Best 7 Segments From The Bobby Bones Show This Week

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show — Best 7 Segments From This Week

Date: May 16, 2026
Host: Bobby Bones
Podcast: The Bobby Bones Show, Premiere Networks

---

Episode Overview

This episode features a compilation of the seven best segments from The Bobby Bones Show this week. The tone is playful and conversational, capturing the team’s signature blend of humor, behind-the-scenes radio life, heartfelt interviews, and relatable life updates. Highlights include the recurring "Tattle Train" bit, interviews with Ashley McBryde and Nico Moon, a candid look at growing up and coolness, and personal milestones from the hosts.

---

1. The "Tattle Train" Snitch Fest

Segment begins at 03:19

The team launches into a “Tattle Train” where Eddie, Lunchbox, and Abby snitch on each other in escalating fashion.
Key Points:

• Eddie accuses Lunchbox of "stealing" company funds by allegedly mailing packages to listeners via FedEx on the company's account.
• Lunchbox retorts that a listener, Haley, asked for swag; details are muddled, raising skepticism from the crew.
• Abby is accused by Lunchbox of dragging her feet on wedding plans, implying rocky relationship territory.
• Abby defends her engagement, saying some couples stay engaged for years and denies any trouble.
• Finally, Abby calls out Eddie for giving back rubs at work (to a male coworker), prompting HR jokes.
• Quotes:
  • “It's a snitch train.” – Bobby Bones (03:27)
  • “That’s theft.” – Eddie (03:42)
  • “Did you really just send a listener a box of stuff?” – Bobby Bones (04:09)
  • “Nothing is adding up. The math is not mathing.” – Lunchbox on Abby’s wedding plans (06:04)
  • “Is that an HR violation, if he asked for it?” – Eddie (09:35)

Fun, messy, and classic Bobby Bones banter, the segment dissolves into laughter and mutual ribbing.

---

2. Ashley McBryde's In-Studio Interview

Segment begins at 10:03

Country star Ashley McBryde visits to discuss her new album, life on the road, and pivotal career stories.
Key Points:

• Album release struggles: Ashley felt isolated on release day, craving celebration with her crew. Eventually, they celebrated with cake—eaten with knives, not forks, in fittingly chaotic "family" style.
• Songwriting Insight: They reflect on her song “What If We Don’t”—about the fleeting moment before risking a friendship for romance, and how a personal near-tragedy after saying "no" made the song more poignant.
• Touring and performing: Ashley explains her approach to sequencing her shows and connecting diverse fans.
• Vivid Road Stories: An emotional story is shared about a stranger tipping her $1,500 and praying with her in a bar during a tough financial stretch. Ashley unpacks how “being chosen” impacted her—and why she resists seeing herself as a preacher-type, yet embraces sharing her message authentically.
• On personal safety: Candidly recounts using a taser to fend off a threatening man after a late show.
• Sobriety and her music: Discusses songs like “The Bottle Tells Me So,” aiming to avoid preaching about sobriety and instead focusing on honest storytelling and healing.
• Quotes:
  • “If that were to be confused with establishing a message, then I would be okay with that.” – Ashley McBryde (24:54)
  • “I was larger than life... you can hit me, but you’re gonna hate the way I take a punch.” – Ashley McBryde (25:13)
  • “The thing that’s surprised me at live shows is the number of people singing so loud during The Bottle Tells Me So... there’s a moment happening that is super healing.” (28:09)

Bobby and Ashley also reminisce about their Netflix show experience, highlighting the comfort in sharing tough stories with another survivor (29:44).

---

3. Lunchbox's Prize Arrival From The Price Is Right

Segment begins at 30:29

Lunchbox excitedly announces he’s finally receiving his first prize—a home gym—from his recent ‘Price Is Right’ appearance.
Key Points:

• Delivery logistics: Home gym weighing 276 lbs to arrive via freighter.
• Lunchbox plans to sell it on Facebook Marketplace due to space issues.
• The crew jokes about assembly, where to temporarily store giant boxes, and the resale plan (“as seen on Price Is Right”).
• Memorable moment: “That’s fun. Are you keeping the gym?” – Bobby Bones
• “No, I’m gonna sell it.” – Lunchbox (31:43)

Lighthearted debate follows over whether to pre-sell an item before it arrives (Bobby votes “too risky”), and Lunchbox lists all his pending prizes.

---

4. "Did You Peak in High School?" - Coolness Debate

Segment begins at 35:02

Prompted by a study, the team debates whether they're cooler now or were cooler in high school.
Key Points:

• Amy: Not sure – votes “maybe now, maybe the same.”
• Lunchbox: "Cooler in high school for sure!" Insists being a fun, popular teen—parties, “riz," and all—beats current dad-life.
• Eddie: Claims to be a "cool dad" now, roasting "dads giving up" and insists he’s cooler post-high school.
• Bobby: Nerdy then, nerdy now, just “a nerd with some money.” Believes "coolness is just confidence."
• The team teases one another relentlessly over their current fashion and life choices.
• Quotes:
  • “Dude, he is an old, bald, low-T man.” – Lunchbox roasting Eddie (36:11)
  • “My coolness would be the confidence to be yourself regardless.” – Bobby Bones (40:19)
  • “Confidence doesn’t make you cool.” – Lunchbox (39:22)

Classic, combative fun with everyone poking holes in each other's self-perception and old high school myths.

---

5. Lunchbox's Game Show "Offer" Prank

Segment begins at 41:00

Lunchbox shares his disappointment after receiving a fake recruitment text message to appear on "Deal or No Deal".
Key Points:

• Receives a message: “Would you like to join us on Deal or No Deal?”
• Excitedly responds, only to receive: “Just messing with you. I just have your number from when they used to give it out on the show.”
• Lunchbox says he felt “vulnerable, taken advantage of, and embarrassed” (42:28).
• Team marvels at the deep cuts of long-time listeners and the hazards of being a radio personality with a public phone number.

---

6. Nico Moon In-Studio Interview

Segment begins at 44:05

Upbeat country artist Nico Moon joins to talk about new music, family, and the power of positivity.
Key Points:

• Recent life: Welcomed his second child—a boy, Bodhi—just two weeks prior.
• Name story: Legally changed his last name to Moon for his music career years ago; recounts the awkward courthouse process.
• Roots & Upbringing: Grew up in trailer parks in Georgia and Texas; album “Roots” is deeply autobiographical, celebrating overcoming adversity with optimism.
• Songwriting journey: Details his pivotal encounter with Zac Brown in a Georgia bar, leading to years writing hits (“Homegrown,” “Keep Me in Mind”).
• Incredible true story: “Keep Me in Mind” was born from a real-life “wait for me” encounter—years later, the songwriter reconnected with the muse and married her (63:31).
• Mental health mission: Nico positions his music as “therapy music”—positive anthems shaped by personal battles with anxiety and depression.
• Philanthropy: Launches “Happy Cowboy Foundation” to help provide therapy access; also, the Happy Himalayan water venture.
• Quotes:
  • “If you’re interested in being the best version of yourself, have a kid.” – Nico Moon (83:48)
  • “I want to make therapy music... every song is going to be positive.” – (67:07)

Nico’s energy is infectious, and his stories are both moving and entertaining. He offers universal insights on gratitude, struggle, and making music that matters.

---

7. Bobby’s Baby Billie & Reflections on Parenthood

Segment begins at 85:18

Bobby shares adorable updates about his daughter Billie’s rapid growth, especially her full head of hair.
Key Points:

• Playful debate: Do people genuinely want to see baby photos when they ask “How’s the baby?”
• Bobby cycles his lock screen photo every few days: “I change the picture every two or three days.” (87:01)
• Delights in showing pictures to coworkers, waxing poetic about “pretty cute” baby reactions.
• Bobby and the crew praise the resilience of new moms, especially after learning more about postpartum recovery.
• Bobby pitches his (hypothetical) future political platform: paid 12-week maternity leave (“It’s crazy when dudes who have wieners without a baby coming out of them are making these laws for women.” – 91:23).
• Proclaims he’s not running for office, despite rumors.

The segment is full of warmth, empathy, and a new-dad’s awe at parenthood and the sacrifices of mothers.

---

Notable Quotes & Timestamp Highlights

• “It's a snitch train.” – Bobby Bones (03:27)
• “Nothing is adding up. The math is not mathing.” – Lunchbox (06:04)
• “If that were to be confused with establishing a message, then I would be okay with that.” – Ashley McBryde (24:54)
• “That’s theft.” – Eddie (03:42)
• “If you’re interested in being the best version of yourself, have a kid.” – Nico Moon (83:48)
• “Coolness is just confidence.” – Bobby Bones (40:19)
• “You put me in a ditch with my wife and I’ll be happy.” – Nico Moon (76:31)
• “It's more than rub dirt on it and get back to work.” – Bobby Bones on postpartum recovery (93:58)

---

Recurring Themes & Takeaways

• Playful Accountability: The “Tattle Train” is peak radio ensemble energy—lightheartedly calling each other out.
• Behind-The-Scenes Glimpses: Audience gets real talk on career challenges, radio-life jokes, and personal milestones.
• Artist Spotlights: Both Ashley McBryde and Nico Moon bring not just music, but compelling backstories and soul.
• Growth and Reflection: Whether it’s reconnecting with your roots, evaluating personal “coolness,” or navigating parenthood, this week’s episode leans in on self-honesty and gratitude.
• Warmth and Wit: Even the heated debates and pranks resolve with laughs—it’s a team (and guest) showing up for each other and their community.

---

Final Thoughts

This “Best Of” episode captures what fans love about The Bobby Bones Show: genuine friendships, raw storytelling, humor, and a focus on personal growth. Whether through the hilarious “Tattle Train," touching artist interviews, or relatable dad moments, listeners are treated to a packed, positive week in the world of Bobby Bones and company.

---

For full interviews and live performances, check out the show’s YouTube page or subscribe to The Bobby Bones Show podcast feed.

Transcript

[Ashley McBride]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Bobby Bones]

Guaranteed Human Get a jump on next

[Morgan]

summer with vrbo's early booking deals don't wait to claim your dream summer spot,

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

whether that includes a good porch swing

[Morgan]

or a poolside lounger. When you book early, you get the best places at the best prices.

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

But back to poolside loungers.

[Morgan]

With vrbo you don't have to reserve any loungers. They're all yours.

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

In fact, the whole private home is yours.

[Morgan]

Book with early booking deals and you can lounge around all summer long, however you please. Book with vrbo. Are you really buying a car online on Autotrader right now?

[Abby]

Really? I can get super specific with dealer

[Morgan]

listings and see cars based on my budget.

[Ashley McBride]

You can really have it delivered or pick it up.

[Morgan]

I think kid is walking up the slide.

[Abby]

Really? Autotrader?

[Morgan]

Buy your car online?

[Abby]

Really?

[Lunchbox]

Amazon Health AI presents Painful Thoughts why

[Morgan]

did I search the Internet for answers to my cold sore problem?

[Ashley McBride]

Now I'm scared, stuck down a rabbit hole filled with images of alarmingly graphic

[Morgan]

source in various stages of ooze.

[Ashley McBride]

I can clear my search history, but I can never unsee that.

[Morgan]

Don't go down the rabbit hole.

[Lunchbox]

Amazon Health AI gets you the right care fast. Healthcare just got less painful.

[Orderly Meds Advertiser]

Lost support through Telehealth, but it feels overwhelming and rushed. Check out orderlymeds.com now. Orderlymeds.com was built to be different. Here you connect with real doctors who take the time to understand your goals, review your eligibility, and guide you through a plan that's right for you. Orderly Meds provides access to proven GLP1 medications like semaglutide and Tirzepatide, including both name brand options and personalized compound versions when appropriate. So you have choices backed by clinical oversight, not guesswork. It's a simpler, more supportive telehealth experience designed around people who want clarity, care and confidence in their weight loss journey. And your medication is delivered directly to your home in discreet packaging so your experience stays private from start to finish. Do your research, ask the right questions, then visit orderlymeds.com podcast for an exclusive offer. Again, that's orderlymeds.com podcast. Individual results may vary. Not medical advice eligibility required. See Cite for details.

[Morgan]

It's the Best bits of the Week with Morgan Part two She's breaking down the top seven segments from the Bobby Bones show this week.

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

What's up friends? Happy weekend. I'm happy that you're here to catch up on the Bobby Bones show from this week. We got a lot of fun segments that happened and if you're a regular. You're on best bits, then this weekend is gonna look a little differently now. And moving forward, we've gone back to just doing two parts. So if you're a fan of part one or part three, they are now combined. We'll have a little bit of a conversation, and then we go into listener questions. So that's all wrapped into one. Part one now, and part two is where we are right now. So in case that affects you, I just wanted to give you a heads up that that's what's happening. If you're just here to catch up on the show and you're like, morgan, quit talking, then let's get into it. We had a tattle train this week. Eddie told on Lunchbox. Lunchbox told on Abby. Abby told on Eddie. Everybody had a whole lot of things going on and a whole lot to say. So I guess Choo Choo number seven.

[Bobby Bones]

I have Eddie telling on Lunchbox, Lunchbox telling on Abby. Abby telling on Eddie. You guys ready?

[Lunchbox]

Here we go.

[Bobby Bones]

It's a snitch train.

[Morgan]

Choo choo.

[Bobby Bones]

Eddie wants to talk about Lunchbox. Basically stealing money from the company.

[Eddie]

Yeah, I don't know what's going on. I heard from a source that Lunchbox is mailing stuff to people using the company FedEx account.

[Bobby Bones]

That is theft.

[Eddie]

That's theft. I don't know what he's sending. So if he comes and says, like, oh, this was a bit thing, then I'll be like, all right, okay, that's fair. But I don't remember a bit where Lunchbox has to send someone now.

[Bobby Bones]

720 yesterday we did lunchbox fedex stuff. Remember that bit?

[Eddie]

I don't remember that lunchbox.

[Bobby Bones]

Any response to this?

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, some listener was asking me if we have any things that we could send her, and I was like, yeah, I got some crap I can grab and grabbed it out of the back and I put it in a box.

[Eddie]

Sounds made up.

[Bobby Bones]

A listener was asking for stuff to send her. So what? Listen.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, I can tell your name. Hold on.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, no. He's got to turn his phone on.

[Eddie]

Reboot it.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. I can think of a name, too. Misty Wilson.

[Abby]

Just a random DM or you had an encounter with her and something stood out and special.

[Bobby Bones]

No, no. Like, tell the story.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, wait, hold on. It's email.

[Morgan]

Hold on.

[Abby]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

How do they have your email?

[Abby]

Sorry.

[Lunchbox]

Hold on. Geez, relax.

[Eddie]

And he's making this up. He's buying time to make something up.

[Lunchbox]

No, I'm not. Her name is Haley Shanholtzer. And she lives in. Let me tell you where she lives. Hold on. Washington.

[Bobby Bones]

But how did she get your email?

[Lunchbox]

I don't know. I didn't ask her how you got my email. I said, hey, so you randomly got

[Bobby Bones]

an email that asked for free stuff. You went in the back, just filled a box with stuff and mailed it out.

[Eddie]

There's no way.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, I don't believe it.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't believe him either. Have you been using it for more than that?

[Lunchbox]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. If so, I would like to say you have to stop because they will bust you for that. Like, that really is considered, according to our little rules, stealing.

[Eddie]

What about, like, what he's doing now? Just a listener. Email them. So he sent him.

[Bobby Bones]

I'll let Scuba Steve handle that. I wouldn't do that. But I don't know, the situation sounds like. Sounds made up. But I don't have somebody to get somebody random email like that.

[Abby]

Well, I mean, his email is probably not hard to find. We all have work emails, right?

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, we all have.

[Bobby Bones]

But how does. How does the listener find it? Mine's listed nowhere. I don't even check mine. I don't even know mine.

[Abby]

Like, on our website. Could be like email lunchbox. Look here is it.

[Eddie]

I don't know.

[Bobby Bones]

Do we have that? And who goes to a website anymore? Okay, there you go.

[Lunchbox]

All right.

[Bobby Bones]

That's the first one. So that's Eddie telling on lb. This is Lunchbox telling on Abby. Or more like it's a little under the bus, like he's got questions lunchbox.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, I think there's. Abby is in trouble with her relationship with her fiance because it just. Nothing is adding up. The math is not mathing. She got engaged way before Morgan did. She's talking, oh, my gosh. I met my dream man, moved in with him, and here we are five months after the engagement and not one detail about the wedding is planned that tells me there is rocky road and maybe the marriage is not happening because Morgan has her wedding planned, everything booked, honeymoon after party, everything. Abby, we asked her and she's like, nothing to talk about.

[Bobby Bones]

Abby, any response there?

[Abby]

I just have a lot going on. Okay. Not everybody gets like, plans their wedding right away. Some people get engaged and they're engaged for like five years.

[Lunchbox]

That sounds rocky.

[Abby]

No, there was a celebrity couple. I can't remember who it was. Do you all remember this headline the other day? After 12 year engagement, they call things off.

[Bobby Bones]

Nope.

[Eddie]

That sounds sad.

[Abby]

Is it like Hilary Duff's sister or something? I can't remember, but I remember Thinking you said celebrity. Yeah, that she's a celebrity. She's.

[Lunchbox]

But you referenced her as Hilary Duff's sister. I know her name.

[Bobby Bones]

Haley Duff.

[Abby]

There you go. Thank you, Bobby. She is a celebrity. She's an actress. And I. I don't even know if it's her, but there was a celebrity, and it said 12 year engagement called off.

[Bobby Bones]

It is her. And not only that, I would say, even if that's not a celebrity, like, that's an absolute outlier of a case to be engaged for 12 years, period.

[Abby]

I agree. But it happens.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Abby, does Lunchbox. Do you want to respond to any truth?

[Abby]

There's nothing. There's no rocky territory or whatever. We're not on the rocks. Things are good the way she said that. Sir, this is a duck.

[Bobby Bones]

Uh.

[Eddie]

Oh. Sluggs onto something.

[Abby]

No, he's not onto something, Abby.

[Bobby Bones]

So the relationship's good?

[Ashley McBride]

Yes, all good.

[Eddie]

That's weird.

[Abby]

Why does everything sound weird, Abby?

[Ashley McBride]

I don't know.

[Abby]

Okay, well, obviously she doesn't have to say here.

[Morgan]

Yeah, right?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, you don't have to say anything.

[Lunchbox]

Let's just move on.

[Abby]

Oh, my gosh.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, so we had Eddie saying Lunchbox is stealing from the company. We had Lunchbox saying Abby is possibly in a relationship that is no longer as strong as it used to be. And now we have Abby telling on Eddie, and this could be hr. An HR issue.

[Abby]

Oh, gosh.

[Eddie]

Oh, my gosh.

[Abby]

Okay, Eddie's just doing something shady, weird. I don't know. Like someone came in the office. Like, I think he's doing back rubs on people.

[Bobby Bones]

You also can't do that. You can't be touching people.

[Eddie]

What do you mean, somebody asked? Yeah, it was a guy. McKitty. He asked for a back rub because he had a knot in his back. And I had a softball. So I was like, let me just get the softball on you. And we laid on the couch, and, like, I rolled the softball in his back.

[Abby]

The kitty's also his lunch buddy.

[Eddie]

He's my friend.

[Lunchbox]

Are you guys dating?

[Bobby Bones]

No, it was only the. Abby. It was only the one.

[Abby]

Well, I don't know if there's more, but he came in, he was like, man, that felt good. Like, that's all I needed was 10 minutes.

[Bobby Bones]

And I'm like, what is that?

[Abby]

What is happening? Wow.

[Bobby Bones]

And that's the only person you rob?

[Eddie]

That's the only time I've ever done that, ever. And he asked for it, so I. I gave him a back.

[Bobby Bones]

He asked for it or. Yeah, he asked for it.

[Eddie]

He said, gosh, My back hurts. And I'm like, well, let me try this. Lay down. And I did that real quick. And he said, oh, my gosh.

[Abby]

Do you know how many times all of us in here say, oh, my back hurts?

[Bobby Bones]

I never got this. I've never been like, Eddie's never like, I got a softball. Lay down on the couch.

[Eddie]

Is that an HR violation if he asked for it?

[Bobby Bones]

I don't think so, but I think they would frown upon any sort of rubbing by employees on at work.

[Eddie]

Okay, gotcha.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. So everybody just be careful. Lunchbox. I wouldn't send any more FedEx stuff. Like, they'll literally. They'll kill you, Abby. Good luck, Eddie.

[Abby]

Thanks.

[Ashley McBride]

Everything's great.

[Eddie]

Stop doing that.

[Bobby Bones]

Eddie, stop. Okay.

[Morgan]

It's the best bits of the week with Morgan number two, Ashley McBride stopped

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

by the studio to talk about her new album. She shared stories from the road, and also, a guy had a really big impact early on in her career. She shared that story. She also performed, but of course, we cannot put it on here because of copyright reasons. So either hit pause and go watch on our YouTube page at Bobby Boneshow or watch it after the fact. But for now, you're gonna get the full interview with Ashley McBride, number six

[Bobby Bones]

on the Bobby Bones Show.

[Morgan]

Now, Ashley McBride.

[Bobby Bones]

Ashley, good to see you again, as always.

[Ashley McBride]

Oh, it's good to see you. How you feeling? Are you okay? You rested?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I'm good.

[Ashley McBride]

Oh, isn't it wonderful?

[Bobby Bones]

Those onesies that you got our daughter are so funny. They're so funny.

[Abby]

The tattoos.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. And she just grew out of them now, but she definitely wore them, and people thought they were. They were like, where did you get the tattoo? I was like, no, Those are Ashley McBride onesie. So my wife. Super thankful. We got many good laughs.

[Ashley McBride]

They were so cute.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, those are good. So thank you for asking about me. This is not about me, though. This is about you.

[Ashley McBride]

It's okay if things are.

[Abby]

I understand.

[Bobby Bones]

I want to make something else about me then. Is that okay?

[Ashley McBride]

Okay. Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

I'd like to have, if it's okay with you, you to name a drink after me at your bar.

[Ashley McBride]

Sure.

[Bobby Bones]

I got some ideas.

[Ashley McBride]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

So Ashley has an NA Bar in Chiefs.

[Abby]

Mm.

[Bobby Bones]

How about. I got a couple things here. Number one, the Pina Bones Lada. Okay. Doesn't work for her. Feels a little risky.

[Abby]

I don't know.

[Ashley McBride]

I see where you're going.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, well, then what? The Bony Colada? Because I. I don't. I'm always looking for, like, right NA Drinks everywhere I go.

[Eddie]

Okay.

[Abby]

Right.

[Morgan]

All right.

[Bobby Bones]

How about the bone dry margarita?

[Ashley McBride]

Bone dry. Bone dry is great. You could do a bone dry martini. A bone dry margarita.

[Bobby Bones]

How about the self deprecating daiquiri?

[Ashley McBride]

Self deprecating daiquiri.

[Bobby Bones]

Bobby Self deprecating doctor.

[Eddie]

That's perfect.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay.

[Abby]

Yes.

[Ashley McBride]

Think about that way humor comes in the glass.

[Bobby Bones]

The. The mint bone. He toe.

[Ashley McBride]

Hey, I actually like that.

[Eddie]

That's awesome, dude. I like that.

[Bobby Bones]

You guys like. That was terrible.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah, yeah. The bone Hito is great.

[Bobby Bones]

That was my worst one. Okay, enough about me. I'm a massive fan of yours. I was so happy to see that people were loving your record. I was watching you talk about too. Did you not get to be part of the album release? Were you just on the road or what?

[Ashley McBride]

Just doing work. Just all of the work. The whole parade that goes. All of the months leading up to that, which is 12 of those.

[Bobby Bones]

It took a year to do the

[Ashley McBride]

album, and we did the album, and then we just got to have to sit with it for a year. So we have songs that we want to play, you know, that we can't play out yet. And then all of the press and the media and we do the Tonight show and we do Kelly Clarkson. We do all the things. I'm in a plane. We're not in the bus. Like, plus we're doing a couple shows here and there, but we can't play the new record yet because it's not out. And so all of everything just kind of feels like a holding pattern. Even though you're doing what you love, you can't do the new record yet. So on release day, I had a full day of press and media, and then I was. I had just gotten back from London, so I was still pretty jet lagged, and I couldn't really figure out, like, how to use the microwave. Like, there's very confused, exhausted body. And I guess I seemed sad.

[Bobby Bones]

Who said you were sad? People online or your friends?

[Ashley McBride]

My friends were like, are you okay? And I was like, I'm fine. Which, of course, I was like, oh, I know. I'm sad because I want to be with the guys. I want to be with Dana and Blakely, and I want to be with our crew. And even though I'm out here keeping the road hot and keeping the skies hot, we're not out here doing it all together a lot of the time. So I want them to feel like they're being safe, celebrated. We made an amazing record that I'm really proud of. And we deserve to drink mocktails and have A cake and have that acknowledged, you know, one. One to another. Hey, look what we did.

[Bobby Bones]

And you weren't feeling.

[Ashley McBride]

I guess I was. I guess I was sad. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Have you got to, like, do it now with them?

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah. Being all together and just hugging and. It was true US fashion. Dana brought a cake. We couldn't find forks or plates, but we found a bunch of knives. So we just cut it into little pieces and stabbed it. And people would walk by. We're just, like, eating it with a knife. And that was a very, very us thing to do.

[Bobby Bones]

Before you play and you have your guitar. I want to play. What if we don't?

[Morgan]

So, yeah, that'd be great.

[Bobby Bones]

Would you kind of give me the story? Because I know you're one of the writers on the song.

[Ashley McBride]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

So would you tell me about the song?

[Ashley McBride]

It has to do with that. What if we don't? Is the moment of. Right before you make a decision, and it's not. It's not an easy one. This is a. Do I leave the friend zone, or are we safer here? And in that little bitty moment, anything could happen, because after that moment, you're gonna have to live with the I did take the chance, or the I didn't take the chance for the rest of time. And you may ruin that friendship by taking the chance, and you may ruin your chances by not taking it. So it is the possibility that anything could happen that we might regret how far we let it go. But what if we don't? And it just so happens that a few years after this song was written might have been within the same year. Oh, it was four years later. I got in the situation. So, you know, there's Randall Clay, Terry Jo Box, and I wrote this song, and then we pulled from all areas of our lives. And then later, the question would be asked to me, and I would say no. And then that ended in tragedy. That ended in. It's not like somebody sped away in a car and met their end right then it was the next day and had. I mean, it was just complete freak accident. But that right there really drove the song home in me, because I didn't. And there's no way to know. There's no way to know if that would have ruined everything or if it would have been great. Like, there's just no way to know.

[Bobby Bones]

How long did it take you to write this song?

[Ashley McBride]

Let's see. Out on Terry Jo's patio, we probably spent four hours on it.

[Bobby Bones]

And you wrote it that long ago and you held it because. Yes, it fit this project.

[Ashley McBride]

Yes. It was one of the songs that we kept it in the live show. And it's tried different iterations. We've tried having it more keys driven. We've tried having it more guitar driven. We've tried doing this groove. That group, we never got it exactly right. Then while we were on the road, we're on the Leather Deluxe tour with Cody, and we were trying out Rattlesnake in front of his audiences and getting it to where it needed to be. And we brought what if we don't back to see what it would do to an audience that's not inherently ours. You know, that we're exposing our music to his fans. So with no frame of reference, what does this song do to a crowd? And it moves. And I was like, I knew it. It's a hit. We have to cut this. We have to cut it. We have to go. It doesn't have to be a new song to be the song that belongs on this record. It was one of the first songs I chose for Record five. It was right up there with Rattlesnake and Water in the River.

[Bobby Bones]

Why would you even think to pull this song? Because again, you've written so many songs, four or five years, I'd imagine you've written 100 songs. I'm just throwing her out there. Oh, yeah. What about this song, though? Just kept making it, like, pop back up to play, to try. Because you have so many songs, you.

[Ashley McBride]

That with the Rudy effect. You know, the Rudy. Like, I know this song can. I know it can. I know it can move. I know it can move us as we play it. I know it can move audiences. I. It's not a love song. It's not a cheating song. It's none of the easy ammo. It's a what if song. And I know that it. It didn't get its chance. And if you'll just give it its chance, then everybody will be rooting for it.

[Bobby Bones]

We're gonna play it now. That's. I love her doing all the work there. All the heavy lifting for the song was done. Ashley McBride is in studio. She's gonna play in just a second, but let's play that now here on the Bobby Bones Show. Here is what if we don't.

[Morgan]

On the Bobby Bones show now, Ashley McBride.

[Bobby Bones]

When you put out a new record, Ashley, do you get on at, like 12:05 to see what people are saying, or will you give it the next day?

[Ashley McBride]

Oh, I cover my eyes for at least 24 hours, because this is a record that I've made with my guys, and I'm so proud of it. And shame on me if I let anything taint that, at least for 24 hours. I am proud of this record. That's what I need to know. John O is proud of this record. My band is proud of this record. My team is proud of this record. And what Carol thinks about it's none of my business.

[Bobby Bones]

Classic Carol. Always jumping in with her opinions.

[Ashley McBride]

Here she is with her box wand.

[Bobby Bones]

Classic Carol. I would love for you to play Arkansas Mud.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Would you do that?

[Ashley McBride]

I would do it.

[Bobby Bones]

Ashley and I are both from Arkansas, everybody, in case you're wondering.

[Eddie]

Yeah, I got.

[Ashley McBride]

Turns out this song is incredibly hard to play without a band because there's so much like double time, halftime.

[Abby]

But that's okay.

[Bobby Bones]

I have a bell foot.

[Ashley McBride]

Tambourines exist.

[Bobby Bones]

You're good, though.

[Ashley McBride]

We found it.

[Abby]

Look at this.

[Ashley McBride]

I mean, that's.

[Bobby Bones]

She has a tambourine strapped to her boot.

[Ashley McBride]

That is correct. Sorry, I just hit the mic.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, so I want to tell everybody what we're doing here. So she has taken a microphone and built a very small stand going right over the top of her foot. And now she has a bell taped strapped to her foot. And then she's playing. She's doing all this herself. What I think of is, you know that old thing of the one man band.

[Abby]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Ashley's a one man band. Right. Oh, my gosh.

[Ashley McBride]

If we can get symbols for my knees, we have made it.

[Bobby Bones]

All right, I'm gonna be quiet now. Here she is, Ashley McBride with Arkansas Mud.

[Morgan]

Oh, I'm sorry. We can't post the live performance on

[Bobby Bones]

the podcast, but if you go to

[Morgan]

our YouTube page, you can watch it there or maybe listen live. Okay. All right, now back to the podcast.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes, there it is. Man, that is awesome. You're awesome.

[Ashley McBride]

I love how the E string was just like, sometimes I'm also very sharp while you're banging on me.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you know not a single one of us heard that?

[Abby]

No.

[Ashley McBride]

I'm remove the tambourine for my foot. For our safety.

[Bobby Bones]

That's funny. Every time she answers or gets passionate, you hear a ching, ching, ching. You're announcing the new tour. So you're doing the end of the wild tour.

[Ashley McBride]

Yes.

[Morgan]

So when you do.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, when you do your shows, I feel like you're like, such a sophisticated thinker and writer. Like, where do you do, like, the. The songs that casuals know?

[Ashley McBride]

The accidental, Accidental fans. Like, casual fans. Where do we put.

[Bobby Bones]

If it's like, well, no, if it's like someone's like, I know the song about the room key now I'm gonna go watch Ashley McBride and yes. Where do you put those songs that

[Ashley McBride]

needs to be in the first three?

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, really?

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

You hit it hard at the very beginning.

[Ashley McBride]

Well, it needs to be something familiar. So we usually. We start with a statement and whatever that statement is. And I like the statement to be, you've arrived. And that's usually very loud.

[Bobby Bones]

So you want to come hard and loud and.

[Ashley McBride]

Right, yeah. That way, if you weren't in your seat, that's not my fault. And. But then a couple songs in, especially if they're like, is this the. Is this the girl that, like, leaves lights on all the time in her house? Especially where food is prepared? You want to make sure that they recognize. Especially if we were to start the show with Blackout Betty or Arkansas Mud, you're like, I think I came to a different show because there's such a diversity in what we're really good at, and country music has such a diverse range of what that is. So if we hit it hard at the beginning with a rock song, I do want to give you a mid tempo that you're super familiar with in the first three or four.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you ever want to be a preacher?

[Ashley McBride]

I wanted to make sure that that never, ever happened, that you were never a preacher, that it could never be confused as anything even close to it. But. And in fact, when I was. When I went away and there was a spiritual counselor there where I went, and she said, one of these days, you're going to walk back into a church and you're going to share your story. And I said, only if you're in attendance, darlin'. You know, that kind of thing. But back in the day, North Little Rock, Arkansas, a bar called Reno's Argenta, Main street, this guy had come in. He's in like painter's clothes, you know, like carpenter's pants. That's what they look like. You could hang tools on them. And it was all one color kind of cream. It was kind of stain paint all over it. He came in and he was like, hey, what time do you start, sweetheart? And I was like, in 20 minutes. He handed me a $100 bill and he said, start right now. And I said, it's no problem, no problem. I'll just be. Dang, it's 10 o'.

[Morgan]

Clock.

[Ashley McBride]

And throughout the show, he kept coming back to the tip jar, which was the red gas can. And he would say things, we're starving for you. Where have you been? Don't you know you're supposed to be here? And then he bought the whole bar round of shots. When he did that, I said, hey, I would like to tell the people in attendance tonight who to thank for their whiskey. And he said, it doesn't come from me. It comes from the Lord. And I said, okay, congratulations, everybody. You can thank Jesus for your fireball and just being very, you know, irreverent and very casual about it. On my break, four hour set. On my break, he came up and he said, would you let me pray with you right now? I don't know this man. He's probably almost 60. And I was raised in the. In the church. And I absolutely. If your amen has my name next to it, then I could use that help, whatever that is. That's putting that on your heart. That's a real thing. And so I put my hands in his and I said, of course. He said, did you know God chose you? And I said, yes, I do. I know God chose me. And he said, no, not as the entertainer. You're the accidental preacher. And I said, well, I hope not. And we prayed together and I finished the show and I never saw him again. But by the end of the show, he had put 15 of those $100 bills in the gas can. And this was at a time that I had to choose between making rent and buying groceries. I had to save money to get reflux medication because it was $60 a bottle and I couldn't afford it. I had two things in my fridge. I had a jug of powder like Gatorade and I had a six pack of PBR in bottles. And that was because I dog sat for someone. This. I had nothing. So the whole. When he said that, all of that happening around each other, me saying I hope I could never be confused, for that is not a completely accurate statement because what he said to me that night was really important. And I don't go around preaching about sobriety, and I don't go around preaching about preaching. And I want everyone to feel like they belong and like it's okay to be anywhere I am, no matter who you are. And if that were to be confused with establishing a message, then I would be okay with that.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you ever feel like you weren't supposed to be around places you were in? Did people make you feel that way?

[Ashley McBride]

Oh, yes. I've been in some really interesting situations. I never really took into consideration how small 5, 3 is because I'm larger

[Bobby Bones]

than life, you know, I Would have bet you're way taller than that because you're larger than life.

[Ashley McBride]

Thank you. Thank you. And I have a big mouth, and I have a big energy, right? And I've talked myself out of as many fights as I've nearly talked myself into. And by saying things like, you can hit me, but you're gonna hate the way I take a punch. But I got in a truck one night in my truck. I had loaded up my gear. It was after the bouncers had taken the trash out, so. Big mistake. I should have been gone by then. All my gear's in there. There's nobody in this gravel parking lot. And I went to go close the door of my tundra, and a big, big drunk guy was between the door and the frame. Now I know what size 53 is

[Bobby Bones]

because.

[Ashley McBride]

And he's hammered. So it does not matter how hard I push or if I hit him square in the nose, none of this is going to phase this guy. And I'm not pulling this door closed unless he says I get to. And that'll piss me off unless Hugh says. But that's why I keep a taser in the. In the cup holder. It works every time. Have you ever had every time? One of one times.

[Abby]

Okay.

[Ashley McBride]

And I hope he's still in that parking lot.

[Bobby Bones]

You had to use it then. That's the time you used it.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just grabbed it and stuck it in his thigh because that's what. What's funny is when I bought it, we went to, like, a show, Like, a weapons show, like you do at one of, like, at the. Whatever center in Conway or whatever. And I got. You know, I was like, oh, it's a cute little taser thing. And it was just still in my cup holder.

[Bobby Bones]

So you didn't, like, practice, like, grabbing just.

[Ashley McBride]

No, I usually practice, like, situational awareness.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Ashley McBride]

I keep. I don't know what the actual name of that is. They are collapsible. They are metal. I think they. They're an asp. Asp, maybe they are called. And they're illegal in some places, so you got to know, like, I keep, like, a stick. Yeah. Like a billy club, but they. They extend.

[Abby]

Oh, okay.

[Ashley McBride]

And so I've always kept ways because I was by self.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Ashley McBride]

Just me and my truck and sometimes my dog. So I've always kept ways to keep myself safe, but that we literally bought as a joke, and I was happy to have it.

[Bobby Bones]

Dang. That's crazy.

[Ashley McBride]

It's not gonna hurt the dude, but it's gonna change his mind, it's gonna hurt him.

[Bobby Bones]

It's not gonna injure him.

[Ashley McBride]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Ashley McBride]

Right. Nothing that cannot be quickly recovered from.

[Morgan]

Dang.

[Bobby Bones]

When you put this record out, what did you not expect to get from people that you got from people?

[Ashley McBride]

Whoo. Maybe I expected a little pushback on the bottle tells me so.

[Bobby Bones]

Why?

[Ashley McBride]

Because I. I've made it a point to not soapbox about not drinking, and so I tried to be really careful there.

[Abby]

That.

[Ashley McBride]

That isn't preachy, and it isn't soapboxy. It just is a statement that there was a problem. And I think the thing that has surprised me most right now at live shows is the number of people singing so loud during bottle tells me so. And for some of those people that are singing, their bottle isn't a bottle, It's a something else. And you can see it, which means that there is a moment happening there with us together that is super healing that he in, not in, like, come here and I will lay hands on you and heal you. It just. It Something hurts a little less after that song.

[Bobby Bones]

The album is called Wild. The tour is into the Wild.

[Ashley McBride]

Right? I've got that. Yeah, you nailed it.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, so the album was out. Just came out. And the tour is into the wild. Just announced 26 dates. You can go to ashleymcbride.com or to her socials. McBride with a yeah, that's right. McBride with a Y. McBride with a Y. I am such fan. I hope this album does everything that you want it to do. Maybe it already has. Maybe it already has. But I'm such a fan, and thanks. And I got so many nice messages to. You know, I have a story. We all have our stories, but we kind of told our story together on my Netflix show, and I hear about that more than just about anything I've done.

[Ashley McBride]

I have so many messages about that episode. So thank you. Thanks for having me, and thanks for having that conversation with me, because it's helping. It's helping others.

[Bobby Bones]

I think there's a real safety in talking about something with someone who's also experienced a version of it.

[Ashley McBride]

Oh, absolutely.

[Bobby Bones]

And that, for me, that was the safety. Like talking to you about my version of my story. There's safety in that because I know it's not even so much judgment. It's just, like, understanding and empathy more than sympathy. I get plenty of sympathy knowing that

[Ashley McBride]

there's space for it.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ashley McBride]

Without anything around that, like, there's room for it.

[Bobby Bones]

So I really appreciate it.

[Ashley McBride]

I appreciate you doing it. I thought about that for Days after we spoke. And the more message that I've gotten, that I'm just tickled and thrilled that it's encouraging others to talk.

[Bobby Bones]

There she is, the wonderful Belle on her boot, Ashley McBride.

[Ashley McBride]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Morgan]

Let's go. It's the best bits of the week with Morgan Number two.

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

Most people know this by now, and if you don't, I am shocked. Mostly because Lunchbox has been yelling it from the rooftops. But he was on Prize is Right, and he did win some prizes. His first prize has officially arrived at

[Morgan]

his house, number five.

[Bobby Bones]

A month ago, Lunchbox got on Prices.

[Eddie]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

He did it a few months ago. It aired about a month ago or so. And so we've been waiting for some updates, like, do they love his appearance? Are they doing a Price is Right all Stars? Like, he says, he's got an update today. Go ahead.

[Lunchbox]

Well, I've been getting a call from this number, and I'm like, I'm ignoring that. Getting an email from a weird email address. Ignoring that. Well, then Price is Right hit me and goes, hey, the delivery company is trying to reach out because they want to deliver one of your prizes. Can you please contact them asap? And that was the people that were emailing and calling. So I call them back, and they're like, yeah, we're with the home gym that you won. We're trying to deliver it on a freight thing because it's so heavy. How does early next week work? And I said, that sounds great. They said it weighs 276 pounds. Will be bringing it on a big truck and dropping it off at your house. I'm getting my first fries. Let's go.

[Bobby Bones]

That's fun. Are you keeping the gym?

[Lunchbox]

No, I'm gonna sell it.

[Bobby Bones]

Where are you gonna put it when it arrives?

[Lunchbox]

I don't know.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, if it's £200, it's gonna be significant.

[Lunchbox]

I assume that it's more than one box, right?

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, they don't put it together.

[Lunchbox]

No, it's in a box, I would assume, and I assume it.

[Abby]

You're assuming a lot.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Abby]

You should ask if they assemble it and then you're, like, trying to sell it.

[Bobby Bones]

Hey, what about.

[Eddie]

What about hear me out? What if you get a picture of it and you put. Without even having it yet and try to sell it now and then have it and then tell the delivery people, this is my address?

[Abby]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

[Eddie]

Or is that too risky?

[Bobby Bones]

I probably wouldn't do that.

[Abby]

Why?

[Bobby Bones]

I don't know. It feels a bit Fraudulent.

[Abby]

You just don't take the money yet. But.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, fraudulent.

[Lunchbox]

Well, if I'm gonna deliver it to their house, I gotta take the money.

[Bobby Bones]

You can't really sell something you don't have. He's gonna get it.

[Eddie]

Makes sense.

[Bobby Bones]

And if you're gonna sell it, you're gonna take the money and you're gonna take the money for something you don't even have yet. And you don't even know if they'll deliver it over there. I don't know. I don't like it.

[Eddie]

It's a lot of risk.

[Bobby Bones]

I like it. I didn't think maybe it would just come in boxes. It's not gonna be in one box though.

[Lunchbox]

That's what. Yeah, so I'll have them probably just stack it right inside the front door.

[Bobby Bones]

The front. Put in the garage or something, right?

[Lunchbox]

I don't have a garage, man.

[Eddie]

How about the back of the house?

[Bobby Bones]

You don't have like a patio or something back in the back?

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, but that's not covered.

[Abby]

So when you sell it, are you selling it like free delivery or they have to pick it up.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, they pick it up.

[Abby]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

That's going to send your house for weeks. You're going to have your. It's fun. You're getting your prize from prices, right?

[Lunchbox]

Yes. And here's the thing. Like, even if I put it together, I don't know if it'd fit in my house.

[Bobby Bones]

So what would you do with it?

[Lunchbox]

I'd have to sell it.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah? Yeah.

[Lunchbox]

Like there's no other way. Because if I had it, I would only be able to be half the machine and it wouldn't work. Right. And because I think it's too tall for my ceilings, I don't have a garage to put it in, which is bigger. And you could build it in there. So you sell it, make a little bit of money. But I am getting my first prize from Come on down.

[Bobby Bones]

That's fun.

[Eddie]

That is cool.

[Bobby Bones]

How much is this thing worth?

[Lunchbox]

A couple thousand.

[Bobby Bones]

You know how much it's worth? Really?

[Lunchbox]

I think it's like eighteen hundred dollars. Because that was the one that was. The price was wrong.

[Bobby Bones]

Put in there with the pallet stuff.

[Lunchbox]

Stop. I don't want it to get that kind of choo choo. So it can't be in the same room.

[Bobby Bones]

When do your shoes come?

[Eddie]

What are you getting?

[Bobby Bones]

You're getting a home gym, three pairs

[Lunchbox]

of Jimmy Choos and a desktop computer with a webcam.

[Eddie]

And your trip.

[Lunchbox]

Don't forget about trip to Temecula, California.

[Bobby Bones]

Have you Given them the dates yet for that?

[Lunchbox]

I haven't got those yet. No.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, well, let us know how it goes with the delivery of the. Your house is going to be full. I mean, it's going to be massive. Right. There's boxes in his house, inside his front door.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, let's put them up against the wall.

[Bobby Bones]

How will you sell it?

[Lunchbox]

Facebook Marketplace.

[Abby]

I would load it up now and see if you get any bites.

[Ashley McBride]

Just see.

[Abby]

No, it's not dangerous. How do you. It's not. Just because you load it up and someone responds, it doesn't mean it's sold well.

[Lunchbox]

Because they're going to be like, oh, could I buy that today? And I'm like, oh, actually, I don't have it yet. I got to wait five days. And I don't think that's a smart move.

[Abby]

If they want a deal on a home gym, they can't give him a deal.

[Bobby Bones]

He's going to try to sell it

[Eddie]

full price, try to make profit.

[Bobby Bones]

You know he's going to try to sell it full price.

[Abby]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

And they're not going to buy it full price.

[Lunchbox]

You don't know. I'll say as seen on prices right now. That may add some value.

[Bobby Bones]

If you sign the box.

[Lunchbox]

That's right.

[Bobby Bones]

Sign the box. Okay.

[Abby]

You have to sign it. Daniel.

[Bobby Bones]

Let us know.

[Morgan]

It's the best bits of the week with Morgan.

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

Number two, did the show peak in high school? That was the debate. Because a study came out talking about coolness and if you feel cooler now versus when you were in high school. And Lunchbox had some big reactions to how everybody else felt.

[Bobby Bones]

Number four, are you cooler now or were you cooler in high school? Amy?

[Abby]

Oh, my. Maybe cooler now, I think.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, you're not sure.

[Abby]

I'm really not. Can I be the same?

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, you can.

[Morgan]

Okay.

[Abby]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

Lunchbox.

[Lunchbox]

Cooler in high school, for sure. Amy, I think you were cooler in high school. Now you're just a mom that's kind of. You think you're still cool, but you're not really.

[Bobby Bones]

And we didn't even ask him about you. Okay, we didn't say Lunchbox. What are your thoughts on Amy?

[Lunchbox]

I'm just telling you, I don't think Amy's is. She thinks she's cool.

[Abby]

Well, I thought we had a pick, but now that I know we don't have to pick, I'll be like, lame both ways.

[Morgan]

Eddie.

[Eddie]

I'm way cooler now. I was popular in high school.

[Bobby Bones]

Lunchbox, go ahead. We'll let you have. Wait, wait, wait.

[Lunchbox]

What are you talking about?

[Abby]

Because the lunchbox peaked in high school.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm gonna let him talk. Go ahead, Eddie.

[Lunchbox]

There is no chance you're cooler now than you were in high school.

[Bobby Bones]

What's wrong with him now?

[Lunchbox]

Dude, he is an old, bald, low t man. Like, he has nothing going for me.

[Eddie]

But people don't know that that's hardcore old. Dude, have you seen dads out there? There are so many dads out there that are giving up, and they're like 12 years, 15 years younger than me. I'm like, d.

[Abby]

What category do you put yourself in?

[Eddie]

Cool dad.

[Bobby Bones]

Wait, but that's what Amy was saying about her as a mom.

[Abby]

Wait, hold on. But when you say a dad has given up, what defines that?

[Eddie]

Oh, their pants get higher. They're like, wear khakis, their shoes, their Velcro. Like, they've given up on life. They're balding, and they don't even try to shave it or wear a hat. They're just like, look, comb over.

[Bobby Bones]

So based on comparisons of other dads that you've seen, you think you're cooler now than in high school?

[Eddie]

Yeah, like, I'll go up to other dads and be like, what's up, man? They'll be like, oh, hey, how you doing? I'm like, how you doing?

[Lunchbox]

You might be.

[Eddie]

I'm cooler now.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, my God.

[Abby]

It is kind of hot when, like, dads or older, like, 40 and 50 year olds, they can have, like, they still have that, like, what's up, bro?

[Eddie]

Handshake, you know, and we walk cool, you know? Like, yes. People look at me around, like, ball games. They're just like, that's a cool dad. That's a cool dad.

[Lunchbox]

I think Eddie's delusional.

[Bobby Bones]

So you don't think he's cool now at all?

[Morgan]

No.

[Eddie]

You think you're cool now?

[Lunchbox]

I, I think I have, I have some riz right now. Oh, no, I, I, I don't act like I'm super cool. No, it's hard to be cool as a dad because you're, you're not really into the same things. You're not going to the bars. You're not hanging with the younger bars in high school.

[Bobby Bones]

So you think you were coloring high school?

[Lunchbox]

Yes, because you were going to parties in high school. You're not going to parties now. You're going to basketball tournaments and sitting

[Eddie]

in the bleachers, and I'm the coolest one there.

[Abby]

It's interesting what lunchbox defines as cool? So if we just went to parties now, we would be.

[Lunchbox]

What do you Think cool is guys just cool.

[Eddie]

Like, cool walk, having a cool demeanor.

[Lunchbox]

You know what I mean? You don't have a cool demeanor.

[Abby]

What is your cool demeanor?

[Lunchbox]

Demeanor? It's cool. He puts his nose. His glasses on the end of his

[Eddie]

nose and looks like.

[Abby]

I mean, that part we need to work on.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, that's true, too.

[Eddie]

Yeah. At restaurants, I probably don't look so cool.

[Lunchbox]

Exactly.

[Abby]

But, like, when you have your little fedora or, like, your cool hat right now.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh.

[Eddie]

So talking about it.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, I'm much. I'm. I'm much cooler now. And I'm not even that cool. High school ad. Nothing.

[Abby]

Well, lunchbox, are you gonna argue this one?

[Eddie]

Go ahead, dude, attack him.

[Lunchbox]

He's been a nerd his whole life, so it's not really hard to be improved. That.

[Bobby Bones]

Now I'm just a nerd with some money.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Oh, that makes you cool.

[Morgan]

That's what I'm saying.

[Bobby Bones]

It's like, sure, I wasn't as a broke nerd. I'm the same nerd. I can just, like, you know, buy nice clothes now, you know? So I think I'm cooler now just because of that. Most Americans say they're cooler now than when they were in high school. So we're split. 50. 50, huh?

[Eddie]

There you go, lunchbox.

[Bobby Bones]

No way. No, I'm three. I'm cool now.

[Lunchbox]

And it's three, four now.

[Abby]

Now, Amy, I'm the same. I'm like, whatever.

[Eddie]

I don't know.

[Abby]

Well, I, I, I felt. I guess if I have to pick, I'm gonna go cooler now.

[Bobby Bones]

You are.

[Abby]

Because there's other things to me that come with cool. Like, I. He's fired up a little bit more confidence.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't know why this has hit a nerve with him.

[Lunchbox]

I, I think that's the thing, is you may be more confident now.

[Morgan]

Okay.

[Lunchbox]

But. But that doesn't make you cool. Confidence doesn't make you cool.

[Bobby Bones]

I think that is what makes you cool.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, my God.

[Eddie]

Exactly.

[Lunchbox]

Amy was in the popular crowd in high school.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. Okay, that's cool.

[Abby]

How do you know that, Amy?

[Lunchbox]

I know people.

[Eddie]

We all do. Amy.

[Lunchbox]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

You guys grew up in the same city.

[Lunchbox]

Yes.

[Abby]

So obviously he knew that you're popular.

[Eddie]

Hold on, hold on. You knew of Amy on the other side of town?

[Lunchbox]

No. After, like, after high school, I met people.

[Bobby Bones]

I had a crush on her.

[Lunchbox]

Like, you're like, oh, I went to school with Amy, and she was.

[Bobby Bones]

What if they dated in high school and they never told us? That would be wild.

[Abby]

Breaking news.

[Bobby Bones]

Anyway, so 56% of people say they think they're cool now more so than

[Abby]

when they were in high school's relative obvious.

[Bobby Bones]

I think cool is just confidence.

[Abby]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Because it's how you feel.

[Bobby Bones]

Right.

[Abby]

So now we know Lunchbox does not feel cool.

[Eddie]

He doesn't feel cool.

[Lunchbox]

No, it's just I don't get to do cool things, so I'm not as cool as I was. I mean, I.

[Bobby Bones]

So your coolness is based on the

[Eddie]

things you get to do?

[Lunchbox]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

My coolness would be with the confidence to be yourself regardless. Right. That'd be cool to me.

[Morgan]

It's the best bits of the week with Morgan number two.

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

Now, listening to that segment again, I feel like cool is all relative.

[Abby]

Right.

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

Because there were moments that I felt cool in high school. There's also moments in my adult life where I felt cool. So maybe coolness is all about the time you're currently in. I don't know. That was just some retrospective thoughts I had. Listening again now, this next segment, Lunchbox. Obviously, we heard he was on Price is Right and he has gotten invited to be on another game show. Well, so he thinks.

[Bobby Bones]

Number three, we're talking about Lunchbox wanting to go on the wordle game show. Savannah Guthrie is going to host it, but he was offered another game show. I kept waiting for somebody to reach out because he did really well on Price is Right.

[Abby]

Really well.

[Bobby Bones]

So it finally happened. Do you guys know this story?

[Eddie]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, Lunchbox was offered. I spoiled the ending. Ah, crap. Okay, Lunchbox, tell them what happened.

[Lunchbox]

So I woke up from a nap, and on my phone I had a text and it said, oh, my gosh, you guys are gonna. It said, would you like to join us on Deal or no deal?

[Abby]

Okay. That's all it said. And then what?

[Eddie]

That's interesting.

[Ashley McBride]

A text.

[Lunchbox]

I was like, oh, my gosh. And I mean, I'd been asleep for an hour and a half, and I'm like, oh, my gosh, I gotta respond immediately. And I said, I would love to. Then I said, when would you need me out in la? How many days would you need me in la? And nothing. And nothing. And then I got a response. Just messing with you. I just have your number of when they used to give it out on the show.

[Morgan]

Oh, my gosh.

[Abby]

Listeners, they are cruel. I mean, most of them are awesome, but that's dirty.

[Bobby Bones]

So way back in the day, when lunchbox would lose a game, we just give a cell phone number out.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And some listeners still have his number. And they held onto it for probably a decade.

[Eddie]

That Is awesome.

[Bobby Bones]

And then hit him with the prank.

[Abby]

That's hilarious.

[Bobby Bones]

Were you hurt?

[Lunchbox]

Oh, I was hurt because, I mean, I. In my sleepiness stupor, I was like, oh, my gosh, this is so cool. I have, like, that is such a fun game show. And then I started getting excited and I texted and texted and texted. And then like an hour later, I get that response. I'm like, oh, my gosh. I felt. I felt, like, vulnerable, taken advantage of and embarrassed. Like, they hit me. It was a good move because they hit me where they knew they could get me. Like that. Oh, that heartstrings.

[Bobby Bones]

What did you say back to them?

[Lunchbox]

I didn't respond.

[Bobby Bones]

I wouldn't have responded either.

[Lunchbox]

I didn't want to give them credit. I didn't want them to be like, oh, you got me.

[Bobby Bones]

What was the area code?

[Lunchbox]

I don't even know. I'll have to look at it. I can get my phone out.

[Bobby Bones]

That's okay. That's okay. So the pause, it's a whole thing. He's got to unflip his phone.

[Abby]

That's why I was like. They just, like. They just send a text. Do you want to be on Deal or no Deal? Question mark? Like, no.

[Bobby Bones]

Whenever something happens like that and you really want it, you'll believe anything, regardless of where it comes from. It's how people get catfished.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Or scammed. They're vulnerable. Like, he said he was vulnerable. He's waiting for that next call.

[Abby]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

And you know, when these guys sent the text, they were like, oh, my gosh, it's really him. It's really him.

[Morgan]

We got him. They should have sent him to la.

[Abby]

I feel like they.

[Ashley McBride]

Thank you.

[Orderly Meds Advertiser]

I know.

[Abby]

I'm like, they could have drugged that out. Because he's like, well, how many days do you mean la? They should have been like, oh, probably two.

[Eddie]

They make them buy a ticket.

[Bobby Bones]

You buy it, we'll reimburse you, fly out, we'll pick you up. That's funny. I'm sorry, dude.

[Lunchbox]

Thank you, man. No deal.

[Bobby Bones]

No deal.

[Morgan]

It's the best bits of the week with Morgan number two.

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

I have loved seeing this guy in concert. He stopped by the studio. Nico Moon has a new album out, and his energy is infectious. You're going to listen to this interview and feel like you can run through a wall because of how funny he is to listen to. He talked about all the new music and also stories with Zach Brown of Zach Brown Band, and it's a really good one. So here is Nico Moon in studio

[Bobby Bones]

number two on The Bobby Bones show. Now, Nico Moon. Good to see you, buddy.

[Morgan]

Slowly going away from me. There we go.

[Bobby Bones]

I think I know you and Russell Dickerson have been out together, right, doing shows.

[Morgan]

Oh, we're getting ready to.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, you're about to go out. I think you two are the most, like, positive, like, good vibe people in all of Nashville. Like, together, bro.

[Morgan]

Thank you, man. I feel like us doing our shows together is such a natural thing.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Because he is so about the good, good vibes and not just, like, on stage, like, when you're just chilling with.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Good dude.

[Morgan]

He's just like a light, you know?

[Bobby Bones]

Some people say about you, too.

[Morgan]

I appreciate it, man.

[Bobby Bones]

Your real last name is Moon, though?

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Do people mostly think that's a stage name?

[Morgan]

Yeah. Well, I actually changed my name.

[Bobby Bones]

It was so. It wasn't Moon.

[Morgan]

I wasn't born Moon, but I changed it over a decade ago.

[Bobby Bones]

You legally changed your name?

[Morgan]

I legally changed it.

[Bobby Bones]

How hard was that for, like, male. I don't even care about the why you changed it.

[Morgan]

I'm just like, bro, it was a big deal because, like, it was way more of a thing than I thought it was going to be. I remember I went to the courthouse, and you go to, like, magistrate court to do this. And I had no idea what magistrate court is. It's basically a divorce court.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I don't know what magistrate do you.

[Abby]

Because I've been divorced.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Abby]

That's why I kept my name. So I still have my. Legally. I still have my married. My married name.

[Bobby Bones]

So you'd have to go to magistrate court.

[Abby]

No, but I guess when I got married back in the day, I did to change my name because she was originally Amy Moon. Would you go there?

[Morgan]

Oh, nice. Like, it was. It was the strangest thing, because I was the only person in there for a name change. Everyone else was in there about divorce or child custody and things like that. So it was an extremely, like, tense, you know, setting. And then I get up there, and the judge is like, so, what are you here for? I'm like, yeah, I just want to change my name. And he's like, okay. And he's like, why do you want to change your name? I was like, well, I'm a music artist. And he was like, all right, Say less. You know, he was just like. I guess had that mindset is like, oh, you're an artist. You're into doing strange things, like changing your name.

[Bobby Bones]

And you're also the only one smiling

[Lunchbox]

in the whole room.

[Morgan]

Everybody's in custody, and Divorce.

[Bobby Bones]

And he's like, what's up, judge?

[Morgan]

I remember when I said, he was like, what do you want to change your name to? I said, nico Moon. And there was a lady waiting for something behind me, probably divorced, but she was like, oh, hell no. And I'm like, sweating, you know?

[Eddie]

She didn't like it.

[Abby]

She didn't like it.

[Morgan]

She was not into it. It was a really, you know, I'm from a really small town, so. It was a really small town, you know, courthouse. And I guess, like, I was probably the only person in the history of my town to do something like that.

[Bobby Bones]

So was Niko your first name?

[Morgan]

Nicholas.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, so that. That is it then. So Nico is just. Is Nicholas. That makes sense.

[Morgan]

Exactly.

[Bobby Bones]

All right, so what's the last year or so been like? I ain't seen you in a little bit. Like, what you been doing, dog?

[Morgan]

I just had a baby.

[Bobby Bones]

You had another baby?

[Morgan]

I had another baby, yeah, number two. Two weeks ago.

[Bobby Bones]

Boy or girl?

[Abby]

Fresh.

[Morgan]

A boy. Yeah. Fresh out the oven.

[Bobby Bones]

Am I asking questions? Is it okay to ask questions about. Yeah, okay. I just had a baby too, like, eight weeks ago.

[Morgan]

I know, I know.

[Bobby Bones]

So I don't know.

[Morgan]

I don't know what I can do for you, man. Welcome to the.

[Bobby Bones]

The club. So your first baby is Lily, right?

[Morgan]

Yeah, Lily. She's three and a half.

[Bobby Bones]

What did you name the boy?

[Morgan]

Bodhi.

[Bobby Bones]

Bodhi Moon.

[Morgan]

Bodhi Moon.

[Bobby Bones]

Why did you name him Bodhi?

[Morgan]

Well, it was after the Bodhi tree. You know, Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree when he found enlightenment. And I'm not a Buddhist or nothing. I just thought, I really want him to be enlightened, you know, I really want him to just, like, get it.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Because I feel like I don't. And my whole life has been about trying to figure out life, life. And I hope he just has, like, this deep understanding of it from the get go. So, yeah, we named him Bode.

[Bobby Bones]

How has baby number two been as compared to baby number one? Because I've heard from lots of folks, like, baby number two is gonna be completely different. How they sleep, how they eat. Like, what's happening?

[Morgan]

It's been better, really, in the sense of, like, he's been easier. I'm trying to remember back when she was an infant, and I feel like he's just, like, super easy. Like, he sleeps when we lay him down. He sleeps the whole time. He really only cries when you change him. That's the only thing he doesn't like to do. And so knock on. Wear some Wood. I need some wood. But it's been easy so far because

[Bobby Bones]

we have a girl, so we haven't had to do, like, the PPTP or whatever.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Are you getting some, like, pee straight up when you're changing?

[Morgan]

I've only had one experience with the changing, with the pee coming out, but I got my washcloth ready to go, so as soon as the diaper comes off, I got. I got my shield right there, you know? But it's been awesome. Yeah, he's a great baby. And I'm super excited to see what the difference is like between a girl and a boy, you know, because I'm sure that there's a million things right now, you know, they're. They're brand new, you know, but as he gets older, I know there's going to be a million things that are different. But I'm ready to wrestle. I'm ready to play with some trucks, some fire trucks, and do all that stuff.

[Bobby Bones]

And there's some trailer park imagery on, like, your. Your art that's out now for your music. Yeah, I was talking. Cause I grew up in and out of trailer parks. I was talking to some guys a couple days ago, and we were talking about tornadoes. And I said, I think it's a bit counterintuitive to folks, but when the tornadoes would come or near in Arkansas, everybody gets out of their house because.

[Morgan]

Yeah, yeah, it's like the worst place you could be.

[Bobby Bones]

Everybody was, like, walking down to the ditch whenever tornadoes were coming, because you want to be. You don't want to be in the trailer. You got to get out of your house. And they were kind of blown away by that, but I think I was looking at yours. You grew up in trailer park? Some.

[Morgan]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. What was it like?

[Morgan]

That was the whole reason why I wanted to have this aesthetic, because the album is called Roots, and so it's about the roots, not just of my message and what I'm about, which is, you know, the power of positivity and optimistic thinking and how. How important that is into our lives, but also the roots of me as a person and where I came from and how I grew up and the place that raised me. And so very similarly, I was in and out of trailer parks growing up as a kid, and so I just thought it was a perfect environment to shoot a lot of these visuals so people can kind of see how I grew up. And some of this imagery for Rich man, where it's like me sitting on the couch and Anna is next to me, pregnant, super pregnant with Bode at the time, you know, holding the laundry basket. That, that living room scene is a complete replication of my living room growing up as a kid in our trailer. And so I had a photo of this and my amazing director team, Running Bear, they recreated it. They found the couch, they found everything on the walls and all that to recreate my living room from my childhood.

[Bobby Bones]

There's a lot of community in a trailer park.

[Morgan]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Because everybody is so close. And that can either be really great or it can be really difficult. It can be both too.

[Morgan]

Yeah, a little bit of both.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, it really can be a little bit of both, depending on who's next to you, who's around you. We. We had a single wide. The double wide's really weren't the thing yet. So it's basically like one big hallway.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

You know, you go in the front door and it's just one big hallway.

[Morgan]

Yeah, we were single wide too. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And the bathroom is small with. We had like a plastic you cut bathtub, little shower type city. But it was like, it was awesome because we were close with the people around us physically like and like as people.

[Morgan]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Because again, it could be dangerous if not. Because that's a friend.

[Morgan]

Especially as a kid, you just don't got a lot to do, you know, so you're constantly outside, you know, I mean, when you're in that single way, there's not much. So you're always outside, you're always playing. I'm looking back on it, really grateful for that time, my life. I don't know how you feel about it, but.

[Bobby Bones]

Mostly good.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, mostly good.

[Morgan]

Same.

[Bobby Bones]

I felt bad for people that lived next to shady people. We got lucky and never had to live next to shady people.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

But the trailer depart the lot, depending how big it is. It's a numbers game. There's gonna be some shady people. The whole album comes out in July though, right?

[Morgan]

Yeah, it comes out in July. Man, I'm so pumped and so been dropping a couple of songs leading up to it and I'm really kind of getting into my origin story with this album and into my roots of my root sound, you know, because I've kind of played in a lot of different sandboxes, no pun intended. But I've kind of taken things coastal for the past couple records because I do love water culture so much and find so much of a reset when I get close to the water. But this album is getting back to my root sound and. And like I said to the roots of. Of my life story. So I'M I'm digging in a little bit more into the why on the positivity, because I feel like I could tell now it's just been like, let's have fun, let's have a good time. And now I'm like, why am I so passionate about that? And it's because, you know, I've needed positive music countless times in my life when I've been facing adversity and difficulty. And it's always been this tool in my tool belt I could reach out and lean on, you know, and that is the beauty of music, man, that it is so powerful and it can transport you to that place that you want to go when you really need it, you know, And I've needed it a lot of times. I remember when we was in the trailer, like, we didn't have a. We didn't have a dining room table, so we put the ironing board up and we would use the ironing board as our TV tray. And I didn't think nothing of it, man. That was just what we ate on, you know, and, you know, or remembering like when the lights would get cut off. And this is when we had moved in into, into our little town home. And I remember the lights got cut off and it was freezing cold outside. And my dad went out into the backyard, got some hickory wood and put a fire on. And then he went to the closet and got a camping mattress, like a blow up mattress. And he blew it up and he set it right next to the fire. And he looked at me and my mom was like, are you ready to go camping? And I was like, yeah, let's go. I was pumped because it was just something different. Different, you know, and it felt like we were having some sort of like adventure, you know, and we were, we were using our imagination. We were playing. And I look back on, I'm like, man, I was having so much fun. But he had had to been stressed out of his mind. I mean, that pressure, you know, now being a parent, of the lights getting cut off, you know, I don't know how we're gonna keep. Keep that going, man. That's. That's heavy, you know, But I didn't feel none of that, that he made sure that I wasn't carrying that same weight. And for me, those were like some of the first examples of optimism in the face of adversity, you know?

[Bobby Bones]

Was he a truck driver?

[Morgan]

Yeah, he's a truck driver. And he, he was a musician too. He played drums and bands, local country bands at night.

[Bobby Bones]

Really?

[Morgan]

Yeah. So that was my first experience of music, was sneaking into these bars at nighttime when I was, like, 6, 7 years old and watching my dad play drums on stage. And I'd allow my dad, you know,

[Bobby Bones]

is he still alive? Yeah.

[Morgan]

So he lives in Portugal now.

[Bobby Bones]

Really?

[Morgan]

Yeah. He drove a truck. Played, played in these country bands at night and drove a truck his whole life. And then, like, five years ago, retired. And he really loves to travel. And he visited Portugal one time on his travels and fell in love with it. And he was like, when I retire, that's where I'm moving. And that's what he did. So he's out there in Portugal right now, drinking a cold one, just enjoying his life. You know, I crack up thinking about it because I.

[Lunchbox]

He.

[Morgan]

We're not Portuguese, you know, there's nothing Portuguese about us, you know, but there he is over there, just, like, being an adventurer and a traveler and doing his thing, you know.

[Bobby Bones]

What does he think about what you're doing?

[Morgan]

Oh, he loves it. He. He just sent me video of him playing a gig over there. Playing. He plays guitar, too. And he just did, like, a cover gig over at this, like, dive bar in Portugal where he lives. And he's so happy for me. He's so excited for me. He eventually came off the road because he wanted to spend more time with me. And back then, there wasn't no FaceTime or none of that stuff, you know, so he made that sacrifice and was driving a truck for two jobs. You know, he would drive during the day, and then he would do this working for the Atlanta Journal Constitution and was delivering papers at night. And so I'm really grateful for that sacrifice, you know, And I feel like he kind of, in some ways, you know, hung his dream dreams up a little bit on the shelf in order so that I could have, like, the best life possible. And I feel like I'm kind of doing this for both of us.

[Bobby Bones]

Where did you live? Near Atlanta? Like, what? What?

[Morgan]

So I was 30 minutes west of Atlanta in Douglasville, so off of Interstate 20 and so towards Alabama.

[Bobby Bones]

Would you go into Atlanta? Was that where the concerts? Was that where town was?

[Morgan]

Yeah. So when I first started, I was literally just playing the little local bars in my hometown. Tops, Taco Mac, all these, like, just little dive bars. And then as I started kind of, like, figuring out what I was doing, I started making my way into Atlanta. And then I've probably played every single bar, restaurant, everything in Atlanta. And I had some friends who booked local places around town who would help me out and so they would book me for like 150, 200 bucks a night in free beer.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you feel like you're making so much money when you first got your 200 buck nights? Were you like, this is so much money?

[Morgan]

Oh, it was insane. It was insane because I, you know, I was doing construction before, doing electrical work before I started gigging. And so I was doing electrical work during the day, gigging at night. And I'm, yeah, I'm making like three or four days income in one night. And I'm playing music and yeah, I'm doing cover gigs, but I'm still, I'm doing music and I'm slipping in originals like every four or five songs when I feel like I can get away with it, no one's listening to me. And so I've looking back on it, like, like all that like crowd work, I had to figure out how to do to even get people to even look my direction and pay attention. I'm so grateful for it, you know, because really that was my time to, to, to sing four hour gigs, you know, and to like strengthen my voice. Learn how to like entertain a crowd and all that stuff.

[Bobby Bones]

Learn how to compete to get the crowd.

[Morgan]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Because they didn't go there, couldn't just

[Morgan]

walk out and they were into it, they could care less. And like I'm having to like figure out what songs do I sing that they know they can sing to so I can get them on board with me and then once they're looking my direction, then I can hit them with one of mine.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you have your first like commercial success as a songwriter?

[Morgan]

Yeah, so I was actually, I was playing this local bar in Carrollton, Georgia, where the University of West Georgia, it was called the Mansion, but it was not a mansion. And I'm singing these songs and Zach Brown is in the back of the bar and he dug what I was doing, doing. And this was like two years before Chicken Fried came out. So he was like a really known local guy, but outside of that, not so much, you know, And I knew who he was and I knew he was there and I knew he was in the back of the bar. And I had one of those moments of kind of like, this is your, this is your shot, this is your chance, you know, don't miss it type of thing. And I'm just like having this like moment where I'm really connecting with the crowd, the crowd singing along to my stuff. And after the gig, he came up to me, he's like, man, I really dig what you Were doing, man, you want to grab a beer? And so we sat down at the bar. We're hanging out with the bartenders, and we just immediately vibed with each other, just on, like, a personal level. And he's like, you want to write sometime? And I'm like, are you kidding me? Let's go. And the next week, I drove over to his house. He lived, like, 20 minutes from me. We wrote a song, and it went great, and we could immediately tell that there was, like, a natural vibe, a natural chemistry. And it's kind of like, to me, like, any sort of other relationship, you know, you can sense that feeling of, like, is this working or not? You know? And we just kind of had that. It was natural, you know? And so we kept it going. And then a year or two later, he popped off, and he was like, you want to come on the road with me and write? Keep writing songs with me? And I just jumped at the chance. It was like I was going for artists. But the songwriting door opened up, and I just ran through it as fast as I could, and I'm so grateful. And so I put the artist thing to the side and focus on songwriting. And 12 years I was on the road with the Zach brown band.

[Lunchbox]

Wow.

[Morgan]

12 years, bro. And I'm riding on the bus with Zach, and pretty soon they started. You know, Zach got his own bus. And so it's just, like, me, Zach, his assistant, and his bodyguard, and it was just us on the bus. And, like, he liked to write after the show. So the show's over at midnight, and that's when we start writing was, like, midnight. And we write from, like, midnight to 5am him. And so that was like, my. Re. My every day. And then we'd wake up later on in the day, and as soon as I woke up, woke up. I'm focusing on, like, coming up with ideas for us to write that night. And so during the day, while he's doing all his stuff, I'm just, like, grinding, just, like, coming up with ideas. And then I'd have, like, three or four ideas for him. So by the time he got off stage, he'd walk onto the bus. I'd be like, check this out. And I would just throw out, like, all these ideas, and then he would pick one that, like, he was vibing with with, and then we would write that.

[Lunchbox]

What.

[Bobby Bones]

What did you guys write together that we would know?

[Morgan]

Homegrown.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, yeah. It's a good one.

[Abby]

That's so good.

[Morgan]

Keep me in mind.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, that's a good one.

[Lunchbox]

Too.

[Morgan]

Keep Me in Mind that's a jam. You want to hear a crazy story about the backstory on that song? Because it's crazy. All right, so. So Wyatt Durette, this fantastic songwriter, he wrote Chicken Fried with Zach. He had crossed paths with this girl at this. At this bar in Dallas, Texas, when we were all out in Dallas for a Zach show, and she was a. She was over at another part of the bar. He saw her. He was like. Everybody was like, go over there and holler at her, man. So he goes over to talk to her, and she's got a boyfriend. You could just tell she had a boyfriend by the way he was walking back, right? Because it was just, like. It didn't go the way he was hoping, right? So he walks back over, and Zach's like, you know, what's going on? He's like, well, she had a boyfriend. He's like, so what'd you say? He's like, well, I told her, if things change, Keep me in mind. And that was the start of the song. And so they started the song together based off of that concept, and they needed a bridge, and they were having a hard time coming up with a bridge. And at that time, I was just coming up with a new song, and I think it might have even been the chorus of my song, but it was like, if you ever wanted me, I be your man. But it was, like, a lot more kind of, like, upbeat, sort of kind of, like soulful thing. And Zach was like, that's the bridge, man. That's the bridge to keep me in mind right there. And so Zach, like, has this really cool way of, like, being able to hear something and hear what it could be, you know, like, that. That just that ability to, like, see through where it's currently at into its finished version. He's like, I see it being actually, like, really chill, laid back, and. Because the song on Keep Me In Mind is so upbeat, and he's like, I want. I want the bridge just to be very relaxed. And those lyrics are perfect for the song. And so that's how. That's how, like, something I was working on ended up becoming part of Keep Me In Mind. And the crazy part is, is that that became the bridge to Keep Me In Mind. Keep Me In Mind comes out, you know, does its thing, becomes popular or whatever. We're back in Dallas, like, a year after, Keep Me In Mind comes out, hanging out at this bar, different bar in Dallas, and this girl is in the bar.

[Bobby Bones]

Same girl.

[Morgan]

Same girl. Okay.

[Abby]

No way.

[Morgan]

Same girl. Wyatt Goes back up to her, says, what's up this time? She's single and. And they get to hanging out, they exchange numbers, they start dating, and they get married.

[Bobby Bones]

No way.

[Morgan]

So the girl that the song was written about, which was like, if things don't work out, Keep Me in Mind, literally ran into her again and it worked out and they ended up getting married.

[Abby]

That's crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

That's a wild story.

[Morgan]

That's a wild story.

[Bobby Bones]

That's a great story.

[Morgan]

I played their wedding. It's better. Yeah, I had to. I was like, this is epic. I mean, like, what are the odds? What are the chances of this, you know, that that would happen? It's like, you know, and I think he had, like, said something, I might be wrong on this, so we'll have to ask why. But just like, he was like, you know that song Keep Me in Mind? She's like, I love that song. I was like, yeah, that's always about you.

[Bobby Bones]

No way. That's such a.

[Morgan]

You just can't even write this stuff, man. You know, sometimes real life is stranger than fiction.

[Abby]

Right, Holly? I feel like we need to follow up. She kept me in.

[Bobby Bones]

That's such a great story.

[Morgan]

Great idea.

[Abby]

Well, no, I mean, yeah.

[Morgan]

I mean, we wrote like 40 something songs together. I think that, like, have Seen the Light of Day. That came out hundreds of songs, like, over the years. And I'm so grateful for our friendship, man. I mean, he. He really showed me the difference between a good song and a great one, because plucking me out of the bars, I didn't know the difference, man. I didn't know about Nashville. I didn't even know. I. I needed to move to Nashville to really do things. I was so small town and so, like. Like, I guess you could just say, like, ignorant. I just. Just hoping that I was just going to be playing in some little bar and somebody would just come and discover me. And they did, you know, but like, if anybody asked me for advice, which they never do, but in the rare instances that they do, you know, that's the thing I tell them not to do. I'm like, don't just hope somebody's gonna find you, you know, move to Nashville, you know, I'm just so lucky. I. I was like that one in a million, you know, person that. That actually did happen with.

[Abby]

So you were Georgia. I don't know why I was thinking you were a Texas boy.

[Morgan]

Well, I was born in Texas, but I moved when I was 10.

[Abby]

Okay.

[Morgan]

Yeah. So I grew up in East Texas in Tyler Texas.

[Abby]

Okay.

[Morgan]

And then. And then moved to Georgia when I was 10 and lived there until I was really in my early 30s is when I moved here to Nashville. So even like meeting Zach, having all that success, I stayed in Georgia and just would drive over to his house, hop on the bus and just spent that 12 years living in Georgia writing with him. So when I moved to Nashville, I had had like five number ones with Zach, but I still knew nothing about like the songwriting world. Just writing was act. That was it. Like, I had never written with someone else. He's the only person I've ever written with. So for me, like, songwriting was writing with. With him. I knew how he wrote. And so it was such a culture shock to move here, get getting a pub deal with Warner Chapel and then like writing every day with a new. New to new people every single day. I was just like realizing that, like, wow, everybody does this completely different. There's a million different ways to get to a great song. And it was just mind. Just mind blowing experience for me. And every day was like this new brick on my wall on like, how you could do it. And I was just growing so much those first couple years after I moved here, taking in this information of like, oh man, other people having new ways of thinking melodically and lyrically and all this stuff.

[Ashley McBride]

Stuff.

[Morgan]

And so I'm just absorbing it, trying my best to like, spread my little wings and like, get cuts with other artists. And so fortunate that that worked out with Morgan and Dirks and different people.

[Bobby Bones]

And what are those songs?

[Morgan]

More Surprised than Me was a song that I wrote on Morgan's album Dangerous. And then Gone was a song that I ended up having with DS during COVID And man, I'm just so grateful that other artists, like, found value in. In. In the stuff I was writing. And I've always felt like an artist, though, like, since those days when I was doing those cover gigs. It's just that I really didn't have my sound figured out and myself figured out as an artist. And so I think the universe opened up the songwriting doors. Like, bro, you need to go and like, help other people find their sound and like, help. Help spend time working on shining a light on other people's creativity first. And I'm so grateful for that, that era of my life, you know, because it really helped me to. To like, work on that skill set of like, what is special about this person that like, millions of people are super connecting with. But if you were to ask someone, they're like, I just love them, you know, and it's like I felt like it's my job to like, actually identify it and put my finger on it and say that is what it is about you, that everyone loves home so much. And like, now how do we shine a light on that as much as possible with a song, you know? And every day it's like, I'm getting to play that game with a new artist, you know, and so with Zach, I was like putting on my imaginary beanie, you know, in my imaginary five kids and, you know, his, his. His non profit that he has, you know, for helping, you know, kids and all. Everything about him and was just like being him, you know, and trying to disappear myself as much as possible so that, that the song could be as great for him as possible and then just doing that with other artists. That when it came time to finally, like, do my thing, like five years ago, five, six years ago, when I turned that inwards, I was able to get to the root of myself really quick. And when I turned it inwards, I was like, all right, what am I about? What's my thing? You know? And for me, it was like, mental health is my thing. Like, the power of positivity is my thing. That's what I'm so passionate about because that's the story of my life. That's been my struggle. I. I've dealt with mental health since I was a kid. Whether it was anxiety or depression or whatever it may be, it has been a constant. I don't know if you want to call it battle, but maybe walk with mental health my entire life. And at times I've been up high, times I've been down low. And music has been this thing I've been able to lean on when I really needed it. And I want my music to be about something. I don't want it to just be about whatever, you know, that it's not really actually making an impact other than, oh, it's a dope song or that's a dope beat. Like, I want to actually impact people's lives. If I'm gonna do this every single night of my life, right, and get up on stage, I want it to be for sure, something. And so I decided before I put out my very first song, I told my wife I want to make therapy music. Musical therapy, I guess you would call it. And so every song is going to be positive. It's going to be something that you can put on, and it just makes you feel good about life. Because I've had so many times that I Woke up and I wasn't feeling good about life in general. It's just like, not that I wanted to die, but that I had been like disenfranchised maybe a little bit it into the beauty of life and become a little bit bitter to it. And it wasn't this amazing gift, like I know that it was. I had kind of lost sight of it. And artists like Bob Marley helped me to remember that, you know, every little thing was going to be all right and that life is a beautiful thing. And I just wanted to pick up that torch as one of many artists out there who care about that message, you know. And so I was like, at first I'm not gonna make it like deep. I just want to make it light hearted and just like generally just music you can have a good time to. And that's why the first album was just called Good Time. And the first song was just Good Time. And so I didn't want to be heavy. I just want you to be able to get out on your back porch, get around the fire pit, get out on the water, put on the album and you can just make good memories to it. And you're not thinking too much about it. You're just celebrating life and happiness, having fun. And now I'm wanting to get a little more into the why. Like, why is that so important? Like why. Why is positive music valuable? You know? And I think through like getting a little more into my life story and telling my experience with it, I think is. Is the way that I do that. And so I'm really grateful for all of those artists that let me kind of dig in with them because it's enabled me to dig into my, myself and find my own kind of like place in the music world, which is, you know, putting out this music of optimism.

[Bobby Bones]

Rich man's out. Georgia is out. Really cool sample. It's. It's risky to take like a really classic song and then put it in and be like, I hope you like.

[Morgan]

I didn't have approval to do that sample. Okay. I. I just knew that Georgia in my mind was the song I wanted to write about. Where. About Georgia. I mean, it's the state song, you know what I mean? Like, when I. When anyone thinks of Georgia, when I think of Georgia, that's the song that's going to come to mind. But I didn't get approval for it. I just was like living on a prayer and wrote the song and then I thought Ray Charles wrote it and so reached out to the Ray Charles estate and found out that Hokey Carmichael wrote that song in 1925. So this song is 100 years old.

[Bobby Bones]

Is it public domain now?

[Morgan]

It's public domain, bro.

[Bobby Bones]

It just hit public domain.

[Morgan]

It just hit public domain in January. That I was like, yo, let's go. And. But it's public domain in the US but internationally it's not public domain. So it was this interesting thing where, like, yes, you can record it, but. But if anyone outside the US Goes to their streaming platform to play it, that song's going to be, like, blacked out, and they're not going to be able to play it unless you get approval. So it was really important that no matter where it's played, it got approved. And Hoagie Carmichael Estate, you know, they don't typically approve samples. I ended up finding out. And so it was this long process of getting that permission, but they did two days before we shot the visualizer and the video that when you go and you type in right now, Nico Moon, Georgia, and you're going to see that visualizer, we got approval two days before we shot that. So actually started getting a little nervous. I didn't know if it was gonna happen or not. So I recorded an alternate version of the song that didn't use the sample, which is insane because the whole song was written to the sample. And so to, like, deconstruct it and, like, make a new version of it without the sample was extremely difficult. And honestly, not nearly as good.

[Bobby Bones]

I know we talked about you having a baby. How's your wife? She good?

[Morgan]

She's great, man. She. She had something called preeclampsia, which is basically like really high blood pressure. Postnatal preeclampsia. So really high blood pressure due to having a baby. Her blood pressure had got up to like 150. So she got readmitted back into the hospital after. After having the baby for three days. So we just got home a few days ago and our son was born three weeks early. And so his lungs weren't fully developed, so he was in the NICU for a week. And so it was a little touch and go there for a minute, but they actually got discharged on the same day. Everybody's home, Everybody's safe. Yeah, man.

[Bobby Bones]

Awesome.

[Morgan]

Feeling blessed, feeling grateful. Rich man is about Anna, you know, so it feels very poetic that during this time of us having. Having Bodhi, that I'm releasing this song about what true wealth is really all about, you know, I feel like as long as I got her, I got everything I need, you know what I mean, the best parts of me come from her. And I remember when.

[Bobby Bones]

Write that down. To my wife. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You keep going. I'm writing this down.

[Morgan]

Yeah, yeah. I got you, bro. I got you, man. When we. When we first started dating, I was living in my best friend's basement, and I was playing those local bars and honky tonks down in Georgia. And, man, she's just always had this, like, relentless faith in me, and I'm so grateful for that because there were moments where I was losing a little bit of faith in myself. And we all need somebody like that in our lives that believes in us when we're having a hard time believing in ourselves. And she was there to believe in me, you know, when I really needed it, you know? And, man, there's just. It goes beyond words with her, you know? And I wanted to write this song is the celebration of what real love truly looks like and what it's all about, you know? And so when you first see the title, you're like rich, man. So what does you talking about being rich? It's like, no, what I'm saying is that keep all the money, keep out of all the properties, all the diamonds, whatever, anything materialistically, I'm good, man. You could put me in a ditch with my wife and I'll be happy, you know what I mean? Obviously, I don't want that for her.

[Bobby Bones]

You know what I mean? Put me in a ditch. I'm writing something. Put me in the ditch with my wife. You'll be happy. I'm happy.

[Morgan]

All right.

[Bobby Bones]

Got that too.

[Morgan]

So, yeah, man, we. We talk about this a lot lately. You know, I think when first started getting. Seeing success with music and everything, and we were just so pumped, and we was, like, getting these things and stuff like that. And now we're kind of like, at this reevaluation period of our life. We're like, do we really even need this? Like, what's the point of some of the rooms in this house? You know? Like, we should downsize. Because, like, right now, especially in life with the. With the kiddo and with the kiddos, it's just like, I'm all about efficiency now. Like, is this bringing, like, real value into my life? That's all I really care about, you know, I'm not. I don't wear no watches no more or anything. I used to be, like, super into

[Bobby Bones]

watches and stuff, you know, I take mine off slowly.

[Morgan]

No, no. No judgment, man. No judgment, you know? You know, no judgment. I get it, it's just like, I don't know, it's just like this personal like walk that I'm on right now where I'm just like focusing on like on like purely like is this actually something that's like working for me in my life? You know, that's, that that's bringing true value into my life regardless of like the number sign on it. And maybe it does have a number sign on it. Like, like, of something, you know, like, like, you know, a guitar, you know, you go get a guitar, man, that's valuable. It costs money, brings a lot of value into your life, you know. But I'm like trying to like think about life more in those terms.

[Bobby Bones]

My favorite thing. Well, it's not my favorite something that comes to mind is always. I think I got a bite.

[Morgan]

I think I got a bite.

[Bobby Bones]

I think I got a bite. If people say that to you all the time.

[Morgan]

All the time.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

And the apple pie moonshine. I think people think I'm like, like perma drinking apple pie moonshine and perm and perma smiling. You know, People always ask me for advice on, on happiness, you know, and. Because I think people think that I'm always happy, you know. And it's the first myth that I try to dispel is that some people, or even like you mentioned, like, man, you're always so happy, bro. You're always in such a good mood and it's like dog, the reason I'm so, I'm. I'm so pumped up on, on this feel good music is because I'm not. It's because I'm just a regular dude going through regular emotions. And I struggle with keeping the glass half full. I struggle with waking up and keeping my mindset focused on the good things and not letting insecurity. And my inner voice is really loud, man. It's really loud. And it takes a really strong proactive effort for me to keep it quiet it and to keep focused on, on the good in life. And so that's why I focus on making this music so much and why I'm so like incessant with like exercise and like eating good and meditating and like doing all those other things, you know, it's like this holistic effort that I put in, that I put forth in life to just like basically be like what I feel like is like a regular dude, you know, just like staying normal because this life, this world is crazy that we're living in, you know, and we're being hit with stressful, anxiety inducing things. Non stop. I can't open up my phone without getting stressed out. You know what I mean? Or turn on the TV without getting stressed out, you know? And so, yeah, man. That's why I'm so passionate about positive music.

[Bobby Bones]

You and your wife started Happy Cowboy Foundation.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And you guys have the water, right?

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. What's the water called?

[Morgan]

Happy Himalayan. And so it's. It's artesian water with pink Himalayan salt infused in it. And I've seen people like on Tik Tok, like, putting Himalayan salt in their water and was talking about how much it was like, helping with, like, getting hydrated. And I was like, I'm gonna try that out, because I sweat a lot on stage. I'm super active. And so I started doing it and I really noticed a difference. And then I just got thinking one day, like, is this already, like a thing so I'm not having to walk around with a salt shaker everywhere I go cranking salt in my water. And I looked out there and there was. And so I was just like, ping. The light came on. I'm a big dreamer. I love making dreams reality. I feel like we all. We all love to dream in this life, but, you know, that landscape between dream and reality, reality is treacherous and as long. And it takes a lot of hard work and focus to stay the course, to bring something like what you got going right here into reality. Right. And so that, for me is what's fun, is not just the dream, but figuring out how to make that real. And so I just said, I don't know nothing about. I don't know what I don't know about water, you know, But I just started off in the back of my tour bus at nights after shows, getting online and looking up how do you start a water company, how do you find distribution, how do you do this? How do you partner with bottling facilities and stuff? And I didn't know nothing about nothing. I've just been and finding my way through it. But a percentage from every bottle goes to the foundation to help people find peace. So what the foundation does is we help people get therapy that can't afford it. And I couldn't afford it for like most of my life and really needed it a long time before I could afford it. And so that's what we do, man. We just help people get that conversation that are looking for it, you know,

[Bobby Bones]

Happy Himalayan for, if you missed it, the first Happy, Happy Himalayan.

[Abby]

Happy Himalayan thing. My. I follow this detox doctor. It's a doctor that with. For the lymphatic system. And she says that every morning when you wake up to get, you can either put the pink Himalayan sea salt in your water or grab a pinch of it, put it on your tongue, and then chug the water. Because when you sleep, you're so dehydrated that the pinch of the salt with the water first thing in the morning will give your cells what it needs to. Actually, instead of the water running.

[Morgan]

Right. We've been fasting all night. Basically, we ain't taking anything in for eight hours. Not just food, but water, too. So we're parched. It's time to hydrate, you know, and you can use a lot of, like, you know, process sort of chemicals, or you can use nature's natural electrolyte, which is salt. And pink Himalayan Salt specifically has 84 different trace minerals in it. So, I mean, it's amazing at hydrating you.

[Bobby Bones]

So I'm a big chemical guy.

[Morgan]

Yeah. You know, sometimes you got to get a couple chemicals in there.

[Bobby Bones]

Big chemical guy. I'll be honest with you, Nico. I always love spending time with you, man. Seriously. We can do the two hours of the this Nico Moon in studio. His new album, Roots, is coming out July 17th. When the record comes out, come back.

[Morgan]

Oh, man, thank you. I would love to.

[Bobby Bones]

Record comes out, come back, we'll do it again. Make sure everybody knows.

[Morgan]

Yeah, we got the tour being announced, too. The Roots tour. It's going to be happening this fall.

[Bobby Bones]

I have that. You me do it.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

I should have that Roots. Hold on. I have the dates of with you

[Abby]

and Russell, the WrestleMania one.

[Morgan]

We're going to be doing some select dates of Russell all through the summer, and then the Roots tour is going to start this fall.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. And they can go to nicomoon.com or your socials.

[Morgan]

Yeah, nicomoon.com.

[Bobby Bones]

all right.

[Morgan]

Socials. All the good stuff. Y' all know where to find me.

[Bobby Bones]

You're the best, man.

[Morgan]

Like, seriously, thank you, bro.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Thank you for the love. Thank you for finding value in positive music, man.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't know. I just like you, and then I listen to the music after. Like, I didn't hear the music first. I was like, I love Nico. Let's get him in. Yeah. The music's awesome, so thank you, bro.

[Morgan]

And I'm super excited that you've joined the parenthood club. I can't wait to, like, chat with you and, like, like, just hear about how it's changing you, because I feel like out of everything that's changed me in my Life. Being a dad is the number one thing that has and for the best. You know, I tell people all the time, if you're interested in being the best version of yourself, have a kid. Because I have switched on flips in my mind that had. That has made me a better person more so from being a parent than anything else else, you know, there, you know, you find drive within yourself to elevate yourself to be a better version of yourself way more once you have a kid than you would on your own because on your own you got this certain amount of drive. But when you got a little. Little face looking at you for like what that example is for what a human being, a dad, a husband, all those things are. It just kicks you into a whole nother drive. And I'm super excited to see the Bobby that. That. That's blooming out now as a father, man. Thank you, bro.

[Bobby Bones]

I often tell couples that are married and they fight all the time. They're thinking about getting divorced. I'm like, have a kid. That'll save it. I don't. That's dope. No, you don't do that. That's a joke. You don't do that. You don't have a kid. There he is. Nico Moon.

[Morgan]

Love you.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Congrats on the new music and we'll see when the record comes out.

[Morgan]

Thank you, bud. It's the best bits of the week with Morgan. Number two,

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

Bobby shared some new milestones with baby Billie. She is growing like crazy, especially her hair.

[Bobby Bones]

Number one, I just want to say I listened to the Bobby Kast with you and Caitlin and I just want to say you two are just too cute. Obviously you can just tell and see

[Morgan]

the excitement and hear the excitement in your voices.

[Bobby Bones]

And I am so sorry that people

[Morgan]

on social media ruined it for Caitlin

[Bobby Bones]

to want to be on social media. But thank you for sharing with us. Thank you for the voicemail. Here's a question. If someone comes up to me and asks the question, hey, how's the baby? To me that says, hey, show me a picture of your baby.

[Ashley McBride]

It could.

[Abby]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

No, automatically if someone says, how's the baby? I'm like, funny you should ask. How about you look at a picture and then I tell you?

[Abby]

Yeah. I feel like we all love a visual, right? Story.

[Bobby Bones]

I love the visual to any story.

[Abby]

Love it.

[Bobby Bones]

I loved when people read books and they do the thing where they show the book in front of you with pictures in it. Do you think that's what they're asking?

[Abby]

I think they appreciate the visual I

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

say you go for it.

[Abby]

Flip it. When you were to ask somebody about their baby.

[Bobby Bones]

No, I really was just saying it because I don't care about babies at the time. And I was just doing it because I knew it was big in their life and I wanted them to feel seen.

[Abby]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

I'd be like, hey, how's the baby? In my mind, I'm like, okay, he's gonna move off baby soon. And I got some real questions to ask. That's pre baby me.

[Abby]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

Post baby me me. I don't know.

[Abby]

You're like, got any more pictures?

[Bobby Bones]

Ah, 50. 50. But I have it on my lock screen.

[Ashley McBride]

Huh.

[Bobby Bones]

So I can see. I can do it quick.

[Abby]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And I. My phone is set up to do no notifications. Just in general. I don't have anything pop up on my screen ever. And so how's the baby? Great. Look at this. And I change the picture every two or three days.

[Abby]

Wow.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very much on wallpaper type. Have you seen the newest picture?

[Abby]

No.

[Lunchbox]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

Brace yourself.

[Morgan]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm gonna text it to you. Ready?

[Abby]

Ready?

[Bobby Bones]

And I don't think I'm somebody who is like, we got the cutest baby. I don't think that I've said that forever. I think everybody just has to say, your baby's cute.

[Abby]

Yeah. But yours actually really is.

[Bobby Bones]

But I think you. I think you're just saying that because you have to.

[Abby]

No, I'm not. We would just be like. We would just say anything. We would just be like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Eddie]

People have to say that babies, they're the best.

[Abby]

Yeah. Classic baby.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. Look at that picture right there.

[Abby]

Uh huh. That's pretty cute.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, just pretty cute. Not top five.

[Abby]

That's really. Did you hear the inflection? That's pretty cute. I was giving it more. Oh. I had to zoom in her little outfit.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. She looks like a ninja. And she has so much hair.

[Abby]

She has so much hair.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Abby]

Yeah. She's pretty cute.

[Bobby Bones]

So I feel like, no, just pretty.

[Abby]

Oh, my gosh. You are like, dice it. No. That is so cute. She's pretty cute.

[Bobby Bones]

Equals force that one.

[Abby]

Whatever, you know. You have a beautiful baby.

[Bobby Bones]

Hit number five, Raymundo.

[Morgan]

I really enjoyed the Bobby cast with Jen Hamilton as someone who has had two babies.

[Ashley McBride]

My first postpartum journey was very difficult.

[Morgan]

And so just shining a light on

[Ashley McBride]

that is so important for women.

[Morgan]

With my second, it was so much

[Ashley McBride]

easier, a much better experience.

[Abby]

Y' all have a great day.

[Bobby Bones]

Thank you. And these people, my wife is one, but Jen Hamilton, they're on my podcast called the Bobbycast, which you can watch on Netflix or you can listen on podcast. And there was a clip that I put up yesterday, talking with Jen Hamilton, who is a labor and delivery nurse, and we were talking about the umbilical cord being wrapped around the necks of babies. And I said, how common is that Happened to our baby? She was like 30% of all babies. And I said, wow, that seems like a lot. She goes, yeah, just because it's wrapped around the neck doesn't mean it's choking the baby. And she took the scrunchie out of her hair and she goes, they're basically a scrunchie now. If you're out scrunchie around a bunch of times, it's hard to breathe with scrunchie around you. But that was the situation.

[Abby]

Okay. Yeah, that makes sense.

[Bobby Bones]

She has a new book out. And I'm telling you, I gave no craps about babies, birth, labor, any of that. I'm waist deep and I'm like, this is crazy. This is awesome. Because I thought once you had a baby. I'm gonna be honest. You had a baby, it came out, you rub some dirt on it, you get the raisin. Doesn't affect you much. No, that. Just a recovery process alone should get, like, a medal. When you finally get out of it, you get a medal and like a day of pampering paid for by the government.

[Abby]

All women.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, all the men.

[Abby]

All women.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. If you have. Yeah. Well, no, just for the recovery part, it has to come out of your vagina now. I think being a good mom, there's. There's. I'm talking about the physical recovery part.

[Eddie]

No C section.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I know that, too. That too. For sure. That too. I didn't think about that because we didn't do that. That's a good. If there's some physical damage done to your body, you should get some sort of physical damage reward.

[Abby]

I'm pretty sure.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah.

[Abby]

That's the only way to bring a baby in the world.

[Morgan]

Well, you can adopt physical damage.

[Lunchbox]

You don't.

[Bobby Bones]

You could. You guys don't know much about this adoption since Amy, you have two adopted kids and that you have to adopt a kid.

[Eddie]

Yeah. Tell us more.

[Bobby Bones]

But that counts. But just not for this award. You get a different award.

[Abby]

Okay, that's fine. I'll take a different award. There's other.

[Bobby Bones]

And also wounds. I'm going to say this. I saw a couple stories about me running for office. I'm not running for office. No part of me Is running for office. And there's a reason I'm telling you this story. If I ever do federally.

[Abby]

Federally?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Abby]

Like, the stories were federally.

[Bobby Bones]

If I run for office, like for Senate or president. A federal office. Okay, What I'm gonna do is that there's a law now in America, you get like, 12 weeks of. What do you call it when you don't have to go to work? Maternity leave. You get like, 12 weeks, but they don't pay you. I will go in front of Mr. Senate Leader and be like, yo, you got to pay these women for 12 weeks. Other countries are doing four or five months. It's always dudes making these laws because they didn't have a baby, ripping out of them. So if you have a baby, it's going to be minimal. 12 weeks paid maternity leave. Because now I believe the law is. And I could be wrong about the amount of weeks you get that time off where they can't fire you, but you don't get paid for all of it. That's wild.

[Abby]

That is crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

It's crazy when dudes who have wieners without a baby coming out of them are making these laws for women who have to go through this. So first thing I do. Wow. Fourth. But fourth thing I do, I go and I fight the maternity leave battle. And then we had a baby. And I just think about all the people that have to go back to work because they have jobs that don't care, or they have to work hourly. And so you're two weeks out, you're physically hurting. You're like, I gotta go to work. Or the dad is like, I gotta go to work two days after the baby's born. And luckily, I have a job where I could work from home and be there. But not everybody has that. I'm gonna fix that. That was never on the list. It's on the list now. But I'm not running for office. There were two.

[Eddie]

But you're not running.

[Bobby Bones]

No. There were two stories about me running for office in the past two or three days. I'm not running for office. I used to think, man, that'd be good. I can do some changing. I think I can do more change from the private sector. Secondly, I only think people want me to run for office for a few reasons. One, I can speak. Two, I have a story. Those are two things that count. Two and a half is, I have, like, a little bit of notoriety. I'm not going to say fame, but I have a little notoriety, which would make people care immediately. And then three, I Have no skeletons like there is. They have background checked me because they thought I was running. Once they have put me through the ringer. There is. There's no. No, well, divorces, no cheating, no jail time, no drug problem. No drug, no hiding money. There's nothing. I've been such a loser my whole freaking life. I didn't even go to frat parties.

[Eddie]

Like, there's no videos of you doing no video.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, and that wouldn't even be bad. But there's not. There's nothing. And I think that's why.

[Abby]

Yeah, clean, clean.

[Bobby Bones]

I can speak and I have a story, but I ain't running. It's too toxic. Nothing gets done. The only way you get on TV or you make a headline. As if you make a headline by saying something that's completely polarizing. I'd rather do that on the radio every day. Yeah, please listen to the podcast. So a big shout out to all the women out there who have had to have a baby. Just come ripping out whatever way possible because holy crap, it's more than rub dirt on it and get back to work. So that's what's up. But yeah, you can listen to that Bobby cast with Caitlin and myself. That's up. And with Jen Hamilton. There you go.

[Morgan]

It's the best bits of the week with Morgan number two.

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

That's it for me this weekend again, if you missed the beginning for some odd reason, part one and part three is now combined all into part one. So if you want to listen to some extra chatter this weekend, it's with lunchbox and we answer listener questions also in that. So it's all into one place now. Easier for you guys to access otherwise. If this is where I leave you. Have a great weekend. Be safe. Bye.

[Morgan]

That's the best bits of the week with Morgan. Thanks for listening. Be sure to check out the other two parts this weekend.

[Bobby Bones]

Go follow the show on all social

[Morgan]

platforms and follow webgirlmorgan to submit your listener questions for next week's episode. Are you really buying a car online on autotrader right now?

[Abby]

Really? I can get super specific with dealer

[Morgan]

listings and see cars based on my budget.

[Ashley McBride]

You can really have a deal delivered or pick it up.

[Morgan]

I think kid is walking up the slide.

[Abby]

Really?

[Morgan (alternate segment)]

Autotrader Buy your car online.

[Abby]

Really?

[Orderly Meds Advertiser]

Less support through telehealth, but it feels overwhelming and rushed. Check out orderlymeds.com now. Orderlymeds.com was built to be different. Here you connect with real doctors who take the time to understand your goals, review your eligibility and guide you through a plan that's right for you. Orderly Meds provides access to proven GLP1 medications, medications like Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, including both name brand options and personalized compound versions when appropriate. So you have choices backed by clinical oversight, not guesswork. It's a simpler, more supportive telehealth experience designed around people who want clarity, care and confidence in their weight loss journey. And your medication is delivered directly to your home in discreet packaging so your experience stays private from start to finish. Do your research, ask the right questions, then visit orderlymeds.com podcast for an exclusive offer. Again, that's orderlymeds.com podcast. Individual results may vary. Not medical advice eligibility required. See Cite for details.

[Lunchbox]

I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

[Bobby Bones]

We all seem to be in a rush these days, from work to driving our kids around.

[Morgan]

But when you're behind the wheel, please do not speak. A few minutes saved by going faster is never worth the risk.

[Bobby Bones]

So follow the speed limit, enjoy the drive, maybe bring some snacks for the

[Morgan]

kids, and know that along the way

[Lunchbox]

you're getting quality time with your family,

[Morgan]

paid for by nhtsa.

[Lunchbox]

Here's the truth.

[Bobby Bones]

You could literally be adored by everyone and then come home and still get

[Lunchbox]

completely ignored by your own cat. It's classic cat behavior, but new Shiba Premium Puree is a lickable treat that changes all that. They're protein rich, made with bone broth, and have the smooth, creamy texture cats go crazy for, especially when it's hand fed. Yeah, it's more than a treat.

[Bobby Bones]

It's a fast pass to favorite human status. So feed your cat Sheba and go

[Lunchbox]

from totally ignored to truly adored in just 12 days guaranteed or your money back.

[Bobby Bones]

Learn [e-mail] this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.