December 17, 2022 • 17 mins
Ten years into his phenomenal career, hitmaker Thomas Rhett sits with Lorianne and Charlie to sum up his impact - musically and personally. Hitting this milestone, Thomas also has to answer an important question posed by his famous dad, Rhett Akins. Thomas Rhett, inside and out on Crook & Chase: Nashville Chats.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome in the Crook and Chase Nashville Chats with Thomas Rhett.
Oh my gosh, Charlie one of the most impressive talents
and country music right now. We have known him his
entire life, literally since he was in diapers. It's so cute. Well,
at this time, Thomas Rhet is only thirty two years old. Well,
actually he'll turn thirty three March thirtieth, I believe. But
(00:22):
think about this, In one decade in the music business,
Thomas read his head twenty number one hits, earned Male
Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year trophies, even written a
slew of hit songs for other artists. But then the
other side of that coin, think about all that's happened
in his personal life in one decade. I know, he
got married to his elementary school sweetheart, Lauren, lovely lady,
(00:43):
They adopted a baby girl, and then suddenly they had
three more back to back. So so wonder he named
one of his hit albums life Changes, because boy, they
were there exactly. Well, we are here to tell you, actually,
Thomas himself is here to tell you that he is
planning more life changes as he enters the second decade.
(01:04):
Of his career, in family life, and in all of it.
He told us, he is letting Jesus take the wheel.
Good morning, y'all or afternoon whatever. Okay, now that we're
on the same page, what country are you in, Thomas,
I'm in the I'm in the country of exhausted. I
don't know if y'all are, But man, I know why too,
(01:26):
because right now you are about three or four artists
in one. Here you are with your twentieth hit, half
of Me, with Riley Green doing great, the epic duet
with Katie Perry where we started, and now this amazing
Christmas ep Yeah, there's there's a lot. There's a lot
of a lot of things that have happened since May.
(01:48):
That is, that is for sure. Do you feel like
you are in the most creative and busy part of
your career ever? I do. I do, and I think
you know. Over the course of November de Cimmer in January,
I'm looking forward to kind of taking a step back
and like really trying to hone in on one thing
at a time. I think this year I tried to
(02:09):
do a lot of things at the same time, and
I'm looking forward to kind of compartmentalizing my life a
little bit better than I did this year. So I'm
I'm looking forward to a break, but I'm also looking
forward just just to kind of like get with my
team and like really decide, like what what are we
gonna do, you know, moving forward music wise. So I'm
excited to get back in the studio. Uh, excited for
(02:30):
our tour next year. Um, just a lot of things
to be thankful for, and just feeling extra blessed going
into holiday season. You're enjoying a successful tenure run, a
bunch of number ones twenty not too far away. Yeah,
when you've t r When you first decided to get
this music thing and go, what were you thinking would
be the goal? Like one hit? Like I was like,
(02:51):
I was like, if I could have one hit song
on the radio, I will I can say that I
have done that and I'll go do something else. Um,
but I think the Lord had different plans, and I
just I don't know. I believe I'm here for a reason.
I think I'm here for a bigger purpose than than
having hit songs. I think I'm here to spread joy
and and put smiles and mooble's faces and so as
(03:12):
as I moved into this next decade. That is like
the number one forefront thing in my mind. It's just
how do I bring joy to as many people as
I possibly can. There never was a plan B, right,
Well no, there there really wasn't. Uh, But looking back
at my life, I probably should have had a plan
B at least get a real estate license or something like.
I probably killed it for a couple of years. That's true. Well, listen,
(03:35):
as you look forward to maybe crashing a little bit
during the holidays, will you get to, like I'm Thanksgiving,
will you be able to rest a little bit? Or
will Lauren have you in the kitchen whipping up something good?
Lauren will have me doing something, that's for sure. Um,
I love this season so much. I love I mean,
we have such a big family, you know, and so
(03:56):
it'll be really nice to get to spend Thanksgiving with
all my family and get to see some you know,
distant elatives we don't see that often. But I'm really
looking forward to Christmas this year. Um, I feel like
our kids are just at the best age in the
world for Christmas, and and uh, it's just it's gonna
be a fun couple of months. I know. In the past,
and let me get back to what Loriane mentioned earlier,
working with Katy Perry. I know, in the past, when
you were still to school, Blake Shelton once helped you
(04:18):
with your homework, and now you are performing with Katie
Perry kind of puts Blake in the back seat of memories,
doesn't I don't, I don't know. I I still can't
believe that collaboration happened, to be honest, and and and
getting to do that on the scene Mays was extra special.
And Yeah, there's a lot of things that have happened
in my career that I look back at and I'm like,
how in the world did that even become a thing?
(04:40):
You know? Uh, But I'm just kind of taking these
moments as they come and trying to cherish them in
the moment and looking forward to seeing what the next
decade has in store. You know, I mentioned putting Blake
in the back seat of memories. I think that's the
country song. It might be, Yeah, You're welcome, We we
should write that. Don't call it Blake in the back seat,
that back seat of memories. Oh my gosh, that's a
(05:02):
whole lot of the things getting back to you and Katie.
Oh my gosh, how do you describe I describe it
as magic, the two of you together and the way
your voice is blend. How does that feel? Singing with her?
It was like shockingly good. You know. I think anytime
you do a collaboration with anybody, your first thought is
(05:22):
do our voices mesh well together? Is this gonna sound
good on a record? And I knew that. When I
got the final mix back, I was like, Danes, I
think this is gonna work, you know, And we got
to do it one time on American Idol this year,
but doing it the c m AS was like extra special.
The fact that the c m AS allowed us to
do that. Props Sir Robert Deaton for forgiving us that slot.
I just think it's cool when when two worlds can
(05:43):
collide and it feels organic that way, because I think
sometimes it can feel very forced. But you know, getting
to know Katie, she's a very, very down to earth
human being. Grew up in the South, grew up listening
to country music, and so I don't think it was
that far out of her wheelhouse to to do that song,
first of all, and second of all, to do it
in front of you know, all of our Nashville peers,
and so I was really proud of how that performance
turned out and just very grateful the CMAS for letting
(06:05):
us do it. Yeah. Yeah, she paid her dues here,
just like just like, um, so this is such a
personal song where we started, Yeah, is it? Uh? Is
it difficult for you to sing on any level? Uh?
Vocally absolutely. It is the hardest song in my catalog.
I think that that's probably why I was so nervous
to take the stage at the c M as I
(06:27):
was like, Lord, please help me, help me hit this note,
and uh, somehow he did. So I appreciate Jesus being
there and taking the wheel and um it was Yeah,
the song was really written. It was for my wife,
you know, I mean ten years of marriage, four kids.
You know, there's definitely some bumps in the road, but
I think if you can look back, Katie described it well,
She's like, it's like looking at your receipts of life,
you know what I mean, and kind of being like, damn,
(06:49):
we've come a long way. You know, there's there's a
lot to be grateful for, and you know, on those
days where you do feel down or like broken hearted
you kind of look back and go think about where
we began, you know what I mean, Like none of
us could have dreamed that we would be where we
are today. And it's it's really just a big song
about gratitude of looking back in your past and being
like Dann, we've overcome a lot of things and a
lot of hurdles and and I feel like we're in
(07:09):
a really healthy spot now. So I love the song
and glad that I got to do with Katie and
how much it resonated with her, and I'm just really
proud of how it turned out. Yeah, it was. It
was a great performance of the c m A. I
didn't see you, but I've heard you. I don't remember
any of it, okay, half of me with Riley Green
(07:30):
uh And of course at the at the very end,
I'm sure it's at weren't you guys dog customing each other?
Towards the end there, I think Riley was wondering if
his vocal sounded good and and we we just my
producer Dan Huff just kept that part in there as
a joke, and and the more I kept listening to it,
I was like, why would we not keep that in there.
This is amazing, um, and so yeah, we kept it
in there, and that's kind of been like one of
(07:50):
the main questions I get is what is Riley saying
at the end of that? And he's basically saying, did
that sound good? Or is it just good because you're
doing it with me? So I just I had to
I had to keep that on there to keep him humble.
You know, I love that. Okay, let's talk about getting
together with some other guys here, Cole Swindell, Nate Smith
gonna join you on tour next year. Let's go behind
(08:11):
the scenes here. How does a tour like this come together?
You obviously know these guys. Do you do you make
the invitation? Isn't done all business wise? Behind the scenes?
How does it come together? Well, by the grace of God.
