The Bobby Bones Show: Megan Moroney on Collaborating with Ed Sheeran and Kacey Musgraves

Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Bobby Bones (Premiere Networks)
Guest: Megan Moroney
Episode Theme: Songwriting, Musical Evolution, and Dream Collaborations

Episode Overview

In this energizing and candid episode, Bobby Bones sits down with rising country star Megan Moroney to discuss her new album era (appropriately themed around the color pink), her songwriting journey, and the highly anticipated collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Kacey Musgraves. The conversation covers everything from fan “Easter eggs,” tour memories, behind-the-scenes creation of her songs, and the surreal experience of working with her idols.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The "Pink" Album Era

• Pink as a Theme:
  • Megan details how the color pink, particularly hot pink, became the album’s core aesthetic after it emerged from one early song and then wove itself through the entire album.
    • “Once I started writing the album, about like, three songs in, there was a song that was, like, really, like, hot pink. And so that kind of was stuck in my brain... But I think it's soft but also still confident and empowering, and it just makes sense in my brain.” (02:34)
  • She recounts having to “hide” all her pink gifts and purchases before the color was announced so as not to spoil the surprise for her observant fans. (02:00)
• Fan Sleuthing:
  • Both Bobby and Megan discuss the detective skills of their fans, comparing Megan’s hidden pink wardrobe to Bobby’s covert Instagram posts during his wife’s pregnancy. (02:12)

The Making of Key Songs

• “Wedding Dress”: The Oldest Song
  • Megan shares the evolution of the song “Wedding Dress,” which she started years ago and only recently felt able to finish after healing from the heartbreak that inspired it.
    • “The story of ‘Wedding Dress’ is really interesting because... I included it on the album for my fans. I know they wanted it... I randomly woke up one day this year. I felt like I was finally past the situation... I wrote it in my notes app as a poem, and then I figured out the melody.” (04:25–05:50)
  • She emphasizes the importance of waiting until she could reflect on the situation rationally before rewriting the verses.
• Natural Songwriting Flow:
  • Megan believes her best songs come quickly, often within 20-30 minutes, and attributes this to a “God thing.”
    • “Honestly, ‘Beautiful Things’ too. Basically every song that makes an album, it happened pretty quickly.” (12:15)
  • Occasionally, as with “Wedding Dress,” the chorus or bridge will linger for years before she completes it.
• Songs "for the OGs":
  • She recalls an early song, “Haven’t Met Yet,” which was briefly available only to dedicated early fans via private links. Another fan-favorite, “Wonder,” remains a staple in her setlists for long-time supporters. (06:46–07:26)

Touring: From Rental Cars to Arenas

• Rapid Growth:
  • Megan reflects on her quick rise, going from traveling in rental cars and cramped vans to now requiring multiple trucks and buses for arena tours.
    • “I had rental car days before the van days... Then you get a church van with a U haul and you’re like, we got legroom… And then we all were on our first bus for about a year and a half. All like 13 of us. So we were just talking about the evolution and it’s... it makes you grateful...” (09:04–09:57)
• Investment:
  • She highlights that artists, not venues, pay for the increased production, staging, and transportation.
    • “You’re the one paying for the trucks... I went from zero trucks to like four or five this year.” (08:33–08:50)

Creative Process & Song Selection

• How Songs Make the Album:
  • Megan describes a pivotal weekend where she and her co-writers completed the final three songs needed, feeling instantly sure the album was finished.
    • “It was when I played the Ohio State Buckeyes Stadium with Jelly Roll and Kane Brown... We wrote ‘Waiting on the Rain,’ ‘Liars and Tigers and Bears,’ and ‘Who Hurt You.’ Once we wrote those songs, I was like, the album’s done.” (10:59–11:29)
• The Wait to Release New Songs:
  • She laments the challenge of sitting on new music before strategic release dates, often sharing sneak peeks with fans in person. (11:37–12:01)
• Holding Songs for the Right Time:
  • Megan keeps unfinished or unreleased songs close, waiting until they “come back around,” believing songs can take on new meanings through life’s changes.
    • “Songs take on different meanings at different times in your life. So I keep everything... they’re all locked up on my phone.” (21:51)

Piano Lessons & Advice for Kids

• Regrets and Wisdom:
  • Megan wishes she’d stuck with piano lessons, giving advice to kids and parents:
    • “To the kids, listen to your mom and take the piano lessons. Because one day, it’ll be a cool party trick... To the moms, maybe if the kid has a suggestion of what it would like to learn, just go with it... maybe a little mix.” (14:04)
  • “Less Tchaikovsky. More Demon Hunters.” (14:32 – Bobby & Megan)

