RUNAWAY JUNE: Getting Real About Divorce, Industry Pressures, Motherhood & More

Country trio, Runaway June, joins Caroline Hobby on this episode of Get Real. From balancing touring, motherhood, friendship and marriage, these three ladies do it all. Jennifer Wayne brought her daughter along to the pod and talks about navigating life as a single mom post-divorce. Jennifer and Caroline, who competed on the Amazing Race together and were formerly in a country music group, take a walk down memory lane and recount some of their wilder days. Natalie Stovall dives into her health journey after a routine procedure turned into weeks in critical care. And newest member Stevie Woodward talks about her experience joining the already established group. The ladies discuss the immense pressures there are as a touring act in the industry to stay young and available, and how having a kid almost feels like an act of rebellion as a touring female artist.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Carral she's a queen and talking, so she's getting not
afraid to fing so so just let it flow. No
one can do we quiet Calne his time for Caroline. Well,
this is an epic day for so many reasons. First off,

(00:34):
I'm here with my personal favorite girl trio group of
all times, run Away June. So many memories with you guys.
And before we get into all that, though, we also
have two special guests. We have Lily, who is Jinn's daughter,
and Sunny, my daughter. And I guess it's loud. It's
loud in the ears got a little So we're gonna

(00:59):
tempt to do this with our children. It's gonna be great,
and we're gonna talk about a children children's album that
y'all are just a part of Growing Up Country Volume two,
So it's kind of fitting.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
It's kind of perfect.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
Really, do we have some history in some life, you guys,
especially you Jen. I mean we grew up together pretty
you Mike, we did. We have lived so many lives together.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
You were an original member of Runaway June, so we
have to be your favorite group.

Speaker 4 (01:30):
You're part of it.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
I don't have any choice in that.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Runaway June y'all are amazing though, because it's the band
that has kept evolving, you know, and all three of
you guys are so talented in your own right, and
how y'all came together to make this band, and all
of you'all are destined to be great in music and
whatever you do. Like now you're hosting the opry. All
you guys have somebody time. Stevie, you play like seventeen instruments.

(01:56):
Jin you could be a manager. You know how to
work the industry better than any one. But y'all coming
together has been Hey, hey, okay, Son, you got about
one more chance before you got to hit the road
with dad. Y'all coming together is like a moment in time.
How did this happen? Let's talk. First off, let's talk
about y'all's lives before you came together. And Jane, I'm

(02:17):
gonna start with you, just because we've lived a million lives.
Tell me about you, Tell me about your upbringing, tell
me about how you found music and how you knew
this was going to be your destiny forever.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
Well, when you said tell me about your lives before this,
I automatically thought pre baby, and I was like, Oh,
that was when I could just take my time in
the morning and I didn't have, you know, someone tiking
at me. But pre runaway June, I moved to Nashville
when I was twenty three.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
You were one of the first y You lived in
a house with like seven girls, three of them were
not supposed to be living there, and frod like four dogs.

Speaker 4 (02:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
I rented a house that was supposed to be three girls,
and the lady had rented every crevice like the sun room,
the backyard, there was a tent, the attic.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
There was a dogs in the backyard. No, the girl
and the t ran electricity out to the tent, so she.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
So she had no rent because she rented you know,
everyone else's day.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
It was writing and snowing and stuff.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
And it was supposed to be my one chihuahua, and
they were like ended up being I don't know, three
or four dogs there.

Speaker 4 (03:17):
So anyway, it was a fun.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
What did the girl and they didn't do when the
weather hit, like when it was snowing and raining, That's what.

Speaker 4 (03:23):
I wanted to I don't remember.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
That was wild man. Those were the days when like
we were so young, doing everything we could just to
like get in the business and like make your way
and you know, be a part of this wild thing
that now we've all been a part of for like
twenty years. It feels like.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Yeah, And that's what's so great about Nashville is it's
such a small community, you know, And so I feel
like when you kind of get in, you start meeting everybody.
And you and I met and we started writing, and
I'm doing music together. We used to play tin roof
every Monday night, but not together separately, like she would play,
I would play. And then I remember she was, can

(04:03):
I tell a story?

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Sure? I don't know what you're going to tell.

Speaker 4 (04:06):
She was staying I won't say the name.

Speaker 3 (04:07):
But she was dating when a singer, and he showed
up and she had written the song.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
About dating him. I was wanting to be dating, wanting
to be dating, and it found out he was. He
was a young, hot singer.

Speaker 4 (04:18):
I mean he was dating a lot.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
He was sitting a lot of people. He was not
trying to be exclusive. I thought we were trying to
be exclusive.

Speaker 3 (04:24):
But and she wrote the song called I'm So over You,
and she would get up there and she would sing
it like right, so great, I got you. But anyway,
so we started writing music and then we joined a
band together.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
And I remember sitting in the car with you because
we were both a little nervous to do it by ourselves.
Like I was nervous to be a solo artist. You
were nervous to be a solo artist, although you did
have a record deal with like was it Madonna's label
or manager.

Speaker 4 (04:56):
For managing?

Speaker 1 (04:57):
But Donna's manager, Jim came in high. She's John Wayne's granddaughter,
and she had MERV Griffin had a label for you.
Madonna was Madonna's manager, was your manager, And you came
in like.

Speaker 4 (05:08):
Had no idea what I was doing.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
You were like looking out Nashville, I'm.

Speaker 4 (05:11):
Here, couldn't saying or do anything yet.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
But she had confidence, and you know, I think that's
the key.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
That's everything, that's everything, everything you believed.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
And but then we I remember we just sat in
the car and we just started dreaming of ideas, like
how can we make this work? What can we do?
And then we came up reality TV had just started,
and then we came up with it, we should be
we should create a reality show. We should make a
reality show and do it. And then we came up
with this idea called the Girls, and we found Taylor Linn,
Loretta's granddaughter on was like MySpace back in the day.

(05:42):
I mean, we just tried to piece this thing together
because we were like, how can we make something that's
impactful and get in the business.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
And how do we stand out anybody else? So but
we did it. We did a reality show and so
talk about dreaming stuff up. I feel like when you
things you can actually do it. You know, if you
think nothing's ever gonna happen, nothing will ever happen, right, really, Yeah,
And so that's how we and then we became a

(06:10):
trio and we with Taylor and we did a whole
radio tour. I'm still on radio tour twenty years later?

Speaker 1 (06:16):
How are you still on a radio tour twenty years later?

Speaker 4 (06:19):
Oh no, I have no idea.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
She keeps saying that too. She's like, I don't know what, Like,
how is it still happening? Like it never ends?

Speaker 1 (06:26):
How are you not you? Honestly, you win the award
for the longest radio tour because to tell everyone what
is radio tour? Because people might not realize what radio
ta you girls, Yeah, break it down, girls, tell us
what that is.

Speaker 5 (06:35):
You're the expert.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
So radio tour is you when you are a new artist,
you go to basically every single radio station and have
to play for them and play music for them, and
you try to win over station by station by station,
and there's one hundred and sixty ish stations on the panel.
So it's a lot of travel, a lot of time,
and uh yeah, every every new song you kind of base.

Speaker 4 (07:00):
We do radio tour all over again, so.

Speaker 1 (07:02):
Live frustrating to First off, y'all are also talented and obviously, Jen,
you've been doing this for twenty years. Natalie, you've been
doing this for so long too, because we met because
Jen and I were your regional, which we did break.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
That down, which I just found out and that's like
blowing my mind.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
So Jin and I after we got off the Amazing
Race and our kind of career stalled out as artists,
we'd been doing it for maybe like almost seven ten
years or something, and then we got the opportunity to
do the Amazing Race, which was so fun. We can
talk about that later, but we became regionals for an
independent record label, which means you go around promoting an artist,

(07:38):
and the artist that we promoted was Natalie.

Speaker 5 (07:43):
Yeah, so talk about having the dream team, because when
I remember when the label shut down and I still
had all of these radio visits that I had to
go to. I would walk into the station and they'd
be like, where's Caroline and Jen, And I'm like, that's
a lot guys.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
I care about me.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
They're here for me.

Speaker 5 (08:02):
But it was yeah, and it was so funny because
I that was my first radio tour was with you guys.
But it wasn't a traditional radio tour. I didn't go
station to station. I would play shows and then all
of the pds with the program directors would come to
me and we would meet everybody. We went to a
few stations together, but for the most part, it was

(08:22):
just like chaos to me because I'd play a show
and then there'd be like seventy five different radio stations there,
and I'd be like, hi, hi, Hi, Hi.

Speaker 1 (08:29):
It's kind of amazing that you could knock it all
out at once.

Speaker 5 (08:32):
It was I met a lot more people in one
shot that way. But then it also has been wild
to be on the road with these girls and go
station to station because it just takes a lot longer
that way, but you get more individual time with each person.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
So my question is this, because I've been trucking along
in this industry in many different ways for so long.
Is it frustrating to be so talented, so great? You'all
been doing this for so long and then people just
like fly up the charts and like get number ones,
and y'allre like, but we're so awesome where y'all did
actually know? Y'all have like a top? So y'all got
to number two, right, number five? Number five? You got

(09:08):
to chop five. It's just such a grind for so long?
Does it ever get frustrating?

Speaker 2 (09:13):
I think, like, to be completely real, it does, you know,
like it really does. But I think just having the
mindset of like keeping your head down and focusing on
like what you can do and like everybody's journey is different,
and realizing that just the comparison is, you know, the
death of joy. So it's like, if you can stay
away from comparing yourself, it's like you just got to

(09:33):
focus on your path and your journey. And but yeah,
it can be frustrating at times, but it's like you
just if you stay happy for everybody and just kind
of focus on your thing, it's like it's gonna happen,
you know.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
The way it's supposed to do. You have to do
that totally. Yeah, it is, you're And the thing is, too,
I've realized, if you're in this industry after this long,
like y'all have been, it's because you're great. It's because
it's your destiny. It's because it's what you were meant
to do. Because you can't hang in there this long
if it's not in your DNA and if you're not
born to do this with the talent to back it up,

(10:05):
you know, you can't make it. It's too hard, it's too
hard to weather the storms.

Speaker 4 (10:09):
And you have to love it.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
You really have to love it.

Speaker 1 (10:12):
What happens if you don't love it and you're in
this industry.

Speaker 5 (10:15):
Well, I was gonna say that's that's one of the
benefits of it taking this long. And I still haven't
had a hit because.

Speaker 2 (10:22):
I wasn't in Runaway June when they had a top five. No, No,
Stevie and I weren't.

Speaker 5 (10:28):
And so we get the perks of that sometimes because
there's a song that's recognizable, but we weren't a part
of that process. No, And so that I will say.
The thing is, you see a lot of people who
came straight out the gate and got a number one,
and they're not necessarily happier than we are. I mean
spiritual thing that it does is it teaches you to

(10:50):
really enjoy the process. And like what you were saying,
it's like, I'm not gonna do anything else. This is
what I'm here on this earth to do. It's a
little entertain and have babies.

Speaker 2 (11:03):
And juggle all the things at once.

Speaker 5 (11:05):
But I mean, I'm I'm thankful for that. In a
lot of ways, I've had to find the place where
I can be thankful for that. There have been many
times where I've struggled with that. But I love what
I do and I love that I keep evolving. Now
I'm in a girl band. You know, it's amazing.

Speaker 3 (11:22):
So I think we had a top five because the
number one was being saved for this version of that.

Speaker 4 (11:28):
That's rights I'm putting into the universe.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
Jan you've been in all the versions of Runaway June, Yes,
talk to me about that. How did it keep going?
How did this one finally lock in? Because I feel
like this is actually it. It's like when the Chicks
finally got Natalie and it locked in after they had
why the trios take so long to lock in? But
it does take a long time, but finally locked in.
How has the evolution happened with the band? Because now

(11:53):
you guys like this is the magic formula. It feels
so good. I feel like y'all get along so well.
It's not just musically I'll get along. I feel like
y'all like, actually as friends get along too.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
I was gonna say that's probably the key, because how
you said, you know, like when the Chicks came in
and they actually locked in and that was it. It's like musically,
you can probably get along with a lot of people musically,
but we have to live together on the road and
experience all the ups and downs together and make decisions together,
and sometimes we have different opinions and sometimes at rubs,

(12:22):
you know. But I feel like all three of us
really respect each other and want the best for the group,
not for the individual.

Speaker 1 (12:29):
That's key. That's key. Yeah, that's a difference. Actually it
is because all three of y'all are powerful and so
good and can be solo artists. Like absolutely you'll have
been solo artists at times. But it's like to take
that power of the individual and make it a trio.
It takes a lot of like setting your ego down
and looking for the bigger picture of the whole instead

(12:49):
of the individual. That is hard. A lot of people
can't do that in.

Speaker 2 (12:52):
Bands for sure, and I think it's yeah, like finding
that type of personality that can mold and like look
at this as one artist, you know, as one and.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
What's the best for Runaway exactly.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
Yeah, So it's it's been really fun and we do
get along. It's like we're we're sisters. Really, that's what
it feels like. So it's it's been amazing.

Speaker 1 (13:11):
Because I will say even when I was briefly in
a Runaway June back in the day, I had a
hard time molding for the group, like because I was
I struggled so much with singing harmonies, which is very
ironic that I was a harmony singer and couldn't play
mandolin and it was playing mandolin, and so like.

Speaker 6 (13:26):
I really wasn't shying no because I don't, but I
tried because I needed to sing low harmonies and play mandolin,
which I didn't do either, and so I was like
really struggling being in the band, and like I know,
I probably didn't just you probably felt this. I didn't
always have like the best energy because like I wasn't thriving,

(13:47):
you know, I wasn't loving what I was doing per se,
and it felt very hard and forced, even though I
loved the idea of it.

Speaker 1 (13:54):
And loved you and loved the group. But it's like
I didn't have the best energy. So like having everybody
feel like they're thriving and feeling like they are shining
in their own way and bringing their contributions and getting along,
that's a hard thing to get.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah, it's an adjustment for sure.

Speaker 1 (14:14):
How is it going from a solo artist because you
were a solo artist, Tavie, right.

Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah, And I was like kind of at the point
where I was like getting a little bit of attention.
I had met with some labels and stuff, but I
was also at the point where I was like, I
don't know if this is for me anymore, and so
afect time. So I moved to town in two thousand
and fifteen, okay, and just kind of had been playing

(14:39):
gigs and writing. I've been writing since I was five,
So it's something I always knew I wanted to do.
And it's so funny when you picture your life and
your dream. You never it never looks the way you
think it's going to and so but it's better, you know,
it's better than you imagine. And so your glass came
at the right time. Oh absolutely, one hundred percent. And
I can't imagine my life what it would be like

(14:59):
if I hadn't. So it's just been amazing. But it
was an adjustment at first, like I mean musically and
just you know, finding your place in what that means
in it. But I've been just like so lucky and
blessed to be a part of it.

Speaker 1 (15:13):
And Natalie, you were like on fire as a soul artist.
I mean, you were like tearing up the streets, you
were tearing up the charts, you were all the buzz everybody.
I mean, because Natalie is not only your beautiful and
talented you at the time what you're doing, your hair
was like the biggest hair in the world. Your hair
so big, like your hair couldn't almost fit through the door.
So not just kidding, we.

Speaker 5 (15:33):
Don't really like to look at those pictures. I has
a picture of her hair like that.

Speaker 2 (15:38):
It's amazing.

Speaker 5 (15:38):
We saw my license other day when we were all
wanted through security and it's so funny because it's still
the big hair and people will look at me and
be like, they'll either be like like the hair or
they'll be like.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
Face.

Speaker 1 (15:49):
So that's because I had tone the hair down because
I love the big hair.

Speaker 5 (15:54):
I think it got a little out of control, but
I love it too because that was also fun.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
That was Yeah, it's.

Speaker 5 (16:00):
Stood out and also that was that was my vibe
at that moment.

Speaker 2 (16:03):
That is such a maker of that era.

Speaker 5 (16:06):
Yeah, and fronting a band of all dudes, and you know,
I went from that to being in an all girl band.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
You know, it's awesome.

Speaker 1 (16:12):
Though, you're a fiddle phenomenon, Like that's another thing about Natalie.
I mean when you came out, you had the big hair,
you had the fiddle, and you would freaking you've destroyed
the fiddle. And so when you were making your debut,
everybody was talking about it. So you are a diehard
solo act. So joining a trio wasn't necessarily on your agenda.

Speaker 2 (16:32):
Probably, No, No, it was.

Speaker 5 (16:34):
I mean when Jen called me, it's so funny. It
was the the two week shutdown of COVID, Oh my gosh, beautiful,
Oh my goodness.

Speaker 1 (16:45):
That was sweet.

Speaker 2 (16:46):
That was really sweet. Oh but we're gonna come back
so sweet, funny, sorry your story.

Speaker 3 (16:53):
Welcome to our life on the road, Like they're anties
and also our band puts up with the baby on
the road, so they're pretty amazing.

Speaker 1 (17:00):
So I want to get back to that too though,
being a you're a single mom, and you are I mean,
you have so much support, but you are doing this
by yourself, being a woman on I'm gonna get terry
about this, being a woman on the road with a kid.
It's so it's so awesome that you're doing this. Gen
so awesome. You are so supportive because you can have
it all and you and I want to get back
to your story. But we had a little home.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
I want to go here.

Speaker 1 (17:23):
But like you did a post the other day and
you're like, shout out, why cry because everyone tells you
you can't do it.

Speaker 2 (17:29):
That's the thing.

Speaker 1 (17:30):
Everyone tells you. You can't be a mom and have
a career. Everybody tells you that, and it's so hard
when you have this dream but you also want to
have a family and you want to have a kid.
But everyone's like, you can't do that because if you
have a kid, if you don't look sexy and single.
If you're like, don't if you're going to give yourself
to another something else besides his career, you can't make it.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah, as a woman, as a woman, And I will say,
like we have the most respect and admiration for you, Jen,
because like you are super woman the way that you
do this, Like I can't even take care of my cats.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
I miss my cats.

Speaker 2 (18:04):
I need to get home, but like we will always
back you and we love you lily more than anything.
But it is it's so powerful when you see it
because you only get told, oh, you're on a time crunch.
You can only have this small window to be an
artist as a woman, and like you can't have like
a family like you were saying, and it's just you can.
And so to see that like set in motion is

(18:25):
just really inspiring even for you too, like look look
at you. That's so powerful.

Speaker 1 (18:29):
But it's almost like you have to like hide it
if you are a mom, because you can't show that
you have something else that matters to you.

Speaker 3 (18:37):
Right, So she's gonna say you can with the right people,
because like Carolyn and I were in a band with
Taylor and she got pregnant and we got dropped because
we just got pregnant. It's so crazy, first hand experience
that that you can't have children and do this job,
you know. And I'm so lucky for these girls to
support me, for a manager to support me and help me,

(18:57):
and for our label head. I mean, he's paid for
Lily's ticket to go on radio tour. Ahead would ever
pay for a child to go on radio tour?

Speaker 1 (19:06):
Are you kidding?

Speaker 4 (19:07):
Yeah, so it's not.

Speaker 3 (19:08):
I mean if I didn't have this support group, I
wouldn't be able to do it.

Speaker 5 (19:12):
And this goes back to exactly what you asked about
being in a girl band. This band is the first
time that someone that we even started having conversations, and
management as well, said like, of course you can have kids.

Speaker 2 (19:28):
I've never been told that.

Speaker 1 (19:30):
Happily.

Speaker 5 (19:31):
Happily, yes it was, and you were encouraging me to
go ahead and start trying, because I mean, it's like
that's why I haven't had kids.

Speaker 1 (19:39):
But listen, you were twelve years old. I saw your
debut on the Grandle Propry when you were twelve years
old playing the fiddle. I mean, you've chased his dream
so hard. It's been your one focus, and so the
thought to have a kid to mess up your dream, right, probably.

Speaker 5 (19:54):
And that's always been an equal dream of mine, but
especially because it had happened yet and I didn't have help.
I was still in a van before I joined Runaway June,
and my husband and I were on the road together.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
So who was going to help us with a kid?

Speaker 5 (20:09):
Who was going to watch the baby? If I'm on
if we're both on stage and we're taking turns driving
the van for two hundred shows a year, that's not
a thing that can happen. And so this was the
first time that I feel like I've even been given
permission to start thinking about it. And so watching this
superwoman and this blessing in our lives and how much
fun it is. I love that she's climbing all over

(20:33):
us right now.

Speaker 2 (20:34):
When we're on the bus, like she is a trip.
Like she'll go into the bunk and like the fan
will be blowing in her face and she'll just be
like Beyonce fan, Like she's so she's an entertainer and
she's a natural. Like we the whole band, we were laughing,
what did they say the last time? Like we never
thought we'd get so much entertainment from a baby on
the bus, like she's the star of the show.

Speaker 4 (20:55):
So it's really both like cheers ing.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
And so we're all sitting in the in the in
the front of the and it's the entire band and
they all have, you know, drinks, and Lily is just
cheersing everyone and there's no music, no TV. Everyone's just
looking at everything Lily does. And our band member, who's
a guy, you know, he's like, I never thought i'd
be like staring at a baby for entertainment.

Speaker 4 (21:14):
She's more entertaining than anything we used to do.

Speaker 1 (21:27):
I know, Jen, you and I talked about this for
a long time, and Natalie, I'm sure you felt this.
And Steve, you're a little bit younger, like you're are
you like you are you thirty thirty one? Thirty one? Okay,
so your clock is not like fully like burning up yet,
but it's like that clock starts to tick and like
you start getting into your mid thirties, your late thirties,
and you're like, but you're still chasing down this dream,
and all of a sudden you're like, I don't know

(21:51):
if it's gonna happen, because I remember you thinking like
I don't know if this is gonna ever happen from
Ajen because you were like, I was.

Speaker 4 (21:56):
Down to the wire dead at the last minute. But
we did tell Stevie.

Speaker 3 (22:00):
We were like, if Natalie gets pregnant, Stevie has to
get pregnant at the same time because.

Speaker 1 (22:04):
And I'm like, he's so.

Speaker 2 (22:05):
Cute and I'm over here, like I'll be the fun
aunt for a while. I will happily have that role.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
But Natalie, you had a big healthcare too, Like you
we got Lily's bouncing, We're going to pass the baby
because you had a big hel scare because I remember
you were ready to start trying and then all of
a sudden you found.

Speaker 5 (22:27):
Out I had fibroids, which you know, I didn't even
know what a fibroid was until I was told that
I had so many in there that it was like
crowding my entire insides.

Speaker 1 (22:38):
What is a fibroid?

Speaker 5 (22:39):
So a fibroid is just this little thing that will
It's like muscle tissue basically that grows off of your uterus.
You can also have them. They can grow inside the
uterus and inside the lining, but mine were all Natalie.
She really wants Natalie, Oh, she really wants Natalie, are
you sure or when I'm talking about fibroids, I.

Speaker 1 (22:59):
Know, I know, Sonny, you want to go with it? Okay, sure,
your bag of toys. Sunny has a bag of toys.

Speaker 2 (23:09):
Hey, that was pretty impressive.

Speaker 1 (23:11):
Those I thought we might have made it through the
whole time. Yeah, y'all go check out the bag of toys.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
A good well.

Speaker 5 (23:19):
And so I had they cut out twenty fibroids off
of my ye uterus. I had one that was a
greape fruit size. I had a couple that were apples
on the outside.

Speaker 1 (23:29):
Yeah, your stomach like swollen.

Speaker 2 (23:31):
That's what I don't understand.

Speaker 5 (23:32):
I'm like, we're working tiny, well, thank you, We're.

Speaker 4 (23:36):
Like, your stomach is so flat and tiny.

Speaker 5 (23:39):
When I would when I would lay down to do
an ab workout, this like weird protrusion would come out
of my belly and I'd be like, that's not right.
So I went to the doctor and got it checked out,
and they said, you know that if I had gotten pregnant,
a baby couldn't have grown to term because there wasn't
room in there. So it's good that I and also
they it's kind of new on the fibroid thing where
they don't really know if it is connected to infertility.

(24:02):
They know that the ones on the inside can be
I think it's either the inside or the lining. I
can't remember, but the ones on the outside, it can
just obviously cause problems and it's the first step to
trying to get pregnant. But yeah, the surgery was fine.
It just took a long time. So it was all
the post op stuff that has the scary thing.

Speaker 1 (24:20):
You were in there for like fifteen days.

Speaker 5 (24:22):
Yeah, my numbers were really low when I got out
of surgery. It's like, if you want, if they'll give
you a blood transfusion if your hemoglobin's at seven. Mine
was seven point one, and I think regulars like, wait,
like thirteen or fourteen. They didn't give me a blood
transfusion because I'm young and healthy. You know, I'll bounce back,
and normally you would. I didn't. And so after three

(24:43):
or four days they gave me a blood transfusion.

Speaker 1 (24:45):
Wow, that's a big deal.

Speaker 3 (24:46):
It was.

Speaker 5 (24:47):
But by that point my bowels had fused together and
shut down, so nothing going in could come out, and
so that was a nightmare. I had what's called an
NNG tube, which my wish for everyone in life is
that no one has to get one. They stuffed this
tube up your nose and by the way, it's the

(25:07):
same size whether you're like a man with a much
larger nose or a little petite girl, and they shove
it up your nose. It goes down to your stomach
and it just keeps your stomach empty so that maybe
your your colon can unstick itself. And we were down
to the wire. I had that nngtube for five days
and they said if it like, if it doesn't do

(25:30):
it by the day five, we're gonna have to take
out part of your colon. So I was gonna have
to go back into surgery. So I didn't eat for
fifteen days, and finally they opened back up and everything
started working again in my body really, so it was
it was crazy.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
It was really scary for us because we couldn't talk
to her. She was out, so we didn't know. You know,
she was supposed to it was supposed to be like
a one day thing.

Speaker 5 (25:52):
Yeah, I was supposed to be in the hospital for
maybe one night.

Speaker 1 (25:55):
And so every day, every day.

Speaker 3 (25:58):
That went on, we were like, oh my gosh, okay,
And of course her husband would give us you know,
updates and stuff, but he still didn't even really know,
you know. And I feel like all of us were
kind of like, Wow, how fast things can change, you know,
And we didn't even realize like how serious it was
until started getting down to the end, and the outpour

(26:19):
of people that were reaching out to ask about her
and pray for her was like unbelievable. I Mean, every
artist that you could think of reached out and said
they were praying for her and lover and that's like
just a true testament to how much she's loved in
this town and how much people want her to win
and succeed and live.

Speaker 1 (26:38):
What's that point too, was that was that a possible
option that you might not make it?

Speaker 2 (26:43):
I mean, it got really scary.

Speaker 5 (26:45):
I wasn't ever really worried about that, but I know
that everyone around me was Wow. And you know, I mean,
anytime it gets that scary, you know, and you have
teams of doctors, and then every time a doctor comes
in there seems to be more. It just get multiplying.
I was like, what is happening? Came in for like
a routine surgery, but I think it's I'm glad that

(27:05):
we're talking about this, especially on the Kids project, because
I didn't even know what a fibroid was, and apparently
almost all of us women have them. Most of them
don't grow to a size where they become any kind
of nuisance in your body. But as I started sharing
this story, it's amazing how many other artists and women
in the business in town reached out to me. I

(27:26):
was like, Oh, I had fibroids. I had this many
taken out of me and had the same surgery. I
didn't even know what AmAm ectomy was.

Speaker 1 (27:34):
Yea, being a woman, having a baby, having getting pregnant,
having losses, having issues. It is so there are so
much going on with a woman's body and the act
of like having a baby or wanting a baby, or
trying to even like clear space for a bit. It's
it's wild.

Speaker 2 (27:52):
I mean, even like before having a baby, like regulating
your own system and your hormones. Like it's so it's
a journey.

Speaker 1 (27:58):
It's a journey.

Speaker 2 (27:59):
Is a journey.

Speaker 1 (28:00):
Are you guys linked up on your cycle like y'all were?

Speaker 2 (28:04):
We actually were at one point. I think we we
are schedules so crazy now that it's just like kind
of all over the place. But it definitely were.

Speaker 5 (28:10):
I feel like we get surprised or we're like, wait,
you're not right now.

Speaker 3 (28:14):
I know I am, but you know one of us starts,
We're like, oh, we're supposed to start.

Speaker 2 (28:18):
Oh that's why I'm being moody.

Speaker 3 (28:21):
That's why everyone else is being moody.

Speaker 2 (28:24):
Yeah, exactly, it's everyone else's fault. Well, the band guys
know to stay away, and we have our separate bathrooms
on the bus, like there's one in the bag. We're like,
you guys can't come back here. Okay, doesn't matter why,
but they all the guys are super respectful and that's
like another thing is the people and the men especially
we keep around. It's just like having those respectful men

(28:44):
and like that are not going to be like weird.
And you know, as a woman too, you have to
think of that.

Speaker 1 (28:49):
But you're down amazing all women things and children.

Speaker 2 (28:52):
For sure, and talking about them on the bus, they're like,
all right, here's another conversation. The ladies are talking about
their cycles again. I revel in it. I was out
with boys my whole.

Speaker 5 (29:01):
Career and it is hilarious to me when we start
talking about we had a show the other day. It
was us and Maddie and Tay and Hunter Girl and
wasn't Tiger Lily there? And we were like the conversations
in the green room. I was just like, hold on
time out. I've never had these conversations in a green
room before.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
This is phenomenal.

Speaker 1 (29:22):
You've been with dude your whole life.

Speaker 4 (29:24):
And what's so crazy is Tay was pregnant and we
didn't know.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
I didn't know.

Speaker 3 (29:28):
And that was how I like the post that you
were talking about on Instagram post.

Speaker 1 (29:32):
You were like that passionate in that post. It made
me cheer up.

Speaker 3 (29:34):
Well, it inspired me because I was like, Wow, look
at all these girls just doing it and no one's
going no, we can't do this. And I don't remember
that twenty years ago.

Speaker 2 (29:42):
It didn't know.

Speaker 1 (29:44):
We were not allowed to happen. We weren't even though
we didn't have like this big career happening or anything.
It's like, if you even want a career, don't even
think about having a kid.

Speaker 4 (29:51):
Right.

Speaker 5 (29:51):
It was in a lot of ways an unspoken role,
but it was also spoken. I mean, y'all know you
lost a record deal because your band member got pregnant.
That's crazy and we all know way too many of
those stories where someone was told do not get pregnant
or we're dropping you.

Speaker 1 (30:05):
We actually our manager said that. They said, don't break
up and don't get pregnant. That was the rule we
heard every day. Don't break up and don't get pregnant.
I was it don't break up or don't.

Speaker 3 (30:13):
Know, don't break up and don't get pregnant.

Speaker 1 (30:16):
Out of all the things we were doing, that's what
they were worried about.

Speaker 2 (30:19):
Not the music, just yeah, right right.

Speaker 1 (30:22):
But we were actually like insane when Taylor, me and
jan we're and stealing angels. I mean like we were.

Speaker 2 (30:27):
I've heard some of these stories, by the way, a legends.

Speaker 4 (30:32):
And I told him about Taylor's buck dance that she
would do.

Speaker 1 (30:37):
Tayla is one of a kind, the best. Yeah, but
it's just it's so cool to see you guys doing
this and doing it together and supporting each other and
supporting me a woman, Like, why can't we celebrate all
things women? Why can't you have an awesome talent, have
an awesome sisterhood, also have some kids. Be married? How
have you made your marriage work, Natalie? Because you've been
married so long.

Speaker 5 (31:00):
Weekend, it's going to be sixteen.

Speaker 4 (31:01):
Years years old.

Speaker 2 (31:04):
I love you for that years.

Speaker 5 (31:06):
You know, I got really fortunate and we both we
talk about it a lot, how fortunate we are that
because we are very different than we were when we
were little babies dating, but we've had the luxury of
growing towards one another. We haven't grown apart, and it
is it is both wanted to do that and something
Jen and I were just talking about the other day.

(31:27):
I mean, one of the ways that I knew that
he was the right person for me early on in
our dating was the way that we fought.

Speaker 1 (31:35):
Tell me about that.

Speaker 5 (31:36):
I was so impressed with how we were able to
talk through things and it didn't turn out to be
holding more resentments towards each other. It didn't like escalate
the bar of like, well the next time he does,
don't know, I'm going to you know. It was actually
because I'm not a fighter anyway, and the relationship I
had previous to James. That was one of the reasons
it ended, because I was like, we just yell at

(31:58):
each other, and I don't yell at people.

Speaker 1 (32:00):
This is recent out of you that you hate about.

Speaker 5 (32:02):
Exactly, that you don't exactly. But we would talk through things,
and he was such an incredible communicator and taught me
a lot about how to get to you because I
get real emotional and in the moment, my brain just
freezes and I can't think.

Speaker 2 (32:15):
And I'm just looking, and so.

Speaker 1 (32:20):
He would.

Speaker 5 (32:21):
He would be there for me though, and even when
he was so angry at me and we would have
some sort of misunderstanding, we would talk through it. And
that I think has served us well in our marriage
because we've been able to talk through things.

Speaker 1 (32:33):
Been teammates even when you're fighting.

Speaker 5 (32:34):
Yeah, yeah, and I mean we still get you had
had moments where we got mad at each other.

Speaker 2 (32:39):
Oh yeah, I did not want to talk. But you're human.

Speaker 4 (32:43):
Yeah, I don't know. Natalie is kind of super humans.

Speaker 2 (32:47):
Not at all.

Speaker 1 (32:48):
Natalie. So you made your debut at the Grand Old
Opry when you're twelve years old. What in the world,
I mean, you've been doing this since Stevie. You two.
I'm gonna get to you next, because you are like
multi instrumentalists and like freak of nature musician. But you've
been doing this since you were twelve years old and
now you're hosting the Grand Old Opry.

Speaker 5 (33:06):
I mean, it's that crazy.

Speaker 1 (33:07):
Isn't it cool though? How dreams evolved, like you were
talking about earlier, and like you guys were talking about,
you start off with one dream to be a solo artist,
to come in to make it, to have your names
and light whatever. And then you get into it and
you start living this existence and you realize it is
the journey, and if you let the journey lead you,
it can take you to some really freaking cool places
that you could have never ever dreamed of, Like now

(33:30):
you're hosting the Grand Old opry I talk to me
about that full circle moment.

Speaker 5 (33:35):
Like, well, you know, I was in a show called
the Opryland Kids Club when the opper Land Theme Park.

Speaker 1 (33:40):
Like Mickey mouse it was Mickey mouse Club, but exactly
how to describe it.

Speaker 5 (33:44):
I'm like, it was the redneck Mickey mouse Club. You
were Mickey mouse Club, but so we would. I did
that for four years out at the Oppryland Theme Park.
And so I got that job when I was ten, And.

Speaker 1 (33:57):
So you've been working since you were ten.

Speaker 5 (34:00):
Yeah, I've been like, I'm going to be on a
stage my whole life.

Speaker 7 (34:03):
You're ten years old, Natalie geez, and we were filming
a video that we were going to sell at the
shows for the Kids Club show, and so we had
this song called Think Big that was all about your dreams,
and of course my dream in the song and in
life was to be on the Grand Ole Opry.

Speaker 2 (34:18):
So I talk about that in the.

Speaker 5 (34:19):
Song and they actually made it happen so that we
could film it and have it in the video and
then sell the video after the shows. And it's cool
because I got bumped off my first two times I
was booked at the Opry. I got bumped because I
know one of the times of Scarth Brooks was on
and I was like, that's so cool, bumped.

Speaker 1 (34:40):
For Garth you were going to play it. But then yeah, yeah,
it's cool.

Speaker 5 (34:44):
Well it's funny because at the time and it's so
so ridiculous to think about this, but at twelve years old,
I went out to LA for a pilot season because
I did a lot of like commercial work, but there
wasn't a lot of commercial worker.

Speaker 1 (34:55):
Also a national video star in Joe Nichols's video getting
slapping at dude.

Speaker 5 (34:59):
I mean, you have some that's just hustling, just trying
to make a living in the industry. But I was
in LA at the time. So they flew me home
to be on the Opry, which is crazy, and so
I was out there for a few months, but I
couldn't get rid of my accent, so I didn't guess.
Lily kept being like, can you say the word aunt
without it being two syllables?

Speaker 2 (35:18):
And I was like, I ain't. I don't know what
you mean.

Speaker 3 (35:20):
I ain't.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
So flashboard. Now you're hosting the Opring like hosting it?
I know?

Speaker 5 (35:27):
How is that it is? It is the joy of
my life. I walk into that building every single time
and it feels like home. I mean, where I would
walk in for the Kids Club show was right. It
was like across the parking lot of where the Opry
entrance is, and so I still I was looking out
at that the other day, and even though it looks
different now, it's so cool because it's just the place

(35:47):
where I've grown up and I've learned how to be
an entertainer, and I've I've discovered this dream that has
become my entire life, and so now I get to
do it and I just.

Speaker 2 (35:57):
Feel giddy every time.

Speaker 5 (35:59):
And to add to the amazingness of the story, our
first public performance as this trio was the grand Ole
opry O way. Yes, that is so.

Speaker 1 (36:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (36:12):
So it just sits it all is full circle in
so many ways.

Speaker 1 (36:15):
It can take such it can be such a long, winding, exhausting,
heart wrenching, amazing, beautiful. What is that song? I love
this crazy beautiful life. I think it was like Aaron
Tippin or somebody saying it anyway bad. I should know
what I think. Yeah, beautiful, crazy life. Okay, anyway, but

(36:43):
it's crazy how it does. If you let the journey
lead you, it can take you on the most magical road. So, Stevie,
you grew up and you do. You have a bunch
of siblings, Like where did you learn how to play
all these instruments? First off, your dad's a model. I
saw you saying her whole.

Speaker 3 (36:57):
Family, entire family, they're all gorm not shocked, like a supermod.

Speaker 1 (37:01):
I mean, I'm not surprised because you're dropped at Gordonous.
I saw a picture of you and your dad and
I'm like, oh my god. He looks like Tom.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
Cruise to people. When I was in school, they used
to call him Arnold Schwarzenegger. So I mean he's gotten it.
I've gotten my whole life. But they're they're just they're
more kind than they are beautiful beautiful, oh yeah, but.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
They're equally and outside.

Speaker 2 (37:26):
But I I do. I'm one of seven siblings, and
it's through you know, there's a bunch of different marriages,
and I have half in step brothers and sisters. But
I don't ever look at it that way. I'm like,
they're my they're my brothers and sisters, you know. So,
But growing up, I I taught myself most of the instruments.
My dad played a few chords on guitars, so I
would just look at him and then play. And then

(37:46):
YouTube was my teacher, and my ears were my teacher.
So I just like I knew, I always loved it.
And then whatever I could pick up or whatever was
in front of me, I just wanted to learn how
to play.

Speaker 1 (37:55):
And kind of.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
Well, I mean, there's some instruments are harder than others,
Like I think some like harmonica, for example, a lot
of it's confident. So if you know where the notes
are and you're just like confident about how you play, like,
you actually end up playing it well, which is kind
of mind blowing. But there's instruments like the piano and
guitar where theory is involved and you have to teach
yourself some of that stuff.

Speaker 1 (38:16):
So you're brilliant. No no, no, no, no.

Speaker 4 (38:19):
Yes, yeah, I love it.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
I do love it.

Speaker 1 (38:21):
So what are your instruments?

Speaker 2 (38:24):
Okay, so violin, guitar, piano, harmonica, bass, mandolin, now ukulele.

Speaker 4 (38:32):
I think electric guitar. I feel like two different.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
Beasts, like they kind of are, but I really want
to learn how to play the cello next.

Speaker 1 (38:40):
You just love learning instruments because I hate learning? Do
you really you learn guitar? Since I was a sophomore
in high school and I can't even play three chords? Really?

Speaker 3 (38:47):
Like?

Speaker 1 (38:47):
I think it's like you either like have have it
or don't. It's like that's why I look back on
my stint as a trio member, and I'm like, I
don't like writing songs, I don't like singing harmonies, I
can't play an instrument, don't like learning any of it?
What was I?

Speaker 2 (38:59):
Do you have other skills that like I don't have
and I wish I did. Like it's so funny how
you're always like kind of searching for what you don't have,
and but for sure, yeah, I mean yeah, I just
I love it.

Speaker 1 (39:10):
I love learning you just do you express yourself? Like
do you feel like that's how you get your feelings
out or.

Speaker 2 (39:15):
One thousand percent, Like I don't really talk about the problems,
so it's just kind of an issue you working on
in therapy. But yeah, right, exactly. But I've always, always,
since from the time I was little, have gotten my
feelings out in songs, like that's how I communicate my feelings.

Speaker 3 (39:30):
Sound check and She'll just start playing something and it's
just like the most beautiful melody and I was like,
oh my gosh, we're a save that record that, like
it'll just come out of her all the time.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
So you feel like that's how you Because I saw
another post I went all the way back to the
beginning of your stuff and you like did a picture
and you're like loner. You're like, I've always been a
loner always, which I can't imagine you being a lower So.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
I mean it comes and goes. I'm I'm very introverted
and so like that's another thing that's really good about
being in a trio with these girls, especially because like
when I'm put in situations like on I have to
create an alter ego. But if I'm outside, like we're
meeting new people, I'm like, I lean on these girls
a lot because they I'm learning from them and too,
It's like we can kind of take the heat at
different times, so it's really helpful.

Speaker 1 (40:12):
Yes, totally. Yeah, Okay, But I love this though, because
I just saw this post that John Osborne did. He
did a there was I don't know what it was for,
but he was talking about mental health and he was
saying as a kid, he was always super and He's
and brothers Osborne. For everyone listening, he said he was super.
Never was able to get his feelings out verbally, but
that's what he used instruments for. And I just think
that is so cool and I wish that I could

(40:35):
do that because I feel like it is such an
extension of your mind. But then all of a sudden
you get the sound, and the sounds create how you
feel emotion of it. It gets the emotion of it,
for sure, it really does. Does that.

Speaker 5 (40:46):
Singing has been that for me. It has, Yeah, and
like using my voice.

Speaker 1 (40:50):
Like actually get it out of your body.

Speaker 5 (40:52):
Yeah, that's been my therapy. I feel like.

Speaker 1 (40:54):
Because it does, it gets stuck in your body if
you can't get out. There's so many ways to get
it out. You can, you know, you can talk it
out if you don't have music as as an outlet,
but like if you have music as an outaty, it
truly can just get it out of your body.

Speaker 2 (41:06):
That's such like that's the beauty of art, like painting,
writing music, all that stuff is like you have to
express yourself and then there's other people that are going
to feel that way inevitably. So it's like it helps
you and it helps the world too, which is like
so beautiful.

Speaker 3 (41:20):
And I have to say, Caroline, you talking to you
were like I can't get it out with instruments, but
you are so good. This is why you're perfect for
having your own podcasts and having a voice.

Speaker 1 (41:30):
Because you are so frayed, but you're so good.

Speaker 4 (41:32):
At talking things out.

Speaker 3 (41:33):
And you actually, I mean I never talked about any
kind of feeling.

Speaker 2 (41:39):
My heart.

Speaker 4 (41:39):
Actually, she's like, you have to talk about it. I'm like, no,
I want to sweep it under the rug.

Speaker 1 (41:44):
I forgot about that, Jin, but I remember because you
used to never talk about anything. No, you would just
like you help me stuff it in and move on.
Because you're such a soldier and you're.

Speaker 4 (41:54):
Still do but I'm still working on it, but I'm
better at it.

Speaker 1 (41:57):
That's such a.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
Great balance of friendship, though, to have someone that kind
of like forces that out of you, you know, because
when he.

Speaker 3 (42:02):
Did, she did make me talk about stuff and I
did not want to and she's amazing. But you're so
good at that, and that's your gift and I love
seeing you use it. And you're using it to get
stories out of other people too, and it's beautiful, Caroline.

Speaker 4 (42:13):
It's like, you're absolutely meant to do this.

Speaker 1 (42:15):
Ask Michael, he's over there, how he feels about this?
He lives with me. Do we have to use this
gift all the time?

Speaker 3 (42:26):
No?

Speaker 1 (42:26):
But you're right because I have always just felt like
I just have needed to know what's going on with people,
because I've always felt so lost and like, I don't know,
I've just never I'm just gin. You were always like
a big sister to me, and I don't know if
y'all feel this way, but Jin, You've just always known
how to do things, Like you just decide you want
to like do something, and then you figure out all
the people to call, all the moves to make, yeah,
and then all the doors are open.

Speaker 5 (42:47):
And she's a great problem solver and she's a great
peacekeeper too. She always like when things get really intense
or rough or there's something going on, she is like
relentless until she finds a solution exactly makes everybody be happy.

Speaker 2 (43:00):
And it's the best solution with the best Yeah, and
the delivery is perfect, I have to say, because I
struggle with tone a lot of times when I'm talking,
like I swear, I meanwhile, but Jen, Yeah, Jen has
such a great way, and.

Speaker 1 (43:12):
You do too. Not bad, No, it's just pitched.

Speaker 2 (43:16):
It's just like almost like it sounds like I'm trying
to have an end, but I promise I'm not. Like
I just I go back and I listen to videos.
I'm like, oh, that sounded a little harsh, but I've
meant well. But these girls are so good about delivering,
like even if it's bad news to people. So you're
like with a positive spent yes, or like a nice
tone and like a hug or something is everything.

Speaker 5 (43:36):
Tone is everything, and so it's it's why texting can
be really tricky in this day and age, and that
so much business is done on text, and so much
everything is done on text.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
It's like you can't read somebody's tone.

Speaker 5 (43:47):
Somebody might be saying it a completely different way than
it looks.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
Like on the page.

Speaker 1 (43:52):
And then all of a sudden you get the tone,
and then you respond to the tone, and now you've
got a problem that was never there. It made tone
in your head exactly exactly. But yeah, Jin you always
have been great at that. You are like the ultimate
problem solver and you just figured it out. And it's
always with like the top of the top people to
get things done.

Speaker 5 (44:08):
I'm like, how no, she knows everybody and everybody.

Speaker 1 (44:11):
And everybody wants to talk to you.

Speaker 2 (44:12):
Everybody wants to be Jennifer's friend.

Speaker 1 (44:15):
Everybody's friend.

Speaker 4 (44:16):
Like I just pour everybody wine. That's what they want.

Speaker 1 (44:20):
Fairy. Speaking of wine, I noticed y'all have a lot
of songs about wine. Want to know? So there's like
three I want you know, come on, I'm like, wine
is a.

Speaker 2 (44:33):
Th Actually, one of the very first songs that three
of us wrote together was called fine Wine and it's
it's like, it's so fun to sing live and a
lot of people will sing along with us. But yeah,
we were like, what's what do we want to write about? Today,
jan I think you were really pregnant at the time. Yeah,
I was like, wine, Okay, that's that's great. So she
wishful thinking, she was wishful drinking.

Speaker 1 (44:52):
Oh my gosh. So are you dating someone in the
band Stevie?

Speaker 2 (44:57):
No, not in the band. No, I am dating someone
but no.

Speaker 1 (45:00):
Is he a musician?

Speaker 2 (45:01):
So he is, but he doesn't pursue music.

Speaker 1 (45:03):
Okay, but he loves it because he's you. I also
saw posting like he's so great. He was made up
in a laboratory. Tell me about this love. How did
you find your love? How do you date on the road?
Where did he come from?

Speaker 2 (45:12):
Well, so we met at the gym.

Speaker 4 (45:14):
But so he's health three years ago.

Speaker 2 (45:16):
Yeah, he's healthy mentally and physically, which is you know,
great go.

Speaker 1 (45:22):
For someone toxic?

Speaker 2 (45:23):
I know, well I have in the past, and I
was like, I need to change this pattern up real
quick before my life spirals. But we met and we
were friends for a long time before we dated, and
so it's just been he's amazing, like so supportive and
sweet and like when I go on the road, he's
really trustworthy, which I think is huge. But yeah, I
just I think he's amazing because we love him. We

(45:45):
love Jordan.

Speaker 1 (45:46):
Because what is it like dating out there? Jin and Stevie.

Speaker 5 (45:50):
I don't know, got lucky because.

Speaker 1 (45:55):
Jin, you, I have witnessed a lot of your dating,
Like you've got through some really good options.

Speaker 4 (46:00):
Oh, I've had.

Speaker 1 (46:00):
Great, the best options.

Speaker 3 (46:02):
Great boyfriends that were wonderful best friends with all of them,
you guys get the benefits.

Speaker 1 (46:08):
Jeremy is a god godfather of Sunny because of you.

Speaker 3 (46:11):
Oh, I love I love a lot of my exes,
and then the ones I choose to be with are
the bad ones. So I don't know, go figure out.
I don't know what's wrong.

Speaker 1 (46:18):
You know, you're just trying all the flavors finding But.

Speaker 3 (46:23):
This little munchkin is the reason. So I look at
it that way. I'm like, you know what, I haven't
done everything right, but she's the best thing I've ever done.

Speaker 1 (46:31):
I'll have you balanced co parenting well, uh, we're work
in progress.

Speaker 3 (46:38):
Yeah, but I will say, you know, we had a
lot of disagreements and a lot of things that we,
you know, weren't happy about.

Speaker 4 (46:44):
Oh, she's giving you a microphone.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
See Morgan, our president Morgan. She's got two nephews.

Speaker 5 (46:50):
She knows how cool is that.

Speaker 3 (46:56):
I will say, though, my dad, who does not talk
about feelings ever, he's the one that gave me this advice,
and I think it's the best advice I could have
ever had. And he was like, you know, I know
you have feelings about him. He's got feelings about you.
He's like, do not fight, don't go to court, don't
lawyer it out, work together, get along because you guys
are going to be in each other's lives forever, and

(47:18):
if you go to court and start fighting over custy,
you're going to end up hating each other.

Speaker 4 (47:22):
And he was like, so I would just advise you
to just get along and it'll be the best thing
for her.

Speaker 3 (47:27):
And I was like, you know, my parents were divorced
and they hated each other and I was always in
the middle, and so I did not want that for her.
I didn't want divorce for her a but that happened.
So I'm like, Okay, I screwed up the one part,
but I'm not going to screw up the second part,
which is I'm going to get along with her dad
and what it would be the bigger person. Frustrating sometimes,
but I'm gonna just choose to.

Speaker 4 (47:47):
Get along with him.

Speaker 1 (47:47):
But you know what, that's really putting Lily first. Yeah,
and that's that's really huge. And I'm really proud of
Lorny who Lorney would come in with the great advice,
the ringer advice. I was shocked. He ultimate coach.

Speaker 2 (48:01):
He is a good coach.

Speaker 1 (48:02):
He's like a coach.

Speaker 4 (48:03):
Who did he coach the tennis players. Jimmy Connors, he
was like a big tennis player.

Speaker 3 (48:08):
And also Billy Well, he's he was He put the
Battle of the Sexes together with Billy, Jean King and
Bobby Riggs, so he was Bobby Riggs's coach on that match.

Speaker 4 (48:17):
But yeah, he's a big, big tennis guy.

Speaker 1 (48:20):
And you were a professional tennis player for all.

Speaker 2 (48:21):
Yeah, no big deal.

Speaker 1 (48:23):
I mean, no big deal.

Speaker 4 (48:24):
But and Stevie plays tennis.

Speaker 1 (48:26):
So we've got to y'all get after it on the road.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
We need Yeah, but we've been talking about it for
the longest time, so we need to do that.

Speaker 5 (48:32):
They keep threatening it. I want to be cheerleader. I'm
ready for fun.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
Okay, So talk to me, you guys about Growing Up
Country Volume two, because obviously kids are a big theme here.
We love kids. Y'all are crushing it with showing that
women can do it all. Have a successful relationship on
the road, have a successful marriage on the road, be
a successful mother on the road, be a successful group
of women who are friends supporting each other. Y'all are

(48:56):
showing just that women can do it all, and do
it all well. It doesn't have to be perfect, but
we can do it all if we all can embrace
in not fight it. You know, let us be the
full blooming flower that we are as women. And y'all
are doing such a great job of showing that. So
talk to me about growing up Country. This children's album
that you are part of.

Speaker 3 (49:16):
So Jaden Michaels asked me to write a song with
her for the project, and it was pretty neat, you know,
because she was asking all parents to write a song,
and it was I love the concept because it's a
children's song, but it's a song that grown ups can
listen to and like too, So that was the goal
of it. And she is an incredible artist and writer

(49:39):
and Bobby Hambrick and then she asked if the girls
would like to record the song that we wrote, and
they were gracious enough to say yes. Lily's trying to
cheer is her new thing is cheers, so she's trying
to cheer as the microphone.

Speaker 4 (49:55):
It's a girl.

Speaker 3 (49:56):
But I it's called put a Smile On. And it's
just a really fun, happy song. And you think about kids,
You're like, Okay, put your shoes on, put your shirt on,
you know, and you're like, well, don't forget to put
a smile on too, because that's everything.

Speaker 4 (50:08):
Your attitude is everything in life.

Speaker 3 (50:10):
And so I always like, as a mom, I think, wow,
what a great message I could say to Lily, you know,
is you know, you could wake up and not be
feeling great, but your attitude can change everything absolutely, and
smiling is contagious. So and the girls are awesome and
Stevie's voice sounds so amazing.

Speaker 1 (50:28):
And Stevie, you have such a gorgeous voice, so beautiful.
I mean, do you know I've loved your voice forever,
Natalie Jin, I love yours, but I have yours. I
didn't know as one. It's just so beautiful, so great.

Speaker 2 (50:39):
Yeah, sounds so great to get thinkie. That's the thing
is like it sounds like the first from the first
time we sang it sounded like it fit really well.
So it's a great song too. It was really fun
to sing on that. It was Yeah, it was. It's
like you sing it with a smile on your face.

Speaker 5 (50:53):
I feel like I'm back in the Operland Kids Club
when I'm singing it.

Speaker 2 (50:56):
So I'm like, here we go.

Speaker 1 (51:11):
I love that so much. We'll wrap up because I'm
sure we've been talking close to an hour. I have
no idea, but I bet we're like getting oh fit, okay, great, Wow.
Tell me about y'all's travels really fast before we wrap up,
because y'all have gone some great places like Italy, Kuwait.
I don't feel like you went to qu I didn't
go to Quaita. Why were you on Kuwait? That was
so cool? And you went to the Tree of Life, Natalie.

(51:32):
I saw you post about this.

Speaker 2 (51:33):
Yeah, it was so cool. That was my third time there.

Speaker 5 (51:37):
Right, military tours, and that's what all of these travels
have been. We've we do a lot of military tours.
Although we are getting ready to go to Switzerland for
the first time and we're doing a big festival over there.
That's everybody. Anytime I talk about this festival, people were like, oh,
that is huge, we love that festival. Your agents so
excited about that. Yeah, yeah, and we've done all of this,

(52:01):
all of these overseas things have come through judycl with Afe,
including this festival, even though this one isn't military, but
she brought that one to us, and so it's really
really cool.

Speaker 1 (52:10):
What is that like to just be together? A to
be together because traveling as a group is so special,
but like to travel to these other countries and see
these other way of lives, what does that like? How
does that transform you?

Speaker 3 (52:20):
Well?

Speaker 2 (52:20):
It totally does, Like it transforms the way you think,
the way you go about life, everything. And actually the
first time I really traveled was with these girls, like
across you know, you know, abroad the pond. Yeah, across
the pond. But it's been so eye opening to go
to these places and just see different cultures and like
experience it with these girls is really fun. And to
get to do what you love while you're in those

(52:41):
places like Switzerland is number one on my bucket lists.
Like to go see that and be able to do
what you love, it's just so cool.

Speaker 1 (52:50):
And to be paid to do it too, exactly right
way over there, I mean, it's it is it? Living
the dream comes with its price because it's hard to
be an entrepreneur. It's hard to be a dreamer, but
it's like the payoff when you have these magical moments
would have been some top bucket list for you guys,
what have been like some things that you've checked off
You're like, wow, Okay, I started this dream and these

(53:12):
are some moments that like I started this dream for you.

Speaker 5 (53:15):
Go first, Natalie, Well, I mean with with these girls,
we got to we had a day off in Venice
and I've never been to Venice before. That was unbelievable.
We rolled and rode in a gondola together. It was
very romantic. That was so cool, and I mean we've
we've gotten to do a lot of really really cool

(53:38):
giant festivals together, which has been amazing. And throughout my career,
I think one of my my biggest ones was playing
on I've gotten to plan on a few aircraft carriers
that were actually deployed in the middle of the ocean,
so we got to do like the catch landing, like
the top gun landing, and a codd like land on
an aircraft carrier. We serve thanksgiving dinner to the sailors

(54:00):
and then played a show for him in the middle
of the Persian golf.

Speaker 1 (54:03):
I mean, this is live, This is live.

Speaker 2 (54:05):
How can this be?

Speaker 5 (54:07):
And that's the thing is that, like there's so many
men and women who are in the military and even
our sailors or pilots that don't get to have that experience,
and we find ourselves in those kinds of scenarios all
the time. This is the cutest thing I've ever seen
in my life. We're watching a friendship Bud right now.

Speaker 1 (54:27):
It is so cool to get to have these moments
that like you can never even you can't even dream
them up, You could never even plan for that to
happen in your life.

Speaker 2 (54:34):
Yeah, that's so true.

Speaker 4 (54:36):
What's been your honestly?

Speaker 2 (54:38):
Like, well, there was one time. It was the first
summer I joined, and we were was it Kenny Chesney?
We went to go meet Kenny Chesney and I was like,
what is happening right now? And then we got on
stage with was that big and rich that festival. We
got on stage and I looked at Jen and now
I was like, this is crazy that we're literally sitting

(54:58):
in here front of all these people. And I will
say one of the most rewarding things is like meeting
the people after the shows and like seeing how much
our performance affected them. They're like, we drove eight hours
to be here whatever it is, and it's like to
see them, give them a hug and take a quick picture.
It makes their life. And it's like that to me
is like the coolest part ever. And it just because
you get to it's like a tangible thing that you

(55:20):
get to see and see how you impact people, which
is really cool.

Speaker 3 (55:23):
What about you, Jen, I've had so many, but I
have to say, Lily, we played a show in Detroit
and it was pretty It was at the film or
and it was a big audience and she got up
on stage and we didn't know she was gonna come.
They let her come the last song because I guess
she was like clapping backstage and she just started like.

Speaker 4 (55:42):
Getting up in front of everyone and like clapping to
the beat.

Speaker 3 (55:45):
And she was young at that she was like still young,
too young, but like you know, she was like a
year and four months or something, and she was just
up there like to the rhythm of the song, and
the crowd was just going nuts, you know, and it was.

Speaker 4 (55:57):
Like so cute. I'm like, oh my gosh.

Speaker 3 (55:59):
I was saying that she would just like music for fun,
like please don't love this and you want to do this?

Speaker 4 (56:05):
Yeah, now she loves me.

Speaker 3 (56:09):
But that was like a real That was probably one
of my favorite moments of doing this job. And it
was with the girls and there the best and having
more fun than I've ever had. And for a while
it wasn't fun. Music wasn't fun. And so it's fun again.
And that's the most important thing because it's your time
and time is the only thing you have in life

(56:30):
and you can't buy more time.

Speaker 4 (56:32):
So I'm so happy I'm enjoying it. Now.

Speaker 1 (56:34):
Did you ever think you're gonna quit any of y'all?
Did you ever think you're gonna get hanging up?

Speaker 2 (56:38):
Not for a second, No, I would. I would be
like playing bars for tips for matter what, no matter what.

Speaker 5 (56:44):
Yeah, just loving you gonna be you gonna be like
getting me off the stage when I'm like ninety nine.

Speaker 2 (56:49):
With that little hook that is one. What's gonna happen.
You're never going to get me to talk.

Speaker 1 (56:54):
That's amazing you guys. I am so proud of all
of y'all. I just I love you all so much.
I am so like inspired by all of you. I
love how y'all are doing this together, supporting each other
in every way as women, as mothers, as friends, as
just colleagues, entrepreneurs together, business partners. It is so hard

(57:16):
how integrated y'all's lives are, and to see you guys
just working together as such an incredible team, such an
inspiration for the younger generation to see like women can
do it all. You can. You really can't if you
have the right mindset and team behind you. And it's
just it's a thrill and an honor to get to
talk to you guys and reconnect. I haven't seen any
of y'all so long. It's been so great to see you.

Speaker 4 (57:35):
You and Sonny have to come on a trip with us,
Come on the bike.

Speaker 1 (57:39):
Adult life. Sonny is made, and I mean Sonny and
I have been watching the amazing race NonStop, So it
has been fun jen to see us on season twenty
two and twenty four, like ten years later and watching
it with Sonny, I'm like, man, I'm proud of us.

Speaker 2 (57:52):
Shit.

Speaker 1 (57:52):
We had a great attitude. We always were supporting each other.
I know we last our way through it.

Speaker 3 (57:58):
There was one moment where I was like, we were
because you have to. I think it was in Scotland
and you're driving on the other side of the road,
but the stick shift and the stick is on the
other side. So not only like you know, it's hard
enough driving stick when you don't drive stick.

Speaker 1 (58:13):
You know.

Speaker 3 (58:14):
And so Caroline I both learned how to do it.
And Caroline was the one that was like, okay, I'm going.

Speaker 4 (58:18):
To drive to be the driver.

Speaker 3 (58:19):
I'm like, thank you God, because it's so hard. And
so you're driving stick on the other side the other
side of the road, you don't know where you're going.
No instructions were late, and like I was like, if
you want to test a marriage, just put them, put
them in Scotland and put them in a stick shift
car with no directions and in a rush, and that
will be the test of my marriage.

Speaker 4 (58:39):
And Caroline and I got through it all, you know
you did.

Speaker 1 (58:41):
And I think this was after I had to blow
the bagpipes and almost blew my mouth out because I
could not blow into that bagpipe anymore. My whole jaw
went out and I hadn't gotten it yet, and I
was like, okay, we're gonna get eliminated right here because
my jaw's officially blown out. But it's like so many
of those things. You have to always know that we
One thing that we did on the Amazing Race was
I'm so proud of us always assume the best in
each other. We always knew that we were trying our hardest,

(59:04):
and we always said, if one of us gets us out,
it's okay. Because we did everything we could, We're not
going to like fight and be mad at each other
and tear each other down. And we did that the
whole time and because of it, which is I think
how you guys are living in your band. Everything was fun.
It all was fun, and that's how life can be
if you go in with that attitude like y'all are,
and like how we did on the Amazing Race, it
can all be fun, even when things aren't going how

(59:26):
you want them to, even when you are behind, even
when you are lost, even when things are blowing up
in your face, if you have the right attitude, it
can become such an incredible experience in memory. And I'm
so grateful that we had that opportunity, Jen, And it's
been so fun to watch it with Sonny and see that,
and I'm so glad that we're goeing to have this and.

Speaker 3 (59:44):
You will do amazing race when time, Oh what do
you think?

Speaker 1 (59:47):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (59:48):
Would you rather do it with your mommy or daddy?

Speaker 4 (59:54):
Well she's done it before.

Speaker 1 (59:57):
Yeah. Well I always wrap up with leave your light,
And it's just an open ended question inspiration, How to
inspire people? What do you want people to know?

Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
Hmm, that's a great question.

Speaker 5 (01:00:09):
There's a room for all of us. We it's not
a competition. The more that we succeed, the more it
allows for other women and the business to succeed and
to be able to have babies and to make great
music and to do it all.

Speaker 1 (01:00:24):
Amen, it's mine.

Speaker 5 (01:00:25):
I love that.

Speaker 2 (01:00:26):
It's funny whenever I get asked questions like this, my
brain shuts off. But I would say, just.

Speaker 4 (01:00:32):
Like kind of going off.

Speaker 2 (01:00:34):
What we were talking about is like just having that
positive attitude and like you're the only person you can control.
So at the end of the day, it's like making
sure your mind's healthy and your mind's you know, your
body's healthy, and so like making yourself happy in order
to make others happy as well.

Speaker 4 (01:00:48):
So I love that of that. That's kind of where mine.

Speaker 3 (01:00:52):
I've just realized, like choose love over everything else because
there's so many times you don't want to even like
am I divorce? But like, if you just choose love,
everything else falls in place, and it's better for you,
it's better for everyone around you, and it's so so
much easier than the opposite.

Speaker 1 (01:01:09):
Because hanging on to the negativity is like hanging onto
poison in your body. You think you're punishing the other
person or holding a graduate resentment because they deserve it,
but really it's stored in your body. Yeah, you're the
one that has to have yourself. You're hurting yourself. Yeah,
I love that runaway Jim, What is mine? I think?

(01:01:31):
I mean it's very I'm gonna echo what you guys
are saying. I think, just trusting that if you listen
to your intuition, if you listen to your self, your
self has a plan that it wants. Your higher self
came here for a reason, It has dreams and goals
it wants to accomplish, and those are divine and so
never denying that, trusting it, and when things blow up,

(01:01:56):
if you are following your intuition, and you're being true
to yourself, keeping your mind, body healthy, acting and love
and following your intuition, then I believe even when things
are going wrong, they're actually going right because God is
guiding you, and it's that it's gonna lead you to
where you're supposed to be. And you can't be upset
that it's not going how you thought it would go
because God has a bigger plan.

Speaker 2 (01:02:16):
I absolutely couldn't agree with that more.

Speaker 1 (01:02:18):
I love you guys, runaway June. You are amazing. We
all stick around for a few burning questions for I
love y'all. This is so fun with Lily and Sunny.
Biggest podcast of all time. It was amazing, and everyone,
y'all go check out Growing Up Country Volume two comes
out at the end of June. Is that right? Okay?

(01:02:39):
It's a great children's album. I think Brothers Osborne is
on there, or John and Brothers Osborne and Lucy. It's
an amazing Artistan on there. It's a great album. It's so
sweet for the whole family. So y'all check it out.
I love you, guys from the Tale