Nicholas Jamerson - Faith, Family, and the Frontier | Rugged Revival

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Lo [Music] [Applause]
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[Music] [Applause] get broke tables turn
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you learn. So this is the Rugged Revival podcast.
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We your home of UK's country Americana and roots music community. I'm here with Ronny again. I spent several days with
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Ronny last week, so I feel like I've seen you a hell of a lot more in there. I'd normally want to. So,
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yeah. You okay? Feelings mutual. The feelings mutual, let me tell you. Days with you. My god.
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Anyway, yeah, it was a struggle. But anyway, we we are joined today by a very special guest, someone that we absolutely love.
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And I think um you know, it goes without saying that everyone else loves him as well. If you ask anyone about Kentucky
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music, I think uh Nicholas Jameson is the first person that comes to mind. fantastic solo artist, member of the
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band Sunday best, uh with Chris Bentley and with the band Morning Jays, it's Mr.
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Kentucky himself, uh Nick Jameson. How are you doing, mate? You're okay? Yeah, I'm doing okay. How about you?
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Yeah, all good. All good. It's uh Yeah, it's been a busy week. Uh we're getting back into the grind of it after partying
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with uh several Kentucky artists last week. We're getting a bit old to party these days. So, uh back to the podcast.
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But there you go. Can we Can we just change that from from Mr. Kentucky to
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king of Kentucky? King of Kentucky. Can we change that? No.
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Come on. Well, there you go. All right. Well, Ronnie, do you want to kick things off,
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mate? In your inimitable style. That was a big word for you.
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It was well done. Um, Nick, what an absolute pleasure it is to speak to you
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today. Uh TJ has been so excited, let me tell you. Uh you know when a child goes
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on about, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" He was doing that all the time since we were away, knowing that you were coming on.
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And the message that I got when you said, "Okay, I'll come and join you on a rugby revival cuz he's hounded you so
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much." Um was a a little face on emoji. So I can imagine he was like that passed
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out. Anyway, um absolute pleasure to meet you. Uh and pleasure to to speak to you today. So, um, as TJ's already
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mentioned, we we spent a lot of time with Kuckians, um, over the last few days. And they've shared with us some
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stories about growing up and what it was like, um, and I always go for the deep personal family stuff, uh, as we start
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off to give give people a bit of an insight into you and where you've come from and, what you've done. So, if you wouldn't mind sharing with us, what was
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your family life like? What where did you grow up? What was it like, who are you surrounded with? Um, I was I grew up in uh, Eastern
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Kentucky, uh, Floyd County. Um my dad I guess were probably fourth
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generation Floyd Countyians and um so my dad's
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um like where he grew up they had been there a hundred years and um so there
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was a lot of family that lived there. you know, it was like multiple generations that lived on this property. And um
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both of my grandparents on my dad's side were were educators. So, um and then my
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great-grandparents were um were staples of the community. So, there was just a lot of people that hung
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out there at their house and they were always having gatherings and
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musical gatherings. Um and uh you know it was nothing to be
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there and for people to play for four and 5 hours at a time and
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Amazing. Yeah. Uh yeah, it was it was just super warm and just you know community and
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um those were like my earliest memories were at that house. Um
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but um my dad was also a teacher and a coach. So I was um I was like split
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between music and athletics and um Oh wow. So I played uh
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I played football, American football uh growing up all the way up through
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college and um so I feel like I've sort of had two lives in a way, you know.
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I've I've had the sports side and music was kind of in the background. And um
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then about college, I um my my head coach at the college I went to was a
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songwriter and uh that kind of got me into this world. I'd always sang and
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performed, but songwriting was always kind of this thing that kind of seemed far off. And
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um so I I'm I'm the oldest of four kids, had a sister, had two two brothers. Um
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we lived a pretty normal life here, you know, uh growing up in the
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late 80s, early 90s. It was before the internet and just you know spent a lot
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of time outside and uh some Nintendo and
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uh church you know that's where I really learned to sing in front of people was in church
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um choir in school and um
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yeah I mean it was pretty pretty simple pretty it was all I think in retrospect
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all about we were always around a bunch of people either through sports
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um or through music. So, um I feel like that's still kind of how it
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is now. So, so what was the Can I just jump in with the like church thing because a lot
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I know. Sorry, mate. A lot of people have said about like the church thing, you know, and and that's how they got into singing and and kind of playing
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music. I'm just trying to picture like that scene because over in England like the the church singing is very
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different. I would imagine it's all quite you know um I don't know a bit flat I would say but um out there is it
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like gospel or is it you know what's it like? Uh it's it varies you know there are churches that it's very
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much dead you know like it's not or flat I think is what you said. I mean, there's very much that there's there's
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churches where they don't have allow any instruments, so it's all like ac capella.
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And that's pretty that's pretty wild because uh you know, you could, you know, quote unquote be slain by the
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spirit and uh people just start singing in the middle of a church service, you know, and then you have to like walk
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people down or talk them down. But um in in my church, it was like a country
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like a like there was definitely like your your typical like uh piano and um
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like organ like just your traditional hymns songs that have been sung for 150
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years. But then you would have like these um I've seen like it called it like
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mountain gospel. Um you know like where I live is
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like you know there's bluegrass music and there's country music and then there's oldtime music which are like
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these this like music that was just like passed down from
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generation like it's not really recorded anywhere. It's like the only reason people know about it is because it's
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just like mouthto mouth. So I feel like my church was like
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it it was like that. And it was this combination of of cuz every Sunday you
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would have like a special like singer besides the choir and um it was just a
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lot of people that were influenced by like country bluegrass and and oldtime music and they were I I would say
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equivalent to like you know how like Ray Charles like how he like made like
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gospel his own sort of thing. It was like would be that version of it. So there was definitely um spirit in it,
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you know, and and like I said, more so the individuals and more so like the the the special music, but um
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yeah, it was and my mom was the choir director or like the children's choir director. And so, um,
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she always she had like this, uh, I mean, she was younger, you know, as far as church hierarchy goes. And she was
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always like her and my dad both were like really into like contemporary stuff, you know, they grew up in the 70s
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and um, just just had that sort of frame of reference. So, um, they were they were
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open to like different stuff other than just the traditional stuff. So, I just
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feel like it gave me a just a stage to stand on, you know, and get comfortable
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singing in front of people. And um, yeah, it was
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it wasn't, you know, it was still church. It it was still there were still some uh box boxes
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that you were in, but back here that's pretty much the only option you have as
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a you know as a young person. So, and and just in your younger years, were
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you more when you were getting up on that stage, say like a church or whether it be, I don't know, a family event or
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whatever, did that give you the inspiration to sort of push it more to start thinking that you were going you were swaying more to the music way as
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opposed to to the athletic way uh and what you were doing? Um,
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I think eventually, yeah. I mean, I think in the moment it was, it actually like stressed me more than anything else
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because I like I was like kind of being forced to do it in the in the church space. And it was just a different like
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culturally like sports I think are so much more accessible here, you know? It's just like in terms of school and
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and your your immediate like social circle. But definitely like the older I
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got, you know, I felt like those were like seeds that had been just sewn in me that, you know, about 17 or 18 is when I
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felt like I'd kind of reached my peak interest in in football and and was just
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looking for other outlets. And yeah, it was it was a it gave me this foundation
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for performance and um that that definitely propelled me into,
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you know, just digging deeper in into that, you know,
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in my early 20s. Yeah. And I've got to say from I know I'm
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asking about your family background and where you grew up and everything else, but a lot of your songs are are very family orientated and there's a lot of
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the lyrics that that sort of uh relate to your family, but there was one quote that I picked up on and now my sources
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are sometimes incorrect, but from the from a quote that was made, it's about
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your grandmother um and a habit about documenting life as early inspiration to turn ordinary
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moments into something meaningful. And that for me that quote if that is correct. Can you repeat that? I'm sorry.
