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Songwriter Neil Thrasher recalled the story behind Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” — and the following controversy — when he caught up with brother duo Dan and Reid Isbell on a recent episode of God’s Country.
Thrasher is a songwriter and a host of the Try That in a Small Town Podcast, a series inspired by the 2023 Aldean single. Thrasher and fellow songwriters Kelley Lovelace, Tully Kennedy and Kurt Allison launched the podcast “to reveal the true inspiration behind the song and discuss the importance of common-sense values. With a lineup of influential guests, the hosts will entertain you with the stories behind their music, while also addressing challenging topics affecting our communities and country,” its description reads.
Thrasher said he initially thought “nobody’s gonna cut it,” but he knew that he and his co-writers “have to write it. We have to write it.” Thrasher said before long, he knew “there was only one person on the planet” to sing that song. “It took about as much time for him [Aldean] to listen to the song (before he said) ‘I’m cutting this.’” The song appeared on Aldean’s 14-track album, Highway Desperado, in 2023. The project also included “Tough Crowd,” “Let Your Boys Be Country,” “Whiskey Drink” and more. Thrasher recalled the story behind the song, the music video and the reactions they received during his conversation with the Isbell brothers.
“This week Reid and Dan host multi-hit songwriter and co-host of the ‘Try That in a Small Town’ podcast, Neil Thrasher, out in God's Country. Neil claims anyone who is good at music, should be good at golf too. This claim had the brothers floored, but soon had them believers. From there they dive in on hunting in the south, recapping 2024 deer season, and Neil recaps his favorite Tennessee Turkey story that he loves to tell anyone who will listen. Reid and Dan discuss the highs and lows of songwriting with Neil and he shares where the smash song ‘Try That in a Small Town’ came from. The episode ends with an ICONIC Gravorite that the studio is still buzzing over.”
Dan and Reid — who have written music for Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson and others — started their weekly podcast in early January 2024. Some of the first guests to appear on the show include HARDY, Dustin Lynch, Colbie Caillat and others.
“One of our favorite things about country music has always been how intertwined it is with the outdoors,” Dan and Reid Isbell said in a statement when God’s Country launched. They hope to “bring the outdoor enthusiast or country music lover an up close and personal look into the minds of some of the best songwriters and artists of the genre — a place where they can be honest about struggles, relationships, their connection to the outdoors, the music business, family, whatever they feel comfortable talking about. We can’t wait to see where this partnership will lead and who this podcast will reach.”
The iHeartPodcasts/MeatEater show is available anywhere you listen to podcasts, including in the iHeartRadio app. Select country stations will broadcast the show between 7-11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday evenings. Find God's Country here.