THURS PT 2: A Celebrity Ate Their Placenta + MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge (aka "Thelma & James") On Marriage And Touring With Luke Combs

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show – March 12, 2026

THURS PT 2: A Celebrity Ate Their Placenta + MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge (Thelma & James) on Marriage and Touring with Luke Combs

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Bobby Bones welcomes country music duo Thelma and James—the project of married couple MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge—into the studio. The conversation weaves through their musical journey as a couple, unexpected viral moments, balancing marriage and parenthood on tour, and their upcoming tour with Luke Combs. Other highlights: a viral placenta-eating story from Bobby’s podcast with Danica McKellar, sleep struggles, and an edition of the celebrity guessing game.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sleep Struggles and Habits

• Hosts discuss sleep quality and routines.
  • Amy cites a study showing Americans get only 10 perfect nights of sleep per month. (03:26)
  • Bobby Bones: “If I were to get 10 good night...I’d cut off a pinky toe for 10 good nights of sleep a month for the rest of my life.” (03:48)
  • Discussion of sleep aids—mask, magnesium, melatonin—and their side effects.
  • Tangent about the lengths people go to for better sleep, including the adult diaper joke.

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2. Viral Placenta Story (with Danica McKellar)

• Bobby recounts a viral BobbbyCast conversation with Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years).
  • Danica described tasting her placenta after childbirth, saying it tasted like “the best filet mignon” and feeling almost “embarrassed about how much I loved it.” (07:22)
  • Amy: “She just sold me on it...I think I would eat it, based on her review.” (08:14)
  • Lively, humorous debate about the science and culture of eating the placenta.

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3. Introducing Thelma and James (MacKenzie Porter and Jake Etheridge)

Formation of the Duo

• Origin Story (10:29)
  • MacKenzie: “We just wrote a song together one night...three days after our first chorus, we got a record deal.” (10:29)
  • Their label (Big Loud) asked for a band name; “Thelma” is MacKenzie’s middle name, “James” is Jake’s legal first name.
  • They weren’t even trying to be a band; it spun out of one song written during a “bum night.” (13:23)
  • Jake: “We hadn’t written a song in 10 years.” (11:18)
  • Their first song, “Happily Ever After You,” blew up when posted on TikTok.

Balancing Marriage, Parenting, and Music

• Parenting on Tour
  • Brought their daughter on a cruise; she became “everybody’s friend” and a little socialite.
  • Shared funny stories about new parent gadgets, like the “whistling” tool to help constipated babies (which led to explosive results). (16:33)
  • Advice for new parents: “Every phase is so fast...if it’s a frustrating phase, it goes by so fast, it’s not that bad.” (21:10)

Collaborating as a Couple

• They had boundaries earlier in their relationship—reviewing each other’s songs and “being done with music for the day”—but now as a working duo, they compartmentalize work and home more easily. (23:30)

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4. Live Music & On-the-Rise Career

Performances and Song Choices

• Performed both originals and Mackenzie’s #1 hit “Thinking ‘Bout You” (with Dustin Lynch) in a new “emo sad version.” (18:47)
  • Bobby: “I like emo sad everything though. The only music I listen to is sad stuff. I told Kenny Chesney, I don’t like Beach Chesney, I like sad Kenny!” (19:07)

Going Viral & Touring with Luke Combs

• Luke Combs noticed them after seeing their first viral TikTok; he commented and eventually invited them on tour.
  • “He was the first big artist...to comment.” (22:13)
  • Their stadium tour debut will be their sixth show together. (22:29)
  • Jake: “We still haven’t met him.” (22:29)
  • Bobby offers reassurance: “He’s great as a dude and looks out for people.”

Outside Projects

• Mackenzie stars as Dr. Samantha on the show “Nashville 911” (explains her brunette hair) and recounts a comical on-set moment mixing up body organs. (28:09)
  • “Not good for a doctor to forget.” – Bobby (28:47)
• Her previous acting work (“Travelers” on Netflix).

Musical Backgrounds

• Jake’s history in Holland with the band The Common Linnets, who opened for Paul McCartney and nearly won Eurovision. (32:12)
  • “In Europe, we were a thing...I was waiting tables at Carrabba’s. Ilsa called me at 2am, said, ‘Can you be in Holland in a week?’” (33:01)
• Both can sing lead—Bobby compares them to Lady A in terms of vocal chemistry.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bobby: “You just randomly said one of the greatest fictional rock bands of all time and didn’t know? Wild Stallions? Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure?” (12:38)
• Danica McKellar (relayed by Bobby): “It was like the best filet mignon I’ve ever tasted...I was embarrassed about how much I loved it.” (07:22)
• Jake: “Sad songs make me happy.” (19:21)
• Mackenzie: “Our daughter heard our song at Mitchell’s Deli before we noticed, said ‘Mama, Dada!’” (23:57)
• On Luke Combs’ invite (Jake): “He was right there from the start in the comments.” (21:58)
• Bobby: “You both are really great vocalists...like a very Lady A ish with Charles and Hillary.” (34:40)
• Mackenzie: (About touring) “We’ve played five shows...about to go on tour.” (18:38)
• On acting as a doctor: “There’s a rule: if you do two roles, you’re at least a resident.” – Bobby (30:13)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:03 – 06:23: Sleep discussion, habits, sleeping aids
• 06:48 – 08:41: Placenta-eating viral story with Danica McKellar
• 10:29 – 12:27: Origin of Thelma & James; band name
• 13:23 – 13:40: The viral TikTok that led to their duo
• 21:10: Parenting advice
• 22:13 – 22:29: How Luke Combs discovered and invited them on tour
• 28:09: Mackenzie talks acting as a doctor on “Nashville 911”
• 32:12 – 34:00: Jake’s European band background
• 34:40: Lady A comparison, duo dynamic

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Additional Details

• Unexpected paths: Jake's journey from South Carolina to Holland, back to Nashville, and eventually forming Thelma & James with his wife.
• Humorous behind-the-scenes stories from cruises, parenthood, and the oddest advice/products for babies.
• Mackenzie balances motherhood, acting, and music simultaneously.
• Closing games include a lively “Name That Celebrity” segment and good-natured trash talk among the cast.

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Social & Where to Find Thelma & James

• Instagram/TikTok: @thelmaandjamesmusic

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Summary

This episode is a showcase of authenticity and serendipity—two working musicians who stumbled (almost accidentally) into forming a duo, finding viral success, and heading out on an arena tour, all while being hands-on parents. Their chemistry and stories, both personal and professional, shine through, with Bobby providing both humor and heartfelt enthusiasm. Even amidst sleep struggles and viral placenta stories, the heart of the episode is about creative partnership, family, and finding new adventures together.

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For fans of country music, young parenthood, or just great behind-the-scenes stories from the world of entertainment, this episode is a must-listen.

