WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.400 Eric Church's newest country music most Against the Grain performance. 00:00:03.400 --> 00:00:06.600 He launched his career with non-stop small venue to rent instead 00:00:06.600 --> 00:00:09.500 of the typical Nashville radio hit in 2019. 00:00:09.500 --> 00:00:13.700 He blew up the idea the classic country Tour opening acts and 00:00:13.700 --> 00:00:14.900 playing 3-hour gigs. 00:00:14.900 --> 00:00:18.100 He is country music's middle finger and his fans loved them 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:21.600 for I'm rolling stone country editor Joseph Hudak for the Rolling 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:24.300 Stone interview. I talked to church about his new album heart 00:00:24.300 --> 00:00:28.000 and soul social changes and Country Music why he thinks he'll be 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:29.400 back onstage in the fall. 00:00:31.200 --> 00:00:35.000 How's school going for you? 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:39.000 Now, like where are you now mentally compared to last year at 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:44.800 this time. At least it's the specifically for me. 00:00:44.800 --> 00:00:47.200 I had had a hard few years anyway, 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:51.000 you know coming into to this so I think music for me and being 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:54.300 on stage with a lot of therapy in a lot of ways, 00:00:54.300 --> 00:00:55.400 you know to be out there. 00:00:55.400 --> 00:00:59.100 So I think I think that's been the biggest thing I've missed 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:03.300 is just now play music since I was going to stay somewhat 00:01:03.300 --> 00:01:06.600 professionally getting paid to talk like you're 20 years old. 00:01:06.600 --> 00:01:09.900 So I've been doing I've been doing it longer than I've been 00:01:09.900 --> 00:01:10.800 doing something else. 00:01:10.800 --> 00:01:14.000 So it's been hard not to have those moments will be with the 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:21.600 crowd. I'm so excited and this record is really revealed 00:01:21.600 --> 00:01:23.700 some some gems and secrets to me. 00:01:23.700 --> 00:01:24.600 So I'm looking for 00:01:31.100 --> 00:01:33.500 Outsiders into mr. 00:01:33.500 --> 00:01:37.900 Misunderstood could not have been more different and I think 00:01:37.900 --> 00:01:43.000 that you found a new sound and a new stylist. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:46.600 All right knee but I'm more focused on writing a more personal 00:01:46.600 --> 00:01:51.800 cell riding with Miss misunderstood that was 2015 heart and soul 00:01:51.800 --> 00:01:54.400 taken as a whole and let you know talk about it. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:55.400 That's a whole right now. 00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:59.400 Okay. Okay, if I come natural evolution of that show, 00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:01.000 how do you how does the Eric Church? 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:05.300 Mr. Misunderstood compared to the one who wrote recorded 00:02:05.300 --> 00:02:09.600 heart and soul start for your ear questionnaire was The Outsiders 00:02:09.600 --> 00:02:11.400 was a lot of bombast. I 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:14.600 felt like Outsiders was the Rebellion record. 00:02:14.600 --> 00:02:16.400 It was trying to get away from the guy. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:19.400 They just made the chief album and it had a lot of success 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:22.300 and had been boxed in a lot of ways. 00:02:22.300 --> 00:02:27.400 I felt like Outsiders was the Gatling creativity run amok where 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:28.400 you have a person going. 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:30.700 I do not I do not want to be who you want me to 00:02:30.700 --> 00:02:38.600 be. Yeah, right more organic return to the singer-songwriter 00:02:38.600 --> 00:02:41.800 part of that the storytelling part of that. 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:46.100 What's interesting to me is as we come into heart. 00:02:46.100 --> 00:02:51.000 So I'm still having a hard time talking about what I think 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:54.800 heart and soul is because I didn't find and set out to make 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:57.600 art. And so I think a lot of artists and songwriters 00:02:57.600 --> 00:03:00.400 they they say I'm going to go make this album. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:04.300 This is where I am at the time this is what I'm going to 00:03:04.300 --> 00:03:06.000 do that didn't happen here. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:10.200 This was the album Maybe I didn't make the album and every 00:03:10.200 --> 00:03:13.300 day. I didn't know what that song what I didn't know what was 00:03:13.300 --> 00:03:14.200 going to happen that. 00:03:14.200 --> 00:03:17.400 I didn't know if we were going to strike out and then the best 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:19.400 part of it is when that was over with 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:22.900 I do it again the next day and at the end of the next 00:03:22.900 --> 00:03:24.300 day, I couldn't remember what we did. 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:26.900 They want had no clue what the damn song was. 00:03:26.900 --> 00:03:33.300 So it was one of those Wild Things where we let whatever 00:03:33.300 --> 00:03:34.600 was going to happen happened. 00:03:34.600 --> 00:03:35.700 We didn't choke anything out. 00:03:35.700 --> 00:03:39.500 We put everybody in a room and I still remember there was one of 00:03:39.500 --> 00:03:43.300 the early songs were recorded that we brought up some guitar 00:03:43.300 --> 00:03:47.700 studio guy from Nashville cuz I wanted I wanted things to be uncomfortable 00:03:47.700 --> 00:03:52.000 for my band just to just to have some tension which is great 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:57.400 and he sat down I just written the song 3 hours before and he 00:03:57.400 --> 00:03:59.600 said well, do you think the guitar part goes like this? 00:03:59.600 --> 00:04:03.300 I said Rob I don't know what the fuck to Guitar by said these 00:04:03.300 --> 00:04:11.600 brand-new forgot. Normally you've listened to songs thousand 00:04:11.600 --> 00:04:12.800 times and you have outside. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:23.700 The writing part is the purest writing up done because it was 00:04:23.700 --> 00:04:29.000 unedited and nobody got to sit there and do it put it to a 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:30.300 committee and go. 00:04:30.300 --> 00:04:31.400 Well. How about a first-year? 00:04:31.400 --> 00:04:33.300 How about we do this here? 00:04:33.300 --> 00:04:34.900 I would say the same thing for Jay Joyce. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:39.900 There there's no there's nobody else to run it by it weirdest 00:04:39.900 --> 00:04:40.600 in the room. 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:41.300 What feels good. 00:04:41.300 --> 00:04:46.400 What sounds good and I don't know if I've ever made a record 00:04:46.400 --> 00:04:51.500 that it was that that same day that you go Stills good is this 00:04:51.500 --> 00:04:53.300 right? Let's do it. 00:04:53.300 --> 00:04:58.100 You know, it's almost like a Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street 00:04:58.100 --> 00:05:03.700 template for people who don't know you took the bandits took 00:05:03.700 --> 00:05:04.800 Jay Joyce your producer. 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:09.100 You took an army of songwriters to North Carolina. 00:05:09.100 --> 00:05:17.100 When is it right and wrote and recorded the song a day? 00:05:17.100 --> 00:05:18.600 If not more than one a day. 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:24.700 Right? Right. We at least have at least they wanted to go back 00:05:24.700 --> 00:05:27.100 to the desperate Man album, which is the album that preceded 00:05:27.100 --> 00:05:30.500 this you said that you felt too comfortable making desperate 00:05:30.500 --> 00:05:32.900 man. What did you mean by that? 00:05:32.900 --> 00:05:35.200 And is that basically what prompted? 00:05:36.100 --> 00:05:43.900 You know this North Carolinian Exile, I felt like we came off 00:05:43.900 --> 00:05:45.000 of an arena tour. 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:50.400 It was sold out shows and we show up in the studio and I 00:05:50.400 --> 00:05:52.800 don't know everybody's kind of hate, you know where I guess 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:54.400 we're going to make a record we're going to do it again. 00:05:54.400 --> 00:05:55.900 There was no sense of urgency. 00:05:55.900 --> 00:05:57.700 There was no danger. 00:05:57.700 --> 00:06:01.900 There was no I felt like the band was just kind of there and 00:06:01.900 --> 00:06:04.600 I don't know the whole thing to me was nothing. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.800 At nothing to do with what the end product was. 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:15.000 I'm telling people what the process was in the process was difficult 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:19.000 to get to that point we over cut more than we've ever over to 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:21.900 it. I mean we had six or seven songs that just didn't make the 00:06:21.900 --> 00:06:24.500 album or we'd strike out the whole thing. 00:06:28.300 --> 00:06:31.800 You have to replace your producer you start changing after 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:34.800 band members. You start changing everything to try to get that 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:38.300 thing that we're trying to get back to not in my ID instead 00:06:38.300 --> 00:06:42.800 of doing that was dope this North Carolina where my take Jay 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:46.000 out of his element sticking an element this never have a studio 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:46.400 in it. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:51.700 I take the band and I put them in a competitive situation 00:06:51.700 --> 00:06:54.900 with other people and then I'm not for myself. 00:06:54.900 --> 00:07:02.300 I went there with I had four five song ideas coming in today 00:07:02.300 --> 00:07:05.500 one and I exhausted them quickly. 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:08.100 So we got to like day 7 Day 8. 00:07:08.100 --> 00:07:11.100 I didn't know what the next day was going to eat got got a 00:07:11.100 --> 00:07:13.200 manic where I would sit there and go fuck. 00:07:13.200 --> 00:07:14.600 What's the what is tomorrow? 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:15.700 And what are we going to ride tomorrow? 00:07:15.700 --> 00:07:18.000 And I think that 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:20.200 I don't know man. 00:07:20.200 --> 00:07:21.300 It just turned into the 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:25.900 it turned into the coolest thing and I ain't just from musically. 00:07:25.900 --> 00:07:28.900 No, I think 90% of it was. 00:07:30.100 --> 00:07:31.300 I was a fan. 00:07:31.300 --> 00:07:33.700 I wish I was reacting to the moment. 00:07:33.700 --> 00:07:34.600 I didn't think about it. 00:07:34.600 --> 00:07:35.800 There's no salt. 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:42.500 We just that that day we committed that song that was the day. 00:07:43.400 --> 00:07:46.300 And then it was okay and you forgot about it. 00:07:46.300 --> 00:07:50.100 And then next day you committed to that song and if you had a 00:07:50.100 --> 00:07:53.100 process when I listened back, I remember Jay going through 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:56.400 the the point of the playbacks and we were having a good time 00:07:56.400 --> 00:07:58.400 and Indianola can drinking and going. 00:07:58.400 --> 00:08:03.300 It included this and he played he was part of the night and he 00:08:03.300 --> 00:08:05.800 said he said I'm going to play Heart of the night and I went 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:09.500 what's that? I bet he is part of the night. 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:10.600 I said, I don't know what that is. 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:12.000 What song is that? 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:20.300 Any play? I didn't I didn't have a chance to get any of this. 00:08:20.300 --> 00:08:22.600 You know, I know opinions on this stuff. 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:26.700 I was almost like a vessel that these things Works food, 00:08:26.700 --> 00:08:30.600 you know, like that's all I was I was an open median and I 00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:33.300 just let these things just moved to me. 00:08:33.300 --> 00:08:36.500 I didn't I didn't I didn't have passion opinions about any of 00:08:36.500 --> 00:08:40.000 that's funny you say that because when you started releasing 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:43.200 songs from this right before the album was even an ounce 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:44.800 No one knew what you were doing. 00:08:44.800 --> 00:08:47.700 Is it an album you were just to know him out, 00:08:47.700 --> 00:08:51.100 you know hiding out in North Carolina right now song and then 00:08:51.100 --> 00:08:54.400 you started slowly put some out and when I heard them as like 00:08:54.400 --> 00:08:56.000 now and what is he doing are you know, 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:59.900 are these like demos that he's not too and I don't mean that 00:08:59.900 --> 00:09:01.700 in like it just sounded so rude. 00:09:01.700 --> 00:09:07.400 She they sounded like you really were but when I listen to the 00:09:07.400 --> 00:09:10.000 album and I'm going to keep saying the album, 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:14.200 even though it's three components will get when I listen to it 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:21.200 made sense to me everything flowed the way it did like what 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:23.000 I heard bad mother trucker the first time 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:30.900 I was like really excited for it and I didn't hit me until 00:09:30.900 --> 00:09:34.100 I heard it in the context of the I know what that is. 00:09:34.100 --> 00:09:40.300 It's a free free disc at 3 LP record, 00:09:40.300 --> 00:09:48.600 right? I guess you're right. 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:52.200 I mean when the reason it sounds that way it's not like that, 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:56.300 you know, like the band and Dick sneaker what it was it was made 00:09:56.300 --> 00:10:01.500 it's made in a place that no record record never been so it did 00:10:01.500 --> 00:10:05.300 have a sound it does not sound like other apps. 00:10:05.300 --> 00:10:08.800 It does not sound like what we done for the drum sounds are different. 00:10:08.800 --> 00:10:12.000 The guitar sounds are different the vocals are. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.200 It's all just different because we never been in that environment. 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:20.500 I think that's what makes it have some Unity when you keep calling 00:10:20.500 --> 00:10:23.200 it. We know one project I get it. 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:23.700 But yeah. 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:28.800 Unity in that way it made it three projects for me wasn't 00:10:28.800 --> 00:10:30.500 songs group together differently. 00:10:30.500 --> 00:10:32.500 You can't put out of 25 song out, 00:10:32.500 --> 00:10:37.700 you know, and I couldn't find I can find the devil out but I 00:10:37.700 --> 00:10:39.100 couldn't find what you do. 00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:42.700 Then. I couldn't find where Ray-Ban went where I couldn't 00:10:42.700 --> 00:10:45.400 figure out where life with me when I couldn't wear long will 00:10:45.400 --> 00:10:50.800 when I'm still not sure where long was that thing where I couldn't 00:10:50.800 --> 00:10:55.900 get those on order so hard because what I love about the project 00:10:55.900 --> 00:11:00.600 is there's a ton of songs that Harden and people normally 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:01.300 here's what happened. 00:11:01.300 --> 00:11:05.400 I would go through a songwriting panel about my group that I use 00:11:05.400 --> 00:11:06.400 they would go. 00:11:06.400 --> 00:11:07.900 Well we can't we can only have one heart. 00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:12.300 But I was writing every day it was in my head. 00:11:12.300 --> 00:11:15.100 It was maybe it's a car song Freedom. 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:16.600 So it was it was a daily deal. 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:19.600 So you're getting what's in here real time. 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:23.200 So that's why there's heart on fire the Heart of the Night 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:24.700 Never Break heart. 00:11:24.700 --> 00:11:33.800 That's why you're you're getting that my heart soul. 00:11:33.800 --> 00:11:38.900 And I said well as I listened back I didn't have heart so because 00:11:38.900 --> 00:11:41.200 I listened back to put trying to group these things. 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:44.300 What are these Hearts pretty obvious? 00:11:44.300 --> 00:11:46.000 It jumps kind of bread is okay. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:46.700 What is this is 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:52.400 Heart is it have anything else in NS kind of once they started 00:11:52.400 --> 00:11:56.500 grouping up is when it's when I truly saw the project before 00:11:56.500 --> 00:11:58.900 that. I was trying to I love the recording. 00:11:58.900 --> 00:12:00.400 I love what it was. 00:12:00.400 --> 00:12:02.000 I didn't know what it was. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:03.600 I couldn't figure out if it you know, 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:08.700 what is the 15th on the album God I hate doing I think it 00:12:08.700 --> 00:12:11.600 I think a listening experience should be condensed and this 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:13.300 is what it isn't meant to be done. 00:12:13.300 --> 00:12:15.800 And then you move to the next one and I think that's where 00:12:15.800 --> 00:12:20.200 we came up with the the 3903 album. 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:23.500 Were there any songs that you brought to the table already 00:12:23.500 --> 00:12:25.000 in your mind flushed out. 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:30.100 I think Ray Bans for my Ray-Bans was one that I think you started 00:12:30.100 --> 00:12:36.600 that before you went to North Carolina to Las Vegas shooting. 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:48.000 It was an older, older song that I didn't I didn't totally 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:51.400 reworked it but it was it was in my my head and honestly, 00:12:51.400 --> 00:12:55.200 this is what's great about going into a process like that that 00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:58.300 song happened on a day at the song. 00:12:58.300 --> 00:13:03.000 I was going that I tried to write didn't make it struck out and 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:05.600 I happen to be there Luke Laird was one of the riders that I 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:08.100 wrote that was he was there that day in the song that we have 00:13:08.100 --> 00:13:13.100 been trying to get to that section that night sucked and we didn't 00:13:13.100 --> 00:13:14.000 get it there just one right? 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.500 I didn't meet you didn't meet the bar the project and as we were 00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:19.800 going into it I so miss screw it. 00:13:19.800 --> 00:13:22.200 Let's let me throw something at you. 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:23.900 Let's go back and revisit Ray-Bans. 00:13:23.900 --> 00:13:28.500 Do we start talkin about it reworked it and redid it and then 00:13:28.500 --> 00:13:29.200 cut it that night. 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:34.200 So because you know because we struck out on another that some 00:13:34.200 --> 00:13:36.500 kind of found its way that the song that I had coming in. 00:13:37.100 --> 00:13:41.500 Cuz I wrote it by myself was hard on fire was the first song ever 00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:43.900 recorded and all I wanted to get us off on a goosefoot. 00:13:43.900 --> 00:13:48.700 I had most of that one coming into the project and then from 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:54.400 there I had some pieces or I had you no Title Here There and 00:13:54.400 --> 00:13:59.400 I can't I cannot I cannot underestimate how important Casey 00:13:59.400 --> 00:14:06.200 beathard was listed as private MVP of the whole deal for me because 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:09.100 he's coming off of a real tragic time in his life and son was 00:14:09.100 --> 00:14:13.700 killed and he was able to come up there and I believe he got 00:14:13.700 --> 00:14:19.300 there was a therapy element for all of us in the mountains 00:14:19.300 --> 00:14:25.700 and nothing Casey got a lot of therapy and just found some amazing 00:14:25.700 --> 00:14:29.500 things. He said to meet halfway to 00:14:30.100 --> 00:14:33.400 He said I was going to thank you for restoring my faith. 00:14:33.400 --> 00:14:35.200 In the reason I got in the music. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:38.700 He said we're getting to do what I've always wanted to do. 00:14:38.700 --> 00:14:41.700 This is what you dream of as a songwriter does musician 00:14:41.700 --> 00:14:45.500 you get to see your creation come to life. 00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:53.000 In real time while you're there and I Side Green with that soon. 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:55.200 I think that was what made this a special project. 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:58.700 There's a lot of Heartland Rock to this record type. 00:14:58.700 --> 00:15:01.400 I mean people hear some Mellencamp, you know, 00:15:01.400 --> 00:15:03.200 all of this kind of sounds very rude. 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:06.900 She sounds but for me church is what I hear. 00:15:06.900 --> 00:15:08.500 I hear Meatloaf. 00:15:08.500 --> 00:15:12.900 I hear a rock and those first three songs on the heart record. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:18.300 Is Rockhopper, it's Russian. 00:15:18.300 --> 00:15:31.100 Roulette said there's a part on Heart of the Night where it goes to 00:15:31.100 --> 00:15:36.000 still be in jago's we can't do this. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:41.300 It's meatloaf. Let's do it end of the month. 00:15:41.300 --> 00:15:44.000 And it was it's that it's over dramatic. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:46.400 It's over passionate. 00:15:46.400 --> 00:15:49.900 It's those things but man and there's also a little Neil Diamond. 00:15:50.300 --> 00:15:52.300 Is a little bit of like, you know, 00:15:52.300 --> 00:15:53.500 it is nice. 00:15:53.500 --> 00:15:59.900 I love it your dad right it was over the top and places. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:04.800 But it never felt wrong. 00:16:04.800 --> 00:16:06.900 And I think that's the thing I get it. 00:16:06.900 --> 00:16:11.000 That's that's all I'll say it is if I analyze it and we took 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:13.700 heart of the night and we brought it back and put it through 00:16:13.700 --> 00:16:14.500 the normal chance. 00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:16.300 We would have got the in and said, 00:16:16.300 --> 00:16:20.700 you know, that's what made this difference is. 00:16:20.700 --> 00:16:21.600 We didn't do that. 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:26.400 It was a small truck today and this is I think let's commit 00:16:26.400 --> 00:16:27.300 ourselves to this. 00:16:27.300 --> 00:16:32.400 Let's have fun with this and this this do it and and it would 00:16:32.400 --> 00:16:35.300 I do not have never made an album that way it's all I knew 00:16:35.300 --> 00:16:38.500 going in on every one of my albums at the song. 00:16:38.500 --> 00:16:41.900 We were bring into the board that night was a damn good song 00:16:41.900 --> 00:16:44.900 and it been looked at it was better than the nine other ones. 00:16:44.900 --> 00:16:48.800 I had I did not know that this time and so I think in a 00:16:48.800 --> 00:16:53.400 way you commit a little bit harder to the defense of that 00:16:53.400 --> 00:16:58.200 song you want it to be you go harder to vocal you go harder 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:02.400 at the guitar and when I love is the Packer a couple Daze the 00:17:02.400 --> 00:17:06.400 band joined Rite Aid, I mean they everybody we had a true Army 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:10.100 there in a few days in they were inundated knew what we were 00:17:10.100 --> 00:17:13.000 trying to do and they understood the specialness of it and the 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:15.600 uniqueness of it and then they committed they committed 00:17:15.600 --> 00:17:18.400 to it. I'm going to linger on Russian Roulette for 1 minute 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:22.100 because that bridge man when you go into the falsetto and its 00:17:22.100 --> 00:17:24.600 depth and then there is an illusion, 00:17:24.600 --> 00:17:28.200 which is the flip side of your song Springsteen for you to say, 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:30.400 I need a Melody without a battle memory. 00:17:34.700 --> 00:17:38.300 Yeah, I know you're trying to break that Bond the mental bond 00:17:38.300 --> 00:17:40.300 between the the music in the in the melody. 00:17:40.300 --> 00:17:45.200 What's that bridge is when like hit me with the meatloaf 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:49.400 stuff, but thought I'd let myself thinking it and heart of the 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:51.100 night or when it got the Russian Roulette. 00:17:51.100 --> 00:17:53.300 And then I start thinking like Joanna Cotten. 00:17:53.300 --> 00:18:00.700 She's your Karla DeVito Jay Joyce if your Todd Rundgren 00:18:00.700 --> 00:18:02.600 at least for those three songs, you know. 00:18:02.600 --> 00:18:11.500 So anyway, I'm glad to hear you say that it was kind of what 00:18:11.500 --> 00:18:14.200 it was the way that kind of work that I did I said that 00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:17.000 on the mind is just funny as I said me and I said, 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:18.500 I think we're going to do it. 00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:20.400 We got to commit to it. 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:28.100 There's no slope is meatloaf still going to go to that moment. 00:18:28.100 --> 00:18:29.400 And then we did. 00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:32.800 I mean we we we kind of went that place and it was fun 00:18:32.800 --> 00:18:33.800 for me to get into 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:38.900 There's some vocals on here that are a little more ink, 00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:41.600 I guess where I could commit to things. 00:18:41.600 --> 00:18:43.900 I didn't I don't know. 00:18:43.900 --> 00:18:46.500 I went a little break. 00:18:46.500 --> 00:18:47.300 It kind of guy. 00:18:47.300 --> 00:18:50.700 There's some stuff on the outer that I'm doing some vocal things 00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:53.900 that are almost done playing around a little. 00:18:53.900 --> 00:18:57.200 Having fun. I'm doing some things that are a little more in character 00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:01.700 than just me going out trying to sing my song and I think that 00:19:01.700 --> 00:19:04.800 was kind of fun app to play with a microphone that way that's 00:19:04.800 --> 00:19:08.000 interesting because I go back to cheap the Chiefs record one 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:11.100 of the very first time you and I spoke and I remember we talked 00:19:11.100 --> 00:19:15.200 about the hat and the glasses and how it was like you channeling 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:18.500 your Alice Cooper right instead of the mascara you had to have 00:19:18.500 --> 00:19:22.300 the glasses and so you even now this far into your career 00:19:22.300 --> 00:19:25.700 you still have that sense of you know, 00:19:25.700 --> 00:19:28.000 that there's a character that you can pull out when you need 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:31.600 it. Looks like there's a way that you just don't have to just 00:19:31.600 --> 00:19:35.000 go out and be so self-conscious that well. 00:19:35.100 --> 00:19:38.000 I can't sing that because what if people hear it, 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:40.000 I think a lot of music is, 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:45.100 you know, try it and then sing it and then we'll go fall setup. 00:19:45.100 --> 00:19:48.100 I think I could fly around more, 00:19:48.100 --> 00:19:51.200 you know with this album than other albums out. 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:52.700 I wasn't sitting up there thinking. 00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:55.500 Well, this won't be this is cool. 00:19:55.500 --> 00:19:59.400 Or this is not cool to see that's what makes it cool when you're 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:00.800 not when you're not sitting there going. 00:20:00.800 --> 00:20:04.400 I hope I can do this and I don't I'm not thinking about the 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:08.700 prism of how people look at it just doing it and I'm letting 00:20:08.700 --> 00:20:13.200 it that mean it was the most organic real thing that you can 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:13.900 do in music. 00:20:13.900 --> 00:20:15.700 It is to ride us on the same day. 00:20:15.700 --> 00:20:16.300 You record it. 00:20:17.500 --> 00:20:22.400 Overall, we had a we had two or three songs that we cut that 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:25.600 didn't make either either or any of the three projects. 00:20:25.600 --> 00:20:28.200 But overall we did we did pretty well, 00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:32.600 you know for the doing what we try to do touring you have talked 00:20:32.600 --> 00:20:36.700 about a returned it to him if he's this what do you have in 00:20:36.700 --> 00:20:40.900 mind? You've obviously been someone who's really really kind of 00:20:40.900 --> 00:20:42.900 reimagine touring in the Country Landscape, 00:20:42.900 --> 00:20:45.000 you know, the 3-hour shows the intermission. 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:50.200 No opening acts some of your peers Miranda Lambert Thomas 00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:52.500 Rhett or doing some indoor gigs in Texas. 00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:55.000 Is that something you consider? 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:59.500 What is your vision for how we all get back in the show where the 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:06.200 guy at Club vaccinations? 