Even Heroes Need Saving

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_00 0:00

And welcome back to the Inner Harbor Studios of Naughty 2.1 the Wolf, where every boot tells a story. And today I've got an artist whose music comes from a place that's real, personal, and bigger than just chasing what they call a hit song. His name is Jacob Jones, country artist, songwriter, and the son of a military man. He grew up understanding sacrifice service and what it means when families carry the weight right alongside those who serve. His music brings awareness to the people who put on uh the uniform, especially uh what happens when they come home. He's got a single out there now. We're gonna hear that in a little bit. It's called Even Heroes Need Saving. And the title alone absolutely says a lot. It's not about politics, it's about people and it's about veterans, it's about families, healing, and making sure the heroes we celebrate are also cared for when the uh spotlight fades. So Jacob is touring right now across the United States, making a stop right here in Syracuse. Uh, he's got a big following and strong momentum, uh, let's say in Texas, and uh he's a Bama boy. We'll talk about that here in a little bit. And uh he's bringing an acoustic run through New York and PA, welcome to the Northeast. Uh, he writes his own music, has more music on the way, and there's work happening behind the scenes to get him opening for some major headlining artist. How cool is that! There he is. He's looking at me, shaking his head. But Jacob Jones in the Wolf Studio, how are you?

SPEAKER_01 1:29

I'm doing great, sir. Thanks for having me. Oh, you call me sir.

Growing Up A Military Kid

SPEAKER_00 1:32

No, no, skip. But that's okay. I get it. I get it. Um Southern Hospitality coming out. That's all it is. I love it. Where all right, tell us a little bit, uh, if somebody's just discovering you, um, tell us about Jacob Jones in your own words.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Well, um, like you highlighted in the beginning, I grew up a military kid, which means I bounced from town to town to town. So I lived in all four corners of the United States, um, which allowed me to honestly just kind of be suited to do exactly what I do right now, which is just get to meet all kinds of cool folks and different cultures. And that's one of my favorite things about growing up a military kid, and one of my favorite things about the music business.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

I love that. We'll see if you still think it's cool when you get done here. Well, as long as it doesn't snow. Oh no. Well, this part of the Northeast, it could. It could. It could. You know that uh you're the son of a military man, which which we mentioned. Uh what did that teach you early on about discipline, sacrifice, and family?

The Nashville Moment That Changed Him

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Well, my dad was very strict growing up, so I didn't get away with a whole lot. So there's definitely a major discipline aspect of it. I think that allowed me to have organization and uh be able to be very goal-oriented. Um, as far as it also kind of taught me from the sacrifice end, like, yeah, my dad wasn't around or we had to move every two years and meet new folks. But um a lot of times there's also a silver lining that comes with that, which means I have friends all over the place now. Um, there's a lot of different um adventures that I was able to go on that I wouldn't have otherwise had.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

So it's um when did um music for you go from something you loved to something you knew you had to chase?

SPEAKER_01 3:02

I can tell you the exact moment that happened. So I was in college, I was running track at the University of Monte Valo down there and uh made a trip to Nashville and I was just picking on my guitar out there um by the pavilion out there by the lake where we used to have track practice. And I decided on a hair, like I was like, I'm gonna go to Nashville, I'm gonna try to meet some songwriters, I'm just gonna kind of see what it's all about because I'd never been. And uh I went to the the Commodore Girl down there for the first time. It was like where they host a daily writer's night, and I met some of my current writers I write with now, and uh I just caught the bug. And ever since then, like I knew like, okay, these songs that I'm writing in my room and everything, they need to be brought to light. I need to come to Nashville and chase this.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

So, did you take some of those songs that you were writing in your room and presenting to uh some other writers to get their swan? No, they were so bad. They say that, but I I'll bet they were not. Uh relative.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

I wouldn't, I wouldn't, uh, I wouldn't play them in the same set as I would any of the stuff I have now.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Do you remember the very first song that you ever wrote?

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Uh yeah, actually I do. And it was it was for a girl that I liked in like sixth grade in middle school because I took the whole George Strait approach like I did initially to impress the girls in my class. Didn't work. I can tell you right now, nothing wrong with using the king.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Yeah, you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

Well, it wasn't it was a king's approach, it wasn't the king's songs.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

No, I know that. I I get that, but you had that thought in mind. Um, what's harder for you? Because you are writing a lot of your own songs, and plus you're with some of these other writers as well. Uh, writing the truth or singing it back every night?

