#335 - Caroline Bryan on How Luke Bryan Proposed + Why Being a Good Mom Is No. 1 + The One Thing in Luke’s Career That ‘Shook Her’ + The Meaning Behind ‘Best Bad Influence’

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Speaker 1: Hey, welcome to episode three thirty five. Caroline Brian, who you know asn't a song writer, but as extremely interesting and has been, you know, in the music world in a different capacity. So she's doing a lot to give back, and that's really the reason we brought her on. But there's so much interesting stuff about her life, about Luke's life, things that I didn't even know, so that was pretty cool. Uh. Caroline Brian went to Georgia Southern University, which we talked about here, you're actually here, we go where'd you go to school? So I'm only saying this afterward because now I know her dad was a social specialist, her mom worked as an operator and an insurance company, and you know, Caroline went to school and had her own career going. And she talks about for a while when Luke was starting out, she was supporting Luke and it's interesting, you know, you're in a marriage and at times, at different times, both people have to kind of step up and help in different ways. And you know, it's just a look at her if you haven't spent any time getting to know her, and also maybe a different look at Luke. And the one thing in this that Luke told her that kind of shook her and she was like, wow, like of all the things Luke said, I'm doing this, and I was. I guess I wasn't surprised, and I won't say what it is here, but I was, Um, I wasn't I guess that that was so impactful. Was surprising that it was kind of later. Yeah, I thought it would be something early on same you know, like Luke wins is first Entertainer of the Year or but it was something later that I wouldn't have considered from where I sit to be that big of a deal. I thought it. I felt a little more normal at that point. Yeah, but then when she said it, I was like, yeah, I guess you're right. That kind of came out of nowhere. So you'll hear her talk about that. Just love this. I think you'll love it too. And Caroline Brian Luke Brian's wife, but so much more than that, and that's why we had her on. So enjoy the episode. Here you go, Caroline, good to see you again. I was on your Instagram story the other day. I saw that you had gotten your maybe SUV your car stuck in a bunch of mud. What what happened. I was flipping through so fast, but it looked like the tire was so deep into the mud that it almost seemed like you should have known there was mud. It wasn't like surprised mud. It wasn't a surprised mud. I didn't know. So first of all, I um, I bought this big van because all I do is car pool, you know, with a bunch of So it's a big van. It's not like just a MANI van. It's a big van. And it's been raining a ton. And so I told T and I said, let's go check on Brett's barn to see if it's flooded, because we've been flooded today, like we've She's been transporting animals all day. So I went to take a turn to go check on the big horses, and I just I got stuck, and I said, baby, we're welcome back to the house. I'm sorry. And so how did you get the van out of the mud. Did someone come and pull it out? Oh? Absolutely, did have that truck at your house to pull it out? Got it? Do you feel like a little bit you live too? Completely different lives at the same time, meaning and knowing. Luke now more than just in a professional relationship myself and then knowing you a little bit as well. There is this the life that you guys live that is very front facing. There's a bit of fame, notoriety, um, the success of Luke and now your success, like that's all the thing and like wow. But then also at home it just feels like that doesn't exist and you have mud in a barn, and it just feels like two different lives and not in a good way or a bad way. But if they're so different to me, do you feel that way? I do and I don't. I think they're both. So I think that's why people can kind of connect with us, because yeah, I mean Luke is so big. He is, and but when we're home my favorite thing, like on a Saturday or a Sunday, if I'm home, I'm at the bar and I'm feeding the animals. You know, animals are climbing all over me, I'm stepping in poop and but it's so but people like that to you know, not not everything is fancy, and but you're not doing it for them to like that, I guess, is my point. It's just us though, because there are other brother sisters, siblings of stars who if they had and they do have the ability, and they're just like, why would I ever clean up after an animal? We're rich now, yeah, and that's not us that right, and that you have the the life of you are. You can do what you want at this point because of your family success. But yet you still, for lack of a better term, keep it extremely real. Well that's all that we know. Because we're both from small towns in Georgia. You know, we didn't grow up with much. I mean, you know, we weren't, you know, poor poor, but we didn't grow up with much but um and life. We've always said that life somehow has a way of making you humble. So either you stay humble or or life is going to do it for you. And you know, we've had some knocks in life to where I don't think we could ever even if we tried, I don't think we could ever change how we are because you know, Luke's Lucas Luke. He just wants to fish and hot, truly, I mean, he loves being he loves being seen, that's his thing. But no, I mean I can't imagine ever having somebody doing everything for me that would drive me nuts. How do you raise kids with again their dad and now their mom? Uh? Famous? Famous? I mean, there's no other way to say it, just famous and wildly successful. And I asked that question and that you know, eventually my wife and I are gonna have kids. And I grew up in pretty extreme poverty. But my kids will not grow up in poverty. They won't And so I often wonder, like, how how the crap am I supposed to do that? And how do I instill values because they're not going to be instilled the same way they were instilled into me because mine were forced into me, but they kind of can be. So you were raised a certain way, so you have a work ethic installed in new that you can't take out, right, Yeah, but how did they They're not going to have that because they're they can you make them do chores and you make them this is what I'm asking. If they want a game, if they want this, I mean, you make them work for it. And if they have their you know, we always have their friends over it. That's just like our house where all the boys come, but they all get a trash bag and they clean up because you know, I mean it can. It can become like a circus with a bunch of kids. I make them go and clean up everything. That's what they do, or they can't do anything. And if they want a game, I'll make takeo wash my car. So nothing comes for free. You know, sometimes it's okay to go, y'all been good, so let's go have ice cream. That that's okay, But because you do want to spoil them a little bit because you didn't have that, And like I'm an overbearing mom every you know, I'm up every morning with the kids, making them from breakfast because I didn't have, you know, a mom my. Mom was fabulous, but she had to be at work, so I've had to make mom breakfast and this and this and this and so now I'm trying to pull back some from from going here's your breakfast, sweetie, here because I didn't have that, but I wanted it. It sounds to me, as again not a parent myself yet, that there's a line and you never quite walk it right, and you're always trying to find it and you're trying to stay as close to it all the time. You'll never do anything right. It's just you just learned from what you do wrong, which everybody knows. I've screwed up a million times. But with a parent, you're not going to do everything right. But they're going to know that my mom and dad are there. They're going to know that what was your hometown? Like very small, but it was awesome? What's it called Sandersville, Georgia? Sandersville? And what's in sanders if I'm driving up to it right now? Like, what do I see in Sandersville? So we are the Kaolan capital of the world. I don't know what kaola is? Chalk chalk mines, Okay, So there are there a lot of holes, yes, yes, and so that's where almost everybody worked or somehow that's just how that was our town. But a lot of chalk mines. So I grew up in a town that we had a like a sawmill, So we were known for me a huge sawmill. And the industry in that town was everyone that worked in the sawmill. Is that what the mines are like? There? Is? Are there a lot of jobs created by the mind still today almost everything? Yes? And you mean like school chalk, so chalk is in I mean it's a medicine. I have no idea You're going to teach me something right now, it's in a ton of things and it gets shipped out. We have trains, we have truck I mean, you know, it's it's being shipped out everywhere. But eventually it's gonna be mined out. So so my town, I don't know what's gonna we We went through this in my town, the saw mill shut down, and not that this is what's gonna happen to your town, but a lot of what's happened in my town is it's dying or dead. And it sucks because there's no reason to go to my town now because it was only built for the sawmill and it struggles. And I do my part to try to help and keep it afloat. But I understand what it's like to have like a central industry in the town that keeps it afloat. And you're a mining town where your parents involved in the mining industry at all. My mom um was a therapist and my but my my father did work for the chalk mines. He did, and that's just kind of how it was. And so I'm just I didn't know there were so many uses for chalk. I thought, basically you wrote three times three, and there's a ton there's a ton of stuff which I can't even explain at all. And I grew up there, but there is all kinds of stuff. So in this town, like geographically where is it? We are kind of in the heart of Georgia. Were kind of in the middle of everything. Um, we are an hour and a half from Atlanta, an hour and a half from Athens, hour and a half from States for two hours from Savannah. So it sounds like you couldn't be any more Georgian than where you're from. Your right in the middle of everything. And so kind of kid are in high school? What kind of student are you? I was a good kid, um. I played sports, you know, I never Everybody now thinks, oh she's so, she's naughty, but I was. I was a really good kid. I didn't get into a ton of trouble. I got into a little bit it. I played sports, and I was just your typical kid. But what was the dream in like tenth grade? You did you want to graduate and leave town? Did you want to like, did you have a future for you in your mind? Tenth grade? I honestly thought that I would be in my hometown forever. And I was fine with that, and it's a great hometown. But that that was my I never saw outside of that short term period. I just didn't. So you finished high school and then what my first week in college? I'm at Luke that quick? That quick? Yeah, and you guys were at school where Georgia Southern in Statesboro? And how did you meet Luke your first week? It's some sort of freshman uh you know everybody okay? So naturally, so the first time in a bar? It was your first time in a bar? Well it was, it was it was my third. But I wasn't a drinker in high school, so I didn't, you know, I didn't go to bars. And so I went to a bar my first week in college and I met Luke. Do you remember meeting Luke like that? Not just like we I know we met it, but do you remember the thoughts of hey, I see that guy, or like how did how did you two start talking? What was the approach? Well? He sent Okay, so I walk into a bar. You know, I'm I'm a freshman. I don't know anything. You know. Classes started the next day. Was he a freshman too, or was the older he was a senior? So I was. I was a freshman. He was a senior, and you know, I'd only met a hand, I didn't meet a ton of people. And so I walked into a bar with my friends and I keep seeing across the bar like just this these white teeth. No, I'm not kidding, And I was like, what is like this? This guy was smiling at me, and I'm like, okay, I mean he he was adorable, but I didn't think a thing about it. And then he sent a friend over to say hey for him, yes, which is not like Luke. But then eventually he came over and he said hey, and we started talking and then, um, we were friends. You're doing, I am, you can't see. We were friends for two weeks and then you know you started dating. Yes, So if he was a senior, does that mean he graduated or left pretty soon after that? Uh? Well, he stayed an extra year and a half. And when you met him? Was he this guy Luke that you met and he liked? Was he a guy that you know had big dreams to be a country music artist? Like? Wow, under what pretense did you meet him? Meaning? Hi, I'm Luke, I do so? And so was it? Student? Was it hopefully artist. Well, he was singing, So that's all with Luke. That's all I've ever known. So um, I mean he would go on Fridays and Saturdays to other colleges and he would go sing and he'd play shows. So that's all I ever knew with him still is. You know, he was gone, but he never really talked a ton about, you know, moving here in a town. I always knew that if he wanted it, he could. I just knew he could. But um, a year passes and he's he's about to graduate and he's you know, Luke was Luke was already a senior. He'd already dated girls. I hadn't dated around. I just was innocent and you know, a prude, which I still kind of am. But um, he was talking about marriage and I freaked out and we I said, we have to break up. We just do. Usually it's the opposite where at least with my friends because because dudes are like, oh, marriage, well you get scared though if you're not ready, you just freak out and get scared. While so you said, that's a little too serious for me. Let's pump the brakes, or let's break it up. We broke up. We did, and um he moved home, and then eventually eight months after that he moved here in a town and which I was so happy for him. I mean, did you think it was over for about Yes, you did. There was a point where you really thought it was. So let's keep this about you for a second. I mean, listen, I love Luke too, but I can see Luke anytime, you know, I don't get to see you a whole lot. So I want to know about you a little bit. You are a freshman and sophomore in college. Why are you going to school to learn what to do? What business? With the thought of I always thought that I would own a real estate company and white real estate. I don't know, I just liked it. I just loved the thought, which now here if I owned one here now great. But yeah, but um, this was back into lord m I just And what's weird is that I had named it. I was gonna name it red red Door. And now everything about us is read because of you know, charities and our home and his sisters. So that's really odd. But so I don't think anything just happens for a reason. I think everything is set in place for something, But yeah, I thought I would own a real estate company. Did you like college? Ye? Was which part appealed to you more, the higher learning or the social There's no higher learning in me. I felt college algebra twice. So you're having a good time in school. And do you end up finishing at Georgia Southern? I did, and Luke is here. And while you're in school, do you guys get back together? At some point? We kept in touch through email because this is pretexting, this is pre Facebook. Instagram said. There was no texting when I was in college, and we kept in touch sporadically through email. And then he was always in touch with my brother also, so we kept in touch. But if I if he had a show in town, I would go always, which is kind of messed up, but we would always say hey and hug, but then we'd go our separate ways. But when did you feel like, Okay, maybe this isn't all the way over Because if you're going to shows and listen, what do I know? But if you're going to shows and it's an ex boyfriend, I would have to think that some little tiny part of you thinks possibly there's a chance. Well, I always knew, and I always said that he was the greatest guy that I would ever date. And I would say that whether I had been drinking or whether I was sober in college. Um, but one night I was working in a town on and I go to a bar, did not have a clue, but Luke was playing and we locked eyes. And that's been it ever since. So it's like everything changed within two minutes. So let me see if I got the story straight. You met, you broke up, you weren't going to get back together. But then you randomly, even though you ran one of some of the shows when he was in town, you randomly went to a place he was playing. Had no clue he was playing. Really truly, I wasn't on the front door on the drive there. Um, I was with my brother and his friends, and my brother goes, well, guess who's playing it? Blah blah blah, And I was like who And I was in work close. I did not look like a cute college kid, but I was already out of college. He goes, Luke's playing here tonight. Now what okay? All right? All right, well, here here we go and here we go. I didn't know what to do. Um, but he was on stage and we saw each other and it was like it was it was something different and then but ever since then it's been and from that moment though, you guys were together. Well, I probably shouldn't say this. Um Luke had to leave the stage early for something. So I thought he left the stage early because he was trying to avoid me. So I left and uh, my phone rang about two am, and he goes, where did you go? He left, and you didn't see him after he left. It wasn't like he left and came back. Well he did, he did, but I thought he just left to avoid me. So I got upset. It's like a three company episode. Everybody's confused, I know. And I said Bow, just which Bow is? My brother? I said, Bow, just take just you know, I'll go home because I had to get up at six am to work anyway, I said, just take me home. And I cried the whole way and I said, well, I ruined everything with the best guy I'd ever dated. I fel sleep too am his his room phone rings. I mean, we still don't have cell phones really, and it was looking. He goes, where did you go? And I said, I thought that you didn't I want to see me, and he goes, no, I'll explain later, and then yeah, you're exactly right, that's what happened. So and I want to come back to this part of the story. But I do want to go back, and I want to talk about Brett's barn for a second. And you you mentioned the animals. Where did this love of animals come from with you personally? Like, when did it start to be a calling for you that I want a big part of my life to be in helping animals. Oh well, I grew up having all kinds of animals, so I've always loved them. I mean, there was never a time when I didn't love dogs, cats. I grew up with pet turkeys, which pet turkeys well ironically want to attacked me. But um later in life. But when when Brett passed, when well, when she was a baby, I was kidding around with my with you know, my my sister lawn brother, and I said, I'm going to get you a white pony. When she passed. You know, we've been through tragedy and we've always been hands on, Like right there in the moment, well, watching my um family suffer, and I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't know what in the world to do. So a friend called me and she goes, oh my gosh, I'm here at a rescue barn and there's a white pony and I'm gonna save it if you want it, And I said, no, I want it. So we adopted two ponies and a goat, and that just kept going. And so it's been it's just been great for us and for for kids and families that can come out, because some of these kids have been in hospital for a year and when they can, you know, come out and play why and their mom and dad just sit and breathe and the kids be kids. It's the best thing ever. So and now we're so attached that we just keep We're going to keep adding on, so hopefully someday it'll be public. What are some of the What are some of your favorite animals. My lama is one of my favorites because she is just her name is Peca. A child at the hospital named her. Um. Oh my gosh, she loves she loves pigs. I'm not the biggest pick fan because I see what pigs eat and it is so I really don't eat much pork. Anymore. But our horses llamas, Oh my gosh, well they're all I love my goats too, so but yeah, pigs, pigs. Have you ever seen what pigs eat? Yes? I have. It's basically um, an accumulation of the most disgusting things that you can find and things that other things won't eat or use. Yes, and all gathered together. Yes, we just slot pigs a lot as a kid, and it's literal slot in the slot because it's disgusting. Yeah, but they poop, yeah everything. I just can't. I just can't. For you guys who want to check it out, follow at Brett's Barn because you can follow along with Caroline's Rescue animals. And she started the barn in honor of her niece Bread who passed away from c h D. Which we should talk about the foundation. I think that leads to that. So the Brett Boyer Foundation at Bright for for Brett and so c h D is something that you are involved heavily in. You know, what advancements have you seen since you have directly gotten involved, or how can people also help on a way that we actually feel like we're doing something. Well, we've seen um through just our help I mean they have how do you call it, it's not a fake heart, it's a it's a model of a heart that they can do. But they all so have um no, but there's a different word and I've gone blank. So they have a heart that they can place into a child, and it's like a mechanical heart. God. Um So we've seen that happen and that keeps a child alive until they have a donor, which is amazing. Created a mechanical heart that is like a placeholder for a real hardness until but there's only a certain amount of time, but it is they I mean we've seen children live because of that and so but it has to be funded, and so we do anything from research to immediate help to mental health because these parents come in with children and they have other kids at home and they don't understand why they're mom and dad aren't home. So it's we try to do everything all around. If you guys want to check this out, go to apt Bright for Brett and you know the working race finds a good directly toward research initiative h D. And I mean that mechanical heart is wild and even for thirty minutes, even for five minutes that that would go in and actually work as a placeholder for a heart so they could do things to actually save the kid's life that I did not know that. Wow, So yeah, be sure to check that out at bright for bread. Well, let's rewind you talk. Gluke calls you on some corded phone from the hundred. I'm always yours. I had the same phones, and he's like, all right, we should Then what happens do you guys say, let's start over or let's just pick up where we left off. How do you start a relationship back after that long Well, so at this time I was living in Georgia. He's in Nashville, and I was traveling a good bit with the company I was with. So this is just when texting just started happening. So you know, I was just learning how to text. Seriously. Uh, he called me. I was working in Cincinnati for like two weeks and he called me out of the blue, And so I invited him to my family's Christmas party in Atlanta. He said, okay, he drove down, got there at midnight, and we slept on some cot I don't even know. I nothing happened. I swear it was like a peck on the cheek and it's been we've been together since then. What stage of his career was he when you guys got back together, he had just signed with Capital, And as we know, just because you signed, I don't mean it doesn't mean I mean it actually means probably more broke, because now you got to do a bunch of freestyle. We were broke. Yeah. Yeah, So you're with a struggling artist who I'm assuming I'm sure that who you believed and as an artist, not just as a man, because you believed in him, but what did you see in him as a young artist that led you to believe? And I think he could actually do this? Well, I mean I think everybody who meets Luke, I mean he's got this big. I mean, his personality is huge. It's just you. You can't fake it. It's just huge. And so I always knew that. I mean, first of all, he's talented, but he can come in and he can talk to anybody, and he can say anything and it can come all funny, even if it's wrong. He can laugh and it comes off okay. So I just always knew that he could he could do it. But then there were times when he doubted himself and you know that's not like Luke. So it was like there was a time where he really doubted that he could do it and he was thinking about doing something else, and I'm like, no, I don't think you should give up. Yeah, even though it's hard when you don't see your spouse or for weeks at a time, but it paid off. And but I know I never doubted that he could do it if he wanted to. When did the trajectory actually start to turn around? And not heavily It doesn't have to like full, but were you two together to go, well, we have a little bit of traction this, we're not just in the hole, Like when what was that? What happened? I think when it really started to be like okay, whoa, this this could be big? Was um when he put out Country Girl. I think were you guys married by then? Okay we had kids? Yeah? Okay, oh so you kids? Where did you guys get married? Tursh Okay? So I'm assuming there weren't a lot of people out there. We just told friends like whoever wants to come, come, So I think we had probably it was about of us. Yeah, that's about what I would imagine not four it and oh god no, So you go to Turks and Kike Ghosts, which I don't even know if you gave me a map. I'm assuming it's down there by Cuba somewhere, and the it's about I guess about four hundred and naughty something mouse south of Miami area. Let me know my geography. Come on, so you go to Turks and Cake ghost How did he propose? Let's back it up a little bit. Um, he proposed. I had been gone two weeks working in Indiana. I came home and he came outside the house and he had shaved, which you know, Luke shaving doesn't happen much. And I was like, okay, and he dressed he had dressed up. I thought he just missed me. And he had made this CD of like our favorite songs in college. And then he told me he was taking me somewhere to eat. And then he put a blindfold on me, which I thought. I knew something was up then, because you know, that's just not get blindfolded every Saturday night. Oh god, no, no, we're not. We're not like that. Um. And then he took me and he just walked me up these steps and he took it off and he was on one name, and I'm assuming it was an easy yes, yeah, of course. Yeah. So you get married and and we're traveling for work. What was the job that you were doing, like when you're in Cincinnati, Like, what was that job? Specifically? I was a drug rap so we always had to go have training, like because I was always learning a new drug. So you'd go away for two weeks, sometimes a month. It was just it was just constant, like an artist's life. But it was me. Hell, Like, I guess that's all I've ever known now, so I mean, I guess I never thought about that. But yeah, yeah, it sounds like a lot of road time, a lot of hotels. Oh god, yea hotel food, and so you must know what it's like then to be a traveling artist, especially in the early stages, because you stay in crappy hotels and they eat the same kind of food over and over again. Yeah, but yes, but no, but you know Luke like, oh my gosh, the starting days he would be on. There was a time when he had fourteen flights in seven days, and you know, I mean he's just exhausted, but he never he never stopped. So but you get married and Luke has a record deal. When you get married, yes, okay, so how do you support like, what do you do? Do you can you quit your job at that point? I mean no, I supported us really for how long? Shoot? Oh my gosh, I don't even know. Not terrible. I mean, he always made money, but you know, he was doing all these free shows and I had I had a good job, so yeah, I mean, and that was my point with the record deal. When you sign a record deal, sometimes you go into the hole even more because again you have to do free shows because the record company used to go and suck up to the radio station. So you have to play a show over the radio station and you don't get paid for so you actually it's worse financially for you. So he's quite lucky that he had you at the time. He would have been fine. He would have been fine, like Luke would have always you know, sad, hustled. He would have been fine. But I mean, but yeah, just us having a house and but yeah, but and then you know he was on my insurance and so that always helped. But which is sounds weird to like, I'm like, no, he was on my insurance and people don't get that. I'm like, but that, yeah, you have to have insurance. But what about you moving up here? What was that story? Oh? I was ready. I never thought twice about it. Did he say, hey, Caroline, move up here? Yeah? And I said, okay, that was it. I've never been I've never been homesick once, truly. Do you get back home often? I don't. I don't because we're everything is so busy here. You know, We've our kids are here, we they have lives, Luke, and I mean, we're constantly on the go. So I don't want I need to want to play you a voicemail. This is a listener was in Vegas and Luke was doing his residency there and you guys were all there, um. And I only played this because I knew that you had publicly shown on social media that you were all there. Otherwise I would have just not said it. I would have kept it off the air. But this is Julian St. Louis who had this question. And then I'll let you respond. I'll tell you how I responded, but go ahead. Hey, So I just had a question. I was at the Luke Brian concert. This past weekend in Vegas, and I saw his wife and boys in the concert and they were just sitting there watching, And of course the boys were like bored out of their mind and it made me laugh. No one like said anything to them, no one like knew that it was them. And so my question is, can I go say hello? Would that have been not? Okay? Like, what's the rule on famous people's family? So I thought this was a great question, And so what is your personal rule, especially in this situation when she sees the whole family out together watching Luke? Okay? So, first of all, we um are super careful, especially if I have my kids out in the crowd. So we did have two guards around us, and they they did stop some some people. Um, but anybody can come up and say, hey, just I just don't touch my children, and you know that's what I said, Yeah, I just just just don't touch my kids because that's happened in the past. And you know, this is a stage where there is no side stage, so we can't stand side stage and watch Luke. So but everything went so smoothly and people were awesome. So but yeah, I mean people can come up and say, hey, just don't grab a child, because then I will go into psycho mode. My general answer to that if someone's like, hey, when can I not say hello to somebody they have their eating or with their kids, Like generally that's the rule. They're at a table eating, there's food in front of them, leave them alone. But that never happens. Yeah, you know that never happens. But I try to make it happen more. I tried. And then if they're with their kids, and what I told her specifically was if she's by you, say hello to Caroline. And if there's a situation where Caroline is taking pictures, but don't ask for the kids to be in a picture, don't write, don't ask of the kids anything. And if for some reason Caroline is like, hey, my kids are here, do you want them to be in the picture, then you can allow that. But kids are a whole different level that you guys didn't sign up for them to be in this life. And so um, I you know, I think that's the eating part. The people let me run this by you, and I don't know how if you guys can even go to dinner anymore, we totally can. I think we know our places and the times and you know, I mean, if you're with Luke, it's gonna be tough. I don't care. But here in town it's not that bad. But I mean, people are going to come up and say, I'm so sorry to bother you. That's just how it goes. It always starts off with I'm so sorry to bother you. But I'd rather have that. I think our pet peeve is when a person comes up to us and goes, you don't know who I am? Do you? It's the hardest. Yeah, it's yeah, it's tough. I just like, why would you do that to a person? What's my name? You don't know who I am? Do you? We met once? Who am I? I like, I don't meet in Green Tublow, I don't know what you met? Ten million people like, I'm so sorry I don't but yeah, that's so. But yeah, if you're eating in public, I wonder. And the level of what I do is nothing to the level of Luke's. But what it has been difficult for us only recently in the last couple of years, has been people will just film us eating the whole time and an awkward by and you know what, I'm okay with it, but my wife, it just doesn't want to be and she's like, oh, she just feels uncomfortable. But someone's got a phone like recording us eating and they think that they're slides. They're like, yes, they're they're pointing their phone like over here, but look in the opposite way and they're like, dude, I know what you're doing. I mean, And the reality is I love to meet people if if i'm as much says hey, you know, if I get a picture, if I'm on two feet and I'm not eating or with your kids, you have to add you know, I'm happy to take a picture anytime anywhere. But I just wondered about the eating part, like if you that's can even go to a restaurant, And if so, do you have to have do you have to get somewhere specific or I mean it's it's going to happen anywhere. But we're so accustomed to it. But we've taught our our kids got in trouble wants because I do want them to be respectful. So that a guy came up to our table and Luke and I had been talking, so we let our boys play on their phone just to give us a minute to talk. Well, a guy comes up to our table and is saying hey, and our boys were still playing on their phone when the guy left, they