Katie & Company

It's a coin toss once again when it comes to Cole Swindell. With a big 2025 ahead of the "Forever To Me" singer, we can't decide if we're more excited about his upcoming album, 'Spanish Moss,' or that upcoming baby he's expecting with his wife, Courtney. "That's kind of taking over everything in our lives, and I'm totally cool with that," Cole tells Katie Neal during this week's 'Superstar Power Hour.' "It's been awesome." "I think the first trimester was a little rough. She didn't have much energy and I was like, 'wow this is a lot different,' you know. I noticed she does a lot around here," the soon-to-be "girl dad" explains. "But she's feeling good and everything has gone great so far, so we're just, really thankful." Swindell is also expecting a new album, with 'Spanish Moss' set to be released this June. It took over 2 and half years for Cole to create the album, working with numerous writers and producers, and doing a lot of living that influenced the music. "It's literally different seasons of life happen in between albums and I've always tried to do that," he reveals. "I said, 'you know, the best song wins,' but when you're working on something for over 2 and a half years, I think you build up stuff that you love." To hear much more from Cole Swindell about the meaning behind 'Spanish Moss' and the stories behind some of its songs, check out the full 'Superstar Power Hour' interview above.

Jon Pardi is back with his new album, 'Honkytonk Hollywood,' and he joins Katie Neal this week on the 'Superstar Power Hour' to talk all about it. Packed with 17 new songs and produced by Jay Joyce, Pardi returns with his signature blend of soaring guitars and tear-inducing tenderness on 'Honkytonk Hollywood,' an album named for the glitzy glow up that Music City has seen over several years. "This is not the Hollywood you think about, this is boots and rhinestones and glitz and glamour and every artist has got a bar downtown, and TV and film and the music business, and like 5 star hotels," explains Pardi. "I mean how many fancy restaurants does Nashville have now? We are spoiled. This is the new booming town and it's all a bunch of glamorous rednecks, Honkytonk Hollywood." The driving force behind the record, Jon co-wrote half the album and was the one who reached out to Joyce to produce, thanks to a sign from Tom Petty. "Tom Petty helped out because at the time I was really like, 'what do I do with the next record?'" "Tom Petty, they just released last year, the 'Wildflowers' documentary and it was like hidden footage, but it was old footage from when they did the record with Rick Rubin. He was talking about how he likes to switch up producers every 3 or 4 records because it made him a better songwriter, better artist, and a better musician. I was like, 'Tom Petty's doing it!' I think it was a sign from Tom Petty, and I was like, 'I gotta do it, Tom.' Call Jay later that week and he had open the same time that I had opened, and it was like meant to be." Pardi brings the party per usual on 'Honkytonk Hollywood,' but also hits the heartstrings with a few family songs, "He Went To Work," and "She Drives Away." "I went on TikTok and I'm like, man, the amount of videos that 'She Drives Away' has been used. I mean like fresh newborn girls, and like it's just kind of sets that mood, and it's really fun to watch that," gushes Pardi. "Just to see everybody being human beings and relating to music. I feel like this is a really emotional and soulful record, it's fun but it's also, sexy and family. I mean, it's got a little bit of everything." To hear much more from Jon Pardi including tour plans and beyond, check out the full 'Superstar Power Hour' interview above.

Keith Urban invited us into his new Nashville studio space, to talk about the path to his latest single, "STRAIGHT LINE," and his anxiousness to hit the road for his upcoming tour. Describing it as a bit of a "fixer upper," Urban welcomed Katie Neal into his new studio with a lot of history for the hitmaker. "So I've got a lot of history in this place and can't believe it's now mine," he shares. Joking that he's learned "too much about mold remediation" during the renovation process, Keith explains that he's been looking for a studio for a long time and that the timing was right for this space. "I feel like I bought the school I went to. That's what it feels like." The lead track from his latest LP, 'HIGH,' Keith explains that his new song "STRAIGHT LINE" was "really born of a spark of energy." "It was written really from the music outwards, and it just sounded like a song that was breaking out of the monotony and claiming your life back again." But Urban admits that the origin of the song wasn't quite the straight line that you would think, explaining that it actually came from a misheard lyric. "One of the guys was singing so quietly that when he said 'late night lover,' it sounded like 'straight line lover,' and we're like, oh, 'straight line lover's interesting, what's that? And then we just got rid of the lover and it became straight line." Next up for Urban is his 'High and Alive Tour,' which the GRAMMY winner can't wait for. "I'm super impatient right now. I wish I was touring this tomorrow." Don't miss so much more from Keith Urban on touring, TV, and Australia on this week's 'Superstar Power Hour' with Katie Neal.

Lainey Wilson stopped by the 'Terra Origin Interview Lounge' on her way to bringing the house down at Audacy's 'Leading Ladies' last week, taking the stage alongside a group of amazing women while sharing songs, stories, and so much mutual appreciation. "I cannot believe I'm getting to sit on the stage," Lainey gushed about getting to spend time with fellow Leading Lady, Gwen Stefani. The two had only met in passing previously, but were quick to praise each other on stage at the Kings Theatre. But before the two icons connected in the spotlight, Katie Neal caught up with Lainey about her recent ACM Awards nomination, and her plans for an upcoming wedding to fiancé Devlin 'Duck' Hodges. "I think it's going to be small," Wilson shared, admitting not much planning has taken place quite yet. "We have said everything else is a big old to do. We just want this to be about what it's supposed to be about and have our friends and family there and just really enjoy that moment." "I definitely, probably will have like a jazz band from New Orleans, something like that. We'll definitely, probably ride off on horses, or ride in on a horse, maybe in on a carriage off on a horse." As for that ACM Awards nomination, "Oh, my gosh. Girl. I don't think that will ever get old," Lainey exclaimed. "I know that they're not going to always be calling my name like forever, you know? So I soak up those moments. I really do. I have to." To hear more from Lainey Wilson check out her full interview from the 'Terra Origin Interview Lounge' above and visit audacy.com/leadingladies for more.

Just a few short weeks before walking down the aisle, Kassi Ashton walked onto our 'Leading Ladies' stage at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, NY. But first she stopped by the 'Terra Origin Interview Lounge' to talk with Katie Neal about sharing the stage with a few remarkable women, her upcoming deluxe album, and how plans are coming together for the big day. In addition to being an amazing singer, Ashton is known for her amazing seamstress skills. That's why she's handmaking all the dresses for her wedding later this month. "All the bridesmaids dresses are done," Kassi shared, admitting her dress isn't quite finished yet. "Most everything else is done. I'm currently doing the bustle on my bridesmaids dress." "I got it. Even if I have to pull all-nighters, I signed up for this. It's not like someone else gave me these jobs or these ideas. I did this to myself. So I can't I can't complain because I know it's gonna be great." Also happening later this month is the deluxe edition release of Ashton's debut album, 'Made From The Dirt.' "I'm putting out a deluxe because the first album wasn't supposed to be 10 songs. They told me I could put as many songs as I wanted to. So I picked 13 songs. And then they were like, 'just kidding, you have to do 10.' And I was like, 'but these songs are so important to me.' So when I got the option to make a deluxe, I was like, obviously that three, and I want two more." "The movement of the first album was, 'Hey, I was made from crap. and from struggle.' This was not a silver spoon type of situation. This was not an easy breezy A to B straight line. And look, it's been fruitful. And we're going to keep going, and we're going to keep growing, but we're also not going to forget, you know, how to pivot and where we came from." To hear more from Kassi Ashton check out her full interview from the Terra Origin Interview Lounge above and visit audacy.com/leadingladies for more.

