The Dale Jr. Download - 362 - Cole Swindell: You Should Be Here

Episode Date: October 19, 2021

Grammy award-winning Country Music superstar Cole Swindell pulls up a chair at the big wooden table to have a chat with good friend Dale Earnhardt Jr. The two giants in their perspective industry have a special bond. They open up about the loss of their fathers and mothers and how they each found ways to cope with unthinkable loss. It's a conversation that brings us closer to how Cole, who lost his father in a freak accident as a child, and his mother to illness recently, was able to carry on. He didn't miss a beat, playing his popular song, "You Should Be Here" in front of packed audiences for an even deeper meaning. We learn how the particular song brought Dale Jr. and Cole together.Swindell didn't have a typical start for a country music artist. Yes, he was a songwriter, that moved to Nashville in hopes of achieving his dreams of being on the big stage. But his story really starts at a college dorm, where he met fellow Georgia Southern alum and country music artist Luke Bryan. The friendship grew into Cole going on the road with Bryan. But, not to perform... rather sell his merchandise. From slingin' t-shirts to writing music, it was time for Swindell to shine. He explains the opportunities that led to his first big break in music.Dale Jr., co-host Mike Davis, and Swindell bring us inside what it's like in the Country music scene as a songwriter and performer. How playing the bar circuit in Nashville can connect an artist to the next shot. Speaking of bars, which Nashville watering hole is Cole's favorite? We find out.Swindell is not shy about sharing his love for his alma mater, Georgia Southern. It's the same place that Mike Davis went to school. The two share some fun talk about their different paths from the same institution. Davis also asks Cole about some of the stigma surrounding the new-country scene.Swindell is a big Atlanta Braves fan. Many people know that. But what some don't realize is how big of a NASCAR fan he is. This isn't just some celebrity fly-by-night NASCAR fan, the Dawson County native has been following the Cup Series since he was a child.Before Swindell arrives Dale Jr. answers some amazing fan questions in our AskJr segment. We learn about how Dirty Mo Media was started, Dale's new square body Chevy truck, and the day Dale Earnhardt Jr lassoed a fish. Yes, I said "lassoed a fish."The biggest moment of the show comes when the cat is let out of the bag. Amy Earnhardt, Mike Davis, Swindell and the Dirty Mo Media gang had been scheming a birthday surprise for Dale Jr. Well, let's just say the surprise not only closed the show, but it brought Dale Jr. to tears. Check out Dirty Mo Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DirtyMoMedia  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

at the end of a grand national race. A car destined to run 500 miles and speeds well over 100 miles an hour is a very special animal. The following is a production of Dirtymo Media. Hey, everybody. Actually, this is Mike. I'm coming to you. Dale Jr. is on his way. I want to actually get to the listeners and the audience and tell them what's going on

because we have sort of cooked up a surprise for Dale Jr. So it was his birthday this week, right? October 10th, he turned 47. And he's been giving us a hard time. I don't know if anybody's caught this about not telling him happy birthday. And I think he was expecting something. Well, there is something. It's happening today on the show.

Cole Swindell is our guest. He's in on it. Amy Earnhardt has planned a trip for Dale Jr. To Key West that no kids, just friends. It's going to be wonderful. And he doesn't know it. What's more? He thinks he's got a lot of show to do, but he doesn't realize we've already sort of made plans.

So what's going to happen is Cole is going to come in and do the interview with us. Cole also knows that when we're wrapping up, he's going to go into our door over here. And behind that door, Amy is going to be waiting with a birthday cake. He's going to be surprised. We honestly never know how Dale's going to react. I mean, sometimes he lets us down in that area. Well, we did surprise him too because he thought Cole was coming at. 10 and we sprung it on them.

We've had to change up some things because they need to get to Key West and the plane's going to be waiting on him. Well, we've changed some taping things. Dale's going to be like, I don't get it. Why are we doing this? We're like just because. So we're doing this early and Dale's going to be surprised. So hang tight.

This is going to be a fantastic interview with Cole, by the way. We have been waiting for him to come in. Dale and Cole are good friends. I mean, he's a multi-platinum number one selling country music artist that is just a big fan of NASCAR and we just have really been looking forward to Cole. However, there's also something at the end that we are planning. And I'm a little nervous about it. Not going to lie. Hey, the fans are in on it now too, listening. The fans are in on it. You guys are all in on. Everybody's in on it. Everybody's in on it. So it's going to be fun and Dale's going to be here,

so I'm going to shut up. Enjoy the show. Rolling all cameras. Take a shot. Hey, everybody, welcome back to another episode of the Dale Jr. Download. This is Episode 362. I'm Daly Hart Jr. in the Bojangles Studio with Mike Davis, my co-host. Matthew's here, Leah's here. We got a great show for you today. Our guest today on the show. Cole Swindale, Country Music Superstar, a good friend of many in the NASCAR industry.

He's going to come in here and tell us his story. I've known him for a long time. Didn't know a lot of the things that we're going to learn today. Pretty interesting. So, you know, not one of those guys who kind of had it handed. to him. Right. Had a little more of a workman's-like path to it.

Had to earn it. Got to appreciate that. Yeah, you got to appreciate that. So we're going to hear from Cole. He's had some difficult things happening in his life as well. Recently lost his mother. His dad passed away quite early in his career as he was sort of hitting a big time. I'm going to hear how those things affected him and how the fans and everything else,

how his music has kind of helped him work through it. So I'm eager to talk about it, man. We have some similarities, you know, in the, loss and so forth, and, you know, it'll be interesting to see how we can compare notes. We've got to ask Junior as well, presented by Xfinity. Give me a let's start the show. Let's show the start. You mean start the show?

Let's show the start. Show the let's start show. For all those who are dyslexic, you know what comes next. Show start let's. The show. Get started. Sounds good. It's my favorite part of the show, the Ask Junior segment presented by Xfinity. Leiavon is here, and she's got all the questions you guys are sent to Xfinity racing on Twitter.

First question from Big Block Camero. Hey Dale, any updates on your new square body truck purchase? Yeah, it's sitting out back. I got a 77 C-10 dropped. Not too low. It's not on bags. I didn't want a bagged truck, but, and it's kind of a avocado green exterior. It's got an orange plaid interior.

I wouldn't change the thing about this truck. Love it. I'll put some, I'm going to get somebody to take some good photos for me, and I'll post it on my Instagram account coming up. I've actually shared a picture or two of it, but I'll get some good photos. I bought the truck from Arizona. It's a frame-off build. every bolt on it brand new.

The other night it did. The other night it didn't, I had to put sun visors in it. It didn't come with sun visors. So I ordered some on eBay, some good used ones, and me and Sonny put them in the other night. And I worked on the front valence a little bit. It drags because it's so low, and I cleaned that front valence up a little bit. It was a little wavy. So I like working on the truck from time to time.

We've done a couple of little things to it since we've gotten it. and love it. Drove it here, driving it home. Next question from Jeremy Taylor, and this is probably for both you and Mike. Can you describe the early days of starting Dirty MoMo Media, really interested to hear about the journey from its inception to present day?

That's definitely a Mike question. You know, when he's like, I'm going to do this show, this podcast, I'm like, I don't listen to podcasts. What's a podcast? Who listens to podcasts? I mean, this is a long time ago. I mean, five years ago, 10 years ago? 2013.

10 years ago. He's like, trust me, we need to get in this space. I'm like, all right, you take it. You got the reins. You run this thing. And he's really, Dirty Mo Media, Mike built it. And if you haven't ever listened to the show before, I was the host, there was a long period of time where I was not the host. And a lot of, we did a lot of episodes where I really was not involved and so Mike would you know Mike would come in and do the show we had a couple of the co-hosts at different times and

eventually I was like hey man I think I would like to be on the show or be a part of the show and I don't know that Mike was immediately sure whether that was what was needed you know he's like I don't know maybe not maybe you don't need to be part of the show not true he's like I don't know I don't like that idea sell me on

I had to come in here audition no it's very believable that I said that but it's definitely not true. I know. It was a long, I had to go home, wait it out. Wait for the call. He was looking on, yeah.

I don't know. There was like 80 other people trying out for this gig. Yeah, it was down to him and Kozlowski. You know, we just didn't know which one was going to be the one to go with. No. Obviously, that's not true. And, you know, I got paired with Tyler Oversreet. It was difficult working conditions.

I carried the show week after week after week. This guy is like a pound of meat just sitting in the seat next to me. That's what? Oh, it is? Tyler. He's good. He's like, hey. He's got the world.

Hey, Tyler. What did you do this week? Oh, my God. Well, I don't know. Played Xbox. No, I'm kidding. So he didn't, look, I made him do that. He wasn't into it.

He didn't want to do the show. He was so glad when we changed it and he didn't have to do it anymore. Anyways, No, you know, Mike, all this is his creation, his vision, and he probably won't agree or 100% agree with that, but all the things that we're doing today with lost speedways and door bumper clear,

any new podcast that we come up with, all that stuff comes out of this man's brain for better or worse. And so far it's been an awesome ride, and it's brought a bunch of joy to not only, to people that listen to the show, but our lives, you know, everybody in this room. So it's been a great ride. So, you know, outside of that, I mean, what am I missing?

I would say that the origins of Dirty Moe, at the time it was called Dirty Moe Radio, as we started, we had had an opportunity back in 2008 or 9 come to us about having a channel on Sirius XM, but they wanted us to invest a lot of money to it, and that obviously was not happening. But that's what seeded the idea, of while we're not going to go have audio programming on serious.

I mean, we wouldn't have paid for that when the economy was good, but back in 2009 and 10, it was awful, right? But that gave us the idea of doing audio content, which a big fan base had to serve them content, come up with new ways. We'd been doing a video series here. One of the Tri-Podcast, the Dell Jr. downloaded started in 2013 with myself and Taylor Zarzer, who is a local, he's national radio personality,

but he lives locally in Charlotte. So that's what we did. Had a couple other podcasts the second year, and here we are today. Still going. And we've got awesome podcasts coming out next year. I can't hear about to hear it. They're not as awesome as this podcast,

but they're a good podcast. This is the best. There's going to be a trailer dropping of a new one here in the next week. A literal trailer dropping. I've got this old single-wide trailer We're going to lift it with the crane Yeah

We're dropping a trailer On to the ground We should tease people that a trailer's dropping And actually just go drop on it The trailer is full of old lawnmores That's random Not unimportant anecdote That's no, no it's important

Well I think when the trailer The idea is when the trailer hits the ground The lawnmores fall out Do they explode? Nope Oh okay That's not the name of the podcast Is

Trailer full of lawnmowers Let's see. That's what we're doing. If Dale Jr. wasn't an instant shoe in to be the host of the download when we had to think about it, maybe you're seeing an example of why. Why? I mean,

everything today has been completely on the upper. No, I'll play it. This has been our best show. Ever. Yeah. No, no, the best podcast ever. Not even ours.

Yeah. Best in the world. Of course. Worldwide. Anyway. Next question from Jolene Whistler. Jolene. Hey.

Hey. Jolene. Did you know that there was some radio signals that reached Earth that came from 16 million light years away? Some radio what? Radio waves, some single. Singles? Signals. No, but seriously, what?

Well, our podcast, it's the best podcast even in whatever's happening in that galaxy. 16 million light years. So you're saying 16 million light years away. Whatever podcasts are happening. happening there. It was this one's the best of those. Those never come close. I like this version of Del Jr.

Everybody's nodding. I promise you. Random is hell. No, no, no where he's going next. Yesterday was my birthday. I've had a drink. Yeah, no. I swear to God Almighty.

I swear to the Lord. That you had a drink? That I have not had any drinks. What's wrong with you? Well, I didn't want y'all to think that I was just hung over. because this kind of is like hungover me. No, it isn't. Yes, it is.

It is. This is me hungover. I come in guns of blazings when I'm hung over. It's interesting. You just get hungover more. I loved going to all of the competition meetings back when I was racing for Hendrick hungover because I would just come in there and not giving a damn. I bet.

It was fun. Yeah, I bet. So speaking of drinking, our question from Jolene. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. It's about Sugarland. Tell us about your collaboration with Sugar Land. All right.

So this is pretty cool. Thank you for asking Jolene. I love, one of my favorite ice creams, probably my favorite, is cream sickle. All right, that's orange sherbet and vanilla. And it comes in, you know, you can either bite it in the bucket or popsicle, whatever, right? A lot of people have seen it as popsicle. And it's an oldie, but a goody. Sugar Land shines.

It's moonshine. They make moonshine. and they make these creams as well. And it's based in Gatlinburg. They make an orange cream moonshine in it. It is insane how good it is. And I usually wouldn't drink anything like this straight because I like to cut, you know,

I like to mix drinks, right? Have something that you add in there like a cream or a creamer or milk or whatever, but I put this stuff in the freezer and drink, it won't freeze, but I keep it in the freezer and drink it straight out of the bottle. It's so damn good. It's amazing. And I told the owner Ned at Sugar Land, I said, man, you're, you know, he was like, let's do something together.

Let's create something. Let's build something. And I said, you know, you got one product that I'm in love with that I think is amazing, and I told him. And so me, he allowed me some, he allowed me some equity and partnership and ownership in their electric orange cream. So if you want any of that, now they sell it in stores around the country,

but they're based in Gatlinburg. If you're in Gatlinburg or take a trip to Gatlinburg, it's a great place to go visit with your family or whatever. A lot of attractions and things to do there. Dollywood being one of them, the big aquarium, one of the best aquariums in the country. A lot of great things to do. Also, Sugar Land has a place right down in the middle of town

where you can go try out all of the things they make. They have so many different varieties of of different flavors of moonshine and the creams. They've got multiple creams, electric orange being the one that I'm involved with. We also have some other ideas and things we're going to do down the road.

We will announce that soon. But that's it, man. I mean, I'm starting this relationship with Sugar Land. I'm so excited. Ned, one of the owners, partners in the company, great dude. We've been able to go meet with them, have dinners, and get to know the brand in the company.

and so you're going to see a lot more of that happening around me and on my social and stuff. But it's something I'm really excited about. I'm putting myself, investing myself in this, much like what we did with filter time. This is a personal thing, not a PSA, not something, you know, not something, you know, like you might have seen from when I was, you know, help me explain this, Mike. This isn't, this isn't comparable to a PSA, a personal service agreement

where a company's hiring me to talk about it or talk. or talk well or good about it's a business investment yeah I'm going to be an owner in this brand equity owner for sure so yeah so in other words it matters I mean like you know people people not that it doesn't matter when it's a PSA but you know it matters thanks for explaining this much better than I could um are you you're being sarcastic yeah anyhow you know when you're let me let me say this you know when you when you retire from something uh like right driving race cars you think about what you can do to create brands and companies that not only you'll enjoy building, but your family for many generations will have involvement in.

Well, this is one of those things. That filter time would be one that I've partnered with with Blake Cook. And what we're doing with Sugar Land, I hope, is something we're building for multiple generations of our hearts, something my girls will have involvement in. So this would be one of those things that I hope the people that support us will go out, take a look at. If you like it, tell your friends. Next question from Alex Thompson. Does Dale still check football scores while in the booth? I recall him asking for scores in yellow or red flags when he was driving.

So don't, if you're, if you're anybody, if you're my boss or my manager or anybody, anybody like that, close your ears. So while we're up in the booth, I'm managing my NASCAR fantasy, right? I'm watching that, I'm watching that end of stage two and whether I need to change and pull the guy out of my garage and put him in the lineup. But I'm also looking in on the fantasy, the football fantasy. I'm in one league, all right? One's enough. But I'm watching that.

I'm not doing any changing. I'm just checking the scores and if we're good. Maybe we need a text or two. If I get an important text from somebody or something, I need to answer. Amy, text me something. But, yeah, I was kind of surprised, actually, when I got the job and went into the booth. I used to text Steve and Rick and those guys while they were in the booth before I worked there. And I'm like, hey, y'all, y'all miss this, or y'all should say this, or y'all going to talk about this.

And they would write me back, and I thought, man, I'm probably bothering the hell out of them. But then I got up in there, and I realized that there's quite a bit of time in between, you know, during the commercials and so forth to check a phone for a text or something like that, and they'll be looking down. you know, Burton and those guys will thumb through Twitter to listen to what maybe Pocrys or some of those people are posting because they get information pretty quickly. They're hearing a lot of things on the radio before we hear them about what the drivers are talking about and who might be having a problem or vibration or flat tire or whatever. So pretty interesting to see just how much we're on our phones up there. You wouldn't think we would be messing with all that stuff.

All right. One more question from Kevin Little. In your Instagram post about your birthday, you mentioned. the fish you lassoed in the background. We got to hear this story. Yeah, so I went fishing with Captain Malcolm when I was 16. Captain Malcolm was a highway patrolman in North Carolina. And so great friend of my father's,

and he actually became head of security at DEI when he retired. But me and Captain Malcolm got in a boat and went fishing. We weren't having too good a day. I think we were crappy fishing back in a cove. not really getting a lot of bites, but this gar kept swimming beside our boat. And I was like, what is that? He's like, it's a gar.

I'm like, I've never seen anything like that. You know, big long nose, all these teeth in Lake Norman, that's got, that's crazy. And he's like, you know, they don't really bother people. And he doesn't really, he's not going to bother us. I'm like, well, I want to catch it. How do we catch it? And he's like, I don't know. I had a tackle box.

So I put like multiple lures on my reel to try to see. This guy didn't give a crap about none of them. All the while we're trolling through this, through this cove, and he's just swimming right along with us, very slow. And finally I thought, well, I'll, I put that, I put that lure that you see in the picture on the line, has all these little hooks on it, and I dropped that lure beside the fish.

and I quickly went underneath the fish with my pole like stuck the pole down in the lake went underneath him and then out of the water now the line is wrapped around him

okay and I pulled up and drew the lure up to him and it jabbed in his side and I yanked him in the boat so I lassoed him you lassoed a fish yes this gar

It's about this long. And he comes flying into the boat, and there he was. And we caught, we kept him, put him into live well. And so I didn't, you know, we went about our way fishing. We talked, we laughed a minute or two. And then we went fishing again. Then we go home, and I thought nothing of it. I don't even know, I guess I left the fish with him and didn't, you know, I'm not

going to take it. What am I going to do with it? And he took the fish to Statesville. He must have known somebody at the paper. and told them the story, shows them the fish, and they had a write-up. I think we took a picture. Yeah, I think me and Matt, Captain,

took a picture with the fish or something. There's a photo, and there was a little blurb in the Statesville paper the day later. He's like, hey, man, he brought me the clip, and he's like, check ass out. They wrote a column, that's you. I had them do that. I'm like, wow, you told them the story. He's like, yeah. Isn't that cool me?

It was so cool. I mean, I saw that picture on your Instagram. I was like, holy crap. I had a couple questions. One was about the fish, the other was about the crowbar you got for a gift, which I just thought was kind of an interesting. Well, I had, I know, it seemed random, but I had just gotten out of school and has, I had been going to Mitchell Community College Technical School for an automotive degree to work in a dealership as a service mechanic. And so I'm sort of on this path to be a mechanic in a car dealership. I'm not trying to be, I'm not thinking I'm going to be a race car driver.

and man, I've got to be a mechanic. I've got to learn how to be a mechanic. So I was getting all these tools for birthdays and Christmases and so forth to do my job. That makes sense. Yeah, make a living. Was it Lake Norman? Lake Norman. It's a Lake Norman Lone Ranger.

I'm going to start calling him Dale Dance. Bill. Dance, yes. All right. Did you kiss it when it came out? Oh, wait, that wasn't Bill Dance. It did that. Jimmy Houston, who I have gone fishing with.

Get your fishing guys right. My gosh. What was the other guy out? How can you make that mistake? What was the other guy? Orlando Wilson? You can't make fishing mistakes. You want to know why?