got in so much trouble because that's just I mean, I was like, boys, don't you ever do that again. I mean, I don't care who it is. Put the phone down, look them in the eye, and just say hello. So I'm weird about that too, because I just want I don't want my kids to ever ignore a human. It sounds like being a great parent is like priority number one for you. Yeah, of course, Like that's that's the thing that like when I we've talked about a bunch of stuff and still have a lot of stuff talk to you about. But that's when I really see like strong love and opinion come out of you, Like you get the face like this is what I really care about. Yeah. I just wanted to make them gentlemen and with good manners. And I mean, I don't care if they're they're never gonna be the smartest kids in the class. That ain't gonna happen with with my family, but they can have the best manners and just open doors for girls. Stand up if a girl comes to a table, shake hands, Yes, ma'am, yes, sir, please thank you or they know that I'll I'm not going to say hit them because you can't say that anymore, but I might. We just have to know that. I want to talk for a second and again we'll break back in that in a minute. But best bad Influence dot Com. Now if you go to that site, what what's there? You tell me? So we started a merch line on a while back, and that's been like my tagline since I was a kid, because something happened years ago when I was called a bad influence and I was not, and so I was like, well, if I'm a bad influence, I'm the best bad influence that this person will ever have. And so I've said that, And so we started a march line and it's done. It's better than we ever thought. So we're just going to keep on building it. So what kind of march are we talking about? Here? T shirts, cups, stickers. Um, We're gonna do a pop up shop at Luke's Bar on in Town. This will be thirty eight March. We're going to give away a cooler scooter, which I've had like twelve of those, So it's gonna be a cooler scooter. I think I saw you writing that on your Instagram, right, that's what that was. Yeah, I love him a cooler scooter. And so will you be at this pop up shop? Of course? Yes, I don't know. I'll be there. We'll be surrounded by humongous a uity guards. Don't look at her in the eye. I don't know. I would never do that. No, I want to play a song for you. This is to the Moon and Back. Here is a clip I blow somethingbody to the moon through the words me in the through. So word is this is the first song he wrote about you? Is that true? Okay? So he did not write this song, but he heard it and I think McGraw had it on hold, but Luke went't asked for it because that's kind of like our our family line. I love you to the Moon and Back. So he recorded it and he told me it was for me, which is very sweet. So when he heard it, it it reminded him of you. Yes, okay, here is sorority girl. This is and you can tell me if this is true or not. It describes your budding relationship while in college. Is this is this true? This song? Which which part I don't know? Let's play a little bit of it, Jeff try and some of the stuff on the internet is not true some so I just like to ask the questions, is this sorority girl? Is this about your relationship of college? I don't think it's about our relationship. But he did put ad pive first because that's what I was in college. So I told him. I was like, if you write a song about a sorority, you have to put mine first. So there is your influence on the song, just just a little bit. After many many years, if he writes a song and he's like, hey, Carolyss, reminds me of you, or I wrote this thinking about you a little bit, is it like song? No? I think it's so sweet. But do you know what he did do? And he did it all wrong? And someday he'll tell you about this. We went on a two day trip just to be alone because we never get time alone. He goes, I want to play you this song he wrote. It's it's a great song. First of all, he wrote it. He goes, I want you to hear this. And so we're sitting out on the balcony having a glass of wine and the song is called married for for the kids, and I'm listening to it and I'm like, I'm staring at him. You know, Luca's clueless. He's like it in this good and I'm like, what, so what are you trying to tell me? I was like, it was just the wrong time to approach me with this song, like it's a song called it's a great song. He goes, I want you to hear this, or I just wrote it. It's called married for the kids. I said, Luke, I mean, this is just the wrong time to like, are you trying to tell me something? Do you bring me here alone to tell me something? And he just begat. I was like, He's like, I'm sorry, that was the wrong time to ever bring that up. When you were younger, did you have anyone say, Caroline, you should perform because I feel like natural never not singing, but maybe on stage. Um no, no acting. No. Um. Well, I think I was scarred early because well, first of all, I have no talent. I can't sing, and I kind of got kicked out of ballet class when I was in the third or fourth grade. They politely told my mom that I should not come back, so I don't think I should. Evidently, I was disrupted, but they never thought she's funny. She has a presence about no one told you to any I'd like to get an entertainment in anyway. I mean when I was a senior, I was voted wittiest in my class, but I never embraced like how I truly am until honestly, until I was in college. I mean, I've never really I just played this role of you know, because I played sports author high school, so I never I mean I was goofy, I did weird stuff, but I just never thought about it truly. Let's go back and jump back on the timeline for a second. When when in Luke's career, then did it go from while we're gaining a little traction to well, this thing is actually going to be a monster, and this is gonna be so much success that yes, it's great, but there are also some other elements of success that can be um, maybe not troublesome, but it's just you're not prepared for some of it because you get so famous. Um. I think my first and it took years, but I think my first big freakout was when he told me at the beach once he goes, hey, I'm having dinner. I think I'm going to be a judge on American Idol, and I didn't know how to because he was already touring, songwriting, you know, just being Luke. And I remember I just I went for a jog and I was going for an hour and a half. So that really shook you a little bitter. I did, because I was scared. I didn't know how to handle it. I was like, how how are we going to handle your touring and l A and all this, And so that was my first big just I mean, I had not a meltdown, but I just had. I was just scared. So I just took off and because he was supposed to go a jog with me, and then I just I just shot out. And he had he was wildly successful as an artist. And but