- 2 days ago
This week we closed out our 'Totally Private' series with a special performance from Bailey Zimmerman. The "Rock And A Hard Place" singer serenaded fans with an intimate, stripped down set inside the Hard Rock Cafe, but first joined us inside our Nashville studios for a talk with Katie Neal, powered by Spirit Airlines.
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00:02I'm Katie Neal from Odyssey Country and we are here at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville for
00:06Odyssey's Totally Private with Bailey Zimmerman. I'm so excited for tonight. It's also St. Patrick's
00:12Day. Have you had any green beer yet? No. No beer. Tea. I've had green tea. There we go. I've
00:20had green tea. That counts. I want my green this morning as well. I have enough green not to get
00:26pinched. We also have some green for you to put on after this.
00:29All right. Deal. You're going to be very excited about. It's really good to see you. I feel like life
00:34has been so good. Chevy Silverado approaching top 20. Let's go. Talk about this song and what this means to
00:40you.
00:41It's kind of crazy because when I started writing the song in like 2022 and it was just why Chevy
00:48Silverado? That's all I had to the song. And then every time I tried to sit down and write it
00:53just wouldn't come out and wouldn't come out. And I would try for 20, 30 minutes and just wouldn't work.
00:58I'm like, okay, well, maybe it's just
00:59not the time. And then one night I just had this like tonight is the night I'm going to write
01:03this song. And I called up all the boys and the girl, Miss Elsie, of course.
01:11I was like, guys, you got to come over and write this song. And it just flowed out like I
01:17had wanted it to for so long. And it's like one of those songs that is so personal to me
01:22that I didn't think anybody would relate to it like they have.
01:26And I think that's why it's so crazy to me that it's like pushing top 20 because it's one of
01:31those songs on the album that I didn't think anybody would pay attention to.
01:34And then now it's like everybody's loving this song.
01:37What was the catalyst then for it to become a single? Because it probably wasn't one that you had your
01:42eye on.
01:42No, yeah. So everybody always has an opinion and I respect everybody's opinion because they're all professionals in what we're
01:51doing.
01:51And I love their ear because I listen to so many songs and write so many songs that sometimes my
01:56ear cannot hear what their ear is hearing, I guess.
01:59Yeah. So they came to me and they're like, dude, I know like you love this song, but we think
02:03Chevy Silverado is the song.
02:05I'm like, really? Well, I actually love that because I didn't think you would want to.
02:09I didn't think you would love it. Like, no, everybody loves it.
02:12I'm like, well, perfect. OK, great.
02:13And it's kind of it just feels so meant to be because it's just about my grandpa and I had
02:19never I had written songs about my grandpa before.
02:21And writing this song was just like, how do I write a song about my truck, but not make it
02:27a song about a truck, you know?
02:30And yeah, so it's just like such a special song.
02:33So when they came to me and they wanted to take it to country radio, I was like, oh, I'm
02:36in like, I love this.
02:38This is like means more to me than anything.
02:40And then to see what it's doing is just like crazy. It's so cool.
02:44Yeah. Grandpa would be proud for sure.
02:46Oh, that's amazing. And then you also just released another new song that you're very proud of that you wrote
02:50with Brandon Lake.
02:51Talk about Just Believe.
02:52Oh, man. Well, I've had Just Believe tattooed on my arm since I was 18.
02:56I had no idea.
02:57Yes. And it's always just been like a big thing that's got like kept me going through hard times in
03:04life, you know, the valleys.
03:05And I tried to write Just Believe so many times since 2020.
03:10When I started writing songs, I'd had this title.
03:12I want to write Just Believe.
03:13But every time I wrote it, it just didn't come out and didn't come out.
03:17And just I just didn't like it.
03:18And then me and Brandon were trying to get a right for over a year.
03:21We were trying to find time to write.
03:23And then it just worked out one night.
03:25He was having a writer's camp in Nashville.
03:27I was coming into town.
03:29And then I went there and he was like, hey, you talk about Mark 923 a lot at the end
03:35of your shows.
