Katie & Company

Audacy

ACM-nominated Katie Neal is here to get you through the workday and keep you in the know with all things Country music. She's always looking for a good laugh and a great deal. When Katie's not on your radio, she's probably binging her favorite TV shows, attending a wedding or planning a trip somewhere! Katie was recently recognized by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and won a Gracie Award.

  1. 1d ago

    Lee Brice Keeps Rising

    After 3 and half years, Lee Brice sure racked up a lot of songs for his new albums, Sunriser, and Sunriser (All-Nighter), with the latter expanding to 32 tracks from the “Killed The Man” singer. Brice recently joined Katie Neal inside our Nashville studios to take us through the writing process of the project, working with Vince Gill, performing for Garth Brooks, and much more during this week’s Superstar Power Hour. While also navigating three children and a new dachshund puppy, Lee has offered up another huge collection of songs that show a snapshot of his life right now. “We thought we were gonna be done and have the record out in June,” admits Brice “Then I got on the road with a couple of good buddies and we just happened to get on this magic tear.” “That just started to overcome what this whole record might encompass, and when it became, ‘OK, we've got 32 songs,’ we might need to make it like a double kind of an album, sort of how you want to call it.” According to Lee, the hard work also is threaded into the title of the album, sharing that while anyone can see the sunset, it takes some real effort to see the sunrise. “Whether you're one of the people who get up early and go make America go around and you're going to work and you're seeing that sunrise every single morning, or you're going hunting or this or that or the other side of it. You either work your butt off to stay up all night long, or go have too much fun and stay up all night long, and you're the all-nighter and so you still see the sunrise though, but you got to put the effort in.” “I'm always just talking about the place I'm at in my life, and with my family, with the music, and all of it. There's a lot of different songs on there, you know me, I'm a little diverse.” Don’t miss Lee Brice at The 11th annual edition of Stars and Strings presented by Xfinity next month, alongside Kane Brown, Brantley Gilbert, Brandon Lake, and Ashley Cooke inside Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL, on Thursday, November 12. You can find tickets and more information here. To hear more from Lee Brice about working with Vince Gill on the album and his Library of Congress performance for Garth Brooks, check out the full interview above. New albums from Brice are now available everywhere.

    Lee Brice Keeps Rising
  2. Sep 30

    Audacy LIVE with Shane Profitt

    Last week it was another amazing edition of Audacy LIVE in Nashville, sponsored by Bob's Discount Furniture, as Lauren Alaina and Shane Profitt took the stage for an intimate performance for fans. But first, Shane sat down with Katie Neal inside our studios to talk taxidermy, his upcoming wedding, and new music. Shane Profitt finds himself on a special list for 'Katie & Company,' of artists who have promised to bring taxidermy to the studio and have yet to deliver. “I was messaging my taxidermist today because not only does he have this fine specimen, but he's also got a turkey of mine,” reveals Profitt. “I'm excited to get you yours, but I'm even more excited to get my turkey back.” It’s another item on the to-do list for Profitt, who is also getting married next month. “We've been making payments or whatever towards the wedding, and picking out all the little details and everything, but it really didn't set in until, like two weeks ago,” admits Shane. “I went and I'd never wore a ring before and I tried it on and I was like, ‘oh my gosh,’ and Chloe, she's like, ‘you have to have a gold one or a silver one or whatever,’ and I'm like, ‘let's just get one of those rubber ones.’” “I even told her, literally the night after our wedding we can go and I'll get a ring tattoo right there. I would rather do that.” The event promises to keep it country, as Shane plans to cut the cake with a custom-made pig stabbing knife for South Texas. There’s also 500 Raising Cane’s chicken fingers coming, and 40 bottles of Jim Beam. “If I can grab a guitar, I can normally be fine, and it's weird because I'm not a shy person at all, but I am so nervous to get up there in front of everybody at the wedding,” he adds. His upcoming wedding goes perfectly with his latest single, “Last Name,” which wasn’t originally written for his future wife, but was destined to belong to her. “When I wrote the song, I hadn't even met Chloe yet,” Shane says. “But I wrote the song in the eyes of whoever my future forever would be.” “The day that I officially asked her to be my girlfriend, I sent her the song… I asked her to be my girlfriend, played her the song, and I signed a new record deal and that was one of the songs where I was like I really, really wanna cut this song.” For more from Shane Profitt, check out the full conversation above.

    Audacy LIVE with Shane Profitt
  3. Sep 22

    Kenny Chesney's Natural Habitat

    Alongside two summers reinventing his show for The Sphere in Las Vegas and penning his memoir, Heart Life Music, Kenny Chesney worked hard for 3 years to bring his latest album, 'Silver Sands Marina,' to life. The Country Music Hall of Fame member recently joined Katie Neal in Nashville to dive into his latest project, and talk about his upcoming tour and return to the road after two years of residencies during the 'Superstar Power Hour.' Chesney explains that 'Silver Sands Marina' was chosen as the album's title and cornerstone track because it captured a rare, authentic human connection in an era dominated by social media. "I fell in love with it for the fact that we are all caught in this social media time of our life where there's a lot of fake intimacy,” Kenny reveals. “‘Silver Sands Marina’ is about two people that had a real human connection." "It made me realize that... I didn't grow up in New Hampshire, but I had my own version of ‘Silver Sands Marina’ in my life. Everybody's small town, no matter where it is in the world... You had your version of where you connected with someone." Kenny runs the gamut on 'Silver Sands Marina,' from the playful and clever “Goldfish,” to the mantra message of “Carry On.” “I have a folder on my computer of just songs I love and that might make it into my life one day,” says Chesney. “I've had ‘Carry On’ for over 5 years in that folder that never really made it, never really fit with a record for one reason or another.” “When I saw ‘Carry On’ in that folder, I went, ‘hmmm maybe it's time for ‘Carry On’ this time around,’ and then it fit perfect with everything else and made the record really cohesive. But as far as the song, there's a line in that song that I couldn't get past that I absolutely loved, and it's kind of a mantra in my life… I try not to preach in songs, but this line says ‘if it feels good, do it, if it doesn't, then don't.’ And you get to a place in your life where it can be really that simple.” What feels good to Kenny these days is a return to stadium shows, playing across the country next summer after 2 years at The Sphere with the 'Original Vibe Room Tour.' “There's a real specific energy that you feel when you go into someone's town and you feel the audience have ownership of that, we've missed that energy and it's awesome up there,” he shares. “Now we get all of our stuff back, we're back in our natural habitat, if you will.” For much more from Kenny Chesney, check out the full 'Superstar Power Hour' interview above.

  4. Sep 18

    Drew Baldridge on 'FARM FAITH FAMILY'

    Drew Baldridge has officially released his new album, 'FARM FAITH FAMILY,' and he recently joined us inside our Nashville studios to take us inside the emotional tracks, life raising two children, and hunting with Luke Bryan during his talk with Katie Neal. 'FARM FAITH FAMILY' is packed with personal, vulnerable moments like "Flowers On A Stone,” a song addressing men's mental health and suicide prevention, and "Maker's Mark," which explores leaving a meaningful personal legacy over chasing temporary success. "Each word of these is kind of a mission in my life,” says Baldridge of the album title. “I grew up on a farm. I love farmers, my brother still farms. I grew up there. Obviously faith is something that's always kept me, I grew up singing in church. I'm very vocal about my faith. And my family, we just talked about it for 15 minutes or however long of just my boys, but also I saw the family pillars like my grandpa and my grandma that were together for like 60 years and seeing that family dynamic and my mom and dad and very lucky to have a great family." There’s also a lot of fun to be had with Baldridge, as he shared with Katie his look at life on the road, tattoo punishments for fantasy football, and cracking up every time tourmate Luke Bryan opens his mouth. “When I was 16, he was my favorite artist, so to be able to tour with him is crazy,” Drew says about Bryan. “Just a couple weeks ago he invited me to dove hunt at his house and I got to go dove hunting with him and it is literally like hanging out with my childhood best friend.” “He's such a small town kid and that reminds me so much of my buddies, the way we talk to each other, the way we act, the way we do stupid things, but it was like the coolest dove hunt I've ever been on in my life because it's just like being a redneck with a bunch of money, you know, like that's my favorite kind of people.” For more from Drew Baldridge, check out the full conversation above. 'FARM FAITH FAMILY' is now available everywhere.

    Drew Baldridge on 'FARM FAITH FAMILY'
  5. Sep 15

    That's Just Riley Green

    Riley Green is doing a little bit of everything lately, acting, coaching on 'The Voice,' and releasing his new album, 'That’s Just Me,' out everywhere on September 18. The singer recently stopped by 'Katie & Company' to talk about it all during the 'Superstar Power Hour.' “I think stylistically it's got a lot of different types of songs on it,” Riley says of his upcoming album. “I think that was something that was so great about the album, ‘Don't Mind If I Do.’ It had a lot of, you know, different moods, and I always tend to write sad Country songs and people don't want to cry all day long. So I have some, you know, ‘beer up in the air,’ drinking songs like ‘Think You're Drunk,’ and I've got some beach songs. There's a lot of different types of moments on here.” Riley credits influences like Toby Keith and Blake Shelton for demonstrating how to effectively balance humor, casual fun, and serious storytelling within Country music. “Toby was so good at those lighthearted fun songs, you know, so it's cool to have that kind of song on the record.” 'That’s Just Me' also features some major collabs for Green, including Brooks & Dunn, Hannah McFarland, Jake Worthington, and Randy Owen from Alabama. “For a kid from Alabama, small town, not too far from Fort Payne, it's just so cool to have truly one of my heroes on a song.” Just days away from the premiere of 'The Voice' with Riley Green taking a turn in the turning chair as coach, we had to ask how this role was different from his previous television experience on 'Marshals.' “I'm on there with Queen Latifah, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, it's gonna be fun to watch,” he smiles. “This was a lot easier than acting. When I was on 'Marshals,' I'm playing a former Marine with PTSD and there's something that's very serious and you wanna get that right. It's something I haven't lived through. I've got to get out of my skin, and on ‘The Voice’ I'm just being me, and it was really so helpful to have seen Blake on there and what he does so well with his personality, his sense of humor, because I knew what I liked about it. So I could kind of say, ‘OK, well I'm gonna do my version of that.’” “All you have to do is just make fun of Adam for being old, talk about how famous Queen Latifah is, and then talk about how much more Country you are than Kelly Clarkson so that they pick you,” he adds. “It's easy. Anybody could do it.” To hear more from Riley Green, check out the full 'Superstar Power Hour' interview above.

  6. Sep 1

    Carly Pearce Keeps It Honest

    We’re all seeing a side of Carly Pearce usually reserved for her closest friends, as the singer looks to reveal new layers on her latest album, 'Honest Woman.' Pearce recently joined Katie Neal to talk about the project, awkward music videos, life on the road, and more this week during the 'Superstar Power Hour.' “I hope they get to know me better,” Carly says when asked what she hopes fans take away from the new album. “I feel like I really stretched myself on this one to go places that I haven't before. I hope they get to know me better and I hope they feel seen.” “This is my 5th record, and I think I started to wonder what else was left to say and challenged myself to think about, ‘OK. Yes, we have no problem with heartbreak. We have no problem with sass, but take it a step further,’” says Pearce. “I just really kind of peeled back some layers of my own self to think about maybe what people don't know about me, that my closest friends would know about me.” In many ways we’ve unlocked the next level of Carly Pearce by going back to the beginning with her, to the classic Country and Bluegrass songs that first shaped her love of music. You can hear the influence on songs like “You Can Have Him,” which channels the same straightforward wisdom as some of her heroes. “I've always said that traditional Country music was a big part of my life,” she says. “When you start listening to that song, it's upright bass, it sounds like maybe what Loretta Lynn would have sang in 1965 on the Opry. Like, we go there.” Pearce will take the new album on the road for a set of “Up Close” intimate shows in smaller venues across the country later this year. “I've gotten to travel and tour in all different venues, sizes, you know, all these things, and I'm very lucky that I've gotten to do all of that,” Carly tells Katie, “but I think what I have found that my favorite are the smaller venues and just being able to have a conversation.” “People don't come to my shows to see the lights and the costume changes and the videos. They come to see me sing and they come even more than that to hear me talk. That's become the storytelling part of my shows,” admits Pearce. “I really wanted to make it different, really for myself.” Unfortunately on this tour though, Carly will be without her dogs, Johnny and June, who have been “fired” from the road crew after some bad behavior. “They're a little naughty,” reveals Pearce. “I have to be honest, they bite people.” “They're very sweet if they love you, but they'll bite you. We used to think Johnny was peeing in my guitar player's bunk, but I think it was June. They're bad. I love them so much, but they've kind of become like divas, so they stay at their grandparents' house.” For more from Carly Pearce on making music videos with Riley Green, and the story behind some of her biggest hits, listen to the full 'Superstar Power Hour' interview above.

  7. Aug 26

    Catching Up with Kane Brown

    It’s even too hot to golf for Kane Brown, who is surviving the sweltering Nashville summer in part by visiting the cool studios of 'Katie & Company' above the Hard Rock Cafe. The singer joins Katie Neal this week for the 'Superstar Power Hour' to talk about his latest chart achievement, his bar on Broadway, and the artist who gave him the “confidence” and “motivation” to have a career in Country music. The season has been busy for Brown, including another number one at the top of the Country charts, with “Woman.” “A number one never gets old,” admits Kane. “You always have goals set, and I will say, that's one thing out of all the goals that hasn't changed is the number one song. So I'm excited for it, and ‘Woman’ is, it's one of those songs that kind of takes me back to my earlier career of just having a special feeling about the song, and I haven't had that feeling in a while for a song, so I'm glad it's doing good.” Kane is still hard at work on the next chapter, “very happy” about the progress he has made on his upcoming album. “The album I'm working on right now is, it was originally gonna be kind of throwbacky, like fifties sounding, one song that kind of has an Eagles vibe to it, then I have a Motown type song, but just kind of old school.” “Were gonna do some music videos that were like short films to them. I had a whole plan, but that takes time. So we hadn't even started on the music videos or we've kind of got ideas, but I don't know. I might be biting off more than I can chew.” Kane is also a part of his friend, Lauren Alaina’s new album, which arrived everywhere on August 28. It marks a professional reunion for the long-time collaborators, as Brown credits Alaina with providing the initial confidence for his career, recalling how she encouraged him to sing back in middle school choir. “So Lauren, of course, was on ‘American Idol,’ and we live in a small town of like 9000 people, and they had a parade for her,” remembers Kane. “She's just always been singing, so talented, she deserves the world.” “She's what gave me the confidence and the motivation to be in the music industry,” Brown reveals. “So I owe my whole career to her, So yeah, I root for her.” For much more from Kane Brown, check out the full interview above.

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

ACM-nominated Katie Neal is here to get you through the workday and keep you in the know with all things Country music. She's always looking for a good laugh and a great deal. When Katie's not on your radio, she's probably binging her favorite TV shows, attending a wedding or planning a trip somewhere! Katie was recently recognized by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and won a Gracie Award.

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