SPEAKER_01 4:30

I think the writing process is absolutely harder because you know that that's what's gonna be sticking with you through all these shows. Like, once it's locked in, you have that message. It's like I'm just amplifying what we've already done in the room, all the hard work, where in the room you have to go through all the different avenues of like how is this going to be received? Like, is this coming across the right way that we want it to? So the writing, the writing aspect is absolutely harder.

Why Writing The Truth Is Hard

The Message Behind Even Heroes Need Saving

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Very cool. You know, um, even heroes need saving. Wow, powerful, dude. Powerful. Uh, let's talk about that. Uh, that title hits before you even hear the song. I mean, when I heard the title, it was like, damn, yeah. So, where did that idea come from?

SPEAKER_01 5:09

So, I'm gonna be completely transparent with you. That is the only song in my catalog I did not write. But what I will tell you is that I heard it around three years ago with a friend of mine. And as soon as I heard it, I knew I had to cut it. And there was another artist that had it on hold, and it wasn't something that I had access to. So once it finally became free, they said if it's still free after six months, you can have it. And then once it got into my hands, just knowing all the friends that I have that have dealt with PTSD and the spouses of friends, like it's such an important message. And for it to be my first radio single is just super special because I know that it's got a purpose behind it.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

So you come from a military family. Have you been in the military?

SPEAKER_01 5:45

I have not. I came very close. I wanted to be a Navy SEAL all the way up until the time I like graduated high school. It's difficult. And I knew it wasn't gonna be easy, but I've never I've never wanted to do anything like at the lowest level. Like if I was gonna do it, I want to do it at the highest level. So I was I actually dropped out of college um when I was 19. Okay. And what I wound up doing was I went to Virginia Beach, started training with SEAL team too out there with some of the recruiters. And um, I actually had come pretty close to signing a contract and going off to boot camp the day before I was getting ready to sign my contract, told my recruiters, like, hey man, like I appreciate all the hard work that you've done for this, but I have to go chase a dream right quick. Yeah, I get you. I feel it.

SPEAKER_00 6:20

I know it's difficult. Uh what do you hope a military family hears in this song?

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Well, I hope that they they feel support. I hope that they they feel like there's their story is being told because a lot of the stories that we tell, like on this album, whether it be son of a military man or heroes or homeless man or whatever it may be, is just I want something to be no matter what aspect of military life you're in, whether you're a spouse, somebody that's lost your spouse in the line of duty or your kid that grew up in it like I did, to feel seen by that. Because you hear all these patriotic anthems and songs, but you very rarely hear the aspects of life that are actually important with it, and that was part of the mission that we wanted to have with this record.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

You know, there there is a fine line between honoring veterans and turning it into something political. Uh, your music seems to stay focused on the human side. Is that intentional?

SPEAKER_01 7:06

It is very intentional because to me, the military is not a political thing. Like they defend our country, red, blue, green, whatever color you want to call it. Like that has no policies have no bearing on how our military gets treated.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

I love that. Uh, your message is really about care after uh service. Uh, the return home, the quiet battles. I made some notes here. So uh the people who don't always ask for help, why is that so important to you?

Care After Service And Quiet Battles

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Because a lot of times they're not going to tell you. Like they fight wars overseas, and then they come back and they're fighting a war that's almost worse than what they witnessed overseas. And they think that because, oh, they're strong, these are strong individuals that they don't need the help and the check-ins that that other folks do. And it's also almost more so they need that because of the fact nobody regularly checks up on them. Um, have veterans or military families reached out to you? They have. Um, and I'll tell you, that's one of the great things about social media is that like we we're starting a platform called the American Drifters, which is a platform for people to be able to share their stories through my website. But being able to go to TikTok and Instagram and just read through the comments and just see the stuff that people are just openly sharing on social media is just crazy to me. All these intimate details, like every time I see one, it just makes me know, like, okay, we made the right decision putting the song out.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

What's it like when you perform that live? Can you feel the room change?

SPEAKER_01 8:20

Oh, absolutely. Like, I have to a lot of times put a preface out before I play, like, hey, this is gonna get really deep, but it's important. I know at least one of you knows somebody in here that can relate to this. So you can absolutely feel the energy in the room. And even the last couple of nights here on tour in Pennsylvania, New York, I've had people come up to me and talk to me about their stories, and it's just been very touching.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

Have you had the opportunity to maybe go to some of these bases? I know we're very close to Fort Drum and there's other uh installations around.