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Yeah. So um there was a quote that I picked up on around around your grandmother and he said about the habit
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of documenting life as early inspiration to turn ordinary moments into something meaningful.
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Yeah. That's that's a hard-hitting hard-hitting slogan if you like. Um could you tell us more about that?
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How you know was it was she a storyteller just you know going through the younger years and everything else?
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Yeah. I mean, I think everybody around here is is a storyteller and like most people are just I think like family
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history and but with her in particular, she was more of like she she always had
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a camera out and um was just like I you know I was talking about
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these gatherings at at at my great-grandmother's house like she would just set the camera up and on a tripod
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and it would just roll for 4 hours. So I have like fi films at my house of just
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just people hanging out and playing music and nobody's like, you know, but but I just always took that as like,
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man, she just puts so much value in like what's happening right in front of her. And um yeah, I just think with songs,
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you know, I I don't like there's there's an element of of creativity where
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you're adding your own spin. You're kind of glorifying and romanticizing the moment. But for me, so much of it is
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just like what what's happening in front of me right now? And um
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yeah, just I just try to I'm just trying the older I get to just
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just soak in life as much as as possible, like what what is right in front of me and not not bypassing that.
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And um and songs for me is also a way of preserving
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moments too, which I felt like as I'm going through I've gone through all these home videos, it's just been so
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awesome to just like reconnect with that. And I just feel like songs are that like it's a it's a moment in time,
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you know, through song. And uh
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yeah, it's just kind of been my way of coping with with aging and and like things changing, you know, because they
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just change so rapidly and it's uh it's so jolting sometimes that I I just I try
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to like squeeze the most out of life as I can. And um yeah, I feel like she
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taught me that. You you can really hear that in your songs as well. And and I know I've I mentioned this before before to an
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artist where I said same as your your music, your lyrics. I I like to feature
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the lyrics and you can sort of play that story in your head and you can relate to that as well, bringing your own experiences in. So it's it's incredible.
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So um thank you for bringing that to us. Uh it's much appreciated. Thank you for sharing that um your your your sort of
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history and your family history with us. Uh it's much appreciated. But um just one last question before I I hand over
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to TJ cuz he's going to fall off his seat if I don't give it to him in a minute cuz he's already interrupted me once. Um
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when at what I let you I like you for 5 minutes. Um so at what point in your
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life did you go music's for me. Bang. Got it. That's what I've got. I've got a calling. That's what I'm going to go and
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do. Um yeah. So, it was, you know, it didn't I feel like
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I was always trending towards that, but um
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like I said, my when I got to when I got to Pikeville, which is where I went to
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college, um I I was wanting to play music, but it's like, how do you do
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that? You know, I was playing music, but how do you pursue that? You know, there's no real at that point in time.
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It's like, well, you go to Nashville and that's and that's the route you take. And that just wasn't something that it
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wasn't in the cards for me. And so, uh, I'm still playing football. I'm I'm
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feeling really just kind of like lost in life. And, um, so I I meet my
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football my head football coach at Pikeville. He's a songwriter. Um, we bond over that. And that that
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sort of like gave me like, okay, I'm in the right spot. I'm in the right spot now. And then
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he's at at Pockull for a year. And after that year, he left coaching
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altogether. And uh he started helping me book shows um just regionally like he was from
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Bristol, like Johnson City area, which is super rich in um it's like where the
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Bristol Rim Rh rhythm and Roots uh festival is. and like Bristol, like that's where the first country music,
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you know, recordings took place was there. And uh he he brought me down there for a uh
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a festival called the Blue Plum Festival. And uh I met two guys that
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ended up being like my just songwriting. They were like the first like
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songwriters that were like really gigging and touring like that I'd ever
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met. And one was a guy one one's name was Alan Cormier
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who I've I've cut a couple different songs of his and then a guy named um
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Roger Allen Wade and um Roger is he's
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Johnny Knoxville's cousin. Um Oh, cool. and he wrote that song, If you're going to be dumb, you got to be
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tough. Yeah. Uh and uh but he's he had he had written like songs for I know that uh Hank Jr.
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sang a country state of mind and that was a that was an Allen or a a Roger song and
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I just sat in this uh I sat I hung out with him for like two or three days uh
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down there and one night in particular we were in this um
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red roof in in in Jonathan City and he's just telling all these stories
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of like hanging out with Johnny Cash and um it was just blowing my mind that I
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was just I was even hearing this and I was with someone that was like one degree of separation from Johnny Cash
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and I was like ready to drop out of school and and go to Johnson City and
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and live there and and live that life. And that that was the moment for me that
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I was like there's no there's no turning back. Like this is this is what I'm supposed to do. And you know that they
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made a profound impact on me, but then also like they were like really encouraging to me about this thing that
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I was doing. I think that was probably it more than anything was like, you know, I'd been complimented by my
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friends, but I' I'd just be like, "Well, you guys are my friends, you know, like
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the beer's cheap. You guys are going to show up anyway, you know." So, um yeah, that was that was pretty much
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the moment for me. And uh I just really started to like dig into songwriting and
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um while also trying to get through school and um
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yeah, it was just and in looking back it was I didn't I'm not using my degree
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necessarily, but uh it was a time for me to really work on my craft and you know
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just have more stage time. So, um, yeah, that was it for me.
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Well, thank God you did. Yeah. Yeah. We get to hear you and we get to speak to you as well. So, even better than
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that. It's surreal. It's it's surreal, you know, just to look back. That's been 20
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years ago. And, uh, wow. just to just this this modernday
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sort of movement which I think's obviously a a manifestation of of a
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large group of people that have similar stories that were kind of starting out when there weren't really the stages and
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you know there wasn't social media. It was just people just following this sort of internal
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calling and just the things that have happened that are happening for our
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area. It's It's surreal. Yeah. I'd love to I' I would love to
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have sat there on that table with you both listening to their stories cuz I just I find it fascinating.
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Um and and how they used to do it back then. Um what they used to do. It's just incredible. So um yeah, thank you so
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much uh for that. I'm going to hand over to TJ. Thank you very much, mate. Um me and
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Ronnie need to go and watch a college football game out in America when we visit because uh
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I didn't realize how big it was. Um you know the crowds you get are like enormous. So
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Oh yeah. Yeah. So you're a big sports guy. Do you like English football as we call it here? Uh not soccer.
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Um no. No. I mean like I but I don't dislike it. I I I I respect it from like an
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athletic standpoint. Um, and it's actually gotten very popular where I live. Um,
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and and we're seeing a lot of club teams that are like building stadiums. Like in Lexington, they just built a big stadium
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and, uh, Louisville, too. So, um, yeah, I can I respect any sport really like
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that that people put, you know, grinding and those games look crazy like the chanting and I can I can get behind
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that. I just wasn't around it. So, no, that's cool. It's part of our culture, mate. It's uh Yeah, it's an
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interesting culture. I don't think Ronny's into it, but uh yeah, I can't stand it.
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But leads me into a a question, I suppose, being Mr. Kentucky and and having your roots go back so far. I'm
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always impressed with like the family history that you guys can trace back and, you know, go back some time and,
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you know, speaking to friends like Lance Rogers, he did the same when he was out here. He found some random family member
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out in Wales of all places when he was here. I was like, I can trace my family back probably to my grandparents and
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same for a lot of people. So, it's always cool to kind of hear the stories that you've got and you know that that
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kind of lineage. But my question is, you know, what what what does it mean to be a Kuckian? Because as an Englishman, you
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know, there's always stuff that are synonymous with us like you know, we love a cup of tea, crumpets, moaning
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about the weather, all the usual stuff and going down the pub with your mates on a Sunday to watch the football. Uh so
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we're quite patriotic in in that sense. But what does it mean, you know, for for outsiders looking in to be a Kuckian?
