Interview with Jacob Bryant

1 (27s): What's going on. It is Adam. Welcome back to bringing it backwards. A podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieved stardom. On this episode, we hung out with Jacob Bryant over zoom video. Jacob was born and raised in Georgia, small town in Georgia. I think he said there's like a three mile dirt road. Didn't have a Walmart until he was in his twenties. Very small town. His grandparents were actually in a bluegrass man. So that was his first real exposure to music. He started playing guitar at eight years old, started off on drums and then really gravitated to guitar in the same year. At 15 years old is when he really started to take music. Seriously. He knew that this was something he really enjoyed doing. He would play local bars and bonfires and just hang out with his friends to play music. 1 (1m 11s): At 19, he had a really rough year. He was going to college at this time. He ended up having a heart attack 19, and then his mom passed away. And at this point he knew he wanted to be an artist. His mom really, really wanted him to pursue a career in music. So at that point to honor his mom, he really, really pushed and tried to navigate how he would make a living doing this. Jacob told us about going to Nashville for the first time, getting into different writing rooms and navigating and networking in Nashville, putting out his first EAP, having that EAP chart on the iTunes chart in 2014, as an independent artist, we talked about the viral success of his song, pour whiskey on my grave, which shit like 21 million views within the first few days, which is crazy. 1 (1m 57s): And we also talk about his new record, which is called Barstool preacher. You can watch our interview at Jacob Brian on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at bringing it backwards. It would be awesome if you subscribe to our channel, the like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TechTalk at bringing back pod. And if you're listening to this, either on Spotify or apple music would be awesome. If you follow us there and hook us up with a five star review, that would mean so much to us. 2 (2m 22s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, 1 (2m 28s): We're bringing it backwards with Jacob. Brian, appreciate you doing this. Absolutely. 3 (2m 33s): Thanks for having me 1 (2m 34s): Course. I'm Adam, by the way, and this is about you and your journey of music. And of course we talk about the new record 3 (2m 41s): Also, man. Thanks for having, 1 (2m 42s): Of course, of course I did see your Nashville now, are you born and raised in Nashville? 3 (2m 48s): No, I'm I'm LIJ, Georgia. I got a place down here where I'm at currently, but yeah, I go back and forth. I go back and forth to Nashville weekly, so, oh, so 1 (2m 57s): You don't live in Nashville 3 (2m 58s): Ban? Not anymore. I did for two years, but I I'm an old red dirt mountain boy. So I like living in the woods. 1 (3m 7s): I was just asking because I'm new to Nashville. We've lived here. Oh, almost a year at the end of the month. It'll be a year. So nice. Love it here. It's awesome. But very cool. So if you're from Alabama, is that you said 3 (3m 19s): Georgia north, Georgia. Sorry. 1 (3m 23s): Tell me about growing up in Georgia, 3 (3m 26s): Man. Nothing to do really other than play music and sit around a bonfire and drink beer and hang out with your buddies. I mean, that was kind of the, the upbringing through high school and college and yeah, I mean, that's, that's kinda out in the middle of nowhere kind of live in sun. I enjoy it though. So slower pace of life. 1 (3m 47s): Sure, sure. That's awesome. If you went to college out there too, is that we said, 3 (3m 52s): Yeah, I went to Coosa valley tech. I actually was starting to do a, I want it to be a crime scene investigator what? I went to 1 (4m 1s): Iraq gig. 3 (4m 2s): Yeah. Yeah. I guess I watch too much CSI or something, but yeah, I decided that playing guitar was a little bit more fun, so 1 (4m 12s): Sure. For sure. When did you learn guitar? Was that the first instrument you learned? 3 (4m 17s): I did a little bit of two things. I started on drums, but guitars kind of want to gravitate toward it around the age of eight. 1 (4m 24s): Okay. How old are you? And you started on drums? 3 (4m 28s): I, that was around eight too, but I guess I, I kind of just gravitated more towards the guitar. 1 (4m 34s): Okay. Do you have music in your family? Like parents? Musicians? 3 (4m 39s): Yeah. Yeah. I mean, in my family, yes. My parents work. My grandparents had a bluegrass band growing up and it was super ingrained in me from, from an early age on that end, but yeah. Yeah. I mean, it, it was kind of a little bit of everywhere. 