Even with 16 number one hits to his name, Hardy still feels like his career is just getting started. After his breakout album, The Mockingbird & the Crow, Hardy continues to light up the stage and the charts with his unique mix of metal and Mississippi country. Country Thunder CEO Troy Vollhofer is joined by his good friend and amateur arrowhead archaeologist Michael, who country music fans call Hardy. Hardy opens up about why country fans love seeing metal music live, writing songs for other artists, and the need for songwriters to earn a living wage. Hardy and Troy detail how someone can go from having “goose eggs” in their bank account, to searching a major music producer’s backyard for arrowheads. Troy shines the spotlight on one of his favorite new artists, Baker Blankenship.
Chapter 1: What makes the Nashville songwriter culture unique?
The culture of being a Nashville songwriter is so different, and it's also so supportive, and it really tries not to be competitive and dog-eat-dog or anything like that. To me, the Nashville songwriter scene is like the coolest shit ever. I love it.
Chapter 2: How did Hardy's career begin?
Welcome back to On the Bus with Troy Volhopper. I'm very excited for today's show. We're joined by a man who goes by just one name, but has 60 number one hits to that name, Hardy. You know his hits like One Beer and Truck Bed.
Chapter 3: What recent achievements has Hardy accomplished?
In 2023, his incredible duet with Lanny Wilson on Wait in the Truck earned Hardy some hardware at the CMAs where he won, or they won, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year. He's a very busy man this year with an international tour that runs through September. And his first tour date is right here at Country Thunder today.
Join me in welcoming multi-platinum artist and recent dad, Hardy. Hey, thanks for doing this. It was so funny. First time Michael and I ever did a podcast, it was over COVID and Hardy's career was just starting off and Hardy and I sit down and we have this conversation and it was like, we didn't have so much to talk about because his career was very early in his career and
And I just started doing podcasts, so I didn't even know how to really carry the tune at that time. So Michael's leaving my house, and my daughter knows Michael, and it's like, hey, that was really quick, dude. Like, what went on there? And that's when we got the, and this is our, we're revisiting it right now. Yeah, dude. This is our second go, which with a lot more to talk about now.
Man, it's crazy. I feel like time has flown. It was like yesterday a little bit. Isn't it crazy? Like, I remember buying you for $5,000. Yeah. No shit. That's awesome, dude. It's pretty cool, right? Yeah. It was cool for me, too. That was awesome. Check this one out. Talk about a missed bill of being hailed out and not really thinking about it, right?
Neil McCoy as a headliner on a B stage on an opening. We used to only do Thursdays was a soft opening and then Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Neil McCoy, direct support, Eric Church. No way. What year? Early 2000s? Oh, early 2000s. Way early 2000s. Right after he got his deal. That's crazy.
It's so funny, man. I see... I still... I feel like I'm still just like...
new but i guess i'm kind of like not now and i can i'm already seeing this the the the um second guard like the new guard like i can see it already and it's crazy to me and i'm like who is going to be the cat who's going to be of these you know 10 or 15 artists that are about you know the ones that are starting to be on the radio and all the stuff and doing well touring like who in two or three more years is going to be like headlining one of these things it's always you and sometimes like you know and sometimes you just don't know
I did this NHL thing in St. Louis. I did it this year and I did it last year. And it's like a puck cancer thing event, right? A fundraiser with all the NHL guys. And Dierks plays in it. Okay. And Trevor from Old Dominion. We're having this, we're just bullshitting, having a beer together. And Dierks goes, yeah, man, I started talking about Axe. And he's like,
Man, now we're going to start opening for these guys. Going from headliner to direct support situation. I don't think you're there yet, man.
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Chapter 4: How has Hardy evolved as an artist?
country music in a whole right sure i mean from what i understand it's the fastest growing format of any genre of music which is obviously because it's now the lines are gone and yeah i'm just curious to see what country music radio looks like you know in another three years or does it even exist in three years oh i gotta be careful commenting on that you don't have to comment i'm commenting i mean uh because the streaming is so strong right it's crazy it that's where it's at
I'll give you a great example. Me, myself, and two of my other writers co-wrote I'm a Little Crazy, which is a song that Morgan just put out. To think that it's tough that we won't really make a lot of money. And if that song were just on the radio, it would make these guys a life-changing amount of money.
A lot of money.
Yeah, and it's just, I think that a lot of things, I mean, God, we'll get in the weeds on this, but I personally think that labels should start shelving out points for album cuts for artists like Morgan who can have, who's actually selling like Garth was back in like actual, where people could get a last song on the album, two minute, you know, song and it make,
250 grand because it was on a record that sold life changing money for, for a young song, right? Absolutely. Right. Yeah. I mean, surely to God, these people have great lawyers and they go restructure their deal every few years, you know, where they have a big record and stuff like that. But, um,
Yeah, to think about, to compare like Alanis Morissette, you know, to a chaperone or somebody of a somewhat of a similar thing these days who are kind of putting up the same numbers when it comes to outreach and things like that. And probably the difference in money that like somebody in the 90s or whenever made, you know, to post internet.
Oh, absolutely.
I don't even want to know. It would make me sick, dude.
Yeah, probably would. And I mean, that's why touring was, it would take them a year to make a record. Yeah. And the label paid for it, because there was so much excess of money in the business.
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Chapter 5: What challenges do songwriters face in the current music industry?
Now, this is 10 or 12 years ago.
Pre-marriage.
He bought me beers when I had negative money in my bank account. I mean, truly. So, yeah, I love Jim, man.
He's that guy, man. I watch him work with these songwriters. I mean, we got some heavy hitters, and they're great. But I guess what I'm trying to make a point of, Michael, is that... The writer thing is starting to really catch on with the public. That's very cool. Which I don't think was the case previous in the last 10 years.
100%.
Yeah. Everyone thought Tim McGraw wrote the song. Well, Tim McGraw never wrote a song.
Yes. Picked great songs.
Yes.
100%.
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Chapter 6: How is the perception of songwriters changing?
Chapter 7: What insights do Hardy and Troy share about the future of country music?
I don't know if you know this, but we haven't caught up in a while, but so we implemented the songwriters tent. And we've been expanding it. It's one of the most visited attractions we have on the grounds, right? Awesome. And we've got some great songwriters, and they change every day. I don't know who's here today. I'm not sure. But Landers is the guy, the master behind it, right? Jimmy the Jet.
steamy the jets project that's awesome dude i have known him since before i literally had a pot to piss in dude i have known jim for a really long time and he's he's a uh so who we're talking about is we both share the same stockbroker money manager guy he's a great guy but he's also an ex-musician yeah he's an old drummer dude i don't know drummers are even musicians but i mean he was
Jim is one of those guys that like his thing is money and that's what that, that is, that is his job, but he loves music. Typically, you know, of course in Nashville, you might find this a little more often, but like, those are two things that you wouldn't think would be a common thing, you know, but, um, Man, I have spent more nights out in Midtown way back in the day.
Now, this is 10 or 12 years ago.
Pre-marriage.
He bought me beers when I had negative money in my bank account. I mean, truly. So, yeah, I love Jim, man.
He's that guy, man. I watch him work with these songwriters. I mean, we got some heavy hitters, and they're great. But I guess what I'm trying to make a point of, Michael, is that... The writer thing is starting to really catch on with the public. That's very cool. Which I don't think was the case previous in the last 10 years.
100%.
Yeah. Everyone thought Tim McGraw wrote the song. Well, Tim McGraw never wrote a song.
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Chapter 8: What role do collaborations play in modern country music?
So, there was a real gentleman named Skull Sherman who was a big hockey fan. So, we had a bar. We had that bar. And... We used to go there after practice and after the games. So I went and had beers with Harlan Howard, not knowing who the hell he was, right? Not knowing that he was the most famous songwriter in Nashville. I'm a rock kid, right?
So I mean, Paul Stanley wrote the song, you know, or Gene Simmons or Rick Nielsen from Chief Trick, you know, whatever, right? I didn't understand the whole songwriter thing in country music, which was way before you and I were even thought of as kids, right? I mean, pretty neat thing. But he was a trip, man. He was so cool. And I was totally blown away.
I don't know how many people have publishing deals these days, but I would say four or 500 people, you know, throughout a 10, maybe a thousand throughout a 10 year span that are just normal people that don't want to be famous.
They don't want to be like a star or, or have that, even that artist like bone in their body moved to Nashville just because they're like, I have a voice and I have something to say. I have like, I have a pencil or a pen in my hand that I have words that I, I think, you know, somebody could, could sing. And, uh,
It's just such an eclectic or just such an acute dream to chase but it's such a cool thing and there's such a really cool common thread with most Songwriters and how just different it is. This is the culture of being a nashville songwriter is so different and it's also so supportive and like You know, it really tries not to be competitive and dog-eat-dog or anything like that.
To me, the Nashville songwriter scene is like the coolest shit ever. I love it.
So how did the little congregation that created of friends, writers, business partners, and the big loud side with Morgan and Earn...
yourself how did that come to be how did that originate I mean I would say it was kind of it was definitely like gradual process I think my biggest pivot moment was shout out to Dane Schmidt Jordan Schmidt who's a big songwriter and buddy of mine I've written a lot of my stuff with I know Dane called me when he was still working for Tree Vibes. Okay.
And was like... Which is Tyler... FGL's publishing company. And he was like, hey, the guys have been hearing your name a little bit around. I had nothing. Still nothing. And they were like, they would love for you to... You hadn't been cut yet. Hell no. Dude, I had... At that point, I had...
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