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Um, I feel like it's in touch with nature. Um, water and the
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woods for me. Um, music very much. I
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just feel like that is just handinhand with with my upbringing, like I said. and all my siblings sing and play
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instruments and write songs and um and family, you know. I feel like I
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think like no matter where I go, uh Kentucky, if you're if you're from
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Kentucky or you have roots in Kentucky, like that is like enough for people to like kind of open a door to you and
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extend a hand. So, um, and Kentucky sports, you know, like Kentucky
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basketball, uh, in particular, is just like we don't
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have any pro sports here. So, um, I know that Louisville is is a, you know, it's
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not really a rivalry, but it's the other big school and, um, you know, just being
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a Kentucky fan and, um, yeah, that's probably about it that I
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can think of. Yeah. No, it sounds good. I think that's probably why me and Ronnie have got on so well with the Kentucky crowd because, you know, since
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day one, they were the people to reach out like Josh Mitchum, you know, when we first started this, you know, he was one of the first guests and introduced us to
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a lot of people and it just felt so welcoming to people that were outside of the scene just starting out and um you
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know, so I feel like me and Ry are honory Kuckians now. Heck yeah. Oh, I mean, we've spent enough time with
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uh with everybody from Kentucky over here. So, he's bringing Kentucky to here. But you you knocked the nail on
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the head there by saying family. Uh, and that's pretty much all we talked about the whole time. We're in the car for 5
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hours one way. Um, and you know, it means so much. Everywhere you go, no matter what you do, you know, you you're
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always with the family. So, yeah. Yeah. And, um, you know, we were talking just before we came on air about how
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we're expanding as a team. So, we've got people out in Kentucky. Uh, Kenzie Trailer. uh so she goes out uh on our
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behalf because we can't go to a lot of the gigs and you know we want to kind of bring a lot of that to our platform and
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online and to to share as much as we can. So we I said to Kenzie before we came on I said you know it'd be great as
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a Kentucky person yourself to to ask Nick a a question. So her question uh to you is how do you feel about being named
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uh quite frequently on Kucky's Mount Rushmore list? I think this is one of those online trends, isn't it?
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Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So what what's your feeling about it? is do do you kind of embrace that? Is it a bit a bit strange for you to kind of get
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that uh quite a lot? Um, you know, it feels good to be seen and
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and to feel like I've made an impact on people's lives in that way and it's a lot of, you know, fellow musicians. So I
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feel like um part of you know my mission with all this has just been to inspire
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others to to do the same and to you know music has been so good to me just on a
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on a personal spiritual level that I just that that to me is the most
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important part of it is just like like I was saying before about dealing with aging, you know, just like sort of it's
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brought so much joy to my life and all I've ever really wanted to do was help people find that joy within themselves,
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you know. So to just to like have your peers respect it, it means a lot, you
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know. Um it's it's surreal, you know. I I do also
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think that we kind of become um like prisoners of the moment. And I always
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I'm just like, man, there's so many people that came before this group of people, you know, that are
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like out doing it now. But that inspired me to do this, you know. So, um I can't
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conceive it really cuz I just put so many other people above me, but
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uh I'll I appreciate the love, you know. It's uh it's it just means that I'm loved and uh
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I'm not going to push that away. So, I I appreciate that. Good on you, man. No, it's it's fully
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deserved, mate. And I appreciate you know we've been talking to you for this this short amount of time already and it feels like we're in a similar space. So
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I hit 40 in January and you know listening to the way you're talking about uh you know family and your kids
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and things like that and I was listening to your song earlier on the way to work uh running out of daylight and I thought
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man that that is me at the minute worrying about your kids growing old uh older you know my my oldest just uh went
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to high school uh this week and you know you see your grandparents getting old and you know
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I'm starting to think about that all the time and you know I say that to Ronnie all the time so I feel like I'm getting old. My physically I feel old, mentally
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I still feel young. But um yeah, I I I think that inner monologue in your mind is always telling you, you
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know, to to savor these moments, go on holiday, spend some time with the family. I don't know what it is. Maybe it is reaching the age of four. I'm
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guessing you're about the same age as I just turned 40 in July. So there you go. Maybe that's what it is. Yeah. I had a really big crisis at 30
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where I was like, man, I can't believe I'm 30. Like, this is not it.
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You know, and so I feel like all of my 30s were like me sort of like deconstructing my
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whole life of like who am I? What am I doing with my time? Where am I putting
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my time? And and now I just want to live it, you know? Like I don't want to think about it. I just want to like I just
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want to live. Uh I want to work about half the time. I want to and I want to
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live and I I'm not I don't want to I just don't want to worry about things that don't really matter. So
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yeah, absolutely easier said than done, but it is. Yeah. I I think you spend a lot of your lives, especially with kids,
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trying to provide, you know, build an an empire of some sorts that you can hand over and you forget to kind of live in
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the moment and to kind of take those opportunities to spend with people and before you know it, like you say, you
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hit 40, you think, oh crap, you know, I need to perhaps change my outlook and exactly what you're doing, you know,
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work half the time and spend the other half where you can um doing the things you love cuz why not, man? I don't know
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about you, but I think what makes it even worse and what what concretes that
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is, you know, when you have these notifications on Facebook or social media saying, "Look at this 14 years
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ago." Oh, yeah. Oh my god. And then photos come up and I think, "Oh my god, just take me back. Take me back to them
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times. I want to be where it was simpler." Was it simpler? Was it simpler? Was it was I mean, there was
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less internet. There was less mobile phones. There was less. It was the raw times where you spend that time, that quality time with everybody and you
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actually have a conversation as opposed to you got a phone stuck in your face all the time. And I know that obviously
29:03
things have changed for the good for social media sometimes. Yeah. But you just think, "Oh, take me back."
29:09
Yeah. Or or I don't ever want to see that again. Like that's kind of where I t Oh, delete.
29:15
Yes. Yes. I had Facebook like when it first started like 2005.
29:21
I've lit I've been going through this week like friends and I'm like I have no idea who you are. Like I have I have no
29:28
clue who you are. And um yeah, it's it's really bizarre.
29:34
And I've I've I've felt like on the other side of it of like almost like I'm buried in memories. I'm like, what am I
29:41
supposed to do with this with this memory now that I have to relive it again? It's like
29:48
Yeah, it was it's it's it's like we have a a live
29:53
archive uh that that we just dump into all the time and
29:58
good and bad. Well, let's be more positive because we got a lot of life left in right.
30:05
People are shooting like Jesus. Wow. This is turn it turn. Yeah.
