Dumb Blonde - Koe Wetzel: The Glow Up Nobody Saw Coming

Episode Date: June 1, 2026

Koe Wetzel sits down with Bunnie Xo for one of his most honest conversations yet. From East Texas dive bars to sold-out arenas, Koe opens up about the changes that transformed his life—cutting back on drinking, getting healthy, becoming a dad, and creating his new album, Night Champion.He shares stories from his wild early days, growing up in a musical family, playing college football, getting kicked out of school, spending time in jail, and taking the ultimate gamble on a music career when everything started to take off.Koe and Bunnie dive into the highs and lows of touring, the pressure of success, and why Night Champion feels like the closing chapter on the last decade of his life. He talks about writing deeply personal songs, the story behind "The Man" (including a live snippet), and why being vulnerable with fans has become more important than ever.Koe also opens up about reconnecting with Bailey, their engagement, welcoming their daughter Woods, and how becoming a girl dad completely changed his perspective. Plus, the two swap tour stories, debate the worst hangover cities, celebrate Texas roots, and wrap things up with a rapid-fire round that proves Koe is still Koe.Koe Wetzel: Website Watch Full Episodes & More: YouTubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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slash BUNN-N-I-E. Go to Shopify.com slash bunny. That's Shopify.com slash bunny. Is this thing on? What's up, you sexy motherfuckers? Welcome to another episode of Dunblonde from East Texas bars to selling out arenas. This man has turned heartbreak, bad decisions, and real life into an entire movement. You guys, I've been trying to get this mofo on the podcast forever. Welcome, Co. Wetzel. What's up? Dude, you look so good. Thank you. I appreciate it. What the hell's going on? We have to talk about this glow up because everybody online is noticing it. You look happy. You look healthy. What's happening? Yeah, it's just a lot of changes. A lot of big changes have been happening over the last couple

years. And yeah, I think it was time. I feel like everybody's been kind of getting on this health kick, you know, seeing jelly do it, obviously. And then a lot of us, you know, me and Aaron and a lot of the guys just kind of, I guess, just figured it was time to get our shit together. And, but yeah, no, it was, I don't know, I just looked in the mirror one day and I was like, damn, we were actually doing promo for the damn near normal world tour. And, you know, after we dropped, before we dropped nine lives and stuff. And I was on the lake fishing with my buddy. He was like behind me doing some content. And we got back. And I was looking at myself, I was like, God damn, I didn't let myself go.

I got on the scale. Oh, no. It was like about two years ago, and I was like, I got to get it figured out. So kind of started around then, I guess. And then, I don't know, it's just, you know, having baby girl come into the world and all these things. I kind of decided it was time to get right. You got the dad glow of. Yeah.

I didn't know that was a thing. Yeah. Well, you can go one of two ways. I've seen it happen. Like, they end up looking hot like this or they end up fucking looking like John Goodman. Yeah. I don't know. I think I would have been pretty bad off if I don't went the other way where I was at before.

Oh, I remember when we were on tour with you guys, you guys were fucking wild. It was that, but yeah, whenever we were on tour together, like, I mean, every night it was a party too. I mean, you know, just as well as I do. It was, it was chaos. I don't know how you guys do it. My husband was the same way. Like, they would drink every fucking night. And I'm just like, how do you guys, like, even function and then do it again the next day?

Well, that was it to like to get over the hangover, just start drinking again. Care of the dog. Around show time. And then, you know, we'd party together until four or five in the morning and then go back into it. No, it was wild. But I'm proud of you. You look really good. Are you taking peptides or anything?

Yeah, I got on some peptides. Yeah, I love the peptides. Which ones? What's your stack? So I'm doing like the BPC 157, TB 500. I ran Reda for a little while. How did Reda make you feel? Because I took Reda and that shit made me want to off myself.

It was good. Like the first two or three weeks, it was really good. And then it, I don't know, I just couldn't drink on it. Every time I drink on it, that was whenever it got really bad. But, um, like sick. You get sick or depressed? Yeah, I mean, it was like the worst headache ever, like super nauseous the next day. Um, but like I never had any bad side effects on it while I was on it.

And then, uh, I ran for about two or three months and then, um, got off of it. And then I got like GHCCU and NAD plus. And, but I mean, I feel like Superman. Doing all the good stuff. Yeah, the, the energy levels like everything about it. Like I don't, it's just kind of like a. tool that I've been using, you know, obviously that and eating clean and being in the gym too. So, I don't know. It's just, it's good for like the mental health and everything, like everything

about it, I guess. So, um, you seem more clear headed and more focused than I've ever seen you before. Like, you can, that was, that was, that was nothing with the reddit too, though. Like, it was, it did fuck with my dopamine levels. I feel like a little bit like stuff that I did enjoy. Because I mean, it just kind of suppresses like your appetite along with other things, I feel like. And so, uh, bro, I couldn't even listen to music. when I was on it. I was driving one day with no sound. And I was like, you know what?

Something's fucking wrong. I was like, this is fucked up. Like I was at least have to, if I'm not going to eat, I need to listen to music, you know? Yeah, but I mean, but like that, but that helped a lot with, you know, the alcohol and stuff because, you know, then I would look at alcohol. I'm like, I can't drink that shit, you know. And so that's helped a lot with that as well and just, but that was cool coming off of that because a lot of the stuff that, you know, it's suppressed, it kind of, you know, carried over into what it is now. And so, yeah, the whole drinking thing, I think I'm drinking like two or three times a month maybe.

Wow. Yeah, so, yeah, the last time I've seen you, I think I had a bottle in my hand every time I've seen you. So I don't even think you remember that tour. I don't. It was, it was chaos. It was, I don't know. It was, it was a lot of fun. Isn't it so cool to look back on it and then, like, looks and see how far you've grown, though? Like that's what life is about. It's like evolve or die. Yeah, for sure.

And then that's what you're doing. And I think that you're setting a really good example for guys that are in the industry and that are in the same lane as you. Because, you know, you would think of like outlaw music and like, you know, rock country and Texas, Texas, you know, music. You think of everybody just like, you know, kind of having their own, like, wild streak. And you do still have your wild streak, but you, you kind of contain the beast. Yeah. No, I think it's sort of size. It's good to have that happy medium, though, you know, being in it.

and I'm not saying, you know, I'm not just, you know, walking a straight line nowadays. You know, I still have my nights to where I'll go out. And as much as I can, the hangovers are hurting a little more these days. So it's not. That's age. How old are you? I'm 33. I'll be 34 in July.

Oh, you're still a baby. I know, everybody keeps saying that. I feel like I'm 85 years old some days, you know, with, I don't know, aching bones. Wait until you hit your 40s and you're like, what the fuck it happened, you? I've heard, like, people would tell me that it would be like, you know, in your 20s. or like wait till you get to your 30s and you get to your 30s. They're like wait until you get to your 40s. And yeah, I don't know.

You sniff alcohol in your 40s and you have a fucking hangover, dude. I had to stop drinking. I stopped drinking in my 40s because it just was not worth the three days of being. Do you not drinking? Oh, I've been sober since 2018 off alcohol. 2017 off pills and cocaine and 2018 off alcohol. Yeah. I'm telling you, man, you just,

sobriety is probably one of the hardest journeys you'll ever take. So I never try to like preach it to anybody and everybody's, journey is their own. But when you learn how to control it, it's like the biggest blessing ever. I've heard it's the super drug. Like that's, you know, and the older that I'm getting, you know, it's obviously seeming more appealing to me. And it does, you know, like me slowing it down. Like I said, I drink two or three times a month. And, you know, I'll go for the week and a half, two weeks in between drinking and I'm eating super clean. I'm going to gym five days a week, getting up early in the morning, you know, and watching the sun come up and having that alone time

for that 30 to 45 minutes in the morning and just trying to get everything together and, and, clear your head and stuff, I feel so damn good, you know, compared to, you know, back whenever it was kind of going to bed at that time, you know, and just trying to nurse the hangover all day. But, no, I do feel, me and Parker talk about that a lot. Parker's crazy. Yeah, he's on a different level, though, you know. Yeah, his, I had him in here too, and I was finding out all the shit he was doing. I was like, DMT.

Yeah, well, yeah, we came up together. And so we had some good times. We had some rowdy times. Yeah, he's all of us. You know, I talk to him. He's one of my best friends that I talk to him, you know, every other day or whatever. And that's just how, that's how kind of that, how our conversations have changed as we've kind of grown up and stuff.

And he'll tell you the same thing. He'll go, you know, I feel he's in the best shape of his life right now. You know, he's doing all this stuff. Just one album of the year. They see him and stuff. I know, it's like, you know, it's crazy because you go out and drink. And it's like all that, you know, 10, 12, 15 days of you just being super clean and working out and everything. It's kind of depletes for a week. You feel like shit for a

week and it's really hard to get back to. So, um, but no, there's a lot of us that are, that are a really good place right now. I think, uh, it's, uh, I don't know, it feels good to feel good and I don't know. I'm proud of you. Thank you. I appreciate it. Is there anything else that you do besides like songwriting? Like, do you journal? What do you do, do you like, meditate? Um, not so much. I've tried the meditating deal, but, um, I don't know. It's hard. It is hard. And I even try to get into like the, the, was it the grounding? where you walk out and you know. And barefoot.

I get weirded out. I'm like, what if I'm stepping on dog piss? I know. It's weird. You know, out in Texas, we got a bunch of damn

sticker burrs and everything else. So I mean, I don't, the grounding deal in the meditation I heard is like really good for it. But I got a cold plunge? Do what? Cold plunge?

Oh yeah. Yeah. Cold plunge. So we got like cold plunge and sauna at the house and stuff. And I'll do the hot cold therapy and all that stuff, which is,

which is great. But that and I'll do a bunch of box breathing. It's been like really good for me. especially like coming in doing all these podcasts and stuff and not knowing what we're going to talk about and stuff. Like I woke up this morning and I walked outside and I was just like trying to do my box breathing and stuff. But I think it's so funny that you can stand in front of thousands of people, but then coming to do a podcast or having to sit one-on-one with somebody. It is. I don't know what it is about it.

And I've always been that way. You know, for the longest, like the first probably five or six years of our career like from noise complaint till probably before I signed with Columbia. so I mean, damn near five years, I had like really no interviews and stuff like that. And I love that because for one, it gave people kind of like, it was like a mysterious deal, like who is Co. Wetzel? What is this music, you know? And we had a lot of fans that wanted to know a lot about me, but at the same time it was, and it really wasn't like a, it was kind of like a, the anxiety and everything kind of came from all that,

I guess, later on, you know, after doing it a lot. Like it was never that I didn't want to do them. It was just, you know, we didn't push to radio or anything like that. So I don't know. We just never really did them. And then whenever I started doing them, I was like, this is crazy. This is how I'm used to. It could also be because you're kind of sober now, too.

