Aaron Watson (2:47)

Aaron Watson.

Bobby Bones (2:48)

There he is. Aaron Watson, everybody. Yeah, come in, Come on in, come on in. Have a seat. Here he is. He's making the rounds.

Aaron Watson (2:54)

What's up, man? Good to see you.

Bobby Bones (2:56)

This guy will shake hands with everybody.

Redfin Advertiser (2:58)

I like it.

Bobby Bones (2:59)

At the sake of our ratings, he will shake hands with everybody.

Aaron Watson (3:03)

You should have thought about your ratings before you invited me on here. I'm just throwing that out there.

Bobby Bones (3:08)

What's up, buddy?

Aaron Watson (3:08)

I'm good. I'm glad I didn't wear that shirt.

Bobby Bones (3:10)

Were you gonna wear the same cardigan?

Aaron Watson (3:12)

Yeah.

Bobby Bones (3:12)

Oh, you mean the one behind you or the one.

Aaron Watson (3:14)

The one behind me. I'm glad I didn't wear that shirt.

Show Producer/Sidekick (3:16)

I thought he was taking a jab at your pink shirt and your cardigan.

Bobby Bones (3:19)

I would have accepted that and said, I'm glad you didn't wear my pink shirt and cardigan as well.

Aaron Watson (3:22)

Well, I do have a cardigan one. I have one at home. My daughter bought it for me.

Bobby Bones (3:27)

And do you wear it?

Aaron Watson (3:28)

I wore it once when we went to a Taylor Swift concert and.

Bobby Bones (3:32)

Because that's the Taylor Swift thing. How did you like going to a Taylor Swift concert?

Aaron Watson (3:38)

It was fun. I enjoyed it. I'll tell you, I've cried at two concerts in my career and one was at Paul McCartney when he got up there and sang a song that he wrote for John. And then the other one was the Taylor Swift concert. I cried.

Bobby Bones (3:52)

What moved you about that?

Aaron Watson (3:55)

Just this music that I've been enjoying with my daughter her whole life from when she was little. And then seeing her just lose her mind, going crazy, having fun, and she started crying. And I think I just, I looked at her at some point and I was like, my little girl is growing up quick. And I just, I realized I was having like a moment. Like, I realized I had. I was having a moment. And it was pretty special. And it was, it was a fun concert, you know? You know, she. My daughter was very impressed that, like, I was getting recognized and took some selfies. But I did tell her, I said, hey, I want you to look at this. Where this section we're sitting go down because your dad's already Done the math for what I paid for the tickets. I said, go down eight rows from here, down eight rows, all the way over to the next walkway aisle. I said, those seats, your old man has to play about 150 shows a year to make that much money. So just letting you know how amazing, like, I was like, girl, I'm thinking the math. Of course, you know, there's no telling what her production costs, but it was a. It was a fun show.

Bobby Bones (5:08)

And yeah, the big show, people love the. Not obviously the songs, but how she pulls off that show, it's so impressive.

Aaron Watson (5:14)

And I mean, I've always been a Taylor Switch fan. I grew up. My buddy Scott, his mom is Liz Rose.

Bobby Bones (5:22)

So like, wrote all the songs early with Taylor. Yeah.

Aaron Watson (5:25)

I remember in like the early 90s, going over to Liz's house and there was some guitars. And I remember asking Scott, like, what's up with the guitars? And I remember Scott going, I don't know. Mom thinks she's going to be a songwriter or something. And so that's just such a great story in itself. So. But the weirdest thing in my. Ever happened to me. And at the Taylor Swift concert, I guess there was one of the openers was like biba Doobie or something.

Bobby Bones (5:53)

I'm gonna bet you're not pronouncing that right, but I don't know. I don't know.

Aaron Watson (5:57)

I'm probably not saying it right. I need my daughter here. She really helps.

Bobby Bones (6:01)

You might be saying it right, though. I've just not heard that.

Aaron Watson (6:04)

So after Biba Dooba or Biba Doobie,

Bobby Bones (6:07)

Mike, we're gonna come to you in a second for an official explanation of. Of who it is. It is Biba Doobie. You're right. Congratulations. All right.

Aaron Watson (6:13)

Thank you, Mike.

Bobby Bones (6:15)

I'm not familiar with that artist.

Aaron Watson (6:17)

So my. My daughter goes, dad. So after Biba Doobie's performance, Jolie looks at me and goes, dad, if you need to go to the bathroom, now is the time. Because Taylor shows like three hours. So I was like, okay, let's go. So we go up to the bathrooms. There is a mile long line in the girls bathroom, the guy's bathroom, there's no line. So I was like, thank you, Lord. I walk in about the same time as this, like high school dude. We walk through the first set of doors. We walk in the next set of doors. This. This bathroom is packed full of high school girls.

Bobby Bones (6:57)

Oh. Wanting to get a quicker way to end the bathroom.

Aaron Watson (6:59)

Oh, yeah, they're in the men's bathroom. And that high School boy was like. He said. I remember. He goes, oh, heck no. Me, I'm in my 40s, and I don't have that kind of negotiating power with myself anymore. It's like, I'm not gonna make it three hours, dude. There are. There are four other dads pulled up to these urinals, right? And I'm looking at all these girls, and I'm looking at this situation, and, like, my mind's racing. Like, what do I do? What do I do? A dad walks away from one of the urinals. It's my turn, and he kind of gives me this, like, I don't know what to do. You know, what do you. What do you do? Kind of look. So I'm like, okay, we're doing this. We're doing this. So I pull up to the urinal to do my thing, and in the middle of the process, some girl behind me says, hey, Aaron, why don't you sing us a song?

Bobby Bones (7:56)

Oh, yeah. Nice.

Aaron Watson (7:57)

And I was like, that's really. That was pretty messed up. And I literally said that. I said, girls, and they're all laughing. I said, girls. That's messed up. That's messed up, girls. And I mean, but we had so much fun. I love going to concerts, and it's fun. That's kind of me and my.

Bobby Bones (8:14)

Get to go to many concerts, though. Because you're on the road a lot.

Aaron Watson (8:17)

Not a lot. I don't get to go to a lot.

Bobby Bones (8:19)

Every time I see you on Tick Tock, you're. You're on the road. You're. No. You're doing a show?

Aaron Watson (8:22)

Yeah, I. Yeah.

Bobby Bones (8:24)

Are you doing a lot of shows?

Aaron Watson (8:25)

Oh, yeah.

Bobby Bones (8:25)

That's what I'm saying. Like, you're on the road a lot, playing shows.

Aaron Watson (8:28)

We always. My daughter has the bands in town app, and so I'm like, find the dates where, you know, we're going to a George Strait concert. We bought tickets this week, and it's on a day that I have off, and so we. We have a lot of fun. She has a long list of artists we're gonna go see. And I'll be honest. I know a lot of them about as well as, you know, Biba Doobie.

Bobby Bones (8:52)

I do not know Biba Doobie. That's the thing. I never even heard of Eva Doobie. Like, I'm. I'm out. I'm out.

Aaron Watson (8:56)

Yeah, I'm sometimes just like, I'm. I am.

Bobby Bones (8:59)

I.

Aaron Watson (9:00)

She's taking me to places where I look like that, dad. Like, I'm like, let's Go. But just seeing her smile and seeing like, I. Whatever it takes.

Bobby Bones (9:12)

Do you feel, though, like, when you go to these shows with your daughter, like, does she like any of the music that you also liked? And is that. Does that ever hit you? Like, it's so cool that she likes music that I also like. Like, older stuff.

Aaron Watson (9:27)

Oh, yeah. Like, she's. She loves the Beatles. She loves Elton John. She's. I mean, I. I posted a video a while back. She's in there at night. You know, I can hear her in there in the bathroom getting ready for bed. And she is just singing Keith Whitley at the top of her lungs. So it's cool. Like, we did this little cover album just for fun a couple years back called Covergirl. And I did it actually as a project with Jolie, because all Jolie was listening to was Taylor Swift. And I said, wow, Taylor's great. I go, there are so many, like, you need to know. The Amylou Harris's of the world. Like, and so it's fun for she and I, We. We take a lot of drives. Whether it's in my truck or the. The Corvette or the Jeep, we take these drives just to listen to music. And she's in control of the radio, so you never know what I'm going to be listening to.

Bobby Bones (10:25)

What about your son? He plays with you? He's. He's. I think he's good, dude.

Aaron Watson (10:29)

Well, I already have labels calling about him and I'm like, the boy hasn't even recorded anything yet. He's so good.

Bobby Bones (10:36)

He's older, though.

Aaron Watson (10:38)

Yeah. Jake is 19 and so Jack. And then there's Jack, who's 18. Jack is too smart to be in the music industry. Jack is already. Jack already has like 200 ounces of silver and a couple ounces of gold. Like, he works by stock. Like, I was showing Jack some of my most horrible investments I've ever made, thinking that would show him, like, hey, you win some, you lose some. And he looked at me and he goes, why would you have ever thought that that company was a good idea? And I was like, okay, well, now you actually think Pops is even probably dumber than you already did. So that backfired on me. But I'm having more fun. I'm telling you right now. If they gave an award out for a country artist that has the most fun at their shows, I would win it because I love what I'm doing. But now I'm literally, like, on stage with my son and we're jamming out. I'll go over There and, you know, mess with him and undo a pearl snap, or I'll go up and button the top pearl snap. And I just love messing with him. And then I just hand him the mic and I'm like, pops is tired. You know, dad's tired and, dude, he'll just. And they go nuts for him. And he's a great songwriter. He's. He's. He's going to be dangerous.

Bobby Bones (12:05)

Was there a point where he was actually good enough? Did you ever let him play with you when he wasn't quite there to help him get there? And then there was a point where you realize, oh, now he can actually play with this. I don't really have to, like, prop him up anymore.

Aaron Watson (12:18)

Yeah, I was very protective for a while. Like, if he would be. If he was singing a song, I'd have the mic just waiting to see, like, if he kind of stumbled, I could jump in and sing with him. But he's been getting on stage with me since he was, I mean, five or six, because he just loves to play. And now he has my whole show memorized. And like, a couple weeks ago, my drummer, his flight got delayed and we had sound check, so my son just jumped in there behind the drums. He knows the entire show on the drums, too. He knows the entire show on the guitar. He's, He's. He's super talented and it's fun to watch.

Bobby Bones (12:58)

Is he a better guitar player than you?

Aaron Watson (13:01)

Oh, like when he was 12? Oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, but Jake. Jake started with the Beatles, you know, then got into, like, Mark Knopfler Dire. Straight.

Bobby Bones (13:14)

Yeah.

Aaron Watson (13:14)

And then, I mean, he just started learning all this crazy stuff. And honestly, you know, and. And I'm not like, the biggest John Mayer fan. Like, I have a great appreciation for his music, and I like a lot of his songs. But a lot of John's acoustic stuff is so, like Chet Atkins. It's just got that country finger style, guitar picking. And Jake learned all that stuff, so his playing is so good. And he's hungry. He calls me. You know, he's in college, so he'll call me late at night. I'm like, what are you doing? He's like, well, I should be studying, but I'm working on a song. I'm like, well, just. I know your mom says she wants you to make good grades. I'm like, if you could just, like, you know, have good attendance and pass. But don't tell your mom I said that.

Bobby Bones (14:01)

What's Amarillo like now? It's been probably two Years since I've been there.

Aaron Watson (14:05)

Well, you know, I live. I grew up there.

Bobby Bones (14:08)

Are you not there?

Aaron Watson (14:08)

No, I've been in Abilene for a while now.

Bobby Bones (14:11)

It's been three years since I've been there. What's Abilene like?

Aaron Watson (14:14)

It's. It's growing like crazy. They've got like. It's. It's. It's supposed to like double in size over the next 10 years because, like Google and has showed up and AI. Some AI deals showed up. I mean, we live about, I don't know, 20 minutes south of town. Kind of where the hill country starts. Buffalo Gap, Texas. It's a thriving.

Bobby Bones (14:36)

Is it only you guys?

Aaron Watson (14:38)

No, it's actually started growing, but it's. We're. We're out in the middle of nowhere, so it's. It's pretty nice.

Bobby Bones (14:43)

What about you? You got a pretty big ranch?

Aaron Watson (14:45)

Big, yeah.

Bobby Bones (14:46)

Piece of land out there?

Aaron Watson (14:47)

Yeah, I've got a. We've got a big ranch out there. We built a. A ranch house on the edge of this little canyon that has a bluff behind it. And I wrote. I built that place just to write songs. So we. We use that house for a lot of different reasons. I have riders come in, my bus driver. Band guys will stay there sometimes, you know.

Show Producer/Sidekick (15:08)

So that's not your primary house?

Aaron Watson (15:09)

No, it's kind of like the doghouse. Like, also, if I get kicked out

Show Producer/Sidekick (15:14)

of the house, I'm like, not on the same property.

Aaron Watson (15:18)

No, it's about different property five or six miles away, so. But it's a really cool place. And like, if someone at church, you know, needs a place to stay, I'm like, well, you can go to the ranch house. So we do a lot of riding at the ranch and we. I've recorded a lot of vocals there, but that. That. I don't know, it's just kind of my. It's my happy place. And also too, like, whenever I go out to the ranch, I'm. I will look around and I'm like, you know, I bought this with a song. Like a lot of songs. Not one, but like a lot of songs. But it always makes me go, wow. You know, people always say, you think someday you'll ever, like, make it. And I was like, that's an interesting, you know, that's an interesting statement because what is make it? And I've always told people the reason why I'm successful is because I made sure that I made go my. That my goals were achievable. Like, if I would have started off my career Saying I want to be bigger than George Strait someday or as big. You know, that's a pretty big dream. But my goal was it would be really awesome if someday I had a career where I could write my songs, record my songs, play shows and do well enough that I could provide for my family. And so that's, you know, I've, I've been able to achieve that.

Bobby Bones (16:50)

When you talk about seeing your house going, I got that because I wrote song. Sometimes I look at my swimming pool and go, I was able to get that because I just say stuff that's crazy to me.

Aaron Watson (17:00)

I'm the same way. I'm the same way that I'm like, what in the world? It feels like it should be against

Bobby Bones (17:07)

the law because the swimming pool to me meant somebody made it. Do they even call swimming pools. They call it pools. Pool. Okay. Is that weird? When I say swimming pool, I call

Aaron Watson (17:15)

it a swimming pool.

Show Producer/Sidekick (17:16)

Well, do you say washing powder?

Aaron Watson (17:19)

What? A what?

Show Producer/Sidekick (17:20)

Okay, nevermind. Detergent.

Bobby Bones (17:22)

Obviously I'm from Arkansas, but I have things that I haven't been able to shake consciously.

Aaron Watson (17:26)

Yeah.

Bobby Bones (17:26)

So I will just say things. For example, that wasn't on purpose. I say swimming pool. And if I'm talking about doing the laundry, I think I've been better. But it's always been like, yeah, we'll use some washing powder and we'll.

Aaron Watson (17:37)

That's awesome. I'm gonna start using that.

Bobby Bones (17:38)

No, no, it's never on purpose. But that's what they're alluding to is at times I can't shake some of that fundamental Arkansas language.

Aaron Watson (17:47)

I like it though. It's, I mean, it's like, I'm going to use that when I get home that I'm be like, babe, where the flips of washing powder.

Bobby Bones (17:55)

She could be like, what are you talking about?

Aaron Watson (17:57)

Yeah. So no, I'm the same way. I'll say, I'll say something and I don't, I can't think of a, a word right now, but I'll say something. And people be like, what did you just, what did you just actually say? And I don't know if it's, you know, being raised in west Texas and my mom for sure.

Bobby Bones (18:14)

West Texas vernacular, for sure.

Aaron Watson (18:15)

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Bobby Bones (18:17)

How long you guys been married?

Aaron Watson (18:18)

Gosh, 24 years. She's put up with me for 24 years.

