Katie & Company

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Ashley McBryde at 'Stars and Strings' Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

With the CMA Awards just around the corner, triple nominee Ashley McBryde is gearing up for a fun night amongst her Country music pals. But there’s one friend she knows she most likely won’t be seated next to… and here’s why.

“When you’re in a room full of people that do what you do it’s nice to be able to sit down and talk trash about each other -- because we do,” she said of the playful nature at awards shows. “Especially Miranda [Lambert] and I. I think that’s why they don’t seat us together anymore,” she laughed. “We give each other a hard time, but we’re always cheering each other on. Especially, the women in Country music -- we all are really good at challenging each other and showing up for each other at the same time.”

Trash-talking aside, we all know Ashley has a big heart for connecting with others, especially her fans, which is exactly what she’s done with her current top 20 single, “Light On In The Kitchen.”

“My favorite thing to see is when a Mom or a Dad has their arms around their child -- which is usually like a teenager -- and they’re kind of holding on to them and singing at their head, trying to get the information in there,” she said of witnessing how the song has impacted people every night on tour. “That’s just proof that a song like this, you didn’t write it, you didn’t make it up -- you were just the thing it came through.”

She concluded, “It’s wonderful to watch a Mom or a Dad sing, ‘trust yourself,’ ‘love yourself,’ and hopefully -- for once -- a teenager is listening to their parents.”

For more from Ashley, press play on his entire interview with Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

HARDY at 'Stars and Strings' Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

The cat's outta the bag... New music from HARDY is on the way and, according to him, it’s easily the best music he’s ever released.

“Next year I’m gonna be putting out a lot of music,” he told Katie & Co.’s Katie Neal before hitting the stage at Audacy’s Stars and Strings on November 1. “It’s just time. The next record is going to be the best [and] the coolest thing I think I've done so far. Trust me, the title track off the next record is gonna be the coolest thing I've done so far. I guarantee it.”

While he couldn’t elaborate any more on what’s to come, he can finally talk about his newly announced CMA performance alongside Morgan Wallen and Post Malone.

“I’ve manifested this for years,” the 33-year-old said of the live performance scheduled for next week’s CMA Awards. “Slight flex here, but I started following him [Post Malone] when he had like, 300k Instagram followers. I was on the White Iverson terrain, like the first thing that he ever put out and I was like, ‘this is dope,’ and I've been with him ever since.”

The performance will be Posty’s first at the CMAs (no surprise there) and there’s no one better to show him the ropes than HARDY and Wallen. The trio is scheduled to deliver a “Country Medley” of yet-to-be-revealed classics.

“I just like what he’s done for Hip Hop and for Pop music -- it’s just great,” HARDY concluded. “I’ve always said that from the very beginning.”

It's safe to say there won’t be much of HARDY’s famous head-banging during the November 8 performance, but for those curious, the Mississippi native shared how he keeps his signature thick-rimmed glasses on his face when he gets lost in the music.

“There’s like a specific motion I can do to keep them from falling,” he revealed after saying there’s never a strap holding them on. “I can feel them if I go too hard or whatever.”

For more from HARDY, press play on his entire interview with Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Russell Dickerson | Superstar Power Hour Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

After recently welcoming a new bundle of joy, Russell Dickerson and family are ready to celebrate their first holiday as a family of four.

With Halloween quickly approaching, Russell admits he’s stuck between two costumes — but either way, he’s goin’ all out and unlike last year, people will have no problem identifying his costume.

“Last year was Trash Truck [children’s show], which like, eight people watch. Nobody knew what we were doing,” he shared with Audacy’s Katie Neal, laughing. “Daniel Tiger is like, the show right now — that’s the show — so Kails [wife, Kailey] was like, ’Cool, let’s get a Daniel Tiger costume.’”

All on board with a children’s theme to make three-year-old son, Remington, and newborn, Radford, happy, Russell quickly learned that even children-friendly costumes can turn a bit…umm...awkward.

“I looked and Daniel Tiger’s Dad wears like, a hoodie with no pants,” Russell said admitting it doesn’t deter him from going for it… tastefully, of course.

“I’m like, ‘That’s kinda funny! I could do that,’” he laughed. “Get some tiger print tights, some yoga pants. That’d be funny.”

While not much seems to top a hilarious, “pants-less” Russell Dickerson, there is one other option and it’s in a completely different ballpark.

