How I Keep It Country- "Livin' Like A Local"

Well, for the most part, the southeast portion of my radio tour is complete, give or take a few more cities and stations. I’d heard horror stories about how much a radio tour “sucked,” but I sure ain’t complaining! Here’s a little recap of what this little ol’ Lorena, Texas girl got into out on the road. 

First of all, I thought I’d be waking up at 4 AM a lot and getting ready to sing on morning shows, but that’s not the case. (Those are the horror stories I’d heard about.) Most of these meetings started around  10 AM, followed maybe with lunch, another stop in a different city, and then possibly a dinner, so lots of eatin’ and talkin’ …two of my favorite things! I did my best to ask each DJ I met where the historical markers and good eats were in their towns while I played for them 3-4 songs live introducing them to me and my music. One of the coolest parts about this journey is that while I’m out introducing myself to country radio, before they’re asked to play my upcoming single “Summers Like That,” I’m also asking them to continue playing a song my husband Brett co-wrote called “Wild As Her” by Corey Kent. It’s currently on the charts and the DJs love that unique connection. Yep, Brett is definitely my go-to hat trick out there! 

Where I’ve Been:

So far I’ve been to Florida, The Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and to a station in Tennessee. Did y’all know that “A1A, BEACH FRONT AVENUE” is a real place, and not just something we shout in the middle of a Vanilla Ice song? Yeah, me neither, but it is! 

I’ve seen quite a bit of the Carolinas at this point, but I’ve still gotta say Charleston might be my favorite city. There is so much history and charm in that area. This visit to Charleston, I was able to spend some time in the Shem Creek area. If you’re a fan of the show Outer Banks on Netflix they do some filming there. And no, I saw no one from Southern Charm, sorry to disappoint! Besides, I’m all the southern charm you need!!

Next stop, Georgia! We were only there for an afternoon, but three of my favorite things happened while we were in Georgia. I love learning about what each state/town is known for and in Augusta, Georgia that’s James Brown and The Masters. Little did we know that there is a James Brown Plaza in the middle of downtown. We had to stop by obviously! There is a life-size statue of “The Godfather of Soul,” a plaque of his impact on music, and some murals about town that celebrate his contributions to music. We were also taken around the grounds of the Augusta National golf course and were told about how secret and mysterious it is… seriously, there’s some real “Camp David” type stuff going on there, but I’m sworn to secrecy! Maybe I’ll pick up some sticks and try to get an invitation.

Next door to Augusta is good ol’ South Carolina. And though Georgia is known as the “Peach State,” Gaffney’s huge peach water tower gives them a run for their money, don’t tell my best friend I said that. We stopped by there too, don’t worry. I’m serious, y’all, it’s just a big ol’ water tower in the shape and painted like a peach. It was also featured in the Netflix show House of Cards. There’s also a giant guitar shaped Hard Rock hotel in Hollywood, FL that we saw while visiting stations in Miami and Ft. Pierce, FL. 

What I Ate:

I had some hella good lobster ravioli at Fysh Bar and Grill in Daytona, FL after a show Brett and I played for listeners, and we also made our Daytona Beach visit legit with an airbrush t-shirt. Touristy? Yes. Fun? HELL YES. The DJ we met there said he still remembers the smell of sunscreen that comes around about March each year during spring break, signaling that summer is just around the corner. Fish is popular down in Florida of course, because we ate at another place called Fish House in Jacksonville, FL, but unfortunately it won’t be around much longer. This place was a gem, y’all! They served some of the best fish tacos with sweet potato fries on the side with some sort of special marshmallow dipping sauce. That town has got to find a way to save the marshmallow sauce! I will start the campaign myself.

While in Georgia, I did enough James Brown impressions to work up a big boy appetite, so we headed to Fat Man’s for some good ol’ southern cookin’! I had some of the best fried chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and banana pudding that I’d ever tasted! And if you’re ever in Charleston, I highly recommend watching the sunset while eating fried oysters at Saltwater Cowboys.

Now it’s time to rest and maybe eat a salad, goodness.

I’m having the time of my life meeting radio programmers on this tour. Business is good, but the people are better. It’s the small things, the conversations, and the good eats that I’m taking back home with me and will never forget. This Texan loves the Southeast, that’s for sure!

RIP to the marshmallow sauce in Jacksonville, FL

Fried Oysters at Saltwater Cowboys, Charleston, SC

Good eats at Fat Man’s, Augusta, GA

James Brown Plaza with Chris O’Kelley, Augusta, GA