I was all pro Hank Parker man. Hank Parker. He was cool. That was the dude to watch. He's Denver, North Carolina. He's never lasso to damn fish, though. That's pretty, that's pretty wild. I bet he's got better story than that.

I bet he does do. That's all for this week, guys. Every week. It's over. I don't even like it. Can we just do a whole entire podcast that's just Ashton? Wow, that would be a big As Junior. You know, it does go by fast.

I will give you that. It goes by like X-FiFiFi. Yeah, Exfinity X-Fi is fast, but it's more than that. It's reliable, powerful, and that means everyone can do more of what they love with Asked Energy. That's true. You and your crew can stay connected like we do with Wi-Fi coverage. It delivers a speed.

Your devices need. Hey, and remember, everyone, keep the questions coming. We love them. We love this Asch Jr segment. you send your questions to at Xfinity Racing on Twitter. Big thanks to Xfinity, proud, premier partner of NASCAR. All right, guys, Cole Swindale is here. Big giant bus outside.

That's right. Let's get him in the studio. All right, all ready? No. No. It's Luke Bryant, right? Yeah, Luke Bryant. Good.

Okay. Ready to go, Matthew? Oh, Matthew's cheesin-hard. He's never been this geeky about a guest. I'm rough around the edges on the surface. I ain't perfect. still need a little smooth and out

it's hard to shift gears after years ago and one way and one day turning around What's up, Cole? Check it out, man. Pretty cool room, man. Could you record a song in here?

I mean, this is pretty cool. This is almost like studio-esque. That's right, are we writing a song? Yeah, there's a lot of fun stuff in here, stuff that we've collected over time, some of it's mine, some of us Mike, some of it's other people's that have given us stuff the Cali Yarborough uniform and the Dick Trickle pit sign behind you is a uh someone else's

we don't some guy that that's loaned it to us so it's kind of cool got some cool stuff in here yeah come on to pit road dick well man so how's it going it's good man just uh glad to be here man this is uh seriously such an honor and oh thanks um yeah we got a ton we got a ton to ask you man so um you're You just finished up a tour. I just talked to you other day and you just finishing up a tour and you'll start another one. Yep.

Right. What is the hardest part of your job? Man. Is it harder to write a song? It's, I mean, or is it harder to go out on tour day after day? I think just, you know,

being gone all the time and, but also that's what I do. I think, you know, people ask, they're like, you know, I don't know how you do what you do. And I always tell them, I don't know how you do what you do. It's just, it's what I love to do.

And I think, you know, after having a lot of time off, it's been good to get back out there and just to, you know, finish up another tour. And the hardest part, I think, is not knowing, you know, how long it's going to last. I think it's, I want to do this for a long time. Yeah, riding the wave.

Yeah, right in the way. And knowing that you've got a lot of people that support you and a lot of people to take care of, and that's something I love to do. So you're a songwriter, though, you know, and you've written a lot of songs. And so you know that as long as you can, you know, be a great songwriter, like, that's longevity, right? No matter what, how long the stage career lasts, right?

I think that's what, I mean, that's why I moved to Nashville was to be a songwriter. And I think, you know, you tell yourself that I, no matter how long the stage stuff lasts, I'll always be able to write a song, I hope. And that's, you know, that's why I got into music. That's what I love about it. I tried to write a song a couple times. Well, we're going to do it. Writing a song is impossible.

It's tough. How do you do it? Like, what's the thought process when you sit down? You know, it's, it usually starts with an idea or a title or sometimes you don't have anything. You're sitting there just like we are right now and somebody says something. You're like, there's a song. There's a song in there somewhere. And I think that's just how it starts.

I mean, you never know. Sometimes you have a melody. Sometimes, you know, it's just an idea. Do you remember the first time you sat down and tried to write a song? Like when you're young? I mean, in college, yeah. I mean, I was in college, I think, when I started really writing. And I just, but I also knew, I mean, I'd listen to enough country radio and enough music that I knew they weren't good enough.

But I also, I mean, do you have any of that stuff? Yeah, I would never play that for you. We got a little surprise for you. Go ahead, Matthew, roll out of college material. Hey, look at his spirit. It's like, too much. Please do not do that. Here's the first time you picked up a guitar.

Just lost some fans. Do you have a place, is there like a honey hole, a little secret place? You go to a coffee shop, you know, the woods. Where's the best place to get inspired? Man, a lot of my songs have come out of a, it's called a little place called the Fire Hall. It's in Nashville's on Music Row, Sony ATV. That's where I got my first publishing deal still right for them. And it used to be an old fire station there.

And it's, you know, just a... Bar? Nothing crazy. it now. It's just a writing hall. I mean, it's got about five rooms in it. Oh, okay. Yeah, it's just they turned it into it. It is. It's very weird, but it's just crazy. You never know. It doesn't take any kind of fancy room to write a song, you know. So, so like you're like, hey man, you know, more than one, one thing I've learned from another friend of mine who's in the business is people get together and write songs in groups. Oh, yes. So you write songs with two or three other

people in the space. Absolutely, yeah, co-writing. And that's, that's kind of, I don't I mean, I respect the fact that some people don't like that. They like to write by themselves, but to me, it's just, I don't know, you got somebody to bounce ideas off of, and it's just a, being in the room, you talked about being on stage earlier, I think, you know, coming up with this line or this title or whatever it is that you can't wait for people to hear, that's just as, you know, excited as being on stage and being out there singing it. You know, I think being able to write is, I don't know, that's just really why I'm

move to Nashville to be honest with you. Let's follow this, because I am always wondering, when you're writing, how does a group process work? Is it like, boys, I stub my toe on the curb to the trash can? Your turn. What's the next line? I mean, how does this work? I don't know how it works.

It's, it really, it's just, it's uncomfortable, to be honest with you, it's just, you got to be able to just know that, hey, we're going to all say stupid stuff. It's just like this idea is not going to be great. Some of it is. Will you say that's stupid? I hate that line. Don't ever say that again. I'm just not like that.

It's tough. If you're writing both people you know. Yeah, you are. Say whatever you feel. For sure. But there's also times when you sit down with somebody you've looked up to for a long time and you're writing. I mean, for me, Red Aiken's. That was always one of my favorite.

Yeah. I mean, just, you know, I was always a big fan of his. And to be in a room when you've been a fan of somebody. for so long, it's different, but it's also, you realize what an opportunity it is. And I mean, there's, gosh, I mean, there's so many writers that I've looked up to over the years. When we came in, this morning, you parked your tour bus out in the parking lot, and I was thinking, what's the history on the bus?

Is it got any cool history? We can't talk about all that. Not your history on the bus. I'm kidding. Your history. Not your history on us. We don't want to know what you do on the bus. All those buses, not all those buses, some of them buses, you know, we got a bus that we used in NBC that was a tour bus, somebody's tour bus. It's got some story.

Yeah. But we just, we actually just switched. You know, I had the same bus for several years and just decided to, we started riding on this one. And I got, that's what's awesome. My bus driver, Andy's here, and I got some friends with me. You had the same bus driver forever? Oh, yeah, since day one. And that's, it goes same. way my crew my band i mean it's everybody's been with me since day one and i i take pride in that man it's good to have good people around you as you know i mean it's i wouldn't be here without them so where were you born savannah georgia all right savannah jorgia all right savannah

where'd you go high school tarrol academy what kind of student were you what kind of grades you get last minute man i i had to like i had to ace every final i think to ask where you i just love i just love i was i was i was c i got the c didn't get the bs but it didn't get to s yeah exactly That's what, you know, I think I was more concerned with sports and other things. What sports did you play? Man, I went to a small school. I graduated with 23 people. So I, yeah.

Yeah, Terrell Academy, is that a private school? Yeah, Dawson, Georgia. But we played, I mean, I played everything, man. Yeah. Football, baseball, basketball, ran track, played golf. I always say if you could walk and chew gum, you had to play everything you could. Like, if you were the least bent athletic, you had to play everything. and we did, and I'm just glad I went to, when I got to college,

I had my fraternity brothers that played sports in, like, big public schools, and I'm like, man, I'm glad I didn't have to do that. I don't think I'd have made the team on some of those. Yeah, I wasn't very athletic. I wanted to play football, but I was so small. Yeah, and that's what I'm saying. If I'd have been at a different school, I might not have been, had the opportunity I did at Terrell Academy.

I was dry. I bounced around a bunch of different schools being a bad boy, but I finally went to public school in the ninth grade. So two weeks before school is getting ready to start. Somebody in the school, like the dean or something, is driving me and Kelly, my sister around showing us the school property because there's a senior and a junior high school right next to each other, and there's football players on the field.

They're playing and getting ready. And I'm like, I want to go do that. Like take me over there, introduce me the coach, and the guy turns around, looks at me, and he drove me a couple more miles down the road to the soccer field where the soccer coach was practicing more your speed. like you're going to play soccer. That's where you're going to play. So I ended up playing soccer. Terrell Academy. I covered Terrell Academy. We went out of college. I got a job in Albany,

Georgia for the Albany Herald. And Terrell Academy was, I was the high school writer. And Terrell Academy wasn't bad. They're small team, but they were really good. Oh, absolutely. And I love their coach. Yeah, 94, 95, 96 won the state championship. And growing up, you know, coming up, it's like, man, we never, I never got the, that's all everyone wanted was to get a state ring. I didn't order a class ring because I thought we were going to win. It's in the bag. state so much. Yeah. It's, yeah. Did it happen? Looking back, no, that's

how life is, right? Yeah. So you went, so you talked about college. Where'd you go to college? Georgia Southern. That's where my. Yeah, I know, man. That's, that's, it's, like I said, my whole family, I'm the only one that didn't graduate from there, I think. Everybody thinks that I did, but I left with about 18 hours left.

You think you'll finish it ever? I'd like to. I think that'd be good to do that. I always said, you know, my mom, it broke her heart when I left to moved to Nashville, but also I think if I wouldn't have been at Georgia Southern and wouldn't have had that time there, I'd have never started my career. This guy's in states for a more now than I was when I was a student there. I mean, he's down there all the time, so he might as well go ahead and knock out those last 18 hours, you know, when you're just...

