Jonathan Peyton – Georgia Americana and Folk Storyteller
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When Jonathan Peyton was fifteen years old, sitting in his teenage bedroom in Georgia, he stumbled upon something that would reshape his entire life: the realisation that he wasn't alone. Through music—through the carefully crafted songs of artists who'd learned to articulate the messy, complicated feelings he couldn't name—he found a lifeline. It's a familiar story, perhaps, but what sets Peyton apart is what he's done with that lifeline. Rather than keep it to himself, he's spent the last decade learning to throw it to others.
The Georgia-based singer-songwriter and folk storyteller joins us this week on the Rugged Revival podcast with a disarming honesty that feels almost refreshing in an era of polished artist narratives. There's no carefully constructed mythology here, no reinvention story. Instead, there's a man from Woodstock who's learned, slowly and deliberately, that his own story—fractured childhood, a blended family, the ordinary struggles of modern life—might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
Music was an escape for me, dealing with the previous 15 years of my life. I felt like I wasn't alone because I was listening to these amazing songs.
— Jonathan Peyton
Peyton's journey to taking music seriously has been gradual. He grew up in Northern Ohio, one of five to seven siblings (he laughs about not keeping count), and moved to Georgia when he was young. His parents' divorce left him navigating a chaotic home life, the kind that sends some people into themselves and others searching desperately for escape routes. For Peyton, that escape came through his headphones. The teenage version of himself didn't consider becoming a musician—he was too busy trying to process the noise around him—but when he discovered that other people had managed to transmute their pain into art, something shifted. Music became less an escape and more a language.
The formal music career didn't begin until five or eight years ago, which means Peyton is relatively early in his professional journey. That freshness matters. He hasn't yet accumulated the cynicism that comes from years of touring circuits and industry compromises. When he describes his artistic philosophy in a single sentence, there's a clarity to it: "Writing music about the things we so often don't want to talk about." That's not a marketing pitch. That's a mission statement.
I write about things that we so often don't want to talk about.
— Jonathan Peyton
Much of what drives that mission comes from his partnership with his wife, Abigail. They met fifteen years ago through family connections—his brother knew her family, and they gradually got to know each other. When Jonathan was recording an EP roughly fourteen years ago, he asked Abigail to sing background vocals with him. What began as a musical collaboration became something deeper. Within a few years, they were married, and today they perform together, raise three children together, and apparently still know how to plan the kind of thoughtful, seemingly-unplanned proposals that work because they're genuine rather than grand.
The relationship has fundamentally shaped his music, though perhaps not in the ways you might expect from a couple's creative partnership. It's not simply that they've written love songs together or crafted duets about their bond. Rather, the act of being known by another person—truly seen, vulnerabilities and all—has given Peyton permission to be specific in his songwriting. The best country and Americana music has always understood that the particular is universal: if you can capture the exact texture of one person's heartbreak, one family's struggle, one moment of grace, you've tapped into something everyone recognises.
That's what Jonathan Peyton is doing. In an era when folk and Americana music is increasingly dominated by carefully curated aesthetics and nostalgia, there's something quietly revolutionary about an artist who simply wants to tell the truth. He's not performing rusticity or affect. He's processing life through melody, finding connection through honesty, and inviting his audience into the difficult, necessary work of feeling something real.
This is why you should listen to the full episode. Peyton's story—from a confused kid in Ohio to a thoughtful songwriter building something genuine in Georgia—is worth your time. More importantly, his music likely is too.
when you L [Applause] andar crash and [Music] bur Hearts get broke TBL turn you lose your Le welcome to the rugger Revival podcast as you all know by now it's the home of the UK's country music Community we know how much TJ loves that that SL slogan of um so we're joined by a co-host TJ the DJ with his face like a confused moose uh but more importantly we have the pleasure of introducing the very fabulous very talented Jonathan pton an exceptional singer songwriter and personal favorite of ours at the ruggy Revival we'll be diving into Jonathan's musical Journey creative partnership with his wife Abigail pton and the Stories Behind the Music so s is our first Valentine's podcast let's do a bit of Valentine's there you go uh first Valentine's podcast uh we might even ask you about some of your love stories and how you both met so Jonathan can I introduce uh can I hand it over to for you to introduce yourself to everybody that's listening to the Ruger Revival yeah thank you so much yeah I'm Jonathan Payton um I live in Woodstock Georgia you mentioned my wife um we performed together we've were married uh 12 years coming up on that we have kids they're born born and raised here in Georgia um songwriter folk artist uh been played music for a long long time and kind of started taking it serious not too long ago maybe five or eight years ago and yeah that's kind of like it set me in a nutshell Jonathan thank you very much and welcome to the Ry Revival and thank you very much for taking the time to join us so um we're going to march on with the questions I think uh and the first one is the one that I always love to ask is where did little Jonathan uh come from your childhood Journey uh what was baby Jonathan like talk us through it talk us P you up again I'm originally from Northern Ohio um I have a I have a like five seven siblings something like that I don't know we have a big family we moved really young to Georgia and my parents divorced when I was like five years old and home life was was pretty pretty wild and so I spent a lot of my childhood just trying to figure things out so little wasn't doing a whole lot and when I I'd say in like in the high school like 15 16 years old I really started taking the music re really loved just hearing music I felt like it was an escape for me um dealing with I think the the previous 15 years of my life if that makes sense and that that's what really started me on this music Journey was feeling like I wasn't alone because I was listening to these amazing songs and these amazing songwriters and so little Jonathan wasn't doing a whole lot not a whole lot of music but I I found it when I was a teenager that's brilliant thank you so much for for sharing that with us you know I know it's you know it's very very personal but you know we ask we ask every artist where where they come from and I know that you know it's sometimes it's quite hard to share in that so thank you very much for for doing it for us so um if you could describe your music in one sentence what would it B I would say on that deal things that we so often don't want to talk about absolutely that would be my one sentence brilliant thank you very much now on another note I know I mentioned about Valentine a minut minute ago so I'm going to ask you a Valentine's question how and when did you and Abigail meet so we met a little brother was friends with her family like her and her entire family we probably met maybe 15 years ago and I got to know some of her family through my brother her family's extremely Musical and I was recording an EP like 14 years ago maybe that that exist anymore and I asked her to sing on it with me so she was singing some background vocals and we started crushing on one another and so she she was singing with me um doing some background vocals just as a friend and we got to know each other pretty well and one thing led to another and we're you know almost 12 years married and three kids brilliant so if you could if you could choose a memorable date as in what you did on one of the dates what would it be I'm testing you now I'm testing you relationship knowledge it was planned to look like it wasn't planned I planned it was the day that I proposed to her she thought we were going on a date to the park and I think she had suspicion that I might be proposing to her sometime soon so I made her think that we were going to do something for my birthday and I proposed to at the park uh down here and I don't know that one sticks to my mind because I was like I got her well a smoothie yeah thank you so much that's that's brilliant that's awesome um and moving in with your with with your relationship um has that influenced your music at all has it influenced what you do how you act I know that obviously you you sing together quite a bit um is there anything that is you know vice versa is anything changed do anything been influen is there specific moments that you've gone through that you think yeah well definitely I mean we you know we've had a lot of ups and downs just as anyone has you know over 12 12 years it's been great but we've had those that were like you feel like you're just ripped apart um dealt with some heavy loss and things like that and I think this our relationship has definitely being you know being able to make it through some of the things we have like it heavily influences the music our uh I know my I have a song we have a couple versions of it it's called count of the Stars just about hardships that we've gone through as a family um and had I not had that relationship we have like that that song probably wouldn't exist because it was it was a hard one to write and she um but you were saying about the song that you you know that you made together and you've had some hard times um you know family hard times and you know support each other through that and that song wouldn't have existed um if you know if you if you hadn't gone through them and you wouldn't have uh supported each other for it absolutely yeah that's that's the best way to put it brilliant I thank you again you know for for showing the personal experiences with us um so what's something about Abigail that makes her a great musical partner be careful now so she more musical than I am and I because we're so often performing with just us she is following me and sometimes it's like hey this is like the 37th version of this song We Sing it different every time but somehow you you just can't tell because she's so good at at following she's just I guess learn my ways you know my unstable ways because sometimes I'll I'll completely change stuff don't even realize it and she's just so intense that she'll just follow it like it like it's always been the same and it's so impressive to me because I would if I was following her and she was changing like that it would it would throw me off so I know uh I get I've probably make made her job a little hard and she just does it with ease it's brilliant yeah perfect and in that's a lovely thing to say as well so you must have brown points you've got to have gold stars for that so yeah brilliant thank you and we know there's there's obviously something very very special about uh the husband and wife Duos you know you got Chris deeton and his wife George Jones and Tammy and Brooks and dun so um and I know that that on the flip side we've got um it can sometimes be a struggle so is there anything that you find a struggle traveling with your wife singing with your wife people stay as your wife yeah I mean um I I know I stubborn and because I know she's more musical than me uh sometimes I'll but we butt heads and really she's just making a suggestion that'll make something better and I'll be but I you know I got my way a listenit to her you should listen I I absolutely understand you with my stubbornness now you're the only one on here that will meet their stubborn because I know that TJ and I don't meit to our own partners that we're stubborn so uh that's that's again gold stars for you so thank you for for sharing that we can learn from Jonathan I think yeah yeah for sure oh man so the last um the last big question for me is is there anything um was there a standout moment uh when you realized music was going to be your career that you you were like Yep this is me this is what I'm going to do well to be honest with you we're still trying to figure that out we've had yes there's definitely standout moments but I've gone through this up and down in the music industry and it's hard to navigate with working a full-time job and being a husband and a father first so I you know I've I've had to turn things down to where you know knowing hey this would Advance my career but would it would make my life miserable so I'm not going to do it so I'm still trying to figure out how to do music full time by not just being gone all the time but when I realized that like I want to do this I want to Prov this way um we got go uh to Washington State by Zack Bryan he inv invited us out there to go uh and record on his YouTube channel and I he went back his edited videos that night posted the next morning wow and you know people blow blowing blowing my phone up and it was just like he whoa this is this is wild and then yeah Jon and Sue I mean you just mentioned a minute ago Zack Brian and you you've shared the stage with some incredible artist including Zach Charles Wesley Godwin another favorite of the show uh White Flores and um you know just just incredible uh names and the fact that you you say you found music quite late on uh to be sharing stages with with uh incredible artists like that must be you know amazing for you how did those opportunities come about um it I you know with I started opening some shows for Zach after we got connected after did his his YouTube channel and that just kind of led to other things like getting to you know getting introduced to people in the industry getting introduced to other artists and then I also just kind of have this mindset like I'm just gonna ask for crazy things like I reach out to like these venues in Atlanta like the football stadium and ask to open these Arena shows like I know they're I'm gonna ask for something that seems impossible and so I just kind of had that mindset like just do it but don't be annoying and it started to pay off and they saw that we were doing you know opening this big show so they're like oh well maybe I'll respawn this time it just this Snowball Effect and I started getting to like oh now I don't just know this artist but I know their agent let me reach out to their agent see if I can get on these shows and yeah it was it was great you know I got to know Charles through the Zach connection and got to know all these other people um we went you mentioned Wyatt floors we went on tour with Wyatt got to know him he brought us out we did like a show with him then he brought us out on a tour trayton Farley brought us out on a tour and I don't know once you start getting in those circles it's just like everybody knows somebody somehow or if they don't they know somebody that knows them and I just wasn't afraid to tap on a shoulder and be like hey like it's great like you say it's about building connections and once you you're in certain circles it I suppose it gets easier to get into some of these venues and places and it it's amazing you know we were watching you know all of your videos particularly for the Red Rocks Amphitheater which uh everyone that we speak to uh on the show it's a highlight for them uh it's somewhere that's on their kind of bucket list to play so tell us about that particularly because uh wases that Z Brian's all my homies hate Ticket Master uh good that he was doing um I remember it at the time and I I say I watched all of the YouTube videos that you've done and it just looked absolutely incredible I mean what was that like and how did that particular show come about well that was Unreal I remember I I was uh I flew out to Washington Spokan Washington by myself solo to go open for Zac and we in the Green Room he's like you want to open Red Rocks like are you kidding he's like well what I kid about something like that like come come open I was like yeah absolutely and so we went out there my wife and I went out to Red Rocks and that the that night where he recorded that album that was crazy because I actually didn't get to play it snowed so hard that our set got canceled and so did Charles God and then but Zack ended up bringing bringing us on stage twice and then you know I didn't even realize it was going to happen we got a credit on his live album like our names were on there and like oh wow so that was a whole another thing too that just like this is this is wild when we're even at Red Rocks and um even though we didn't get to play that night it was still one of the coolest things we put on a show in the parking lot we met so many great people so that was you know that was one of those like man I feel like someone just knocked me out because I got the news that I'm not playing but also I'm still here still with all these amazing people we're in the mountains and the snow is beautiful it's like a just this picture perfect place and then he's like hey I'll bring you back I'm like oh wow so the following year he brought us back as direct support for two nights at Red Rocks so we got you know we we got our Redemption we get to play um and that was just that was about a year half ago that that was unre I cried on that stage because I don't like you know we played in Colorado we did two shows with Zach we played in Colorado the next night our own show we had aund something people there and it was one it was one of my favorite shows of all time that we've ever hadline it was so cool but it was like wow like so we don't we don't get opportunities to go play in front of 10,000 people at Red Rocks like that's that's unheard of um and that that something that just does never seemed attainable in my mind to get to do something like that so to get that invite and it's like hey we're just these little songwriters from you know from Georgia that you know no one out there knows our name so like this is just like how did we get here what what is it doesn't make sense but I'll take it you know and we were with it we I took my full band out there and it was I still at CH thinking about it yeah you I mean you were absolutely incredible and I I love though I mean I posted one of them on Tik Tok recently and everyone just absolutely loved it where were you in the parking lot when it was snowing uh you and your wife just cracked out the acoustic and uh was it was it a spontaneous moment that that kind of occurred yeah that was honestly I was PR I was pretty down because you know I'm we're sitting in our green room and I'm like man I'm so grateful to be here but I just bumped because we're not playing it's like man this this is I don't know how to explain it your mind just going everywhere you're happy and then you're sad and then you're like man this is a weird experience so we someone's like hey there's people in the parking lot would love to see you so we go up there and people they knew what was going on and uh stranger handed me a guitar and we put on a show and now that that guy that handed me that guitar he was just at our show in Atlanta the other night he's he's a good friend and so we made so many just amazing connections we like people still talk to us about that parking lot um the people that were there we we got a lot of love online from that and it was very unplanned we just yeah we went up there probably played five songs and people were just so kind I I don't know how else to put it like we we some of those people that were there that day they'll travel out of state when they know we're coming to do a show not too far from them because we just have that connection from that day and it's it's special like that you can't make something like that happen it just I'll always remember it yeah like you say something that kind of bummed you out you know to turn into something you know of such a special moment of that kind you know it's uh was almost meant to be in that way and and then to get to go back as well I mean that's pretty pretty cool of Zach as well when to give you that that opportunity man so uh no I I love those videos I just think it's special but uh oh it's interesting as well since someone handed you a guitar I just thought it was your guitar that you you had with you that's how spontaneous it was yeah that was a fun fantastic um so yeah I anyone out there honestly just go out on YouTube and watch it and it's on our Tik Tok so you won't be disappointed and like you said there's there's a few tracks that you did while you're out there all recorded um was it on someone's iPhone or something as well the audio is really good on it so uh yeah there was people there were cameras iPhones and uh some of our friends that were out there with us were taking video so yeah it was I was probably mostly just phone audio going around yeah yeah it's good though so obviously we talked about red rocks and some of the people that you've you've been uh touring with have you got any other favorite venues and we were talking just before we came on about uh our mutual friend Josh Mitchum and he's got an incredible venue and I know You' played there not too long ago with your wife Rambo at the Randall so we'll give that a plug as well that venue is something special I don't know like how where you guys are over there like the Kentucky music scene the state of Kentucky is there's something about that state when it comes to music the sh every time we've played in Kentucky it's just magical you have the best fans there I love it and Josh is a great musician he's a great music fan and he's just a good guy and he has this beautiful barn and we you know we had never been there we we show up we were opening for uh Nicholas Jamerson in the morning Jays and who I'm a huge fan of so I was just happy to be there and we got there and I was like oh this is I don't know what I expected but this is better than that and it was just cool could tell that there's not a lot going on in that area and he's put together something that people there really look forward to so we were a guest you know we didn't know anyone there and people were so respectful and so kind and bought a ton of our merch I love that venue and another venue that comes to mind when you ask is um Globe Hall in Denver we played there after Red Rocks and then we then they invited us back the following year to come back and do our own show again that's a that's a great venue and then really random there's a venue um in Jack asper Indiana called the Astro theater they they really wanted us to come play I Was T trying to talk them out of having me play because I was like your venue's too big for me like don't worry about it we got and we went and played um and it was a packed house and it was phenomenal like the venue took a chance on us they believed in us and now it's almost like an annual thing that we go back to this theater in Indiana and their big reason why we have this just random following there but the yeah that venue is asro theater is just beautiful place beautiful people um very special to me you nearly talked yourself out of it so uh I'm glad you didn't they convinced me to you know reconsider and I went up and it just it went so well that's perfect it's interesting so you you you play all over Jonathan from what you're saying and um I I was speaking to some people recently uh some other artists and um they were saying you know you they almost get a bigger following in other towns other than uh more so than their hometowns is that the same for for you and your experience um not not so much for me we have a lot of a lot of Hometown support so even though I didn't really start traveling and playing um until maybe six or seven years ago I've played here in North Georgia for I think I played my first show 18 years ago so I've played around this I played around this area forever before I ventured out um so we have we have we have a special special fan base here in our hometown and even when we flew out to Colorado I mean we had a ton of people get on play go to Colorado just to support us and it's like this is this is cool but we do have like I mentioned Indiana I thought who in Indiana listens to my music and I was wrong I just had no idea so you know the like Indiana Colorado it it's just real random but there people are out there listening and it surprises you and it's such a great feeling that's awesome man that's uh say it inspires you to to kind of carry on and make more music when you you've got got that sort of fan base it's a it's amazing so uh you're still independent Jonathan you signed up to to anyone or you still kind of going iny I'm I am full independent um I I still do all my own booking and managing I'm I'm kind of a oneman show for for everything um and I just blow my music through a distributor and put it out that's great it's uh that must be hard though is is it is it difficult being the kind of social media person and you know trying to get the music and you know on top of just actually writing the music there must be so many hours in a day for you to get that stuff done it's very hard so you know on top of being a husband raising kids and and still going to work um to manage the music is is a lot it's a lot you know we we take our breaks we just played our first show in 3 months we took we knew we we had to take a break and we've got you know a few shows lined up but I'm I'm doing I'm more focusing on releasing music this year been doing a ton of shows I was fortunate to spend a good good amount of time in the studio in the past like six seven months yeah yeah who you've been working with specifically in the studio because when you're working with a guy on the last album his P up Jason is buils Burn yeah so I worked with with Sadler Vaden who's just one of my favorite musicians of all time that worked out great we did um we cut an album with him we actually we just released a single in January that we Sadler and I wrote together he produced it and we cut it the same day in his basement so it was yeah and so everything that's coming out now we have a song um there we about to announce that's coming out that was all with my friend Jason hord here in Georgia he lives a couple hours south of me and I've just been going to his house and make making some songs and we we got a good amount finished up and we have a few collaborations that that we've put together that we'll be announcing down the road and yeah I'm gonna I'm G to release a good bit of music and then just play a handful of shows good that uh that leads us into some nice questions about you know the songs that you've released so far mate so your your first Alum I always like to go through kind of Spotify to see you know when your music was released and and kind of listen to the progress from that point so waterers below that's nearly 10 years uh since you've released that that right so um does it feel like yesterday that came out do way does it feel like yesterday that that came out it does that that was so uh you know we crowdfunded to be able to go and do that we did the kickstarter thing for that and we went my friend's basement and when we had a spare Saturday I'd get the band together we go make that so it took us a while to make it and we finish it and we're like hell let's just put it out but the fact that it was that long ago is is weird to me in my head and it doesn't feel like it was that long ago girl it never does does it that's awesome so between 2016 and 24 2024 I noticed you You released a collection of songs which I think eventually became uh the latest album so nothing here is the same is that how that came about that you kind of slowly releasing things as a single and we we went and worked with Sadler Vaden up in Nashville and we recorded three songs and I thought like you know this isn't funded by a label or anything and going to record in Nashville is not cheap so I guess I'm just gonna have some singles or an EP and then next thing you know I was like hey let's let's record a few more singles and then we're like hey what would it look like to finish an album and we were able to make it happen so when we recorded the rest of the songs I just decided that some of those singles that we recorded I wanted them to be on there as a whole project because they all kind of fit together and then I went up to Nashville cut maybe I don't know six to eight more songs and finish up the album fantastic and what was the reception like when you when you released that because I noticed that you were just blowing up on Instagram I was seeing your name all over Spotify and I thought I've got to check you out and uh so I found you all the