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Singer-songwriter Michael Ray joined brothers Dan and Reid Isbell on a recent episode of God’s Country. The “Whiskey And Rain” hitmaker talked with the podcast hosts about “his thoughts on keyboard warriors, how Joe Diffie impacted his life, and how he mentally recharges from life in the spotlight,” plus “some crazy alligator-hunting stories from his upbringing in Florida and how music has been a part of his life from the time he was born.”
During his conversation with Dan and Reid, Ray said late music legend Diffie “became like a mentor to me.” Diffie was known for career-spanning hits like “John Deere Green,” “Pickup Man” and many others. He died in March 2020 at age 61. The country music community recently honored the late singer-songwriter with HARDY’s HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE, a star-studded project featuring covers of Diffie’s songs (including Toby Keith’s final recorded vocal).
Dan and Reid — who have written music for Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson and others — started their weekly podcast this year. Guests appearing on the show so far include HARDY, Dustin Lynch, Colbie Caillat and others.
“One of our favorite things about country music has always been how intertwined it is with the outdoors,” Dan and Reid Isbell said in a statement when God’s Country launched. They hope to “bring the outdoor enthusiast or country music lover an up close and personal look into the minds of some of the best songwriters and artists of the genre — a place where they can be honest about struggles, relationships, their connection to the outdoors, the music business, family, whatever they feel comfortable talking about. We can’t wait to see where this partnership will lead and who this podcast will reach.”
The iHeartPodcasts/MeatEater show is available anywhere you listen to podcasts, including in the iHeartRadio app. Select country stations will broadcast the show between 7-11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday evenings. Find God's Country here.