“I grew my hair out this year, and people are like ‘Dude, you look like Keanu Reeves,” he said with pride. “I thought it would be funny if they [wife and kids] were like, this cute little children’s show, right? And I just go as John Wick, a straight assassin.”

“Either a hoodie with no pants, or John Wick” RD said, summarizing his options. Guess we’ll just have to wait until Halloween to find out. Which one has your vote?

Want to hear more from Russell? Check out his full interview with Audacy’s Katie Neal above to hear about the recent arrival of his second son, how he struggles with comparison and what his first “big boy” tour experience has been like.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Jason Aldean | Superstar Power Hour Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

If you’ve been around the Country scene for any amount of time, you know Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany’s commitment to Halloween is next level. With epic costumes in the past tributing Tiger King, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and more, Jason promises there’s more fun to come this year.

“We got something cooking,” Jason told Audacy’s Katie Neal when asked about his costume for 2023. “We got a little surprise for everybody.”

While he remained tight-lipped about the specifics of his costume with Britt, Jason did share daughter, Navy, is already prepped for the big day while her older brother, Memphis, is still weighing his options.

“Navy wants to be Princess Peach from Mario Brothers,” he shared. “And Memphis wants to be something different every day.”

Before heading home to celebrate Halloween with the fam, Jason has a few shows left to complete on the first leg of his Highway Desperado Tour, which kicked off in July. “Once we got rollin’ it was great,” Jason said of the tour that features fellow artists Michell Tenpenny, Corey Kent and DJ Silver. “I just think it’s a good group of guys, it’s been a fun tour. The atmosphere backstage and just kind of around the tour has been a lot of fun.”

Good tour mates make all the difference and Jason is grateful to have had many over the years including good pal and fellow Georgian, Luke Bryan. After meeting at a radio station in Knoxville as rising Country stars, Aldean and Luke have both gone on to celebrate incredible careers, with Luke recently celebrating 30 #1 singles and Jason not far behind.

“I hate that he’s got a couple more than me because he likes to bring that up,” Aldean laughed after sharing he attended Luke’s 30 #1’s party. “It was fun to be there. I mean, 30 #1’s, that’s a huge deal for him and I was glad to be able to be there and be a part of him celebrating that.”

It won’t be long until Jason joins Luke in the 30 club as he is set to notch #28 with “Try That in A Small Town.”

“Growing up, you have guys like — I remember George Strait putting out his 50 #1 hits [album]. As an artist that’s ever had one of those, you just think, ‘Gah, that’s just impossible. How do you even think about that?’ And for both of us to be sitting here now — him at 30 and me closing in on it — it’s a pretty good deal. It ain’t 50 like Strai,t but it’s pretty good.”

“Try That in A Small Town” is the lead single off Jason’s forthcoming album, Highway Desperado, releasing November 3. Hear more about the project and what to expect by checking out Jason’s full interview with Katie Neal a ...

Dan + Shay | Superstar Power Hour Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

Dan + Shay are already in the midst of their newest adventure as the history-making, first coaching duo on NBC’s The Voice.

Joining Audacy’s Katie Neal on the Superstar Power Hour, the guys revealed they’ve already been taping auditions and opened up about the experience thus far, how they got the gig, and their team strategy.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Dan said of being on the show. “Everybody is awesome, it’s just a good crew.”

While the camaraderie is good between the guys and their fellow season 25 judges, which include Reba McEntire, John Legend and Chance the Rapper, they say they have no problem getting competitive to secure the best talent on their team.

“I would say Reba,” Shay said of who they view as their biggest competition. “Because she’s the only other Country act and she’s REBA,” he laughed.

Dan added, “We’re going head to head with her for the Country acts though, it’s ruthless.”

As they celebrate their new adventure, the guys reflected on the process it took to be on the show, which they both admit took a lot of patience. The idea to appear as coaches was first presented to the guys by their manager Jason Owen, who encouraged them to take a meeting with NBC and see where it went.

After connecting well with the folks at NBC, their hopes for getting the gig skyrocketed, especially for Shay.

“Every day I would ask Jason, ‘Hey man, you heard anything?’” Shay shared. “I feel like, before this, I had never even thought about that being a dream of mine. And then they put it in front of me and I was like, ‘I don’t think I’ve wanted to do anything else other than this in my life.’ I was clearly born to do this. I know how to talk — a lot — and you can’t shut me up, this is perfect.”

After months of no news, the guys were ready to admit defeat until Dan got a text while drinking green beer and celebrating St. Patrick's Day at the beach with Country pal, Megan Moroney.

