Right About Now - Legendary Business Advice - Jaren Johnston - American Country Singer-Songwriter

Episode Date: February 8, 2022

Welcome to another episode of The Radcast! In this episode on The Radcast, host Ryan Alford talks with American Country Singer-Songwriter, Jaren Johnston..Jaren talks about the musical influences that led him to love country music, he shares his journey to being Cadillac Three’s frontman and how it has changed his life.Ryan and Jaren also discuss how Jaren felt the first time he heard their Cadillac Three song playing on the radio. The challenges of writing songs for popular artists like Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, etc… Jaren also shares the Cadillac Three song he feels relatable to and the song that he thinks pulls him back to his roots. Future plans for the band and more…Learn more about The Cadillac Three: https://www.thecadillacthree.com/. Follow their instagram: @thecadillac3 and Jaren Johnston: @thejaren. If you enjoyed this episode of The Radcast, let us know by visiting our website www.theradcast.com. Check out www.theradicalformula.com Like, Share and Subscribe on our YouTube account https://bit.ly/3iHGk44 or leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Be sure to keep up with all that’s radical from @ryanalford @radical_results @the.rad.cast If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, join Ryan’s newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE.  Learn how to build a 7 figure business from your personal brand by signing up for a FREE introduction to personal branding https://ryanalford.com/personalbranding.  Learn more by visiting our website at www.ryanisright.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel  www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Holy shit, this guy's written like 12 songs that I sing in the shower that I didn't even know or his. Like, that's what artists are supposed to do. They're not supposed to sit around and wait for somebody to say whether or not something to hit or not. And I said, I will do this as long as you just let me kind of do my thing. And I think this will be a good partnership. And that's when you see the benefit of country radio is when you've got one in 30s or in the 20s. And you're like, oh, wow, these are different. These aren't the same flannel-layering old people coming to the show.

Look at that kid. He's 15. Cool. You know? Yeah. Most of these guys, are you drinking every night, plan? Yeah, I'm drinking now, man. I know.

I mean, me too. I just finished my beer. But like, you're listening to the radcast. You're listening to the Radcast. If it's radical, we cover it. Here's your host, Ryan Alford. Hey guys, what's up?

Welcome to the latest edition of the Radcast. Radically country today, folks. Radically Southern, I do you can say. My friend Jared Johnson, what's up, brother? Hey, man. Thanks for having me on here, dude. Hey, man, my pleasure. I've been following from afar and DMing you going,

damn, I got to get that guy on there. I falling in love with the music. And then I'm like, holy shit, this guy's written like 12 songs that I sing in the shower that I didn't even know are his original writings. You're a badass, man. I love it. Well, I appreciate that, man. I'm sorry I missed the, my man.

my managers wouldn't get back to you. Dude, you've gotten so big. I mean, you know, it was like... Well, I think this time of year, everybody shuts down. I think they just stopped looking at emails all the way. So I just started texting you. I know. I was like, let's get out of the way here.

Let's just make this happen. You're down at the beach. Beaching it. I'm having a beer on a Wednesday before Christmas. So, you know, we'll just shoot the shit. We usually start around 10.30 a.m. around here with mimoses. And then get a little nap when the kids.

kidnaps and then you get up and I don't know that then it's time to pop some tops there we go I like it that's what we do we go down to Folly Beach in Charleston which is my favorite spot it's a little old a little grungy I like it a little crunchy around the edges and yeah you know my buddy Kip Kip Moore just he's building the house there right now in Folly yep that's cool look at your name dropping already kit more yeah watch out it's supposed to get heavy on the toes I know um Well, cool. Jaron, I want to, let's back up a little bit for everybody. I'm sure some of our audience has heard.

I know they've heard your music, whether you've written it or played it with, you know, a member of the Cadillac 3, which we'll talk about. But let's give everybody a little bit. I know we could talk for probably two hours about your story, but, you know, maybe give us a little bit of that background and your history and what makes you such a damn good country music writer. Man, I grew up in Nashville. I was born and raised, which is kind of not, that's not the normal situation.

