come out or see the light of day. So there's always that fear that like, oh, of this doesn't get bought enough or spun enough on the radio, I won't get to share the larger story, the whole story with everyone. And um yeah, I'm very lucky that that did not happen.

But um yeah, I was just I had I had already basically had most of the album done before I signed my label deal, so it was sitting for a while and I was just like, Okay, my church is going to be the first hello to the universe, I think. And then, um was that part of the deal when you signed with the label, like I'm coming and I want this to be the first song, because you have a little bit of negotiating power if you're coming with music and uh success digitally like you had, Yeah, and

you don't have to be developed or anything. A lot of baby artists they have to either signed, and they don't do these deals so much anymore because it's just not, um financially great for the label anymore. But um yeah, if you are already developed and you have like a concept and you're just really solid in your artists rye, you don't need to be told what to do or what to where, or how to speak or how to sound. Um yeah, it's a much less riskier um investment for them.

So my Church was going to be your first single before you signed with anyone in your mind? Yeah yeah, Like the day I wrote it, I kind of knew that was the one. So what if you would have said, Okay, we're here and they're like, you know, we're gonna hold off, We're gonna go with drunk girls, don't cry, or they did. They actually not drunk roles. They wanted to lead with eighties. My label was like, I think we should hold off on My Church. Um, I think it was so long ago.

It feels like it was so long ago. But their reason was they they felt like that was the ace up their sleeve and they wanted to throw it out later and just get the like the party song out of the way. You know a lot of artists, like their labels do that where they'll put the the fun good time song out and then Okay, now people know who you are, Now we can show them how credible you are with this song. And um, I just didn't really feel like I wanted to go that route because

it didn't make sense to me. I was like, if honestly the odds are against me, I'm a new artist, and I'm a girl. So if I'm going to come out with one and one only because this could very easily die, Um, I'm going to do the song that means the most to me and says all I want to say if I only got one shot with a song. So a year ago, I say, Okay, what's your goal this year? Um? I think what we're here one year ago right now, Mary, and what's your goal this year?

You're you're a brand new Warreters. You got song just came out, Like, what's your goal this year? I think my goal was just for people to understand my perspective because I don't know. I that sounds very vague, but I just wanted to, I guess, test the waters and see if you know, just being an artist was even going to be working for anyone outside of my own head. It's like, ah, and I hate to, you know, put so much stock into what others think, but it's like

that that's what you do. It's like your music, but the reason you write it is so other people can relate to it and have that experience with you and as a human being. And so I just hoped a year ago, God, I I hope someone likes this. I like it, but I hope someone else gets it too. What was your perspective if you say you wanted your

perspective out there, I don't know. I mean I think what I was missing from music, especially like from the female outlook, was just um an independence and I I'm not trying to be like a dude basher by any means. I adore love songs and I've written hundreds of them. But I was just at the time of this record

being written, I wasn't really in love. I was coming out of a really bad relationship, and um, I think as a woman, I just wanted to be inspired when I turned the radio on and here like a woman singing back to me, not about a relationship for once. You know it's and that's fine if they are, but I feel like the diversity is sort of lacking where it's like, Okay, well we do have a little bit more to talk about here. I mean, dang, like talk about getting drunk or or a fight you had with

your mom or something. It's just like a real life experience instead of always chasing the guy down. I just um, I I was obviously was like very bitter back then thinking that But I still think that today, and I'm in a relationship with someone I really love and gets what I'm doing and isn't threatened by a powerful women or strength or success. I still crave that perspective from a female, um where it's just not about love, it

could be about anything. Um yeah, I think that's the perspective I wanted to bring to the table, is um you know, I'm not like I don't have my sight set on marriage or like having a baby right now. It's like I'm in my mid twenties and that's a really special time because, uh, the generational pull from like, you know, when my mom was my age, she when she was my age now she already had a five year old me and I it's bizarre to think about that now. But I just didn't. I didn't. I feel

like I'm rambling. I I just wanted to be a want I talk about of Um yeah, I just I forget where I was going. I feel like I led myself down a rabbit trail. But um yeah, I just I feel like that's the perspective I was craving, and the perspective I thought I was bringing at the table. You know, you're getting a lot of you, and you are getting it now. A lot of females even mails that are going to use you as something in their life to aim toward or to have you as a peer.

Who for you are those important peers that have kind of put you in the place where you are now. Yeah, Um, I have so many, but to sort of like rattle off some like current ones that I'm like very inspired by right now. I mean Miranda Lambert. She put out a weight of these Wings and I think it's incredible.

And I have always really, in I guess, looked up to her in a way because you know, she's like a fellow Texan and she's just a badass, and she is an amazing songwriter, and I feel like she's a very powerful woman, but she's also afraid to be vulnerable or sensitive, um and wrong. I really like her her writing style. And I love Chris Stapleton, I love Thomas Rhett I just like I really and Sam Hunt. I

like people that are not afraid to be different. And whether that's um, you know, being the bad guy in the song or paying tribute to traditions of the past sounds in country, or paving the way for the new sound because it's ever changing. I'm inspired by artists that are not copies of other people. Do you ever get into a room and write with someone and you're like, I can't believe I'm writing with this person, Like this

is what what planted am I on? Yeah, I've had a bunch of those experiences, just as a songwriter who a young songwriter, because I had never really had any radio success as a songwriter until my Church and that

was obviously my own song. But um, I've got into with like some really amazing people, and UM, I remember, like the biggest artist I got to write with was Carrie Underwood and that was like two and a half or three years ago, and I would be surprised if she even remembers it because it was so long ago

and she was writing so much for that Storyteller album. Um, and then she ah, she invited me to come out to her writing cabin, and I was so scared because I I had never written with an artist that gigantic before, and I was just like, I don't even know the drill, honestly, Like I've written a ton of songs, but I don't. I don't And I've listened to her music so I feel like I have a gist on you know, what

she what she wants to say. But I I definitely was a sweaty palm to meeting her because that was the first time I met her was to write she's pretty disarming though, Yeah, and I'm doing a chance to get to know creat pretty well over the last if first kind of she's intimidating because she's very cool Wyatt. Yeah, and you're like, oh, she met does she not like me? But then you realize she's just soft until she's not, and then she's just awesome. Yeah, but she can be

intimidating for a second. Well, yeah, it's intimidating because I mean she's I feel like she's always been famous and it's like from American Idol to Jesus take the Wheel to now there's really she's never had a down swing in her career. Really. Um So yeah, you walk in and you're like, oh my gosh, this is like the carry Underwood and I had been around so many artists as a writer, but you still get like sort of

jarred when you see people in person. But like after a few seconds, you know she like the ice was broken and she had a ton of great titles and ideas, and we wrote two songs that day, and yeah, that was one of the first Like whoa, I'm like in the room with this person. Were you eating off of songwriting at that point? Like you're paying your bills and in groceries because you're writing songs. Yeah, Um that was

I'm still in my first publishing deal. This is my last year before that option, but um, yeah, that was like the first year I had my publishing deals. So I was like, you know, not banking by any means, but definitely living off of the songwriter draw. I have a lot of songwriters that come to the house too and we talk and uh Lee Thomas Miller, who was one of my dear friends, came and we talked for an hour and a half or so. When he said to him and Chris Stapleton, every other Wednesday for three

years wrote together for three years. Every other Wednesday, they just went and wrote and that was just their thing. Do you have any friends partners like that that you're right with on a regular basis that you're like, hey, we we just have to stay and kind of get into a groove and and stay in the groove, or you call and you're like, I have something. You know, you're kind of my partner in writing. Yeah, I have a few people like that because, um, I don't know.

I feel like Nashville is so rich in that way. I mean, you can have a writing partner, but in Nashville, it's so collaborative that you you really do right with so many people that are your favorites. So, um, Buzzby is a big one for me. He uh really just pulled something out of me that I didn't even know was there when we started writing for Hero. You know, back then I didn't realize we were writing for my

future record. But um, yeah, he's incredible because he's just like a freak of nature when it comes to music. And uh he's an incredible like soulful singer and piano player and um yeah, so he and he's just the best. I feel like he we're sort of like an old married couple when we write, like it's just the two of us and we'll like start something and we won't

talk for the next like three or four hours. He'll start working on some like beat or track and building that and then I'll be working on the lyric and melody in my head. You know, with my laptop in the corner, and then like three hours later he'll turn around from his console and be like, are you ready to say ing? And I'd be like, I guess, I go up to the microphone. And then you know eighties Mercedes and that's so that's a song from you too, that where that happened where you guys set and it

kind of came together that way. Yeah, And doesn't he have like a weird like back shed like Buzby, like where you work out of it and it's kind of his little space. Yeah. You walk out through his backyard and it's very quaint and it's just like a little shed. And that's where he wrote eighties Um. And then he is based in l A. So he has a Nashville

in l A house. But we wrote My Church and how It's Done and once for the record out in l A. He worked with Keith a lot too, which all my worlds collide because Keith's actually a friend of mine. And and you went on tour with Keith and I guess I was watching your snap chet and ended up getting picked up by the blogs. But it looked like a batmobile that he sent you. Yeah, I don't know that it was actually a batmobile, but just like a crazy car as a tour. What was That's an auto cycle?

Um it, yeah, you're telling me. I didn't know what it was either, because I thought he was kidding. Um, it's a Polaris sling shot. What are you supposed to park that? That's like you must want a dog? Like, here's your gift. There's a Dalmatian. You're like, well, it's really cool about what I do with this? Yeah exactly. It was one of those like and just insanely generous gifts where you're like, oh crap, Like I don't have

a compound to put this on. I might, I don't have, um a garage, Like I live in East Nashville, like Inglewood. So I was trying to picture that parked in the driveway there. But then everyone knows where you live too, because Babile exactly. Yeah, do you want to go see where man lives? Just check out the three World motorcycle in the driveway. Um. Yeah. It was so funny the way he presented it too. He like handed me this rolled up piece of paper and a really sweet note.

On the last day of the tour, which we were in Brooklyn and he was like, thank you so much for being out here, and he's just like the nicest guy. And he like had this rolled up piece of paper and it had like a ribbon around it, and I took the ribbon off and like unrolled it and it's a picture of this sling shot car thing. And I was really confused because I was like, oh, maybe he got me like a ride in this thing, Like I

go to a yeah, take this sling shot tour around Nashville. Um. And he's like, have you ever been in a sling shot? I can't do an Australian accent, but I was like what He's like, have you ever ridden in one of these things? And I was like no, why how would I? Why would I? UM? And I was like, wait, you're giving this to me. He's like, yeah, I got you in brett One. And I was just in shock, like I've never gotten anything um that magnitude. I mean, it's

just insane and so generous. And we definitely had a ball with it or on Christmas Day with my family. Where is it now? It's in Texas so Y's room. It's like the dog, you gave it a field to run in right, Yeah, exactly, Ryan and I hauled it down to Texas for Christmas, and um my dad is basically helping store it, slash using it. Um yeah, he was freaking out that he gets to take care of that thing. Just a sidebar on Keith, like really and this is a show Bears town as much as Los

Angeles is. I mean, it really is the show Bears town. But Keith is as nice and as genuine, even more so than he seems on TV or radio or anywhere else. Yeah, he is. And he's another one of those people that's like really jarring to meet in person because you know, I've been listening to Keith's records, you know, since you know, Golden Road, since before that album actually like Black Top Ends,

that kind of stuff. And so when he called me about the tour and then I met him to announce the tour with Brett, and yeah, it's just insane how authentic he is and that famous and then the weird famous, and then there's like that kind of famous where you are known by most of the world. We were in my girlfriend, I went to Australia and I was never going to tell the story. And then he kind of busted my balls for not telling it because I was given. I was kind of making fun of Sydney a bit.

And we were in Sydney this last vacation and we went for Christmas and I've never been to Australia and so we go and he was in Sydney. He texted me, goes, hey, are you here? And I was like, yeah, saw you come over to the house. We having a Christmas party. And I want to go over to someone's house on Christmas. I'm just not someone who goes into people's space anyway. I like to stay out. I just don't like to impose more than anything. And I'm like, I really appreciate it,

but I'm not. And I no, he's genuine because he's just a good dude. The next day texted me again, he goes, hey, you have to come over having Nicole and I having a Christmas party. Come over to the house. And so we're in Australia. Keith Urban has Lindsay and myself and we go over and there's a big his dinner and it's like Nicole's mom and his mom and family. And I'm telling you, we could have been a cousin

or something. He just sit down with us and we just all talked for like an hour and it was just like the most And I'm not normal because I'm

just kind of a peculiar guy. It was just like a real nice human thing that I don't think people I think rich, famous people are anymore and he is I think, um like being like a family man and just his connection with his fans, and I don't know, I sort of saw behind the scenes, like the way he takes care of his crew and he like got his production manager, Baja is his nickname, and he's like seventy years old, and he's loud and hilarious and always

took care of us. Keith got him like the segue five years ago, and he would always just like drive it around. And you see like what he does for his crew that have been with him and are loyal to him, and there's just like this unspoken bond between everybody and that respects him, and uh yeah, it's just like it sounds like he's the best boss to work for and it's because he he really cares about these people. And there's a lot of people I'd asked him, I said, Hey,

what's the deal with country music in Australia. He goes, it's nowhere, it doesn't exist, So what do you mean? He goes, it's like jazz in America. You have to go to the AM dial and hopefully you find some and it's like, man, don want. I was like, well, how did you get played? He goes, I don't. It's just I'm cool in America to some people, so now I'm cool over here. But he was like, yeah, I

don't get played anywhere. He said it was exciting to him because him and Carrie saw on The Fighter had just started getting played on like Pop and a C stations. He was like, it's great, Mite, it's you know, and so it was cool that kind see him think something was cool again. Yeah, that's crazy things in your career like that tour for you though. With Keith though, you really didn't have anything out. He just heard some stuff, right, Yeah.

