Episode 2 - Josh Ross

[00:00:00] Speaker A: This was for the home team. This was for the home team. [00:00:12] Speaker B: Yeah, man. So cheers. We'll do a little cheers to get it started off. [00:00:14] Speaker A: Cheers. [00:00:15] Speaker B: Cheers to you being here for the second time. First time headlining. [00:00:18] Speaker A: Here we go. [00:00:19] Speaker C: Welcome to Tailgate. Beers, Austin here. Ryan here. Today we got Josh Ross. [00:00:25] Speaker A: What's going on here? [00:00:26] Speaker B: We are excited. [00:00:27] Speaker A: Having a beverage. We're good? Yeah, dude. I'm excited. [00:00:30] Speaker B: And you were in Canada Tuesday. [00:00:33] Speaker A: You're in Canada Tuesday. We had the canadian awards last week, which was. Which is cool. It's always cool to go home and just, like, see how much progress has happened there. And I moved six years ago, six years November that I moved to Nashville. So it's like I left before I had anything going on in Canada. And it's really cool to see, like, that kind of grow as, you know, stuff's grown in the US, too. [00:00:51] Speaker C: So you brought home some hardware from did. [00:00:54] Speaker A: We won five awards. It was crazy. [00:00:56] Speaker C: That's awesome. [00:00:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:00:57] Speaker B: Congratulations. [00:00:57] Speaker A: Yeah, no, it was really special. I mean, I'm very thankful for all the awards. One I really wanted was entertainer. I just felt like we played a lot of shows this year, and that's something I'm very, you know, passionate on. Is the show part of it? So, yeah, really cool. [00:01:08] Speaker B: Do you have friends, family? Anybody up there still? Is that at home? [00:01:14] Speaker A: My immediate family, so, like, my mom, dad, grandparents, brother, sister are there. All my aunts, uncles, and cousins are all in the states, though, so it's interesting. I grew up going to Santa Monica to see one side of my family, and then my other side of the family was in Maine, on the east coast, so I was always used to going to east, you know, the coasts. Yeah, yeah. [00:01:32] Speaker B: So were they anybody present at it or for that? [00:01:36] Speaker A: No, no, but they come up to shows, like, we're going to do the troubadour here in a little bit, and it's always cool, like, going to LA and see the family there. And I get to Maine, and it's in a weird way, it's kind of, like, brought my family closer, like, because now everybody, like, come to shows together and, yeah, it's special. I mean, there's so many years growing up where, you know, families are just so busy, and my. My parents are busy and my cousin's parents busy, so it's like, to be able to, like, find time to, like, grow up together was always kind of hard. So it's cool now that, you know, we're in our twenties and some of us are getting older and we're able to kind of spend time as family now. So. [00:02:05] Speaker B: Yeah, so. [00:02:05] Speaker C: So growing up, I know you were fairly good, high level football player. [00:02:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:11] Speaker C: Did all of that and then kind of went into music. So talk to us about kind of that transition or how that took. Took route. [00:02:17] Speaker A: I mean, sports was just never the. Was not like sports was a cool thing. Like, music was not even an option, I think, you know, it was just like, I kind of felt like a baby if I, like, was like a, you know, like, into music or something like that. So I, uh. It was mandatory that you played hockey growing up, obviously, in Canada. So I did that for 1415 years and then got into football same time. I was still racing motocross. My dad's a huge motocross advocate since he raced when he was a kid and then got me into it at a super young age. So it was between motocross and football. And then I took a canadian football scholarship to university college in. In London, Ontario, where we just played this past Tuesday, which was a cool, full circle moment. Just go back before coming down here. And, um. But, yeah, I played three years there and had two ankle surgeries and was just like, kind of screw this. Like, I was just like, what? What am I getting out of this? It was to the point where, you know, playing the CFL is really, really great, and CFL is a cool league, but it's a. It's a lot of hard work and, you know, the money's not always the greatest. So it was like, what do I really want to do? And I started falling in love with music. Picked up the guitar, started playing cover songs, playing, like, coffee shops on campus. And then there's a festival in Canada that I entered in and did an emerging art showcase in 2017. And that kind of led me to realizing that my songs weren't great yet and I needed to get to Nashville. I had a lot of catching up to do, so shortly moved and started going there in 2018. [00:03:34] Speaker B: What do you think is something about Canada that you're, you know, you miss being here or something that you always, like, go back home and what's. What's something about Canada that people wouldn't. [00:03:45] Speaker A: Dude, it's so weird because it's, like, really not different, especially, like, even in this area. I'm like, it's so, like, similar. [00:03:51] Speaker B: Like, really? [00:03:52] Speaker A: Yeah. Pulling in here almost. [00:03:53] Speaker B: I've never. I've never been to. [00:03:54] Speaker A: Yeah, it's just. I mean, it's like, going to, like, Michigan, like, northern Michigan or, like, you know, there's parts of Michigan that are higher than north and where I was born, like, so it's always interesting that people, like, take it so far, but it's like, there's certain states that are. [00:04:05] Speaker B: Like, way higher in Michigan. [00:04:06] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:04:07] Speaker C: I've been over one time, and it was from Detroit area. [00:04:10] Speaker A: Right. [00:04:10] Speaker C: And just went, yeah. [00:04:11] Speaker A: So I grew up like 3 hours from Detroit. The ambassador bridge. This was like Windsor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:04:16] Speaker C: There's a casino somewhere. Before, casinos were real big in the states back. I mean, this was 20 years ago. [00:04:23] Speaker A: Now you go up there and drink because you'd be like, 19. You get drink. Absolutely. So, like, a lot of Detroit people, like, go over or some of the, you know, schools in there, but, yeah, no, I mean, I definitely. I think for me now, it's just family is the only thing I, like, miss. Like, I have some nieces and nephews and, you know, just seeing how fast they're growing or my grandparents are getting older and stuff like that. I think that's kind of been put into perspective a lot. This last year. We've been. We've been gone a lot, and I've only got to go home once. So, um, in a year, they, you know, family really changes a lot when they're like little kids and, you know, as they're getting, you know, grandpa's getting older, so. But, yeah, in regards to. I mean, it's so. It's so similar. You know, the food's quite similar, very americanized. And then the countryside of, it's just different. It's like, very northern country versus, like, southern hot, you know, in Nashville. [00:05:05] Speaker B: Right. [00:05:06] Speaker A: So. [00:05:06] Speaker C: So you're playing cover songs, you're doing the coffee shops and those kind of things that you mentioned. And then I, you know, what. What is the decision? Where is the decision? Say, hey, I gotta. I gotta get down to Nashville. I gotta take that leap. [00:05:17] Speaker A: I just. Because, like, when I really. And this is just who I am as a person. And it's literally. It could be the littlest thing. Like, right now, buying a house and I'm fixated on a pond and I'm, like, figuring out. I'm learning everything about ponds and stocking ponds. And, like, when I just get fixated on something, I was. I was just beyond fixated on it. I was like, I wanna do this. I have to do this. I mean, I did take a year of taking trips. Like, I would go for a month and I'd come back for a couple and make some more money. Cause being canadian, you couldn't make money in the US either. I, like, I couldn't go get a job at Starbucks. So I could only, like, work for cash, which I'm not even really supposed to say, but, you know, you couldn't. [00:05:49] Speaker B: Work in the States. [00:05:50] Speaker A: You have to have a visa. Like a work permit. Yeah. So, like, I would literally. I built furniture for the. For the first. I mean, six months to a year, nine months to a year, I'd be like, coffee tables and end tables and shit. Pretend like it was for sale on Facebook marketplace. [00:06:05] Speaker B: We're in the market for, like, honestly. [00:06:09] Speaker A: Like, I would, like, pretend like this was for sale and I hadn't. Hadn't made it yet. Like, I took photos from a company that built furniture in Australia. [00:06:17] Speaker B: Once you got the order. [00:06:18] Speaker A: Once I got the order, I'd go to Home Depot that next day and be like, we can come pick it up tomorrow. And it would take me, like, an hour and a half to make it. Like, I'd build it and then stain it, and then they'd come pick up that night or the next day, and I. [00:06:27] Speaker B: Everything's still wet. [00:06:28] Speaker A: Yeah. And, you know, but the coolest full circle thing, I'm trying to remember where it was. I think it was. Where was it? We were in Arizona. No, Arizona. And this girl. Yeah, it was Arizona with Nickelback. And this girl had come to a show with her family. Her family had a summer home there, and she came. She's like, I bought a coffee table from you in Nashville, which was, like, josh Ross originally. Like, the weirdest thing. She's like, I. You're not gonna remember me, but I bought a coffee table, and I was like, this is the weirdest thing. [00:06:59] Speaker B: But she's like, it's in the vehicle. If you sign it, that you have a Josh Ross original. [00:07:04] Speaker A: Those full. So, yeah, a lot of. Lot of, like, random stuff I had to do to kind of make it work early on. And then I used to sleep in my car and. [00:07:11] Speaker B: Well, so tell. Go back to that story, and however much you've shared or want to share. Yeah, that