“Jason text us and he was like, ‘Hey, can you guys get on the phone?’ And it was like a Saturday or Sunday — it was St. Patrick's day and I was like, ‘alright this news is either really good or really bad.'”

He continued, “I’m out there, trying to find a quiet spot, we got on like, this conference call and he was like, ‘How would you guys like to be the coaches on The Voice?’ And I was like, ‘No Way!’ We’re on the phone, everybody i ...

Lainey Wilson | Superstar Power Hour Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

Now that Lainey Wilson has introduced fans to her beau of more than two years, the 31-year-old says she’s ready to further express her love for him with new music.

Wilson surprised fans when she walked the carpet at the 2023 ACM Awards last May alongside former NFL player, Devlin “Duck” Hodges — her boyfriend of two years. Wilson had kept their relationship under wraps until that night and now, she’s ready to share their love with the world.

“I am in love… I’m excited to share this side of my life,” Lainey confirmed before sharing her most-recent songwriting is reflecting that. “That’s weird for me, that I’m able to write those kinds of songs. I will say, I don’t think I will ever be the kind of love song writer that’s going to be mushy, gushy, like pour my heart out to ya. I think it’s going to be more of the ‘I’m a strong woman and I gotta man who’s OK with it kind of thing.’”

That’s exactly what Lainey appears to have as she continued on to explain Duck’s support of her career and the respect he has for her chasing a dream. “He knows what it’s like to start from the ground up,” she said, sharing he did the same as he walked on the Pittsburgh Steelers. “He knows what it’s like to have a dream at a very young age… we understand each other. He knows how important this job is to me and this business and he knows I have worked my butt off to be here and ain’t nobody gonna stop me from doing what I need to do.”

That’s never been more clear as Wilson recently made CMA history topping the nominee list for a second year in a row with nine nods at the 57th Annual CMA Awards. This includes a nom for the night’s biggest award, Entertainer of the Year, which recognizes the approximate 160 live shows Wilson has played in 2023 alone.

“We have played every kind of show you can imagine this year,” she reflected. “We started out doing a club tour and then we did the Luke Combs stadium tour and then now we’re out on the road with HARDY. By the time it’s said and done, we’ll have played 160-something shows for the year.”

That’s a lot of shows, and if you know Lainey — you know it’s a lot of bell bottoms as well. Wilson’s love for bell-bottom pants has been apparent since she got her start in the genre and has taken on a life of it’s own as she is never seen without them and has even claimed the space, “Bell Bottom Country” with her latest album. Lainey shared her love for the pants goes way back to her childhood.

“They were blue leopard print,” she said while reminiscing on her first pair of bell bottom pants. “When I put those blue leopard print bell bottoms on I felt sassy, I felt like I could do anything. I didn’t want to take them off, my mama at some point was like, ‘You gotta take ‘em off, we gotta wash ‘em,’” she laughed.

The invincib ...

Parmalee | Superstar Power Hour Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Parmalee recently wrapped their time on tour with legendary band, Train, and the guys still can’t get over what a perfect fit it was for them on the road.

“So much fun, such good guys,” Parmalee told Audacy’s Katie Neal during this week’s Superstar Power Hour. “It just made complete sense. We knew when they asked us if we wanted to go on tour with them, I was like, ‘Absolutely!’ Because I knew their audience would be a lot of our audience.”

Not only was it a perfect fit for the fans, the guys were happy to take notes from some of their biggest icons.

“The main thing you learn is what it takes to put on a great 90-minute set… and just performing. Pat [Monahan] is a great performer,” said lead singer, Matt Thomas. “It’s almost like he took us under his wing a little bit,” Josh McSwain added. “He would tell us his stories about coming up and how it used to be before they had all the success and everything. It was really interesting.”

As the guys clearly created a close bond with Monahan, they admit they were still starstruck by being around him every night.

“Passing by [him] in the hallway, it’s like ‘Oh, hey! That’s Pat!’” Laughed Thomas.

Admitting to being starstruck by Pat brought up some other memories for the guys who said people have been starstruck by them… but only because of mistaken identities.

“We were playing this festival with Dierks Bentley and I was in the bathroom,” McSwain shared of one of his fondest memories. “He comes up behind me and goes, ‘Hey, man!’ [and] I was like, ‘No Way! Dierks Bentley knows who we are.’ I turn around and I’m like, ‘Hey!’ And he goes, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were Gary Allen.”