and correct me if I'm wrong. That grew a little by a little by medium and you were kind of able to nurture that as it got bigger and bigger. Or the American Idol thing was just like coming from left field and like boom ABC, He's launching their version of American Idol. Judge gone like all that. You didn't have time to sit with it. I didn't so then I mean he just told me. He goes, I've got to have dinner. And Luke always holds back any info that think that if he thinks it's going to freak me out, he holds it back into the last second, which is not really the smartest thing. So don't do that with Kaitlin. But yeah, just give her time to process stuff, especially if it's something big like that. But when he goes, Okay, look, I've got to go have dinner tonight, Um, I think I'm going to be a judge on American Idol, And so I didn't have. I was like, what how are we going to handle something else? You know, we still have all these kids? And so I freaked out. But then you know, when it started happening, it wasn't it wasn't as bad. I mean, it's still tough because you know, you're still gone. You've done it far long hours, multiple days in a row. It's tough, and it's it's tough on a on a wife. It's just because we you know, we truly miss having y'all around, but we understand that you have this drive. But I just really had to wrap my head around it. Did you and in our relationship and I've only we've only been married six or seven months. But you know, the struggle that we have is that for my life, I have been very focused on my career and have been just chipping away. And I don't have some you know, crazy talent that people were like, Wow, you're twenty two, let's give you all these great jobs. I've had to really work in grind to get opportunities that built opportunity to build opportunities. So now here I am and I'm finally starting to have really nice opportunities, large opportunities. And so I've known Caitlin for a few years, we've been married for a little less than one, but she only no was that version of of me where I'm getting these opportunities and we're deciding together. But now they're all coming at once and I can't believe it. I'm like, Wow, that's a big and I'll take it. Wow, that's a big one. I'll take it. And so we've had to kind of make uh a word of that stuff for me. We've had to compromise. And then I said, Hey, I'm gonna do this show for Disney Plus and then I'm gonna stay off the road. I'm gonna do stand up. I'm gonna for three months and then I'm going to take this show with this other network. But we've had to compromise in that way. Did you find that you and Luke had to find and dedicate time to just him being Luke the dad and father, I guess the same person, but the dad and like Nashville Guy, was there a space where it's like, you can't do this all the time or you're not gonna have the family. Well that's what we've done. I mean, so I don't know what Caitlin does, you know, on her world, but every girl has to have her her own world, whether it's a job or whether it's hobbies, friends. Um, I don't think people like you and Luke are going to ever change. You're gonna wanna drive drive, drive, go go go. That that's just that's just your personality and there's nothing wrong with that. Um. But for years, you know, I've I've just been a mom with children, going back and forth to see Luke and you know, trying really embracing his dream. And so now that our kids are a little bit older, you know, I'm doing things that I never thought I would do. But it's been fun. But but still, I mean, y'all can't change. You're still gonna go. I want to do this. I want to do this, and as long as she's okay with it, do it. But I find myself not honoring. Does it seems sound terrible to say, not honoring the promises completely because I will say I will not go on the road for three months, So no again, no touring, no TV show. Can you do that? Well, here's what happens. Well it comes up, Well, I go, well, I was just offered a private comedy show in Vegas. It's five thousand people and the money, and here's the money, and I can't believe it does the same thing. And I'm like, you have to live. And she's like, okay, if you think it's worth it, then sure that this is what you told me. But honest, she's like, but if you this is worth it, do it. I'm like, thank you, and I'll go do it. And I'd be like, I just got off another one and it's not going to stop. I try, but I just I'm not. I'm gonna say I'm a bad person. It's not been it's not being about Luke does this stuff to me every week, right, And so he's like, Okay, well, I gotta do this soon because he's he's been gone for almost a month. We've traveled back and forth to see and then he called me and he goes, okay, I've got to do this March first, March second, like okay, okay, okay, okay. But the more, I mean, he's so focused on building, building building, and then some day he says it he just wants to just stop. Every same I just want to cult you will never stop, You'll never stop. I just want to build it to a point where I feel safe and I'm gonna quit everything and just hangsity. But I do have a dream that I would be able to do that. But you can cut back a lot and they have a nice nest egg. But you guys will never tell he stop. There's no way. I guess the difference in me is. And then Luke looks a lot richer than I am. So I still fear that I'm going to be broke one day. Every man thinks that, which I mean I think, I mean, I don't worry about that, but what if something happens. What if Luke says one wrong word and you just I think that's normal, especially if you come from nothing and you build, you work your ass off and then you have something great. It's normal. H You mentioned the kids getting older and you're starting to kind of find yourself in a different space. Like what you know? I asked you in tenth grade? But what is the dream now? I still don't know. I don't, I don't. I mean this is all like like I said, I spent fourteen years raising kids, and you know, we're working around Luke's life. That so a few things happened that we didn't plan on. And I truly I'm having fun in the moment and just trying to keep kids alive, trying to keep Luke alive. I just want to be real selfish in this question for you though the kids five years from now, the kids are great. You don't have to worry about them. You always got to worry about them, but you don't have to worry about it. And it's like, and Luke says Caroline, I wanted to help you do what you want to do. What do you want to do? I'm giving you full support, time, effort. What do you want to do? I want to take a nap? Can you imagine just sleeping past like five am for me. No, I don't have to wake up for kids if you wake up from radio show. But um, but what what is it if you don't know? Some of the most people I know still don't know right now, I truly don't know. I mean we're playing it. I