Bobbycast with Mae Estes – Episode 552

Airdate: November 7, 2025
Host: Bobby Bones
Guest: Mae Estes
Theme: Why Mae Thinks She and Bobby Might Be Cousins | Country Music as Life’s Perfect Genre | The Best Advice from Ashley McBryde | Touring with Luke Bryan

Episode Overview

Bobby Bones sits down with rising country artist Mae Estes, whose career is gathering buzz with her new self-titled EP. The episode traces Mae’s journey from small-town Arkansas to Nashville, exploring familial ties, life struggles, resilience, and her passion for authentic songwriting. With candid reflections, the two discover surprising similarities, discuss issues of self-worth and validation, and delve into the realities of building a music career from the ground up. Insightful moments cover their shared backgrounds, the drive survival inspires, mentorship from Ashley McBryde, and the thrill and chaos of opening for Luke Bryan.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Small-Town Roots & The "Cousin" Connection (03:10–08:00)

• Shared Arkansas Heritage:
  • Bobby and Mae discuss the speculation that they're related due to similar last names (“Estelle” vs. “Estes”) and both hailing from southern Arkansas.
  • Mae pokes fun at winning “Hope Watermelon Idol” as a teenager after years of losing to a septuagenarian cyclist.
• Similar Upbringings:
  • Both come from absent-father households, limited means, and a lack of opportunity, fueling their drive and work ethic.
  • Mae: “I have a Jerry Springer life story and that's why I fit so well in country music...My heroes like Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette were not making that stuff up off the cuff. They were living it.” (08:22)

2. The Road to Nashville: Hustle, Insecurity, and the Cost of the Dream (09:35–24:12)

• Education and Responsible Decisions:
  • Mae wanted to attend Belmont in Nashville but chose Henderson State for scholarships, earning a degree in Mass Media Communication.
  • Worked multiple jobs to save for her move.
• Financial Fear as a Superpower:
  • Maintaining multiple jobs (Victoria’s Secret, line cook, hosting at Fishnet) even after arriving in Nashville.
  • Both discuss the anxiety of not having a financial safety net; for Mae, “money was my biggest...I gotta figure this out first.” (17:58)
  • Bobby: “My approach on money was and still is to a point...I've been poor also, and I also know I can be poor again. And that's...I survived.” (19:03)
• Making it in Music City:
  • Adapting to a world of “crazy talented” people, most being either “rich or poor,” rarely middle class.
  • Mae: “At first I was so intimidated...then I was like, I think I'm authentically what some people wish they were.” (32:26)
• Nashville Realities:
  • Ongoing work to survive, relentless networking, and dealing with impostor syndrome.

3. On Vulnerability, Validation & Artistic Purpose (29:45–56:15)

• The Struggle for Validation:
  • Mae and Bobby guide each other through their shared discomfort with praise. Praise for hard work or resilience is easier to accept than for innate talent.
  • Mae: “I think I'm more excited that they've heard of me.” (53:06)
  • Unpacking impostor syndrome and the painful resonance of criticism.
• Best Advice from Ashley McBryde:
  • Ashley tells Mae: “You better start acting like you belong here. You wouldn't have these opportunities if they weren't meant for you. And the whole, I'm just so happy to be here...you going to have to lock that up.” (54:19)
• Difference Between Talent and Success:
  • Bobby: “There’s no formula...if people like you, they want to be around you...and that's such a valuable part of, well, life in general.” (57:27)
• Songwriting as Coping & Connection:
  • For both, traumatic backgrounds—absent parents, poverty, addiction—led to resilience and a deep well for songwriting.
  • Mae: “I started writing diary entries and poetry that eventually turned into songs. Because that piece of paper never talked back and never said, what you're feeling is wrong.” (45:02)

4. Relationships & Team Building: Navigating Support Systems (60:10–67:47)

• Marrying “Outsiders”:
  • Mae’s husband is a mobile mechanic from her college days, offering a grounding perspective free from industry bias.
  • Both discuss value in partners who aren’t in showbiz, helping them differentiate between real-life worries and music industry anxieties.
  • Bobby: “I am not linear at all...She resets me a lot where she's like, you are investing a lot of emotional energy in something that's not going to matter to you in six days.” (63:27)
• Building a Trusted Team:
  • Both describe reluctance to let others in professionally and personally, but acknowledge that healthy teams and relationships require trust and vulnerability.

5. Career Momentum: Recent Wins & Facing Industry Realities (73:21–80:28)

• Exposure & Progress:
  • Mae celebrates opening for Luke Bryan, playing large venues, and earning radio adds (her song “I Better Go Off” added to iHeart Country).
  • Describes the anxiety and exhilaration of being thrown into unscripted situations on stage with major artists.
• Navigating Metrics of Success:
  • There's no single measure of “making it”— success looks different on different platforms (TikTok engagement vs. streaming numbers vs. radio adds).
  • Mae: “I've been, like, screaming my name from the rooftops trying to find my people, so it feels like I've been given a few industry opportunities lately, specifically that have put me in front of a lot of people. And that is validation.” (73:26)
• Streaming & Social Media:
  • Mae’s TikTok hit “Mr. Fix It” had massive engagement but didn’t translate into equivalent streams.
  • Realizes she must “stop caring so much” about numbers and validation and focus on authenticity.

6. Authenticity & the Value of the Record (87:13–91:01)

• The Dream of a Full Album:
  • Despite the industry push towards singles and EPs, Mae’s heart is set on releasing a full record to tell a more complete story.
  • Bobby compares this to his own long-held dream of hosting an award show—both caution against over-assigning self-worth to longstanding goals.
  • “You've wanted to make a record for a long time, and you've attached your success to making that freaking record. It ain't about the record.” (89:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Arkansas Family Trees:
  Mae, on double cousins: “It's like Arkansas is thick in here.” (09:18)

• On Resilience:
  Mae: “It's resilience. I have that, and I have noticed that is my greatest strength.” (20:01)

• On Financial Anxiety:
  Bobby: “Money was a big driver in shaping how disciplined I am because I had to have money to survive. And if I wasn't super disciplined, I don't think I would have survived.” (20:59)

• On Vulnerability in Songwriting:
  Mae: “Because that piece of paper never talked back and never said, what you're feeling is wrong. So that's where it all started, was having those feelings and that validation.” (45:02)

• On Touring with Luke Bryan:
  Mae: “Luke wouldn’t tell us what song we were singing before we went out...I'm finna blow your mind. Let's go. Luckily, I know just about every song that's ever existed.” (75:02)

• On the Industry’s Irony:
  Mae: “People want to sing about a trailer house now. I grew up in a damn trailer house. They want to fake poor even if they weren’t because that’s the relatable thing.” (32:26)

• On the Advice from Ashley McBryde:
  Mae: “She was like...you better start acting like you belong here.” (54:19)

• On Validation & Letting Go:
  Bobby: “Amy Poehler’s book: ‘I really made it once I stopped caring that I made it.’ I think about that all the time...” (80:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:10: Shared roots, “cousin” rumors, and Arkansas family histories
• 08:22: Mae’s family background; how personal drama fuels country songs
• 11:43: College-era hustles; working Waffle House & fast food
• 17:58: Surviving in Nashville, the stress of networking and financial motivation
• 29:45: The rarity of creative dreamers in small towns vs. Nashville’s ambition
• 32:26: Insecurity, authenticity, and Nashville’s “fake poor” trend
• 53:06: Why praise is hard to accept—impostor feelings and numbness to validation
• 54:19: Ashley McBryde’s direct advice: “Act like you belong”; shifting mindsets
• 63:27: The importance of non-industry spouses to maintain perspective
• 73:26: Touring with Luke Bryan, crowd engagement, and real-world validation
• 75:02: Out-of-body experience on tour; resilience under pressure
• 87:13: The dream of making a full record; not tying self-worth to industry milestones
• 91:26: Closing: Mae’s commitment to honesty, difficulty “faking it,” and industry schmoozing

Conclusion

This episode is a masterclass in honesty about the unglamorous struggles and stubborn hopes fueling a modern country artist’s rise. Mae Estes, with Bobby Bones as a mirror and mentor, peels back layers of rural trauma, music industry pressures, personal ambition, and the value of self-acceptance. By episode’s end, listeners are left rooting for Mae—and reminded that authenticity, resilience, and community matter more than any chart position or record deal.

End of summary.