So you're not like before you were probably showing up, hungover or drunk and like still having something in your system. Yeah. And I would, you know, to get through them used to be to get through the podcast interviews and stuff like that. I would. I'd go to the bar and get pretty loose and then get on the podcast interview and drink then. And by the end of it, I'm spilling the beans on everything and just, damn it, we should have got that co. That's what I told.

I told Kobe him all the way over here. I was like, man, we should have grabbed some beers on the way over here. And I was like, no, hell, no. I'll be saying all kinds of stupid shit on there. That's all we need. That's so funny. All right, so moving on. Let's talk about how you grew up in East Texas.

I actually grew up in, I'm from Texas myself. I'm from Houston. But I thought it was great to find out that you grew up around the Fort Worth area because I literally have a hat that says Fort Worth famous. Growing up in East Texas, it means everybody knows your business. Everybody's in your business. What's the dumbest rumor you've ever heard about yourself back home? Before Wayfair, our outdoor space just felt unfinished.

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I have no idea. I'm sure there's some spicy ones you don't want to tell us. Yeah, I'm trying to thank you. He's trying to be politically correct co right now. I know. I really am. And that's the sober thoughts of me right now. I'm trying to, I don't know.

You're fine. You don't have to answer it. Yeah, well, I'm just trying to think one, actually. Yeah, I'll plead the fifth on that one, I guess. So growing up, you grew up with a mom that was a touring musician. Can you tell me about that and take me on that journey? Yeah. What life is like?

Yeah, she, I mean, she wasn't, she didn't tour like all the time. It was kind of like a weekend gig deal. She just played like opera houses and stuff like that for, you know, stand-in bands. And she, we'd go around to, you know, every other weekend to opera houses and little auditoriums and state or county fairs and shit like that. And she just kind of play all her cover songs and stuff. And so I grew up around live bands and going to these shows.

I was a little shithead kid that was like running through the, uh, the crowds. and everybody was like, where's this kid's parents, you know? And my dad, he worked his ass off a lot, and he was always gone a lot. So, you know, if mom didn't want to leave me with my grandparents, you know, she let me tag along. And then that actually kind of, you know, transformed into me getting on stage with her at a young age and being able to play with these bands. And I don't know, it was a lot of fun.

It was a cool childhood to be able to come up around all that and kind of, I don't know, see what I kind of liked about each band member that. I was around and what instruments I wanted to play and just kind of how to work at a very young age. So it was a lot of fun. And to this day, you know, she'll still, she'll see something. She always thinks her baby does the best on stage, but I know sometimes that that's not the case, but she'll still look her taking me every now and then, which is, it's a good thing. I like having her come to shows. She loves to come out and to get in the crowd and let everybody know that I'm her baby. I love your sisters. They follow me on TikTok and they're awesome. Yeah, they're a

trip. Yeah, they're sweet. ZK. She's, she's starting to make Woods TikTok famous. I guess. At first, I didn't even know she was like posting her on, which I don't care. But I start seeing all these videos and ZK's a trip by herself. And then Woods, I'm sure she's going to take after her aunts too. So I mean, that kid, and we're going to talk about Woods in a second, but she has your face. Like, I mean, that, you cannot deny that baby. Yeah. I feel so bad because Bailey carried her, but literally birthed you. Yeah, I know, I tell everybody, you know, I kind of felt bad for her whenever she first came out because she did look so much like me. And now she's starting to look more like Bailey, which is a good thing, you know. But,

yes, there's no denying that one. That's a fact. So growing up in such a musical family, what were some of your inspirations for the sound that you have now? So, like, I came from a bunch of different backgrounds. Like, my mom, obviously, she was into like old-timey country and the 90s country. So like anywhere we went, it was between like that and like gospel and worship music. And then with my dad, riding around with him, it was all like old school rock and hip hop. Like hip hop is his thing. Like anywhere. What was his favorite hip hop artist? Oh man. He was a big 50 cent. Like he liked new age. He messed with like all the old stuff as well. But like 50s album back then was I loved it. It was my stripping song. Get Richard Dye trying.

To this day is still one of my favorite records like a ball time. But like it was it was one of them like one of those things that me and daddy would go out wherever it was or whatever we were doing and he would play that record or M&M's record and the you know the non-edited version and the parental advisory and right before we get out of truck and say listen here you go in there you tell you you mom we listen to this shit and it'd be the last time we listened to it and I was like all right cool that was like our our little secret that we had and then you know every now and then I'd blur it out a line or something in mom were like why the fuck do you hear that you know and so yeah she was she was pretty strict on me as far as like what I got to listen to but but Gary Dale was was a real one and

let me let me just kind of crash out on all of it did you ever want to do rap did you ever want to be a rapper no not really like Ernest Ernest used to rap which I find fucking hilarious he's cold too no he's great yeah no he's great um no I grew up around a lot of a lot of friends that did and stuff and I used to flow a little bit but I just never I was just more like a vocal melody kind of guy you know like I love Anthony Hamilton right and so like that was one of my favorites growing up my my cousin Chase he I remember whenever I first got my first iPod or I guess like the nano or whatever it was that came out um we didn't have a computer at the house so I like gave it to him to put all his music on and he gave it to me and they came with like everything that I'd

never heard before like a bunch of M&M a bunch of like Anthony Hamilton and stuff like that. So he was another big influence on why I listen to the stuff I do and how it kind of transformed my sound, I guess, today. I love that. So going from a musical family, of course, you're in Texas, so you play football. Football's huge.

