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Back Of The Bus | Thomas Edwards Is The Next BIG Thing In Music + Playing Hungover For Tennessee
01:06:15
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- [00:00]
Jack
Welcome back. This is technically episode six.
- [00:03]
Thomas Edwards
Six.
- [00:04]
Jack
Six. Welcome to episode six. We have a very special treat for you today. It's actually technically our first guest in recording order, but joining us today on Back of the Bus is xvfl recording artist, songwriter. Wow. Aficionado.
- [00:22]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah.
- [00:23]
Garrett
Wow.
- [00:23]
Thomas Edwards
Legend. Yeah.
- [00:24]
Jack
Thomas Edwards, everyone. Give it up for Thomas Edwards.
- [00:27]
Thomas Edwards
Let's go, Thomas. Hey, you did say something, though. Not an exvfl man. I'm a Vol for life.
- [00:34]
Jack
Yeah. Honestly, saying that felt weird.
- [00:36]
Thomas Edwards
He.
- [00:36]
Jack
Thomas did play for the University of Tennessee, but he is correct. He is a once a vfl, always a vfl. Except for maybe Matt Malone, our intern.
- [00:46]
Mitch
Yeah, he's a hater.
- [00:47]
Jack
We're not gonna. We're not gonna take too much time on him.
- [00:49]
Garrett
We've already said his name way too.
- [00:50]
Thomas Edwards
He's a VFN Vol. For now.
- [00:52]
Mitch
Yeah.
- [00:52]
Jack
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [00:54]
Ethan
Tennessee spent most of his weekends in Tuscaloosa.
- [00:56]
Thomas Edwards
Oh, yeah.
- [00:57]
Jack
Which, you know, it's fun to go down to Teatown, but not every weekend. You gotta hold it down in Knoxville. But, yeah, this is. This is a super special ep because me and Garrett are very, very close with Thomas. He's one of our greatest friends. He is a very talented songwriter and musician. He is going to blow up, and if he's not already on that path. It's really cool to have you here, Thomas.
- [01:19]
Thomas Edwards
Oh, man.
- [01:19]
Jack
We would love for you to maybe give the viewers who don't know who you are a little background. Maybe start from, like, day one, you know, first breath, first memory, and then just kind of go from there.
- [01:30]
Thomas Edwards
So my parents are hanging out in the summer of 1994, and they felt an immense, passionate love fall across them. And then they banged, and I came out in 1995 in March. But then. So the most recent parts of my life that are noteworthy. Expand on that. Expand on that, Doc. I played football at Tennessee. You know, my NFL dreams got smashed because I got a shoulder surgery my senior year. And it wasn't just my shoulder surgery that smashed my NFL dreams. I also didn't play a lot, but the shoulder thing was just icing on the cake. I grew up playing a lot of music. My family is a big music family. All that's my great grandpa. He was a. He played banjo for June Carter back in the day when she was in the Carter sisters. And my mom and dad, aunt and uncle, grandpa, grandma, cousins, they all play music. And so it's always been a part of my life. And then I went to play football because I was a big burly man and I was Like I gotta do something about this. Played football for a little bit and then got a. Sorry. I love a camera.
- [02:35]
Ethan
Doing socials.
- [02:36]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, love a moment on the camera. Love a moment on the camera, man. So then, you know, I got played football for a little bit and you know, my life kind of switched when even though I didn't play a lot, you know, you still had to practice the same amount. So when you get hurt in football, you go from 100 miles an hour to zero. And during that I kind of just like, was like, what the heck am I doing? I need to figure out something to do with my time. Picked up a guitar and I wrote my first song when I was in college. And then I, you know, I had this kind of unrealistic life at Tennessee. And I was grateful that I kind of realized that early. I was like, you know what? I'm just going to move to the middle of nowhere and just go live in the real world. Because the funny thing about like Tennessee, you play there and then like you, like me, a guy was a non contributor. I go to the mall and like people know who I am when I'm at the food court, you know, and that's just like not a real depiction of life. And I knew that and I'm grateful that I had that awareness. So I just moved to the middle of nowhere. I moved to Franklin, Kentucky, which is like an hour and 15 minutes north of here in Nashville.
- [03:35]
Jack
Shout out Main gambling hall.
- [03:37]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, that's right. They visited me. They came and yeah, I just lived across the street from this warehouse I worked at for three years. And then about two years into that I was like, I don't want to do this anymore. Worked another year, saved up money and then quit and started doing music.
- [03:49]
Jack
Not to cut you off. Thomas acts like it was some. Like it was Tractor Supply. He was the youngest manager in history there and he was running a floor of how many people.
- [03:58]
Thomas Edwards
It was a million square foot warehouse, 600 employees. I was the production manager. So I was like, my job was over it, but saved up some money, you know. Yeah, my job was, it was a fun job, man. It was. Every day I'd. On Monday I would get on a call with a bunch of executives at Tractor Supply and convince them without lying that the building wasn't on fire and we weren't behind on everything. And it really, it was a great life lesson though. It taught me how to like strategically lie to corporate people, which is a great, it's a great skill to have, especially in music.
- [04:27]
Garrett
That's not gonna help us get a sponsorship from Tractor Supply.
- [04:31]
Thomas Edwards
Actually, I just got a sponsorship from Tractor Supply.
- [04:38]
Garrett
Let's go. Actually, we do the work or whatever their slogan is.
- [04:42]
Thomas Edwards
We're in the process of it, man. So I don't even know what even that he means, but it's pretty cool, man. It's. They have a. They're really passionate. They're headquartered out of Nashville and have a big presence with music and love music. And I grew up going there with a farm in East Tennessee and then worked there, and then now I play music. So it's just kind of was a softball toss. You know how that came to be, though? I just cold emailed the CEO of Tractor Supply.
- [05:05]
Ethan
Y' all need a manager.
- [05:06]
Garrett
Classic.
- [05:08]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. I was just like, hey, you guys want to sponsor me? I used to work there. And they're like, yeah, yeah, talk to the. And he just emailed me back.
- [05:13]
Ethan
Oh, God damn.
- [05:14]
Thomas Edwards
It just worked. That's genius. Yeah, dude.
- [05:17]
Coop
Were y' all in charge of. I'm guessing since it was a warehouse, were you in charge of, like, the shipping and receiving side to stores or.
- [05:24]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, so that. It was a distribution center. So we save your Mars Pet Food. You send them. That bag goes from the Mars Pet Food plant to this distribution center to the store. Yeah. It's literally so not glamorous. I worked the whole time during COVID They never closed, you know, essential worker. It was essential, dude. My job became, like, air traffic controlling CDC regulations that changed every day to 500 employees that live in south central Kentucky that do not give a about any of. Yeah, yeah. So, like, it was crazy. That was fun. It was. I love chaos, man. And it was just chaos all the time. It was like, you guys, you can. You can go. You can take your masks off outside now, but when you soon. You step in the building, you got to have them on. Then, like, three days later, it's like, we got to have masks on outside now and then. It was just crazy, man. I was the guy that had to, like, take this information and, like, train our managers on, like, how to disseminate it between people and crazy. It was just nuts. That was, like, a thing I did in my life, and it seems so far away, but it really was like, four years ago on that long ago.
- [06:24]
Jack
So I feel like most people in here can relate if not everyone. Like, not all of us played football. Mitch played football in college, Susquehanna. But for most of us, it's like, I feel like we started in a, like, kind of non glorious atmosphere. Whether it was like, for me selling windows or, like, just, like, whatever mundane job that you did before you maybe took a chance on being creative. So, like, we might not understand the whole, like, football dilemma and, like, being recognized, you know, West Town Mall to being here and Tractor Supply, But I feel like we all can take a piece of, like, you do really have to take a shot. Like, I. I don't want to turn this into some, like, someone dying down there. Hey, shut up.
- [07:03]
Thomas Edwards
Is everybody okay? I said it in the mic.
- [07:08]
Ethan
That did sound.
- [07:10]
Jack
I. I don't want this to turn into some, like, motivational speech podcast, but I do think it's important for any, like, aspiring creatives out there to know, like, it doesn't just happen. Like, you're not gonna just wake up and be in, like, some dream opportunity where, like, everything's cool and kosher. Like, even today when we work in this atmosphere where it's amazing, there's still very much stressful days and, like, chaotic opportunities all the time. But, you know, it's important, I feel like, to figure out, like, what you don't like doing before you figure out, like, what you do like doing. So I feel like everyone can kind of take a little piece of what you're saying. Like, once you figure out that, like, yeah, the warehouse is not for me, and you take a risk creatively, like, that's what ultimately pays off. And we've had millions of conversations in kitchens late night talking about this exact idea. But will you kind of, like, walk us through, like, your process on starting your music endeavors and, like, where that kind of stem from outside of you being already musically inclined?
