The BobbyCast Ep. 541: Brett Eldredge on Anxiety, Vocal Health, Life Balance & The Rise of 'Glow'

Date: September 26, 2025
Host: Bobby Bones
Guest: Brett Eldredge

Episode Overview

This episode of The BobbyCast features country artist Brett Eldredge, a long-time friend of host Bobby Bones, in an intimate discussion about personal struggles, the evolution of his career, and the deep significance behind his annual Christmas tour, 'Glow.' The conversation delves into Brett’s journey with anxiety, his experiences with a vocal disorder, balancing life and music, mental health tools, and the traditions and origin of his beloved 'Glow' Christmas shows.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Anxiety & Performance (02:11–16:53)

• Openness About Anxiety:

  • Brett talks candidly about his performance anxiety, both before shows and interviews.
  • He continues to feel pulled back to the stage, despite performing less frequently:

    “Some reason, I've just had a pull that...continues to pull me back even when I play less shows than I used to. But I still have this feeling of like this is an important thing for me to do. Like I need to do this. I don't have to do it on somebody else's terms. I want to do it in my own way. And I can't let the fear keep me from doing it.” (02:11)

  • He describes physical symptoms before shows, like stomach pain and tightness, but that those moments are often followed by some of his best performances.
  • Exposure therapy and grounding techniques help him; for instance, seeing his nephew in the crowd would help him focus:

    “I was like, okay, my nephew's right here. I'm going to go engage with my nephew and, like, do this for him and be strong for him. And then as soon as I grounded myself into that...I looked at him smiling...Then I kind of grounded back into it.” (07:27)

• Tools/Therapy:

  • Brett attributes much of his mindset to therapy, especially learning to accept vulnerability and not catastrophize his anxiety.
  • The power of exposure therapy—consistently facing his fears—has been crucial.

• Comparison of Anxieties:

  • Bobby shares his own anticipatory anxiety, especially about high-stakes media events and even simple routines like waking up for the radio show.

2. Vocal Disorder & Mental Challenges (12:42–17:47)

• Dysphonia:

  • Brett opens up about experiencing dysphonia, a psychosomatic vocal problem common among singers, which is worsened by stress and obsessive thinking.

    “You get obsessed with how your voice feels...you think that you can’t sing anymore...I could hardly even talk. I could hardly even sing. I would still make it through and I would still sound okay, but in my mind, I was in hell, you know, like.” (12:58)

  • Healing came from therapy, understanding the psychological component, and new pre-show routines to break the cycle.

• Burnout & Stepping Back:

  • He recalls nearly quitting live performance due to burnout, then finding balance by reevaluating his relationships and well-being.

3. Life Balance & Creativity (17:47–23:37)

• Intentional Show Reduction:

  • Brett reduced his show schedule to spend more time on personal relationships and life milestones missed over a decade of touring (e.g., family events, friends’ weddings).

• Anxiety About Creative Output:

  • Both discuss the vulnerability and anxiety around releasing music and ticket sales—tying self-worth to external response, and striving to prioritize personal fulfillment with one's art.

• Unfinished Songs & ADHD:

  • Brett talks about ADHD, diagnosed recently, and how it’s both a challenge (hard to stay organized, finish projects) and a creative gift:

    “My therapist calls it ADHG sometimes...like attention deficit hyperactivity gift. Like, the gift part, it can be like a gift in some ways.” (24:17)

  • He shares his longstanding struggles with deadlines, dyslexia ("not backwards...I just don’t retain it a lot." (23:58)) and difficulty picking even simple things like a restaurant.

4. Mental Health & Medication (30:44–38:46)

• Medication Stigma & Approaches:

  • Both Bobby and Brett discuss trying (or avoiding) medications for anxiety and ADHD, wrestling with shame, fear of dependency, and cultural stigma.
  • Brett found relief in accepting a mix of therapies, including medication:

    “I would try to just get through it by, you know, sheer strength...and I would never think, okay, I'm gonna try medication...it felt like a weakness or something. To try medication.” (36:23)

  • Bobby’s wife played a key role in removing shame around mental health meds.

• Adderall Experiences:

  • Bobby relates how Adderall, taken after strokes, helped stimulate his mental recovery, but stopped due to anxiety about shortages:

    “I just stopped taking it. But it's what helped my brain so much after those strokes. I think I'm probably 97 there at this point, really. But...the greatest thing I had ever tried, except I super hyper focused again.” (32:29)

5. 'Glow' Christmas Shows & Tradition (39:04–54:56)

• Transformation on Stage:

  • Bobby notes Brett's transformation during the Christmas shows, describing it as putting on a “Superman cape.” Brett agrees:

    “It becomes this aura of, of old soul storyteller that I get. That's kind of a huge part of who I am...It's not a character, but in a way, you know what I mean? Like, it's fully me. It's just the most full exaggerated version of me.” (40:37)

• Origin of 'Glow':

  • 'Glow' began as a small jazz-inspired Christmas show for friends and industry at The Sutler in Nashville; its popularity led to bigger venues and the eventual Christmas album "Glow."
  • The tour has grown into an annual tradition across major cities with audiences dressing up and shows selling out.
  • Brett emphasizes that the show is about shared experience and tradition, drawing from his love of Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Nat King Cole.

• Show Details & Etiquette:

  • The band has evolved into a consistent 12-piece orchestra with an eight-person horn section, made up now of Nashville musicians (53:24).
  • Bobby encourages audiences to savor the most moving moments, especially the a capella rendition of “The First Noel”:

    “Don’t talk during the last Noel...my encouraging moment here is don’t talk during the first Noel. Would you co-sign that?” (55:09)

  • Brett adds, “It’s this really gentle moment that is so magic and people stand up. Sometimes people cry...” (56:13)

• No Hits at Christmas Shows:

  • Brett made an early decision not to blend in his country hits—“I want this to be full on Christmas when you come...it’s just a whole different thing. And...it works.” (58:27)

6. Songwriting & Career Milestones (59:17–63:40)

• Brett recounts how his song “Don’t Ya” was a career breakthrough, but debut single “Raymond” (about his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s) didn’t become a hit.

• The experience pushed him to dig deeper creatively:

  “I almost like, fired me up more to, like, I’m gonna go figure this out.” (62:38)

• Charting the Career:

  • He reflects on Sunday Drive as a creative turning point and talks about how “Beat of the Music” almost didn’t make the cut but became his most played song (81:58–84:04).

7. Modern Life & Social Media (65:42–68:29)

• Cautious Digital Usage:

  • Brett limits social media time using the Screens app, having experienced burnout from his previously heavy presence online (“Snapchat king” era).
  • He advocates for boundaries and admits to needing support and “friction” to help keep his consumption in check.

• Texting & Decision Anxiety:

  • Both joke about long response times to texts due to decision anxiety or simply being away from their phones.
  • Brett admits to having tens of thousands of unread emails and that the “clutter” is both a symptom and a trigger of his anxiety.

8. Personal Preferences, Hobbies & Aspirations (76:35–85:46)

• Best Travel Destinations:
  • Switzerland and Costa Rica are Brett’s top picks for their beauty and serenity (76:39).
• Vacation & Routine:
  • Bobby expresses a preference for routine and being at home, relating restlessness on both vacation and at home—the “grass is greener” problem and the unattainability of pure happiness.
• Almost Didn’t Happen:
  • Brett discusses songs that nearly weren’t released, especially “Beat of the Music,” which succeeded despite difficulties in its production:

    “If you stick with the song and you believe in it, it can make a huge turn...it became the most played song on country radio that year.” (83:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Opening up about anxiety and creative vulnerability:

  “We're sensitive people, being creative people...maybe that's okay to just kind of feel a little on edge because you're doing something that's important to you and also scares you. And maybe that gives us our gift.” — Brett Eldredge (07:12)

• On overcoming shame of medication:

  “If your knee hurt, would you be ashamed to take the medicine?...So why would you be ashamed to take medicine just because it's working on a different part of your body?” — Bobby Bones' wife, quoted by Bobby (38:06)

• On ‘Glow’ and its meaning:

  “It's not a character, but in a way, you know what I mean? Like, it's fully me...I am up there, but it’s kind of everybody’s show and I just get to be this, like, larger than life part of it that, like, pulls us all together. And I’m really pulling from all their energy as well. And it’s just really cool to do that.” — Brett Eldredge (40:31–43:09)

• Musical innovation:

  “There's an early bridge in that song...it's very unconventional, but it was...that song really had a kind of crazy journey.” (84:25–84:57)

• On happiness and fulfillment:

  “I don’t think you ever actually...you don’t actually catch the rabbit ever...part of happiness is knowing you’re never going to catch the rabbit. So a little bit enjoy the fact that you’re getting to chase the rabbit instead of catching the rabbit.” — Bobby Bones (80:13–80:31)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic / Segment | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 02:11–06:10 | Opening discussion on stage anxiety, vulnerability | | 06:10–08:43 | Tools/therapy for coping with anxiety | | 12:42–17:47 | Vocal disorder (dysphonia), performance stress | | 17:47–23:37 | Stepping back from touring, balancing life & work | | 24:11–26:52 | ADHD, dyslexia, creative process | | 30:44–38:46 | Medication, Adderall, shame & mental health | | 39:04–43:09 | ‘Glow’ show persona, connection with audience | | 46:21–49:56 | Origin & expansion of 'Glow' Christmas shows | | 53:01–56:37 | Band details, special traditions during shows | | 58:27–60:32 | Deliberate decision: no hits at Christmas shows | | 61:16–63:40 | Early singles, creative drive, career milestones | | 65:42–68:29 | Digital boundaries, social media burnout | | 76:35–80:31 | Travel, vacations, discussion on happiness | | 84:06–84:57 | Songwriting quirks: early bridge in "Beat of the Music" | | 85:02–85:45 | Reflections on the conversation, closing remarks |

Tone & Language

The conversation is candid, supportive, introspective, and at times humorous—reflecting the deep personal relationship between Bobby and Brett. The vulnerability is matched by openness, mutual respect, and a desire to provide comfort and insight for listeners.

Summary Takeaway

For fans and newcomers alike, this episode offers a deeply personal portrait of Brett Eldredge beyond the stage—a man working to balance artistic ambition, mental health, personal relationships, and the meaning of tradition. The origin and impact of 'Glow' stand out as a shining example of channeling one’s challenges into communal celebration and authentic connection with audiences. The episode is rich in honest advice about dealing with anxiety, owning your own path, and finding joy in the chase even when the destination is elusive.