Episodes

Football Week 9 brings the fallout from Tennessee’s loss to South Carolina. KLo gives the Gamecocks credit while explaining his frustration with penalties, missed opportunities, and the mistakes that make a close loss harder to take.

Mark Wills performs “Places I’ve Never Been” in an intimate guitar-and-vocal moment on the Try That in a Small Town Podcast.

Can politics get in the way of making music? Tully and KLo share experiences they say affected interview opportunities and songwriting collaborations in Nashville.

Tennessee beat Alabama—and KLo brought his Volunteers gear into the studio to celebrate. Somehow, Alabama fan Neil Thrasher ended up wearing orange.

Mark shares how singing Nashville demos led to his record deal, the story behind passing on a future hit, and his memories of “19 Somethin’.” He also discusses Grand Ole Opry membership, earning your craft onstage, and why great songs don’t have an expiration date.

The guys preview Tennessee–Alabama, debate the Vols’ quarterback situation and defensive concerns, and revisit Alabama–Georgia, including the officiating and Kalen DeBoer’s sideline reaction.

Gary LeVox and Neil Thrasher perform “Take Me There,” bringing the Rascal Flatts hit into an intimate setting on the Try That in a Small Town Podcast.

Millions of streams—but can you sell tickets? The guys dig into AI music, fake streams, and what actually turns a country singer into a lasting artist.

Did Tennessee invest in the wrong quarterback—or did its highly touted young starter simply get thrown into the fire too soon?

IIf Tim McGraw had never become a country star—or an actor—what would he be doing for a living?

Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace and Neil Thrasher explain how traditional song pitching has changed—and why fewer music-driven people are digging through old catalogs to uncover forgotten gems.

Should celebrity singers step aside and let marching bands and fans perform the national anthem?

Has the Grand Ole Opry lost some of the meaning and mystique that once made it country music’s most sacred stage?

Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace and Neil Thrasher preview Texas versus Tennessee, debate whether Arch will feel additional pressure playing where his uncle Peyton Manning became a legend, and make their predictions for one of college football’s biggest games of the week.

Jason Aldean received zero CMA nominations. Morgan Wallen received no individual nominations. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift is back in the country music conversation. Did the CMA voters get it right?

Jason Aldean received zero CMA nominations. Morgan Wallen received no individual nominations. Taylor Swift is back in the country conversation—and four Nashville hitmakers have some questions.

Is Arch Manning becoming the quarterback everyone expected—and can Cam Ward succeed with the team Tennessee has put around him?

Is touring emotionally exhausting—or are musicians fortunate to make a living doing what they love?

2026-09-14

Is touring really traumatic—or have musicians forgotten how fortunate they are to make a living playing music?

The guys are back for Week 2 of Small Town Sports, and this one goes everywhere — from the future of the SEC and whether conferences even matter anymore to NIL, the transfer portal, LSU, Clemson and a very suspicious extra second in the Michigan game.

A listener called out Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy for coming across as a little… stuck up. 😳

In this episode of the Try That in a Small Town, Kurt, Tully, K-LO and and Neil are reacting to Jelly Roll's recent comments and NOTHING is off-limits. 

In the first edition of Small Town Kickoff, the guys debate how NIL money, the transfer portal and conference changes have affected the game.

The guys get into one of their most spirited debates yet over artists calling themselves headliners too early, posting about “sold-out shows” when they were actually the opening act, and why paying your dues still matters in the music business.