April 15, 2025 • 19 mins
Mr. Saturday night is back with a new album and daaaang, is it good!?! He tells us about how quick the process was this time around and why it feels like the best music he's put out to date! Outside of music, he's busy too.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Listen. So we're rolling John parties in studio.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Hey, thanks for You're a busy dude, especially with an
album coming out, your dad husband doing a million things
that wants Thanks for hanging out. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
No, downtown and right now, Honky Tonkin, Well, let.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Me ask how often do you get downtown? Are you
a downtown Nashville guy?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I love downtown Nashville. It's it's definitely changed, but it's
still fun. I mean, I love that the fans love it. Yeah,
you know, and it gives It's a place that the
country music really calls home now with all the hoarse bars. Yeah,
I went to I went I Was That with Bob
Kid Rock and we went to his place afterwards, went
to dinner and went to his place afterwards. Didn't stay
(00:37):
out too late. We made it till midnight. It's pretty
good for new parents. Yeah, absolutely, And you know, we
got to just enjoy the lights and the people, and
I enjoy watching people having fun in the name of partying.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I uh, you reminded me of a saying I recently
saw if if if forty is the new thirty, then
nine pm is.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
The new midnight.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, because it's like I ain't trying to I'm here
for a good time. But like, if we could wrap
this thing up by about ten thirty, if I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Not proud of myself if I make it to midnight,
I'm like, we made it to midnight.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
That's is that is showtime different for you then now too,
Like cause you play for the most.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Part most venues, you go till about eleven ish, right.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yeah, but the shows don't matter because I can stay.
I'll stay up to one, two the latest on the
show because I get to sleep in on the tour bus.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
So, but Holmes don't sleeping in. Presley's up ready to party.
So like we go to bed early at the house.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I love that man.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Where As we sit downtown, you're peeking out the window
here as the artist bar thing ever popped into conversation
for you.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Nobody ever emails me any with that ideas.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Because I was gonna say, it's like, oh yeah, but like,
you know, Jason's had a million number ones, Luke's had
a million number ones. You know, they've been around forever,
but now there's names like Laney, who's new to the scene,
Chilley Roll, who's lady.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
They got them rocks. I'm on the train track still okay,
and I'm gonna I got a hell of a train
train steam engine, always on the climb. But I don't know.
I think it's too late, honestly and all honestly, I
think it's too late. I think it's burnt out. I
think the artists bars are great, but it's almost like
(02:19):
it's just you're just so many now there's no I
remember all characters. I get it, but it's just like,
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Does that cross your mind ever?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Or you like, Now, I'm happy, I got my lane,
I'm doing what I'm doing, I got the endorsements or whatever.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Man, I don't give one crap about having a bar. Yeah,
because I feel like I have so much further to
go in my career that I shouldn't be worried about
if I got a bar or not. Like I should
be worried about making the best record, which I did,
Honk and Talk Hollywood April eleventh, available everywhere. I shouldn't
(02:55):
be worried about what I'm gonna put in my bar.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
That's a hell of a plug.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
I know, if you want to be at a bar,
let's talk about it. You know, I have this Channel
bar idea called Tequila Little Time that has to be
on a channel in Florida. Oh I like that, so
but I want to own them. I want to own
the land. So yeah, Okay, gotta get make it happen.
Gotta find someplace. Man. I feel like a boat bar
would be way cooler.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I dig that.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Let's just say, if Riley Green can have a bar,
anybody can have a bar.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Well see it still? I mean, but Roy's like, girls
go to Riley Green's bar because that's where they're like, well,
it's his his bar, he should be here. Yeah, listen,
everybody's got a bar.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
We'll get there. We'll you know what, I challenge you.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Uh, I'm gonna take it over the hard rock That's
why I let's do it. You watch hard Rock Cafe.
I'm coming after you.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I love that. Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
When it comes to this new album, uh, you're no
stranger to new country, but with with what you've put
into this project, are you?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
How do you staye on party but.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Still like make sure it's new and sounds new? Does
that make sense?
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well? I mean you just got to pay attention to
what's going on and listen to your songwriters, listen to
songs that come in, write what you want. I feel
like I pay attention enough to know what's going on,
but also like I didn't really care and also don't care.
Don't care about what's going on. You think Morgan Wong
cared about what was going on. He didn't sound like
any I mean still though, I mean even Morgan, Like
(04:19):
I used Morgan lot because he's like the biggest thing
in country music. But Smile doesn't sound like anything he's done,
Like it doesn't. It's like he progresses himself and does
different things. That's what I did. I was like, well,
I'm gonna use Jay Joyce, like I'm gonna try something different,
and then it's but it's not, it's not still far
fetched to where you're now gonna listen to that record
(04:40):
and be like, oh, he went full Morgan Wall. It's like, no,
it's its own thing. It's it's still mean, but I
think it's just a little more like West Coast seventies
country rock and roll, which is pretty badass.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
That's badass. I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Uh, who are artists outside of Morgan that keep you
motivated to challenge yourself because you could easily you could
easily make every John Party record sound like the last
John Party record. I don't mean that in like an
insulting way, but like you, you have your groove right,
you have the place where you're comfortable. But when you
start putting music out on a bigger scale, it's almost
(05:13):
like you gotta you gotta leave your lane just a
little bit, right.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah, but you don't. I mean you just you just
add one more lane, Okay. You know you got three
lanes out of four lane. Getting a little busy at
an extra lane, I don't know. You know, you got
guys like Zach Topp play with Zach. Dude's super talented.
He's like a voice like the past, like I thought.
(05:39):
Keith Whitley was singing next to me. He's so good, man,
He's so good. And you know, it's guys like him
that help guys like me. For a while, was like me, Cody,
Me and Cody still playing country music with like fiddle
and steel and and so it's had Justin Moore, you know,
(06:03):
Justin's always been there's a bunch of guys. That was
a good joke, but yeah, you know it's it helps
all of us in the long run, you know, cause
you got guys like Morgan, who's taking hip hop and
pop and making it super I mean, gee, three football
fields a night, and but you know Cody's playing football fields.
I mean so it's just like it helps the whole
circle of bringing everybody to get listens.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
When it comes to creating that music. And this is
something that we asked Cody Johnson last time he was
in here. Because staying true to yourself, staying true to
your your country sound right, and not necessarily the sound
you make, but the sound you believe in that inspired
you to create. You could easily chase a hit, right,
you could easily pop on a backwards ball cap and
(06:46):
somebody could write some big old record and drop it
in your lap. Why is it important for you not
to do it that way, not to take something that
might be easy dropped in your lap, but like to
stay true to who john Party is.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
I think when you stay true to yourself, you're true
to yourself at everything.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Okay, so whether you're like.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Working on a ranch, you got my cowboy hat to
live it, breathe it. You know, Cody's the same way.
He's he's always like rope. He lives in Texas, he
got he got the tech like everybody's got cowboy things
in Texas, and it's just like when you you're you're
that guy and everything you do. And I think that's
how you really stick to who you are without just
not just if you just stick to who that artist
(07:26):
is in music, then it becomes like, well, I got
to put my hat on or I got to transform
into this to be an artist when you're just like, no,
I'm the artist twenty four to seven. Except even I'm
even an artist. When I got my comfy's on, my
ug slippers, what's up?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
You know?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Up? Put up in there? You come about come about
eight o'clock. You know, I'll be in my comfy clothes.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
It's over the work.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
The work clothes are hung up. But you know, I
feel like there's a lot of that. You know, you
just do. You're the artist? You who are? You? Are?
You are all the time, And I feel like if
you live it and breathe, it is true, it shows up.
And you're not afraid to stand for who you are
as an artist because it's you. It makes sense. I
(08:08):
think that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
It does for sure, because as a fan, it's easier
to connect with somebody who is authentic versus playing a character.
Whether a song is is massive or not, you can
tell if that person believes in it. Like we've talked
to different artists, like like Kenny Chesney passed on check
yes or no. He was offered it before George Straight
because he's like, it's just not me. Jake Owen was
(08:30):
offered Big Green tractor. He's like, I'm not a tractor guy. Yeah,
He's like, I don't own one. I've never written one.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Right, I mean he's missing the money he could.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Have been as I mean, it has a bad decision.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
But when it comes to the authenticity, it also makes
it easier for fans to connect with you. Right, what's
been a cool fan story that you have from any
point in your career where maybe it kind of helps
you go, yeah, I'm in the right place at the
right time.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Man. I feel like recently, He've got a song called
She Drive a Way. It's on the new record and
it's a father daughter song and it's a tough father
dough song, but it's beautiful and it talks about, you know,
being in the delivery room and it's a full circlel moment.
It's like talks about me and you're you know, like say,
(09:18):
you meet Summer's dad and you ask her to marry
and then you have a little baby girl, and it's
like the circle, the circle life. No, it's it's not
like but you din to get it in this kind
of way. It's like it comes around you have a
baby girl, your own, and we put it out and
like the amount hundreds, mind not thousands yet it's still fresh,
but like of videos a sweet little baby baby girls
(09:41):
like being held for the first time and she drives
away is playing in the background and it's beautiful and
it's my first I feel like a lot of my
fans are like same age and we're growing up together
in the world and everybody's starting to have kids and
it's like it's their first time too, and they're using
this song and it's still spe sholing because normally I'm
(10:02):
like drink, party, party, dance, dance, dance, and it's like
different that come up with the family story and it
like means it's so special to like first time fathers
and stuff and so recently, like that's that that aspect
of like you know, I've been there and you just
kind of live life and your your music goes through
that and it kind of shows what I went through
(10:23):
and now everybody's going through it too. Is you know,
new baby girls come in the.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
World when when the dad's stuff, you know, creeps over
into the work stuff because obviously dad is number one job, right.
What has been something that you're surprised you learned as
far as being a dad, And what's something that you've
been proud to watch your wife learn as far as motherhood?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Oh, summers, she's super mom, it feels like, but I
mean I just learned how to take care of the girls,
you know, and do everything you can. So if you
have to be alone with your kids, like you got it.
You know, some dads they're just like you don't leave
the kid alone with your dad, you know, Like hey,
so I really tried to learn that for summer and
(11:09):
for the children, and it's a lot. I mean I
ask a lot of questions Summer and she's like, yeah,
blah blah blah blah. But Summer is really good at
organizing just being like super mom and it really helps
have a great mom. Like summer when I'm on the
road constantly and I'm not constantly. We got a good schedule,
but still like we're gone three weeks sometimes and it's tough,
but it's just nice to have summer. But you know,
(11:33):
if we're gone that long, we do kind of meet
in the middle, so she'll come out and see me
and bring the girls. But definitely a team. It's definitely
a team thing have parents. And also shout out to
all the single parents out there too, because that's you know,
I couldn't imagine not having summer or you know, just
to have a break. So yeah, it's a it's definitely
(11:54):
a very difficult thing being parent but it's fun and
it's it's rewarding.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, absolutely it is.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
When it comes to the parenting thing, how important is
it for you to get them on the road as
often as you can? And does that affect the schedule
that you make for yourself?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Now, well, you know, since I'm home a lot, I like,
you know, I like to get a couple days, you know,
Like it's like I went to Australia and I went
by myself. I relaxed the whole damn time.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
They're like, what you.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Do in Australia. I said nothing. I stayed at the
hotel and I played the shows.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
That's what I did there.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You go, I didn't do anything.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
That's fantastic. When it comes to this new project, it's
fourteen songs, deep.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Right, who gave this guy information?
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Seventeen seventeen? Sorry, sorry, seventeen songs.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I remember my first radio job.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
When it comes to what they call them instant grat tracks, right,
that's just a label thing. But when it comes to
the songs that a fan gets early on the album
versus you know, here's the date and here's the rest,
how do you determine which songs those are gonna be?
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Well, this was pretty easy. We had Friday O Heartbreaker.
That that was the first release that was also single,
and then oh it was that, and then it was
Hanky Talk California. That's the title track, so and it's
the badass songs. You get that out, you got the
title track. And the next it was Love the Lights Out,
(13:19):
which is like a superkin soulful, sexy song, and we
released out on Valentine's Day because it's a love song.
So that was like that went hand in hand. And
then she drives away as parents and fathers and little
baby girls. So everybody likes that song and that one
really did they start? I mean, I guess you picked
the ones that really generate and get people talking on
(13:41):
whatever day is it released, so especially putting like Love
the Lights Out on Valentine's Day. You know, I thought
this one been my favorite releases of a record so far.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You look, you look and sound very excited about it.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
This is a great record I've had. It's been done
for eight months. I finished this July twenty twenty four.
This has been a test of patience to let me
tell you. Okay, well, I can't disres I think it
was eight months. But yeah, it's not my label's fault.
But it is my label's fault. But usually I don't
finish the album so quick. Since it was the first
(14:15):
time working with Jay it it got done really fast
because we just spent the whole month working on it.
Where the other ones, I'd go on and go tour
and I'd go do this, and I'd come back and
I'd be sick. It took forever to get the final vocals.
So whereas this you just did all one. I was
feeling good and so when the label wasn't ready, Hell,
I wasn't ready, and they're like, it's not my label's fault.
(14:39):
I take that back, But damn it have long release dates.
So we got a big ass label and then and
then twenty four was an election year. We didn't want
to be like oversight by all this stuff going on.
So April eleventh, Honkitong called it was available everywhere. But
that was that was kind of like where we met
in the middle. I was like, because they were trying
(14:59):
to get in, Like June, June broke my heart. I
was like, hell no, hell no, June, that is the
whole the whole year's done. June, mind, well just put
the Christmas record. Let's go to the Christmas too. Freaking June,
you kidding me?
Speaker 1 (15:15):
The year's over At that point, I know.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
I was like, well no, no, no, no no. We
wanted March. We got April. So love my label, Capitol
Records Universal. They let me be me. I'm telling you,
I got an r'd this record. It was my decision
to bring Jay in and just really just being full, creative, thinkful,
like everybody's been so like, do you think, John.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Why was it?
Speaker 2 (15:40):
You said it was so easy to put together or
not so easy, but it fell together fashions than past records.
Is it because of a fresh voice, fresh eyes on
the project.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Or you were just more focused.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
No, I mean it's uh, you know when I asked Jay,
I I had like a month and a half to
do the record, and Jay Joyce owns his own studios,
so we didn't have you know, next week somebody knocking
at the black door. D liked ding ding ding D
Come on, get out of here. We gotta record my record.
It was like, now we had all this time. We
(16:14):
recorded two songs a day, and also which was really cool,
and also in that magic moment, we sang final vocals
that day, so like once we got done, brand new,
just making this song, never play it, you know, just
brand new to the little baby song boom final vocals.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Wrong was that it being born boom to the world.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
And like Jay's studios, it's an old church, so it's
like it's all kinds of stuff, the neon Cross and
we had so like we had so much time to
really take our time, and then we were in the
studio all day. So when I was saying I wasn't traveling,
I wasn't bush hogging. I wasn't out like chainsawing, you know,
kidding allergies up. I wasn't like feeding the cows.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Hey, like I was.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Literally just in the studio, so it kept me like
super healthy for vocals, and we just knocked it out.
It was a really great experience.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
As you look at the seventeen songs, because we'll edit,
we'll edit the first I don't know why I thought fourteen.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
We were just looking at it a minute ago. I
looked at you like it was your fault the last song.
Did you see that?
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Though? I go fourteen, you go seventeen, and I looked
over like he was her fault. I'm like, thanks, roll,
it's always my fault. I rolled a car over daily.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
One thing. Don't blame the girl, Yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
I don't. I never.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I never Yeah much of that. Yeah, you looked right
at me and blame me.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
No, he don't leave me alone. The last thing I
want to ask, because I know you got to run
and it's going to be the pick your favorite baby story,
what's as you look at the seventeen tracks, what is
the one that stands out here like damn, I can't
believe that I get I get to call that song
mine and I know you're proud of the whole project,
and I'm sure there's other songs that didn't make it
maybe here later, But out of this project, is there
(18:02):
one that you're like, that's wow?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I thought, I mean I thought that one for songwriting wise,
She Drives Away. I mean it's just a really well
written song, great story, and that was when I was like, man,
that's just cool that I get to have that as
my song and it is my song because our you know,
we made it so much just like a the way
(18:23):
it's recorded, it's almost it's so cinemous. It's like cinematic
the way it's recorded. I know that sounds funny because
cinematic mainly like visual, but like for the Ears, it's
like it paints this storyline in it and it's just
really pretty. And that was one of those that I'm
proud to call mine especially, and it's like fresh, I'm
(18:44):
fresh dad. I used to do the heart heartbreak beer
drinking tunes. This one's like I go to baby Girl
now and everybody's got a baby girl, so it's it's new.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
You know, let's go, well, the new album is coming,
and make sure you listen to all seventeen seventeen of
the songs GIPT, the three that tated Yeah, just kidding,
Tom Party, thank you brother, thank you
Listen. So we're rolling John parties in studio.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Hey, thanks for You're a busy dude, especially with an