Transcript

[Mackenzie Porter]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Bobby Bones]

Guaranteed Human

[Charlamagne Tha God]

peace to the planet. Charlamagne Tha God here. And listen, we are back. The Black Effect Podcast Festival is back in Atlanta on April 25th at Pullman Yard. Yeah, and the full lineup is nuts. We got the Grits and Age Podcast, Deontay Kyle and Big Ice Cup Cat. We got Club 520 with Jeff Teague and the gang. Yeah, yeah, don't call me White Girl. Mona will be there. Keep it positive, sweetie. With Crystal Renee. We got Reality with the King, with Carlos King. And yes, Drink Champ will be in the building.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Plus, you know we're gonna have a lot of guests, so you need to join us. And we got the Black Effect Marketplace, the picture podcast, and everything you expect from the Black Effect Podcast Festival. Tickets are on sale right now. Go get [e-mail] podcast festival. Don't play yourself. Okay, pull up.

[Eddie]

I'm Clayton Eckerd. In 2022, I was the lead of ABC's the Bachelor.

[Mackenzie Porter]

But here's the Bachelor.

[Amber Grimes]

Fans hated him.

[Eddie]

If I could press a button and rewind it all, I would.

[Bobby Bones]

That's when his life took a disturbing turn.

[Amber Grimes]

A one night stand would end in a courtroom.

[Amy]

The media is here.

[Mackenzie Porter]

This case has gone viral.

[Eddie]

The dating contract.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Agree to date me, but I'm also suing you.

[Bobby Bones]

This is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

[Mackenzie Porter]

I'm Stephanie Young.

[Amber Grimes]

Listen to Love trapped on the iHeartRadio

[Mackenzie Porter]

app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amber Grimes]

It's the new me and it's the old them. This Women's History Month. The podcast if youf Knew Better with Amber Grimes spotlights women who turn missteps into momentum and lessons into power.

[Bobby Bones]

My, like, tunnel vision of, like, I gotta achieve this was off.

[Amber Grimes]

The strengths of, like, I wanna make a better life for us. If youf Knew Better brings real talk from women who've lived it, unpacking career pivots, relationship lessons, and the mindset shifts that changed everything. Listen to if youf Knew Better with Amber grimes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your PODC.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Then she says, have you seen a photo of my son? And I'm like, who is this person?

[Bobby Bones]

Welcome to the Boys and Girls Podcast. Arranged marriage is basically a reality show

[Amy]

and you're auditioning for your soulmate.

[Bobby Bones]

And who's judging? Only your entire family. I sacrificed myself to this ancient tradition hoping to find love the right way. And instead I found chaos comedy and a lot of cringe. Listen to boys and Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amber Grimes]

When segregation was a law, one mysterious black club owner, Charlie Fitzgerald, had his own rules.

[Bobby Bones]

Segregation in the day, integration at night. It was like stepping in another world.

[Amber Grimes]

Was he a businessman? A criminal? A hero?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Charlie was an example of power.

[Bobby Bones]

They had to crush him.

[Amber Grimes]

Charlie's Place from Atlas Obscura and visit Myrtle Beach. Listen to Charlie's place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bobby Bones]

Come on. All right. What do you have over there?

[Amy]

Well, so I feel like with all our information, when it comes to sleep, we should be sleeping better, right?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I understand why you would say that, because we're. We're learning more scientifically about it, but at the same time, we're now getting way more anxious because of everything else. I. I hear you.

[Amy]

Oh, yeah. I mean, I guess that's a good point. It's like, oh, we're learning how to sleep, but the world is falling apart.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. That's why.

[Amy]

Yeah. Because I saw a study from Mattress Firm saying that Americans only get 10 perfect night's sleep a month. That's 10 out of 31. So basically, a third of the month, you're getting good sleep.

[Bobby Bones]

When you hear that, do you think that's good or bad?

[Amy]

I don't. I mean, I think it's sad if we think that's good.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, if I were to get 10 good night. And I get it, I. Guys, I'd cut off a pinky if I knew.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

If.

[Bobby Bones]

A pinky toe, not a finger.

[Amy]

You'd cut off a pinky toe for a third.

[Bobby Bones]

For 10 good nights. Asleep a month for the rest of my life? Well, for the next five. Yeah. I just don't. I don't sleep well.

[Amy]

Okay. Yeah. I mean, I guess you're probably not the best person to talk about this because you're like, oh, wow.

[Bobby Bones]

No, I really was like, 10. That's great.

[Eddie]

That's good.

[Amy]

I just ordered an eye mask to put over my eyes at night because I realized some lights are coming through my windows, that even if I. I don't have blackout curtains, but even if I did, I feel like it would still peek through just the way the light comes in. And I ordered the mask, so we'll see if that helps improve my sleep, because I think it's. Finally, I woke up, and I was like, I think this is disrupting my sleep or keeping me from going as deep as I would.

[Bobby Bones]

I have a pretty good mask. The problem is by the time I fall asleep with it on, I wake up and like it's just wrapped around my head. I feel like I'm going to choke myself to death or choke on. It's just somewhere. I just move all over the place when I sleep. I go through seasons and there are times and I'm back on like trying to have take Xanax to fall asleep at night sometimes. And so now it's gotten so bad where I will take it and it can get my heart rate down. And then I keep like a frat, like a crumble of one next to my bed and I wake up and I know I'm not going back to sleep. I just take another one a crumble, one a crumble. I don't like that. But also I have to be. I have to let go of the fact that medicine isn't controlling me because I have hyper awareness of it. But I don't even like to take medicine because I'm like, nothing controls me. Nothing. People, medicine, nothing. But what sucks is for me is this happens about once every year for about a month and a half or so. I'll go through something and I just can't sleep because something's happening in my brain and. And the hardest part is like not taking it. It's a rough couple weeks once I have to get off of taking it because I just do not sleep at all. And I feel miserable and I come

[Amy]

in here and I'm like, do you take magnesium?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, but I don't feel. It makes me feel weird.

[Amy]

Really?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. And even like the unisom now I take that and that's over the counter. It's over the counter. And I was taking that for a while and I couldn't even get my. I felt terrible in the morning, like I could not snap out of it.

[Amy]

Yeah, that's how I am with melatonin. I can't take that. But I can take magnesium. Like I have a little powdered drink that I love. It's kind of a chocolate flavored. But the problem is now I wake up and I have to pee because I'm drinking the powdered chocolatey magnesium to go to sleep.

[Bobby Bones]

No powdered chocolatey and magnesium after 4pm, right guys? That's right. That's the rule.

[Eddie]

It is the rule.

[Amy]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

We have to wear a diaper, man. Hey, that ain't a bad idea. I just would feel weird being in a wet diaper. But sometimes. Do you ever do the fight where it's like, I know I need to

[Eddie]

get up or just pee on myself or.

[Bobby Bones]

No. Or just hold it.

[Amy]

I feel like I hold it and I can go back to sleep and there's no way. You're like, I might as well just get up now, because I'm just prolonging the inevitable.

[Bobby Bones]

Just a battle. I know. In my Bobby cast with Danica McKellar, she played Winnie Cooper. And we talked about a lot of stuff on it and what has oddly went viral. I was not expecting, like, People magazine picked it up, et cetera. She was talking about when she had her son. And, you know, there are a lot of people who say, you know, somehow ingest the placenta. And I thought it was for guys, too. Remember that? I was like, I thought guys ate it, too. Oh, yeah, you're not.

[Amy]

But some people will, like, turn it into a pill cup.

[Bobby Bones]

So this is the part that went viral.

[Amy]

My doula said, do you want to taste the placenta like this? I'd just given birth, and I'm like, sure. I mean, you're not even. You're not in your right mind. She gave me a piece of it, Bobby. It was like the best filet mignon that I have ever tasted. Like. But more, I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed about how much I loved it. It was bizarre. I thought, what is this? Some sort of weird, like, satanic?

[Bobby Bones]

Am I a cannibal?

[Amy]

Am I cannibal? We are meant to have that.

[Bobby Bones]

And we went on, and she was talking about how, upon her further knowledge of it, and just things that we eat that taste good in general, it's because our body needs it sometimes. Like, whatever it is, it's perfect for our body at that time, and it has a great taste to it because our body actually needs it. And she was like, it. She's weird to say, but it tastes so good. You heard her say that?

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Amy]

I mean, that makes me really curious. Like, I won't ever. Unless I have a baby, I won't ever get to experience that. But if I were to randomly get pregnant and be able to do that, I think I would eat it, based on her review.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, how could the.

[Eddie]

That tastes like a steak.

[Amy]

Like, she just sold me on it.

[Bobby Bones]

She's the greatest placenta influencer. But she even said, this is gonna sound weird, and it sounds weird now. So there was no part of her that was going, you must do this.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah.

[Amy]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

She goes, you're not gonna believe this. This is what happened. And this was my reaction to it while it happened. It's crazy.

[Eddie]

It's crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

That podcast, you can listen to it may even be up on this feed today. Does that fe. Or this week?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

This week, yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. So. But you can go to the Bobby Cast feed and listen on podcast or watch on Netflix. But, yeah, that's what went viral from that. Something doesn't always go viral.

[Eddie]

But you know what's crazy about listening to her talk? I can still hear Winnie Cooper, like, just the way she says certain words. It's almost like she's talking to Kevin, you know, like, that's strange.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Amy]

She is a distinct.

[Bobby Bones]

She also still kind of looks like Winnie Cooper.

[Eddie]

Did you tell her that you had a crush on her?

[Bobby Bones]

No, but I did say, is it weird when guys come up to you and go, you were my childhood crush? And she was very diplomatic about it. She was like, no, I'm just happy that, like, Dan, but a little bit. I guess it depends on the guy.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Right? Right.

[Eddie]

For sure.

[Bobby Bones]

No, I was also a little timid about going right into the Wonder Gear stuff, because, again, some people, when they're famous as a kid, they don't just want to always talk about that. But she was super generous. But you could check it out. That one's up. And then today a new one's up. Tom Bergeron.

[Amber Grimes]

Yep.

[Bobby Bones]

We, you know, have our.

[Eddie]

Get.

[Bobby Bones]

Have our beef out. What's it called? Squash our beef.

[Amy]

Oh, squashed the beef.

[Bobby Bones]

We squashed the beef. That's what you say.

[Amy]

Oh, okay.

[Bobby Bones]

We squashed the beef. Because remember when he came at me?

[Eddie]

Oh, yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And I was like, f you. And then we fist fought. None of that happened. I don't remember that. None of that happened. But we did kind of get into it. But that's the Bobby cast that is up to date. Let's go on the Bobby Bones show now. Thelma and James. All right. Let's welcome Thelma and James to the studio. This is confusing for me, but Thelma and James, the group is here. The artist is here. The group. Okay. Mackenzie Porter is. You have to talk to me about the name Thelma and James mackenzie. So please, please tell me.

[Mackenzie Porter]

So really, when we started the project, it all happened super, super fast. And we had written a verse chorus together, and that's it before we got a record deal.

[Bobby Bones]

Who's we?

[Mackenzie Porter]

Me and my husband Jake.

[Bobby Bones]

Got it.

[Amy]

Yes.

[Mackenzie Porter]

And so we got a call from Big Loud, which was my record company being like, we also want to sign your duo because you wrote this first chorus. And they're like, what's the name of the band? And I was like, we have a name. Let me call you Right back. And so we're like, what's her name? What's your name?

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, so you didn't have a name.

[Mackenzie Porter]

But we weren't even trying to be a band. We just wrote a song together one night.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

It was. Yeah, it was three days after our first chorus.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yes.

[Amy]

Wasn't it the first time? I mean, this is what I picked up from the story Superfan Amy over here. Well, what seemed so organic and cool about it is as husband and wife, you're both musicians, but you had never tried to write anything together. And this was your first attempt at it, and it was like magic.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

It's kind. We hadn't written a song in 10 years.

[Amy]

Oh, 10 years.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Met songwriting and then we stopped writing. We just, like, dated and got married and had a baby and. Yeah.

[Amy]

So a 10 year hiatus and then bam.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yes, we wrote.

[Bobby Bones]

You never wrote anything.

[Mackenzie Porter]

We, like. He would write a song and I would maybe like, edit his song or he would edit mine or like, you know, but not.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Not in an official sense. Never a song.

[Bobby Bones]

What was the verse, chorus?

[Mackenzie Porter]

It was a song called Happy Ever after your.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you guys still know that one?

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah.

[Amy]

Oh, yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Because, I mean, we're just rolling here.

[Amy]

Yeah, they do.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

That was. Yeah. Retune.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

That was the first one we.

[Bobby Bones]

Can I tell you how I. Cause obviously Mackenzie and I have met before and we have, like, real life mutual friends. And I saw. Because your hair wasn't as dark when I used to know you.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

And then I saw a video of you two on TikTok singing together. And I was like, that. That doesn't look like Thelma. That was Mackenzie. And so it was you two. And then it kind of. All this kind of happened.

[Mackenzie Porter]

It all happened like. Yeah, the name change. I mean, so back to the name change. Thelma is my middle name. And Jake's real name is James, legally.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yes.

[Mackenzie Porter]

So that's where the name came from.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

So nobody can make fun of us if we were like the Wild Stallions.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, yeah. Hey, great reference. You know what that is? You know what Wild Stallions is?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

[Eddie]

Wait, you didn't know that?

[Bobby Bones]

You didn't know that? You just said Wild Stallions.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

No, I haven't seen Bill and Teddy Ted's all the way through.