- [08:03]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, dude. Well, I think in the tune of that creative thing, man, like, it's, it's, it's. You know, someone told me when I first was working, it was like, you can't take advice from average people if you want to do something different. So as soon as I kind of learned that and realized, like, if people don't understand what I want to do, it's just on them. It's not the fact that I'm crazy. If you want to do something, you can just do it. You just figure out how to do it, you know, and that's kind of the approach that took the whole time. And I used to be a guy that was like, oh, I don't want to ask him, because he's going to say no. And now it's just like, I don't even care. Let's look back to that email thing. It's just, you know, and I learned that, like, you know, getting into music, I had this wall up that like I cared too much that someone else cared about what I was doing. And then what. The most liberating thing that kind of accelerated everything in my, in my world was when I just let go of that. And, and the biggest thing, you know, the kind of. The first domino that fell for me to kind of, you know, wave my arms in Nashville and say, hey, look at me, I'm. I'm making music. It was when I did that Tennessee song. And it's a song that's so deliberately about my life. And so when I was writing, I was like, this is lame as hell. Like, who the hell. Like, who's gonna. Like, what does this even. But my manager, Rusty, me and him wrote it together. He's. He's from East Tennessee and he's not a music manager. We just kind of partnered up and rubbed some sticks together and made some shit happen. But the. But yeah, he was like, that's exactly what people want to hear. And then, then that song came out and then the school wrapped their arm around it. They played in, you know, on the Jumbotron and stuff. And, and then they, they came to town here to open the season one day or one year against Virginia. And that first day, the game of the season, they played it in Nissan. And that was kind of the. My entry into this music business world. It was just like you had these music executives that, you know, are you. They have control and know what's going on in the country music space. And all of a sudden there's this huge Sasquatch looking dude on the Jumbotron singing a song that they hadn't heard. And, and that was kind of the. What got the ball rolling. But you know, that's. That was all the external stuff. I think it, you know, I quit my job in 2000. October 2021, and last year in 2024, in March, I signed a publishing deal which is the first revenue stream that I got from music. So they're. I like to thank the Academy. The funny thing is, is like every time that I thought I was going to get to the point where I was like, that made it. You just re. You're. As a creative, your brain just kind of restructures towards another mountain that's far away. And, And I learned that like, you know, through that process, you have to be. You have to be comfortable and excited for doing what you're doing every day. You know, like the marathon's 26 miles and the finish line is one foot you know, you have to like the, you have to like the quote graphic. Yeah, man.
- [10:59]
Ethan
Say that one more time.
- [11:00]
Thomas Edwards
A Marathon is 26 miles and runners are crazy and they don't like the finish line. They like the way they feel when they're in mile 19, you know, and so just, you know, you just got to know that the process is more important, especially for a creative. And it's so hard not to fall, especially in this forward facing business that we're, we're, we're all in this. Where your work is, is put on a pedestal immediately, you know, and that there's no time for editing and reactions. It's just like more, more stuff out there that's promotes what we got to do. And you know, the, the way that I keep sanity is it we're, we make paper airplanes as creatives and we close our eyes on top of a mountain and we chuck them. And the best creatives, as soon as they chuck them, they just look right back down to start making them more paper airplanes where they land. Have nothing to do with who you are, who you are as a creative. There's wind, there's rain, there's walls, there's people. There's all these things that happen after they're off out of your hand.
- [11:55]
Ethan
Amen.
- [11:55]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, let's. Oh man, sorry. You get me going, man, but like I just, I, so I just kind of preaching right now. I know man, sorry. I get excited but like that's, I just kind of, I realized that no one was going to tell that to me and I had to tell it to myself. And I, I just started working on my body of work and you know, the other day I wrote my, I kind of counted all my songs in, in since I'd been writing and I'd written 212 songs in two years and.
- [12:22]
Ethan
212 paper airplanes.
- [12:24]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, that's right, man. Guess how many of them are good? Maybe 20, maybe 30. Maybe. I don't even know. Like, I don't even what's good even mean at this. Like, once you start doing that so much, it's like your, my, your brain opens up because like, you know, as a music consumer everyone has this, is this good, Is this bad? And that's where you start at. Then you realize, oh, this could be good for someone else. I get it. You know, and then it kind of expands on that and, and, and through that I figured out the kind of music that I like to make. And it's only just through doing throwing 212 paper airplanes that you Realize you figure out that I just like making paper airplanes, you know? Like, it's up to. It's up to the people if they want to see where they land, you know?
- [13:03]
Ethan
Come on, man.
- [13:05]
Mitch
What are we, like, 10 minutes?
- [13:08]
Jack
Yeah.
- [13:09]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, my bad, y' all.
- [13:11]
Jack
No, no, bro, keep spitting, keep spitting.
- [13:15]
Mitch
It's so cool to, like, see, like, your ascension and stuff already. Even though, like, you've just started and like, we, like, Jack and G introduced us to you, like, just as it started, like when you were first started. Like, I remember going to your, like when you played at Acme.
- [13:29]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah.
- [13:30]
Mitch
And that was like, this is so sick. Like, I know that guy and he's out here performing in front of however many people there.
- [13:35]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, it was. That was awesome. That was the. They fire marshalled that night at that ACME thing because.
- [13:40]
Garrett
Was that the Virginia Tech game?
- [13:41]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, it was the same game.
- [13:42]
Garrett
I plugged in an old hard drive at home recently looking for something and came across pictures from that.
- [13:48]
Thomas Edwards
It's crazy, man.
- [13:48]
Garrett
That's wild that we're talking about that.
- [13:50]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. And I think the craziest thing with my music career is I have been incredibly, you know, and it's probably to my own defeat at some times. You know, I. My progress is kind of like, unless you're like, my friend and I talk about it to you, that's like, you wouldn't really, like, if you went to my Instagram right now, you wouldn't really know, like, all the things that were going on, you know, and I've kind of, you know. You know, at first it was like, I think I was like, you know, I got to do something about this. But, like, I don't know, I think as I kind of got more into this, I realized, like, you know, I loving what I'm doing right now and I'm making progress in this business world. Like, that's just a piece of the pie, like, when. And I have songs coming out starting next month so that, you know, the world change there. We're, you know, where you're. I'm going to be inundating you with my stuff on the Internet soon. But, you know, it's. It's been really. It's kind of been a soul searching thing because I don't have these, you know, there's not a. There's not an Instagram grid milestone thing that you typically see from the, you know, from an artist. And I just learned that from. That helped me so much to know that, like, that's not what matters. You know, I. I know that I started writing songs, I know that I got a publishing deal and then I know I got a record deal. And I know there's people that believe in me and are just straight up gambling on me with zero data analytic backing, just like, hey, this guy's got a good story to tell and he can make music. And that's what gets me up every day. And not the fact that it's like, did this do well? Does this thing do well? And it's so easy to get caught up in that, in this. In a creative, forward facing job.
- [15:20]
Garrett
Like we all, I think to build off of that and to give you some credit, on top of you being incredibly talented, when you walk in a room, you're immediately friends with everybody in there. And that is something that I've always thought about you as you have such a leg up in that aspect is. I hate using the word like you're sellable, but yeah, you get in a room with the right people, then it's like, you know how to just be yourself. And then let the music put that cherry on top where they're like, oh, like this guy's not only a good guy, honest, truth to himself, funny, but he can ball.
- [15:58]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, that's. And that's kind of my whole thing, man. I just want people to feel good in, in the way that in with no. Because that's what makes me feel good. And the medium in which that that happens is up to them. Like, if I can talk to them and say, hey, you know, make them feel good in five seconds in a room, or if they can just go home and listen to a song that makes them feel good like that. I just always say, I like to, I like to sing with a smile, man. Like, very seldomly am I singing this dejected, sad, you know, like my sad songs are like, man, I got my heart broke, but at least I learned something, you know, there's always this redemption at the end of it. Because that's how I am as a person, man. I'm just, I was very grateful to have parents that, you know, were just like, you can do whatever you want all the time. And I mean, in all my brothers, my older brother is a criminal defense litigator in Philadelphia. My little brother's about to be a park ranger. So like, we are doing the things that they said and it's just. And I attribute them. That's how my mom is. She doesn't, she doesn't know a stranger, man. She'll talk to the person she's. She's the reason why I don't use self checkout at a grocery store. She's like, if you talk. Yeah. She's like, if you talk to them for five seconds, you don't understand how much it's going to do for you. And I was just, you know, when you're, when you're like a rebellious kid, you're like, shut up, Mom. Check the. I'm getting this NOS energy drink.
- [17:16]
Ethan
Yeah.
- [17:17]
Thomas Edwards
You know, but she's so right. You know, meaningless interactions are not meaningless. You know, we dubbed them as that because the pace of life goes too fast. And I, I think of. I think that my job on Earth is to. Is to let people know that and remind them of that with me being around them or just playing stupid little fun songs, you know? You know, it's. I've won the lottery because I've figured that out. And I think that's the one thing that I will tell everyone is like, just spend time trying to figure it out. Whatever it is for you. Least you can do is just try, you know, for sure.
- [17:48]
Garrett
Going back to like, you talking about your Instagram feed and all that kind of stuff, there's not really milestones, but there have been some Easter eggs recently that you've been putting out that are awesome to see. And from my understanding, they're mostly covers. Yeah, but they're shot really well.
- [18:05]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, man.
- [18:06]
Garrett
And it's just you and a microphone. And that is my favorite Thomas Edwards, because I feel like that's the Thomas Edwards I knew first. Um, have those been. Obviously they're a lot of fun to do, but when you're posting that stuff, are you. Are you kind of like putting teasers out of, like the vibe you're going for, or is this just something for you personally?
- [18:28]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, I just, I just. Oh, that's a great question, because this, the first song that I'm dropping is. It's a. It's a very fun drinking song. And it's, It's. I'm talking half the time in the song, you know, for my sanity, you know, after I'm coming out of the gates in this major record label deal with the song where I'm talking half the time. Yeah, well, the lady that signed me at Warner signed Sam Hunt at Universal.
- [18:54]
Ethan
I love Sam Hunt.
- [18:55]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. She also signed Casey Musgraves, who are also just the kind of. That her ideology of artists are kind of in my wheelhouse where it's just like we're country by nature, but not by the business denomination of country music. And I think that's in this world. We're inundated with the same things in country music all the time. It's just like people ride the wave. And here's another analogy, man. It's a. You know, in this town, you can be a cruise ship or you can be a little dinghy boat. You know, there's a. Cruise ships go out in the ocean, they're massive and they break through the waves. And the result of that is behind them, there's a clear path for many, many people. And smaller boats can. Can last in the waters behind a big yacht or a big, huge cruise ship. It takes a long time to build a yacht at the port. It takes a long time to build a cruise ship. And sometimes when you're building it, you're like, man, I just want to get out in the water. Like, look at all these people. They're out there in the water, 10 miles out. But if that big cruise ship that they're behind goes to poor ever, then they don't even know what the open waters feel like. And that's. That's everything that you're doing in life. I mean, it's not even just music is like, you. You have to realize that everybody has their cruise ship to build. And once you spend time doing that and it's ready to go out to the ocean, then you're gonna have. You'll be successful in whatever it is. It's a 10,000 hour thing, you know, and so.
- [20:10]
Ethan
First big purchase. Yeah.
- [20:12]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, dude. First. First big purchase. 365 day cruise on Royal Caribbean.
- [20:18]
Ethan
I'll be behind you.
- [20:20]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. Sorry for making so like, inspirational, man. I'm also not really a serious guy, but, like, when I get a mic in my hand, I feel like I have something to say to people, man. I can't.
- [20:27]
Garrett
That's what it's for.
- [20:28]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, that's what it's for.
- [20:29]
Garrett
This podcast is our dinghy boat.
- [20:31]
Thomas Edwards
Oh, yeah, that's right.
- [20:32]
Jack
Sherman. Sherman just whispered to me. Can I ask him something? So I think he wants to ask a question.
- [20:37]
Thomas Edwards
Cut me off at any time because I'll just run my mouth.
- [20:40]
Coop
No, you're. You're not running around at all. You're the guest jerking socks. When you first came in, you were talking a little bit about this, but with the new deal, did you feel like your paper airplanes were made with notebook paper and now you have construction paper and like, how. How does that. Now it's rubbing off change the energy, I guess, of like your creative process?
- [21:08]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, man. It's what I Say all the time is I was creative broke for a long time. It's, it's, it's. That's when you figure out if you're really creative. You know, it's like if you make some. It's like that Toy Story 4 when they make that forky or whatever that thing.
- [21:22]
Ethan
What a legend.
- [21:23]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, dude, he got his own spin offs. Yeah. He goes, am I tr. There's so many great existential moments of that. But. But I think that now it's just. What it is is just exactly what you're saying. It just excites me even more that I, like, I can go into the Warner Studios and just say, hey, I want to do some covers. I just went in there for two hours one day and had two videographers in there. That that was their passion. I mean, I was talking to the guy that was the videographer and wasted 30 minutes of the. Not waste, but this is just who I am. But like, he's like, I used to be a wildlife photographer and I was like, dude, you ever seen Secret Life of Walter Mitte? And so good. And then we just talked about that forever because it's so good. But to your, to your question, the yes, it just inspires me more, you know, the. At first I sought the validation. I thought the validation was going to make the paper better, you know, but really it was just the tools and the abilities that it could further my ability to be creative. They got me excited. The fact that there's a little nice studio that has a wonderful mic that I can just go in there and I literally just was. I just had a guitar and a piano and I was just like running through songs that I could play and it was just fun, you know? And then I get to just leave that and then a week later get a Google Drive link. Like, I'm so grateful for that. After years of propping my phone up and you know, filming grainy. You know how it is, man. It's just, it's just inspiring now. It's, it just, it lights another fire in you and to, to make more music. And I. It's. It's been awesome, man. Sick. It's fun.
- [22:54]
Coop
You're deserving of it. It's cool to see, dude.
- [22:57]
Thomas Edwards
I appreciate it, man. I don't deserve nothing, man. I'm just here for a good time, make people feel good, man. I think that's the, that's what keeps me afloat, man. That's what keeps mud, keeps the ship on the water. Yeah.
- [23:10]
Jack
Changing gears a little bit, you Bring up Secret Life of Walter Mitty, obviously. Incredible film. And one of my favorite lines, that whole movie is at the end when they're up in, like, the Pakistani mountains or something. He goes, are you gonna take the photo? And he goes, sometimes I don't. Beautiful things don't ask for attention. And that just kind of fires me up. But I know this. Garrett knows this. We're big movie guys here.
- [23:31]
Thomas Edwards
Oh, yeah.
- [23:32]
Jack
And this is. This is my least favorite question of all time, but what's your favorite movie?
- [23:36]
Thomas Edwards
Oh, Jack knows this. Well, I am the biggest movie critic. I think we lack critics in art now because everyone has a voice and everyone needs to shut up most of the time.
- [23:45]
Ethan
Your phones are too cheap.
- [23:46]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, that's right, man. And we're just bars all episodes. Yeah. I'm telling you, man, like, you know, in the 90s, you could live in a Manhattan and just be a snobby movie critic and have a nice little apartment, and that'd be your job. But the Internet came along, and now we devalue those opinions. Well, and I think that's just my soapbox about that. My favorite movie is Soul. Pixar movie. It's just pound for pound, man. It's the Quiet Trey Rer does the soundtrack.
- [24:14]
Jack
Quiet Coyote.
- [24:16]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. Quiet, Quiet Cody.
- [24:21]
Mitch
I have not.
- [24:22]
Thomas Edwards
Jared, have you seen that movie?
- [24:24]
Jack
Okay, if you haven't seen that, if you're looking for something, go watch.
- [24:28]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, dude, it's. It's. It's one of those that's. And all my second one's probably out of that wheelhouse is Parasite. The.
- [24:35]
Ethan
I still need to watch.
- [24:35]
Thomas Edwards
Is that the movie in Korean?
- [24:37]
Mitch
Yeah, that movie.
- [24:38]
Ethan
I won so many awards.
- [24:39]
Thomas Edwards
That was so good.
- [24:41]
Garrett
The script is great.
- [24:42]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. You know, I don't even feel like I'm reading subtitles in it, though. It's shot so well. Like, there's so much good. Like, the coolest thing about that movie Parasite is every part that there's a person that is. Has an economic status higher than the another person, they're physically higher than the other person is in the shot in the movie. Every time you're in it.
- [25:02]
Ethan
Dude.
- [25:02]
Thomas Edwards
Sorry.
- [25:03]
Ethan
Back to Soul. I love Soul, but I think they left so much meat on the bone.
- [25:08]
Thomas Edwards
I mean. What do you mean?
- [25:09]
Ethan
Like, it was just the. The climax of the movie didn't feel as hot. I know, but, like, I don't. There wasn't, like, what was your favorite bar from the movie that you're.
- [25:21]
Thomas Edwards
Like, there wasn't a bar. It was the moment of the story about the Fish. That. That's a great one. Yeah. The big fish swims up to a little fish and says, I'm looking for the ocean. And he goes, the ocean? This is water.
- [25:35]
Ethan
I feel like in Kung Fu. In Kung Fu Panda.
- [25:37]
Thomas Edwards
Well, there does. I think that's kind of the moral of the whole movie. Like, there isn't this. That movie Soul is incredibly existentialist. It is. It's about how existing isn't this pomp and circumstance. Huge fanfare. It's like at the end of Star wars when the Ewoks celebrate, you know, like that. Like that doesn't exist, you know. And I think that's the whole point of like the spark isn't a thing that you get in soul. It's. It's just being aware of the life that you're living and that he goes through that. The end scene of Soul when he places all the objects on the piano and plays that outro. Piano music. And then it just zooms out from the piano to the New York City skyscape, to America, to the earth, you know, like, it's just. It wasn't even the line. That's not. It wasn't a line that did. It was that moment of just kind of like. Like I just. That movie 50 times just go, this is a movie for kids. Like what. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's just like, this is a huge.
- [26:30]
Ethan
I would love to watch it through kids eyes.
- [26:32]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, yeah. That's a great thing about. Yeah, yeah. Like, yeah. My teacher says that in that line before is like, we are the. You know, it's like we are the collective energy of all that exists.
- [26:45]
Ethan
Yeah.
- [26:45]
Thomas Edwards
Quiet, Cody. It's great.
- [26:48]
Coop
Have you seen Mickey 17? No, it's the director that did Parasite. It just came out, but it's an English film, so.
- [26:56]
Garrett
Robert Pattinson.
- [26:57]
Thomas Edwards
Robert Pattinson.
- [26:59]
Coop
It was really, really good.
- [27:00]
Thomas Edwards
And watch it.
- [27:01]
Coop
It's. It's got some deep tropes to it.
- [27:03]
Thomas Edwards
You would like. Yeah, dude, I love one. That's. And that's why I bring back that critic thing. Critics in a movie, in a movie critic world, that's like healthy critics would help the. The average list watcher or listener. Right. Understand that after the first watch, instead of asking a watch, someone say, well, you got to go watch it three times. Like, that's what an irresponsible ask. The time's valuable. You know, if someone says. If someone says, you got to go see a movie and they say, I saw that, I didn't get it. And the response is you got to go watch it again. Like, either you failed your job, you failed at your job, either the movie guy failed, or you're too dumb to watch this movie. You know? Like, it's just. You can go watch one of the Marvel movies.
- [27:45]
Mitch
So to.
- [27:48]
Ethan
Chill in the Marvel movies.
- [27:51]
Thomas Edwards
You don't like the Marvel movies? Hell no, dude.
- [27:54]
Mitch
To play like, devil's advocate, what about, like, Inception and like, Interstellar and like, those movies that are, like, they're not in the same vein as, like, Soul and stuff like that, but those movies you have to watch a couple times so know what's going on.
- [28:06]
Thomas Edwards
Well, I mean, I think you do. See, I'm not even. I don't. I don't think. I don't think you need to. Dude, Marvel movies are. Why are they casting Robert Downey Jr. In the same universe for a different.
- [28:17]
Ethan
I'm with you on that, but I.
- [28:19]
Thomas Edwards
Mean.
- [28:21]
Jack
It'S had a fall off, but there is a level of respect.
- [28:25]
Mitch
Guardians of the Galaxy.
- [28:27]
Thomas Edwards
Guardians. Galaxy is pretty good.
- [28:28]
Ethan
I didn't mean to take away from Mitch.
- [28:30]
Jack
And this goes back to Thomas being the ultimate critic.
- [28:32]
Thomas Edwards
I hate. I. I hate everything usually. Yeah, I have to. I have to put my own opinion on it. Like, I can't. Like, if people can't let someone else.
- [28:39]
Ethan
Make their own airplane, like, in the world.
- [28:40]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. Hell yeah. I'm. But like, if they were good, if they knew how to make paper airplanes, they wouldn't care what I said. You know, the. But I don't know.
- [28:53]
Ethan
Inception, Interstellar.
- [28:54]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, Yeah, I mean, I get that. Like, you know, like, there's like. I would like to meet the guy that got Fight Club the first time around, you know? Yeah, I understand.
- [29:02]
Garrett
Those movies take me.
- [29:03]
Thomas Edwards
There are some million flip movies, you know, But I always check out one of those that got me was that Mother movie with Jennifer Lawrence.
- [29:11]
Coop
Oh, yeah.
- [29:12]
Thomas Edwards
And I was like, oh, this is like the creation of the world, you know? Like, I was just like. It's like, damn, she's fucking crazy. You know? Like, like, no, this is a bigger meeting, though.
- [29:21]
Mitch
She, like, came out and said, I will never do anything like that.
- [29:23]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, it kind of messed me up a little bit, you know? How funny is it we can just like, turn movies on our TV and just be like, fucked up by him forever.
- [29:33]
Ethan
Two hours of our life.
- [29:35]
Thomas Edwards
Damn. Well, yeah. And also, we're just inundated with so much new this day. You have to have discretion and have an opinion. Otherwise you're just going to get suckered into whatever marketing campaigns pushing something down your Throat. Like, did you see that new series on Apple tv? Yeah, another one came out last week. And then the one before that. The one came out. I give it like a Ted Lasso.
- [29:53]
Ethan
Shrinking in the studio.
- [29:55]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, I give it like a nine month buffer. And if people still talk about it nine months later, then I will start it.
- [30:01]
Ethan
I love that rule. I love that rule.
- [30:02]
Garrett
Did you watch Severance?
- [30:03]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, I watched the first season. Severance. I liked it.
- [30:05]
Garrett
You haven't watched second? Oh, you should watch season.
- [30:08]
Thomas Edwards
I haven't watched a lot of TV lately, man. You've been busy back in.
- [30:10]
Garrett
Yeah, speaking of being busy, you've recently had some. I'm gonna take it back to music. Yeah, but you've recently had a couple live shows. Like, you did the Key West Songwriter Fest. This is your third year.
- [30:22]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, third year. I played the big stage there for like, we did acoustics set for like 7,000 dude videos.
- [30:29]
Ethan
Looked.
- [30:29]
Garrett
Yeah, it looked awesome.
- [30:31]
Thomas Edwards
It was. We played all originals too. And. And that's usually like taboo in that environment. But like Key West Songwriter Fest, the people that are there is. It's the best fans because they're there for a songwriting fest. It's not like, you know, they're sitting there listening to the words. You know, usually people would just get drunk at festivals, you know, and have a good time. But yeah, then we. We played Tortuga. We played Carolina Country Music Festival last week.
- [30:56]
Garrett
Is Tortuga where you wore the Kenny Powers?
- [30:59]
Thomas Edwards
No, that was Carolina country because it was Myrtle beach, dude. It was right there. Scenes.
- [31:02]
Garrett
That was a part of Perfect Place.
- [31:04]
Thomas Edwards
It was. People were screaming me. Screaming Kenny Powers lines at me. It was so I had to, like, keep composure while I was singing. And it rained. It poured rain the whole day, dude. Like. And the festival was delayed, but, like, we just, like, we just like sat on the stage. We're just like waiting. It's like. It's like horses in a corral for like the. The lightning delays to stop. And people came in and we started playing there. And then we. We played like 30 seconds of a song. We're getting rocking. And of course, you know, I'm a new guy, so I'm on the. I'm on the B stage and then Colt Ford is across this huge park and he starts. And the stage guy comes on. He goes, we gotta stop. Cole Ford's going on. So then we just. We stopped and then we just waited and then we just started again. But it was just funny because there's two. Two stages and they're so far away. From each other because you can't hear each other. But then as soon as we started, I was just screaming, we're over here. Because it was such a weird day because it was rained out all day. But, yeah, we've been playing shows, man. We're. You know, I got a band of four guys, and two of them are from east Tennessee. And the. We're playing Sunday, we leave for Wildwood Country Festival in New Jersey.
- [32:11]
Mitch
Oh, that'll be sick. I've been to that one before.
- [32:13]
Thomas Edwards
Really good time. Oh, yeah.
- [32:14]
Mitch
Is that the one on the beach?
- [32:16]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. So it's funny, I've only played festivals on the beach.
- [32:19]
Garrett
Keep it that way.
- [32:20]
Jack
I don't seem like a bad guy.
- [32:21]
Garrett
Keep it that way. What are those nerves? Like, like, you know, you do a lot of. I mean, you started doing music and putting it on the Internet, Covid. Ish. And then, you know, you're in the studio, and then you're getting in front of these large crowds with a band. Or are there times when you're like, oh, shit. Oh, are you like, this is awesome.
- [32:42]
Thomas Edwards
It's awesome. Like, and that's what. It's the best. It's the icing on the cake for everything that I've worked for, you know? Like, it's. It is the. It's the opposite of what you would think about nerves. Like, I get nerves sitting around here not playing music, you know, like, if I'm sitting in my house and just, like, idly sitting around, I'm like, what's going on? You know? And it's cause for how I grew up. Like, if there's anything there's at my house right now, if my mom and dad are there, someone is playing music. My dad's playing fiddle or. Dude, like, the other day, like. Like, I grew up with that. Like, the other day my dad sent me this. Like, here's your grandma singing in her band in high school, and I'll send you guys this song. It's so beautiful. It's like 60s, just, like, shit like that. So I grew up around, like, that, like, where music was just played all the time, no matter what it was. And I never played less music than when I came here to Nashville, you know, Like, I spent. You know. Of course that's part of it, you know, especially at the beginning is, you know, taking the approach that I'm doing. You know, there's a lot of ways to skin the cat. A music world. Like, you can be. You can stand in a forest with an SM7 microphone and sing a bunch and be on the presidential debate in two weeks. Or. Yeah. Or. I mean, that's one way to skin the cat. Or you can. Or you can come here, you write the songs, and you network with this town. That's what I love about this town is there's a thousand people here that are absolutely phenomenal songwriters. There's songs that will never be heard that you only can hear just through being in this city. And that's kind of my approach to, like, you know, of being here is like, just, I get to wake up and go write songs with these people that I'd never met. And, you know, it's like, you. I never look people up, but, like, now I'm to the point where, like, I walk out of there and it's like, oh, this guy wrote live like you were dying.
- [34:22]
Ethan
You know, this guy shaped my childhood, actually.
- [34:25]
Thomas Edwards
It's like, it's. You just think about all those songs, man, and that's just kind of like the little race you're stretching for is trying to get one of those. But, yeah, playing. Playing shows has been awesome. And it's. It's. It's the. It's the icing on the cake, man. And that's kind of what I want to do, is hang my hat on that, because longevity in music comes from playing live shows. And right now, the. The public view of what success is in music is so skewed, you know, And. And, you know, it's people that just have routine shows, people that are playing and. And growing a fan base and showing up for the f. Delivering their songs, you know, that's the ones that grow and over time grow. And that's the approach that I'm taking is we don't want to gas fire, man. We just want to. We want to be 1% better, man. You know, and that's what we're trying to do. Playing great shows, dude.
- [35:10]
Ethan
I feel like the. The dream show at some point has to be you bring your mom and dad up.
- [35:15]
Thomas Edwards
Oh, absolutely, dude. Also, I just put them on the record because. So I just recorded. Yeah, I just recorded five songs with Warner and with Dave Cohen producing, we went to Blackbird Studio, Studio D, where one of the most legendary places in music and, you know, had some of the best players on there, too, man. But I just. My parents are to have such a pure relationship with music that they don't even care about anyone knowing that they play music.
- [35:40]
Ethan
Right?
- [35:41]
Thomas Edwards
And I just kind of took that on myself to be like, you know what I care? So I got them to come down here. And I got my mom to sing harmony's background vocals on one of my records. That way she can be in this fancy official Warner Music database as a background singer. Because, I mean, it's cool. Just giving back to the people that taught me everything I knew about music. And we're getting my dad down here to do some fiddle passes on some stuff too, but. But yeah, man, they're going to be up there eventually. Probably way sooner than I should, honestly. I mean, my mom sang with me that night at Acme.
- [36:10]
Ethan
Yeah, that was.
- [36:11]
Garrett
Yeah, yeah, that was cool.
- [36:13]
Jack
Changing gears a little way. Do you have a question? Yeah, yeah, go ahead.
- [36:18]
Mitch
You mentioned like working here in Nashville and like, obviously everybody knows this is like the country music capital of whatever. Like, I. I'm so curious. Yeah, I'm so curious to hear. So curious to hear, like, because I follow like these, like a couple people that are local to here that are just like on social media, that have big social media followings, but you don't really see them like how what that world is like as an up and comer with other up and comers coming as well. Is it like a dog eat dog world? Are you like, I'm trying to like scratch your back. You scratch mine kind of.
- [36:51]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. I think. And that's how good. And I just learned through great influences that the people that last in this business are good people. Like, it's just like that you get weeded out so quickly that the era of hard to deal with rockstar is over with. The overexposure of the Internet, like it's. It's all about treating people right and. But no, there's no, you know, I think for people that are insecure in their artistry, there's a lot of looking left and right and seeing what's going on. But I don't really care what anyone else does. If they're success, if they're successful, I'm happy for them. This is a hard world to be successful in. There's there. And also there is no finite pieces of cake to be eaten. Everyone can get fed. Like, it's, it's just all about differentiating yourself and. And I love cheering people on, man. Like a couple of my close buddies, Dalton Davis and Jake Hess, you know, we all met each other. They're the dogs, man. Dalton just signed a record deal too the other day, and a big one.
- [37:45]
Ethan
He's been putting out some awesome stuff.
- [37:46]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, man, he's killer, man. Yeah, yeah. Shout out to Dalton and jk. He's one of the most. He's from one of the most iconic gospel families, has one of the most pure voices and also soul. His relationship with music is like that's. If you want to know what's going to take an artist a long way independent of me, it's just figure out why they like music and that'll just tell you how long they're going to be able to play music. A lot of the problem is now is we used to make talented people famous in music. It would be, It'd be a guy. I mean from the back in the day, like a guy come to the record label, knock on the door and say, I got a bunch of tapes. Believe in me. You know, come on, listen. Listen to these. They're great. I got a vision. And you know, flash forward to now. We try to make famous people talented. We try to get people that already have an pre existing following for whatever reason doesn't matter. And then we put a. We square peg around a hole and put music into these people's hands and then they fizzle out because their relationship with music is not genuine. You know, and that's. But yeah, just. It's not. It's never comparison. I just like cheering everybody on. I think. I think there's different ways to do it in this business and everyone can have success and in whatever way they want.
- [38:54]
Mitch
You know, there's got to be more of that.
- [38:55]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah.
- [38:56]
Mitch
In the music world before you.
- [38:59]
Ethan
This isn't a question. This is just for the bus and fans out there because we have a lot of the tier ones. I wish I would have said it off the top. Thomas is the voice on the S P500 intro, which is so that. That's how Thomas fits into the bus and lore outside of being Jack and Garrett's longtime friends.
- [39:16]
Thomas Edwards
But yeah, dude, it's. That's crazy. I forgot about that, dude. Yeah. The funny thing is, dude, like it's. I've been in here over the years and every single. It's just so sick to see. It's just so sick to see the phases of this place, dude. Like even when I was in here like a month and a half ago, like none of this renovation stuff was going.
- [39:36]
Ethan
Like, dude, I think it's cool that y' all saw a friend group. It's like a couple years ago, I guess, when. When Josh Dobbs went down there, obviously Josh, NFL quarterback. He's making vlogs down at your.
- [39:48]
Thomas Edwards
Your.
- [39:48]
Ethan
Your show.
- [39:49]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah.
- [39:49]
Ethan
Your music career is taking off. Jack is doing his thing in this world. Gary's doing his thing in this space. And it's like. But y' all all started, you know.
- [39:56]
Thomas Edwards
As just delusional in the kitchen saying, we want to do something different. It's 3am we're just drunk. We're just like, you know what, man? I can't do this anymore.
- [40:04]
Ethan
And then big Chevy's coming up next.
- [40:06]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, that's right, dude. We're like, we're 3am in the kitchen every weekend. We're just like, you know what, we're quitting this week, man. We're doing what we want. And then Tuesday rolls around.
- [40:14]
Jack
Back to the mines, back to the.
- [40:16]
Thomas Edwards
Coal mines, back to the co. We'll.
- [40:19]
Jack
Bring up Josh Dobbs. Yeah. Because Tom also has made an appearance on bus with the boys. When Josh Jobs came on, Tom came, said the back and who else was it? Was it Josh?
- [40:27]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. That funny day.
- [40:28]
Jack
Funny. But just I, I want to. This is one of my favorite stories about your football career, Tennessee, because you mentioned how like, you didn't play a ton, but there was a. I want this story. There was a time when you got called up to play versus Kentucky. I'd like you to just walk all the viewers through exactly what happened from start to finish. Let's say it's Friday afternoon and go this story.
- [40:52]
Thomas Edwards
So the biggest thing about college football that you don't realize is like the people that aren't the starters or like the fringe guys before the night of the game, you, you just kind of meet the team on Saturday at the game. So like, it's one of the most like, like walk of shames ever. It's like the volume walk starts and you're just like walking like you like merge into the ball.
- [41:13]
Ethan
You're just getting there.