00:21:06.200 --> 00:21:07.100 That is critical. 00:21:07.100 --> 00:21:11.500 I said everybody listen I've been in every meeting every phone 00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:15.500 call. I've looked at this every way you can look at this and 00:21:15.500 --> 00:21:17.200 the easiest way. 00:21:17.500 --> 00:21:21.000 The fastest way for us to get back is not vaccine this vaccination 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:24.900 this needles in arms and I'm a big proponent of that. 00:21:24.900 --> 00:21:29.800 I just think if that's the best way for me to do and have 00:21:29.800 --> 00:21:33.600 a working knowledge of the environment that were in because 00:21:33.600 --> 00:21:34.900 the environment keeps changing. 00:21:34.900 --> 00:21:36.900 I do think we're winning. 00:21:37.900 --> 00:21:41.900 I think that you know, we're going to continue. 00:21:41.900 --> 00:21:45.200 There's going to be festivals it play this summer at capacity. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:47.700 It's going to happen in the United States. 00:21:47.700 --> 00:21:48.800 Yes. 00:21:49.300 --> 00:21:51.600 Yes, they will happen. 00:21:51.600 --> 00:21:53.600 I think once the vaccine is fully available. 00:21:54.900 --> 00:21:59.700 I believe would play we're going to play in the fall and the 00:21:59.700 --> 00:22:03.200 issues going to be the municipalities and how do you do that? 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:03.700 I don't know. 00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:06.900 I'm not sure that the 50 states deal that that's that's that's 00:22:06.900 --> 00:22:07.800 the biggest challenge. 00:22:07.800 --> 00:22:13.100 This has been the most challenging Thing by model that I've 00:22:13.100 --> 00:22:15.500 ever seen cuz you don't need a plan. 00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:19.600 You need a plan in 52 contingency plan because it's a moving 00:22:19.600 --> 00:22:22.700 Target but I do believe we're going to be one of the first 00:22:22.700 --> 00:22:25.300 people what they're going to do that in music. I 00:22:25.300 --> 00:22:29.400 think a lot of people kind of pain in 222 and and it's 00:22:29.400 --> 00:22:33.100 going to be good but I think will I think we're play in the 00:22:33.100 --> 00:22:34.900 fall. I think we're playing Arenas in the fall. 00:22:34.900 --> 00:22:38.400 I think we're play capacity for I think that a lot of that depends 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:41.000 on vaccinations a lot of that depends on if these numbers 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:44.200 continue improving but I anticipate that they were encouraged 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:46.300 anyone who can to get The Backson. 00:22:46.300 --> 00:22:48.400 It's common sense to me. 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:50.400 Very hard. I'm not pro-vaccine. 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:52.600 I'm not at that I read everything. 00:22:53.400 --> 00:22:56.900 I'm telling you the fastest way for me to strap on a guitar 00:22:56.900 --> 00:23:00.300 and have people there that I can shake a hand with and jumping 00:23:00.300 --> 00:23:05.400 a fit with is a vaccination of some social things here. I 00:23:05.400 --> 00:23:10.100 got some so there's an issue that dominated country music 00:23:10.100 --> 00:23:13.500 this year. And that is social justice and racial Reckoning. 00:23:13.500 --> 00:23:18.600 Does it feel like country music does it feel like the genre 00:23:18.600 --> 00:23:21.400 is at an inflection point attorney Point? 00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:22.200 Yeah, maybe 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:33.600 Even before a lot of the social and racial stuff in country 00:23:33.600 --> 00:23:40.300 music was the female challenge that we've had quite you know, 00:23:40.300 --> 00:23:45.800 what male country artists and I don't know that I totally 00:23:45.800 --> 00:23:51.200 realized how hard it's been I think maybe maybe I'm not a program 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:52.900 director. I'm not a I don't know. 00:23:52.900 --> 00:23:57.100 I'm not in those chairs that a lot of those lot of the females 00:23:57.100 --> 00:23:57.700 have to go through. 00:23:57.700 --> 00:24:02.000 So I think that was an experience before we we've dealt with 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:06.100 the racial thing is used to Varsity and country music. 00:24:06.100 --> 00:24:10.200 No just the overall diversity and here's what it hears. 00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:14.700 What I've story Glee diversity is always the best thing for the 00:24:14.700 --> 00:24:19.700 music always no matter what John your your is that diversity 00:24:19.700 --> 00:24:21.800 usually leads to some breakthrough things. 00:24:21.800 --> 00:24:22.600 That's what you want. 00:24:22.600 --> 00:24:23.700 That's what you're trying to inspire. 00:24:24.700 --> 00:24:26.800 And I think it's great for country music. 00:24:26.800 --> 00:24:28.600 I do think we're at a pivotal moment. 00:24:28.600 --> 00:24:31.300 I think it's a moment. 00:24:31.300 --> 00:24:32.600 It's been coming for a long time. 00:24:32.600 --> 00:24:34.200 And I think it's a healthy moment. 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:38.300 My biggest thing would be to everyone is let's just let's talk 00:24:38.300 --> 00:24:42.100 about it. Let's continue to have the dialogue talkin to just 00:24:42.100 --> 00:24:44.500 fine. I feel like we're in the same place two countries. 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:49.000 Now, I think that we represent what I believe country weakness 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:51.800 country music we representing us is American a lot of waste 00:24:51.800 --> 00:24:54.700 and we're having a lot of same conversations about the same 00:24:54.700 --> 00:24:57.700 stuff. The important thing is we continue to move the dialogue 00:24:57.700 --> 00:25:01.900 and we continue to have those conversations and I can tell you 00:25:01.900 --> 00:25:04.000 that it was on my mind. 00:25:04.800 --> 00:25:08.700 When I walk to the money at the Super Bowl the same with an 00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:12.400 African-American R&B. So what was going on in our foreman 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:15.800 it was on my mind and the fact that it's on my mind, 00:25:15.800 --> 00:25:19.900 so we probably got some a lot of things to address and I did 00:25:19.900 --> 00:25:25.000 it sting when you saw the Morgan Wallen tape knowing that he cut 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:27.100 one of your because of something that you were quitting 00:25:27.100 --> 00:25:33.100 time. I see me, I think Joe's at least it was a heartbreaking 00:25:33.100 --> 00:25:33.600 deal. 00:25:41.600 --> 00:25:45.400 You know, I think we're going to go to work on Morgan now and 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:48.100 where that goes, but you know, I think he I think that's something 00:25:48.100 --> 00:25:52.200 I hope he doesn't anticipate he'll do I don't you know, 00:25:52.200 --> 00:25:54.800 I think that as a format though, 00:25:54.800 --> 00:25:58.200 we just we just have to continue to strive. 00:25:59.100 --> 00:26:05.100 Could be better in that regard and I think I think all that 00:26:05.100 --> 00:26:08.200 honestly, I think it could end up being a really healthy 00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:10.700 thing for the format that as we had this conversation 00:26:10.700 --> 00:26:13.900 going for it, but it's a good thing for problems. 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:18.900 You mentioned the women in country music to would you have you 00:26:18.900 --> 00:26:22.600 been writing with women female writer? 00:26:22.600 --> 00:26:29.800 So I'm going to make a Joanna Cotten record one-day both people's 00:26:29.800 --> 00:26:42.600 mind. But over time, I guess I just maybe it's not every day, 00:26:42.600 --> 00:26:47.100 but I didn't realize that the chart stamp Warner program 00:26:47.100 --> 00:26:51.600 director standpoint of other stuff that was there until all the 00:26:51.600 --> 00:26:56.000 stuff started and said, so I think a lot of stuff healthy 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:00.100 for country music is there's a lot of different ways now, 00:27:00.900 --> 00:27:05.800 Be heard, you know initially radio was your Main Medical? 00:27:07.100 --> 00:27:11.600 It's still big megaphone, but it's not it's not the only megaphone 00:27:11.600 --> 00:27:15.600 and I think that's going to change some of these ways that we 00:27:15.600 --> 00:27:19.200 whether it be diversity or just just different music Styles, 00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:23.900 you know that they can come in and end in Macon leave an imprint 00:27:23.900 --> 00:27:28.000 on the format and and move us move a sport. 00:27:30.300 --> 00:27:34.000 If you can pray tell I mean when stick that in your country 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:35.900 song was the first single, I mean, 00:27:35.900 --> 00:27:38.800 I'm trying to I knew that one going to be number one song. 00:27:38.800 --> 00:27:42.800 Okay, I'm trying I'm trying to move the form that that's the 00:27:42.800 --> 00:27:43.500 way I look at. 00:27:43.500 --> 00:27:44.800 This is every project we have. 00:27:44.800 --> 00:27:48.600 I'm trying to move us in a direction trying to move the dialogue 00:27:48.600 --> 00:27:52.000 trying to move the needle and I feel like that we we've always 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:54.100 done that, you know in some way shape or form. 00:27:54.100 --> 00:27:58.300 Yeah, we've had number ones and I kind of know when I've got 00:27:58.300 --> 00:28:01.200 to push the flame and I got back up just a little bit but 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:04.700 I think I think that's part of you know, 00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:08.300 just trying to continue to within the parameters that I have 00:28:08.300 --> 00:28:12.500 country music to move the the whole format for an 2018 in the 00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:13.600 cover store in Rolling Stone. 00:28:13.600 --> 00:28:17.000 You said quote we don't talk to each other enough we dig and 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:20.100 we don't listen and we don't talk to feel that we've gotten 00:28:20.100 --> 00:28:29.400 better or worse at that worse without concerts without sporting 00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:29.900 events. 00:28:30.300 --> 00:28:35.600 Everything is been about what divides us as as up as a society. 00:28:35.600 --> 00:28:40.300 Which which side are you on this side or this site? 00:28:40.300 --> 00:28:42.200 And that's insane. 00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:47.700 It was a sinner because when I play a concert there's 20,000 00:28:47.700 --> 00:28:49.200 people v as to what are they are. 00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:52.600 They don't have a side they got their arm around a guy beside 00:28:52.600 --> 00:28:53.900 him in there singing a song. 00:28:53.900 --> 00:28:54.800 Are there a sporting event? 00:28:54.800 --> 00:28:57.900 They don't have a son there cheering for the team. 00:28:57.900 --> 00:29:01.800 When you go to Vegas when you go to a barbecue the side part 00:29:01.800 --> 00:29:06.100 the tribalism is the most dangerous thing in because of covid-19. 00:29:06.100 --> 00:29:09.700 There's not been these little things along the way did he brought 00:29:09.700 --> 00:29:12.200 us? What what unites us vs. 00:29:12.200 --> 00:29:16.000 What device and that's why I mean music 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:20.000 Is critical I know we're planning to go in 21. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.400 We may be one the first that we're aggressive that's aggressive. 00:29:23.900 --> 00:29:28.100 I got to make it happen and I feel like I got to make 00:29:28.100 --> 00:29:32.300 it happen because I think it's it's that crucial to the overall 00:29:32.300 --> 00:29:35.800 Cinema Society is going through right now, 00:29:35.800 --> 00:29:41.800 which is we need this I need this but they family to agree with 00:29:41.800 --> 00:29:45.400 you. I think the isolation of coded and everyone has been 00:29:45.400 --> 00:29:51.200 finding an outlet by a social media which is as we know not the 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:56.300 best not the best barometer of reality is so yeah, 00:29:56.300 --> 00:29:57.000 I think you're right. 00:29:57.000 --> 00:29:59.300 I mean, I think we all need that human interaction. 