Country Music Dads
A parenting podcast with a country music twist. It features subjective, comedic, and irreverent discussions about fatherhood and country music. Episodes include interviews, analysis, hot takes, and rants on topics related to parenting and country music.
Episodes
Thomas Csorba: The Country Album Made for Dads Like Us
This week we interview Thomas Csorba, a Texas singer/songwriter whose latest album, Tender Country, seems like it was made specifically for Country Music Dads just like us. Tender Country paints a vivid, beautiful and highly accurate picture of life in the early years of parenting. The Dads had never heard anything like this -- an “authentic” view of early parenthood-- so we had to talk to him.SHO
Brian Whelan: Zen and the Art of Session Musicians
Brian Whelan is a professional musician with a range of impressive credits to his name. He’s supported Post Malone’s early forays into country music, was a mainstay in Dwight Yoakam’s studio band and supported one of last year's best albums, Jake Owen’s Dreams to Dream. In addition to his studio work, Whelan is a regular on stages across Southern California and beyond. Like so many musicians based
The Fourth of July Soundtrack: Why Country Music Sounds Like America
This week, the Country Music Dads celebrate America 250, country music’s role in this -- and other -- uniquely American celebrations, and how to honor our history, the details of our past, and advance the American experiment. Happy Birthday America!Show Notes:00:05 - Dave and Donnie talk about their memories of the Fourth, how they are getting ready for America 250 and so much more. From childhood
Nathan Evans Fox: Lots of Beginnings and Other Hard Truths
This week, the Country Music Dads welcome Nathan Evans Fox to the podcast. He is a Nashville-based country music artist and dad with a fascinating new album on the way. He explores his own country upbringing. Using traditional themes of land, hard work and faith, he approaches his music and life from the political left, in a space considered very conservative. Fox’s album Heirloom is out May 29 on
Don't Call It a Comeback: Country Music Dads Returns!
The Dads are so back! After an extended season break -- due to some expansions in the family size -- the guys are back at it, planning out a new season of great guests, interesting topics and general silliness. We hope you are ready for Season Three of the Country Music Dads podcast.Show Notes:00:47 - Highlights of Season Two. Dave and Donnie discuss three things: our best episode, favorite interv
Jeremy Ivey’s Shape Reveals Itself
Recently, the dads sat down with Grammy-nominated songwriter, alt-country artist and father, Jeremy Ivey. But you may know him better as Margo Price’s husband. Ivey has a new album, It’s Shape Will Reveal Itself, out now on Soggy Anvil Records, and it’s a heavy look at the world around us. We will talk about his role as Price’s husband, their partnership in raising their children and songwriting,
2026 Grammy Awards Preview: Country Music Dads' Picks, Snubs, & Surprises
Awards Season is here, so the Country Music Dads must weigh in on what is most deserving, who was snubbed and how the Grammys may be the ultimate dad award show. It’s the 2026 Grammy Awards preview edition of Country Music Dads!While you're listening, please take two minutes to fill out our listener survey! What do YOU want to hear about country music and modern fatherhood in Season 3? Survey will
Beefing Bros: Making Sense of Gavin Adcock and the Fightin' Side of Country Music
What’re you looking at, son? You wanna go? Well, it seems like Gavin Adcock can’t get enough of the fightin’ side of country music, and the media (The Dads included) can’t get enough of his bologna. This week, we dive into the beefs, why country music seems to foster this kind of violent rhetoric, what dads should do about it and how the media landscape makes it all worse.While you're listening, p
Why Thanksgiving is the Ultimate Country Music Dad Holiday– and Why It Gets No Respect
Thanksgiving doesn't get any respect, but we're looking to change that. The beleaguered middle child of the holiday season, Thanksgiving is often overlooked. Yet so many elements of Thanksgiving (gathering with family, romanticizing our past traditions, and reckless binge-eating, among others) seem to make it the perfect holiday for a dad and for country music. We explore why Thanksgiving doesn't
Songbirds' Son: Shooter Jennings on Waylon The Artist, Waylon The Dad and The Legacy of Both
This episode needs no introduction: Shooter Jennings joins Donnie and Dave to discuss his dad’s cache of recordings, the process of bringing together three albums' worth of new Waylon Jennings music, and his feelings about the first installment, Songbird. Shooter talks at length about the discovery of Waylon’s previously unreleased music, his relationship with his legendary dad and his own role as
Ryan Posner: The Dad Behind Y'all Star Revue on Country Music's Evolution
This week, Donnie speaks with Ryan Posner, a Los Angeles-based bass player, side man and musical director, about balancing his home and professional life, how to define country music, why it is important to push art forward and how bass players make great dads. They dive deep into the value of his current project, the nearly weekly Y’all Star Revue, a showcase at the original Desert 5 Spot in
The Mustache Rides Again: Greatest 'Staches in Country Music (and Beyond)
This week, the Dads talk about a growing trend in country music and on the faces of men everywhere: the mustache. While facial hair is divisive, this episode takes a light-hearted view of the ‘stache, the correlation between masculinity in society and the prevalence of mustachioed individuals and much more. This is just one long “Change My Mind” segment, and you won’t be disappointed. Show No
Jeremy Pinnell on Country Music, Jiu-Jitsu and Balance
In this episode, The Dads speak with Jeremy Pinnell, a country music dad from Elsmere, Kentucky. Jeremy released his first full-length album in 2014 on SofaBurn Records, featuring a collection of songs that draw from his life to tell a truly country story. Jeremy recently released brand new singles “Save You” and “Come Home to Me.” He joined the Dads to talk about family, finding balance and
Why Dads Should Take Parental Leave, Plus a Country Music Dads Update
Dave goes solo for this episode with a brief update on Country Music Dads' plans in the coming months and with a brief rant about parental leave for dads. Show Notes:00:34: The Update Dave's having a baby! He shares how that news will affect the timing of the podcast in the coming months as he takes Podcaster Parental Leave. The Country Cutler Takeover of Country Music Dads is underway....03:53: A
Sean Burns Does It All
This week, the Dads sit down with Manitoba's own Sean Burns. He’s a sideman, a frontman and a radio man -- and he’s your new best friend. Sean has been playing bass and touring with one of Canada’s best underground country stars, Corb Lund, for years. He makes time for his own solo career as a songwriter and purveyor of classic country sounds as the frontman of Sean Burns and The Lost Country.&nbs
Family Vacation is a Lie
... or how I traveled with kids on summer break, and all I got was this grape snow cone. This week, the Dads talk about the season of family vacations. While these trips are a tremendous amount of work, all the research and our lasting memories suggest that, although these journeys aren’t exactly vacations, the family trip is incredibly valuable to the family unit. This episode explores some
The Doohickeys on Comedy, Dad Jokes and Country Music
Our guests this episode are The Doohickeys, a comedic country music duo who are on the rise in the Americana and country music worlds. Haley and Jack join The Dads to talk about their journey from house parties and open mic nights in LA to playing the Ryman Auditorium and releasing their debut album, All Hat No Cattle. We talk about their creative process, the current state of independent country
Tony Kamel Fights With a Smile: On Fatherhood, Real Stories and Finding Hope in Hard Times
Tony Kamel, a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, clawhammer banjo and guitar player, and father to a four-year-old girl, joins the show to talk about his latest album, We’re All Gonna Live, and to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the stories and real people that inspired many of his songs. Tony shares how his new-ish role as a father and his relationship with his own late father influences his
Daddy's Got His Blue Jeans On: A Deep Dive Into Country Music's Pants
Blue jeans are ubiquitous in country music. Yet dads (and kids) often choose the comfort and flexibility of "soft pants" over the rich history and unforgiving fit of denim. In this episode, the dads explore how blue jeans fit in our kids' active lives, on dads' expanding waistlines and in country music tropes. They're joined by author James Sullivan (who literally wrote the book on blue jeans) to
Ted Russell Kamp: A Founding Father of Alt-Country
Ted Russell Kamp, a Los Angeles-based musician, songwriter, producer and country music dad, joins Dave and Donnie to talk about the evolution of modern country music from his perspective as one of the forefathers of the modern alt-country movement. Ted's balance between touring, producing, songwriting, and building a family is unique and inspiring.We also explore his time with Shooter Jennings, hi
Jason Isbell Canceled Shows for His Daughter: Great Dad or Letting Fans Down?