I think they kind of call us unicorns, the people that are actually born in Nashville rather than moving to Nashville. And I came up, you know, went to school downtown at Heemfog. My dad was always a drummer, Grandin Lopry. He was a drummer for a bunch of older country artists in the 80s and early 90s. and then he started pitching songs, which means, you know, like, finding songs from writers and taking them to John Michael Montgomery

or whoever and trying to get them recorded. And so I saw that at a very early age. And I remember seeing how excited dad would get when he got a whole, quote unquote, a hold, which means the artist or the manager liked it for whoever. And I was just, like, kind of mesmerized by that whole thing, like the equation of sitting down writing a song by yourself or with friends.

And then two weeks later, it's, you know, a recording by Garth Brooks or whoever. You know what I mean? So I just always thought that was so cool. So I kind of started touring when I was 18 playing drums for a bunch of bands. And then I started writing songs, man, and got serious, real serious about it, about 2005. And, you know, got my first publishing deal. And from then on, it's just kind of been a crazy, you know, country, western, ride.

Exactly. How do you, how do you classify your writing style? I mean, what's your, obviously, country, but like,

do you think you have a certain style? Yeah, well, mine's like, you know, I think the reason I've had the success that I've had, or at least part of it,

part of the whole game is being in the right circles and being around the right people. I think I would classify my style. was just left of centers as far left as I can get without, you know, it just, I like it still to be accessible because I grew up in a time where, you know, Garth Brooks was the biggest thing in the world and it's commercial music, but it was country, you know, Hank Williams Jr.

Stuff like that, that was like Hank's on the side of like left as hell, but man, when he wants to deliver a strike, he delivers a strike. So I think that's the fun part about the way that I try to write. And like I said, it's also like who you surround yourself with, the people that you're writing with and the people that work your songs that are working for your publishers and stuff. But, yeah, I just try to go into every room with something a little different and try to do things the way that aren't expected, you know? Yeah, I like that.

And it's much the creative process. I own an ad agency, and it's kind of the same thing when we're developing ads. It's like, how far can I push it? You don't want to alienate mainstream. but if it's different, it sells, you know, and it's kind of the same thing with music. So, Jaron, I'm going to make a, we're going to start that name dropping thing.

I think it's at nine number one hits that you've written? Am I short changing you? Or is that right? No, I think that's, I think that's about right. It's funny, somebody asked me that the other day, and I said seven. And my wife popped her head, and she goes, No, you're...

You're nine. She's counting. That's exciting. Yeah, dude. I mean, a lot of people just go hang it up on one, you know? But nine, even if it's just... I mean... You know, it's funny because you always think as a songwriter, you're like,

you always think that even when you've had success, you're like, and that you feel bad, like, cancel on the right, because you're like, oh, damn, that could have been the one that was, you know, Girl crush or, you know, Sweet Home Alabama. You know what I mean? And you're like, so that's how you kind of stay in it. But yeah, man, I've been real lucky. And I mean, I'm proud of those hits too.

It's pretty fun to be driving down the road here in Florida and here beaching or here, Sunshine and Whiskey. You're like, oh, that's cool, you know. And nobody around me knows any of any other cars that I'm the one that road. Yep. Frankie Ballard, Sunshine Whiskey. That's a real newer one, right? It might be, is that your newest one?

Is that, is that, is that? No, that was like, I guess that was a while back. I think my newest one was American country love song, Jake Owen. There we go. Jake Owen. I like his stuff. Beachin was awesome. That's still like I go to.

That's on my, I got my country, my three country playlist. I got my old faves, my new faves, and my, you know, I need just some country music phase. Like, it's like, those are my three country playlist. Yeah. and Beachin's on there. There was at least, once I started going through all your songs, it was like five songs on here. Damn.

And look. The ironic thing about Beeching was the Beechin song bought this beach house. Thanks, Jake. Thanks, Jake. Hey, I like that. Since you went there, it's funny. You know, we're a business and marketing podcast, but we've gotten to the point where I also just get to cherry pick

the people that I admire and see from a, far and you know just want to learn more about uh the business of country music you know you've been in it for a while i mean 05 like you said maybe getting your feet really into it with the songwriting i mean you've seen a lot of change right can you talk about some of that what the business like that that journey of the business side of it i mean it seems pretty cutthroat from the outside It can be pretty brutal. Like an example, I started in 2005. That's when I got my first publishing deal, making $30,000 a year.

I had to turn in 10 songs a year, which is 10,00% songs, meaning like, if it's a two-way, it counts as half of one. You know what I mean? It's three-way, so on and so forth. And it was a cop-pub deal, which means I own half, they own half. So that's a pretty good deal coming into. of the game. And my publisher was a really nice guy to help me out. So it wasn't until 2010, late 2010, where I had my first number one. That's five years. And there would be a couple songs that got recorded in between there, but you're not really seeing money from that

unless it's on the radio. So you're living off that publishing, you know, the 30 grand a year and you're trying to keep that deal every year too, which is if you're not getting a bunch of stuff going on. It's tough. Now, I had the luck and the blessing of being also, like, what they call triple threat. So I was riding for other people. I had my own band with a record Dylan Warner Brothers at the time called American Bang. And I also was producing a little bit of stuff.

So there's many irons on the fire there as far as business speaking. I try to look at it still that way. I'm probably, I mean, there's a lot of busy cats in Nashville, but I would say right now, I mean, with the Cadillac 3, all the touring, the production work, I'm producing Kit Moore's new record, I'm doing just did Sam Williams record and a bunch of stuff like that. And then also the writing every day, it gets pretty, it's pretty crazy.

But if one thing's not doing as well, you got something to follow on the other side. Immersification. We couldn't tour. Yeah, and COVID hit we couldn't tour. or so I have songwriting and production work to fall back on. And so that's kind of a, you know, but yeah, as far as Nashville and the business side of things, you know, and I've seen it change, like you were saying, so drastically in the last five years where a lot of the songwriters are moving to town and they're primarily track guys,

which means they, you know, they run the tracks and they play a, they build a track and you top on it, meaning they got this, hey man, I got this groove, boom, boom, I'm like, cool. And I go, there's a truck and a dog and a something, a little dog. And then a song was boring. But you got all these track guys where you're, you know, it's a little tougher to compete with because I run tracks and stuff too,

but I also top line. So you've just got more people in the game. So it's just like in this like house market in Nashville. You know what I mean? Like it's like it's just getting so packed with competition. It's gotten harder. It's a crazy game, man. is it like this is there pressure can you get rat i would think look

Nashville's so damn hot you know and country music so hot like in you know popularity and everything it just seems like you could get caught up in that rat race and i don't know get swallowed whole maybe trying to like you know do your own thing be your own artist but also having the realities of that i don't know the business and i don't It's not even just a competition. I would just think there's, I don't know, there's got to be some backstab. And I don't know. I'm not trying to pull drama out of something that's not drama,

but I just would think with all that it's going on, it just would be cutthroat. Oh, man, every time I turn radio and I hear something, whether it's a guitar lick or a lyric that's in one of my songs, it happens a lot like, you know, you'll hear something. I'm not going to do the names, but the other day I heard something, and it's one of the biggest songs, you know, going to be one of the biggest songs on country

this year probably. And it's a direct rip-off of an old Cadillac 3 song. Wow. Because a lot of these guys that are big now, when we started in 2011, they were going to whiskey jams in Nashville. They were going to Riders Rounds in Nashville. They were coming to Cadillac shows. They were doing it. So you're hearing a lot of that. And that's also a way to see how you've affected

or influenced a market or genre, which is kind of fun, but at the same time, be like, okay, all right, okay, a little loombs. Yeah, I thought that's who you were talking about. Yeah. Yeah, there's a lot of, there's probably that fine line of flattery and, and what's the word, pay, suing.

Yes, lawyering. There's a lot of those going on, man. There's three or four, like, like, you know, lawsuit kind of things going on over songs right now that some of my friends are dealing with. And it's not fun, man, because once you go down that road, it's like, it's, it's hard to come back, uh, friendship wise. You know what I mean? Yeah. And it's, as big as Nashville is getting, it's still a very small town in that community, you know? Yep. I bet. And the only people that tend to make money in those, it's lawyers by the time it always settled. Yeah.

Then it's just, everybody's mad at each other. Everybody's broke. That's right. That's right. Talk me about, I won't talk about Cadillac 3 some. And I know you had a progression with the bands, but, you know, I'm going to be selfish because I like Cadillac 3 and they're fucking mad ass. That's you. Thanks, man. And, no, I mean, I, like, I think I played, and I've got, I think I put it on the teaser on my story yesterday, long after Lafacol.

Like, it's on a steady repeat seven times a day now in the car. I don't know what it is about that song. I don't know what the sound is, but that is just, it's just so, it's, it's, it's, it's Got a vibe. But I think, you know, Cadillac 3 is a vibe, literally. Well, that's what's fun about Cadillac is like you can go do songs like that, you know, that are a little bit more, you know, I wrote that song like 2014 by myself down the row in a little room.

And it just kind of resurfaced where I'd always kind of liked it. Nobody recorded it to Dirk's. I pitched it to everybody, Kenny Chesney, Keith, and Jake at one point. and nobody ever been on it. And I was just always like, man, I'm going to put this, I'm going to stick this on the country Fudge record, the last song, and just see if anybody reacts to it. And everybody really, like, my wife is actually the only one

that doesn't really like that song. Really? Why would she like it? There's something about the melody or the way I sing it or something. I don't know. But she's the best judge of that stuff usually. Well, I've played it for 10 people now that don't know Cadillac 3 and every one of them is playing it now.

Oh, that's good. It's a jam. In its own way. It's mellow, but it's not like put me any sleep mellow. It's more like thoughtful. And I don't know. I call it riding down the road music. And I had it on at a party last night and it was well received.

It's a very mellow party. Well, it was just we turn it up loud, though. We were sitting on drinking wine. We were drinking wine and watching black and white movies on silent and listening to long after last call. It's all how loud you turn it up. There it is. But,

no, but talk about Cadillac 3, you know, influences, like, you know, kind of the history of the band. And, like, you know, I know you guys got a tour next year, maybe build into that. Yeah. The Cadillac 3 started in 2011 after a terrible falling out with Warner Brothers Records in our last band, the American Bang Band. and basically we got dropped from the label in 2010, like December, and in January 2nd, we were in the studio with Dave Cobb doing the first Cadillac record and just the three of us.

And it was kind of a no-rules thing because, you know, we've been pulled in so many directions by the A&R staff at Warner Brothers and the president of the company. And this band was going to be, Okay, this is my way. This is the only way we're doing this. I'm writing the songs I want to write. We wrote 11 songs in like two weeks and did the record.

Like, that's what artists are supposed to do. They're not supposed to sit around and wait for somebody to say whether or not something's a hit or not. You know, and I think a lot of artists in town, Dirk's being one and Eric Church being one, heard that record and saw, I'd known them for a while, you know, through songwriting community. but like they kind of respected how we bounced back and did something really cool on our own by ourselves. And it was cool sign. It was a different sound.

It was guitar, drums, and lapsed still. And, you know, I hadn't heard of anybody else really doing that. And we started touring on our own, man. We got in a van again, no trailer, all the gear in the back of the van, and back and forth to Texas, Chicago, Florida, South Carolina, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Memphis,

and did that for two. and a half years and build up our own fan base the old school way and got it to a point to where it was big enough, but we couldn't get any bigger unless we brought in the right partners. And so that, I know this is a business podcast. So it's like, if you look at it like that, that's when we started really looking at it. You know, those two years in, after two years, we were all on salary making 50, 60 grand a year. And because we weren't having to pay anybody. You know what I mean?

and then we were driving ourselves. So we had a couple different interests in town, Warner Brothers, ironically. Full circle. And then I get a call on day from Big Machine President Scott Bersheta. And he said, hey, where are you guys doing next weekend? I said, we're actually off. And he said, will you fly down? Can I fly you down to Cancun so you can meet the label, play for us, and tell us how you want to do this?

I said, oh, that's a pretty cool way of porting an artist. So I said, sure, so we go down there and met everybody, and, you know, they loved the music, loved the mindset. And, you know, we stick out. I don't know if you're familiar with their roster, but we stick out like a sore thumb. At the time, it was Rascal Flats and Taylor Swift and, you know, the band Perry, Thomas Rett. And so we, I thought it was really cool because, you know, me and Scott shook hands. and I said, I will do this as long as you just let me kind of do my thing, and I think this will be a good partnership.

And so we signed a big machine, brought on a manager out of Texas for the time, and we got to work, man. And I said, he said, how do you want to do it? I said, well, I'm sick of driving myself, so we need either a sprinter van or something and a tour manager. So he paid for that, bought us that, and got us on the road in the way that was a little easier on us because we could sleep in the back and stuff.

And next thing you know, man, we're, you know, putting songs on the radio and doing pretty good. And that's when you see the benefit of country radio is when you've got one in the 30s or in the 20s. And you're like, oh, wow, these are different. These aren't the same flannel-laring old people coming to the show. There's some girls in the crowd. Look at that kid.

He's 15. Cool. Yep. The way he was hearing you was on the radio. Yeah. So we started hearing that. And then that's also right about then we did like the Nashville show. where we got on there with Connie Britton and all the whatever it was called Nashville but we were on there

and so at that point you get to where you're like you're getting recognized at pilots and flying jays at 4 in the morning by truck drivers or and so you get a little bit get a little bit of that and then from then on man we got really lucky with the Florida Georgia line guys took us out for a year dirks took us out for a year Eric took us out for a year. And then now it's gotten a world worldwide. We're doing something really cool. And we don't have a lot of radio help these days. So it's kind of like it's still,

we're keeping that same mindset from the beginning. We're doing it our way and building it. And it's a lot of fun because me and Kelby and Neil, the other guys in the band, we all grew up together in Nashville. And there's none of that in town. You know, there's none of that. Most bands are either put together or they meet each other in a songwriting room and decided to become a duo.

You know what I mean? Yeah. no man you guys did it the old school way you know growing the following organically and then it's exhausting the hard way you know didn't have uh all the shortcuts the uh talk about the uh how is it on the road i mean is it you you have to love it and i don't know i wouldn't say hate it but it's is it a love hate relationship well in two 2014, it is different now that I have a kid. I will say that. Neil's got a little baby girl too.

But we love it because we've always done it. And there's something about the three of us. And when we leave the bus and hit the stage, there's a fire that you don't really get in a lot of other things you do. You know, I could probably relate it to like or compare it to like a football game or, you know, or like a, you're going on a stay or like a wrestling match, you know. Yeah, coming to the ring. Yeah, pretty much. then you get you kind of get into that whole world and it's it's a lot of fun i think in 2014 when we got out of the um the vans and everything and pretty much decided we were going to be on a buck

a time that was a little easier on us so it it changed uh travel that's what makes that whole thing so hard a lot of times is the is if you're you know you're you're traveling hard like a lot of dates and you're having to do all the work you know you're not getting good night's sleep stuff like that. So I mean, it's like, we don't go anywhere without the bus. We have buses in the UK and Europe and everything as well. And it's like, it made it. That's, that's when you kind of, we all kind of looked around each other and we're like, all right, we can do this. You know what I mean? So it's, it's, it's, the road's a lot of fun. And we, you know, we've got a studio on the back of our bus here in the States. And so I work a lot on the road too, because you're, you get to the venue that morning,

you travel overnight and you have all day to do whatever. Usually find a Mexican restaurant. usually write a song, get a nap, go for a run, whatever, you know what I mean. So it's a lot of fun, man. That's cool. I guess once it's in your blood, and I could, you know, certainly see, I played sports. I don't know that it was ever at the level that was, you know, coming out the thousands of fans screaming. But it was high enough to get the juices going to kind of see what that buzz was. But, I mean, I got to ask you this question.

I've always wanted this. And I've had other artists on. I've never asked, what percent? You can answer this for yourself or for others. Like, how many people are drinking the entire night they play? Like, most of these guys, are you drinking every night playing? Like, are most artists? Yeah, I'm drinking now, man.

I know. I mean, me too. I just finished my beer. But, like, you know, like, is it, is that, that's just part of her, right? I mean, it's just the lifestyle. I'll give you a night's rundown. All right. It'll be, you know, we play Thursday.

Friday, Saturdays, and usually home 9 a.m. Sunday morning, right? Leave Wednesday night at midnight on the bus. And then I would say, you know, if we go on at 9, let's say 915, all right? At 8.15 on the dot, me. This is just my own thing.

Your ritual. Red Bull. Tito's and Red Bull vodka, or Tito's and Red Bull. I have one of those. See how I'm feeling. Then I make a tall one. For this stage. And we go on and you're fired up because Red Bull gives you wings. Yep.

And the vodka makes you not talk about or makes you not overthink the lyrics so you don't forget that stuff. It's a nice combo. It's a good combo. And then, yeah, and then my tour manager makes me one halfway through the show. And then we get done, we just sit around and drink beer and talk about what we did right or what we did wrong. And but yeah, I would say, you know, there's people like, like, you know, Dirk's

will probably have like one beer. Okay. if anything when he goes on. He used to drink a little bit more, but like Eric's the whiskey guy. You know, Keith's sober. So Keith doesn't drink anything on there. And he puts on a hell of a show. So I think it's a little different for everybody.

And obviously that whole situation changes the older you get, I would imagine. But, yeah, man, it's usually a pretty, pretty rowdy situation for the whole, you know, time you're out. Hey, man, the Cadillac 3. I mean, the whole vibe, dude, you got to. It's like I'd almost been disappointed if you hadn't told me that. I kind of assumed. And the Red Bull thing, I can, I can like to keep your energy up, but yet the vodka, you know, it was my drink of choice, you know, when I was single, you know.

Yeah. You're a little jacked up, but the alcohol kind of mellowed it out. So you had it all together, you know. Yeah, it's probably not the best thing for my, my parental unit, but it's, you know. It is what it is. the what's the marketing for you guys so you know you guys are doing it different you know i mean you cranked out what two albums here in like the last year and a half or so i mean like you guys are crushing like albums out like on like anyone else that all he's just trying to ride one single into

you know five five song ep and you guys are putting out two albums and but not chasing the singles so i mean like what's the marketing kind of you know the singles kind of carry everybody now, right, from marketing and stuff. But what's, I mean, you guys, I guess it's just that organic following and, you know, living, you know, keeping your fans happy. I mean, what's your kind of approach on that on the marketing side? And I know you got team that manages it, but I'm sure y'all talk about it. Yeah, it's, I mean, it stays back to that whole, it goes all the way back to the 2011 thing I was talking about where, you know, our approach was always going to be, do it our way, word of mouth, hit the streets.

you know, worldwide. It do as go to Europe and the UK as many times as we can every year. The, you know, there's something to be said for a loyal, I mean, a lot of these guys and girls coming out now that, let's say they have a number one hit, can't sell 500 tickets in their hometown. You know what I mean? And that's, that's not, that's not doing anything for anybody. So I think that ours is more content. less directing one thing at one thing, like a single to radio, which, let's be honest, everything we'd kind of do is, you know, it's left, man.

And we're doing it on purpose. There's that mentality, I think, that if we build it so big at one point, radio won't be able to not play it because it's, you know, the fans want it. The country fans want it. And even if it's like a rock thing, you know, we've kind of leaned a little bit more rock some. And this new record, we're about to start a new one next month.

And it's leaning a little bit more rock. But it's like, you know, I'm not mad at a rock station in Cincinnati playing it, you know, because it's all the same thing. So I think our idea for marketing is many irons on the fire. We're putting out more records and songs and videos and all that stuff and touring as much as you can. It's more irons on the fire. Every one of them is going to do something for you. So I believe in that one for our particular situation.

You know, like for some of these kids out doing it now, that wouldn't work. You know what I mean? Because they don't sound any different from Thomas Rett or whoever to make a dent without that radio single. But, you know, that thing about 500 tickets in your hometown, if you can't do that, that's somebody in your team is doing it wrong. like we just did two headlining sold out shows at the ramen and Nashville. That's 2,500 tickets each night. And that's realistically 20 years of kicking ass and working for it.

And 11 specifically with this band or 10 with this with this band. So, you know, there's, there's, I don't think there's, there's maybe six or seven other country artists in town that could probably do two nights of the ramen and sell it out that are at our level. You know what I mean? Yeah, right. I think there's something, we're doing something right. I don't know. Clearly, but I think it starts with the music. I mean, that's the bottom line.

I hope so, because that's the easy part. You know, that's the fun part. Well, you're playing the game, right? You're getting content out there a lot. That's why you call it my own social once I kind of heard you and through the grapevine and all that. It's funny. I had coffee Anderson. I don't know if you've heard of him who's 100% independent out of Texas. He was on Netflix and to this day doesn't have a record deal. I think makes more money than a lot of the B-level, you know, Nashville guys. Those Texas dudes, man, they don't mess around with, I think he's from Texas. Yeah, he is. I think he's spent some time in California, but he's, I think he's originally Texas. Yeah.

And he's there down. Yeah, I met him. I was in the studio, I was doing Chris Schifflett from the Food Fighters. We're making a record together. And we walked out of the vocal room and coffee was standing there. And, you know, he's a big guy. I did six something. And I just hear like, hey, Jern, Kofi, you know, and he puts his hand.