story is crazy, and I've got to hear it from you, but for people that don't know. So you're how old and you are getting into music, and how did that start of you saying, I'm leaving? [00:07:28] Speaker A: I mean, I just got out of college, so I would have been, you know, 22 ish, and, yeah, I just. Again, I wanted to be here. Like, it was so tough. And I used to lie to my parents and ask them to help pay for my rent early on, and I would actually use it to get, like, demos, and I was, like, working on, like, singles and Ep zone, and there was honestly times where I had a Pontiac vibe, which was like a hatchback. It was like the same as, like, a Toyota matrix or whatever. It was the greatest car ever. It had, like, 400,000 miles on. It was just a beast. Front, front bumper was all, like, duct taped and zip tied, all still on. And I used to take it around the motocross track in Canada and, like, all this crazy, like, this car had been through everything, but I used to have, like, a foam topper and I just have in the back, and it was like a queen size almost in the back, and I would just chill out, shout out to Sony publishing. I used to sleep in their parking lot all the time. And, yeah, I mean, I definitely tell the story, but I'm also just like. I think a lot of people. Yeah, it's just the depth of how long to be here today, and it's just really cool. Like, the full circle stuff. It wasn't a TikTok overnight that, like, changed my life, and I love the social tools and all that, but I, again, very passionate on, like, we've been grinding it for a lot of years, and it's cool to start seeing things happening. [00:08:41] Speaker B: So how. So you're down in Nashville, you come from Canada. [00:08:44] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:45] Speaker B: How did you get introduced, or how did you end up meeting? Was it from the parking lot or. [00:08:50] Speaker A: Was it from, like, it was from, like, meeting people. [00:08:53] Speaker B: So you're just in Sony parking lot and then you're going around national? [00:08:56] Speaker A: I'd go, yeah, go out. I, you know, like, I mean, I spent the other half of my money going out and drinking and meeting people. Like, red door was, like my spot for sure. And a lot of dark nights and good nights and then there, you know, so there's nights that were, yeah, definitely incredible. I met great people, and the nights, they were a little tough, but, yeah, things. Things like, you know, he's just like, I will someday. I'd like to, like, make, like, a tree of, like, here's the one person I knew when I came to town and how that all branched out. But what really changed for me is I actually went to the canadian awards in 2017. Kind of, like, snuck into some stuff, and it was in Calgary, and Morgan was there, and he was the guest artist because he was on big loud, and they had, like, dow Smith and some other people, and chief was there, and it was like, late night again. Sometimes what's good to go out? It was 02:00 in the morning, and I went across from the hotel, and there was this little dive bar, and Morgan was there. He just had chasing you at radio at the time. And I literally went up to him. I was like, dude, I'm just a fan of the song. And we had a shot, and then the entire night, we're all hanging out, and he's like, these guys can change, you know, change your life. And it was a lot of the big, big, loud staff. And so I met Chief and them all that day, and then the next day at this, like, conference that they had, and I gave them my information, and I got chief's number, and I sent chief songs until 2021, like, literally, like, three, four years of just sending him stuff, and he's, like, not ready yet. You know, we're, like, getting better. I'm glad, you know, moved to Nashville. That was his one big thing, was like, get to Nashville Nashville and start, you know, diving in on that. And. And then in 2021, I got, like, a random or 22. I got, like, a random text message from him, and they're on, like, a big, long table on this, like, zoom call with universal, and they're like, we're talking about you. It was like. And I was just like, wow. But it's just. It took, you know, time. Nothing that I think I've done has been really been quick. And sometimes that can be, like, I would say, very frustrating in this industry. That's like, everything's so disposable, like, whether it be songs or teasing songs that we're just talking about, like, when are you gonna put this song out of? This song out? It's like, it's so interesting because music now, sadly, I feel like, is, like, it's, like, scrolling on social media and, like, you know, there's a lot of songs that are so incredible that are never gonna see, you know, a long, you know, long jevy of a song. So it's interesting because I've. I was still old school a certain way, but then I'm like, okay, you know, I'm fitting in with the. With the tick tock era and in the social media, and I enjoy it. It's just. Yeah, it's an interesting time in music, for sure. [00:11:14] Speaker B: I mean, it's a weird. It's a weird time that, yeah, I'm watching all these people literally just sit and lip sync to the video, and it's like, this is what's getting views, and, yeah, it's actually crazy, but. So what was that song that. That I got their attention? What was that song? [00:11:30] Speaker A: It was called first Taste of Gone. And it was just a story that, you know, honestly, as a songwriter, was the first time. I remember, like, 20 1819, 2020 really just trying to write what was, like, on the charts and, like, trying to, like, fit in with, like, what was mainstream or whatever it was. And I think by the time you figure that out, it's already changed again. And I had kind of got started to go through, like, a breakup situation in 2021 and got in the writing room. And the main line was, you know, the girl was up in Canada, said, 700 miles away, moving on, and getting my first taste of gone. And honestly, again, going out every once in a while is not a bad thing. I was sitting at a bar with my best friend, one of my best friends, Mason Thornley, who I wrote it with, and he literally bought me a jack and coke and said, dude, everything's gonna be all right. Cheers to your first taste of gone. I was like, this is a great idea. And that's what song. We wrote it within probably 45 minutes. And I walked out. I was like, this is me. I feel like this is something I want to say. It was a little more, like, raw and emotional, and I had not really done that yet. And then, yeah, that was the song that I put independently to canadian radio. Got, like, some of my first playlisting on, like, the new boots and Spotify playlists. And first time in town where people were like, oh, there's, you know, there's that Josh garage, you know, sings that, the first day Sagan song. And it was kind of cool to see kind of that start to happen. So that was the song that definitely did things. And then. And then I would say trouble was the big one that, like, kind of changed everything, especially on, like, socials and dsps and stuff. Yeah. [00:12:53] Speaker B: Cause I always. Me and Wayne do this thing where we. I look back through my text messages and my history of when I mentioned somebody, and then I'll scroll back. And today I looked back, and the first time I sent it in June of 21, and I sent tall boys. But I think the only reason it grabbed my attention. [00:13:10] Speaker A: Tailgate tall boys. [00:13:11] Speaker B: Tailgate tall boys. Cause, I mean, I'm not saying that's not a great song, but I look back and then we mentioned it a couple other times. And what's crazy is I went through my list. I went through my list of what I sent Wayne, and this was June of 21, and then it was. It was may of 22, and I sent a list of names for the festival. [00:13:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:13:38] Speaker B: And those names were 60 40 Connor Smith, Patrick Droney, Zach Bryan and Josh Ross and Jake Scott were just some random names that I ran through with Wayne. I looked back through that list, I was like, holy crap. What? What, three or four year, you know, what a couple of years can do. [00:13:57] Speaker A: Yeah, no, it's crazy. Um, that's just cool to, like, here, you know, like, I don't know, it's interesting. And we came here and played with Bailey, and again, it's like full circle to come here and we opened for Bailey. I'm trying to think. I think it was in like, is it November 22? It's probably almost two years. [00:14:14] Speaker B: Yeah, no, it's definitely been two years, I think. [00:14:16] Speaker A: Yeah, I think it's two years. I think it was the fall of 22. [00:14:19] Speaker B: It was definitely cooler. I wasn't summertime. [00:14:22] Speaker A: Yeah, I remember playing tallboys and soundcheck and Wayne just like, looked up and was like, that's kind of cool song kind of fits with the brand and had no idea who I was. You know, I was just, I was just opening for Bailey and. But then again, it's like, you know, friendships happen and things, you know, start to happen. And again, it's like, you meet that next person that brings you to this. Now I'm, you know, we're playing festivals. You know, it's cool because there was a time where, like, I played ten shows in a year and then this year we're doing like 150, so it's like, it. I'm very grateful for the, you know, the relationships and the people you meet along the way. And I. Yeah, it's been badass. [00:14:52] Speaker C: So I want to ask some questions about, about the shows and the touring. You're doing some of the. You said you mentioned opening for Bailey and I know you mentioned opening for others, too. [00:15:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:00] Speaker C: What's that been like? I mean, just going from, like I said, a handful of shows to being out in the road so much. [00:15:07] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, my first real tour, I mean, I did a run with Lee Bryce, which was like twelve dates at the top of 23, and then the rest of 23 was nickelback. Nickelback was like my first real big tour and set the bar so high. Like, it was, it was crazy. I mean, those guys are so awesome. They're still so badass, so talented. [00:15:25] Speaker C: I've heard a lot of great things about Chad and taking guys under his wing. Is that kind of, it's crazy. [00:15:30] Speaker A: Like, I'll just get, like a random facetime from him and it's genuinely just like, hey, how you doing? What's going on do you got new songs to send me? You know, like, those kinds of conversations and made me really learn, like, how to treat people, I think. But again, we're in an industry where things are so quick and things are happening, and it's easy. Just kind of, like, brush people off or, like, not pay attention to the friendships that actually matter. So I really learned a lot from them, whether it been the backstage vibes to everybody's welcome and family. There's a common drinking room. We would do radio room together. It wasn't like, we do this and don't be around us and don't bring these people around. It was very, like, open door family, but respectful, like, with respect. But, yeah, that set the bar really high. And then we were doing some random dates with Bailey last year in 23, and then it led to his tour this year, which was incredible. I think we did close to 30 dates and got to do the UK together, which is. Which was cool. First time over there, and just seeing where, like, music translates to. It's wild. Like, it made me realize I could probably go back there and do a small headline tour, which would be really, really cool. And I think we're even looking at that for potentially next year. So it's really. It's neat. And then, yeah, all the festivals, I can't. You know, we done so many festivals and flying everywhere. It's like, this year, we kind of just pull the map up and we, like, threw a bunch of darts at it. We're like, okay, how do we. How do we get from here to there to there? And then, yeah, we go to Australia in November, which will be really cool, too. [00:16:51] Speaker B: So it's hard to stay up. It's hard to stay on top of all of you guys dates and all the things you guys have going on. But I do try to look and see, and I feel like there's people that take this time off, you know, and they're. They're writing and they're doing stuff. And every time I look, I'm like, you're on another tour. Yeah, you're doing your own tour. You're gone from. I'm like, does this dude ever stop touring? [00:17:17] Speaker A: It's been interesting years. [00:17:18] Speaker B: Gotta get exhausted. [00:17:18] Speaker A: It's been. It's been a year where I'm, like, I'm genuinely learning my put, like, pushed limit. Like, it's been what the hardest thing is just staying healthy and then, like, you want to have fun certain nights, and then, you know, you're a little hungover and then you run down you get a cold or whatever it is. And, I mean, whether you drink or not or any of that kind of stuff, like, it's not easy and it's the traveling, you know, it's a hard part of it. I'm not, you know, he's the greatest sleeper either. But, I mean, not, like, bragging about, like, I doubt that there's another country act. I would honestly say this year that's done as many shows as we have. Like, I genuinely think we're probably in the top 2%. [00:17:51] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:17:51] Speaker A: But I love it. Luckily. I love it. I think. I think this year was the testing. Like, the tell all of, do I really love doing this? Because it's a lot both on, you know, I get back to town and it's like, okay, I haven't been there, so got a write, got to record, got to get photos done, videos done, whatever. So it's been a. It's been a true year of no fun, like, outside of music. [00:18:12] Speaker B: So what's. What's been a situation or a person that this year has been just kind of a highlight. Like, dude, I can't believe. Almost like a fanboy or. Yeah, just a opportunity that you're just like, I can't believe I'm. This is my life. [00:18:30] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, certain shows, like Royal Albert hall in the UK, Washington, there's, like a legendary venue. It's like the Ryman over there. It's just super ancient. Stuff like, that is super cool. And then. Yeah, people. I don't get starstruck. It's really weird in the sense of, especially musically, growing up, I was a fan of certain movie stars and stuff like that, but never got really to spend time with them. The Julie Michaels song that we put out together was really special. It was cool. It was sent, had Hardy's voice on it, and I was just like, I love this song. And I've always been a huge fan of her. I mean, she's such a great songwriter, huge in the pop world. So that was really cool. And I think that kind of opened a lot of doors. And we have something coming next year that I'm not really allowed to say yet with her. No, somebody else. That is definitely the most fanboy situation I've been in. [00:19:18] Speaker B: Female. [00:19:18] Speaker A: It's male. Okay. Yeah, I'll say that. Very, very excited about it. I have so many musical influences, and it makes total sense and it makes sense for me, which I'm really excited about. [00:19:30] Speaker B: What. What type of. I mean, are you writing a lot now on the road or. I feel like right now, you're probably in that just tour. [00:19:38] Speaker A: It's been bad. Like. Like. And I think that, you know, that's a part that, like, the writing was, like, my therapy and then, like, you know, my outlet, and that's been. It's been interesting. I've. I've maybe wrote, you know, 2025 days this year. So this whole fall, like, I got two writing retreats booked and I got. I think I'm gonna go to LA and then we're gonna do one in Nashville. And just really, November December is a year of content that I put in my phone. And whether it be the relationships I've been through, you know, the kind of stuff that's gone on and learning all this, I'm just excited to kind of get back to writing because I feel like we've been playing these songs hardcore for almost two years. [00:20:14] Speaker C: So just listening earlier to a conversation before we got on camera about a song that you've written and won't talk about any names or anything like that, just from the industry standpoint for folks like me who don't understand how that works or how this works. So you write a song, you know, somebody else has interest in that song, they kind of put a hold on it, kind of thing. [00:20:36] Speaker A: Yeah, I think I genuinely just got a. For a long time, all the songs I wrote, I was like, these are my songs. And, you know, I want to. I don't want to keep them. I don't want to give them away. And then it's got to the point now where I'm like, okay, I have 250 songs that I've wrote. You know, it's like, I'm not going to cut all these. And, yeah, like, some of the other people that I wrote those songs with message me, and they're like, okay, if we pitch this to such and such, it feels like a good fit, or they like it. And that's the cool part that I'm excited that I'm starting to kind of get into. It's like the songwriting for other people's side. It's always been kind of just about me and trying to figure that out, so it's cool. [00:21:10] Speaker C: Do you still have that same feeling for that song if somebody else puts it out rather than you? [00:21:15] Speaker A: I think I'd be more upset if it does in one way, you'll be really upset if it does really well, but you're like, also, like, I'm making money off of it that, you know, or like, you know, I'm getting maybe more known as a songwriter and I think that's another whole part of it that I'm starting excited to develop. But definitely, if it's, like, a super personal song, I have a hard time letting those ones go. The one that recently that I let go is just. It's more of fun and kind of more of a boppy song, so. Yeah, but I walked into this bar and there was this girl that I literally, I had a crush on all through high school and in Canada, and I walk in the door and she was standing there at the bar and. Losers. [00:21:49] Speaker C: Wow. [00:21:49] Speaker A: So I was like, oh, my gosh, this is, like, so cool. Meant to be, you know? Like, I had a couple drinks. I was like, I was feeling pretty good about myself, so I bought her a drink and walked up to her, and, like, immediately as I went to, like, give it to her, like, friend that I also knew, like, bumped into me and she's like, she's got a boyfriend. Like, don't. Don't be doing that. I was like, okay. So I talked to her, like, for five minutes, and she just filled me in quick what they were doing on their trip. And then I just said, like, kind of drunkenly. I was like, well, if it doesn't, you know, work out, let me know if you're ever single again. And I was like, single game, kind of cool idea. Put it in my phone and wrote that almost three and a half years later, four years later. I mean, I was in kind of, like a toxic relationship for a while. I just like to write where I'm at in life or, like, kind of what's going on in my life. And it never really made sense to write that song at the time, like, where I was in life. And then coming out of that, I was like, a single again was kind of fun. And it kind of was fun for me, too. So I wrote that with Brad Rumpel and Joe Fox and, yeah, it was interesting. Right? [00:22:47] Speaker B: So your relationship with raze, rowdy, I mean, how is that just a. You being in Nashville? [00:22:54] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, they were like, Nikki T was probably in Matt, I think Matt was actually. Yeah, Matt was one of the first people to ever put me on a round in town sick when he used to do his rounds and. And then knew the rays, rowdy folks. And again, was like, I was at live oak going to those rounds every. Every night. Like, every night that they had around. I was there. And whether I was playing or I was socializing, became friends with them. We'd go to red door after we do, you know, parties after at the apartment. That I was living in. And Nikki T. And I had some late nights together and interesting nights that I will not speak of. [00:23:30] Speaker B: But they were at Bama, the Florida Bama bar. I'm in bed, and again, I'm a late night person. It's like, one in the morning. My phone's, like, buzzing. It was, like, a week ago. And it's. It's Nick just facetiming over and over and over. And I text him. I'm, like, having fun. And then the next morning, I get all these texts of