Katie & Company

Heading into the 4th of July, Katie Neal got to sit down with one of our favorite fireworks, HARDY, who has carved out his own lane in Country music and songwriting since first exploding onto the scene. The GRAMMY-nominated singer is set to embark on a trip to Japan with his wife, his longest time away from his 15-month-old daughter, Rosie. While with Katie, he can’t stop gushing about how smart and sweet his little girl is, surprising himself with the way she has changed him. When asked what surprised him about fatherhood, HARDY says, “I guess in a way this might sound weird, but how gentle and delicate I want to be with her.” “Not that I ever imagined it any other way, but like, there's just something about a little girl,” he adds. “I'm looking at these guitars, all my guitars are banged up, all of my stuff is, I'm just rough on my stuff, and it's something about her that it's just, it's just completely different. I've never been that kind of person to be very gentle or to take things slowly or to be patient with things, and it's just, it's like second nature for me for sure.” The conversation shifts to a mysterious, under-wraps film project involving actor Glen Powell, that HARDY is a part of, filming some scenes recently at CMA Fest. “I got to sit in the room and like he, I don't think this is giving too much away. He's already been talking about it, but like he's immersed himself into the culture. It reminds me of what Post Malone did where he like, he didn't just come here and write with all the big people. He like wanted to write with the songwriters and learn all that, and Glenn really like came to town and kind of, more or less, I guess like method acting, he wants to learn about the town to play the better character.” HARDY would be down to do more acting, but he needs to play himself. “Certain people just play themselves,” he notes, citing actors like Vince Vaughn. “I feel like that's the only way I can do it because I've thought about like, how hard it would be for Johnny Depp to become a completely different person and how good like Jared Leto, some of these people are just great at becoming a different person. There's no way I could do that I don't think.” The real passion for HARDY still lies in songwriting, sharing that he’s having a real “songwriter moment,” including his work on the all-star single, “McArthur,” featuring Tim McGraw, Eric Church, and Morgan Wallen. "It's two different channels of fulfillment too,” he says. “I started a publishing company with some members of my family... we're signing people and then like people that have never had hits and they're like writing hits and we're writing hits together and it's really cool, it's really special." To hear more about a few of those hits and family life with HARDY, check out the full 'Superstar Power Hour' interview above.

Fresh from his 'Album of the Year' win at the ACM Awards this year, Parker McCollum is back with Katie Neal, talking about the big night, his child on the way, and the story behind his latest hit, “Killin’ Me.” “I really, really, really didn't expect it,” Parker says of his win at the ACMs, with his self-titled LP taking home the prize for 'Album of the Year.’ “They say your name and it's on live TV and you're like, ‘oh damn, what do I do now?’” “So many people are a part of my journey, I would need so much time to really thank everybody that I truly and sincerely want to give credit to for putting me in a position to do something like that, but it's, I don't know, it's such a blur when they call your name.” After the big win, McCollum says he took his luck to the tables in Las Vegas with Tucker Wetmore. “Me and Tucker went to the blackjack table,” he shares. “We were balling. Laney Wilson was back there, and Zach Top was too. They weren't at our table. They ended up coming over once we were in it, and we were like, ‘Hey, this is going really well. Y'all can't sit down.’” “Every time Laney would walk over and check on us, we would win. So like we had this Laney effect and like every time she would come over, and eventually she just came and hung out and I mean, I think I walked away with like 13,000. I sat down with 1000. Just asked Tucker, like it was the most unorthodox way of making money in that game, not playing by the rules, just winging it. The place is going crazy, but we had a good time.” The winning streak continues for McCollum, who is once again climbing the charts with his song, “Killin’ Me.” “A lot of people describe that song as like a sexy love song, but I had never really written anything from that perspective or in that vein, so it was kind of new territory for me in the songwriting aspect,” Parker reveals. “It was a little dark and it was emotional, and it was all hot and bothered is what the melody kind of made me think of, so it's just 3 grown men in the room writing this song.” “I was like, let's all just close our eyes and picture our wives and let's stop looking at each other,” he laughs. “That's just how I've always written songs, just messing around on guitar, just kind of, you know, just making stuff up.” For more on the upcoming addition to his family, and the stories behind some of his songs, listen to the full conversation with Parker McCollum above.

Cole Swindell is forever changed, thanks to his newest title, Dad. The singer stopped by for a talk with Katie Neal about his new single, “Girl Dad,” and what the first Father’s Day in his new role means to him. Swindell shares that having a child fundamentally changed his perspective, teaching him that the common cliches about how fast time moves are actually true. "There's no measure of time like a child, like watching how fast it goes by watching them grow and I don't know. It just sounds like a bunch of cliche stuff that is the truth now." As his daughter nears one, Cole has unveiled an emotional new track, "Girl Dad," explaining that the song serves as an update to his life since the release of his hit, "You Should Be Here." "It's just an update of life over the past 3 or 4 years to my dad,” he explains. Swindell wanted to revisit the site of his father’s grave - the location where the video for "You Should Be Here" was filmed - to update his father on his life. He emphasizes that despite the specific title, the song is ultimately about hope and finding light at the end of the tunnel, even after profound loss. “It may be titled ‘Girl Dad,’ but it's really for anybody going through any life moment or anything. Those moments where you wish you could just call that one person or a couple people, and tell them. So I hope that people know that this is a special song to me, but it's really just the power of music and also hope.” “Sometimes that's all we need is to know that whatever that feeling is, there's somebody out there that's been through it,” Cole adds. To hear more from Cole on the search for his late father’s old Bronco, and the stories behind a few of his biggest hits, listen to the full conversation above.

Keith Urban has gotten so good at what he does, that he accidentally cooked up the perfect summer soundtrack for you and your friends. The GRAMMY-winning singer just released his Yacht Rock album, 'flow state,' setting the season off with an easy-going batch of beach-ready anthems, along with help from John Mayer, Little Big Town, and Michael McDonald. He joins Katie Neal this week during the 'Superstar Power Hour' to discuss how it all came together. After purchasing a studio in Nashville in 2024 and getting it operational by 2025, Keith simply wanted to record something fun to break in the new space. “We put a band together and I said to Dan Huff, ‘let's just do a couple of Yacht Rock songs just to break in the studio,’ like there was no intention of releasing them at all,” Keith shares. “It was just fun.” It was something that everybody in the band knew, we all know these songs, let's just have fun, let's not be getting too serious about everything,” he adds. “I would go away and tour and I'd come back and if I had time we would just put the band back together and maybe do one or two more songs and then I thought, well maybe I could release a little EP while I'm in between albums, you know, my original albums.” “It really did take on a life of its own.” The album features three collaborations from Little Big Town, John Mayer, and the one and only, Michael McDonald. “I'd actually recorded the album, we sequenced it, we mixed it, mastered it, turned it into the record label, it was done,” explains Urban. “My new manager said to me, ‘it'd be really great if we could get one of the Yacht Rock dudes to collab on something,’ and I said, ‘like who?’” Keith already had a song in mind for McDonald, and got a session together to record with him in record time. “I'd met Michael, he'd recorded his vocal, we'd recorded the song top to bottom, we mixed it, we mastered it, we re-sequenced the record, we resurfaced it, we put it back on the label,” says Keith. “That's probably the shining example of how the album has consistently had a life of its own.” For more from Keith Urban on the meaning of 'flow state,' and the debate surrounding the sound of Country music, check out the full conversation above.

Inside the chaos of CMA Fest in Nashville, Chris Young and Katie Neal slowed down long enough to catch up, talking about his new sports bar, the deluxe of his latest album, 'I Didn’t Come Here To Leave,' and how the title track came to be. The party atmosphere of Chris Young’s “I Didn’t Come Here To Leave” was actually penned at 9AM according to the singer, but it was inspired by one last beer the night before. “This song sounds like we wrote it at 9PM, we wrote it at 9 in the morning,” shares Young. “Dallas Davidson and I were hanging out. We hadn't run into each other in a long time.” “I was just waiting for traffic to die down. He goes, ‘do you wanna have one more beer?’ And I was like, ‘oh, sure, if you do.’ And he goes, ‘I didn't come here to leave.’ And I was like, ‘please tell me you haven't already written that as a song,’ and he's like, ‘No, man, I haven't.’” Chris pushed to write the song in the morning, but Davidson already had a writing session scheduled for 11AM. “I was like, ‘will you do 9AM? I bet we can knock this out.’ I was like, ‘I bet we can do this in 2 hours.’ And we ended up writing the song in under an hour.” “It was just one of those serendipitous [things], like if I hadn't been hanging out with him… if all those things don't fall into place, that song never gets written or it gets written by somebody else somewhere on down the road.” To hear more about the deluxe edition of I Didn’t Come Here To Leave, and Young’s new sports bar in Nashville, listen to the full conversation above.

Zach Top has been busy, as the chart-topping, Audacy LAUNCH artist has oscillated between shows around the world and the pursuit of a better golf game back at home. The “I Never Lie” singer joins Katie Neal this week for the 'Superstar Power Hour,' opening up about life off-stage and sharing the stories behind a few of his biggest hits. When he is not on the road, Zach enjoys golfing and tinkering in his garage he tells Katie, and he stays committed to lowering his golf handicap. “I sit in the backyard and I got a net I hit balls into.” shares Top, “and I got a little portable simulator set up and then I take videos of my swing, and then look at my swing and say that looks bad, and then I try to do something different and it works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't.” “I did not understand for the longest time why golf was like… why people were so obsessed with it, but then, when you start playing, like there's so many things that have to go right all at the same time and it's ridiculous.” When he’s not at home trying to get better, he’s on the road working towards that lower handicap, already reformed after a few years of touring. “I used to look at guys with their gym trailers and, you know, Riley [Green]'s got a big old gym set up out there, and I'm sitting over there drinking beer at 10 in the morning and laughing at him for working out,” he says. “Now that's me too.” “I thought I had 10 or 15 years of good hard living in me, and I'm three years into full-time being on the road and I'm already slowing down.” “We do a little working out in the morning, a lot of times go play golf,” he adds. “That's a fun little way to get away from the venue for a little while too. It sounds like it'd be glamorous and fun, but yeah, you're just sitting in another parking lot every day. They usually have it set up really nice, it's comfortable and we're on our buses and stuff like that, so there's nothing to complain about, but it is nice to get out of the parking lot and away from the venue, go see some green grass.” For more behind-the-scenes stories of life on the road, and the origin of some of his songs, check out the full conversation above.

You can’t open the internet in 2026 without another big Riley Green announcement. In a few short months since his last visit with Katie Neal, the Country star has started an acting career, received an honorary doctorate from Jacksonville State University, and announced that he’s a coach on the upcoming 30th season of 'The Voice.' The “Change My Mind” singer joined us earlier this month at the ACM Awards, detailing his latest string of success, and offering some insight into his strategy for 'The Voice.' “I bet I'll enjoy working with the artists a lot,” Riley reveals. “I've never done anything like that and I don't feel like I'm overly musically talented, like I feel like these people are a lot better players and singers and know more about music than me, so my advice will probably be more in the, ‘here's some things that I did… don't do this.’” “You gotta try to win. I mean, I'm very competitive,” he adds. “I think it'd be fun to see what I'm drawn to musically because I grew up in the burnt CD era when it was like a Tim McGraw song and Tupac was the next one on there, we listened to everything growing up.” Green with join Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, and Queen Latifah on The Voice when it premieres on NBC in September. For more from Riley on acting, music, and his honorary degree, check out the full conversation above.

Climbing the Country chart towards the top for his 11th number one song, Jordan Davis recently joined Katie Neal inside our Nashville studios to talk about the success of “Turn This Truck Around,” and what’s in the works for his next album. “The song is about a guy that's kind of going through a heartbreak, and he needs to leave it and not go back to it,” says Davis of his latest single. “I think he knows that going back is gonna be a major problem, so he's got to keep moving on.” “Thinking back on when we were writing it,” remembers Davis, “I think a truck title got thrown out and I kind of started thinking about my dad's old Suburban that we would all drive around in and how many times me and my brother were fighting and he turned around and was like, ‘hey, knock it off or I'll turn this truck around, we'll go back home,’ and that's really where that song started from. But yeah, it's been awesome to see it rocking and rolling, and it's becoming one of our favorite ones.” If “Turn This Truck Around” hits number one, it would be the 11th for Davis, who is still in awe of the accomplishment. “From being a Country radio kid, you know, that's how I found music growing up, and that was my dream moving to town in 2012 because I just wanted the number one on Country radio,” he shares. “To now be talking about possibly my 11th is pretty wild. I would never would have dreamed. I would have thought you had me mixed up with somebody else if you had told me that in 2018. But, man, I'm grateful to do it. I'm grateful to get to do it and to call this a job.” Jordan’s album, 'Learn The Hard Way,' came out in August of 2025, but he appears already hard at work on the follow-up. “I started writing again in January,” Davis reveals. “I just kind of wanted to get out in front of it and write in January before we took off overseas, February, March, and had 4 days in January where I just feel like I really, I don't know, I like hit a spot where I just am really excited to go write again and, wrote some good stuff, and feel like I'm kind of on a pretty cool path to another record.” “I've got 5 or 6 songs right now that I'm pretty fired up about.” To hear more from Jordan Davis on upcoming shows and possible collabs, check out the full conversation above, and all week during the 'Superstar Power Hour' during 'Katie & Company' on your favorite Audacy Country station.

As our nation heads towards Memorial Day Weekend, it seems fitting to speak with Craig Morgan, who has 17 years of service in the United States Military and currently has a role in the 313th Army Band. During a talk with Katie Neal, Craig is quick to note the distinction between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, sharing its not about correction, but remembrance. “A lot of us veterans especially have this conversation, and there are those personnel within the veteran community who get really aggravated when people misconstrue Veterans Day with Memorial Day,” he reveals. “I heard a great quote from a very close veteran friend of mine, an officer, a pilot, the guy worked for the CIA. He's done a lot of great stuff, and he said, ‘Look, man, don't beat up the civilian populace, when they make the mistake of saying thank you to our veterans on that day, it's OK. That is not a day for them to be corrected, it is a day for us to make sure that we are correct.’” “On Memorial Day as a veteran it's imperative for all of us as veterans to recognize that that is a day not about us, me, or our veteran service or even our buddies' veteran service, but for those who, as you said, made the ultimate sacrifice,” he adds. “We memorialize them on that day and remember them and remember the sacrifices that they made so that we celebrate the freedoms that we do.” As a veteran, Morgan has also had the honor of performing the National Anthem on many accounts. “I'm very curious, as someone who has served for our country, is currently serving for our country and is also a Country artist who regularly sings the national anthem, what is the advice that you give to people when they are going to sing the anthem?” asks Katie. “I try not to give too much advice because you never know what might happen,” says Morgan. “I just tell them to be themselves. I always try to tell people, ‘hey, look, don't try to over sing it. Don't try to overdo it. It is the national anthem.’ It's meant to be sang a certain way. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't input your own energy, emotion, and even inflection, but it is our national anthem, and it is understanding that it is probably the most emotionally impacting song that you're gonna do. It's the one thing you don't wanna screw up, but to be proud of the fact that you get to represent everyone in singing that song, so be proud of that.” For much more from Craig Morgan, including building cabins in Alaska and his latest EP, check out the full interview with Katie Neal above.

The ACM 'New Male Artist of the Year' is just getting started. Tucker Wetmore recently joined Katie Neal to talk about his string of nominations, his whirlwind success since dropping his debut album, and to offer an update on his sophomore project. So much has changed for Wetmore in the year since he released his album, 'What Not To.' “I can't really pinpoint just one thing,” he tells Katie. “I'm kind of just stuck in the tornado right now, so it's kind of hard to see outside of it, but it's just everything is changing. Everything is growing, and it's just on a very good path right now, and I can't be happier.” He’s made sense of it all with a few important people to lean on, including Jesus, his mom, and Thomas Rhett. “I haven't talked to him in a while, but, you know, when I was on that Thomas Rett tour, I talked to him a lot about, what would you do in this situation, or how'd you go through this or whatnot, and he was so kind to just put me under his wing throughout that whole tour and I feel like I could call him up at any time and just be like, ‘hey man, I'm going through this, what would you do?’” Even in the eye of the storm, Tucker has set his sights on what’s next, with his sophomore album already recorded. “We spent 6 days out in Switzerland, and I put vocals on 11 songs in 5 days, which is oh my gosh, a lot,” he admits. “This is gonna sound super cliche because I feel like everybody says this, but I truly mean it when I say it's just, it is different. I feel like in the first record I was, ‘OK, what is this? What is that? What is Country?’ But now I'm implementing all of my influences. I brought all the walls down on this record.” “When it came to my creative side of my brain, and I'm like, ‘OK, what do I enjoy listening to? How can I implement what makes me love music into my music?’” he adds. “I love all music, and I don't think it should be put in a box ever.” “I am a little nervous for the world to hear it, because it is different and it's something I haven't really heard before. So in a way we're kind of just trying to create this new thing, and either that will work or it will not, but I got a good feeling it will.” For more from Tucker Wetmore, check out the 'Superstar Power Hour' from 'Katie & Company' all week on your favorite Audacy Country station.

Charles Wesley Godwin is no stranger to success, selling out iconic venues across the country, but now he’s set his sights on Country radio with some help from his friend, Luke Combs. Godwin recently joined Katie Neal inside our Nashville studios to talk about his path through music, his upcoming album, and his new song, “Better That Way,” featuring Luke Combs. “This song's about being happy where your feet are right in that moment,” Charles explains. “So being happy for the things and the place in life that you're at, and I think that's a really important thing for people to be reminded of constantly, even multiple times throughout the day.” “It's human of us to always be thinking about the next thing or the next step,” he adds. “We get real caught up in that stuff, and then when it's over, when a certain period of time's over, sometimes the end comes before, you don't realize it in the moment, then later years, you look back you're like, ‘oh, that was a really special time. I wish I could step back into that time in my life one more time and enjoy it.'” Godwin shares that his albums often have a theme, and the upcoming LP, 'Christian Name,' is no different. “This one, the theme is faith,” he reveals. “It's about my faith. It's about my pursuit and faith and pointing to God as my healer.” To hear more from Charles Wesley Godwin about his path to success, his tour experience with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan, and so much more, check out the full conversation above.

Ashley McBryde has stepped into her 'Wild' era, releasing her fifth studio album and once again reteaming with producer John Osborne of Brothers Osborne. The GRAMMY-winning singer recently joined Katie Neal to unpack her new project, and talk about her recent honorary degree from Arkansas State University. “I got to go and watch the full commencement ceremony, and I got to sit with all the head folks and then get up for the presentation and give a little speech,” Ashley details about this past weekend, receiving an honorary doctorate of music. “It was awesome and my father was there, who has always wanted me to be a doctor. So he got what he wanted, but he didn't get what he wanted, so we're both happy.” The new album, 'Wild,' started with a few songs that McBryde would play live, that she knew needed to be on the record. “We started there with that kind of obstinance. Is that the right word maybe for that? My way or not at all,” she shares. “And then realized that that attitude is the opposite of creative, but I'm thankful for it because it got us there.” “But why is my gut telling me these have to be on a record? It's because they were stories, that they weren't about some lady named Brenda who won't put her bra on, it was stuff that I am struggling with, stuff that that if I expose it and let it be seen, it might help somebody else.” For more on the new album, 'Wild,' Ashley’s full circle Nashville moment, and her new NA bar in partnership with Eric Church, check out the full conversation above.

Next month Cody Johnson will release his new album, 'Banks Of The Trinity,' just as his inspirational song, “The Fall,” makes its ascent towards number one. The singer joins Katie Neal this week on the 'Superstar Power Hour,' and talks about his feeling when first hearing the track, and the important role it has played in so many listeners’ lives. “The first time I heard it, I was a little scared of it because it felt a little bit like, ‘Til You Can't’ Part Two,” he admits. “It was so strong as far as the message, and I started thinking about how it could help people when they hear it, cause the ride is worth the fall, but you've gotta fall, like failure is a part of success.” “I don't know a single one of my friends that are billionaires that haven't been bankrupt before trying to get there. You have to fall on your face before you can get back up because the getting back up from a fall is what teaches you about your next step and the next step,” he adds. “So, once we put the production to it and then we recorded the music video for it, I just kind of started to feel how impactful it is, and I really started to see the influence on people at shows. It almost like feels like a praise and worship song, their hands in the air and yes, yes, and I'm like, ‘man, it is helping people.’” At a listening party for his new album, Johnson was recently given a platinum plaque for “The Fall,” a few weeks shy of its stop at the top of the charts. For Cody though, it’s all about the impact it has on those that hear it. “I've heard people tell me how they were gonna quit their career until they heard ‘The Fall,’” he reveals. “So just to know that it's more than platinum records, it's more than number ones or being the superstar and getting the ‘Entertainer of the Year,’ knowing that I get to do my job that I love, I live and breathe for, but it helps people like that, that's probably the most rewarding part of my job.”

This weekend in Las Vegas, Parker McCollum hopes to play a little blackjack, hit the greens for some golf, and walk away with the ACM Award for 'Album of the Year.' McCollum recently checked in with Katie Neal to talk about the nomination, new music, and an upcoming addition to his family. Parker has a lot on the horizon as well beyond the ACMs, as the “What Kinda Man” singer is also expecting his second child in a few months. He and his wife, Hallie Ray, are still debating names for the new baby, which he says leads to "pretty funny heated arguments" because he feels passionately about his sons having "strong names.” "These are my boys, they're gonna take over, everything that I build in this life,” he says. “I'll leave it to them, so their name's gotta be good." Just as strong is his chances at this weekend’s ACM Awards, where Parker’s self-titled album is up for 'Album of the Year.' The nomination is the "greatest honor of my career so far," according to Parker, and "mind blowing" given the amount of talent in the category. “It's my favorite record I've ever made. I've never been more proud of a collection of songs, than I am [of] this record that came out last year,” he admits. “To be mentioned, and among so much freaking talent, so many crazy records, and all the records that could have been nominated, for this album to receive a nomination is mind blowing." For more from Parker McCollum on his ACM plans and his latest single, “Killin' Me,” check out the full conversation above.

Kenny Chesney is back with new music for the first time in nearly two years, and it appears to be a preview of more to come later in the year. The Country Music Hall of Famer recently joined Katie Neal to talk about the new single, “Carry On,” where he’s at with the making of his latest project, and his new record label he recently launched. “I've always loved feel good music and I've always been kind of a sucker for barroom wisdom,” Chesney tells Katie about his new single, “and this barroom wisdom is to not take your life too seriously and if it feels good do it, if it doesn't then don't, and I think that's a great message, in today's social climate.” “Carry On” might just be the summer song we all need right now, and there’s more on the way from Kenny who is busy working on a new album. “We're putting the pieces together,” he reveals. “I'm very excited about where we're at.” “I'm never done. I'm one of these people that's never done. Like I'm going into the studio again soon,” he shares. “They gave me a date the other day when the album has to be turned in, so I'm looking at that going, ‘OK, well’, so yeah, it's coming at some point this year, probably, and I'm excited about that, and I'm excited about the music and the songs and where I'm at in my life.” 2025 saw Kenny kick off a residency at The Sphere and release his memoir, so what’s on the roadmap for the rest of 2026? “2026 is gonna be about connecting with the fans again out there on the road, and new music, and doing what we truly love to do. I mean we love it.” For more check out the full conversation with Kenny Chesney above.

Once again, Russell Dickerson has your summer soundtrack with his new 'Worth Your Wild' EP, soaking in the sunshine and keeping the good vibes alive. The singer recently joined Katie Neal inside our Nashville studios to talk about new music, offer an update on his family, and share how his dreams are matching his reality on tour. “As I'm writing a record, I feel like I can kind of pick out songs that feel like a summer vibe,” he shares. “This feels like we could get real funky with it.” Ticking off the titles of tracks on the EP, RD says “I don't want that to just be on an album and get lost and I don't want it to just be like one beachy summery moment. I want it to be a whole project.” “It's like ‘Worth Your Wild,’ that's your road trip down to the beach, you're going from Nashville, wherever you're going, that's what you're jamming. Then once you get there, boom, ‘B.O.A.T.,’ ‘2 Limes, 2 Coronas,’ talks about meeting somebody. Oh, ‘Spring Break,’ a little spring fling, then it's over, boom, sad song, spring break's over. So it's a whole journey within 4 songs.” To hear more from Russell Dickerson on his massive tour, and the latest developments for his family, listen to the 'Superstar Power Hour' with 'Katie & Company' on your favorite Audacy Country station, or check out the conversation above.

There are big release weekends, and then there is what Jason Aldean just did. The Country superstar celebrated the debut of his new album, 'Songs About Us,' with a co-headlining show alongside Luke Bryan, inside Sanford Stadium, the home of the Georgia Bulldogs. For the Georgia native and lifelong Bulldogs fan, it was a special moment to return to the field in Athens. "I mean, whenever anybody asks me, what's your favorite show you've ever played, it's always this one to me,” Aldean admits. Jason and Luke had performed at Sanford Stadium previously, but this time they truly co-headlined with a different kind of show that involved splitting songs and playing together. It makes sense given the two collaborate on the new album’s title-track, “Songs About Us.” Aldean was elated about finally sharing the new music with fans, which has been a "never ending process," working on the album for a couple of years. However, he’s already starting on the next chapter. ""I already have a Dropbox with probably 10 songs for the next album in it, you know, that I'm listening to already, and it's just sort of a never ending process." To hear more from Aldean about his special show with Luke Bryan, his upcoming tour, and the making of 'Songs About Us,' check out the full interview above.

Riley Green joins Katie Neal backstage at Tortuga Music Festival.

Tyler Hubbard talks with Katie Neal at Tortuga Music Festival.

Dylan Scott joins Katie Neal inside our Nashville studios to talk about the success and unique inspiration behind his hit song "What He'll Never Have," his songwriting process, balancing family with work, and much more.

It goes without saying that it “Ain’t A Bad Life” for Thomas Rhett, who is on the verge of scoring his 25th number one song, and just welcomed his fifth child, Brave, earlier this year. The Country star joined Katie Neal to talk about it all this week during the 'Superstar Power Hour.' “We're tired, but he's actually sleeping,” Rhett says of the newborn, his first son. “He's our best sleeping baby that we have had.” “I still think just like having a newborn, plus you know, 4 other, kids' schedules with school, and sports, and friends, and birthdays. We're in the weeds as my grandmother would call it.” “It's a season and I'm really trying to not let it slip me by,” Thomas shares. “I'm not trying to wish it away, so really just trying to, when I'm home just be extremely present. It kind of dawned on me the other day that my oldest child, she's 10, so, I have 8 summers left with her. When you start thinking about it in terms of like, ‘whoa, 8 years,’ it seems like a long time, but It's been 6 years since COVID and it kind of feels like it was yesterday in some capacity, you know, so that's how quick time is moving.” “I'm really trying to just be as present as I humanly can while I'm home because I know that, you know, this might be the last infant phase that we go through. We're having a good time and we're just tired, but we kind of have learned how to live tired, so.” Katie was quick to ask, “is this the last infant, or are you guys still undecided?” “Dude, I mean, in my brain, I'm done, but we've seen how far that my brain has gotten me, you know, over the last decade or so.” On the music front, Rhett is approaching a monumental milestone, his 25th number one song, “Ain’t A Bad Life” with Jordan Davis. “It doesn't add up in my brain,” TR tells Katie. “There are some days I wake up and I still feel like a new artist, and then there are some days I wake up and I'm like, ‘gosh, I've been doing this for a long time.’ There's really no in-between for me.” “When I think about 25 number ones, I think if I were to tell my 19-year-old self that I'd be talking to you today, talking about that, I would have called you a complete liar,” he adds. “So I feel grateful. I feel blessed, I don't know. Just feel undeserving for the people that have helped me get here, honestly.” “Then also just to have that number one, hopefully with Jordan, is really special because he's gotten to become one of my best buddies in this industry and, to have that with him is really cool” To hear more about family life and what’s next, listen to the full conversation with Thomas Rhett above.

Luke Grimes has played several characters on the screen, but he’s here to be completely himself in his songs. The 'Yellowstone' star just released his authentic and vulnerable sophomore album, 'Red Bird,' and stopped by our Nashville studios to talk with Katie Neal about the making of the project, how he balances being an actor and an artist, and why it was important for him to offer up a snapshot of his own life in his work. "I think the goal was just to sort of take a snapshot of who I was at that time,” Grimes shares. “This record's very autobiographical. We were trying to be as honest as possible about my experience at that time, at that age, [as a] new father." Grimes says the collaborative songwriting process in Nashville is a deeply personal and supportive experience, contrasting to other arenas he’s been a part of. "I don't think I can think of a better way to spend a day than getting together with, you know, two other artists and usually very brilliant ones and kind of sitting down immediately, you meet and then you get very honest with each other, and you start talking about what's really going on. It's sort of like a therapy session.” "It's just a really beautiful thing, and I think very, very different from the town that I had come from, where it's a little bit more competitive,” he adds. “I feel like here it's like if you win we all win.” Luke manages a packed schedule that includes recently wrapping 'Yellowstone,' starting the show 'Marshals,' and having a baby, noting that music is flexible since he can do it "when I want." He also shared that he only watched the first two episodes of 'Marshals' to grasp the tone, following an acting teacher's advice to avoid being too self-critical. "I had a really good acting teacher that used to say this thing, ‘Leave yourself alone.’ I thought that was really good, and I think the only way that I know how to do that is to just not watch it because if I watch it, inevitably I'm gonna try to change that stuff,” he says. “The process is easier and better for me if I don't watch it." "I don't think I would have gotten a record deal or been able to do the things that I've been able to do if I wasn't a part of ‘Yellowstone.’ And so I just thank my lucky stars every day." For more from Luke Grimes, check out the full conversation with Katie Neal above. 'Red Bird' is now available everywhere.

Dan + Shay have kicked off their next project on a very personal note, sharing the single, “Say So,” which also serves as a tribute to their friend, Ben. The duo recently joined Kate Neal for a conversation about new music, their pivot to “real,” mental health, and more. The duo explain that "Say So" is "maybe the most important song we've ever written" because it was written about their late friend, Ben, who was essential to their start in Nashville, running Warner Chappell Publishing. “He was just really, really an important part of our story," says Dan. “"He believed in us early, and, for those of you guys who don't know, publisher, publishing companies, they represent songwriters, and that's what we moved to town to do, and we were just two songwriters writing songs and he believed in us." The message on mental health and the importance of knowing you are not alone is part of a larger pivot from the GRAMMY-winning pair, who admit they went from writing "catchy stuff" that "didn't have a lot of meaning" for a few months, feeling like they were "chasing a hit," before moving closer to honesty and authenticity. “We just kind of had this realization that the only thing that can combat AI and the modernity of what's happening in the world is just like real authentic human emotion, you know, I think people know when it's real." "It stopped feeling like work and started feeling like, ‘oh, I'm working from a place of overflow because I feel so filled up to be writing these songs, to have these conversations,’” adds Shay. “Because you don't have to fabricate anything you're just reaching for the truth.” The core message of "Say So" is the importance of asking for help, breaking the “fourth wall” to discuss their own struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, noting that they both found therapy changed their lives. “If it helps one person, if it saves one life, it was absolutely worth it." Check out the full conversation above for much more from Dan + Shay.

Justin Moore is once again climbing the Country charts, this time with the song “Time’s Ticking.” The singer joined Katie Neal during this week’s Superstar Power Hour to talk about the track, working with Dierks Bentley, and the unbelievable amount of TVs he has on his tour bus. “I think throughout your life, you learn that, maybe what used to be the most important things are not necessarily to be,” Moore says. “This song to me is kind of, you know, soaking it all in and just slowing down, maybe put your phone down at a certain time or stop checking emails or whatever, and just making the most out of every day you can with your loved ones, your friends” The song features his friend Dierks Bentley, who Justin is quick to admit is better at the art of friendship than he is. “I always say Dirks is a much better friend than I am,” he smiles. “I mean he texts, he texts me every time we have a big hit. He texts me, ‘man, I love this song, or it sounds great,’ or every Father's Day he texts me, ‘hey, man, you're such a great Dad.’ I'm just like, I would just drop me like a bad habit because I'm terrible about all that.” “He's got to be the one that never forgets to get his wife a card for different occasions,” he adds. “I buy them about a week before and then I just, it's a running joke in our house, I just leave them in my console in my truck and forget about them.” Soon Justin Moore will hit the road once again, this time with Riley Green. He’ll likely win back some friend points on the tour bus, which features 17 TVs. “Yeah, I'm a little crazy,” says Justin. “Most of us at least in my camp, and I think a lot of camps out there, we're all sports fans and, so it's really good for like March Madness, or any kind of tournament, you know, football playoffs or whatever.” To hear more about Justin Moore’s tour plans and music, check out the full conversation above.

Brantley Gilbert stays on his grind, continuing to push the boundaries and shake up the world of Country music. His latest effort is the song, “Good Damn,” which arrives everywhere this week. But first, the “Real American” singer checked in with Katie Neal from the beach, to talk about new music, his journey to sobriety, and so much more. “We've always known where we belong,” says Brantley of his next collection of music. “As long as there's a box that is the Country music genre, we always know where we belong, and that's outside of it. Close enough to touch it, but, you know, outside the lines, and this one kind of pushes the envelope a little bit even for us, which is really fun for me as a songwriter, just like even, even less rules, you know what I mean?” “We really wanted this one to cover all the bases and then some, and I feel like it does that,” he adds. “There's songs on here that I've been excited about for a long time, some of these songs are older, but we also wanted to be reminiscent of some of my earlier albums. So there's some nostalgia in there. There's definitely some stuff that leans a little further back, stylistically and sonically. So, you know, that, that part's been really fun. “ “We weren't really trying to write a number one because we didn't ever think we'd get one. We were just trying to write a good song, and that was the approach I can honestly say we took on the majority of these… It was more about, ‘hey, let's write a cool song and let it be what it wants to be.’” To hear the full conversation with Brantley Gilbert, check out the 'Superstar Power Hour' interview above.

This week we closed out our 'Totally Private' series with a special performance from Bailey Zimmerman. The "Rock And A Hard Place" singer serenaded fans with an intimate, stripped down set inside the Hard Rock Cafe, but first he joined us inside our Nashville studios for a talk with Katie Neal, powered by Spirit Airlines. The always energetic and electric Bailey Zimmerman dove into a few of his recent songs while sitting with Katie, including the hit currently climbing the charts, "Chevy Silverado." "it just feels so meant to be because it's just about my grandpa," says Bailey. "It's just like such a special song, so when they came to me and they wanted to take it to Country radio I was like, 'oh I'm in, like I love this.' This means more to me than anything, and then to see what it's doing is just like crazy. It's so cool. Grandpa would be proud for sure." Another song that Bailey has been talking up on socials is one for "the future Mrs. Zimmerman," a song called "Before You." "It's just a song about growing up and, you learn lessons and you learn how to be, and you learn what life's really about," he says. "The title is 'Before You,' and it's like I wanna be the man I need to be for you, but it talks about like who I was before I met my future wife." "I'm at a place right now in my life where I'm just kind of ready for that. I've been ready for that and I had some things I was working on, you know, just like personally kind of just growing up, but I really feel like I'm in that kind of era of my life where I'm really ready to like meet that person... I'm ready to be that person for them as well." To hear more from Bailey Zimmerman, check out our full conversation above.

Jelly Roll and Shaboozey are still feeling the impact of "Amen," as the GRAMMY-winning song continues to climb the Country charts and forever links the two superstars in the history books. Both artists made time recently to connect with Katie Neal for the 'Superstar Power Hour,' sharing their mutual admiration for each other, the value they place on authenticity, and their plans for future collaborations. "I think God really favored us," shares Shaboozey, "and rewarded us that day for making a choice to look at each other and be like, 'look, man, I see you.' You know what I mean? 'I see you as one of me, and I see you like I see myself and, and everybody else.' I think we made something from that place, and really God rewarded us on a Sunday, and gave us a GRAMMY for a song called 'Amen.'" "I feel like every time I perform that song, it renews and restores my faith and restores my purpose," he adds. "From the start of it to like us winning the GRAMMYs, to about to have a Country number one, it's just honestly God just answering my prayers. I ask God every single day to just help guide me and making sure I'm making the right decisions, and I'm making the right kind of music, and I have the right message, and I think it's just like kind of this weird full circle moment that the song is just called 'Amen,' and that's just God being, 'Amen, your prayers are answered. Here you go.'" Shaboozey heaped high praise onto his collab partner, which Jelly Roll was quick to give right back to the singer. "Getting to hang out with Shaboozey is like, he is the ball of joy that y'all see in these interviews, or that you see on the streets, or when you see him on stage," gushes Jelly Roll. "He has got the best temperament of any human I've ever met under every circumstance. We've toured the world together now. I've seen him in all different environments, climates, and time zones, and, he is who he is, man." To hear more from the "Amen" duo about future plans and "cry headaches," listen to the full interview with Katie Neal above.

Kane Brown is feeling more like himself these days than ever before, thanks to a new outlook on music, more time in the gym and in the ring, and less time gaming. The "2 Pair" singer recently joined Katie Neal in the studio to talk about it all for the 'Superstar Power Hour.' "My last album, just to be completely honest with you, I felt like it was a little rushed," Kane admits. "But now I'm like, more motivated than ever." Brown shares he found that spark in the gym, sharing that challenging himself physically has helped fuel his artistry. "It was, a lot of working out, and just kind of getting that competitive grind again," Kane says. "I don't play video games no more. I think that could be another big thing about it." "With the working out and the stages of working out, getting into boxing, bringing my competitiveness back, and then not having anywhere else to put it, it's made me like wanna put it towards music since I don't game." It all makes for a new and improved Kane Brown, ready to spill all that energy into his music. "When I say level up, I think you'll see a different light when I'm performing and my artistry, cause I'm trying to bring like, I'm trying to dance and do all that stuff that's just not done," he shares. "I feel like for the last decade I've kind of tried to fit in the box of what everybody's wanted me to be in and I've tried to please the wrong people, and not really be me and not really get to do my, or like please my fans and just show them, you know, I'm excited and I found that light again. So I think that's what people is gonna see, the difference in the music." To hear from Kane Brown on family life, his newly announced bar in Nashville, and more, check out the full conversation above.

It's been an historic entry into Country music for the band Shinedown, which has already found success across multiple genres because of their authenticity and sincere songwriting, and now have been firmly embraced by the Country music community. Shinedown singer Brent Smith recently joined Katie Neal inside our Nashville studios at the Hard Rock Cafe to talk about how Country crept into the recording of their single, "Searchlight," how it felt to debut the song at the Grand Ole Opry, and much more. "I grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and when we were cutting the song, we were demoing it out, I think it was a bit more of a Rock ballad," shares Smith. "I just said, 'hey, listen, I'm gonna cut this with just the acoustic. Let me kind of re-sing it." The different approach from Brent rang very "authentic" for him, and the song began to ask for something different. "It was a different approach, but it was very authentic. It was very real, and it felt honest. So the song then asked for a banjo which in turn asked for a lap steel... and then a fiddle was brought in. And look, it's a very Country-esque Rock song, but for me when I heard it I was so enamored by the fact that it kind of is a style that we haven't done per se, and it was a bit more of a true homage to Country instrumentation and just the simplicity of the lyric and the way that it was sung. It made sense, and Country is starting to embrace it." It doesn't hurt that the band got to debut the song at the Mother Church of Country Music, singing it as part of the venue's 100th anniversary, and introduced by Carrie Underwood. "It was a very, kind of, out of body experience, especially when you walk into that circle," Smith admits. "You can feel the weight of the moment because of who stood in that circle." The Country connection is something that seemed inevitable for Smith and Shinedown, given the influence he was raised around. "I grew up, my granny had Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and probably out of all of them, Randy Travis was probably the loudest growing up," he says. Even now he's looking forward to meeting a few of the genre's heaviest hitters, praising artists like Ella Langley and HARDY. "I gotta give a lot of credit because I'm such a fan of his songwriting and again a very versatile individual, I haven't had a chance to meet him, but I hope I get to, I'm a huge fan of HARDY and just how he kind of is just this songwriting juggernaut for a lot of different styles." To hear more from Brent Smith of Shinedown, check out the full interview above.

How did Miranda Lambert's kangaroo lead to a chart-topping hit from Ella Langley? The ACM and CMA award-winning artists told us the origins of her smash, "Choosin' Texas," and also gave us a look at her upcoming album, 'Dandelion,' during this week's 'Superstar Power Hour' with Katie Neal. "Choosin' Texas" has become an undeniable force, landing at number 1 on the Billboard chart and making history in more places than just Country music. According to Ella, it all started with a line from her executive producer and friend, Miranda Lambert. Since Langley's first days playing with a full band, the singer had heard the story of Miranda Lambert owning a kangaroo and traveling with it on tour, even getting pulled over with it in the passenger sat. "I just remembered it, and every time I've ever seen her, I wanna ask about it, but I wait, I was like 'this isn't the right time and we're on the red carpet, you can't ask about that right now.'" After writing with Miranda, Ella finally felt close enough to get the story. "We write one song and I was like, 'Oh no, we're homies, we're good.' I think I could say whatever I want to," remembers Langley. "So I straight up, I was like, 'Did you ever have a pet kangaroo at one time?' She goes, 'I did. I had a pet kangaroo,' and she literally rerouted places on her tour, because there were places that wouldn't have a kangaroo, she brought it out on tour." "One day she was riding dirt roads and she had a dog in the back and a kangaroo in the passenger seat. She ended up getting pulled over on this dirt road and somehow talked her way out of this ticket," relays Ella. After the cop in the story exclaimed, "she's from Texas, I can tell," likely from Miranda's Texas plates on the back of her car, the phrase stuck with Langley. "That's kind of how I come up with a lot of songs, is it's really just in conversation and I'll say a phrase that I like, or something just catches my ear," she shares. "When I said 'she's from Texas, I can tell,' you know, talking s*** on her, you know, the melody to my head just 'she's from Texas, I can tell by the way he's two-steppin' around the room,' sing it just like that, and Miranda was walking right behind me and said 'like the girl he went home with one he picked,'" she remembers. "We've all experienced a feeling like that where you're so into somebody and they're not in you, they're into somebody else way more than you and that sucks, so we really wrote to that feeling." "I'll never forget, I was going to get a snack or go pee or something in the middle of the songs and said that line and we just went right into the porch outside and wrote it." "The funniest thing people ask me like, 'and did you expect this?' I'm like, 'did I expect to make history? No.' You hope for the best, but you can't predict that," she says of the song's success. "You can love what you do and put out the best of what you got and that's exactly what we did. I think it's just because we put our heart in that song, and that's the theme throughout this record." The ease of writing 'Dandelion' for Langley has a lot to do with the confidence that comes with her success, knowing she made the right choice that changed her life. "I'm not guessing anymore. I'm not chasing anything. I'm not trying to be anything," she shares. "This record is exactly what I wanted out of it and it is just me, and I feel like this is gonna be my record where everyone's gonna be like, 'that's where the artistry clicked for her.'" To hear more from Ella Langley, check out the full interview above. 'Dandelion' is out everywhere on April 10.

This week we traveled to Chiefs in Nashville, where Eric Church performed for an intimate room of fans during our 'Totally Private' show. But first, the "Record Year" singer made his way to the Hard Rock Cafe and into our studios for a talk with Katie Neal, powered by Spirit Airlines. Church is currently on the road with his 'Free the Machine Tour,' supporting his album, 'Evangeline vs. The Machine,' a very deliberate outing for the GRAMMY-nominated singer. "For me in a world that's very fabricated, it's very AI driven, it's very machine-driven, we wanted to, you know, when you come see us play, everybody that's on stage, we're all playing music and there's no tricks," he shares of the show. "We're playing music, and that's what I grew up on, and it's been fun to see over the course of the tour people gravitate to that." Eric is a veteran in this Country music game, and he shares he's willing to impart his wisdom unto his openers when asked, like with Ella Langley. "It was kind of fun to be the old guy in the room that, as we kind of talked about advice and where she's going and stuff, I've been there and, it was fun to just hang out with her." "When you go from where she is and where I've been, and you're struggling, you're struggling, you're struggling and you find something that that kind of is like a rocket ship, things change quickly," Chruch admits. "All the outside noise becomes pressured noise, and kind of what I said to her was, 'you gotta keep it about the music and what you wanna do long term,' because you're gonna have a lot of opportunities to do things that take it away from that, and that's just normal, and that's great, but, the farther you get away from your anchor there, the harder it's gonna be to get back to that." It's always been about the music for Chief, who has caught his own rocket a few times since the start of his career. The year's testament to the power of music for Eric is a massive collaboration he did with Tim McGraw, HARDY, and Morgan Wallen, called "McArthur." "It's just it reminds me a lot of of the stuff that I grew up on with message and with the quality of the songwriting, and just what the track said and the way they tie in," he says of the song. "It's a great song and I'm happy to be part of it." "The great thing about Country music, you think about the Opry, you think about what we are, it is, as far as I'm concerned, format wise, a family-based, we take care of our own format. I said this song does that, it lays it out that it's about lineage, it's about remembering where you came from. It's about legacy, and I think it's a really important song for Country music." To hear much more from Eric Church, check out the full interview above.

Earlier this month, Rascal Flatts performed for an intimate room of fans during our 'Totally Private' show at the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville, powered by Spirit Airlines. But first, Gary, Joe Don, and Jay joined Katie Neal for a hilarious talk about touring, collabs, and a goat that got the better of them. Life is a highway, and for Rascal Flatts, life on the road has evolved quite a bit over the years. The rider has gotten shorter for the trio, and no longer includes farm animals to prank their fellow Country friends. "We had all kinds of animals," shares Gary, admitting to getting a goat while on tour with Darius Rucker. "We put it in Darius Rucker's dressing room, but the joke was on us because it ate all the furniture, so that we had to pay for the furniture." Things were simpler before social media, but the band still stays stocked with food on the road. "I have chicken wings and hot dogs in my room every night," Gary adds. "My friends are just rednecks and they're just like, 'You gotta be kidding me. Free hot dogs.'" To hear more from the group about their collab with the Jonas Brothers, amazing meet and greet stories, and more, check out the full conversation above.

Don't go packing away the pink just yet, because another another album is almost here from Megan Moroney and the sky is bright for 'Cloud 9.' The ACM and CMA Award-winning singer was recently in our Nashville studios with Katie Neal, as she took us inside the tint, title, and topics of her third project during the 'Superstar Power Hour.' 'Cloud 9' arrives everywhere on February 20, and the title track has been living in the mind of Moroney for a minute. "I had the title for a while and I got to a place like the 1st quarter of last year where I was just like, really happy," she shares. "I was happy with how my career was going, I just felt lighter, and so I had met up with ERNEST and I was like, 'I have this title 'Cloud 9,'' and he always has like the really cool chords and he starts playing something. The whole concept of the song is that you're above cloud 9. I think it's a true love song." "I feel like it's probably my first because my other songs like 'Am I Okay?' it's like crying and dying, and then like 'Third Time's the Charm,' I consider a love song but it talks about dying alone, but 'Cloud 9' straight up, it's a long way down to cloud 9 so we're cloud 10, 11, 12." Just like with the green and blue of her first two LPs, this era has it's own color, with pink presenting itself early on in the process for Megan. "I wrote a song called 'Medicine' and when I wrote that song, it was so pink. I thought 'Medicine' was gonna be the title of my third album because I thought, 'Megan Maroney Medicine, MM3.' I thought I was like doing something there." "But then once I wrote 'Cloud 9' I was like, 'oh no.' I could immediately see the cover. I saw music videos. I saw the tour design and I was just obsessed with it." 'Cloud 9' features two massive collabs with Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran both featured on the project, along with more revealing and vulnerable music that has become a calling card for Moroney. "I said this whole album with my chest," she admits. "I know I've got the best fans in the world and they make me confident enough to where they're gonna get behind my songs, and they know that it's coming from an honest, authentic place, and that just has given me more confidence as a songwriter to not give a crap what people are gonna say about it." To hear more about the collabs on 'Cloud 9,' the making of the album, and her upcoming tour, check out the full 'Superstar Power Hour' interview above.

The Band Perry is back making music under that moniker for the first time in nearly 9 years, as Kimberly Perry and Johnny Costello lead the new lineup for the group, debuting the track, "PSYCHOLOGICAL," just in time for Valentine's Day. What was once a sibling trio is now a husband and wife project, as Kimberly and Johnny are set on continuing the story of The Band Perry after a hiatus for the band and solo projects for its members. "I keep saying like this, if you loved The Band Perry season one, you're gonna love 'PSYCHOLOGICAL,' first song of season two," shares Kimberly. "You know I love my psycho girl love songs." "I do feel like this is evolution for The Band Perry, me as the narrator," she adds. "I think there's evolution in the fact that we're not trying to kill a man out here. We're like, are we deluded? Are we devoted? There's a fine line between the two." "It's just a very tongue in cheek hilarious turn of a phrase, talking about the girl inside of me that has always been 150% deep diving into my crushes and obsessions." The band has also dove in deep to the latest incarnation of the group, with a tour aptly titled, the 'Psycho Rodeo Tour,' and an album in the works. "I think playing the blend of all the OG The Band Perry hits, the songs that brought us to the dance in the first place, and like blending them perfectly with this new body of work that we've been working on," Perry notes as what she's most excited about for the upcoming set of shows. "We've only put out two full LPs, two full albums of Country music, so it definitely feels like the third installation of The Band Perry music." "We are about, I would say 1/3 of the way through recording," the duo says of their upcoming album with producer Dann Huff. "I think it's really fun to be in a band with your husband, The Band Perry's always been a family band. This is our version of it with this project, and the love songs hit a little different, you know. Right now we've been writing a lot together to get to write those and think about how we're gonna bring those to life in the studio and on a video and on stage is a new element that I haven't gotten to really explore yet, so that's been really fun." To hear more from The Band Perry, check out the full conversation above.

There's a lot of action inside the Aldean house these days. Of course there's that first duet between Jason Aldean and Brittany Aldean, linking up on a song after years of fan fervor, but also, there's a piglet and a puppy that are best friends, and that might even get the louder applause online. During this week's 'Superstar Power Hour' with Katie Neal, Aldean opened up about both, the collaboration that's been a long time coming and the most adorable friendship of 2026. "We got the bulldog, he's rocking, he's fun, but the pig, it's so cold outside, and she's a little piglet that we haven't put her outside yet, so she's been living in the house in a pen, which is really driving me nuts right now," Aldean admits. "It's got a pen outside. It's ready to go, but my wife's like, 'it's too cold. We can't put her out there right now. She's too little.' So I'm like, 'alright, well, we'll reevaluate here in about a month or so,' so yeah, I'm ready for the pig to go outside, but other than that, it's been good." The piglet and puppy have already become somewhat of social media stars, sharing the same pen inside and spending tons of time together. "They're best friends. The pig and the puppy are best friends. It's the craziest thing I've ever seen." "They'll sleep in the bed together and they'll play and I think the pig actually thinks she's a dog because we got the pig, and then we have 3 dogs. So I think she just thinks she's part of the dog squad." Elsewhere in the Aldean home is another first-of-its-kind moment, as Jason and Brittany have joined forces on the new song, "Easier Gone." "Whenever it comes to a duet or doing anything like that, I've always kind of said the song will dictate what we do with that," explains Jason. After being pitched a song by Lady A's Charles Kelley, Aldean took it to his wife. "I said, 'hey, I got something that I think you would sound really good on.'" "She's never really been in the studio, so we took her in, and I think the first day was probably a little overwhelming," he adds. "She kind of had never done it, so she didn't really know what to expect. And so I think the first day was a little bit feeling it out, and then the second day, she went in and kind of knew what to expect, a little more confidence and, and crushed it." "We've wanted to do something together for a while, but like I said, you gotta wait for the right thing to come along, and I felt like this was something that really fit her well. People probably thought if we ever did something, it would be this big sappy love song, but it's actually the opposite of that, which I love. I'm more of a heartache, heartbreak song kind of guy than I am a love song guy, but yeah, I love it. I love the way it turned out, and I think she sounds amazing on it, and I think a lot of our fans have wanted to hear that for a while, so it's cool to give it to them." To hear more on recording with Brittany and the stories behind a few of his recent hits, check out the full talk with Katie Neal above.

Nothing raises the bar quite like an award for 'Album of the Year.' So it goes for Cody Johnson, who is hard at work on his next project after winning the CMA Awards' top prize in 2024 with his LP, 'Leather.' Cody came by our studios in Nashville at the Hard Rock Cafe to talk with Katie Neal about what's next, the success of his song, "The Fall," and his massive remodeling project at home. Along the way he shared some details about the upcoming album, which finds Johnson once again trying to outdo himself and only himself. "When you win, 'Album of the Year' with 'Leather' before the 'Leather Deluxe' comes out, your back's against the wall as far as expectations," he admits. "I think I don't ever focus on trying to be better than anybody else. I really just wanna, if I can just constantly beat myself and if my next song is better than the last song, and my next project is better than that project, and my next performance is better than the last performance, then that's what keeps me motivated and driven." "I took like a half and half approach to this record," Cody continues. "Some of this stuff is like so stone cold Country, or it's like so left Motown, or it's like really leaning Rock, or it's really leaning Bluegrass. I don't have a radio agenda with those songs. It's just I recorded these songs because I love these songs and I wanted you to hear me sing these songs, so you can take about half of that and put it over here for 'this is who I am.'" "Then you're gonna hear certain ones on the record where you're like, 'OK, that's gonna be huge, that's gonna be a big song' and you're gonna hear that one on the radio. Trying to whittle it down. I'd like to get it down to about 16, I've got about 20 tracks and it's pretty hard because once you invest the time in the studio with them and you kind of get to know them, it's really hard." Although Cody is "emotionally attached to all of them," he'll trim down the tracklist after listening sessions with friends, seeing which get the most play while riding around. The project also incudes a few collabs, which Johnson revealed to Katie. "I know that me and Luke Combs, we cut one together, we finally got on it." "Brothers Osborne. That was kind of a last minute deal," he says. "I heard this song and I was like, 'man, this sounds like John and TJ.' And they had happened to be reaching out at the same time of like, 'hey, when we do our next project, would you do this song with us?' I was like, 'yeah, absolutely. Would you do this with me on my project?' So it's kind of a trade-off." "There's a couple of collabs that haven't happened yet. It's still just a lot of cell phone conversation," explains Cody. "As a matter of fact, I got a call right before I walked in here and I had to say, 'hey, I'm walking into Katie. I'll holler back at you,' but that person is in to do the collab so far. So there's gonna be some cool surprises on here." To hear much more from Cody Johnson, listen all week on the Superstar Power Hour during Katie & Company, and check out the full conversation above.

There's a big 2026 ahead for Bailey Zimmerman, but first the Country star is coming off of the "best holidays" ever, thanks in part to a gift he was able to give his mom. The "Chevy Silverado" singer recently joined Katie Neal to talk about the big surprise, his upcoming arena tour, and more. Last year, Zimmerman's mom landed in the hospital and "almost died," according to the singer. "When she was in the hospital, I was like 'dang, she doesn't really have a home, like a house to come home to,'" he reveals. "I was like 'dang, I really wanna like try to buy this one house for my mom,' so I ended up buying it and then redid the whole thing." "It was so much fun redoing it, and then I got to show her on Christmas," he adds. "This year's just been such a tough year for her, getting to have that to just be pumped about is so nice for her. Then I got her a new car because she comes to Nashville a bunch and she drives all over the place to shows and stuff so I'm like, 'I really just wanted to set her up to where she felt like taking care of because she's always taking care of me.' I just feel like, I have to take care of her because she's always believed in me. She's always done everything she could to make sure I was good and had the best of the best, and now it's my turn to make sure." With all that good energy in the air, it's time to tee up a big 2026 for Zimmerman, who is focused on being better and delivering on tour. "I'm always trying to just continue to get better and continue to, always move forward," he says of his new year plans. "I'm really focused on the tour right now, making sure that just everything is locked in. I went and redid my whole stage and lighting and the way everything is and all the stuff, so I've been working really hard on that." "I'm gonna focus on just making sure that's good to go for the tour, and then making sure I just crush this tour, and then I've been focusing on just writing music and and living life too." To hear about dating, dogs, and the story behind his latest hit, check out the full conversation with Bailey Zimmerman above.

Stephen Wilson Jr. did not take your typical path to being a Country music star, first making stops as a scientist and an amateur boxer, but it did shape him and help pave the way to winning the CMA Award for 'New Artist of the Year.' "I don't think I'm interesting, but it has provided, I guess, a wealth of dialogue and narrative to to pull from," Stephen admits during an interview with Katie Neal. "I've been habitually quiet most of my life, so I got to work a lot of jobs and kind of keep my mouth shut and listen and take notes, and from those learnings that's where the songs kind of came from." "Science is a big part of my process, Having a hypothesis or an idea and then testing it against the world," he adds. "It is pretty much what science is, but doing it in a controlled setting and doing that experiment over and over again and trying to keep your emotions out of the results. That's, I think, what songwriters try to do at the end. You wanna have an emotion to start with because I'm more in the emotion business than I am in the music business, at least that's what I think of it as. So it's got to start with an emotion, but then you kind of got to separate your emotion from it to get to the truth, because then you'll have, they call user bias, and then that'll affect your results." The analytical comes face to face with the creative for Stephen Wilson Jr. in the process, with a heaping dose of talent swirled in the center. "Being a trained scientist has helped me kind of remove my emotion from it, but then the creative side of me and just all the wealth of experiences and emotions that I went through has given me a lot to authenticate an idea from, because it has to kind of start with my own emotion, because if I've felt something, most likely somebody else has." The fascinating science of songwriting is in full swing on Stephen's song, "Gary," which he admits was tested and thought about in a very scientific way. "I tested that one a lot, in a lot of laboratories," he shares. "I had to start with a metaphor that everybody could relate to... I started to basically, you know, think of Gary as a subspecies, a human, like a Gary as an organism, not so much just a name for a person because it was to me more of a stereotype or a garyeotype, so to speak. So if you could classify that organism, how would you do that? And that's how I approach Gary, is almost like how Jane Goodall would approach a chimpanzee or something, kind of like studying the Gary's in the wild because, you know, the Gary's are going extinct." To hear much more of the Wilson Jr. method and his journey to Country music success, check out the full conversation above.

HARDY is already back in his FGL feels, after a post shared that Florida Georgia Line members Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard went on a hike together and sparked reunion rumors. The "Favorite Country Song" singer recently joined Katie Neal and talked about being anxious for the return of the duo, the success of his latest single, and an update on his daughter Rosie during the 'Superstar Power Hour.' "I drove back from Mississippi yesterday morning and I listened to, 'Here's To The Good Times' and 'Anything Goes,' the whole record all the way through because I'm like, 'I need to get back in the FGL headspace," HARDY reveals. "I don't know. I have no inside baseball. I'm literally just like, I feel like it's coming and I wanna be on the front end of it." "I feel like they're scheming something." While Katie and HARDY talked about the end of the holidays, the singer also shared some updates on his daughter, Rosie, who is quickly approaching her first birthday. "She's like really coming to life now. Like, it's crazy," he admits. "It's just something new every day. She's getting ready to walk and she's starting to say words. It's crazy. Time flies." To hear more from HARDY about songwriting for Blake Shelton, ghost stories with his family, and the success of his hit, "Favorite Country Song," check out the full conversation above.

Always the icon, Dolly Parton is celebrating turning 80 with a gift for us. The GRAMMY-winning star has shared an updated version of her song, "Light of a Clear Blue Morning," featuring Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah, and Reba McEntire, all for a great cause with net proceeds benefitting Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Along with the release of the song, Dolly shared with us her motivation for choosing the track from her catalog, her thoughts on turning 80, and more. "'Light of a Clear Blue Morning' has always been one of my favorite songs that I’ve written because I wrote this at a time when I was going out on my own, having some fears and doubts and all the things you have when you are going out on your own," says Dolly. "When I wrote the song, it was really expressing how I was feeling about life, the future and all the questions that we have in our mind. And I just felt like this day and time, this was a perfect song to revisit to give people a little light... of a clear blue morning!" “I wanted it to kind of be like a ‘We Are the World’ – in this case, it’s like ‘We Are the Girls,’" Parton shares, going on to gush about her collaborators. "I just thought that it turned out to be the perfect thing all around for everybody, and I’m hoping that you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed doing it." Dolly has a lot to look forward to with her 80th birthday arriving on January 19, and zero signs of slowing down. "I just hope to be able to write more songs that might lift people up, like I'm hoping that this does," Dolly reveals. "It's very important to me to give people something to look forward to, give them some hope. We're going through trouble in uncertain times, but we can't let the darkness win. We should never allow that to happen." "I really think that I'd like to just do more, and more things, not just necessarily in songs, but whether it be movies or whether it be other projects that I have, things that just make people feel a little better about the times, and especially about themselves."

To kick off 2026, Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts is keeping Katie Neal company, here to talk about the group's upcoming 'Totally Private' show with Audacy, the 20th anniversary of their album, 'Me And My Gang,' and their plans to see fans on the road throughout 2026. Rascal Flatts is back on the road this month, performing for fans across the country and continuing their 'Life Is A Highway' run. "The tour was so successful last year that we wanted to just keep it moving forward," admits DeMarcus with fresh dates through 2026. This year also marks 20 years since the 'Me And My Gang' album, which features several of the group's signature songs like "My Wish," and "What Hurts The Most." The project was the top-selling album of the year after its release, and Jay still remembers taking it all in on music's biggest night. "The whole 'Me And My Gang' record is kind of our 'Joshua Tree,'" shares Jay inside our Nashville studios. "I think all the stars aligned, came together." "At the risk of sounding, you know, egotistical, that record that year sold more records than any other record in the world," DeMarcus reveals. "We were sitting at the GRAMMYs, and I never will forget during commercial break, Gary leaned over to me and he said, 'Hey, cuz, look at the people that we're sitting in the room with, there's Beyoncé, there's JAY-Z, there's Lady Gaga, Elton John. And I was like, 'yeah, I can't believe this, man. We're sitting in the same room.' And he goes, 'now think about this, we sold more records than anybody in here this year.' That's one of those memories that like chokes me up." "When you dream about being an artist, you hope you make it to the GRAMMYs. You hope you have a hit song. But that's one of the memories that I'll always share with Gary that was uniquely our own. Just between the two of us," he adds. "Well, not anymore." "But sitting during commercial break and having that little moment between the two of us, I'll never forget that as long as I live." To hear more stories behind the songs of 'Me And My Gang' and more from Jay DeMarcus, check out the full interview above.

No matter how you measure it, Jordan Davis had a massive 2025. The 'Learn The Hard Way' singer released a new album, welcomed a new baby, and played headline shows around the globe, and now he tells Katie Neal, during the final 'Superstar Power Hour' of the year, it's time for something different for 2026. "I'm actually looking forward to a year that's a little lighter than what we've been doing," he shares, "mainly because I think as busy as I've been with touring and making 'Learn The Hard Way,' I really haven't been able to really sit down and write like I've wanted to." "I've either been coming into town and writing for a couple days or bringing buddies out and writing on the road, so I'm really excited for next year to continue writing and making a new record. I feel like I'm really excited to get back to songwriting, and I'm glad that next year is a little lighter so that I can do that." Back here, we're closing out 2025 and starting 2026 in style by giving one lucky listener the chance to attend a 'Totally Private' show with Jordan Davis in Nashville. We had to ask Jordan, if he had his own 'Totally Private' dream show, who would be on the stage for him? "John Prine would have been the guy that I would have given every cent I had to be in a room to just hear stories and listen to him sing," Davis admits. "If I had to say anybody, it would be John Prine. He was why I fell in love with it, why I started writing songs. That would have been my dream living room show." To hear more from Jordan Davis, check out the full interview above.

There's a lot to celebrate in the world of Lady A, as the group returned this year with another collection of Christmas songs, a holiday tour making its way across the country, and a few more family members to join the crew. As guests on this week's 'Superstar Power Hour,' the trio tells Katie Neal that they are in their "baby boom era," as they have welcomed two new additions to the Lady A family in the past year, and one the previous year. "We're in a baby boom era," shares Dave Haywood. "That's our new mood." Amongst all the life changes, the time felt right for the group to do a new holiday album, their first in 13 years, with the goal of taking it on tour to spread the Christmas cheer. "We really wanted to do a Christmas tour because in our entire career we have never," says Hillary Scott. "We've done a Christmas special. We've done 'CMA Country Christmas.' We've done some performances, but, we've always just talked about at some point we would love to tour for Christmas and so we thought, well, if we're touring we might as well freshen it up with some new music and so we got in the room and wrote two new originals and then, found a few of our favorite classics, and reimagined them." After the holidays there's more Lady A to come, as the group shares there is a lot in the works for the next project. "We have a good hefty Dropbox file going of songs, and we're just excited," reveals Hillary. "We're creatively kind of brainstorming and talking right now, and then at the top of the year that'll be the focus of just digging in and seeing what stories we want to tell and, production. We want to just stretch ourselves more than we ever have. We've lived a lot of life since our last project. So, I think bringing in all that inspiration and, just discovering what we want to say and, and how we want to say it." "I think we're definitely excited to explore to get, you know, maybe a little creatively uncomfortable." "I think we've said a lot with the last few records, like we want to get back down back to the sound of kind of our first couple of records, and I think we've done that," adds Charles Kelley. "Now it's like we wanna get to a sound we've never explored and we don't know what that is. I think our voices are gonna be the thread of it, but I would love a risky, like she said, an uncomfortable feeling of production wise that we're not used to and embrace the imperfections, all those things, and so it's gonna be fun." "This is the longest we've been in between records and I just think we're ready to kind of see if we can turn some heads, you know, in a cool way." To hear much more from Lady A check out the full conversation above.

Last month before the 59th Annual CMA Awards, Riley Green made a bet with Katie Neal on Radio Row. Just hours before Country Music's Biggest Night, the "Worst Way" singer vowed to include "Scissor Wizard," the name of his former Alabama barber, in an acceptance speech if he won. However, if he failed to do so he would wear fake eyelashes during his next interview with Katie. As it turns out Riley Green was one of the night's biggest winners at the CMAs in November, taking home 3 awards and thanking a lot of people. Unfortunately though, the Scissor Wizard did not make the cut. So when Riley joined 'Katie & Company' this week for the 'Superstar Power Hour,' he was ready to take his lashes... eyelashes. "I thought that I would maybe not win, and not have to speak, and then that was how I'd get out of it," Green shares as he flutters his new eyelashes. "But then I did and I didn't say it, so I've got on eyelashes." "I feel pretty," he laughs. "I feel 10 percent prettier than I did when I came in." "Do you reuse these?" Riley asks. "I'm not gonna reuse those," laughs Katie, "you can take those with you." "Weird when somebody comes over to my house, there's eyelashes everywhere," he smiles. "Like, 'what have you been doing?' They're mine. I promise." To hear more from the beautiful and hilarious Riley Green about songwriting, his secret acting role, and his new bourbon business venture, listen to the full interview with Katie Neal above.

As the EOTY balloons float behind her, it's clear there's a lot of winning in the world of Lainey Wilson. The 'Entertainer of the Year' is coming off an acclaimed night hosting the CMA Awards, celebrating a trio of GRAMMY nominations including two for her song, "Somewhere Over Laredo," and she's planning her wedding to Devlin “Duck” Hodges. Somehow she managed to slow down long enough to check in with Katie Neal to talk about it all. Never one to rest on success, Lainey tells 'Katie & Company' that she's already hard at work writing the next album. "Honestly, before the deluxe was even out, I was already working on the next project. That's kind of how I do it," she shares. "I want to make sure, because this job comes with a lot of different parts of it, I want to make sure that I'm always keeping the writing, the songwriting at the forefront. So no matter what, I put co-writes in there and try to just have time where I just like brainstorm and think of ideas and think about what direction do I want to go next, what have I not said, what part of me am I discovering that I feel comfortable sharing with other people." "I feel like I'm constantly soul searching, and digging things up, and so it's important for me to be writing while I'm doing that soul searching." 2026 is already set to be another massive year for Lainey, with a headlining slot at Stagecoach, the possibility of new music, and a trip down the aisle with Duck. "I sat down this past weekend and we started kind of trying to brainstorm, so we'll see," she says of the preparations for the big day. "I mean, we gotta get on it, but I told him I was like, 'you gotta come home from the woods long enough for us to plan this thing.'" To hear more about Lainey Wilson's holiday plans and her experience hosting the CMA Awards, check out the full conversation above.

Blake Shelton is our plus one this year at Thanksgiving with 'Katie & Company,' as Katie Neal talks with the singer about his "simple man" holiday wishlist, his latest projects like his show with Keith Urban, 'The Road,' and why Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday. "I grew up in a really big family with lots of cousins and aunts and uncles, so Thanksgiving was the one where, because for Christmas a lot of them would go off and do their own Christmases, Thanksgiving was the one holiday that there would be like 100 people there," recalls Blake. "We would all get together and I just, I love food, honestly. I just, I love food." Though he says it sounds "corny," Blake is most thankful for his family this year. "We're all just healthy, knock on wood, and it feels like everybody's in a good spot," Shelton shares. "I'm really thankful for that. The older I get, the more I realize, if you don't have your health you don't have anything, and so far so good for us right now." Blake is lucky to have Gwen Stefani at home, serving up some of the best dressing in Oklahoma, but in true form he also didn't skip a beat when asked who the "worst cook" was in Country music. "I would say Dustin Lynch," Shelton says. "I've spent a lot of time around Dustin. I had him out on tour with me, and he's actually came out to the ranch and hunted with a group of guys one time, and he really doesn't contribute, in any way. He's more, Dustin's a guy that even when he's hunting, he spent 45 minutes in front of the mirror that morning, getting his camo, making sure the patterns are right, that this green shirt isn't more faded than these green pants and he's just, that's Dustin. So I can't imagine him ever cooking. I've never seen him cook, so I'm just gonna go ahead and throw his name out there. Screw him when it comes to cooking." It's going to be a cold cuffing season for Dustin Lynch, but what do you expect when you're hunting buddies with Blake. A self-described simple man, Shelton also shared what was on his holiday wishlist this year. "I love corn. I love to plant corn. I love bags of corn. I love corn chips, corn tortillas, cream corn," says Shelton. "I love corn on the cob, and so just anything corn. People sometimes will throw like a little stuffed animal corn on the cobs on stage. I had a song on one of my records a few years ago called 'Corn,' and I'm obsessed with corn." Ok, so corn. Check. Anything else on the Blake Shelton shopping list? "You know, you can use corn to make vodka," he adds. "If someone out there wanted to buy me something, or I wanted to buy myself something, it would maybe be in the vodka category." "That's pretty much it, corn and vodka." To hear more from Blake Shelton on leaving 'The Voice,' hangover cures, and more check out the full 'Superstar Power Hour' interview above.

Carly Pearce is gearing up for her fifth studio album, and it sounds like nothing is off limits for the soaring songstress. The "Dream Come True" singer recently joined Katie Neal during the 'Superstar Power Hour' to talk about her vulnerable new track, her family, and why she's making the album she always wanted to make. "I went in to write this particular day, and if I'm honest, I was just feeling really low. This career has had really, really high highs and it's had really, really low lows, and I was feeling a little lost and just kind of having that feeling that anybody who has a dream, their are sacrifices to make the dream come true," Pearce says of writing the new song, "Dream Come True." "I was kind of just in my feelings about that and wrestling with all of those different kind of feelings of, well, 'I have this, but I didn't get this' and 'I thought I'd have this' and 'I don't have this' and do people care? Do I matter? Do I have, you know, a viral moment? Can I compete? Am I too old? Do they care? All these different feelings and I just wanted people to know they're not alone in all of those feelings." The song rings true for Pearce, right down to the last lines about her mother being sick and unable to come to shows like she used to. It's not something Carly has talked much about, but she did give us an update on her mother's health. "So she has Stage 4 COPD, which is a lung issue. that has been really advanced in the last few years and caused me to not be able to see her as much. She's doing really well right now," reveals Carly. "This is obviously a piece of my story that I've kept pretty quiet, but I think it's important." "It's an important piece that I wanted to share just of parents getting older, parents being sick, and my mom completely devoted her life to chasing this dream for me, and it's been hard over the last 5 years for her to not be able to be there with me, and me feeling that guilt of not being able to be with her." "That last line where it says, 'she says I can quit, but all of her prayers would be in vain, she worked her whole life to make this dream come true.' That's really honest, and I'm sure a lot of people feel that way." The first sample of Carly's upcoming album is obviously packed with emotion, and she tells Katie Neal that the rest is no different, revealing and writing in ways she never has before. "I think I've stretched what I write about, and I've stretched kind of just giving more point of view on some different topics that people have never heard me sing about, which I'm excited about," Carly admits. "This is what I wanted to do, and I think that's why I have so much peace about it. But it started because of this song and just having to figure out like, I need to return to the dream." To hear more from Carly Pearce check out the full Superstar Power Hour interview above.

A fake eyelash threatened to ruin Katie Neal's talk with Riley Green, but in the end we learned a lot, and now we have something special to watch for during the 59th Annual CMA Awards. Almost losing an eyelash as the "Worst Way" singer approached, Riley couldn't help but joke with Katie, what it would be like for him to wear some lash enhancements. "What's fun for me to think about if we did an interview and I had fake eyelashes on to see if people would talk about it," laughs Green. "You know why I wouldn't do it? Because what if I looked really pretty and then I had to do it all the time, and that's one more thing I've got to do in my regimen in the morning." Sure, a normal fear that we've all had. But what's so intense about your routine now that there's no room for improvement? "I've washed my face with like bar soap," he admits. "I have no regimen." Any lotion? "Yeah, I got like some men lotion, like face, you know, I don't know, Nivea or something." Perfect, Riley Green is just walking around looking like this with soap and a CVS ExtraCare card. Makes total sense. We do feel for him though, as he says he was recently "tricked" into getting a haircut that wasn't what he had in mind. "It wasn't a planned thing," he admits of his new haircut. "The lady was cutting my hair and she tricked me." "She got after it. She gave me what I would call racing stripes." Green had never met his latest stylist, after sadly having to part ways with his normal barber in Jacksonville, Alabama, the "Scissor Wizard." "I had a barber in Jacksonville, Alabama. It was my dad's cousin," Riley tells Katie. "He was the Scissor Wizard, which is the greatest barbershop name ever. He started painting houses and quit cutting hair, so I just get my hair cut wherever I'm at now." "I would love for you to try and work in Scissor Wizard if you win a CMA award," challenges Katie. "I'd like to thank, all of my team back home, Scissor Wizard, and my mom and dad, and, I can do it," accepts Green. See if the Scissor Wizard works his way into Country Music’s Biggest Night. Get ready for the 59th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey Wilson, LIVE Wednesday, November 19 at 8/7c on ABC.

Backstage at the 59th Annual CMA Awards, Katie Neal caught up with Old Dominion who have a big night planned to celebrate 10 years of their debut album, 'Meat and Candy.' "We're celebrating 10 years of 'Meat and Candy,'" says Brad Tursi. "So we're gonna play, you know, as many hits as we can cram into whatever it is, 4 and a half minutes." Besides the medley, the group is also hoping to break their own record for consecutive wins as 'Vocal Group of the Year.' "The best kind of record to break, really," laughs Brad. Country Music’s Biggest Night is back! Get ready for the 59th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey Wilson, LIVE Wednesday, November 19 at 8/7c on ABC.

One of the toughest categories for Country Music's Biggest Night is for 'New Artist of the Year' at the 59th Annual CMA Awards. Before the call was made, nominee Tucker Wetmore told Katie Neal backstage how impressive this year's category was. "It's all over the place too," says Tucker of this year's batch of nominees. "It's all Country, but it's different kinds and different aspects of Country, and it's just, it's so amazing to be a part of it. There's so much talent and whoever wins it is more than deserving." With a big performance set for the show and his song, "3,2,1," now entering the top 10, everything is coming together for the Washington native. "I feel like everything correct is happening," he smiles. "Everything good that could happen is happening, and I'm just sitting back and just enjoying it all." Country Music’s Biggest Night is back! Get ready for the 59th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey Wilson, LIVE Wednesday, November 19 at 8/7c on ABC.