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Man, Luke, you know, anybody who knows me and and has listened to us speak or seen our interviews knows that I have a very soft spot for you as a person and I'm a fan of your music. Well, thank you.
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>> So glad you're back with New >> Oh, man. I'm glad to be here. >> You look good, man. What's going on? You seem healthy.
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I mean, there's a lot going on in your life.
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How are you keeping balance? >> A lot going on, man.
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Uh, not a lot of free time.
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>> That's how I'm keeping it balanced. You know what I mean? Um, >> yeah, man. Just getting ready.
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You guys about to have another baby. >> Congratulations here. Yeah. Thank you, man.
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>> T about to get a sibling. >> They are. Yeah.
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number >> and we don't know what it is. >> I love that.
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We didn't either actually.
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I mean, no disrespect, everyone can do it their own way, but we didn't find out either time.
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And I think we thought we would and then when push came to shove, no pun intended, >> I was about to say nice. Nice one.
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>> I think uh we just thought there's a mystery to it.
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There's there's part of life's going to do this and maybe we don't need to know about it.
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>> We found out on the first two.
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I would have been fine with every one being a surprise, but >> um >> yeah, this one my wife was finally like, I mean, what's it matter at this point? >> It's a lot of work.
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Whatever it is, it's a lot of work. How about that? >> It's a lot of work.
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It's the best work you'll ever do, but it's a lot of work.
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Um, you know, as the boys have started to to sort of grow a little bit older, their identities are coming into play. They're moving. They're shaking. They're answering.
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They're they're observing and having conversations with you to some degree.
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I mean, has it has it kind of gotten into a little bit of a balance before number three now in terms of work, life, nurturing?
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>> Just in time to throw it right back into full-blown chaos.
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Yeah, it's like we've gotten to the point where it's uh I mean still a tremendous amount of work of course, but >> it's definitely like we're comfortable like we know exactly how to handle every day in some way.
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>> Um so this will be, you know, a big change to that.
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Um, >> yeah, >> three is a lot more than two.
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It feels like >> it's a minivan.
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Yeah, it's a sevenseater.
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>> Changes the whole thing.
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>> Changes the whole thing, you know.
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>> Changes the whole thing.
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And no one's like no one's in school yet.
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Like, so we're >> like, if we're home, like we're home like there is it's like a daycare at our house.
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>> But it's one of the things I think that people really love about you.
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Um, you know, in the in the in the moments that you do let people into your life, and I always appreciate your transparency whenever we talk about real life. >> Yeah.
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um is that you know you've worked really hard to find a great a great life with someone that you love deeply and a great partnership.
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I've met your wife a couple of times and she seems like such a great human.
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>> Oh, she's the best man. Are you kidding me? She's awesome.
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>> You know, it allows you to be the Luke Combs everybody else wants you to be. >> It does, man. Yeah, it really does. It really does, man.
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It's and it's special having that partnership I think is just it's, you know, I just can't imagine not, you know, having her by my side, you know.
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It would be crazy, you know.
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I mean, it would just I mean, let alone the workload.
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I mean, obviously, but just the emotional support >> and the companionship and friendship. Yeah.
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That's how you know it's a real deal. That's the real deal.
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>> I mean, it's like, you know, I wish she was out here with me, you know, but it's like we're getting >> we're down to the nitty-gritty on on time.
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So, >> we appreciate it being always being a part of that nitty-gritty, Elsie.
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Um, I want to talk uh a little bit about the timeline of things because, you know, when you're going to have a child, that's timeline.
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It can be flexible, but you got a pretty good window as a motivating factor.
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Now >> I mean I don't think I you know it's like we never plan music or anything around >> just the way it worked out.
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It was just kind of the way it worked out.
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So um we've always been good about, you know, hey man, we just got to make the best of it. You know what I mean?
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It's like you can't change when the baby's coming or you can't change, you know, how any of that stuff goes really.
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So, >> um, worked the music around around that.
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We were lucky to, you know, have it turned in in late like mid November.
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It was kind of turned in and and finished.
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And >> it was like, well, we've never really I've never had time >> in my entire career to do like an actual press tour of an album ever. Mhm.
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>> And it's weird that like maybe the busiest time of my life is the first time I've actually ever had >> the the like the luxury of being able to go out.
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>> I don't know how I feel about it.
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I was kind of getting used to not sharing it. You know what I mean?
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I was liking the fact that you'd come in here and see me, maybe one or two other people, maybe Rogan might get a look, a couple of other people.
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I don't like the fact that I don't like this.
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I don't like I don't like Luke everywhere, you know?
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It makes me feel I don't know.
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I feel I feel heartbroken actually. >> No, it's amazing.
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But it's it's yeah it's and it's like it's crazy.
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It's crazy coming kind of back and I mean obviously I did Fathers and Sons which we didn't was never supposed to be like a huge commercial success or it was really just something I did for myself and um I haven't really put out you know like a proper album in four years maybe.
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>> But I love Fathers and Sons so much.
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>> But I love Fathers and Sons so much. We spoke about that and it moves me that album and um I think you know there are the perfect combination of what we're hoping to get from you even just from an anticipation point of view and what you
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want to say and then we have to afford our our favorite artists the space to do something that that is for you and if people like it it is what it is is that really how you feel about fathers and sons because it did resonate but it really felt like it was yours. It was. It was. Yeah, it was.
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It was definitely uh there was like a calling to do that album, you know.
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I mean, obviously having two kids like that back toback and such a groundbreaking shift in like your entire existence and your life and I just felt the need to have something that my kids could look back on once they're older and once they can understand >> even what I even do, you know, and and how crucial of a time that record came out >> in my career.
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It was like we could have easily been like we don't have time to do Fathers and Sons.
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do Fathers and Sons. we got to put like we got to capitalize on success and do the big roll out and the big album and you know I just wanted them to know that you know at my you know at the most critical times they were the most important thing going on for me you know
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and that was kind of my way to express that to them even if they can't understand that now you know it's something that I felt called to do and something that they can go back and listen to and go well this is what my dad was thinking at this time you know when we were small he was thinking about us. He wasn't thinking about how do I
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He wasn't thinking about how do I find more success or how do I, you know, keep my name out there, do this and do that, you know, even though I have kids now, you know what I mean?
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They were, you know, the number one priority.
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>> I don't feel like this the the need to capitalize on anything has ever been much of a driving factor for you or happy or anybody in your team. You keep it small.
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You keep it family based and and that allows you to make decisions with autonomy, right? >> Yeah, absolutely.
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I mean, it gives you the freedom to, you know, operate in the ways that you want to operate, do the things that you want to do, and have the freedom to say no to things that you don't want to do.
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>> Are they hard no sometimes? >> Yeah. Oh, for sure.
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I mean, I've I mean, we've I feel like we've passed up a ton of things that people would probably say, you know, I mean, you're crazy for not doing that or not doing this, but >> big paydays here or big brand deals there or big stuff like that. >> Yeah, certainly.
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But I I mean, my decisions have always come down to happiness, you know what I mean?
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happiness, you know what I mean? It's like I think obviously it's great to be successful and and you know have money and have all these things but what it really buys you is the ability to you know have this freedom >> and live the life that you want to live
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>> enjoy it in the moment >> and make the decisions that you want to make and go okay well yeah we could go do this big ad campaign or whatever and it's like well this company would pay you x amount of dollars to come all you got to do is four hours of stuff at your >> in LA or whatever. And it's like well I
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And it's like well I don't it's like you know what I mean like I'm not doing it for >> that you know what I mean like and that's >> again it's I understand that it's easy for me to say that because I have reached a level where I'm able to do that. >> Yeah.
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By working really hard to get there as well.
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It's not like it was given to you and then you're like looking at the face of opportunity being like I'm good.
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It's like you tour relentlessly.
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You play multiple nights in front of 80,000 people a night off the basis of your ability and songs.
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Sorry to do your Wikipedia for you but this is the facts.
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So, you know, when it comes to saying no, there's a there's a some people have earned the right to say no. >> Yeah.
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And it's I think it's just for, you know, it's to, you know, make sure my kids know that I'm there for them.
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And, you know what I mean?
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It's like there's just some things you can't get back.
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And there's some things you can't undo.
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And there's, you know, you can't go back and, you know, lay around on the floor with your kids playing Yeah.
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>> air tubes or whatever. You know what?
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Like, whatever they want to be doing.
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>> I can't buy those things back. You know what I mean?
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what I mean? going and doing a big ad campaign or getting this big PR thing or whatever like it doesn't get me that time with my kids or time with my wife or time at home or myself >> until you see you know to Mcgro doing Ford ad and then you're like god damn I should have done that Ford ad was I love Ford I have three Fords was I
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thinking god damn it >> should have done it yeah >> I know it makes total sense I love to hear it I love to hear when artists are in their era of no I think that to me it speaks that there's there's more goodwill going into the things that matter which is making great albums like this more space to create and not necessarily capitalize. >> Yeah, for sure. >> Yeah, for sure.
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>> There's a lot of songs on this album, bro. And it is all stacked.
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>> For me, it's a bit it's biggest album I've ever done. So, it sounds like it.
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>> I mean, you know, I I wanted to do, >> you know, I think we're at this day and age where it's like the more songs the better.
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Like, do you know, do 30, do 35.
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And there's nothing wrong with that, you know.
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Um, I I just think that for me, this was a number I felt like was a lot bigger than anything I've done previously. >> Yeah.
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>> But it also gave people a chance to digest everything.
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It's enough to be digestible and it's enough to feel like, okay, well, you haven't made like a real quote unquote real album, you know, a proper like mainstream release in four years.
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>> So, I didn't want to come with an album that had 10 songs on it.
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And people were like, "Well, we didn't hear anything for four years and we get, you know, eight songs or what? Like, what is this?
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>> An extra half an hour on the set. What are we doing here? >> What is this?" Yeah.
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So, I I wanted it to be, you know, robust for sure, but I didn't want it to be overwhelming either.
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>> It sounds like you were spoiled for choice, too, in terms of songs because, like I said, when you go through this record as a as a Luke Combmes fan, anyone's going to hear this album and be like, "Wow, you and your collaborators set the bar very very high right from the jump, you know?" >> I hope so. Yeah.
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I I mean I I I think people will love it, you know.
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I hope they do, you know, but again, I can't control that.
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So, >> um I'm at this point where you just have to believe in it and believe in the thing that you've worked hard on and believe in your team.
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And >> everybody's done a killer job.
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Everybody's worked so much harder than me on this thing. You know what I mean?
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Like that's the that's the thing, too, is it's not just I mean, it's me on there, but like, you know, there could be 70 people on the front of that on the front of that album, too.
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everyone's invested, >> you know, and um I always thought that would be cool to do an album cover like everybody that's involved with the entire thing.
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It'd be a huge picture, dude. You know what I mean?
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Like there's a lot more that goes into it than that guy. >> You know what? You know what?
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You know, in in the day and age, maybe we don't do these anymore in the day and age of streaming cuz I mean, we have very effective essentials collections that change all the time, but it would be a great greatest hits cover.
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It would be like everyone that's written on everything.
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>> Big Christmas card photo. Everybody lined up.
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>> Everyone that mastered it and mixed it and played on the records and was in the, you know what I mean?
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>> You just off to the side.
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Just half your face off to the side like >> just I could not even be on there.
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I don't even think people would know.
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>> I never think that was going to fly this time. Uh it needed to be this.
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It's been four years and it needs to make a statement of who you are and who you are today. You've always done that.
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Every one of your albums has a has a title and a picture that says this is who I am today or a piece of art.
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Um, what does this say to you when you look at it now?
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>> It's like, man, you know what I mean?
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It's just I mean, it's just me, I think. You know what I mean?
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Ultimately, you know, I think I I don't even know that it it has to have any meaning, you know, in the sense of, you know, >> there's a lot in it though, bro.
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I mean, if I was looking at that photo and you weren't here, and I mean, it's a tough question to get you to analyze your own face, but but but I mean, if I look at that photo and I think of what's going on in the eyes, it's not a standard promotional or album cover photo.
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It's not staring down the barrel of the camera trying to make a connection telling people, "I'm here.
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We're we're going to sing these songs together in the future."
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You know, you're staring off in the distance and there's real there's something really reflective going on in your eyes there.
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And I mean, who knows what was going on in your mind at that moment, but it's a powerful image.
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>> Yeah, it's very contemplative, you know.
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>> Does that speak to who you are when we don't see you in the space or on stage? >> Oh, definitely.
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>> Oh, definitely. I'm I'm always constantly analyzing like you know what do I what do I want out of uh you know of doing this and you know I think you get to a point too where you're kind of like I found myself this morning you know thinking about you know I woke up at you know obviously I live central time right so >> you know my eyes are like wide open at 6:30 here you know which is like would be sleeping in at home
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>> um but I had a few hours just to myself in the hotel room which is rare for me these days to have time to sit around and process stuff and think about things and you know cuz we travel with you know three four people and there's always somebody we're in a car or in a plane the job busy >> right we're always around so you don't get a lot of time to yourself so I flew here yesterday on the plane and it's
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four and you know 4 hours about you know here and I don't think I said a word to anybody on the entire flight it's like everybody else is chatting people are talking and you know living >> life and laughing and I just kind of sat there and was thinking about you know having this this kid coming up and you know what I I think spent a lot of time like well why am I really doing this >> now that was a question I wanted to ask you today
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>> because we've spoken at various points on the journey >> when we first spoke it was happening you were in it >> and there was a sense of like trying to take stock of what that is >> then it becomes this perpetual experience where you have enough big songs this is just how I see it enough big songs enough of a legacy building around you that these stadiums everyone's like, man, I'm I'm going to buy Luke's ticket every time. I'm ready I'm ready to go.
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>> So, when you take a step back and you take a look at what you've built versus where you want to go next, >> how does it reshape that for you, if at all, and and get to the answering that question of like, why am I doing? >> Yeah. Yeah.
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And I I like like spent the last 24 hours really thinking about that and having the time to myself and you know I don't know quite the answer yet, but I was I've been really trying to think about why have I been doing the things that I've been doing and and you know what I mean?
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Like >> why was it important for me to make this record and like >> you know what I mean?
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Like obviously I want to give people the music that they want to hear and I love doing it. I love singing. I love playing shows. I do.
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Um, but then you're wondering like, man, is this like an egotistical pursuit?
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Like, am I doing this all to like satisfy some part of myself that needs validation or and I mean, it's like not I don't think that it's that >> valid question though. >> It could. Yeah.
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But like you just I I'm always trying to take stock and like make sure I'm not doing things for the wrong reason.
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>> I think that's it, right?
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It's it's like it's a valid question if only to find the purity of the answer. >> Yeah, certainly.