[Bobby Bones]

You just randomly said one of the greatest fictional rock bands of all time and didn't know is a fictional. Great.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I didn't even know it was a rock band. No. Yeah. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Bill S. Preston, Ted Theodore Logan. Oh, my God. Okay.

[Mackenzie Porter]

That was the Runner Up. Name for us. No.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay. Do that. Verse and chorus. That.

[Amy]

Sure.

[Bobby Bones]

That kind of started it. All right. Okay.

[Amber Grimes]

Sure.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, I'm sorry. We can't post the live performance on the podcast, but if you go to our YouTube page, you can watch it there or maybe listen live. Okay. All right, now back to the podcast. Dang. That's awesome.

[Amy]

So good.

[Bobby Bones]

And so you guys didn't write the rest. You literally just wrote that?

[Mackenzie Porter]

Well, it was just one night.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I was like, well, it was 9pm when we started. Okay.

[Mackenzie Porter]

There was no. We weren't trying to be a band. We were just like, we haven't written let's write Tonight. I was having a bum night, and I just wanted to write a song.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie Porter]

He was the closest person to write a song. And so we wrote it and, like, next day, put it up on TikTok,

[Bobby Bones]

you know, did it do the thing where it popped and you were like, oh, holy crap.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, we.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

That afternoon. Yeah, it was doing, like. It was doing okay. It was. We woke up that morning.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

We woke up with Bowen Millionaires.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

And we're like, hey, you woke up Millionaires. Yeah.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Or at least, like, tens of dollars.

[Bobby Bones]

So then your same label signed you twice.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

That's pretty cool. Well, then how do they decide which one they want to do what?

[Mackenzie Porter]

Well, right now, we're definitely focusing on our project. I think I'll put out a single as, like, MacKenzie eventually again. But this seems to be working. We're having fun, and I don't know, it just feels good. So we're just riding it.

[Bobby Bones]

So they were on the cruise, and they were performing on the cruise. And how this. The real version of it works is that it's weird to call you McKenzie. It's Thelma.

[Mackenzie Porter]

I don't go by Thelma.

[Bobby Bones]

I know that, but I'm just saying it's like. But then people are like, who's mackenzie? You're talking to Thelma and Jay. So mackenzie who, AKA Thelma, again, I have a very close friend in my life that she is very close with that friend. And I text my friend, and I was like, hey, I've only met her once. She cool.

[Eddie]

Like.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, real. Like, real life cool. Cause there's a version of, like, Nashville, you know, you see somebody cool, or are they, like, real life cool where you could, like, trust them? She's like, she's the coolest. I said, okay. So I got MacKenzie's number, and I texted her. We were on the boat, and they were like, hey, you should promote that. Thelma and James are playing. And I was like, okay, I'll just text them. And I was having a real. I was having real trouble with the crowd because this woman got really drunk. Yeah. Yeah. And so I thought we had played a bunch of songs and I said, let's get somebody good down here. And I'm promoting you guys at the same time. So you guys came, you crushed it. It was amazing. And I became the biggest Delmay James fan. Bought all the shirts and so went up and watched you guys show on the boat. And then I told Scuba. I was like, we have to get them in, like, as soon as we come back. And so you guys spent a week on the boat?

[Mackenzie Porter]

We spent. We just got off.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah, I'm just losing my sea legs right now. Yeah.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Actually, that day on the boat, we talked about. We have a present for you about something we chatted about on the boat.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, is it. Is it something that makes the baby poop?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah. I mean, depending on what you have for lunch, it could help you out later.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, I know what we talked about. We even took a picture. This was the funniest part of it. We were gonna take a picture. I was like, hey, let's take a picture. And this guy's like, I got it. I'm a great picture taker.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

And it was maybe the worst picture

[Bobby Bones]

I've ever seen of all of us.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Terrible.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

He did have an air of confidence that made me.

[Bobby Bones]

He was like, dude, I got this picture. Yeah, he worked on the boat. He was like. He was doing angles, like, flash. Like covering some of the flash with his hand. It was the worst picture that could have been taken. It looked like something they took when they put the thing over their head. Like old days. Yeah, old days where they pulled it.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

It kinda looked like a 90s Game Boy when the Game Boy Snap had it. Anyways, so I.

[Bobby Bones]

And I was like, here's me. It's Elma and James. Kinda.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And so. Yeah, that's.

[Mackenzie Porter]

We're much better looking than that. All of us.

[Bobby Bones]

All of us. Let's see what I got here.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Now that's a classic.

[Bobby Bones]

So that's classic is Sophie la Giraffe.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yes.

[Mackenzie Porter]

If you have kids, you probably know it's the best chew toy.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

And then now this next one. This the application on this next one. This is priceless.

[Bobby Bones]

This is the one that Jake was telling me about. He said you should stick this in the baby's butt. And then the baby poops when the baby won't poop.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

A nice whistle it.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Whistles first and really see, it does.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

It's like a tornado warning. It's like something's coming. Oh.

[Bobby Bones]

So when the air comes, it's like a tea kettle. So, you know, it's done and it's ready to go.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Let me tell you that sometimes it's delayed. So, like, the first time we use it on our daughter, you use it if they're like constipated. And we use it on our daughter and it whistled and I'm like, okay, nothing's like happening, whatever. So I kind of like stand her up. Bam.

[Bobby Bones]

All over.

[Mackenzie Porter]

It is like sprayed on the wall, like, oh, no. It was very messy. So just a couple of delayed.

[Bobby Bones]

You brought your daughter on the cruise?

[Mackenzie Porter]

We did, yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And how did that go?

[Mackenzie Porter]

It was good.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

She became everybody's friend. We were swimming in the ocean in Bimini and somebody got in the water and they go, hi, Bowen.

[Bobby Bones]

I was like, oh, hi.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

They knew her. They didn't know me.

[Mackenzie Porter]

She's this little socialite. Like, she loves being out in public more than the two of us do. So she's definitely a little extrovert.

[Bobby Bones]

How'd you guys meet?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Songwriting. Yeah. So we met songwriting and then quit songwriting.

[Bobby Bones]

Was it a good song you guys wrote the first time together?

[Mackenzie Porter]

I don't think so.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

All the king's horses and all the king's men.

[Amy]

That was the title.

[Bobby Bones]

You guys wrote that nursery rhyme?

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

You wrote Humpty Dumpty? Holy crap.

[Mackenzie Porter]

We made so much money, we stopped.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

That was a line within it, but I can't remember the rest of it.

[Mackenzie Porter]

It was with Jake's ex. It was at Jake's ex girlfriend's fiance's house. Very weird.

[Bobby Bones]

That's too many layers.

[Mackenzie Porter]

I know. Who is Rodney Adkins?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yes.

[Mackenzie Porter]

So it was weird. That's how we met.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, congratulations on meeting. I think it's going to work out for you guys.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

That's cool.

[Bobby Bones]

What do you. And I hope this is not too much to ask so people may know Mackenzie from a number one song with Dustin Lynch. Do you guys play that song?

[Mackenzie Porter]

No, we will play.

[Bobby Bones]

But you don't play it normally.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

No, no.

[Bobby Bones]

You played it that.

[Mackenzie Porter]

I played it that night because I

[Bobby Bones]

felt I wouldn't have asked had I not seen you play it. I'm doing it. Like, I don't know if I can do this.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Oh, no, no. We played it on the ship. I guess that was the first time just because I felt like those. That crowd would, like, know it, but not in our shows normally. I mean, we've had five shows we're about to go on tour and we've played five.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

This is like show number six, man, so.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, yeah. The guarantee for this show, not very good, guys. Do you care? Will you play it?

[Mackenzie Porter]

No, of course. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

We will definitely play.

[Mackenzie Porter]

We kind of worked up a little, like, Thelma and James version of it.

[Bobby Bones]

I love that.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Even better.

[Bobby Bones]

So Thelma and James is here. And so Mackenzie Porter and Dustin Lich had this song, Thinking about yout. And so if you guys don't mind playing it, here they are, Thelma and James, everybody. That's awesome, guys. You guys are so good.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Thanks, man.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Like the emo sad version of it.

[Bobby Bones]

I like emo sad everything, though. Like, the only music that I literally listen to is sad stuff. I told Kenny Chesney, I don't like Beach Chesney. I like sad Kenny. I like when I can just, like, know the lyrics and feel miserable.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Me too.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Sad songs make me happy. Batty Griffin.

[Eddie]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

And the song I've probably listened to most in my life, two songs, Everybody Hurts, REM Round Here. Counting Crows. How sad is that?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Oh, around here. That was the SNL thing they did that blew him up, right?

[Bobby Bones]

Well, sort of. So they went and they wanted to. SNL wanted them to play Mr. Jones first. And they were like, nah. And they almost left and didn't do the show at all. And then they went on to play around here instead.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Is that the YouTube video?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I make her watch that YouTube video probably like once every three months. So maybe every quarter. I'm like, hey, have you seen this gnarled up VHS footage of this round here?

[Bobby Bones]

Are you a County Crows fan?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

My favorite band.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

We just become best friends.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah. But I hadn't seen that video until last year, actually, so it's a cool story.

[Bobby Bones]

And they almost got kicked off, and I like that. Okay, you have a degree in audio engineering.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Is that true? It's not a degree. It's like certificate.

[Bobby Bones]

What's the difference? I got a certificate in CPR and I call it a degree then.

[Mackenzie Porter]

I have a degree.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I have a degree in cpr. We did baby cpr.

[Mackenzie Porter]

You did?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. And you know, that's crazy.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Did you do the other classes, like the.

[Bobby Bones]

You know, which one else did we do? I did scottling. What's it called? Scottling.

[Amy]

Squaddling.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Don't scott.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Don't scottdle.

[Bobby Bones]

I did a swaddling class. Well, it was a whole class where it was like, swaddling. I did a diaper change. I learned that you put a diaper below before you change. Do you guys do that technique?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Oh, yeah. Well, you better. Yeah, well, that's. When the windy. You got to get that extra diaper. It's a whole stingray.

[Bobby Bones]

So did that thing. What's your advice?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I always have. I always have a wipe in hand at all times.

[Bobby Bones]

He pulls on one. Now.

[Mackenzie Porter]

What's your. What's our advice? I don't know.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Like, I thought it was a changing diaper advice.

[Bobby Bones]

No, just baby in general, I think. Lean into the microphone. Yeah.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Everybody else says this, but, like, every phase is so fast, and I feel like if it's, like, a frustrating phase, like the sleeping or whatever, it goes by so fast like that. It's not that bad, I think. And. And the. If your wife is breastfeeding, the lactation place at St. Thomas Chef's Kiss.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah. Shout out to the St. Thomas lactation ladies.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah, they're awesome.

[Bobby Bones]

You just go by on, like, a

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Wednesday or, like, a restaurant, you bring them a Wendy's number five.

[Bobby Bones]

It's like swinging by True food. Go by for a lactation. So are you guys going out with Luke Combs?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yes, I think so. Yes.

[Mackenzie Porter]

We started our first rehearsal today.

[Bobby Bones]

That's cool.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

How'd that happen?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

We still. We're still not quite sure.

[Amy]

Okay, well, wait. If my memory is serving me correctly here, when y' all posted your first snippet, he was one of the comments that was like, this is amazing. Right there.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

He was. He was right there from, like, in the comments.

[Amy]

He wasn't, like, physically there.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

No, he wasn't physically there in my heart.

[Amy]

Yeah. But I felt like. I think when it popped up on my thing and then, yeah, you could go through and see, like, all of the artists in town that were, like, praising the song. I felt like I was like, he

[Mackenzie Porter]

was the first, like, big artist, or I think maybe the first artist to comment. And then he commented on the next video, and it was like, a funny joke. I'm like, is Luke gonna comment on this one? And then he just reached out to our team and asked.

[Bobby Bones]

Wow.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

How organically cool.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah, it was.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

We still haven't met him.

[Mackenzie Porter]

No, we. But, like, when I say, like, the first stadium tour in two weeks in Vegas will be, like, our sixth show together.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, rest assured, he's great just as a dude, and, like, he looks out for people, so you'll love that. Did I ever comment any of them? Because I don't comment on much. If you don't remember, then I didn't.

[Mackenzie Porter]

I don't think you Did a lot of times.

[Bobby Bones]

I comment. I know I comment in my heart, in my head, but I know I don't. I have a trouble liking and commenting on stuff. Just generally. I do. Like, internally.

[Amy]

I don't think I saw your.

[Bobby Bones]

I know I don't.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Amy, you. I think you have.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't think.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I don't think I saw it either. Bobby.

[Amy]

No support.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm going over now. I think there's something here. Someone should sign them, be like, y'

[Amy]

all should record this.

[Bobby Bones]

This should be a thing.

[Mackenzie Porter]

A year later. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

How long has been married?

[Mackenzie Porter]

Seven years we've been together. Yeah, 12.

[Bobby Bones]

And then you've been together 12? Uh huh. Oh, yeah. You guys have really been together.

[Mackenzie Porter]

We've been cooking it. We're in it.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

We've been cooking. We've.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah, we've grown up together.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you guys have any sort of boundaries on music or home, or do you just.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Well, we used to, I think, back in the day. Yeah, it was all right. We'd just listen to each other's songs and then be done with music for the day.

[Amy]

Mm.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I think it's easier now because we do work together. We go to work and then we come home and we quit working. Whereas before, we might bring work home.

[Amy]

Mm.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah. No. No real boundaries, though.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, I bet it's great to be an artist together, though, with a baby, because a baby can go with both.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Mm.

[Mackenzie Porter]

It definitely helps.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

It's like she also knows all the songs now because she hears them a lot.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah. We were in the restaurant the other day and our song came on and she heard it before we even noticed, and she's like, mama, Dada. Yeah, it was really cute.

[Bobby Bones]

I think you just skipped a headline. You're at a restaurant, your song came on.

[Eddie]

That's awesome.

[Amy]

Yeah. That's a crowd.

[Bobby Bones]

That's like the first sign.

[Mackenzie Porter]

What was it? It was Mitchell's Deli.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Mitchell's Deli, East Nashville.

[Bobby Bones]

That's awesome.

[Mackenzie Porter]

It was pretty cool.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. That's one of those moments where you're like, holy cow. Like, something's happening.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, who knows what it is, but something's happening.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Bones.

[Amber Grimes]

Support is available 247 with Verbo Care. We're here day or night, ready whenever you need help, because a great trip starts with the right support. On the Adventures of Curiosity Cove podcast, what if the right fit isn't what everyone expects? In the case of the right fit, Ella explores movement, confidence, and belonging and learns that not all strength looks the same. Tennis is powerful, fast, focused, and kind of fun.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Strong swing, Ella.

[Amber Grimes]

This Women's History Month story introduces kids to women who change sports by trusting themselves and moving differently. A thoughtful episode about identity, courage, and helping kids discover where they truly belong. So it's okay if I'm not quite sure what my thing is yet? It's absolutely okay. When and if you do find a sport you love, you may be the next Gertrude, Tony, or Venus at Curiosity Cove. Listen to adventures of Curiosity Cove every Monday from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bobby Bones]

I went and sat on the little ottoman in front of him. Hi dad. And just when I said that, my mom comes out of the kitchen and she says, I have some cookies and milk. There's this badass convict, right? Just finished five years. I'm gonna have cookies and milk at Mom.

[Eddie]

On the Cena Show Podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trejl talk about addiction, transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with guests like Tiffany Haddish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm an alcoholic and without this program, I'm gonna die. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search the

[Eddie]

Cino show and listen now.

[Bobby Bones]

This is the biggest night in podcasting. The countdown is on to our 2026 iHeart podcast awards. Live from south by Southwest, March 16th. We'll honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebr celebrate the most innovative, talented creators in the industry. It's truly a who's who of the podcasting world. Creativity, knowledge and passion will all be on full display. And the winner of the iheart podcast award is. See all the nominees [e-mail] podcast awards

[Amber Grimes]

Audible is a proud sponsor of the Audible Audio Pioneer Award. Explore the best selection of audiobooks, podcasts and originals all in one easy app. Audible. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free [e-mail] every morning is another chance to enjoy your favorite cup of coffee with Nespresso Vertuo up effortlessly craft bold coffee over ice or milk at the click of a button. Nespresso your coffee your way. Virtuo up [e-mail] will you guys play

[Bobby Bones]

a Thelma and James song.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yes, please. Which one would you like to play?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

We got a brand new spanker.

[Bobby Bones]

Then do do the spanker. We were just Talking. We were like, if they do the spanker, we're gonna leave happy.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yep. There we go.

[Bobby Bones]

Here's Thelma and James. The name of it is if you

[Mackenzie Porter]

ain't love by now.

[Bobby Bones]

Say it again.

[Mackenzie Porter]

If you ain't love by now.

[Bobby Bones]

There you go. God dang, you guys are so good. That's crazy. Yeah, you're so good. I don't. Sometimes I lie, but not that hard. Sometimes I'm like, hey, how about that? You guys are really good. That's really cool.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Thanks, man.

[Eddie]

Thank you.

[Bobby Bones]

Are you doing the Nashville 911 show?

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yes. That's why my hair is dark. So. Yes. I play the, like, main doctor on the show. And they were like, she can't be blonde. She has to be brunette.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Well, she's Nashville's best doctor.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yes. I can do lots of surgeries. I saved a lot of lives. If you guys need anybody, I'm a girl. Actually, there's, like, one funny scene. I was doing, like, an open cavity, like, whole chest cavity surgery. And they're like, okay, you're gonna grab out the. What was it? The kidney. I forget something out of, like, hey,

[Bobby Bones]

not good for a doctor to forget. I'm gonna be honest with you.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Well, it gets worse. They're like, top left. Just like, take out.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

What was it?

[Mackenzie Porter]

I can't remember. Some organ. Take out the top left organ. And, like, you're gonna be like, I got the kidney. And I was like, got it. So I do it, and it's like a whole prosthetic piece. There's blood everywhere.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

It looks pretty nice.

[Mackenzie Porter]

It looks really cool. I go reach it out. I'm like, I got the kidney. And they're like, mackenzie, that's the heart. Put it back. Grab the kidney. I was like, sorry about that. So I'm. You don't maybe want me as your

[Bobby Bones]

doctor, but what is your name on the show?

[Mackenzie Porter]

Samantha.

[Bobby Bones]

And how has that been?

[Mackenzie Porter]

It's been really fun. It's been like. I mean, the cast is awesome. I have a husband on the show. He's awesome. It's just been amazing, man.

[Bobby Bones]

Why did you have the husband in there?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I know. And that. He's awesome.

[Bobby Bones]

She could have just, like, completely left that out.

[Mackenzie Porter]

You've met him? Yeah, I've had several husbands.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

He's pretty awesome.

[Eddie]

Hey, that's even worse. You met him.

[Bobby Bones]

How did you get. How did you get that job?

[Mackenzie Porter]

I've been acting for a long time,

[Bobby Bones]

so I know that.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

I mean, like, you did audition.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yes. Yeah, I auditioned for it, and they. For a long Time is like, she's top choice. But it was like two months later, I hadn't heard anything. And then finally the next day, they're like, you got it. We're dying your hair tomorrow and you start, you know, in six hours.

[Bobby Bones]

How long are those days?

[Mackenzie Porter]

Long? Like 15, 16 hour days.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Mackenzie Porter]

And we. Our studio's out in Franklin and so, like, it's an hour drive there. 16 hours, our drive back.

[Bobby Bones]

I should say this because you did Travelers on Netflix.

[Mackenzie Porter]

I played a doctor on that show too. So, like, I think I'm a doctor.

[Bobby Bones]

There's a rule, if you do two roles, you're at least a resident. Congratulations, guys. You guys are really good. I'll say it again, like, it's. That's the kind of music I like. And I don't know if that matters and it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme, but you guys play the kind of music I like and so, yeah, you're both really good. And Jake, where'd you come from?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

South Carolina. Yeah. Go Cox. Usc.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you go to school there?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah, yeah. Marketing and management degree. Not really using it, but.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you think you would do that?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I think. Did I think I would go to school?

[Bobby Bones]

No. Market or manage?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I didn't think so.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you do music the whole time?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

The whole time.

[Bobby Bones]

So did you play the, like, bars? Did you. Columbia. Bounce around?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah, it was Columbia. I had a band. We toured out of Columbia and that's. We toured to Nashville and that's when I fell in love with Nashville.

[Bobby Bones]

What was the name of the band? Wild Stallions. Please God.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Well, actually, when I met Lewis, I was in that band. It's called Cherry Case. But that's a throwback. I mean, that's throwback to college for sure. So nobody's gonna know the name of that band.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you guys do covers or your originals?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I was all originals.

[Bobby Bones]

Whenever you moved here, were you still thinking, cherrycase can make it?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

That was still the plan. Some of the band members came with me. That was the idea. I stuck with that for a couple years before not.

[Bobby Bones]

Why not like it.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

It was just not the identity. I was writing every day. I was the only guy in the band writing every day playing writing rounds. So it was just what I was doing. Wasn't really identifying with what a band was.

[Bobby Bones]

Was there a time when you thought, I'm now really going to focus on the publishing, the writing part of it, or were you always in your mind, maybe I'll be Jake. Maybe I'll be Jake. Who knows? But were you still in your mind thinking somehow maybe an artist, like a solo artist.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I think I was just trying to do whatever I could. So I was writing a lot and then I. I got in a band over in Holland for about five years.

[Bobby Bones]

The country?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah. And out of Amsterdam. Oh, so interesting. Yeah, it was a pretty big, like,

[Amy]

up the street in.

[Bobby Bones]

Me too. I was like, I don't know Holland, Tennessee. I know Antioch. I don't know.

[Mackenzie Porter]

They've, like, open for, like, McCartney. It was huge over there.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah, we did. Yeah, we. Yeah, we. In. In. In Europe. We were a thing. So that was a sidebar.

[Bobby Bones]

What was the name of that band?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

It's called the Common Line. It's.

[Bobby Bones]

You're in the Common Line. It's. I'm just kidding. I never heard of you.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I literally. I was like, there's no way. I was like, there's no way that's you.

[Bobby Bones]

Wait, so you. Did you move over there and then start, or did you move over there? I like how.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I don't understand what made me think of it, because you were talking about. What did I do? I was writing a lot and then I was writing with Rob Crosby, who's a writer in town, and he had been writing for Ilsa Delong, who's a Dutch artist for years. Anyway, she heard some songs we wrote, decided to have me help write the record for her new side project, which was the Common Linux. We all. Me and a group wrote the record and then when the record came out, we all became the band.

[Mackenzie Porter]

They were on Eurovision and stuff.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah, like that.

[Bobby Bones]

You did Eurovision?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah. That band, they got second place. We lost the. No way. The bearded. The bearded woman. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Eurovision's crazy.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

And the thing is, is I wasn't quite. I was in the band right after Eurovision, so. Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Wait, so you didn't do Eurovision?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I didn't do Eurovision.

[Bobby Bones]

I retract, Mike. I retract.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Mike Sideman.

[Amy]

I thought you wrote it, though.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I wrote the song. There's some comp. There's some things I won't speak about. We weren't in the band until about a week after Eurovision happened, just because some stuff went down. So, like all the hoopla after Eurovision, I was waiting tables at Carrabba's. Ilsa called me at 2am, said, hey, can you be in Holland in a week or to tour? I was like, yes. And then by the end of that week, I was on a German flight and the man was reading the newspaper and he reached over me, he said, hey, he says, you're on ze front page. And there I was. And then I came back home and waited tables again.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you guys do Broken but Home?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah. How do you know that song?

[Bobby Bones]

Are you kidding?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

How do you know that song? For real, though?

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, Google watch Luggage.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

You suck, man. You suck.

[Eddie]

We all fell for it.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I really.

[Bobby Bones]

That's such an interesting story, though. That's an interesting musical life that you have lived.

[Mackenzie Porter]

That's some fast Googling.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah, man. So also very secret.

[Bobby Bones]

That's what I'm known for, Mackenzie. Fast Googling. That's super cool. So you came back to Nashville. Did you ever think about staying in Holland and, like, doing music?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I still do. Yeah. I'm kidding.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Thanks.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

No, not really. We.

[Mackenzie Porter]

We were dating.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

We were together.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, got it. Did you ever go to Holland to see him? Mm.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yep. I guess. Just one time.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Just one time.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Because you were filming Travelers the whole time.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yep.

[Bobby Bones]

Now, you guys have an interesting story. Both of you guys do. And you're both. Here's the. This is the true thing and the odd thing. You both are really great vocalists. A lot of times, you know, somebody had their roles, but you guys both could sing leads. And I think it's, like, very Lady A ish with Charles and Hillary. But, yeah, you guys are really good. Amy. Anything for them. I feel like I've been glazing over an hour. I just keep telling them how good they are.

[Amy]

No, I love that they're in here. And that was great.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay.

[Amy]

You covered pretty much everything.

[Bobby Bones]

You think so?

[Amber Grimes]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

You should introduce.

[Mackenzie Porter]

This is also one of our best friends.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

This is. This is one of our best friends. He's also producing us. His name is Lewis Johnson. He goes by Lonus.

[Eddie]

Hey, guys.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Hey.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Or Lou Daddy.

[Bobby Bones]

Is it Lonus? They really call you that? I didn't call you Lonus when I met you. That's my. That's my artist project and really my production name. Yeah. Louis Johnson is fraught with lots of other producers and musicians. Name naming the. The famous bassist that played with, like,

[Eddie]

you know, Jackson 5.

[Bobby Bones]

And of course. Of course I knew that. They may not, but I'm glad you told them. Yeah. He was like Quincy Jones bass player Louis Johnson. So a lot of my credits go to him. So I go by Lonus to help ease that pain.

[Amber Grimes]

One and only.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Well, you guys are phenomenal. Congratulations on going out with Luke. Congrats on having a great song. How's the song going? Like, what's.

[Mackenzie Porter]

It just came out. So we're just kind of like, you know, just waiting. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

All right.

[Mackenzie Porter]

I Think.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Twiddling our thumbs. Yeah. Crossing our fingers.

[Mackenzie Porter]

It feels good, though.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

We like. We like it an awful lot.

[Bobby Bones]

You know, we'll see.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, we'll see how it goes. I'm still undecided, but I think by the end of the day, I'll give you guys feedback on if I think it's good or not.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Okay.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Beautiful.

[Bobby Bones]

No, it's awesome.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I'll look out for that comment.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Yeah, just send like a thumbs down in our comment section or thumbs up

[Bobby Bones]

that Thelma and James. You guys go. Thelma and James music on Instagram. But what is it on TikTok? Same. Thelma, James.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

I think it's the same thing.

