Max McNown sits down with Ben to talk about his extraordinary story, and just how much life has changed for him in the last three years; from singing publicly for the first time on a pier in South California, to headlining his own tours, having a viral hit, and notching up over 10 million monthly listens on Spotify!

As ever, we get to know Max through the places that have made him who he is, including the wilds of Bend, Oregon, Southern California where the whole trajectory of his life was changed, and Nashville, the place he now calls home.

This conversation covers everything from the role models that have shaped him into the old soul he is today, to the challenges of growing up and feeling lost as a teenager; finding confidence through singing and healing through songwriting, to the real life experience that inspired his break out hit A Lot More Free and why it changed his life in more ways than one.

Check out the tracks discussed in Max’s episode on our specially curated playlist, the Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify.

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Singer songwriter Eric Paslay holds the unique honour of being the first guest on the podcast to get Ben on a horse! They chat about this story and so much more, including Eric’s family-filled upbringing in Texas, the amazing story of how one of his songs brought him and his wife together, and his considered take on where Country music is at right now.

We also hear about how the memory of his Grandad’s band fed his musical dreams, and the very special moment he got to have singing with his Grandad from beyond the grave on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Eric shares his journey to Nashville and how he first began learning how to write songs, songs which earned him three Country number ones in one year! He talks about his faith, his family, and his farm, and how one producer told him that his song would kill Country music - and it went on to be ranked the most played song of the decade! This episode has it all.

Be sure to check out our Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify, so you can listen to all the tracks discussed in this episode.

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This week, Caylee Hammack dials in from Nashville to chat to Ben about the places that have had the biggest impact on her and on her music. She talks about everything from the quiet stability that family life in Ellaville gave her, to the heartbreak that pushed her to leave town and pursue her dreams in Nashville.

Caylee speaks about a devastating diagnosis at the age of sixteen which turned her world upside down, and set her on the path to becoming a songwriter. She also shares what she learned from losing all her worldly possessions in a housefire; how the beginning of her honky tonk education at Tootsie’s on Broadway came about; and her love of solitude and nature and how it brought her to Scotland.

Be sure to check out our Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify, where you can hear all the songs discussed with Caylee in this episode, and many more besides! Follow us on Instagram @countryroadspod to connect with fellow Country fans, to hear exclusive content with our guests, and be the first to know about the giveaways and competitions we have coming up.

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This week, rising star, Kassi Ashton, speaks about finding her sound by accepting that she is two sides of one coin; leaning into being someone who loves fashion design as much as dirt bikes, and hunting as much as ballet. Kassi has learned to be unapologetically herself, and explains how she has captured her truth in her long awaited debut album, Made From The Dirt.

In learning more about the places that have made her who she is today, we journey to Missouri for rifle season which is bigger than Christmas for Kassi’s family; to her happy place in Key West, Florida, where she met her husband; and to Nashville where she struggled to fit in at Belmont, but found her feet Downtown.

Kassi shares what it was like writing the most difficult song of her life but why it’s become one of her favourite songs to perform, why she’s more interested in being an icon than a star, and why her “rat cave” is the place she feels most at home! Also, listen in full to hear Kassi deliver one of the best answers ever to the question, “Are you Country enough?”

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Canadian singer/songwriter Josh Ross joins Ben for a chat about his incredible rise to stardom, his love of Nashville and how sometimes you just need sit in silence.

Josh slept in his car when he first moved to Nashville, trying to make it as a young songwriter, but soon made his mark and it's now the city he calls home. But Canada still has his heart - and he loves to return to see his family, and, to fish!

Ben and Josh share stories of songwriting sessions in Nashville (and how, sometimes, they don't always go right) and talk about some of their inspirations.

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This week, American country artist Rissi Palmer joins Ben Earle for a chat about the places that have inspired her songwriting.

From the churches of Pennsylvania, to her home of North Carolina, Rissi's songs tell great stories, which are influenced by her family.

A trailblazer for Black women in country music, she debuted in 2007 with the single "Country Girl", which made her the first African-American woman to chart a country song since 1988.

Get more familiar or reacquaint yourself with all the music mentioned in this episode by saving our Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify. You can also follow us on Instagram be the first to hear what's coming up on Country Roads each week.

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This week, Ben is joined by his first British guest of the series - Kezia Gill!

She takes us back to her musical roots in Ireland, where she would sing with her Dad in the local pubs. She honed her craft playing cover songs in clubs, before becoming the singer/songwriter she is today.

We journey to Nashville and Memphis, where Kezia had an inspirational Elvis moment, and across the UK, where she calls home.

She also tells Ben about the inspiration behind some of her most personal lyrics, and, how she gambled everything - even her house - on making her most recent album.

Get more familiar or reacquaint yourself with all the music mentioned in this episode by saving our Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify. You can also follow us on Instagram to be the first to hear what's coming up on Country Roads each week.

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This week, we have not one, not two, but three guests - the amigos that make up Midland! Cam, Mark, and Jess tell us about the places have had the biggest impact on them as a band.

We journey to L.A. where they explored the early 00's rock scene; to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Cam brought them together for his wedding, and Mark and Jess played music together for the first time; and then, of course, to Texas and The Sonic Ranch where they cut their first demos and discovered they had something special as a trio.

They also tell Ben what's so special about a Texas Honky Tonk, how they were once on the brink of breaking up, and why Jess never thought their smash hit Drinkin' Problem would get played on the radio, let alone make number one!

Get more familiar or reacquaint yourself with all the music mentioned in this episode by saving our Country Roads Podcast Playlist on Spotify. You can also watch every episode on YouTube, and follow us on Instagram to be the first to hear what's coming up on Country Roads each week.

Warning: This episode contains strong language.

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