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And it's like I think it's good man to like take stock of yourself at times, you know what I mean?
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And just kind of go what am I what am I really doing here?
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Like what's >> we're going and doing all this press and it's like why well it's like why why are we doing all the press?
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Obviously >> I keep asking that question.
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Why are you doing more press?
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>> But it's like what it's like what are you obviously you ultimately if you boil it down it's like you want to sell albums and you want people to hear it and you want to give >> and the answer that I've come to is it's almost a glass half full situation.
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And it's the way you look at it.
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Like in my mind, I'm going, well, you could say, well, I'm doing this cuz I want people to hear this and, you know, I I deserve a shot at this thing or whatever.
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a shot at this thing or whatever. So, there's all those things that could it could be that that could be the answer that you find, but in I'm also going to myself, well, it could also be I really want to give this record the best chance to be heard by people and I want people
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to hear it and I want people to like it because I like it and I've spent so much time working on it and everyone on my team has spent so long, you know, hours in the studio and the studio musicians and my songwriting buddies and >> like if this album has success, it's not just me that has success. It's so many
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It's so many people that have success.
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>> And not that you I don't feel any pressure in that sense, >> but those people have worked hard, man. Really hard. Harder than me.
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>> Well, all of you are honoring the songs.
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At the end of the day, you create the songs. They they didn't exist. >> Now they do.
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>> Y >> and they're going to belong to other people. >> Yeah.
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>> And life is busy, man.
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We're all distracted all the time from >> Yep.
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I think it's a beautiful thing that that you remind people that you have these songs you want to share because we need reminding as human beings.
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I think sometimes we assume everyone's just going to be locked in, but man, shit's pretty tough right now. >> Yeah.
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>> And we need music more than ever. So, >> yeah, I think so. >> Tell them about it. >> Yeah.
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I just want people to get to hear it. You know what I mean?
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I think that's the ultimate PR thing.
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It's like, of course, you can boil it down to selling more and doing this and selling tickets and all this stuff.
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And yes, that stuff is all happening. >> Yeah.
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But it's really when you spend so much time on something with something and away from your kids and away from your family and everyone else that works on this sacrifice and time away from their wives and kids and friends and family and like I like I want to give this a shot, man.
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Like I want people to get to hear this because there's so much work that's gone into it and it's such a, you know, labor of love and a passion project for everybody that's worked on it that you want it to be successful for that reason. You know what I mean?
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like I didn't make this record for nobody to hear it, you know?
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It's like I want people to hear it, man.
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And I want people to give it a real shot.
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And I think that's what ultimately the conclusion I've kind of come to.
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>> Refreshingly humble, man, for someone who, you know, is about to go out and and I mean, again, you're stepping into familiar rooms.
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This isn't like you're walking into these stadiums for the first time.
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You're going back and playing these places again two, three, four nights in a row.
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We'll get to the touring side of it in a minute.
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Um, but you got so much new music to play and it's and you know what I love about this album as well is it is it, you know, it starts with a bang.
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It's got momentum and energy and I'm back and don't worry about where I've been.
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>> Don't worry about that. I'm here now. Let's get into it.
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But it also does pick up a little bit from where Fathers and Sons left off and you stay a little You still stay reflective.
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You're still thinking about things beyond what's going to make people bounce. >> Oh, for sure. For sure.
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There's definitely uh I wanted there to definitely be some moments on there of that, you know.
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I I definitely wanted to kind of get back to, you know, having some of the big uptempo fun stuff, but also wanted to not completely lose, you know, all the things that I've been doing in the last couple years either.
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>> You're a sensitive guy, and I mean that as a compliment.
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What What song What if What's one of the songs on the on the lower tempo side of things really got you when you started to work with the writers and you and it really struck a chord with you?
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I know they all do, but really got really got your emotions going.
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I mean, The Way I Am is the is the one that, you know, I would say if I had to pick a favorite, and I didn't write that song.
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It's a two-way >> that ended up in my inbox through through a friend.
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And >> where were you when you opened that up?
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Let's really try to set the scene of what it's like to get a song like that and what it feels like to know that your life changed because you've just been gifted something so beautiful that speaks to you so much.
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>> Yeah, it was uh my buddy Rob Snyder who I wrote uh she got the best of me with years and years ago. He sent it to me.
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>> So, you're answering that email, right? I mean, that's >> Yeah.
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Well, he sent it to me and I at the time like I'm not, you know, when I get, you know, sent these songs, it's like I'm always I'm not always in the best situation to listen to them and I always want these songs.
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>> Anything that's anybody sent to me, you know, if I'm in the mode where I'm going to be making an album or working on stuff, like if songs are coming in to me, I want to give them their respect >> to listen to them at a time when I'm open to hearing them, right? Mhm.
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>> So, I spend a lot of time carving out an hour or two hours of my day, you know, whether I'm like in the sauna or whatever, like somewhere where I can just sit and like listen and that's the only thing I have going on. >> Yeah.
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>> Um, >> so I I must have listened to 200 and something starts or things that people sent me or ideas and >> that took me, you know, months to go through and I'm not doing it all by myself.
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Like I'm putting it in, they're coming into my phone.
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I'm putting them in different files, stuff I haven't listened to, stuff I like, stuff I don't like, like and just moving these things around.
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So, I'm spending a ton of time with these songs or ideas or in the writing room.
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>> They must be changing shape, too, as as this one presents itself and suddenly becomes a real contender for your affection.
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It you must think like, well, hang on, that all of a sudden changes the shape of this one to some degree.
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>> I mean, that song struck me in a way.
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It was so old school sounding when I heard the demo of it.
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And another thing that struck me about it is when I'm getting these songs and putting them in this folder, it might be two, three weeks before I even put my ears on it.
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So when I go back and look at this in this folder, I don't know who wrote it.
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I don't know who sent it to me.
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Unless I know whose voice is on the demo, >> then I can begin to have somewhat of an idea.
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So I almost get the songs in a vacuum, too, where I'm going, >> okay, well, I don't really know who wrote this.
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So, it doesn't it doesn't nothing gets an advantage in that sense because I'm just hearing it.
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>> And this one particularly, it stumped me because I'm like, >> I don't know who's singing this.
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I couldn't recognize the voice at all.
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>> And I'm like, who is singing this?
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I'm like, one, this song is insanely great.
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And it's like I mean, it sounds like something that, you know, Willie Nelson would have cut in the in the 60s or in the 50s or something. You know what I mean?
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Like >> it's like such a slow old sounding country song and I loved that because I'm like who is even writing this stuff right now?
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Like it sounds it's so great you know >> and it took me forever to get to the bottom of the mystery.
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I actually had to send it to my publisher and I was like who is this? Like who sent me this?
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>> Because you can't trace it back to the email, right?
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Because it's in amongst >> well they're texting me.
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So I would go in what I would try to do is if I really like something I'd be like who sent me this?
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and I go in and I'd type in like the file name in my texts, but that doesn't always populate for whatever reason.
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It doesn't always populate back.
22:20
>> So, I was having like a fit and I even played it for some of my songwriting buddies that I was like writing with on a couple days.
22:26
>> I'm like, who is this?
22:26
Do you know who's singing this?
22:27
And they're like, bro, I got no idea who this is.
22:30
>> They're like, it's awesome, but I got absolutely no idea who it is.
22:33
>> And then I found out it's my buddy Rob.
22:35
And I asked him about it >> and he's like, yeah, man.
22:37
He's like, "I moved to, you know, I moved out of town a little bit and uh there was a guy named Chris Galbuda, great writer in town."
22:44
It was him singing it and it was just the two of them.
22:46
He's like, "We've been getting together."
22:48
He's like, "We got kids the same age."
22:49
And he's like, "We would get we've been getting together like just at nights like after our kids go to bed, like in the garage >> and just kind of whiskey and a song."
22:59
And it's like writing stuff that maybe we didn't think that anybody would like in the sense of like stuff that we didn't think well >> this guy or this guy or this guy is definitely going to cut this.
23:09
Like let's just write some stuff for the love of the game kind of thing >> without any like ill intent of like how do we get this to the right person or whatever.
23:18
And this was one of those songs that came out of, you know, out of Rob's garage, him and Chris writing together.
23:24
And I just fell in love with it and I was like, man, this song is perfect.
23:28
I don't need to I don't need to mess with it.
23:30
There's no way to make this any better, you know?
23:31
I'm just cut it the way it is. You know what I mean?
23:36
Because it's I mean, you know, I'm jealous. I wish I wrote it. You know what I mean?
23:40
It's one of those things where you hear it and you're like, damn, wish I would have wrote I wish I could say I wrote that. You know what I mean?
23:45
>> It's one of the best jealousies you have is when you listen to something that someone else made >> and you're like, >> and you're like, damn, it's perfect.
23:51
You know, >> I just I couldn't have done it any better.
23:54
I probably would have made it worse. You know what I mean?
23:56
Like to be honest, >> that's the fact that we all would.
24:00
>> So, let's talk about the mentality of the songwriter.
24:03
You're somebody who gets to work with great songwriters who love you, want to invest in your talent and ability, want to collaborate with you, want to hear what how you want to contribute to the song.
24:12
>> I feel like there's always something very noble about the songwriting and the songwriter process.
24:18
What have you learned about songwriters?
24:19
The kind of people who tuck themselves out of town and pick a guitar up or get behind an instrument and write a song with no fixed destination >> just to breathe it into existence in the hope it finds a home.
24:30
What have you learned about these people?
24:32
>> I mean, I've learned that one, they will never be appreciated enough um by us artists or by the fans or by the industry.
24:40
I think they are I think they end up at the bottom of the totem pole and I think that that's super wrong. You know what I mean?
24:49
I mean those those people much like the session players, you know?
24:53
I mean none of these great records exist without these people. You know what I mean?
24:57
Like they are >> purest intention.
25:00
>> Quite literally the foundation of the music business.
25:02
Not just in Nashville, but in LA or in New York.
25:04
Like there are all these people that are that you'll never hear about that are so incredibly talented like just beyond measure talented you know and they're compensated it feels like pennies you know for all this massive effort and creativity and you know the amount of time they spend shaping you know your favorite artists.
25:25
I mean there's I mean there's 10 15 writers that you know if had never been born like there would we wouldn't be here talking. It's so tough.
25:35
It's such a It's such a It's such an undeniable fact of life in the modern age.
25:40
And it's such a tough realization, especially >> like look at the two of us, right?
25:42
We've made music our life. >> Sure.
25:46
>> You know, and we're sitting in this beautiful room uh at a place that really cares, but is ultimately a part of a of a of a unstoppable progression of industry that has minimized all of that.
25:58
and we're here for all the right reasons, but we're on it's sort of like it's sort of like it's it's like the wrong side of history for the right reasons.
26:04
And it's so hard to like acknowledge that, you know, because it's so true.
26:08
And >> I got people who I love dearly who are who are, you know, writing and starting to write, starting to move out.
26:12
They know the realities of it, but it's not going to stop them. >> Yeah.
26:16
I mean, it's like back in the day, you know, you could get you could get an album cut on somebody and make a living, dude.
26:22
Like a nice a very nice living, an album cut.
26:26
You know, when you think about someone like, you know, Shaniah Twain selling 25 million records on one record.
26:32
I >> mean, if you got an album cut on that record, you're getting 10 cents an album, dude.
26:37
I mean, that's a couple million bucks we're talking about to get a song that's not even on the radio.
26:42
>> And now you're >> you're barely making a living if you're getting one single a year, >> which is even that's so hard to even do that.
26:51
It's like you're barely, you know, >> there's still crowds on music row queuing up to get in the room to do this.
26:57
>> Oh, there's people that would do unspeakable things just to get the chance.
27:02
>> And that's what I mean.
27:02
There's a nobility to this sort of uh desire, this this process of going out and again finding yourself just breathing these.
27:11
>> How many songs does Rob have that Luke Holmes has or no one else has cut that's just sitting there looking for a home?
27:17
>> I mean, I think about the ones that no one's even heard. You know what I mean?
27:21
like the ones that >> you know you're trusting your publisher to get these in people's hands and like is that even happening sometimes you know what I mean and that's not at fault I mean they're getting hundreds of songs a day >> but we're in this era now where it's like almost the songwriter kind of >> also has to do their own PR like they
27:38
have to go out it's so everything's kind of feels a little closed door where it's like hey man if you ain't in the circle with Luke then you're not getting anything you're not getting anything's getting in front of him >> and it's a special circle, too, because you don't play the game that others have to or want to play. It's not like if we
27:55
It's not like if we want to work with Luke, we got to join the Luke circus.
28:01
There's all of these things that have to be done, all these promotional beats you have to hit, social media, all this sort of stuff.
28:07
That's a reality of kids trying to market themselves into existence these days.
28:10
>> And somehow you've been able to create a beautiful foundation for yourself to do what you love to do.
28:14
And I don't think you've ever played that game.
28:16
I mean, I don't even know what your social media presence really even is.
28:22
>> I used to I mean, that was how I got my start for sure was on Vine and and doing all those different things and >> yeah, >> trying to be around and but then that wasn't the formula at that time either. >> Yeah.
28:34
>> That wasn't the industry standard. It is now.
28:36
Now it is like if you're not marketing yourself and you then you're falling behind and I feel that way myself. You know what I mean?
28:43
>> You feel that pressure? >> Oh, certainly.
28:44
I mean, there's always, you know, you could do more of this and you could do more of that.
28:48
And for sure, there's times where I'm like, why am I not just, you know, why did I not make a Instagram video of me walking in here today? Yeah. >> You know what I mean?
28:57
Like I And it's like I always think >> for everything. That's the thing.
29:00
It's sensational, >> right?
29:02
It's like it's kind of And then it becomes like, well, what is that what I'm doing all the time?
29:05
Like I >> I almost feel like I you don't get the opportunity to enjoy things anymore.
29:12
>> Isn't that what this is all about?
29:13
because you want someone else to enjoy it. >> You know what I mean?
29:15
It's like, damn, I want to enjoy my life.
29:18
>> I want to be excited and not go, well, I want to be getting a good Let me rewalk in >> because I didn't walk in good enough or my shirt wasn't >> I'm ready if you want to.
29:28
>> No, >> but I think it's funny.
29:30
I was talking to my wife the other day, you know, watching seeing videos or sending things and I was telling her the more I think about it, the more I watch stuff and again, there's nothing wrong with this, man.
29:40
People love doing this stuff.
29:40
they want to do it and I'm all for it.
29:42
Um, but I I remember going like I now I watch stuff and I process things and I go, "Think about how many videos this guy took to make this." >> Yeah. >> 30 second.
29:53
I'm like, >> "This guy is like, >> oh, maybe he's made a video of him cooking dinner or let's say that."
