New music from Mitchell Tenpenny is here and with it, comes some genre-bending tracks that might have traditional Country fans questioning its Country authenticity. However, for Tenpenny — that’s the least of his worries.

“I get people wanting just traditional Country and that’s fine,” he said in his conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly during the Friday Night Takeover. “But, when people are like, ‘It doesn’t sound like Willie [Nelson], I’m like, ‘What? Do you want me to copy somebody else? Is that what you’re asking me to do?’ That’s the biggest plagiarism there is. I don’t want to sound like anybody else, I want to sound like what I am. If you like it, great. If you don’t, by all means, go do something else… I don’t like the box people put country in. It’s not up to them — it truly isn’t.”

True fans of Tenpenny know authenticity is the last thing they have to worry about when it comes to the Nashville native, especially with his latest album, The 3rd, a title that literally represents who he is — James Mitchell Tenpenny III.

“I want to — first and foremost — always be authentic in what I’m releasing for me,” he said when asked what listeners can expect to hear from the project. “I wanted people to feel like, ‘this is definitely him, this is Mitchell, this is what he does.’”

He continued, “With that… incorporating a lot of different chambers and production of genres into this one record. For me, it’s Country through and through because of the way we tell the stories through the lyrics, but I also love all kinds of music, so I’m blending in what I love with where my heart is — which is country music — and the way we tell the story. This one for me was important to show all the different genres and what I’ve loved and grew up playing in bands and what is truly me, but focused in on the songwriting part.”

His focus on songwriting is clear as he has writing credit on every single song, but one, which is a cover of Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris,” a track with a lot of nostalgia for the 35-year-old. “I just remember seeing that song on MTV when they were like, playing in the rain when I was a kid,” he explained. “I was like, ‘That would be so cool to do a show like that like, ‘I don’t care about my instruments or anything breaking, it’s Rock ’N Roll!”

He continued, “That song, it’s so good. It makes you feel something every single time you hear it. So nostalgic for me... I just love it.”

Hear Mitchell’s cover of, “Iris,” along with the 19 other tracks that make up his third studio album by listening to The 3rd, available now. Plus, hear more from him by checking out his entire interview with Audacy’s Rob. Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Rob + Holly

Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

Dylan Marlowe talks with Rob + Holly at Stars & Strings 2024.

Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for Audacy

Bailey Zimmerman backstage at Stars & Strings with Rob + Holly

Rob + Holly talk with Riley Green backstage at Audacy's Stars & Strings 2024.

Photo: Derek White/Getty Images for Audacy

A duet with fellow Texan Miranda Lambert has always been on Parker McCollum’s bucket list, and now there’s a big old check mark next to it thanks to “Santa Fe.”

Ahead of his performance and Audacy’s Stars & Strings Presented By Discover® at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL, McCollum shared with Rob + Holly how his duet on Miranda’s latest album, Postcards from Texas, came to be and what an honor it is to have a song with her.

“I was actually in the studio cuttin’ some songs,” he said of where he was when he got the request steagith from Miranda. “She had texted me and said, ‘Hey, if you wanna sing this song with me, go ahead. Take a listen to it — if you don’t want to do it, all good.”

He continued, “It could’ve been ‘Happy Birthday’ and I would’ve sung it with her I’m such a fan of her. I don’t think I even listened to it all the way through, I texted her back and been like, ‘I’m in!’”

The request came with a large dose of relief for McCollum, who admitted he’d always wanted to reach out to Miranda for a duet, but never wanted to inconvenience her. “I always wanted to ask her to do a song, but I never had the guts to do it,” he shared, “I didn’t want to make her tell me no. I’m glad she asked me.”

The song can be heard on Miranda’s latest album, Postcards from Texas, available now. To hear more from Parker including his first memories of hunting, when he plans to take his own son hunting and much more check out his entire interview with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Rob + Holly

Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Audacy

After opening sold-out stadiums for Kenny Chesney all year, Megan Moroney is more prepared than ever to embark on her own headlining, Am I Okay? Tour, in 2025.

Ahead of her performance and Audacy’s Stars & Strings Presented By Discover® at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL, Moroney reflected on being on the road with Chesney all year along with what she’s learned and plans on applying to her own tour.

“As an artist — just his work ethic and how much he cares about his fans,” she said of what she admires most about the Country icon. “It almost feels bigger than just his music. Aside from writing really great music and being a great performer it’s like a thing — a world. No Shoes Nation [Chesney’s fan club] is just incredible… It’s an environment one day I hope my shows will be like.”

Moroney will have an opportunity to see her very own version of that fanbase take shape as she hits the road next March on her Am I Okay? Tour. The trek will hit some of her “bucket list” venues which she is more prepared for now, thanks to Kenny who surprised her by having her sing current single, “Am I Okay?” during his set the last three nights of his Sun Goes Down Tour at Gillette stadium in Foxborough, MA.

