Country Roads with Ben Earle

This week, Caylee Hammack dials in from Nashville to chat to Ben about the places that have had the biggest impact on her and on her music. She talks about everything from the quiet stability that family life in Ellaville gave her, to the heartbreak that pushed her to leave town and pursue her dreams in Nashville.Caylee speaks about a devastating diagnosis at the age of sixteen which turned her world upside down, and set her on the path to becoming a songwriter. She also shares what she learned from losing all her worldly possessions in a housefire; how the beginning of her honky tonk education at Tootsie’s on Broadway came about; and her love of solitude and nature and how it brought her to Scotland. Be sure to check out our Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify, where you can hear all the songs discussed with Caylee in this episode, and many more besides! Follow us on Instagram @countryroadspod to connect with fellow Country fans, to hear exclusive content with our guests, and be the first to know about the giveaways and competitions we have coming up.

This week, rising star, Kassi Ashton, speaks about finding her sound by accepting that she is two sides of one coin; leaning into being someone who loves fashion design as much as dirt bikes, and hunting as much as ballet. Kassi has learned to be unapologetically herself, and explains how she has captured her truth in her long awaited debut album, Made From The Dirt. In learning more about the places that have made her who she is today, we journey to Missouri for rifle season which is bigger than Christmas for Kassi’s family; to her happy place in Key West, Florida, where she met her husband; and to Nashville where she struggled to fit in at Belmont, but found her feet Downtown. Kassi shares what it was like writing the most difficult song of her life but why it’s become one of her favourite songs to perform, why she’s more interested in being an icon than a star, and why her “rat cave” is the place she feels most at home! Also, listen in full to hear Kassi deliver one of the best answers ever to the question, “Are you Country enough?”

Canadian singer/songwriter Josh Ross joins Ben for a chat about his incredible rise to stardom, his love of Nashville and how sometimes you just need sit in silence. Josh slept in his car when he first moved to Nashville, trying to make it as a young songwriter, but soon made his mark and it's now the city he calls home. But Canada still has his heart - and he loves to return to see his family, and, to fish! Ben and Josh share stories of songwriting sessions in Nashville (and how, sometimes, they don't always go right) and talk about some of their inspirations. Remember you can watch all of our episodes on our YouTube channel - please subscribe and like so we can share the love!

This week, Ben is joined by his first British guest of the series - Kezia Gill! She takes us back to her musical roots in Ireland, where she would sing with her Dad in the local pubs. She honed her craft playing cover songs in clubs, before becoming the singer/songwriter she is today.We journey to Nashville and Memphis, where Kezia had an inspirational Elvis moment, and across the UK, where she calls home. She also tells Ben about the inspiration behind some of her most personal lyrics, and, how she gambled everything - even her house - on making her most recent album. Get more familiar or reacquaint yourself with all the music mentioned in this episode by saving our Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify. You can also follow us on Instagram to be the first to hear what's coming up on Country Roads each week.

This week, we have not one, not two, but three guests - the amigos that make up Midland! Cam, Mark, and Jess tell us about the places have had the biggest impact on them as a band.We journey to L.A. where they explored the early 00's rock scene; to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Cam brought them together for his wedding, and Mark and Jess played music together for the first time; and then, of course, to Texas and The Sonic Ranch where they cut their first demos and discovered they had something special as a trio.They also tell Ben what's so special about a Texas Honky Tonk, how they were once on the brink of breaking up, and why Jess never thought their smash hit Drinkin' Problem would get played on the radio, let alone make number one! Get more familiar or reacquaint yourself with all the music mentioned in this episode by saving our Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify. You can also watch every episode on YouTube, and follow us on Instagram to be the first to hear what's coming up on Country Roads each week.Warning: This episode contains strong language.

Canadian singer songwriter, Tenille Townes, describes her hometown as a place with a lot of blue sky and room to dream. Being in Alberta, it’s also winter there nine months of the year! But there was nothing cold about the community she grew up in, and we hear how it shaped her into the artist she is today.We also hear about some of the most memorable places she has travelled with her music, including the school on a tiny island that inspired her song Jersey On The Wall, and the one-of-a-kind Holiday Train that rattled through Canada and gave life to her Train Track Worktapes. Tenille also shares stories from the road trip that changed her life; when she and her dad drove 47hours to move her to Music City! And one of the best full circle stories we’ve ever heard, featuring fellow Canadian and pop country icon, Shania Twain. You can watch the Train Tracks Worktapes: The Documentary on YouTube, and subscribe to our channel whilst you’re there - @countryroadspod Follow us on Instagram @countryroadspodSave our Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify, so you can listen to every song we discuss with our brilliant guests on the podcast!

Any interview that starts with squats and shots has to be a good one! This week, Ben learns more about Mackenzie Carpenter’s pre-show rituals, the big characters in her childhood neighbourhood who inspired some of her songs, and her friendship with Megan Moroney. Through Mackenzie’s stories, we travel to her tiny hometown in Georgia where they’d hold hootenannys on her back porch until the early hours; to Nashville where she made a new home for herself; and to the sands of Florida where she and her husband got married. Enjoy the hilarious cultural exchange between a London boy and a Georgia girl, as they each try to explain what everything from a chomp to a tailgate is! One thing is largely the same on both sides of the Atlantic though, and that’s country songwriting; they discuss why Mackenzie is a songwriter at her core. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more video content, and check out all the songs mentioned in this episode on the Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify. You can also follow us on Instagram @countryroadspod

It’s not often you get to interview the person that inspired you to make Country music, but this week Ben does exactly that! Lady A opened his ears to the kind of country music Ben wanted to make, and their co-lead vocalist Charles Kelley joins him today.Charles takes us to all the important places in his life; from the golf courses of Augusta and the pharmacy where he met James Brown, to his swampy college party hangout in Athens where the early foundations of the band were laid, to the venue where they first performed in Nashville.He tells us all about how much has changed in Music City since he started out in music, and fondly remembers the pure optimism he felt when the band first formed. Charles explains how the pressure to build on their numerous number ones contributed to his problematic relationship with alcohol, and how he has shed the fear of failure since getting sober - resulting in an ambitious and joyous new album, Songs For A New Moon. If you want to get better acquainted with the songs mentioned in this episode, head to Spotify for the Country Roads Podcast Playlist and hit save. You can also follow us on Instagram @countryroadspod and subscribe to our Youtube channel for full length videos and bonus content.