Very early on he Um pulled the trigger and he I think his manager sent me or sent him a couple of my songs and they were they weren't even on iTunes yet. They were just like floating around and Keith heard my church and eighties and I think it's probably the EP and he called his manager and he's like, can we get this girl for the tour? And and he was like who wrote these songs and the like she did, and so he was like, Okay, yeah, we

need to get this this girl out here. And yeah, that phone call was crazy because I was like, Okay, I'll just like, you know, put us a single out and you know, hope hopefully it goes up the chart. And then to have that insurance of being on a tour later in the year, um, it just it made everything's fall into place so well and so much easier. And I feel like he just really he saw something in me so early on before everyone jumped in. And I feel like, you know, that's a gigantic risk to

bring out a brand new artist who's never toured before. Um, what a tour for your first tour to I know, yeah exactly. I feel kind of spoiled. It's like, okay, we're just going right up here to Keith urban Um. But I learned so much, just like I had twenty five minutes to really make an impact on his crowd. And I feel like from the first show to the sixtie show, because it was a long tour, I got

so much more comfortable on stage. I have more fun now on stage, and he kind of set the parameters for me to achieve that, and I feel like, yeah, I just have so much more of a blast on stage now because I'm not afraid of it and I can walk out in front of twenty people and not. I mean, I'm still nervous, but I'm not as nervous. So it feels like the last six months, you know, you're out and you're on TV and you're doing interviews. So that's the part that we've known of you is

the last six months to year. But I don't have any idea how you grew up, Like, I don't know, like you're five, six years old, what's what's the house like? Um? You know, my parents were like working middle class. They own a small hair salon in Arlenton, Texas. Yeah, yep, my mom still stands behind the chair and cuts hair. Is she extra cool now like to her clients everyone? Yeah, I think they're going to be okay. Um yeah, I think like they sort of caught a second wind in life.

It was like they've supported me for so long and then all this stuff to be happening now. Um yeah, I mean they just couldn't be prouder. And they were at the c m a S and they're going to come to the Grammys. They're just freaking out about everything, as parents do. And but yeah, they still work and they come out to everything that they can, and uh, yeah, I just grew up in a home whereas like my parents weren't they didn't. My mom liked to sing karaoke.

She would like win karaoke contests at bars. Do you think that when your mom would win karaoke contests? No, I didn't think that was cool. I kind of do now. At the time, I was like, mom, come on, don't sing. She would sing like four non blonde. Yes, yeah, that was a big one. She loved Dixie Chicks and Wagon, which like a mom singing that. It's just yeah, but she loves it. And I think, like I would watch her and I'd be like, Okay, if if you are having this much fun, what am I missing out on?

And um, I think I was like eight or nine and I like I started to sing too, and um my dad bought me a I been as acoustic guitar are when I was twelve, And I think that's just

like where it all really cultivated. It was like, Okay, I I've always loved to write in school, I was terrible at math and science and that I was always really good at English and history and creative writing, and so I think it just naturally was like, oh, I'll just put these lyrics to this, like two chords, I know, and then it was a song and not a good one, but it was like a start. So um But my parents never had like a second guess about um me

doing this. It wasn't like, well, Okay, this is like a cute hobby for now, we'll just take you to these operyes and talent shows. But then eventually like you're gonna able to call it right like they never said that. They were always just like on board from the get go, which is you know, I think what kept me going. Man Morris is here. Blue Apron is a sponsor. Let's talking about them for a second. So not all ingredients are created equal. Fresh high quality ingredients make a real difference.

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And don't wait Blue apron dot com slash Bobby, use it here at the house Blue Apron a better way to cook first three meals Blue Apron dot com slash Bobby. Alright, so we're back here, and I guess we're talking about your parents and that they give you a guitar. Do you take lessons? Do you buy a chord cheat from Walmart, Like, what's what's the man More school of learning music? Yeah, my dad bought me like a chord book where you

could like look at the pictures and I would. I took a couple of lessons, but I just, um was super lazy. I didn't like I didn't like anyone teaching me how to play guitar. I was like, this is a feel thing. So of course I can't read music because I didn't stick with the lessons, But I get by enough on guitar to like to write songs. But I'm in no way John Osborn so. But by the way, it is such a good guitar player. Yeah he is. And people don't know that yet. Um that that aren't inside,

but he's the best. Yeah he is. There's an eight minute solo at the end of their first single that it ended up, you know, not being on the radio for eight minutes. He plays an eight minute guitar solo on the end of what is it? What's the first song? Um, it wasn't rung, No it was. It was their second song, Rome with the first number one longer, Stay a little longer. It was eight minutes older. Oh yeah, yeah, stay a

little longer and him and it's so good too. And I've been you know, I have just have a few personal friends and him and Lucy Silver's are like dear friends of mine. Lucy's just the She's I think my only close friend I haven't had in here yet because of my close friends. And I was like, let's just let's just hold off a bit. But it's such a talented and nice so I can't wait from that inner

group of folks. Yeah, like John and Lucy Lucy. I went and the other night I said, hey, and for those who don't Lucy she um, she's New Zealand slash British slash American. Just been awesome all the way off. Yeah, And I was like, Lucy, how big were you in the UK? And she goes, well, I sold a million records And I was like really, she was, yeah, I sold a million records, and you know, I didn't walk out And I said what was the big song and

she said, well, I did Metallica. Um it was a huge cover of a Metallica song with a full orchestra. And I came back and I googled it and I was like, holy crap, it was like nothing else matters. This full orchestral Metallica song. I couldn't believe it. It is sort of a double life that she's like, yeah, I yeah, I please talk to her. I feel like I know her story, but I think you will bring something out that I'll be like, holy f like that happened to Bobby, Bobby, why do you ask me this? Bobby?

All the time she's sung with like Lionel Richie, like there's always like she's so humble it's annoying, but you it's not annoying. It's like she means it and she's so nice that you're like, Okay, you're not bragging or humble bragging because she was telling st but Elton John, she was like she was playing with Daniel Bettingfield. I don't know if you know who Daniel betting I gotta

get through this. I gotta make gotta make oh if you're not the one, yeah, that one she was like, I was she was playing keys with Daniel betting Field for Elton John And it was just like in passing conversation and I was like, John, I guess called you

to So what was that what was that about? Um? Yeah, okay, so this that happened a few months ago or several months ago, and I am was randomly like at home for a few day stretch in Nashville, and I was just doing my laundry one day at the house and Ryan I had no witnesses to this phone call because he was out on the front porch talking to someone

on the phone. And so I'm just like in my house doing laundry and I had come back to my phone that was on silent, and I had two misscalls from like a South London number, because you know, on an iPhone, it tells you where it's from. And I was like, that's weird. I don't know anyone over there that would be calling me at this time of day. And my manager texted me like two seconds later, and I could not believe it. A shoes like Elton John

is trying to reach you. Um, and I was like, oh my god, I just missed two phone calls from Elton John. Like what do I do? Like do I call this number back? I'm just like I don't even know the protocol, Like what do you do? And she was like, hold on, let me get in touch with his publicist or something. Whatever happens, and um he called back and it was like an unknown number now and okay,

gotcha is that what that means? Okay, well, I answered because I knew who it was, and um, it's like, hey, is this Maren And I was like, oh my god, I don't know what Okay, yes it is, and uh He's like, oh cool, this is Elton, like no last name is Like you know, I'm calling and I was like, oh, hi, hello, how are you And he was like, oh, I'm good, just at the studio and I don't know. I just wanted to get in touch with you to say that

I got your record. I have it on vinyl. We were listening to it at the studio the other night and I love your songs and yeah, and so I feel like, okay, I'm living out some sort of fever dream or something. I'm sick. I think I've it happened. I lost my mind. Yeah, like on Mescalin full fledged in the desert and yeah, but it sunk in and I was like I was trying to find a response and I was just like, wow, thank you, that's so cool. Um,

I'm obviously a huge fan. It's like, okay, why don't I even go through the semantics of, you know, trying to be cool. It's like, uh, you're Elton John, so um, that's a huge honor. And it was so random too, because I had just been listening to his music like a few days prior, just randomly in my iPhone. To have him call me a couple of days later. I was like, Okay, this guy is across the world and he's in pop music and he's a legend. How what I wish I had asked him was like how did

you find my music? And I'll never know? And so I meet him again or something or meet him, but I I don't know how he found my album, but he had it on vinyl, so there had to have been like some sort of like exchange or like someone gave it to him. I don't know. But you in the Call of Dulton John and who ends it? And do you? Is there a point where like I don't want to talk too long because I Dulton thinks I'm just a loser. I won't hang up right, yeah, or I just didn't want it to ever be awkward. I

was like, this can be the shortest phone call. That's fine, Um, But I was trying to like get outside so I could put it on speaker so Ryan could hear it, and of course, like Elton's like, oh cool, well, cheers love. It was so good to talk to you. Hopefully I'll see you in the future by and then like I opened the door and Ryan's like everything okay, And I was like, no, no one heard this, no one witnessed it. Um, but yeah, Elton Jon called me that was pretty freaking crazy.

When you make a record like Hero which now as you look back at it in all its pieces, and I enjoy record, I enjoy an album. And when I heard it at first, it came to me as, wow, this is a bold record now because it's so big, and you know how it is bold things become a norm once they become huge and popularity. Did you feel like, Okay, I'm taking such an artistic leap with this that it's either going to just thrive or the world's not ready

for me right now? Because he wrote was a bold record that from the songs, the sound, the textures all

for country radio. I you know, I sort of look at the artists that have I don't know, just just slowly chiseled away at a path where I could come in and do something all of my own, and so I felt like there were elements of this record that we're reaching like Okay, this is I. I was pretty strategic, but still like emotional in the way that I structured the album and which songs I picked, and you know, it's like there is a part of your brain that's like, okay,

the set list, like the track listing, how is this going to work? And the songs that are maybe less country, like I have to balance it with something that is going to be palatable. And it's it's like your first album is it's so important because it really is the first impression. And I just felt like, yeah, this this album is definitely a very edgy and has you know,

the words ship all over it. I don't know if I can cuss on this podcast, Um yeah, I mean there's like cursing, and there's there's you know, talk of like sex and there. I don't know, it's just like so many elements that I you know, I sort of laid awake at night and I was like, maybe this

is not ready, like people aren't ready for this. But then I realized I was like I can't think that way because I think about like Miranda and I think about Sam and you know, Sam Hunt has had some major freaking radio success and he's gotten like knocked against by people who are like leading the charge for the

whole like traditional country sound. But he proved them all wrong because that record was massively successful and it was him, and you know, he's it's so weird that people I hate to like branch off for a second, but it's it's strange that people are constantly comparing new albums to the past because I don't know, I just I never listened to music that way, where I listened to like a pop song and I'm like, well, this is not

like Mambo number five. You know, back in our day, chamba wamba sounded much better than you know, yeah, oh my god, yeah exactly. It's really annoying. And I constantly fight with people to go, well, that's not country because I've been lucky enough to be able to talk to every one from Merle Haggard to Garth Brooks to the guys to today, and you know what they all say.

They were all told what they did did not fit right then, every freaking one of them, every one of them, was told what all these dicks on all these blogs say constantly, Oh that's not country. No one has the authority to tell someone what something creative is. Yeah, I mean, I think there's historical significance in the roots of country music, but I think the roots of it have always been the same and continue to be the same. There rooted in honesty and truth and saying it like it is

and real life situations and heart and lyrical value. And I think, you know, that's in a lot of genres, but I feel like country music is known for that and really created that that realm. And so whether you put a synthesizer on a song or a beat or whatever, it's like, okay, well, Sam hunt is you could compare him to like Conway Twitty and even the Johnny Cash who would talk and play quote devil rock and roll.

My grandma Arkansas grand wants people would protest him because of the Devil's rock and roll that he would play. Patsy Klein considered Walking after Midnight a little old pop song, that's what she called it. She thought that was pop back then. So you think about today and it's like, okay, well, there's always going to be you know, the nights of traditional country music values. But I think at the end of the day, it's like people want to People respond

to music that's good and that moves them. So that's what kept me, uh confident and Hero coming out. So if Hero would have failed, you would have black m hm. I would have kept writing. Yeah, I don't think anything would have changed. Honestly, I think it would have. I would have been discouraged, but I think I would have kept writing. I would have kept going because I'd be like, I loved this record and I'm proud of it no matter what, um, whether it wins an award or someone

says it's a disgrace to country music. Um, I loved it. And I have seen so much more of the world now, um since putting the album out, and I feel like people are I don't know, they're they're more vocal about their love of country or maybe if they weren't a country fan, Hero turned them onto country. And that's like a huge honor because ah, it is a cool sort

of like gateway drug in a way. It's like, Okay, well, there are so many elements of country on my album, but you can also find R and B and classics, sole and rock and pop, so many elements but it's all rooted in the same thing. It's rooted in honesty and that like country lyrics structure where everything is like air tight and the rhymes are on top of each other. And I don't know, it's it's been cool to see uh, different age generations connect to that album because it really

is um an album for everyone. There's there's no song alike, and I don't know, I'm really proud of it, and I'm glad that people are are liking it. To you, this is my jam right here, but i'd be rich. So this is rich? That's how And have you talked about it? I actually the personal story. So I I I'm on the road basically every weekend, and so um I was by the way, I'm glad you got here

when you did. I was packing. I don't know if you're an about packing like me, Like I have to go through and make sure I have every piece of clothing for every available Like Okay, daytime, I'm wearing this. In the evening, i'll wear this, then I'll change into this, and I have to go through all of these little clothing changes in my head. Do you do that every week? Oh? No, I'm a terrible packer. Oh, I have a peg, and then I have to get Then I go to pill

everything back out and count it all back in. I'm so o c D about everything. Yeah, but at least you don't have to stress out about it once and then I get I forget some a sock or something. But I play this, And the reason I bring it up is so I have to stand up comedy shows this weekend, and this is a song that I played before I go out on stage. You do, yeah, so I play rich, So tell me about the song. Where were you who? Concept like, give me the whole deal here. Um,

I was here in Nashville. I was at my publisher, Big Yellow Dog, and with Jesse Joe Dillen, Laura Belts. Jesse Joe had told me this title like a week prior. We were at winners Um in Midtown and she was she's such an amazing writer, but she brought that title as a sad song. She was like, God, if I just want to write it, you know there and like, if if I had a dollar for every time you screwed me over or broke my heart, I'd be rich.