Building American Drifters Community

SPEAKER_01 8:45

So that is something that we've been working on. I have been to two and very in particular that I've worked closely with. I went out to uh Dias Air Force Base out in uh Abilene, Texas. Uh actually did my first uh show on a base out there recently for the military kids out there and got to hear their stories. And then um also going to Fort Campbell in Kentucky and playing out there. I've worked very closely with them for a few years as well. This is amazing. Amazing. And truthfully, if just to be honest, that's something I really want to do more of, whether it be here close to Syracuse, like nationally, that's something I want to be able to do, just to be able to give back, to be able to show the kids that grew up like I did. Like, hey, you can do something like what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

Yeah, we got the 10th Mountain Division right up the road in Watertown for Drum. So it's kind of cool. I don't know if you've been up there yet, I've not, but I'll definitely check it out. You'll have to get your people to uh make that make that happen. Well, people send over here in the corner. She's over there. Uh, you know what? You talk about the American Drifters uh as a community built uh around music, uh patriotism, and the real stories of military families. Uh, what made you want to build a community, not just a fan base?

SPEAKER_01 9:48

Well, to me, like I don't even want to call it a fan base because to me, it's not about me. Like, I just want to be the mouthpiece for this message. And yes, some of my music doesn't have anything to do with that. But at the same time, like I know there's never really been a spot where I feel like there's been an open forum for people to be able to come forward, share their stories anonymously, or put their name to it. And what we want to do is whatever people are comfortable with, be able to share these stories, highlight them, and be able to be like, hey, even if it only helps one person, like we know that it did something for somebody.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

So we can go on a social media site or a website, yes. And put our feelings in there, talk about whatever we need to talk about.

Patriotism Without Politics

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Absolutely, absolutely you can. And it's even though it's geared specifically for the military community and everything, that I'm open to all kinds of people just being a part of that community no matter what the aspect of that is. But it's directly through my website, jacobjones.com. Okay. Go straight to the top, there's a spot that says join the American Drifter. It's free to sign up. We're not charging anybody for it. We never will. It's just one of those things where we want to have a spot where we can have that open for them. I would assume you have merchandise on there. We do actually. And uh portion of that, does it go to Yes? Okay. It goes to Operation Homefront, which goes to support uh Gold Star Families, which for the listeners that don't know what a Gold Star family is, that is uh for folks that have lost somebody in the line of service for their family. When you hear the word uh patriotism, what does that mean to you? It just means putting your country first, not necessarily above everything, but just having that sense of pride and just knowing that you're you have people that are defending your country and like what it stands for, because this country is very unique in the fact that there was the first open democracy, like outside of Greece and everything, but the first truly open representative democracy. And the fact that we've been able to defend that for almost 300 years now is crazy. So that that's what it means to me.

SPEAKER_00 11:30

Yeah, so you grew up in Alabama. I I kind of grew up all over. Was it well, no, that's right. You did. You said you, you know, home to home for you could have been any one of the four changes based on the wins. Great United States of America. Yeah, I know, I know. But uh so right now you're in Nashville. I'm in Alabama, right? Alabama. So you are in Alabama, yes, but uh so I would assume you're on that Texas uh country music chart, or is your music being played there? Or well, I have had some very con folks in Texas that have blood down there, yes. Yes, exactly. And uh for those fans in Texas, uh they're known for being serious about songs and storytelling. Do you feel they like uh do you feel they maybe listen differently?

SPEAKER_01 12:10

I don't know they necessarily listen differently, but I will say that that is one of the most receptive audiences I've ever had. Like usually when you're trying to break into a new market, you have to do a lot of covers, you have to do a lot of pay homage to the people that came before you, which I love doing. Like I love playing covers just as much as I do my own original music, but you'll get to a point in the show where you play one original and you'll have like five or ten people stop you in the middle of the show and they'll be like, I want more of that. So you'll get to a point like where like it just goes to just it's you exactly. That's you, and they they love that down there, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Well, it's like that here. That's you, that's you know, Jacob Jones being Jacob Jones. I mean, we can hear the other music anytime we want.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

And I don't think it's just a Texas thing. I think like to your point, that's a national thing. Like the shows I've had here in New York and Pennsylvania has been the exact same way.

Acoustic Shows And Storytelling Live

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Yeah, and what do you love about stripping these songs down? You've been performing uh different shows around New York and PA, but you're stripping these songs down. How do you feel about that?

SPEAKER_01 13:00

Honestly, I hope it's something I never lose because uh no matter what stage of my career I'm in, I want to be able to do these acoustic shows. Just because you get the instant feedback from the crowd, you can be more you can kind of take the moment in more because I'm out up there with a band. I can hear everything that's going on around me, and I can kind of cater the show more towards what the the crowd is wanting. So it's it's just it's a special feeling and it's one I hope I never lose.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

Yeah. Do you tell the stories of the songs uh before you get into them?

SPEAKER_01 13:26

Uh sometimes before, sometimes after. Um, it just completely depends on kind of what the vibe is that night. But what I'll say is that that is one of the things I love about acoustic performing, is that you have the opportunity to be able to take that pause, take your time, be able to tell the stories behind it, be able to thank the writers or be able to give somebody a glimpse into something that inspired you where you otherwise wouldn't be able to.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

Tell me, what would you say about the new single if you were gonna play it here in a moment?

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Well, what I say for it, um, I would say I'm your audience. Okay. It's always hard too. It's like when you come in one of these studios, it's like you have an audience. I tell her this all the time, like you have an audience of one. And like I know there's a lot of people listening, but like there's only one person's instant reaction you can see. But as far as the what I would say for Even Heroes Need Saving is exactly what I just said a minute ago, is that uh, so I have a new single out of country radio right now that I'm really proud to have out, and uh I want to play it for you here, but I want to preface it by telling you, like, hey, this is not gonna be a party song, this is gonna be a song that's about life, that's important. We need to get this in here. We have folks that are fighting battles overseas for us, but when they get home, they're still fighting battles. We need to make sure that we fight alongside them when they get back.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

Ladies and gentlemen, Jacob Jones. That's what I would be doing. So, how cool is that? It's pretty cool. Um, is there a song in your set that surprises people live? I know you got the new single which you're talking about, but is there something else that you do and just kind of surprises everybody?

SPEAKER_01 14:41

I would say so. Um, I would say whenever I play the half of it, people people get a little bit surprised because that song starts off sounding one way, and then when you get into the chorus, it flips. Everybody's like, Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

And it's just a fun love song. Exactly. Have you had a favorite moment about being on the road? Is there something that really sticks out in your mind, Jacob? Like from this run or just periodically? Just in in general.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Yeah, I would just say honestly, my favorite, but the parts that stick out to me the most is not like hearing people applause or hearing like uh how much they love my songs, it's just being able to hear how they related to that song and how like they saw their story in my story. That that's that's probably the part that sticks out to me the most. And I know that's not super specific, but no, no, I get it. So you write your own music. What comes first? Is it the lyrics, the melody? I think usually it depends based off the writer, but for me, it's it's always the hook because that that part that just kind of digs into you is the part to me that's the most important. If you don't have a good basis for the song and a good lyric, you have nothing. Like I'm a lyric guy.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

So, where are you headed? Where's your sound headed?

A 21 Song Album With Three Lanes

SPEAKER_01 15:45

Where's my sound headed? Yeah. So we've been uh we we've did this project because I just put out a 21-song album back in February. I was gonna get to that. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:53

Let's talk about that too while you're at it.

SPEAKER_01 15:54

Okay, so we we put it out in it, we put it out all at one time, by meaning that we had a couple of VPs that led up to that all kind of had different sounds. There's like three different segments to the album. So you have like the the life lessons part of it, you have like the story part of it, then you have like the military appreciation part of it. So it's broken up into like it's really three albums in one. Um, so to me, this album was less of trying to have a theme and more of just like, okay, this is the full breadth of what Jacob Jones, the artist, looks like and where that evolves from here, I'm not a hundred percent sure because we're gonna have to come up with a whole new lane for the next project after this.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

Are you the kind of writer? Let's say 2 a.m. you're making notes on your phone. Absolutely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

Sometimes later than that, sometimes I'll just be sitting in traffic going 70 miles an hour down the highway and be like, oh shoot, I gotta, I gotta record this dial.

