AIR DATE: November 2019

SHOW THEME: Luke Combs

 

ERIC: Hey everybody, it’s Eric Church back for the fifty-seventh episode of “Outsiders Radio.”  As you hear this, we’ve wrapped up our 2019 Double Down Tour.  It’s a lot to absorb…a lot of shows, a lot of memories, and we’ll look back at them over the next few months here on Outsider Radio.  Most recently, we’ve had the chance to celebrate the accomplishments of some good friends.  We’ll do that THIS week, starting with the great Ashley McBryde.  We first shared the stage with her in 2017, and we could feel that she had the opportunity to be a big star.

 

 

That was recorded at our 2017 show in Chicago, when Ashley McBride joined me for one of her songs.  She remembered that night this way.

Two years later, that song of Ashley’s was recorded by a country legend: Trisha Yearwood.

 

Trisha: Ashley is…I’m so happy for her. She’s getting the recognition she deserves. She’s an incredibly talented singer/songwriter, she’s so real. When I first heard Bible & A 44, which she recorded, she wrote it about her dad, and it was very personal to her. It was very emotional because it made me think about my own dad. That’s the mark of an amazing songwriter who can write something that’s so personal to them, and when we hear it we all find something in it that’s so personal for all of us. I couldn’t have written anything more perfect, so I’m just grateful, just grateful to record it.

 

 

Trisha Yearwood’s version of the Ashley McBryde song “Bible & A 44,” and yes, that’s Ashley singing on the record with ANOTHER legend: Patty Loveless.  So that alone might be enough excitement for one year.  But then, a couple weeks ago, Ashley was named New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards.

Ashley: I was already excited about the show tonight, I was excited to watch the show tonight, and I always react like someone who’s sitting in a pit at a concert rather than someone whose sitting at an awards show so to be celebrated tonight by my peers on a night that’s all about celebrating the chicks in country music is a really special thing.

 

Ashley: Girls this thing’s heavy, and you’ll feel real good carrying it around. It’s never too early to start doing what you want to do, it’s never too late to start doing what you want to do either, just don’t forget the only person that can stop you is you.  So don’t tell yourself no, because everybody else is gonna do that for you.

 

 

That song just received a couple of Grammy nominations: Best Country Performance and Best Country Song.  Congrats to my friend Ashley McBryde on all of the success and recognition she’s receiving.  And she’s not slowing down. She just released a new song called One Night Standards.

 

 

One year ago, the winner of that award was another good friend, another Carolina boy: Luke Combs.  THIS year, Luke picked up TWO awards: Single of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. 

 

Luke: I don’t know if I’ve begun to process how I feel about what it means or how I feel about it yet. I think shock is where I’m at with it now. Thankful is a word that comes to mind, to have my parents here, my fiancé, my friends, my entire team and crew, it’s just an absolute dream come true, something I’d never have thought would happen to a guy like me, especially not this fast, so I’m just real thankful tonight

 

 

I first met Luke Combs a few years ago, before he had a record deal.  I’d heard he was from North Carolina, went to Appalachian State (like me), and had talked about liking my music.  We talked, I gave him some advice, and a bottle of Jack.  Then he came out with some music, and got real busy real fast.  So we didn’t get a chance to spend a lot of time together…until this summer.  Back in June, he came out to one of my shows.

 

Luke: Yes he did two nights at the Gorge in Washington, and we happened to have the weekend off, and I was looking at his schedule and said I wanted to see the tour, cause we’ve got some friends who work for him, just wanted to catch up with those guys, and just be a fan. I don’t get a chance to do that any more. So it was really great to watch him & the band, I love Jeff & Driver and Craig and all those guys. It’s just fun to watch guys at the top of their game, just to experience it like any of the fans, not to mention I almost broke my ankle, I don’t know if you heard that. That was honestly the first time we hung out beyond hello at a show.  The second night, after I hurt my ankle.  Man it was really fun. You hear the thing about don’t meet your heroes, and Eric’s not that guy. Which was a reassuring thing for me, and bolstered my view of him as not only a fan but as a musician and a performer, I got a lot of respect for the amount of work he puts into it and the amount of passion, it’s inspiring to watch.

 

All that’s nice to hear, and I can say the same about Luke.  So after that show in June, we started talking about singing together.  Luke was working on a new album, and he had a song he thought would work as a duet.

 

Luke: I think we were supposed to track that next week, or like in two weeks, but then he had to move the date, and I was like, dude, totally no pressure, as long as it gets done, it could be done the day before, I’m OK with it. For him to like the song enough to jump on it, that was what I concerned with, I was like, don’t want you to do it if you’re not passionate about it. If you don’t love the song, don’t feel like you have to do it because I’m asking you. So for him to says yes to that was really great for me, and for me to be in the studio when he sang on it was really a great experience.

 

 

Luke: He brings that really awesome mystique like super laid back cool thing that he does that his voice brings to the table. I can’t say there wasn’t a moment where I was like, Oh is this gonna be like Pledge Allegiance to the Hag, where all of a sudden, there’s this rockin’ thing, and then there’s just Merle Haggard. That’s what it felt like, so in that sense, it was a pretty cool experience to kind of maybe be where he was at watching Hag do that thing was here I was at in there watching him lay that vocal down, it was really cool for me.

 

         

 

We’re spotlighting my friend Luke Combs on this edition of Outsiders Radio. One more thing about Luke…the Grammy nominations just came out and he’s in the category of Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for his collaboration with recent Hall of Famers Brooks & Dunn.

 

Luke: Man those guys have been really instrumental to me and having them on the album too was just another huge moment for me since I’ve looked up to those guys since I could talk, I remember the Hard workin’ Man cassette tape, I could probably draw it right here, with the power stance and the flame shirt and the thing, and if anyone deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, it’s them, I’m thrilled for them, I’m just thrilled to know em.

 

 

Congrats to Luke Combs on all his success this year, and best wishes on everything  going on in 2020.  While we’re congratulating people, there was a moment at the CMA Awards a few weeks ago.  They were announcing Album of the Year, and we were in that category with Desperate Man.  We’ve won that category twice before with “Chief” and “Mr. Misunderstood.”  The winner was announced, and it was “Girl” by Maren Morris.  After she hugged her husband, she turned to her right and hugged me.  We were sitting next to each other.  I told her “congratulations.”  I’ve often said that she is where we should be headed, she’s taking risks with her music, and I think we’re just seeing the start of a big career.

Maren: I walked away with the award I really wanted.  I wrote thing song Girl on a really insecure day.I wasn’t trying to be empowering to anyone, and it’s become this empowering song, but I feel like it’s soundtracked the year in a really positive way for me, and it feels so timely that it won tonight of all nights where the theme is celebrating these women in country music, so I’m happy that some of the risks have paid off.

 

 

 

There’s another Grammy nominee, Maren Morris & Brandi Carlile for Best Country Performance by a duo or group.  We’re not in that category, but I’m honored to say we also picked up a couple Grammy nominations last week.  One for my song Some Of It, and the other for Album of the Year.  The 2020 Grammy Awards will take place on January 26^th.  A few weeks ago, I got to present an award to my good friend Ray Wylie Hubbard for his work on Desperate Man. It’s always great to see Ray, and as I said that night, he’s equal parts poet, bluesman, singer, songwriter, entertainer, troubadour, but he’s entirely my friend and my hero.

 

 

Before we wrap up this edition of Outsiders Radio, I want to give a tip of the hat to the nationally ranked Appalachian State Mountaineers on their great football season this year.  Also want to say congrats to my buddy Keith Urban for the success with his latest hit.  We’ll see you next time on Outsiders radio.