And I was like, damn, Like that's really good. But then We got into the room that day with Laura and it was like, I don't think this is a sad song. I think it's like a fu song. And so we just started with this guitar riff and Laura was playing and um, I was trying to play, and we just started, like I guess, adding all these crazy examples, and then we got to the second verse and I

was just threw out jokingly. I was like, if I had a dime every time you crossed my mind, I'd probably be sitting on a big as pile of dimes. And I was kidding. But then they were like, I think we should keep that because that's just funny, and um, so we did. It's like, whatever line, whether it's stupid or not, if you throw it out like nothing stupid, that's what I've sort of and except what I just

did drop the mic. Um. Yeah, I feel like you just have to like put it out there and then you can decide if it's not going to work or not. But I like to dare to be stupid in the writing room. But yeah, we kept that line in and I don't know, it's one of my favorites on the album too, and favorites live because it's just the crossing a Yeah. But girls, I feel like young girls, really really you, and you have a song that's just come out of you, like like some artists will come in

and go, hey, you know what the song is. It came fifteen minutes, like the song was there and I couldn't believe it. Do you have any of those? Um? Yeah, I could use a love song with sort of like that. UM in my church we wrote really quick too, but I could use a love song. Um. We wrote in the morning. It's a long story, but it was like after a couple of drinks, all yeah, we're all having like a really crap day, and Laura Belts had just

gotten a ticket Jimmy Robbins. Something had happened, and then I had had a weird start to the morning. And we get there and we're all just like really dejected and like how how are we going to write a song? And Laura's like, do you want to walk to Losers?

And so I was. It was eleven o'clock and I was like maybe, and we all were on board, and we went over and we had like one drink and walked back and I had most of hero already done and then Jimmy was like, do you have any like what are you missing off the album, which is like the weirdest question to get from people. It's like, I don't know, Um, I'll know it when I hear it, I guess. And I was like, it's weird. This whole

song like doesn't have any love songs on it. It's like the first record I've heard in a while it doesn't. And Jimmy's like, oh, but you could you could use a love song though, right, and uh, Laura like jotted down that as a title, but it was just in conversation like, oh, but you could use a love song on the on the album and uh so yeah. We went back and she was like, I think we should just write a song called I could use a love song?

And we I don't know, like the sky opened up that day and maybe it was because our filters had been drunk away, but we just like poured through that song and had the demo done within like an hour and a half. And play this for you. Tell me I'm talking about this song right here day man. It's hunched over in her chair right now. Okay, this is your silver bullet for the interview. I don't have bullets. Oh my good, run day. Where did you find that? What about where I had? I was, Oh my god,

it's this. No, Oh I can hear that thirteen year old paying kid about did you write better Days? I wrote it with my mom? Actually really yeah, I used to right back then. Uh oh my god, I feel like my face so hot right now. Um, I'm trying to remember back that far. I mean that was like so long ago. I'm turning. Where were you playing that at bars? Yeah? And how are you getting into bars? Because your mom was like, hey, she's cool, she's me, She's cool. I'm the karaoke champions. Um. No, I mean

in Texas it's weird. I mean you might know this. Like if you are a kid and you have your parents with you, Yeah, you can drink and you can be in the bar. I mean I wouldn't drink, but I would definitely. I was able to play these shows in these you know, gritty honky tonks because my parents were there, um and they were my managers, so they were, um driving me to and fro from all these gigs.

But yeah, thirteen, when that gem of a song was written, I was playing in like the White Elephant Saloon and like the crap stage outside of Billy Bob's. I don't know, I've I've been doing this so long. I make my sound myself sounds so old, but I really have been hustling in bars and honky tonks since I was twelve. Here's a song called walk On Okay, can we just play all my demos instead? How old are you with

this one? To go back? But there's something there, like you know it always I'm always like, oh, I'd like to hear stuff either from when I was seventeen on the radio. Yeah, but do you hear it? Like? Do you hear something there in that thirteen year old voice? I think I was a little more nasally with let's let's just like talent wise, like something there, something there that's inherent. Do you hear something inherently in that? Yeah? I mean I've always I've always loved music, and I've

loved performing and writing songs. So I think, you know, I try to think back to what my parents were thinking at the time, because they're obviously biased. It's like those parents that have talented kids quote unquote, it's like, well, you are their parents, so how do you really know but then I'm trying to like look back at my parents and for them to put aside that parental love

and be like, Okay, can she actually do this? Is she even like emotionally emotionally capable to play these bars and ship like I I think do Like, Okay, you're gonna play these bars and they're gonna be a lot of rally drunk people or is it like man, just go and we'll watch. Yeah, I mean they they I never played anywhere to c D where it was like dangerous to be in there. They certainly would not have

um taken me to a bar like that. But I grew up around adults and like people drinking and smoking inside and you can still do that in Texas, and like I grew up in that environment, so by the time I turned twenty one, it was like not cool that you could drink um. Yeah. But yeah, they definitely

the whole time saw something in me. And I don't know, I mean, you're you're talking about like the thirteen year old self to your friends, because you could you were singing and playing and regardless of where you were singing and you were still singing and playing. Yeah. Yeah, they were all so excited they come to my shows, which the ones they could get into. Um, but yeah, it was weird. I went to like a public high school and on the weekends I would go do these shows

around Texas to talent shows. Sup. At school, I never did a talent show. I was in musical theater, so I did all the musicals and like which ones? Because I'm a little theater you are, Yeah, I agree. So Danny Zooko in Greece. Wow, that's a big one. It was awesome. I don't like to dance, so we need to find that footage, and it exists. I would like that it all back. Well from your key screen is your silver bullet. So what did you do so theater wise?

What was your favorite? I did? Um, My first one was when I was a freshman, and it was It's Susical the musical okay Dr SEUs, Yes, and I played a little boy. So that was my first one. And then um, I did Little Shop of Horror. I did a Little Shop of Horse. Who are you in it? I was Seymour, I was Audrey. That's so funny. Weird. Mercy said, that's so funny. Oh my god, that's I did. Agree. I did a Little Shop Worth Love and my junior year and Greece my senior year. I did Little Shot

my junior year, and that was like like that. It was so dark for high school. I'm actually really surprised my high school allowed they got it, though I don't. I think the movie was out and we were The movie was before me too, like Rick Maranis and stuff. But I think it made it so safe because he was so safe that everyone was kind of lost it.

I look back on it now, I'm like, oh my god, Like in the movie and the play, like I have to be hit, not like for real, but like she's in an abusive relationship and there's like all these like dark sex jokes, and I was like, if I was a parent in the crowd, I'd be like, who okay, this this is like way too advanced for high school kids. But we didn't. You're right, we didn't get it. We didn't get it at all. It was almost it was the SpongeBob effective plays, like the kids don't get the

adult jokes and SpongeBob. I just thought I was freaking talking to a plant and you know, but that that's so Yeah. It was just I was magical little that's funny. Tell me about this all that it takes. Yeah, No, I was actually oh yeah, I was seventeen. This was my um number one in Texas. When you get a number one in Texas, do you think, okay, well, all right, Texas, thank you. Now it's time to go and bust out nationally, Like did you think it was just gonna be like

pop up up um? I think okay. So I was seventeen, and I I think at the time, I was like, no, now I'm going to be in the big leagues of Texas. And I didn't have any sights to go to Nashville until I was, like, you know, in my early twenties, but I, yeah, I wanted to like tour around Texas and basically head line and you know, like all the greats down there to me, like you know, I loved Wade Bowen and Stoney LaRue and Randy Rogers and uh Rodney Foster and all those guys. It was like green

Hall of cool places you to play. Yeah, I've played there once and I actually requested on my headline tour that we hit green Hall. So I'm going to do a Green Hall show, which I'm so excited about. But yeah, that's the coolest venue. I feel like in Texas. It's the oldest dance hall and it's like George Straits. I mean, that's that's the George Straight I'm here. So you were in Austin, So do you remember? Um, he's still around and I love him. But Bob Schneider, Oh yeah, Bob

played my show many times. Yeah, so I Um, I saw him at Green That was like the last show I saw there. But I love him. Um, but I'm excited. It's sort of full circle to get to play there on my own tour. I mean I run Bob when I was in Austin with dating Sandra Bullock. Yeah, because she lived in Austin too, And yeah, Bobic can buy a Players show all the time. That's crazy, but it's not crazy because we're, you know, from basically the same place. Yeah. I've been a fan of his for over a decade now,

so I think he was a little before his time frankly. Yeah, and he's one of those where it's like he can do anything. He can do any genre. So I think it's sort of hard to to find a spot because he is so good at so many Third album, Born Again, somewhere what this record. It's funny. It's like born again and now there's my church. Um I was nineteen. I think I sound a little more like myself. I feel like definitely more country. Really like that Texas country too.

I think there's some Texas country and Hero though, like I hear it, I still hear all you do I do? I do? Ever said that to me? I I, you know, lived in Texas for a long time, and I do. I do hear a little bit of Texas country in Hero, but I hear a lot of things in Hero, which is what's cool about the record, because every song there's a little bit of similarity, but there's a lot that's not as you go from track to track, if that

makes sense at all. Yeah. I have some other audio clips here and like autum no more like that, don't worry. I speaking of Lucy Silva's villain. Yes, familiar with the song? How so? I wrote it because you were the clumb down and I'll take the phone school if you if you look for She's so good? Yeah? Has she told me the story behind this music video? I've seen the video and the parts of it. What tell me, Well, we shot it at an actual prison, Umar Huntsville. Are

you gonna call her? I? I just came to do like makeup touch ups. This is like a year and a half ago. But we shot it at a working prison and yeah, it was pretty crazy too, to be in a prison with real invite. Yeah, and like Lucy is so beautiful and like her walking past, and then I idiotically wore shorts that day and all the guys are like, whoa, oh god, this is so so crazy. Let's Eflucy answers. I think she's in town. I don't know. I don't qu're gonna hit it with her. Um, let's

leave a message hide back to you. Oh no, the mailbox is full. Okay, she may call back. How about this song here Greener Pastures? Yes, well you know about this one. Ryan and I wrote this with John and t J. Ford The Bad Pastures Man had to go to that. You all four, you guys right there June, Ryan write that for those two, the four of us that just sitting around, you guys are just like, let's

just rock something out. It was weird because like we've been friends with John and t J for years, we've never written together, and they've never been homes honestly, so we had it on the books to write. It was like a for real co write, and um, I was nervous because like to write with friends is it can go either way. It can either be amazing, which luckily this one turned out to be, or it can be like kind of a downer and it's like everything's cool,

but yeah, let's not do this again. But you know we I had that title for years in my phone and no one would write it with me. And Ryan will attest to this like I I threw that title at him and writes for like two years straight and no one ever bit at it. And then finally I threw it out the final time at this brother's Osborne co write, and yeah, I was like, I've had this

title Greener Pastors in my phone forever. And I looked at Ryan and I was like, I feel like it could be a cool play on words about like breaking up with someone or them leaving you and then you just go smoke a joint or something like moving on to greener pastures. And John and t J laughed and like loved it, and then John started playing that like riff and yeah, it was like a pretty easy co write, which I'm astounded at because, um, with friends it can be weird. But we Yeah, we had the best time.

And then when they played us the recording of it and J Joyce produced it, which I love. I loved J Joyce. Um, I'm a huge Patty Griffin fan, and he did her Flaming Red album which I love. But he produced that song for John and t J and I just like died listening to it. And it was cool to hear them do it at the rheman at their show. It was really cool, man so much so

I'll ask you this. And when Ryan, by the way Ryan heard was then you mentioned a few times and I'll do the same thing with you that with Ryan, I didn't bring you up until later, but he just kept referencing unfl like, well, if I don't address what you're referencing, people aren't even going to know. So Ryan heard your boyfriend right now. Yeah, And so I'm a huge Ryan fan. Yeah, minus marine, I'm a huge Ryan fan. Like I I just I enjoy him. I enjoy his music.

I love where he comes from. He just seems like a guy that is like it into a happy universe, if that makes sense. Like he just seems like a guy that wants peace in the universe, and he makes me want to have peace in the universe when like I'm around him. And so you guys write a lot together, do you guys talk about music a lot? I mean,

is that really what the bond? Yeah? I mean that's how we met each other was in a co write and um, it was like three and a half almost four years ago, and we we've just been friends for years and we were both in other relationships and um, but yeah, I think that was the first. Um bond was just hey, I love writing songs with you. And we got our first cut together with Tim McGraw and then yeah, we just asked our publishers to keep putting us on our books and yeah, I think, well it

was funny Brothers Osborne. That was our second like actual cut together. But we've had a few placements and stuff on Nashville and whatnot. But at the crux of it, it was like, Okay, yes, I love writing songs with you. But after, you know, we sort of started like falling for each other and not just like in a friendly way. It was like, I don't know, I used to to worry about oh, like I always want to be able to write songs with him, that's this relationship. But now

it's like I don't really care. I mean, it's cool if we get a cool song, but it's cool to be in a relationship where that's not contingent on it anymore. It's like we've written plenty of great songs together and now it's just about our relationship and leaning on each other during the craziest time of our lives, like kick starting our artist careers. And yeah, um, he's he's just an in double person. Like I could probably talk about him for the rest of this podcast, but I won't.

I'll um save you from that. Um. But yeah, he just he really does have a heart of gold, and you're right where he lives in this world where um, he's so thoughtful and he really he cares about the energy around him, and he cares about like if you're okay, and not like in a pressing way. He's just he's always aware of if people are feeling taking care of or not. And he's like that with really every facet of his career. Would sponsor Mike, We're good, alright, cool,

So let's talk. Let's go to now we're just now. It's weird and in a great way. So I thought what you said at the c m AS is pretty remarkable and poignant and such a big stage and such small awesome words where you were like a year ago, watched this from across the street that I thought it was just like, I mean that as innated with me. I'm not even trying to be you, and that resonated with me. I wonder like, did you have that ready?

