Katie & Company

Latest Episodes:

Priscilla Block at the 2023 ACM Awards May 10, 2023

Show notes

Ahead of the 2023 ACM Awards, Priscilla Block caught up with Katie Neal to chat all about her red carpet look at the “best night ever,” and more.

Describing the whole ACM experience as “amazing" and “crazy”, Priscilla went on to say, “it’s been a wild year. I feel like I blinked and then here we are at the ACMs again… I was up last year for 'New Female,' and I’m up again this year, so it’s just really exciting, it’s special, it’s like the best night ever.”

Block also discussed the deluxe version of her album Welcome to the Block Party, with its four additional tracks, noting “I wasn’t fully passed the 'Block Party' era,” figuring why not “add four new ones that I really love while I’m working on my second album." And while she didn’t divulge much about her sophomore project, Priscilla did say “there’s a lot going on so there’s a lot to write about it.”

After briefly chatting about working with Justin Moore, Katie inquired about Priscilla’s plans for her ACM Awards red carpet look.

“I actually recently did a clothing collaboration with SHEIN that I’m so proud of… so I’m actually wearing SHEIN on the carpet.” After some praise from Katie about opting for something affordable, Block noted, price aside, “I am obsessed with my outfit, it’s probably one of my favorite fits that I’ve worn.”

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Katie Neal

Parker McCollum | Superstar Power Hour May 05, 2023

Show notes

With only one week until the release of his second studio album, Never Enough, Parker McCollum is ready for fans to hear the new music which he says is straight down the middle, Country music.

“What I set out to doing [with this album] was to not change anything about what I do,” Parker told Audacy’s Katie Neal during his time on the Superstar Power Hour. “I really wanted to make this record how I’ve always made records and that’s just sittin’ around trying to write Country songs and then go record them and put the record out and get on the road.”

He continued, “Trying to stay true to my roots, what I believe in, Country music and my brand of songwriting and trying to do that, but at the same time, elevate it. It’s hard to walk that line — you don’t want to come out doing something totally different, but you want it to be something fresh and be intriguing to your fans to give ‘em something to hang on while they’re still getting what they ultimately want, which is the good ol’ stuff.”

While Parker has strived to keep each track new, fresh and true to his sound on his own album, it doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to step outside the box with other projects. He went on to share details about his collaboration on Diplo’s brand new album, Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 — Swamp Savant.

“I don’t even know how it happened,” Parker said of “Lonely Long,” which appears on the new project. “He reached out — maybe got my number from the label or something — and said ‘Wanna do a song?’ I can’t even remember how it happened. At some point, the song ended up in my files and it was really good! I didn’t know what to expect, and I really liked the song.”

Hear more about Parker’s collab with Diplo plus, more behind the scenes on his forthcoming album, Never Enough, by checking out his full interview with Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Brett Young | Superstar Power Hour Apr 28, 2023

Show notes

It’s easy to think touring Country artists are living a life of glam as they travel from city to city with big tour buses and screaming fans, but Brett Young is here to set the record straight.

During his recent appearance on the Superstar Power Hour with Audacy’s Katie Neal, Brett shared the common misconceptions about day-to-day tour life and got real about what really goes on behind the scenes.

“I think the misconception is that we just wake up at 9 o’clock in the morning and we’re playing corn hole in the parking lot,” he laughed. “It’s like, no. We’re sleeping in when we have the opportunity, we’re saving our voice, we have soundcheck, we have radio, we have all these things. The day is full once you wake up, you’re just trying to get as much rest as you can so your voice works.”

While giving credit to some artist camps for squeezing in fun activities here and there, Brett says he’s proud to be part of one of the quieter camps on tour.

“There are [artist] camps that are really fun and then there are camps that are really boring and I think I’m kind of the really boring camp,” he admitted. “I’m kind of OK with it now with two little babies. I’m camp sleep!”

Can’t blame Brett for that as he is father to two young daughters Presley (3) and Rowan (1), who mean more to him than anything, and according to his wife, he makes it very clear by being a helicopter parent.

“I am accused of being a helicopter Dad by my wife [Taylor],” Brett told Audacy’s Katie Neal during his recent appearance on the Superstar Power Hour.

“She’s actually a much cooler parent than me. She wants them to experience things and [is] like, ‘Let them learn for themselves,’ and I’m like, ‘Don’t go anywhere near that cliff!’ And there might not even be a cliff,” he laughed. “So yeah, I’m a little helicopter-y, I guess.”

