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You're with Brian Kilmead. In for Brian, it's Mary Walter. How are you? Hope you're having a fantastic day. I am because I get to speak with Coleswindell.
He is a country music star, and if you don't know the name, you probably know a lot of his songs. Like, if you hear him, you're like, oh, because I did that for my husband last night. I'm like, look who's going to be on with me tomorrow. I'm so excited. And one of his favorite songs, my husband's favorite songs, is Heads Carolina, Tales, California.
And he redid it to retell the rest of the story. And he has a new song out, though, inspired by Charlie Kirk's widow, Erica.
So perfect day to be able to speak with him. Coleswindell, thank you so much for joining me on the Brian Kill Me Show. Hey, thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here. a small part of it.
Well, like I said, my husband was like so je's so jealous that I get to talk to you today. Can I just very quickly ask you about that song? That song was originally the original was by Jodi Messina. Oh, yes, the She Had Me at Heads Carolina. Yeah, that's I remember when that original came out, riding around in my mom's car, singing along to it and then getting to put my own spin on it was pretty crazy.
So was she okay with that when you redid it? Yeah, I mean, you know, when you're doing a song, like doing something like that, an interpolation, you have to check with the actual songwriters of the song.
So we, Tim Nichols and Mark Sanders, who wrote the original Heads Carolina Tales, California, we reached out to them and we were fully prepared for them to be like, no, you know, we're good. We don't want anybody messing with it. But they were honored that we chose that song to kind of do that with, although I had no idea what the reaction would be like. And then later on, getting to have Jodi on the remix of it was amazing. You know, I hope she knows that, you know, I grew up a huge fan and it was just a nod at 90s country and something that she had done years before.
And so it's awesome to see her back out there rocking and selling out shows. And it's just cool to see the people I came up listening to are still rocking. I hope I'm still doing it.
Well, you're young and you've had though y you have just broken through. Let me tell you, you've been in in the industry, what, fourteen, fifteen years, something like that? It's crazy. I know. Time flies, yeah.
And you have 13 number one singles as an artist. You've got 14 as a songwriter.
So you do everything. You do everything from soup to nuts. You've got three-time platinum albums, two-time platinum, and on and on and on and on. What. I guess my question is, you know, there are so many people who I think are super, super talented in countries like the hot genre, super talented.
Is it luck? What is it that allows someone to break out such as yourself and someone who is also talented just not get anywhere? Mm-hmm. Yeah, you know, that's a mystery that I don't know if we'll ever Be solved in Nashville. There's so many talented people, and honestly, I think that's what keeps me going and keeps me humble and knowing that there's anybody out there right now that would take my spot.
And it's just, you know, I think it is luck being at the right place at the right time. But also, I mean, it takes a lot of hard work. And, you know, the song. I think that's one thing people. May not realize if you don't live in Nashville, if you're not in the music business, is how powerful one song is.
It can break an artist. You know what I mean? You've never heard of it. It's just. It can save somebody's career.
It's just powerful.
So I think as long as you've got the songs, that's why I moved to Nashville to be a songwriter because if you've got the song, they can't take that from you. And that's kind of how I got my start. I've had some songs recorded by other artists and then labels were like, why aren't you singing these? And I said, I don't know. That's a great question.
And that just kind of led to my record deal. But everybody's got their own path and story. But yeah, you're right. There's so many talented people in Nashville that deserve to be heard. But I do think the way social media and just the way things are exploding, the way people are finding music, I think you have a better chance than ever to get discovered just because of how many people are online and looking for new music.
There is a freedom that comes from not being tied to a record company. Like you're right, with social media, so many people can discover someone and that can just blow up. And they just did it, you know, in their recorded it in their living room or their car or whoever they did. And they just have so much talent, which I love that. I absolutely love that.
Just one more question about country in general, and then I just want to get to today being what would be Charlie Kirk's 32nd birthday and a song that you have released that was inspired by Erica Kirk. And my last question for you about the industry is: it seems to me as if country has changed so much that it's become the new rock. If you listen to country music from like the 70s, the 60s, 70s, I don't think you would recognize they would recognize today's country music as being country. It's kind of filled that void of the great rock bands of the 70s and 80s. It seems like country has filled that void.
Yeah, you know, I think it's always going to be changing the same. Uh to me, you know, country has always been more about You know, than just the instruments used or whatever, it's lyrics, it's the message. I don't think any genre of music can. You know, tell a story. Like I said, I love all music, but country, just there's something about the storytelling.
But yeah, I would agree with you. The sound is definitely changing, but as we just talked about, you know, more people having opportunities. I mean, it's kind of one of those things. People are always going to complain of what's country, what's not, but you can kind of listen to whatever you want to and just promote the music you like, you know.
