Better Together with Tigirlily Gold

Summary

Summary of "Better Together with Tigirlily Gold" Episode on "On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer"

Introduction to Tigirlily Gold

In the April 3, 2025 episode of "On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer," host Troy Vollhoffer welcomes the rising female country duo, Tigirlily Gold, composed of sisters Kendra and Krista. Originating from the small town of Hazen, North Dakota, Tigirlily Gold has swiftly ascended the country music scene, earning accolades such as the ACM New Duo of the Year in 2024—the only second female duo to ever receive this honor. Their debut album, "Blonde," released in July 2024, has been well-received, propelling them from Nashville’s bar scene to major stages across North America.

Early Beginnings and Formation

Troy initiates the conversation by highlighting the duo’s rugged journey through Nashville’s challenging bar circuit. Kendra shares, “[00:07] That was our big break because you could be just as talented as you were before. But it takes that person who everybody respects in Nashville to get behind you and say, hey, listen to these girls. Their music's great. But until you have that, it's really, really hard to get Nashville's attention without that.”

The sisters recount their humble beginnings, stating that they started Tigirlily Gold at the ages of 14 and 16, performing in Midwest bars and hustling to gain recognition. Krista explains the significance behind their name: “[02:54] It comes from the Tiger Lily flower because it grew naturally in our parents' backyards. And then later on we added on Gold for several reasons, and we also changed the spelling of Tiger Lily to Thai Girl Lily.”

Breakthrough with Monument Records

A pivotal moment in their career was signing with Monument Records, a division of Sony. Krista describes the experience: “[03:30] We moved to Nashville almost eight years ago... In 2020, we got a call from Monument Records, and after meeting industry legends like Shane McInally, it was clear that our journey was about to take a significant turn.” The record deal came during the COVID-19 pandemic, a challenging period that temporarily halted their live performances. The duo credits Shane McInally and Monument Records for their accelerated rise, noting, “[05:46] He helped co-write our brand new single that's going to radio called 'Forever From Here.' He’s just great.”

Navigating the Live Music Scene

Troy delves into the duo’s extensive experience performing live and the skills they've honed through years of playing in bars. Krista shares the intensity of their early gigs: “[07:31] It’s terrifying. When you do your first four-hour cover gig, you have to learn 60 to 80 songs and it’s an audition, basically.” Kendra adds, “[08:10] You need to have natural talent, but also you need to work at it and develop that skill.” Their perseverance paid off, allowing them to adapt their skills to larger venues and festivals.

Songwriting and Creative Process

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on their songwriting process. Krista emphasizes their collaborative approach: “[19:48] We always write all of our own songs together because we feel like that creates the best Tigirlily Gold sound.” Kendra elaborates on their complementary strengths: “[20:02] Kendra being the lead singer is more melodically driven... She’s very good conceptually, keeps me on track.” They maintain a balance of creativity and critical evaluation to ensure their music resonates with audiences.

Influences and Inspirations

Tigirlily Gold draws inspiration from a diverse array of artists and genres. Krista mentions, “[11:23] We loved The Chicks, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town, Lady A, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain.” Additionally, their upbringing in church infused their music with hymn-like qualities, blending traditional and contemporary country sounds.

Goals and Future Aspirations

Looking ahead, Tigirlily Gold outlines ambitious goals aiming for longevity and continued success in the industry. Kendra states, “[10:38] Specifically with country radio, there's never been a sister duo in the history of country music ever to have a number one at country radio.” Their immediate objectives include releasing new music, with a single “Forever From Here” slated for radio on Monday, and an upcoming record expected between August and November 2025. Krista adds, “[28:03] Hopefully in 26, we're on to our second or third number one... We're doing our own big club, small arena tour.”

Dynamic as Sisters and Duo

The chemistry between Kendra and Krista plays a crucial role in their success. They discuss the advantages of being siblings in the music industry, highlighting their ability to support and balance each other. Krista remarks, “[17:20] We get to play festivals together... If we're having a terrible day, we can just look at each other and laugh.” Kendra emphasizes, “[19:42] We balance each other out really well, there's no ego in the band... We keep it real.”

Radio vs. Streaming: Industry Perspectives

Troy solicits their views on the evolving landscape of music distribution, particularly the roles of radio and streaming. Kendra asserts, “[34:10] I think they're both still so important. You can have a massive career without country radio, but it's very rare.” Krista concurs, “[34:30] If you're thinking about the top people in country music, they are cranking out country radio hits and also streaming massively.” They believe that success in country music still heavily relies on a combination of radio presence and streaming metrics.

Closing Thoughts and Future Engagements

Troy concludes the episode by expressing his confidence in Tigirlily Gold’s potential for enduring success. He encourages listeners to follow their journey and anticipates future collaborations, stating, “[36:38] Let’s do this again, reflect and get you on Country Thunder next year.” The episode wraps up with a brief promotion of upcoming segments, though these are outside the scope of the main conversation.

Notable Quotes

• Kendra: “[00:07] That was our big break because you could be just as talented as you were before.”
• Krista: “[20:02] Kendra being the lead singer is more melodically driven… She’s very good conceptually, keeps me on track.”
• Kendra: “[10:38] Specifically with country radio, there's never been a sister duo in the history of country music ever to have a number one at country radio.”
• Krista: “[34:30] If you're thinking about the top people in country music, they are cranking out country radio hits and also streaming massively.”