That'd be good. I know. I kind of thought to go back and finish up, but it's crazy to think why I left and the career I chose and, you know, I could not public... I literally left because I knew I was going to have my final in one of my classes was an hour presentation. Damn. And by myself, I was like, there's no chance.

I might as well just go ahead and pack it up. It's why you left? I mean, it's a lot of the reason. I mean, I think I just, I don't know. That was not for me, the whole public speaking thing. And it's just crazy when I tell people that, they're like, so you get up in front of that many people now. And it's like, but I know what I'm doing up there. I didn't know what I was doing in college.

Well, let's ask, let's talk about that. So I didn't love getting up front of big crowds, but you adjust. And I guess as a country singer or singer, the crowds kind of start small and hopefully get bigger and bigger and bigger. So it ain't like you're just thrown to the wolves. But you did go out on a giant stage one day, much, much bigger than the last one. And what's, did you ever have stage fright? Did you ever have fear or failure? Oh, man, every day.

Do you still have that? Yeah, I do. I think, you know, I mean, people ask, there may be thousands of people in the crowd, and that's one thing, but play into about 10 when you're first starting out, I mean, that's even more nerve-wracking, I think. There's nobody here. You know, I'll never forget the first show we ever played in Statesburg, Georgia, bar called Locos, and I was so nervous.

I mean, we had to have a couple of beverages before, you know, and just to think about that. And I got to, later on getting a tour with Kenny Chesney, I got to tell him the first song I ever played. in college was a song called Don't Happen Twice. And just to tell him that story and then for him to say, hey, well, we've got to get you up and sing it sometime. And just to think about how everything happens, man.

It's crazy. And that's all I've ever wanted to do since then was to make it where I could, you know, bring somebody else up with me that believed in me when I was just starting out. But every time you go to a venue and you're getting, you know, an hour, 30 minutes away from going on, you got those jitters. Yeah. Yeah. It's, I just, I'm impatient.

I'm ready to go, man. It's just, it's tough to sit back there. I'm trying to imagine it's comparable to the same thing and a driver feels before every race. We know what we're doing, but you're still worried about success. Yeah, it's pressure. Nothing breaking, nothing going wrong.

Right. And you've got a lot of people, that's what I'm saying. I mean, you got a lot of people that got you to where you are. You got a lot of people that put a lot of work and time into it, and you don't want to let them down, you know. That's the thing. But it's a little easier, I think, going out and singing. and I think sometimes if I have a bad show,

the crowd may not even know it. Like if you have a bad day, like, people know it. You know what I mean? We were just talking about that. So in broadcasting, I go up there and I'll say something stupid or completely wrong. The other day, they had me hosting this booth in the, we was talking about this on the show a couple weeks ago or last week.

And I was going to do, I was, I'm hosting, so I'm going to send us a commercial and then bring us back. And I was like, I'm going to do something cool like these guys in the age. used to do. They used to say, we're on lap 80, 150 miles in. We'll see,

you know, they would say the miles. We don't do that anymore. We just say, 80 laps in, or there's 35 laps to go. I was going to be fucking awesome. Yeah.

And be like, man, I know the miles that we got. There you go. You know, and so I had them print me this sheet out, and the guys like,

the producers in Mary, he's like, we're going to commercial in 10, nine, eight. And I'm like, all right,

Ladies and gentlemen, we're seven miles in, and I grabbed my paper, and I'm like, where's seven? Because I got it all written down. Seven miles is 35, seven lapses is 35 miles. I'm like. See, you messed it up even now. I know. I'm like, we're seven laps. I've got it right here.

We're seven laps in. We're 53. I just blurt out a number because I couldn't find it, right? And I was like 30 miles off. You had to. You got to go. Yeah. And I'm like, and so I got done.

And I'm like, man, I fucked that all up. I was so bad. I'm just shitty at what I do. And I'd walk out of the boot. feeling terrible about myself and we talked about it on this show and everybody's like man I didn't even notice that exactly people don't even know

when you're messing up and that's something I've had to learn I mean it especially when I started out I mean I'd forget a word whether and I'd want to start the song over like hey let's do that and it's like no you can't keep going man they half the time they don't even know and that's just you know I think you put so much pressure on yourself to

to want to do it right but it's do you hear every like when you're up on stage playing a song and you know somebody makes a small mistake. Do you hear every little sound? Are you that tuned in? A lot of it, yeah, I mean, but also. Turn and look at each other.

Yeah, like, yeah, I'm not going to do that because I... Yeah, it's just kind of, we, yeah, you learn to have fun with it. I mean, we make fun of each other and especially give each other's sands as we get off stage. We're like, yeah, I heard that, dude. That was terrible. This show the other night, did you mess up at all? Was there any mess-ups, the one you play in Charlotte? Oh, I'm sure, yeah.

Did you mess up, though? I probably forgot a lyric or two. Really? I get lost, yeah, I mean, you just, you get lost in the crowd

and it's just like, hey, this is, what the hell was I just saying? What did I just do? Like, is that, that's funny, man.

You could just mouth the words and then basically throw the sound guy under the bus, right? Well, that's the thing. Yeah, I mean, that's, you know,

I have a microphone, I can just hand it to the crowd and just be like, here y'all sing it. It's like, yeah, y'all got it. Y'all got it.

That's awesome. Thank God for country radio or they wouldn't know my stuff. All right. So you're in college. What are you doing that's connecting you to music, you know? Yeah, I mean, that's honestly where it started for me. I always, I was a huge, obviously huge sports fan growing up, but also I love music.

And that's where I played my first show. That's where it all kind of got started me starting to sing and wanting to write songs. And that, you know, just playing the bars. That's what I always say. I played sports in high school. How did you learn to play music? How'd you learn to play an instrument? You know, my dad was always,

he's the first person I ever heard play a guitar, and that was just, but I still didn't know that was for me. You know, I just always loved music. I never thought that I would, you know, be in this business, and that's kind of how it started,

just honestly being in college and just playing cover songs, and I realized that's, I was like, hey, I got to write my own stuff. When were you at Georgia Southern? 2001, way too long. Oh, no, I thought it got you beat on that. that one. But no, I was there, yeah, 2001 to 2006 and then moved to Nashville, 2007.

Shit, you are pushing my record, I bet. I was there. I was there 95-0-1. Hey, I mean, you know, we, man, must have walked, must have crossed paths. We're walking in. Yeah, we tacked, just, I'm out. I'm out. Your turn. Hey, I should have said, watch out for that public speaking class. It's a doozy boy. I didn't even take public speaking. So you were there Okay, so you're playing all those local So bars change names so often We probably would be talking about the same bars

But but So when I was there Luke Brian was there And he was in a band called Nami Roe Yeah And I remember speaking of messups Like I remember being at the time It was called Legends

Yeah, absolutely And he forgot the whole verse to a song And it wasn't even one It wasn't his song It was like a, like, I don't know, Sweet Home Alabama or something. I mean, and I just never forget. I was like, that son of a bitch will never make it. It's the first show I ever saw him play was at Legends.

I mean, that was it? Yeah, absolutely. And he, you know, that's where I met him. It's at Georgia Southern. And he had already moved to Nashville and had come back to do a show with Nammy Road. And I just remember he pulled up the fraternity house, had to change his strings. And it's like, hey, y'all mind if I play a song, I wrote. And I was just like, wait, you wrote that?

And that was really, he's such a big influence, and I know a lot of people know that, but it's, I mean, just hearing a song that somebody wrote and that made me realize that, man, I'm just singing cover songs. Like, these aren't my songs. Like, I want people to be singing back songs that I wrote, you know? Yep. So how do you go end up working with Luke? You end up selling merch, right? Yeah, yeah. You say everybody knows.

But they might, yeah. Connection. I didn't know it. Right. There's a lot of people listening that didn't know this. So you're the fraternity house, being at the fraternity house, that's how you met Luke. Yep. How do you get to where you're working with it?

You know, I was just a fan of his music and his writing, and he would send me songs. The same way I do people now when I write songs, you know, I send him like, hey, check this out or check this out. And I remember I could never keep a Luke Bryan CD because I just passed them out to everybody. I'm like, hey, you got to check this out. And it was just somebody that, you know, I believed in, believed in their music. and I remember, you know, when I was leaving to go to school, he wasn't going to hire me. He's like, no, you got to finish school. And I was like, I was like, this is a waste of time.

I got to get out of here, you know. And he gave me my first job. And to be out there, it's crazy. I remember being in Boston or somewhere first time. And somebody walked by the merch table and was like, who the hell is Luke Bryan? And I'm like, what? How do you not know who this is? And you just realize it's like, man, you know, just because you're from Georgia, everybody ain't, you know?

And that's, it was just cool to grow up. in the business, you know, around somebody like that, you know, because when I started working for him, he wasn't the Luke Bryan, he is now that everybody knows. It was just, he was a new artist and, you know, just to get to see how somebody does it like that and to be around everything you got to do. And, you know, when I got my opportunity, it was kind of like I'd been there, but I'd never done it. I just, I'd been around it, you know. So when you say when I got my opportunity, what is that? What is your, what is getting your opportunity? What happens?

Man, you know, to go from selling T-shirts, to, you know, and I was writing songs on the road, but, you know, getting a publishing deal and getting paid to write songs. I mean, that's why I moved to Nashville, but. Does somebody get you in front of? Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, me and, you know, Luke's band leader, guitar player Michael Carter, which produced everything I've done to this point. Me and him were writing a bunch of songs that I thought y'all were about to play earlier. I thank God y'all don't have a copy of those. But, you know, that was my opportunity, I think, to branch out. And Luke knew, I mean, he knew I didn't move to Nashville to sell T-shirts. And, you know, I think when he finally

started seeing I was writing and became really serious about it, he's like, hey, you got to go do your own thing, you know. And that's, I just appreciate it. Yeah, yeah. I mean, he, I just remember hearing the story about him, you know, his dad pretty much had to fire him to make you move to Nashville because it's just you, you know, you're comfortable, you're loyal to people and you don't want to to leave him, but it's, you know, he knew. And I think, man, just looking back, I mean, he's obviously a huge reason why I am where I am. When you moved to Nashville, where'd you live? Man, I lived over, close to downtown, honestly, there was a buddy of mine that I knew from high school that I didn't know many people there, you know, and I remember when I moved, I didn't

even take anything other than clothes, like bed, nothing. There was a, I had this little small room. I had to go buy a TV and I had to mount it on the wall because there wasn't room enough to to have a TV stand or anything in there. I had a computer and stuff in the closet and it's just a little small, small place. That story is consistent with about all Georgia Southern graduates just so you know. Or non-graduates, but it's fine. But no, yeah, man, I was fortunate enough to just meet people and that's how Nashville works. I mean, you know, getting out and meet.

Where do you go? So like, you know. Broadway and all that. Yeah, but also Midtown. I mean, the winners and losers, which people listening are, those are actual bars. I've been all in places. So I got my buddy there, Tim Dugger, I go visit him.

He's a good guy. He wants to go to bars all the time. So we're going to the bars, which I love to. And I would, if I were you, moving to Nashville with just my clothes and this whole, you know, dream, it'd be hard not to get caught up in the pitfalls of Nashville. Nashville, raising hell every damn night in that town. Absolutely, and I think that's the thing, and especially in the music business, it's all about networking. So you got to go out.

You got to kind of be out to meet people and do that, but also it's... So the people that you need to connect with are at those places. Yeah, I mean, I think so, and I think you come up together. That's what, you know, you learn from people that you've looked up to, but they're like, hey, you've got to find your own circle, and y'all start writing, and y'all be the next class coming up, and it's just kind of, that's how it works. What's your bar? Man, yeah, I love, I mean, anywhere in Midtown,

losers is, that's just a funny net, but that's, that's, that's the bar, man. I like that little strip. Yeah. The red door. Yeah, absolutely. Red door is awesome. Me and Tim were there when, when the race came to Nashville, we all went, Blaney came by, we got to do a little red door action, but that's, that's right across the street from losers.

All those bars are just, that's kind of where the local folks hang, I think. The other one I like is the trailer park now on Broadway. Oh, yeah. Paradise Park. Yeah. Yeah, that's what, I mean, Broadway, that's when people ask, they're like, hey, where should we go? And I'm like, just go to broad.

Just find a band you like and hang. I mean, that's it. But hold on. There's got to be a ton of aspiring singers all moving to Nashville with the same dream. And there's only so many stages. I mean, like, I have to imagine there's a lot. So eventually, going back to Dale's question, eventually you get your break, but I would have to assume there's more people that don't ever.

Yeah, and I think that's what, I mean, you've got to realize that. I mean, there's so many people that are so talented that may never get the opportunity to show the world that, you know. And I never really got into playing the bars downtown and all that. I was always on the road selling T-shirts, and by the time I got my opportunity, I, it was, I didn't, you know, I didn't ever really play downtown. I got up and sang a buddy of mine, Craig Campbell, one of my best friends in town. He, you know, every Tuesday I'd come off the road with Luke and I'd go down and see him. He played at this stage as a barred on Broadway and just being there and being able to get up and sing a song or two. You know, I mean, all that kind of stuff that let me realize that, hey, this is, man, this is what I want to do.

Like, there's no doubt about it. So I just, I'm so thankful that, you know, to have bars like that. to know that there's so many talented people, man. It's unbelievable. And just I think that keeps you humble and lets you know that there's a lot of people that want to be in your shoes right now. So you better. Yeah, absolutely.

And like I said, I mean, the opportunities I've had, I honestly, you know, I want to get to where I'm going so I can help other people because that's, everybody needs a little helping hand every now and then. I think that, you know, I've certainly had that. And I just want to do that for somebody else as well. Is there anybody right now that that's happening for, that you sort of give some advice to or steered somebody in a good direction? Man, you know, just as far as writers, I mean, my guitar player, Joel Hutzel,

he's a great songwriter and always been one of my best friends. And just to sign him to a publishing deal and just stuff like that. It's like I always knew that he had it. You sign him? Yeah, me and it's a co-venture, me, and. Sony ATV where I write songs and that's kind of what Luke did for me when I got my publishing deal he stuck his neck out and said I believe in this kid and I'm you know and so Sony was like all right well let's let's give him a chance and that's stuff like that you know and guys like Adam Sanders

one of my buddies I wrote a lot of songs with and he's you know he's still somebody that I'm like how has somebody not picked him up and how's he not a huge star yet that's the one y'all wrote the Earnhardt song. Daddy, Jesus, and Earnhardt. Yeah, me and Adam and Taylor Phillips. We wrote that at the Atlanta race a couple years ago. No kid. Yeah.

Wrote at the race. Yeah, well, so that's a great segue to talking about your love for NASCAR. So, you know, a lot of times, you know, there's a lot of, there's different musicians and actors and all that that are fans of the sport, but the connection happens. when they are invited to be a grand marshal or whatever, right? Right. Your ass will drive right into the track with no reason to be there. Yeah.

You do that all time. So you're like, we're Richmond four or five years ago. You're like, we're playing at the, you know, we're playing in town. All right, man. We're playing tonight. Cool. All right. And here you, like, an hour later, here you come driving in the bus slot.

And, I mean, you know, big old black bus stand out. Everybody else's buses look different in yours. this is not a race car driver this is a musician yeah yeah and uh you know you just pull in and check it out and then you go to your you know venue and do your show and uh i think that that says a lot that you genuinely enjoy going to the races uh you've made a lot of friends yeah uh at the racetrack so when did that start man you know i think obviously i mean just i know everybody probably tells you that but just growing up, you know, watching your dad and just, I mean, my brothers, they were always big fans. My dad was a, was a big Earnhardt fan.

So you got brothers? Yeah. Sisters? No, just two brothers. Richie and Jay. Yeah, so that, yep, yep. Was they hard on you? No, not too bad.

They weren't too bad on me. That's, uh, I always looked up to them and that was, you know, they were, they had already graduated from Southern and had jobs and were successful, families. So I always, I mean, that put pressure on, like, I got to do that. figure out what I'm doing. Yeah, I got to do that, you know, and that's, they've, they've always been there for me, and they still are, man. I love them, and they're, you know, I'm an uncle several times over. That's, just to, to watch their kids grow up and do what they're doing. It's just, man, you know, that's something that I certainly want at some point, so.

Yeah. So you, you turn into a big race fan, just growing up around it, yeah, watching it, but now you're going to the racetrack, you, blanyer pals, several of the, you know, true exes. You come play their deal every year, it seems like. But, you know, I think it's appreciated the genuine enthusiasm you have for it. Yeah, and I do. And the thing is, you say that most people, it takes being a grand marshal or whatever, I never went to a race for, I mean, God, it's for a purpose. Yeah, yeah, it's just, yeah.

And honestly, I was a fan before, and people were like, you've never been to a race? I'm like, no. They're like, wait till you go see one. You're really going to be a fan because that's how most people get into it. They go and they're like, wow, I was already a fan just from growing up, being around it watching it. And, you know, my dad worked for All-Tale when Newman was coming up.

He was the 12, and 12 was my number. What was he doing at All-Tel? What was that? He just worked for the phone company. I mean, it wasn't. Install? Yeah, so it wasn't, not the cell phone thing. It was just, he was actually like the landline.

Hard line. Yeah. And just knowing that connection. It was like, man, this is, you know, 12's my number. I'll tell my dad, my dad worked for him. It's like, here we go. So that's. So you said you've never been in a race where you had to, you know,

had to actually do anything. Yeah. Have you ever sang National Anthem at a sporting event? I haven't. I haven't. So there's Pete, there's some artists that won't and some that do? I'm probably not going to. You're never going to do it.

Have you ever tried to do it? Do you sing it in the mirror? No. Give yourself a test run. I would if I was going to do it. Actually, one of the Braves guys asked me is like, hey, if we make it, you know, to the NLCS, we might ask you to work. Yeah. But you can't, I mean, that's one thing you don't want to mess up.

You talk about messing up lyrics. That is one I don't want to. Read it. Just bring the music with you. No. It's the Braves. I know, no, I know. And that's obviously a huge braced.

They might lose if you don't. Well, they might lose if I do. And that's what I don't. I don't want to be a part of that. I mean, yeah, because you're into the Braves. I mean, like, you're this, and they got a team. They can really do this. Oh, yeah, we went and watched it yesterday, and it's just a big Braves fan, man.

Having a good year. Man, this is surprising, though. I would have thought he would have sang the Star Spangled Banner somewhere, high school football game, anything? No, no, I never. Am I right, though, there are some musicians who won't do it, and there's some that obviously do do it, but there's some that are like absolutely not. won't. I don't know that I wouldn't. I just, that's just one thing that. I think there's, it's, it's hard.

Yeah. I mean, it's, I mean, God, and, you know, after hearing Whitney Houston's version from years ago, how are you going to beat that? So you might as well just play that. I just, just play that. I would imagine, Mike, that it's like throwing out that pitch. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, God. If you get that some of a bitch. You're a YouTube star after that. You're, like 50 cent. You're, it lives forever. Right. I know, I've never, I've, that's another thing I hadn't done, throwing out the first pitch. Oh, I got to do that. It's terrible. It's terrible. It's terrible. It's Terrified. I'd rather do that than sing that than my guarantee.

What about, so, like, I always thought it would be cool to sing the seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field. And then Jeff Gordon did it. And absolutely, I think it damaged his whole brain. Yes. It is brand damaging. It is. Yeah. And I'm like, nope, I don't think that would ever be cool, actually.

I would stay away from that. That's one of them things just hard to come back from, man. You mess that up? And that's why I don't want to, yeah. I think that's why some are scared to do it. Absolutely. And I'll say that too. I threw the first.

I threw the first pitch out. I was never going to do it. And then the mud hens or some damn AAA team, I'm like, that's a place I can do. Maybe if I mess it up, it won't end up on the YouTube. I did okay. And I'm like, never doing it again. Check that box.