Take me on that journey of playing football, but also didn't you get kicked out of college for too many wild nights? Yeah, too many wild nights. I mean, I don't even believe that, Co. I know it's crazy to think nowadays, right? Yeah. No, yeah, so in Texas, you know, football is life.

It's kind of everywhere. It's hard to get away from. And just like it's music, you know. And so, yeah, I came up playing football, come from a very athletic. Both sides of my family, very athletic as well. And my granddad, he was one of the only All-Americans to come from Pittsburgh, Texas. You can't wear number 12 at Pittsburgh. They retired his number.

And so just like a bunch of, you know, I came from a background of, you know, You know, it was, you had to play sports, whether you liked it or not. But, um, so I ended up getting a football scholarship to Charlton State and Stevenville, um, went up there and, and snapped my leg and had to have surgery. And I came back. And that was kind of in the time that we were, we were putting the band together and starting to gig a lot more and kind of travel and play music. And so, uh, yeah, once I came back, I was like, I'm tired of getting up at 5 a.m.

Every morning. I'm tired of motherfuckers yelling at me. So, yeah, I told him to kick rocks and started chasing this music dream and then I stayed in school for another year. So it would have been my second year at Charlton State. And like I said, we were playing a lot of music and I like chasing women and drinking beer a lot more than going to school. And so they told me to get fucked. Throwing, throwing balls with a bunch of dudes. Yeah, no, I was tired of tackling dudes.

And, no, it was, I think it was looking back now, it was one of the better things that could have happened to me because that led to, so many more opportunities, I feel like. You know, there's no telling where I'd be in life had I stuck it out. And honestly, I'd tell you where I'd probably be pouring concrete, honestly, back in East Texas with my family. So, yeah, I think there's a lot of opportunity in that. And back then, my folks did not think that way, you know, about it. They were pretty upset with me.

And it was kind of, you know, you've got to figure this shit out pretty early on. And lucky for me, you know, I had a lot of cool guys around me that helped shape the that we had and, you know, eventually having people fuck with the music the way they did and kind of give us this opportunity to continue playing and living this life that we get to. When did you realize that music was actually going to, like, make it for you? Because after you get kicked out of school, are you thinking like, fuck now I really have to like make something happen in music or I'm going to go back to pouring concrete with my family? Yeah, it was, you know, it was kind of a bunch of different things.

because after after i got out of school it wasn't we were playing a bunch of shows but it was like three or four a month like it wasn't we didn't have a huge touring schedule and uh you know it was just us doing it we didn't have a manager booking agent none of that stuff so we're doing everything on our own um and so that was that was kind of like the the all right we got to go we got to go ahead and get it and then i go to jail i'll get picked up you know i'm i'm kind of skipping around on jobs I can't really keep a job just because, you know, I'm drinking and I'm partying my ass off and stuff. And so I'm bouncing around. I finally get picked up in Stephenville for a P.I., which I don't really remember.

I was, I left a party. I think my truck broke down. And they found me out in the middle of a soccer field. And so I kind of woke up in jail, not really knowing what had happened. And ended up staying there for about two or three days. And finally, you know, kind of coming out of it. called my dad and my dad said you know he was he was never going to be

super upset with me unless I went to jail and so after I called him on that after that situation it was uh it was pretty hard you know and and he did you know he just said hey you're a grown ass dude you know he's like I raised you the way I did you know I know what kind of person you are he's like but you got to figure this shit out you know and so ever since that moment it was kind of like

all right it's kind of like like fighter or what Is it the fight or flight? Yeah, yeah, fight or flight. And, you know, it was one of them moments that, man, I'll never forget it. I was laying in bed one night. And I was kind of, I didn't have any money. I was broke.

You know, I was, it felt like the music wasn't going anywhere. The songs I was writing didn't really make a whole lot of sense. Didn't mean a whole lot to me. And I prayed about it. I was like, God, if this is what you really want me to do, you got to let me know, like soon. Because if not, then I am. I mean, they're going to go to the old patch. West Texas or I'm going to go back to East Texas and I'm on poor concrete. And I'll never forget

that because, you know, I went in and started writing these songs for noise complaint. We put out noise complaint and within, you know, two weeks, we're selling out shows all over Texas. And it was kind of a moment for me that I was like, all right, this is your calling. This is what God sets you out to do. So you need to figure it out and really hammered down and really, you know, go all in on that. And with that, you know, I met Jeb with Red 11. That's my manager now, you know, Jeff Hurt. And, you know, the pieces just really started falling in to place for us. And, yeah, it's just kind of led up to everything that is now.

You know, it's kind of crazy from where it started to where it is now. And, you know, taking the time to look back and enjoying those small moments like that, you know, as shitty as they were, as rough as some of those moments were, to how good everything is now. It's a blessing. It is such a blessing. and you should be proud of yourself. I remember when I first started hearing about you,

I think you were like going viral on X, and I think like one of the social media platforms, and that's how I had found out about you. And I was just like, who is? And then my husband found out about you. And he was just like, oh my God, I love Coe, you have to hear Co. And so like we were all Coe in the house.

And then you've just like watching just the transformation. And I understand what you're saying because there's sometimes where Jay and I will just sit down and we'll just be like, dude, do you remember like when we were in a fucking 18 passenger van? You know, driving from show to show. And it's like sometimes I really miss those days because it was so simple, you know. And then you look at it to where everybody is now and it's just like, holy shit.

Like it's a fucking wild ride. It's, and it's, you know, it's crazy to think, you know, they say, you know, these are the best, these are the best days right here. You don't realize the best days until they're over with, right? And we talk about that a lot, you know, going from, you know, piling everything into the back of my pickup and driving across Texas for these shows into the van. into the bigger van into the bus and now you know we're flying around on jets and stuff and it's crazy to even think about you know but because back then you know we never in our wildest dreams thought about that you know much less playing to you know all these thousands of folks that come out and listen to us you know but every there was in every single one of those moments there was

really great times that were had and some of the best moments but we just didn't know how good we had it you know yeah and i don't know i think you know with life and getting older and everything I think the best is yet to come. And so I think, so I don't know, just a good way to look at life and kind of going to each day with. I love that. I love that perspective.

Coming in the industry, though, did people first embrace your sound or do you feel like you had to like really prove yourself? So like whenever we first came in? Yeah, like when you first came in and like even trying, I know how hard it is to get on fucking radio. Yeah, for sure.

So you have to do the whole dog and pony show with them. So what was it like trying to even get played on the radio? Well, I think. I think, you know, come up in the, we came up in the Texas country scene, the red dirt scene down in Oklahoma and Texas. And so I feel like for the longest time, you know, we started, we put out our first EP like in 2013, and then we did a record after that out in 2014, 15, and then noise complaint. So for two records pretty much, I feel like we were trying to do something that everybody else was doing. We weren't like, I wasn't being 100% myself. I was being myself, but my music wasn't, it wasn't show.

and that a lot, right? And so with noise complaint, it was one of those deals that it was the first time that I just went in, all in, and was just like, you know, this is 100% me. I'm going to tell it exactly where I want to. I want it to be rowdy. I want it to be crazy. And not to say

that I'm the first rowdy, crazy motherfucker to come out of the Texas scene or the redder saying because I'm not. But I think at that moment, I just wanted to be I just wanted to be different than anybody else. You know, I didn't want to be cookie cutter in any way. I wanted to be 100% us, you know, because we were, you know, we're 2021, 22, 23 years old.

I mean, we were kind of would have been coming out of college if I'd stuck around. But no, I mean, it was, we were still in that party area, man. It was like, you know, we're young, wild and free. And so taking that to the shows and just going crazy and playing to these college crowds and playing to the same kids and people that are going through the same shit as we are in this, you know, coming of age. like era of ourselves. And so that was super huge for us

just to be 100% authentic, not try to be anything like anybody else. And so in the Texas red dirt scene, you know, you can tour around, year around, all over Texas in the surrounding states. And, you know, we were playing for, you know, tens of thousands of people, you know, pretty quick. And that was before we even tried anything with radio

because we did it for so long without radio that we felt that we didn't really need it. And it wasn't until recently, I mean, last year, two years ago, that we took a stab at radio just because we kind of felt in ourselves that it was, we had basically done everything that we possibly could on our own without, you know, anybody's help. And so sometimes you hit that ceiling and it's like you need help to get to the next level. Sure.

And I'm not one of the, I'm not the one to be, you know, I hate asking people for stuff. I hate asking people for help. I feel like I can always do it on my own, and that's 100% not the case. And, you know, I feel like you can always use help from somebody. And so getting to play all these mainstream festivals and stuff over the last, like, four or five years, you know, I was just seeing the way these crowds acted, you know,

up north and places that weren't familiar with our music and stuff. And I was like, a lot of these folks and fans that are coming out listening to these are listen to people and artists that have, multiple number one's on radio. And so that was kind of the moment. Whenever we cut nine lives, I went to Ben Madahi, my A&R with Columbia, and I was like,

yo, I think this is the right time for us to go to radio. And I think we have it with High Road. I think that's, if we're going to do one, we might as well do it with this tune. And we got Jesse on it, which is a absolute dog. She's a superstar.

I love Jesse. Yeah, we love Jesse too. Got her to come on it. and the controversy that surrounded i had to stand up for her i felt so bad yeah and it was like you know and i was i was doing the same thing and and it was just kind of like it was it was it was so ignorant and i you know it was but she she's such a dog and such a fighter like every every time she would like clap back i was just like reposted and i was like yeah okay everybody like this is it was so stupid that it happened but um but it was great publicity 100% you know you can't you can't do that you can't do that stuff on your own.

It was so organic and everything that happened. And, you know, again, I hate that that had to happen. And to her so early on in her career, too. But the way she handled it, I was like, yeah, I definitely want these people around me. I want her on this song, you know. And I thought that she made that song what it is, you know, especially, you know, especially with everything that happened. And, you know, first single out to radio and it does what it did, it was,

it was, you know, beyond us how, you know, how that helped out. And then we started playing these festivals. We go back to these same festivals that people really didn't know who we were and, you know, they're singing every word to damn near every song. So it's, I don't know, it's crazy to look for help sometimes whenever you think you don't need it. Yeah. You have a great catalog too. But I think one of my favorite things about you is you're not afraid to say the word bitch in your song. I love that about you. And what is it? Grease. Yeah, is it where you're just like, bitch. Yeah.

Every time I'm like, yeah, I always get behind you. I'm like, yeah, go. All right, so let's talk about this new album, The Night Champion. Tell me about it. Like, what is different about it? What's the sound? What is your favorite songs?

Like, tell me all the details about the Night Champion. Yeah, so The Night Champion, it's a record that kind of made itself. Like, we didn't go into it. Thinking that, you know, thinking that we were going to make a record, you know, obviously we wanted to put out some music following up the success of of nine lives and high road and all these songs. So we honestly went in to write some songs just to have out, you know, throw out some singles, do this, do that.

And the night champion kind of wrote itself, you know, we'd go in to write a song and we'd come out with three. And this was, you know, three or four times of doing that. Before we knew it, we had this, we had this record. And so, yeah, it's kind of a, it's kind of an accumulation of the last 10 years, basically, of me playing music. like from noise complaint you know I feel like every

every chapter of my life is an album that I put out you know I kind of throw that into the record that I'm that's out at that time you know and you can look back on every chapter of my life and I feel like each one of the records that I've put out has kind of been

each chapter of it and so this record is no different from that I think that the night champion is kind of a rap on probably like the last 10 years of my life and the last 10 years of me playing music. It's just kind of maybe shutting, maybe closing the book for a little bit.

And I don't know what I'm trying to get across whenever I say to that. No means, by no means, am I quitting music or anything like that, you know? But I just think with the sound that I've had for the longest time, you know, Nine Lives is kind of a stretch for us as far as the way our music went. You know, we had, you know, four rock albums, basically. Southern Rock with a little twang of country and then Nine Lives came out and it was kind of a, you know, a more mature me,

super vulnerable. And this record isn't too far off from Nine Lives. It's almost like a continuation of that record. But yeah, the Night Champion, the name and everything comes from, you know, this kind of the last two years of my life and kind of getting everything, you know, all my ducks in a row. getting more my health online with my physical mental health, everything about it, you know,

and just kind of that change, you know, it's kind of like me coming out of the night, a champion basically, and not, you know, being, you know, in jail or dead, you know. I think that's kind of, I think in a sense in my mind, I'm somewhat of a champion from coming out from that, especially in these last two years of my life and where I am with everything. So that's kind of the whole essence of the new record coming out. and we're really excited about it. We've got some really cool songs on there. And I think it's got a little bit for everybody that, you know,

if you've been a fan from the very beginning or if you're a fan, a newer fan, I think it's got a lot of stuff that you'll be able to pick out and be like, oh, this is from this part, this is from this part. Do any of the songs have bitch in it? I don't know. I'm going to say yes. There's a lot of fucks too.

I love it. What's your favorite song on that album? And is there anything that you can share with us today? Yeah. There's a tune that I wrote with Nick Carpenter from Medium Build called The Man. I think we talk. I'll play it here in a little bit if that's cool. But there's a lot of cool tunes on there.

There's, you know, I love the rock stuff, the more heavier stuff. There's one called Magnet that's on there. That's a banger. It's one of my favorites. But there's a lot of slow, sad, sappy shit, too. and I'm a sucker for a slow, sad country song. So we've got a few of those on the- I'm not.

I feel like you have all the happiness right now. That's kind of the deal too is a lot of these songs were written three years ago probably. Gotcha. Kind of before this transition started. So that's what I try to keep telling these other fans and everything is like, you're not going to be able to hear the change in this record just because it was done prior. to, you know, woods and, and, uh, this kind of change that's happened for me. So I think people were going to listen to him like, this motherfucker's line. Like, he didn't change none, but, um, no,

it's, it's a cool, it's a cool record. And we're really excited about it. So, and I hope that, hope everybody gives it a listen and digs it too. And it drops June, June 12th. June 12th. When you sit down to write a song, what usually comes first, like lyrics, melody, melody, yeah. I'm a melody guy. I'm, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, Love Nirvana, huge Kirkobang guy, and that grunge sound and everything. So one of his deals was melody first, lyric second. And so that's kind of the whole process of us. We'll stay up late drinking and we'll kind of get a bunch of memos,

voice memos and just guitar licks and stuff like that. And then once we get in that space, we'll bring out old shit that we hadn't heard in a couple of years or whatever. And be like, this is pretty cool. I don't know where we were at whenever we put it all together. But yeah, it's a cool process. and it's helped out a lot in the past, and hopefully it helps out on this record too.

Because you're known for being, like, brutally honest, is there ever a song that you listen back to and you're like, fuck, I shouldn't have put that in there? 100%. Yeah, 100%. And there's a couple on this record where I was very iffy about, you know, how are people going to kind of,

how are people going to kind of interpret it? And with everything that's going on in my life right now, how are people going to, you know, take this? or whatever. But at the same time, like, you know, that's kind of, that's kind of therapy for me, getting, getting those hard things that it's hard for me to say to anybody else out, you know, in the world. And honestly, with people that, you know, message me, I'm like, you know, I was going to off myself or I was going to, you know, your music helped me so much. And then I found your music and stuff like that. You know, it's, it's not only therapeutic for me. I found

that it's therapeutic for other people as well. So if there's something out there that I can write, and that can help somebody else. I think that's kind of what I'm put on this earth to do. I think as musician, as artists, I feel like that's something that we shouldn't be afraid to do, right? We shouldn't be afraid to go out and talk about things that are super hard to talk about and worry how people are going to interpret it.

But that's what makes you relatable, though. And that's what your fan base craves and needs is that connection. And so you doing that is why you have such a fierce fan base. Yeah, for sure. No, it's crazy at the same time, like I said, I'm glad to help, you know, and I'm glad that people, there are people out there that feel the same way that I do. And, you know, if I can help, it's always a plus. So I'm sorry, he keeps snoring over here and I'm like shaking. I'm trying to wake him up. So tell me about the song, The Man, that you want to show us.

