"Try That in a Small Town" co-writer and bassist Tully Kennedy episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 29, 2026 · 8 MIN

"Try That in a Small Town" co-writer and bassist Tully Kennedy

from Rational in Portland · host Kristin Olson

Tully Kennedy is a bassist, writer and producer. He has been Jason Aldean's bassist for over 25 years and co-wrote numerous hits, including the Billboard #1 "Try That in a Small Town". Tully grew up in the small town of Redford in upstate New York. He received his first CMA Triple Play Award, for the Jason Aldean hits that reached #1 in a 12-month span: “Blame It On You”, “Trouble With A Heartbreak”, and “If I Didn’t Love You” (with Carrie Underwood). He was onstage with Jason Aldean and his other band members in 2017 in Las Vegas when a mass shooter opened fire on the band and about 22,000 audience members. More than 50 people died and hundreds were injured. A bullet barely missed Tully, hitting and lodging itself in his bass guitar. The day after the Vegas shooting, Tom Petty died. Five days later, Jason Aldean and the band did the cold open for "Saturday Night Live", covering and recording the Petty song "I Won't Back Down". Tully and his "Try That in a Small Town" co-writers have a podcast by the same name where they interview guests and discuss music, ideas, politics, and culture.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 29, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

"Try That in a Small Town" co-writer and bassist Tully Kennedy

0:00 8:53

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Rational in Portland?

This episode is 8 minutes long.

When was this Rational in Portland episode published?

This episode was published on August 29, 2026.

Can I download this Rational in Portland episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!