First of all, there there's no reason that Cole should
come out with me next year. He should be doing
his own thing. But I called him and literally begged
him to come on the road with me. I was like, dude,
(08:31):
because we only got to do twenty shows together in
one and it was literally the funnest tour I've ever
been a part of. And I was like, man, it'd
be great to take this thing on the road for
an entire year, and so I'm very grateful to Cole
uh for doing this year with me and Nate smith Man.
I just remember being at the beach and hearing whiskey
on you over and over and over again in the truck,
and I called some of my team and I was like, Hey,
(08:52):
who's this Nate smith kid? And they're like, man, he's
blowing up. If you want him on your tour, we
should make the offer today. And that was literally in
like July. So, um, it's it's been a minute, but
I'm so glad that he said yes. I'm so glad
we have Nate for next year. I think next year's
tour is going to be one that you don't want
to miss. So what and we've talked to him a
few times. What was his reaction when he found out
(09:12):
you made this invitation? He? Um, he got my number
from my manager and he sent me a voice text.
And I think when you hear his voice, you expect
him to talk really deep, like I think you expect
him to talk like Chris Stapleton or something. And he's
got a little bit higher pitched of a voice. And
I had no Idea is from California, and so I
didn't answer the phone because it was like a number
(09:32):
from an area code that I didn't know. And then
he immediately sent me a voice text and said, Hey,
this is Nate Smith. I just wanted to say, how
pumped I'm to go on the road. Man. This is
my first big tour and I wouldn't want to do
with anybody else besides you, And it just made me
feel really good and looking forward to having Nate on
the road with us next year. It's hard. It's hard
to believe. You're kind of when you think about it,
you're now a leader in the business. You're helping all
(09:53):
these young people come along as you've been helped when
you started you many years ago. For sure. Man, I
don't know if I can help Nate at all, but
but I will give him a good crowd to sing
in front of us, for sure. Go Well, hey, you
have helped me for the holidays. May I say, I've
got to compliment you on this Merry Christmas y'all. You know,
these songs have been around forever and ever, and you
(10:15):
kind of wonder when you see a new Christmas album
coming out, is it going to be, you know, kind
of what we're used to. You have made this spectacular
on so many levels. In some of the songs are
produced in a way that they're kind of down home,
and then several of them are They really are kind
of epic orchestral. It looks like that you got to
(10:37):
play in a great, big musical toy box with this DP.
It was so fun. I mean from the moment I
knew we were going to do this, I was like, man,
let's bring in the strings, let's bring in the horns, Like,
let's try to go as nineteen fifties as we possibly can. Uh,
that's just those are my favorite interpretations of those songs
like Sinatra and Dean Martin and being Crossby, Like those
are the songs that I always go to during the holidays.
(10:58):
And I was like, how do we recreate that with
my spin on it? And Dan Huff and Jesse Fraser
helped me, you know, with with the with the talent
we have in Nashville do an amazing string section, horn section,
and I just wanted to make it feel timeless and
classic and songs that people could kind of be like, man,
this from Mint, this is like familiar, But I love
hearing his voice on knees, and so it was a
lot of It was a lot of fun to do.
(11:19):
If anybody gets a true feeling of Christmas, it has
to be at you, at you at your house because
you have four kids, all single digits, and I'm sure
when it comes to Christmas time, Sada just leaves gifts
on the front porch and runs Yeah. Sure, Uh have
you seen have you seen any new Christmas goodies that
(11:39):
have caught your attention other than the Thomas ret CD
for myself or for my kids? Ye? Wait till you
here how Thomas Rhad answers that question. After this, man,
I'm not like a big physical gift person anymore. Like
my wife and I, I guess three or four years
ago decided not. I mean I bought her jewelry, you know,
(12:00):
for our tenure anniversary because that's what ETC said to do.
And so we we spent we we spend money on experience. Now.
Uh so it's for Christmas, like I usually will plan
a two day trip for her and I and she'll
book us and experience somewhere in Nashville, were out of
town like that. That's kind of become our thing with
each other. Um, And lately it's been like for our
(12:23):
tenure anniversary, she got me a trip to Jackson Hole.
We're gonna go to Jackson Hole next week and just
spend a couple of days out there. But we just
love the mountains. We love to ski, we love to
to fish. We loved it. We just love to be
out west. So that that's kind of become our gift
to each other over the last year. Okay, well that's fine,
Let's talk Barbie. There you go, Let's talk Barbie. For
the kids, No, no no, no, what do they want? Have you?
(12:43):
Have you been listening to what they're chatting about? Um?
I mean, honestly, I'm gonna play the husband card and
just and say that my wife usually gets all the
gifts for our kids for for Christmas, because, um, you know,
I'm not the best at like going too the store
and picking that stuff out, much less ordering it. Um,
But I try to get like my kids stuff that
(13:05):
like I would have liked as a kid. And maybe
that's selfish, but like, I don't know, I might get
my kids like a bow and araw this year, or
like a like a red Rider Bby going or something,
you know, like something classic like a little red wagon.
Let Lauren do it, okay, okay, and uh never go
ahead taking a different direction. Let's heyas did I hear
(13:29):
that you and Lauren got to go to Italy? We did.
We were there. We were there two weeks ago. Oh
that's okay, that's my bucket list. Oh it's the best.
Me and Laura have been a couple of times, but
this time we got to go with a bunch of
our friends who had never been before, so we kind
of played tour guide a little bit. We were in
Tuscany and Florence and and went to uh Themfi Coast
for a couple of days. It's just an awesome place
(13:49):
to be. And tell me about the food. I have
to know, it's the best. I mean, I don't know
how you can eat pizza and drink wine all day
and lose weight in the process. It's like, I think
America needs to fix our ingredients because it was. I mean,
you could drink a bottle of wine and not not
even feel hungover the next day. It's unbelievable. Oh my goodness. Yeah,
(14:10):
I think you should drink a bottle of wine, But
when you're in Italy, it's kind of like you have
a pass so I do it all the time, and
we'd be remiss if we did it. How's your dad?
He is, he's doing well. He's doing well, just writing
songs and and uh uh you know, raising raising my
little brother is it's his two year old son. Uh.
It's been a it's been a wild, wild little process,
(14:31):
but it's it's been in such a blast to get
to watch him be dad and granddad at the same time.
He is he smacking you upside of the head with
new songs all the time or what we've written quite
a bit this year. Man. I think my dad is
waiting strategically until I start cutting to send me anything.
I think he's learned over the years, like don't get
don't get it, don't get an artist way too excited
when he's got six months before he goes in the studio.
(14:52):
So he's got to play you like he plays everybody absolutely,
absolutely well. Thomas. You know, when you look back at
the past ten years, how in the world do you
even fathom all that has happened to you career wise
and personally? I don't know. I honestly, I think so
(15:13):
much of it as Jesus, like I think that if
it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here. And I think,
because I'm here, uh, there's still work to be done,
you know. Um. And so that that's kind of been
my new decade driving force. It's just kind of my
dad told me the other day, he was like, you
gotta you gotta reinvent your why, you know what I mean.
He was like, it can't be about just being on top.
(15:33):
It can't be about just making money, like you, You've
got to reinvent why you're doing this, you know. And
I do feel, um a call uh And I don't
know what it is. I'm still kind of figuring out,
but I do think I'm just supposed to be here
to bring Jordan people who are a little bit down,
you know. I mean I I look, I look in
the faces of the people that come to our shows,
and I'm like, man, it is my job for ninety
minutes to make sure that these people at the time
(15:54):
of their lives. And and that's my new goal is
just how to create an experience live that that people
just leave you've I don't know, better versions of themselves
than when they came in. You may not know this,
but the great Dolly Parton just recently said something to
that effect. She said, all of us who are in
a position to be able to create and to bring joy,
(16:15):
this is the time in the world that we should
be doing it. So absolutely congratulations to you, all right,
And one closing question, I want to put you on
the spot. What's the last thing you ordered an Amazon?
Um a deer feeder? Okay, yep, I put in my
front yard. Fill it, filled it full of corn. Just
I love getting to watch giant bucks walk in my
(16:36):
front yard. It's the best thing in the world. Oh, man,
you got a great life. Thomas Ratt, thank you so
much for talking to Okay, yeah, y'all too. Aiate it
very much about y'all. Okay, So the man wants to
put a deer feeder? Is that right in his front
yard he already has. Well, I'm surprised I didn't put
it in the living room. You know, he's just one
of those kind of guys. He just wants to take
(16:57):
care of the critters, you know. Certainly, Oh my gosh,
man with heart, he really is. So that is Thomas
read big plans for his family and for his career
and especially for his fans. That he loves so much.
