I couldn't be more excited to get the ball rolling on our new series "Building the Community". I think it's super cool to take a look on the other side of the glass. Instead of focusing on artists, songwriters and musicians, the spotlight will be casted on all the companies and creatives who help keep Country Music a well-oiled machine.
To kick things off I sat down with my buddy Kyle Corbliss who is the creator of the Remember Country podcast. We talked about how he came up with the idea for the podcast, how he got it off the ground after growing up in a place where nobody listened to Country Music and his most memorable moment to date with RCM. Kyle is such a good guy, who is passionate about people and Country Music. Kyle is already off to a hot start having some incredible guests including Larry Fleet, Jaden Hamilton, Craig Campbell, Kameron Marlowe and Clay Walker. Without a doubt, he is making a name for himself in the Country Music world.
Get To Know Kyle
"I'm from River Edge, New Jersey, which is a suburb outside of New York City. Basically, the town is small but is the most congested town ever. Everyone knows everyone, which is incredible. The reason I brought that up is that Country Music isn't a popular genre here at all. I didn't grow up with people who liked Country Music. People in high school told you to hate Country Music; they didn't give it the time of day. That being said, as I grew up, my dad pounded into my head that Bruce Springsteen was a right of passage and that I had to listen to his music. Over time that transitioned to me listening to The Beatles, CCR, Bob Segar, The Eagles and others. My love for music started because I would listen to what my dad was listening to. I wasn't listening to the radio, rather music from the 70s and 80s. To me, it was more than just the music. I would listen to the instruments and lyrics and go to YouTube so I could watch old concerts. I found myself at a point during sophomore year of high school when I was diagnosed with diabetes. It was a tough time for me. I had a moment where I stopped and told myself "I don't think I really like what's on the radio or the rap music everyone plays, I think I just pretend to like it". Somehow I stumbled across Rascal Flatts and was impressed by their voices. Then I listened to other mainstream acts and realized it was similar to the music I grew up on. These artists pay hardcore attention to the lyrics and play real instruments. I always preach that music can really pull someone out of a hole and it is always there for someone. It took me a little more time to find Country Music, but I realized quickly it's what I love."
Q: How did you come up with the idea for the Remember Country Music podcast and how did this journey start for you?
A: "I was working for iHeart in Connecticut, and doing something very similar to what I do now. Me and a friend were in the car going to an event - I want to say this was in January or February before Covid started - and she asked if I listen to podcasts. Honestly, I had listened to some sports podcasts, but outside of that no. She then asked me if I would ever start one, since I worked in radio and had done some voice over work. I loved the idea, but just had no time. It did, however, get me thinking. I thought it would be really cool to do a podcast on Country Music and talk about what I'm listening to without shooting someone's ear off about something they don't care about. With a podcast, if someone is interested they can tune in and if they aren’t, they don't have to tune in. Months went by, Covid hit, we got sent home from work and I got laid off. I was sitting home, about to graduate college and couldn't find a job. I don't know what I'm going to do but wanted to keep my skills fresh. I sat down on my couch and had a microphone for voice over purposes. I started to talk about groups I was listening to and why I liked their music. I think it came out to be like 15 minutes. It was nice to be able to talk about it. I had someone make me a logo and found how to post the recording as a podcast so people could listen. Then I went to a friend, who I always talk about Country Music with, and asked what I should name my podcast. He said "Remember Country Music". I asked why and he responded with "everyone always gets in a tizzy these days about what's country and what's not". This really resonated with me because I listen to everything from Sam Hunt to Cody Johnson. I think it all boils down to the values that surround Country Music and the lyrics of the songs. Those are what people remember about the genre and that really hit me. As I got going, it was fun, but I wondered how it would go if I could get a guest every so often. My plan was not to put out 70 different episodes with 70 different people. My plan was to do something I could then send to potential employers, showing them something I really enjoy doing and putting effort into. I started to reach out to people and was fortunate to start off with guests like Hayden Coffman, Jaden Hamilton and Larry Fleet. It gave me the confidence to actually try to make this a weekly thing and reach out to other people."
Q: Most Memorable moment so far on the Remember Country Music podcast?
A: "Clay Walker is definitely the most memorable one. Clay was someone I've always listened to and I’ve looked up to his music. Getting him on was cool and the whole story was pretty nuts. I was working a job I hated and I posted a video asking him to come on months before he saw it. I remember I was eating lunch at work and looked down at my phone. It said "Clay Walker liked your video". I was so pumped but moved on. A few hours went by, I finished work, got in my car and then I saw my phone. It said "Clay Walker has dueted your video" I'm not kidding, I was in my car in the parking lot screaming at the top of my lungs. A week goes by and we didn't hit the like count he asked for. With Tik Tok you can't message someone if they don't follow you. I wrote something to him in the comments of the video asking if he would still come on. I was out shoveling snow and thought my friends were texting me, but it was actually Clay Walker. When I finally finished and went inside, he had responded and wanted to come on the podcast anyway. It was wild sitting down with Clay. I was really nervous, which is very unusual because I'm a people person by heart. He said I had 15 minutes but ended up giving me an hour and a half. It was pretty great. I went in expecting this whole thing to be about him, but the first thing he asked me was "what are you doing, what have you done, where do you want to take this and why do you love it?" Clay wanted to know about me and that was so cool. My biggest takeaway was that he really did care. He could have just told me about his 30 singles, 28 number 1's, studio albums and said he was done, but Clay genuinely cared."
Q: What is your vision for the Remember Country Music podcast and what do you get out of it?
A: "Here's the deal. I recognize I'm not the only Country Music podcast out there. At first, I definitely didn't know that. I think we are all in this for a similar reason.I love supporting the little guys and gals and that is awesome to me. I love supporting the music and possibly finding the next best thing. But at the end of the day, I'm just a music fan and I love it to the core. The other part of it is that this could end a year from now, 10 years from now or tomorrow. When that happens, I'll sit back and have something which I will never forget and that I really enjoyed. I am fulfilled by sitting down and sharing stories with artists and watching them chase their dreams. I don't sit down with questions. I want to sit with them and talk and make a connection. I want them to leave feeling like we've been best friends for 5 years. The moment the spark goes away will be when I decide to go down a different path."
Q: What advice do you have for anyone who's trying to become an entrepreneur and start their own podcast, business, service etc.?
A: "I have two pieces of advice. One of them is, if you love it, keep doing it. If people poke fun or don't take you seriously, don't let them put you in a hole. Put the blinders on, go full speed ahead and make something of yourself. My other advice is not to worry about success. For a long time, I worried about success. Then I reevaluated. I don't think "the hustle" is a good word, for what I'm trying to accomplish or for anyone chasing a dream. I think the two things that truly matter are work ethic and passion. As long as you can sit there and get things done while loving what you are doing, that equals success."
If you are just discovering Kyle and the Remember Country Music podcast follow on
Apple Music, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter