Podcast
The Hometown Holler
Hosted by The Hometown Holler · EN
Welcome to the Holler! Each week we chat with the people shaping North Carolina’s culture, history and public life. Pull up a chair and sit a spell!
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Tracking Congress with Nico Agosta
5d ago00:39:15Tap to summarizeCorporate influence, stock trades, citizens united - oh my!This week the on the Hometown Holler the fellas sit down with political finance watchdog and Stocking the Capitol founder Nico Agosta for a conversation about stock trading, corporate PACs, and why so many Americans feel like Congress is working for everyone except them.From insider trading allegations to campaign cash, Nico breaks down how members of Congress get money, who funds them, and why transparency matters more than ever. The crew also puts North Carolina’s congressional delegation under the microscope with rapid-fire grades from the Political Integrity Project, for Thom Tillis, Ted Budd, Don Davis, Deborah Ross, Virginia Foxx, Tim Moore, and the rest of the NC delegation.If you’ve ever wondered why nothing in Washington seems to change, this conversation might explain a lot.Join the Holler and become a sustainer today!Patreon: / membership Substack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
Transcribe →Yelling Into the Void with Trae Crowder | The Liberal Redneck
2w ago00:47:51Tap to summarizeA few years ago, Trae Crowder went out to the woods, pointed his phone at his face, and started yelling. Hundreds of millions of views later, he's still basically doing that... just with a shirt on now.Trae joins the Holler to talk about the origin of the Liberal Redneck (North Carolina played a bigger role than you'd think), what it's like to be the guy who's supposed to represent the South to people who've never been here, and why he used to text JD Vance.We also get into losing friends over politics, what's actually wrong with the Democratic Party, why Hollywood still can't quite figure out what to do with him, and whether rednecks are the one group nobody gets cancelled for mocking.Join the Holler today!Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thehometownholler/membershipSubstack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
Transcribe →North Carolina Politics: Budget, Taxes & Power Bills w/ Governor Josh Stein
4w ago00:36:54Tap to summarizeThis week on The Hometown Holler, the fellas sit down with Governor Josh Stein to break down what’s happening inside the General Assembly, why billions of dollars are on the line, and how decisions being made right now could shape the future of our state. We get into it all, from teacher pay and tax cuts to data centers popping up in folks’ backyards and who’s actually footing the bill. If you’ve been wondering why things feel stuck… or who’s really benefiting… this is the conversation you need to hear.Join the Holler:Patreon: / thehometownholler Buy us a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...Substack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/In this episode:Why NC hasn’t passed a real budget in yearsWhere billions of dollars could go (and who gets left out)The truth about tax cuts and who actually benefitsData centers, energy costs, and what’s coming nextRural NC, jobs, and what growth should actually look likeWhat it’s like being Governor in this moment
Transcribe →Trump, Chaos and The Epstein Files, w/ Congresswoman Deborah Ross.
Apr 1300:48:35Tap to summarizeWhat happens when the President wakes up and starts firing off tweets that sound more like warnings than leadership?This week on The Hometown Holler, we sit down with North Carolina Congresswoman Deborah Ross to break down Donald Trump’s latest unhinged social media posts, what’s actually happening behind the scenes in Washington, and how members of Congress respond in real time when things feel like they’re spiraling.We also talk about the Epstein files, what she is actually seeing behind closed doors, and why accountability still feels out of reach for a lot of Americans. On top of that, we dive into Hurricane Helene recovery in Western North Carolina, FEMA delays, and why communities are still waiting on help they were promised.And maybe most importantly, we ask the question a lot of folks are feeling right now: what can regular people actually do when all of this feels out of control?Subscribe to The Hometown Holler for real conversations about North Carolina politics, U.S. government, breaking news, and the stories shaping our state.Patreon: / thehometownholler Buy us a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...Substack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
Transcribe →Corruption, Transparency & Why He’s Done: Inside NC Politics with Graig Meyer