them at the Florida Bama bar. [00:23:50] Speaker A: I've watched a son come up with him a couple times, and it's been interesting. So that was just fun. [00:23:55] Speaker B: That was a cliffy. Cliffy D shout out, Cliffy. He messaged us one day and was like, hey, you should talk to these raise rowdy guys down here in Nashville. I personally did not know anything about who they were, right. But he goes, they just love to come and have fun at the festival. So they showed up 2023 to Bloomington, tent camped the entire time. Hottest. I mean, horrible. [00:24:19] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:20] Speaker B: And made the best of it all. And then the following year, I was like, guys, we need to do more. [00:24:26] Speaker A: Is that when we did the outdoor, I did, like, a podcast with him outside on the launchers? [00:24:30] Speaker B: Yeah. That's what we just called Wayne up. And I said, wayne, you need to come out here. Wayne, like, comes rolled up. You're sitting down on a podcast. [00:24:37] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:37] Speaker B: And funny story about that, which I've told one other time, was on our way up to Michigan to the festival. Wayne cannot drive more than 30 minutes without falling asleep. So I drive everywhere, which sucks, but I like driving. So Wayne is. I mean, just saw in logs, just passed out, and I'm like, oh, shit. Like, two weeks ago, the podcast came out from the festival. [00:25:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:25:05] Speaker B: So I'm like, I don't know. I turn on. I'm through every music. Seven hour drive. So I'm through every bit of music I can, right? So I start listening to it. Wayne just wakes up out of dead to sleep and goes, what the fuck are we listening to? He goes, I hate the sound of my own voice. Goes asleep. But, yeah, that was the first year, and they made the most of it. And that's why I think I love about them. [00:25:28] Speaker A: They're just great dudes, and, like, they. They're doing it the right way. Like, they actually genuinely care about the artists and the industry people, and, like, they're not just trying again to, like, get famous overnight by, you know. [00:25:39] Speaker B: Right. They love the industry. And so then when I called them and said, you guys want to host this shit? Because, I mean, I don't know, a host thing is tough. Like, I don't want to spend a crap ton of money, but it's nice having friends and people that are growing. [00:25:54] Speaker A: At the same rate, and they're great talkers. Great, you know? [00:25:56] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I mean, Matt, you know, sounds like he smoked, you know, three packs of cigarettes. He's out there trying to yell. He was, like, managing his voice throughout Clinton, and he got it down. But by Bloomington, which are back to back weekends, it was a lot on. He's up there just screaming. [00:26:14] Speaker A: That's like singing. That's half the battle is saving the voice. Yeah. [00:26:17] Speaker B: So, no, those guys are good. We love having them. [00:26:22] Speaker C: Cut you off for a second. That was, like, my first introduction. So I've known Austin for a while, and I've been around Tailgate and tall boys have worked, have been there as a fan and consumer. I have seen Matt up on stage doing the hosting stuff. I've seen him doing some of the podcasts on the side. But as soon as Austin came to me and was like, hey, let's do a podcast. And the first call we made was to Matt, and Matt said, absolutely. [00:26:47] Speaker B: It helps us every step of the way. [00:26:49] Speaker C: Talking about equipment, talking about do's and don'ts, and me asking stupid questions. Yeah, no, he was very supportive, and that was my first kind of taste into. Into that world, and it was great. [00:27:02] Speaker B: So I know you have to get going here. I think you got a meet and greet and all that stuff. Dude, we're excited to have you here. Cruising again, hopefully. I mean, next year, the festivals. I mean. [00:27:13] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm sure we'll be back. [00:27:14] Speaker B: Yeah, that's gonna be fun. So, no. So I usually ask one final question to it. It's something I've asked. A guy asked, told me years ago, and I don't know, we've kind of made it a thing on the podcast, so. Planes going down. [00:27:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:27:30] Speaker B: You got a parachute? [00:27:32] Speaker A: Yeah, I have a parachute. [00:27:33] Speaker B: You have a parachute. [00:27:34] Speaker A: Wow, that's good setup. [00:27:35] Speaker B: And you just so happen to have access to every album that you possibly could ever have. You can only. You can only take five. [00:27:42] Speaker C: Every time we do this, he's adding more qualifiers. [00:27:45] Speaker B: Yeah, because I've had people kind of put holes in and fuck it all up at the end of the day. Five albums for the rest of your life. I mean, what are you taking? [00:27:54] Speaker A: Probably one of the Eagles albums. Steve Earl guitar Town record Akon record. Dang, man. Trying to think then of the rest of them are also close tie. Like, I think the ones that are, like, so close to me as a. [00:28:10] Speaker B: Kid, when you get to four and five, it becomes tough because there's newer ones that are. Yeah, and some people go, variety. [00:28:16] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm trying to think. I mean, those would be my staples. And then I probably, you know, would pick, like, one of, like, the dangerous record by Morgan. I love that record. There's so many other things I would pick, like the post Malone records. Like, is it like OG stuff? Yeah. The three, four, and five are tough for me. The first couple I, like, know for sure, I love it, but, yeah, no, Steve Earl is, like, what got me into country music. And I was always an acon fan. I had a brother, brother, my brother and sister, 1012 years older, me. So I, like, grew up listening to, like, all this, like, crazy pop shit, too. [00:28:46] Speaker B: So it's like some dude left a CD in one of our company trucks years ago, and it just so happened to be a Steve Earl CD dude. [00:28:54] Speaker A: So good. [00:28:55] Speaker B: And I be. I was hooked. [00:28:57] Speaker A: I mean, that, like, four or five years old, I heard, you know, copperhead road for the first time. And not to, like, keep going on, but that's what really got me into country music. And I think he was just such a badass and way ahead of his time, like, in regards to, like, being kind of, like, the rebel guy. It was an interesting time in country music then, too. And he was kind of like, you know, he was a little more, like, edgier and a little different. And I think if he was understood better, he would have been, you know, I mean, he's, to me, is like one of the greats, but, you know, I think to everybody but full circle moment with Nickelback. Chad calls me three days before we start that tour, and he goes, hey, you want to cover Copperhead road every night? And it was the coolest thing ever. So I got to do that for 50 something shows with him and Min Brantley, which was cool. [00:29:39] Speaker B: Stephen Wilson, junior, to me, I think, is a badass, is a earl, like, dude. [00:29:45] Speaker A: So. [00:29:46] Speaker B: So I think every time of that's the closest artist I can think. [00:29:50] Speaker A: I mean, it's just true, like, again, like, true stories, like, true to your life. Like, it might not always be pretty. Like, that was the thing with, like, Steve Roller or, you know, and I try to do the same thing with my stuff is, again, it's that balance of fighting. Like, how far can I go down the bad road and keep it on to, you know, keep it on track. But also, you know, I still want to be, like, really truthful about the stuff that I battle with every day of my life and whether it be my own emotions or relationships or me going out and partying too much, but then me now being healthy for two months, you know, I go through, like, these. I'm very black or very white, and it's very interesting. [00:30:23] Speaker C: So, yeah, two different parts to the question. One is, who are you looking up to in the industry right now that you want to emulate? You want. They're doing the things right. They're doing things that you want to do. But then on the flip side, who are you taking underneath your wing to bring up to your level? [00:30:42] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, that's so many different parts. [00:30:45] Speaker B: Shoutouts. [00:30:46] Speaker A: Yeah. As a songwriting, you know, like, there's so many great songwriters that I look up to, like, even the Hardys, but then our performers, I think, like, I've really admire him, and I've got to know him a little more over the last couple years. But, like, really balancing that, like, artist songwriter life, I think, is really interesting. Obviously, people like Morgan, I'm like, to see how much, you know, he's played here, and then to see what's happened in his career is crazy in the trajectory of what, you know, what it can be and how, you know, how he gets there and all that's really incredible. And then, yeah, I mean, there's so many talented people coming up, and Brent Wisham, that we have tonight, shout out to him. He's got incredible voice, big heart, and, you know, the one thing I really, just really, really hope for, like, the next wave of people, it's kind of weird and, like, think that's not maybe my wave anymore, but it's just, like, don't make songs, like, disposable. Like, please. Like, it's. We're all just, like, fighting each other to, like, throw songs out and then, like, actual quality of stuff, it's, again, like, you know, quality over quantity and trying to maintain that. So I think being, like, careful with what you put out and taking your time and making sure it's what you want to say versus, like, what everybody's telling you you should say is a big thing. [00:32:00] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. So let's cheers again. [00:32:02] Speaker A: Cheers, boys. Thank you. [00:32:03] Speaker C: Tailgate beers. [00:32:05] Speaker A: Thank you, guys. [00:32:05] Speaker C: We'll see you on stage tonight. [00:32:07] Speaker A: Yes, sir.