way over in England so you must have a a good fan base where you are and you know did you get a lot of uh comments a lot of reviews in terms of uh to give you some feedback and what people were feeling yeah we we got some good reviews um some out your way as well we were getting some reviews in UK you know this is the first time that I you know when I recorded Waters below just recorded it and loaded it up online and told people about it like I did I know nothing about hey like maybe have a little put some thought into the release so it was different with with this album even though it was it was on me like I did work with a publicist who helped and there's a publication called saving country music that I love and they they gave me this beautiful review that I feel like introduced us to um a lot of people but it was received really well you know we it was my first time cutting vinyl always wanted my music on a vinyl and I'm like this I have have no idea what to expect is this going to flop and you know I had more way more pre-orders on that than I ever expected and you know we broke even on the vinyl right away I thought it was going to take me forever to pay what I on awesome like people people were you know and I see all the orders so I'm like oh wow we're sending a final to Japan one to Alaska one to Australia UK like Canada like what is this so I to me it was we hadn't been received like that before so I was I was very happy yeah it's something special in vinyl I think there's a lot of uh nerds like me that like to collect vinyl because it's just I mean it just sounds better for a start that's what us old people say it just sounds better it looks better the artwork on it is fantastic and um shout out to kobby Helms as well because I've got his hat on tonight um so he he was was uh at a gig recently and I met him and uh he was carrying a bunch of vinyl too to the gig so it it's uh it weighs a ton for a start so when you're selling on your merch tables and you're going to these places and yeah he was saying uh actually he he sells a lot of uh the the vinyl ring the CDs and I think for that very reason that you can you know have a nice signature on it and it's something for people to collect and to kind of cherish and that must be nice for you like you say sending it out to Japan Alaska and all of these obscure places including the UK uh that people can kind of put that into their collection so that must be a great feeling man but um helps us also helps us keep going yes support because it's not cheap is it like you say to to kind of put stuff on to vinal and then like you say hoping to break even at some point so it's great that you uh you achieved that in in quick time man that's awesome and um just going back to Spotify so I noticed um I keep saying Spotify any streaming platform will do um Sunrise has just been released with Abigail and you know I think that's a fantastic song I was listening to that today and uh so what what's the story behind that particular song well that song that's the one that I was mentioned I wrote with Sadler Vaden so we we got together and he kind of had this this melody in his head and we started just throwing out ideas and um that song is I don't know you feel like when you're going through something and you're just longing for rest um and also wanting to be that rest for someone someone you love you know when they're going through it and it's it's you know the simple line like let me take your heavy heart to the Sunrise it's kind of like that basically like I'm here for you and that's what we were going for and that song and where that was the first time I had actually like done like a real co- write like every other song that I have out uh I wrote 100% so that was that was a fun uh for me almost like an experiment because like I don't know how this is going to go and and it was a lot of fun to do that with Sadler and be able to create that but yeah that that song I I'm I love it I'm really happy with how it came out and the message behind it um because I think it's easy to sing about like you know songwriter writes a bunch of sad songs I love sad music but like think about someone else someone else's experience what they're going through and like hey I wanna I want to be there in near dark times like I'm I'm here for you I love you and uh that I don't know I think of the people that have been there for me and so I was trying we're trying to write it from a different perspective if that makesense it it does yeah what I find interesting about your songs Jonathan it makes me laugh sometimes is like a lot a lot of it's kind of upbeat Melodies and um driving Melodies and it it's it's um it's more upbeat but then when you listen to the lyrics it's quite sad so like I don't know I don't know how to feel about this I'm enjoying it lyrics are so sad and uh yeah it's you you've got a real knack for doing that so it's a it's a talent mate there you go and then um there was one interesting song that I saw you put on your Instagram not too long ago I think it's back end of last year and you you kind of put a a small message to it and people have probably asked you this before but no Amazing Grace and and you said it reflects on your past experience as part of a a religious cult when you were younger so I I didn't just thought i' I'd pose a question to see if you're willing to kind of reveal any anything around that cuz I just thought it was quite an interesting thing to put out you know is is it something you're able to talk about oh yeah I don't mind at all I actually one of my favorite parts of our shows is sharing the story about this so give you a little insight to how that song was written and then give you like the backstory so I was I was watching a show on Netflix called Ancient Aliens and they were talking about how they believe that these cult leaders these famous cult leaders were aliens and I was just like this is a very entertaining show and I just thought you know I did when I was younger I was I was an Ault you know we I didn't know it then but I was when I was 19 I met these people that were uh call themselves missionaries and they lived in a bus and I graduated high school and and joined them and we traveled all across North America and so I started thinking about that as I was watching Ancient Aliens and I was laughing kind of just to myself and then I wrote a really sad song got of funny how that came about but yeah I spent over a year um traveling doing you know we weren't like drinking Kool-Aid and doing you know those the I was going to be careful with my questions because I didn't have any idea what you were going to come out with so yeah that but it was it was definitely a very controlling religious cult and we just I just said I was a missionary I was 19 years old I was out of high school and I thought you know I wanted nothing more at that point than to just leave home and so I just I went and spent a lot of time out west in like Wyoming and Colorado and a lot of time in British Columbia up in Canada and yeah I I finally kind of took a step back one day and thought this isn't good and normally when I had those thoughts and this is kind of a the narcissistic leadership of the C if you start having doubts or anything like that you're the problem and no one else is and so I got I got trapped in