- [41:15]
Thomas Edwards
So yeah, it's like so Friday night before the Kentucky game. Like, I'm not traveling with the team and two years of my career I was a second string like contributor. You know, I downplay that. Like I was traveling away games. Like if someone went hurt, was got hurt, I went. But that didn't happen often. I often just rode the bus and ate the steak and went home, you know, and it was a home game. We played Kentucky, man. And I had my ex girlfriend at the time, she had a sorority formal the night before and we got absolutely plowed drunk, like thrown out. Thrown out of the. She fell down the stairs at this place, right?
- [41:50]
Jack
She fell.
- [41:51]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, I did. God. She fell down the stairs. But. But it was like this like, you know how it is like the sorority, like world is like so cutthroat they're like, they went to the council. They were like, you have committed public intoxication. You would be shamed. You know, but like it was just like the talk of the sorority too. Like, so that's. And I was, you know, if I'm an athlete, I'm a little more sure footed, but I probably, I probably would have fallen down the stairs. I was that drunk too. And then I woke up, you know, we're up all night, you know, got up, went to bed at 4 or 5 in the morning. We're in college, you know, and we. The game is at like 2 or 3pm so we got to be at the ball walk at like 10:30. So I wake up my house and I am so hungover, dude. And I'm just like in a. In an absolute pit. Like I. My. I have to wear a suit for the volume walk. It's still crumbled up in a ball in my travel bag just in the corner of my room. I throw it on wrinkles and all get chastised for it later. And then grab a can of coke and two strawberry pop Tarts out of my house and then just go to the. Go park my car, then just merge into the ball walk, thinking that I was just gonna not play the whole day, you know, just having a good time in that like, fugue hungover state where everything is like, funny. I'm like, this is hilarious, dude. So then flash forward to the game, dude. Like I did. I was smart smoking those snacks in there, dude. I was eating like Rice Krispie treats too. Like, as soon as I got to the thing, you know, it's just like, it was just. It was not preparing myself and that we start beating the shit out of Kentucky and the second half comes around and like the starters do one drive and then I. Out of nowhere I hear coach Mahoney said, thomas Edwards, where are you at? And I strap up and I played the rest of the game and do you know who I was blocking? And you know what play? We just love to run a counter. And I was the right guard, and you guess who the opposite defensive end was? Bud Dupree.
- [43:55]
Jack
And they're playing pissed off.
- [43:57]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, dude, they're down, dude. Dude, the funniest thing is my roommate now, one of our best friends, Jack Jones, he was playing right tackle. And Jack's job the whole time was to do a seal and hinge, which is where you just take one step down and you just open your hips up 90 degrees and make sure nobody comes, you know, it's one of the best roles on the line when you get that job. But he. Every time we encounter three plays in a row, and I was. I was dying and the. Every time I get back to the huddle, Jack just made it worse, dude. He was just cracking up, laughing at me because he knew everything. He knew what I was doing. And I. The funniest thing is like, I was like boasting to my teammates. I was like, yeah, I went out drunk last night. You know, the dude just. But honestly, I played well. I remember, I remember. I remember like in the Monday team meeting, they had like the little highlights of like, plays of the game. And when it's a game like that, the majority of the highlights are just like backup highlights, morale boosters. You're like, we love see your effort here. You know, I had one of those on that, on that.
- [44:55]
Ethan
Let's go, dude.
- [44:56]
Garrett
But Bud Dupree, that is.
- [44:58]
Ethan
So as the game's going on and y' all are starting to pull away, is it registering it all in your head you might go in? Or you're just. Just fully enjoying it?
- [45:05]
Thomas Edwards
Like, fully enjoy.
- [45:06]
Jack
Cuz at this point you have the shoulder pads on. Like, dude, this game rules.
- [45:11]
Thomas Edwards
Helmet on the dude. I was. I was civilian level stretched to go play. Like, like, like hadn't warmed up since I half ass did the warmup at the beginning of the game an hour and a half earlier. Like, no little, little leg kicks on the sideline. I just ran in. And then there's so many times like that another time we play Kentucky away and like we were winning again. And then we always beat Kentucky. The little brother, the. We're winning by a lot. And our O line coach says, all right, these are the next five O linemen that are going in. Names five people. I'm not one of them. So I'm like, all right, sweet bet. You know, perfect. Kroger field's a nice time. It's a nice time of year. You know, just watch the football, you know, see if my buddies can get it done, you know. So then they're in the huddle, they're about to go out on the field. And then all of a sudden I hear Coach Jones going, Thomas Edwards. Thomas Edwards. And just screaming, dude. It's silent in there. Like, people in the crowd are like, what's going on? Who is this guy? Like, he must be really needed in this game. He just looks at me, grabs my helmet and goes, do you even want to play? Do you even want to play? Even after the O line coach deliberately Five minutes prior to that was like, here are the five people that are going in. But it's just so funny, man. That was. It's. There's never like when you go in, when you're winning a lot in a game. It's never. You're never prepared to go, even if you think you are, because you're standing around just looking, you know.
- [46:38]
Garrett
It'S one of my favorite stories. Just off a can of Coca Cola and two Pop Tarts.
- [46:44]
Ethan
Civilian level stress.
- [46:46]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, that's right. We're lifting the veil here on the back of the bus.
- [46:51]
Garrett
Heck yeah, dude.
- [46:52]
Jack
Well, I guess now that we're talking, some snacks. Unless you have another football question. Because I want to. I want to start a new segment. We. We did it. We won't say the guest because we have someone next week as well now, but. Thomas, I know you're a sandwich connoisseur.
- [47:07]
Thomas Edwards
Oh, man.
- [47:08]
Jack
I would like you to describe your perfect sandwich.
- [47:13]
Thomas Edwards
Let's just get a really two second moment of silence for how great sandwiches are.
- [47:17]
Jack
Take that hat off.
- [47:21]
Ethan
Also.
- [47:21]
Thomas Edwards
Thank you.
- [47:22]
Ethan
I did see your. I did see your post. Yeah. So feel free to talk about that if you want.
- [47:27]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, man. I think sandwiches, man, I think they're the most important part of American culture, really. Worldwide culture, I think, you know, I just, I'm not well versed. That's not the worldwide sandwich impact. It's not an issue I'm willing to lend my voice to. But here, locally in America, I love a good sandwich, man. I think they're, they're situational though, man. I think the cool thing is, though, they're so interchangeable, every element of them can be replaced and removed. It's like. What's it called? It's like a. It's like a Lego set. You know, that's the wrong analogy I was looking for. But like, you know, you buy the Millennium Falcon Lego set, you can rearrange it and make it look like something else. That's what a sandwich is. You know, like, if you're like, there's different ways to eat sandwiches and places to eat sandwiches. I had a. I had a pub sub yesterday. I get one a week. I usually get this, the special. But I mean, I just think it's just a great. Especially like the. To me, it's all about the experience. I love going to talk to the person that's slicing open the bread. I get to look at the meat selection and go, looks like you guys just cut that today. Let's put that on there. And then the cheese you know, all the way down. And in pub, Publix really gets that done for me, you know, in the sandwich world. But I just think there are unsung heroes, man. I mean, everything's a sandwich. That whole debate, like, it's. It's just a deconstructed sandwich. We. I think they. I don't like how people treat them as a lunch item. I think that's slanderous for the value they provide. But, I mean, there's. I could talk forever about them. I mean, the. The white bread sandwich on the beach. You know, the. Y' all. Y' all all did the collective. Like, we're at a church. Yeah, it's. Right. Yeah. That's a situational sandwich. But if I'm in a. If I'm in a bodega in New York, like, I'm getting a different sandwich there, man. Like, there, the sandwich is less about the food, and it's more about glorifying the situation that you're in.
- [49:14]
Ethan
And it's like the movie soul.
- [49:16]
Thomas Edwards
It's. It's. Honestly, it's. It's like paper airplane. It's an art form, man. I love sandwiches, man. I'll talk forever about them. I go to Publix once a week. Last night, I went to Publix, and the. I was. My heart was ripped out from underneath me because they made the special a wrap. And the specials don't need to be a rap. I mean, like, they're. The fact that it's, like, advertised is $5.
- [49:43]
Ethan
And what happened to the options?
- [49:45]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, I mean, there used to be two specials, but also they kind of go crazy with, like, They've been doing, like, these cranberry turkey sandwiches at Publix.
- [49:52]
Mitch
That sounds fire, though.
- [49:54]
Ethan
You're like.
- [49:55]
Thomas Edwards
You're crazy, dude. It's like stuffing.
- [49:57]
Garrett
And we'll get Mitch's favorite sandwich sandwich.
- [49:59]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, dude. They do it all year round. It's crazy as hell. Dude, I love sandwiches, man. I think they don't get enough love.
- [50:06]
Jack
Can you name your favorite sandwich spot in Nashville and. Or a few outside of Publix?
- [50:12]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. Oh, I mean, like I said, man, I think it's all, like, I eat like a dog, man. I stall for fuel, and I get pub chicken chicken tender pumps ups. Yeah, but I like. You introduced me to the fat belly pretzel place.
- [50:25]
Jack
Special place vibes all the time in there, too. Speaking of a situation, it's like, when you go in there, you're not just buying a sandwich. It's an experience in there.
- [50:32]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah.
- [50:33]
Ethan
Staff is incredible.
- [50:35]
Jack
Awesome.
- [50:36]
Thomas Edwards
They ask your name and they're like, how you been doing, man? I'm like, how much time you got, dude? I got so much to get off my chest, you know? But they'll kick you out after a while. No, I. I go in there like their muffaletta. It's really good. They also have a good. Also the Rachel Green from Bills is great.
- [50:56]
Jack
Yeah.
- [50:56]
Thomas Edwards
You know, we finally formalized the placing chips of. Onto the sandwich as a menu item. You know, I think that was a huge step for us as people.
- [51:05]
Mitch
What about the little hats? Truffle and ham?
- [51:08]
Thomas Edwards
I haven't. I've never been a little hat.
- [51:10]
Jack
I could see little hats being somewhere. Thomas just publicly slanders because the public loves it.
- [51:15]
Thomas Edwards
Oh. I also have a huge problem with restaurants in Nashville that open up 200 person dining halls and have six parking spots.
- [51:23]
Jack
Yeah.
- [51:23]
Thomas Edwards
So that is fair. I refuse to go there. I mean, like, that's like part of the experience. We're not in Manhattan. We open restaurants in here. Like it's the Big Apple, you know, but like, people are driving to get there, you know, and if you take a scooter, you're gonna get hit by somebody. That's too soon.
- [51:41]
Jack
We were literally at a Federalis like a month ago. And Tom drives there and he goes, there's no fucking parking. I'm driving home. I did home. Didn't. Didn't see him.
- [51:50]
Thomas Edwards
I did that.
- [51:50]
Jack
It is awesome.
- [51:53]
Garrett
I did that same thing.
- [51:54]
Thomas Edwards
I'm about that, dude. Like, I mean, like, what do you. You. What do you mean there's no parking here? This is. I could have a hundred people in here, you know, just park.
- [52:01]
Mitch
Just parking.
- [52:02]
Thomas Edwards
The. The pay $20 to a guy.
- [52:05]
Mitch
That Brooke lives there. I park there all the time and don't have to pay.
- [52:08]
Thomas Edwards
But like, that's tribal knowledge. We shouldn't have to operate like.
- [52:13]
Mitch
That is fair.
- [52:16]
Coop
What's your death row sandwich like?
- [52:19]
Ethan
Sandwich? To save the world, you got to make it.
- [52:22]
Thomas Edwards
Yes. Well, sandwiches aren't saving the world.
- [52:24]
Garrett
Aliens came down and you had one sandwich to save the world.
- [52:29]
Thomas Edwards
What if it could, though?
- [52:31]
Jack
What if you could give a sandwich to the president of Iran right now and stop and be a season?
- [52:36]
Ethan
I wouldn't do that because sandwiches are made for that, Jack.
- [52:42]
Thomas Edwards
It's a bad idea. Yeah, that's probably not what we need to do here. Death row sandwich. I'm definitely gonna go. I'm gonna get the ladies that work at the Publix in East Nashville. I love them so much. They're. They. They take their job. So seriously, they're they doing all the time. They, they're heavy handed on their pores. Ranch and mayonnaise and spicy mustard. And every case during out the gourmet Dijon, I would get them to prepare it and I would ask them to bring the little heater that they use there because I swear that one just gets it right. And if the jail would allow these three lovely women to come in, I would go with that public sandwich just because not necessarily the sandwich. It's just about the memories I had with those people as they made it.
- [53:23]
Ethan
Wait, what's on it?
- [53:25]
Thomas Edwards
It's irrelevant. Three women.
- [53:27]
Ethan
I mean I love him the same.
- [53:31]
Thomas Edwards
It's kind of like paper airplane the I I, I'll probably get a boar's head Italian or, or boar's head ultimate. Sorry. Because I like the rope. I like the roast beef in there too. And then I'm throwing chipotle gouda cheese. If it's, if it's freshly cut. I can tell just by how it's, how it looks, how it's resting. Yeah. I'd say hold one slice up for me please. You got to notice that's how long it's been cut. If it's floppy, it's good. Then I'm going. So I'm going ultimate chipotle gouda cheese. Then I'm going to get it toasted. Actually mayonnaise. Mayonnaise and spicy mustard comes first on the sandwich. Like pre toast. I used to be a hater on that, but it makes a difference. Then I throw it, I throw it in the toaster. Then I'll go on spinach lettuce, two tomato slices, garlic pickles, French onion straws and a little dash salt, pepper and oregano. And then some deli dressing. Nice. But that's, you know, that's if I had to pay.
- [54:28]
Ethan
It's not really about that for me.
- [54:30]
Coop
Twist my arm. God. God forbid. After all this talk I feel like it'd be essential as a bonus intern project if we had them go get the Thomas Edwards. Yes. Or go with Thomas.
- [54:43]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah. Watch him order. Yeah, it's right it and it for sure. Dude. And today it's Wednesday. They just. I can't date the episode. Sorry, bad form.
- [54:51]
Jack
The it comes up tomorrow. It's Thursday.
- [54:53]
Thomas Edwards
It's a day of the week and the specials reset today. So we can, we can go check. We can, we can check if they righted their wrongs about putting a wrap is this. Yeah.
- [55:02]
Coop
Where did they do?
- [55:03]
Mitch
Are you hell bent on going to the one in east or would you go to the one on 8th?
- [55:06]
Thomas Edwards
No, you got to go the one in East. Like I went to one in Brentwood and there's just high school kids working there. They don't give a shit about you or your sandwich. They're just. They're just trying to get out of there.
- [55:14]
Garrett
And Thomas had a problem with driving places. He's going to go across the street.
- [55:19]
Coop
Just imagine a 16 year old.
- [55:21]
Thomas Edwards
Exactly.
- [55:21]
Coop
You hold up the GA. Why?
- [55:24]
Thomas Edwards
That's Sus, bro.
- [55:25]
Jack
Yeah.
- [55:26]
Ethan
Ls in the chat for this guy.
- [55:29]
Thomas Edwards
Chat. What does this guy think? Yeah, I tried to get a pumps up, got clowned by chat.
- [55:39]
Ethan
Damn, dude.
- [55:41]
Jack
That's funny.
- [55:42]
Thomas Edwards
All right, we.
- [55:43]
Garrett
We've gone for 55 minutes so far. Do we need to talk about the reason Thomas is here?
- [55:48]
Jack
Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah.
- [55:50]
Thomas Edwards
Oh, I'm here because I'm beginning the journey of releasing music with. With my record deal. It's starting next month, man.
- [55:55]
Jack
Let's go.
- [55:57]
Thomas Edwards
Thank you, thank you, thank you. We're starting with a song called Drunk Enough. It's. It's such a fun song, dude. It's. I'm talking half the song. It's. I kind of. It reminds me like a Shel Silverstein poem. Just like poorly written because I wrote it, you know, but, you know, I wanted to capture something that captured my personality, man. I think I've written a lot of songs that are, you know, good songs, but it's just like once you push the ship off the shore, you want people to know what they're getting into. So I wanted to make sure that I had, you know, some, some things that highlight my voice and things that highlight my personality and, and just in and welcome people to the world of Thomas that releases music. Because it's been, you know, the two year, year and a half, two years since I released something. And now it's. You know, the funny thing I said this the other day. I was like, I'm so. I'm the most excited I've ever been to release music. And I said like, you know, when we released the last things, I had no clue what was going on. Now I still have no clue what was going on, but I'm okay with it, you know, like. And I think that's. That's the only thing it's going to be. And that's. That's kind of true for everything, man. Let it fly. Throw the paper airplane, man. And I think that's one of the regrets that I already have in my life is I should have been letting them Fly earlier, you know, I. I made a bunch of paper airplanes and sat him in my closet, and I realized I didn't even throw them because I didn't even care that much, you know, and you got to throw them. And this is where I'm starting to throw them. So the Drunk Enough is just a fun song about. It's really about a girl, man. It's a personal story, an actual story of my life. But you have to listen to song, man. It's. It's. It's got some layers to it, man. It's. Maybe you have to listen to it five times.
- [57:32]
Garrett
Hopefully they do.
- [57:33]
Thomas Edwards
Holy.
