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December 18, 2025Country Music, culture, Dad Life, Masculinity

Beefing Bros: Making Sense of Gavin Adcock and the Fightin’ Side of Country Music

What’re you looking at, son? You wanna go? Well, it seems like Gavin Adcock can’t get enough of the fightin’ side of country music, and the media (The Dads included) can’t get enough of his bologna. This week, we dive into the beefs, why country music seems to foster this kind of violent rhetoric, what dads should do about it and how the media landscape makes it all worse. While you're listening, please take two minutes to fill out our listener survey! What do YOU want to hear about country music and modern fatherhood in Season 3? Survey will be live until January 31, 2026. https://countrymusicdads.com/feedback/
August 6, 2025Babies, Dad Life

Why Dads Should Take Parental Leave, Plus a Country Music Dads Update

Dave goes solo for this episode with a brief update on Country Music Dads' plans in the coming months and with a brief rant about parental leave for dads.
July 9, 2025Country Music, culture, Dad Life, Education, Playlists, Stay-at-Home Dads

Family Vacation is a Lie

... or how I traveled with kids on summer break, and all I got was this grape snow cone. This week, the Dads talk about the season of family vacations. While these trips are a tremendous amount of work, all the research and our lasting memories suggest that, although these journeys aren’t exactly vacations, the family trip is incredibly valuable to the family unit. This episode explores some of the research — both academic and anecdotal — that supports our theory that these trips are great for families (if only in the long term), as well as some of the great country songs that can help us through the grind of the summer family vacation or family trip.
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.
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.
October 16, 2024Country Music, Dad Life, Interviews, Raising Girls, Stay-at-Home Dads

“The Art of Fatherhood” With a Twang: Art Eddy Interview

We are so grateful to interview Art Eddy for our show! Art is the host of one of the premiere podcasts for Dads, "The Art of Fatherhood". Art has interviewed over 500 Dads over the years about their fatherhood journeys, and we are so honored to get him on the other side of the microphone this week.
October 2, 2024Country Music, Dad Life, Masculinity, Song Analysis, Stay-at-Home Dads

Don’t Call Me “Mr. Mom,” Lonestar

The Dads discuss the complicated and sometimes controversial phrase, "Mr. Mom," which also happens to be the name of Lonestar's early-2000's hit song. In the stay-at-home dad world, this phrase is bound to get certain people as riled up as ⁠⁠George Jones getting pulled over⁠⁠. We talk about why that is, and what we as active, engaged fathers can do about it. The Country Music Dads share their own experiences hearing that moniker, and only get slightly riled up. This episode was so important, Mick showered for it. And you can totally tell, even over audio.
September 4, 2024Country Music, Dad Life, Song Analysis

5 Montgomery Gentry Songs You Can Roll Through Life With

This week, the Dads take a deep dive into one of Mick's all-time favorite artists: Montgomery Gentry. The 5 songs we analyze build a life narrative that any dad can relate to, whether you're a Montgomery Gentry superfan (Mick) or a Montgomery Gentry newb (Dave). Take a listen and "roll with me" as we unpack some of the biggest hits from this early aughts country music super-duo.
July 31, 2024Country Music, Masculinity, Raising Boys, Song Analysis

“As Good As I Once Was:” Toby Keith’s Anthem for Middle-Aged Dads

The Dads talk about Toby Keith's longest running #1 song, "As Good As I Once Was." Ultimately they need to decide if the lyrics in the song title are true OR ask themselves if they were ever any good in the first place?