Try That in a Small Town Podcast

Neil and KLo share stories from Nashville’s big songwriters night—including an interruption that nearly wrecked their composure. The guys discuss getting great songs heard, changing songwriter income, and why they keep writing. Then the conversation turns to Jason Aldean, Trump, and a spirited debate about faith, voting, and family disagreements. Plus: wardrobe problems, the singing barber, and Ke...

Last week, KLo brought Tennessee gear to celebrate beating Alabama. This week, after South Carolina…a different entrance. _____________________________________________________________________ SPONSORS: The Try That in a Small Town Podcast is powered by e|spaces! Redefining Coworking - Exceptional Office Space for Every Business Book a tour today at espaces.com From the Patriot Mobile studios: Don’...

Tully and KLo share experiences they say affected work opportunities in Nashville, leading to a candid conversation about politics, songwriting, and collaborating across differences. Neil recounts an evening at John Rich’s house, the guys debate rising everyday costs, and KLo explains spending $62 at Taco Bell. Plus: Camp Roberts memories, country music halftime-show ideas, and imaginary day jobs...

KLo celebrates Tennessee’s win over Alabama with some studio-ready Volunteers gear—and Neil ends up wearing orange. The guys discuss Tennessee’s game plan, GMAC’s confidence, Alabama’s coaching, and the danger of a letdown against South Carolina. Plus: rushing the field, college football chaos, the Patriots, Josh Allen, the Titans, Cam Ward, and a debate about NIL and the transfer portal. See Priv...

Mark Wills shares how Nashville demo sessions led to his record deal—and why he passed on “Just to See You Smile” three times. He talks about “19 Somethin’,” his commitment to the Grand Ole Opry, and the gospel harmony that inspired Grand Ole Revival. Plus: unforgettable stories involving the Undertaker and Chad Brock, a candid discussion about country music’s direction, and a performance of “Plac...

Tennessee–Alabama week brings rivalry nerves and a blunt assessment: a Tennessee win would be devastating for the Tide. The guys discuss the matchup, revisit Alabama–Georgia and its controversial calls, and respond to listeners’ Tennessee comments. Also: Drake Maye, protecting Cam Ward, Kentucky’s aggressive coaching, Florida frustration, and whether watching your team on delay should cost you you...

What do millions of streams really mean if an artist can’t sell tickets? Kurt, Tully, Kelley, and Neil discuss AI-assisted streaming fraud, online popularity versus real audiences, and why great artists need time to develop. Neil shares stories about Gary LeVox, songwriting demos, and Jason Aldean’s ability to hear beyond a demo’s vocal range. The guys also weigh in on Morgan Wallen and award show...

Did Tennessee pay millions for the wrong quarterback, or does its young starter simply need more time? Kurt, Tully, Kelley and Neil debate the Volunteers’ quarterback situation, Alabama’s emerging star Keelon Russell and whether the Georgia–Alabama game should be moved before severe weather reaches Tuscaloosa. They also react to New England’s surprising win in Buffalo, question whether the Charger...

Why don’t Nashville publishers dig through old catalogs for forgotten songs anymore? Kurt, Tully, Kelley and Neil explain how song pitching has changed, why today’s business side often feels disconnected from the creative side and what was lost when personal demos and passionate song pluggers were replaced by emails and manufactured writing-room connections. Then the guys introduce a new game: If...

Should the national anthem be a celebrity performance—or should the marching band play while the entire stadium sings? Kurt, Tully, Kelley and Neil debate who should lead the anthem before turning their attention to the changing NFL quarterback position. Are athletic, run-first quarterbacks abandoning the reads and pocket discipline that made players like Tom Brady great? The guys also discuss the...

Sam Smith is headed to the Grand Ole Opry, leading Kurt, Tully, Kelley and Neil into a heated debate over what the Opry represents—and whether country music’s most historic stage still carries the mystique it once did. The guys also debate whether music genuinely brings people together, consider Carrie Underwood’s potential move into rock and question country music’s growing habit of rebuilding ne...

No. 1 Texas and Arch Manning are headed into Neyland Stadium, and the guys debate whether the pressure of playing at Peyton Manning’s old home gives Tennessee a real opportunity to pull off the upset. That leads to a heated showdown over which is more exciting: college football or the NFL. They also discuss participation trophies, expanded playoffs, Alabama’s comeback, Justin Herbert’s struggles,...