Between rocking the stage and shuttling kids around on Spring Break, LOCASH tapped in to talk with Katie Neal for this week's 'Superstar Power Hour.' Before tackling the topic of their biggest hits, we had to get a Dad update from Chris Lucas and Preston Brust. While Chris is playing defense between his teenager and a new girlfriend, Preston has things a little different with kids the age of 9, 6, and 1. "The one year old's throwing me for a loop, you know, she's fun though," laughs Preston. "It's wild and chaotic, but I try to embrace the chaos." "My daughter's got the daddy daughter dance coming up, so she's gonna make her own dress this year. So she's got her own little dress design going and she's making sure that I see the exact color so that I can go get my suit to match her dress perfectly. So it'll be fun." "I'm really soaking it up, but you know it does go by fast." While looking back at some of their biggest hits, LOCASH also admits they are beyond excited for their new album, 'Bet The Farm,' due out on April 18. "I think every song on this album is a hit," notes Chris. "It takes a lot for me to say that because we go through so many songs and, you know, we picked the best songs. Not all of these songs were written by us. Kane Brown has a couple on there without us, and we just picked the best song and I think." "We've always been those positive guys. So the music where it brings you up, makes you smile, makes you relate, and we try to do that with every song."

Downtown Nashville seems to be a hot place to shoot music videos right in the middle of Broadway! Post Malone and Luke Combs shot their video 'Guy For That' last year, and then Earnest and Snoop Dogg shot their video for 'Gettin' Gone' just recently, both driving down Broadway. Little did Katie know that there was a video being filmed just outside our Sound Space studios at the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville for either song!

Cody Johnson sat in with Katie Neal this week during her 'Superstar Power Hour,' between dates for his 'Leather Deluxe Tour,' including a few massive Nashville shows at Bridgestone Arena. Johnson definitely spread the love on Valentine's Day weekend in Music City, offering fans two shows packed with special guests including Carrie Underwood, Randy Houser, and Luke Combs. "When he shotguns a beer, it like defies science and physics to me," Johnson shared about Combs, who joined him on stage for a "Beer Never Broke My Heart" duet. "Like I'm like, where does the liquid go?" Could there be more music in the future for two of Country's leading men? "Maybe I'm going in this year to go record a new album. And there's a certain song that I'm pretty certain, we're just, we're kind of playing with it, we're going back and forth," Cody says of working with Combs. "I mean, it could be in the works. I can neither confirm nor deny." Johnson also talked with Katie about family life, coaching his daughters' softball teams, and sharing the story of how he met his wife, Brandi. Plus his return to a "carnivore 2.0" diet, which has had a positive impact on his health and energy levels. "I'm not eating any bread, anything like that. And it sucks because whenever your daughter wants to go to Texas Roadhouse for her birthday party, and you go in and they lay those cinnamon biscuit roll things in front of you and your mouth's drooling. I would kill somebody for some biscuits and gravy right now." "I'm 38 years old. I've been doing this for 20 years. I've been on it for four months and been working out really good, and saw some tremendous health improvements, some tremendous body improvements, [and] mental clarity." For much more from Cody Johnson, listen to the complete 'Superstar Power Hour' conversation with Katie Neal above.

After years in the making, Caylee Hammack is ready to invite you into her 'Bed of Roses,' with a new album and book. A vulnerable new collection of life lessons accumulated through her twenties leads to this fresh set of songs, as the “How Long” singer sat with Katie Neal to talk about her new project and how in intertwines with her romance novel of the same name.

Jelly Roll joins Katie Neal this week to talk about his latest single, "Liar," his recent weight loss, and his excitement to hit the road with Post Malone.

Old Dominion has new music on the way and according to them, fans are in for an "eclectic" experience. During an interview with Katie Neal ahead of their performance for Audacy's 'Totally Private' Concert Series in Nashville, the guys let us in on a few hints surrounding new music, and while it wasn't much, what they did share will have fans excited for the next chapter of Old Dominion. "It's great, very exciting," frontman Matthew Ramsey said when asked for details surrounding new music. Clearly trying to keep most details under wraps, he went on to share a couple more details surrounding the tracks they're currently working on in studio. "They are just so all over the map. There's every different feel that you can imagine on this album, It's really an eclectic group of songs. There's no real vibe. We're just shootin' for great songs." Added Trevor Rosen, "It actually has been two of the best days we've ever had [in studio]," he said of their most recent recording sessions. "Three songs each day, which is a quick pace for us and we're going back in tomorrow." New music isn't the only thing OD fans have to look forward to in 2025, the group also recently revealed big plans for their 'How Good Is That World Tour' with support from Ernest and Redferrin. "I just miss our tour. We did our last tour in 2023, which was the 'No Bad Vibes [Tour],'" said Ramsey. "I feel like we developed such an amazing relationship with our fans and I've missed it really badly. I'm really looking forward to getting back out there and seeing everybody every night just feeling that energy. It's going to be incredible." Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

