Russell Dickerson has found Country music success, but memories of the path he took to get there are never far away — especially when he plays one specific guitar.

During his recent appearance on Audacy’s Fridays Night Takeover with Rob + Holly, Dickerson reflected on his early days as a musician and buying equipment via Craigslist to try and save money. While he’s been able to upgrade much of that equipment following all his success — there’s still one guitar that he holds near and dear.

“I bought guitars, amps, pedals… especially back in the day when I was tryna… get this thing goin’,” he reflected. “I bought like a $400 Epiphone, which is like a lower version of a Gibson and it was his [the sellers] baby that he was lettin’ go and he was like, ‘Man, I hope to see you. I hope you get to be somebody one day and you play this thing on stage all over.’”

Russell continued, “Every time I play this guitar, I think about that guy and I’m like, ‘I wonder if he has still followed me or whatever and sees his guitar up on stage at all these crazy shows.’”

Surely, the Craigslist seller would be thrilled to see his “baby” living its best life and getting attention on stages worldwide — including Dickerson’s current stops in the UK as part of Sam Hunt’s Locked Up Tour. Dickerson is excited to bring the new music of his latest release, Bones The EP across the pond where he says the fans are next level.

“This is our eighth time going over to the UK,” Russell shared before detailing some of the things he looks forward to most when playing shows there. “They’re very engaged,” he shared. “If they’re a Russell Dickerson fan, they know every album, every song on that album front-to-back — they’re very dedicated in that way… at the same time — probably later in the evening after a few more pints have been flown’ — they’ll literally take over the show with a soccer stadium chant… they were louder than the PA, they were louder than the band and we just let ‘em go. They’re very respectful, but they’re also very, they’ll go soccer stadium on you!”

Hear more about Russell’s time as support on Sam Hunt’s tour, as well as stories surrounding the writing of “Bones,” fixing up his dream car, first kiss with his wife and more by checking out his entire interview on the Friday Night Takeover with Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly

Thomas Rhett and his wife, Lauren, are #couplegoals for so many who see the fun-loving couple tackle life together with their four daughters and lots of laughs on social media. While the childhood friends have a dreamy love story now, TR says it’s all thanks to being best friends for so many years.

“We did everything together,” Thomas said after sharing he and Lauren initially met in first grade but didn’t have a “real conversation” until around 5th grade. “We were in the same classes, we walked the same hallways, we went to Sonic together after school — we did all the things.”

Despite all the time they spent together — including going on double dates while seeing other people — Rhett says he was “definitely just a friend” to Lauren, although as time went on, he hoped for more.

“Even though I loved her, the feeling was not mutual in return in high school,” he stated boldly. While we all know how the story ends with true love displayed in many of Rhett’s biggest hits including, “Die A Happy Man,” “Look What God Gave Her” and “Unforgettable,” there’s one song on his new album that tells the story of exactly how he escaped the friend zone.

“The song, ‘What Could Go Right,’ that is the story, verbatim, of the night I literally was just like, ‘Hey, we either kiss and date, or I gotta like, not see you for five years,’” Thomas shared. The song, which Rhett says is his favorite on the album, is one the 34-year-old says he’s tried to write for some time now, but didn’t see success with the concept until recently.

“I’ve tried to write that song in many different ways and it wasn’t until last year when I got together with a few guys - I was word vomiting the story and how this happened - and my buddy John Byron was like… ‘Check out this verse and chorus,’ and I was like [claps his hands] ‘Bravo!’”

The song sits at number 11 on the track list of his brand new album, About a Woman, which also features 13 other songs about the past, present, and future of he and Lauren’s love story.

“A lot of these songs are definitely geared towards love… they are geared towards love in all different phases,” he explained. “A high school flame and then there’s like a young love flame and there’s growing old together. [I’m] just a big proponent of love and wanted to write about all the different variations that I’ve experienced and hopefully will experience as my life goes [on].”

With a relationship so many are invested in, Rhett made clear he and Lauren’s marriage isn’t always a picture-perfect Country love song, and shared the effort they both put forth to keep their love alive.

“Today, it’s making sure that obviously the love and the flame is alive, but also just remembering how to have fun with each other,” he said. “At the end of the day, if you and your wife are not healthy, then the whole system kind of fails. We really make sure date night is a big priority, we work out together now, we just recently started playing pickleball together. I think anything that we can do together that unites us, just ends up making us better parents.”

Hear more about Thomas and Lauren’s love story as well as the new album, About a Woman, by checking out Thomas Rhett’s full conversation with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Rob + Holly

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