You got it? Yep, absolutely. So I'm still waiting on that. But I'm, yeah, I'll throw out the first pitch for us and I think. But I, hey, big fan. Atlanta Braves, man. He'll throw the pitch out. Let's go.

Let's go, Braves. Yeah, I'm a say, they've never asked you to do that. They got Chase to do it. Yeah, but that's Chase. Chase doesn't do anything. Yeah, Chase says no to everything. Oh, no. Yeah, but he's, you know, Georgia boy and obviously a big Braves fan.

So I need to, yeah, I'm going to give him some hell about that for me not doing that yet. Oh, I got to give you some hell. So this is funny, Mike. So me and Cole are pretty good for buddies. We're learning. We're getting, our friendships growing. Yeah. And I think I was, Chase was, Chase's rookie year.

He's on Twitter. promote Chase to be voted most popular driver. It's my last year. Oh, my God. No, that was the first race I ever went to. We had a little thing with Chase. I'm like, Kyle, what the hell? Listen, that's like going to Moses and rewriting the Ten Commandments, man.

You know Dale Jr.'s race, and you got to vote for him for most popular. I mean, he's got all the votes always. But I knew I was just talking about that at the race other day that somebody, when the most popular driver, it's like when you are, and now when Chase, it's like that stuff gets announced. here, voting's open or whatever, and then I think Bubber somebody tweeted, congrats, Chase Saly. Like, right when it came out, like, he just knows. It's like, he's the...

I think Cindy put him up to it. His mom. I can see that. Yeah, but, yeah, that was the first, that was, I think, it was in Kansas, I think. That was the first race I really got to see. Kansas? Yeah. Well, I...

Just ran, just had to be out there playing. Just ran it, yeah. Yeah, they, that was, yeah, they, something, we had some promo deal with, I think Chase's, the reason we went to see that. But obviously, dude, I know, I'm a big fan. No, we want an explanation. That's why we brought you here.

All right, that's cool. But y'all become buddies. Do y'all know when y'all met? All right, I think we, I think I sent you a text. Yeah. So he has this song, you should be here. And when I first heard it, I mean, you immediately connect, you know, the, for sure. comparisons. He lost his dad. I lost my dad. He wrote the song about that. It is absolutely word for word.

Fits anyone who's ever lost their dad. I mean, that song just plugs right in to all the emotions. And, you know, I think even after all these years, God, you keep doing things in life. You keep having these milestones and these things happen and these people you meet that come into your life and you want your dad to know them, meet them, see them. experience it. Yeah. What the hell would he think about this room, right? Just everything. Yeah.

And so all the time, that song remains relevant. But anyways, the first few times I heard it, I was like, holy smokes, you know, it just grabbed you by the heart. And I had to tell him. I was like, look, I mean, he might, I didn't care whether he was going to receive that well or not or whatever. I was just like, this is, this is hitting me hard, and I need this man that wrote this song to know. and so I reached out and he's like damn right that that that's exactly

why I wrote it and uh he was awesome he was like and so we started chatting yeah and that but to me it's just I mean you said something you said you know there's moments in life and that when we were writing you should be here there's a lot of songs about losing people and and you know songs

that people relate to but for me that's that's the thing about that song is just the moments in life where it's like man it'd be a little bit sweeter if they were here to see that and I of course course you got to believe they're watching they're they're looking over you but it's you know that's why you write songs that's why i moved to Nashville i always say i hate that i had to write it but the stories i've heard and and probably the stories you've heard just from people that were fans and

for you to reach out me being a huge fan that's that was just that was one of the coolest things of my career probably is is dale reaching out to me and knowing that while he's reaching out because of his dad which my dad was a fan of and i'm a fan of and it's just stuff like that man it's you can't You can't make that up. That's as real as it gets. The other thing I'll say about that song is it's timeless. Like it, you know, someone could hear it tomorrow. I continue to hear it years later, and it still fits the, it's not dated.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah. I don't know how to explain it, but it. Well, no, it's understood. It's relevant today to me as it was the first time I heard it. And, I mean, it's one of those songs that you're always happy to hear. I put my, when I get in my car, this is the way I listen to music. Everybody does it different.

I get in my car and I go to songs on my Apple phone and I shuffle. Yeah. You know, and I just want whatever's coming to come. I got about 6,000 songs on there and it's just going to play whatever to hell. And so when that one comes, you never skip it. You know what I'm saying? It's one of them songs that you just love to hear because it just hits the, it hits me. Well, hey, and that's, you know, that's what I'm saying.

I mean, people, I love music and I always say, you know, country music especially, that's, it's always been there for me and to be on the other side of it now to be able to write songs. And, you know, it might be an unfortunate situation, but it's how we relate to people. It's like, man, we're all the same. We get to, you know, live this life, but also to be able to help other people with, and their stories have helped me more than anybody ever knows. I mean, just knowing that you're not alone and feeling like that. You know what I mean? And that's, whether you're a fan of somebody or not, like that's, you know, when, I remember you, when you, when you read,

style it was just like man this is I don't know but my dad would have you know I always said he'd have left a little early if he'd have known that I was going to write a song thinking of him that would help so many people I wanted to give you advice I mean I didn't right know how to but I felt like I needed I felt like if you needed some holes closed up in the in the in the search for some sort of closure I was like man I really could help him I think yes and see that that's the kind of guy you are though that's you know I think that's why I always say this too it's like you always wonder why things happen or whatever but I think we're we're put in situations and I think we go through things because there's other people that we care about or maybe we've never met that are going to

need to talk to somebody and honestly you have to tell yourself that I think you know we go through things that are tough because somebody else is going to need to to hear about it and how you got through it you know you just recently lost your mother yeah um You know, what was the situation? Just, you know, she, gosh, I mean, you know, when my parents divorced and I moved over to Terrell County where I call home with my mom, you know, she was a single mom, but obviously had a good relationship with my dad as well, but it just, she did everything for me, you know, my grandparents and just to see, you know, all the hell she went through and to do everything

I ever needed, you know, to take care of me and just, you know, she, you know, she, been battling bad health for several years and as tough as it was. Everything's different. You know, my dad obviously died a freak accident and my mom, it was just, you know, she just had been through a lot and just to know that, man, you know, obviously she's better off now, but it's, it doesn't make you miss them any less, you know. That's, it's, I don't know, and I always wonder, you know, having that song and singing that song, you should be here every night about my dad wondering, and that crosses your mind. It's like, when am I going to be singing this about my mom?

Like, you know, and thinking about her. And it's just, I don't know, it's been tough. But honestly, being on this tour with Thomas Wrette, and I remember, you know, that weekend after she passed, he was like, hey, he's like, take this weekend off the road. He's like, go to the beach house, do whatever you need to do. And I was like, honestly, she would, she'd want me to be out here and to be able to have fans that support you and to get out there and be in front of folks. like that around my band my crew the the people that is my family you know and I I just I'm so

thankful to to have those folks because going through things like that it I don't think it'd be it's definitely not easy but it just man they make it you know a little more bearable I think just having people that care about you and and I know she would have I said that every show since it's like she would want me out here in front of y'all yeah but Cole you you sang that song several weeks ago right after losing your mom it was a beautiful moment, the crowd joined you. How in the earth did you get through that? I don't know. Them, I think the crowd, I think just knowing that they need to hear it just as much as I need to sing it, you know, and that's, it's always been, it's, I don't know, I don't know how I got through it,

but it's, I'm glad I did and I'm glad that they were there. And I honestly, like I said, what am I going to do, sit at home? Yeah, yeah. I want to be around people that love me, you know? You were the same. So when I lost, dad lost was a freak accident. That was a, it was so freak and so fast and so, you don't even know how to feel. Yeah. Watching, my mom got cancer and had a slope.

You know, it was actually fast, but it was not a sudden quick shock, right? So that's something we both have, yeah. That messed me up. Absolutely. I always wonder what would be worse, like a sudden loss, or something that you know is coming, but it doesn't make it. At least you get to tell them, by, you know,

that's one thing that at least I got to talk to my mom, you know, and tell her I love, you know, that's just, I'll say that, you know, at 47 years old, I turned 47 the 10th of this month. Yep. And watching mom go through that made me terrified of my own mortality. Right, yeah. Or how fragile life is.

For sure. And how, like, man, what do I? I got left. Yeah. And that messed me up for about, I don't even know how long. I mean, I would lay in bed and talk to, and my wife Amy about, you know, how long do I got? How much, damn, I'm scared.

I don't want to go, you know, thinking I might. And now, I mean, now having kids and stuff, it's just like, man, you know, like what you felt like losing them. It's like, you don't, I don't think you, you want anybody going through it. Absolutely. And that's, I think that's real life. I would lay in bed with her. I'm like, what if I will have to deal with this when she's in her 20s?

And you don't want her to have, yeah. What's that going to do to her, you know? Man. So, yeah, I can't, I can totally understand wanting to be around. That's when I lost dad and mom, I want to be around everybody. I want people around me. Absolutely. If I was by myself, I was going to fall apart.

For sure. And I was going to have all kinds of terrible thoughts. Yeah. And that's, that's exactly I feel. And it's just, you know, not, I think, everybody goes through, not everybody, but I mean a lot of it go through it. It's like, you know, not having a parent let, that's just a different feeling. It's like, and I know we're grown. It's like, hey, I'm a grown man now. I got to carry on and do what I got to do. But also,

it's just a weird feeling to not, you know, have 38 years of your life with parents and then not anymore. It's a safety net. It is absolutely. It's some, it's a place where you don't never really go to. But if you know you needed to, you could, it doesn't. It doesn't. It, they would be there, that advice. Exactly, exactly. That advice, I miss the hell out of just wondering what the hell I should have done. Right. In the situation.

For sure. And that's the thing. I think you kick yourself, you're like, man, but that, it also makes you realize, like, you better not take things for granted. I think it takes going through things like that to realize that, man, that you're not going to have everybody you love forever. And, you know, that's why you, you love people that love you. And I'm very thankful to have the friends I do.