Is all coming up in three So he hasn't covered,
and so do we. We always have your country covered.
(17:17):
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at Crook and Chase
Welcome in the Crook and Chase Nashville Chats with Thomas Rhett.
Oh my gosh, Charlie one of the most impressive talents
and country music right now. We have known him his
entire life, literally since he was in diapers. It's so cute. Well,
at this time, Thomas Rhet is only thirty two years old. Well,
actually he'll turn thirty three March thirtieth, I believe. But
(00:22):
think about this, In one decade in the music business,
Thomas read his head twenty number one hits, earned Male
Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year trophies, even written a
slew of hit songs for other artists. But then the
other side of that coin, think about all that's happened
in his personal life in one decade. I know, he
got married to his elementary school sweetheart, Lauren, lovely lady,
(00:43):
They adopted a baby girl, and then suddenly they had
three more back to back. So so wonder he named
one of his hit albums life Changes, because boy, they
were there exactly. Well, we are here to tell you, actually,
Thomas himself is here to tell you that he is
planning more life changes as he enters the second decade.
(01:04):
Of his career, in family life, and in all of it.
He told us, he is letting Jesus take the wheel.
Good morning, y'all or afternoon whatever. Okay, now that we're
on the same page, what country are you in, Thomas,
I'm in the I'm in the country of exhausted. I
don't know if y'all are, But man, I know why too,
(01:26):
because right now you are about three or four artists
in one. Here you are with your twentieth hit, half
of Me, with Riley Green doing great, the epic duet
with Katie Perry where we started, and now this amazing
Christmas ep Yeah, there's there's a lot. There's a lot
of a lot of things that have happened since May.
(01:48):
That is, that is for sure. Do you feel like
you are in the most creative and busy part of
your career ever? I do. I do, and I think
you know. Over the course of November de Cimmer in January,
I'm looking forward to kind of taking a step back
and like really trying to hone in on one thing
at a time. I think this year I tried to
(02:09):
do a lot of things at the same time, and
I'm looking forward to kind of compartmentalizing my life a
little bit better than I did this year. So I'm
I'm looking forward to a break, but I'm also looking
forward just just to kind of like get with my
team and like really decide, like what what are we
gonna do, you know, moving forward music wise. So I'm
excited to get back in the studio. Uh, excited for
(02:30):
our tour next year. Um, just a lot of things
to be thankful for, and just feeling extra blessed going
into holiday season. You're enjoying a successful tenure run, a
bunch of number ones twenty not too far away. Yeah,
when you've t r When you first decided to get
this music thing and go, what were you thinking would
be the goal? Like one hit? Like I was like,
(02:51):
I was like, if I could have one hit song
on the radio, I will I can say that I
have done that and I'll go do something else. Um,
but I think the Lord had different plans, and I
just I don't know. I believe I'm here for a reason.
I think I'm here for a bigger purpose than than
having hit songs. I think I'm here to spread joy
and and put smiles and mooble's faces and so as
(03:12):
as I moved into this next decade. That is like
the number one forefront thing in my mind. It's just
how do I bring joy to as many people as
I possibly can. There never was a plan B, right,
Well no, there there really wasn't. Uh, But looking back
at my life, I probably should have had a plan
B at least get a real estate license or something like.
I probably killed it for a couple of years. That's true. Well, listen,
(03:35):
as you look forward to maybe crashing a little bit
during the holidays, will you get to, like I'm Thanksgiving,
will you be able to rest a little bit? Or
will Lauren have you in the kitchen whipping up something good?
Lauren will have me doing something, that's for sure. Um,
I love this season so much. I love I mean,
we have such a big family, you know, and so
(03:56):
it'll be really nice to get to spend Thanksgiving with
all my family and get to see some you know,
distant elatives we don't see that often. But I'm really
looking forward to Christmas this year. Um, I feel like
our kids are just at the best age in the
world for Christmas, and and uh, it's just it's gonna
be a fun couple of months. I know. In the past,
and let me get back to what Loriane mentioned earlier,
working with Katy Perry. I know, in the past, when
you were still to school, Blake Shelton once helped you
(04:18):
with your homework, and now you are performing with Katie
Perry kind of puts Blake in the back seat of memories,
doesn't I don't, I don't know. I I still can't
believe that collaboration happened, to be honest, and and and
getting to do that on the scene Mays was extra special.