03:35I've noticed.
03:36I looked you up and I'm like, yeah, dude, it's my favorite Bible verse of all time.
03:40It's anything is possible for the one who believes.
03:43And I was like, yeah, it's been like the main rock in my life, man.
03:46He's like, dude, we should write that.
03:47And I'm like, well, I've got the title.
03:50Just Believe.
03:50And he's like, I love that.
03:52I'm like, perfect.
03:52And we wrote it in, yeah, like I said, an hour or two hours, whatever it was.
03:55Yeah, so it's just like something that means a lot to me.
03:58And I think that's what's so special about, you know, like making sure you put out songs that you believe
04:03in is because it's just like, man, it feels so good to put something out.
04:07It's just like, yeah, I just so believe in this, you know, like I have before.
04:10But this one just like is really special, you know?
04:14Yeah.
04:14And the message is so important.
04:15Talk about what has it been like getting to know and work with Brandon?
04:18Oh, man.
04:20He's a gem.
04:21He's like already changed my life.
04:23And like just being around him, you want to be better.
04:27You want to do better.
04:28Being around his team and all the people he has around him just like inspires you to be better.
04:34And that's just like every time I'm with him, I'm just like, dude, you are like a godsend angel.
04:41Like he is just the best dude.
04:43Yeah.
04:44And working with him, it's so easy.
04:46It was so easy to write with him.
04:47He has like, it's just never any like negative.
04:51He's always so positive.
04:52And that's what it's just like we got in and we've always just hung out.
04:56We've always talked on the phone.
04:57And we've tried to write a song one time through the phone, but it was just really hard.
05:02Yeah.
05:02But yeah, no, it's crazy.
05:04Yeah.
05:04Working with him is just like how it should be easy and fun.
05:08And like you're working with your best friend.
05:10It's sick.
05:10It's so funny.
05:11You said that he's so positive because I feel like you are also such a positive person.
05:14So I have a lot of good vibes in that room.
05:15It's so hard when we get together because I'm like, dude, yeah, it's like so refreshing
05:21to find another person that's so positive, you know?
05:23Yeah.
05:24That's amazing.
05:24I want to talk about another song that you've been teasing.
05:27You posted a bit that this is for the future Mrs. Zimmerman.
05:30Okay.
05:30Before You.
05:30Talk about that song.
05:31Well, Before You is on the Dipper Night's Theme Rodeo record.
05:34And I didn't really ever like talk about it too much.
05:39I put like two videos out about it.
05:42And then, yeah, it's just a song about kind of growing up and, you know, you learn lessons
05:50and you learn how to be and you learn what life's really about.
05:53And then you just like, man, you figure out who you want to be.
05:58So the title is like Before You, and it's like, I want to be the man I need to be
06:04for
06:04you.
06:05But it talks about like who I was before I met my future wife.
06:10Yeah.
06:11Because I'm like at a place right now in my life where I'm just like kind of ready for
06:15that.
06:15I've been ready for that.
06:16And I had some things I was working on, you know, just like personally, kind of just
06:19growing up.
06:21But yeah, I really feel like I'm in that kind of era of my life where I'm really ready
06:25to like meet that person that's like in the same, you know, and I'm ready to be that
06:30person for them as well, you know?
06:32It's so funny because I feel like everyone is so rooting for you to find a wife.
06:37Like everyone's always like, who should we set Bailey Zimmerman up?
06:39You know what I mean?
06:40Like everybody is like waiting for this moment to happen.
06:42And I feel like we're all rooting for you.
06:44Well, thank you.
06:45And please let me know.
06:47We're keeping our eye out.
06:49I also want to talk about how has tour been going?
06:52Because it looks like it's been electric.
06:53Oh, yeah.
06:54Yeah, it's honestly, it's the craziest shows.
06:56It's the craziest shows I've played so far.
06:59Like, you know, we did the Morgan, you know, stadium dates and all that stuff.
07:02And we did dates with Luke Bryan and stadiums.