What is it about and what's kind of the vibe and all that jazz? Because I want to hear some of it. So I think it's kind of, it's about, you know, again, God, just not knowing if he's worth it, you know, if he's worth, if he's worth, if he's worth, being exactly who this woman thinks that he is, you know, and I think it's, I think that goes into a lot of, you know, everyday life, not just, you know, if you're in a relationship, but just kind of everyday life, I think there's a lot of a question, especially with me, you know, I'll go through a lot of days where it's kind of like, am I, am I doing what I'm supposed

be doing. Am I, you know, am I this person that people think I am, you know, and it's just like, it's a bunch of nonsense that our brains kind of trick us into thinking that, you know, that we're not good enough, you know, or whatever it is. And so this is kind of, this is kind of where we kind of went with it at first. And the song can be kind of, it can kind of be brought in however people want to, you know, bring it into them. But I think it's just kind of, it's kind of one of those tunes that, um, me and Nick were kind of going through, kind of simultaneously, you know, between our personal lives at the same time. And, and we got in, I think halfway through the song, we were kind of like, so which way are we going to go with this? Like, are we going to go this

way or that way? And that's what I'm, that's what going back to what I said earlier, it's kind of, that's kind of how it can be, you know, however the listener wants to, yeah, absolutely. And, uh, however the listener wants to take it in. So yeah, I'll play it for you. Yeah, please. I want to hear a little bit of it. Maybe like the first verse and the chorus. Yeah, sweet.

Yeah, I would love to. It's perfect song. This is, it kind of goes back to that, that rock sound that, that everybody's kind of come to know of me. So, okay. Has that co-feel to it, the guitars. I've been out for one and one turn to three.

Three turns to sun coming up on me. I'm coming up on the back of crane. I'm buying my fucking tequila right now. But yeah. So good. I love it, Co. Like, that's so good. You have such a talent for just expressing things and getting evoking emotions out of people.

When I first heard it, I was like, ooh. It was so good. Thank you. Night Champion is coming out. June 12th. You guys have to go and get the album. Let's talk about Bailey. and Woods. So I know that you and Bailey just got engaged. Like, congratulations. Thank you.

Thank you. Yeah. I'm so excited for you. Yeah, it was, I feel like it's been a long time coming. We dated back in college for a couple years and then split up for a few years and then kind of got back together and it's kind of been on and off for just kind of a very long time. And then probably over the last, I'd say probably two, two and a half years, we kind of like rekindled that flame that we've had for a while. And, you know, it's, it's really cool because she's seen me at my worst and she's seen me at my best. And so it's, it's, she's, she's such a dog, man.

She's, uh, she's one of my favorite people, you know, she's one of my best friends, uh, if not my best friend. I guess, I guess I got to say best friend. Right. It's about to be your wife, baby. Yeah, right. Yeah, for sure. No, but, um, she's phenomenal, you know, and then, um, Woods comes along.

biggest blessing in my life by far what was it like being at the birth it was it was crazy so we were on we were actually on we were on tour with hardy it was the first weekend with hardy we finished the record on wednesday um she calls me wednesday evening i'm here in nashville i'm leaving to go to san diego for the first show on thursday she calls me he's like hey i think that i might go in the labor early you need to need to figure out if you're coming back or not I was like, well, I'm leaving to go to San Diego, but, you know, let me know.

So I fly to San Diego that night, get there late. I go to sleep at 4 o'clock. She calls me in the morning. She's like, hey, you need to get here. I'm fin of going to labor. I was like, all right, cool. So I get there and, you know, I don't, I, I had been sober for a month. I knew that I wanted to be completely sober whenever Woods got here, you know,

and kind of take it all in and everything. And I walk in. I'm dog tired, not as tired as her, obviously. but yeah it was just an experience everything about it it was beautiful um yeah it was when that baby girl came in and i i looked at her for the first time and looked into her eyes it was just like a flip a little flip switch in my brain man it was like everything leading up to this point has been uh to do this you know and um that's that's my little angel man it's it's kind of crazy i feel like I'm probably going to go to jail here in about 16 to 18 years whenever a little boys start

coming in or whatever. Oh, she looks like Bailey. You're definitely going to be in trouble. Oh, man. Yeah. Bailey's hot. Yeah, she's, no, both of them. They're such a blessing in my life.

They're my everything. And so get to spend the rest of my life with Bailey and to raise woods. And it's just, I don't know. It's, like I said earlier, you know, I'm in a really good place right now. I feel better than I ever have. and they're one of the main reasons behind that. And so it's, yeah, it's crazy. It's wild.

It's great. Everything's good about it. The growth is admirable. Let's talk about her name Woods because what is your name? My name's Roper Madison Co. Wetzel. Yeah. So I thought it was really cute that you're roper and she's Woods. Like how fucking more Texas can you get, dude?

I know. It was, man, we kicked around a bunch of different names. and, you know, it was, I don't know, wait, I liked Woods for, you know, a boy or a girl, whatever it was. And, yeah, whenever she got here, it was, I knew that I wanted to name her after me somehow, you know, Bailey wouldn't let me name her, roper, or co. So we had to go with it. She's like, it's tainted.

You can't name our daughter that. Yeah, for sure, yeah. No, and Madison was my granddad's name. So it was his middle name. And so keeping that name alive in the family. And Woods fits her perfect, man. She's already a little handful. She's starting to get her personality, which she likes to be left alone a lot, which is right up my alley and Bailey's alley as well.

So she's, if you mess with her. Do what? She's independent. Yeah, she's, yeah, very independent. And so, like, if you mess with her too long, she'll start, like, shaking. It's the cutest thing in the world. But, man, she's, yeah, she's a handful already. we've got our hands full, no doubt.

Yeah, I'm excited for you. Thank you. All right, well, before I let you go, I'm going to ask you some quick hitter questions and you just have to answer. Money, I'll fucking suck at these. You know that. You're going to be good. You're going to be good.