30:12
Yeah. We're only 40, you That's the new in my opinion. Um but yeah, I think that
30:17
leads us nicely into like um because I love kind of delving into all your stuff and you know, not just the music, but
30:23
like the festivals you're putting on and and Sleeping in the Woods looks like a really cool thing that you've put out there uh that we'd certainly love to go
30:30
to one day. And it's your your songwriters retreat, I believe. And I was looking about the you know
30:35
what it's about and correct me if I'm wrong. So it's about where you're working with mentoring developing young
30:40
artists and um yeah really really kind of supporting them in that way um as
30:46
part of that retreat. So do you want to tell us a bit more about that mate? Yeah. So, I mean it it's it's a it it is
30:53
we we want it to be a retreat for people, you know. It is a a festival that also like anyone can come to, you
30:59
know, buy tickets and come to. But but um we we just want to provide a space
31:06
for people that are starting out all the way up to what we would call like our masters who who are, you know, are just
31:13
people like uh Daryl Scott or Jim Lauderdale. um
31:18
elder, an elder, you know, that has just been able to navigate
31:23
um life as a songwriter and uh as a professional songwriter. Um cuz we
31:32
didn't really have that growing up. There wasn't a a community of of music. I mean, there was people that played,
31:38
but there wasn't like a environment for people to kind of help each other. And
31:44
uh you know this has come this has become in the last 20 years a a really uh
31:53
significant part of the economy in Kentucky. And uh you know, aside from just performing, I
32:00
I'm trying to just help connect people and and build infrastructure to just
32:06
make this as sustainable for people as possible and and just wanting wanting
32:12
people to have a healthy relationship with it because I feel like in the pursuit of,
32:18
you know, just in the pursuit of things, it's easy to lose yourself, you know, and and your value to just be dictated
32:24
uh things that don't matter. So, um yeah, we this will be our uh fourth
32:32
year, I think, coming up. Um so, we have it out. It's uh Monaceel, Kentucky. It's
32:41
down around Lake Cumberland. um on a campground and
32:46
sleeping in the woods. You know, it is what it's, you know, it's we're in the woods and um you know, it's a chance to
32:54
unplug and just just be super present and kind of we try
33:00
to like it's it's not like it's it's a it's basically, you know, three days of
33:05
acoustic music. Like we have some bands like my band plays on Saturday night and
33:11
but um we're just trying to you know give people show people an easy time and
33:17
um these these songwriters are pouring their hearts out and uh super chill and
33:24
we just but we want people to feel like invigorated after they leave there. You know, I I know I've been to festivals
33:30
and I just, you know, you're wore out when you leave and we just uh we're trying the opposite.
33:37
We're trying to just build people up and kind of give some a respide of, you know, just the rest of the world. So
33:44
sweet. And it sounds like a spa retreat/acoustic uh Yeah. ensemble. That sounds right up our
33:50
street being being old people, man. So yeah, exactly. So um you know with the
33:56
type of like people that you're seeing or or you know people that are trying to cut their teeth um at that at that
34:02
particular festival have you ever seen you know kind of a pattern or a trait that makes somebody a good songwriter?
34:08
You know is it natural talent? Is it hard work and commitment? Or is it a bit of both? I'm always intrigued by that.
34:16
I think it's both. Um, I think it definitely probably comes more natural
34:23
to some people depending on their uh just upbringing,
34:30
but um you know I think there's so much
34:35
education out there uh with and just philosophy on
34:42
songwriting. I I do feel like anybody can do it. It's just
34:48
um I think it's just helping people find their process like the process that
34:55
works for them. And that's that for me is what I've been kind of focusing on is is I've I've been doing more like
35:02
songwriter workshop type stuff. So you're you're trying from from my
35:08
perspective, I'm trying to provide a process to people that they're cuz for
35:13
me it's I like to write about things that are real and everybody's got things
35:18
that have happened to them and um we all have emotions that we're dealing with and my philosophy is like we'll identify
35:26
those things that are real to you and then just talk about them. So, um, obviously some people are more gifted
35:32
as, um, you know, melodically and as singers and
35:37
that to me I think is a little bit harder to teach um cuz you're,
35:43
you know, some of it's just about anatomy, you know, flat out with with with singing and playing. But, um,
35:51
I think anybody could write songs. I I think that I said for me it was just I needed to be
35:57
around people that did it. And I think that's how we all learn is like if we can be around people that do it and see
36:03
it and and really then dive in and try to do it, then I think that,
36:10
you know, I think that's just the sauce, you know, with with anything is like if you practice, you will get better and
36:15
you have to just, you know, but but that's hard. But I think a lot
36:21
of people don't want to be bad at something. Yeah. First. So,
36:26
um, just to, um, apologies to put you off your flow, but, um, I've, we're talking
36:32
about songwriting here, so I'm going to set the mood. Yeah, we've got songwriting. We've got a bit of mood lighting in the background. TJ's
36:38
got a bit of mood lighting. You're in It looks like you're in a studio. Then we've got thunder going off in the background. I don't know. I don't know
36:45
where that thunder is coming from. But it sounds like we're in the mood for writing a song.
36:52
You're in the woods. I mean, the thunder sounds amazing. Especially when you're, you know, you're
36:58
talking in a really deep way about songwriting. Who's got it? And I just thought, what more could you ask for?
37:03
It's made for this moment, isn't it? This is going to be a song moment. It's when you find out I pressed the
37:08
button just to uh take it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's here. Yeah, we had Thunder earlier in in in England. So, uh
37:15
it could be here. That's cool, man. I mean, it's um I mean, I love talking to all the guys from from Kentucky. We
37:21
speak to a lot of artists all over, so you know, Texas and other places, and you always find it interesting, but the
37:27
guys from Kentucky that I spoke to previously, when they've gone to Nashville or gone to to other places, they found it more difficult. And I
37:34
think it's because of the almost like a brotherhood that you've got where you are. And that might be lacking in in
37:40
other areas. um or or other scenes. I mean, do you you you travel a lot and I
37:46
was looking at your kind of tallest um for this year. So, you're I think you're going to Texas yourself and to to other
37:52
states. So, what what's your kind of opinion in terms of the differences between maybe Texas or Nashville to to
37:59
Kentucky? H I I think in general the scenes are older and more established
38:05
and I think that you know it's less
38:12
maybe Nashville is less organic in some ways. Um
38:18
Texas is cool. It's you know I grew up really in touch with the red dirt scene.
38:26
Um you know culturally it's it's just way different. Texas is his own thing and then you've got, you know, the
38:32
Southwest uh mix in there and between there and Oklahoma. Um it's it's an older scene.
