- 2 days ago
Jordan Davis joins Katie Neal to talk about his 2026 plans and his own ultimate 'Totally Private' dream concert, inside our Nashville studios at the Hard Rock Cafe.
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00:00Jordan Davis, welcome. Thank you for doing this. You are my last interview of the year, buddy.
00:05Oh, that's awesome. We did it.
00:07Yeah, we did.
00:08Putting a bow on 2025.
00:10Oh my God, I know. It feels like it's been the longest year and the shortest year at the same time, which I'm sure that you also feel that.
00:17Yeah, it's definitely the, you kind of like look back on shows that you played in January.
00:23Well, you can notice we were overseas in January, so it's like, somebody said that the other day.
00:27He's like, dude, it's crazy to think we were in Australia 12 months ago, and I was like, wait, that was this year?
00:32That feels like that was six years ago.
00:35No, it is nuts. It's nuts. Are you doing anything for New Year's?
00:39So we're playing the Citrus Bowl, so we'll be in Orlando.
00:42Oh, you are? Oh my God, that's fun.
00:43Yeah, we'll be in Orlando down to the Citrus Bowls for New Year's.
00:48That would be a good one. People feel like you either love New Year's or hate it.
00:52I hate like a halfway New Year's.
00:53Like, I either want to be in bed by nine and miss the whole thing, or I want to be out until 3 a.m.
00:58Yeah, and I lean towards the nine o'clock one, but...
01:02Yeah, same.
01:03Which is easier now, like all the kiddos, you know, so you put them down and, you know, we'll just act like it's...
01:11Let's act like it's midnight at 10.
01:13How about, you know, we'll watch the different ball drop and celebrate it then.
01:19What do they do for toddlers? They did like a New Year's Eve.
01:21I've seen somebody post about that before.
01:23For toddlers, I'll do it for myself.
01:26I'll do a New Year's Eve. I love that.
01:29I feel that more and more like I do with, like, new music releases.
01:32Like, whenever I'm...
01:33Like, I stay up till midnight when Taylor Swift puts a new album out, but I'm like,
01:35God, I wish she would do this at, like, 4.
01:37I know, right?
01:39I don't want to have to...
01:40I don't feel like staying up till 1.30, listening to songs, and then falling in love with the record,
01:45and then you end up staying up till 3 because you go back and listen to it again, so...
01:49Exactly. Are you... Do you do New Year's resolutions?
01:54Yeah. I mean, me and Kristen usually try to do...
01:57Yeah, like, we do them. I don't know how good we are at sticking to them.
02:03But, like, I've never been, like, you know...
02:06It's just something to...
02:08I feel like it's something you're going to get busy because I feel like the holidays is...
02:13This is, like, my favorite time of year.
02:15Hey, I love Christmas, love New Year's.
02:17But it's, like, you have those...
02:18The two weeks where you have nothing to do, so it's, like, I'm going to wake up at 5 a.m.,
02:23go to the gym, swim, start doing cardio, because you have nothing going on, and, like...
02:29Yeah, it feels so...
02:29You're, like, this is so easy.
02:31I'm crushing this.
02:32Yeah, you're, like, wait, why...
02:33This is...
02:33I feel awesome.
02:34Like, why do I not do this for 365 days a year?
02:39And then you start touring again, and life...
02:41Like, then the world picks back up.
02:42You come out of the holidays, and you're, like, oh, this is why I don't do this, like, so consistently.
02:47I know.
02:48I was thinking about this this morning.
02:49I was, like, I wonder what it would be like, because I see so many of my friends who have,
02:52like, a very, like, normal, everyday job that, like, they do.
02:55They get to do the same thing.
02:56They have, like, the same breakfast.
02:57They have the same routine.
02:58And I'm, like, I can't remember...
02:59I couldn't tell you the last time I did the same thing three days in a row.
03:02Ever.
03:02No.
03:03And that's the...
03:04You know, we always talk about, like...
03:06I'll see people, like, on TikTok or Instagram.
