Country Music Dads

Recent Posts

June 25, 2025Country Music, Dad Life, Interviews

The Doohickeys on Comedy, Dad Jokes and Country Music

Our guests this episode are The Doohickeys, a comedic country music duo who are on the rise in the Americana and country music worlds. Haley and Jack join The Dads to talk about their journey from house parties and open mic nights in LA to playing the Ryman Auditorium and releasing their debut album, All Hat No Cattle. We talk about their creative process, the current state of independent country music, and about how Jack was once starstruck by Jon Pardi. We also talk about Dad Jokes: the definition, their proper use, and their pun-filled overlap with country music. This pair is hilarious and we hope you enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at their unique brand of comedy and music.
June 11, 2025Country Music, Dad Life, Interviews

Tony Kamel Fights With a Smile: On Fatherhood, Real Stories and Finding Hope in Hard Times

Tony Kamel, a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, clawhammer banjo and guitar player, and father to a four-year-old girl, joins the show to talk about his latest album, We’re All Gonna Live, and to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the stories and real people that inspired many of his songs. Tony shares how his new-ish role as a father and his relationship with his own late father influences his music in an honest, vulnerable and inspiring interview. Listen along as the Dads commiserate with this stalwart of the bluegrass world about shared family calendars, the challenges of being a working parent, and finding hope in the stories of real people in roots and folk music.
May 28, 2025Country Music, culture, Dad Life, Interviews

Daddy’s Got His Blue Jeans On: A Deep Dive Into Country Music’s Pants

Blue jeans are ubiquitous in country music. Yet dads (and kids) often choose the comfort and flexibility of "soft pants" over the rich history and unforgiving fit of denim. In this episode, the dads explore how blue jeans fit in our kids' active lives, on dads' expanding waistlines and in country music tropes. They're joined by author James Sullivan (who literally wrote the book on blue jeans) to dive deep into the history of blue jeans in America, culture and music. If you've ever wondered where our blue jeans obsession comes from, or whether you'll ever fit into your suddenly "tight-fitting jeans" again, this is the episode for you. To wrap things up, Dave spends the "Change My Mind" segment trying to convince Donnie that even aging dads should embrace the discomfort (read: suffering) of country music festivals in pursuit of growth and, perhaps, the fountain of youth.
May 14, 2025Country Music, Interviews

Ted Russell Kamp: A Founding Father of Alt-Country

Ted Russell Kamp, a Los Angeles-based musician, songwriter, producer and country music dad, joins Dave and Donnie to talk about the evolution of modern country music from his perspective as one of the forefathers of the modern alt-country movement. Ted's balance between touring, producing, songwriting, and building a family is unique and inspiring. We also explore his time with Shooter Jennings, his recent solo work and drop a boatload of stories from his time on the road and in the studio.
April 30, 2025Country Music, Dad Life

Jason Isbell Canceled Shows for His Daughter: Great Dad or Letting Fans Down?

A few months ago, mega-star and Czar of the Americana Empire Jason Isbell announced on social media that he was sorry to push back a few dates at large venues across the country to attend his daughter’s school play. In this episode, we discuss whether modern families — especially fathers navigating shifting expectations across their various responsibilities — achieve balance or if we should even try to achieve it. In honor of this topic, we discuss work-life balance, the low bar dads have to live up to as parents and some Donnie and Dave's favorite Isbell songs. Donnie also tries to convince Dave it’s time to get a cowboy hat.
April 16, 2025Album Review, Country Music, Dad Life, Masculinity, Raising Boys

Luke Combs’ “Fathers & Sons” Reviewed: An Emotional Country Gut Punch for Modern Dads

If you're a dad in need of a good cry, consider this your warning: Luke Combs’ album Fathers & Sons hits hard. In this episode, the Country Music Dads give a full, unfiltered review of Fathers & Sons because, honestly, it was inevitable. The Dads weigh in on the best and worst songs and the overall impact of this album on country music, modern fatherhood and their emotional state of mind. Plus: Dave goes full throttle in an impassioned “Minivan Rant” and tries to change Donnie’s mind once and for all.
April 2, 2025Children's Books, Country Music, Education

Country Grammar: Children’s Lit with Some Country Grit

The Country Music Dads dive headlong into the world of children’s literature, pop culture and its intersection with country music. We discuss the viral video of Ludacris’ incredible rapping of the book Llama Llama Red Pajama, discuss our favorite kids' books, which ones would make incredible country music songs and who should cut them.
March 19, 2025Country Music, Dad Life, Song Analysis

New Year, Same Ole Me… But Different: How We’re Growing in 2025

Country Music Dads is BACK for Season 2! And we are kicking things off by talking about the change (or perhaps the lack thereof) that often accompanies the start of a new year. “New Year, new me” we say in January before seeing the “same ol’ me” staring back at us in the mirror in March. But is that such a bad thing? George Jones and Dierks Bentley provide support via two songs separated by 40 years but with the same name (different spelling), “Same Ole Me.” The Dads wrestle with self-improvement vs. self-acceptance, change vs. growth, and bro country vs. traditional country. We also discuss changes to the podcast itself. What is different for Season 2, what is staying the same, and what, Dear Listener, do you have to look forward to when you follow the Country Music Dads? True to form, it’ll be the same ole show, but a little bit different.
December 11, 2024Country Music, Playlists

Best Country Christmas Songs for Fireside Eggnog Season

With the Holiday season upon us, here are our favorite Christmas songs. We have songs by classic country artists, new renditions of the classics, original compositions, and some that just make us laugh and smile at the joy of the Christmas season. Grab a glass of eggnog, sit back and enjoy the sounds of a Country Christmas.
November 21, 2024Country Music, Dad Life, Interviews, Playlists, Stay-at-Home Dads, Yellowstone

The Country Music Bourbon Showdown: Chris Stapleton vs. Ryan Bingham

This was our first live podcast recording with some of our listeners as guests. In a ballroom at HomeDadCon in St. Louis, the Dads gathered with four fellow at-home dads for the ultimate country music bourbon showdown between Chris Stapleton (Traveller Whiskey) and Ryan Bingham (Bingham's Bourbon). We taste-tested their bourbon brands, sampled their music, and engaged in a lively, bourbon-soaked debate that we're sharing with you here. Take a listen and let us know who YOU think does country music and bourbon better.