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Exploring Music History: Flat River Band's Journey from Family Roots to Nashville's Vibrant Scene · Takin’ A Walk Nashville

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Taking a Walk Nashville.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: Hey everyone, it's Sarah Harrelson, your host of Taken a
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Walk Nashville. Here with me today on the podcast is
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: bluegrass band Flat River Band. It consists of three brothers, Andy,
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: Chad and Denny Joe. They grew up in a multi
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: generational family band, performing alongside their parents and grandparents. They
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: held residencies at Silver Dollar City and Branson, Missouri, and
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  Speaker 2: at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Throughout their ten year
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: in music, The Missouri Natives have charted number one hits
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  Speaker 2: on the Bluegrass Gospel charts and they have opened for
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  Speaker 2: The Chicks Natalie Maines, Alison Carrause, Ricky Skaggs, Ronda Vincent,
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  Speaker 2: TG Shephard, and Moore. The trio songs can be found
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: in the twenty eighteen movie The Least of These, a
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: Christmas Story, featuring Dwayne Allen from the Oakridge Boys, Deborah Allen,
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  Speaker 2: and Taylor Lenn, who is Lerett Lynn's granddaughter. The band
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: recently released a new five song EP, Sights and Sounds,
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  Speaker 2: which has given the trio exposure in the spotlight of
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  Speaker 2: Americana and country formats. Join me today as I sit
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  Speaker 2: down and talk with them.
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  Speaker 3: Welcome to Taking a Walk Nashville with your hosts, singer
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: songwriter Sarah Harrelson.
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  Speaker 2: It's good to have Andy, Chad and Denny Joe here
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  Speaker 2: today on the Taking a Walk Nashville podcast. So the
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  Speaker 2: three of you are brothers who grew up performing alongside
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  Speaker 2: your parents and your grandparents, with residencies at Silver Dollar
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  Speaker 2: City and Branson, Missouri, and Dollywood and East Tennessee. So
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: would you say that music came natural for all of
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: you being surrounded by family who was always playing music
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: through multiple generations.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: I would say it was because it was a mandatory thing.
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  Speaker 1: And this is one of some of us brothers.
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  Speaker 3: It takes a little longer to learn things.
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  Speaker 1: So I don't know if it become.
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  Speaker 3: Natural and what wasn't a lot of practice, you know
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  Speaker 3: what I mean for some of us, I don't know.
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  Speaker 1: So it was.
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  Speaker 2: Required, but you guys had fun doing it, right, That's
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: exactly right.
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  Speaker 1: We a very unique childhood, you know, growing up seeing
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  Speaker 1: the world through the windshield of a bus with your
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  Speaker 1: family band is it's super unique that? Yeah. I don't
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  Speaker 1: know the many people that's got to experience life like that,
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  Speaker 1: childhood growing up like that, So I'm super grateful for it.
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  Speaker 1: I know that I'm grateful for it, and I wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: want to have it any other way.
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  Speaker 2: So absolutely, that's that's wonderful. Yeah, it's definitely a unique childhood.
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  Speaker 2: So the three of you were always on the road
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  Speaker 2: with your family. When did you guys decide to change
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  Speaker 2: the format of the family band to just the three
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  Speaker 2: of you as a trio as brothers on stage.
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: I would say probably after our grandparents passed away. Our
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  Speaker 4: grandpa played the del Bro and my grandma played the
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  Speaker 4: upright base. They passed away, and then, you know, we
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  Speaker 4: the last five years of touring, we did every other
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  Speaker 4: weekend at Dollywood, and I eventually I moved to Middle
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  Speaker 4: Tennessee doing the songwriter thing, and uh I got to
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  Speaker 4: say a gig at the Alabama Grill just north of
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  Speaker 4: town there, and we played there on the weekends there
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  Speaker 4: in uh tootsies and we just uh, you know, it's
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  Speaker 4: it's been a journey for sure, you know.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, And throughout your journey, you guys have opened
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  Speaker 2: up for many artists such as Natalie Mains, Alison Krause,
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  Speaker 2: Rocky Skaggs. What has it been like seeing your music
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  Speaker 2: chart on the bluegrass gospel charts, and what has it
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  Speaker 2: been like sharing stages with these artists along the way.
