Ep. 259: Jordan Rainer on Coming Out Late, The Voice, and Her Outlaw Country Revival

Jordan Rainer — country singer, preacher's daughter, and four-chair-turn phenomenon from Season 26 of The Voice — joins Zach for one of the most honest conversations you'll hear about coming out late in life, leaving religion behind, and reclaiming your identity through music. Jordan opens up about growing up in a Southern Baptist household in Altus, Oklahoma, where who she really was "was not safe, not talked about, and hated." She didn't plan to come out — until a phone call with her dad changed everything. Her younger brother was in tears at a park, struggling with the family's rejection of his being gay. Jordan called her parents and told them: if you can't figure out how to love him, you can't figure out how to love me either — because I'm gay too. That moment of courage became the seed of her debut album, Outlaw Revival — a record about deconstruction, freedom, bodily autonomy, and a different kind of rebirth. Jordan talks about why the album is sold exclusively on her website (streaming robs the little guy), how coming out literally changed the sound and register of her voice, and why she re-recorded key tracks — including the stunning "Days of Thunder" — to capture a freedom she didn't know she'd been holding back. She also shares: what it was like to audition with Reba McEntire's biggest hit on Reba's first season of The Voice (spoiler: she threw up after), Reba's warm and immediate reaction when Jordan came out, the story behind "The Night I Drank with Tanya" (yes, Tanya Tucker has heard it — and loves it), and her dream of making country music a truly inclusive space. If you're queer, if you've ever been confined by religion, if you're still in the closet — this one's for you. Jordan Rainer is a beacon. 🎵 Buy Outlaw Revival exclusively at Jordan's website —https://www.jordanrainerofficial.com/  📲 Follow Jordan:https://www.instagram.com/thejordanrainer/ 📲 Follow Zach: @TheRealZachRE 🎙️ Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode — it genuinely helps the show reach more people who need to hear it. Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.