When I was in eighth grade, my best friend Ike and I (that’s right, Mike and Ike) would do this….He would go in his front yard and plug in his electric guitar to an amp. I would then do the same at my house in my front yard. Our houses were about a mile apart as the crow flies. We would turn the amps up as loud as they could go and play name that tune across the neighborhood. Now let me tell you…in order to have your best friend hear your electric guitar a mile away, and be able make out what song it is, it has to be really really loud! I’m sure the neighbors loved this!!haha!! Kids, be sure to try this at home! MH

The video is coming!! We have done a few small web videos but this is the big one. The real deal! Wes Edwards, the director, is an absolute genius and a blast to work with. He and his crew found an old mansion in east Nashville that set the perfect scene for “If I Run.” Using the very best and latest technology. I really can’t wait to see it. Also, some behind the scenes/making of the video footage was shot as well. Keep yours open for both. Hope ya like what you see!!

What a blast we had in Boise at the Canyon County Fair! We opened up for Keith Anderson who was awesome! Not only a great entertainer, but a really cool guy. He invited us on his bus after the show and we all hung out like we’d known each other for years. I also can’t stress enough how amazing everyone is at KIZN radio. Kevin, Brenda, Spencer, and Rich. It was great to see y’all and you always treat us like family. I hope we can get back out there before summer ends. Thank you thank you! And what great country fans you have! All in all, it was another wonderful trip to potato country! Love it!

Check out the video below for a sneak peek at what our day was like!

So we got to sing the National Anthem at a baseball game in Reno this weekend. To be honest, I think we were all a bit nervous. Not only is it like the hardest song of all time to sing, the delay at the stadium really throws you off. There was literally a full second of time from when the words came out to when you heard them. So you were singing to yourself singing. Really weird. We asked to move the microphones from home plate to second base during sound check and that helped a little. As the speakers were at center field. Somehow we got through it and actually received a lot of compliments. Whewww! God bless America!!

MH

Sunday, June 20th, I woke up at our cabin in Flagstaff, Arizona and looked out my window as I always do. I saw what I thought was a dark thunderhead just a few miles from us. Cool I thought, we need the rain. But as I looked closer I noticed the cloud was growing unusually fast. Then it hit me that what I was looking at was smoke. It was as if a volcano had erupted stacking a cloud of black, white, and brown thousands of feet in the air. Naturally, I freaked out! It was way to close for comfort. I ran out into the garage and jumped on my dirt bike to get a closer look. When I got to a clearing where I had a better view of the fire, I was somewhat relieved. It was a good five to seven miles from us and seemed to be pushing north with strong winds. We, unlike some others, were lucky.

As of Thursday, the fire was 40% contained and had charred 14,000 plus acres. Over 1000 homes had been evacuated. I have posted some of the pictures I took and a link to a great You Tube clip of the blaze. If you look through the photos on our website from our recent photo shoot you can see what the forest used to look like. Tall pines, Aspen trees, and crystal clear lakes. It was truly an amazing area. Although our property was spared, it feels like a big part of us was taken away. I can only imagine what I will see when I ride up there and see what is left of my favorite place on earth.

MH

So, we have had a few days to be back in good ‘ol Nashville again. The weird thing is, I still wake up and wonder what city I’m in. What time do I have to be in the hotel lobby? Am I late? What’s my name again? After a few seconds it slowly sets in that Im home. Ahhhhhhhh….back to sleep I go. Another strange thing that has been happening to me is that I suddenly find joy in things I used to hate! Example……washing the dishes, vacuuming, checking the mail, taking out the trash, etc……you get the idea. I dont think that I’m slowly changing my passion from music to house work…..but, after a long time on the road it’s nice to remind myself that I still know how to do things other than walk through airports or sit in mini vans(although we have had some real fancy mini vans). That reminds me, I have to be at the airport in two hours to head back out. I better start packing but first Im gonna make myself a sandwich. Because I’m pretty sure I remember how….hmmmmm

Well it’s the last week of radio tour! Ten weeks has surprisingly flown by. We have met some amazing people and have seen some really cool places . It’s strange, but we are kinda gonna miss it!! Now, being home even for just a few days gets somewhat boring. I’m sure we will be back out very soon though. “Jenny”, is officially released to the world on Monday, February 22!!!! Holy $&@”!!!! Here we go folks, please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

Songwriting. What a strange thing it is. It seems the longer I do it the less I understand it. Some days, I wake up with a hundred ideas running through my head. Usually, its a day that I dont have songwriting on the agenda. I write the ideas down on scrap pieces of paper, my iphone, whatever, and plan on saving them for another day. Then, a day will come up that I have a “writing appointment” scheduled. So, I break out the ideas that I have gathered over the week and attempt to recapture that moments inspiration and share it with another writer…. hoping they get it. Most of the time however, not only do they not get it, but I have lost the moment myself. Im learning to stop trying to schedule inspiration. It is a fact that when God wants to give me the gift of a song it just happens. Effortlessly. If the song is forced into existence, thats exactly how it sounds. Forced. My favorite songs I have written have taken an hour or less to write. Conclusion…… If I step out of the way of Gods work, it means less work for me….wait….I like that idea!! In fact, that gives me an idea for a song!!!