The Origins Foundation Podcast

Episode 587: Drake White || Hunting Is Healing
Release Date: August 26, 2025

Overview

In this profoundly moving episode, country music artist and avid outdoorsman Drake White joins the Origins Foundation Podcast for an intimate conversation about resilience, healing, and the deeper significance of hunting. Drake shares the story of his catastrophic stroke in 2019, his remarkable recovery, and how reconnecting with hunting—especially the pursuit of a mysterious, near-mythical buck—played a key role in both his physical and spiritual healing. This conversation weaves together threads of music, nature, vulnerability, and masculinity into a powerful narrative illustrated by Drake's new documentary, Ladder To The Sky: A Hunts The Healing Documentary.

Key Discussion Points & Timeline

1. Drake White’s Background & Musical Journey

Timestamps: 02:12 – 41:39

• Roots in Alabama & Early Influences

  • Echoes of the Appalachian foothills and family hunting trips especially with his preacher grandfather, shape much of Drake's musical and personal identity.

  “Being out in nature, that is music. That is music to me. And that’s where I talk to God.” (11:50 – Drake White)

• Path to Music and Nashville

  • From singing at beauty pageants in high school, unexpected bar gigs, college parties at Auburn, to moving to Nashville for a construction job that quietly evolved into a music career.
  • “Nashville is the songwriter’s town. The most concentrated population of [songwriters], for sure.” (31:56 – Drake White)
  • Emphasis on the city's "ten-year town" reputation: "They say Nashville's a ten-year town. There's a lot of truth to that." (32:29 – Drake White)

• Career Breakthroughs & Setbacks

  • Opening for big names (Willie Nelson, Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, etc.), but facing industry trends and label drops (“a lot of questioning, a lot of learning,” 36:11).
  • Navigating the tide of country radio favoring the Florida Georgia Line "Cruise" sound—while maintaining his distinct musical style.
  • Persevering through layoffs, label changes, and an identity forged by challenge and independent spirit.
  • “I’ve been dropped from two different record labels… now I’m an independent guy… and I think that’s what the hunter is, the musician is; it’s that rebellious nature.” (37:30 – Drake White)

2. The 2019 Stroke: Trauma, Faith, and Recovery

Timestamps: 42:24 – 58:06

• Stroke On Stage & Immediate Aftermath

  • During a show in Roanoke, Virginia, Drake experiences a stroke caused by a congenital brain malformation (“felt my hand start to tingle, felt my left foot, felt like a bowling ball…forgot the words... then heard a gunshot go off in my head.” 48:41 – Drake White)
  • Rushed to hospital, survives due to rapid intervention; left side of his body paralyzed.

• Near-Death, Spiritual Visions & The “Angels”

  • Recalls a vivid vision amid excruciating pain:

    “I saw these four figures in the corner of the room. I knew everything was going to be alright if I could just keep breathing… later, I would figure out they were angels.” (51:14 – Drake White)

  • His wife’s prayers seem to coincide with his vision, bringing peace during intense struggle.
  • Profound church dream and sense of being instructed by God to “stand up”—a spiritual moment that triggers the first attempt at physical movement post-stroke.

• Hitting Rock Bottom: The Challenge of Recovery

  • From initial survival to the “rock bottom had a basement” realization on not being able to move, personal identity in question, and family rallying around him.

3. Hunting as a Catalyst for Healing

Timestamps: 59:55 – 74:59

• The “Primal Flip”: A Game Camera, A Buck, and Purpose

  • Drake’s brother-in-law encourages him to set up a game camera despite his paralysis; soon, he spots an enormous, almost mythical buck behind his house.
  • “It flipped a primal switch in my body. I had to hunt that deer.” (62:25 – Drake White)
  • The sighting becomes his singular focus—shifting recovery from passive to purposeful. (“This gave me a purpose. This gave me something to pursue.” 65:39 – Drake White)

• Rehabilitation Tied to the Hunt

  • Motivation to hunt inspires Drake to push through physical therapy (“I gotta learn how to climb a ladder”), resulting in rapid progress even surprising his neurologist, Dr. Miracle.

• Documenting the Journey: ‘Ladder to the Sky’

  • The healing journey—learning to walk, climb, and ultimately re-engage deeply with life—is captured in the upcoming documentary (premieres September 1st at Raleigh Green’s Duck Line, then on Realtree’s YouTube).

4. Community, Ego, and True Masculinity in Hunting

Timestamps: 75:00 – 82:12

• Breaking Down Barriers and Accepting Help

  • Initial resistance to joining friends at the famed Honey Brake lodge due to fear of being a “hindrance,” pride, and ego.

  “All they see is a guy that can’t get his waders on…the whole reason I didn’t want to go was because I didn’t want to show my cards of weakness.” (77:09 – Drake White)

  • Vulnerability leads to newfound bonds and breaking toxic notions of masculinity:

    “It broke the egotistical masculinity thing that I had... and it welded this friendship.” (79:11 – Drake White)

  • Hunting camp becomes a place of compassion and deep connection, reinforcing the theme of communal healing.

• Hunting’s Deeper Purpose

  • Drake emphasizes the universal, ancient roots of hunting (“the concept of not hunting is way newer than hunting,” 74:25).
  • His journey transforms the act from a pursuit of game to a pursuit of personal wholeness—for himself, his family, and his peers.

5. Healing in Many Forms – Music, Hunting, and Service

Timestamps: 83:06 – 94:58

• The Healing Power of the Hunt Expands

  • Not just about deer: hunting as foraging, fishing, seeking meaning itself.
  • Sharing parallel stories, notably veterans finding similar healing through hunting after trauma or war.

  “You’re not just observing, you are at heart of it—You are nature.” (86:49 – Interviewer)

  • Emphasizing optimism, faith, and purpose in all pursuits (“Never bait a hook without believing that fish is going to bite that hook.” 93:13 – Drake White)

• Musical Integration & Upcoming Work

  • Music—especially songs like “Ladder to the Sky” and “Hurts to Heal It”—remains entwined in Drake’s story, furthering the “rising tide floats all ships” philosophy.

6. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Authenticity and Social Media:

  “As soon as you just sink into that authenticity of who you actually are, it starts to work.” (05:09 – Drake White)

• On Facing Adversity:

  “I’ve always considered myself a tough guy…you’re going to face some opposition…Just welcome it now.” (38:08 – Drake White)

• On Connection & Vulnerability:

  “People are good for the most part. Nature is so unforgiving and so beautiful. And there are angels in the corner of the room if you ask them to be there… There’s deer in the woods. You just got to go look.” (94:58 – Drake White)

• On Community Healing Through Hunting:

  “It literally, scientifically, spiritually, physically, and mentally healed me to go pursue the other animal…the job of this documentary, this podcast, to uphold that right.” (80:57 – Drake White)

• On the Documentary’s Core Message:

  “It’s not about 10% hunting…it’s really the spiritual journey of what it is.” (83:07 – Drake White)

Notable Segment Timestamps

• Drake’s Childhood & Musical Roots: 10:59 – 17:00
• Explaining Nashville’s “Guitar Pool” & Songwriting Culture: 27:52 – 32:29
• Beginning of Health Crisis: 42:50 – 51:08
• Spiritual Vision & Recovery: 51:08 – 58:06
• Discovery of the Backyard Buck: 62:25 – 66:57
• Rapid Rehabilitation Linked to Hunting: 66:41 – 67:01
• Creation of the Documentary ‘Ladder to the Sky’: 70:16 – 72:12
• Masculinity, Ego, and Asking for Help: 77:09 – 79:11
• Universal Healing Power of Hunting (Veterans, Purpose): 88:07 – 90:06

Final Takeaways

• Hunting can be a profound source of healing—not just physically, but mentally and spiritually—providing purpose, community, and a pathway through trauma.
• Vulnerability is strength: Drake’s openness about ego, identity, and recovery models a new, constructive vision of masculinity and outdoor culture.
• Connection to nature is universal: Whether through hunting, music, family, or faith, seeking deeper engagement with the natural world can transform lives.
• Ladder To The Sky: A Hunts The Healing Documentary—coming September 1, 2025—brings these themes to the screen, reaching both hunters and non-hunters alike.

End of Summary