album coming out, your dad husband doing a million things
that wants Thanks for hanging out. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
No, downtown and right now, Honky Tonkin, Well, let.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Me ask how often do you get downtown? Are you
a downtown Nashville guy?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I love downtown Nashville. It's it's definitely changed, but it's
still fun. I mean, I love that the fans love it. Yeah,
you know, and it gives It's a place that the
country music really calls home now with all the hoarse bars. Yeah,
I went to I went I Was That with Bob
Kid Rock and we went to his place afterwards, went
to dinner and went to his place afterwards. Didn't stay
(00:37):
out too late. We made it till midnight. It's pretty
good for new parents. Yeah, absolutely, And you know, we
got to just enjoy the lights and the people, and
I enjoy watching people having fun in the name of partying.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I uh, you reminded me of a saying I recently
saw if if if forty is the new thirty, then
nine pm is.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
The new midnight.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, because it's like I ain't trying to I'm here
for a good time. But like, if we could wrap
this thing up by about ten thirty, if I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Not proud of myself if I make it to midnight,
I'm like, we made it to midnight.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
That's is that is showtime different for you then now too,
Like cause you play for the most.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Part most venues, you go till about eleven ish, right.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yeah, but the shows don't matter because I can stay.
I'll stay up to one, two the latest on the
show because I get to sleep in on the tour bus.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
So, but Holmes don't sleeping in. Presley's up ready to party.
So like we go to bed early at the house.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I love that man.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Where As we sit downtown, you're peeking out the window
here as the artist bar thing ever popped into conversation
for you.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Nobody ever emails me any with that ideas.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Because I was gonna say, it's like, oh yeah, but like,
you know, Jason's had a million number ones, Luke's had
a million number ones. You know, they've been around forever,
but now there's names like Laney, who's new to the scene,
Chilley Roll, who's lady.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
They got them rocks. I'm on the train track still okay,
and I'm gonna I got a hell of a train
train steam engine, always on the climb. But I don't know.
I think it's too late, honestly and all honestly, I
think it's too late. I think it's burnt out. I
think the artists bars are great, but it's almost like
(02:19):
it's just you're just so many now there's no I
remember all characters. I get it, but it's just like,
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Does that cross your mind ever?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Or you like, Now, I'm happy, I got my lane,
I'm doing what I'm doing, I got the endorsements or whatever.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Man, I don't give one crap about having a bar. Yeah,
because I feel like I have so much further to
go in my career that I shouldn't be worried about
if I got a bar or not. Like I should
be worried about making the best record, which I did,
Honk and Talk Hollywood April eleventh, available everywhere. I shouldn't
(02:55):
be worried about what I'm gonna put in my bar.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
That's a hell of a plug.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
I know, if you want to be at a bar,
let's talk about it. You know, I have this Channel
bar idea called Tequila Little Time that has to be
on a channel in Florida. Oh I like that, so
but I want to own them. I want to own
the land. So yeah, Okay, gotta get make it happen.
Gotta find someplace. Man. I feel like a boat bar
would be way cooler.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I dig that.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Let's just say, if Riley Green can have a bar,
anybody can have a bar.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Well see it still? I mean, but Roy's like, girls
go to Riley Green's bar because that's where they're like, well,
it's his his bar, he should be here. Yeah, listen,
everybody's got a bar.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
We'll get there. We'll you know what, I challenge you.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Uh, I'm gonna take it over the hard rock That's
why I let's do it. You watch hard Rock Cafe.
I'm coming after you.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I love that. Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
When it comes to this new album, uh, you're no
stranger to new country, but with with what you've put
into this project, are you?
Speaker 1 (03:51):
How do you staye on party but.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Still like make sure it's new and sounds new? Does
that make sense?
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well? I mean you just got to pay attention to
what's going on and listen to your songwriters, listen to
songs that come in, write what you want. I feel
like I pay attention enough to know what's going on,
but also like I didn't really care and also don't care.
Don't care about what's going on. You think Morgan Wong
cared about what was going on. He didn't sound like
any I mean still though, I mean even Morgan, Like
(04:19):
I used Morgan lot because he's like the biggest thing
in country music. But Smile doesn't sound like anything he's done,
Like it doesn't. It's like he progresses himself and does
different things. That's what I did. I was like, well,
I'm gonna use Jay Joyce, like I'm gonna try something different,
and then it's but it's not, it's not still far
fetched to where you're now gonna listen to that record
(04:40):
and be like, oh, he went full Morgan Wall. It's like, no,
it's its own thing. It's it's still mean, but I
think it's just a little more like West Coast seventies
country rock and roll, which is pretty badass.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
That's badass. I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Uh, who are artists outside of Morgan that keep you
motivated to challenge yourself because you could easily you could
easily make every John Party record sound like the last
John Party record. I don't mean that in like an
insulting way, but like you, you have your groove right,
you have the place where you're comfortable. But when you
start putting music out on a bigger scale, it's almost
(05:13):
like you gotta you gotta leave your lane just a
little bit, right.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah, but you don't. I mean you just you just
add one more lane, Okay. You know you got three
lanes out of four lane. Getting a little busy at
an extra lane, I don't know. You know, you got
guys like Zach Topp play with Zach. Dude's super talented.
He's like a voice like the past, like I thought.
(05:39):
Keith Whitley was singing next to me. He's so good, man,
He's so good. And you know, it's guys like him
that help guys like me. For a while, was like me, Cody,
Me and Cody still playing country music with like fiddle
and steel and and so it's had Justin Moore, you know,
(06:03):
Justin's always been there's a bunch of guys. That was
a good joke, but yeah, you know it's it helps
all of us in the long run, you know, cause
you got guys like Morgan, who's taking hip hop and
pop and making it super I mean, gee, three football
fields a night, and but you know Cody's playing football fields.
I mean so it's just like it helps the whole
circle of bringing everybody to get listens.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
When it comes to creating that music. And this is
something that we asked Cody Johnson last time he was
in here. Because staying true to yourself, staying true to
your your country sound right, and not necessarily the sound
you make, but the sound you believe in that inspired
you to create. You could easily chase a hit, right,
you could easily pop on a backwards ball cap and
(06:46):
somebody could write some big old record and drop it
in your lap. Why is it important for you not
to do it that way, not to take something that
might be easy dropped in your lap, but like to
stay true to who john Party is.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
I think when you stay true to yourself, you're true
to yourself at everything.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Okay, so whether you're like.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Working on a ranch, you got my cowboy hat to
live it, breathe it. You know, Cody's the same way.
He's he's always like rope. He lives in Texas, he
got he got the tech like everybody's got cowboy things
in Texas, and it's just like when you you're you're
that guy and everything you do. And I think that's
how you really stick to who you are without just
not just if you just stick to who that artist
(07:26):
is in music, then it becomes like, well, I got
to put my hat on or I got to transform
into this to be an artist when you're just like, no,
I'm the artist twenty four to seven. Except even I'm
even an artist. When I got my comfy's on, my
ug slippers, what's up?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
You know?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Up? Put up in there? You come about come about
eight o'clock. You know, I'll be in my comfy clothes.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
It's over the work.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
The work clothes are hung up. But you know, I
feel like there's a lot of that. You know, you
just do. You're the artist? You who are? You? Are?
You are all the time, And I feel like if
you live it and breathe, it is true, it shows up.
And you're not afraid to stand for who you are
as an artist because it's you. It makes sense. I
(08:08):
think that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
It does for sure, because as a fan, it's easier
to connect with somebody who is authentic versus playing a character.
Whether a song is is massive or not, you can
tell if that person believes in it. Like we've talked
to different artists, like like Kenny Chesney passed on check
yes or no. He was offered it before George Straight
because he's like, it's just not me. Jake Owen was
(08:30):
offered Big Green tractor. He's like, I'm not a tractor guy. Yeah,
He's like, I don't own one. I've never written one.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Right, I mean he's missing the money he could.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Have been as I mean, it has a bad decision.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
But when it comes to the authenticity, it also makes
it easier for fans to connect with you. Right, what's
been a cool fan story that you have from any
point in your career where maybe it kind of helps
you go, yeah, I'm in the right place at the
right time.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
Man. I feel like recently, He've got a song called
She Drive a Way. It's on the new record and
it's a father daughter song and it's a tough father
dough song, but it's beautiful and it talks about, you know,
being in the delivery room and it's a full circlel moment.
It's like talks about me and you're you know, like say,
(09:18):
you meet Summer's dad and you ask her to marry
and then you have a little baby girl, and it's
like the circle, the circle life. No, it's it's not
like but you din to get it in this kind
of way. It's like it comes around you have a
baby girl, your own, and we put it out and
like the amount hundreds, mind not thousands yet it's still fresh,
but like of videos a sweet little baby baby girls
(09:41):
like being held for the first time and she drives
away is playing in the background and it's beautiful and
it's my first I feel like a lot of my
fans are like same age and we're growing up together
in the world and everybody's starting to have kids and
it's like it's their first time too, and they're using
this song and it's still spe sholing because normally I'm
(10:02):
like drink, party, party, dance, dance, dance, and it's like
different that come up with the family story and it
like means it's so special to like first time fathers
and stuff and so recently, like that's that that aspect
of like you know, I've been there and you just
kind of live life and your your music goes through
that and it kind of shows what I went through
(10:23):
and now everybody's going through it too. Is you know,
new baby girls come in the.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
World when when the dad's stuff, you know, creeps over
into the work stuff because obviously dad is number one job, right.
What has been something that you're surprised you learned as
far as being a dad, And what's something that you've
been proud to watch your wife learn as far as motherhood?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Oh, summers, she's super mom, it feels like, but I
mean I just learned how to take care of the girls,
you know, and do everything you can. So if you
have to be alone with your kids, like you got it.
You know, some dads they're just like you don't leave
the kid alone with your dad, you know, Like hey,
so I really tried to learn that for summer and
(11:09):
for the children, and it's a lot. I mean I
ask a lot of questions Summer and she's like, yeah,
blah blah blah blah. But Summer is really good at
organizing just being like super mom and it really helps
have a great mom. Like summer when I'm on the
road constantly and I'm not constantly. We got a good schedule,
but still like we're gone three weeks sometimes and it's tough,
but it's just nice to have summer. But you know,
(11:33):
if we're gone that long, we do kind of meet
in the middle, so she'll come out and see me
and bring the girls. But definitely a team. It's definitely
a team thing have parents. And also shout out to
all the single parents out there too, because that's you know,
I couldn't imagine not having summer or you know, just
to have a break. So yeah, it's a it's definitely
(11:54):
a very difficult thing being parent but it's fun and
it's it's rewarding.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, absolutely it is.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
When it comes to the parenting thing, how important is
it for you to get them on the road as
often as you can? And does that affect the schedule
that you make for yourself?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Now, well, you know, since I'm home a lot, I like,
you know, I like to get a couple days, you know,
Like it's like I went to Australia and I went
by myself. I relaxed the whole damn time.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
They're like, what you.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Do in Australia. I said nothing. I stayed at the
hotel and I played the shows.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
That's what I did there.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
You go, I didn't do anything.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
That's fantastic. When it comes to this new project, it's
fourteen songs, deep.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Right, who gave this guy information?
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Seventeen seventeen? Sorry, sorry, seventeen songs.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I remember my first radio job.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
When it comes to what they call them instant grat tracks, right,
that's just a label thing. But when it comes to
the songs that a fan gets early on the album
versus you know, here's the date and here's the rest,
how do you determine which songs those are gonna be?
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Well, this was pretty easy. We had Friday O Heartbreaker.
That that was the first release that was also single,
and then oh it was that, and then it was
Hanky Talk California. That's the title track, so and it's
the badass songs. You get that out, you got the
title track. And the next it was Love the Lights Out,
(13:19):
which is like a superkin soulful, sexy song, and we
released out on Valentine's Day because it's a love song.
So that was like that went hand in hand. And
then she drives away as parents and fathers and little
baby girls. So everybody likes that song and that one
really did they start? I mean, I guess you picked
the ones that really generate and get people talking on
(13:41):
whatever day is it released, so especially putting like Love
the Lights Out on Valentine's Day. You know, I thought
this one been my favorite releases of a record so far.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You look, you look and sound very excited about it.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
This is a great record I've had. It's been done
for eight months. I finished this July twenty twenty four.
This has been a test of patience to let me
tell you. Okay, well, I can't disres I think it
was eight months. But yeah, it's not my label's fault.
But it is my label's fault. But usually I don't
finish the album so quick. Since it was the first
(14:15):
time working with Jay it it got done really fast
because we just spent the whole month working on it.
Where the other ones, I'd go on and go tour
and I'd go do this, and I'd come back and
I'd be sick. It took forever to get the final vocals.
So whereas this you just did all one. I was
feeling good and so when the label wasn't ready, Hell,
I wasn't ready, and they're like, it's not my label's fault.
(14:39):
I take that back, But damn it have long release dates.
So we got a big ass label and then and
then twenty four was an election year. We didn't want
to be like oversight by all this stuff going on.
So April eleventh, Honkitong called it was available everywhere. But
that was that was kind of like where we met
in the middle. I was like, because they were trying
(14:59):
to get in, Like June, June broke my heart. I
was like, hell no, hell no, June, that is the
whole the whole year's done. June, mind, well just put
the Christmas record. Let's go to the Christmas too. Freaking June,
you kidding me?
Speaker 1 (15:15):
The year's over At that point, I know.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
I was like, well no, no, no, no no. We
wanted March. We got April. So love my label, Capitol
Records Universal. They let me be me. I'm telling you,
I got an r'd this record. It was my decision
to bring Jay in and just really just being full, creative, thinkful,
like everybody's been so like, do you think, John.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Why was it?
Speaker 2 (15:40):
You said it was so easy to put together or
not so easy, but it fell together fashions than past records.
Is it because of a fresh voice, fresh eyes on
the project.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Or you were just more focused.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
No, I mean it's uh, you know when I asked Jay,
I I had like a month and a half to
do the record, and Jay Joyce owns his own studios,
so we didn't have you know, next week somebody knocking
at the black door. D liked ding ding ding D
Come on, get out of here. We gotta record my record.
It was like, now we had all this time. We
(16:14):
recorded two songs a day, and also which was really cool,
and also in that magic moment, we sang final vocals
that day, so like once we got done, brand new,
just making this song, never play it, you know, just
brand new to the little baby song boom final vocals.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Wrong was that it being born boom to the world.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
And like Jay's studios, it's an old church, so it's
like it's all kinds of stuff, the neon Cross and
we had so like we had so much time to
really take our time, and then we were in the
studio all day. So when I was saying I wasn't traveling,
I wasn't bush hogging. I wasn't out like chainsawing, you know,
kidding allergies up. I wasn't like feeding the cows.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Hey, like I was.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Literally just in the studio, so it kept me like
super healthy for vocals, and we just knocked it out.
It was a really great experience.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
As you look at the seventeen songs, because we'll edit,
we'll edit the first I don't know why I thought fourteen.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
We were just looking at it a minute ago. I
looked at you like it was your fault the last song.
Did you see that?
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Though? I go fourteen, you go seventeen, and I looked
over like he was her fault. I'm like, thanks, roll,
it's always my fault. I rolled a car over daily.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
One thing. Don't blame the girl, Yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
I don't. I never.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I never Yeah much of that. Yeah, you looked right
at me and blame me.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
No, he don't leave me alone. The last thing I
want to ask, because I know you got to run
and it's going to be the pick your favorite baby story,
what's as you look at the seventeen tracks, what is
the one that stands out here like damn, I can't
believe that I get I get to call that song
mine and I know you're proud of the whole project,
and I'm sure there's other songs that didn't make it
maybe here later, But out of this project, is there
(18:02):
one that you're like, that's wow?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I thought, I mean I thought that one for songwriting wise,
She Drives Away. I mean it's just a really well
written song, great story, and that was when I was like, man,
that's just cool that I get to have that as
my song and it is my song because our you know,
we made it so much just like a the way
(18:23):
it's recorded, it's almost it's so cinemous. It's like cinematic
the way it's recorded. I know that sounds funny because
cinematic mainly like visual, but like for the Ears, it's
like it paints this storyline in it and it's just
really pretty. And that was one of those that I'm
proud to call mine especially, and it's like fresh, I'm
(18:44):
fresh dad. I used to do the heart heartbreak beer
drinking tunes. This one's like I go to baby Girl
now and everybody's got a baby girl, so it's it's new.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
You know, let's go, well, the new album is coming,
and make sure you listen to all seventeen seventeen of
the songs GIPT, the three that tated Yeah, just kidding,
Tom Party, thank you brother, thank you
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