07:05But there's something different about going and like doing your own arena and they showed
07:09up like for you.
07:10It's just like really, really cool to feel that energy and be like, dang, dude, like we
07:15just played the arena called Van Andel Arena.
07:18And I played that with Morgan.
07:20Like I was like opening up for Morgan.
07:22And then when we pulled up, I'm like, dude, I'm like playing this myself.
07:26So it's really cool.
07:27And it just feels like all the hard work me and my team and everybody around me has put
07:31in is just like paying off.
07:33And it just like, yeah, you just feel good going out there.
07:35You're like, let's go.
07:36Let's rip it.
07:37That's amazing.
07:38Tonight you're playing a really special, totally private show for us.
07:41And whenever somebody plays this show, I always like to ask the artists, like if you were in
07:45this position and you got to have a totally private concert with like the artist of your
07:48dreams, who would you want it to be?
07:50Oh man, I'm going Tesla.
07:52Really?
07:53For sure.
07:53Oh yeah, done.
07:55Tesla and the boys.
07:56And I would bring my band and chief and a manager chief and my mom.
08:01And your mom.
08:01And my mom.
08:02Your mom is always with you.
08:02Is your mom here tonight?
08:03My mom's not here tonight, unfortunately.
08:05She's always with you.
08:05I was hoping that we would get to be here.
08:06I know.
08:06I've been making her come to a lot more stuff because I'm just like, honestly, I don't
08:10want to see anybody but my mom.
08:11I just want to hang out with my mom, see her, hang out with her.
08:15But yeah.
08:15It's fun to get to like expose your family to all of this because it's so crazy.
08:19It's the best.
08:20Seeing them just like walk back, like, oh my gosh, we just played in Evansville, Indiana.
08:28And that town is really special to me because it's like an hour and a half from where I
08:31grew up.
08:32So we would always, I call them like vacations.
08:34I thought because it was like a two hour drive.
08:36So it felt like a vacation to us.
08:38And we would go to Evansville and go to school shopping or clothes shopping at the mall for
08:42school.
08:44And it's just crazy.
08:45Like my whole family, I had like 85 person guest list, almost a hundred people.
08:51And I like brought them through the back and we had like a whole, you know, VIP setup for
08:56them.
08:56And then they got to be in the arena and like see me soundcheck.
09:00And then they, I went and gave everybody a free piece of merch.
09:02So everybody went and picked out merch and like we had a party after.
09:06So it was just like, yeah, we're making a lot of like firsts this year.
09:11And like, just seeing like, man, my family come out to that show was like so cool.
09:17It was like, everybody's lighting up and having fun and like just, yeah, it's, they, they've
09:22never like, they've never seen anything like it.
09:25Like me, obviously in 2021, I'd never seen nothing like it, but it's cool to see them
09:28be like, holy crap.
09:30And it's like my show.
09:31It's really cool to see you in this position where you get to share this with your family,
09:34like buying the house and the car for your mom.
09:36And now you get to like provide everybody with these cool life experiences.
09:39It has to feel really good.
09:40That's the biggest blessing.
09:41It's like, I feel like I'm not really doing this for me.
09:45You know, I really just do it.
09:47Just like, there's a bigger reason I do it.
09:50That's religious.
09:51But, you know, on like a human level, it's just like taking care of my family and then
09:56hopefully setting up just the future for my, my kids and you know, my wife and all the
10:00things that are to come, you know, but like, yeah, taking care of my family is just like
10:04everything.
10:05It's like so cool just to see them not have to worry.
10:08You know, like we grew up and just like, we were just worried all the time and, you
10:12know, check to check and all the things.
10:14So it's like so cool to just see them chill out, see my dad and mom just like kind of
10:18chill and not have to like do anything anymore.
10:20It's just like, dude, thank God, dude.
10:22Like this is so cool.
10:24So yeah, we're very blessed.
10:25Oh yeah.
10:26Bailey, you're such a gem.
10:27Thank you so much for being here and doing this for us.
10:29God bless you.
10:31It's totally private.
10:31it.
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