Not quite, Dierks! A much more common mistake the guys have been running into is drummer, Scott, regular being called Aaron Rodgers.

“Aaron Rodgers back here,” the guys said, pointing to Scott. “He’s getting that a lot these days!”

“I’d say it’s every other day,” responded Scott. “The TSA says it, the stewadess says it — I mean, just a lot of people in general. It’s the hat turned around and the beard, I guess.”

Hear more about the band’s mistaken identities, recent tour dates, new album and more by checking out their full conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal for the Superstar Power Hour above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Bailey Zimmerman | Superstar Power Hour Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Thomas Rhett | Superstar Power Hour Sep 15, 2023

Show notes

In the midst of wrapping up his Home Team ’24 tour, Thomas Rhett is reminiscing on his highly successful career after accomplishing 21 #1 singles on Country radio in just 10 years.

“I can’t fully fathom it,” he said of the accomplishment. “It feels like 20 years and [also] a day because I can vividly go back to the moment every single one of these songs came out and put myself into that anxious feeling of like, ‘Is this one going to work?’”

After hitting #20 with the success for “Half of Me” feat. Riley Green, Rhett announced plans to release a retrospective vinyl collection titled, 20 Number Ones. Leading up to the vinyl release, Thomas has been having some fun walking down memory lane via social media as he revisits some of his favorite songs, moments, and phases of his career.

“Anything that I get into, it can’t just be a sorta thing… When it get into something, it has to be a million percent” he said, poking fun at some of the phases he went through, specifically his jeans phase.

“I got into the whole raw denim phase, like the real hipster phase where you’re like, ‘hey, you can’t wash these, only wash these once a year or stick them in the freezer,” TR laughed. “My wife was just like, ‘will you just stop and just wash your freakin’ pants?’”

While his jean phase may be concluded, Thomas’ hit-making stage seems to be far from over as he shares plans and expectations he has for himself to keep releasing quality music. “It’s kind of an interesting time in my career because a decade solidifies like, OK, that was a thing, that was a moment, that was a story, and now it’s like, how do we begin to write the next chapter of the book?” He expressed.

“I can’t just release songs that sound like hits for the sake of it’s a hit. What does that do? It’s gotta be something new and unique and fresh for me for it to matter.”

We look forward to hearing what comes across our speakers in the next decade! To hear more about Thomas’ 20 Number Ones album, his family and some of the stories behind his music hit play on his conversation with Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Kane Brown | Superstar Power Hour Sep 08, 2023

Show notes

As an ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee and recent CMA Musical Event of the Year nominee, Kane Brown says, while honored, award nominations are not what motivate him most.

“I was very happy that I got nominated for it, but to be completely honest with you, I forget all the time that I was even nominated,” he said of the ACM recognition. “I always go out and I just try to put the best show on that I can. I feel like that’s what I want to perfect the most out of anything in the career, is just me performing.”

Known for his humble, easy-going spirit, Kane’s on-stage performances may surprise many as he lights up his sets with boundless energy, passion and literal fire.

“I remember, I used to be that scared kid and now I just realize the more fun I have, the more fun everybody else has,” he said, revealing he studies performances of several different artists to perfect his own shows . “If people saw me six months ago, I’m like ‘Wait until you come to the next show.’ Me and my band and my team and the production — everything just keeps getting better.”

The fun he’s having has made Kane more confident than ever as he’s branched out and tried some things out of his comfort zone. For example, taking an acting role on the CBS drama Fire Country. “It’s hard,” he said of his experience acting. “I was in seven minutes… I was there two days for that seven minutes.”

While he may have not been as comfortable on set as he is on stage, Brown says he received unexpected compliments from his fellow co-stars. “I don’t know if they [everyone on the set] were blowing smoke or whatever, but they said that I was a natural. But the guy that they had me playing was kind of me, just low-key and whatever, but they said I was just natural.”

So what’s the dream role for this natural actor? “I would love to be an Avenger,” Kane shared without hesitation. “That would be sick. Or, I’ve always wanted to play in a scary movie.”

As Kane manifests those roles, he continues to remain busy working on new music. Sharing “Bury Me In Georgia” is his last single from the Different Man album, Brown shares he’s ready to get fans some new tracks. “I have been working on new music and I’m really excited for what’s to come.”

So are we!

Hear more about new music, his live shows, and more by checking out Kane’s entire conversation with Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

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