00:29:59.300 --> 00:30:03.200 Go back to the Superbowl for a second was it is nerve-wracking 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:16.300 as they say I was already a little bit nervous and it's a big 00:30:16.300 --> 00:30:19.300 moment and then you didn't you have but like I played shows 00:30:19.300 --> 00:30:22.300 you know for big crowds is it wouldn't that 00:30:22.800 --> 00:30:26.200 In the show if you come out and you have some nerve you got 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:26.800 four five song. 00:30:26.800 --> 00:30:29.700 So you kind of work them off in your in your group and anthems 00:30:29.700 --> 00:30:35.000 different The Anthem today, we rehearse so we were cursed 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:36.700 we got Saturday. 00:30:36.700 --> 00:30:39.300 Also we rehearsed on Friday on the field. 00:30:40.700 --> 00:30:44.100 And they had a video that they played and I made the mistake 00:30:44.100 --> 00:30:46.400 of look at the video and it was like all these patriotic 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:52.900 images of soldiers and the drum corps comes up a color color 00:30:52.900 --> 00:30:56.700 guard and they come up and they were in a doing their deal in 00:30:56.700 --> 00:31:00.000 and one of the soldiers kind of gave me a right before he starts 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:02.300 Herschel and he gave me this. 00:31:03.000 --> 00:31:07.900 And dude almost can sing and I told Catherine after that my wife 00:31:07.900 --> 00:31:11.800 I said listen, I can't you see me staring at my feet tonight 00:31:11.800 --> 00:31:14.400 of the end of the Super Bowl is because I can't look at what's 00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:15.200 going on around me. 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:18.600 I have to kind of get inbox so that night we come in at 00:31:18.600 --> 00:31:19.400 Super Bowl night. 00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:23.100 We come in the tunnel early and get you there like two and a half 00:31:23.100 --> 00:31:25.800 hours for you guys to get down there. 00:31:25.800 --> 00:31:29.300 The color guard was there and they were they were praying 00:31:29.300 --> 00:31:32.100 and I came up and the head person said, 00:31:32.100 --> 00:31:34.800 hey, they want to say hello, and I said hell, 00:31:34.800 --> 00:31:35.700 yeah sure. 00:31:36.200 --> 00:31:40.300 And I walk up and they finish their prayer and one of the Marines 00:31:40.300 --> 00:31:44.600 African-American Marie and he turned around and he goes there 00:31:44.600 --> 00:31:45.900 so I don't need any more like, 00:31:45.900 --> 00:31:48.400 you know nerves he turned around. 00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:50.300 He said permission to shake your hand sir. 00:31:50.300 --> 00:31:56.100 I have not had a John I had a handshake and start and I 00:31:56.100 --> 00:31:56.400 went. 00:31:57.500 --> 00:32:04.400 Acer that he pulled off and keep in mind we've been tested 00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:11.500 the deaths of all he shook my hand and then they all did so 00:32:11.500 --> 00:32:14.500 all 15 of them pulled off their butt and I shook every hand 00:32:14.500 --> 00:32:17.900 and then I walk to the money and that's when it realized 00:32:17.900 --> 00:32:20.600 need it. It's it's about more than just 00:32:21.300 --> 00:32:25.800 What is means to me a career aware? 00:32:25.800 --> 00:32:29.500 That shit is it's about the country. 00:32:29.500 --> 00:32:31.100 It's about those people. 00:32:31.100 --> 00:32:33.200 It's about to the format. 00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:37.100 Like I felt like, you know a tweet tweet. 00:32:37.100 --> 00:32:41.800 I needed to represent the format in that moment and it just 00:32:41.800 --> 00:32:46.100 added to all the the energy in the motion of a cell. 00:32:46.100 --> 00:32:50.400 I said every every every out so that maybe halftime show next 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:56.200 Eric you're going to be 44 in May. 00:32:56.200 --> 00:32:58.200 I believe 44. 00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:03.500 Yeah, you got it and you had a dangerous blood clot and I think 00:33:03.500 --> 00:33:05.200 2018 or right around that time. 00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:08.600 How are you feeling right now? 00:33:08.600 --> 00:33:11.400 And I mean that in terms of what's motivating you I mean, 00:33:11.400 --> 00:33:16.000 what as we as we receive hopefully this light at the end of the 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:21.000 tunnel was pushed me right now getting back on stage and getting 00:33:21.300 --> 00:33:26.600 Dramatic in this but as I look at everything around the country, 00:33:26.600 --> 00:33:30.600 I believe what I said at the CMA Awards speech I believe 00:33:30.600 --> 00:33:32.400 in music is going to be the same. 00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:35.400 It's going to save us all because it always have you go back 00:33:35.400 --> 00:33:38.400 to Roman times and it was about the painters. 00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:40.100 It was about the writer. 00:33:40.100 --> 00:33:43.300 It was about the Bohemians that had their finger on the pulse 00:33:43.300 --> 00:33:46.100 of what was going on and I feel like that we're in we're an 00:33:46.100 --> 00:33:51.300 unprecedented time is it never never happened at 1918 but I always 00:33:51.300 --> 00:33:55.000 so back at them is how many torr in Acts for National acts in 00:33:55.000 --> 00:34:00.600 1918. I want to read this if this is an unprecedented 00:34:00.600 --> 00:34:03.900 ever tried to do what we're all trying to do to get everybody 00:34:03.900 --> 00:34:09.400 back in places and it is complicated and it is hard but I believe 00:34:09.400 --> 00:34:14.600 it's absolutely worth the effort that somebody asked me why 2021 00:34:14.600 --> 00:34:15.300 why not? Just wait 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:18.200 I said because I don't think we can wait. 00:34:18.200 --> 00:34:20.200 I think it's too important to wait. 00:34:20.200 --> 00:34:23.500 I think we've got to try we got to try to do this and 00:34:23.500 --> 00:34:26.600 I believe we can so that's where I'm holding out hope and that's 00:34:26.600 --> 00:34:29.500 what I'm I'm just trying to get the guitar on again and start 00:34:29.500 --> 00:34:31.500 to put back together all the pieces that are broke.