A few months ago, mega-star and Czar of the Americana Empire Jason Isbell announced on social media that he was sorry to push back a few dates at large venues across the country to attend his daughter’s school play. In this episode, we discuss whether modern families — especially fathers navigating shifting expectations across their various responsibilities — achieve balance or if we should even t
Luke Combs' "Fathers & Sons" Reviewed: An Emotional Country Gut Punch for Modern Dads
If you're a dad in need of a good cry, consider this your warning: Luke Combs’ album Fathers & Sons hits hard. In this episode, the Country Music Dads give a full, unfiltered review of Fathers & Sons because, honestly, it was inevitable. The Dads weigh in on the best and worst songs and the overall impact of this album on country music, modern fatherhood and their emotional state of
Country Grammar: Children's Lit with Some Country Grit
The Country Music Dads dive headlong into the world of children’s literature, pop culture and its intersection with country music. We discuss the viral video of Ludacris’ incredible rapping of the book Llama Llama Red Pajama, discuss our favorite kids' books, which ones would make incredible country music songs and who should cut them. Show Notes: 2:22: The Kids Books We Love and Love to Hate
New Year, Same Ole Me… But Different: How We’re Growing in 2025
Country Music Dads is BACK for Season 2! And we are kicking things off by talking about the change (or lack thereof) that often accompanies the start of a new year. “New Year, new me” we say in January before seeing the “same ol’ me” staring back at us in the mirror in March. But is that such a bad thing? George Jones and Dierks Bentley provide support via two songs separated by 40 years but with
Best Country Christmas Songs for Fireside Eggnog Season
With the Holiday season upon us, here are our favorite Christmas songs. We have songs by classic country artists, new renditions of the classics, original compositions, and some that just make us laugh and smile at the joy of the Christmas season. Grab a glass of eggnog, sit back and enjoy the sounds of a Country Christmas.
Mentioned in the Show:
Desert Sun Morgan Wallen Article
Morgan Wallen
The Country Music Bourbon Showdown: Chris Stapleton vs. Ryan Bingham
This was our first live podcast recording with some of our
listeners as guests. In a ballroom at HomeDadCon in St. Louis, the Dads gathered with four fellow at-home dads for the ultimate country music bourbon showdown between Chris Stapleton (Traveller Whiskey) and Ryan Bingham (Bingham's Bourbon). We taste-tested their bourbon brands, sampled their music, and engaged in a lively, bourbon-soaked d
Best Country Songs From Yellowstone: A Playlist Inspired by the TV Series
The second half of the fifth season of the "Yellowstone" TV series is slated to come out on November 10th. In preparation, the Dads compiled a list of the best country songs featured on the show over the years. Take a listen as you prepare for Yellowstone's return and let us know which of your favorites we missed!
Mentioned in the Episode:
Underwood Family Farms
National Finals Rodeo
The V
"The Art of Fatherhood" With a Twang: Art Eddy Interview
We are so grateful to interview Art Eddy for our show! Art is the host of one of the premiere podcasts for Dads, "The Art of Fatherhood". Art has interviewed over 500 Dads over the years about their fatherhood journeys, and we are so honored to get him on the other side of the microphone this week.
Mentioned in the Show:
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Art of Father
Don't Call Me "Mr. Mom," Lonestar
The Dads discuss the complicated and sometimes controversial phrase, "Mr. Mom," which also happens to be the name of Lonestar's early-2000's hit song. In the stay-at-home dad world, this phrase is bound to get certain people as riled up as George Jones getting pulled over. We talk about why that is, and what we as active, engaged fathers can do about it. The Country Music Dads share their own ex
Small Towns, Hard Work, and Giant Hay Bales With Officer Isaiah Lemasters
Small town living, hard work, and hay are common themes in country music. We learn how all of these things came together to give the Country Music Dads their biggest social media post to date. Our guest is the star of that social media post: Officer Isaiah Lemasters from the Missouri Highway Patrol. Perhaps better known (on the internet) as the hay bale-lifting cop, Officer Lemasters joins us to
5 Montgomery Gentry Songs You Can Roll Through Life With
This week, the Dads take a deep dive into one of Mick's all-time favorite artists: Montgomery Gentry. The 5 songs we analyze build a life narrative that any dad can relate to, whether you're a Montgomery Gentry superfan (Mick) or a Montgomery Gentry newb (Dave). Take a listen and "roll with me" as we unpack some of the biggest hits from this early aughts country music super-duo.
The 8-Hour All-Female Country Playlist With Macey Isaacs
We are joined by Macey Isaacs on this episode. Macey is a standup comedian in Los Angeles, Co-Host of the SSRI'M OK Podcast and the curator of an 8-hour all-female country playlist on Spotify.
Mentioned in This Episode:
MaceyIsaacs.com
SSRI'M OK podcast
Dolly Parton's America podcast
Macey Isaacs' all-female country playlist
Article from The Pudding about female artist
"As Good As I Once Was:" Toby Keith's Anthem for Middle-Aged Dads
The Dads talk about Toby Keith's longest running #1 song, "As Good As I Once Was." Ultimately they need to decide if the lyrics in the song title are true OR ask themselves if they were ever any good in the first place?
