Looking back on our talk with Lainey Wilson at Faster Horses 2024, as we celebrate the GRAMMY winner's new album, 'Whirlwind.'

HARDY went hard for his first official Rock album, QUIT!!, which released last month, and now, the Philadelphia, MS native is taking time to reflect on how it all panned out.

With features including Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, the record definitely fits the Rock category, but also invites HARDY’s established Country fan base in as the lyrics lean towards the redneck side.

“I will never, ever be able to escape the Country lyrics because it’s really the only thing I know how to do and whatever kind of music is behind that,” the 33-year-old told Audacy’s Rob + Holly during the Friday Night Takeover. Moving forward, the singer-songwriter says he’ll be making more of an effort not to label his music with a genre when possible and just focus on continuing to stay true to his unique style.

“For the sake of charts and stuff you have to put a genre behind it, but I’m going to try and do a better job or just sayin’, ‘It’s just me, it’s just my music,'” he shared. Whatever genre you want to call it, QUIT!! includes 13 tracks that each stand-out in their own way, with one in particular that has captured the emotions, attention, and love of fans everywhere titled, “Six Feet Under (Caleigh’s Song).”

The reflective, deeply personal tune closes out the album as track 13 and is dedicated to HARDY’s wife, Caleigh, who is well-known by his fans for her support, love, and good time personality.

“I’m not usually a method writer where I feel like everything I go through I have to write, but I just needed to get that emotion out,” HARDY shared of the song that details the highest and lowest moments of his life. “Basically… the month of October in 2023 started off as the worst month of my life and ended as the best,” he shared of the inspiration behind the song. “It started off with the bus accident, which was the first, second maybe third of October… and the 29th was the day I got married. That was such a difficult emotional roller coaster because all the stuff goin’ on.”

He continued, “The best moment of my life — and I can still say that to this day — was Caleigh and I did private vows and hearing her give those vows and I’m sitting there listening to them, and I’m like, ‘I thought I was going to f**king die three weeks ago, I thought I was dead,” he shared. “I owed her that song, I owed her that emotion because sometimes it’s hard for me to put into words all of that.”

The song shows a new side of the couple’s deeply rooted relationship which brings a smile to so many fans as HARDY and Caleigh are well known to be the life of any party. Their own wedding had beer burros, a tattoo parlor, and a 90s Country cover band.

“When I met my wife, I was afraid of her,” HARDY said of his wife’s love for a good time. “She was an animal, dude. She went to Ole Miss [University of Mississippi], which is very — especially in the South — it’s a huge party school and dude, that girl was like, scary.”

He continued, “The first few times I would go down and hang out with her, I would be like, ‘Don’t kill me tonight,’ she was a pretty animal and she could go forever... she’s got that killer instinct in her and I love that about her.”

Hear more about Caleigh’s song, the QUIT!! album and exactly when HARDY plans on attending a Limp Bizkit show by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly for the Friday Night Takeover above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly

Being in the spotlight himself, Michael Ray has a lot of famous friends, but there’s one in particular that really drops jaws when they hang out together.

During his recent appearance on Audacy’s Friday Night Takeover with Rob + Holly, Ray shared his unlikely friendship with legendary Rocker, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Ray shared the two spend quite a bit of time together as they both hang out with mutual friend, singer-songwriter Tim Montana. They even all released a song together in 2021 titled, “Higher Education,” featuring the three of them in addition to Lee Brice and Kid Rock.

“I met Billy through Tim Montana and they’re like, father-son. I’m pretty sure Billy might’ve adopted him,” he laughed. “I always tell everyone, If I have a friend who wants to meet somebody famous and you never have to worry about them getting let down… he’s the guy that you want to introduce them to.”

Ray went on to detail Gibbons’ down-to-earth, personable ways that many find surprising given his iconic status. “Just put it this way,” Michael said. “If you’re flying coach in an airport… and you’re going to Vegas or somewhere else, there’s a high chance that Billy Gibbons might be just sitting right next to you in coach hangin’ out, dressed just like he looks on stage.”

Flying coach on your next flight isn’t the only less-than-glamorous place you might find Gibbons. Ray also shared a story about him sitting shotgun in the school pick-up line. “We were at Tim’s house and he had to pick his kids up from school and so I was gonna just chill at the house and Billy was like, ‘I wanna go pick them kids up with ya.’” Ray recalled. “So here we are at the pick-up line at Tim’s kid’s elementary school. We’re pullin’ up and Billy’s just in the passenger seat like a cool grandpa pickin’ up his grandkids.”

He continued, “He loves Tim’s kids like they’re his grandkids so he’s playing with them and I’m sitting here like… ‘This is the most Nashville moment.’ These kids, it’s just Billy to them…. And I’m sitting there watching like, ‘this is my dad’s favorite band of all time and I’m watching them in pajamas, so silly grandpa jokes with Tim’s kids.’”

Switching gears, Ray shared he’s currently working on new music that he plans on releasing over the next several months. “I’ve been writing a lot,” he said before also sharing that he is never afraid to take outside cuts for his projects.

“I love writing songs, but I also love that process of listening to songs that people wrote for you,” he explained. “We tour all the time, so these writers are writing a couple times a day — sometimes even more than that — and that whole process of it, it inspires me as a writer listening to a lot of these songs.”

He concluded, “I think as an artist, you do yourself a disservice by not listening to outside songs and at least hearing what people are doing.”

Listening to all options is exactly what Ray is doing in preparation for his next project. Currently in the studio recording, Ray says he’s more focused on releasing one or two songs every 30 days for the next several months as opposed to focusing on an album release date.

“It’s not the album days anymore, which is kind of sad to see” Ray said of his singles strategy. “We’ll release music, maybe a song a month through the next 4, 5, 6 months or whatever. It’ll probably be more on a singles-driven thing than [as opposed to] a full album release type of thing.”

Hear more about the new music in the works, his friendship with Billy Gibbons and so much more including his after-hours visit to an old insane asylum by checking out Michael Ray’s full conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly

It doesn’t get more Country than real-life cowboy, Cody Johnson, so it’s no surprise he’s been in talks with Yellowstone creator, Taylor Sheridan, about his acting debut. So when exactly might we see Johnson on the big screen?

After having to turn down a role in the upcoming fifth season of Yellowstone due to scheduling conflicts, Johnson says he and Sheridan have been in talks about having him appear in one of his upcoming cowboy movies instead.

“We’ve tried a couple of times [for Yellowstone] and my schedule is too busy to put aside the time,” Johnson told Audacy’s Rob + Holly during his recent appearance on the Friday Night Takeover. “We’re looking ahead to the future. There’s a few movie things where I’m like, ‘Look, if you guys give me the notice I can make this happen.’”

While Johnson works on making his acting debut a reality, he’s still giving fans plenty to be excited about as his current single, “Dirt Cheap,” continues to climbs the charts.

“It doesn’t matter what you have, if it’s something that’s valuable to you that you have memories of, you can’t buy that cheap because it has so much value to you,” he said, referring to the meaning of the song. “It doesn’t have to be a big piece of land for you to feel that way.”

Fans couldn’t agree more and are making it clear as they continue to connect with the song more than ever on Johnson’s recently-extended, Leather Tour. Showing up for his fans with meaningful messages, top-notch performances and unbreakable connection is something that means a great deal to Johnson, who says he doesn’t take his role in the spotlight lightly.

“It’s not lost on me that these kids, these young men will come to the shows… 8 and 9 year old kids and say ‘Mr. Cody, when I grow up I want to be just like you’ and I’m like, ‘Alright, Johnson, you better make sure you’re putting forth a good example… don’t screw this up, because then you’re letting that kid down.’”

“Screwing it up,” would not only let his young admirers down, Cody admits, but himself as well as he feels he’s been blessed with a lot and never wants to take it for granted. “In my younger years I was pretty wild. I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to have a career that I never thought was possible, to have a marriage that I never thought was possible, and to have two little kids that I couldn’t have dreamed of in my wildest dreams. I think you either screw it up or you man up.”

Hear more about Cody’s messages through music, live shows and more by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly

Jason Aldean’s wildly successful career has led him to meet millions of people around the world including his newest pal, Hulk Hogan.

The pair’s new friendship was on full display at Rock The Country music festival in Ocala, FL where Hogan served as Aldean’s hype man before going on stage and even joined him during the set. “In this business, I’ve learned you never know what’s going to happen the next day,” Aldean told Audacy’s Rob + Holly before sharing, “I had no idea I’d be buddies with Hulk Hogan, but here we are.”

He continued on to share how the two became friends after an interaction a few years ago when Hogan’s daughter was looking to try her luck at Country music. “I kinda talked to him on the phone a few years ago — his daughter was in town doing the Country thing, trying to be an artist or whatever and he had contacted me about seeing if I had any interest in working with her or producing her. At the time, I was busy, I couldn’t do it, I was kind of wrapped with my own stuff; making records and touring and stuff.”

He added, “Fast forward, DJ Silver got a house down in Florida close to where Hulk is and they start hittin’ it off, hanging out — next thing I know, Hulk’s coming out to our shows, hanging out and I got to be friends with this guy that I grew up thinking was a superhero. It’s been really cool.”

As Jason embraces a new friendship with Hulk, his childhood hero, he’s mourning the loss of another as he grieves the death of good pal and legendary Country artist, Toby Keith. Jason recently paid tribute to Toby at the ACM Award with a stripped down version of Keith’s hit from 1993, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy.”

“The ACMs asked if I’d come do a tribute for Toby… I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m down.’” Jason explained. ”They told me what they wanted to do — show some pictures of him from throughout his career and his life. We wanted to make sure we did something that was equally as epic as his career was.”

He continued, “Me and a couple of my guitar players just sat around one day in rehearsals and just came up with the slower version… where it just felt a little moodier and set the tone a little bit more for what the performance and what the moment was going to be.”

Knowing it was a risk to switch up a classic, Jason said he felt confident going into the performance after receiving a blessing from Toby’s wife and family after they heard the new rendition. “It’s always tough when you change up a song like that so drastically. Obviously, I’ve sang that song the way he did a million times, but we wanted to do something different for the show,” he shared.

“His wife called me that night and thanked me, kind of gave it her stamp of approval from her and the family, which was the icing on the cake for me. I was glad I got a chance to be a part of it and honor him and I’m glad that his family and everybody approved.”

While approval from Keith’s family meant everything to Jason, he admitted he had to avoid eye contact with them during the show to make sure he could keep his composure.

“It was cool to be able to do it, but it was equally sad t the same time sort of saying goodbye to somebody who was that legendary in our business,” he explained. “His family was sitting’ in front of me and I looked down at his family I think once and I was like, ‘Nope! Can’t do that.’ You can tell they’re still hurtin’ and it’s something they may never get over. It was tough to see, but I’m glad they liked the way we honored him and approved of it. That meant everything.”

Hear more about Aldean’s moving performance, new pal Hulk Hogan and whether or not he’d encourage his kids to pursue a music career by checking out Jason’s full conversation with Rob + Holly on Audacy’s Friday Night Takeover above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly

New music from Megan Moroney is here. The 26-year-old debuted her sophomore album last week, and while it takes fans on an emotional roller-coaster with her beloved “Sad Girl Country” sound and literally poses the question Am I OK? with the title, the 26-year-old says things are going more than OK.

While first clarifying she’s “absolutely not” in love, the Georgia-native says she has other things to celebrate as she feels her music is the best it’s ever been and is in the opening slot on the Kenny Chesney tour.

“I always view my career as ‘It hasn’t happened yet,’ and I think that’s what keeps me working really hard,” she told Audacy’s Rob + Holly when asked if she feels like she’s “made it.”

“Being able to watch Kenny every night is definitely like a ‘pinch me’ moment… I grew up listening to him. In 2018, I was the girl in the 300 section watching him do a stadium tour. For it to change and now I get to open for him, it’s just [amazing]... It’s like, the best thing that I’ve ever done. It’s so fun, I can’t believe I get to spend my summer doing this. We are definitely OK on this tour, it’s just amazing.”

There’s no question Moroney’s music has resonated with millions on the road, but it’s also made an impact through the speakers as she currently holds the title of ACM New Female Artist of the Year. Knowing her music is relating to millions is something she takes great pride in as she always works to keep the music less about her and more about the fans.

“It kind of ruins the song if I go into detail about who they’re about,” she said of why she doesn’t provide detailed context surrounding her songs. “I like my songs to be able to relate to everyone. Whatever way you hear it — whoever you think of when you here my songs, I want that to be who the song is about.”

Hear much more about the album, tour, and the third project she’s already working on by checking out Megan’s full conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly

It’s been just over a month since the release of Darius Rucker’s memoir, Life’s Too Short, and the project has allowed fans to see into his life, career, and success like never before.

Joining Audacy’s Rob + Holly for a conversation on the Friday Night Takeover, Darius shared the book is one that’s near and dear to his heart as it tells the most cherished and life-changing stories he’s been waiting to tell for a while. “They’ve been asking me to write it [a memoir] for a long time and I always said if I ever wrote it, I would tell the truth and wait until my kids were adults,” he shared. “They’re adults now and Harper [Publishing] came to me and they were persistent and finally I said, ‘Yeah.’ I’m glad I wrote it now.”

One of the most jaw-dropping stories told by Darius in the book is in the opening when he shares his friend and actor, Woody Harrelson, saved him after Rucker got caught in a current while swimming to a small island with Harrelson in Hawaii.

“I remember that day and I was ready to die,” Rucker said recalling the experience. “When I told him to let me go, I was serious. I was done, I just wanted to go. Not on his watch, is what he said and I’m still here because of Woody Harrelson.”

While Darius credits any life lived after that near-death experience to Harrelson heroic actions, he also takes time to pay great credit to retired late-night host, David Letterman, who helped Darius’ band, Hootie and the Blowfish, get their start.

“I don’t know if he knows the book is out,” Rucker said when asked of Letterman’s reaction. “But he knows if I’m going to write a book, he’s going to be in it... Dave Letterman made our careers. If David didn’t call us and say, 'Come play my show,' I’m not here talkin’ to you guys right now,” he said before detailing just how much growth the band saw after appearing on the show in 1994.

“We were on three [or] four radio stations… all in the Carolinas, one in Atlanta [before going on David Letterman,] That Monday, after Letterman, we were the most-added band [to radio] the next week, every day.”

Hootie and the Blowfish has maintained that success for 30 years now and Darius has even experienced great success as a solo artists in the Country realm. Finding a balance between his solo career and time with the band has been crucial for Rucker, and while his time on stage with each is very different he knows there’s always bound to be some cross over.

“We do a couple of my Country songs in the Hootie set and I do three Hootie songs in my [solo] set,” he shared. Balance doesn’t only come at his shows, he’s often working on things for both off the stage as well. For example, as Rucker readies to hit the road with Hootie and the Blowfish for an upcoming 30th reunion tour, he’s also celebrating the transformation of a track from his latest solo album, Carolyn’s Boy, into a duet.

Rucker recently enlisted help from fellow Country artist Jennifer Nettles to give one of the solo tracks, “Never Been Over,” some magical duet treatment. He expressed his immense gratitude for Nettles agreeing to join him, admitting it would have been hard to find someone better for the part had she declined. “Ever since I heard ‘Stay,’ I said, ‘I don’t know who this is, but I want to sing with her,’" Rucker recalled of the first time he remembers hearing Nettles’ voice. “She just killed that song,” he said of her talent showcased on “Never Been Over.” “She just took it to a whole new level.”

For more on Darius new song with Nettles, his memoir, and experiences with Hootie and the Blowfish, check out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly

Old Dominion has been cranking out the hits for ten years now making it hard to believe anything they write not being deemed Country gold. While they’ve seen great success with singles like, “Break Up With Him,” “One Man Band,” and “Memory Lane,” the guys say there are plenty of “bad songs” penned for every good one they write.

“We have a lot of bad songs in our history,” admitted Geoff Sprung. “We actually talked about putting out an album called The Worst of the Worst," he laughed.

“That’s also a dangerous thing because people might actually really love them,” Matt Ramsey said before Trevor Rosen added, “And then we have to play them.”

Whether the other songs are really as bad as they say they are, the guys definitely know when they produce a hit, which is exactly what happened with their brand new single, “Coming Home.”

“We knew right away that it was the type of song that we needed to record.” The guys shared. “So, we wrote it and recorded it right there in the studio that day.”

While the process was quick, it was one they’d had success with before as they wrote and recorded their hit, “Make It Sweet,” in one day. While they were pretty confident with the momentum they had surrounding the new single, Ramsey shared it’s always a risk to write and record in one day.

“The danger is, you can be so excited about something in the moment and it’s not as good as you think it is.” Clearly not the case with the new single, “Coming Home,” available now. Hear it below.

Hear much more from the guys about the new single, plans for their Nashville bar, and why they like to host after parties at Applebees by checking out their full conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly