FRI PT 2: Niko Moon On Baby Number Two, Growing Up In Trailer Parks And New Music + Is Our Building On Fire?

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show — May 15, 2026

Episode: FRI PT 2: Niko Moon On Baby Number Two, Growing Up In Trailer Parks And New Music + Is Our Building On Fire?
Host: Bobby Bones (Premiere Networks)
Guest: Niko Moon

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Bobby Bones Show mixes laid-back banter with an insightful, heartwarming interview with country artist and songwriter Niko Moon. Topics range from recent news and tech tangents, to the realities of growing up in trailer parks, songwriting with Zac Brown, digging into mental health through music, and the meaning of true wealth. The episode also features a real-time fire alarm incident in the building—a memorable radio moment with humor and a dose of chaos.

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Key Discussion Points

1. News and Banter (01:44–14:35)

• Tech Companies and Kids:
  • Meta and Google partner with organizations like Sesame Street and the Girl Scouts to help children use technology in moderation.
  • Bobby expresses skepticism:

    "It's literally for that they don't really want kids to do less… it's so when they get sued they can go, 'no, we’ve already done this...'" (02:12)

• PGA Championship Story:
  • A golfer receives a rare two-stroke penalty for being late to his tee time and narrowly loses.
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • The crew swaps stories of being late despite being in the right place, e.g., Morgan missing a flight while literally sleeping at the airport.
• Tech Concerns / Driverless Cars:
  • Waymo self-driving cars spotted around town, including awkward moments with recalled cars due to a software bug.
  • Conversation drifts to privacy concerns over facial and fingerprint recognition tech.

2. Interview: Niko Moon (14:37–58:13)

Early Life, Name Change & Family (14:45–19:25)

• Niko describes legally changing his name to "Moon" in a small-town magistrate court:

  "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." (16:06)

• Recently became a father for the second time—welcomed his son Bodhi two weeks earlier.
• The meaning behind the name “Bodhi”:

  "Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree when he found enlightenment... I really want him to just get it." (17:53)

Growing Up in Trailer Parks & New Album (19:25–24:52)

• Niko and Bobby bond over their trailer park childhoods:

  "As a kid, you just don't got a lot to do... you're always outside... looking back on it, really grateful for that time in my life." (21:43)

• Details how his new album Roots is rooted (literally and thematically) in his upbringing, optimism, and familial imagery. The visual “rich man” living room is a meticulously recreated version of his childhood home.

Songwriting Origins and Zac Brown Band Years (28:41–40:16)

• First big break came writing with Zac Brown after being discovered playing local Georgia bars.
• Wrote hits like "Homegrown" and "Keep Me in Mind."
• Tells the remarkable true story of "Keep Me In Mind":
  • Inspired by co-writer Wyatt Durrett’s bar encounter, the song ends up being about a girl he later meets again and eventually marries.

  "The girl that the song was written about, which was like, if things don’t work out, Keep Me In Mind... Wyatt goes back up to her, says, what's up—this time she’s single... they get married." (36:42)

Moving to Nashville & Writing for Others (40:16–45:11)

• Only wrote with Zac Brown initially, which made adjusting to Nashville’s co-writing culture a shock.
• Gets writing credits on Morgan Wallen and Dierks Bentley records.
• Realizes his mission became making "therapy music."

  "For me, mental health is my thing. The power of positivity is my thing. That’s what I’m passionate about, because that's the story of my life." (41:16)

The “Georgia” Song & Public Domain Adventure (45:11–47:13)

• Georgia—his love letter to his home state—samples "Georgia On My Mind."
• Unaware the original was now public domain (in the U.S.):

  "It just hit public domain in January." (45:57)

• Barely secured rights for international release two days before visual shoot.

Family Challenges: Health & Gratitude (47:13–49:46)

• Niko’s wife experienced postnatal preeclampsia after Bodhi’s birth; their son spent a week in the NICU.
• On the meaning of "Rich Man":

  "As long as I got her, I got everything I need… You could put me in a ditch with my wife, and I’ll be happy." (49:45)

Perspectives on Wealth & Parenthood (49:46–53:09)

• Now values efficiency and family time over material possessions.
• Credits Anna's faith for carrying him through challenging career times.
• Parenthood profoundly changed him:

  "If you're interested in being the best version of yourself, have a kid." (56:56)

The Happy Cowboy Foundation & “Happy Himalayan” Water (53:09–55:55)

• Happy Cowboy Foundation: Provides therapy for those unable to afford it.
• Niko starts “Happy Himalayan” bottled water, inspired by the benefits of Himalayan salt for hydration.

  "I've just been finding my way through it. But a percentage from every bottle goes to the foundation..." (54:51)

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3. Building Fire Alarm Chaos (58:19–64:05)

• Live on air, the show's studio building fire alarms sound, and a building-wide evacuation order is given.
• Crew banters back and forth about whether to evacuate, with some (Scuba) leaving immediately, others skeptical since it’s a recurring issue.
• Humorous exchange about past incidents, risk tolerance, fire safety, and “cry wolf."
• Ends with the crew checking in with each other for safety and joking about what would happen if a real emergency was happening live on air.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On songwriting and positive music:

  "Music has been this thing I’ve been able to lean on when I really needed it. I want my music to be about something… I want to actually impact people’s lives."
  — Niko Moon (41:16)

• About his father's optimism:

  "He looked at me and mom and was like, are you ready to go camping? And I was like, yeah, let's go… I was having so much fun. But he had to have been stressed out of his mind..."
  — Niko Moon, recalling creativity and optimism in his childhood (23:20)

• On his wife's impact:

  "...there were moments where I was losing a little bit of faith in myself. We all need somebody like that in our lives that believes in us when we're having a hard time believing in ourselves."
  — Niko Moon (48:28)

• On fire alarms and leaving the building:

  "Lunchbox has kids and a wife."
  "Morgan has a fiancé."
  "Like, I'm telling you, it doesn't even smell like smoke… That was a little dramatic."
  — Bobby and crew, debating whether to evacuate (61:41)

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Notable Timestamps

• 01:44 – News story: Tech companies and kids’ tech moderation
• 03:46 – PGA Championship penalty, lateness story
• 08:46 – Waymo/driverless car recall
• 14:37 – Transition to the Niko Moon interview
• 17:53 – On the meaning of "Bodhi"
• 19:25 – Trailer park childhoods, roots, and album imagery
• 28:41 – Songwriting break with Zac Brown Band
• 36:42 – “Keep Me In Mind” real-life love story
• 40:16 – Moving to Nashville; writing for Morgan Wallen, Dierks Bentley
• 45:20 – Securing rights for “Georgia On My Mind” sample
• 47:13 – Family health scare after baby is born
• 53:12 – Happy Cowboy Foundation and “Happy Himalayan” water
• 58:19 – Fire alarm; building evacuation
• 61:39 – Crew debates leaving the building
• 63:20 – Fire alarm returns; discusses real vs. false alarms

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Summary Tone

The tone is candid, warm, and upbeat, with heartfelt stories and playful group banter that reflects the camaraderie among the show’s hosts and guest. Lighthearted humor coexists with deeper reflections on resilience, optimism, and the true value of family and positivity in life and music.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is essential for Niko Moon fans, those interested in country music songwriting, and anyone who enjoys real, relatable stories about family, overcoming adversity, and embracing positivity.
Bonus: You’ll get a few laughs from the “are we on fire?” crew chaos at the end.

Transcript

[Bobby Bones]

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[Morgan]

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[Nico Moon]

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[Morgan]

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[Bobby Bones]

Yes you can. A five minute quick and easy calorie burning workout. Give it a try. Come join our Sweat sesh on TikTok Nico Moon interview coming up, which I think you're gonna love because that guy's awesome. So that's coming up in a second. We only have like five or six minutes. Do you wanna do a story? Do you have one? Go ahead.

[Morgan]

So Meta and Google, they are now striking a deal with Sesame Street, Girl Scouts and Highlights magazine. Remember Highlights magazine when you were kids

[Bobby Bones]

and from the dentist office still.

[Lunchbox]

That's right.

[Morgan]

Oh yeah, the doctor to teach kids to use technology in moderation. Even as the companies designed apps that make it difficult for kids to unplug from what they've created.

[Bobby Bones]

You know why they're doing this?

[Morgan]

Yeah, because of the backlash that they're getting.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, sort of. It's so when they get sued they can go, no, we've already done this and put these policies into place within our company to make sure kids are doing the opposite. It's literally for that they don't really want kids to do less.

[Morgan]

Yeah. No, I see it as like, yeah, them trying to just cover their butts.

[Bobby Bones]

Always when they get sued, they use this as a reason that they should not lose the lawsuit. That would be my best guess as to why they're doing something like this.

[Morgan]

Yeah. No, you're probably Not.

[Bobby Bones]

It's why tobacco companies put. Well, they have to now, but it's why those things are on the side of the packages.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, the warnings.

[Bobby Bones]

Mm.

[Morgan]

Yeah. I don't know. I just thought it was kind of crazy. I'm like, yeah, just thinking you created something that is addicting. And so now you're funding groups that can help teach kids. Use your phone in moderation, kiddos. That was Big Bird.

[Nico Moon]

Oh, that was.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, that was really.

[Morgan]

That was my best.

[Bobby Bones]

I would have guessed 100 people before

[Morgan]

big Bird, but I said Sesame street, so. You're odd. You should have, like, you could narrow it down.

[Bobby Bones]

Sound like Mr. Bill. Kinda.

[Morgan]

Okay, you do Big Bird.

[Bobby Bones]

That sounds like Mr. Bill, too. Do you remember Mr. Bill?

[Lunchbox]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

He was a little clay thing that, like, always get smashed.

[Nico Moon]

No Mr. Bill.

[Bobby Bones]

No. Eddie, what do you have?

[Lunchbox]

Okay, so the PGA Championship is going on. It's one of the major golf tournaments. So there's a golfer that was late to his tee time yesterday. And so he got penalized two strokes, which is like. That never happens. Like you're a professional golfer.

[Morgan]

How are you late to that?

[Bobby Bones]

He was actually there.

[Lunchbox]

He was there. He was in the putting green. And he thought he had plenty of time to get to the tee box, which he was one minute late.

[Morgan]

Oh.

[Lunchbox]

So he got penalized two strokes. But what's crazy, though, is that he shot so well that he shot his final score was too off the lead. So, like, he's still in it.

[Bobby Bones]

But he'd have been in the lead,

[Lunchbox]

he would have been tied had he

[Bobby Bones]

not been late and he was there.

[Morgan]

That's crazy.

[Lunchbox]

He said, what's funny is this quote was really funny. He said, I'm just a laid back guy, you know? Like, instead of getting there 50 minutes early, I just get there like five minutes before this.

[Morgan]

This reminds me of the time that I was flying to Haiti. And you would always oftentimes either go through Fort Lauderdale or Miami. And sometimes I would spend the night at the Miami airport. Cause they have the hotel in the airport so I could catch a morning flight out. Well, so I'd fly into Miami at night. I spent the night. I woke up. Totally. I'm already at the airport. I'm so on time. I slept there.

[Lunchbox]

How could you be late?

[Morgan]

Right? So I went to Starbucks. I had my lemon with me. I made my hot lemon water. I missed my flight.

[Lunchbox]

That's crazy.

[Nico Moon]

To Haiti.

[Morgan]

I was like, what?

[Bobby Bones]

How did this happen?

[Lunchbox]

That's probably what this guy was.

[Morgan]

Yeah, I was just chilling. I was like, I slept Here I have so much time. So much so that when I got to my gate, I guess they boarded early or whatever. And they had been calling me, but I didn't know, or calling my name on the loudspeaker, but I didn't hear it. And they had given. They were like, I saw people walking on the plane. And I'm like, well, I'm here. And they're like, well, see that man right there? And I was like, yeah. They were like, he just took your seat? He was on standby. And I was like, but I'm here. And they're like, but he's getting on the plane. So I had to sit there and wait another five hours to catch the next flight to Haiti. That's what that reminds me of.

[Lunchbox]

Did you see the clip of the guy showing up to the tee box?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

He's like, but I'm here.

[Bobby Bones]

No, he's so ashamed.

[Lunchbox]

He's like, hey, sorry I'm late. And the guy's like, yeah, it's two stroke penalty. Sorry, man. Good luck.

[Bobby Bones]

One minute, like, one second. If you're one second late there, you're. You're late.

[Lunchbox]

And if you're five minutes late, you get disqualified. You can't even play.

[Bobby Bones]

I think I could be wrong on this. The legend of John Daly was. He was like seventh alternate. His first major he ever won, and they called him. He drove up real quick and then won the whole. On the major.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, really? I think it was the PGA Championship too.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I think that's what it was. Like, people were either got sick, couldn't get there, or just turned down being able to play. So they called him. He drove up from Arkansas and won the PGA Championship. That's awesome. Would you fact check that for me, Mike? He was ninth alternate. Ninth, yeah.

[Lunchbox]

Wow. And he wins it. That's cool.

[Bobby Bones]

Now he's freaking golf legend.

[Lunchbox]

This tournament's interesting because, like, just professional golf pros, the guys that run country clubs or like golf courses get to play. Not all of them, but, like, some of them get to play. They usually don't win or get close to winning, but it's kind of cool to see them in the mix.

[Bobby Bones]

But they have to qualify to play.

[Lunchbox]

They do have to qualify. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

You just don't get in. You have to win other things to get in.

[Lunchbox]

But if you look at like the leaderboard, they're always at the very end.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, the Michael Block guy, whatever his name was, right?

[Lunchbox]

Michael Block's one of them. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

But he actually performed well.

[Lunchbox]

He played well yesterday.

[Morgan]

What Golf course.

[Bobby Bones]

No, no. A few years ago, he got famous because of that.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, he did? Oh, I didn't know that. I just thought it was the story of storyline of this year because he played pretty well yesterday.

[Bobby Bones]

That's the guy who's worked at a. It got super famous. Yeah, I think because he was a pga. By pro, we don't mean pro golfer. He is the guy that teaches lessons.

[Morgan]

Like golf pro at the correct. Right.

[Lunchbox]

Michael Block. Yeah, I forgot about that.

[Bobby Bones]

That's his story. Because he was in it and they were like, he's not even a professional golfer years ago.

[Lunchbox]

That's right.

[Bobby Bones]

He ended up not winning it. So you saw him.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, he's. He's playing in this tournament too.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, but you saw him and you didn't think about that.

[Lunchbox]

No, I completely forgot about that storyline.

[Morgan]

It happens.

[Bobby Bones]

No, but that's his whole story. Yeah, that's the storyline. That's his whole story.

[Morgan]

Still happens.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, it happens.

[Bobby Bones]

I saw a Waymo yesterday.

[Lunchbox]

Stop.

[Bobby Bones]

I saw Waymo yesterday. And driving in town and where we live now, there are waymos. I won't say everywhere, but you see them frequently. Waymos are the white cars that have no driver. And you get in and they take you driverless. And they have like a spinning thing on top and spinning things on the side that's constantly monitoring the surroundings. And what was weird about the one yesterday was there was somebody driving it.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, really? I think what. What that is is they're programming the car like, so they had to have a real driver to kind of drive the routes before it. They let it do it alone.

[Bobby Bones]

The weird part now is not seeing one without a driver. It's seeing one with the driver. And I was like, wow, I wanted to call somebody. I saw Waymo with the driver.

[Lunchbox]

Have you done it yet?

[Bobby Bones]

Nah, I know, but I'm not weirded out by it. I had a Tesla for a while that drove me self driving. So, like, it'd probably be a little funky at first, but I don't think I would be like, oh my God. Because I would just let mine drive me for a long time. Now, granted, I was in the driver's seat in case anything happened. Yeah, there was a Waymo recall where like 4000 cars had to be recalled because of a glitch.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, how bad of a glitch?

[Morgan]

Occasionally forgets to stop at the crosswalk.

[Bobby Bones]

I've seen funny ones where they drive off with people's luggage in the back. And you're like, wait.

[Lunchbox]

Because how do you tell it to wait?

[Morgan]

Well, it has to know. It's got to have a sensor. I have luggage in the back.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. And you might actually, when you're ordering the car, do you have luggage? Yes. You got to pop the trunk to put it in. So maybe it knows it's got to

[Morgan]

rebuild it, but there's, like, a weight. Like, I would think it could tell by weight.

[Bobby Bones]

Possibly. But I'm saying if you put something in, it should know that it has to get rid of something.

[Lunchbox]

Yes, it should.

[Bobby Bones]

So. And Waymo is Alphabet. Right. And Alphabet is Google, Right?

[Morgan]

I do not know.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, these are companies that you're saying, who's.

[Morgan]

I'm an Alphabet? I don't know that.

[Bobby Bones]

I think that's Google. I think that's Meta to Google. Oh, yeah. Waymo's Alphabet. And Alphabet is.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Parent company at Google.

[Morgan]

Okay.

[Lunchbox]

And. Dang, dude.

[Bobby Bones]

And Meta is parent company to Facebook, Instagram. So. Yeah. Yeah. So they own Ammo, Google. Wow. They're getting all the information, which.

[Lunchbox]

That makes sense because the car looks like the Google Maps car. It does. Yeah. That whole spinny thing. Remember all the cameras? It's almost probably the same technology that. Well, somewhat like same technology.

[Bobby Bones]

Waymo's recalled almost 4,000 autonomous taxis after identifying a bug that allowed the vehicles to drive into standing water.

[Morgan]

Oh, whoops.

[Bobby Bones]

It's in the river.

[Nico Moon]

Happened a lot in San Antonio.

[Bobby Bones]

Really? Yeah. They had to shut them down there.

[Morgan]

They're on a Riverwalk.

[Bobby Bones]

They're just floating to the Riverwalk. They're going by Dick's, that restaurant on the Riverwalk.

[Lunchbox]

Last Resort.

[Morgan]

So I saw a video yesterday on Instagram, so I have no idea if these guys are credible or not, but they were saying you need to deactivate your. If you unlock your phone with your eyes. Which I do, y'. All.

[Nico Moon]

Yes.

[Morgan]

Yeah, duh. They're like, no, you don't. Don't do that. And you know when you set your phone up to do that, how it makes you turn your head all different directions so it can scan your whole face, and that's how your phone unlocks. Well, anyway, every time you're looking at your phone, it's studying where your eyeballs are and, like, so where you gravitate towards so that it can build things towards you engaging more or buying more or whatever. And it's kind of freaky. So you should deactivate that so they can't study your eyeballs anymore.

[Bobby Bones]

If that's the reason I'm cool. Yeah. I was like, they're reading my brain or something. Technology knowing like things about us. If you're in for a penny, you're kind of in for a pound. So it's like, if you're gonna, like, cut that, then you gotta cut everything else you're doing that's monitoring. You turn your. Cover your cameras, like, to just cut that off and not cover your cameras or have your phone be connected to the Internet all the time or have your apps on all the time. Like, then you gotta shut it and go fully off the grid technology. Because, again, if you're kind of, again, in for a penny. They got my eyes. They have everything. I'm in for a pound. I thought it was gonna be something like, they're monitoring your eyes, so they could probably replicate your eyeballs and steal. And I'd be like, oh, God, that would be bad. Even then I'd be like, what are the odds to use my eyes?

[Morgan]

Okay, well, you know, we talked about the fingerprint thing the other day. Like, you said, like, don't do peace signs in your photos up close because they can get your fingerprint. Well, eyeballs scan things, too. Why can't.

[Bobby Bones]

My eyeballs don't pay a single bill. And they don't use my eyeballs to commit crimes.

[Morgan]

Well, I'm saying, like, certain. Like to get access into certain buildings that use people's eyeballs.

[Bobby Bones]

I've never been into a building with my eyeballs. In the movies, I've seen it on, like, some Tom Cruise stuff. I've never once.

[Lunchbox]

Hold on. So when we unlock our screen, that's just eyeballs. They're not looking at our cheeks and our nose and everything.

[Bobby Bones]

Eyeballs.

[Lunchbox]

So we have all different eyeballs.

[Bobby Bones]

Eyeballs. And I mean, they could all.

[Morgan]

We have to. Because in the movies, they scan the eyeballs.

[Bobby Bones]

Amy's going into a lot of weird buildings, it sounds like.

[Morgan]

No, I was just thinking that for movies, but I don't know. And then I saw the guy who runs Meta or Instagram. No, no, no. Instagram.

[Bobby Bones]

It looks like me kind of in your preacher.

[Morgan]

Mosi or. Yeah, those two guys, Mossy or whatever his name is, he did some. One of his reels popped up my feed the other day, and he ended the little post by going, peace sign. And he was up close, and I'm like, dang. Have you not. Nerd. Don't do that.

[Bobby Bones]

They probably have his fingerprints aied off. Oh, I'm not even sure he's real.

[Morgan]

You don't think that guy's real? I see him.

[Bobby Bones]

Do I really? Yes. It's a joke.

[Morgan]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

But I'M saying they could definitely create with all their technology, like, a AI version of him to do all those videos.

[Morgan]

Yeah, true.

[Bobby Bones]

And also, he's, like, so, like, warm and nice. Like, they might have created the perfect fake guy with a fake family that we just believe and, like. Oh, because he's a warm.

[Morgan]

Yeah. Every day he does, like, he free clothing esque. Or every Friday, he's like, all right, it's Friday. Ask me any questions.

[Bobby Bones]

He's like a more human Mark Zuckerberg. He's the guy that Mark Zuckerberg wishes he was when he presents himself. Because Zuckerberg's like this. I think that I'm doing good with meta and I believe in Earth. And you're like, dude, everything you're saying is a lie. And you speak weird. Like, you do not believe in Earth.

[Morgan]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

I am not going to my bunker and New Zealand anytime soon. Earth, we're good. Like, dude, you speak weird and you're lying. That dude is. He's like, anti Zuckerberg. You can edit a comment now. I saw his video where it's like, you can edit a comment on Instagram if you post a comment.

[Morgan]

You couldn't do that before.

[Bobby Bones]

You can go back and delete it. You can't edit it now. You can edit it.

[Morgan]

I guess I just comment and don't. I don't know. I haven't ever.

[Bobby Bones]

He didn't quit it.

[Lunchbox]

Let her rip.

[Morgan]

Post and ghost.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, we're gonna get over here now to Nico Moon. Let's go on the Bobby Bones show now. Good to see you, buddy.

[Nico Moon]

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?

[Nico Moon]

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.

[Nico Moon]

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

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Nico Moon]

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.

[Nico Moon]

He's just like a light, you know?

[Bobby Bones]

Some people say about you, too.

[Nico Moon]

I appreciate it, man.

[Bobby Bones]

Your real last name is Moon, though?

[Nico Moon]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Do people mostly think that's a stage name?

[Nico Moon]

Yeah, Well, I actually changed my name.

[Bobby Bones]

It was so. It wasn't Moon.

[Nico Moon]

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

[Bobby Bones]

You legally changed your name?

[Nico Moon]

I legally changed it.

[Bobby Bones]

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

[Nico Moon]

He changed it. I'm just like, bro, it was a big deal because, like, it was way more of a thing than I thought it was gonna 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.

[Morgan]

Because I've been divorced.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, that's why.

[Morgan]

Well, I kept my name, so I still have my. Legally, I still have my married. My married name.

[Bobby Bones]

So you didn't have to go to magistrate court.

[Morgan]

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?

[Nico Moon]

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, I 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 in the whole room. Everybody's in custody and divorce. And he's like, what's up, judge?

[Nico Moon]

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 divorce. But she was like, oh, hell no. I'm, like, sweating, you know, like, she didn't like it. 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 Nico your first name?

[Nico Moon]

Nicholas.

[Bobby Bones]

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

[Nico Moon]

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?

[Nico Moon]

I just had a baby.

[Bobby Bones]

You had another baby?

[Nico Moon]

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

[Bobby Bones]

Boy or girl?

[Nico Moon]

Fresh 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 8 weeks ago.

[Nico Moon]

I know, I know.

[Bobby Bones]

So I don't know.

[Nico Moon]

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

[Bobby Bones]

So your first baby is Lily, right?

[Nico Moon]

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

[Bobby Bones]

What did you name the boy?

[Nico Moon]

Bodhi.

[Bobby Bones]

Bodhi Moon.

[Nico Moon]

Bodhi Moon.

[Bobby Bones]

Why did you name him Bodhi?

[Nico Moon]

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.

[Nico Moon]

Because I feel like I don't. And my whole life has been about trying to figure out 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?

[Nico Moon]

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 pp, TP or whatever.

[Nico Moon]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

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

[Nico Moon]

I 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 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 and 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.

[Nico Moon]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. And you.

[Nico Moon]

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.

[Nico Moon]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. What was it like?

[Nico Moon]

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 Bodhi 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.

[Nico Moon]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Because everybody is so close.

[Nico Moon]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And that can either be really great or it can be really difficult. It can be both, too.

[Nico Moon]

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 really weren't the thing yet. So it's basically like one big hallway.

[Nico Moon]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

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

[Nico Moon]

Yeah, we were single wide, too.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. And the bathroom is small. We had, like a plastic kind of 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.

[Nico Moon]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Because, again, it could be dangerous if not.

[Nico Moon]

Because that's 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.

[Nico Moon]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, mostly good.

[Nico Moon]

Same.

[Bobby Bones]

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

[Nico Moon]

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 in 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 up until 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 townhome. 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, 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 to, 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 going to keep. Keep that going, man, that's. That's heavy, you know, But I didn't feel none of 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?

[Nico Moon]

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

[Bobby Bones]

Really?

[Nico Moon]

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 idolized my dad, you know?

[Bobby Bones]

Is he still alive?

[Nico Moon]

Yeah. So he lives in Portugal now? 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 mean, he. 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?

[Nico Moon]

Oh, he loves it.

[Lunchbox]

He.

[Nico Moon]

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?

[Nico Moon]

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?

[Nico Moon]

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 years when you first got your 200 buck nights, were you like, this is so much money?

[Nico Moon]

Oh, it was insane. It was insane because, you know, I was doing construction, 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 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 it, it really, that was my time 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. Yes, because they didn't go there.

[Nico Moon]

They couldn't just 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?

[Nico Moon]

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. 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. 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.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow.

[Nico Moon]

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 riding was like midnight and we write from like midnight to 5am and so that was like my, 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 and then we would write that. Tired of overpaying with DirecTV? Dish offers a reliable low price every month without surprises. Get the TV you love and start watching live sports news and the latest movies, plus your favorite streaming apps all in one place.

[Bobby Bones]

Switch to DISH today and lock in

[Nico Moon]

the lowest price in satellite TV starting at 89.99amonth with our two year price guarantee. Call 888, add dish or visit dish.com today. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Jim Gaffigan

[Lunchbox]

to Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help

[Nico Moon]

make you funnier this week. My guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Worst singer in the group. The worst. Yeah, me. Is there anything to the idea that because you're from Harvard, you only got in because your parents made a huge donation?

[Bobby Bones]

The Yard Birds, right?

[Nico Moon]

That's the name. The Harvard Yard.

[Bobby Bones]

But they're open. Do you have a name suggestion?

[Morgan]

We're open.

[Nico Moon]

Since you guys are middle aged, one erection. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel

[Lunchbox]

and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Bobby Bones]

Humor me.

[Nico Moon]

I need some jokes to make me seem funny.

[Morgan]

You can have opinions you can have like a strong stance and then there's your body having its own program. I'm Dr. Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, a show about who we are and who we become when life makes other plans. We share stories and scientific insights to help us all better navigate these periods of turbulence and transformation. There is one finding that is consistent and that is that our resilience rests on our relationships.

[Bobby Bones]

I wish that I hadn't resisted for so long the need to change.

[Nico Moon]

We have to be willing to live with a kind of uncertainty that none of us likes.

[Morgan]

Listen to A Slight Change of plans on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nico Moon]

Catch the NBA playoffs on Sling tv, the most flexible live TV streaming service, putting consumers in control to watch games their way with flexible subscriptions. Want to catch one game or a full series on espn? Grab a one, three or seven day pass. If you want to catch as many games as possible, get a monthly subscription with our abc, NBC and ESPN combo package. Either way, Sling lets you watch the playoffs your way with no long term contracts.

[Bobby Bones]

Learn [e-mail] what did you guys write together that we would know?

[Nico Moon]

Homegrown.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, yeah, it's a good one.

[Morgan]

That's so good.

[Nico Moon]

Keep me in mind.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, that's a good one too.

[Nico Moon]

Keep me in Mind. That's a jam too. You want to hear a crazy story about the backstory on that song? Because it's crazy. All right, so. So Wyatt Durrett, 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, 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. He's like, well, I told her 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. 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. And 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.

[Nico Moon]

Same girl. Okay.

[Morgan]

No way.

[Nico Moon]

Same girl. Wyatt goes back up to her, says, what's up this time? She's single, and they get to hanging out, they exchange numbers, they start dating, and they get married. No way. 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.

[Morgan]

That's crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

That's a wild story.

[Nico Moon]

That's a wild story.

[Bobby Bones]

That's a great story.

[Nico Moon]

I played their wedding.

[Bobby Bones]

It's better.

[Nico Moon]

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 is 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]

That's such a.

[Nico Moon]

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

[Morgan]

I feel like we need to follow up. She Kept Me In Mind.

[Bobby Bones]

That's such a story.

[Nico Moon]

Great idea.

[Morgan]

Well, no, I mean, yeah, I mean,

[Nico Moon]

we wrote like 40 something songs together. I think that like, have seen the lie today 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, I guess you could just say, like, ignorant. I just was 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 was like that one in a million person that that actually did happen with.

[Morgan]

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

[Nico Moon]

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

[Morgan]

Okay.

[Nico Moon]

Yeah. So I grew up in East Texas in Tyler, Texas, and then. And then moved to Georgia when I was 10 and lived there until I was really in. 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 with Zach, 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's such a culture shock to move here, get getting a pub deal with Warner Chapel, and then like writing every day with a new two 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, lyrically, and all this stuff. 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?

[Nico Moon]

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 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 so much, 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, and my imaginary five kids and, you know, his. His. His nonprofit 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 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, that'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 something, 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 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 artist 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 going to make it like deep. I just want to make it light hearted and just like generally just music you could have a good time to. And that's why the first album, which is 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 having fun, 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. And telling my experience with it, I think is. Is the way that I do that. And so I'm. 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 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 risky to take a really classic song and then put it in and be like, I hope you.

[Nico Moon]

Like, I didn't have approval to do that sample. Okay. I just knew that Georgia on My Mind was the song I wanted to write 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?

[Nico Moon]

It's public domain, bro.

[Bobby Bones]

It just hit public domain.

[Nico Moon]

It just hit public domain in January.

[Lunchbox]

Look at that.

[Nico Moon]

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 Hokey 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 gonna see that visualizer, we got approval two days before we shot that. So I 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?

[Nico Moon]

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.

[Nico Moon]

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. There's parts of me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You keep going. I'm writing this down.

[Nico Moon]

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's this dude 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. You know what I mean?

[Lunchbox]

Put me in a ditch.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm like, put me in the ditch with my wife.

[Lunchbox]

You'll be happy.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm happy.

[Nico Moon]

All right.

[Bobby Bones]

Got that, too.

[Nico Moon]

So, yeah, man, 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.

[Nico Moon]

Oh, God. 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, 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.

[Nico Moon]

I think I got a bite.

[Bobby Bones]

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

[Nico Moon]

All the time.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Nico Moon]

And the apple pie moonshine. I think people think I'm like, perma drinking apple pie moonshine and perma smiling. You know, People are always asking me for advice on unhappiness, 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. 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 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 nonstop. 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.

[Nico Moon]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

And you guys have the water, right?

[Nico Moon]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. What's the water called?

[Nico Moon]

Happy Himalayan. And so it's, it's artesian water with pink Himalayan salt infused in it. And I've seen people like on TikTok 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 wasn't. 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 a 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 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 thing.

[Morgan]

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 right.

[Nico Moon]

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.

[Nico Moon]

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

[Bobby Bones]

I'm a 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 this. Nico Moon in studio. His new album Roots, is coming out July 17th. When the record comes out, come back.

[Nico Moon]

Oh, man. Thank You, I would love to record

[Bobby Bones]

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

[Nico Moon]

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 mean do it?

[Nico Moon]

Yeah.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

I should have that Roots. Hold on. I have the dates of. With you and Russell, the Russelmania one.

[Nico Moon]

We're going to be doing some select dates with 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.

[Nico Moon]

Yeah, nicomoon.com. all right. Socials. All the good stuff. Y' all know where to find me.

[Bobby Bones]

You're the best, man.

[Nico Moon]

Like, seriously, thank you, bro. Yeah, 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.

[Nico Moon]

So thank you, bro. And I'm super excited that you've joined the parenthood club. I can't wait to, like, chat with you and, 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, 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's blooming out now as a father. In fact, 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.

[Nico Moon]

Oh, I don't.

[Bobby Bones]

That's. 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.

[Nico Moon]

Love, y'. All.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, congrats. On the new music, and we'll see when the record comes out.

[Nico Moon]

Thank you, bud.

[Bobby Bones]

What's happening in the building right now? Well, the fire alarms are going off. It's hard to hear. And there's the lady's voice saying that this is an emergency. Evacuate the building. And then Scuba got his blow bullhorn, and he's now screaming on it, telling people to evacuate the building. Scuba, why aren't you guys evacuating?

[Nico Moon]

I'm about to evacuate right now.

[Bobby Bones]

This thing, it's.

[Lunchbox]

I could smell smoke when I went outside.

[Bobby Bones]

What?

[Morgan]

Wait, what?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes.

[Lunchbox]

I think the building's on fire again. I got to get out of here. I got a family and kids, so.

[Bobby Bones]

So. So I'm gone by. Some of us are. My house. Some of us are in the building. Are you guys literally. Are you out? Yeah, I have to go. Yeah, it keeps going, and I smell

[Lunchbox]

smoke, so I'm gonna get out of here.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, then if you have to go, they have to go. Your life's not more important than theirs. Well, I mean, they can do what they want to do, but I'm getting out of here.

[Morgan]

It does keep repeating and saying, emergency, Please exit.

[Bobby Bones]

Now, do you see smoke or just. I don't see anything. We're still in the studio, man. We can't see anything.

[Morgan]

Just a flashing fire alarm.

[Bobby Bones]

Scuba runs off. Scuba's leaving. And as a leader, Scuba should make sure everybody else gets out.

[Lunchbox]

He's out.

[Bobby Bones]

And not just run off and then be.

[Nico Moon]

Yeah, I don't care, dude. This is real life. Y' all can leave, or you can say, I'm out.

[Morgan]

Well, you're still here.

[Lunchbox]

No, he's out now.

[Bobby Bones]

He's coming back to go to the mic to tell you guys he's out.

[Morgan]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, he's walked out of the room three times and gone back to the mic three times. Lunchbox walk out in the hallway. All right, I'll go find out and see what's up. You guys should. Now the alarms have stopped, and the flashing lights aren't going on anymore. And lunch says he doesn't smell smoke.

[Morgan]

This is, like, the fourth time we've been on fire.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, for sure.

[Bobby Bones]

It's very much almost cry wolf.

[Morgan]

Well, no, One time it was a gas leak. That was pretty scary.

[Bobby Bones]

But it was a building across. It wasn't even our building construction.

[Morgan]

Still, you wanted to get out of there because gas. You can't. You're just smelling it, and then they pass out.

[Lunchbox]

Not even that.

[Bobby Bones]

That's not really what happens. But a building from across the road.

[Morgan]

We didn't know at the time.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, we did. They were like, the building. There's a gas.

[Morgan]

Well. They wouldn't let us back in our building to get our stuff, so we had to hang out for hours by

[Bobby Bones]

the gas leaked building, which is.

[Lunchbox]

Deal with gas leaked, though. Like, if you have a hammer and it makes a spark, the whole. The whole thing can blow up.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. That's also. Well, that's how I'm worried about impossible. It. It can. Okay. Yes, it can.

[Lunchbox]

Somebody lights up a cigarette.

[Bobby Bones]

Boom. At home's a bit different. Smaller area.

[Morgan]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

More central, specific stove link. Than you light the stove. Boom.

[Lunchbox]

And there's also been things where. Like on the weekends where we're not here. The trash chute is.

[Bobby Bones]

Trash shoot catches on fire.

[Lunchbox]

Is on fire.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, there was.

[Morgan]

How does that keep happening?

[Nico Moon]

I don't know.

[Lunchbox]

Somebody.

[Bobby Bones]

Sorry. With a hammer. Boom.

[Lunchbox]

What? I think it's a nail. Somebody grilling, you know, on their balcony. And they throw their charcoal down the chute. Lights everything on fire.

[Morgan]

Why would they throw it when it's still so hot?

[Bobby Bones]

He's back.

[Lunchbox]

I lost the studio.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, no. They on fire. We can still hear him, though. Yeah. Listen, guys, I think Scuba might be the biggest drama queen in the history of drama queens. I don't smell anything. There is no smoke anywhere. The lights that are flashing fire are not even going anymore. They've been turned off. Do you feel unsafe? No, I think he just wants an excuse to leave. Is he gone still? Did he come back? No, he's gone. That was a little dramatic.

[Morgan]

I know. He's like, I have a wife and kids. Got to go.

[Bobby Bones]

Lunchbox has kids and a wife.

[Morgan]

Morgan has a fiance.

[Lunchbox]

That's true. What?

[Bobby Bones]

Like, I'm telling you, it doesn't even smell like smoke. And there's no. There was no fire trucks outside. There was no nothing.

[Lunchbox]

And the lady's not yelling anymore.

[Bobby Bones]

And I didn't hear fire trucks coming either. Like, I was listening for sirens. There was nothing. Well, if they turn the alarm off, you guys are probably good to stay. And that's what's up, right?

[Nico Moon]

Yeah. Bye, Scuba.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, he's gone.

[Bobby Bones]

Yep. Okay, then let's truck. You see him peeling out of the garage. But they wouldn't let you guys to the garage last time, right?

[Morgan]

No. If you wanted to get back in the building, you had to sneak in, which some people did.

[Bobby Bones]

I went to the garage. I just forced my way through.

[Morgan]

Yeah, or you had to do that.

[Bobby Bones]

I didn't be like, oh, it's me. I was like, no, no, I'm going. They're not. They're not gonna stop you.

[Lunchbox]

I went up with the firefighters. I was like, let's go, boys. Like, they were already.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, you led them back?

[Lunchbox]

Nah, they were already walking. I just kind of trailed their. Trailed them.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, well, I guess we're good for a second then. Lunchbox, Morgan. You guys feel safe?

[Morgan]

I don't know.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, my.

[Lunchbox]

What are you.

[Morgan]

Well, I just don't know. It was weird. I don't know why you would have alarms go off and then all of a sudden stop like that.

[Bobby Bones]

It wasn't.

[Morgan]

There wasn't supposed to be a training

[Bobby Bones]

exercise, so somebody can pull the alarm Also. Anyone can. An alarm can go off until it's fixed, and then they shut the alarm off. Yeah, that's generally how it works, but, yeah. Morgan, if you feel unsafe, get out of here.

[Morgan]

I'm not leaving like Scuba. I don't need to leave for no reason. If there's a reason to exit the

[Bobby Bones]

building, I will exit.

[Lunchbox]

Is Abby there? Like, everybody's still Abby.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Abby.

[Morgan]

It just came back on again, though.

[Bobby Bones]

The alarm.

[Morgan]

The lights are flashing.

[Bobby Bones]

The lights are flashing again, but there's no. All right, you guys should probably, like, go take care of yourselves. I don't want this to be on some clip, or the bobby wouldn't let us people leave and they perished in a building fire.

[Lunchbox]

That would for sure be the headline.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. So, guys, go. Okay.

[Morgan]

I'll go figure out what's going on, see if I can talk to somebody.

[Lunchbox]

Have a good week, Lunchbox. You staying?

[Bobby Bones]

No, no, I'm gonna. I'm gonna take the rest of the week, just in case. Well, it's Friday, so take a couple days. That was. Why.

[Nico Moon]

It was a joke, guys. Oh.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, hey, that's funny.

[Nico Moon]

Dude.

[Bobby Bones]

Is that a new joke? To have a joke that bombs and then go like, that's my joke.

[Morgan]

No, I get it.

[Bobby Bones]

You guys just didn't understand it.

[Nico Moon]

No, no.

[Bobby Bones]

I guess that's when jokes don't hit so people don't understand them.

[Nico Moon]

Maybe it's too highbrow.

[Bobby Bones]

That's it. Yes. All right, all right, we'll end this. Let me know if the alarm comes back on. Guys, this is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.