Mentioned in this Episode:
Toby Keith's Number One Songs
Dani Rose Songs
Western Queensland Trapping
Men's Health Article about how 37 is middle age
No
The "Home Dad Chat" Podcast Goes Country
The Dads are joined by the hosts of the Home Dad Chatpodcast, Brock Lusch and Danny Mercer. Home Dad Chat is the official podcast of the National At Home Dad Network .
Mentioned in this Episode:
Home Dad Con
Chris Stapleton's Traveller Whiskey
Ryan Bingham's Bingham's Bourbon
"There I Ruined It" on Instagram: Conway Fitty
"Beat Bugs" on Netflix
Fathering To
"A Boy Named Sue:" Parenting Genius or Deadbeat Dad?
The Dads break down the Johnny Cash Classic "A Boy Named Sue." They talk about the song's uniqueness, its backstory and its cultural significance.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Huberman Lab podcast Sleep series
"A Better Man" by Michael Ian Black
"Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth
Angela Duckworth's TED Talk about Grit
Vid
Country Cutler Talks Parenting, Country Music in LA and Strawberry Pie For Breakfast
We are super excited to have our first guest. Joining us is Donnie C. Cutler: better known as Country Cutler on Instagram and Substack. Donnie shares his insights on the LA Country Music scene, having a dad in charge of the household and whether or not strawberry pie is acceptable for breakfast.
Mentioned in this episode:
Country Cutler's Substack and article about the HARDY show
"
The Perfect Country Playlist for Father's Day
Father's Day is almost upon us and the Dads figured every father needs some tunes to listen to while he is practicing his well-deserved self-care. So whether you are watching the grill or watching your kids mow the lawn we've got the Playlist to help you celebrate yourself.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Stay-at-Home Dad Book Club
Otter Pops
HARDY on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Gary Allan "T
How To Impress Shania According to Two Dads Who Drive Minivans
The Dads break down one of Shania's biggest hits and answer the question guys have wrestled with for the past 25 years: if brains, looks, and a car don't impress Shania, what does?
Mentioned in This Episode:
The Dad Time Out Show
Hardy Commencement Speech at MTSU
"That Don't Impress Me Much" Video
Shania Twain Documentary on Netflix
Show Notes:
12:18 Dad Life Sound Ch
ACM Awards 2024: Picks and Predictions From The Dads
The Dads change things up this week and preview the 2024 ACM Awards with our picks and predictions. We cover lots of ground from Jelly Roll to Megan Moroney, weigh in on the Stagecoach livestream, and share some of our hot takes and/or rants on some of the biggest names in mainstream country music.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Chris Stapleton's Traveller Whiskey
Home Dad Chat
The National
"Somewhere in the Middle" is Just Fine: Education, Achievement, and Cody Jinks
There is a lot of discussion around education in society today. Does education always come from books? Can you find learning opportunities in unconventional places? Is an academic education better than hands-on learning? With the help of Cody Jinks and "Somewhere in the Middle," we break it down and share some of the life lessons we've learned working on the factory floor.
Mentioned
"It Won't Be Like This For Long:" The Best Parenting Advice We Don't Want to Hear Courtesy of Darius Rucker
Time flies when you're having fun. Time moves excruciatingly slowly when you are sleep deprived and can't seem to get the baby down for a nap. What do these things have in common? They don't last forever. We are going to talk about just how fast things move when it comes to raising kids and why we hate the phrase "I miss those days." "It Won't Be Like This For Long&q
Best Country Songs for Your Parenting Day From Hell
In this episode the Dads get into every parent's nightmare: the Parenting Day From Hell. We came up with some songs to help you through these trying and exhausting times. These songs approach the Parenting Day From Hell in a variety of ways. Some describe how we are feeling at that moment. Others give us something to look forward to when the day is "over." We even have a couple of so
"Things a Man Oughta Know" According to Two Dads and Lainey Wilson
In this episode the Dads talk about the breakthrough hit
for the current queen of country music, Lainey Wilson: "Things a Man Oughta Know". This song is a lot deeper than it first appears and affects you in more ways than you realize. The Dads break down how the song hits them
and how their perceptions of this tune have evolved over time.
Mentioned in This Episode:
LA Dads Group
Ka
The Who, What, and Why of Country Music Dads
In our very first episode, Mick and Dave dive deeper into the mission of the podcast. Who are the Country Music Dads? What will we talk about? And why does the world need a country music podcast about parenting? We cover our distinct backgrounds, the six kids we have between us, and the key influences that have shaped our tastes in country music. We also give listeners an idea of the topics and st
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صداستان: ساعتی با موسیقی
Becoming: HER with Nikki Spoelstra