New music is officially on the way from Jordan Davis and he recently chatted with Audacy’s Katie Neal to fill fans in on what they can expect from the new jams. While many details surrounding the project are still under wraps, Davis confirmed it is “done” and it showcases a lot of inspiration pulled deep from within his Louisiana Roots. “Being from Louisiana, I’ve always had a rootsy, kind of bluesy bone that’s always pulled me to that sort of music and I don’t know if I really dove into that as much as I have on some of these songs,” he shared. “I’m proud of the songs that we’ve put together, I’m proud of some of the risks we took on some of these songs… now we’ll put it out and see how it goes.” While the tracks may include some more sonic “risks” for Davis, they all share the same roots as he used on his debut record, 'Home State,' as a baseline. “My first record, 'Home State,' is still one of my favorites and me and Paul [producer] just talked about, ‘what if we kinda revisit [the] 'Home State' feel and it just sounds like now where you’re at in your career?’ It’s been kind of fun to just go back and give 'Home State' a face lift.” Davis’ Home State wasn’t the only big inspiration for his creative journey for album three. He also pulled from some of his favorite artists — two of them being Amos Lee and Marcus King. “I would pick artists that I was really into and I would go into that [writing] retreat pulling from that artist that I was big on,” Davis said of one of his writing strategies for the project. “I’m a huge Marcus King fan,” he said before sharing one writing retreat was all based around Marcus King’s music. “We did one [retreat] in Florida where I pretty much just listened to everything Marcus King has ever put out… it’s been really cool to see the sounds and the songs that came out of those.” He concluded “It’s kind of cool to reinvent and not do the same old thing that you’ve been doing.” Hear so much more about new music, plus his Mario Kart champion status, how he’s preparing for baby #4, and all about his time touring Australia with Luke Combs by checking out his full interview with Audacy’s Katie Neal above. Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

After releasing his fourth studio album, 'The High Road,' just one month ago, Kane Brown already has album five on his mind and it could be here sooner than we all expected. Ahead of performing at Audacy’s 'Totally Private' concert series at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville, Brown told Katie Neal he has high hopes of releasing another studio album in 2025. “We’re trying to put another one out this year,” he said with a smile. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but we’re tryin’.” When asked if there was certain inspiration for two album in one year, Brown simply replied, “I just want to put a new album out. I feel like I’ve just been chillin’ so I’m ready to go. I’m gettin’ hungry again.” The 31-year-old has had some downtime recently ahead of the launch of 'The High Road' Tour which kicks off March 13 in San Diego and wraps July 13 in Chicago. Along for support on select dates are Mitchell Tenpenny, Scotty McCreery, Dasha and Ashley Cooke. Brown has some big plans for the trek and shared he plans to take fans on “a roller coaster ride” of emotions throughout his one-of-a-kind set. “With this album, it’s the most I’ve ever changed my show up of bringing in new songs off the album,” he shared. “We’re going to go through a rollercoaster stage of hype songs and then we’re going to do this really cool thing where we do a campfire and I talk about the songs and I get really personal and close, which is what I used to do at the very beginning when I started out… we’re gonna bring some tears to the show.” Hear more about his plans for the tour, new music, and more by checking out his entire interview with Audacy’s Katie Neal above. Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

After closing out 2024 with his first #1 at Country Radio, Texas Country’s Koe Wetzel is keeping the momentum rolling right into 2025 with a new album taking shape, supporting role on the road with HARDY’s 'Jim Bob' tour, and a slew of new fans. While his single, “High Road” featuring Jessie Murph may have been the first introduction of Koe to several Country fans, it was definitely not the East Texan’s first taste of success as he’s been a well-known name in the Texas Country scene for years. After years of success in the Lonestar music scene, Wetzel saw the opportunity for his music to impact more fans by expanding his reach through Nashville’s scene. “I think all we’re doin’ is showing the rest of the country, the rest of the world what Texas music is about,” he told Katie Neal ahead of his performance at Audacy’s 'Totally Private' concert series. Making clear he has no intentions of allowing his music to change with the expansion, Koe shared he’s honored to represent the Texas way within Country music alongside other natives who got their start in similar ways including Cody Johnson and Parker McCollum. “It’s cool to see Texas music getting out there a little bit,’ he expressed. Wetzel will have a big stage to show fans the Texas way as he hits the road with HARDY on the 'Jim Bob' Tour this year which will visit arenas and amphitheaters across the U.S. and Europe. “I’m excited, me and HARDY have been boys for a while,” Koe said of the fellow Country-Rocker, who he did an acoustic tour with in 2021. “Great dude, I love his music… it’s going to be a lot of fun. I hope nobody goes to jail because we’re going to have a good time,” he laughed. Known for their rowdy ways, exemplified by Koe breaking his shoulder on the last tour, the 32-year-old said they’ll have to tone things down a bit this year. Not only are he and HARDY both expecting baby girls to arrive this year, but Koe admits the “hangovers hurt a little more.” “We gotta wind it back a little this year,” he laughed. “We’re not as agile… we’re as crazy as we used to be, but we’re a little bit older so, the hangovers hurt a little bit more these days.” Ahead of hitting the road in September, Wetzel shared he’s currently at work on a new album and while he’s not sharing too much about it, he did say it’s more on the Rock & Roll side. “With the new record I wanted to kind of get a little bit more on the Rock & Roll side, back to that Texas Rock & Roll,” he disclosed. “We’re having a lot of fun with it, we’ll see how it turns out.” Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Katie found a food hack to help give potato chips a longer shelf life: Store them in the fridge!

With 22 #1 singles, Dierks Bentley is no stranger to finding success with his music and now, he’s sharing one of his secret weapons. During his recent appearance on the Superstar Power Hour with Katie Neal, Bentley said he plays his music for his kids before releasing it to see what they think. It’s a tried and true method for the 49-year-old, which he put to the test most-recently with his fresh single, “She Hates Me.” “I played it for my kids, they’re always a good barometer. They know music really well,” he told Neal. “They have the shortest attention spans, right? They’re used to like, seven seconds of YouTube shorts and stuff,” he laughed. After approval from daughters Evalyn and Jordan plus son, Knox, Dierks is feeling good about the tongue-and-cheek anti-love anthem that released on Valentine’s Day. “I’ve never liked Valentine’s Day,” he said of the Hallmark holiday that causes him to overthink. Bentley reminisced on the “anti-Valentine's Day" gigs he used to play as an up-and-comer and says releasing this single on the 14th was a “full circle moment” for him. “I used to play a gig at the Station Inn just up the street [Nashville] on Valentine’s Day — I did it like three Valentine’s Days in a row, before I had a record deal,” he explained. “It was literally the Anti-Valentine’s Day Show. You had to wear all black to get in and it was all these people who didn’t like Valentine’s Day.” While the song clearly stays true to Dierks’ dislike towards everything pink, red and heart-shaped, it’s also a song that will help him keep his high-energy engagement on stage with fans on tour. “I’m always thinking about the live show and the tour,” he said. “Everyone has their own reasons for doing this [music] and for me… my whole dream was just to be on a tour bus, with a band. It was never about the GRAMMYs or any of the award shows or any of that. I just wanted to be the guy on the bus with a band… I’m still getting to do that.” Dierks will embark on tour this year with his recently-revealed Broken Branches Tour. Kicking off May 29 at the Moody Center in Austin, the trek will travel through more than 30 U.S. cities nationwide. Joining him as support are Zach Top and duo The Band Loula. Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Katie and her college roommates had a pet hamster at one time but it died from their overly affectionate care. "We loved Teddy to death."