Bobby Bones (18:24)

What's. What's the. What's what? It's hard to say like why or like what's the reason, but what do you feel like is the common thread in relationships? Like Yours that have lasted.

Aaron Watson (18:34)

A good woman that's a patient. And you know, I think, I think the best way I can describe it is like, I remember when I was like 4 or 5, my mom and dad got into a knockdown, drag out argument. And I remember mom slammed the front door and I was in bed. And my bedroom was the closed in single car garage that my dad, you know, when my sister was born, he turned that into my bedroom. So when mom fired up the car that night, I remember the headlights like lit up my room and I was pretty upset about it. And when I'm sure my mom, I'm sure mom drove down the street to her sister's house. My aunt B. I have an aunt B. And I'm sure they had like a Diet Coke and they. She cooled off and she came home and, and when she came home that night, she came into my room and I was so little. But I remember this. She said, I asked her, I said, what. What happened with you and dad? And she said, well, we had an argument. And I was like, well, what happened? You know, like what was going on? And she said, well, I'm just going to tell you this. She said right now, I do not like your daddy. She said, but I love him with all my heart. And I think that's the mentality that like, you know, because that's the mentality you gotta have because I'm. I'm not naturally like that. Like, I'm more dramatic like the sky is falling. If there are times where I'm like, if it wasn't for the kids, like I just want to pack my bags and hit the road. Of course I'd get 10 miles down the road and be like, where am I actually going? You know, but that's how, that's how I work. That's how my mind works. And you know, I just think it's one of those things where, you know, for me in this phase of my life, you know, it's just, you know, I. It's not easy. I mean, I'll just say this. It's just not easy. It not, not easy. Sometimes I'll say, like, impossible.

Show Producer/Sidekick (20:52)

So, you know, you're really selling this.

Aaron Watson (20:55)

Yeah, I mean, but it's one of

Bobby Bones (20:56)

those things you're really making you feel like the villain and she's the greatest superhero of all time.

Show Producer/Sidekick (21:01)

Well, well, he was the one that was. He's saying he's gonna pack his.

Bobby Bones (21:04)

I know, that's what I'm saying. Like, he's the one that's like, I Gotta go.

Show Producer/Sidekick (21:07)

I think maybe if she's here, she'd be like, well, I was already.

Bobby Bones (21:10)

I think if she was here, she's just slap him and say, aaron, stop talking. Keep your mouth shut.

Show Producer/Sidekick (21:15)

Yeah, she'd be giving him a shovel.

Aaron Watson (21:18)

No, it would be this, this, this look she gives me where it's like, please stop. Does the side eye, like.

Bobby Bones (21:25)

Yeah. You don't have to say anything.

Show Producer/Sidekick (21:26)

You just know it sounds like there's moments where y' all don't like each other, but you love each other.

Aaron Watson (21:31)

Absolutely. But, but that's.

Bobby Bones (21:32)

I think that's any relationship.

Redfin Advertiser (21:34)

Yeah.

Aaron Watson (21:34)

Yeah. 110.

Show Producer/Sidekick (21:35)

If the true love is there.

Aaron Watson (21:37)

Yeah.

Show Producer/Sidekick (21:37)

Unconditional love.

Aaron Watson (21:39)

The secret, though, I mean, I don't. I don't know the secret. You know, if. If we're going to be married, if, if we make it 50 something years, bro, we still got the other side of the mountain to go. So it's like. But I think it's just that it's just trying to. Trying really hard to work through the tough stuff. And man, we've had some, you know, we've had some tough stuff. You know, I mean, we, we lost a. A child together. And, you know, I think if we were to like, probably dig deep into counseling, I do think that that probably that was hard on she and I both just, you know, there were. And at that time we had like a. Literally a. Like a four year old, two and a half year old. And like we had three little ones already. So, I mean, I don't know, it does make for good songwriting material, you know, and, and that's life. And a lot of times I try to capture those feelings and put it into a song and, And I really, I try to do that with a lot of my music. Like, man, if I'm. If I'm feeling something, I try to be real about it because I. You have to think there's other people out there that are going through those kind of things. And I've always found music to be very therapeutic.

Bobby Bones (22:57)

So even to write.

Aaron Watson (22:59)

Oh, writing's. Writing's my favorite thing. Writing is. It's what I live for. Like, I wake up in the morning excited to make coffee and go sit on the back porch and write and. And I'll tell you, there's like me writing right now. I'm a different writer. Like, I know I'm not supposed to talk about the next record. We've got this new record horse.

Bobby Bones (23:21)

We're just about to do one with 26 songs here.

Aaron Watson (23:23)

Yeah. And it's gonna have 40 on it when it's all said and done. But I've already finished the next record

Bobby Bones (23:28)

and don't say that one's even better. You know, we're focused on this one.

Aaron Watson (23:32)

Can't help it. Can't help it. But the thing about it is, is that like, I don't know, I don't know why, why now. I feel like my mom's always said, I was like, I remember saying, mom, am I ever going to grow sideburns? And she was like, baby, you're just a late bloomer. So I don't know if it's. My songwriting has been kind of a late bloomer. I'm, I'm so proud of all my past 25 years of songs, but I just feel like I'm seeing things differently. I don't know if it's just a combination of where I'm at in life or probably too. It has a lot to do with the fact that I have two kids that are riding and I want them to see my work ethic. I want them to see how hard I work at my craft, those kind of things.

