Adam Hood on songs, family, and staying the course

Episode 4 Recap: Adam Hood

Adam Hood doesn’t rush anything. And that’s the point.

This episode felt special from the start. It was Rugged Ronnie’s first time back on the podcast after illness, and we were joined by someone whose music has been part of our lives for some time.

Adam grew up in East Alabama, in a working household where days started early and ended late. Music was always there, quietly at first. Cardboard guitars came before real ones. Church gigs came before bar rooms. Eventually, a small local residency paying $150 a night felt like enough of a sign to take the leap. Football was dropped. Music stayed.

From there, it was years of learning on the road. College towns, empty rooms, rough nights, and long drives. Adam talked openly about how much of his early career was shaped by places that taught him what not to do as much as what to do. Those experiences didn’t break him. They built him.

We spent time talking about place, especially the Southeast and Texas. Adam spoke with real affection for both. Alabama shaped him, but Texas gave him room to work and build a living. Even now, most of his time is spent there. Still, family keeps him rooted. Touring only works because home is close, support is strong, and the promise is always the same. He leaves for the weekend, and he always comes back.

One of the most honest parts of the conversation was around nerves and alcohol. Adam didn’t romanticise it. He talked about how drinking once helped him get through fear and uncertainty, and how it eventually stopped working when life started getting good. Songs like The Harder Stuff came from that realisation. Not as a message, just as truth. Hearing how many people have connected with that song clearly still surprises him.

Songwriting, though, is where Adam feels most at home. He talked about keeping his ears open, letting ideas arrive naturally, and trusting that simplicity takes work. Finishing a song brings a kind of peace that nothing else does. Even when the song isn’t perfect, something has been released.

We also talked about the Grand Ole Opry, which Adam described as the moment everything changed. His debut in 2022 wasn’t something he chased or expected. When it happened, it felt like being welcomed in rather than celebrated. Seeing his name backstage, playing the circle, watching legends move around the building like it was home. It mattered deeply, and it still does.

The conversation moved easily into collaboration, especially his long-standing relationship with Brent Cobb and others who have become friends as much as co-writers. Adam spoke about writing as service, about lending himself to other people’s stories, and about how that keeps him grounded.

There were lighter moments too. Jokes about age. Kids being brutally honest critics. Leather pants making an unexpected appearance. It all felt natural, and very Adam.

If there was one idea that sat quietly underneath the whole episode, it was this: don’t quit. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just keep going. Keep writing. Keep showing up. Keep serving the people who listen, one at a time.

Adam Hood isn’t chasing moments anymore, he’s building a life that fits the work. Slowly, honestly, and with intention.

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