that and one day I just like hey I'm I'm going home and I went home and I had found out years later that the the leader there had relapsed on drugs and just doing all these destructive things and I kind I touch on a little bit of that in the song but pretty pretty subtle and I was just thinking about all the memories like the and there I have some good ones from there but there are a lot of there just there was a lot of baggage that I Carri with me into my into my 20s I'm I'm in my I'm 37 now but I I a lot to work through and as I was working through those things like music was one of the things I lashed on to and so Ancient Aliens brought brought me to finally write about my experience such a story but I love it I love that link I do watch that as well we we have that show on our our Fire Sticks here and it's uh it's hilarious got like he's a meme isn't he that guy Now isn't he yeah I know exactly what you're talking about but uh well so it's incredible so if I'm Ancient Aliens and you know drink not drinking the Kool-Aid um you know come out of this fantastic song No amazing G is one of my favorites so yeah you you you've penned something incredible from a yeah obscure past shall we say thank you for sharing that Jonathan I appreciate that Ronnie I've been talking for ages here I feel like uh I forgot all about are you still yeah I'll just I'm just puming in actually no I was I was so you know you said in the last podcast actually that you you sort of you just get interested you listen it's like two people have a conversation on a couch and we're talking about all this personal stuff and Jonathan it's so interesting to to hear your past and I I know you mentioned a couple of times around you know the sad songs but um for me listening to someone's uh again the the last few artists that we've we've spoken to we've interviewed listening to them songs I can relate to a lot of that through childhood through growing up through you know different things that I've been involved in and so can everybody else and that's you know it might be might be sad to one person but actually it might be quite um it's like having that emotional connection with another and be quite insightful and a quite a happy time remembering certain things and I I I mean um I was going to go to when when you were talking about um uh Red Rocks I there was one song on there which I've I've been obsessed with for years but you've done a rendition of country roads and let me tell you that is the best that's the best version um that I've heard ever uh to be honest so I was Bing that out but then you know some of the other songs like there's one that um put that I I sort of listened to the other day which was taking shelter um again was you know something yeah it was it was amazing and it's having that uh emotional connection and listen to it and from what you've been through we said it so many times around um different artists about mental health and being able to reach out and Shout out about it I will keep banging that drum every podcast that we listen to and you've knocked the nail on the head you've absolutely solved that point uh there's no need for me to talk about it anymore because you said you know yeah I think and you know we say sad songs for me like yeah a lot of them are sad but for me it's more about honesty so I want to write because I know that in my conf especially when I was younger and I'm just really confused and I spent time being if I'm honest just being angry I was angry when I was younger just wondering why this why that and music pulled me out of so many holes um just being able to listen to it being able to relate to songs I think that my goal in songwriting and even sharing and going and doing shows and sharing my stories and even coming on here is like hey if I can put something out create something that make somebody feel less alone because they know that maybe they're not the only one going through what they're going through I know that I could take my bad experiences that I've learned from and share those and maybe there a voice for someone else that said hey I went through that thing but I've never actually talked about it now I want to talk about it because I heard this song because I've been in that place and I I want to be able to do that for other people because we're we're all human I want people to be able to relate and it's been so healing for me and if I could provide that for somebody um I'm humbled by that that's that's incredible it's not even a pat on the back it's just like I'm grateful and I can't believe I got to be a part of something like that and yeah I had they're they're artists I listen to and I'm just like man I don't even know exactly what this song is about but I feel it and and it's it's helped me through a day it's got me out of a funk it's pulled me out of a dark place it's I love that about songwriting Jonathan thank you uh what a great message uh and and thanks for thanks for sharing that again with us I keep saying it because it is personal points it's personal things that you're bringing up so it is much appreciated so just on you've already said one goal um I've asked this a few times what's everybody's top three goals you've already given us one um what's your other two goals could be any time three to 5 years could be for the rest of your life whichever um another two top goals yeah so that I mean being able to do music full time like it's is my only job that would that would be that would be a goal um I I would like another goal be able to learn how to produce my own music I'm not I'm not good at that some of the stuff that I've put out I have done and I've you know recorded at my house and put it out but like I would love to be able to have a studio at my home and be able to produce a full record uh with a band and I haven't I respect anyone that can do that I haven't put in the hours to learn how to do that so that's a goal to be able to learn how to do that and you know I mentioned getting into co-writing I've never always sto for some reason I wouldn't like it I love it so I would I would like to write with with more artists I would like to collaborate and release music with other people brilliant thank you and I I know that you know listening to your songs listening to you talking now you're so dedicated you're so passionate to what you do so it will happen that's that's what happen and then goals you'll be sailing through on the next set of goals uh or all the way through so um yeah um so TJ mentioned uh a while back around uh when he was consistently talking um you mentioned a while back that your album was 10 years ago um I want to ask you if you could go back 10 years um what bit of advice would you give yourself 10 years ago if any well this could be a whole another podcast on why I'm saying keep your circle small because this industry will eat you alive very careful and some opportunities are going to come your way and always put your family first make sure you do that I think myself back then if I could go back now be like hey come here you know yeah listen in thank you um so just just talking about musical circles who's in your musical circle at the moment um you know there's some other artists out there that it's nice like I become friends with some of these guys not just like hey open for this guy but there if you're familiar with drton Farley he's a good friend of mine um I could call him and be like d what do you think about this I'm struggling with it you know he's one of those people it's really nice um and we know I've got to know a lot of because I'm still booking my own shows I've gotten to know a lot of agents and I've gotten to know a lot of managers and so like if I have questions a lot of these artists that we know like their teams are so kind I could call them up be like hey how do I do this because I have no idea what I'm doing so it's nice that we've gotten a lot of those people in our circles um we're about to open up a run a shows for Nicholas Jamerson uh We've he's such a great guy been able to have a few conversations with him while opening his shows excited to get out and do those but yeah I mean I I don't know we we recently signed a um like a like a publishing deal for music and so that's kind of helped expand around Nashville as well we got to know some of the studios up there some the engineers and some producers and things like that so I mean I can name off a number of people but there's just kind of like people kind of every camp that I could call on or they could call me if they needed to um It's a small world it's really small especially you know we're we're maybe three and a half hours from Nashville a lot happens there I don't go up there a ton but when I go up there it's just every everybody knows everyone yeah and and if you uh I know I asked for you know what would you give yourself advice about 10 years ago what about any sort of emerging Talent any emerging artist what advice would you give them um you know you've already said keep your circle small but is there any other advice that you would give them if they wanted to step into your shoes 10 years ago yeah and you know I get asked that question you know a local musician like how' you do this what do I do and it's like hey like I know you you've been watching on social media media and like the fun things that we've done but like I've been playing music for half of my life and I played shows for years before people started showing up like one just keep going get out and play like get out and play don't be afraid to ask for some opening gig that seems like you'll never get just ask for it um be be persistent don't be persistent but not annoying that's one of the things that guy just just be persistent though yeah writing music and putting it out just and don't compromise your message because you someone manager told you you should um do what's what's true to you like don't change your stom just keep writing be consistent um I don't I don't feel like I have a ton of advice to offer but maybe that's what I would say is like you just got just keep going yeah F fantastic advice like overnight other people like hey 20 years into this thing like so yeah Fant fantastic advice thank you um so be persistent and not annoying TJ by the way FYI Works Jonathan's on the show isn't [Laughter] he yeah um so talking about uh emerging Talent um and you know the advice you just given them is there any emerging musicians or bands that you've been following and would you recommend any of the listeners so one watch out for one of my favorites and he is a friend of mine he is out of North Georgia guy named Hunter block he just released a record just released his first vinyl um he goes Often by Hunter block and the sad machine and I think he is phenomenal songwriter um great performer and he's just an amazing human being we've got to know each other I've been able to put him on a few shows with us and I wish orn anything that the world knew about Hunter fantas you'll love music we need to um if you you need to do us a favor and get him on here then we need to get him on here let's get him out let's push his name out yeah brilliant AB awesome thank you and and just the last you'll be happy to know it's the last question for me before I head to TJ um if you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing right now I don't I don't know I really don't my my background is and it's what I do for work now when I'm not doing music is I paint cars but I think if I I have no plans of just not being a musician anymore but if I weren't I'd probably go find another career I don't know what that would be if I'm being honest I'd have to figure that out Wildest Dreams what what would be Your Wildest Dream career oh man you know this is so random but I did during covid I I stopped painting cars for a little bit and I worked in the coffee industry for a coffee importer I have a passion for coffee not just like I like to drink some coffee but like I was going to Central America and helping like on the importing side and sales and all that I could see myself getting into that because there's something about the community in that industry it's kind of like music industry like you find a good Community it's making a difference um I definitely miss aspects of that I could see myself going going back to that um yeah there there were a lot of fulfilling things in that job because I hey like I'm selling all this coffee from Honduras but I'm also visiting the farmers whose lives are being changed because we're selling this coffee it was really cool wow that's that is incredible and you know what a wonderful thing to say as well you know you you're taking it right back to the to the roots of it you know helping them and and yeah so thank you for sharing that yeah yeah super interesting man I've got a friend who does that he's got a a coffee business locally uh to where I live in England and they do exactly that they go out to to places like I think Kenya and obviously the places that they grow the beans they go out and see the guys uh out there on the farms they yeah they see how the way they they change lives and it's uh yeah you got to be really into your coffee for doing stuff like that I enjoy it it's nice coffee so music is coffee yeah absolutely so shout out to short and Curley's uh for that in Lichfield anyway so let's let's uh I thought you said something else then sorry okay I know they could have chose but I'll cut that bit out anyway so in terms of um Ju Just I mean we're not going to keep you too long Jonathan because I know you're really busy with the kids and all that mate but uh we've got a few last questions just intrigued about uh this year um you mentioned you've got some projects some collaborations is there anything that you can kind of tell us on that front is it all kind of hush hush until until you can formally confirm things I don't mind telling you about one of them uh so we actually we did a thing that released I don't maybe November called an R vinyl session and one of the songs on there it's called I want for you we recorded like a live version of it that song I I co-wrote with um Brian elmquist who is in a band called The Lone Bellow and I'm a big fan of the lone and so we cut a studio version of that song and he sang on the track so that's that's one of them the other one is we're not talking about that one yeah one will be a surprise for everyone so I was try to squeeze it out of you there but uh no I appreciate you sharing that mate and yeah I was listen to the r vinyl session today and there's been some fantastic kind of people uh who who've done our vinyl previously and it seems to be kind of the The Benchmark for for those type ofing that was such an experience and I yeah they they were so nice to us everything about doing that that's one of those things about I talk about being persistent now I didn't have a team that set that up I reached out to R vinyl over the course of like a very long time and they're like hey are you going to be in Nashville Friday randomly after over probably a year of email like I was like yeah I'll be there so you know I was there and we recorded it it was great that's fantastic like you say persistency pays off and when you get an opportunity like that you've just got to drop everything and and go so uh that's awesome so we ask every every guest that comes on because we're just desperate to kind of big the UK scene up and have as many people over as possible CU we we we don't get treated enough Jonathan over here to to you know good artists in my opinion um have you got any plans to come over to the UK in the future is that something that's on your your kind of plans to do or is it still kind of trying to forge a a career in the state still um I don't have any plans I would say that would be a goal it's one of those things like in my mind again like now get that impostor syndrome like fall if I went to the UK could I sell two tickets like I have no idea never been over there but um that'd be like a dream to be able to come over there and play a show there's nothing in the works I would but you know that that could change and if there was an opportunity I'd love to get on it but I have plenty of friends that have come over there and just talk about what an experience it is to go out you know over that way and play music like and kind of you so you don't get treated enough I hear that that kind of makes the shows more special like you feel really appreciated I know a lot of people say hey went played over in the UK and the crowd just loved it they were just happy I was there and I was like that's awesome absolutely yeah and you know I talked about Colby earlier um I met up met up with him last week while he was doing his UK tour and I think he's on the last Lake now he's in Edinburgh before he goes back um so he's he's come over and at the end of the month we've got several appalachin artists coming over to to uh play something similar um across the UK so we've got Hunter Flynn Daniel Kane and Lance Rogers over um so we we're seeing more often uh you know artists are coming over and and and when I'm talking to these guys you know they're saying it's such an incredible reception again I was at the gig for Colby and you know speaking to a lot of the his fans you know from the UK all over um and I think it's um such a nice thing to to actually it's not just two tickets you'll be selling it's a lot um and over the course of you know the kind of uh gigs that playing you're just finding fans that you probably never realized were around it is such a nice feeling and uh yeah those gigs turn out fantastically so anyway you're more than welcome if you ever want to come over speak to me and uh Ronnie and we'll try and make something happen mate but uh just reach out to us um okay so in terms of how we can support you Jonathan so beyond kind of streaming music and things like that because a lot of people telling me that Spotify uh doesn't do a right lot for you it's great for exposure but in terms of paying bills and kind of supporting you make more music and things like that what what can we do what can a fan base do to help you honestly I think I think Word of Mouth you know if a friend comes to me and like hey check this out like I'm gonna I'm gonna listen to that instead of just seeing like a an ad or a post about it but like when someone's like hey I've been digging this artist just like you I told you about Hunter block like like that just kind of passing along when people see like oh my friends really into this person and they asked me to check them out like that that's huge um and if I and another way would be if I ever come to the UK come on out to show absolutely absolutely and we'll be uh shouting it from the rooftops as well mate on our socials and there anywhere people might listen to us or want to listen to us but uh that's fantas so where where can we find where's best to find you Jonathan obviously you're on uh Instagram and you've got a YouTube page is there anywhere else that we can uh kind of find you and and watch what you're doing um I post I still post on Facebook some but I think Instagram is probably the number one spot for me um not on Twitter or X or whatever it's called but I do some on Tik Tok but I would say Instagram's the number one place perfect that's fantastic is there anything uh while we're here that you want to plug anything that you going to want to get across to the listeners i' would say uh stay tuned because we're we're releasing we're releasing a lot of music and actually by the time this comes out I will have already announced our next release it's fantastic we we be watching you very closely uh in terms of what you're doing I so we're massive fans and we super appreciate you coming on the show mate I have one more question oh okay oh here we go what are you doing for Valentine's so take it easy take it easy on me my wife and I have never really cared for Valentine's Day we've NE like it's not a I'm not against it but we've never really just like eh doesn't really mean anything but then the older I get I'm I'm starting to think like hey you know what that's just an excuse to go on a date doesn't happen a lot we've we've got a lot going on mult multiple jobs and and three kids and extracurriculars and so it's like you know what maybe I should do something because we haven't done something for Valentine's Day in a long time so I have no plans as well there you go there's there's what you got to do now you've got to go and sort some plans out out uh I haven't got an e I'm not going to do anything and I don't think TJ is going to be doing anything either are you no no well I'm going to use uh Jonathan's mindset there in fact a opportunity to to have someone babysit for the evening and us go and have a few drinks and a meal and uh yeah chill out like say have a day because you don't do it often enough you're working multiple jobs you're doing podcast and you know you're doing this that the other and you just don't often get time to yourselves so so um yeah there you go that sounds super romantic anyway doesn't it I think um if you're listening ladies you know let's is this this is the best he [Laughter] get but uh look I think we'll sign off now Jonathan it's been a it's been a real pleasure dude I've enjoyed this one we'll be it with a noise from the children in the background but it's all good you know it's uh it's just one of those family types of shows man exactly um so yeah so we'll finish off we we normally do a bit of a toast towards the end because it's uh oh where has he got that from I'm waiting for Jonathan the it there you go so I have my water Jonathan I don't know what you got on your cup mate but uh this is water water and Dan has his red rose how romantic but we'll uh raise a toast anyway uh to the grp the grind and to the Revival and thank you so much for everyone for listening
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