00:00Well, ladies and gentlemen, on the phone right now is one of our favorite guys and one of your favorite guys.
00:04If you look at album sales and song requests and downloads, he is going to be a pig jig here tomorrow with Kip Moore.
00:10He is from Cedartown, Georgia.
00:13He is a handsome son of a gun.
00:15He is saying hi!
00:17Heck yeah, I'm fired up.
00:21I can't wait to get down there.
00:22Well, last time we saw you, you were at the Florida Strawberry Festival and you had Gronk on stage with you.
00:27Yeah, I met Gronk a few years ago.
00:30We went on a little vacation together and have become buddies over the years.
00:35He came out and had a big time with us and brought him out on stage and let him do a little dancing and had a good time.
00:42Where did Gronk and Sam hunt vacation?
00:45We were both tag-alongs on a trip that was planned by some buddies of ours.
00:48They had a trip booked down to Cabo, Mexico, which I had never been there before.
00:54So we ended up down there for a few days and had a big time.
00:58It was a bunch of, a few more football players as well, a couple more football players.
01:02So we were like just competing the whole time, playing volleyball and all these little beach games.
01:08But my knees got all skin up playing like that.
01:12Are you good friends with Tom Brady?
01:14Are you going to invite him out on stage with you this Saturday night?
01:18No, I don't know Tom Brady.
01:19I don't think he's as adventurous in terms of making new buddies as Gronk is.
01:24I don't know if you've heard his walkout song, his house party.
01:27I didn't know if you knew that or not.
01:29I have a hard time believing that.
01:31Sam, you know, let's talk about that Cabo chip for a second.
01:33Sam Hunt on the phone right now, going to be at Pig Jig tomorrow night.
01:36When you go down there and I just, thinking of just being an athlete and whatnot and being a college athlete,
01:40do you still kind of, you know, these guys are Hall of Famers, like Gronk's a Hall of Famer,
01:44but you kind of go, man, I think I could have played with these guys.
01:47Or do you think to yourself, oh, these guys are huge.
01:49That's why I did music and they are in the NFL.
01:52Yeah, the latter there.
01:55Definitely, you get around those type of athletes and you realize there's another level.
02:00Physicality, athleticism, you know, even focus and work ethic.
02:05Because, you know, even though those guys have those physical tools,
02:07like they also have this drive and work ethic and competitive nature.
02:11Like, you know, no matter what they're doing, they're just, they have to win.
02:13Gronk isn't quite as much like that.
02:15He's a little more lighthearted and fun, but you see the intensity in his eyes.
02:18Even playing volleyball, I'm like, okay, this guy, he's got a different gear.
02:21He's not even close to hitting it yet.
02:23Yeah, I don't want to play against Gronk on a volleyball court either,
02:25but I've been lucky enough to be around, like, artists and then athletes together.
02:30And I always am so amazed at the fact that how interested you are in their work,
02:35but also how interested they are in your work.
02:37Like, they're a little bit starstruck, not necessarily by, like, you know, Sam Hunt,
02:40but about the business and asking you questions.
02:42Is that kind of interesting because you're like, hey, wait, you're Gronk, you know?
02:46Yeah.
02:47Yeah, there's a mutual respect.
02:49There's a little overlap because it's really in the grass and everything, it's entertainment.
02:53But, yeah, there's a fascination that goes both ways.
02:55I see that a lot.
02:56Part of it is that fascination with the green grass on the other side of the fence.
03:00Well, we are so excited to see you at Pig Jig.
03:03This is a great event, downtown Tampa.
03:06It is right there.
03:07You know, I was just looking at some pictures.
03:10The last time I think you two played together was at the Dallas Bull.
03:16And, Sam, you opened up for Kip, and that was the very first time you played ever in Tampa.
03:22Oh, I know.
03:23Tampa was a great area for us because I remember playing that first show at the Dallas Bull.
03:27And then we came back and played our own show there, maybe.
03:30I remember really having a moment there at the Dallas Bull where I could really measure,
03:35okay, we're moving in the right direction.
03:37A lot more people know us now than they did a year ago.
03:39Yeah.
03:39Well, and, Sam, from the outside in, it always looks faster than it probably feels to you.
03:44But, I mean, this Montevallo album came out, and it just went.
03:48And, you know, single after single after single become number ones.
03:52Do you look back at that and you go, okay, yeah, I felt like I prepared myself to where I'm at now?
03:56Or do you feel like I was thrusted into this thing?
03:59And, Sam, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're kind of an introvert in ways in the times that I've met you.
04:04Right.
04:04You know, you like your space.
04:05You like to be alone.
04:06Was it hard for you to adjust to that as far as, like, hey, man, ready or not, you're a superstar?
04:11Definitely, definitely.
04:14Well, I don't know about the superstar thing, but it definitely catapulted me into a new position in life that I had not been in before in all eyes, you know, in the environment that I was in, you know, on stage, you know, which I signed up for.
04:26You know, all eyes are on you.
04:27I mean, you want to give as much as you're getting.
04:30You know, you're getting so much from the crowd and all the people that you're meeting out there, and you want to give them all, you know, even if it's just a conversation and a meet and greet or on stage, you want to be the best version of yourself for those people who've paid money to come out and see you.
04:44And that can drain you, so you just have to go home and recharge, but it took me a long time to learn that, that you need to carve out time to recharge because if you're just constantly giving every day in and out, you're not sleeping enough, you're not maybe eating enough, it's quite as healthy as you need to.
04:57It just can wear you down, but I'm kind of a gung-ho person, so when it all hit and I was on that rocket ship, I was like, all right, let's ride it.
05:03Let's see where it goes.
05:04Good for you, man.
05:05Good for you.
05:06You have some good people around you, too.
05:07You know, Sam, you talked about diet and eating the right thing.
05:10You really have let yourself go.
05:11Do you feel like you're going to get back in shape at any moment?
05:16Because you should feel good because Kip, way out of shape as well, you know?
05:20Yeah, he's a fit fella.
05:22I bet there have been some stretches over the years where you haven't seen me and you may have a different opinion on that.
05:29I get in my rush like everybody else, but it is helpful, though.
05:33I don't know, man.
05:34I got you listed at about 6'5", 215 here.
05:37I wish.
05:38Oh, man.
05:39Sam Hunt on the phone.
05:41Going to be at Pig Chick tomorrow night.
05:42Now, before we let you go, brother, I want to know how is being a dad to a little girl been?
05:46Man, it's unreal.
05:48Life-changing in all the best ways.
05:50This summer has been the best summer of my life.
05:53Aw.
05:54I've gotten to tour and I have been having a blast, but having my little baby girl, watching her grow
05:59and just being able to step into that father role, which I've always wanted to be a dad at some point in my life.
06:06Will she be at the show tomorrow?
06:08Possibly, but we just did a big trip last week.
06:11It was her first plane trip, so she was pretty exhausted when we got back.
06:16She was all off of her schedule.
06:17So, sleep this week has been a little trickier than it was before.
06:20So, I don't know.
06:21Mom and baby might want to stay around the house.
06:23Gotcha.
06:23All right.
06:24Okay, so what's on your daughter's rider, just so we know?
06:27We got diapers?
06:28What else we got?
06:30Yeah, well, she doesn't have a rider yet, but I think I was carrying four or five backpacks onto the airport.
06:37It felt like...
06:38Sam, that's the rider right there.
06:40Yeah, exactly.
06:41I carry it with me.
06:42That's right.
06:43All right, brother.
06:43Well, listen, man, we can't wait to see you tomorrow night.
06:46It's going to be great.
06:46I appreciate your time.
06:47I know you're a busy dude.
06:48Travel safe.
06:49We'll see you soon.
06:50All right, good to talk to you guys.
06:51All right, later, Sam.
06:52All right, later, guys.
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