And Yeah, there's a lot of things that have happened
in my career that I look back at and I'm like,
how in the world did that even become a thing?
(04:40):
You know? Uh, But I'm just kind of taking these
moments as they come and trying to cherish them in
the moment and looking forward to seeing what the next
decade has in store. You know, I mentioned putting Blake
in the back seat of memories. I think that's the
country song. It might be, Yeah, You're welcome, We we
should write that. Don't call it Blake in the back seat,
that back seat of memories. Oh my gosh, that's a
(05:02):
whole lot of the things getting back to you and Katie.
Oh my gosh, how do you describe I describe it
as magic, the two of you together and the way
your voice is blend. How does that feel? Singing with her?
It was like shockingly good. You know. I think anytime
you do a collaboration with anybody, your first thought is
(05:22):
do our voices mesh well together? Is this gonna sound
good on a record? And I knew that. When I
got the final mix back, I was like, Danes, I
think this is gonna work, you know, And we got
to do it one time on American Idol this year,
but doing it the c m AS was like extra special.
The fact that the c m AS allowed us to
do that. Props Sir Robert Deaton for forgiving us that slot.
I just think it's cool when when two worlds can
(05:43):
collide and it feels organic that way, because I think
sometimes it can feel very forced. But you know, getting
to know Katie, she's a very, very down to earth
human being. Grew up in the South, grew up listening
to country music, and so I don't think it was
that far out of her wheelhouse to to do that song,
first of all, and second of all, to do it
in front of you know, all of our Nashville peers,
and so I was really proud of how that performance
turned out and just very grateful the CMAS for letting
(06:05):
us do it. Yeah. Yeah, she paid her dues here,
just like just like, um, so this is such a
personal song where we started, Yeah, is it? Uh? Is
it difficult for you to sing on any level? Uh?
Vocally absolutely. It is the hardest song in my catalog.
I think that that's probably why I was so nervous
to take the stage at the c M as I
(06:27):
was like, Lord, please help me, help me hit this note,
and uh, somehow he did. So I appreciate Jesus being
there and taking the wheel and um it was Yeah,
the song was really written. It was for my wife,
you know, I mean ten years of marriage, four kids.
You know, there's definitely some bumps in the road, but
I think if you can look back, Katie described it well,
She's like, it's like looking at your receipts of life,
you know what I mean, and kind of being like, damn,
(06:49):
we've come a long way. You know, there's there's a
lot to be grateful for, and you know, on those
days where you do feel down or like broken hearted
you kind of look back and go think about where
we began, you know what I mean, Like none of
us could have dreamed that we would be where we
are today. And it's it's really just a big song
about gratitude of looking back in your past and being
like Dann, we've overcome a lot of things and a
lot of hurdles and and I feel like we're in
(07:09):
a really healthy spot now. So I love the song
and glad that I got to do with Katie and
how much it resonated with her, and I'm just really
proud of how it turned out. Yeah, it was. It
was a great performance of the c m A. I
didn't see you, but I've heard you. I don't remember
any of it, okay, half of me with Riley Green
(07:30):
uh And of course at the at the very end,
I'm sure it's at weren't you guys dog customing each other?
Towards the end there, I think Riley was wondering if
his vocal sounded good and and we we just my
producer Dan Huff just kept that part in there as
a joke, and and the more I kept listening to it,
I was like, why would we not keep that in there.
This is amazing, um, and so yeah, we kept it
in there, and that's kind of been like one of
(07:50):
the main questions I get is what is Riley saying
at the end of that? And he's basically saying, did
that sound good? Or is it just good because you're
doing it with me? So I just I had to
I had to keep that on there to keep him humble.
You know, I love that. Okay, let's talk about getting
together with some other guys here, Cole Swindell, Nate Smith
gonna join you on tour next year. Let's go behind
(08:11):
the scenes here. How does a tour like this come together?
You obviously know these guys. Do you do you make
the invitation? Isn't done all business wise? Behind the scenes?
How does it come together? Well, by the grace of God.
First of all, there there's no reason that Cole should
come out with me next year. He should be doing
his own thing. But I called him and literally begged
him to come on the road with me. I was like, dude,
(08:31):
because we only got to do twenty shows together in
one and it was literally the funnest tour I've ever
been a part of. And I was like, man, it'd
be great to take this thing on the road for
an entire year, and so I'm very grateful to Cole
uh for doing this year with me and Nate smith Man.
I just remember being at the beach and hearing whiskey
on you over and over and over again in the truck,
and I called some of my team and I was like, Hey,
(08:52):
who's this Nate smith kid? And they're like, man, he's
blowing up. If you want him on your tour, we
should make the offer today. And that was literally in
like July. So, um, it's it's been a minute, but
I'm so glad that he said yes. I'm so glad
we have Nate for next year. I think next year's
tour is going to be one that you don't want
to miss. So what and we've talked to him a
few times. What was his reaction when he found out
(09:12):
you made this invitation? He? Um, he got my number
from my manager and he sent me a voice text.
And I think when you hear his voice, you expect
him to talk really deep, like I think you expect
him to talk like Chris Stapleton or something. And he's
got a little bit higher pitched of a voice. And
I had no Idea is from California, and so I
didn't answer the phone because it was like a number
(09:32):
from an area code that I didn't know. And then
he immediately sent me a voice text and said, Hey,
this is Nate Smith. I just wanted to say, how
pumped I'm to go on the road. Man. This is
my first big tour and I wouldn't want to do
with anybody else besides you, And it just made me
feel really good and looking forward to having Nate on
the road with us next year. It's hard. It's hard
to believe. You're kind of when you think about it,
you're now a leader in the business. You're helping all
(09:53):
these young people come along as you've been helped when
you started you many years ago. For sure. Man, I
don't know if I can help Nate at all, but
but I will give him a good crowd to sing
in front of us, for sure. Go Well, hey, you
have helped me for the holidays. May I say, I've
got to compliment you on this Merry Christmas y'all. You know,
these songs have been around forever and ever, and you
(10:15):
kind of wonder when you see a new Christmas album
coming out, is it going to be, you know, kind
of what we're used to. You have made this spectacular
on so many levels. In some of the songs are
produced in a way that they're kind of down home,
and then several of them are They really are kind
of epic orchestral. It looks like that you got to
(10:37):
play in a great, big musical toy box with this DP.
It was so fun. I mean from the moment I
knew we were going to do this, I was like, man,
let's bring in the strings, let's bring in the horns, Like,
let's try to go as nineteen fifties as we possibly can. Uh,
that's just those are my favorite interpretations of those songs
like Sinatra and Dean Martin and being Crossby, Like those
are the songs that I always go to during the holidays.
(10:58):
And I was like, how do we recreate that with
my spin on it? And Dan Huff and Jesse Fraser
helped me, you know, with with the with the talent
we have in Nashville do an amazing string section, horn section,
and I just wanted to make it feel timeless and
classic and songs that people could kind of be like, man,
this from Mint, this is like familiar, But I love
hearing his voice on knees, and so it was a
lot of It was a lot of fun to do.
(11:19):
If anybody gets a true feeling of Christmas, it has
to be at you, at you at your house because
you have four kids, all single digits, and I'm sure
when it comes to Christmas time, Sada just leaves gifts
on the front porch and runs Yeah. Sure, Uh have
you seen have you seen any new Christmas goodies that
(11:39):
have caught your attention other than the Thomas ret CD
for myself or for my kids? Ye? Wait till you
here how Thomas Rhad answers that question. After this, man,
I'm not like a big physical gift person anymore. Like
my wife and I, I guess three or four years
ago decided not. I mean I bought her jewelry, you know,
(12:00):
for our tenure anniversary because that's what ETC said to do.
And so we we spent we we spend money on experience. Now.
Uh so it's for Christmas, like I usually will plan
a two day trip for her and I and she'll
book us and experience somewhere in Nashville, were out of
town like that. That's kind of become our thing with
each other. Um, And lately it's been like for our
(12:23):
tenure anniversary, she got me a trip to Jackson Hole.
We're gonna go to Jackson Hole next week and just
spend a couple of days out there. But we just
love the mountains. We love to ski, we love to
to fish. We loved it. We just love to be
out west. So that that's kind of become our gift
to each other over the last year. Okay, well that's fine,
Let's talk Barbie. There you go, Let's talk Barbie. For
the kids, No, no no, no, what do they want? Have you?
(12:43):
Have you been listening to what they're chatting about? Um?