What happens when working songwriters are asked to let artificial intelligence learn from their music? Kurt, Tully, Kelley and Neil discuss an AI-music opportunity presented through their publishing platform, explain why they opted out and debate whether AI should enhance human creativity—or whether allowing it to generate entire songs crosses the line. The guys also examine Jason Aldean and Morga...

Is Arch Manning becoming the quarterback everyone expected—and can Cam Ward succeed with the roster Tennessee has built around him? Kurt, Tully, Kelley and Neil break down a chaotic weekend of football, including Texas’ comeback, the confusing college football rankings, the Titans’ continued struggles and New England’s disappointing opening performance. The guys also debate which NFL teams are leg...

Is life on the road really as traumatic as some musicians make it sound? Kurt, Tully, Kelley and Neil compare today’s touring culture with the years they spent chasing the dream in vans, trailers and buses—sometimes playing nearly 200 shows a year without knowing whether success would ever come. They also discuss whether country award shows still represent country fans, apologize for an interview...

The guys are back for Week 2 of Small Town Sports, and college football is already giving them plenty to argue about. Could the SEC eventually lose its grip on college football? Are traditional conferences becoming irrelevant? And after the playoff, NIL, transfer portal and conference realignment changed everything, was college football actually better before we tried to “fix” it? The guys also ge...

The guys are back around the table — and apparently some of you think a couple of them are getting a little stuck up. Before they get to that brutally honest listener comment, Kurt, Tully, Kelley and Neil weigh in on Jelly Roll, celebrity culture and what happens when artists enter “the bubble.” They also remember Dolly Parton, share the incredible story behind “I Will Always Love You,” relive som...

Football season is back, and so is the arguing. In the first edition of Small Town Kickoff, the guys debate whether NIL money and the transfer portal have damaged college football, whether the Big Ten has overtaken the SEC and what Tennessee fans should expect. Then come the predictions: Dabo Swinney eventually coaching Alabama, Lane Kiffin’s future, a potentially painful Titans season and the NFL...

The guys are back together after a couple of weeks on the road, and it doesn’t take long for things to go sideways. Neil returns from Huntsville still asking questions about the moon landing, Jason Aldean earns two Diamond-certified songs, the guys admit they may have underestimated Megan Moroney, and then one simple question turns into a full-blown debate: when can an artist actually call themsel...

Joey Breaux has lived enough lives for several podcast episodes. The Louisiana social media personality joins the guys to talk about going viral—including one video he says racked up 14.3 million views—staying remarkably active at 69, his love of hunting and fishing, playing music by ear and the nunchuck skills he's been working on since he was 18. And then there's the part nobody saw coming: befo...

Will any of today’s hit songs still be sung 50 years from now? Kurt, Tully, KLo, and Neil look back at the music that shaped them—from Hank Williams Jr., Van Halen, and Def Leppard to John Denver, Glen Campbell, Elvis, Bryan Adams, and Paul Rodgers—and debate whether modern songs are given enough time to become true classics. They also reveal how Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan’s alternating stadium s...

Hulk Hogan was one of the most recognizable personalities in American entertainment—but behind Hulkamania was a man still searching for peace, purpose and something bigger than fame. In one of his final long-form interviews, Hulk Hogan joins Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace and Neil Thrasher to share stories from an extraordinary life: sending audition tapes to Metallica and The Rollin...

From the Patriot Mobile Studios powered by eSpaces, the Try That In A Small Town Podcast crew sits down for a raw, unfiltered hang. Tully, Kurt, Thrash, Kaylo and Neil talk about everything from health scares and terrible sleep to the emotional toll of chasing hits in a “failure business” and wondering if this podcast is actually any good. They celebrate Jason Aldean’s multi‑week No. 1 with “Try T...

Jason Aldean and longtime tour manager Jake “Charlie” LaGrone join the Try That In A Small Town podcast for a no-filter look behind the curtain of one of country music’s biggest road operations. From kidney stone chaos and EMT horror stories, to high-stakes bus hockey, stolen putters, and firing disloyal crew, this episode is wall-to-wall backstage gold. Jake walks through his journey from Lori Mo...

In this episode of the Try That In A Small Town podcast, the guys sit down with hitmaker George Birge to unpack his long road to “overnight success” in Nashville. George talks about grinding for a decade before his first number one, the moment Luke Bryan said “Play that motherfucker” about his song, and how TikTok flipped his career with Beer Beer Truck Truck. He shares how Clay Walker pushed him...