Was that? Because I still remember you getting up and saying that and going, I mean that, that's the perfect thing to say right there, like everybody's inspired. I don't care what you're doing music, live, digging ditches, driving truck

like you should. That's inspiring right there. So talking about that moment for a second, Well, when I got up there, and I've been thinking about that all night, like I didn't think I was going to be able to accept an award that night, but I was thinking just to myself, like in a personal way, I was like, oh my god, Like I didn't even think I was going to get an invitation to the c m AS this year, let alone be nominated, And yeah, I was just thinking like wow,

I sat across the Street from Bridgetone a year ago um with friends and we got dressed up and went to the Palm Bar and just watched on TV and watched people like Chris Stapleton's life change with one performance, And yeah, that had been kind of rattling around my mind all day really, but when I got up there, I was so overcome with emotion and I like laugh and cry watching the footage back because I brought my

purse up on stage with me, like my clutch. I should have just like left it, and I'm trying to open it because I had a note card inside with people. Lucy's calling. Oh okay, hello, Lucy. Hey, I'm with Marin right now. And so you're you're on record, So don't say anything that you wouldn't want out there. Don't talk about me. Oh you're you're in a bad place. Listen, you're cutting out? Where are you? Okay, okay, okay, I'm going I don't even know she? Can you hear me now?

I can? Yeah, I can hear. That doesn't mean I know what you're saying, but I can hear you now perfectly. Yeah, we got you. We're talking about you, and so you don't know what we're talking about, so it's good that you're kind of hopping in. Oh, how would you describe Marin as a friend. We have so much history and so many stories that I have many ways, But the first thing that comes to my mind is that I

don't know. She's so she's so sweet. She has like a little giggle that she giggles and things and it just makes her horrible. Um. But I don't know as a friend, supposed to just a person in general, I'd say, um, she's got a lot of empathy for the people around her. Um. I've always thought she's been there for some of the most important, probably the most important time in my life, which is that they got married as John's best man. Oh,

she said she was John's best man. That I didn't know that, and she you know, I think he's just wanted these people that Um. Um. I just she's got a mystery around her. But as a friend, she's never she's she always feel like she's there for me. I can tell the things I don't and that you don't have that with everybody with friends, you're always some friends you have to think. I'm going to filter that out because I don't want to tell them that, but I don't feel like that was Marion, So it was all

my deepest talker secrets. And now, Lucy, how am I is a friend? You're awful, know you. Well it's so far You've been great. You tell the truth, which I like, well, thank you. Hey, Well we I feel like, Lucy, we do these shows and you come up on every one of them one because I'm I'm just yes, it's like the fourth one that you've come up. So now we've got to make a point to get you, to get you up here. But yeah, I want to hear that. Yeah,

you were you recording right now. I'm actually just doing vocals on a song that I wrote with Ryan Beaver, and so I'm like, I love Ryan, best day listening to his voice, and I'm very excited to just go home and sit on my porch for the rest of the night and do nothing. I'm about to do that too. Well, thank you for calling me back, Lucy, talk to you soon. Bye.

Lucy showed up at um Our show a couple of nights ago with Ted Danson and she was like, hey, because she writes with Ted's wife Mary, and so Ted dancing shows up and you know when you get to see cool people most of the time, it's just it's cool. But it was Ted dancing. I was like, that's freaking Ted dancing. It's like Cheers, It's like Becker And so I was like, dude, I get a picture. I was like sure, And then I got out on stage, like everybody look as Tad dancing. He was nice, oh, super

nice and really good looking. Yeah, he's one of the most really mind And I hated to catch you off there. I don't want to put Lucy keep ringing. Oh yeah, you have your you have your your clutch with you. Oh yeah. I just you know, you don't really have

time to think or do much except walk forward. And so I brought my clutch and Jennifer Garner's trying to help me open it for like what seemed like an eternity, and um, I just had a note card inside and all it said was like the names of people like my manager and obviously like my mom and dad, and these are the only people I got to um. But I was just yeah, I had just come off this like high from performing and that was such a gigantic performance, just so much energy on stage and so much music,

and I was just firing on all cylinders. And then I got off stage with all this adrenaline and they were like, Okay, we need to see you really quick because they're about to do best New Artists. And I was like, I'm just catching my breath. And then they called my name and was it weird to hear you name? Yeah? It was. I felt like I was in the twilight zone for a second, because you have those dreams kind of since you were a kid. And then I heard her say it and yeah, I mean you see it

in my face, just the utter shock, and um. I got my clutch and hugged Ryan, hugged Stapleton, and walked up there, luckily without tripping, and I just couldn't. I mean, it was almost going to be one of those cries that you can't get words out, and I was dancing on that line, but I was just overcome with emotion and my parents being in the audience too, and I bought them seats, but they were like further back, and I just I knew. I was like trying to find

them in the crowd. I couldn't. But um, and then you see the the time thing tacking down. It's like, okay, you have four seconds left to say thank you to all these people that got you there, And um, yeah, I couldn't fit everyone in, but I feel like I got the really important people. And um, that was Ryan's birthday that night, so it was just like a double celebration. But yeah, I didn't have prepared that I was in a bar a year prior. But I was thinking about

that all night that I was sitting in. Now that gave me chills because it wasn't just about you or the industry or that moment. It was about what everyone watching could look at and go. You know, every long journey does start with a step, and here's that journey, and here's a step, and now are you freaking are and what can happen in a year? I wonder as your parents are sitting in the crowd, and they've allowed and encouraged you, like and it's hard when you love

someone a lot for that love to grow. But has the love grown as you've araciated more what they did for you when you were younger? Oh yeah, absolutely. It's sort of that mentality when you uh you live with your parents and you're so ready to move out and like go be an adult and then you're like a few years into paying all your own bills and you're like, wow,

they really took care of me. And then I'm sure it changes even more when you get married and have kids and you're like, oh my god, my parents were right and the same thing happened, you know, because I was sort of a child performer. And now I'm you know, going on twenty seven soon, and I think about my parents and the sacrifices they've made because we didn't come from money by any means, Like my mom grew up poor. Um, just like very humble beginnings. I never had any sort

of hand out and neither did they. And they would still, you know, pay the band when the owner of the crappy club would stiff us our money, they would pay

out of their own pocket. That was not deep And um, yeah, I think about everything that they sacrificed their time, and yes they had fun doing it too, but at the end of the day, it's like they they really did give up everything so on a whim, just a girl, an eleven year old, twelve year old that like to sing, could do it in front of a few people, and it's just snowballed. So yeah, I definitely think about that now and have so much better appreciation for what my

parents did for me and UM. And it's not even about money, it's not about anything. It's just about giving your kid the tools to think something of themselves. And I'm very passionate about like fine arts education because I didn't go to like a cool or like nice school. I went to public school was kind of ghetto, and you know, it just it didn't have a fine arts program that was anything really like I did theater and choir and stuff, but there was just no funding to

do anything. But I was so lucky at home to have parents that believed in my love for music and UM gave me that platform to be able to do it. And I know a lot of kids like they want to go to school to escape home because maybe at home no one does believe in them, or it's put on the other kid, or there's just no one home. And I think about, you know, when you go to school, like the people there that are supposed to be like enriching you creatively, Uh, it just gets less and less,

I feel every year. So I was really lucky in those formidable ages to have parents that really gave a shit about me. Um, so, yeah, I'm I'm excited. My mom is going to be my date to the Grammys and uh, we've been going back and forth about what we're wearing ing and um yeah, I mean she's earned that spot just as much as I. The emotion coming from her voice when you talk about them really. Yeah, I'm trying to stay cool. I've cried enough at the c m As, so trying to keep it together now.