Conclusion

This episode of "On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer" provides an intimate look into Tigirlily Gold’s journey from small-town aspirations to national recognition. Through candid discussions about their struggles, breakthroughs, creative processes, and future ambitions, Kendra and Krista illustrate the resilience and passion driving their success in the competitive country music landscape. Their emphasis on collaboration, live performance skills, and strategic use of both radio and streaming platforms underscores their commitment to building a sustainable and impactful career.

Transcript

[Kendra]

That was our big break because you could be just as talented as you were before. But it takes that person who everybody respects in Nashville to get behind you and say, hey, listen to these girls. Their music's great. But until you have that, it's really, really hard to get Nashville's attention without that.

[Host]

Welcome to on the bus with Country Thunder. We have a great show planned for you. This week's guest is sister duo named Tiger Lily Gold. Kendra and Krista debut album blonde came out in July of 24. Worked their way through the bar scene in Nashville. Now they're hitting the big stages in North America. Sisters grew up in Hazen, North Dakota, which is unbelievable to have this kind of success coming from North Dakota, a little small town. They won new duo of the year at the ACMs last year in 2024. This makes them the only second female duo to ever win the award, which is unbelievable. Please welcome to our show Tiger Lily Gold. We got to talk about this because this is amazing. And Kendra and Krista, it's such a pleasure to meet you.

[Kendra]

Thanks for.

[Host]

And thanks for coming over today. I mean, we used to do this on the bus, but it's off season, so.

[Krista]

Right.

[Host]

And it's great to have you.

[Krista]

This place is beautiful. So I'm. I'm not mad about.

[Kendra]

It's very homey.

[Host]

Well, thank you. Thank you. We usually have the fire rolling, but I mean, they don't let us do that here today, you know, so. But. So North Dakota.

[Kendra]

Yes.

[Host]

How did you get your start?

[Krista]

We're from North Dakota. We're sisters. Grew up there, obviously. We started when we were 14 and 16. We started Tiger Lily and we started touring around the Midwest, basically doing any show that anyone would let us play.

[Host]

So you named the band or the group immediately?

[Kendra]

Pretty much. I mean, Kendra's tears older. And she always loved to sing, so she's the lead singer of the group. I do all the harmony, acoustic guitar, and we write all our songs together. But she caught the singing bug really early on. Was doing, like little talent shows, Colgate Country Showdown, if you remember those around the area. And she loved performing. And me being the little sister was like, well, I don't want to be left in the dust. So we joined forces. I Learned harmony from 2000s country radio. And for a while I think we went by Kendra and Krista. But you're talking. This is 10 and 12 years old. By 14 and 16, we were like, we need a cool band named because we were on like Sugar Land, Rascal Flats, Lady Lady Lay Little Big Town. And we were super inspired by all those really cool band names. So honestly, it comes from the Tiger Lily flower because it grew naturally in our parents backyards. And then later on we added on Gold just for several reasons, but Tiger Lily Gold. And we also changed the spelling of Tiger Lily to Thai Girl Lily. So that's why we spell it different.

[Host]

I was going to say that. I was going to say that. And I was talking to my staff, they're like, no, maybe don't go there. And I was like, but that's how it's spelled. And I think it's really cool. So it's kind of like a girl empowerment thing, right?

[Krista]

Love it very much so.

[Host]

That's fantastic. So working North Dakota and doing all the local stuff and that. So when did you feel you got your break? How did it happen? I mean, you're in. You're in the highest level of. I mean, Shane McInally. I can't even speak how awesome, you know, artist and guy and talented individual. How did you run into Shane McInalla? How did he find you guys? I mean, it's pretty magical.

[Krista]

We've been a long time.

[Kendra]

We call it a God thing. Because when you ask, when did we get our break? I think our break was when we signed a record deal. Yeah, sure. Our first big break.

[Host]

Because that's a monument, right?

[Kendra]

Yeah, Monument Records division of Sony. We moved to Nashville almost eight years ago at this point, and we started playing downtown Nashville because we needed to pay our rent and we wanted to do music for a living. We could have got other jobs, but we wanted to be able to make a living playing music because that's always been our bottom line. So we did Broadway for about three years. Nudies, Honky Tonk. Two years at Dirk's family's Whiskey Row. And I would say Whiskey Row was the main bar we played at. And 2020 rolled around and, you know, shut down everything. We were out of work. I mean, that was our bread and butter. And we really didn't know what music was going to bring in this next couple of years. And we was really hard times. But we got a call in 2020, late 2020, from Monument Records, and we had never met Shane McInally. So Shane co owns Monument Records and we were just huge fans of his songwriting. We'd always been songwriting fans and we just wanted to write with him. I mean, much less work with him in this aspect. But we got a call and it was so quick. We got a call and we walked in and it was the most nervous we've ever met.

[Krista]

Oh, yeah. I mean, it's Shane McInally, Jason Owen, which Jason Owen's also. He's Sanborn and I mean, he manages Kelsey and Dan and Shay and Casey. And so you're sitting in front of.

[Host]

That's Shania Twain for a while.

[Krista]

Yeah, so. And Katie McCartney, who she runs Monument Records. So you're sitting in front of these three people and you're like, my life could change in this moment. And so we were so nervous and honestly, we hadn't been playing, like, any shows because of the pandemic. We had been on TikTok, really trying to dive into the social media thing and had some videos blowing up on there. But yeah, we met with them and honestly, not too long after that signed with Monument. And ever since then, I feel like our journey has just really, really picked up. It's been over 12 years now that we've been doing this, and then the last few years, we've had a couple songs go to country radio. We won our first ACM award, which is.

[Kendra]

I see a lot of ACM awards.

[Krista]

In here, and it's just been a really, really cool journey. But to have someone like Shane in your corner who you look up to so much, to have him being part of the A and R process of when you're going in to cut a record or things like that, it's just really cool. He. He helped co write our brand new single that's going to radio called Forever From Here. Yeah, he's just.

[Kendra]

He's great, but it's super cool. I mean, both Kendra and agree that that was our big break because you could be just as talented as you were before, but it takes that person who everybody respects in Nashville to get behind you and say, hey, listen to these girls. Their music's great. But until you have that, it's really, really hard to get Nashville's attention without that.

[Host]

So let's regress a little bit. So a lot of artists, I mean, I believe music has changed over the course of, you know, that year and a half or whatever we were down during COVID I think the business has changed considerably. You've done it the way that most artists that have long, stable careers, they went out and earned their applause. They had to get the guy at the back of the bar to pay attention to their music. So over the course of time and learning how to entertain and perform and making sure that everyone's being attentive to your performance, what do you think that is? I'm sure Your lives. I've never seen you, and I apologize for that because I'm going to see.

[Kendra]

You, I think, come on out.

[Host]

Because I love the fact of the road that you took, where you actually did it the tougher way, but I think that gives longevity. But explain to me the trials and tribulations of working those clubs and trying to get that person in the back row listen to your music.

[Krista]

I mean, it's terrifying. When you do your first four hour cover gig, you have to learn 60 to 80 songs and it's an audition, basically. So we, we skipped class at Belmont to go audition at Nudies. That was the first time we had done a four hour conversation.

[Host]

Nudies was your first gig. First gig.

[Kendra]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Krista]

And so you're just on the stage in this bar and you're like, okay, how do I entertain these people who have no idea who I am for, for four hours? It's the 10,000 hour rule, honestly, like, just, you just gotta play and you learn. And we were terrible probably right away. I mean, we had some natural, you know, charisma or whatever, but it's a skill. It is.

[Kendra]

I mean, yes, you need to have natural talent, but also you need to work at it and develop that skill. And both Kendra and I agree. It's, hey, if we can get people who don't know, don't care, just want to have fun and party Nashville to pay attention to us, we really believe we can do anything now.

[Krista]

Take that with us.

[Kendra]

Everywhere we go now, whether it's, you.

[Krista]

Know, a bar or a festival or.

[Kendra]

Opening up for somebody who their fans are not familiar with you, it's kind of the same thing. And you can take those skills and apply them, really anywhere. And just the art of entertaining, you.

[Krista]

Know, and kind of. I mean, for me, it's like I. My whole life I've been so focused on I have to be vocally perfect and do all these things and whatever, but it's really not about that as much. It's more about making the people in the bar or wherever you're at just feel. Feel happy, feel sad. It's. It's more about that. It's more about entertaining than anything. And I think you see that with, you know, just some of the best entertainers of all time. You can't focus so much on being in your head, worrying about every pitch, every note, every word. It's just like, how can I be honest? How can I connect with them and make sure they have the best time here today?

[Host]

That's super cool. I think there's something to be said about playing live and getting your chops before, you know, hitting the big stage, as we'll call it. Like we said before, that era of A lot of artists respond during that 2020 pandemic, and a lot of TikTok kids came out of that, and a lot have done extremely well in that. In that. In that era. It's kind of a. Interesting thing because, I mean, It's a catch 22 scenario. You know, you got Zach Bryant. He's selling out stadiums right now, and he came out of that whole vibe, right?

[Krista]

Yeah.

[Host]

A time period. So. So what are your goals? Like, what do you guys like? I know what your goals are. That's. That's a silly question, but where's Tiger Lily Gold going after you leave here? Like, what's going on? What's the future? You got a record coming out in August.

[Kendra]

Yeah, we actually don't have a release date, but, yeah, a new record this fall. So it could be for anywhere from August to November.

[Krista]

Yeah, sure.

[Kendra]

We've not put a stamp on it yet, but, yeah, we'll say August from now. I like. I like the concept.

[Host]

Putting out some singles, I'm assuming.

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Krista]

So we just put out a new single called Forever From Here that goes to radio on Monday, actually. So it's our new song at country radio.

[Kendra]

And I know you said that goals are, you know, like, I know what your goals are, but we do have some very specific goals because.

[Host]

Let's talk about them.

[Kendra]

Yeah. Specifically with country radio, there's never been a sister duo in the history of country music ever to have a number one at country radio. So we've always had that big overarching, like we could be the first of something, which is absolutely crazy at this point. But, yeah, we'd love to have number one at country radio and then obviously many number ones after that, but focusing on the first one for sure. And honestly, Kendra and I, at the. At the peak of it all, if we can sell out arenas, obviously headlining, but thousands of people are paying to come to our shows.

[Krista]

That's.

[Kendra]

That's really the goal because we love live performing the best out of anything. We love writing songs. We love all of that. But performing live is our.

[Host]

Yeah, that's where you get your buzz, right?

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Host]

So who was your biggest influences? The chicks.

[Krista]

Yeah, we loved the Chicks, but we honestly kind of discovered them a little bit later. It was a lot of Sugar Land. A lot of Sugar Land. Rascal Flats, Little Big Town Lady, A. Taylor, Miranda Carey, Shania Faith, Hill. So a lot of groups and a lot of female voices, strong female voices were big influences for us. And then our mom always had Garth Brooks on too, so we listened to.

[Kendra]

A lot of Garth.

[Krista]

But, yeah, that was kind of. I mean. And American Idol winners. Yeah. So, like a lot of Kelly Clarkson or Jordan Sparks or Chris Daughtry, like a lot of different influences. And then we grew up in church, too, so just all the hymns and stuff. So it's kind of all of that.

[Host]

You sing in church?

[Krista]

Yeah, we sang in church all the time. I mean, every Sunday, an annual Baptist representative. Yeah. So just so many different influences and, yeah, it's. It's been a fun journey, but I feel like we're definitely leaning more into that early 2000s, late 90s sound for the next record, which I'm very excited about. It's getting. We've always been country, but it's getting country.

[Host]

Er, Yeah. I just heard the other day, which is kind of interesting, that the band Perry's coming back out again.

[Krista]

Oh, I love that.

[Host]

And they're gonna do the country thing again. I was like, it's interesting because I think it can really work. I think.

[Krista]

I mean, they were. I was killing it. I mean, Better Dig two and if I.

[Host]

They were on fire.

[Kendra]

Yeah, they were.

[Krista]

Huge influence, too, honestly. And I think Shane wrote some of those. Yeah.

[Kendra]

And songs kind of know Kimberly Perry a little bit, but. Yeah, she's so nice. And. Yeah, wish them the best and, man.

[Krista]

I hope they go kind of.

[Kendra]

You want to crank out some more vampire hits? I'm not going to be mad about it.

[Krista]

I love the music.

[Host]

That's fantastic. So what's up this year? So tell us about what 2025 is for.

[Krista]

Yeah, I mean, just honestly, still working on this record and then touring a lot and doing a lot of festivals, a lot of casinos, a lot of fairs, a lot of headlining stuff. All the above. I still feel like, you know, we're.

[Kendra]

At the level where we're the up.

[Krista]

And coming, so we still. We do the, you know, smaller bars, which we honestly love.

[Kendra]

I feel like.

[Krista]

I think our favorite thing is like a small bar club where you can.

[Kendra]

Just see everybody's face.

[Host]

Captive audience. That's what I mean.

[Krista]

Yes. For the captive. And you're just like, these are my people. And. But I. You know, we also love if we get put on an arena show with an act or a big festival. And so we get to do, you know, Stagecoach and CMA Fest, all that coming up. So it's going to be a really Fun year, but really excited about the new music, honestly. And every year, no, we're like, very.

[Kendra]

Pleasantly surprised by things that happen. Even with last year when we won the ACM Award, we didn't. Can't plan for those things to happen. Obviously, you can want them really bad, but pleasantly surprised. Which I'm glad we're pleasantly surprised by things, you know, not the other way around. But half the time our fans will be like, did you guys know that this is happening? I'm like, no, I don't know what's happening. So we applaud our fans and also our mom for keeping us on track. Yeah.

[Krista]

But honestly, every year, like, this is your. Are we going on 13 now? 12. 13 every year.

[Kendra]

13 going on 30, which is how I feel in this industry.

[Krista]

Yeah.

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Krista]

Every year we make it through another year making a living doing music. We're like, well, we're still here. Yeah, we're still making it.

[Host]

So since this is your passion, my question to you is, do you think you've ever worked a day? I don't mean working a day in the sense of not working hard, but working a day where it's like, I don't want to do this anymore.

[Krista]

Yes. Because when we were down on.

[Kendra]

I never not wanted to do it anymore. But I will say I have had days where it does feel strictly like work or the parts of the music industry that I don't personally enjoy. But I know it's important to do the things I enjoy. You know, I want people to sell tickets on a live show, and in order to do that, you got to do all the social media stuff and everything that comes with that. And some of those things we don't enjoy, but we know it's important for the end results. Yeah.

[Krista]

I mean, when you're. It's 10am on a Sunday morning in a bar and there's two people there and you're playing free falling, it's not, you know, it's not always work. It's not always the most fun. But you're like, listen, this is part of the journey, part of the process. And hopefully these two people really enjoy this song right here.

[Kendra]

I always come back to It's Kendra and I truly enjoy our job. I hate calling it a job because we love music, but it's a lifestyle. It is a lifestyle, but our dad's a respiratory therapist and he'll pull 12 hour shifts at a hospital. And I'm like, who am I to be like, oh, my job is hard or tough? Sure, we get tired. Sure. Worn out from traveling, but, like, got to keep it real. Also, people. There's so many people working their butts off. So it's.

[Host]

But it is work because when you. When you have to go and do meet and greets when you're not. You may have the stomach flu or whatever and not feeling your best, you gotta put your. Come here and you gotta put your best on every day. I mean, you have this Persona that you're carrying, and I mean, it's very important to your career.

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Host]

That is work.

[Kendra]

It is.

[Krista]

And we're all just human at the end of the day, right. But, yeah, for some reason, you know, if you do music or you're in movies, people, like, think that sometimes you're not. I mean, not us personally, but other people think they're not as human. And it's crazy. It's like we all get sick. We all have bad days. We all, you know, have times when we're not feeling our best. But you still have to. Yeah. At the end of the day, it's like, I'm gonna give. Not every day is your absolute best, but I'm gonna give my best today. Yeah.

[Kendra]

And we can kind of. It's really nice being in a duo because we can keep each other in check as far as how we're feeling. We also humble each other daily just because we're sisters. Not that we try to.

[Host]

I love that you're sisters, but, like.

[Kendra]

We keep it real.

[Host]

I think it's the coolest thing ever.

[Kendra]

We keep it real.

[Host]

And also, you seem like you really get along.

[Krista]

We do.

[Kendra]

We. It's a good dynamic. We actually have one more younger sister. Her name's Carly, and she was. Never wanted to be in the band. She never had interest in the music thing. But we really. We actually do really get along. And we get asked that a lot. Like, do y'all like, I. A ton. Like, how is your relationship? And it's. Man, if we hated each other, absolutely. Could not be a band. Absolutely. I mean, we really feel. Oh, go ahead.

[Krista]

No, I would say we get to play festivals together.

[Kendra]

We get to.

[Krista]

If, you know we're having a terrible day, we can just look at each other and laugh about what's going on. Like, you have someone else with you the whole time. How is that not better? I. I always, you know, unless you.

[Kendra]

Don'T like the person.

[Krista]

Exactly.

[Kendra]

Like, after a show, we're pretty chill in our camp. Like, we like to have fun sometimes, but we'll be like, hey, you want to, like, come to my hotel? Room and do a face mask and.

[Krista]

You know, watch friends do a face mask with us.

[Host]

I'm in.

[Kendra]

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That's really the Tigeroli camp these days.

[Host]

Take care of our skincare.

[Krista]

Yeah.

[Kendra]

Come on.

[Host]

That's fantastic. I'm so happy because there's a lot of stories about duos that, you know, aren't so happy. I've been through a couple breakups with different bands that I have been a part of, but around and. And, you know, the irony is that everyone tries to go out and do it on their own, and then they always come back to their partner.

[Kendra]

Better together.

[Host]

And they're better together 100%. And you can go through the list of duos who've done that, and they're back together and doing better than they've ever done. So there's something to be said about getting along.

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Krista]

And I think it's an interesting point, too, because you don't necessarily see a lot of new duos and groups coming up as much as, like, solo artists. Right. You see a lot of female and male artists coming up. But I think it's because as long as it takes to actually. Actually make it in this industry, like, they.

[Kendra]

We had eight years of being completely unrecognized by and broke. Right.

[Krista]

So, you know, to make it that far, a lot of people just don't want to do that and end up not liking each other by the end. And I get it. Especially if you weren't family with someone. Like, we have to like each other no matter what, you know, because we are sisters.

[Kendra]

Yeah, exactly. Brothers Osborne.

[Krista]

They have to like each other. They're brothers.

[Kendra]

And I feel like, also for Kendra and I, our strengths and personalities balance each other out so well. Like, like I said, she's a lead singer. I've never had an interest in lead singing ever. Like, even at when I was 12, I just never really enjoyed it, wanted to do it. I focus way more on harmony and guitar and all the really nerdy theory stuff in music, because I'm super into that. But there's no ego in the band. I joke, and this is my dry, sarcastic humor. I'm like, you know what? I have the ego of a lead singer. I just don't have the talent for it. And I'm like, it's just me making fun of myself. But we balance each other out really well. That's true. I've said it.

[Host]

So let's talk about the writing. I assume you write.

[Krista]

Yes.

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Host]

I mean, you've been doing a long time. I'M so where do you pop your ideas from? And are you lyrically driven or are you melody driven or what? How do you. And what comes first in your. In your process? Because everyone has a process, right?

[Krista]

Well, for us, we always write all of our own songs together because we feel like that creates the best Tiger Lily sound. Yeah, sure. But Krista, we have very different strengths when it comes to that as well. Krista's amazing at coming up with a vibe. She's great at phrase like, I'll be like, I have this. I have this lyric. Phrase it for me. So it fits into what we need it to fit into. She's great at that. You're just really witty and you can spit off lyrics left and right.

[Kendra]

And Kendra obviously being the lead singer is more melodically driven because if she doesn't like singing it or the melody, we're just not going to cut it, you know, so she's got to love the melody. She's got to like how it feels on her voice. But Kendra's very great with ideas. Honestly, I feel like a lot of our songs that we end up cutting are actually Kendra's ideas. She's very good conceptually, keeps me on track. I'm a little ADHD squirrel brain sometimes, so I'm like spitting off lyrics and she's like, well, does this actually make sense altogether? So again, we're very big picture and great with melody and yeah, it's really just seamless. How. I mean, yes, we argue in the writing room of like, no, this is how it should be. This is how it should be. But we're arguing always for the song and sometimes if we know our co writers really well, we'll be like, what do you think? And we really put them on the hot seat. We make them extremely uncomfortable when it.

[Krista]

Comes to like picking songs for a record. We 99% agree on all the songs. I mean, every once in a while we'll have a difference of a song or two. But overall.

[Kendra]

Or you like, you might have some. Your non negotiables might be a little bit different than mine, but we like all the songs that we cut.

[Krista]

But like, when it comes to choosing a single or whatever, we always are on the same page.

[Host]

So I've always wondered what it was like. And I've never been in a writer's room before. So y'all go into a room and you have friends in there, other writers, maybe some that are more accomplished than you or maybe some that are less accomplished than you. What's that vibe like when you have three other people in the room with y'all?

[Krista]

Well, honestly, it's amazing. And thankfully, because we've been in Nashville for almost eight years now, we've really, we've gotten into just some incredible rooms and we've just tried to write with anyone who would write with us, basically. But we've gotten to the point where we have certain groups of people that we just automatically know we're going to write really good songs with. And so when it comes to writing a record, we'll make sure we get more of those rights.

[Kendra]

But also, there's kind of a magic to a first right as well. And I will say we usually have us two and then usually two other people in the ring. It's usually a four way, right? I think three other people would be too much because if you get too many people in the room, you can just never fully agree. And I feel like a song gets watered down if everyone has to agree on stuff all the time. But yeah, sometimes the magic of a first try is interesting because you, you.

[Krista]

Want to bring your best.

[Kendra]

You bring your best. You always want to bring your best. But when you get really comfortable around a group of writers too, sometimes you're like, I know where to get good stuff. And maybe you don't bring your A game, but the first rate, you're like, I'm really trying to impress these people and so are they. So sometimes the magic of a first sprite is really cool and that's why we always keep trying new people.

[Krista]

And I like, I'm intimidated, but I like being in rooms. I like being on shows. I like being in rounds with artists and writers who have more success than me.

[Kendra]

Or are better.

[Krista]

Yeah. Or are better. Like, I want to be pushed and I want to learn from those people. And so as intimidating as it can be, sometimes, like when you're in a room with Shane McInally, you're like, what am I doing here? But like, someone like that Shane, he's like, he has all these hits and he's sitting there going, I love that Melody Kendra. That's a great line, Krista. And he's pointing out and he's. It's just, that's why he's so good at what he does, because he takes what an artist does and just accentuates that. And so you see why he's had so much success. But yeah, I like being in those rooms because at the end of the day, then I call Krista after, I'm like, did I even do anything today? Like, did I Did I seem worthless in that room?

[Kendra]

And these are the conversations we'll have with each other afterwards. You're not worthless. No. I was like, well, Kendra, you're the artist, so you have to be there. And I'm also like, yes, you contributed. You did a great job. And you're just in your head, but sometimes.

[Krista]

Yeah, with somebody's.

[Host]

I love that. That you have each other's back.

[Kendra]

Oh, we always have.

[Host]

Sidebar. I love that.

[Kendra]

Yeah, no, we. We really try to, like, there's no use tearing each other down. Like I said, we only, like, bicker when we're, I guess, arguing about what to wear or the little things. But, yeah, we really try to hype each other up because it's like this industry is already so tough and there's a million different people with a million different opinions, so we might as well have each other's back. Yeah.

[Krista]

I mean, it's really as. As supportive as this industry is, it's also trying to knock you down all the time.

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Krista]

You know what I mean? And so if inevitably we don't have each other's backs and aren't rooting each other on, we might as well just throw someone then, you know, like, it's just us.

[Host]

Well, that's very special. So how is it to play, you know, when you play a big festival and you have an early slot and there's not a lot of people out there, so how do you inspire yourselves to go out there and kick ass and be who you are, Be Tiger Lily gold and, like, we're going to make an impact and be inspired, Like. Yeah, because that's got to be self inspiring.

[Kendra]

It is. Yeah.

[Host]

The audience, you have to.

[Kendra]

They're walking in and they're kind of getting, you know, not everybody wakes up for the 3pm or, you know, whatever it is, which I understand. You know, they. They went hard last night, and I understand that.

[Krista]

Or they're there waiting for the headliner, you know, if it's, you know, hardy or something like that. And then we show up, it's like, okay, this is not. They're probably not ready for what we're about to do. So we always just, We.

[Kendra]

We do feel like this is where having a little bit of an edge or a chip can be good sometimes because there's some shows where the audience is solely there for us. And it's an easy. It's such an easy crowd. We walk out there, we're like, I don't have to win these people over at all. Like, this is so fun. But other shows, you do have to prove yourself and that's just the reality of it. So we just try to like, show people. We're like, hey, if we can get their attention, make a couple new fans and maybe give people something they weren't expecting. And by the end of the show.

[Krista]

People are paying attention. Yes, that's a win for us. Yeah.

[Kendra]

A different mindset though. And really we enjoy performing, so it's a little competitive.

[Krista]

It's like, oh, yeah, okay, how can.

[Kendra]

We turn on today? Yeah, how are we going to turn?

[Host]

I love that.

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Host]

Because I've spoken to a lot of artists throughout the course of my career. I've having these late night discussions of, you know, different topics and about performing and I'm, I'm totally intrigued by it because I come from an era where, where you came from, where, where artists work their way through the bars and, and learning really how to entertain. And then we got thrown into this, you know, era right now where some of these kids have never played in front of a live audience before and they're having success and all of a sudden, voila. And a lot of great, you know, some of them naturals, you know, and I, and, and. But some aren't. And it's interesting to see how that works and, and having great fame and not being able to perform or they don't. That's like oil and vinegar.

[Kendra]

It's hard.

[Host]

It doesn't work right.

[Kendra]

Man, I can't imagine if someone would just throw me out there at 12 and been like, you have a huge fan base but you've never played a show.

[Krista]

I would.

[Kendra]

I mean, that's terrifying.

[Host]

I. Yeah, yeah, terrifying.

[Krista]

I mean, It's.

[Host]

I've got 100 million, you know, followers on TikTok or whatever and I gotta go play a game tomorrow.

[Krista]

Right.

[Host]

It's interesting to watch that, you know, and sometimes it, you know, because there's a lot of, A lot of artists never played live who can actually pull it off. I don't know if they're thinking about it in their sleep or whatever, but I've seen it natural, cool, and some not so great. But I, I love what you guys are doing with your career. I think you guys are going to have a lot of longevity in your career.

[Kendra]

Thank you.

[Host]

Let's talk about what, what 26 is. Sounds like you're gearing up with this record later in the year. 26 sounds like it's going to be your year. What are your plans? Oh, man, I know it's a little premature to ask. That question. But what are your goals in 26?

[Krista]

Hopefully in 26, we're on to our second or third number one. Yes, hopefully. We are on a major worldwide tour with one of our favorite artists, either as, you know, first or second opener. Hopefully. We're doing our own big club, small arena. Small arena tour. I mean, that's next year.

[Kendra]

That'd be pretty quick, obviously.

[Host]

No, that's doable.

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Krista]

Yeah.

[Kendra]

You get a couple songs, right?

[Krista]

I'm singing them all. I say we have two or three hits by next year.

[Kendra]

We've always. So we won an ACM award last year for new group or duo of the year. We definitely. Our goal in the next year, too, is to be nominated for the main duo category. I don't see us winning that for a couple years. Like, and that's just me being so realistic, because you never know what can change. But to be not in that category, the duo, because that duo category does not turn over very quick. You know, obviously you have, like, Brooks and Dunn winning last year. It's like once they had their people, they hang on to their people for decades. And that's super cool for us because once we get in. Yeah, we're in. I mean, I'll be there for the next 20 years.

[Host]

No, I totally agree with that.

[Krista]

Yeah.

[Host]

It's interesting because they're one of the acts that I was alluding to earlier, right. When they broke up and they both had their, you know, solo careers and they put the band back together, and here they are, and they're doing a better business than they probably did, you.

[Kendra]

Know, the reboots, man. So good.

[Host]

Neon Circus or whatever it was called back in. I don't know, before I was born. But legends, Legends. They are legends. They absolutely are. And they deserve every bit of success that they get. But it's interesting. So from a duo standpoint, who were your duos other than Sugar Land man? Who. Who were you? The duos that inspired you? Because obviously, you. It's like anything. You look at a duo and go, we are a duo, and let's try to follow that path.

[Krista]

I mean, honestly, a Dan and Shay brothers Osborne. I mean, I remember when Maddie and Tay came out with Girl in a country song. We were in North Dakota, and I was like, krista, man, I wish we would have had this song.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Krista]

I was like, such a good song. This is amazing. And seeing them just.

[Host]

So you're still in North Dakota at that particular.

[Krista]

Oh, yeah. At that point when they, Maddie and Tay had come out with that song, we were still in North Dakota. And I'm. I was like, this is awesome.

[Kendra]

It was also cool to see a girl duo just being so. Having that much success, too. And it's like, well, they're paving the way. They're doing it.

[Krista]

We can do it. Yeah. Yeah.

[Kendra]

It just shows that it's possible, and it's very doable. The Judge Judds.

[Krista]

Yeah.

[Kendra]

But even. Obviously, country duos were inspired by. But Kendra and I have always said we have a little bit of this girl group energy. So even just girl groups of the past, which I know hard is a duo, but. Yeah, just, like, badass women that I'm.

[Host]

Like, were the original. Dude.

[Krista]

Oh, they. Yeah.

[Kendra]

Like, aren't they, like, the best? Like, heart's probably the. The duo, right?

[Krista]

Yeah, they are. I. I can. I say they're probably, like, just the best of all time.

[Kendra]

I don't think anyone's gonna, like, have a hard time disagreeing. And Judd's for country. It's like, those two are like.

[Krista]

And Brooks and Don. Yeah. I mean, I.

[Host]

No, but female for sure.

[Kendra]

Yeah.

[Krista]

Yep.

[Kendra]

And also selling out. Yeah.

[Host]

I mean, they're running this year with Cheap Trick, and, I mean, they're selling out everywhere. They're playing well. I mean, totally.

[Krista]

Absolutely incredible. Like, their voices are just. Yeah, they still have the voices and so strong and powerful. And so to look at a duo like that and like, the Spice Girls.

[Kendra]

Yeah. And Wilson Phillips, tlc. And we cover a lot of that stuff.

[Host]

TLC still going.

[Krista]

Yeah.

[Host]

They do great business.

[Kendra]

So I want to bring a little.

[Krista]

Of that to what we do as well in the country.

[Host]

Oh, I love that a little bit. Because. Yeah, because, I mean, I don't. I mean, my personal opinion, what I'm looking at in country music is it isn't where it used to be. I think there's a lot of genders, music that is amalgamating with each other. And it's not like we are country and we don't do this.

[Krista]

No.

[Host]

And that's the way it used to be.

[Krista]

Yeah.

[Host]

And the fan base is so much broader than it was ever. I mean, I think that. Yeah, it's massive. Right. A lot of crossovers everywhere. You know, it happened, I think, a little bit in the 70s with Dolly and Kenny Rogers. But I think right now we're living in a time where it's a special place. So it's a great place for you guys.

[Krista]

We're really excited.

[Kendra]

It's a.

[Krista]

It's a fun place for us to be right now because we're definitely the.

[Kendra]

World is wide open.

[Krista]

We've got to do so many things that we have always dreamed of, but we still have so many really big goals that we're chasing. And so it's just a really. We're still very hungry where we're at right now, because we still have so much that we want to accomplish, and we do want to be around for a long time. We want to have staying power and longevity in this career because we will. Like, we don't know how to do anything else and don't want to do anything else. We have to figure out how we can stay here a while. But. Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah. I kind of face the same thing personally, too. When I was like, I don't know anything other than this. So.

[Kendra]

Yeah, you figure it out.

[Host]

You figure it out.

[Krista]

Exactly.

[Host]

Put your head down and go for it. And that's. I. I think that creates that hunger. Not only survival comes into play, but also the hunger for. For success. And I think you ladies both have that. And I'm. I'm so excited. I'm so glad to meet you. I think it's a real. It's a real honor. And, man, I wish you the greatest success, and I think you're gonna have it. I truly believe that.

[Krista]

Well, thank you. It's so great to meet you. I feel like we're old friends now.

[Kendra]

Canadian, North Dakota.

[Host]

Yeah. But I have one last question for you all. So here we are. It's a big week in Nashville, Tennessee. CRS Is a big deal for radio. Now, I have a question for you. Radio or streaming? As we've seen, radio has kind of lost a lot of power in regards to. And, you know, in regards to how music's presented today. They don't have that ability to cross over. They either country or their rock stations or whatever. And streaming has changed the business immensely. What are your thoughts on that?

[Kendra]

Man, I think there's so many thoughts, Honestly, I think they're both still so important. You can have a massive career without country radio. It's proven, but it's not. It's very rare still. You have, like, the Zach Bryan thing or the Casey Musgraves thing, where there are the anomalies, where they're selling out arenas without country radio. But it is not the normal.

[Krista]

But if you're thinking about the top people in country music, they are cranking.

[Kendra]

Out country radio hits.

[Krista]

Yes, cranking out country radio hits and also streaming massively. So I think you need both still to have major hits and, you know, have the kind of career you want. For us as a new artist, I think if we can have a top 10, top five, number one at country radio, that could break us as an.

[Kendra]

Artist because it can lead to so many other things industry wise. It all is still part of the puzzle pieces of how this industry work. Even to get nominated for certain awards, you have to have a top 40 in country radio. So it's still a lot of the gatekeeping for country music industry, and I think it's so important. But I think streaming really tells where the fans are at a lot. Country radio has their demographic and you need to appeal to those people and it's a great demographic. But streaming, that's free range. I mean, if you have high streaming numbers, people just want to listen to your music and they're going to seek.

[Krista]

It out and they'll come to your shows and you don't. Yeah, you don't have to have a song at country radio to still have a really successful, amazing lot.

[Kendra]

But I mean, when we really want.

[Krista]

To, you have to have both to.

[Kendra]

Really superstar be at the. I think of like, I'm still a fan of radio.

[Krista]

Yeah, we are.

[Host]

I think radio is super cool.

[Kendra]

I mean, I think it's super important still. You look at right now, you think the superstar right now, Lainey Wilson.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Kendra]

She's training number one, eight, eight number ones at country radio and massive seat like hosting everything, doing everything.

[Krista]

Cody Johnson. Yes. Morgan.

[Kendra]

The main country stars still are having country radio hits and I think that's super important.

[Krista]

That's where we want to get to someday.

[Host]

Oh, you're gonna be there.

[Kendra]

Oh, thanks.

[Host]

I'm totally convinced about it.

[Krista]

Okay.

[Host]

And I've only known you for half an hour, so. But I am. I think that your attitude is totally perfect. And like I said, I wish you guys the best. Thank you for coming over, having this great interview. And let's do this again. Let's just do this like in a year and. And see reflect and. And get you on Country Thunder next year and if you're interested and it be fantastic. So it's a pleasure to meet you.

[Krista]

Hey, nice to meet you.

[Kendra]

Thanks for having us.

[Host]

Thanks a lot. Well, that's on the bus at Country Thunder and Tiger Lily and what a great day. Thank you very much for sharing this with us. Next up, we have a fun segment, Bring the thunder. We're featuring new artists. We're about to hit the charts. This week. We're featuring John Morgan. And this is interesting because you just never know how artists are discovered. John played Country Thunder last year. It was amazing. He was a new artist and came out with a bang. A random Uber driver connecting him to Jason Aldean offered him this first record deal. Morgan's story began when he was taking an Uber ride in Nashville, chatting up this driver, both songwriting and stuff, you know, and the newcomer had his sights set on being a country star. So it was just his luck that the driver actually had written some songs for megastar Jason Aldean in the past. Well, they started talking, they got together, and the driver put him in contact with a couple dudes who were in Jason's band. The rest is history. John Morgan has written songs for Jason Aldean and is a great artist on his own accord. John is on the road right now, but he graciously took some time from his busy tour schedule to give us a peek behind the scenes. Thanks for doing that, John. We can't wait to watch you on this next part of your career. I think you're going to be a smash and you're headed for the stars.

[John Morgan]

What's up, y'all? It's John Morgan here joining you from Plain City, Ohio, up here at the granary. We're playing a show tonight. It's gonna be fun. One of my favorite lyrics from one of my favorite songs. I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then. Toby Keith, Classic. One of my favorite festival moments. A summer fest in Milwaukee, 2024, I believe. Put on a great show there. That was a fun, fun night. The one thing we always have to have on our bus is beef jerky. We all love beef jerky. It's a collective yes from all of us. So we always have that stash somewhere on the bus. Y'all be on the lookout for my debut album, Carolina Blue, dropping April 25.

[Host]

I cannot thank Tiger Lily Gold enough for coming by today. You know their name itself, Kiger Lily Gold. It's all about women power, and I think that they are the greatest candidates to carry that on. They're on a trajectory right now to be major artists in country music. They started out in the bars and now they're playing the biggest stages in North America, which is amazing. Best of luck to Tiger Lily Gold. Be sure to follow country Thunder on all our social platforms. At Country Thunder, we have new episodes dropping bi monthly. Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast so you will know when new episodes hit the feed.