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Tracy Lawrence shared a word of advice to aspiring artists and songwriters planning to pursue a career in Nashville, Tennessee.
The legendary singer-songwriter and producer recently caught up with brothers and podcast hosts Dan and Reid Isbell on an episode of God’s Country. When asked about the advice he would give to up-and-coming performers and writers in the music industry, he said, “I think more than anything else, don’t give your soul away. That’s a very important thing that you kinda need, whether you realize it or not.
“I think you have to learn to bend a little bit… sometimes you gotta bend, and sometimes even after you have success, you gotta crawl again after you walk. You’ve gotta realize that you need good people around you that have your best interest at heart… you need people that you can trust that they’re gonna tell you the truth. And, you know, just try to be a decent person as much as you can. It’s a tough world to survive in without being a little bit cutthroat, but you have to kind of find balance. Keep your soul intact.”
Lawrence joined Dan and Reid to kick off a new segment on God’s Country, titled “What ya mad at?” He also “shares some epic stories from his rise to fame in the 1990’s,” and ends the episode by “covering one of the greatest George Strait songs of all time.”
Dan and Reid — who have written music for Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson and others — started their weekly podcast this year. Guests appearing on the show so far include HARDY, Dustin Lynch, Colbie Caillat and others.
“One of our favorite things about country music has always been how intertwined it is with the outdoors,” Dan and Reid Isbell said in a statement when God’s Country launched. They hope to “bring the outdoor enthusiast or country music lover an up close and personal look into the minds of some of the best songwriters and artists of the genre — a place where they can be honest about struggles, relationships, their connection to the outdoors, the music business, family, whatever they feel comfortable talking about. We can’t wait to see where this partnership will lead and who this podcast will reach.”
The iHeartPodcasts/MeatEater show is available anywhere you listen to podcasts, including in the iHeartRadio app. Select country stations will broadcast the show between 7-11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday evenings. Find God's Country here.