38:39
Um the thing about Nashville that I I like it and I don't like it. Um, I think
38:46
that every time I go to Nashville, it feels like you you walk out of there sort of questioning your worth because
38:53
um, you know, the ceiling in Nashville and the people that work there, I think, is like playing stadiums, you know, and
38:59
if you're if you're not doing that or playing arenas, then it can feel like
39:04
you don't have any value. And uh, I I just don't believe that, you know. Um
39:10
and and obviously that's like a hot bed for the the radio commercial
39:17
stuff and you know I I'm not really a fan of that
39:23
either. I but I do have a lot of friends that are in that world and and it's just like
39:29
you know that's what they choose to do. But Kentucky is like, you know, we have
39:34
a rich history, but but our scene is pretty like it's pretty new, you know, and and
39:42
we're trying to build stages literally like in places that have they've never
39:47
had them before. And for me, I'm like, you know, I go all over the, like you said, I go all over the place and it's
39:54
as simple as having a stage and you coming and playing and then people of
40:00
that place, they put value in it and they show up. And that's what's happened in Texas and that's what's happened in
40:06
Nashville. and it's shifting here, you know, uh of people kind of getting
40:12
behind their own, but um you know, it's
40:17
still such a it's just a different paradigm of like people a lot of people listen to the
40:23
radio and that's who they perceive as like the biggest and best. And
40:29
so we're trying to get the stuff into place like I have radio stations that are playing just local and regional
40:37
artists. And um so so hopefully we can be a little more self- sustained through through our
40:43
music. But um it's crazy, you know, it's it's it's like I live where I live is the country
40:51
music highway. So like we've always had like I live like near where Loretta Lynn
40:57
grew up and Chris Stapleton and Dwight Yokam was born here and we've
41:04
always had the people but we've just never had the the scene really to support it. So
41:10
um I just feel like we're on the front end of
41:16
so much stuff. So, and then you know obviously Tyler Childers has just and him and Sturgil have been
41:22
you know I feel like those two have and and Stapleton those three I think are the three that have really broken
41:30
like kind of thrown a rock through the glass ceiling here and really it's
41:35
expanded um what people believe is possible about themselves being from
41:42
here. So, and not going that Nashville kind of
41:48
commercial route. So, it's pretty cool. Yeah, we we who did we see the other
41:54
year, Ronnie? It was Tyler Childers when he came to London and then we were lucky enough to catch tickets to see Sturggo
42:00
and and what a show. He's a showman, that guy. Absolutely fantastic. So, in terms of
42:06
your your gigs, Nick, um you know, you've got a diverse sound. from what you do with the solo stuff
42:12
with the Morning Jays and with Sunday best. So I I pull a lot of Sunday best on earlier too and it it's got more of a
42:19
energy to that. So yeah, if if people were going to your gigs, whether it's one of those three, what what should
42:24
they expect from it? That's funny. I I think
42:31
I I just it's different, you know? Oh, every
42:37
every every one of them is different and I I really just ask people to just like
42:43
join me on the ride because it's it is different and it's not always what you
42:49
think you're going to get, but I I do it's always me, you know. So, um
42:56
yeah, it's it's like trying to get people to just be open to whatever
43:03
happens. But it's it's you know the songs are for the most part it's all
43:10
real life stuff and and I think my stuff in particular is more um
43:18
like uh what's the word? introspective,
43:24
you know, of just like um just pondering these questions in
43:30
life like, you know, just getting older and um dealing with loss. And I think every
43:37
scope of music deals with that. But I think that I've
43:43
I've dove in, you know, deeper than like I I think that Sunday best is more of like a, you know, when we were like in
43:50
our heyday, it was like a commercial kind of country route is like kind of
43:55
where we had been like grouped. And uh
44:00
so which is I I don't I it's like that's it's a hard thing to describe because it's like I don't I think that some
44:08
music is just more accessible to the masses than others. You know, it's just
44:13
whether it's tempo and a rhythm or it's like subject matter. Um
44:21
you know, that's why I love Stapleton. I feel like he kind of that's kind of my like north star I think is because he
44:28
has like this commercial sort of relatability but he can write you know
44:34
um he can write just a deeper song if he needs to. It's it's not just about
44:40
writing singles, you know, it's it's just about writing good songs and
44:46
so um yeah, I don't know. I've never been
44:52
asked that before. It's right. We we like to uh trip some people up when on the show.
44:58
Well, before I hand back to Ronnie, um yeah, it must be said I want to embarrass my wife now because uh we we
45:05
got married. When did we get married? You were there, Ronnie? uh in May I think it was seems like an eternity ago
45:10
now. Uh so we got married and was always pondering about you know what the first dance should be and all that stuff and I
45:16
wanted Heindman but she vetoed me. So just just know that Nick I wanted and
45:22
she she said no. Well I'm honored that you would you would at least throw a vote in for that.
45:29
So absolutely it means a lot to me you know the the story to that um it's I think
45:34
it's everyone's favorite particularly in Kentucky. Um it's it's just one of those songs and you know it was in homage to
45:39
me nan and you know that that kind of story behind it. I love it man. So yeah blame my wife for that. We we ended up
45:45
with John Mayer so not quite the same but there you go. But uh anyway Ronnie I
45:51
feel like I've been talking for ages mate and you just been listening and listening to the thunder mainly in the background. Um well I've done it again and lost my
45:59
place. Um so give give us two seconds. Um uh it's no I love it. It's uh it's
46:06
sort of a little bit off pieced and you know it's not it's not scripted as you can probably tell. Um there's little
46:11
hints but uh when when TJ was saying when he was saying that you were coming
46:16
on um he was so nervous. I've never seen him getting so nervous with someone before. It's unbelievable.
46:22
Got to be professional. But it's uh but you know everything we talked about
46:28
I'm I'm going to ask you as I said I like going into some of the deep questions. I know we've sort of floated
46:33
around them, but um you've mentioned something uh earlier about emotions and
46:38
dealing with it and and writing music and writing songs and and and what have you. Um especially in the retreat that
46:46
some people have just got it, some people deal with it in a different way or the melodic and what have you, but I wanted to know obviously you you
46:52
talk quite a bit, you're on the road quite a bit. How do you find out with your own mental health dealing with that? Um trying to
46:58
put because you're away from your family, is there certain things you do? Is it just songwriting or is there certain coping mechanisms? And please
47:05
don't feel like you have to answer that. Yeah. No, you know, I'd like to know. Um,
47:11
you know, coming from a sports background, I feel like I really had to
47:16
get back in touch with my body and and like how like moving it, you know,
47:23
because I think one of the things of being on the road is like you're kind of like this, you know, for hours, not
47:29
being able to move. And that that plays I mean that is as hard
47:35
as anything is just being immobile for for hours at a time. Um so like my
47:41
physical health uh just prioritizing that. Um I quit drinking
47:48
uh this October will be four years and um wow that
47:54
that was just a I I feel like it had been a long time since I'd really had an a problem with it.
48:00
just getting too drunk. But uh it it was just like, you know, even if I just drank a couple beers a night, you know,
48:07
I could feel like the fatigue, the alcohol fatigue, like when I would come home.
48:13
And I and being a parent, you know, that that just kind of like I was like, I don't I don't I'm gone. I don't want to
48:19
come back and just be so used up and washed up that I I
48:25
you know, I can't be a dad. And so when I kind of put that together, it was like, okay, this is a no-brainer. I'm
48:31
not going to do this. And I think what it's done is that, you know, I don't get as high when I'm
48:39
gone. So therefore, I don't get as low when I come back. And that, you know, cuz I just always felt like the pendulum
48:46
swings. You know, if you're if you're way high, then you will you will go the opposite direction. Just, you know,
48:51
physics, you know, right? And yeah. So, um,
48:56
yeah, just being more conscious of what I was putting in my body and and just
49:01
physically like being stronger to to to like be more resilient. I think that's
49:07
what for me like working out does is just like you do things you don't want to do. So, when you're like going
49:13
through things that you that are hard for you, you're like, you know, you've kind of been training for that.
49:20
when when for years I was just drinking through it all. You know, it was like you feel nervous because a crowd, you
49:26
know, you're just like, I'll just drink that away or cuz it's it's tough to go into a room full of strangers, so to
49:32
speak, and like pour your heart out. And every crowd's different and they're not always,
49:38
you know, at this point I'm lucky enough that I'm doing a lot of shows that are it's all ticketed and it's it's like
49:44
they're there to see me. So they're they're open to whatever I'm Yeah. there to do, but you know, still every
49:51
everybody's different. So it's tough to do that. It's it's tough to go and like put yourself out there and
49:58
um and I just I don't know. I I try to just be
50:04
grateful for for everything. Like I really just try to be be as mindful as I can of of
50:13
like where I've come from and and like the things that are happening to me. Uh like
50:20
these are all these things that I like really like I said at the beginning like 20 years ago I just kind of like was
50:26
following this inner feeling and now I'm like reaping the fruit from
50:32
it you know so I'm like eat the fruit don't don't think about the next thing like eat the fruit and uh
50:39
you know I feel like that that just
50:46
it's like it it it really like electrifies the experience cuz it's like, yeah, this is like it. This is
50:52
everything you've ever wanted. Um, just just like rest in that. So, like I
51:00
said, the last 10 years of my life, I feel like I've been like training, you know, to like be able to like
51:05
handle all this in a really healthy way because uh it's just, man, it's crazy out there.
51:11
and and like just the star power that some people have and and
51:18
I don't think anybody is really prepared for that, you know, you know, like to
51:23
just be propped up on a pedestal because they sing songs good. So,
51:30
uh it's like finding myself outside of that and like being grounded in that and
51:35
not, you know, all this other stuff is like I'm super super grateful for. Um,
51:40
it's just gravy to my, you know, uh, to my life. But I say all that and it's,
51:46
it's still a practice. You know, I still get caught up and each release,
51:52
you know, that I put out, it's like this test of like you going to get sucked in to this again, like just the
52:00
just the dopamine hits, you know, of like people talking about the record, people talking about the songs, likes,
52:05
comments, all that crap. and and you're just you blink and you're on your phone all day and it's like I need to walk
52:12
away cuz I'm getting sucked in and
52:19
you know it's it's a it's like the narrow way was such like a metaphor for
52:24
just like my whole life in this of like a balancing act of
52:31
trying to just stay sane and keep your peace in a in a world in an indust
52:36
industry that's just like trying to take it. So, yes. Madness. Yes. Absolutely. Utter madness.
52:43
It is. Yeah. And the sky's is the limit, you know. Yeah. And we uh we talked about this
52:51
actually over the weekend. Uh so when we went away, we're only on the road for for we called it the rugged road.
52:56
Obviously, it's got to be have rugged in it, but rugged road. when when we were picked up the artists and what I found
53:02
was that um I was sitting in the car with these two artists and um and I've got to say that the people from Kentucky
53:09
wear their hearts on their sleeve. It's a bit like my Irish family are exactly the same. And you end up getting into
53:15
this conversation. I'm like what why am I answering the questions? I'm the one that asked the questions, not you.
53:20
Um yeah, and uh and you just end up in this whole conversation. And that's why one of the questions I asked you was
53:26
around, you know, how do you deal with that when you're out and about? Uh, and we found out, you know, TJ and I were
53:31
talking about this. Um, we might have had a few Guinness uh when we went out on that night and uh and felt a little
53:38
bit just one half. Uh and then we felt a little bit tired the next day and
53:43
thought how do you do this on not I mean nine days on the trot 2 weeks you know 3
53:50
weeks on the trot and then you get in this vibe of this is what life is and I'm like this isn't real life this is
53:55
not for us it's not real life we've got to come back to normal life so I I get what you're saying and um
54:00
yeah I've noticed you I've noticed your advice basically yeah I mean uh I always say that we live
54:09
the dream and then we come home and we have to wake up. So, uh,
54:14
and I'm Irish, too. I have I that's that's where my family is. So, Jameson is, uh,
54:21
I think Wales is where Yes. Yeah. But, um, Kilia Fiche, there you go. 100,000
54:29
welcomes. Um, so, uh, yeah, brothers in arms and all that. Thank you. Um, yeah. And I I think I've never asked
54:36
this question before and it's probably going to sound a bizarre question to ask. Um, but why do you play to the
54:42
crowds? Why why is it why why did you start playing to people? Why did you
54:47
start standing on that stage? What is the feeling you get? Why is why do you do it? I mean, at first it was just like it
54:55
was, you know, I think, you know, being in my 20s, it was just a fun time. It was it
55:02
was a a party and uh a way to meet girls and
55:09
you know then then you grow up and you're like okay I'm not doing all these things like what's the reason and I
55:15
think for me uh I just want to bring people together uh
55:22
I want to make a positive impact on the world and and kind of pass along I feel
55:27
like I've been gifted with so much time to like contemplate things about myself that and the world
55:34
that I think we could we could navigate in a different direction and a lot of
55:39
people don't have that time you know to to think because of jobs and family and just the rat race of things and
55:47
um I read this book uh around the age of 30
55:53
it was called the mission of art and it was like basically like this other sort of
56:00
view of like why people art, you know, and it's it's like to it's like your spiritual it's your inner journey. It's
56:07
your it's your spiritual journey that you're like expressing through this. And um I think that's important in our lives
56:14
to to stay in touch with what's going on on the inside. And uh
56:22
you know, I don't want to be a preacher. I don't uh but um I I want I have
56:27
something to say and and I I I just um this feels like the most peaceful way to
56:33
do that. And um yeah, I like I said before, I feel
56:40
like I I meet so many people that they just open their doors to me both physically
56:47
and metaphorically of just like because they like songs I sing. And
56:53
if I can give them like a soft place to land, uh
56:58
then I feel like I feel like that's what I'm really here to do is is um
57:05
is to just to do that and and be like offer people I went to a funeral earlier
57:11
today and one thing they were talking about was like mercy and how we can like give people mercy and um you know uh I
57:19
don't know. It's um it's a fine line, you know, because not everybody comes for like self-help, you
57:25
know what I'm saying? Like I I also like to entertain and just give people a just a break from cuz I'm not I'm not
57:33
there like on any sort of soap box. Like I don't I really just come I want to
57:38
just play with especially like in the band setting like I'm trying to be like super hyperfocused on the moment and and
57:45
ultimately I feel like that's what I want to give people is like presence you know like
57:51
let's just be here now and enjoy the moment and um
57:56
because I I just think that that's where the medicine truly is in the music is like man if we can just like all be kind
58:03
of singular focused together and like feel you know what everybody feels like
58:08
together. It's it's healed me. It's like it's it's it's helped me move through things and
58:15
um just yeah, just help I feel like music has always been that way for for
58:22
humans. It's like a way to move through and past things. And
58:28
you know, as as you were talking TJ, just about getting older, like just just like to be able to like be around
58:34
someone that's like kind of going through the same thing. It's like, yeah,
58:40
I'm not alone. Yeah. I I this is like a normal thing for me to feel. And
58:46
also it just like I think with the older you get like these sort of this residue kind of builds up of of like you know
58:54
all the all the things you've been through you know we were we were talking about Facebook but it's kind of like
58:59
yeah you're buried in your memories. So it's like well let's move through that. Let's let's go past that and like let's build new memories. Yeah.
59:05
Let's build new memories. We can acknowledge what's kind of maybe messed up or been sad, but we don't and we can
59:12
we can let it have its moment. Uh but um yeah, there's then I feel like you you
59:18
make room for new things and I just feel like we we need to consciously
59:25
make time for that in our lives. Otherwise, it just it's not going to happen. So I I guess I put my kind of
59:32
foot in the sand of like I'm going to make time and it's turned into a career. So
59:37
this is awesome. It's bit like a cathartic podcast this has been and I appreciate you sharing so much. It's um
59:45
one thing I always love to Well, I haven't I don't think I've ever asked this question. Um but you know now we've
59:50
seen quite a few artists live in terms of what we're doing particularly in the UK. I always find it interesting how you
59:56
guys you mentioned, you know, the nerves and sometimes it daunting. You're going into, you know, sometimes big rooms for
1:00:02
the people that whilst they've bought tickets, you don't know them and you're pouring your heart out. I always want to
1:00:08
know how do you break the ice because I found it absolutely hilarious at the shows over the weekend because you got
1:00:14
Joe Clark who's this enormous dude and the most polite guy ever and he was just
1:00:20
you know working the crowd really politely and nice and he had Cody Lee me coming after and he's like a whirlwind
1:00:26
and he was telling Dirty Trucker jokes and he's like would you like to hear this one? I was like I just find it
1:00:32
amazing. So what is your icebreaker Nick? What what do you do mate? Oh man.
1:00:38
I mean, it's different every time. I really just try to sing good.
1:00:45
Like I, you know, I I I think for me the main thing is I
1:00:53
feel like people come for the songs and and and I like to just kind of give it
1:01:00
some time, you know, before I will start talking. But I just I just try to like
1:01:05
not think too much about talking. I mean, it just depends on the
1:01:10
setting, you know? That's the weird thing is like every night is so different that I, you know, I'll tell jokes like I I've
1:01:18
got jokes and banter, you know, that I've said for years, but um you know,
1:01:24
not every it's not going to land every night. So, uh,
1:01:29
the end of it, I'm just like, I just need to sing as good as I can and perform and and that's the main thing.
1:01:35
And then if there's room for for banter,
1:01:40
but I I think also just being grateful. That's again, I kind of default back to just like how can I express to you guys
1:01:47
how grateful that you showed up? Um,
1:01:52
and then everything else is kind of up in the air. I love it.
1:02:00
I think sometimes um sometimes you realize that people have had a calling in in their life. Um and I'm feeling
1:02:07
that at the moment, I've got to say, don't you? Anyway, I appreciate that.
1:02:12
So, uh I'm going to uh I don't know why I even know why I'm asking this question. Um, we've got an exclusive
1:02:19
playlist, um, that TJ put together long, long long time ago when we very first started this podcast, um, and what we
1:02:27
normally say is, uh, if the listeners haven't heard you before, um, could you
1:02:33
choose two of your songs that would really showcase you and what you do and how you sing? But I believe that most of
1:02:40
the listeners, if they haven't heard you, they've been living on the moon for the last 15 years. So, um, what two
1:02:46
songs would you choose anyway? Oh, dang. Um,
1:02:52
shoot, that's tough.
1:02:57
Um,
1:03:03
I'll say Linda James is one. Um,
1:03:12
wow. And I'll say, um,
1:03:23
Dang, I'm like split between two. Um, you can have three, Nick.
1:03:28
Okay. Oh, I would just say, so when I say it, I'm not allowed, but when he says it, it's okay.
1:03:33
I would just say I would say Hanman and and Wurat. Those are just two like
1:03:40
family songs. So, Will Right. Did you say? Yeah. Long way to say a long way to
1:03:45
Will say I was going to suggest it. Yeah. Fantastic. There's one part of that about the um
1:03:51
tune up the banjo being granddad. Yeah. Is his name shorty was his name?
1:03:57
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Wilbur is his full name, isn't it? Wilbur. Shorty Jameson.
1:04:02
Yeah. Got to mention him cuz he's uh you know it's history. He's part of the part of
1:04:08
the family history. He's part of the lore. Yeah, he's amazing. Yeah, you've have to you have to say things like that.
1:04:14
Um, brilliant. Thank you. Um, well, I'm not going to bother asking that question. I'm not going to ask that
1:04:21
question because we've already gone through it. We've gone off pie. Um, but uh I I know you're already doing it. We
1:04:27
we talk about the rugger revival community uh because we're trying to make it as one big family. We're not making it. We are one big family.
1:04:34
everybody in the UK. TJ's mentioned it before in the introduction when we were off air um about why the Ruger Revival
1:04:41
was made. And what we tried to do is every artist is say if you know anybody, any emerging artist or anybody that you
1:04:48
want to give a shout out to just to get their foot on a bit of a platform and we can shout it out for you as well. Um
1:04:54
would there would be anybody that you suggest? I know you do the retreat um with budding songwriters and and
1:05:00
musicians, but is there anybody in particular you'd like to put on here? Um
1:05:06
how many how many can I say? You can have them however many you want. Seeing as he's just given you three
1:05:12
songs, you can have many. Okay. You wanted me to forget that. Um my sister Emily Jamerson.
1:05:19
Yes. um my friend Justin Clyde Williams. Um I just
1:05:27
produced his record that he's in the process of putting out. Um then I would
1:05:32
say Brother Smith who makes up part of the Morning Jays and uh Jordan Allen who
1:05:38
is my bass player. So they're they all have their own things too. So awesome.
1:05:44
Brilliant. Thank you for asking that. That's great. Thank you very much. Well, TJ will do all the necessary.
1:05:51
It'll be good. Um, and then one last one for me really. Um, TJ, do you want to
1:05:56
play a game or not? I don't know. It's up to you want to move on from that. I want to play a game. You can if you want to.
1:06:02
If you got time, should we play a game? Let's play a game. Let me ask this one last question for Hold on a minute.
1:06:08
Hold on a minute. You keep going into involved in my set. Um, outside of music, Nick, what's something that
1:06:13
you're passionate about that people might not expect? Uh, painting.
1:06:18
Oh, no painter. And you should send us some pictures,
1:06:24
okay? And we can post it on there. That'd be amazing. Okay. Rugger revival special. Okay.
1:06:31
That'd be amazing. Thank you very much. Right, let's play a game if I can find it. Play the music.
1:06:39
[Music]
1:06:50
Buckaroo. Um, this is going to be the most random podcast you've ever been on. It
1:06:56
is. Yeah. Yeah. But isn't it fun? It is fun. The Rugger Revival.
1:07:02
Fun. Um, right. So, the way I do this is true or false. It's the Ruger Revival. True
1:07:08
or false? Or we called it rugged or false? I'm going to go with true or false. Let's make it easy. All right.
1:07:13
So, I will ask you a question and then I'll get you and TJ to answer. True or false? I'll score them at the end. TJ
1:07:20
has lost every one of these. You didn't have to tell them that. Um, I did. Uh, so you've already got an advantage
1:07:26
because you'll probably win as well. Okay. Um, right. So, a day on Venus is longer
1:07:32
than a year on Venus. Is it true or is it is it false, TJ?
1:07:38
It's got to be false. It's got to be false. Yeah. I'm no rocket scientist, but uh I reckon
1:07:44
that's false. You are both incorrect. It's true. It rotates slower than it orbits the sun.
1:07:51
Would you believe? We got to trust him on that, Nick. So, it could be absolute. Listen, it's all written down. AI is an
1:07:57
amazing thing. You know, um goldfish only have a memory span of 3
1:08:02
seconds. True or false, TJ? False. True. Oh, no.
1:08:11
It's false. They can remember things for months apparently. Really? I can't believe you
1:08:16
finding Nemo. That's That's where I was. Yeah. Don't know why I done that stupid face.
1:08:22
Anyway, um the dot over the letter I is called a tit. True or false?
1:08:30
Nick, true. TJ, false.
1:08:35
Nick, you are correct. Just draw one back. An ostrich's eye is
1:08:41
bigger than its brain. True or false, Nick? True.
1:08:48
TJ, go false. I'm just going to go opposite what Nick says in the hope that I win. Nick, you won that again. Well done.
1:08:56
The average person swallows eight spiders in a year in their sleep. True or false? Nick,
1:09:02
I think that's true. TJ, that's bloody false. So, I'm going to go false.
1:09:08
Oh, Nick, you gave that to TJ. It's false. Total urban legend. Nearly did.
1:09:13
A sneeze travels faster than a hurricane. True or false, Nick? True.
1:09:19
TJ, false. Nick, you're absolutely right. It's true. It travels at around 100 miles an
1:09:27
hour. The first recorded recipe ever discovered was for beer. True or false,
1:09:33
Nick? F. I'm going to go true. The monks of
1:09:38
Belgium or something random. Can't believe it. I hate telling you that you're right.
1:09:44
But you're right on that one. Only two more questions. Kangaroos can walk backwards. True or false, Nick?
1:09:51
False. TJ, false.
1:09:57
You're both right. Nick, you're right. First maintain. They can't walk backwards basically. Uh,
1:10:04
the inventor of Coca-Cola originally marketed it marketed it as medicine.
1:10:09
True or false, Nick? True. False. TJ. Nick, you're absolutely right. True.
1:10:17
And then last last question. Question number 10. The fingerprints of koalas
1:10:22
are so similar to humans that they can confuse crime scene investigators. True or false, Nick?
1:10:29
I'm going to say false. TJ, true.
1:10:34
Sounds very random. Let me just top the scores up. Nick, you're the winner. Congratulations.
1:10:40
True or false. This is why I lose a ball. No. No way.
1:10:46
I'm not having it. Play the music, TJ. Play the music. All right.
1:10:54
Nice to nice to see you. To see you in spared with this podcast until
1:11:00
Come on. End it properly. Nice to see you. to see you. Nice. Nice to see you. To see you.
1:11:09
That was a 1980s 1970s game show in the
1:11:14
UK. It was a fellow called Bruce Forive, uh, who used to speak like that. All right.
1:11:19
Nice to see you. To see you. We do impressions as well. Um, yeah. No, we don't. So, uh, that is me, Nick.
1:11:28
Thank you for playing. I appreciate it. TJ, over to you. I've got a few more questions and then it seems like you
1:11:33
want to get back to your day. Sorry. So, it would be remiss of us not to talk
1:11:38
about the Narrow Way. Um the the tracks that have been put out already. Absolutely love them. Uh so, I was on my
1:11:45
morning commute and on the way back and and just really going through it because that's the time I get to myself with no
1:11:50
one's around and I can properly listen to stuff. So, it's it gets fully released on the 12th of September. Um
1:11:57
so, that's great. So, do you want to talk a little bit about um that particular album?
1:12:03
Uh yeah, it uh this has been about a three-year process
1:12:08
working on it. Um, I guess it was
1:12:14
maybe not three, two, um, I went out on tour with Rachel Bamman a couple springs
1:12:21
ago and um, just really loved her record that she
1:12:27
had put out and and self-produced and, you know, we hit it off and I felt like
1:12:33
I was going to really need someone to help me through this last record. just
1:12:39
um the stuff that I was sort of sorting through uh
1:12:46
uh I just had this epiphany kind of and it all kind of sort of came to the head
1:12:52
like during my sobriety like like like and I just had the longer I I had been
1:12:57
sober just feeling like a lot of stuff that I I guess been drinking down was
1:13:02
like coming to the surface and just needed someone to help me sort of sort through it all
1:13:09
Um yeah it's it's uh the narrow way I think and it's
1:13:16
um it's like acknowledging the shadows of life and uh just trying to also
1:13:23
maintain hope you know through even despite you
1:13:29
know these these painful things that have happened and uh
1:13:35
you know my my I guess my relationship with part now is just uh the
1:13:41
the catharsis of it, you know. I I really feel like it's it's like therapy
1:13:47
in a way of like being able to just um talk about things and then you
1:13:54
you in recovery it's always like well once you can talk about it it's like that's when you can really move on from
1:14:00
it. So, um, yeah, we we made it we made it in
1:14:06
Nashville at the tractor shed. I think that's the name of it.
1:14:11
Tractor shed. And um so the day that we loaded in to record
1:14:20
the songs uh I tested positive with COVID and I was like wow that is um
1:14:27
that just seems like appropriate like just because the nature of some of these
1:14:33
songs were just kind of heavy and um feeling like it was like the heaviest thing I probably ever made. Um,
1:14:41
just I think that I've always tried to like
1:14:47
kind of have a moral or like a positive spin on things and like with this one I was just like no, there's no some of the
1:14:55
things there's just no there's no positive spin on it. So, um,
1:15:02
but, uh, yeah, it's like the third installment of this like basically Wild
1:15:08
Frontier trilogy that I've been pretty much working on since 2016.
1:15:15
Like I said, my 30s. This is like wrapping up my 30s. So, um,
1:15:22
it's, uh, yeah, I'm just ready for it to be out.
1:15:27
Um, it's been a lot of but been a lot of work and
1:15:33
um, yeah, I'm just ready for it to be out. Do you have any questions in particular
1:15:40
about it or cuz it's so like broad that I'm just like I don't I don't sometimes
1:15:45
I get overwhelmed by like even talking about it cuz I'm like where do you want me to begin? Yeah.
1:15:50
How much time do you have? No, it was um it was just something that I thought it was definitely something to
1:15:56
put on people's radars if it's not already. We've pre-saved it. What What's the best way to kind of support new music? Is it through pre-saves? And
1:16:04
yeah, that helps. You know, I I'm an Apple Music person. I think you can always buy it. Um, I'm gonna have I have
1:16:10
vinyls for sale on my website and um, so, um, I mean, I feel like the physical
1:16:17
copies are always the best, but you know, I don't even make CDs anymore just because
1:16:23
vehicles don't even have CD players in them now. So, uh, mine does.
1:16:29
Well, mine does, too, but mine's about 10 years old. So, uh, same same 15 years old.
1:16:37
Yeah. So, um, you know, but if you if you're streaming, I think, you know,
1:16:42
Spotify or Apple, I'm not sure if anybody pays any different, but, um,
1:16:49
anybody that will listen to it, I'll I'll take it no matter what. I'm sure there'll be loads of people, mate. It's, uh, it's fantastic. The
1:16:55
songs I've heard already, so I'm really keen to to get get my hands on the rest. Um, and one last question for me, mate.
1:17:01
You'll be pleased to know. Um, obviously we we're trying to build a bridge um over to the UK at the minute with the
1:17:07
fantastic work that the guys at the full fuller love of Appalachia. I wish I chose a different name because it's very hard for us to say that.
1:17:12
Fala la. Um, so Lance Rogers, Kaded are doing a
1:17:18
great job. Have you got any aspirations at all to come to the UK at any point?
1:17:23
Has Josh Mish is he has he sold the dream to you? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I would have come
1:17:29
with him the first time. I just couldn't. But um yeah, I've I've never been over there and and would love to to
1:17:36
see it and experience it in that way of of playing music. So awesome. Well, we'll treat you well if
1:17:42
you if you do decide to come over and certainly come and film a grit sessions with us because uh we love doing that.
1:17:47
That's another another venture that we love to get involved in. But yeah, keep your eye out for the um you get an
1:17:53
example of the Grint sessions when TJ posts the latest ones and it really shows, you know, what we can do. So
1:17:59
cool. Have a look. Awesome. So, Ronnie, do you want to do I He doesn't let me call it the final
1:18:05
message because it sounds a bit too final. Sounds like a bit depressing. Yeah, the final message. Call it something else. So, over to you
1:18:12
on my back on my bed. Um, Nicholas Jameson, King of Kentucky.
1:18:19
No kings not allowed. Mr. Kentucky. Yeah. Well, just Nicholas. Um, you're so loved. You've been so
1:18:26
humble. You've been very open and honest with us. you've been so transparent and we appreciate every single minute of it.
1:18:33
Um, now is the point I would normally go through comments that people have made on social media. I'm not going to do
1:18:39
that. Everybody knows already what you like. Uh, and it has been an absolute
1:18:44
pleasure uh to be here. Um, we've talked about mood moments uh with Thunder
1:18:50
Lightning. Uh, we've given shoutouts to people. um you're doing so much for uh
1:18:55
emerging talent, emerging artists, uh and helping people um that want to step
1:19:01
on one rung of that ladder. Uh and we appreciate everything that you're doing. So, Nicholas Jameson, it's been an
1:19:06
absolute pleasure speaking to you tonight. Um I know that TJ's over the moon with finally speaking to you. So,
1:19:12
if you've got a can, a water, a cup, or something there, I'd like to raise a
1:19:18
toast if possible. So there we go. Yeah. Love it. Moonshine. Yeah. Not our
1:19:24
calling movie. Yeah. Right. Uh to the grit, to the grind, and to the
1:19:30
revival. Cheers for everyone for listening and thanks again, Nick. Cheers. Cheers. Thank you so much.