I was like, hey, man, you know, I had no idea. And so we sat there and talked for a minute. Really super guy seems very smart. But yet the Texas thing is so interesting because we did a lot of going back and forth to Texas in the beginning, trying to build something down there. And Texas is Texas. If you're from Texas, you know, then they'll listen to it. It could be even terrible. music, but they'll represent it because it's Texas.

But I remember talking to Randy Rogers one day on the road, and he told me what he made in one year just in Texas alone. And I said, dude, and he was at the time, he had a record deal on National. He was going back and trying to do the radio thing. Yeah. I was like, dude, what are you doing? I would not leave the house. If I made that much money one year and didn't have to leave Tennessee, holy shit, man.

And he was just like, oh, man, you know. I was like, well, obviously, you don't know what people are making in Nashville because you're way ahead of the game, bro. Yeah, I think it's being spread thin with all the, I don't know, there's a sea of sameness a little bit, like you said, going on. That's the only negative. I like the country's gotten more mainstream a little bit and all that, but it's, I don't know, some of the stuff I'm kind of having to look and remind myself who it sounds like the same thing I heard on the last one. Well, that's why you have three playlists. That's why you had the one. Yeah.

Cool thing about the country genre. I told somebody this on something else. It's neat because you've got room. You've got room for a guy like Eric Church who's doing his own thing. Could be a little heavier. Could be whatever. Still country, you know, as it gets with that tenor voice, his delivery and the songwriting. And then you've got room for Sam Hunt, who's taking his approach, you know,

who's doing the more talky kind of thing. But, you know, Beeching was like that too. It's like talking in the verses and all that stuff. And then you have room, you have room for us, a band that's just completely off the map. But every now and then hits you with something that makes a little bit sense to be in the genre. But it's interesting.

That's what I like about country music. There's just so much, you know, different, there's just different takes on it, I guess. You know, like Kip Moore is Bruce Springsteen. You know, like, that kind of lane. It's neat. Everybody kind of has a lane.

It's pretty fun. Yeah. And I know you mentioned it. And, you know, you, uh, maybe you don't self-promote as much as I'd like for you, too. But that Sam Williams album's pretty fire. Oh, thanks, man. Yeah, I really enjoyed that different. And he's great, man.

He's a different, man. Yeah, man. He was real easy to work with, too. Glass houses, something. Is that? Is that? Yeah, man. I've been digging that.

Yeah. A lot of people don't know that he's hanging. William Virginia's youngest son. Yeah, man. And if you look at that guy, I don't see Hank Senior. Oh, God. He looks just like him. Just like him.

Yeah, he's a good dude. Yeah, man. I've been enjoying that. I caught it on your feed. I don't know, a couple months ago, you posted, I guess you'd produce it or whatever. I'm like, all right. And I'm like, damn, he doesn't look like Sam William. He, that's a, he can't fight that.

He's got his own lane. You know what I mean? It didn't sound, I mean, there's a little. our children and they're just vocal similarities, but he's kind of doing his own, you know, take on, and it's really cool because it's super unexpected. Because, I mean, it's coming out, you remember when Shooter came out, Shooter Jennings,

you know, that first record, he sounded like Wayland, you know what I mean? So it's like, it's, and now Shooter's got his own lane. It's a really cool. There's a couple people doing some really cool stuff. It's just a little harder. It takes a little longer to get there, I think. Yeah, and this is, I almost call it alternative.

country. I mean, like, you know, I don't know that's the right bucket, but that's almost where I put him, you know, like. Yeah. I mean, and they should be, they should really do that. I mean, I know a lot of people point those people towards Americana. Yeah. I think there should be an alternative country. I don't know, a situation. I think there should be a Grammy for it. I think there should be a CMA for it. There should be an ACM for it. Canada does it. Canada has its own genre and it's alternative country and they give awards for it. I mean, I think if that happened, then that would, and they had alternative country radio stations as many as they had real old bud here being a bigger beach house let's just say that you never never uh never say never is um what's your uh favorite bar in nashville oh goodness well i haven't been to one in two years really because it's terrifying down there but um i can tell you we used to really love the red door down there um but you know it's like bar scene in national it's kind of tough because

you can't once you get to be certain level like I call myself D plus famous yeah but in Nashville the Nashville are you pretty known yeah I would think yeah and so you can't go we can't really go do that like you used to um people just won't leave you alone yeah they won't leave you it's you know especially now the bash or I think I lost you oh there we go okay we're back we're back Yeah, you can pick it back a little different. A little different. You would like to think, I don't know, that Nashville would be cool enough that people would like,

but I guess there's just so many tourists or whatever. And so what's they know is. It's the tourists. Yeah. Yeah. And they don't see, you know, let's say me and Dirks or whoever, Jake, go get a beer. Yeah.