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Like, Siri, hey, catch this. You do 70 miles an hour here, you're gonna get a ticket. No, I'm just saying. No, no, I believe you. No, no, no. Well, yeah. We have great men and women out there keeping things uh, we we saw a couple on the way in.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

Oh, yeah. A couple pulled over on the way in. Was she speeding? Uh, she was parked whenever I saw her. Oh, there was a nice fine cop giving her a ticket. Not not the not the not no.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

Oh, I got you. No, no, it was it wasn't our friend, sir. It wasn't our friend. No, no, no. Is there one unreleased song that uh you cannot wait for people to hear?

SPEAKER_01 17:13

One unreleased song? You get something in the words that you uh maybe can well I haven't told anybody this yet, but I guess you're a good first person to tell. Let's do it. Uh I don't have a select release date for this yet, but I am releasing a deluxe version of this album uh sometime in the next six to eight months.

unknown 17:26

Very cool.

Vinyl Dreams And What Crowds Matter

SPEAKER_01 17:27

So this is the first album. Yeah, I mean it's we've had like what I call an EP, even though it's like seven songs. It's a really long EP, so it really could be an album. This is the first full project that we've titled as an album. Um, but we do have we do have a deluxe version of that in works that's gonna expand upon the themes that are already on this album. I'm loving what you're doing. And to me, this is what we need. And I appreciate that. And to me, like I just want albums to get back to being albums. I want there to be some cohesion to it. I want there to be like a theme to it. Like back in the like in the 90s, the late 80s, like when you had all these albums that like you could just tell there was a central kind of interwoven theme between it. Now I just feel like it's just kind of like a hodgepodge song, just kind of throwing together because they all sound good. You talk about an album, you know what I think of immediately is vinyl.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

Oh, absolutely. I love vinyl. You love vinyl? I sure do. That is all coming back. As a matter of fact, I was just on a site last night, I got rid of all my turntables. They're like all gone, yeah. But now the albums are coming back, and that you know, artists like yourself and other artists are sending me albums. It's like I need a turntable. So I was on Amazon last night, just kind of shopping around a little bit. So I've got one.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

I don't know if it works, I've never plugged it in. Like I got it from my Paw Paul. Yeah, and uh the very first vinyl I was ever gifted was uh Merle Haggard back to the bars. The first one would have been. Yeah, it was Merle Haggard back to the barrooms. Wow, which is which is my which is actually one of my top five favorite albums. Like, that's a great album.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

This is crazy, just crazy. What's um, you know, have you played uh tell me some of the big places you've played. So is there one? I know we talked about maybe a certain moment on tour, but what about some of the venues? Is there one that sticks out?

SPEAKER_01 19:05

It's gonna sound bad, but not really. And what I mean what I mean by that is is that it's just to me, it's like it's more of a a crowd feeling because I some of my favorite shows that I played are to four people.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

I was gonna say I would imagine singing the songs that you sing, not in front of 30,000 people, in front of a room of about 150. You know what I mean? It then you it you touch every heart in that room. Everything is to me, that would be more powerful. And it is said four or five people. But no, I mean I meant that literally like four or five people. No, no, I know I get that. I get that.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

But I and the thing is too, like I do enjoy playing for those larger crowds of a couple thousand people and everything like there's that's an electric moment and that's a different style of show. Sure. But to me, just having that intimate, instant feedback and everything, like just you get a better gauge too, because you can just tell, like, okay, they're really resonating with what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_00 19:56

So you get the patriotic feel out of your shows, but also tell me about one of your live shows. Is there a lot of energy, full band? Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

I don't do anything, uh, I don't do anything without energy. Like, even when I play like uh just a three-hour set somewhere, like I don't like taking breaks, like I'm gonna play through the whole thing, like I'm gonna stand up the whole time. Like, I'm never gonna be that dude leaning on a stool, just sitting back there chilling. Like, no, I like to stand up, I like to get into it. I love it, I love it. And and I'll I I like to I like to engage with folks.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

So if you're going to a Jacob Jones show, man, you got to be prepared for a good time.

SPEAKER_01 20:26

You gotta be prepared for a good time, and you also gotta prepare to be participating because if you're not, I'm gonna call you out.

unknown 20:32

I love it.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

She can tell you like it is that is a thing that happens.

Road Snacks Texas Moments And Movie Titles

SPEAKER_00 20:35

So being on the road, here you are on like a uh somewhat of a radio tour, and also doing these uh little shows here and there and making yourself known. What's your favorite road snack?

