- 2 days ago
Climbing the Country chart towards the top for his 11th number one song, Jordan Davis recently joined Katie Neal inside our Nashville studios to talk about the success of “Turn This Truck Around,” and what’s in the works for his next album.
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00:00So tell me about the deal that you're doing with Red Bull.
00:03I saw this is like a fan-driven experience, shows, right?
00:06Talk about that.
00:07So we're doing things in Dallas.
00:09I think this is, they've done a couple,
00:12or I know they've done one before where it's like basically the fan chooses the show,
00:16which is why I was like, when I first heard about it, I was like, I'm in.
00:19Like not just because Red Bull keeps me alive, but like the thought of this.
00:24So it's like there's, you know, five or six categories that we've picked where it's like,
00:28so we're playing in Dallas.
00:30So we have like a section where like we pick, you know,
00:34my favorite Texas country artists and like cover a song from them that the fans get to pick.
00:39Fun.
00:40We have a, like, you know, you can,
00:41we could play Singles You Up with a Mariachi band or like Tucson Too Late
00:47or like Church in a Chevy with like a full choir.
00:51So like they get to kind of pick on that stuff.
00:53And, you know, we get to kind of just re-envision a show.
00:58So, so it's going to be fun.
01:00Yeah.
01:00It's going to be fun for you to do something a little bit different.
01:02I know.
01:03Like it's not going to feel.
01:05And then a couple of like moments in the show where they have colored wristbands
01:09where they can like vote on like, if I'm like, hey, of these two next songs,
01:13what do y'all want to hear?
01:14And then you can actually see like what the fans want to hear.
01:17That's cool.
01:17But that's also like a wild thing to think about shows becoming more interactive like that.
01:22I know.
01:23It's like for a second, I'm kind of like, but then again, I'll be honest with you.
01:26I think it would be killer.
01:27No, it will be.
01:28There's so many times where I'm sitting here sweating over a set list.
01:34And I'm just like, should we play this?
01:35Should we play that?
01:36And then I'm like, wait a second.
01:38Just put it up on a, put a vote to Instagram story.
01:40Yeah.
01:41Like see who, what do you want to hear?
01:43Yeah.
01:44So yeah, it's kind of taking that to like the next level.
01:47That's awesome.
01:48I was going through my notes.
01:49I was like, whenever I see you guys do something, I'll make a note like future interview,
01:52ask about this.
01:52And the one that I had written down for you was from a few months ago when we had the
01:56ice storm here in Nashville, because you just casually whipped out a flamethrower.
02:00And I was like, I have to know how a flamethrower came to be in your possession.
02:05Well, it's a hunting buddy of mine back in Louisiana and he's a family friend, actually
02:12my brother's brother-in-law.
02:15And so we played a show for them and back in Shreveport and went down, me and Jacob played
02:22and he's like, I've got a thank you gift coming to you for playing the show.
02:26And like four days later, this flamethrower shows up on my front porch and I was like,
02:30what is this?
02:32And I text my brother.
02:34I was like, hey, did you order a, like, what is, is this like a gift that you're trying
02:38to hide from somebody?
02:39He's like, no, I didn't, I didn't get that for you.
02:41I was like, dude, I don't know who it came from.
02:43And he thought about it and he was like, ah, I bet you I know.
02:46And he calls him.
02:47He's like, hey, did you get my brother a flamethrower?
02:49And he's like, of course I got your brother a flamethrower.
02:51That's incredible.
02:52I'm sure for a moment you were like, was this a crazy fan that like wrote our address?
02:56Or I was like, or I was like, is this even supposed to be to me?
02:59Because it is now.
03:00Like, there's no way I'm giving this up.
03:01You can't have it.
03:02Yeah.
03:03In part with it.
03:04Yeah.
03:04So my God, I was, I'm glad to know that now.
03:07Cause then I got to thinking, I'm like, that would make an incredible tour gift.
03:09Like, doesn't that sound like something Dierks Bentley would give away at the end of the
03:12tour?
03:12100%.
03:13Like, hey man, thanks for being on tour with this.
03:14Here's a flamethrower.
03:16And I'm sure that you were just like, oh my God, I have an opportunity to use this.
03:20When the ice storm hit, I was like, this is, this is ideal.
03:25I'm sure Kristen was like, absolutely.
03:27Oh, she, I had the kids out there.
03:30I was like, babe, ice, driveway's frozen solid.
03:34I know how to fix it.
03:36Oh my God.
03:36So now it's like, lit many of bonfires.
03:39I bet you that.
03:40It's pretty awesome.
03:41That's a great party trick.
03:42Yeah.
03:42Um, you are going to be performing this Sunday on the ACM awards.
03:45I can't believe it's already time for this.
03:46Yeah.
03:47Yeah.
03:47Who are you most excited to see?
03:49Cause I know this is like sometimes a reunion for everybody that you don't get to see during
03:51the touring months.
03:52Yeah.
03:53I mean, I feel like Zach top is always one that like, he is performing, right?
03:57I think so.
03:58Yeah.
03:59Uh, Zach top.
04:00I'm obsessed with this Ella Langley record.
04:02So, um.
04:03Who isn't?
04:04Did you see, she just, she's so far the top touch tunes artist of the year.
04:09She's in Texas is.
04:09I was like, how could it not be?
04:11And like, to be honest with you, choosing Texas is amazing.
04:13It's a great song.
04:14Fantastic.
04:15But like, loving life again.
04:17Beaver.
04:18Yeah.
04:18All of them.
04:19Well, bottom of my boots.
04:20That one.
04:21Like, it's just a great record.
04:22And, and I, you know, I know Miranda was on it.
04:26Uh, Luke Dick is a buddy I write with a lot.
04:28He's on it.
04:29Can I tell you, I love Luke Dick.
04:30He's the, he's the most awesome human you could ever.
04:33I've never met him.
04:34I saw him in public once and I couldn't even go up to him.
04:36Polyester is like one of my favorite songs in the world.
04:38Oh, his like Steve, the van.
04:41Unreal.
04:42So what?
04:42He's been out on, on a couple of like bus runs with us to like write.
04:48And like my band loves him.
04:49Like he's just a happy dude to be like, and to like crazy, crazy good.
04:55Like songwriter.
04:56Songwriter.
04:57Artist.
04:57Artist.
04:57There's a couple people in town that I can hear a song and kind of know whether it's
05:02like Shane McAnally, Luke Dick, Hardy, like you can hear it.
05:05That's the, he is definitely one of those guys where like, all right, that's a Luke Dick
05:08song.
05:08Yes.
05:09And, uh, and that's why I think it's so cool.
05:11And to like brag on Ella too.
05:14I mean, you know, that you can definitely hear her on it and then you add how creative
05:19Miranda and Luke and everybody else they're working with.
05:22And it's just, they made a great record and it's, it's a, so I'm excited to, to see her.
05:27It'll be fun.
05:27I always like to think about, you know, I, I never mind being up on stage.
05:31I always enjoy it, but it's always really hard when you're in a room with people that
05:33you know, like, I like don't want to look down and make eye contact with someone.
05:36And when you're performing at the ACMs, it is literally, it was like the last person
05:41you want to make eye contact with.
05:42It would like bring on a case of the giggles or probably already already or like, yeah.
05:48Earnest.
05:48I feel like earnest would be a good one that it would always be good for, for something
05:53that could crack you up.
05:55Yeah.
05:57That would be maybe Bailey.
05:59Cause Bailey would just be jamming.
06:00Right.
06:01You know, and it would kind of distract any one of those guys.
06:04I'm going to try to look over.
06:06Yep.
06:06Yep.
06:07That's exactly.
06:08Over everybody.
06:09Maybe find some fans on the side.
06:11Yeah.
06:12Yeah, absolutely.
06:13Well, let's talk about, turn this truck around, climbing up the charts right now.
06:16Talk about what is this song about?
06:18Yeah.
06:19Well, I mean, the song is about the, you know, a guy that's kind of going through a heartbreak
06:26and he, he needs to leave it and not go back to it.
06:29And I think he knows that going back is, is going to be a major problem.
06:33So he's just gotta, he's gotta keep moving on.
06:35Uh, but it's cool that it came from, you know, thinking back on when we were writing
06:41it, which again, you know, wrote it with Jake Mitchell, Josh Thompson, Devin Dawson.
06:45And, um, you know, just kind of talking about like, I think a truck title got thrown out
06:52and I kind of started thinking about my dad's old Suburban that we would all drive around
06:57in and how many times me and my brother were fighting and he'd turn around and was like,
07:01Hey, knock it off or I'll turn this truck around.
07:03We'll go back home.
07:04Uh, and that's really where that song started from.
07:07But, uh, yeah, it's been, it's been awesome to, to see it rocking and rolling and, um,
07:13and it's becoming one of our favorite ones.
07:14I was going to say, it feels like a big moment.
07:17Yeah.
07:17It's a, it's a cool one.
07:18You just recently celebrated your 10th number one with Thomas Rhett.
07:22This would be number one 11.
07:23Is that feel crazy when you sit and think about like that?
07:26This is pretty.
07:27That's like, it's a, uh, you know, and too, from being a country radio kid, uh, you know,
07:34that's how I found music growing up.
07:37And, um, you know, and that was my dream moving to town in 2012 because I just wanted
07:41a number one on country radio and, uh, to now be talking about possibly my 11th is pretty
07:47wild.
07:48Um, yeah, I would never would have dreamed.
07:51I would have thought you had me mixed up with somebody else if he had told me that in 2018.
07:56But, uh, man, I'm grateful to do it.
07:58I mean, I'm grateful to get to do it and to, to call this a job.
08:01It's been, um, and a lot of people, there've been a lot of people that have helped me out,
08:04uh, along the way, but it's a special one.
08:07For sure.
08:08Learn the Hard Way came out last August and I know how quickly, like you are writing songs,
08:12working on stuff.
08:13Is this like last single from this album?
08:15Are you working on something new?
08:17What's next?
08:17No, this will be the last one off this record.
08:19Uh, and not that I, you know, I guess initially I'd probably thought that maybe I would pull
08:25another single off of this album, but, uh, man, I started writing again in January and,
08:31um, you know, it's a lighter touring year for us.
08:33So I just kind of wanted to get out in front of it and, and right in January before we
08:38took
08:39off overseas, uh, February, March and had four days in January where I just feel like
08:45I really, I don't know.
08:46I like hit a, hit a spot where I just am really excited to go write again and, uh, wrote
08:53some
08:53good stuff and, and feel like I'm kind of on a, on a pretty cool path to another record.
08:59And, um, and so I'm, I think I'm going to move on and make another album and, um, and
09:05see, we'll see when it, when it comes out.
09:07But, uh, I feel like I've got five or six songs right now that I'm pretty fired up.
09:11That's awesome.
09:11I saw that recently you went out on stage and sang By Dirt with Brandon Lake.
09:15I did.
09:16Is there any chance of the two of you working together?
09:18Yeah.
09:18That's the one that like, uh, you know, I feel like you always kind of try to identify
09:24potential collabs whenever you, you go in and start talking about a new project.
09:28And after doing that with him and Charlotte, um, which I was blown away by his show.
09:34I mean, it's a, I've said, it's like you go from a revival to a worship song to Southern
09:40rock song to a country song.
09:42And I mean, it was one of the coolest shows I've been to in a real long time.
09:45Uh, and then, you know, you throw on the fact that Brandon is just an awesome dude.
09:51Uh, I told him leaving that night that I was like, Hey man, I'm, I just decided that I'm
09:56going to move on and start working on a new record.
09:58And, uh, man, I would love to, to have you be a part of it.
10:02And he's like, yeah, man, if you, if you got a song or anything, send it over.
10:05And I was like, no, we're, we're going to, we're going to write something.
10:08We're going to get together and try to create something.
10:10So that's the only one I have kind of really pinned down right now that I would love to do
10:14something
10:14with.
10:14What about being in the studio with Jimmy Butler?
10:17God, dude, what an awesome guy.
10:18Okay.
10:19You have to tell me about this.
10:19Cause like I keep hearing that Jimmy Butler is working on a country album.
10:21He's writing country songs, but then I don't know anything else about it.
10:24I've heard a lot of them.
10:25They're awesome.
10:25Really?
10:26Like, uh, I mean, dude, we were, we, so we were playing a show in, in San Diego and,
10:31and I, you know, got to know Jimmy probably year, year or two ago.
10:36And we'd always talked about, he's like, man, if I'm in Nashville, you know, I want to write
10:40and he'd come to Nashville and I'd be on the road.
10:41And then finally we had the show in San Diego and he's like, Hey man, come to the house.
10:46Just me, him, Breeland and my producer.
10:50Uh, and dude, he's just, he's a crazy talented guy.
10:54He loves country music.
10:57And you know, I'm, I'm, I was like, dude, I've got to hear some of this stuff y'all
11:01been working on and the songs are great.
11:04Uh, and yeah, he's, it's just really cool to see a guy that I've been a fan of for a
11:10long time, be so on fire about country music.
11:12And, uh, and if this project, I don't, you know, I'm kind of like, Hey man, I hope I'm
11:18a part of it.
11:19I know he's written a lot of songs, but, uh, it's going to be really cool when it comes
11:23out.
11:24It's, there's some, there's some awesome music there.
11:26And two, just an awesome dude.
11:27I got to get feelers out.
11:28We got to get Jimmy Butler.
11:29I know.
11:30I'm excited to hear.
11:30He would do it.
11:31He, he is, he is great human being.
11:34That's awesome.
11:35Before we wrap up.
11:35One last thing I wanted to ask you about, we've got you on the show Memorial Day Monday,
11:38and I believe that several of your family members have served in the arms forces.
11:42Correct.
11:43Who's served in your family?
11:44Yeah.
11:44My cousin, uh, was Marine.
11:46Uh, both of my grandfathers, my grandfather was in the air force, uh, on my dad's side.
11:51And then, uh, my grand, my grandfather on my mom's side, uh, was an army.
11:56So it's always been a, you know, and I've always said, and we'll always say they, they
12:01did a job that I was too afraid to do.
12:03Uh, and you know, we don't say thank you enough.
12:06I know we get to celebrate them a lot throughout the year, but, um, it's still not enough.
12:10Um, so that, that's always a special day and, uh, I'm grateful that there's a few Davises
12:16on the line that have, that have made the commitment to serve, uh, what I think is the
12:21best country in the world.
12:22So, um, yeah, it's going to be a special day.
12:24Amen to that.
12:25Jordan Davis, thank you so much for coming to see us.
12:26You're the best.
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