29:59
And I'm like, there's there's 25 edits in this video and it's a minute and a half long.
30:07
>> How long did it take him to cook?
30:07
You're making a video called 30-minute meals.
30:11
It took you 2 hours to make the dinner.
30:13
You didn't tell me the part about having to set the ring light tripod up over the top of the pan with garlic in it.
30:21
>> But that is that is a method, too.
30:21
Let me do the BTS on the thing I just did.
30:25
So, we now have BTS on the thing that I did.
30:27
So, now >> it's endless, dude. Endless.
30:30
>> What's in your algorithm that you can tell like what what is what are you watching right now?
30:32
What's showing up in your dream scroll?
30:34
>> And there's always like there's always golf stuff in there. There's always a golf. It's like so dad.
30:38
Like it's just barbecue videos and like it's like farts, lot of fart humor, you know?
30:44
It's just like the most boring of like video game >> Yeah. >> stuff.
30:52
It's just like it's the most uninteresting algorithm.
30:54
uninteresting algorithm. Well, but here's the thing I love about my algorithm is I have a I have a tendency to like love to comment on new artists music and like artists that don't have anything going on sometimes like >> kids sitting on their parents' back porch that are 18 years old playing guitar and I'm like this this person is an absolute genius and they have no idea
31:23
like this video could sometimes I get stuff come across and it's got two 300 likes on it >> and I'll fire a comment on it and I'm like hey man you're unbelievably talented like this is like you need to hear this and not that my opinion really matter I do it as a fan but also is like >> I can't imagine if 10 years ago someone would have commented you know if Eric
31:45
Church would have commented on my video and said hey man you're super good >> that cosign is everything at that moment in time >> the amount of like the confidence that would bring you or could ing a a kid that like is that the difference between them going well should I give up or not even if it gets them another week of keeping going dude like you know I mean
32:06
in some ways it feels like a superpower like to be able to just go in and like say hey man I've I've done what you did and I've made it to where I've made it to and just keep keep going dude like you're good you're really good >> you're speaking my language man I mean this is part of what is the driving mechanism for doing what I do, which is to just encourage the arts to keep going. >> Yeah, man. >> Yeah, man.
32:31
>> Like, it's so hard out there.
32:31
There's so many reasons to doubt yourself.
32:33
We were just talking about this with the band this morning.
32:35
There's so many reasons that push back against your instinct >> that it it seems like until you get through the other side of it and then look back on it cuz in the in that moment, you're just in it.
32:45
>> You look back on it, you're like, how did I do that?
32:46
did I do that? like it seemed it's it would have been how was that not insurmountable for me >> to just listen to that one voice at the wrong time and be like ah you know this this is not for me >> and so many hurdles to jump through and so many obstacles to like avoid along
33:01
the way you know that even one of those one of those pats on the back from somebody >> you know the recognition from somebody of uh you know that's made it down the road you know that you eventually want to be to >> is I I think a super powerful thing you know what I Stop doing that, bro. >> I love doing it, man. And it gives, you >> I love doing it, man.
33:17
And it gives, you know, and I get to discover awesome music that I never would have discovered. You know what I mean? >> Yeah. Can you open that up?
33:24
And I'm maybe you already have, you know, to to I mean, I know these are stadiums and some of these artists aren't ready to step out in front of 50 60,000 people, but you know, there there's are there times when you hear somebody and you're like, man, I'm going to keep an eye on that person because at the opportunity to to to sh to bring that person on the road, when that time arises, let me let me let Cappy know. Keep an eye on this. >> Oh, for sure.
33:43
I've done there's a band going out with me this year called Thelma and James and um it's two artists in Nashville that are married and they started write they wrote a song together and they're like we hadn't written a song together in seven years and we're married and we do very different kind of things >> and it came on my feed and I commented on it and now they're going on tour with me.
34:06
So, it's like it's not something that I don't but also I'm not somebody that's like I don't ever want to do it in a predatory sense where it's like, "Oh, well, let let me sign you, bro, or what?"
34:18
Like, I don't do any of that stuff. You know what I mean?
34:20
Like, I don't have an imprint.
34:21
Like, I'm not trying to sign you to a publishing deal.
34:24
Like, and not because I don't want to help you.
34:27
I just don't want I don't want to help people and them have the opportunity to feel like there's any caveats to me thinking they're good.
34:35
Like I don't want to take advantage of you being good.
34:38
You being good is great >> and I would love to help people and I I I want to do that but I'm I I haven't quite figured out a way and going on tour is the best way if you're ready for that.
34:51
Of course you have to have the foundation to be able to do that >> because they walk away with a real experience, right?
34:55
Even if it's a bad show, it's a real experience.
34:58
>> Hey man, you're great.
34:58
Sign this publishing deal. >> Listen, man.
35:00
I've >> I mean, that's to me is like that's brutal. You know what I mean?
35:04
>> I've had some experience in that.
35:04
And no disrespect to the people who are successful in that world, man.
35:07
I mean, I love good people in the industry that are keeping the the wheels turn.
35:10
>> Somebody's got to do it.
35:11
>> Someone's got to do it.
35:11
But you have to have a certain mentality to be able to to I mean, I do myself out of a job in the future maybe.
35:17
But I I struggle to get if if someone's really talented, I just want to help them out.
35:22
And maybe they're not mentally capable of doing that yet.
35:26
And the smart people I've noticed who run these things. They bet on the person.
35:32
>> Even if the talent needs work, they see that what's behind the eyes.
35:34
And I'm just this I'm like, if the music moves me, I'm ready to go. >> Oh yeah.
35:40
>> And sometimes the person isn't ready and I'm like, "Oh my god, it's been six years."
35:43
You know, they're not going to put a record out, but I love that.
35:43
You know, it's such a fine line there, man. >> Right.
35:48
I think the thing that that's also kind of scares me about the social media stuff is let's say let's say let's take me out of the equation, right?
35:54
Like there's a >> let's say there's one of these kids potentially that are great and they're on their parents porch and they're putting themselves out there and that's what they want to do and they they have the opportunity to promote themselves and gain recognition on their own accord because they are good and people see them and they are good.
36:11
I love that that's happening.
36:13
I also get afraid of that.
36:17
It doesn't allow you to to fail in a private way at all.
36:21
Like it like you don't get the opportunity to go play shitty gigs and like have a rough show.
36:31
Like there's like from the inception of your like I want to start an artist career, you're immediately scrutinized by strangers from around the world, right?
36:40
>> And people are going you're great, you're great or you suck or you're fat or you're shitty or you don't look the part >> or it hasn't happened yet for you, >> right?
36:48
Like or what you know when's this going to be on Apple Music?
36:50
going to be on Apple Music? all this pressure of like >> get me stuff now and it's like >> well then you don't get the opportunity to explore your sound to gain experience on stage and not that you have to have that there's plenty of people that have
37:06
become successful out of that world now we're in the time now where there are arena acts that started that never played a bar gig >> yeah ever and that's wild to me >> and it's okay >> but I think there is so much Like you have to find yourself as a person. You're 22 years old. You have to find You're 22 years old.
37:23
You have to find yourself as an entertainer.
37:25
You have to find yourself as a writer, as a singer.
37:29
You have to fail in front of everyone.
37:32
And I didn't have to do that.
37:32
I feel like I was the last generation of artists that didn't have to fail in front of everyone.
37:37
I got to fail >> in the privacy of my own living room or in the privacy of my local bar >> without it being constantly on the internet.
37:47
Now, I was putting myself out there.
37:51
I was also an expert level singer at the time that I started. Yeah.
37:55
>> I had done my 10,000 hours three times over by the time I even picked the guitar up.
38:00
>> For me, the real point of of self-consciousness was the guitar playing. >> Yeah.
38:05
>> It still is ultimately, but >> that's the thing that like I just wish that maybe they got a little bit of a >> I just hope young artists don't feel like you don't have to start putting yourself out there yet.
38:16
You're not missing your whole career by taking two or three years to hone your craft and write things and and if you want to put it yourself out there, you should.
38:27
That's an right that you have and an awesome advantage that no artist in history of music has had until now.
38:32
So, it's something that if you want to take advantage of, you should.
38:36
But also, you shouldn't feel the pressure of, well, the guy in the next town over, he's got 10,000 followers and I don't have any, or he's got 100,000 followers and I've only got 10.
38:46
and you're judging yourself and you're going, "Yeah, but you may you're not running a race against anybody else.
38:52
You may be on the same track, but the finish line is different.
38:56
The finish line is up to you.
38:58
>> You It's that starts when you want it to start and it ends when you want it to end." You know what I mean?
39:02
And like you get to make the whole thing.
39:04
It's not like, "Well, someone else finishes before me then I lose."
39:12
>> It's just not like that.
39:12
You know, it's so it's so refreshing again to hear you talk like this because, you know, you could very easily and and with no bad intention at all, with all the best intention.
39:21
Um, just cocoon yourself away and be like, "Okay, I'm I'm Luke.
39:24
I've I've built this beautiful, like I said, this wonderful relationship with a lot of people around the world.
39:29
I've got a great team around me."
39:30
And, >> you know, God speed.
39:32
You go figure out your pile. I got my pile. We're good to go, man.
39:35
I'll see you down the road if you make it.
39:36
But it's it's so clear to me that you've never forgotten how it felt to be fresh. >> Certainly. Certainly, man.
39:42
And it's there's no playbook, man.
39:44
Like there's nobody telling you how to do it. You know what I mean?
39:49
It feels like there's so many people that are out to like >> get like I got to get to this guy first and make sure that, you know, I get him to sign this bad deal or whatever.
39:56
And >> yeah, >> you know, there's so much of that out there, you know, and and also just want >> young artists to just have confidence, man.
40:05
And like you know know that there's people out there that do care and there's people out there that want you to succeed for the right simply because they want you to succeed as a person.
40:14
And >> you know the success and the money and the fame is all a byproduct of your love for what you do.
40:20
It should never be the reason that you do it. You know what I mean?
40:24
It's like >> yes it's nice.
40:25
Everybody dreams about what if I'm playing these big shows and I make this money and I have nice cars and all these things.
40:30
Yeah, that's that's that's that it can be part of it for sure.
40:35
But it's like it's got to come back to the love of the game.
40:36
And if you reach the levels that you know certain artists reach, like the level that I've been lucky to reach now, like you have to give back to the game.
40:45
Like you got to like you got to want it to get better.
40:49
Like you got to want other artists to succeed.
40:50
Like I want everybody to succeed.
40:54
>> And most people do that by starting an imprint.
40:55
But I love the fact that, you know, you are probably by the by the way you're talking the most well suited person to start an artist focused imprint who never will because the fact that you say, you know, you don't want to feel predatory or like there's a trade involved here is brilliant.
41:08
But man, you know, you're speaking the kind of truth that I would love a label to speak to if I was a new artist at this point. >> Yeah.
41:14
>> To give me the space and grace to be able to grow and not throw me in the bear pit straight away. >> Right.
41:19
>> Have I convinced you yet to start a record label?
41:20
I'm chipping away at it, man.
41:23
>> Maybe at another time. You know what I mean?
41:25
I mean it it's just I don't know like the the the money stuff is so hard and you know cuz if you are going to start a a business or a label or an imprint like ultimately the goal is it that you do want it to be profitable.
41:39
You do want to make money and and that's where like that's the hurdle I can never get over is is like >> how do I do that and retain my integrity? >> Yes.
41:47
And how do I have these artists fully trust me and not go, >> well, this guy, he's only wants to Well, it's hard to trust somebody that's making money off of you. >> Yeah. Yeah.
41:55
And also, >> it's hard to trust their opinion because it's like, >> well, yeah, they like, yeah, like we put another album out. Yeah.
42:02
>> Well, let's also be honest about artist imprints as well.
42:04
And I mean, there's some very successful ones and people who walk the line very well, but for the most part, it's hard when you're a new artist signing to a label that's ultimately helmed by an artist that's bigger than you.
42:14
>> On a bad day, on a good day, you're like, I'm benefiting from all of that.
42:17
But on a bad day, I'm like, why am I not getting some of the resources that the boss has?
42:21
>> And it's it gets really tricky and really complicated and and I've spoken to artists who have been signed to other artist labels and they've spoken honestly about it about the psychology games that go get in your head about like I just want to get where they are, but am I ever going to be allowed to get where they are cuz they are ultimately the number one in this business. It's really hard. >> Yeah, for sure. >> Really hard. >> For sure.
42:41
Um, man, this album is uh for Luke Holmes fans is is is such um a fulfillment a fulfillment of of of anticipation and and the hope that you were going to come back and really swing for the fences. >> You really have.
42:52
Um it leads you into a beautiful place in terms of touring again.
42:57
>> This is another stadium tour for you.
42:59
>> Um how do you feel about going back out to places that probably felt, >> you know, like a dream come true the first time? Yeah.
43:06
>> How does it feel going back out to these places knowing, okay, I know what I know what the what the what the what the basement what the what the what the hallways feel of this place.
43:13
I remember that place in Oslo. >> Yeah, for sure, man. It's like it's exciting. You know what I mean?
43:18
I I mean, we haven't done I mean, obviously last year we just we did some massive shows last year.
43:23
They were all festivals, you know?
43:24
They weren't >> our own shows and our own thing and, you know, not 100% our own fans there.
43:28
just there's you know there's if there's 80,000 people out there last year it could have been 60,000 was like oh >> well yeah can I jump in there and talk about La Palooa which to me I I I love I love that because it you know clearly you've grown beyond the country music space and become your own thing. Sure.
43:48
>> La Palooa is a festival that takes risks on that.
43:50
It was one of the first festivals to really lean into the K-pop space and be like nope you're going to headline that.
43:54
Um, and I I love the fact that you went out and did a festival which historically is rooted in the alternative music space.
43:59
How did it feel going out in front of that crowd? >> Oh, it was awesome.
44:02
I mean, we did we did LA, we did Newport Folk. It was a fun year, man.
44:06
It was an it was a challenge.
44:08
You know, we had some great guests come out a lot of these shows.
44:13
Um, and I mean a lot of these shows, you know, we took a huge I mean there was multiple of these shows that I didn't make any money, you know, like we took a loss like playing Newport Folk.
44:22
Like I took a massive loss playing that.
44:24
took a massive loss playing that. I just want to go out like I want to challenge myself and you know I want to go hey well how do I play a broke down acoustic set in front of people that are at Newport Folk Festival and them have a level of respect for me when I leave
44:40
and go well this guy you know this guy gets it you know and not that I'm going out there and going to be you know I'm never going to be Bob Dylan that's I mean that's no one's saying that I'm not saying that but I know that I have something to offer for anyone one that listens to music. You don't have to like Beer Never Broke
44:57
You don't have to like Beer Never Broke My Heart.
44:59
You don't have to like When It Rains It Pours, but I promise you there's something you like.
45:02
And it's not just I'm not doing that for myself.
45:04
I feel like I wanted to do that for my genre.
45:08
Um, country music is as popular as it's ever been now.
45:11
And I feel like it it's in such a rare space.
45:13
And I feel like that was that was kind of me wanting to do my thing to try and capitalize on the momentum that that we have as a genre for the greater good of the genre in the future. Right.
45:26
For someone at Newport Folk who would never have put one of my songs on ever in history and they're standing there and they're going, "God, this guy's got a couple things I dig." >> Yeah.
45:38
>> Maybe there's other country artists out there that also have stuff that I like.
45:43
And then maybe that person, you know, loses their bias or their, you know, subconscious kind of prejudice to country music.
45:52
They're like, "Ah, there could never I could never like it.
45:53
It's never something I could like."
45:56
>> Until you're standing there on the bay, >> getting to the heart of it.
46:00
>> And you're listening to going, I believe this guy. >> That's it.
46:03
That's >> And there's something out there's some there's other artists out there who I will believe or who I will love.
46:08
Like, I hoped to do that this past year. Hopefully I did that.
46:13
You know, obviously you go and do the moment with Alex Warren at La Plusa, which was ne would never thought would have turned out the way that it did in the sense of I mean, I knew we would crush it, but I just didn't think that people would gravitate towards it >> the way that they did.
46:28
Um, thank always thankful for those moments, but never while we plan them.
46:32
I'm not planning that moment like how do I get this big viral thing, you It's like a It's great when it happens and I'm very happy when it happens, but it's never the intent, you know?
46:42
>> Well, because I think you're both outliers.
46:43
I think that's the thing.
46:43
It's you're such an interesting story, Luke, because and we've talked about this a bit before, but it becomes more clear to me every time I see you and hear you your music is like you're the most popular successful outsider in a way.
46:57
>> Do you know what I mean?
46:57
Like like like I I said this to Mford and Sons the other day as well, and I'm going to say it to you, too.
47:02
It's It's kind of like a great unlikely success story in some ways. >> Yeah, definitely. Definitely.
47:06
I would don't think I was ever the uh I'm definitely not the lab grown country singer look, you know what I mean?
47:16
>> It's not even just about the look though.
47:17
It's even just the it's the kind of music you came out with originally and the journey been on and the kind of honesty you you know and again the era of no, the fact that you not it feels like you are moving in the moment to your own cause. >> Yeah.
47:29
>> And if that requires a hard no, it's a hard no.
47:31
It doesn't that doesn't scream I'm desperate for success here. >> Yeah.
47:36
>> And yet it continues to grow in such a beautiful way.
47:37
I mean who can go out there and play not just Europe but Australasia, all these parts of the world and play stadiums? It's a global thing. It speaks to that. >> It is wild. Yeah.
47:45
I mean I have never guessed that we would get to the point that we're at now.
47:49
Um >> do you have moments where you and your wife sit around and just kind of do you do you allow yourself the opportunity to reflect a little bit on if not just if nothing else just to qualify the experience and form memories? >> I think Yeah. Yeah.
47:59
I I mean, I think sometimes I kind of like intentionally don't think about it because I'm just like at some point it feels unhealthy to like try to process it or something. I don't know.
48:12
It feels like you're kind of like sniffing your own farts a little bit if you're thinking about it all the time.
48:16
Like you're like, "God, man, it's like look how good, man. I really did it, man. Like I'm awesome."
48:19
You know, like I'm the best.
48:21
Like how did I make it this far?
48:23
Of course I made it this far. You know what I mean?
48:25
But I just try that feels like a little bit of a slippery slope like drinking the Kool-Aid a little bit too much about yourself.
48:32
>> I I really do try to stay grounded in in family and friends and I try to not let the the level of success be my identity in >> how I view myself as a person.
48:43
You know, I'm I'm a person that's trying to >> do the best I can as a dad, as a boss, as an artist, as a singer, as a performer, all these different things.
48:54
As a friend, you know what I mean?
48:54
as a collaborator, you know, and and try to be the best version of myself and give as much of myself as I can to everyone else and stay sane and not think of myself as better than anyone else or different than anyone else.
49:09
Like when I'm home, man, I just go to the grocery store like with my kids and just get groceries.
49:15
And like that's what I do, man.
49:16
Like that's like people are like, "I can't believe you do that." And I'm like, "Why not?"
49:20
I mean, it's what I've always done.
49:22
You just, you know, if I want to go get something to eat, I'll just go get something to eat. It's not I don't know.
49:27
I just try to not operate in the vacuum of like >> Yeah.
49:31
>> celebrity cuz I'm kind of uncomfortable with like that.
49:34
The attention of it all feels a little bit >> Well, you've literally built a world for yourself away from all that.
49:39
I mean, you know, you've got this this this >> beautiful expansive hardearned parcel of land that probably allows you the space to be able to go and find some real solace at at any given moment. How was range life? How was life?
49:51
I mean, how do you how do you take advantage of that in order to just connect with nature and be a part of that experience and step away from all of this?
49:58
>> I mean, you know, the outdoors is I mean, a huge part of, you know, how I've gotten to to stay so grounded.
50:03
I think, you know, finding that, you know, someone who didn't grow up hunting or or anything like that, that was something that I found maybe 12 years ago.
50:12
And um, you know, I had friends that were songwriting that were doing it, you know, and that's kind of sounds like drugs.
50:19
I had friends that were doing it, you know, so I kind of but it became I was like, well, I got to be curious.
50:23
I'm like, why do these guys love this so much?
50:26
Like, what's there to love about it? You know what I mean?
50:29
>> Um, how could you how could you, you know, how could you do this and enjoy it or whatever?
50:34
And it's like you go out and you do it's like it's like >> it was the complete opposite of my life at the time when I started doing it.
50:39
It was like it was go go go PR PR radio this this all the time was gone all the time. >> Yeah. You know what I mean? All the time.
50:50
Hundreds of days a year for sure.
50:53
Away from home, not sleeping in my own bed.
50:55
And your life is just changing at like light speed. You know what I mean?
51:00
Like you're all of a sudden people recognize you everywhere you go.
51:02
And you're like, "Well, how do I deal?"
51:05
You're trying to figure that out.
51:05
Like how do I deal with this?
51:06
Like who am I going to be?
51:08
Who who's this new version of myself going to be?
51:10
And how am I going to handle this?
51:12
And how am I going to cope with it?
51:14
and >> just this, you know, like pole magnetic pole shift of your entire life is like turned on its head almost instantly, you know, >> and here's the real kicker. I asked for that. That's the real kicker. >> Yeah. Yeah.
51:25
And then it's like you're also a young person, too.
51:26
So, you're kind of like at the time, you know, I mean, I was lucky to be 25 when it happened to me, but some people they're 16 or 17 years old.
51:33
I can't imagine, you know, >> it doesn't end well often. >> No.
51:37
And so, that was the place I would go that was just it was the polar opposite of everything else in my life.
51:44
It was complete quiet, complete solitude and peace with like one goal in mind.
51:51
>> And so now, you know, obviously having the land and living on it is a lot of the things I do is, you know, me and my son like we'll go to the creek and they just sit there and throw rocks in the water.
52:03
Like we just stand on the edge of the creek and they're like, "Dad, I want to throw rocks."
52:07
I'm like, "You throw rocks, pal. Go ahead."
52:10
>> At the end of the album, song 22, a man was born.
52:12
You know, it it's important, I think, that we we give we give some time to to talk about that and why that was chosen to finish the record.
52:18
Um, you know, every every arc tells a story.
52:21
Why does the album end there?
52:25
>> You know, I think I'm constantly evolving, you know, as a as a person.
52:29
And there's all I look back on all these moments where I was like, man, I got it all figured out, you know, like life's I'm good now.
52:34
Like, this will be this is the end.
52:36
Like, now I figured everything out, you know what I mean?
52:38
There's always like the next challenge or the next thing that reveals itself that goes, "Well, you didn't know pal."
52:45
>> Bro, I had the best day yesterday and I had a sleepless night last night.
52:47
How's that for back toback?
52:48
I was like, "What the Today was great. Why am I in my head? What's going on?" Like, it's crazy. >> Yeah.
52:54
And just learning, you know what I mean?
52:56
It's like just constantly but allowing those moments, you know?
52:57
I mean, that song has, you know, it's a few kind of siminal moments in that song of it's the you you get in the big car accident when you're a kid and it's like there's these foundational moments you kind of remember that changed who you are from that point on.
53:11
Um, and that song just kind of it kind of just openly displays those like moments of vulnerability or ego death or whatever you want to call it that happen in a man's life, you know.
53:23
Um, and those moments are still happening to me, you I mean, you know, I was in my sad boy feels last night, man. You know what I mean?
53:33
They still happen to me, you know what I mean? I'm not immune from it.
53:34
You know, I'm not more of a man than anybody else.
53:39
You know, I'm just a a guy that's trying to be the best version of himself for his family, for himself.
53:43
Um, and yeah, I think that's what kind of what this record is and the work that went into it is, you know, that was my reasoning for doing it, you know, is is doing it for my kids and showing them, you know, I want to, you know, you fantasize a lot as an artist.
53:59
You're like, well, man, I'll just, like you say, you just pack it up and go home and just be done with it. You know what I mean?
54:06
like I'll just, you know, and then I'm like, well, what what is that going to like?
54:10
What are my kids going to think when they're seven years old and it's like dad's just bowing around the house all day and he doesn't, you know, he doesn't do anything?
54:18
Well, that's not the great example either. >> Yeah. >> You know what I mean?
54:22
Like I want them to see me.
54:24
>> Well, you have a short window where their experience is your experience. >> Yeah.
54:27
>> And then you start to live vicariously through their experience. >> Exactly.
54:30
You've got to feel to some degree satisfied with your efforts or your journey in order to truly appreciate where they're going to go and be able to deal with it with some grace and wisdom.
54:41
Cuz otherwise >> the trade gets all messed up.
54:45
>> Do you know what I mean?
54:45
But you you're in the window right now where they get to see the world through your eyes.
54:48
Both the biggest experiences dad working in front like whoa.
54:53
I'm I mean how old is text now? >> He's four.
54:58
He's almost he'll be four in June.
55:01
>> So, he's going to he's going to probably see a show around now and it's going to stick in his memory one way and then at the end of this run he's going to see a show and in the level of development and speed at which that happens it's going to it's going to stick in his memory a completely separate way.
55:13
So, there's that side of it, but then it's also like >> Yeah, but I'm coming home, bro.
55:17
Yeah, like we like we we're like me and Tex were on a ride yesterday on my property and we're in the truck and like I have my little iPhone mount where like my you know like I have my music up or whatever.
55:32
>> And it's sitting there and it's like I leave the screen open so I can see what song's playing and then on my dash I've got like my GPS or whatever.
55:40
>> That's just always the way I do it, you know.
55:41
Um, so we're driving around the trails or whatever and it was a there was a song from uh Southeastern chasing Isbel on >> and I was like, "Hey."
55:50
I was like, "Hey, buddy."
55:52
He was sitting in the center console of my truck and I'm driving and he's sitting up on the console so he can see out and my phone's right there in front of him >> and I was he was looking at my phone because there's just the album cover, you know, and the song and the song's playing and >> he was kind of looking at it and I was like, "Hey, man."
56:08
And it's like, you see the see that guy on there? He's like, yeah.
56:12
He's like, what's he doing with his face?
56:13
You know, I'm like, oh, he's doing this, you know, and he's like, what's he doing with his eyes or whatever, you know, and he's just a little kid questions.
56:23
>> And I was like, well, you know why he's on there, right?
56:25
And he was like, well, why?
56:27
And I was like, well, he's he's on like he sings songs for a living for people and people listen to his songs and they like listening to his songs.
56:38
And he's kind of looked at me and I was like, "Well, you know, that's what data does. That's what I do, too.
56:41
That's what data does for work."
56:44
And he was kind of like, I mean, obviously they hear me sing at home and >> No, but that's a beautiful thing to describe it in such simple terms in a moment where it needs to be clear.
56:51
And it was like that ride lasted maybe 20 minutes and it was like >> I I had never seen him actively listening to music, right?
57:01
Like there's always music going on and like >> it was like he was old enough to understand and he kind of looked at me and was just kind of like >> cuz he was putting it together like oh well yeah I've seen you sing and I've seen dad on TV at these things and well he's probably just thinks everybody's doing that thing. Yeah.
57:18
>> You know he's everyone's dad's on TV.
57:20
Everybody's dad, you know, goes and sings songs for people.
57:22
That's just what dads do, you know what I mean?
57:26
>> And so it was like he's So we listened, it was like Southeastern's on.
57:28
We play one song from that.
57:30
I just have my phone on shuffle.
57:31
And then it was like the next one's like, "If you're gone, Matchbox 20 comes on."
57:34
And he's like just kind of like >> he's just sitting there like entranced like looking at my phone like hearing these songs.
57:42
>> And it truly it was yesterday.
57:42
It was literally yesterday.
57:43
And it was like the first time he had ever like understood like heard music and like heard it for what it is and not just beyond.
57:53
>> You're a real one, man. >> You really are. No.
57:54
Well, and we appreciate that as people on this planet.
57:58
Um, >> congratulations, man, on this album. >> Thank you. I appreciate that.
58:02
>> You got a incredible couple of years ahead of you. You did it, by the way.
58:06
You could take you could take your foot off the recording gas for just a minute, right? You did it.
58:09
You know, you challenged yourself. You made a record. 22 songs fed us all.
58:14
>> Um, and to some degree as we say goodbye right now, that must feel and I mean this is as a good thing.
58:17
It must feel a sense of relief that you could climb that mountain once again.
58:21
Because when you take a break like that, come off of fathers and sons, you must be thinking like to your point, why am I doing this?
58:28
Do I have the energy and the commitment to go back in and do this again? >> Yeah.
58:33
And then you're ultimately you're awaiting the like, you know, will people still care to the same extent that they did before? You know what I mean?
58:40
and then you're analyzing.
58:41
Why do I even care about that?
58:43
I don't It's a whole It's a whole dichotomy.
58:45
You need a therapist to talk through.
58:46
But, um, it's all interesting stuff, but I'm very excited for this record.
58:51
Um, I love it obviously, uh, or I wouldn't be putting it out.
58:56
Um, so I hope people like it. I just, you know what?
58:58
I just hope people listen to it. How about that?
59:01
>> It's great to see you, brother. >> Yeah, absolutely.
59:02
Thanks for having me, man.
59:04
>> Anytime and every time, you know. >> Yes, sir.