But yeah, I'm excited for them to come out to that, because they came out to the c m As, but this time it's like my mom and dad and sister Carson, my younger sister. She's never gotten to come to an award show, so it's like their first time at that and it's freaking Grammys. So and yet for four Yeah, I don't know. I texted Kelsey Um the morning the announcement came out about the nominations, and it was so early, and I think I may have been like the first

person to tell her. I don't know, I might be taking that credit, but I texted her the second I found out that we were both up for Best New Artists, and I was like, we're going to Hollywood and yeah, I mean I was just like astounded that I got nominated in that category. But also it's so cool to like have this full circle moment with artists like Keith where you took me out on tour and now we're both up for Best Album and to be in these categories with like Thomas Rhett and I don't know, it's

like it's so cool to see these like buddies of mine. Um, like we all are coming up together, and especially artists like Kelsey. It's like we are in this class of new artists and it's cool to have these winds and whoever wins that night, um honestly, like it sounds cliche, but I do think just being nominated, I mean, think about the thousands of write in forms um entries that were given to these awards shows and the Grammys, and you think about they narrowed it down to five and

that's like a huge win in itself. I voted last night. I had a mailed that guy. Yeah, did you have to overnight it? Yeah? Yeah, it was like I cut it really close, um, because I've I've been gone like for the last few weeks. Um, so yeah, I voted the day before yesterday I'll keep all the country stuff out of it. But I voted for Adele on about every single pop he did. Yeah, I think Hello should have won just about every yeah, major song or pop category. Yeah.

I mean that was like the biggest song of last year for sure. I mean they just engulfed all of all time and space, Yeah, YouTube, radio, every mean it's gonna be a showdown. I think I think it's going to be. I mean the thing about Beyonce's though hers didn't crossover as much into just the regular mainstream. Will people walking down the street every dude who is forty eight years old new Hello? Oh yeah. Yeah. In just terms of like knowing music and it being commercial, yeah,

for sure. I mean Adele sold eight million copies. I think of school yeah too. I mean she's doing it from a place of and she reaches I think a wider age spectrum to like you go to her show and you see people like our age, and then you see nine year olds. They're both winners. Let's not live, they're winners. They're they're doing all right. Mike and the un asked before we wrap her up, how do you

get the call to do SNL? What what happens? Um. So the way that happened was after the c M as I think the talent booker for SNL he saw my performance and it was so last minute because they were trying to find the last two or three artists for their last few shows of the season, and they reached out to me because they had they had heard about me for you know, the whole year. It's like Elton finally he put the word in. Um. Yeah, all those like TV talent bookers know each other and they're

all like vying for the new artists or whoever. It's like very competitive and like crazy. But SNL is such um an esteemed music breaking show and they have fewer episodes than like obviously Good Morning America blah blah blah, Jimmy Fallon um that they they're just so picky and they don't really have country artists on their all that often.

I think the last country artist they had Margot Price this year and then Stapleton and yeah, yeah, I always get nervous for live stuff just because it's live, and I don't know, with SNL, it's just so legendary. Like I'm a huge comedy guy, so for me, but even I used of the music that's been broken there that you walked around looking the pictures in the walls and

take it in. Yeah, I looked at the pictures, Like in my dressing room was all the musical guests that had been there, and um yeah, just walking down the hallway and seeing these cast pictures from every season and seeing like you know, the Will Ferrell's and then um seeing like I don't know, there's so many um down the hallway and like the first cast and like seventy five having like Dan Ackroyd and Chevy Chase. It was

so cool to see the history. And then you know, I'm I've just started like getting into Dirty Rock and it. Walking the hallways of SNL and like NBC Rockefeller, like it's just crazy to feel like you're in that show. And it's just yeah, like seeing Keenan walk by, you're like, oh my god, like Bobby moynihan like doing the thank you at the end and like turning around and talking

to the cast and you're like, you're Bobby moynahan. And then we went to the after party and it was already so late, like way past my bedtime, and um. We went to the restaurant where it was at and we just like sort of formed our own party at the after party, like my friends and the band and stuff, and then we uh, We're like, oh crap, it's like

four in the morning. We're like we need to go, and um, I was like, I'm gonna just check to see who's left in here, and it was Vanessa Bear, who was so cool, and then Lauren Michaels at four and I We've been running around the past two days, like at SNL that and the cast is everywhere, but I never saw Lauren, but everyone else in my camp did, like they were like, oh yeah, he's just always hanging out. He's watching every skit and um, I was like I haven't.

I haven't gotten a meet him yet. And I'm just a huge fan. He's just a legend. And so I was like, do I need to walk over? Like I'm gonna walk over. I'm just gonna do it. He's with his family, I think, and it's four am and he's still rocking at this after party and it's winding down obviously, but I go over and he sees me walking towards him and he's like, oh, hey, he's like a great job tonight. That was awesome, thank you for being here, and I said, well, thank you for having us. I mean,

this is truly like we'll never forget this. This is been a dream on all of our bucket lists. And he was like, you live in Nashville, right, My daughter goes to school there. And we just chatted for like a minute, and then I was like, I'll leave you back to your your dinner, but um, thank you for having us. And I walked out and I was like, I cannot believe the last person I saw in this place was Lorne Michaels. And but he's been doing the show for so long. That's their schedule except for a

brief period of time. The whole time, like he started it and it came back, then when it went down, he came back. And he's used to just staying up that mare And it's good to have you. This has been fun, but it's been fun for me. I have a wall of people that I really root for it, and I don't want to keep them all up there, but I have. I just noticed this Jansen and the little big town guys and Passway and Keith and Kelsey and on the bottom the latest one is a hero

a vinyl from New So So Cool. You always got a friend. Well, I'm glad that we got to do this. I've been wanting to for a while. You get too big. I couldn't get it, couldn't get you in glow trotting all over the world. Congratulations on this was so fun. Thank you Marion Morris. And buy the record and if you hear this one, the next record is out. It's fantastic.

Second record is amazing. I mean, if you're hearing this then it trust me, it's just as good as an European She finally did it, fantastic redid the Dinosaurs song so episode thirty one. Gonna go Marion Morris and we'll see you got next time. Thanks us