Dillon Carmichael talks with Katie Neal at CMA Fest.

Dillon Carmichael talks with Katie Neal at CMA Fest.

ACM-nominated Katie Neal is here to get you through the workday and keep you in the know with all things Country music. She’s always looking for a good laugh and a great deal. When Katie’s not on your radio, she’s probably binging her favorite TV shows, attending a wedding or planning a trip somewhere! Katie was recently recognized by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and won a Gracie Award.

ACM-nominated Katie Neal is here to get you through&nbsp;the workday and keep you in the know with all things Country music. She&rsquo;s always looking for a good laugh and a great deal.&nbsp;When Katie&rsquo;s not on your radio, she&rsquo;s probably binging her favorite TV shows, attending a wedding or planning a trip somewhere! Katie was recently recognized by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and won a Gracie Award.

Katie & Company

Dillon Carmichael at CMA Fest 2023

SamHunt’s songwriting has visited a wide range of topics over the years. From backroads and house parties to cop cars and outskirts, there’s not much Sam is afraid tackle in a songwriting session, except fatherhood.

“I’m intimidated to write about my family and fatherhood,” he admitted to Audacy’s KatieNeal while sharing he’s been starting to gather ideas and draw inspiration for his next project. While the 39-year-old says he has no intentions of a “Dad song” making the tracklist, he shared hints of his family values will likely be weaved throughout as he is focused on providing a strong foundation for his kids.

“I’ve always been geared more towards progress and pushing the boundaries, [but] the next project — at least from an idea perspective — will be more about roots and foundation... more traditional values,” he said. “The bedrock of how I hope to raise my family. Those things will be there — even if my songs don’t sound like what you would call a ‘Dad song,’ they will be written from a dad’s heart.”

That’ll be a bit of a shift from his most-recent release “Locked Up,” which was inspired by the night Hunt was arrested in November 2019 for driving under the influence and violating open container law in Nashville and the impact it had on his marriage. While resurfacing a deeply personal time in his life, Hunt says he doesn’t mind bringing it back up as it is part of his story.

“I wanted it to feel more like messing up, but having your significant other go through it with you and stand by your side,” he shared. “It’s more symbolic than a specific story about getting locked up, but because of my history — there are dots that can be connected there.”

The song title also serves as the namesake for Hunt’s summer tour, the Locked Up Tour which will travel across the U.S. and Canada through September with special guests RussellDickerson, GeorgeBirge (U.S.) and DaltonDover. Also along for the ride is Sam’s family who he says make everything more fun.

“Early on I didn’t get out to experience a lot of the places we’d visit,” he said of touring before having kids. “I get up early now and go find a really good breakfast place. A lot of the guys from the band will get up and go with me, or my kids [Lucy Louise (2), Lowry Lee (6 mo.)] and [wife] Hannah. They’re traveling with me so we try to smell the roses… we’ve been going to aquariums and museums and things that I wouldn’t have done years ago, but I’m making a point to do now.”

He continued, “It makes a big difference, it makes the trip feel like a vacation and a big, exciting road trip where I just work for a couple hours a night and I get to be on this road trip with my family and some of my best friends in the world, so it’s the best of both worlds.”

Hear additional details about Sam’s tour adventures, plus his ideas for new music and more by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Sam Hunt’s songwriting has visited a wide range of topics over the years. From backroads and house parties to cop cars and outskirts, there’s not much Sam is afraid tackle in a songwriting session, except fatherhood.
“I’m intimidated to write about my family and fatherhood,” he admitted to Audacy’s Katie Neal while sharing he’s been starting to gather ideas and draw inspiration for his next project. While the 39-year-old says he has no intentions of a “Dad song” making the tracklist, he shared hints of his family values will likely be weaved throughout as he is focused on providing a strong foundation for his kids.
“I’ve always been geared more towards progress and pushing the boundaries, [but] the next project — at least from an idea perspective — will be more about roots and foundation... more traditional values,” he said. “The bedrock of how I hope to raise my family. Those things will be there — even if my songs don’t sound like what you would call a ‘Dad song,’ they will be written from a dad’s heart.”
That’ll be a bit of a shift from his most-recent release “Locked Up,” which was inspired by the night Hunt was arrested in November 2019 for driving under the influence and violating open container law in Nashville and the impact it had on his marriage. While resurfacing a deeply personal time in his life, Hunt says he doesn’t mind bringing it back up as it is part of his story.
“I wanted it to feel more like messing up, but having your significant other go through it with you and stand by your side,” he shared. “It’s more symbolic than a specific story about getting locked up, but because of my history — there are dots that can be connected there.”
The song title also serves as the namesake for Hunt’s summer tour, the Locked Up Tour which will travel across the U.S. and Canada through September with special guests Russell Dickerson, George Birge (U.S.) and Dalton Dover. Also along for the ride is Sam’s family who he says make everything more fun.
“Early on I didn’t get out to experience a lot of the places we’d visit,” he said of touring before having kids. “I get up early now and go find a really good breakfast place. A lot of the guys from the band will get up and go with me, or my kids [Lucy Louise (2), Lowry Lee (6 mo.)] and [wife] Hannah. They’re traveling with me so we try to smell the roses… we’ve been going to aquariums and museums and things that I wouldn’t have done years ago, but I’m making a point to do now.”
He continued, “It makes a big difference, it makes the trip feel like a vacation and a big, exciting road trip where I just work for a couple hours a night and I get to be on this road trip with my family and some of my best friends in the world, so it’s the best of both worlds.”
Hear additional details about Sam’s tour adventures, plus his ideas for new music and more by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above.
Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Sam Hunt | Superstar Power Hour

At the age of 47, LukeBryan has discovered “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” comes with some personal consequences as he recently found he’s allergic to bass.

Before playing a private show for some lucky Audacy listeners, Luke sat down with KatieNeal and said after years of mystery, he’s found the reason he comes home from fishing trips with red eyes, swollen hands, and a stuffy nose. “If I look like I’ve been smoking pot, that’s not true, I’ve been catching bass,” Luke laughed before detailing his rather serious bass allergy. “If I touch a bass, my eyes will get red, my hands will swell if I have to take the hook out.”

The discovery comes after years of suffering for Luke, who thought he was simply experiencing normal allergies from being outside. “I spent years not knowing. My dad would take me on these fishing trips and I would be in the back of the boat like wheezing, maybe in need of an epipen. But my Dad was just like [suck it up], we just thought it was allergies [to] like, the trees, but it’s actually touching the bass.”

Luke wasn’t about to let his allergies get in the way of making a small group of Audacy listeners dreams come true after they won a Totally Private concert from Luke at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville. The show was his first weekend gig in more than four weeks as he’s recently been striving to find better work-life balance.

“My thing [now] is to just have fun writing songs, have fun doing the shows,” he shared. “I think for ten years I’ve just overworked myself to where all my friends, whenever I see them, they’re like, ‘You’re overworking yourself’ and I’m like, ‘I know, I can’t tell people no.’”

While consciously making an effort to find balance, Luke still keeps pretty busy, especially now as he serves as a judge for his seventh season of ABC’s American Idol alongside LionelRichie and KatyPerry, who revealed this go-around is likely her last.

“I thought she might be [leaving],” Luke said when asked about Perry’s departure. “She’s been a rockstar on the show and to have developed a friendship… we’ve had a great time together. When I took the Idol gig, I knew that she had already signed up to do it and I didn’t know her. Seven years later, to have spent so much time with her has been pretty awesome. She’s a trip.”

On top of his time with Idol, Luke is also promoting his brand new single, “Love You, Miss You, Mean It,” which he says has a “straight down the middle” Luke Bryan sound and is available now.

“When I look at 16, 17 years of doing this there’s been a lot of songs put out. Sometimes I do some songs where I try something and the fans like it and sometimes the fans are like, ‘What is he up to?’” Luke said, laughing. “But this one is right down my wheelhouse and I’m excited to have that out.”