Life on the Road & Healthy Habits

• Coffee & Routines:
  • Megan shares her custom coffee orders and insists she still waits in line at local Nashville favorites, striving for normalcy. (16:45)
• Early Mornings & Tracking Sleep:
  • Both she and Bobby share their “farm clock” tendencies and compete on Oura ring sleep scores, commiserating about living as early risers.
    • “My mom called it the farm clock. The other day, we wake up with the sun.” (17:30)

Song Stories: Fan Favorites

• "Tennessee Orange":
  • Megan recalls nervously sending the song to her diehard Georgia fan mother, knowing the lyrics would tease their family rivalry. (20:09)
• "I'm Not Pretty":
  • The inspiration came from an accidental 2 AM like on social media:
    • “The person that inspired it accidentally liked a photo at 2am or something like that... Then I wrote a whole song.” (20:28)
• "Six Months Later":
  • Written during a unique writing trip on a boat in the British Virgin Islands, it was the sole song completed out of several attempts that week. (21:05)

Collaborating with Ed Sheeran & Kacey Musgraves

• Ed Sheeran:
  • The collaboration started via email, with mutual honesty about which songs felt right.
    • “Ed and I would send back and forth songs... After the Bluebird show, he told me that his wife and kids love me, and he, like, loves my songwriting.” (24:30–25:03)
  • Their collab is intentionally a “traditional country song with his modern pop voice,” an unusual but exciting creative direction. (25:10)
• Kacey Musgraves:
  • For Megan, having Kacey sing on a track fulfilled a lifelong dream. When Kacey went above and beyond by singing a full verse, Megan was overwhelmed:
    • “She sent over a text that was like, hey, I’ve never done this before. Please don’t feel like you have to use it. But I went ahead and sang the second verse. No way. ... She didn’t change a syllable. Like, she sang it as it is. And to me, that's, like, the highest compliment.” (26:31–27:17)
  • Megan recounts being a true fan—waiting by the tour bus as a teen, eventually telling Kacey Musgraves herself about it when they shared a dressing room at the CMAs. (28:01)
• Fan Turned Collaborator:
  • "Casey Musgraves... made me want to start writing songs... To hear our voices together—and then to know, as a songwriter, she liked the song so much, she didn't change one word. ... That's the highest compliment." (27:02–27:17)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On evolving as a touring act:
  • “We thought we were living it up because we were like, oh, we're on tour. ... Then you get a church van with a u-haul and you're like, we got legroom ayo.” (09:09)
• On holding on to songs through heartbreak:
  • “I think it's inspiring to my fans to know, like, I was in the trenches. … It did get better. And I think that there's strength in that.” (22:34)
• Advice for young musicians:
  • “Listen to your mom and take the piano lessons. Because one day, it'll be a cool party trick.” (14:04)
• On accidental social media likes:
  • “Sometimes it likes my favorite is. Or I'm like showing my mom and she's like... easy. Don't like.” (20:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:36 – Megan Moroney joins the conversation
• 02:34 – Why the album is themed "pink"
• 04:22 – The origin and process of writing "Wedding Dress"
• 06:46 – Rare and fan-favorite songs, old material
• 07:54 – Transition from small gigs to arena tours
• 10:30 – Last songs recorded for the new album
• 12:15 – Quick songwriting and songs that come easily
• 13:46 – Reflections on piano lessons and advice to kids
• 16:45 – Megan's coffee orders and approach to Nashville life
• 17:30 – Natural morning routines and sleep tracking
• 20:09 – Stories behind "Tennessee Orange," "I'm Not Pretty," and "Six Months Later"
• 24:09 – Collaborating with Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran
• 26:31 – Kacey Musgraves' extra verse, Megan's reaction, and being a Kacey fan
• 28:43 – The Dolly Parton autographed guitar
• 29:32 – Album release details (February 20th)

Notable Quotes

• On writing as healing:

  • “I think it's inspiring to my fans to know, like, I was in the trenches... it did get better. And I think that there's strength in that.”
    — Megan Moroney (22:34)

• On musical growth:

  • “We went from rental car. We thought we were living it up because we were like, oh, we're on tour... Then you get a church van with a U-Haul and you're like, we got legroom ayo.”
    — Megan Moroney (09:09)

• On collaborating with Kacey Musgraves:

  • “She sent over a text that was like, hey, I've never done this before. ... But I went ahead and sang the second verse.”
    — Megan Moroney (26:50)

Final Notes & Release Information

• Album Release: “Cloud Nine” comes out on February 20th, 2026.

  • “Stream the crap out of the album when it comes out February 20th.” — Bobby Bones (29:32)

• Special Thanks: Bobby thanks Megan for her openness and humor, teasing a future “get ready with me” live segment.

For country music fans, songwriters, and dreamers alike, this episode delivers deep insights, vivid behind-the-scenes stories, and the heart of an artist still enthralled by the magic of music and collaboration.