Bobby Bones (24:18)

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Redfin Advertiser (25:12)

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Laura Vanderkam (26:07)

That's redfin.com this is Laura Vanderkam from before breakfast. We've all been there. You're trying to get dinner started or just need 10 minutes of peace to finish a phone call. You want to give your kids something to do, but you want it to be good content. That's where Lingokids comes in. It's an App for Kids 2 to 8 that focuses on pure interactive joy. It turns their time into an adventure where they're exploring and playing in a safe space built just for them. You get a moment to breathe and they get an experience they're actually excited about. It's the kind of win win every parent needs. Lingokids everything kids love. Give your kids the play they love. Download the Lingokids app now on your phone or tablet and it's free.

Bobby Bones (26:46)

From executive producer Taylor Sheridan. A new era of Yellowstone begins in the new CBS original series Marshals. Tonight, KC Dutton is back and he's teaming up with an elite unit of U.S. marshals to bring range justice to Montana. With the Yellowstone ranch behind him and a new team at his side, Casey will balance family and duty as he faces his biggest fight yet. Luke Grimes stars in marshals tonight 8, 7 Central on CBS and streaming on Paramount. This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. This month with International Women's Day, I just want to take a second to celebrate women and everything that you carry. Work, relationships, family. The unseen stuff that you handle without anyone asking. And if your own well being keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list, consider this a reminder from me that you matter too. And therapy can be a place that is just for you. Quick shout out to my wife. She's killing it right now. If you're a woman listening to this thinking man, what he's talking about, like I do a lot of that. Take a second this month to notice what you're holding. Work stuff, family stuff. The mental load that nobody sees. Therapy can help you sort through it. Set Boundaries. Find some balance because your well being matters. BetterHelp is here to take care of your well being too. Their therapists are fully licensed in the US and follow a strict code of conduct. They also do the matching for you with a quick questionnaire. You do it, it's gonna match up, it's right, you're gonna love it. And if for some reason you're like, this ain't for me, you can switch anytime. With 30,000 therapists, 6 million people helped, and a 4.9 out of 5 average session rating, it's a solid option. Your emotional well being matters. Find support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up to get 10% off@betterhelp.com Bobby betterhelp.com Bobby betterhelp.Com Bobby explain like I'm five, what it means to be an independent artist, which you are.

Aaron Watson (28:42)

A lot of freedom. And that's one reason why I'm independent also survival. I mean, if you have a dream and you want to be a country singer and, you know, no labels in town think you're good enough, well, do you just give up on your dream? And it's a much different environment than it was. I mean, even when we first met, you know, almost 10 years ago or whatever. I mean, back then, I mean, go look, go, go back and look at country music award shows in 20, 15, 16, 17, like, it's me and about three other dudes that have buckles and cowboy hats and boots on. And back then that they called me a hat act. Back then, you know, I was Texas music and it wouldn't work outside of Texas. And, you know, and so I love now when Ella Langley has a song that right off the bat talks about my two hometowns, Amarillo and Abilene. The first second I heard that song, I made a video and I was like, this is going to be the big song. It's going to be a number one hit. So, I mean, I don't know, it's like, I, I, I, I, I, I think that I do take a little pride in being able to talk to a lot of independent artists and saying, hey, what's your business model? It's about running a good business, making good business decisions. But I also love the fact that, like, I'm recording. I'm, I've got sessions into March. We're recording some fun little side projects. I'm recording again in May. I just love the fact that I don't have to ask some record label, like, is it okay if I do this? Is it okay, you know, if I get excited about the music. That's what matters.

Bobby Bones (30:33)

So sounds like the good is you as a creative can do the creative things that you want to do. It sounds like the difficult thing is, especially early is nobody's funding it. You're having to fund everything yourself. You're having to find all the money to make all the things happen.

Aaron Watson (30:48)

Yeah, that's like we're. We are. We've got this five year plan and this new album, Horse Name Texas is day one. And we're going to be going to radio over the next five years.

Bobby Bones (30:59)

Well, you're here now. I'm here when you're literally here now.

Aaron Watson (31:02)

Day one.

Bobby Bones (31:03)

Okay. I'm just making sure this is day one. Making sure you know where you are. We're not at Chick Fil A. Like, we're. We're here.

Aaron Watson (31:09)

This is day one.

Bobby Bones (31:10)

Okay.

Aaron Watson (31:11)

I was like, day one of my five year plan. We must be on the Bobby Bones show.

Bobby Bones (31:15)

There are 26 songs on this record. It's a lot of songs. Did you not part with some of them?

Aaron Watson (31:23)

Did you want.

Bobby Bones (31:24)

Why that. Why? I'm just always. When it's an odd number, like 26 if it were 11 or 12, I get it. Standard if it were 40 and you're like, it's a double album. But 26 is kind of an odd number of songs. Why?

Aaron Watson (31:38)

Well, we had them recorded. They're all songs I'm proud of. And those are all songs that I wrote during that phase.

Bobby Bones (31:48)

What would you call that phase? What was that season called?

Aaron Watson (31:51)

Well, the last four years, a lot of ups and downs. I had two vocal cord surgeries, had a lot of time off. And for me, it's like I wrote all these songs together and, you know, it's. It's for me, I don't want to sit here and be like, I have. I'm thankful I've had this long career. I've done enough for me. I want to do more than I've ever done in the next five years. And so I love those songs. Those songs are finished. Those songs need to go out. I'm passionate about them right now. But I'm already having a hard time not wanting to push this next record. I've already finished. And Greg is over there like, stop. Do not.

Bobby Bones (32:31)

Well, so am I. I'm like, stop talking about the next record. We got 26 songs here, records out now.

Aaron Watson (32:36)

It's my art. And it's like, it's. It's one of those things. It's almost like talking about your kids. Like, I Found myself, especially when they were little and baseball and like, we go in somewhere and next thing you know, I'm like. I talked about my kids the whole time and did not talk about the record. But it's just. You get. You get excited about the music and so. But yeah, Horse name Texas.

Bobby Bones (33:00)

It's.

Aaron Watson (33:00)

It's a story about my career. It's. It's where I've been, where I'm at and where I want to go and why I do it. Like the second verse says, came up short, been bucked off, had my heart stomped in the dirt. But I got back up, got back on time and time again. And after all these years, I've learned a winner's just a loser who keeps on losing till the day they finally win. And that's just the story of. It's a lot like your story.

Bobby Bones (33:29)

Fail until you don't. It's one of my books.

Aaron Watson (33:31)

Absolutely. I should have made you a co writer on there.

Bobby Bones (33:34)

Or you just could have said, hey, buy Bob's book fail until you don't on Amazon.

Aaron Watson (33:38)

Hey, what camera do I look at?

Bobby Bones (33:40)

Pick one. Go that one.

Aaron Watson (33:41)

Aaron Watson here. Buy Bobby's new book. Phil, until you don't.

Show Producer/Sidekick (33:47)

It's definitely old.

Aaron Watson (33:49)

His old book actually inspired me to write this whole new album, Horse named Texas, and it will change your life.

Bobby Bones (33:55)

Where's my camera? Right there. Okay. Hey, it's Bobby here. I wrote that book, fail until you don't. Inspired by the record, Horse name Texas from Aaron Watson. That came out years later, but I really felt it in my heart what it was going to say. Say so please check out horse name Texas.

Aaron Watson (34:07)

Now that's my dog right there.

Bobby Bones (34:09)

Back and forth.

Aaron Watson (34:09)

That's my dog.

Bobby Bones (34:10)

We both did that.

Show Producer/Sidekick (34:12)

It's like, you're a loser till you're not.

Bobby Bones (34:15)

Yeah, it's fell until you don't.

Aaron Watson (34:16)

It's like fell until you don't.

Show Producer/Sidekick (34:18)

Talking about horse name loser.

Bobby Bones (34:19)

There's no other way to say it. No Horse name Texas.

Aaron Watson (34:21)

But it's also just one of those things, like. Like, I love baseball. I love baseball. Hall of fame hitter fell 70% of the time. So what do you. It's like I tell my boys, you went over four. Were you gonna cry about it? Are we gonna work on the next game? Like, what are you gonna do? I mean, if you have.

Bobby Bones (34:41)

You.

Aaron Watson (34:41)

You have to understand that's just part of. That's just part of the process. And also, why do you do it? Like, if I'm doing this to have big hits and number one records. And all that stuff win awards. Like, if that's. If that's the reason I'm doing this, I'm gonna be disappointed at the end of the day. But, like, the bridge says something like, if I choke or wind up broke, God knows I do it all over again. Because if I write one song that saved a life, wouldn't that be worth it in the end? And that's why you do what you do. You're. I get up on that stage, those people have paid their hard earned dollar to come see a show. And my job is real simple, just to give them a good time. And that's what I do every night. If we played a show in Knoxville a couple weeks ago, not gonna lie, when you see that you only pre sold 8% of the tickets, you're. You feel that, like, feeling inside, but at some point you suck it up. You go out there and you give them the best you got, and then, you know, the next night is a sellout, and that's easy. But it's. You know, I don't know.

BetterHelp Advertiser (35:53)

It's.

Aaron Watson (35:54)

I'm just in a really good place with my music right now, and it's exciting. And like I said, Jake, my boy is watching me, man. He's watching me. And so I haven't. I've got a lot to teach him. And. And also, too, I'm not going to. I. I am fixing to have some big moments because his old man's not going to go down without a fight. I'm not going to just start opening up for him out of nowhere like he's got. You know what I'm saying? It's like. It's like getting out there and playing basketball with them. They're better than me, and I know that. I think I may have pulled something and pulled something right here. Can't let them show. I can't let them see that, you know, And I. And I box them out a little harder, Get a little more aggressive. Fight dirty. You can't let those boys beat you. You gotta. The old man. It's the old man thing.

Bobby Bones (36:43)

I feel like you think you're dying. Dude, you're scaring me. You're like, I got five years and I'm out of here. Just say to me that you're not dying.

Aaron Watson (36:48)

I'm not dying.

Bobby Bones (36:49)

Okay, good. That's all I want to hear.

Aaron Watson (36:50)

Here's the deal.

Bobby Bones (36:50)

Okay, here's the deal. No, but he's acting like, I got five years, and then they're going to spread my ashes at sea.

Aaron Watson (36:55)

Here's the deal. I'll come back in. In five years and be like, okay, that five year plan didn't work. But this next five year plan, this next five year. This is the one.

Show Producer/Sidekick (37:06)

That's the one where you're opening for your son.

Aaron Watson (37:08)

That's the one where I'm opening for Jake. I've got so much exposure. Just really glad we had that kid.

Bobby Bones (37:14)

And tell me about Pontiac. What I think is interesting, and I love it. You wrote the song by yourself?

Aaron Watson (37:19)

Yeah.

Bobby Bones (37:20)

So is that one of those you just grab a guitar at home and you really didn't have it set? This is. Can I do my. My romantic version of you writing this song and you tell me how wrong I was?

Aaron Watson (37:29)

Okay.

Bobby Bones (37:29)

Whenever people write songs by themselves, I feel like there's just some sort of inspiration that happens. And they just pick up a guitar and it wasn't in a calendar for a write because they're not writing with somebody. And they're like, I have this idea. Let me see how. And. And maybe you're even coming up with something for a right that you have coming up in the future. And you're like, oh, man, this is just kind of falling out of me. And the next thing you know, you're like, I don't think I need anybody. This is everything exactly how I want to say it. Anybody else putting it on, it would change how I'd say it. So I think I'm going to record this as a work tape. And then eventually you fall in love with it so much, you're like, I'm going to record this as a song. And then it becomes a single. That's the romantic version of my head.

Aaron Watson (38:00)

That's very close. My whole life, when there's something going on in my world, like, I will call my mom. And I. I remember, I was like, so, mom, tell me, like, dad, if he did this and it upset you, what would. Like. Like, what do I do? And so that's where that song came from. That came from me, I don't know, doing something stupid, upsetting my wife. Something's going on. And me just going to my mom and saying, hey, now, there are a few. You know, they say country music is like three. Three chords in the truth. So that song has, like, five chords. So. And my mom drove a Monte carlo

Bobby Bones (38:54)

and an occasional lie. Got it. Got it. My chords and an occasional lie. I like it, though.

Aaron Watson (38:58)

Five chords and a fib.

Bobby Bones (39:00)

Okay.

Aaron Watson (39:01)

You know, and I've never heard my mom cuss. And I actually called, and my mom, she's Such a wonderful lady, and she's so straight laced. Like, I had to take down an Instagram post two nights ago because my mom didn't like it and it annoyed me so much. But that mama's boy inside of me went fine.

Show Producer/Sidekick (39:26)

Well, what. What did you do?

Aaron Watson (39:28)

Well, I did. I did an interview with my buddy and he asked me what was the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me at my show.

Show Producer/Sidekick (39:35)

Oh, no.

Aaron Watson (39:35)

And I said, well, it's happened several times, but, like, having a lady breastfeeding her baby right in front of me. I was like, there was the cutest little baby you baby boy you ever saw. And he's got on little headphones and he's breastfeeding right there as I'm singing honky tonk songs. I was like. And the whole thing is, I'm like, stare at the woman in her eyes, but I know something is going on down there, right? So we talked about it. So my wife, when she was breastfeeding, it's a brand called Hide a Hooter. It's actually.

Redfin Advertiser (40:08)

That's what.

Aaron Watson (40:09)

It's just something that a woman will drape over herself. And so we jokingly were like, we need to get some Aaron Watts and hide a Hooters at the merchandise booth. So I made a funny post about it, and my mom literally commented on my post, like, I don't like this. I don't think this is appropriate. And I was like, oh. I was like, mom. I was like, mom, I'm just kidding. She goes, I just don't. She was. I just don't think that's funny. She was. I just don't like that. And she was like, I don't think. And I was like, fine. And whatever her mom control that she has over me, I just went up to the little three dots at the top and delete. And sorry.

Show Producer/Sidekick (40:49)

You know how to hooter merch coming?

Aaron Watson (40:51)

No. How to hooter merch is coming.

Bobby Bones (40:54)

So the song is about your mom?

Aaron Watson (40:56)

Yeah, it's about leaning on her, you know? You know what? How did. It's. It's. It's kind of the same question you asked me earlier. Like, how long have you been married? Like, what's. How did you get through that? Or how have you gotten this far? Like, what's the secret? It's me leaning on my mom. Like, you know, and I think a lot about my. My granddad. My granddad was a great guy, but apparently he had a phase of his life where he was drinking, making a lot of bad decisions. And I think about my sweet grandmother that just somehow kept that family together. And I mean, I think, without a doubt, you have to give credit to my grandmother for keeping that thing together. So it's. It's talking to mom about, like, what did dad do? How. How did you do it? How did y' all do it? And so that's just kind of a special thing when you can take a memory, a moment in your life and just kind of. It's like a. It's like a snapshot of that moment in a song. So that one's. It's also a song is fun to play live.

Bobby Bones (42:08)

It also got added by a ton of radio stations. Your five year plan is working.

Aaron Watson (42:11)

It's working.

Bobby Bones (42:11)

Yeah. Congratulations. We're gonna play it. We're gonna play.

Aaron Watson (42:13)

Thank you, brother.

Bobby Bones (42:15)

Yeah, it's good to see you. Horse Name Texas is out 26 songs. You proud of it? Say yes.

Aaron Watson (42:22)

Say I'm. Say yes.

Bobby Bones (42:23)

Yes. Yes. Don't say about the second thing you're writing now.

Aaron Watson (42:25)

I think it's fair to say, too, since we've talked a lot about my wife and how she's been putting up with me for a long time. I think it's. It's. We need to be honest that everyone needs to know that all the proceeds from the Horse Named Texas album go straight into her purse.

Bobby Bones (42:43)

Into her why. Into the wife. Yes. The white foundation. Yes. That's good.

Aaron Watson (42:46)

I get nothing.

Bobby Bones (42:46)

That's good. I like that. Good to see you again, man.

Aaron Watson (42:49)

Dude, it's great to see you guys. Proud of y' all and I love your new place. It's really cool. Thanks.

Redfin Advertiser (42:54)

Thank you.

Bobby Bones (42:54)

Yeah. This is radio day one.

Aaron Watson (42:55)

Radio day one.

Bobby Bones (42:56)

I was confused for a minute. Yes.

Aaron Watson (42:59)

All downhill from here.

Bobby Bones (43:00)

Aaron Wat Watson. Music is Instagram. Is that also your tick tock? I follow you on TikTok, so I don't know what it is.

Aaron Watson (43:05)

Yeah, it's the same thing.

Bobby Bones (43:06)

I told you this last time. Your tech talks are great.

Aaron Watson (43:08)

Thanks, brother.

Bobby Bones (43:09)

Even. Do you ever get annoyed when they don't hit and you think it's really funny and. Or do you even look back to see if they hit?

Aaron Watson (43:14)

I think of it as I'm just throwing darts because I've posted stuff that I thought was stupid. Like. Like, I'll give you a quick example. I was holding this lady's baby at the rodeo in Vegas and I'm holding this little boy and his pacifier pops out of his mouth and goes down into this crevice. And I reach down to get the pacifier and When I reached. When I. When I found it, there's literally a beer, A full beer next to it. So I pulled out a beer and a pacifier and I was like, yes. And the mom videoed that. And I was like, oh, that's kind of funny. So I posted it, and the thing had like 30 million views. And I'm like, what? And then I'll post something good and it's like 200 views. And I'm like, oh, that sucks Anyways. And I just. I think about throwing darts. Maybe one will hit. I don't think much of it. I'm. But. But I want to be consistent with. I got some. I got some good ones coming up this next week, in the next five

Bobby Bones (44:14)

years, working on them. He's like, the ones I've got today. I was like, good. Wait till you see the ones that are coming down a few weeks. Yes.

Aaron Watson (44:21)

You know, but you do good too, man. Hey, you're yesterday.

Bobby Bones (44:25)

Oh, yeah.

Aaron Watson (44:25)

Popping. Look, it's popping, bro. Let's go.

Bobby Bones (44:30)

I'm calloused at this point with. With negative feedback. It doesn't bother me anymore. I've just had so much of it. I've got to grow with it.

Aaron Watson (44:36)

Do you know what I say to people? Like, if somebody says something awful to me? I have two responses. It just shuts them down. Either I say, you're not wrong or I'll say, you're not my mom and I just post it on there and it's just like you. You have. They have nowhere to go. If you agree with them. They have nowhere to go. That just stops them dead in your track. And then like, just telling someone, you're not my mom just says it all. You're not my mom. You can't. Only my mom can make me take down a post and then say, listen

Bobby Bones (45:12)

to Pontiac streaming now.

Aaron Watson (45:13)

Listen to Pontiac streaming now.

Bobby Bones (45:16)

Listen, you guys, check out the record. It is that. It's a horse named Texas. 26 songs, all written by Aaron, a lot by himself, him with other co writers that are excellent, but all written by Aaron and yeah, it's good to see you, man.

Aaron Watson (45:28)

It's good to see you too, buddy.

Bobby Bones (45:29)

Great, great appearance as always. And what also we talked a lot about now, but Aaron and I did like way over an hour a few months ago just kind of like about his life and how he came up. I encourage you to go check that out on the Bobbycast because I learned a lot about you as a person there.

Aaron Watson (45:43)

This.

Bobby Bones (45:43)

This here is very much like, hey, what's up now? What does some funny stuff.

Aaron Watson (45:46)

That was a lot of fun.

Bobby Bones (45:48)

And we did it nude. What people didn't know. Yeah. Because we really wanted to, like, get back to the core of humans.

Aaron Watson (45:53)

Yeah. We wanted it. We wanted.

Bobby Bones (45:56)

I had a bolo on. But other than that, we were good.

Aaron Watson (45:59)

The bolo, that was a nice.

Bobby Bones (46:00)

It was.

Aaron Watson (46:01)

It kept me from getting distracted.

Bobby Bones (46:03)

Yeah. But I didn't wear it around my neck just for everybody. Yeah, yeah. No, no. Yeah.

Aaron Watson (46:07)

But the bolo was just enough to let me relax.

Bobby Bones (46:09)

Yeah. And it was shaped like his head. It was a bolo of his head with the.

Aaron Watson (46:13)

Dude, that's a great merch idea.

Bobby Bones (46:15)

Your head bolo with my face on it. People would buy that. People would literally buy that. I mean, only do a hundred and

Aaron Watson (46:21)

see how they sell.

Show Producer/Sidekick (46:21)

I don't like an aw.

Bobby Bones (46:23)

No, no, no. Do his face with a cowboy hat.

Show Producer/Sidekick (46:26)

Yeah, do it.

Aaron Watson (46:27)

Sorry.

Bobby Bones (46:29)

I agree. I think that'd be awesome.

Aaron Watson (46:30)

Okay.

Bobby Bones (46:31)

All right. There he is. Aaron Watson. The album is out. Go listen to A Horse named Texas. And the horse name Texas tour continues. And it continues all the way up until month 10, which is, hold on a 9. September. I know that, like, terrible thing that happened to us, but it's how I remember 9. Same 10. October. October. Aaron Watson. Clap your hand for Aaron Watson. Good job.

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Bobby Bones (47:57)

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Aaron Watson (48:39)

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Bobby Bones (49:24)

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