Hear the new single on Audacy stations nationwide and check out Luke’s entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above to learn about his bass allergy, Idol, new single and more.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

At the age of 47, Luke Bryan has discovered “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” comes with some personal consequences as he recently found he’s allergic to bass.
Before playing a private show for some lucky Audacy listeners, Luke sat down with Katie Neal and said after years of mystery, he’s found the reason he comes home from fishing trips with red eyes, swollen hands, and a stuffy nose. “If I look like I’ve been smoking pot, that’s not true, I’ve been catching bass,” Luke laughed before detailing his rather serious bass allergy. “If I touch a bass, my eyes will get red, my hands will swell if I have to take the hook out.”
The discovery comes after years of suffering for Luke, who thought he was simply experiencing normal allergies from being outside. “I spent years not knowing. My dad would take me on these fishing trips and I would be in the back of the boat like wheezing, maybe in need of an epipen. But my Dad was just like [suck it up], we just thought it was allergies [to] like, the trees, but it’s actually touching the bass.”
Luke wasn’t about to let his allergies get in the way of making a small group of Audacy listeners dreams come true after they won a Totally Private concert from Luke at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville. The show was his first weekend gig in more than four weeks as he’s recently been striving to find better work-life balance.
“My thing [now] is to just have fun writing songs, have fun doing the shows,” he shared. “I think for ten years I’ve just overworked myself to where all my friends, whenever I see them, they’re like, ‘You’re overworking yourself’ and I’m like, ‘I know, I can’t tell people no.’”
While consciously making an effort to find balance, Luke still keeps pretty busy, especially now as he serves as a judge for his seventh season of ABC’s American Idol alongside Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, who revealed this go-around is likely her last.
“I thought she might be [leaving],” Luke said when asked about Perry’s departure. “She’s been a rockstar on the show and to have developed a friendship… we’ve had a great time together. When I took the Idol gig, I knew that she had already signed up to do it and I didn’t know her. Seven years later, to have spent so much time with her has been pretty awesome. She’s a trip.”
On top of his time with Idol, Luke is also promoting his brand new single, “Love You, Miss You, Mean It,” which he says has a “straight down the middle” Luke Bryan sound and is available now.
“When I look at 16, 17 years of doing this there’s been a lot of songs put out. Sometimes I do some songs where I try something and the fans like it and sometimes the fans are like, ‘What is he up to?’” Luke said, laughing. “But this one is right down my wheelhouse and I’m excited to have that out.”
Hear the new single on Audacy stations nationwide and check out Luke’s entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above to learn about his bass allergy, Idol, new single and more.
Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Luke Bryan | Totally Private

No Bad Vibes isn’t just a tour name for OldDominion, it’s a promise they keep with a little help from a tequila shot before every show.

Recently joining Audacy’s KatieNeal for the Superstar Power Hour, the guys revealed they go through $70,000 worth of tequila per year on tour. A large part of that is due to their pre-show ritual which includes a crew-wide tequila shot which can include up to 200 people some nights.

“A tequila shot has always been the tradition,” TrevorRosen shared of the group’s pre-show routine “We started when it was just five of us, six of us, and now it’s become a pre-show ritual. We get our whole team there and do a little toast before every show.”

Added frontman MattRamsey, “Sometimes there’s like 100-200 people there. We just actually learned our tequila budget this week. It’s like, $70,000 a year.”

Laughing at the amount is easier for the guys after sharing they have a partnership with a tequila company that sponsors all pre-show shots. “Turns out, it was a very smart partnership,” Rosen said of their connection to Cantira Negra tequila. “I don’t think they realized how much tequila we were going to go through,” laughed Ramsey.

Come Summer 2024, tour isn’t the only place you can find OD raising a glass as they ready to open their own bar in Nashville’s Midtown district just minutes from the famed Broadway strip.

“It’s going to be a little different than other artist bars in that we’re not trying to overtly make this the Old Dominion bar,” shared Ramsey. “That’s why we didn’t name it Old Dominion’s Bar. It’s Odie’s, which is sort of a nod to our name, but ultimately we don’t want people to walk in there and feel like they’re going to the Old Dominion show.”

Agreeing on a concept and vibe for the bar came naturally for the guys, but coming up with a name wasn’t their strong suit according to celebrity restaurateur, GuyFieri.

“We had pretty much decided it was called Memory Lane,” shared BradTursi of their original idea. “We were at Stagecoach and we were talking to Guy Fieri [about it]… He looked right at us and said, ‘That’s the dumbest name I’ve ever heard,’” the guys laughed. “He threw a couple F-bombs in there too. He railed us for that,” added Matt.

Needless to say, the guys took things back to the drawing board and decided on Odie’s, which they hope is a place (and name) everyone can enjoy.

“Ultimately, we hope it’s a place locals feel comfortable going to, songwriters feel like they can come and showcase their music or have a #1 party,” concluded Ramsey. “We really want it to be part of the community rather than a tourist attraction.”

Hear additional details about the bar, more stories from tour (including a proposal gone wrong) and Ramsey’s new puppy, Eddy, by checking out the guys’ full conversation with Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

No Bad Vibes isn’t just a tour name for Old Dominion, it’s a promise they keep with a little help from a tequila shot before every show.
Recently joining Audacy’s Katie Neal for the Superstar Power Hour, the guys revealed they go through $70,000 worth of tequila per year on tour. A large part of that is due to their pre-show ritual which includes a crew-wide tequila shot which can include up to 200 people some nights.
“A tequila shot has always been the tradition,” Trevor Rosen shared of the group’s pre-show routine “We started when it was just five of us, six of us, and now it’s become a pre-show ritual. We get our whole team there and do a little toast before every show.”
Added frontman Matt Ramsey, “Sometimes there’s like 100-200 people there. We just actually learned our tequila budget this week. It’s like, $70,000 a year.”
Laughing at the amount is easier for the guys after sharing they have a partnership with a tequila company that sponsors all pre-show shots. “Turns out, it was a very smart partnership,” Rosen said of their connection to Cantira Negra tequila. “I don’t think they realized how much tequila we were going to go through,” laughed Ramsey.
Come Summer 2024, tour isn’t the only place you can find OD raising a glass as they ready to open their own bar in Nashville’s Midtown district just minutes from the famed Broadway strip.
“It’s going to be a little different than other artist bars in that we’re not trying to overtly make this the Old Dominion bar,” shared Ramsey. “That’s why we didn’t name it Old Dominion’s Bar. It’s Odie’s, which is sort of a nod to our name, but ultimately we don’t want people to walk in there and feel like they’re going to the Old Dominion show.”
Agreeing on a concept and vibe for the bar came naturally for the guys, but coming up with a name wasn’t their strong suit according to celebrity restaurateur, Guy Fieri.
“We had pretty much decided it was called Memory Lane,” shared Brad Tursi of their original idea. “We were at Stagecoach and we were talking to Guy Fieri [about it]… He looked right at us and said, ‘That’s the dumbest name I’ve ever heard,’” the guys laughed. “He threw a couple F-bombs in there too. He railed us for that,” added Matt.
Needless to say, the guys took things back to the drawing board and decided on Odie’s, which they hope is a place (and name) everyone can enjoy.
“Ultimately, we hope it’s a place locals feel comfortable going to, songwriters feel like they can come and showcase their music or have a #1 party,” concluded Ramsey. “We really want it to be part of the community rather than a tourist attraction.”
Hear additional details about the bar, more stories from tour (including a proposal gone wrong) and Ramsey’s new puppy, Eddy, by checking out the guys’ full conversation with Katie Neal above.
Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Dillon Carmichael at CMA Fest 2023

In 1 playlist(s)

Katie & Company

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips