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.

03:31: Creative Process for a Comedic Country Duo: Haley and Jack like to start with a clever premise. And even if they don't think Too Ugly to Hitchhike is the smartest song they've written, plenty of fans thinks so.

05:29: The Doohickeys Origin Story: The Doohickeys were born at an LA Halloween party and raised on a shared love of "good" country music and an original plan to make sketch comedy YouTube videos.

10:13: More Background on Creating Comedy Songs and Their Comedy Influences: Haley and Jack share the story behind Rein it in Cowboy. And they cover their main influences like Minnie Pearl, the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, and their very funny parents and grandparents.

14:54: The Doohickeys Play The Ryman: The duo share their thoughts on playing The Mother Church of Country Music and pooping in the same toilet as Hank Williams.

16:58: Making a Point vs Making It Funny: Jack shares some wisdom from Phil Rosenthal (showrunner for Everybody Loves Raymond) about the power of clarity in comedy to get laughs and to get your point across. They also comment on the balance that serious artists walk when trying to be funny, and that funny artists walk when trying to be serious.

21:33: The Doohickeys Get Serious: Jack and Haley give their commentary on the state of popular country music and the entertainment industry at-large, the uphill battle independent artists face, and their love/hate relationship with Spotify.

27:54: Please Tell Me You're Sleepin' is Not Safe for the Family: Dave shares how he accidentally played one of The Doohickeys' more risque songs on a family road trip, and Haley shares how they were banned from a radio station for that same song.

30:38: The Definition of a Dad Joke: The Doohickeys weigh in on Dave and Donnie's favorite comedy genre. Jack uses the poor pun in Tequila Little Time to share his true feelings about Jon Pardi.

38:20: The Dad Joke Laugh Off: The Dads and The Doohickeys go head to head with their best dad jokes in an effort to get a laugh (or at least a cringe).

• Saving Country Music review
• American Songwriter interview
• The Tiny Desk contest
• Minnie Pearl
• Ray Stevens
• Phil Rosenthal's

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.

02:05: The Story Behind We’re All Gonna Live: Tony describes the creation of his latest album, how fatherhood affected the creative process, and where the theme of death and loss on the album came from.

07:18: “Fight With a Smile:” Tony tells the story of how his grandmother helped him find strength and hope during difficult times and how her wisdom influenced the album’s theme (and cover art).

10:52: Authenticity and Tradition in Storytelling and Fatherhood: Tony shares that many of the stories in his songs are about real people and real experiences. He comments on the importance of telling authentic stories in roots and folk music and of bringing authenticity to your parenting.

15:28: 90’s Alt-Rock Cover Songs: Tony talks about his viral banjo cover of “Santa Monica” by Everclear and the songwriting quality of many alt-rock songs we remember from our childhoods.

18:49: "We’re All Gonna Live:" Tony tells the true story that inspired the title track of We’re All Gonna Live.

22:24: "A Father and a Daughter:" Tony shares the inspiration behind his song "A Father and a Daughter" and how he considers it to be a gift to his daughter as she grows up.

26:08: The Dad Life Sound Check: Tony shares one of his dad’s favorite songs, George Strait’s "Love Without End, Amen." Dave talks about how Summer Dean’s “Lonely Girl’s Lament” reminds him to consider the single people in the “village” helping to raise his kids. And Donnie can’t help but choose Tony Kamel’s “The Surfer” (and he swears he’s not just sucking up to the songwriter in the room).

• Tony Kamel
• Wood and Wire
• "We're All Gonna Live" album cover art
• Country Cutler’s article in Saddle Mountain Post about 90's country
• Dr. Becky

• Theme Music: “Dark Country Rock” by Moodmode
• "We're All Gonna Live" by Tony Kamel
• "Makin' It Work" by Tony Kamel
• "

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.

3:32: Should Our Kids Wear Jeans? In a Scary Mommy article, a pediatric occupational therapist suggested that kids should not wear jeans. The dads discuss the merits of blue jeans in the lives of active, knee-skinning children.

7:17: Should Dads Wear Jeans? When the size of your pants is a moving target, pants selection gets tricky. The dads weigh the requirements for “dad pants” from ruggedness and cool-factor to flexibility and comfort.

9:44: The History Of Blue Jeans: Donnie kicks off an initial history lesson by reading the Levi’s website with the voice of an old-timey movie narrator.

13:46: Blue Jeans in Western Wear: A western wear aficionado, Donnie, weighs in on denim’s role in “the scene” and encourages Dave to check out the rancher pant (or maybe a nudie suit).

16:37: Do Stretchy Jeans Still Count? The dads discuss the current trend toward stretchy (but less rugged) jeans-like materials and whether that matters in the world of blue jeans.

20:05: Blue Jeans in Country Music: Of the many mentions of blue jeans in country music, the dads hone in on two common tropes: the funny yet often cringey sexual innuendo of “tight fittin’ jeans” and the more family-friendly images of nostalgic Americana and simpler times.

28:02: Author James Sullivan on Blue Jeans and American Culture: James Sullivan joins the podcast to share a more in-depth look at the history of blue jeans, based on his work writing Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon.

38:41: How the Hatred of Laundry Led to a Resurgence in Blue Jeans’ Popularity: James Sullivan tells the story of how the Denim Council reversed blue jeans’ “juvenile delinquent” reputation with a clever marketing campaign.

46:25: The Dad Life Sound Check: Donnie discovers a sad country song about laundry: Rebecca Porter’s “The Laundry Pile.” Dave looks forward to finding his “Chattahoochee” this summer, though he’d prefer not to wear jeans in the lake like Alan Jackson does in the music video.

49:06: Change My Mind: Dave changes gears and encourages Donnie to “choose discomfort” in an effort to change his mind about whether aging dads still belong at multi-day country music festivals.

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website: countrymusicdads.com. And we’d love...

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.

2:23: Ted tells us a bit about his background and entry into the country music space and how he grew up not liking pedal steel. But once discovering The Band and Whiskeytown, things really changed.

5:27: Ted’s move to LA introduced him to many of the great California country legends, like Merle, Buck and Dwight -- and having the opportunity to play with those who played with them -- pushed him further into this space.

6:01: The Shooter Jennings Relationship starts like most great music relationships -- a Hollywood jam session in a dingy practice space.

10:28: Slappin’ the Bass -- Ted has always loved the bass and that is how he can build trust with bands, musicians and production partners.

11:32: Six Degrees of Ted Russell Kamp gets us to Diplo and how his bass line got onto “Use Me (Brutal Hearts).” To quote Ted, this is a totally weird and wonderful LA rock star story.

18:09: The guys talk about Ted’s semi-autobiographical album and the push and pull of the road and family life. Luckily, Ted and his wife worked together to create a balance that worked for them, but it wasn’t easy and it took work to figure it out.

27:20: The Dads talk about the resurgence of roots music and freedom the LA Music Scene allows for exploration and creativity in this space. Ted finds the genre orthodoxy from some in the scene to be an interesting aspect of this renaissance and provides a few examples for those looking to dip their toe in the alt-country Americana space.

31:30: A quick discussion of the nostalgia loop and how what was on the radio when your parents were driving you around as a kid influences you as an adult. But as the world gets more complex, people long for things like music that they can understand, Ted explains.

36:12: The Dad Life Sound Check provides a chance for Ted to tell stories about Waylon Jennings being a mensch, Dave shares some great news and Donnie talks about the passage of time while using the word “vibe” too many times. Ted also provides more insight into his song writing process.

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website: countrymusicdads.com. And we’d love to hear what you think, so send us comments, suggestions, friendly banter on Instagram @countrymusicdads, or via email countrymusicdads@gmail.com.

• Shooter Jennings
• James Taylor
• Ted touches on how discovering

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.

02:26: Work-Life Balance: Before discussing Isbell’s decision, the guys talk about the term “work-life balance” and whether it has a place in modern family life. They touch on how this may apply to primary, stay-at-home parents and those who work completely remotely. Dave also sneaks in that he is a rocket scientist.

08:47: What does balance look like now? Dave and Donnie touch on what kind of balance is prevalent today in a post-pandemic work, school and family environment.

11:58: Initial reactions to the Isbell news: Dave admits he was very uncomfortable about the news from Isbell -- well more about the news about the news of Isbell’s announcement.

17:36: Responsibilities of a Public Figure and the Low Bar for Dads: The guys touch on the similarities to the Eric Church Final Four show cancellations and how the “family first” argument is sort of a copout which leaves the bar incredibly low for dads. This gives Dave a little bit of the ick.

31:02: There's No Easy Right or Wrong Answer for Dads: Is Isbell’s situation so much different than the guys that they can’t understand his decision? Or is it that there is no easy, straightforward answer when dealing with these issues? It’s getting Meta on this podcast.

33:12: The Dad Life Sound Check: In honor of talking all about him for more than a half an hour, the guys talk about their favorite Isbell songs for the Dad Life Sound Check.

40:41: Change My Mind-- Dave Can't Pull Off a Cowboy Hat: Dave asks Donnie to change his mind about why he, too, can wear a cowboy hat.

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website: countrymusicdads.com. And we’d love to hear what you think, so send us comments, suggestions, friendly banter on Instagram @countrymusicdads, or via email countrymusicdads@gmail.com.

• Jeff Bezos Article
• Southeastern records social media post and Isbell...

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.

03:11: First Reactions to the Album as a Whole: After Donnie recovers from "snot-bubble crying" during his passive listen, we discuss the songwriting quality, sincerity of the lyrics in a "songwriting-by-committee" approach and how "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" doesn't seem to fit (even though it is very sad).

14:01: The Dad Life Sound Check: Donnie is a better parent thanks to "Huntin' By Yourself" (even though he doesn't hunt), and Dave finds a pillar of his parenting philosophy in "Whoever You Turn Out to Be."

25:06: The Best Tracks from the Album: The Dads share more of their favorites, including "Front Door Famous" and "The Man He Sees in Me," and how those songs inspire us to live up to the higher expectations that modern dads rightfully (and finally) are measured against.

32:36: The Worst Tracks from the Album: The Dads discuss the songs, like "All I Ever Do is Leave" and "Little Country Boys," that seem more like filler material to get an LP out of this concept album.

36:00: "Fathers and Sons" Album Rating: The Dads wrap up the album review by rating "Fathers and Sons" on a scale of 1-5.

37:50: Change My Mind About Minivans: Dave launches into an impassioned and memorable "Minivan Rant" to change Donnie's mind about the classic and highly versatile “FUV,” the family utility vehicle.

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website: countrymusicdads.com. And we’d love to hear what you think, so send us comments, suggestions, friendly banter on Instagram @countrymusicdads, or via email countrymusicdads@gmail.com.

• Intro Music: "Dark Country Rock" by Moodmode
• "Hurricane" by Luke Combs
• "When It Rains It Pours" by Luke Combs
• "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" by Luke Combs
• "The Grand Tour" by George Jones
• "Huntin' By...

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.

2:22: The Kids Books We Love and Love to Hate: Dave and Donnie discuss the nighttime classics and some modern-day page turners for kids (and those reading them to kids). And what would a podcast episode be without some conflict -- so we jumped on a few we wish would just fall behind the bookshelf.

21:27: Books That Sound Like Country Songs: Before diving into who should sing our kids' book songs, the Country Music Dads explore the fairly significant crossover between country music songwriting and children's book writing -- and some of those people who did both. Namely, Shel Silverstein.

38:34: Who Should Sing These Kids' Book Country Songs? From Colter Wall to Miranda Lambert, the Country Music Dads consider the best artists to bring these books to life.

46:57: Dad Life Sound Check: This recurring segment is an opportunity for Dave and Donnie to discuss a song that is hitting home in recent days. For Dave, "Buy Me a Boat" by Chris Janson had been resonating in his house, while Lasers Lasers Birmingham’s "Shorter Letter" was touching a chord for Donnie.

52:22: Change My Mind: Donnie challenges Dave to think differently about the glories of shopping at Costco -- from the sea of beautiful TVs, to rows of top-shelf bulk-size booze to Costco staples, like rotisserie chicken, availability of eggs and the $1.50 hot dog and soda.

• Ludacris rapping "Llama Llama Red Pajama."
• "Magic Candies" animated short film
• "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is a GRAMMY Award-winning recording by Boris Karloff in 1968.
• "The Masked Singer"
• Haley Brown Spence of The Doohickeys
• Dolly Parton talent search
• Willow Avon
• "Goodnight Songs" by Tom Prout and Emily Gehry
• The Highwaymen
• The Highwomen

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website:

Country Music Dads is BACK for Season 2! And we are kicking things off by talking about the change (or 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.

Show Notes:

• 02:12: Dave shares a preview of Season 2 of the podcast: what has changed, what is staying the same, and how feedback from our early-adopting listeners has influenced our plans.
• 06:26: Meet Country Music Dads’ new co-host: Donnie C. Cutler!
• 08:22: Dave and Donnie discuss George Jones’ “Same Ole Me,” Dierks Bentley’s “Same ‘Ol Me,” how they think about goal-setting, personal change, and growth, and how their pursuit of improvement could influence their kids.
• 35:02: The Dad Life Sound Check: Donnie shares how the competing pressures of life on the road and family life in Jeremy Pinnell’s “Night Time Eagle” resonate with his own attempts to balance self-care pursuits and being there for the bedtime routine. Dave admits that “Halo” is his favorite Beyonce song and that Joshua Ray Walker’s highly countrified rendition of it takes him back to a simpler time before kids when weddings were ragers.
• 45:41: In our new, recurring segment called “Change My Mind,” Donnie posits that Bro Country is BAD for the country music genre. Self-proclaimed “recovering bro country aficionado” Dave attempts to convince him otherwise.

Mentioned in the Show:

• Country Music Dads podcast Season 1, Episode 9: “Country Cutler Talks Parenting, Country Music in LA and Strawberry Pie For Breakfast”
• The Country Cutler Substack newsletter
• "Atomic Habits" by James Clear
• The Marfa Tapes
• Dierks’ bluegrass album, “Up On The Ridge” from 2010
• HomeDadCon: the annual convention for at-home dads
• The backlash surrounding the “Bluey” Season 3 "Exercise" episode
• Eddie Izzard on British vs. American films

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can...