And they're not like the ones that were on the bus. Okay, thank God. I saw him sit up. He was like, oh, fuck. I almost made it through. Actually, I will take that tequila now. And you know what's so funny is on the bus. That's the first thing you did.

You said, where's the tequila? Did you? See, things haven't changed. Yeah. No, not at all. All right. So what's the worst hangover city? Oh, man. Fort Worth, Texas, Buffalo. Yeah. I feel like parts of Texas just smell weird. Yeah, no. And Fort Worth is one of them. Fort War, yeah, well, it's just all the, you know, you got the stockyards, you got all the,

you got all the cattle and everything I was running through. But yeah, it's, I was going to say Vegas, but I feel like that'd be too cliche. And so, yeah, Fort War, Texas, it's, it's, you know, we live right down the road. We live in Weatherford. And we were, we were just there at the PBR finals this weekend. And I'm pretty sure today, it's been, what, three, four days since Saturday night. And I think I'm just now getting over my hangover. So shout out for word.

What's your most chaotic tour story? that you can tell now that's not that's politically correct yeah we saw a girl getting her assholes at it and uh waco texas one was she getting on it i don't know it was like a star it was like a big star i mean her asshole had to been that big around like it man damn that's like a tree trunk at my at my boy lefty shop in waco um lefty will tattoo it all buddy i'm telling you actually he wasn't the one doing it or i wouldn't let him tap me again but um We were in there. We were all kind of getting something.

It was like right before a show, and we're all in there drinking and just bullshit. And then one of his buddies comes to here was like, hey, y'all got to come check this out. She's cool. She wants you to check it out. We're like, all right, well, do we walk in there? And she's just, I mean, spread eagle.

And it was, but it's something that's about that big around. Like, it was like, yeah. You could count the rings around it. Yeah, that's crazy. Shout out to her, man. I mean, listen, I love a queen that can just put it all out there. I hope she's doing okay. She was a sweet girl.

All right. What's the song you wish you wrote? Oh, man. You can plead the fifth. Yeah. It'll pass. Man. Yeah, we'll pass.

Let's come back to it. All right. What's the weirdest celebrity DM you've ever gotten? You got to spill the tea. Give us a little tea. I don't know. I know you've had some weirdos. I don't know.

I don't know. Like you and Zilli. and like y'all are about the only celebrities I really know like honestly like I don't um I don't know I don't think all right what's an artist you want to collab with um that you haven't yet man dead or alive or just yeah dead or alive sure man mac Miller would have been great to get with man I was me and me and Bailey both we we love mac and I've always been a fan and you know whenever he passed away that was the first time that I'd felt like I'd like lost like a family member our best for him before like I was so

distraught whenever I found out that we were actually in New York whenever I found it out and man it was rough like we all just went straight to the bar and started drinking that night and but yeah man it's he was I feel like he was gone obviously gone way too soon but the music that he was making you know coming up on his music it was always great but the music he was making right there at the end was some of my favorite music still to still this day and and it sucks I never got to meet him or collab with him. But yeah, it would have been great to have a tune with that dude. That's a good one.

What's your most toxic trait, co? Oh, toxic trait. Now, especially now that you're on the good, the straight and arrow, right, buddy? All right. I'm trying to think about some of the shit I've done over the last couple weeks. Oh, man. I'm hard to be around after I've been, like, taking a nap or something. I don't know if that's a toxic trait.

You're like grumpy when you wake up from a nap. Yeah, yeah. And it's bad because, like, you know, I'll be a little. the house and I'll take a nap or whatever and Bailey would be like hey do you mind helping out with woods or whatever it is and I'm just like so appalled that she would ask me to do something as soon as I woke up from a nap but I don't know if that's a yeah we'll call that a toxic trait it's because you have to get your bearings yeah you just woke up and I think anytime I take a nap and wake up I'm like way worse than I was before I took the nap. I would sometimes I just

force myself to stay awake because I know if I take that nap then it's going to be hell on everybody so for sure and And last question, what's your favorite thing about Texas? Oh, the people. I love the people at Texas. You know, it's, you know, growing up in East Texas, knowing everybody. And now, you know, because we toured in Texas so much. And I have friends, no matter where I'm at in Texas, I feel like I can call up anybody

and, you know, have a, if I'm broke down or have a ride or, but it just, it feels like home. You know, it's just no matter where I go in the world, you know, we're kind of all over the place and touring and doing this and that. You know, it always just kind of soothes my soul a little bit to know that eventually I'll get to go to home. Get to go home to Texas. And, I don't know, it's super homie and the people are fantastic. And I don't know, man, it's, yeah, bury me down in Texas. Oh, I love that. Coe, thank you so much for coming on the podcast finally.

Was it bad? No, this was great. It makes me want to do more podcasts now. There you go. We'll do another one here before too long. Listen, come back on the couch anytime you want. I'm always here for you. I appreciate it.

So proud of you and your. growth. Congratulations on getting married and I'm just so excited for you. Thank you. Well, I appreciate it. Yeah, we'll see y'all soon. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Thank you guys for tuning in to another episode of Dunblonde. I'll see you guys next week. Bye. I swear every time I look at a phone bill now, I'm like, why are we all just accepting this? Somehow, your wireless bill starts at one price and then by the time they add random fees, you're paying way more than you expected. That's why Mint Mobile caught my attention because when they say plans start at 15 bucks a month, most people immediately think, okay, what's the catch? But there really isn't one. You still get unlimited talk and text,

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