mean I've enjoyed you know, you know, being on podcast, meeting all these people, you know, traveling, I've enjoyed that. But my happiest times are when we're all at home. That's the doing your own show. I don't know about any of that. I mean, I don't think I have the talent for any of that. I would disagree. I think you have the I think you have the natural intuition to do that and you just have to learn the format. Well. I have such a healthy fear. It's not healthy. I just have like this fear of failing anything. I just don't want to. That's what that holds me back from a lot. But we're trying. We're trying stuff. I mean, this one over here is pushing me to do everything. And people can't say here, but her name is Nicole. She's young, but she's an old soul. She's pushing you to do everything. We're just not pushed me, but just encouraging me to try difference or maybe you won't do anything and then we miss out because you're not doing it. I'm still like, I just see honestly, I mean, I'm just being realistic. I'm not you know, I'm not Luke. I don't have his I don't Luke's special. He just I don't think now though, that people look at you as and I'm gonna I'll say this as honestly as possible, right to your face. I don't think people just look at you as Luke's wife anymore. That's the that's the God's honest truth. It's very sweet. I think people used to know you as Luke's wife, but I don't think now Caroline is just associated as Luke Bryan's why life well, and that's me watching from afar, And that's also me watching from medium to close. You know, Luke and I have a relationship. You and I've spent a little time together. Um and then also I get to watch just on social media and I get to see you doing other stuff. So I think you're actually kind of breaking out of the of a wonderful shell that you can also live in that you're just not You're just not Luke's wife anymore. You'll always be Luke's wife and my mom. But now you're starting to be freaking Caroline. And that's awesome, just terrifying. Yes it is. You never know what I'm gonna do and that, but that's what's great for us, maybe not for you. That's great for us is that you never know what you're gonna do or say. Let me mention a few things again, and then I'll end on one question here because we've done almost an hour here. Okay, first, best bad Influence dot Com if you want to check out Caroline's merch and then they will be at a pop up shop with all new merch March at Short Things Cigars in thirty eight Florida's Yeah, like me, I can read um at Brett's Barn to follow the rescue animals, which is wonderful or bright for Brett for more info on general heart disease, down syndrome and what the Brett Boyer Foundation does. And you are very involved in so many things, Like I think it's really cool. I think it's really cool how you balance out all the things That's why I lead with the question like, how do you how do you balance two different lives front facing and inward facing. I don't know if I can just be known for I mean this, this sounds so fake, but it's not. If I could just be known for helping and just get giving back, then I mean, you know, if we're blessed with all this stuff and if we don't give back, then shame on us. So that's truly, that's that's really it all right here. This is my final little line up questioning. I've I did not get married till later in my life because I just I mean I didn't. I never wanted to marry anybody. Honestly, I never told a single person I loved him. I never so finally I did, and I do and it's and it was unlike anything that I'd ever experienced with a person. And now we've been married six months the first year of marriage. What's your advice about the first year of marriage? Because for me, at times, I live by myself forever. I know, I'm not the easiest person to She kind of has to rebreak me in because I've been so selfish and not that it's just I keep everything not in that but selfish and it's my time. I've only ever knowniced take care of myself. What is your first year of marriage advice? Well, first of all, being selfish without kids and a wife, that's not a bad thing. That's your time to be selfish and do whatever you want. First year, I think is the same as every year. Talk talk, talk, don't don't ever not tell each other how you're feeling, and there there is no secret as long as both people are in and putting it in work. But always talk communication times I say things when talking that makes it uncomfortable, well, then shut your mouth and just give her a minute. That's the thing that I've also learned is to let her process because I struggle, Like, we have a lot in comments. So if she's mad, do you want want to talk it out then and not give her I don't. I do not want to give her a moment for anything, because I'm like, looks the same way. I wait till the last second and then I say okay, and then I'm like, don't be mad. You can't be mad. Why are you mad? And I'm just like ah, and try to fix it real quick. Man can't okay? Men are fixers. I'll learn this in therapy a while back. Man want to fix everything right then sometimes you can't fix it. Just I'm the same way. If I'm mad, Luke needs to just give me a moment, which he can't. God, he wants to fix it right then sometimes you can't fix it. You can just listen, even if we sound ridiculous, just listen. But you can't fix it. Sometimes I feel like maybe she goes, why did I marry him? No, she doesn't. She just wants a moment alone. Well, let's hope that's the case. She doesn't think. Let's hope that's the case. All right, You guys follow Caroline l I n A Brian three. When people ask you that, do you say Lena Brian three or it looks like it is Lina and I get called Lena all the time, but that was my nickname in college was Lana, like Carolina in the morning, which that's my singing voice. Pretty goodhead. A lot of labels are on the phone right now, So yeah, Lina Brian three. Uh, you've been a real as always. You've been a real treat to talk to. Thank you for having and I appreciate you coming over and I don't know if you've ever done an hour before, but you know, I feel like you could do another hour. So that's what do All right, here we go Part two? All right, LINEA Brian three. You guys follow her and if you can help the Brett Boyer Foundation. And I think the best way to help is just to learn, and then from learning you make decisions. But if you never learned, you never know and you but people always go, hey, how can I help? Well, if you just read a little bit about it and learn about it, like that's enough. That's all the help that I could ask for anyone to give. And then if you're motivated, inspired to actually do more than great, and if not, you already did more than I could have ever hoped you would do. And so I hope you guys check it out, all right, um Lina Brian three on Instagram and good to see. Thank you guys, Thank you