So it's that's kind of you know where we're at with that. There's you know a lot of great music out there and um The fact that I get to write and sing country music is it's amazing. Yeah, no, it's fantastic. And you clearly, obviously, we're talented in both areas.
So that's just a double gift that you have been blessed with.
So let's talk about. The song. Make Heaven Crowded, which, by the way, I realize is going to be a long time by the time I get there. But when I get there, I would like some elbow room.
So I don't know how crowded we want to make it.
Okay. Exactly, yeah. This is probably, hopefully, it's already pretty packed, but yeah. Yeah. But you wrote this song after you heard the speech from Erica Kirk at his memorial.
What was it about her speech that inspired you to make this? What did she say that just really touched you, and you were able to write and record this song so quickly? Yeah, you know, I mean, what do you say in a situation like that? I just happen to. Catch a clip of her saying, you know, make Kevin Crowded the title of the song, but it wasn't even that, which is a phenomenal just.
Way to live. I mean, what a world it would be if we all lived to try to make heaven crowded. But it was more when she said, uh, Charlie, you know, you beside Jesus doing what you always wanted to do, make heaven crowded. And it was the doing what you always wanted to do that hit me harder than the make heaven crowded because I just, it made me take a look in the mirror. You know, I'm a new dad, just had our first child, and you start, I've always heard it changed your perspective, but it really does.
And if, you know, if God's given me a gift to write songs in a situation like this, to try to find some words that may help, you know, and it really just made me evaluate where I was in my own life. And, you know, although I never got a chance to meet Charlie, I hope I get a chance someday to tell Erica how inspired, you know, I've been by just her strength in a time that. I don't know how I would ever get through something like that.
So, um, you know, it's just all like the to see the reaction as well. Obviously, I knew writing the song I wasn't the only one feeling like that. And it just it really is. It feels like uh a time for, you know, everybody to come together. I've said that before.
We things happen, bad things happen, and we all come together. And then as time goes by, we all kind of drift back apart and back to our normal lives. But I hope this time we can, you know, really wake up and just know that we can do better.
Well, it's interesting because you kind of have walked into what I was going to ask you next is you talk in the song about lions outside of churches. Wouldn't it be great to see a lion to get into a church? And after the assassination of Charlie, we did see that in the immediate aftermath, right? And we've seen revival on campuses. We've seen professional football, college football players kneel in the end zone to openly and proudly pray.
But my question is. Does it last? Or is it just one of those things that everybody just felt so strong about with that assassination that they had to do something? Does it last? Yeah, I mean, that is that's the question.
And you know what? Only we can answer that. We have the answer to that, that we have to do something and not, you know, look at your own life, your own family, like whatever is around you, and know that if you don't stand up for it, it may not be here. And that is, like I said, I wish it wouldn't have been this that gave us such a wake-up call. But, you know, as it I'm still learning, and the more clips I see of Charlie, just how incredible.
Of a human, he was, and just how, you know, he just wanted everybody to be happy, and, you know, he spread the word as like. Like I wish, like I said, I think he set a great example. And looking at the way he lived his life, I think I can take several things from that and apply it to mine. And I hope other people can too. You know, I'm not a preacher.
I don't judge people. I really kind of just try to be good to people and do my own thing. But there comes a time when that's not good enough anymore. I mean, I have a platform, and God's given me the ability to write and sing songs.
So, you know, this getting a chance to do that and spread Jesus' name in my music is something that is long overdue. And I just thank Erica and Charlie and just the way they live their lives for influencing folks like me and millions of others.
Well, I think it's beautiful. Everybody has to check it out. Make Heaven Crowded. It's a fantastic song. And for your first foray, you know, into a more of like a Christian rock type song, it's really beautiful.
And the words, clearly, you have a gift for that because the words do seem very inspired.
So, thank you for that. Thank you for taking the time to come on the show. I know you have to go catch an airplane, and if I keep you like a minute longer, I'm going to get yelled at.
So, I appreciate you taking the time and just letting me be, like I said, a part of such a special day. I said, I think we can just continue to honor Charlie by the way we live and just keep spreading the good word. Yeah, absolutely. And congratulations on that little girl. Hey, thank you.
Thank you. I'm loving it. All right, Cole Swindell, thank you so much. Have a safe trip back home. Thank you for joining me here.
You can follow him on X at Cole, C-O-L-E, Swindell, S-W-I-N-D-E-L-L. More coming up on the Brian Killmead Show. What if we all talked to Jesus like a friend Talked to our friends about him And didn't stop till we got everybody in What if churches had all Longer line outside than all them bars on Friday nights. What if people pray for people who ain't home? There's some Love Don't go anywhere.
Brian Kilmead will be right back. It's Will King Country. Watch it live at noon Eastern Monday through Thursday at FoxNews.com or on the Fox News YouTube channel. And don't miss the show. Listen and follow the podcast five days a week at FoxnewsPodcasts.com or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.