Hear more from Brett about his family, upcoming tour with Sam Hunt and Lily Rose, and more by checking out his entire conversation with Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

HARDY | Superstar Power Hour Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

This week on the Superstar Power Hour, Audacy’s Katie Neal got a chance to talk with HARDY, catching up with the singer and songwriter amid a break from touring in support of his new album, the mockingbird and THE CROW.

Congratulations are in order for HARDY not just for his new album, recent CMT Awards win and upcoming ACM Awards nominations, but he also got married back in October. "I've been in a really good head space in general," he tells Katie, “and really having a lot of revelations about life and all good things and just how grateful I am and how grateful I should be. Everything is just really good right now."

“I've struggled a lot with being an artist,” he adds, “and I've been really vocal about it, but I think in the past like six months just kind of having the realization that this is very special and that I should take it all in stride, as opposed to maybe fight losing my anonymity or like having fans and feeling pressure and stuff like that.”

“I've really dialed in how cool it is and how special it is,” HARDY says, “and I'm really kind of owning that now… it’s changed my perspective.”

A serious tour bus accident in 2022 that left him and everyone aboard with significant injuries, he acknowledges also “had a lot to do with that,” allowing him to “look on the positive because, you know, it could all be gone like that, and it's just all sort of happened in the last six months, but it's been great. It's been an uphill battle, but it's been awesome recently.”

Having another hit on the charts with his new single “Wait in the Truck” featuring Lainey Wilson is exciting enough, but HARDY has also written songs for plenty of other artists. “Probably ‘Up Down,’” he says would be his favorite, speaking of the track he wrote for his buddy Morgan Wallen. “’God's Country’ is up there,” he adds, of the single he wrote for Blake Shelton, “but ‘Up Down’ is a really big one for a lot of reasons.”

“One, it was my first number one and it was Morgan's first number one," he explains. “So that kind of kickstarted both of our careers in a big way. I'm just glad that was my first hit because it kind of got people's attention and that's the thing that I do really well… it established me as a writer, true to how I write.”

Another fan-favorite, and one close to HARDY, is Wallen’s single “More Than My Hometown,” which he wrote along with ERNEST and others. “I think it's really cool too,” he says, “to be one of those moments where people are rooting and keeping up with a friendship because we are. I mean, I talk to both, especially Morgan and Earn almost every day about something, never music...”

“Me and Morgan had a conversation the other day about how it's gonna be a really sad day, but a cool day at the same time, where we hopefully, one day, that we can't tour with each other because we'll be at the same level -- and ERNEST too.”

...

Jake Owen | Tortuga Music Festival Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Nothing is more important to Jake Owen than raising his two little girls, Pearl (10) and Paris (3), to know their full potential. And who better to show them than the powerful women of Country music?

Jake recently joined Audacy’s Katie Neal during his time at Tortuga Music Festival and expressed how grateful he is to raise his daughters around the fearless, trailblazing women of the genre.

“They loved Shania,” Jake said of his daughters getting to watch her set at the festival. “It was fun. Those are the things that I’m lucky to do in having this career as well. Being able to take my family and stand side-stage at Shania Twain’s concert - she’s sold 100 Million albums…. Think about that!”

Jake isn’t the only one impressed by the 90s icon. He shared his eldest daughter, Pearl, was especially captivated by Twain and he was more than happy to see it.

“I think she’s just enamored by the fact that that’s possible,” Jake said of Pearl’s admiration for Shania. “I love that about the girls that are out on the radio right now. I love everything they’re doing — females in Country music — because as a father of a daughter, I love that it’s inspiring to her to see these females out here expressing themselves and singing about what they know and what they wanna say. It gives a lot of confidence to little girls like Pearl, who sits there and watches them.”

Can you say, #GirlPower?!

Hear more from Jake by checking out his full interview with Katie Neal from Tortuga Music Festival above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Kylie Morgan | Tortuga Music Festival Apr 17, 2023

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Kylie Morgan joins Katie Neal at Tortuga Music Festival.

Megan Moroney | Tortuga Music Festival Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Since experiencing rapid success with her debut single, “Tennessee Orange,” life has been a whirlwind for Megan Moroney who received her very first ACM Nomination last week.

“I think I tweeted, ‘Am I getting PUNK’D right now?’ Moroney laughed telling Audacy’s Katie Neal about the moment she found out ahead of her appearance at Tortuga Music Festival. “It doesn’t feel real. I’m just like, ‘What’s happening?’”

The timing of her New Female Artist nomination happens to be pretty perfect for the 25-year-old Georgia native, whose debut album, Lucky, is set to release the week before the big awards show on May 5.