03:10It's, like, these people I follow that are, like, oh, here's my schedule.
03:13I wake up at 5 a.m.
03:15I do this.
03:16I work out.
03:17I journal.
03:18I read.
03:19And then I want to be, like, when do you work?
03:21Like, how do you...
03:22Yeah.
03:23Where does your money come from?
03:24Like...
03:25I know.
03:26It's, like, dude, I woke up in L.A., New Mexico, and Phoenix in a three-day period.
03:32So, like, my life doesn't fit that.
03:35But, hey, hats off to them.
03:36I wish I was more like that.
03:39No, I know.
03:39What would you say have been...
03:41I know you were talking about, like, you were overseas in January.
03:43What do you feel, like, have been biggest highlights for you, both musically and personally,
03:47from this year?
03:48Yeah.
03:48I mean, musically, you know, the Australian run was pretty awesome.
03:53It was our first time going over there.
03:54And it was far exceeded expectations, you know, so much so that we're turning around and going
04:02right back beginning of next year.
04:04That was definitely a highlight, you know, just mainly because it was.
04:09It was the first time, and it went really well.
04:12So, the headlining tour we just wrapped up a couple months ago was a lot of fun.
04:18You know, obviously, brand-new record out that we're really proud of.
04:22So, those are three of the big wins on the music side.
04:26And then, personally, you know, welcoming a brand-new baby this year was pretty awesome.
04:32So, that was definitely the highlight on the personal side.
04:37Welcome and sweet, sweet Sadie to the world.
04:41She's been awesome.
04:42I was going to say, how are the kids?
04:44I saw your, like, latest, I think it was your Thanksgiving post, and I was like, God,
04:46those are all such cute kids.
04:49Yeah, they're some rugrats, man.
04:51They are.
04:52They're cute kids.
04:53My boys are driving me crazy.
04:54You know, I say that.
04:56It's just they're getting to the fun age where it's just chaos.
05:00But they're all doing great.
05:03You know, Eloise started kindergarten this year.
05:07You know, Lachlan, my oldest boy, is starting to go to school like four days a week.
05:11So, it's awesome and crazy at the same time because, you know, our house is always just
05:19utter chaos, loud stuff going on.
05:23And then, they start going to school, and, you know, you drop them off, you come home,
05:26and the house is, like, quiet as a church.
05:28You're like, wait, what do I do now?
05:32So, you get used to the noise, but it's good.
05:36They're growing up, and everybody's happy, and it's been a good year.
05:40That's good.
05:41I was going to say, boys of that age, I feel like, just have an endless amount of energy.
05:45Like, you're like, where does that come from?
05:46It's the Energizer Bunny.
05:48And that's the thing.
05:48It's like, they're, you know, getting into sports.
05:52It's just like, it's become, it's the fun age where, you know, they want to go do stuff
05:58with me.
05:58They want to, you know, go to the camp or go out and just do stuff and hang out.
06:04So, it's fun.
06:05But, yeah, it definitely makes for long days.
06:08I bet.
06:08Have you taken any of them out hunting yet?
06:10Or are they, like, they're probably about that old, right?
06:12Yeah.
06:13So, my old, my four-year-old, he's ready to go.
06:16He wants to do his first duck hunt this year.
06:19So, after the holiday, I'm going to take him out and put him in some camo and some waders
06:27and, you know, just take him out with his little BB gun and let him act like he's duck hunting.
06:33So, that's all he wants to do.
06:34Oh, my gosh.
06:35But, yeah, we did a lot of fishing this year, though.
06:37So, we were bad news for a brim on Percy Priest this year.
06:42So, we had a lot of fun out on the boat.
06:44That's awesome.
06:44So, before this, I was looking at your Instagram, and I was cracking up what you had just posted
06:48about, like, what I mean when I say I'm going to have one more drink.
06:50And I think it looked like you were, like, at a wedding or something, smoking a cigar,
06:53having a fabulous time.
06:56Yeah.
06:57That was the first weekend a friend of ours got married.
07:02We went down, and it was an amazing wedding.
07:05And we had the first weekend away from the kids.
07:08So, me and Kristen cut loose.
07:12And, yeah, I just so happened to hop up with a DJ, tequila in hand with a cigar, and was
07:21really feeling the vibes that night, you know?
07:24So, it was a blast.
07:27This might be a stupid question, but not having facial hair, I don't know.
07:30But I would assume that, like, you wake up after smoking a cigar like that, and your beard
07:34has got to be, like, full of smoke.
07:36No, Kristen hated me for, like, three days.
07:38I mean, it was, like, how do you get that out?
07:41I know.
07:42Well, and that's the thing.
07:44It's, like, there's no hiding cigars.
07:46Like, you know, there's no cologne.
07:48There's no beard oil shampoo that you can use to get rid of that.
07:53So, that was the thing.
07:54It's, like, I loved smoking cigars.
07:57You know, we used to, on the road, you know, post-show, we would always sit around and smoke cigars.
08:02And for that reason, I quit, because I was like, man, I love smoking a cigar at the time.
08:09I hate smelling that cigar for two days after.
08:12So, yeah, she wasn't a fan of me.
08:15She stayed away from me for a few days after that.
08:19Hangover cures.
08:20Do you happen to have a go-to one?
08:23I feel like, out of four, you've got to have something good.
08:25You know, my old hangover cure was you just jump back on the bike.
08:30You know, usually brunch.
08:33I feel like in college, even my early Nashville days, you know, that was always kind of like, well, everybody's feeling pretty rough.
08:40I might as well go to brunch and see if a buddy Mary can fix this.
08:43Yeah.
08:44Or a manmosa, a beer and orange juice.
08:47That was usually my hangover cure.
08:50Now.
08:51I've never heard of that, a manmosa.
08:53A manmosa.
08:54Yeah.
08:55That's good.
08:56I don't know where I heard that from, but I was at a restaurant.
08:59And everybody was drinking mimosas.
09:01And I was like, man, I'm not doing champagne.
09:04Buddy Mary's not feeling right.
09:07And a buddy of mine was like, dude, you should get a manmosa.
09:09And I've been hooked ever since.
09:10I was like, that's genius.
09:12So.
09:14Yeah.
09:14Nowadays, it's.
09:15You know, I really just slam water.
09:20I like just like, I know I'm dehydrated.
09:22I try to stay away from like Tylenol or Advil.
09:26So I'm just like, all right.
09:28It's almost like my punishment to myself, you know, where you wake up and you're like, you didn't need, you didn't need the fourth glass of Eagle Rare.
09:37You did, you should have just, you were good at three.
09:41The fourth was a little aggressive.
09:44Yeah.
09:45So, yeah, it's almost like that's your punishment to yourself to be like, all right, you gotta, you put yourself here, you gotta ride this thing out.
09:52So it really is now just like hydrating.
09:55You sneak in like the light blue Gatorade.
09:58I can't remember.
09:59Oh, God, that is my favorite one.
10:01Yeah.
10:01Those are awesome.
10:02So Gatorade and water.
10:04I had a pretty bad hangover.
10:05I can't remember how long ago it was.
10:06And I door dashed because I could not leave the house a light blue Gatorade.
10:10And, you know, sometimes they take like their own personal liberty and they just are like, well, they're out of that.
10:14So I got you this.
10:14And they brought back the most like neon pink Gatorade.
10:17Like a red one.
10:18Yeah.
10:18No, I can't do this.
10:20Yeah.
10:20This isn't what I asked for.
10:22This Gatorade was for a specific purpose.
10:26And you show up with a fruit punch Gatorade.
10:30And now I want to.
10:32Yeah.
10:33So that.
10:33But yeah, that's my that's my fix.
10:38Yeah.
10:38Unless you're on vacation, then you just.
10:41Yeah.
10:41You just get right back on it.
10:42Yeah.
10:43So we talked about what highlights of 2025 were.
10:45What are you looking forward to in 2026?
10:48Yeah.
10:482026 is the.
10:50You know, it's actually we're doing.
10:53We're doing a headline tour in Europe and Australia, kicking the year off February and March over there.
10:59And then coming back and still playing a decent amount of shows next year.
11:04But, you know, we're not playing as many as we as we usually do.
11:08So I'm actually looking forward to, you know, a year that's a little lighter than what we've been doing, mainly because I've really like.
11:17I think as busy as I've been with with touring and making learn the hard way.
11:24I really haven't been able to to really sit down and write like I've wanted to have like either been coming into town and writing for a couple of days or bringing buddies out and, you know, writing on the road.
11:36So I'm really excited for next year to to continue writing and making a new record.
11:44I feel like I'm really excited to to get back to songwriting and and I'm glad that next year is a little lighter so that I can do that.
11:53So I'm really stoked to to make a new record and and do some touring overseas.
11:58It's going to be a great year.
11:59That's awesome.
12:00Yeah, I was looking at your touring schedule and I was like, this is either lighter on purpose or he hasn't announced some stuff yet.
12:04But but you leave for Europe like right at the end of February and then you do like all of Australia and New Zealand.
12:10Is that like you leave for that month and then you don't come home at all?
12:14Or do you get some time to come back in between there?
12:17Yeah, we're going to come back for a week in between.
12:19OK, nice.
12:20You know, we did a long time to be gone.
12:23Yeah.
12:24You know, and we did.
12:25We've done it before.
12:25You know, we went to.
12:29I feel like the last time we did Europe, I was gone for way too long.
12:32And, you know, it's just tough to be away from the kiddos for that much time.
12:37But yeah, this year I'm going to go over and and then come back for like 10 days and then head back to Australia.
12:44That'll be a good way to break that up, because like any parent, like any dad right now has got to be like, what?
12:48You got like, that's so hard.
12:49It's great that you get to do what you love.
12:51But being away from your kids that long has got to be.
12:52I can't even imagine an order.
12:54Yeah, it's it was tough.
12:55And, you know, and I did, no pun intended, learn it the hard way.
12:58But, you know, because once you're over there, you want to enjoy it and you want to, you know, it does take it.
13:05You know, the flights are long and you kind of got to get adjusted once you get over there.
13:10But, yeah, I feel like we broke it up great.
13:13So, like, that'll be good for me to get back, see them and then take back off to Australia.
13:18But, yeah, I mean, it was purposeful, you know, and not playing as many shows as we have, you know, for that reason.
13:26And it has been.
13:27It's like I didn't, you know, I know I've talked to you about this.
13:31Like, you know, songwriting is why I got into music.
13:34And I just feel like last year I didn't devote the time I needed to it like I should have.
13:41I'm still super proud of the record we made.
13:43But I'm excited this year to really kind of bring that back to the top of the priority list and really go in and make something really cool in the studio.
13:55And then you had a little bit of downtime with the holidays and you're planning on doing some hunting.
13:58Do you have anything else that you guys have got planned?
14:01Yeah, I mean, really just, you know, I mean, all the families coming up to Nashville, you know, it really does.
14:09It's like, you know, it's Christmas and, you know, all my buddies kind of revolve everything around, you know, hunting trips.
14:16So we have some really cool hunting trips planned.
14:19What are you doing?
14:22We're getting to check off a bucket list hunt for me.
14:24We're going to Nebraska to hunt the North Platte at the end of January, which has been a place I've wanted to duck hunt for a long time.
14:34And taking some good buddies up there to do that.
14:37I'm going to Arkansas next weekend to one of my favorite places to duck hunt.
14:43And then me and my brother do a, you know, we call it deer camp.
14:48We bring all of our high school buddies up and some college buddies.
14:52And we just, you know, go deer hunt for two or three days and get to catch up.
14:57And so it kind of always revolves around somebody else's hunting camp that we're going to.
15:03But I'm excited that, you know, obviously my daughter's first Christmas this year, my Kristen's family's coming in.
15:12And so we're having everybody come to Nashville for Christmas and New Year's and just getting to spend time with them.
15:19Some downtime to kind of relax and recharge.
15:23That's really what I look most forward to.
15:27Like we were talking about earlier, the days of waking up where there's nothing to do but watch football, cook food, and hang out with family.
15:35I'm excited for that.
15:36I feel like it's got to be nice for you guys too, like having four kids, you get to be like, hi, you're all coming to us for the holidays.
15:41We could not possibly travel to you.
15:43I think that's why we decided like, hey, let's keep going with kids.
15:47Because with everyone, it's becoming easier to say, I don't know if we can make it over there.
15:53We got the kids, you know.
15:55So, yeah, it's great that, you know, they all get to come here and, you know, good for them too, that they get to hang with grandkids.
16:03And, you know, maybe it gives me and Kristen a break to go do some other stuff while the kids hang with the grandkids.
16:09So there's multiple wins on that.
16:12Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
16:14Then also want to talk about your latest single.
16:16This is the third one from the album, Turn This Truck Around.
16:19Talk about just writing the song and where the idea came from.
16:22Yeah, man, that was with Josh Thompson, Devin Dawson, and Jake Mitchell, three crazy talented songwriters.
16:30And it's really fun too, because, you know, in the creative space of songwriting, you know, some days you're swinging for the fences or you just know you're going to walk in with the group you're writing with and write a great song.
16:44And sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't.
16:46And that's just, you know, the part of working in a creative world and trying to make something up every day.
16:54But this was special because I just had a feeling I hadn't written with Devin in forever.
16:59And, I mean, I absolutely love the dude to death.
17:04And it's like, you know, you go in thinking, all right, we're going to get something great today.
17:09I know it.
17:09You know, I had a feeling.
17:11And it's just really cool when it actually happens.
17:14And I knew the day we left that Turn This Truck Around was going to be a song that I was going to record and felt like it was going to be a big one.
17:23And it's cool to kind of start seeing it pick up momentum.
17:27But, you know, I'd always kind of thought about, you know, when I was a kid, me and Jacob would be in the backseat.
17:34And my dad would all, you know, if we were fighting or arguing, he would always turn around and say, hey, boys, don't let me turn this truck around.
17:41You know, I'll turn it.
17:43We'll go back home.
17:44And, you know, we kind of started talking about I can't remember what the first idea was.
17:50And for some reason, that saying, and my dad popped in my head, and I kind of threw that out.
17:56And we just kind of ran with it from there.
17:59But, man, and, too, it's just a fun day of writing.
18:03Like, I think any time you're around people as good as those three guys are, it makes you want to be better.
18:11I just remember that as just a really, really, really fun day of creating.
18:15And another day where you just say, like, man, I'm blessed to get to do this and happy to see that people are loving it the way they are.
18:23Yeah, it is.
18:24It's such a great song.
18:25So you're going to do something for us in January.
18:27You're going to play a totally private show here at the Hard Rock.
18:29Like, a listener is going to win, and they're going to get to come.
18:31And it's just like you, the four of them.
18:33It's one of my favorite things I've ever given away on the radio.
18:36But, like, this is someone's dream, obviously, to come see you play a private show like this.
18:40Who would be the person that you would want a private show with that?
18:44Like, if you could be a big fan.
18:47If we're doing anybody, like, John Prine would have been the guy that I would have given every cent I had to be in a room to just hear stories and listen to him sing.
19:00But, man, I mean, there's, you know, Chris Stapleton, you know, to be that close to that voice would be pretty sick.
19:12But, yeah, you know, I think if I had to say anybody, it would be John Prine.
19:19He was why I fell in love with it, you know, why I started writing songs.
19:25So that would have been my dream living room show.
19:29That's a great one.
19:30Thank you so much for doing this.
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