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Oh, I love uh I love cheeses, especially the pepperjack ones. I like uh I'm a cheese guy. Like like the jalapeno beef jerky is good. Um then if I'm in a if I'm in a bind and I really need something to like really stick to my ribs, like a uh peanut butter, banana cliff bar is always good too. Oh, what? A peanut butter, banana cliff bar? I don't know. It's like a little, it's like a granola bar.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

I I guess, yeah, okay. All right, it's just somebody's gonna know what that is. Yeah, I'm sure they I'm sure they will. Uh, is there a certain song that you wish you had written?

SPEAKER_01 21:15

Oh, absolutely. Uh, there's a lot of them actually, but I would say at the very top of that, the chair. The chair. I mean, Dean Dillon is the greatest songwriter of all time.

unknown 21:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

What is the um the most Texas thing that has ever happened to you on tour? Most Texas thing that's ever happened to me? Because it's like Texas is Texas. Now you're in upstate New York.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

So well, I I think uh the most Texas thing that's ever happened to me is I mean, you'll see people dance at shows, like just kind of like badly. But they can't.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

Because they're great.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Oh, then you know what? I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I'm the world's best dancer. I mean, I could two step, that's about it. But at the same time, like in Texas, like there's a couple of like clubs I'll play at, and you'll you'll just see people like just like 10, 20, 30 couples all get up at once, just waiting for that perfect moment to get out there and and cut up, cut up that roof.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Yeah, I got I got a question for you. If your life was a uh was a movie right now, all right, what would the title of that be? Like a movie title that's already out, or what would I title that? I don't know. I mean, what for you? Sydney, who was the uh no? What is the um your life had a movie title right now? What would it be? Call it Title Degan Nights. You ain't first your last.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

Trying to race to the finish. Is that like one of your favorite movies, though? Oh, it's like one of my all-time favorite movies. Absolutely. Will Farrell's a committed genius.

SPEAKER_00 22:27

Oh my god, he unbelievable. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

That was my senior quote in high school is if you ain't first, you're last, literally, like in my yearbook page.

SPEAKER_00 22:34

So country music is at its best when finish that.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

Country music is at its best when uh the songwriting is the focus.

unknown 22:43

I love it.

SPEAKER_01 22:43

Or when there's a steal and fiddle. I mean, like I love a good country song with a good crying steel guitar on it.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

Is there like somebody you really want to collaborate with or perform with that you haven't?

SPEAKER_01 22:55

There's there's two. Okay. Um, I would say he's always told folks if I could have been a foot taller and grown a better mustache, I've been Alan Jackson when I grew up. Oh, Alan. Uh so Alan, uh, even though he's getting towards whiny's curved down and everything with his last show here in Nashville this uh this fall, uh that's always been a dream of mine. And then uh Eric Church. To me, he's my single biggest influence. He um I just love how he evolves with every single project and then just how cleverly ridden all of his son are showing. And he does, and he's just an entertainer.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

Like to me, three hours of Eric Church is just phenomenal.

SPEAKER_01 23:24

There's a huge difference between being an artist and being an entertainer. Like anybody can be an artist, anybody can sing. There's a huge difference between putting on a show and just singing. Well, you got to bring them together. Exactly right. It's more than just standing there. I mean, it's community. I mean, like uh one of my favorite things that he says is that for those three hours, like nothing else in the world matters, not politics, not religion, not any of that stuff. It's just like you're just there with that community and everybody's in there for that musical moment.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

You know, I will you play the single for us in a little bit? Yes, sir. Just a few minutes. But before we break for you to get the guitar out and everything, uh before we let you go with that, what would you like to say directly to veterans and military families that could be listening or watching this right now?

SPEAKER_01 24:01

Well, what I would say to them is just that um I hope that you see yourself and what we're doing and that it's not it's not about me, it's about it's about you guys. It's about just wanting to tell the stories that I feel like haven't been highlighted because you hear all the things about the military and some of them are true, some of them are not so true. And it's just this is just trying to give some behind the scenes look to the people that are that are not in this community because everybody who's in the community knows everything that goes on, but the people outside usually don't.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Now, well, you promised me you'll play that song. You're gonna open up your guitar case, you're gonna pull the guitar out, we're gonna do that. All right, more of Jacob Jones coming up in just a moment or two, so stay right there, and uh well, we'll connect them all together here. You'll see it. So it's Jacob Jones, and uh, we're gonna hear that in just a moment. So stay close.