[Mackenzie Porter]

The same. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Thelma and James music on TikTok. It's where I first discovered them and commented on their song, and I was like, man, this song is great. Really happy for you guys. Thank you for coming to play the show today. Thanks for having us and hopefully we'll see you guys again soon. No, they are Thelma and James, everybody.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Thank you.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Thanks, guys.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Thank you.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, here's Amy and I with another edition of Name that Celebrity. We're both wearing names of celebrities on our heads, and we have to guess by asking yes or no questions. We're trying to get the celebrity on our own head.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Bones.

[Bobby Bones]

First one to name the celebrity on their head.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Ready?

[Amy]

Ready.

[Bobby Bones]

Go.

[Eddie]

First.

[Amy]

Am I a woman?

[Bobby Bones]

No.

[Amy]

I'm a man.

[Bobby Bones]

Am I a man?

[Amy]

No. So we're both. Am I married?

[Bobby Bones]

No.

[Amy]

Single man.

[Bobby Bones]

Am I over 40?

[Amy]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

40 plus woman?

[Amy]

Yeah. Oh, it's me. Am I an actor?

[Bobby Bones]

No. And I'm giving you the direct answer. Last time I got some crap because I. Well, if there's nuance, I'll tell you. There's nuance.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Okay.

[Eddie]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

No.

[Amy]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

Am I in music?

[Amy]

No. Am I in music?

[Bobby Bones]

No.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

What?

[Bobby Bones]

Am I an actor?

[Amy]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Some 40 plus female actor. Okay.

[Amy]

I'm a man. Not married. Am I an athlete?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. Am I mostly known as a movie star?

[Amy]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

I think I got it.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

I think I got it. No way. I think I got it.

[Amy]

This is way too soon.

[Bobby Bones]

Go ahead.

[Amy]

Have I ever been married?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes.

[Amy]

I'm a divorced athlete.

[Bobby Bones]

Am I Gwyneth Paltrow?

[Amy]

No. Dang. Do you should. Is there a punishment for guessing and.

[Bobby Bones]

No. It's just my guess. Now it goes back over to you.

[Amy]

Okay. So we can do that. Okay. Was I a quarterback?

[Bobby Bones]

This game is stupid. This game is so stupid.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Why?

[Amy]

Because I can open it. Was I a quarterback?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. Okay, so now I have to get it because you know who it is.

[Amy]

I don't know for sure. I only know one divorced quarterback, though.

[Bobby Bones]

Exactly. Can I come through with the most clutch Guess here? 40 plus actress. So it's a 40 plus actress that's not in music and is known mostly for actress. Am I Helen Mirren?

[Eddie]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

Dang it. Go.

[Amy]

I mean, I can drag this out if you want to.

[Bobby Bones]

If you know it, go for it.

[Amy]

Okay. Am I Tom Brady?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. Look at it.

[Amy]

Okay. Well, I mean, yeah.

[Mackenzie Porter]

Tom.

[Eddie]

Oh.

[Bobby Bones]

Julia Roberts. Oh. In case you're wondering, Amy had Tom Brady on her head, and I had Julia Roberts on my head. So Amy won again. Bones. Okay, here's another round of Name the Celebrity on youn Head. It's Eddie and I playing Name that Celebrity. Welcome to the game.

[Eddie]

Thank you.

[Bobby Bones]

Guess the celebrity on your head.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Ready?

[Eddie]

I'm ready.

[Bobby Bones]

I'll you go first.

[Eddie]

Am I a woman?

[Bobby Bones]

No. Am I a man?

[Eddie]

Yes. Two men battling it out. Am I an actor?

[Bobby Bones]

No. Not, Not. No.

[Eddie]

Not, Not. No.

[Amber Grimes]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

The answer's no. Have you acted a bit?

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. But you're not known as an actor. Huh? Okay, do you want nuance like that or. No.

[Eddie]

I mean, no, not from you. Okay, fair enough.

[Bobby Bones]

No, you're not an actor.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

Am I in music?

[Eddie]

Yes. Am I also in music?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes.

[Eddie]

Two men, musicians.

[Bobby Bones]

Am I in country music?

[Eddie]

Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

Let's go.

[Eddie]

Am I also in country music?

[Bobby Bones]

You're just hitting me with the same thing I'm asking you. You're mirroring me. It's not. If you're the same person, that would be funny. No, you're not. Country music.

[Eddie]

Oh, okay. Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

Was I big in the 90s?

[Eddie]

No. I'm a man. I'm a musician, but not country music. Am I a solo artist?

[Bobby Bones]

Yes. Am I under 40?

[Eddie]

I don't think so. No. Am I a rock star? As in rock and roll rockstar, baby?

[Bobby Bones]

No.

[Eddie]

Oh, I'm not. Mm.

[Bobby Bones]

Mm. Have I met me?

[Eddie]

You have met you. Yes. Yes. Okay. I'm not a rock star. Did I say. What did you say with solo artist? I don't remember that. Am I a rapper?

[Bobby Bones]

No. Oh, crap. Am I from America?

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Dang it.

[Bobby Bones]

There goes Keith Urban.

[Eddie]

Darn it.

[Bobby Bones]

That's how I was leading towards.

[Eddie]

All right, okay, okay. He's not a rapper. He's not a country star. He's not a rock star. So he's a pop. Maybe a pop musician. Ooh. Hmm. Am I a white man? Why are you laughing?

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

No.

[Eddie]

Why is this funny?

[Bobby Bones]

No, you're not white. Oh, okay. The room laughing shouldn't be able to give you.

[Eddie]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

Hmm. Am I alive?

[Eddie]

You're alive. As of right now, I think you're alive.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Ah.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, there goes that one. Hi, Toby Keith. That's my next guess.

[Eddie]

Okay. Am I dead

[Bobby Bones]

as of now?

[Eddie]

As of right now, you're dead. I'm dead. Oh, my gosh.

[Bobby Bones]

I know who I am. Yeah, because the room lasts. I know the room gave it to you. Come on. Go. So now I have to guess.

[Eddie]

You don't know, Dude, I might be totally on the wrong path.

[Bobby Bones]

Am I Sam Hunt? No. No.

[Eddie]

Am I Michael Jackson?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. Let's go. The room laughed on the white joke.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Hey.

[Eddie]

Because it was funny.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, I was so close. You know him.

[Jake (Thelma and James)]

Dang it.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, in case you didn't catch it, the answer. Eddie had Michael Jackson on his head. I had Luke Bryant on my head. All right, thank you guys for listening Tomorrow. Jodi Messina. That's gonna be awesome. So. And all the normal stuff, too. But even on the. If you go to YouTube, what really does well? And I hope you guys listen to the tell me something good that we do here. But if you ever miss it on the podcast, what really does so good on YouTube? It's unbelievable to me that that's one of our highest performing YouTube videos of us doing our personal. Telling me some of the good stuff every day. I know, it's crazy. So thank you. Have a great day. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye, everybody.

[Mackenzie Porter]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Bobby Bones]

Guaranteed Human.