Apr 600:46:18Tap to summarizeAfter 12 years in the North Carolina General Assembly, former NC Senator Graig Meyer sits down with The Hometown Holler to share why he’s stepping away and what’s actually happening inside NC politics.He talks about the “internal politics and pettiness” that pushed him to leave, what it’s like working inside a superminority, and why so many good ideas never see the light of day.From the lack of transparency, to the reality of how power actually moves in Raleigh, Graig pulls back the curtain in a way you don’t usually hear.We also get into corruption, why lawmakers stay quiet, what it takes to get real legislation passed (like Medicaid expansion), and why Graig believes the next chapter of his work, outside elected office, might have an even bigger impact on people’s lives. This is what we do at The Holler - real conversations, plain language, and a porch big enough for all of North Carolina.Join the Holler:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheHometownHollerBuy us a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=69TJJY9ASUBGGSubstack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
Transcribe →Pat McCrory: What Republicans Won't Say in Public
Mar 3001:06:08Tap to summarizeIn 2016, Pat McCrory ran for reelection as North Carolina’s governor on the same ticket as Donald Trump. Trump carried the state, but McCrory lost by just over 10,000 votes out of more than 4.5 million cast. In the decade since, McCrory has watched the Republican Party move in a direction he no longer fully recognizes.This week, he sat down with the Holler to discuss January 6th, HB2 (the so-called “Bathroom Bill”), what Republicans are saying privately that they won’t say in public, and whether honest disagreement still has a place in American politics.Join the Holler: https://www.patreon.com/TheHometownHoller
Transcribe →
Streaming Broke Music… Now AI? | ft. Tift Merritt
Mar 2300:51:14Tap to summarizeGrammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tift Merritt joins the Holler to discuss her career as a working musician, the process of writing songs, and how streaming and AI are reshaping the future of music.She breaks down what artists actually earn from streaming, why it can take millions of plays to break even on a record, and how the shift from CDs to digital platforms like Spotify changed the business. She also talks about AI-generated music and what it means for ownership, credit, and compensation.Tift also discusses her work in policy and advocacy, including efforts to give musicians a seat at the table, and why she sees what is happening in music as a warning for other industries.Join the Holler and help us build a better North Carolina, one conversation at a time: https://www.patreon.com/TheHometownHollerBuy us a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...Substack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
Transcribe →
Why the South Produces the Best Storytellers (Feat. Wiley Cash)
Mar 1600:50:47Tap to summarizeNew York Times bestselling novelist Wiley Cash joins the Holler to talk about storytelling, Southern identity, and what it means to be a North Carolina writer. Wiley reflects on growing up in Gastonia around religious family members who spoke in tongues, the small-town dynamics that shaped his novels, and how homesickness while living in Louisiana pushed him to write the book that launched his career. We also get into the craft of writing (including why he thinks “show, don’t tell” is terrible advice), the long tradition of Southern storytelling, and his new venture Flood Plain Books, an independent bookstore opening in Wilmington designed to bring readers, writers, and good conversation together.Join the Holler and help us build a better North Carolina, one conversation at a time
Transcribe →
America's Founding Son | Bob Crawford on John Quincy Adams
Mar 900:53:32Tap to summarizeBob Crawford of The Avett Brothers joins the Holler to discuss his new book "America's Founding Son" and how a touring musician ended up writing a sweeping history of John Quincy Adams. Bob recalls studying American history in the back of a tour van and falling down a rabbit hole that led him to one of the most fascinating and overlooked figures in American history.We talk about why Adams's era feels eerily familiar today (tariffs, populism, conspiracy theories, cultural polarization) and why Bob believes Adams's life is a powerful reminder that public service doesn't end when you leave the highest office in the land.Join the Holler: patreon.com/TheHometownHoller
Transcribe →
We Summoned Roy Cooper | NC Governor on the Senate Race, Medicaid & What's Really Dividing NC
Mar 200:49:33Tap to summarizeHarnessing the mystical power of Diet Sun Drop, we summoned Former NC Governor Roy Cooper to the Holler.Roy opens up about growing up in Nashville, NC (the original Nashville), working summers on the family farm, losing money on pigs and watermelons, and his short-lived career breaking horses. From blocking Phil Ford's shot in a high school gym to leading NC through hurricanes and COVID, Roy traces the journey that's now leading him to run for the U.S. Senate.We get into Medicaid expansion and how he got Republican sheriffs and county commissioners to bring it across the finish line, the affordability crisis squeezing North Carolina families, what it's really like to go from governor to one of 100 senators, and why he believes North Carolina isn't as divided as the politicians want us to think.Join the Holler:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheHometownHollerBuy us a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=69TJJY9ASUBGGSubstack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/#RoyCooper #NorthCarolina #HomeTownHoller #NC #Senate #NCPolitics
Transcribe →