This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

Episode #606: Lainey Wilson

Release Date: August 28, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Theo Von reunites with acclaimed country singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson, his “Louisiana sister,” to celebrate the release of her Whirlwind Deluxe album. Their conversation weaves through Lainey’s Louisiana upbringing, stories from the road, coping with burnout in music, relationships, small-town memories, internet scams, and her growing creative and entrepreneurial ventures. The episode is a warm, funny, and deeply southern reflection on roots, resilience, and what it means to find balance in a whirlwind career.

Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Whirlwind Deluxe & Songwriting Process

Timestamps: [00:30], [31:40], [32:36]

• Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind Deluxe has just dropped, including five new songs written in the aftermath of a busy, chaotic season.
• She is already working on her next record.
• The song “Peace, Love and Cowboys” is a standout favorite, described as “a bop.”

Lainey Wilson [32:39]: “It’s like when you’re writing the song, everybody in the room has that feeling. It’s like the Holy Spirit. You just kind of feel like the song’s gonna be around for a long time.”

2. Louisiana Childhood & Family Roots

Timestamps: [01:55], [05:01], [06:57], [16:49]

• Reminiscences on growing up rural: 4H, horses, show barns, and quirky southern stories.
• Importance of family check-ins for grounding amidst fame.
• Humor recalling “gifted” classes in Louisiana and tales of parade rituals, small-town Mardi Gras, and “barns taken down in a night by termites.”
• Both relate to the slower pace and “planting my feet on the ground” by connecting to home.

Lainey Wilson [07:00]: “It’s important for me to just call back and kind of...that’s what kind of plants my feet on the ground.”

3. On Burnout & Learning Balance in the Industry

Timestamps: [12:12], [13:13], [14:00]

• Lainey talks openly about reaching exhaustion after relentless touring and opportunity.
• She discusses learning to protect her peace while receiving a flood of career offers after years of struggling in Nashville.
• “Music” remains her anchor—even when it feels overwhelming—and helps her “navigate” life’s toughest patches.

Lainey Wilson [14:00]: “Your cup’s got to be full in order to keep pouring out, you know?... If you’re just pouring out from a half empty cup over and over, at some point in time, the damn thing’s gonna run dry.”

4. Quirky Small-Town Memories & Humor

Timestamps: [16:46], [19:23], [22:01], [22:34], [24:46]

• Barrel racing, singing the national anthem (and “messing up” the lyrics), parades featuring “tallest guy in town,” Mardi Gras rituals, and local festival “queens.”
• Lighthearted banter about Walmart “rotisserie warmers,” bad haircuts, dad’s discipline over rap CDs, and the logic of Louisiana street wisdom.
• Theo and Lainey share personal stories about childhood costumes, grocery store hacks, and the unique traits of different Louisiana regions.

Lainey Wilson [18:11]: “Did you hear Lainey Wilson mess up the national anthem? Send this to 10 people. Yes. So I’m like, guess what? You can’t hurt me. You know what I’m saying?”

5. Relationships, Personal Growth & Finding “The One”

Timestamps: [44:50], [48:52], [66:52]

• Reflecting on being “forced cool” by nephews, the realities of balancing relationships with a busy career, and her engagement story.
• Discussing how she and her fiancé make it work: “I have to have somebody that has their own dreams and goals.”
• Heartfelt exchange about making a list and being intentional before settling down—Lainey shares the importance of loyalty and self-worth.

Lainey Wilson [68:24]: “I took a few years to myself...those years were really important for me.”

Theo Von [67:01]: “Woman.” (on his type)

6. Music Business & Expanding Creative Ventures

Timestamps: [50:59], [91:25], [92:55]

• Career now is “80% business and 20% music.” Lainey never planned to become a businesswoman but is rising to the challenge.
• Partners with Wrangler for a bell-bottoms collection; just launched a boot line, Golden West.
• Loves the creative side of fashion collaborations.

Lainey Wilson [91:25]: “I actually have a partnership with Wrangler...We actually just launched a boot line, too, called Golden West...Another way for me to be creative.”

7. Scams, Social Media, and Celebrity Impersonators

Timestamps: [80:07], [80:18], [86:29]

• Both discuss the rise in online scams—people getting tricked by fake celebrity accounts, ticket scams, and even Lainey Wilson relationship impostors.
• Lainey confesses to having “ruined a couple marriages on accident”—strangers thinking they’re in an online romance with her.
• “The Lainey Wilson Experience” tribute performer in London—Lainey appreciates her dedication.

Lainey Wilson [80:32]: “My husband of 30 years believes he’s talking to you and this and that and whatever. Yes. And I’m like, oh, no.”

8. Acting, New Projects, and Future Plans

Timestamps: [71:30], [71:59], [72:35], [73:12], [88:03]

• Just wrapped filming on Reminders of Him, a Colleen Hoover adaptation—Lainey enjoyed “finding herself within the character.”
• Reflections on being part of Yellowstone and aspirations to do comedy or start a homegrown festival in the future.
• Visited her new Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit. Her mom’s keepsakes, including a “star was born” wreath, are on display.
• Importance of family support, recalling financial and emotional sacrifices made so she could pursue music.

Lainey Wilson [88:03]: “My mama kept everything...it said, a star was born today.”

9. Lainey & Theo's Signature Humor and Southern Banter

Timestamps: Throughout

• The episode is dotted with classic “Louisiana sibling” teasing, rural-isms, playful lyric parodies, stories about “biscuits and gravy night” at strip clubs, and inventive fake song titles (“Honky Tonk Hiccups,” “Twanging My Bones,” “Lasso My Latte”).
• Deep affection and mutual respect are apparent, with honest talk about struggles, faith, finding emotional wellness, and never shying away from poking fun at themselves.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On musical burnout:

  “I was tired. Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, all of it. But I tell you what, Theo, I’m alright, and I am in a healthy, healthy place right now.” – Lainey Wilson [13:13]

• On childhood songwriting:

  “I was writing songs about tequila and cigarettes, you know...as a child.” – Lainey Wilson [15:20]

• On business vs. music:

  “This is like 80% business and 20% music. But I’m willing to do the 80% business so I can do the 20% music.” – Lainey Wilson [24:26]

• On protecting your peace:

  “It’s important to, like, protect your peace and...roll your sleeves up and get her done, too.” – Lainey Wilson [13:48]

• On family and perspective:

  “I just want them to, like, be outside and do the things that we grew up doing, you know?” – Lainey Wilson [49:53]

• On growing past heartbreak:

  “I went through some doozies...and then met somebody who just would never in a million years [treat me that way].” – Lainey Wilson [68:03]

• On creative momentum:

  “I keep like, shocking myself or, like, surprising myself and being like, we ain’t done...I really do feel like we’re really just getting started.” – Lainey Wilson [93:48]

Highlighted Segments & Timestamps

• Lainey talks Whirlwind Deluxe & new music:
  [00:30], [31:40], [32:36]

• Childhood stories & small-town Louisiana:
  [01:55], [06:57], [16:49], [19:23]

• Coping with burnout & protecting peace:
  [12:12] to [15:17]

• Singing, rodeo pageants, and family support:
  [16:46], [42:39], [88:03]

• Business, boots, and bell bottoms:
  [91:25] to [93:02]

• Relationship wisdom & finding the “right one”:
  [66:52] to [70:44]

• Internet scams & fan confusion:
  [80:07] to [86:29]

• Acting, yellowstone, & festival dreams:
  [71:30], [71:59], [73:12]

• Comic gold: biscuits & gravy at the strip club:
  [36:38] – [38:29]

Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is heartfelt, irreverently funny, and rich in southern warmth—a blend of introspective wisdom and down-home storytelling. Theo and Lainey lean on self-deprecation, vivid imagery, and familial banter, delivering both laughs and reflective takeaways. The themes of gratitude, hard work, faith, and sticking to one’s roots stand out as constants throughout. This episode is an invitation to see the heart behind the headlines, the hustle behind the music, and relish a perspective rooted in kindness, humor, and home.

For listeners seeking perspective on country stardom, small-town authenticity, and the ride between, this episode brings all the heart, humor, and humility you’ve come to expect from This Past Weekend.