1 (4m 54s): That's cool. Did they like, that was their gig, like the tour it around and everything as the bluegrass man, 3 (4m 60s): We did like fairs and festivals and things like that. I mean, they weren't, they weren't doing it for a living or, or anything like I'm doing now, but it, it, at the time, I guess I thought they were superheroes or something. Cause you would've, you would've thought they were playing in arena, just being on the front force to me being a little kid, not knowing any better, but it, it was super cool growing up with it around for sure. 1 (5m 21s): Yeah. Would you go see them play the festivals and fairs and stuff? 3 (5m 25s): No, not so much. 1 (5m 27s): Mainly in the front yard. 3 (5m 29s): Yeah, pretty much. It, it was pretty potent. We just sat on the boards and everybody hooped and hollered and I had a good old redneck time, man. There you go. 1 (5m 39s): Did it, is that what influenced you into playing guitar or drums at all? Like did they have any impact on that? Oh yeah. 3 (5m 47s): Yeah. For sure. Of course. Like any kid want to be like your dad or your mom or your grandparents or whatever, but yeah, I definitely looked up to the aunts and uncles that played and grandparents and things of that nature. 1 (6m 3s): And when you were eight and you just like, you wanted to play drums or guitar, was that something that you, your parents like were like, oh yeah, let's let's do it. Let's get you a guitar. Or was that something you really wanted to take seriously at that early of an age? 3 (6m 18s): I don't know about seriously. I mean, it was just something I took interest in. I, I think it was probably age 15, 16 before I really decided, okay, this is kind of something I really want to try to do and do something more than just playing the local pub or something and go from there. But yeah, I mean, they definitely were supportive and whatnot, but they never pushed me to do it. Okay. 1 (6m 45s): 15 is when you started or thought you wanted to take it more seriously, then you were playing in pubs and everything prior to that? 3 (6m 52s): Yeah, I mean, I was in a praise and worship group, but that was kind of the first time I really stood on stage in front of a crowd. And then I started doing like open mic nights and just like I said, local bars, local pubs, and the local country venues and whatnot, opening for other artists. And it just kind of evolved from there throughout my teens. 1 (7m 16s): Were you writing songs that early on as well? Or were you doing mainly 3 (7m 19s): Covers? They sucked, but yeah, 1 (7m 23s): That's cool though. I mean, to get up there and play your own songs that takes a lot of courage. 3 (9m 35s): Yeah, I guess I failed chorus in high school because I was to shadow sang in front of people and then somehow I ended up singing for a living. So kind of a crazy, 1 (9m 44s): That's funny. I think I saw that. Was it Jim Morrison, like got a D in chorus or something like that growing up too, like it just like, yeah, it's just funny to think back at stuff like that, but so you're writing songs. You're mainly playing just as a solo artist aside from the church group 3 (10m 3s): Back then. Yeah. I mean it was acoustic stuff mostly. And then now, like I said, it's evolved into the smoke show that it is now with the, the band and the lights and all the glitz and glam and what George Strait would call the dancing chicken show your country. But, but yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's became something kind of really high energy and, and super fun. 1 (10m 25s): Sure. Once a you like at 15, when you decided like this is plumbing on and fixed seriously, how do you go about trying to achieve that aside from playing the clubs and you know, different places around town? Like how did it get to like now I'm going to Nashville to record a record or 3 (10m 43s): Man there was really no rhyme or reason at that time. I was just a dumb young kid chasing a weird dream and wherever it took me, it took me. 1 (10m 53s): Okay. Was there a moment that changed that for you? I mean you're in college going to become a crime scene investigator. Where did you say whatever? Yeah. And now you're a musician there must've been a turning point. 3 (11m 7s): Yeah. I mean, my mom passed in 2010 and when I was 19 on new years day. And I think that was kinda when I was like, I I'm going to make something of this because it was more so her dream, I guess, than it was my dream. And once she passed, it was kind of one of those like damn minimum, do it for mama moments, you know? So ever, ever since then, I guess since 2010, that day, even through the morning of it all and whatever, I kind of put a fire under myself and then told myself, all right, there's no plan B, forgive yourself a plan B. You're only setting yourself up to fail because you're already giving yourself an excuse. So my plan I had was music and here we are. 1 (11m 50s): Wow. And so at 19, did you continue going to school or at point you're like, no, I'm going to just start doing this. 3 (11m 58s): Unfortunately dropped out of college, like right before my associates. I wish I would've got it, but I, I always go back. 1 (12m 7s): Yeah. 3 (12m 8s): Well, like I said, I don't believe in plan B. So I'm going to stick with this thing is still in pretty bad. 1 (12m 13s): I'm going to say you don't really need to. Okay. So that's when you really start going for it. And how do you be even begin that journey? Is it okay? I got to play more shows at these local pubs. I've got to get a song out. Like how do you, like, how do you even navigate that? 3 (12m 30s): Yeah. I think a lot of it then was just riding a lot. And I started writing a lot, trying to hone my craft. There was listening to local Georgia guys, like Corey Smith and Brantley Gilbert and Al Dean. And even some of the older ones like Alan Jackson and Allman brothers and things like that to try to code what I, what I had envisioned in my mind. But yeah, I mean, it, it, at that time was more so about the pen to paper part than it was the play and outline and stuff that, that kind of came in between, I guess, 21 and 25 is when I really started kind of playing out a lot more and doing more touring and things of that nature. 3 (13m 18s): Okay. 1 (13m 18s): Okay. And did I also see, like at 19, did you have a heart attack at 19? 3 (13m 24s): Yeah, 1 (13m 25s): My gosh. Now I'm putting it back together, like, okay. Your mom passed away. And then that happens, like what a lot going on there at 19. I mean to have a heart attack. 3 (13m 34s): Yes. Well, it wasn't, it wasn't natural causes. It was sorry, red bull, but don't ever drink red bull. I, I had one too many red bulls working a night shift job at a concrete plant and it literally was a chemical induced heart attack do that stuff. So I haven't had caffeine since 2009 because of that. 1 (13m 58s): Oh my gosh. That's unbelief. I mean, it's obviously that's crazy. 3 (14m 4s): Yeah. Yeah. The doctor told me I was lucky that there was unfortunately young gentlemen that passed away the night before for the exact same reason. And luckily my heart didn't explode, but from, from red 1 (14m 15s): Bull or from an energy drink, oh, well 3 (14m 18s): I had, I had six of them in two hours. So that's absolutely in excess. So I'm not not saying I wasn't an idiot at the time, but it's also one of those, like if it'll do that to you, I don't think you need it in you at all. So, 1 (14m 31s): Right. No. Wow. But I mean, nowadays there's still like the red bull, that's like 90 ounce. That's probably equivalent to six of them. And if you just sat there and slammed it, 3 (14m 42s): I can't even imagine, like I said, I haven't had caffeine in 12 years now or almost 13 years. So it would be a, it would be one of those. I'd probably be jittery and acting like I was cracked out of my mind or something. I even had a Coca-Cola with. 1 (14m 58s): Oh my goodness, man. Wow. And so like out of that, I mean, you decided, I mean, I don't, I'm sorry to ask this, but did that happen prior to your mom passing away or after? Yeah, 3 (15m 11s): That was right before she passed. Yeah. Oh 1 (15m 13s): My gosh. So that happens and your mom passed away and then it's just like, okay, I got to, I'm focusing a hundred percent on this music thing. Did you have a lot? I'm sure you had a lot of things to get out. A lot of words, ready to, you know, lyrics, right. Ready to go. 3 (15m 28s): Yeah. Yeah. I've always been the type to write about what I feel. So there there's been a couple of songs, I guess, that have maybe gotten me in trouble over the years. That that were a little bit risque here and there, but I like to write about real stuff, man. And from addiction to be in a little bit of a hell raiser and a whore dog and the bar scene and, and live in life more than one year at a time. And it's a, it's a part of my life, you know, some parts of it I'm not proud of, but I'm also one of them, people that I do understand that everything happens for a reason. And I was supposed to be in that moment at that time. And now it made me who I am. So I'm not ashamed of any of it. 1 (16m 7s): That's great with, with that. Like when you're writing the songs and you have some stuff together, do you, when do you start recording for the first time 3 (16m 17s): Recording? I mean, I was even recording in my bedroom when I was a teenager, but I didn't really, I guess, release anything outside of like uploading and on my space, you know, how it used to have the little music player on my space and I had put some stuff up like that would just be in a guitar. But as far as like full band recording, I started working with a lady named Bridgette Tatum in Nashville, like around that time that mom passed and she wrote she's country for Jason Aldeen and a couple other huge hits under her belt, but started writing with her and Danny Myrick and some, some really heavy hitters at that time, as far as the songwriting world and country music. And we started recording a little bit around that time, I would say probably around 2012. 1 (17m 2s): How did you get into contact with them? 3 (17m 5s): Super random, just playing little songwriter stuff in Nashville and just happened to meet people through friends of friends. And it's definitely one of those mingling tack towns that you never know who you're going to run into. And, and luckily I did meet her and have stayed friends ever since. So, 1 (17m 24s): So you were traveling to Nashville. Did you just know Nashville is where you wanted to be or the scene was there? Is that what kind of took you up there to, to, you know, join these writer's rounds and be kind of in that scene? 3 (17m 36s): Kind of, yeah. I mean, I knew it was something I needed to do. It was also something I was super scared of. I mean, like I said, I grew up in a super small Podunk little town on a three mile dirt road. I mean, we didn't even get a Walmart until I was almost 20 years old. It was, it was kind of a culture shock, but it was something I definitely knew I needed to get into and, and be there and be present, you know, you can't win and if you ain't in the race kind of thing. So I decided to start going and just kind of inching my way in slowly. 1 (18m 11s): I like cutting in for anyone that's listening. That's like, okay, I'm in wherever I'm in Georgia. I want to, I want to start to try to do this I'm 19. And I wanna, how did Jacob do this going into national? Like how do you even decide, like, did you just try to throw your hat in the ring as far as like a riding round way? Like how did you even get in these rooms or in the, in the door, 3 (18m 34s): Even though I was kind of shy growing up, I do have a little bit of that. I'm going to kick the damn door in whether you like it or not. But I kinda just came in and was like, look, my name's Jacob Bryant, I'm here to sing. You know? And sometimes they were like, are you on the list? I was like, I don't know, but I am now. So I guess 1 (18m 52s): I just had to be forward 3 (18m 53s): About it. Well, a little bit, you know, and of course that comes across as a dumb, arrogant, cocky kid, you know, but that's some of the ways that I met some of the people I did. And then of course, now I look back and I'm like, oh my Lord, you're idiot. But they got me into some of the situations that I'm in now. So like I said, I'm not, I'm not a proud of everything I've done, but I'm also not ashamed of 1 (19m 16s): Michael Jordan say like you miss a hundred percent of the shots you don't take or something like that 3 (19m 20s): So much, man, like I said, you gotta be present to win it. And he can't be scared to at least try. All I can say is no. So, 1 (19m 27s): Right. So once you start these writing sessions and, and you're, you're, you're riding with these people that have these huge hits under their belt, like what, what happens next? 3 (19m 36s): And just more riding rode a lot with them and you know, of course met new riders through that and co-writes and continue riding. And 1 (19m 47s): Here we are there must've been like a victory point in that, like to kept me going where they're just little victories along the way that kept you driving at it. Or, I mean, I would imagine if you were just like writing and writing, writing, writing, writing for years and nothing's happening. It's like, okay, how do I like, w what was the milestone? 3 (20m 5s): Yeah, I mean, I got, I got a big cut with Luke Combs early on Luke. And I wrote a song before he released hurricane and kinda blew up on his own and whatnot, but we wrote a song called out there together and it ended up being the first track on his first major label record that I think now was like triple platinum or something. But that was kind of, I guess my first milestone as a rider where I, where I get a plaque on the wall and stuff like that and whatnot. So that, that one was definitely a milestone. But outside of that, I mean, I've pretty much just wrote for my, my own projects outside of what Luke's cut and just a couple other like red dirt texts, Texas artists, and indie artists and things of that nature. 3 (20m 48s): Okay. 1 (20m 49s): And yet, I mean, I'm just looking at your Spotify, pour whiskey on my grave is a massive song. I mean, tens of millions of plays on that song solely, like when that hit, like, was that something that happened like quickly? Or like, do you remember that moment? 3 (21m 5s): Yeah. I mean, that one, that one was before, like things like Facebook and Instagram had this whole algorithm where it basically squashes you, if you're not spending money for people to see your stuff and all that mass select it. Yeah. For waste ski got like 21 million views. And just like a couple of days on, on Facebook when we uploaded it there. And then of course, as time goes by Facebook's algorithms change and whatever. So now even having 300 and something thousand fans on Facebook, I can post something and it'll only get like 20 likes because Facebook doesn't let any of my fans see my stuff. So I'm not so bizarre. I'm not a huge fan of Facebook if you can't tell, but right. 3 (21m 47s): But anyway, but yeah, I mean, some of that stuff was extremely overwhelming. I mean, we, we did pour whiskey that went viral over 20 million and then this side of sober went viral over 21 million on Facebook. And then YouTube of course did great. Spotify did great. And it's, it's just some of those songs that really connect with people, then people start sharing it. And before, you know, it, it's, it's doing its own thing, I guess. And in the world of what we call viral now, the word of mouth grassroots style. And that was kind of what my whole entire career has been based on is just, you know, fan base geared songs that, that I think at least somebody else will, you know, be able to gravitate toward or, or take something from that helps them and would make them want to show it to somebody else 1 (22m 36s): Because even your first EPS does really, I mean, did really well. Right. I mean, there's a lot of those songs that are still have millions of streams on them as well. 3 (22m 45s): Yeah. I think that one was my, my debut thing. The self-titled when I think it debuted like in the top five on iTunes charts or something like that, which was really cool. And then the record that has poor whiskey on it, it was my first number one charting record as Andy. So charted are number one on iTunes. And I think like number 11 on billboard, even without any radio airplay or anything. So, 1 (23m 9s): So massive like that. What, I mean, just even the first one doing that well, right. I mean, what a validating moment, so you didn't have a record label, anything you just put it out and people just ended up finding it and more people start listening to it. I mean, for it to grow like that on iTunes, I mean that record came out 2014, which was like the height of if you had a song charting on iTunes. That was unbelievable. 3 (23m 31s): Yeah. Yeah. We did well back in that day and that's, what's crazy now in the world of streaming, you know, you never really know how a record's doing, you know, because you get these monthly reports and, and whatever in the streaming world versus before, it was just, you know, a dollar 29 per song or, you know, whatever 12 bucks for the record or whatever. So you knew what you were kind of dealing with, but the, the new age is something I'm kind of trying to still learn how to wrap my head around and get behind. But I do appreciate also the other aspect of streaming is you have these curated playlist and ways to put your music in front of people that may or may not have heard it before. And, and that's also like a huge pro in the streaming world. 3 (24m 14s): So I'm not one of those like super big haters of the streaming stuff, like a lot of artists dollar, because I also understand that, yes, you're making a little bit less money for your streams, but you're also getting put in front of way more people than you would have if you were just selling it as a hard copy record or a digital download or whatever. So I think there's there's enough pro there to, to outweigh the cons as far as trainings, I'm, I'm excited to be partnered up with Spotify and apple music and a lot of these guys that are, that are putting my stuff out. 1 (24m 46s): Yeah. It's crazy to think like, I mean, you said the song made us number one without having any radio play. It's like nowadays I come from radio, I did radio for 15 plus years. And just to see the change, even over the past, like three or four years, how you don't need necessarily. I mean, I'm sure it helps obviously, but to even go number one, without having any airplay is pretty incredible. 3 (25m 15s): Yeah. I mean, it's, it's fairly unheard of. I mean, that was one of the bigger ones for us, as you know, I mean, if you don't have Sirius XM behind you or Spotify or apple or Pandora or something like that now, I mean, yes, terrestrial radio is great and it definitely is a necessity, but I do think that, you know, if you have that organic built foundation behind you, you know, these streaming services and things of that nature will push you way, way further, I guess, than the old school way of, you know, the radio tour and things, things like that. 1 (25m 49s): You've been at it for a long time. I mean, you put out a bunch of records between 2014 and then obviously the one with poor whiskey went nuts. So if you didn't have a back catalog and a fan base, I feel like something like a viral moment could just come and go, right. I mean, you have obviously have the back catalog of amazing songs and other songs on that record that people were gravitating towards after the fact. 3 (26m 16s): Yeah. I mean, I, I, I thoroughly believe in building the foundation. I mean, I know it is super cliche, but I grew up building houses. That was one of my first jobs. And, you know, you can build a house on top of dirt, that's all fine and good, but the first flood that comes the ass is going with it. You know? So if you don't, if you don't build a foundation under you with, you know, brick and mortar, concrete and rebar or whatever you do, you know, that house is going to away, you know, so I believe that's the same thing with fast up fast down, you know, you can have somebody to have a viral tick talk and there'll be the biggest thing in the world for three weeks. And then after that, you know, you don't hear them anymore. You know, so I think it, it, it matters to get out there and play the crappy gigs in front of 15 people and then go back to that venue and build it to a hundred people. 3 (27m 6s): And then the 500 people and, you know, whatever and, and really grassroots the hell out of it until you build something that I would consider your foundation. And then from there, you can take back to somebody like a 30 tigers where I ended up or, you know, whatever, and let them help you enhance what you've already built and go up from there. Then that way there's no way for anybody to fail because you've built something that nothing can fall through, you know, 1 (27m 31s): Makes a lot of sense. And I think that's having a lot more now with the viral moments and these tick-tock, you know, things happening. 1 (29m 45s): An artist we'll put that out and then it goes out of nowhere. And then it's do I try to chase that same song? Okay. I'm going to just keep writing something that sounds like that. I hope that it does again. And then if it doesn't and there's no foundation, like you just said there, then it's, they're just washed away and oh yeah. That one person had that one song that was popular at one time or that yeah, that one hit and your, I don't even remember their name, but I remember that song or like one of those situations with that first EAP, the subtitle EAP charting on iTunes. Did that change stuff for you as far as like, were managers hitting you up or able to get on the road with bigger artists? Like how did that affect your career at all? 3 (30m 26s): No, not really. The first, the first one was just me and my manager, Jeff kind of doing everything ourselves. And then even the next two, like we did the through the windshield record and the up smoke record, which were five song EPS, but I don't think anything really like popped off as far as hearing from the industry folks until we, until we released that practice, what I preach full length album that was when people started really taking notice and they see a guy that, you know, has no record label charting on billboard and having a number one debut with that. And that that's what it, 1 (31m 5s): That really grabbed the eyes of people. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Did it like when you put that song up, did it just, you said it had the, what 20 million views was it fast? I mean, you put it up in and you're like, whoa, you're, you know, the next morning you look at it and it's got X million plays. 3 (31m 20s): Yeah. I mean the 21 million didn't come of course for, you know, a week or so. But yeah, I mean, it's, I think we were like two or 3 million within 24 hours or something like that. And it was one of those where like you just refresh the page and every time it was going up by like 20,000 or something, and I know we ended up getting like 220 something thousand shares, which was even more incredible to me because 220,000 people not only watched it, but they wanted to send it to whoever their friends were too. So that, that was kind of crazy, you know, 220,000 vehicles, a lot of folks to at least take initiative and actually click it, you know, most less click it, just share it, you know, 1 (31m 59s): Let's just share it. And then their, their reach of fans, I mean friends, I mean a hundred plus probably per person. Right. And then it's just like, and it just spreads. It's crazy how it all works. 3 (32m 9s): Yeah. It was, it was incredible, man. I was telling people if I had 1 cent for every view on that, I'd be doing all right right now. But 1 (32m 20s): I think Spotify pays like add 0.0, like three of a percent of a sense, like a string or something like incredible. 3 (32m 28s): I don't even look anymore. And that's the, let it be. 1 (32m 33s): Yeah. Like that. Let's talk about your new record Barstool, preacher. I love the video you did of you buying your own CD. That was pretty good. 3 (32m 42s): Yeah. That was my first time doing that. We went into Walmart because Walmart has a vinyl section and stuff now because vinyl is kind of coming back and unfortunately the vinyl stuff was either sold out or they didn't have it one of the two, but we went down the street to an actual record store and their vinyls were sold out, but they did have a couple of CDs left and I bought a couple and then actually left one at a nearby bar that was in Buckhead, Georgia. And we came back a couple of days later and a fan had found it. So that's pretty cool. I don't know who the fan is because they didn't send me a message, but somebody got it. So 1 (33m 17s): Cool. That's really, really cool. Was this record written, like, tell me where you were when the pandemic happened. I mean, obviously we're at like two years in now, but like, is this songs that came from that era or did you have a lot, like anything like other things that went on and then it was like, okay, let's focus on this record now. Yeah. 3 (33m 35s): Yeah. I mean, some of it was definitely that, I mean, the pandemic affected everybody. I mean, we went from 140 shows a year to practically none. I mean, I think we did maybe 12 shows or something like that in 2020. So it was static. But, but yeah, I mean, a lot of those were, were songs that I'd either written during that time or, you know, previously written that didn't make the first record or, or whatever. And then some of them like buzzards and a couple of those that Wyatt McCubbin had written that were outside of songs that I decided to cut were just songs that I felt like that, you know, were something I wish I would have written, you know, and they were too good for me not to cut. So I, I chose to do that and we ended up, I think we cut close to 30 songs and I ended up picking 13, so, 1 (34m 22s): Wow. Wow. That's I didn't realize that. So you do, people will pitch, you still pitch you songs or you'll just friends of friends that will you'll hear them and be like, oh, Hey, I'd like, I'd love to record this. Yeah. 3 (34m 34s): A little bit of both. I mean, I, I have songwriting buddies. That'll send me something like, Hey man, what do you think of this? Or, you know, check out this new demo we did and whatever. And then sometimes I have to beg them to let me cut it. Cause it was so good. They wanted it, but it's a, excuse me. I didn't get sleep a whole lot. Last night. I got, I got a two year old, a toddler that's getting used to not having a pasty. So she gets, she kept congratulations. 1 (34m 60s): I have a five-year-old I remember those days, man. 3 (35m 3s): Yeah. I have the, I have an eight month old son and a two year old daughter. So when I'm back to back, so our, our, our sleep, schedule's a little crazy. 1 (35m 12s): Wow. Congratulations. Congratulations. Do you bring them on tour with you 3 (35m 17s): Sometimes? Yeah. They're going to come to the opera with 1 (35m 19s): Us. Oh, rad. That is rad. You play, you're playing the Opry coming up, correct? 3 (35m 24s): February 18th. 1 (35m 25s): Yeah. Yeah. And have you ever played there 3 (35m 27s): Before? I have not. This be Monday. 1 (35m 30s): That must be like, you must be super excited. I'm going to talk about iconic place. And of course in Nashville or you're coming up to record 3 (35m 36s): Records. That's one of those where I think that may be why I haven't been able to sleep. I'm just kinda ready to do it and enjoy it and get it over with. Cause I'm like worried about what I'm going to do wrong and then whatever. But at the same time, I also have to understand that it is, you know, just a gig and everything's going beyond. 1 (35m 56s): I love it. Well, I really, really appreciate your time, Jacob. This has been awesome. Thank you so much for chatting with me about your new record and telling me your story. 3 (36m 5s): Absolutely. But I appreciate your time and, and, and hopefully we can get together over a, a brewski or something on down the line and maybe I won't be falling asleep. 1 (36m 14s): I love that. I would love that. I would love that if you're out, like I said, I'm up here. So if you come pretty, if you come up here often enough, dude, I would love to, I would love to, 3 (36m 25s): Yeah, I get my number from Haley or Scott or whoever was my press contact and she may have tax man. Next time. I'm up. We'll we'll touch base. 1 (36m 33s): Cool. I have one more quick question for you. If you don't mind. I want to know you've already kind of answered this question throughout the old conversation, but I want to know if you have any advice for aspiring artists, 3 (36m 44s): Write your own songs, man. That's, that's the best advice that I was ever given. You know, like I said, growing up here in guys like Brantley and Corey Smith and all these young troubadours that, that really just had a natural hand at riding was something that didn't come as easy for me that I had to learn. You know? And I would just say, be yourself, write your own stuff. Because at the end of the day, nobody wants another Brantley or another, you know, Corey Smith or another Alan Jackson they wanna use. You know? So I, I went out once. I finally figured out who I was and you know, understood that yes, I'll have similarities and things that I've pulled his influences from a lot of these artists that I cherish and looked up to and whatever. 3 (37m 25s): But at the same time, I stayed true to who I was and the sound that I have. And one of the greatest compliments that, you know, I get fairly often is, you know, nobody sounds like Jacob Bryant, you sound like you, you know, so that that's, that's something I'm super proud of.