Eric Paslay

week's episode. I have Eric Pasley joining me. He is one of the most talented artists and song writers I have ever met in my life. He's written so many number one hits. He wrote Jake Owen's Barefoot Blue g Night, he wrote Eli Young Bands, Even If It Breaks Your Heart, Lovin Theft's Angels Eyes. He also wrote Rascal Flats hit song Rewind, and he wrote Friday Night, which was recorded for Lady Antebellum. Then he came back and released it

as an artist all the way to the top. He also was nominated for Song of the Year with his song she Don't Love You. Absolutely incredible. He's one of the most inspired songwriters out there. This interview is so good it will motivate you to follow your heart and your higher force. I promise you. Y'all welcome Eric Paslay. Hey, Eric Paslay. What's she doing hanging out in Nashville in

your back house? Yeah, we're in the little studio house back here, so it's like a writing room slash studio, kitchen, studio hang It looks old, but it's new. I know y'all did some new, some renovating, and you're a renovator yourself. I love it. Yeah, that's a secret little side that I learned about Eric Paslay is you're like handyman galore. I like building stuff. Um, I don't mind it. I built a gift for Paisley right underneath us in the garage.

Brad Paisley, Brad Paisley and I my distant cousin. Yeah, no, Pasley pass It's all good, Paisley Passley. It's kind of like what you build, Paisley. Um, I built on the front end of a fifty nine corvette out of wood. It sounds ridiculous just for being him, like Owen Wilson, Like, yeah, I made it a pure piece of wood like Jesus, you know, but um uh, he loves those corvettes. And I always build a gift for people when I go on to it. I'm just built one for Toby Keith

had like a Ford tail gate, did like red. I used the red paint that I used on Paisley's corvette on Toby's gift red on a tailgate and it was a Ford. I went to a junkyard, got old Ford tailgate red white and blue colors on it. How special is that? I always put lights in it? Right now? They're all I do. Always use battery top power, just because there's so many cool options. And you know, you can hang it wherever, said it wherever you don't have to plug it in. Where did you When did you

discover and how did you discover this talent? What do you call it? Woodworking? Building? Just tinker and I don't know being creative, there are no rules. Don't stick creativity in a box. When it comes to that, you gotta get it out. Natalie says. You go on the road, You'll find like the like the stores and all the stuff. And I'm like antiques. Use the antique stores. They have junk people don't know what to do with and I'll figure out something to do with it. So some of

the stuff in your house, like that you've found antiquing. Yeah, there's probably a few things in here, like what about that cabinet's made of logs around all the old barnwood. That's definitely did you make that antique store? I helped make it. Okay, nice, Okay, So I'm gonna start off with a little rap. I didn't actually level that. It's sort of curved. Hey, but it needs it has character.

It looks awesome. It does look awesome. Okay, letna start off with a little first off, I complete the sentence. I'm gonna say a word, and you say, and we're gonna make a sentence. All right, Okay, you start Spider Monkey happy Gilmore, Davis County, crows Nest. Hi there, I always messed up on this entertaining. Let's do it again. I haven't done this before. Okay, I'll do one. Okay, Spider Monkey, I don't. I just always that's so kind of the random thing. I'm coming with you, like a

spider monkey. It was Tallodaga nights Okay, cheese kurds hase ease that sounds like a really bad disease. Sorryse hasese. Okay, gave me a ride home. Okay, I mess up. I'm not gonna do kindergarten teachers hot mama's. That's pretty good. That's perfect. Kindergarten teacher, hot mama's. I knew singles called kindergarten teacher, hot mama. It's very serious. Okay, that's ridiculous. That was good. You're way better than me. Thank you. Try That's what I do all the time, just like practice,

like to say yeah bo jackal and Hyde. Okay, so we're gonna get started. You were from Texas, Temple, Texas. Grew up in Temple, Texas. I did, right right down the road from Waco, Texas. But we didn't know each other. Crazy because that's like almost the same city it is, And I lived in Waco. Why from when I was like two to seven? What were you doing to wake up? My dad was the manager's Southwestern Bell And then we thought, hey, let's go up the road to Temple. Why do you think,

hey let's go up the road to Temple. My mom's family from Temple. So, so what was it growing up by a girl? What was it like growing up in Temple, and is your family musical, because when did you discover your musical term? Music was always kind of around. My mom played Oregon. My grandfather was a musician. I didn't know my grandfather. He passed away when I was really young, but he just he was the musician in the family.

So I heard stories and I just always had music kind of around and just always was drawn to it. I love playing it. I didn't love learning it a lot, but I love playing it. You picked up guitar mainly at fifteen and started writing at the same time. Okay, so did writing just happen? Like, were you like, I want to be a songwriter? No, I just thought I want to play music. I didn't even know there was a difference between songwriter and singer. You know, I just

thought you wrote your songs. You know, it's probably the people that most people think. I think most people think that the day still that everybody writes her own songs, which a lot of them do. Did you always know you wanted to be an artist? Yeah, okay, that was what was confusing. I've so I had. I was writing songs for a publishing company for like four years. I moved up here when I was twenty, went to finished up school here at middletowness up here because you were

ready to get into the industry. Yeah, I knew that. I knew that I wasn't rich enough to go to Belmont, which is a really good school if you can afford it go. Um, but found out about Middle Tennessee which has a great recording industry program. You just have to drive thirty minutes more, which is which is research because you're listening to music all the time. But did that in between parking cars and working at Starbucks and going to school and interning for free and all this and night,

which is just I do it all again. Um. Maybe a couple of cars I wouldn't park against. They just smelled terrible. I bet you learn a lot about people from parking cars. It's interesting that you saw in people's cards that you wish you wouldn't have seen. The scariest thing is like people show up completely wasted and you're like, you should not even be able to live here? Do they drive the car off? I usually would pass the keys off to the club and be like you served them,

Like I'm not giving it to him? Yeah, is on you? But um, that would be a whole other thing. But um, but start, you know, wrote songs because the blue I was just taught the blueprint is if you are a singer and you can write, then someone will probably invest in your writing first ish before you get the record deal. Just friends that advantage that out. Do you know about publishing deals? I had an or. I had a just a mentor named Brian Gowen who had a record deal

on Curb, had writing deals, went to school. His wife at the time, Shannon, she was like Scott Pushett's assistant dream work, so she'd like seeing a lot of Nashville work. And Brian had too, and they were like, go to Nashville. You at least have two and a half years if

you finish up your degree. They're a music business. You get internships and just meet everybody and they know you exist, and you have a reason for being there because you're, yeah, a specific reason for being there and learning somewhat about it, knowing that a publishing company doesn't sell books a music publishing company, you write songs. So I wrote songs for four years at a company recording records, recording music because

it's kind of hard to get a publishing deal. So that is it sounds like I'm like, it was so easy. But the fact that you moved to town I got a publishing deal. Well, I moved to town and then three and a half four years later, I got a publishing Okay, so you just started networking and all that. Yeah, okay, you graduated wents worked at Starbucks. Um, which is great because favorite drink at Starbucks. I don't know, they're all pretty good. Did you drink one every day? I was? Yeah.

I I learned that a soy milk Lotte with two pumps vanilla isn't as much sugar since some a juvenile diabetic, I usually like one pump sugar. And I didn't want to fake stuff because I'm not really sure what's made up of I know, I agree, but um yeah, but um, you know, it was good to work. Their best saying health insurance for my juvenile diabetes and uh, and it gave me time to write I had. I had signed a publishing about a year and a year after I

graduated college. Wrote and wrote and wrote and just wrote and wrote and wrote and played shows and wrote and wrote and mainly played writers shows, so played my songs. I was writing with other artists. I'm sure we played

shows way back then together. We played some shows. When you're signed though, yes and uh, and then wrote all these songs and I wrote Barefoot and wrote even and wrote well yeah, and then in that time period yeah and then uh, I got a record deal, so that I got a record deal, and then Barefoot came out

two months later. So when I went on radio tour to meet everybody as a as an artist, not as a songwriter, as a songwriter and an artist, it was like every interview was, so, your singer or your songwrite? Why do you want to be a singer. I've always been a singer. I just happened to write a song that got it. And I actually had a record deal before I had any songs recorded. But the timing was just the timing was two months off. It was flip that. Actually,

it was frustrating at the beginning. And now I realized, I have like five hits to play every or at least five number ones to play every night. Okay, so I want to go through your number one because you have Okay Friday. It's this guy gets kind of wild. It's just you have your own number one Friday night Light, Friday Night too, and Lady Antebellum cut that song. They did, it was on the Oh the Night album, never put it on as a single. So then you said, that's

a hit. Hey, you know what, I'll put it out And it was a number one for you? How did that feel? Because I had you already had Barefoot Blue Night as a as a songwriter, not an artist. How many songs have you had as I had three number ones as a songwriter. I had three number ones hit in one year. Tell me what they were? Barefoot Bluesy Night, even if It Breaks your Heart and Angelize with Love and Theft and with Eli Young Fan Yes, and what was so wild? All these It's not like it all

happened in that one year. It had happened in at least so many years before. They just somehow had just piled up and and just perfect timing. And I don't know if one Barefoot being a hit decided the other ones to be released of like well you know where, yeah, you know, I mean it could have been that. And grateful that there are songs that I enjoy, you know, so that all happen when you release Friday Night? Right? No, no, No, I had a single out called Never Really Wanted My

First Yeah, I really wanted that. I love that song. That was a great song. I loved it. So that was your first single? Yea sacrificial single? Sacrificial? Yeah, most everyone's first single is a sacrificial single because they don't know you yet, so it's just kind of like breaking you in, all right, Yeah, it's all right. You gotta you gotta get rid of one of your best songs first, and someone might hear it, right, but did that open the door? That part of it? Um, the doors already open.

I just you know, usually it takes a while for somebody to pass you the guitar at the party. Okay, you gotta show up a few times. So do you feel like your sacrificial singer single and your hits for other people mixed with you? It was Barrett was Friday Night? Second? Was that your second single, fish Don't Buy It? Was second if the Fish Don't Buy It? And it was between labels merging, and it just all kind of got

lost in the shuffle. Which is an interesting which has never been released like it was that actual single, and I have fans always ask for it, and I'm like, I have no clue how you can buy it, and it was never released. It was released, but nobody can buy it. It's kind of weird. Huh. That's an interesting way to release the song. Yeah, isn't it interesting? The whole label process we've talked about a little bit because it's an amazing thing to be a part of a label, absolutely,

but it's also a giant ship. And you wrote that song even if it breaks your heart, which I think is interesting because the music industry can break your heart. Was that based on a true story or how did that come about? Well, you grew up in Texas, so Austin down on Sixth Street there's a bunch of clubs and all that. And wrote the song with Will Hoge and he had just he was in like a really bad accident, like he was on a moped driving in a van like ran over him, like he should have died.

And remember he showed up on We wrote one song called Highway Wings, Oh my Highway Wings, and uh that he recorded, but he was like on walkers. And then the next time we wrote even a freak your Heart and he was like on a just on a cane, and like now I see him and I totally forget that. He was like, shouldn't be walking ever. Um, so props to you, Mr will Hooge from freaking being tough, it's gonna be But he put that. He put that song out on like Triple A radio, which is very much

country now, and uh Eli young band loved it. And I always told Mikey like they had the song for two years on hold, like they hadn't they They were getting moved around on record deals of where did we put these guys? And they had crazy Girl hit, which I'm so grateful for that because then they were allowed to sing a song about dreaming like nobody was singing songs about dreaming rarely, or anybody singing songs about dream

me and actually getting hurt. And the last to him was like, if ya don't cut this thing, it's going on my album and hopefully it's a single. And but I just you know, we kept our word and let him do it, and they did a great job and got it heard. You know, So what does that song mean to you? Even if it breaks your heart? Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart. So I told you the story, and not that I like the story, but I actually heard the story, and I'm I'm probably

pretty sure he's okay with me telling the story. But Marla Cannon Goodman, great writer, she's amazing. But her dad's Buddy Cannon, great producer in town. He can ches. Yeah, you're right, he produces Kenny Chess. You know all conds of great music. Donnie, Marie, I gotta cut on that album single right now? Do you really? Yeah, Bama, she's nice, she's awesome interviewing. Do it. She's gonna be holding this Mike. Yes, Marie, he gave you a little kiss. Three That wasn't crazy.

You're awesome. Um uh. But I remember remember Marla telling me the story that the day that she told her dad because she was a nurse and she was like, Dad, I'm gonna be a professional songwriter. I'm gonna do it,

and and he said okay. He was like, but I'll just tell you that this business can break your heart every day, and that that's stuck with And that was probably around the time that we wrote even if it breaks your heart, keep on dreaming, even if it breaks your heart, And that was the point I think of what he was saying was, Hey, this this business can break your heart every day because you have so little control over what people decide will be heard. And that's

the thing. There's a crew of people that make those decisions that maybe people don't realize, like the public doesn't realize. I don't even know who that crew is. But um, some somehow, somewhere, you can only like what you're given. And but um, that was very deep. But I'm sure that's where it came from. And and you know, we were just writing and it is interesting like on you know, certain times when you get to little speed bumps in the road, I go like my owns, maybe I wrote

that song for me too. Sometimes you know, you go like that's not really breaking my heart, but you can get this point and going like, yeah, it's a bummer. I wish politics would have wind up on that. Um, which is okay, And it's it's such a cool thing though. It's like, uh, to be able to write and the fact that any time a song has heard I call it a million miracles a good point because it really is wild, Like it's famous because it was played a lot.

It was a weird thing. Like when a song gets played a lot on radio, it's because it got played a lot on radio. You're not really sure why it did or didn't, because you hear great songs and for some reason they didn't get heard, and and then you hear other songs and you're like, well, that's a cool song, and even and even the artists would be like, yeah,

it's not my favorite, but but who cares. It worked, But it worked, And it's it's that weird thing of like a million miracles that any of them get heard, even though something has to be heard, it's it's kind of a catch twenty two. But the fact that so many people have to forget to say no is is it's a million miracles that anything ever gets heard. It really is, you know, so you which is that's why I'm so grateful that I get songs, that songs have

been heard that I've been well. The fact you've had five number ones, that's crazy. The fact that you have written five songs that miracles, You've had five million miracles and you are a song writer. And I told you this last night because we were a Beyonce which, by the way, you met Beyonce and jay Z. I didn't even selfie with them because I'm trying to be cool. I cannot even the way the next time they see me, I'll gi them then and be in our sweatpants. Yeah,

looking like a million she's rocking, like totally cool. Uh. Blues their daughter, right, is that their daughters? Blue? You met Blue too? So funny. She looked at she looked at me and Nally, my wife, and she she was like, she was like with her eyes like I see like I'm watching you. It was awesome the whole family. Yeah,

did did you feel normal? Was it like a weird feeling or you know, well, I think the more you're around entertainment, entertainers, music, like celebrities are like we're people like everyone, anybody in an audience could be I'm not saying anybody could be that because they haven't put themselves out there for some reason, it just didn't line up or whatever that is. We all have our role in this world, and it's not to be famous for some reason. Some people are it's a side effect of hard work

and whatever that is. Yeah, and uh, but that doesn't mean you're the most important person in the world like we all are. I agree with that kids are taught to be famous through all of TV right now to everything I know, So that means like everyone fell at life? Was there a complete lie? But um, but uh you what I was saying before Tangents, It's okay because we bring it back. You have a gift for writing songs that impact people, like you wrote even If It Breaks

Your Heart, which is such an impactful song. And then you wrote she Don't Love You, which is one of my favorite songs. Not on Song of the Year. You're at the gin Way in my former bandmate, and that song was such an impactful song, so gorgeous. You also wrote the song deep as It Is Wide. I freaking love that song. And We're a Whole? Was that song whole? Less than whole? Oh, I'm gonna put that song out someday, less than whole? And I was instilling in my band

you played that song. You should at a writer's round. Can you just sing a little bit of it. There's nothing like forgiveness to resurrect a soul. Better give and get it. I've been forgiven, so I'm letting you know. Nobody should be less than whole. It's higher than that. Oh, and it's like I love the verse of the great cloud sound deeparted the stars light up to nine. I've waited through the water. It's just a beautiful song. Wrote

it with Big Kenny from Big and Rich. It was the first song we ever wrote, and you get really high. We figured it's like the Forgiveness song, but we figured Don Henley already got that title. And then I realized, like every title has been rewritten like eight times this year, so we should just call it forgiveness. But but less than less than whole. That nobody should be less than whole. That is the message that people need to hear. You have a way of writing songs that speak messages that

people need to hear. Well, thank you, I'm trying to help him hear him. How do you do that? Like? Where do you do that? It is? Is it you considered a God given gift? Absolutely? Um? You know it's well, I've I've I've been talking to a lot of people about having juvenile diabetes, and UM, I think how it's affected me is I'm not afraid to be an out cider kind of Um, it's kind of giving me guts to not worry about what people think about what I think. How have you been have you felt like an outsider

because of juvenile diabetes? Uh? You know, as a kid you're you're like the one kid that has to stand up and go I gotta go to the nurse. You know, they go get juice box and and uh crackers because if you have a blow blesser level. So I'm like realizing through life it's probably allowed me to like have the guts to do this for a living, like being a professional SONGWRI a professional singer is not normal, you know. But I wasn't afraid of it, and I've never had

a doubt that it wouldn't work. I mean, I know that the odds aren't good, but I never doubted in myself that it wouldn't work, Like I was like, and I'll trust in God that that wherever I'm at is where I'm supposed to be as long as you look at it with the right heart, you know. But um uh, but I think you know, when it comes to the songs that I decided to put out, um, and the songs that I decided to record, they're not always the easiest to from, not always the easier, They're not always

exactly what everybody expects. Well, radio, let's give a little preference preference preface radio likes, especially when you're a newer artist. You're not like a superstar level. Yet radio likes it to be an easy pitch because I mean, we're also an escape, So I mean it's not not every song is meant to change the world. I'm glad. I'm grateful that every song is less than the whole are deep as it is wider she don't love you, it would

be a very like deep bummer world. I mean, I think it helped people look up to heaven once in a while. But um, other than just looking a glass right there there you No, seriously, there you go write it look up to heaven not looking at you should go right that. We could write that and we'll go, we'll we'll go talk to Michael. But um, you know, and that's where I always and being a juvenil diabetes, I can't really like tell people who go drink liquor. I can I I enjoy a good beverage. Like I

don't said don't drink, but I don't. I can't promote it because well and I don't promote it. I don't want. I'd rather a juvenile diabetic live past thirty and like actually have a long life and and still enjoy a beer and enjoy a whiskey, but not like forget the night. Every time someone that's twenty one comes to this show

and it's like, have a blast, but remember it. I think so many people like you get caught up, and you get caught up in what you're supposed to, what you think you're supposed to do, and then you realize that you didn't even remember it. It was like have fun on your twenty one birthday, but like get a good buzz and remember it? Right? So have you always been all of down things? Have you always been pretty

responsible with your diabetes? I think I was ten years old when I was diagnosed, so I think I'm just kind of looking back, just you know, going it has affected me as a human. Um. But to get back to your question, you had to grow up faster too because you had a bit you couldn't just you had to think about what you're Yeah, eat food, take take shots, um,

take shots shot shot um. But they get back to your question, Yes, I think being able to write these songs definitely a god given talent, and uh I try to use it for good. Um. But the fact that you and you know, you go into a room and like what I just said, we were just talking right now, and I just said what I say, look up to heaven. I was supposed to just looking in the glass, you know. And that's how those get written. You say it and

then you go, you what is that? Well, it's probably because I'm not afraid to say weird stuff, yeah, because that's where the good stuff is. Yeah. But um, but it's it's it's it's just a cool, cool journey. It's cool being in Nashville long enough, Like meeting Beyonce and jay Z it was like, it was cool meeting them

as people. Yeah, and it was cool also going out in the crowd and watching Beyonce be freaking amazing, like like owning it and being powerful for women and wearing what she wears and two guys, it's probably sexually like maybe, but like she does it in such like I'm a woman power away. It's powerful. It's not like slutty. But regardless, it's done in such a cool, tasteful way that you're like, yeah, sexuality like that, it was cool powering because also, sorry,

now we're going on another road. I feel like there is such a stigma with like sexuality being sexual, but that's a part of human nature. And she does it in such a way, like you said, this is just embracing it. And it's cool to see that there's a certain balance. There is a certain balance. There is a balance. Beyonce has found that balance. Okay, speaking of juvenile diabetes,

how has that affected your life? You said, dude's made you okay to be like a little bit outside or whatever, not to be yourself, Like how what does that mean for your life? Like how do you have to think about life with that? I can't be on survivor um well because that you can't eat on that ship. Apparently I'm kidding. No, I don't know. I mean I think you know, one second kind effect the life I've just

I mean, anything can affect the life. I'm grateful I was born at a time that they have treatment for juvenile diabetes. And I mean this thing here on my arm like tells me howld you wear that all the time? Tells me a reading of my blucher levels like usually prick your finger. This thing tells me one of those every five minutes on my phone. So it's just amazing, So like it's it's it's moving along so cool, Like just technology and research for juvenile diabetes is growing leaps

and bounds right now. And uh so I always if I ever and I've never really been like angry that I had diabetes, I just kind of go, I have diabetes. It's fine, you know, great fall was born in a time that I didn't need. Just like basically back in the day, if if you were diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, it was like and the doctor came around every once a year or something. So I've basically been like, eat

lettuce and tomatoes and you might live two years. Maybe, So was the life expense to see really young back in the day. I mean, whenever you got juvenile diabetes, it wasn't good. It's not like it happens like it just happens. It's right, I take care of it. You have insulin pump, have a meter. I'm having my whole life until they cured or whatever. But how amazing it is. And there you go again with your attitude. You always take the positive attitude like and I think that's how

you have a happy life. You take circumstances you've been dealt and then you just figure out how to make them great. And then that the circumstances you have, you're at least aware that there are circumstances that means you've seen good and bad exactly. So tell me about your journey in the music industry. Tell me if you were going to write a song about your journey in the music industry thus far, because you have experienced more than

most people ever could imagine. Five number one's major record deal. You've had your own number one as an artist. You've also had some songs that didn't do as well as you want them to do, but then you actually don't love you nominated for Song of the Year. You've had a really incredible career. It's just getting started, it is, But how would you describe your experience so far if you're going to write a song about it? Like, what would it what would what would it be like? Still

catching up, still catching up to the story. I'm reading that out like I feel like the books just starting and realizing that, Like I was on a plane someone someone told me that they heard that Blake Shelton, the guy that's on the Voice, was like, had put out an album finally, And I'm like, you know he's on the show because he's like an amazing country artist. He is. So I realized how long it can take people to

figure out what you do. And uh, and it's hard to realize that because we all are in my own little world and it's okay, you know, it's like that's what discoveries for, you know, the television, but um uh, I don't. It's just I feel like I'm just realizing what all these chapters are mounting up to be and go like, that's the character that I am. Okay, I want to I want to have a little color. Tell me. The first chapter is, you know, find a poem he wrote for a girl and you didn't get of it

to her. And then someone said, you know, songs are like poems, so you write you for a song. And then it's okay, so these are cool new chords. I've never learned this while you're sitting in at a you know, Wednesday nights at a youth group, figuring out how to play the guitar and faking the B minors because they're

hard to play. The bar chords are hard to play, and then going, you know what, I thought it was gonna be a doctor, but I think I'll be a musician because I just feel like that's what I'm supposed to do. And you know, come to Nashville, realize you're not supposed to go there yet because it's really expensive to go to certain schools. And I was born in a family and h and and I'm grateful for that. I love my family. Um that's kind of my wild We just like deals, you know. But um, education is

expensive these days. Um interesting thing. But um that's a whole other hidden chapter. Don't tell any that I said that. But um, this silent fault, you know, go to the college thing. Write songs like crazy, write songs like crazy, learn about everything. Ah, somehow get a publishing deal, making coffee, um, parking cars, writing songs on the back of little valet tickets which probably never even became songs, but at least gets ideas in a way that you figure out how

these work. And that it doesn't always have to be four lines as long as it sounds cool. Yeah and uh, and it doesn't always even have to rhyme. It's good if it rhymes. Helps them children and drunk people and which is which is me too? That's that's not me slamming on it. It's like I love woos. You know, children and drunk people can sing whoa and uh, you know, and I think. Then then there's a chapter where you go where you your walk them through the field of

poppies and you see Oz. You're like, I'm here, I have a record deal. OZ is right there, there's the radio tower. And how does that feel when you realize that you're in Oz? Do you even know you got to Oz until you just all of a sudden are in it. Yeah, You're just like, holy crap. And then you see behind the walls of OZ and you go, wow, I never thought that was there. And you go, dang,

I didn't think it worked like this. And then you go, well, how do I maneuver around these walls, you know, to where people can see what I want them to see in a good way? Because at that point when you get to OZ, a lot of other people get involved in your creativity absolutely, and they say you should be made of this stuffing and you should be shine this way, and you go, I just want to go home and tell you the stories about where that was from. And

you're like that doesn't feel right. But then you're like, well they might know better. Is there ever that point in your career people are right now are like, what the heck are they talking about. But it makes sense to me. It would be a little bit of you know, and it's the chapter I'm in right now is going, I know what I am. Who are you storyteller? That you're trying to tell people good stuff? Storyteller? But I'm an entertainer too, so I might not always just tell

you deep stories. Not all stories have to be deep. I think it was a bummer. I think I upset a lot of my fans through through doing High Class and I was like, I'm just here to entertain you. I just gave you like the deepest ballad I could have ever sung for you, Like I'm just giving you a break from the heartbreak, you know. And it's like I'm just here to shake it. Don't you want to go dancing? Darling? Break and I'll break their heart again.

But it is, it is interesting and and just to understanding, you know, you can't move too fast when you're dating somebody, and that's that's the relationship between what we do as entertainers and our fans. And make sure you don't tweaker, tweker a little too much, you know. But yeah, it's uh so, what did you say in your discovery phase? Right now we're putting it all together. I'm realizing who I look up to, um, not realizing how I look up to. I'm realizing the people I look up to

always stand up for what they believe in. Okay, give me some examples you too. Honestly, Beyonce totally look up to her. Good job, good job, um, Tom Petty. He just doesn't put up with a bs. I mean, he got out of so many. It just he did so many things to make sure the music he wanted wanted people to hear got hurt. At least the music he wanted to make he made. You don't know if it's gonna get hurt. Hopefully it does. Bruce Springsteen storyteller, good dude,

like not lazy. Paul McCartney like to go through all that to be one of the coolest guys in the face of the planet and not be like, don't you know who I think I am? M hm, you know, rock and roll royalty. Steven Tyler just such a cool place so where he is in life, and and it's I respect people like Johnny Cash. I never got to meet him, but I love his later albums because I realized that he'd gone through so much darkness, and he

only showed the light at the end, you know. And and the fact that even survived, you know, thank god. You know, he sent June to him, and that Johnny even listened to her, made her pretty enough for him to listen. Right now, That's what I do. I just don't ever write him made her pretty enough to listen. Yeah, it could be, you never know, maybe it'll show up again. I'll write it. But um, so you like authent authentic? Um, I like authentic people. I only trust authentic. I'll dance

to unauthentic and that's okay. But that doesn't mean I want to like hang out at your house all the time. I get you. I don't want to live in that universe of come you know. I still love entertainment and I still love going to the magic show. I still like being the magician, you know, not a high class even when people don't expect it. Why do you not want to live in that world of aunt of an authentic nous? Because we weren't sent down here to be

fake our whole lives. We weren't supposed to wear masks, we weren't supposed to be only about me and myself an iPhone. You know, Um, so many people are caught up in themselves. I read a book and uh, the author interviewed this famous poet and she was like in her eighties or nineties at the time. She said, if you could give us any advice, what would you give the world? Like? What would you tell us? And it wasn't a poem, It wasn't you think it'd be like

the most beautiful poems she ever heard. She said, this is the advice idea of in your twenties and thirty you're so concerned with what people think about you. Then in your thirties and forties, you just don't care what people think about you. And then and your fifties and sixties and seventies, you realize that everyone was just concerned about themselves. They were so concerned about what people thought

about them that they weren't even concerned about you. So if you can learn that your thirties you haven't head start, that means you have the freedom to be you. But you have to know that. But you have to know that. And if you have friends that judge you, they're not your friends exactly. Don't hang out with that. Don't hang out with that. You have to meet another town. If

your friends are all like that, I agree. I totally agree, you know, and I think you know just you know, people are so caught up in what they look like. It's like, you know, when did this click for you? When did you get this understanding of the world after a few songs didn't work. It's kind of I feel like I think God does that to us sometimes. Absolutely.

A book found books found me. I don't read, and I somehow read like two books in a month, but they were One was called David and Goliath Malcolm Gladwell, very cool. And another song was called Big, Big Magic, Big Magic, Change My Life pretty cool. Right? Did you love that book? That's where the story was from the poet? Oh, okay, I love that book Big Magic. The way she described creativity and all of that incredible. You're very wise. How old are you really? Barely three? We're twins. Hey, I

should have gone to public school. I did. I didn't learn anything. I don't really retain any knowledge, but I am street smart. Yeah. Yeah, that's why we're here. I just feel like you have a message to tell the world, like I really do. I don't you feel that. I know you've what do you what is the message you're trying to tell people? God loves you. It's not just about you, and some days it is help the world.

It's so much about everyone. Everyone is as important as everybody, which it's hard to see that, but it's not well if if you see people lost in life, you could go like, well, they don't matter as much, or if you see which is wild. You look at some celebrities and you go like, dear Lord, please, if I have children, don't grow up to be that, except you stick them on pedestals because it's entertaining, you know, But I mean the biggest thing, you know, we're all loved, beyond belief

that we're all important. Yes, we're all here important. And it's hard when uh, it's hard when like you know, I have like songs on the radio and you've done really well, and it's like it's hard for people to go like, yeah, sure, you don't do this job every day. It's every job, as it said, comes with a crab sandwich.

It's called it something else, and you have to love what you do enough to understand that I kind of want to eat that crap sandwich even though you know, not everything is like you know, the rain causes stuff to grow. You don't have to be upset at the rain. It's okay, you're a profit whatever, but U But also I'm just I'm just talking what I was influenced through records that I love, you know. But also I do say.

People can say it's easy because you don't understand because you don't have the job I have, but you also no one handed you this on a silver platter. You worked your a bunch of random jobs, but you worked your butt off to get here, and so I do believe that if you want this, like you said, anyone could go through and be Beyonce within circumstances. Obviously, no

one could go through be Beyonce. Right, That's not what I meant I said, But you know what I'm saying, like, we're not all supposed to be Beyonce, supposed to Beyonce, but we're supposed to be what we feel in our heart. And if you commit to it enough to follow that, you can end up being Beyonce in your own way.

If everyone was Beyonce, we some of us would be thirsty actually if we were anyway, because there'd be no guy's serving drinks like I did you know it's all phases of life, you know, And and it's uh, it just really is a cool thing getting to go just I mean, just the fact that we live in a country where last night there was a stadium full of people watching a show, um, and getting to enjoy that,

just getting to enjoy songs that could say anything anything. Um, I mean it might upset you or it might not, which I don't think anything would have upset you last night, but um ah, it's uh, it's really cool just to be on a journey that somehow I've been blessed to actually live the dream that I dreamt, you know, and and also know that you know, it's it's it takes a while to push her heavy rock uphill, but it means it'll roll for a while, and it might roll

back and roll over your telling. If I wanted to make my career out of plastic, could be a lot easier to push that boulder up the hill, but it won't go that long. And uh, and that's uh, that's kind of where I'm at as an artist and a writer and just as a man going you know what, this is what I love, This is what I believe in, and this is the music I'm gonna bring you, and sometimes I might just entertain you, but it's still music that you want to bring you. It's still you, still

from your heart. Absolutely are from my dancing shoes. Which you do have some moves, you really do. You really do have some moves. Thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. Okay, So tell me about this new album, Dressed in Black.

There's references to dressed in black all over the album and uh, and you know, the deep thoughts is, I mean, just the surface value is there's so many cool, big, uh moments in life that you're dressed in black, from a graduation to getting married to a black hurse, you know, and so many influential people from you know Luke Garrick today, I consider myself lucky. He sment on the face of

the earth. You know, um was wearing black pins drive but did say that he said, I felt consider myself on the luckiest man on the face of the earth, even though he had Luke he has a l S

and lu Garrig's disease. Absolutely it was the day that so he was able to say positive through everything, and that's how we start the song off and from that to a bottle of Jack the black label to a Ramans T shirt, so much attitude too, Dell Earn Heart driving a black number three car to Johnny Cash, the man in Black Dan and uh to you know, Wedding Mills And it's just, uh, it's just kind of a big spectrum, I think, kind of looking down on the on the on the whole movie happening as opposed to

just right at the jukebox. And um, I just thought it was a cool title for the for the song, for the cool breakdown of that, and also the deeper underlying thought as if you know you're surrounded in light, you're dressed in black because you're just a shadow in it, you know, And uh, that's another deep thought. You are just you're really deep? Are you very connected to your spiritual side all the time? You aware that you're here for calling? Grateful that God allowed me to know him?

How did you learn to How did you? How were you? How did you meet God? Um? Just two people in my life that I saw that they were they had something I didn't and I said, what is that That's worth living for? And just grateful that God let me know who he was. Did you have a specific moment where it clicked and you're like, oh, I get it, I feel it her. You never just uh no, you you have that moment where you go, you know, I know Jesus died for me and here here, here I am,

and he was always here to begin with. Yeah, you just have to go. I see you. I just I'm reaching for you. It's not like I've ever felt a hand on my shoulder or angels, you know, on the hood of my car, anything like that. It's Billy Graham said, Uh, I can't see the wind, but I can see the effects of the wind, and it's just pieces of proof. Okay, so you've experienced real life stuff. Absolutely. I love that. Okay,

so we give angels. Lets talk about angels. We were talking on a rider to retreat Mr Corey Crowder and Eric Dilan. We were just telling those stories where make your hair stand on end of the miraculous stuff speaking of sometimes people do see miraculous things happen that I think our God God sends and you know, people can get upsets like, well, why didn't God send a miracle

this time, you know, like when someone was sick. And I don't have that answer, but I know that the fact that he sends any is one miracle, is one more than he should have ever seen, you know, um in a way, which is that's a deeper thought. But um, but just telling those stories and Corey had great music and that's what fell out, you know. So what's tell me about what that song is Angels in This Town

because that's your single right now. Yeah, it's just about the fact that there's the unseen that we don't see, Like there's so much there's so much amazing things going on around us that we don't see, and it's probably good we can't. But also you never know that. The the story that I think started the whole song. I had heard a story once where a girl went went down the street a few blocks to friends party, birthday

party type thing, high school kid. I think, Um, we went to walk home like the parents were like old driver or whatever. Walked home, nice neighborhood where it's like the alley with the garages on both sides. A guy was standing back there and she just was like, Lord, please protect me, like she just knew something wasn't right, like father, please protect me, Please protect me, and just walked right by him, got home, went to bed. Next morning,

woke up to police everywhere. A girl had been murdered that in that in that same alley that night, they caught the guy and it was the same guy that she saw past, and just to get into the guy's head, the murderer's head, like they're like, well, why didn't why didn't you pick this girl? And he said, I'm not going to pick a girl with two giant guys walking with her so many times? What can we not see that God actually is protecting us, Um, if you ask.

And that doesn't mean it's always in the plan, but um, but that's kind of where it started. And just those miractors. Yeah, and the cool thing is just a cool thing for me to do. It's like I'm sitting on a bus or in a hotel or wherever it is that we're waiting to play a show. It's like, you know what, we never see towns we go to, so I always try to do that to begin with. But I was like, there's so many great people in this town, and it's

God sends the miracles. I believe in miracles, but I'll see believe that He has us to to do miracles in each other's lives. Like one little thing down the road we do for someone might have been something they've been praying for for years and we don't know that. It was like nothing to us to go help them change their tires, but that was a miracle for them, you know, like here's two in our bucks to give you new tires or whatever is and and it's not

even buying stuff, it's just helping people. But um, but we get to go like I mean, from police departments and fire departments, Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity builds. Um. I always feel guilty when we go to Habitat for Humanity and they're like donating the house. I'm like, I need, I want to build. I want to help you, you know. But it's such a cool moment to see a family get a house that they've worked so hard for and a community come together to see you're kind of starting

a thing. Angels. Yeah, we call them angel visits. And it's just well, because I believe there angels in this town and in every town that helped the community there, and and they they create miracles. And that's what you're doing when you go to towns that you provide angel visits. Almost every at least one or two times a weekend, as long as people are cooled with showing up. How

has that enriched your life? It's been awesome getting to meet all kinds of kids and and just cool people in communities that aren't afraid to step out and just do good. You know, not really, I mean most of them are just in the background, you know, even though they're probably the guy that framed the whole house or I have worked at the Boys and Girls Club for thirty five years and you know, so it's just kind of it's cool to be a part of the commune.

Just encourage people, thank them for doing good, not thank them for like being ridiculous. On the positive, Yeah, focus on the positive, even though that's not what the news is about. But I know, but you're going to change that story. At least tell the story. So tell me a little bit more about the rest of the album, Like what's the vibe of it? Um, it's just good stories.

You are a true storyteller. But it's but it's good music too, Like you can listen to the to the lines or just listen to the music, and I love both of it. Um, there's just fun, happy songs and and some deep thoughtful songs that I think are more are almost all of them are more hopeful and sad and uh, because if you get to hear a sad story and maybe you won't go there. You know that's true. If it's not your own autobiography, maybe that's enough just

to make it a different direction. But just cool moments and things that we captured in the studio that we're just like, wow, that was cool, Like thanks for letting that fall out of this guy. But I'm just I'm really just looking forward to people getting to hear the album and figuring out when that will come out and what way it'll come out. Do you have a song that you like the most on the album? Um, it's I mean I've written something songs and I've only had

one album out. So they're all your kids, Yeah, I mean they're all they're not my kids because they're not my kids, but um, you got to learn how to love them right without it disappointing you And don't have expectations like with songs because I don't have control over that. And even if I have kids someday, I don't have control over how they decide. I can encourage them to hopefully do good. But I think parents take it on

themselves too much about what their kids do. And it's like your kids to a had to make it the decision. It wasn't your decision to make. That's a whole other You have to learn how to love them the right way. So how do you love a song the right way? When you write a song and you love it, but then maybe no one the label hears it, or it never really gets the life it was made to have. Even if you raise and feet a bird, you can't

tell it where to fly, you know. Um, you hopefully believe that it's supposed to go where it's supposed to go, and people get to see it and enjoy it. Um, but there's a certain point where you just have to open the cage and do with this what you will? You know, Yeah, like love it or shoot it, you know, um, unless it's really good to eat. But um. Writing all kinds of songs, but but it's uh, you know, I love them all. It's that thing. It's like there's life,

it's not the same heartbeat. So it's like there's there's fun songs, and there's sassy songs, and there's dance and songs, and there's storytelling songs, and you know, there's a lot of sides to you, well, there's a lot of sides everybody. We might all wear, you know, the same face every day, but we're not always happy, we're not always sad, we're not always yeah. And that's that's the albums I like making, even though it confuses people because it's like what artists

are you? I'm like, I'm a human being. I write stories, I write melodies. I'm gonna I'm not gonna bring you the exact same song because I'd rather show you more than just a white rab out of a hat every time. I might put brown hairs on him this time and freak you out if you put on a rat he could that really make him dance? And then let him go in the audience now? But it's uh, and that's you know, and I've I've made that decision just because

that's how I like being entertained. Um and and I'm not sure if listeners have necessarily well they have um deep thoughts, but but you know, it's it's we so like going, well, we know, do go to Walmart? Or we need to go to McDonald's and we need to go to Taco Bell, which I love all those places. It's very simple. Um, But I'd rather not make albums of just one thing. Um which country music is not

one thing. If you listen to the history of country music, it's about the human soul and just about being alive, and that it's not always easy, always easy, and that that it's a cool journey, and that and that you admire the people that came before you, even if they might not have believed in what you believe, but but they at least had the right heart for what they did. And and it's just grateful to be a part of country music. And just the fact that we can tell

stories about our lives. And if it wasn't our lives, at least it could be somebody else's affect the world. You might you have, Hannah, Well, thank you. Okay, So we have to wrap up, which I don't want to have. I covered everything I think I have, Dear Lord, I mean we have, we could just talk forever. But one more thing, I'm kidding, give it to me. I don't have anything I think I I think I still said as many songwriter lines as I could possibly confuse everybody with.

If you Okay, I have two more questions and then we're gonna wrap up. Where if it was up to you, and I know you live on faith and I know you trust your journey, but if you could play your life out, what would the next ten years look like for you doing the same thing I'm doing and maybe not play and you know, doing what I'm doing, but also scheduling time because it's you can't make more time and uh to where I'm a part of Nashville more because I was a part of Nashville for so long.

And then you go out on the road and you know that's probably just see husband and you being on the road and ah um, you know, making sure that you're wise with your time, and that's for everybody to go. No, I'm not going to do that. I don't see a

benefit in that for me in the long term. It might solve a problem right now in your small world of but if we do this, we can do this, and I go, you know what, I'm okay, they'll understand why I said no, because I'm gonna be home on Thanksgiving, you know, and just the next ten years making great songs, songs. I believe in impacting the world for good. Uh, telling kids it's cool to do good, not to be a ridiculous celebrity. Like, if you want to be a celebrity,

go do great stuff. I'll make you a celebrity all day long. If you want to be a celebrity and go do things that are not good for the soul, don't sign me up. I won't be at that party. Um, but I'll still show up the parties with people that have done that, and maybe I'll help them influence them

for better. You know, we're all I you know, it's not like I'm judging p I haven't said names, but people, we're all searching for what we're supposed to be living for, you know, and we're on a different path, and sometimes you just don't have the awareness that there is a sole purpose. It's hard living in the house of mirrors. Know, Um, I need to take all these mirrors down. There's no mirrors in this house. I don't think there are. Probably

should get one once in a while. Okay, So I like to wrap up with leave your light, So leave me inspiration. Just I mean, this whole thing has been an inspiring podcast, but just leave your inspiration from it all. What you want to lead to people. Be who you are, not jaded, not lonely, not thinking you're un love um, but knowing that there's a bigger, bigger love out there

for everybody. And the more you sit still and unafraid to reach out, unafraid of what people think about you, I think, the more fulfilled you'll be in life, and the more you'll understand what road you're actually supposed to be walking down, as opposed to the line that that we're all taught to be standing in waiting for that thing to happen. It's like, thank everybody's taught you know, go to school, get a job you hate for thirty years, and then you'll get to retire with something you love.

I figure, why not just do what you love every day? Amen to that and thank you to all those people who are freaking working hard for their families too. Oh that dropped the mic. Eric pass Lay in the house. Thanks Eric Deep Caral, She's a queen. I hope you love caring from Eric Haas like he's absolutely incredible. Next week is super exciting because I have Kale Dods joining me. He is the newest artist to be signed a Warner Brothers record label. He has so much to talk about.

He is so high energy, he's so talented. He also co wrote Drunk Dial for my husband, a thousand Horses band that was a single last year. He is up and coming and so much fun. So y'all get excited for next week. We have kale dots and make sure you subscribe on iTunes