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  Speaker 1: This is the last couple of years has been like
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  Speaker 1: a bucket list type things happening for us. You know,
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  Speaker 1: we learned to sing three part harmony It's little Kids
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  Speaker 1: in the back of my Dad's Thunderbird to uh eight
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  Speaker 1: track of of All the Golden California, And so being
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: able to go in the studio and record with the
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: Gatlin Brothers their their first number one hit, So I
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  Speaker 1: wish you were someone I love when we really said
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  Speaker 1: a few years ago. Super cool. Then to go back
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  Speaker 1: in the studio with the Oakridge Boys and cut a
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  Speaker 1: song the Oakridge Boys which is the first time we
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  Speaker 1: saw that was on a rerun of Dukes of Hazard,
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  Speaker 1: a song called Leaving Louisianna in the Broad Daylight of
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  Speaker 1: Rodney Crowtune. That's it's full circle for us.
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  Speaker 3: So yeah, would say, oh, definitely full definitely full circle.
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  Speaker 1: These are like the childhood icons. And to be able
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  Speaker 1: to go and work with these guys, it's it's pretty
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  Speaker 1: pretty special.
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  Speaker 2: I love your version Leaving Louisiana in broad Daylight. We
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  Speaker 2: recently had William Lee Golden on the podcast, So it
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  Speaker 2: was very cool to see you guys in the music
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  Speaker 2: video with them, Dwayne Allen of the Oakredge Boys, they
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  Speaker 2: have been a long time supporter of you guys. The
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  Speaker 2: music video of people go and watch it. They can
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  Speaker 2: see the Oakredge Boys in the video and even John
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  Speaker 2: Schneider who played bo and Dukes of Hazzard. So what
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  Speaker 2: was it like recording that song and filming that music video.
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  Speaker 4: It was pretty epic, that's probably I mean, it's the
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  Speaker 4: longest I guess music video we've ever done. It's a
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  Speaker 4: little over six minutes long.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and we.
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  Speaker 4: Wanted to pay trivia since, like djel just said, that's
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  Speaker 4: the first time we ever heard the song leader Louisiana
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  Speaker 4: on a rerun of The Dukes of Hazzard and we've
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  Speaker 4: always been huge fans of The Dukes of Hazzard and
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  Speaker 4: we wanted to implement that kind of remake the Boors'
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  Speaker 4: nests in a sense, you know, and just the whole
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  Speaker 4: video it was like a three day It was like
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  Speaker 4: a three day shoot for us, and that was a
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  Speaker 4: lot We had a lot of stuff actually that was
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  Speaker 4: even edited out, you know, and but it was it's
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  Speaker 4: pretty epic, that wasn't it?
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  Speaker 1: It was very epic in shoot.
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  Speaker 3: We probably have so much edits in there that we
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  Speaker 3: could we just about have a possibly, who knows, maybe
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  Speaker 3: the Digson Hazard rerun.
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  Speaker 2: So I love it. Where was the video shot? Was
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  Speaker 2: it here in Nashville? Yes?
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  Speaker 1: Three different locations that we shot in Nashville and uh,
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  Speaker 1: once in her, one day in herbritage, and one day
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  Speaker 1: out in Hickman County. Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so yeah, fun video. Everyone should check it out.
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  Speaker 2: In addition to working with them on that song in
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  Speaker 2: that video, you guys also worked with Dwayne Allen on
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  Speaker 2: the twenty eighteen film The Least of These a Christmas
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  Speaker 2: Story on that soundtrack. Was that your first time working
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  Speaker 2: on a soundtrack?
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  Speaker 1: Yes? Yes, well, well it's pretty cool to have our
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  Speaker 1: Christmas music used in that movie. Pretty same. I was
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: just celestial stool being Dawayne and uh, miss Lynn Yeah, Taylor, Taylor,
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: thank you? Sorry? My mind is what.
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  Speaker 2: What was the process like for that? Did you already
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: have some of the songs written or did you find out, oh,
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  Speaker 2: I'm writing on the soundtrack now I need to create
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  Speaker 2: and write the songs.
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  Speaker 4: Uh.
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  Speaker 1: We had released a Christmas project and actually one of
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: those we went in and cut with Jeanie Seely from
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  Speaker 1: the Rand operating Yeah, before she passed away. Uh, we
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  Speaker 1: were able to get in the studio and recut one
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  Speaker 1: of those songs off that soundtrack with Genie Seely, which
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  Speaker 1: was super spousal off. Another kind of a bucket list
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  Speaker 1: thing for us.
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  Speaker 4: But we had the Christmas album completely and uh, we
• 7:51
  Speaker 4: just knew a friend of a friend of a friend, you.
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  Speaker 2: Know how Well that's very special. And speaking of new music,
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: you just released a remix of your twenty nineteen song
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Beauty Amongst the Trees. So what is different in this
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  Speaker 2: remixed version compared to the original, Well, just.
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  Speaker 4: The production in general. We've been I guess for the
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: last couple couple albums. We've been co producing with a
• 8:21
  Speaker 4: friend of ours, Trey Corley and super Guy. We just
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  Speaker 4: love how you awesome drummer, ayboard player, this multi talented guy.
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  Speaker 1: It was a bandleader for me, show how could be? Show?
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  Speaker 4: We just love how he does our vocals and we've
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  Speaker 4: just we get such a great response when we play
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  Speaker 4: that Beauty amongst the Trees, live that and every dog
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  Speaker 4: has this day, we thought, well, let's let's go back
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  Speaker 4: in and recut, you know, just kind of bring him
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  Speaker 4: back to life. And that's that's kind of what we
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  Speaker 4: did because, you know, I mean, being a singer, songwriter
• 8:56
  Speaker 4: and an artist yourself, you always want to better what
• 8:59
  Speaker 4: you've done in the past, you know, And that's that's
• 9:02
  Speaker 4: kind of our approach with those two songs and really
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  Speaker 4: brought them to lie.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a beautiful song. Both mixes are great, but
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  Speaker 2: I love the remixed one too. I hope people will
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  Speaker 2: go check it out. So for live performances, you guys
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  Speaker 2: just performed at Chiefs on Broadway here in Nashville. You're
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  Speaker 2: about to embark on your summer tour. When you're not
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  Speaker 2: on the road where you guys call home. Is it
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  Speaker 2: you're in Nashville? Do you go back to Missouri?
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's here in Nashville. Were actually west west of town.
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  Speaker 4: I'm and he's in Cheatham County, Dangels and Hickman and
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  Speaker 4: I'm in Dixon County. So yeah, we're just kind of
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  Speaker 4: west of Nashville, kind of out of riff rats, you know.
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  Speaker 5: What I mean.
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  Speaker 1: We're actually headed to the studio tomorrow. We're gonna go
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  Speaker 1: back in the studio and we're gonna cut some new show.
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  Speaker 1: It's some new tens.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. That venue you mentioned of.
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  Speaker 3: Eric Church is the Neon Steeple.
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  Speaker 1: The Neon Steeple. We did a we did a We
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  Speaker 1: had a great turnout for that shows. Matter of fact,
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  Speaker 1: I believe we're going to be back at the Neon Steeple. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: we are. Yeah, and we're hoping to have a live
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  Speaker 1: recording from the Neon Steeple. It's kind of a have
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  Speaker 1: you ever ever been in the Neon steep Have you
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: been in the Neon Steeple before?
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  Speaker 2: Yes, Yeah, I love that venue. I love It's just
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  Speaker 2: so different from you know, all the other bars on Broadway,
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  Speaker 2: and then that's the ticketed shows, this morn.
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  Speaker 1: Of a theater type. Yes, we really love we love
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  Speaker 1: that venue. So I believe, uh for the end of
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: summer we'll be back there and hopefully we're going to
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  Speaker 1: do a live reporting from the Neon Steeple. So pretty
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  Speaker 1: excited about that as well.
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  Speaker 2: That's great. Yeah, people can check out your socials and
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: website for your upcoming shows. Where else are you looking
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: forward to go? Uh to going the summer.
• 10:55
  Speaker 5: We're headed out west this year, so I'm pretty excited
• 10:58
  Speaker 5: We're going to out Portland, Oregon, Northern California, Zootfalls, South Dakota.
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: We're going to be in Are we in Montana this year? Yeah?
• 11:10
  Speaker 4: Livingston, Montana. We'll be in Livingston, Montana.
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: Okay, So we're sending we're excited about it, and we've
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: got some huge support from zeb Coo Rotten Reels this
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: year for summer tour.
• 11:21
  Speaker 4: So yeah, looking forward, we feel super blessed.
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: We really feel super blessed, very.
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  Speaker 2: Cool, very excited for your upcoming shows and upcoming music
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: since you guys will be back in the studio. I
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: also as an East Tennessee and myself, I love that
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: you guys played at Dollywood quite a bit. Did you
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: ever run into Dolly during your time there?
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  Speaker 1: A few times? Ran into a few times, And we
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: actually shared the stage with her uncle uncle Bill. Oh
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: nice in between he did a show. We would do
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: a show. He would do a show. We do a show,
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  Speaker 1: I know, And so we enjoyed our time cutting our teeth.
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: Listen, we rode every roller coaster in between sets.
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  Speaker 1: As d matter of fact, we ran late for our
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: first show.
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: Because you're a little roller coaster. I love that. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: one of my favorites. There is the one that's you know,
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: it's not as steep, but it's the one where you're
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: in the dark and then it has that huge drop
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: in the end and you can't Yeah, yep. Oh fun. Well,
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: my last question for you guys today we are on
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: taking a walk in Nashville, So I want to ask
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: you what is the most memorable walk the three of
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: you have taken in Nashville.
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: Hmmm, wow, wow, wow wow.
• 12:45
  Speaker 3: Well I just recently, I just recently took a walk
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: from across the street to the Rhino. You can't get
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: more memorable than the rhine up or you know what
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: I mean. So that was just recently. I don't Mine
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: would probably be for the walking from Broadway over to
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: the Rhymon.
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: That would be my memorable moment recently. What about you yet?
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: What was the park we light down there? It was
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: fifty four bucks?
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: Oh my gosh.
• 13:11
  Speaker 6: I would say my my most memorable walk down there
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  Speaker 6: is whenever I first I remarried about twelve years ago,
• 13:18
  Speaker 6: and my wife is into fine dining and she got
• 13:22
  Speaker 6: into that and she's real.
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  Speaker 2: She's a food food ooty.
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: She's a foody food connoiseur. And the first thing she
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: did job wise, Actually, maybe the second thing she did
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: was get food tourers. Oh, I'll love your cat.
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: I know she she's popping into say I.
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: Uh so I did a food tour with her and
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: when she first started that and we hit I don't know,
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: nine restaurants or something, and uh, wow, there's so many
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: great restaurants and uh see you Grays and downtown there.
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: Why did you finish the walk? Barely barely finished the walk.
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: I was just so miserably full. But it was great.
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: Oh that's great. There's so many great restaurants in Nashville
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: to take a walk too. And unfortunately you do have
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: to pay the price of parking for that. Yeah, well
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: I hope. Well, I'm sure you guys will be taking
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: another walk together in Nashville soon for your show. Upcoming
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: show at Neon Steeple, at Chiefs on Broadway and other
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: upcoming shows. Where can people find you? On social media?
• 14:31
  Speaker 4: We are Instagram, We're at the Flat River Band, and
• 14:36
  Speaker 4: then of course Flat River Band on Facebook. And what
• 14:40
  Speaker 4: you're doing the TikTok, what you ad on that.
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: It's official flower.
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: It should be a blue check mark just for so
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: I'm like every all of our talents at the blue
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: check mark. We have been getting a few impersonators, so
• 14:56
  Speaker 3: you know, look for the blue check mark.
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: Seriously, look for that blue check mark on YouTube it's
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: Flaterbird TV or just google Flat River Band and all
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: of our socials will come up.
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: Amazing. That sounds great. I hope people will follow you
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: since you have upcoming music and shows. Andy, Chad, Danny Joe.
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: Thank you so much for being on the Taking a
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: Walk Nashville podcast today.
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: Thy thanks, thanks, appreciate you.
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: Thanks for listening to Taking a Walk Nashville with Sarah Harrelson.
• 15:29
  Speaker 3: Please check out our other shows produced by Buzznight Media Productions,
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: Comedy Save Me and Music Save Me hosted by Lynn Hoffman,
• 15:39
  Speaker 3: and Taking a Walk hosted by Yours Truly Buzznight. All
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: shows are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and are part
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: of the iHeart podcast network