I don't think I get through it. Right in the middle of processing that law. and appreciate you being transparent about it, and willing to talk about it. And we definitely going to continue to think about you as you process that further, man, and it's, you know, you already know, having gone through it with your dad, it's a difficult thing.

So how do you, you know, how do you see your future going? Where you said you're going to start touring again? How does that work? You end one tour and you begin another one that's already planned. Yeah, they're working. on that now. You know, I got a team around me that that's, that's what their job is to make sure I have dates on the books and I'm going to, you know, play shows. And that's what we're figuring out. I don't exactly know what the plan is for 2022, but I know they're working on

it now. It must be nice, though, to get back to full venues playing in front of people again. Yeah, absolutely. And I always say that. It's like, man, no matter what you do, I mean, it's been a crazy year and a half for everybody, you know, and it's to be back in front of people, and live music. It's just, I don't know, I didn't know if we'd ever see that again. It was scary. I didn't know. I mean, there we were, Zoom calling everybody and having to write songs like that.

But it's just nothing better than being in front of a live audience and just getting to do what you love. When you get a break and you mentioned the beach house, like, where do you want to be? Golf course, man. I love playing golf and that's, you know, that's what I want to do. when I'm off other than right as you always play play golf yeah I grew up that's my I mean my dad that's that's why I play golf I'll never forget you know I loved every sport but he was like you know hopefully you'll always be able to do this you know and I'm I'm not in the best shape to be playing all the sports I did in high

school so golf is something that I just I love and it's just kind of my that's my hunting and fish like that's when I get to go out there and just hang with the guys and that's just what I love to do man I love the game and You good? Everything about it. Not great. I'm all right. You know, I flip.

Yeah, I can hold my own. I can't hit it far enough. Short off the tea and, you know, got to make a lot of putts, but that's about it. Hey, as long as you can make the putts, right? Yeah, yeah. That's cool.

Go ahead. Who is, who in country music's making the best stuff right now? Like in NASCAR, you know, you can look at the sport this year. Kyle Larson's down there. Oh, man. Yeah. Who do you look at and go, damn? I've always been

and it's not just because this but I you know Eric Church his first album changed my whole perspective on writing songs and I mean a lot of people I remember I was you know I was playing the bars and

one of my buddies that was booking bands he got this promo CD his first album wasn't even out and he's like dude you got to he's like I don't know everything he's like but I should check this out you know and I remember I put it in CD player in my truck and it didn't come out for two months probably and I'm like oh my god and like people like that and I always say

Eric and Dirk's and Luke were the reason I wanted to write songs because I'm like man music makes me feel like that like I got to make somebody else feel like that like if I can write songs to make other people and I got to I was telling this story at the race of the day I opened up for Eric Church he played he went to App State and Georgia Southern obviously big rivals he we opened up for him one night and all he ever all he wanted was I think we took him some Jack Daniels on the us and he said uh you know we were talking about how cool it was to be opening up for him and i remember he said if uh he's like hey you go stand them up we'll knock him down and i always thought that was

the coolest thing ever that eric church told me that you know your story there is similar to marty our buddy marty smith he was going through the same healing process with his dad and he happened upon i think that same album and he couldn't take he's just he know marty like changed my life changed my life but that's that's what i'm I'm saying. I mean, some people, music might not mean that much to them, but to me, it means everything to me. Like, that's just crazy that, like, lyrics and music can make you feel a certain way, and it just, it's always been there for me, and that's what I'm saying. I mean, the fact that I get to do that and write songs that hopefully, you know, make somebody's day a little better,

you know, that's, I mean, that's the coolest thing in the world. So this is kind of a strange question, but I was around, I had a roommate that was in a band a long time ago, and having And going through that experience, I got to go to the studio and watch them put a song together and all that stuff. And I wish I'd never done that. Because when you kind of see behind the curtain, you listen to music differently. Now you start hearing the different instruments

and you start picking the song apart. So how do you stop? And it almost can take some of the, just a pure enjoyment of hearing a song and hearing it all as one sound. How do you do that? How do you do that with your own music? Because you're sitting in a studio

and you hear every instrument put together. play to put the song together right and it's you know I think it it takes all of it I mean I you know I'm obviously more critical of my stuff than anybody else's probably but it's just I don't know you just the song it's all about the song and that's one thing it's it's like man a song can ruin somebody's career save their career it can do it's a lot of things but it's also so much that goes into it that people don't even realize it's like me growing up I mean loving Alan Jackson and not realizing that, hey, there's songwriters that are writing these songs. Like, it's not, you think, you just grow up thinking that, oh, that's their song, you know,

and it's just, and then you realize that there's people behind that. And then by the time I moved to Nashville, I was so just in love with wanting to write songs that I was more starstruck by the songwriters than artists, just because they're the reason the songs happen. And there are a lot of, I mean, Alan, and there's a lot of artists that write their own songs, and that's why I'd take pride in that. When you wrote your, you know, you're getting ready to release one of your earlier albums, okay? We won't use current releases to answer this question.

But when you were really critical, right, this shit's got to be right, I'm doing my stuff. My first time people are really going to hear me, this is my big chance. As that stuff's going out the door, are you like, it ain't ready? Are you like, we got, we nailed it. No, I don't, I don't know if you ever, no. I mean, you go to the studio and you work and they're like, okay, man, we got the audio, we got everything. Yeah, I mean, it's... We're going to master it.

Are you like, wait, wait, no, let's redo. You're just always wondering what people are going to think. You know, you want people to love it. But, and it's your, I mean, it's, you know, to put something out that you wrote and, you know, you're worried about what somebody's going to think about it. I mean, it's just a lot. But it's also, I mean, I just know how powerful music is. And I think that... Who's the one person that you?

you need that affirmation from before you feel comfortable about it. Is it Luke? Who is it? Man. Your brothers? Yeah. Who did you send? It's the first person that gets to hear that song that you're like,

this is the damn song, I think, is the song. I mean, honestly, my bus driver, Andy, Vest, we sit up front and I play all kinds of music and my buddy back home. If he says yes, you're like, all right, I'm good. Yeah, yeah. But he's not scared to tell me. I mean, sometimes we're like, we disagree on things. It's like, hey, that's, yeah.

Yeah, it's pretty crazy. I've got, I've been honest with some of my friends and the businessman, some of them don't like it. Some of them don't like you. Well, that's what I'm saying. But you need people like that. You know what I mean? It's like you got enough yes people that are going to, they're scared to say something.

But it's like, you got to have the people that are, you know, that'll tell you, that's not my favorite. You know, and it's like, it sucks to hear that. But it's like, hey, that's the truth. Will you record a song that you didn't write? Yeah. And that's, you know, that's another thing. I think, you know, coming up, uh,

as a new artist, you've got to write your own stuff. You're not going to get, you know, there's, the other big artists are getting all the songs that songwriters write that sent to them. That's why I asked. I wanted to know how political it gets and or how competitive it gets. Oh, my God. Because you got your best songwriters out there. They're writing songs.

And, you know, usually they already have in mind where that's going. For sure. So how competitive and political does it get? Oh, it's huge. But I think, you know, the songwriters, and I'm so thankful that I, before I got my record deal you know that's where i came up through the songwriting world and to know what it means i mean these people are writing songs to feed their families you know and that's i don't take that lightly i mean if somebody's going to send me a song that's that that blake or luke or air like somebody else

could record i mean it's like that's a that's a big deal man i mean that's you know i'm just thankful that they they're sending me some but that's you know to me like growing up like through the business having to write your own stuff and then now having some success and then people wanting you to record songs they wrote. I mean, that's the biggest compliment. I think coming up through the songwriting world, I understand that because my song ain't worth the whiskey. I remember we wanted somebody else to record that so bad,

and they never did, and thank God they didn't, because I needed it. Worse than they did, probably. Have you ever turned down a song that ultimately ended up becoming a hit and it pissed you all for? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I mean, I'm trying to think,

God, what's some songs? There's one out right now that's called, That Ain't Me No More. turn it down. I loved it, but it was just one of those things that I didn't record it when I went in the studio and the publishers and the writers are like, hey, man, are you going to do anything? And I understand coming up to the songwright and world, like, they need this song to be recorded. So my buddy Matt Stale recorded it, and it's going to end up being a huge hit, you know, like, but that's, that's, I just get it.

Why does that song need to be recorded? Why can't it sit on a shelf? That's, I wish I had that answer, you know, but it's just, it's, I don't know, I mean, people are, that's what I'm saying. They need it to be recorded. And I mean, Hardy, he's one of my good buddies. I mean, the hottest songwriter in town probably, it's, I don't know. He's, he's doing good. But Matt, you know, he's going to take that song.

It's going to be a big hit. And it's just, I just know that I loved it. You know, it's not mine, but that's fine, you know. Sorry if you might have answered this already, but do you write songs, are you, does it still happen to where you might write a song that you don't record and someone else does? Yeah, I mean. So are you still?

technically a songwriter? Yeah, yeah, no, I think I'm first and former, I'm a songwriter, but to me, I mean, you don't, I don't know, you don't, at this point, if I write a song that I'm not going to just send it to somebody, like I, I want it for myself, you know, every song that you write, stays in your book. For not, yeah, I mean, it's, but also if it's, you know, you realize that, man, not every song is for you. You may not be feeling it at the time, or, that's what, you know, that's the beauty about music to me. Do you hand it off to your buddy and say, hey man, I think you might do a good job on it? A lot of people don't realize, like, in the business, you know, if I wrote a song

and I'm not going to record it, that automatically, an artist's like, is it that good? If he's not going to record it and he wrote it. But you've got to realize that that might not be what you're feeling right then, you know, it may be, you can listen to a song today and be like, that's a good, song, it's good song, and then go through something two months later and be like, this is my favorite song I've ever heard, you know, it's just, that's the thing about music to me is, it's, you It just depends on where you are in life, and it can change at any moment, as we all know. And that's, to me, being able to come up through the songwriting world, knowing that, hey, this song might not be for me today, but it could be in a couple months.