I mean, honestly, I'm gonna play the husband card and
just and say that my wife usually gets all the
gifts for our kids for for Christmas, because, um, you know,
I'm not the best at like going too the store
and picking that stuff out, much less ordering it. Um,
But I try to get like my kids stuff that
(13:05):
like I would have liked as a kid. And maybe
that's selfish, but like, I don't know, I might get
my kids like a bow and araw this year, or
like a like a red Rider Bby going or something,
you know, like something classic like a little red wagon.
Let Lauren do it, okay, okay, and uh never go
ahead taking a different direction. Let's heyas did I hear
(13:29):
that you and Lauren got to go to Italy? We did.
We were there. We were there two weeks ago. Oh
that's okay, that's my bucket list. Oh it's the best.
Me and Laura have been a couple of times, but
this time we got to go with a bunch of
our friends who had never been before, so we kind
of played tour guide a little bit. We were in
Tuscany and Florence and and went to uh Themfi Coast
for a couple of days. It's just an awesome place
(13:49):
to be. And tell me about the food. I have
to know, it's the best. I mean, I don't know
how you can eat pizza and drink wine all day
and lose weight in the process. It's like, I think
America needs to fix our ingredients because it was. I mean,
you could drink a bottle of wine and not not
even feel hungover the next day. It's unbelievable. Oh my goodness. Yeah,
(14:10):
I think you should drink a bottle of wine, But
when you're in Italy, it's kind of like you have
a pass so I do it all the time, and
we'd be remiss if we did it. How's your dad?
He is, he's doing well. He's doing well, just writing
songs and and uh uh you know, raising raising my
little brother is it's his two year old son. Uh.
It's been a it's been a wild, wild little process,
(14:31):
but it's it's been in such a blast to get
to watch him be dad and granddad at the same time.
He is he smacking you upside of the head with
new songs all the time or what we've written quite
a bit this year. Man. I think my dad is
waiting strategically until I start cutting to send me anything.
I think he's learned over the years, like don't get
don't get it, don't get an artist way too excited
when he's got six months before he goes in the studio.
(14:52):
So he's got to play you like he plays everybody absolutely,
absolutely well. Thomas. You know, when you look back at
the past ten years, how in the world do you
even fathom all that has happened to you career wise
and personally? I don't know. I honestly, I think so
(15:13):
much of it as Jesus, like I think that if
it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here. And I think,
because I'm here, uh, there's still work to be done,
you know. Um. And so that that's kind of been
my new decade driving force. It's just kind of my
dad told me the other day, he was like, you
gotta you gotta reinvent your why, you know what I mean.
He was like, it can't be about just being on top.
(15:33):
It can't be about just making money, like you, You've
got to reinvent why you're doing this, you know. And
I do feel, um a call uh And I don't
know what it is. I'm still kind of figuring out,
but I do think I'm just supposed to be here
to bring Jordan people who are a little bit down,
you know. I mean I I look, I look in
the faces of the people that come to our shows,
and I'm like, man, it is my job for ninety
minutes to make sure that these people at the time
(15:54):
of their lives. And and that's my new goal is
just how to create an experience live that that people
just leave you've I don't know, better versions of themselves
than when they came in. You may not know this,
but the great Dolly Parton just recently said something to
that effect. She said, all of us who are in
a position to be able to create and to bring joy,
(16:15):
this is the time in the world that we should
be doing it. So absolutely congratulations to you, all right,
And one closing question, I want to put you on
the spot. What's the last thing you ordered an Amazon?
Um a deer feeder? Okay, yep, I put in my
front yard. Fill it, filled it full of corn. Just
I love getting to watch giant bucks walk in my
(16:36):
front yard. It's the best thing in the world. Oh, man,
you got a great life. Thomas Ratt, thank you so
much for talking to Okay, yeah, y'all too. Aiate it
very much about y'all. Okay, So the man wants to
put a deer feeder? Is that right in his front
yard he already has. Well, I'm surprised I didn't put
it in the living room. You know, he's just one
of those kind of guys. He just wants to take
(16:57):
care of the critters, you know. Certainly, Oh my gosh,
man with heart, he really is. So that is Thomas
read big plans for his family and for his career
and especially for his fans. That he loves so much.
Is all coming up in three So he hasn't covered,
and so do we. We always have your country covered.
(17:17):
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