Additionally, she’ll be playing the opening slot for legendary duo, Brooks & Dunn, on tour that same week only adding to her “what is my life?” moments.

“I’m on tour with Brooks & Dunn that week too, so it’s just like, everything’s casual," she joked.

Tune in to see if Megan takes home the big win by tuning into The 58th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Dolly Parton, and Garth Brooks on May 11, 2023 from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, TX. The show will be exclusively broadcast live via Amazon’s Prime Video.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Kenny Chesney | Tortuga Music Festival Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Kenny Chesney has new music on the way, but he’s taking time to make sure he gets it right.

Chesney sat down ahead of his set at Tortuga Music Festival with Audacy’s Katie Neal to talk new music and share when fans can expect some new tunes. “The one thing I can say about it [new music] is it’s still in motion,” Kenny shared. “People ask me when it’s going to come out and the best answer I have is, ‘When it’s done.’”

He continued, “It’s easy to rush it and it’s easy to put music out when people think it might be time, but I think I’ve earned the right to get it right. I mean, I love it now, but I want to be in love.”

According to Kenny, he isn’t the only one who has to be in love with the sounds before releasing new music. The tracks also have to get approval from his work camp and family.

“Lucky for me, I don’t have a lot of ‘yes,’ people in my camp,” he shared. “And that’s really important. I have a lot of people within my circle, within my camp that have really good song sense. It all starts with my producer Buddy Cannon also, I can’t get anything past him. I’ve been blessed that way.”

He continued, “Honestly, my family in East Tennessee, they are our audience, they really are. When I’m home for Christmas or Thanksgiving, they’ll tell me everybody they love, they’ll tell me what they hate. All the new artists, all the songs they love.”

While it sounds like we may have some time before hearing new music from Kenny, there’s one thing we can be sure of — it’ll be top tier once it arrives.

Hear more by checking out Kenny’s entire conversation with Katie Neal above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Carly Pearce | Tortuga Music Festival Apr 16, 2023

Show notes

New music from Carly Pearce is closer than we all thought.

The reigning ACM Female Artist of the Year recently joined Katie Neal for an interview ahead of her set at Tortuga Music Festival and gave some more hints surrounding what’s to come and when.

“I don’t want to give anything away, but this is the most excited I’ve ever been to put out a song,” Carly said before disclosing she is “weeks” away from releasing a new song.

Not only did she give fans a timeline of when they can expect a new track, but she also gave hints as to what kind of track it will be.

“Am I coming with a duet again?” She hinted before clarifying, “Maybe I should call it a feature, let’s not call it a duet. It’s different.”

Rumors have been swirling since Pearce performed “Just A Girl,” with Gwen Stefani at the CMT Music Awards that the two might have something in the works, but Pearce was quick to clarify those speculations are not true.

“It’s not a female,” she said of the artist featured on the hinted collab. So who do we think it is? Hear more hints by checking out Carly’s full interview with Katie at Tortuga Music Festival above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Dylan Scott | Tortuga Music Festival Apr 16, 2023

Show notes

After 13 years in the music business, Dylan Scott finally earned his first ACM Nomination and he was so excited to share his excitement with fans, he forgot to put clothes on.

Dylan sat down with Audacy’s Katie Neal ahead of his recent set at Tortuga Music Festival and shared all the details of the unforgettable moment he found out about his nomination.

“100% in my underwear, just finished a workout, in the sauna, I get a phone call from my label which was at 8:30 in the morning which I thought was weird,” he told Katie Neal. “I had no idea, It was awesome.”

He continued, “I’ve been in Nashville 13 years, had my first #1 seven years after movin’ there, had a couple since then so we’ve been bustin’ and to finally be nominated, that’s a huge win for me.”

The news wasn’t only exciting for Scott, but his young kids as well who celebrated right alongside their dad.

“My kids, when I told them I was nominated they were like, ‘You’re gettin’ a trophy!’” He laughed. “They don’t understand what a nomination and a win is, but you know what? That’s really cool seein’ my kids fired up too. Like, ‘Daddy’s gettin’ a trophy.’ Hey, I got the trophy already.”

Dylan’s nomination is in the New Male Artist of the Year category. He is up against Zach Bryan, Jackson Dean, Ernest, Nate Smith and Bailey Zimmerman.

See who takes home the big win by tuning into The 58th Annual celebration, hosted by Dolly Parton, and Garth Brooks on May 11, 2023 from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, TX. The show will be exclusively broadcast live via Amazon’s Prime Video.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal