Country Music Talk

Carrie Underwood is one of the biggest names in Country Music, in this episode Carrie joins Baylen to talk about her new album ‘Denim & Rhinestones’. Carrie reflects on the creative process of putting this album together, what it’s like to be back in the UK and memories of performing at Glastonbury back in 2019. Plus, find out what happened when Carrie had to rescue an actual armadillo! Yes, you read that right.

Luke Combs is back on the podcast talking to Baylen Leonard about his brand new album, Growin' Up. Luke also reflects on headlining the C2C Festival in 2022, how his performance in London nearly didn't happen and how he managed to get his friend Ed Sheeran on stage with him to duet. Plus Baylen also finds out when Luke is planning on coming back to the U.K. for a full headline tour and they look back on the people who supported Luke when he was starting out in Country Music.

Yola joins Baylen Leonard in the Absolute Radio Country studios to talk about her starring role in the hit movie Elvis. Yola is a hugely successful singer-songwriter who has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards for her albums 'Stand For Myself' and 'Walk Through Fire'. Originally from Bristol in the U.K. she now lives in Nashville and is rooted in the musical community in Tennessee. Yola is starring as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann’s musical drama Elvis, which explores the life of Elvis Presley, played by Austin Butler, alongside Tom Hanks, Kelvin Harrison Jr and Alton Mason. Yola and Baylen talk about the movie, Elvis' life and career, recording the music for the film in Nashville, as well as her life growing up, her music and what's next in her hugely varied career.

Hailey Whitters chats to Baylen Leonard in the Absolute Radio Country studios about her latest album 'Raised', plus what it took to make it in Nashville and how it feels to support Luke Combs on stage. Hailey and Baylen chatted just a few days after her performance at the Country to Country festival in the U.K. and explored the story of writing her critically acclaimed album 'The Dream', which included the track 'Ten Year Town'. Nashville stars Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris and Jordan Davis have all shown support for Hailey over her career which goes from strength to strength and Baylen digs deeper into the stories behind her songs.

Miranda Lambert, the CMA, ACM and Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, talks to Baylen Leonard about her brand new album 'Palomino'. She tells him about how hard women have to work in Country Music to make it and explains her passion for diversity in the genre. She also reveals that she would love to return to the U.K. for more gigs after performing at C2C and shares the secrets of her salt and pepper shaker collection. Miranda was talking to Baylen from Texas and he was at home in London.

Chris Young, the hit U.S. singer-songwriter who first broke out onto the Country Music scene in 2006 after winning the talent show Nashville Star, chats to Baylen Leonard. Chris has since released numerous number 1 records and 8 studio albums. His latest single 'Famous Friends' with Kane Brown was Billboard's number 1 country airplay single of the year in 2021. Plus Chris is coming to the U.K. to play the Long Road Festival in August.

Tenille Townes, the award winning Canadian Country Music star chats to Absolute Radio Country host Baylen Leonard about her new EP 'Masquerades'. Plus they talk about Tenille's incredible weekend of performances at the C2C Festival across the UK after being promoted to the main stage. She shares her love for the U.K. and the fans and opens up about the 'slow burn' of her career and how it's taken time to get to where she is now. Tenille also talks about her love of performing live and of course her return to the U.K. for her own headline gigs later this year. This interview was recorded with Tenille in Nashville and Baylen in London in April 2022.

Morgan Wade catches up with Baylen in our Absolute Radio Country studios in central London after flying in for the C2C Festival. They talked about her incredible breakthrough album 'Reckless' and the hit single 'Wilder Days', plus what it was like growing up in Virginia. They also talked shopping, Morgan's love of Elvis Presley and if she feels the pressure when looking at recording her next album. Morgan also revealed the first concert she ever went to when she was just 4 years old.

Callista Clark, the Country Music rising star from Georgia, chats to Baylen Leonard on her first trip outside of the US. Callista was in the UK for the Country 2 Country Music Festival and was talking to Baylen ahead of performing on the Spotlight stage at the festival. Callista also tells Baylen about writing music in Nashville during lockdown and what it was like having to put her career on hold due to the pandemic.

The CMA Award winner and Grammy Award nominee Ashley McBryde joins Baylen Leonard for a chat in our Absolute Radio Country studios in London. The interview was recorded the morning after her weekend performing at the Country to Country Festival in London, Glasgow and Dublin and Ashley reveals how the whole band lost their instruments whilst on the road. Plus she tells us more about the new music she's got coming soon and shares her love of the U.K. Ashley also talks about making the Women of Country documentary series for Absolute Radio Country and her friendship with John Osborne from Brothers Osborne.