Hops & Spirits Bar Conversations

Country Music has been all that David Adam Byrnes has ever known. One of his earliest memories is attending a George Strait concert and really hearing a George Strait song for the first time. From that day forward, he would always take his cowboy hat to school; earning him the nickname of “George Strait” amongst his peers. After spending high school graduation night opening up for the legendary Hank Williams, Jr., Byrnes packed his bags and headed to Nashville, Tennessee. David talks about his favorite drinks, his latest single When In Rum, more music coming, moving to Texas after heading to Nashville first, the impact Trent Willmon had on his career, his love music, getting married and more.

For more on David Adam Byrnes, visit https://www.davidadambyrnes.com/ or find him on social media.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, check out Neat & Mixed and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.

Bluegrass music may be one of America’s “traditional” styles, but at its heart it has always been wild and spontaneous. The style demands every ounce of facility and intent that each performer can muster— it fires on all cylinders or none at all. Few bands do it as well as East Nash Grass. An ensemble of standout players from a city known for the quality of its musicians, East Nash Grass came by its name and reputation honestly, honing their performance chops night after night on a tiny stage on Music City’s east side. We chat with James Kee and Maddie Denton about how the band came together, their favorite instruments to play, their journey in music, their new album Last Chance to Win, their weekly residence and much more.

For more on East Nash Grass , visit https://www.eastnashgrass.com/ or find them on social media.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, check out Neat & Mixed and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.

BoomTown Saints is composed of Chris Ramos and Ben Chism. The fusion of Chris’ energetic stage presence and broad vocal range with Ben’s smooth voice and distinguishable southern drawl yields an undeniable charisma between the two. Consummate entertainers and true road warriors, they have honed their live performance skills playing clubs, frat houses and festivals with the number one objective being “for people to have fun.” They talk (2:30 mark) about how they got into music, becoming a duo, being girl dads, their approach to writing songs, their debut EP, being on the road, what's next and more.

Plus, on our 4-Pack, we highlight four duo songs we love right now: Ed Sheeran and Luke Combs, Niko Moon and Zac Brown, James Barker Band and Dalton Dover, and Lewis Brice and Lee Brice.

For more on BoomTown Saints, visit https://www.boomtownsaintsmusic.com/ or find them on social media.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, check out Neat & Mixed and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.

Recognized as "one of the most exciting new voices" by CelebMix, Tyra Madison originates from Pine Top, Kentucky. Drawing inspiration from esteemed artists like Carrie Underwood and Maren Morris, Tyra has fully immersed herself in the art of songwriting and performing, leaving an indelible mark on the Nashville community and beyond. Tyra talks (2:10 mark) about being an Elsa impersonator, learning Rocky Top at a young age, her biggest influences, the success of Right Girl Wrong Time, her new single Plead the 5th, what's next and more.

Plus, on our 4-Pack, we highlight four artist you might not know, but should: Stephen Wilson Jr., Matt Koziol, Jonathan Hutcherson and Lakeview.

For more on Tyra, visit https://www.tyramadison.com/ or find her on social media.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, check out Neat & Mixed and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.

Frank Fletcher is an independent country music singer/songwriter. Born in south Alabama, he grew up in a small town where neighbors were friends, there is a church on every corner, dirt roads meant freedom, tractors were sexy, and grandpa’s old truck meant everything. Frank talks (2:50 mark) about his favorite drinks, who is doppelganger is, how he got into music, playing his first gig at 14, playing more than 150 shows in a year, his favorite part of performing on stage, his latest single Rollin' and what's next.

Plus, on our first 4-Pack, we highlight four boozy songs we like from Hayden Coffman, Chase Mitchell, Jay Allen, and David Adam Byrnes.

For more on Frank, visit https://www.frankfletchermusic.com/ or find him on social media.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, check out Neat & Mixed and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.

After a decade “of playing by the rules”, country artist and songwriter Brit Taylor broke out on her own and released her debut album Real Me in 2020 and followed it with this year's Kentucky Blue, produced by Grammy winners Sturgill Simpson and David Ferguson, is a happier, more upbeat record, simply reflecting her life today. Brit talks (3:20 mark) about good whiskey, how she got her first guitar, growing up on the famed Country Music Highway in Kentucky (Route 23), resetting her career, releasing Real Me, working with Ferguson and Sturgill, making her Opry debut, playing festivals and what's next.

Plus, on our first 4-Pack, we highlight four new songs we like from Tanner Adell, BoomTown Saints, Josh Melton and Bryan Martin.

For more on Brit, visit https://www.brittaylormusic.com/ or find her on social media.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, check out Neat & Mixed and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.

With equal ease and finesse, No. 1 Billboard-charting artist Lucas Hoge can craft a song, cast a line or call in a turkey in front of a film crew. The chart topping country artist and host of TV series Hoge Wild joined us for the second time. He talks (4:05 mark) about his favorite drinks, visiting Belize, new adventures on Hoge Wild, how ended up hosting a TV show, fun travel stories, growing up in Nebraska, touring with Chapel Hart, his latest single Nowhere, his song Duck Blind, more new music and so much more. Plus, I give some info on upcoming changes to the show as we head toward episode 150.

For more on Lucas, visit https://www.lucashoge.com/ or find him on social media. For more on Hoge Wild, check out https://www.hogewild.com/.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, check out Neat & Mixed and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.

Country artist and songwriter Del Barber recently released his latest album Almanac. He talks (13:25 mark) about meeting his wife at one of his shows, recording the reverb in a grain silo and using audio from farm machinery on an album, living on the farm, getting into music, his father's impact on Del's music, writing from experiences, what folks can expect on his latest album, how it differs from past albums, going on tour and more. Plus, Chad Watson talks (1:20 mark) about whether bourbon brands winning awards should matter to consumers.

For more on Del, visit https://delbarber.com/ or find him on social media.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, check out Neat & Mixed and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.

Award-winning chef Noah Hester is staying busy these days as he can be seen on “The Bradshaw Bunch”, he's a brand manager for Bradshaw Bourbon and he helped craft the Bradshaw Ranch Thick N Juicy Burgers. Noah joins us (11:10 mark) as he talks about Bradshaw Bourbon, his favorite drinks, how he got involved with Bradshaw Bourbon, being persistent, hating being called a celebrity chef, how it's different making Bradshaw Rach burgers versus being in the kitchen, his favorite place/style to cook, creating his own sauces, what's next and more. Plus, chef Alison Settle talks (1:25 mark) about a fun new summer recipe to try in Tasting Notes.

For more on Noah, visit https://chefnoahhester.com/ or find him on social media. For more on Bradshaw Bourbon, visit https://bradshawbourbon.com/, and for more on Bradshaw Ranch Thick N Juicy Burgers, visit https://terrybradshawbrands.com/bradshaw-ranch/.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, check out Neat & Mixed and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.

Country artist Jay Allen joins us (8:45 mark) to talk about finding his sound, his mother's battle with Alzheimer's, sharing that story, getting to Nashville, being on The Voice, marrying Kylie Morgan, and more. Plus, Chad Watson joins us (1:25 mark) for Tasting Notes to talk about grilling and whiskey.

For more on Jay, visit https://www.jayallenofficial.com/ or find him on social media.

Don't forget to check out the video on YouTube and our Facebook page. Plus, enjoy our Neat & Mixed Reviews and the Hops & Spirits Kentucky podcast, all available at hopsspirits.com.