S E105: ACM Noms, Morgan’s Snub, and a Small Town Hero :: Ep 105 Try That in a Small Town Podcast
S E105: ACM Noms, Morgan’s Snub, and a Small Town Hero :: Ep 105 Try That in a Small Town Podcast  
Podcast: Try That in a Small Town Podcast
Published On: Mon Apr 20 2026
Description: From the Patriot Mobile studio powered by E|Spaces, the guys dive into a packed episode of Try That In A Small Town.  They kick things off by reacting to the latest ACM Award nominations: who belongs, who doesn’t, and why politics still run the game. Entertainer, Group, Duo, New Artist, Album, Song, Single, and Musical Event of the Year all get the TTIAST treatment, with plenty of opinions on names like Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, Alabama, Zac Brown Band, Parmalee, and more.  Kelly shares a huge personal milestone: after interning for Reba’s company back in the 90s, he finally lands his first Reba cut on a song written in 2005. That opens up a conversation about prayer, persistence, and whether Christians should pray about career and business. The guys revisit the backstory of “If I Didn’t Love You” (Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood), from losing a duet slot to writing something ultra-specific on a deadline and watching it connect.  In the fan-favorite Dip Shitty-its segment, they unload on Masters “pond jumpers,” public bathroom pee etiquette, clapping when servers drop dishes, trash in urinals, rental car abuse, and more everyday behaviors that drive them crazy.  They close with a powerful Small Town Hero story from Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, where a principal charged an armed student, took a bullet, and likely saved lives. It’s exactly the kind of “try that in a small town” courage the show was built to highlight.  If you like country music, songwriting war stories, small town grit, and unfiltered opinions, this one delivers from front to back.  Timed Highlights (Audio):  0:00 E|Spaces and Patriot Mobile studio intro  1:30 New mic arm, setup chatter, and moon-landing clip going viral  4:00 Moon rocks, Soviets, and joking about “disinformation”  5:10 The Brad Paisley song that “wouldn’t get cut” in 2026  6:00 Masculinity, political correctness, and “I’m still a guy” lyrics  7:30 Origin story: pink cupcakes at school, church culture, and irritation-fueled writing  10:00 Writing the song with Lee Miller and pitching it to Brad Paisley  11:30 Paisley’s issue with singing the word “guy” and nearly losing the cut  13:00 Corporate shows, offended “fancy guys,” and how Kelly softens the bit  14:00 Why fans love their award show breakdowns  14:30 Songwriter of the Year nominees and how political awards can be  15:50 Entertainer of the Year: Luke, Jelly Roll, Cody, Megan, Stapleton, Morgan, Lainey  16:40 Is Megan Moroney really ready for Entertainer of the Year?  17:20 Group of the Year confusion: 49 Winchester, Flatland Cavalry, Red Clay Strays, Old Dominion, Rascal Flatts  18:10 Where are Alabama, Zac Brown Band, and Parmalee?  19:10 Duo of the Year: Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Thelma and James, Muscadine Bloodline  20:20 Admitting they haven’t even heard some nominees, despite being in the business  21:00 New Female Artist: quick thoughts on Avery Anna, Mackenzie Carpenter, Dasha, Caroline Jones, Emily Ann Roberts  21:40 New Male Artist: Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason, Shaboozey, Hudson Westbrook, Tucker Webb  22:30 Album of the Year: Zach Top, Carter Faith, Riley Green, Morgan Wallen, Parker McCollum  22:55 “If Morgan doesn’t win, call BS on the ACMs”  23:50 Song of the Year: Miranda/Stapleton, Megan Moroney, Ella Langley, Zach Top, Lainey Wilson  24:20 Consensus that “Choosing Texas” is massive  25:00 Musical Event of the Year: predicting a big night for Riley Green and Ella Langley  25:40 Single of the Year: Lainey, Cody, Zach Top, Ella, Megan  26:40 Neil missing a Riley Green writers round and golf event  27:30 Neil heading out on the road with Jason Aldean (and staying up late on the bus)  28:40 Original Glory beer and Patriot Mobile spots  30:20 Kelly’s answered prayer: Reba cuts his song from 2005  31:10 From Reba intern in the 90s to Reba cut in 2026  32:00 Co-writers Connie Harrington and Brett Beavers and the power of persistence  33:00 How one cut boosts morale and the next few writing days  33:40 Should Christians pray for career and business?  34:30 Praying for ideas, strength, and perseverance vs specific trophies  35:20 The “If I Didn’t Love You” story: losing a duet, writing on a mission  36:30 Late-night demo, quick mix, and Aldean’s instant reaction  38:00 Lessons in frustration, prayer, and not giving up  39:10 Neil’s Reba hit that nudged him from artist lane to full-time writer  40:10 Kelly/Lovelace/Loveless name confusion and growing up with a “girl’s name”  41:20 Army nameplate abuse and teasing a future long-form story  42:10 Launching into Dip Shitty-its  42:40 Masters Par 3 “pond jumpers” at Augusta and tradition vs spectacle  44:20 Public bathroom pee etiquette: clean your own mess  46:30 Band life and cleaning up after other people’s bad aim  47:40 Clapping when a server drops dishes and why it’s mean, not funny  49:30 Gum and trash in urinals and the “not my problem” mentality  50:30 Rental car abuse vs taking care of what isn’t yours  51:20 The slow driver with the “Caution: Mowers Ahead” truck and the perfect podcast job  52:30 Small Town Hero: Oklahoma principal tackles armed student, takes a bullet  53:40 “Just do something” instead of filming or running  54:30 Why that kind of courage fits the show’s theme  55:30 Bethel Bible Village benefit with John Morgan in Chattanooga  56:30 Final thoughts on ACM noms and Megan Moroney as Entertainer  57:30 Listener call-to-action: subscribe, rate, and leave comments (love or hate)  58:30 Sign-off from TK, Kurt, and K-Low, Patriot Mobile studio powered by E|Spaces  ______________________________________________________________________________________________SPONSORS: The Try That in a Small Town Podcast is powered by e|spaces!Redefining Coworking - Exceptional Office Space for Every BusinessBook a tour today at espaces.comFrom the Patriot Mobile studios:Don’t get fooled by other cellular providers pretending to share your values or have the same coverage. 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