They don't see that every day. And so, you know, it's like, it's interesting. But, I mean, Red Door was always great as a good, far. I used to really love spring water and gold rush. It's not there anymore. They've torn down a lot of the old good ones that we used to go to.

Yeah. What about, I know you brought up Luke. I was going to ask you, you know, your opinion on a couple guys. Like, I'm not asking you talk shit.

I'm just saying like, like Morgan, Morgan Whale. I mean, these guys that are seemingly the hot, the hot of the hot, at least on the, I don't know,

radio stations, it seems like, you know, Luke and Morgan. I mean, Borgon keep himself out of trouble. He would have no, tell him where he can go. Yeah, that's kind of just, I've known him a long time. He's, you know, it is what it is.

It's that I have a feeling. I hope he does well. I hope the best for him. And I hope he keeps his nose clean. But, you know, you kind of just think it's only a matter of time. But, I mean, I know his team's watching it pretty good and he's trying. He's talented. Dude, I think he's one of the better singers.

town. And he's cutting great songs. He's, he's a good writer. I've written a couple of them. He's, you know, and, you know, it's, it's that thing. He got big so quick that I think that his 27-year-old mind or whatever could not handle it. And so you can see when that happens. You know, Kings of Leon guys got big like that really quick. And we kind of saw that because we were coming up the same time. I think, you know, I'm friends with all those, all those guys that Most of them are really good. There's a couple, you know, that are drinking their own Kool-Aid a little too much, but what are you going to do?

You know, it's like you play the game with them and, oh, yeah, okay, cool, you know. Whatever. I think the biggest country star coming for 2022 is going to be Hardy. Yeah. I think he's going to pass all of them. He's a badass. He is great. I think he's probably one of the top five talent.

talented talent-wise songwriters in Nashville. I love that album, and I still, like, just used to bringing this name up. I've got, like, I got dirt in my boots. I've said that song, because that was different, too, like, had almost like a rock riff to it, you know? Yeah. I can't sing, but, you know, like, you know, I'm probably. Yeah, you'll hear a lot of those riffs.

If you, that thing I was talking about earlier, if you go back to listen to this is a little Cadillac rips, you might hear something and it's some part. already. Uh-oh. But he's awesome. I talked to him this morning. So he's great, dude.

That's cool. So, Jaron, as we wrap up a little bit here, man, I don't want to keep you, I want to get you back to your lovely family is, I mean,

when it's all said and done, like, what, tell me the, the book cover for Jaron. Like, what's, what do you want,

what do you want people to, or maybe not the book cover, the sentence, the two sentences. Like, what kind of legacy are we trying to leave? I mean, you know, it's tough to wrap that up, but in a, with a bow on it, because there's so much stuff that we've done and that's so much stuff that I still want to do.

But you like to think that it's kind of like the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, you know, or something. Use them where Tom Petty, you know, did so much, like with the band, wrote great songs for other people, did create. crazy things like with Johnny Cash and toured as Dylan's band and, you know, the beautiful family and all that stuff. I mean, I think that's the kind of thing. I think Dave Grohl has kind of also done something similar where it's kind of like

the life that people like me try to strive for, you know, on a family level and then on a professional career level, you know, those guys pretty much done everything you can do. And so that's kind of, you know, that's, that's, that probably, that probably be the little sentence. He did everything he, he did everything he could do, you know, that kind of thing, you know. Yeah, man. Well, you're super talented and a super cool dude and I couldn't be more thankful for you coming on the show, man. Thanks for having me, man. It's been a blast.

Yeah, man. Let's stay in touch. I'll, uh, I know we can't grab a beer because you'll get bobbed, but we'll, uh, I get in Nashville. I'm going to text you. Maybe we can at least, you know, catch up or something. Let's do it, man. I'll take you to dinner. I got you.

It'll be great. All right, Jared. All right. Hey, guys. You know where to find us. We're at the radcast.com. Search for Jaron. Search for all things in this episode.

We'll have all the highlight clips and more. I'm Matt Ryan off at all the platforms. We'll see you next time. Radcast.