Jason Aldean joined The Bobby Bones Show to discuss his new album, career milestones, and his life off the stage.
He recently celebrated his chart success, where he was honored for reaching over 30 number-one songs. Aldean admitted he was genuinely surprised by the event, he had been told it was a routine industry gathering. It was only after a video began playing that he realized the moment was dedicated to him. He also shared that his band had known about the surprise for months and managed to keep it a secret. When asked if he could remember the lyrics to all of his hits, Aldean believed he could, though he acknowledged that some songs are harder to recall if they haven’t been performed recently. He doesn’t use anything to remember his lyrics, noting that he tried an ear piece briefly but found it distracting. Instead, he relies on muscle memory and a backup system where his monitor engineer can play recorded vocals in his ear if needed. The discussion turned to other artists’ methods for recalling old songs, including Ronnie Dunn, who uses a prompter system with someone feeding him lyrics ahead of time. Aldean recalled a performance with Brooks & Dunn one time and he heard the person feeding lyrics firsthand while performing with him and it all was super weird for him.
Aldean then spoke about the process of creating his new album, Songs About Us, explaining that he typically begins by gathering a handful of songs to establish a direction before entering the studio. He estimated that work on the album began in early 2024. He continues to record in the same studio in Nashville that he has used since moving to town in 1998, preferring to keep his home life separate from work. The album includes a collaboration with Luke Bryan, who is a longtime friend. The collaboration came naturally after playing the song for Bryan while they were spending time together. But they don’t hunt together, and that’s because Aldean sees Bryan as accident prone recalling the time he fell off stage and another time when he fell off a bicycle and broke his collarbone. He further recalled that being around Bryan and guns isn’t one of his best ideas after an incident with a skeet thrower got all tangled causing one of the skeet to get loose and fire, but then coming back to hit him right in the head. Another highlight of the album is a duet with his wife, Brittany Aldean. Although she is a talented singer, she decided not to pursue music professionally after seeing the demands of the industry. He had been waiting for the right opportunity and felt the song “Easy or Gone” was a good fit. He admitted he told her beforehand that if the recording did not turn out well, it would not make the album, but ultimately, he was happy with how it turned out.
Bobby also touched on Aldean’s early career and influences. He shared a story about opening for David Lee Murphy, who helped his band load equipment before the show. The two later became collaborators, with Murphy contributing songs throughout Aldean’s career. When discussing song selection, Aldean no longer focuses on balancing tempos or targeting specific types of tracks. Instead, he prioritizes songs that feel authentic and will stand the test of time, citing classic albums like Mountain Music by Alabama as inspiration.
Outside of music, Aldean shared personal preferences and hobbies. He prefers to sleep in a cool room, typically around 68 degrees, and enjoys watching reality television shows with his wife. He also revealed a growing interest in collecting sports cards, which started after helping his son organize a Pokémon collection and has since become a regular activity they share together. He also had a new acting experience in the film Sweetwater alongside Ed Harris and January Jones. He did not particularly enjoy the process at the time but would consider acting again under the right circumstances.
The interview ended with Aldean sharing some of his favorites, including his love for his mother’s fried chicken, naming Ken Griffey Jr. as one of his favorite athletes, and citing Field of Dreams as his favorite movie. He also highlighted the impact of his song “She’s Country” as a defining moment in his career.