But you just want it to get out there. There's so many songs. I mean, think about how many songs there in Nashville will never hear it. Like, they're just sitting on the shelf, like you said, it's crazy. What is your response to the stigma of new country music where basically the ingredients of the song is beer, whiskey, girls hooking up? truck, mudflaps, something like that. It's kind of been country music since the 80s. Well, I don't know.

But like it seems like country music artists these days take a bigger beating over this. Oh, yeah. And I, hey, you know, when I got started, my first song, chilling it. It's, you know, but I just knew that that's what I wanted to be introduced. I knew that people didn't really give a shit who I was yet.

I just wanted to put out a song that they'd roll their windows down and want to know more about me. And that way, songs like that led me to writing you be here and being able to show a different side. But yeah, I mean, people are always going to, I think, you know, country music's always going to be changing. It's going to evolve. And I don't know.

I just love the fact that I love it all. You know, I like the fun stuff. I love the sad stuff. It's just, I just love everything about it. But do you let that sort of try, do you let that dictate how you approach your next writing? Like, do you go, I got to come up with something new and original where people aren't going to sit there and criticize it? Well, yeah, I think they're always going to criticize it.

But that's like what you. you just said the whole you know the people were you know talking shit on Twitter social media I mean that's always going to happen but it's just like man you know you it does it affects how you how you write and how you you know scared to put a song out even though you know it's a hit but it's like they're gonna crush me for this because it's so that kind of stuff that's unfortunate Matthew I want you to go through the rapid fire he's got some rapid fire questions for you okay these are Matthews rapid fire questions so we can

I've never said about it. Yeah, because we've never done this before. We like to get Matthew a hard time. He's always always. Hey, I'm the easiest guy here to give a hard time. All right, we've got like 10 rapid fire questions for you, Cole. Are you ready? I hope.

Get in the game, son. Here we go. You're Cole. Are you a Cole, are you a Cole trickle fan? Absolutely. If you could wreck one NASCAR driver, who would it be? Dale Jr. Oh, no.

I'm kidding. I would be hated forever. I'd be hated forever. You sort of already did with that whole most. popular thing you did. Get out of here. It's the Kyle Busher country. Actually, yes, I would definitely wreck him.

Oh, man. Girlfriend? Yes, brand new. Like, uh, as a month as, as, as far as, oh my God. So, yeah, man, this things are, yeah, it's not rapid, I know, but yeah. Sorry. I got excited. Favorite, favorite sports team?

Braves. Okay. Favorite vacation spot? Beat your mountains. I got to go. I grew up going to Panama City Beach, man. That's where I... All right.

Most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you on stage? Joe's bar in Chicago. I was walking off. I told the crowd I'll be right back. Got to get a refill, and I tripped over the lights on the stage and the stem. I was so pissed. I got in the dressing room, and I'm like, I knew that was going to happen at some point.

I hadn't fallen at that point ever on stage, and I knew it was coming, but I did not know it was coming that night. That was embarrassing. No new country here. Go to old school country song. Neon moon. Yes. Oh, there you go.

There you go. Guilty pleasure or maybe like quarantine snack or either or guilty pleasure. Probably Ben Jerry's ice cream. What flavor? Why did you ask me that? All of them. All of them. All right.

All time favorite Atlanta Brave player. Chipper Jones. All right. I was going to ask you a favorite. but since you asked it, answered it already hell with that. Favorite thing you see in this room from where you're sitting? Besides Dale?

I mean, God, that car right there. Nova. This is amazing, yeah. And the Dick Pitt. We've placed that perfectly over your shoulders. So when your own camera during the TV show, that's all people see. That's good. Dick Pitt.

That's more entertaining than me. man so one final thing me um you've been working with sugarland yeah uh sugarland shine you've uh been what what is it uh what's it called the uh pre show punch the pre show punch and then you have something the pepper yeah the uh the peppermint moonshine so we we've got a couple of those and it's yeah i will say this now this is not just because you're sitting here but i started working with sugar land as well just recently so uh glad to be part of the family with you uh and Everybody loves a pre-show punch. Everybody that I know in my circle, big fan of that.

Yeah. Lee is a fan. Big fan. Lee likes it. Well, we got plenty on the bus. I'll bring up. We've got to make sure you are taken care of. Yeah.

So that's been a cool thing, man. You get to Gatlinburg, check out Sugar Land. Yeah, it is. I mean, they've been good to me and just to, obviously I like to have a beverage every now and then. So it's pretty cool to have your face on a ball of moonshine. The group, Ned, and. and other folks behind that business are a damn good time to hang out with. Oh, yeah.

Man, that is fun. I just went to, obviously, being a big golf fan, they took us to the Rider Cup. I got to go to a practice round, and that was just cool to have. And to see something, you know, with your name on it as a drink of a sport, you've loved your entire life, it's crazy. It's like, man, this is nuts, you know. But I remember when you reached out and asked, and I was like, I'm not going to say a word, but I love that, you know, the fact that I'm part of something that, Scott Dale Jr. and Chipper John just like, hey, I'm down. I was like, that's pretty damn good company.

They were, when Sugarlands was wanting to do a deal, I called Cole and I said, hey, man, you having a good time with them folks? I'm thinking about joining the group. And he's like, yeah, man, it's a blast. Yeah, absolutely, man, they're good folks. Went out, saw some advice from my buddy. It worked out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think they were, yeah, they're happy to have you. I'm thrilled. Hey, I'm in the creams, man. You're, you're a, you're a true, true moonshine. Yep. I got the electric orange. You ever, have you, have you, have you, Try the electric cards? Yes, I'm going to get some.

Yeah, I'm going to get some for a leave. You like a cream sick? I did. Yeah, oh my God, yeah. Cream sick? Yeah, I mean, that's, yeah. Put it, listen, trust me on this. Not bullshit.

All right. So I'd tell you this outside this room. Take the electric orange and put it in the freezer. Okay. And drink it that way. I don't know how you keep the punch, whether you cool it in the fridge or you put it in ice. Yeah, for sure.

I don't know how you drink it, but I drink the cream orange. Well, that's what we're going to start doing. Right out of the freezer. Right out of the freezer. It's amazing. We're going to start doing that. Our pre-show shot, that's how we got the pre-show punch name, because we always do a pre-show shot,

and we're trying to think of a name for the punch. I'm like, what about pre-show punch? That's what we take every night, but we're about to change it to electric orange. You can give it a shit. Well, look, pre-show shot, good tradition, probably why you tripped over them lights, too, right? Exactly.

I know, I did not need a refill. I was running off to get another drink and shouldn't have, so. Well, man, hey, I know you got a lot going on in your life. You've been running around wide open. and you spent a couple extra days in North Carolina and Charlotte to be on this show for us. Thank you so much. Dude, and also, like, I just want you to know.

I mean, I'm me, my whole crew, everybody that's with me, we're huge fans of this, and I just, you know, just knowing that we have a connection, you know, and I hate some of the circumstances we do, but it's just, man, that's, you know, I've always been a fan of you, and I just appreciate you being, you know, as big as it gets, but also as cool as it gets. And that's, I don't know, to me, I've always thought that was way more impactful than, you know, not being just a good person.

You're the epitome of a good dude, man. Well, I appreciate it, man. That's nice to say. We love you. We appreciate you. And we'll be keeping up with you, man. Hey, who you got with you? Yeah.

So I got my tour manager, Daryl Dixon over here. Hey, Darrell. Got Andy Vess, my bus driver. Andy? The first approver of a song, you know. Josh Young, one of my best friends that I'm. I met while I was selling T-shirts for Luke, and we're still friends now. Good to see you, boys.

And then my boy Cody Alexander, who's a huge racing fan, knows way more about it than I ever will. And they're with me. Awesome, man. Well, I love it. Every time we don't really get much of an audience, so it's kind of fun to have some folks in here. Well, thanks for letting. And like I said, we've been looking forward to this. This is a huge thing.

He brought some other people, actually. Yeah, let me, hold on one second. Okay. I've got to grab something. Yeah. Help them out that door. Yeah. It's a little button.

wait just do it on the fly oh what the hell happy happy birthday to you happy birthday dear Dale what's your wish for that's how about that's amazing are we going today who all right now everybody here come sit down Damn, I'm going to cry. Hell, I might cry. And I know what's happening. You are incredibly hard to surprise, by the way. How awesome is this?

I mean, I thought it was hard to surprise you for your 40th birthday, but with kids and all the other things happening now, we have had to reorganize and, like, shush people for months. And we got blue at the other night when I said something about Ila, keeping Ila. Y'all mess me up. That's all I'm saying. Where are y'all heading to Key West then?

Yeah, we are. We're ready to go. Dude, happy birthday, man. Bag is packed. Absolutely. Bags packed. That's awesome, brother. Man, that's so thoughtful.

Hey. He's been dying to go to Key West for a while. And one of our other friends is planning a birthday party, and he's talking about how excited he is to go. That's awesome, dude. That's so old. Hey, I remember we played a show in Key West, and he introduced us.

That was the coolest, one of the coolest. Hell yes. I was so fucking drunk. Hey, the next morning I still used this. quote the next morning I said hey how you doing and you said I'm wounded and I've said I'm wounded so many times that's yeah I'm a little nervous about that wounded part for this week for myself I'll check on you yeah that meant hey I was I was with Tim and we were having a great trip man that was cool to be able to go do that at that show man that was fun this is amazing

like it's a child I don't want to drop it I'm like you can do whatever the hell you want would that good. Damn, y'all. Well, thank you, Cole for helping me. Oh, my gosh. Hey, thank you all for everything. This is a big thing. Tim, good to see y'all.

Yeah. So here's the best part, Dale. There's a better part? No, well, the actual truth is, is that Colt didn't really need to go anywhere. We got you here early because we're done with the show. The show's over. You got to get out of here, dude. There's no open segment.

We did ask junior already. You're literally all for the rest of the week. Colt. Yay. Get your. Ask the Key West, son. Yeah, get out of here. All right.

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