Sam Hunt stopped by The Bobby Bones Show talking about getting back to his roots and how much he misses playing sports.
Hunt played football in high school and college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and he even once pursued going professional. He admitted to Bobby Bones that he occasionally still has dreams about playing football and it's always him playing those games where he wish they got it right and won. He's found a way to scratch the competitive itch in his life now with a basketball crew in town that's full of other artists and songwriters. He thinks he may have been booted out of that text thread though because he hasn't gotten a text in awhile.
Looking back at his career, Hunt remembers getting paid $400 for his first gig. It was his buddy's parents place and he opened up for Steve Azar, but there weren't many people in attendance. When his song "Leave The Night On" hit, Hunt realized it was the most impactful momentum build up. He watched his career go from a slow build to a big jump over night. He still toggles back and forth between having something to prove and not having to prove anything to anyone, but in his weaker moments he admits he says to himself he could have done something better or maybe he didn't do enough. Now, his crowds go craziest for "Body Like A Back Road" when the lick hits. He thinks there is at least 10% of people in the crowd who get really excited when he plays it.
His song "Country House" currently climbing the charts was an idea sent to him by his writing partner. He loved the phrase "country house" and Hunt knows if a title connects with him, he should turn it into a song. The song has an English connotation, which was big for him after connecting with his English roots in the last few years. On his dad's side, their ancestry goes from Virginia to England. He went over to England recently and was realizing how people behave, like they don't say much at dinner or don't show their emotions. He said everything he witnessed works for his family. Besides his roots, Hunt is influenced in his music by his Mt. Rushmore of country artists: Kris Kristofferson, Steve Earl, Usher, and Alan Jackson.
While fame is a big part of Hunt's life, he hasn't been able to tell how it's impacting his kids. He know's he is in the spotlight, which he doesn't want to take it for granted, but he also wants to protect them from that type of life.