If you’re a country music fan, you probably love the idea of hearing more about your favorite artists. You probably also enjoy interviews with them, where you can hear more about what’s going on in their personal lives and the stories behind the songs that brought you into your fandom.
Did you know that country music is the most popular genre nationwide? There are more country radio stations in the US than there are for any other genre of music. While listening to the radio is great, it’s also worth checking out some podcasts. These podcasts include exclusive artist interviews, country music news, and more.
Whiskey Riff Podcast
This podcast makes you feel like you’re sitting around having a conversation with another country-obsessed friend. Priding themselves on providing an “unfiltered and unapologetic take on country music,” Steve and Wes produce one of the best podcasts in the industry.
You can check out Whiskey Riff on iTunes, Spotify, and a variety of other options, or by visiting their website.
Our Favorite Episode: Whiskey Riff Podcast with Wade Bowen
Country Gold Backstage
90s country superstar, Terri Clark hosts a syndicated radio show called “Country Gold.” The makers of that show have started offering the unedited interviews that Terri conducts on the show to give listeners an even better glimpse into 90s country and some other classics from the genre. If you grew up on 90s music, or you’re a younger fan who realizes that the 90s was an incredible decade for the genre, this podcast is a must-listen.
You can subscribe to Country Gold Backstage through iTunes or on Spotify. You can also visit Terri Clark’s website to check out any episode you’d like.
Our Favorite Episode: Country Gold Backstage with Reba
Get Real with Caroline Hobby
While you may enjoy listening to your favorite country artists perform, there is another side to those artists. The people that you see on stage are also people who have homes and families, which is the concept behind Get Real with Caroline Hobby. Instead of talking to the artists on your playlist, Caroline Hobby does two episodes per week where she interviews the wives of your favorite country singers. These interviews provide a great look at the human side of the entertainment equation.
Get Real with Caroline Hobby is available on Spotify, IHeart, and iTunes, as well as the official website.
Our Favorite Episode: How to Miniside with Annie F. Downs
Coffee, Country, and Cody
Bill Cody and WSM radio are synonymous with country music, and this podcast is a great reminder as to why. Along with cohost Charlie Mattos, Bill sits down with some of your favorite country artists to get a better understanding of what makes them tick, the stories behind their hits, stories from the road, and more. Bill Cody has been involved with country music for decades, and he provides a beautiful touch to this podcast. It’s also worth noting that if you have the Circle Network, you can watch the show live every morning!
If you prefer podcasts to TV viewing, be sure to check out Coffee, Country, and Cody on Spotify, iTunes, or on the WSM Radio App.
Our Favorite Episode: Drake White on Coffee, Country, and Cody
The Quad with Chris Young
Chris Young is one of the biggest names in country music thanks to his long list of hit singles. What you may not have known is that he’s also the host of one of the hottest podcasts in the world of country music. On this podcast, Chris is joined by cohosts, Haley, Josh, and Ryan. Once a week, the four friends sit down and discuss four topics: music, sports, movies, and a hot take. While it’s certainly a country music podcast (Chris Young is the host, after all), The Quad with Chris Young certainly includes more than just country music conversation.
You can enjoy The Quad with Chris Young on Spotify and iTunes.
Our Favorite Episode: Episode 126: USA vs. Cubs, An Emotional Weekend, Thor Love and Thunder, and the Best Baseball Player.
Granger Smith Podcast
Granger Smith is another country start who hosts a radio show, After Midnight with Granger Smith. Fortunately, you don’t have to set up late to enjoy Granger, as the country star also has his own podcast. If you are into music podcasts that allow you to truly experience what life is like for your favorite artists, this is a great choice. You see, Granger doesn’t do his podcast from a studio in downtown Nashville. Instead, he makes the podcast in the back of his tour bus! In addition to the obvious music conversation, Granger also talks about real life topics, family, and more.
The Granger Smith Podcast is available on his website, IHeart, iTunes, and Spotify.
Our Favorite Episode: Should You Text Your Ex Back?
Tailgate Country
The only downside to this podcast is that there’s only one new episode per month. The content is so engaging, that we definitely wish they made more. Tailgate Country focuses primarily on new artists, giving the up and comers a platform to connect with fans. While they interview some of the fastest-rising names in country music in the US, they also often bring in Canadian artists. The entire point of this podcast is for artists to get to tell stories of how their careers have reached the level they’re at while also discussing the stories behind some of their most popular songs.
The Tailgate Country podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify, and the Tailgate Country website.
Our Favorite Episode: Tory Grace and Someone Better
Country Confidential
If you’re a country music superfan, you may have already seen or heard most of the interviews with your favorite artists. That’s why Country Confidential exists. This podcast focuses on never-before-heard interviews with some of the biggest names in country music. Your favorite country artists come by to share stories about what it was like when they were coming up through the ranks, tales from the road, and much more. Backstage Bobbi, who serves as the host, asks the kinds of questions that you would ask if you were given an hour with some of the hottest names in country.
In addition to the Country Confidential website, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, and several other platforms.
Our Favorite Episode: Careers Before Country
Hot Country Podcast with Chris McKay
Chris McKay has been a fixture in the country music business for more than three decades. Over the course of his incredible career, Chris has forged friendships with some of the biggest names in the industry. Those artists and songwriters stop by to be interviewed by Chris, and we all get to reap the benefits. While there are plenty of podcasts out there that focus on a single decade, the Hot Country Podcast covers everything from the 80s to today. It’s always fun to listen to interviews with current artists but catching up on where your favorite artists from the 80s and 90s are makes this podcast even better.
The Hot Country Podcast with Chris McKay is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Our Favorite Episode: Hot Country Podcast Guest Mark Sissel
There are certainly more country music podcasts than we had the time or space to discuss here. However, these give you some good options if you want to dive deeper into the world of country music.