“The way that he has supported me — he doesn’t have to do that,” she stated before sharing Kenny turned the tables on her when she was pranking him on stage. “The first night, I had pranked him. He thought all the pranks were coming on the last night, but I was like, ‘We’re here all weekend, let’s just start on a high note.”

She continued, “I started to walk off stage, he told the band to play it and they started playing, ‘Am I Okay?’… you can hear me go, ‘What?! No!’ That was the most surprised I’ve been… All three nights he did it — the last three nights — he let me sing, ‘Am I Okay?’ With him in front of a sold out stadium. I had just sung it four hours before. I’m like ‘who does that?’... You can’t put a dollar amount on that — that’s priceless.”

Hear more from Megan about the tour, her new Christmas music and other plans for 2025 by checking out her entire interview at Audacy’s Stars & Strings Presented By Discover above.

Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Rob + Holly

Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Audacy

Jordan Davis has been adding a new level of entertainment to his live shows.

Ahead of his performance and Audacy’s Stars & Strings Presented By Discover® at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL, Davis chatted about one of his many alter egos, “Donny the Pit Master,” who checks tickets of fans headed into the pit at Davis’ shows. With “Donny’s” over-the-top security checks and “absurd” look, Davis says he’s absolutely perplexed that so few people have figured out it’s a prank.

“There were two girls who figured it out — which, I don’t know how not everybody [figured it out] — I have no clue,” he laughed before detailing some of the ridiculous antics he’s done while in character. “I hit one guy up about his pizza, I was like, ‘Whatcha got there man?’ he was like, ‘pizza.’ I said, ‘pepperoni?’” He continued, “How do you not look at this absurd-looking dude with a dark beard, jet-white hair, crazy hat [and not suspect anything?]”

While playfully teasing his fans for not recognizing the prank, Davis quickly turned the focus to his own inability to recognize something obvious in a different form. Talking about his new single, “I Ain’t Sayin’,” the 36-year-old told Audacy’s Rob + Holly it’s the first single he’s released that he doesn’t have writing credit on — but that’s not because the opportunity wasn’t presented to him.

“This is my first single that I’m not a writer on,” he said of “I Ain’t Sayin’,” before explaining he opted out of writing the song at a writers retreat because he didn’t see it’s potential at the time. “The first day… it was me, my producer and Travis Wood, one of the writers on this song. He plays me that chorus… I was like, ‘I like that, but I had this other, really stupid, idea that we ended up writing…. We write this song that will never get heard… I don’t even remember the name.”

He continued, “He [Wood] leaves and writes, ‘ I Ain’t Sayin’’ in the cabin next to us,” Jordan laughed. “He’s texting me like, ‘Hey man, we’re writing this song anyway, will you come over and help us finish?” Sharing he was busy writing a different song at the time, Jordan replied, “Leave me alone, I’m not leaving this write to come finish that song.”

Lo and behold, Wood, along with Emily Reid, Mark Holman and Steve Moakler finished the song and after playing it for Davis, he knew immediately he missed a great opportunity. “We were all sitting around the fire the last night and he plays it. I was like, ‘That’s a smash!’ And he was like, ‘I know!’”

Hear more about the single, Jordan’s hilarious alter egos and favorite recipes by checking out his entire conversation above with Audacy’s Rob + Holly.

Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Rob + Holly

Photo: Derek White/Getty Images for Audacy

After celebrating his 13th number one at Country radio with “This Is My Dirt,” Justin Moore says the track represents a whole lot more than just another milestone in his career.

“When you write a hit song it’s great… but when you have the opportunity to write a song that means something to you, it’s even more special,” Moore said, referring to the track he penned alongside frequent collaborators Paul DiGiovanni, Randy Montana and Jeremy Stover. “It’s really cool that it’s become a big record for us.”

The song’s sentiment blossomed from Moore’s own experience buying the land he grew up on from his grandfather and he detailed the responsibility he feels to keep it in the family and how honored he is to raise his own kids there.

“When Kate and I, my wife, when we moved back home… we were looking for land to build on and we happened to be able to purchase the land that I grew up on from my grandpa,” he explained. “He was raised on it by his grandfather, he raised my mom and her siblings here and so for us to have the opportunity to raise our kids here was really, really cool.”

He continued, “My PaPaw told me… He goes, ‘Look, nobody else could keep this up like you could, nobody could afford to do this… and he goes ‘ I want you too head this’ and that, to me meant the world. I took that to heart.”

The real-life story turned song is now the title track on Moore’s newest album, available now. Hear additional details about the music, land and so much more by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Rob + Holly

Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images