Show notes
From the Patriot Mobile studio powered by E|Spaces, the guys dive into a packed episode of Try That In A Small Town. They kick things off by reacting to the latest ACM Award nominations: who belongs, who doesn’t, and why politics still run the game. Entertainer, Group, Duo, New Artist, Album, Song, Single, and Musical Event of the Year all get the TTIAST treatment, with plenty of opinions on names like Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, Alabama, Zac Brown Band, Parmalee, and more. Kelly shares a huge personal milestone: after interning for Reba’s company back in the 90s, he finally lands his first Reba cut on a song written in 2005. That opens up a conversation about prayer, persistence, and whether Christians should pray about career and business. The guys revisit the backstory of “If I Didn’t Love You” (Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood), from losing a duet slot to writing something ultra-specific on a deadline and watching it connect. In the fan-favorite Dip Shitty-its segment, they unload on Masters “pond jumpers,” public bathroom pee etiquette, clapping when servers drop dishes, trash in urinals, rental car abuse, and more everyday behaviors that drive them crazy. They close with a powerful Small Town Hero story from Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, where a principal charged an armed student, took a bullet, and likely saved lives. It’s exactly the kind of “try that in a small town” courage the show was built to highlight. If you like country music, songwriting war stories, small town grit, and unfiltered opinions, this one delivers from front to back. Timed Highlights (Audio): 0:00 E|Spaces and Patriot Mobile studio intro 1:30 New mic arm, setup chatter, and moon-landing clip going viral 4:00 Moon rocks, Soviets, and joking about “disinformation” 5:10 The Brad Paisley song that “wouldn’t get cut” in 2026 6:00 Masculinity, political correctness, and “I’m still a guy” lyrics 7:30 Origin story: pink cupcakes at school, church culture, and irritation-fueled writing 10:00 Writing the song with Lee Miller and pitching it to Brad Paisley 11:30 Paisley’s issue with singing the word “guy” and nearly losing the cut 13:00 Corporate shows, offended “fancy guys,” and how Kelly softens the bit 14:00 Why fans love their award show breakdowns 14:30 Songwriter of the Year nominees and how political awards can be 15:50 Entertainer of the Year: Luke, Jelly Roll, Cody, Megan, Stapleton, Morgan, Lainey 16:40 Is Megan Moroney really ready for Entertainer of the Year? 17:20 Group of the Year confusion: 49 Winchester, Flatland Cavalry, Red Clay Strays, Old Dominion, Rascal Flatts 18:10 Where are Alabama, Zac Brown Band, and Parmalee? 19:10 Duo of the Year: Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Thelma and James, Muscadine Bloodline 20:20 Admitting they haven’t even heard some nominees, despite being in the business 21:00 New Female Artist: quick thoughts on Avery Anna, Mackenzie Carpenter, Dasha, Caroline Jones, Emily Ann Roberts 21:40 New Male Artist: Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason, Shaboozey, Hudson Westbrook, Tucker Webb 22:30 Album of the Year: Zach Top, Carter Faith, Riley Green, Morgan Wallen, Parker McCollum 22:55 “If Morgan doesn’t win, call BS on the ACMs” 23:50 Song of the Year: Miranda/Stapleton, Megan Moroney, Ella Langley, Zach Top, Lainey Wilson 24:20 Consensus that “Choosing Texas” is massive 25:00 Musical Event of the Year: predicting a big night for Riley Green and Ella Langley 25:40 Single of the Year: Lainey, Cody, Zach Top, Ella, Megan 26:40 Neil missing a Riley Green writers round and golf event 27:30 Neil heading out on the road with Jason Aldean (and staying up late on the bus) 28:40 Original Glory beer and Patriot Mobile spots 30:20 Kelly’s answered prayer: Reba cuts his song from 2005 31:10 From Reba intern in the 90s to Reba cut in 2026 32:00 Co-writers Connie Harrington and Brett Beavers and the power of persistence 33:00 How one cut boosts morale and the next few writing days 33:40 Should Christians pray for career and business? 34:30 Praying for ideas, strength, and perseverance vs specific trophies 35:20 The “If I Didn’t Love You” story: losing a duet, writing on a mission 36:30 Late-night demo, quick mix, and Aldean’s instant reaction 38:00 Lessons in frustration, prayer, and not giving up 39:10 Neil’s Reba hit that nudged him from artist lane to full-time writer 40:10 Kelly/Lovelace/Loveless name confusion and growing up with a “girl’s name” 41:20 Army nameplate abuse and teasing a future long-form story 42:10 Launching into Dip Shitty-its 42:40 Masters Par 3 “pond jumpers” at Augusta and tradition vs spectacle 44:20 Public bathroom pee etiquette: clean your own mess 46:30 Band life and cleaning up after other people’s bad aim 47:40 Clapping when a server drops dishes and why it’s mean, not funny 49:30 Gum and trash in urinals and the “not my problem” mentality 50:30 Rental car abuse vs taking care of what isn’t yours 51:20 The slow driver with the “Caution: Mowers Ahead” truck and the perfect podcast job 52:30 Small Town Hero: Oklahoma principal tackles armed student, takes a bullet 53:40 “Just do something” instead of filming or running 54:30 Why that kind of courage fits the show’s theme 55:30 Bethel Bible Village benefit with John Morgan in Chattanooga 56:30 Final thoughts on ACM noms and Megan Moroney as Entertainer 57:30 Listener call-to-action: subscribe, rate, and leave comments (love or hate) 58:30 Sign-off from TK, Kurt, and K-Low, Patriot Mobile studio powered by E|Spaces ______________________________________________________________________________________________SPONSORS: The Try That in a Small Town Podcast is powered by e|spaces!Redefining Coworking - Exceptional Office Space for Every BusinessBook a tour today at espaces.comFrom the Patriot Mobile studios:Don’t get fooled by other cellular providers pretending to share your values or have the same coverage. 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