- [57:34]
Garrett
Hopefully they do listen to it more than once.
- [57:36]
Thomas Edwards
Callback, dude. I'm the king of the callback, man. I understand comedy. I get it. I get it, y' all. But, yeah, it comes out next month, and then we're gonna start to release. We just cut some more. More songs after that. So after that one, we're gonna be releasing and then going back in to cut a whole record probably to get it. Get it out there sometime in the future. I don't know when that timetable is. Probably this year sometime, but we're off to the races, man. They gave me the keys, and they're letting me drive the ship, and. And we're making a lot of great music and doing it, treating people right along the way, and that's what we plan on doing the whole time. And I'm stoked to stoke to share with the world so people don't think I'm crazy and lying anymore, you know.
- [58:15]
Ethan
Let me drive the boat.
- [58:16]
Jack
I know you. I know you got a bunch of dates lined up here in the future outside of Nashville, is there any place in Nashville, you know, in the next six months or so that any, you know, tier ones that are locked down? Oh, yeah, the back of the bus viewing party.
- [58:29]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, absolutely. Dude, I think you know.
- [58:32]
Ethan
Where do you live?
- [58:33]
Thomas Edwards
Where do I live?
- [58:34]
Jack
Yeah.
- [58:34]
Thomas Edwards
Exact address. My address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. i'm the next president. I need to stop these politically charged statements now. I live in East Nashville, though, man. We've been there for a couple years, four or five years. Been renting, just burning money. It's fun, man. It's like the episode of spongebob that make the Pretty Patties. You know what I'm talking about? Mr. Krabs is like, what you. What are you guys. What are you guys doing with all the money? And he goes like, well, at first we tried burying it, then we tried burning it, and then we just had Too much. So we just started giving it away, you know. Yeah. I don't even know why I brought that up, but I live in East Nashville.
- [59:16]
Jack
Is there a place there a time where we can come catch you at a show?
- [59:20]
Thomas Edwards
Not around here as of now, but I'm probably as this first song comes out late July. I'll do a showcase.
- [59:27]
Jack
Yeah.
- [59:27]
Thomas Edwards
To kind of get those. The guys that have been playing with me in band to do a show here and then that. But that'll probably be end of the summer, I would think.
- [59:35]
Jack
Cool. We'll definitely. We'll post on the. The social pages. So I'll nine for sure followers.
- [59:40]
Thomas Edwards
Let's go.
- [59:40]
Jack
And then we'll obviously collab on the bus and account get that 500, 000 plus audience.
- [59:45]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah.
- [59:46]
Jack
But yeah, we're gonna get everyone. Everyone here on the back of the bus. As long as everyone's in town, we're gonna show out. Oh, no, that's the interns. They won't be invited to the show.
- [59:54]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, that's right. You heard that.
- [59:56]
Jack
But dude, now seriously, so fucking awesome. Just like to know he's a best friend and, like, see all your success and to get you to come on to like, our, like, little funny show that we started. And I feel like we're starting to get a groove too. Like.
- [60:08]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah.
- [60:08]
Jack
Specifically in this show, which is fun. And this episode, I feel like, is a lot of confidence for everyone where it's like we've been just kind of bouncing off. Coop's been talking the whole time.
- [60:16]
Thomas Edwards
Like, I will say I've been.
- [60:20]
Jack
I've been in spectator mode for this whole day. But this has been an awesome interview. Was this close to not talking for another episode.
- [60:26]
Thomas Edwards
I know one day.
- [60:27]
Garrett
One day, every bar you had, Coop would just go.
- [60:31]
Ethan
I just. I just looked over at him.
- [60:32]
Coop
I'm like, yeah.
- [60:33]
Jack
I was fired up the whole time.
- [60:34]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, man. Shoot you. It's. It's a. I love being here, man. It's awesome to see y' all Yalls journey, man. I've always. I've told you two years drunk in the kitchen. Like, when you going to get on the other side of the camera, dude? Like, you're too funny to. You're too funny to not let people know that you're funny, man. And both of y' all. I mean, I think it also is 10,000 hours, though. Like, think about the. Think about where you are now to start this show versus where if you started it four years ago.
- [60:58]
Jack
Oh, my God.
- [60:59]
Thomas Edwards
Oh. Like, you guys, like, know when things.
- [61:01]
Jack
Turf in here, man.
- [61:02]
Thomas Edwards
Yeah, Come on, dude. We understand the. We understand the health implications of standing on hard concrete.
- [61:09]
Jack
Would you. You probably don't want to play your new song. Wait till that releases. Would you want to play one song for the audience? Just give them a taste?
- [61:17]
Thomas Edwards
Sure.
- [61:17]
Jack
Hey, interns.
- [61:19]
Thomas Edwards
My guitar's down.
- [61:20]
Jack
Yeah, we're going to bring it up because we.
- [61:22]
Garrett
Let's get that tape job too.
- [61:23]
Jack
Yeah, I got you.
- [61:24]
Garrett
While he's tuning the guitar, we have an intro for Busting with the Boys. We need an intro for this show. Back of the Bus.
- [61:36]
Jack
Oh, honestly, you should write.
- [61:38]
Garrett
I'm not saying that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was.
- [61:42]
Coop
That's.
- [61:43]
Garrett
That's what I was getting at.
- [61:44]
Ethan
The Pretty Patties.
- [61:46]
Garrett
It could literally be 15 second jingle.
- [61:49]
Mitch
Oh, yeah, bro.
- [61:50]
Ethan
Well, I mean, that was one of the best callbacks.
- [61:52]
Thomas Edwards
Let me do some. Some source. I gotta see what you guys are about. A little better. I mean, I know you're good. You know what I'm saying? Your. Your presence.
- [61:59]
Garrett
Yeah, you are good.
- [62:03]
Thomas Edwards
Welcome to the Back of the bus. Yeah. I wrote this song a couple weeks ago. It's. This is so awesome. This is awesome. This is gonna be a good. No, this is gonna be an awesome clip of us like this. I wrote the song a couple weeks ago. My buddy Bob Dapiro and Ryan. A lot of people, when you get to a certain point of music, they just try to ask you to change everything that got you there. And that's what I'm saying about being different, you know? So we wrote a song about people trying to change me. Even though it's worked the. That I've been doing. You know, I don't know if we.
- [62:36]
Mitch
Should have all the mics here. That might not sound the best.
- [62:40]
Jack
Yeah, I mean, should we maybe even turn down all the mics? But let's just. We'll just be quiet.
- [62:44]
Mitch
I can do that.
- [62:45]
Jack
We'll just be quiet.
- [62:50]
Garrett
Damon home.
- [62:51]
Thomas Edwards
Here we go. There ain't no changing me no more Until I find the change I was looking for don't matter what comes through that door There ain't no changing me no more I met a girl thought that she was golden until she told me to fold the hand I was holding those were the last words that were spoken to me why should I fix what is not broken? Ain't no changing me no more Till I find the change I was looking.
- [63:59]
Ethan
For.
- [64:02]
Thomas Edwards
Don'T matter what comes through that door Ain't no changing me no more A music guy told me to change some stuff about me too, so a Big wig told me I could sing, yo. He said first we gotta fix a couple things. My hair, my beard, I dress too weird. I need some showbiz clothes. And I said, sorry, buddy, that's not how this story goes? Ain't no changing me no more? Till I find the change I was looking for? Don't matter what comes through that door? Cause there ain't no changing me no more. Yeah. Let's go.
- [65:09]
Mitch
That was really cool.
- [65:11]
Ethan
These mics are not auto tuned either. That was all real.
- [65:13]
Thomas Edwards
That's right, dude. Auto. It's all auto tune. Everything is processed and fake. It's all AI.
- [65:24]
Coop
Edit.
- [65:25]
Thomas Edwards
When I start talking after now. That was sick.
- [65:30]
Garrett
That was Tom.
- [65:31]
Jack
We were starting with our guests. They do our outro. So if you want to play a little. Little lick and then be like, you know, sub to the channels. Sub to whatever. Yeah, just let it fly.
- [65:43]
Garrett
And thanks for coming on Back of the Bus.
- [65:47]
Thomas Edwards
Hello, everyone. I'm Thomas Edwards, guest today on the Back of the Bus. Thank you all for joining us. Like the video, subscribe to the channel. Love each other. Tip your waitresses. Shred the veal.
- [66:01]
Jack
Throw the paper airplane.
- [66:03]
Thomas Edwards
Throw the paper airplane, Dude.
- [66:05]
Jack
Thank you so much.
- [66:07]
Ethan
Buy the cruise note. Watch soul.
- [66:12]
Jack
That was sick.
- [66:12]
Mitch
That was awesome.
- [66:15]
G
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