Takin’ A Walk Nashville: Whey Jennings Discusses His Journey and New Album Baptized by Fire in Music City

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Speaker 1: Taking a Walk Nashville.

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Speaker 2: Hey everyone, it's Sarah Harrelson, your host of Taking a Walk Nashville, and today here with me is country artist and songwriter Way Jennings. Way was born into one of country music's most iconic family names, and fans can instantly hear the resemblance of his music to his grandfather, Waylan Jennings. In the summer of twenty twenty four, Way released his critically acclaimed, highly anticipated first full length album, Jacquelin Hyde, which premiered at number ten on Apple Itunes's Top forty Country Albums chart.

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Speaker 3: His sophomore album, Baptized by Fire, It's.

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Speaker 2: Out now and I'm here with him at Couters for his album release party in Nashville. So, for those who don't know, Cooters is Nashville's one and only Dukes of Hazard museum and shops, operated by none other than Old Cooter himself from Dukes of Hazzard Ben Jones. This expanded museum features pictures, props, costumes, memorabilia from the beloved hit television show, and it's located right near the Grand Ole Opry, so definitely check it out. I'm here with Way Jennings at his album release party at Cooters today. Join me in my conversation with him. Welcome to taking a Walk Nashville with your hosts, singer songwriter Sarah Harrelson. I'm sitting here at Cooters in Nashville and their museum near the Grand O Opry with Way Jennings. He's celebrating his album release. So your new album is coming out this Friday, Baptized by Fire. Tell me about this new album. You've had a lot of collaborations. You wrote the track title with the.

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Speaker 3: Jim Moose Brown and David Wade.

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Speaker 2: What songs are you most looking for forward for people to hearing.

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Speaker 1: Well, I'm looking for to everybody hearing the whole thing. I didn't really know it before I put the album together. Actually we did. All the songs got and recorded. But you start from track one and run all the way down to track twelve. It's like one big human condition. So it turned out pretty good. Uh, it's kind of a story of the human condition, you know, from the point where I started my life to where I'm at today. And you know, when you live your life according to the way God's plan, won't you, Yeah, it gets a lot better for you.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: In between your album Jacqueline Hyde and this new record, How do you feel how your sound and these particular songs have evolved in the different kind of message you're telling in this album.

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Speaker 1: Well, these are at a little less routed those on Jack Jacqueline Hide. I wanted to put out a rocking album with Jacqueline Hyde, you know, with some meaningful nuggets on the inside of it, like Sleeves is a really deep song on that one. But this one right here, I wanted to go kind of deep into my heart and put out music that I was truly feeling inside here, you know, because I've been sober now for seven years, and I've really got of gained clarity through the time I've spent on stage and the seven years, you know, and I realized I asked someone wanted to say. So I put this album together with a bunch of good friends of mine, and you know, it's been a blessing.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm really excited to hear the new music. You also co wrote.

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Speaker 2: Some songs on it with Tyler Booth, who is running with Josh Turner. You also have collaborated with artist Karen Waldrop and with this album, you're currently on the Baptized by Fire tour, touring in more than forty five.

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Speaker 3: Cities in eighteen states.

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Speaker 2: How are you balancing your family and the tour at the same time right now?

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Speaker 1: What ain't easy? My wife just gave birth to our seventh child.

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Speaker 3: Oh well, congrats.

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Speaker 1: He's about five weeks old now, named Jesse Ray. So I've spent a lot of time at the beginning of this year at home with her, and I've got a little bit of time coming off coming up pretty soon to be off. But I try to keep a good balance between career and family. But you know, it ain't always the easiest thing to do. So I just got to go out there and do shows and make it back home in time.

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Speaker 3: Do you ever bring your kids on the road?

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Speaker 1: I do. I do right now, they're not able to because, like I said, we have a baby at the house. But yeah, well I brought my kids are out there when we would like to call them up and do how to lue you together and all that stuff, and surely fun time. It's kind of family oriented hill these days.

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Speaker 2: Wonderful you people can find tickets to your upcoming show on your website. You have so many this year. You know your outlaw brand. It's essentially been your family's DNA. But your music today does focus on redemption and faith. So how do you balance honoring the you know, sort of rebellious legacy while staying true to the man of faith you are now?

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Speaker 1: Well, honestly, if you look around, you'll see that being staying true to the man of faith I am today is kind of rebellious, and so if you know, I just try to be myself. I mean, my family got branded a bunch of outlaws a bunch of years ago. But even my grandfather didn't like it because you know, he wasn't not that Robin Banks for nothing, right, He was just trying to do some rowdy music and have a good time. You know. I like to have a good time too. If you come to my show, we have a kind of a rowdy time. Plus you know there's some things you can learn on the inside of my show too.

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Speaker 2: So absolutely very excited for your upcoming shows and new album.

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Speaker 3: Way Jennings, My last question for you.

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Speaker 2: We're on taking a walk in Nashville, and I know you spend a lot of your time outside of Nashville now, but do you have a favorite place that you have just loved taking a walk in Nashville.

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Speaker 1: Oh man, there's so many places you can take a walk in Nashville. We just I'm trying to think what the name of that park was. We just shot out in videos that that was a beautiful place to walk. We went for the little high k over.

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Speaker 3: There, probably Percy Warner Park.

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Speaker 1: Maybe it might have been. Yeah, but that was a beautiful walk there. But I like walking around this area, honestly, having meet Music Valley, you know, I like to hang out over there near this board and down there at the Music City Bar and Grill. Matter of fact, I shot one of my last videos in the Music City Bar and Grill with West Ship, a buddy of mine. It's called old Country Song. Very cool. And speaking of this area, I'll be doing a show down there May thirty first at the Troubertory if anybody wants to come out there. We're gonna be doing an album celebration there. So yeah, this area right here is a good place to walk, uh, just about anywhere in Nashville.

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Speaker 3: Lounston wonderful.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, we're looking up forward to your upcoming show at the Troubadour and your new album Baptized by Fire Way Jennings.

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Speaker 3: Thank you so much for being on Taking a Walk Nashville today.

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Speaker 1: You're welcome. Thanks for doing it in front of Big Poast sings this truck over here.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, perfect setting to do it and along with the Waila Jennings exhibit and here too at the museum.

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Speaker 3: I think it's a perfect setting.

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Speaker 1: It is. It's good meet too, nice men, you too, Meigan.

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Speaker 3: Thanks for listening to Taking a Walk Nashville with Sarah Harrelson.

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Speaker 2: Please check out our other shows produced by buzz Night Media Productions, Comedy Save Me and Music Save Me hosted by Lynn Hoffman, and Taken a Walk hosted by Yours Truly buzz Night. All shows are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and are part of the iHeart podcast network