David Nail Stops By: Gray Hair, Growing Girls, and the Time His Son Said Ella Langley Was Better Than Him
David Nail swung by the show for a wide-ranging conversation that covered everything from small-town nostalgia to his new album, "Flowers" — plus a few moments that hit a lot closer to home than either of them expected.
The Gray Hair Club
Things kicked off with some light ribbing about aging. Both David and Bobby compared notes on gray hair strategy — David admitted his wife gets annoyed when he trims his sideburns too short just to hide the gray creeping in. He also joked about a longtime guitar player of his who's actually a year younger than him but rocks a fully gray beard, which David says is exactly the motivation he needs to keep shaving.
Raising Girls Is a Different Universe
David has two daughters, ages 10 and 5, and didn't hold back on how different — and how much faster — things move with girls. His 10-year-old, he said, already acts like she's 14. The conversation turned into a fun back-and-forth about parenting daughters versus sons, including a story about telling his daughter not to flirt with boys while simultaneously telling his son to come home with phone numbers — only for his son to point out he doesn't even own a phone.
Small-Town Roots and the Long Road to Nashville
David spent a good chunk of the conversation reminiscing about growing up in a tiny town, the kind where everybody knew everybody's business — down to knowing exactly which family was responsible if something went missing. He and Bobby swapped classic small-town stories, from waiting years for a rumored Walgreens that never showed up, to the town drama of grocery stores gaining or losing favor once a Super Walmart moved in.
As for how a kid from a small town ends up chasing a music career in Nashville, David credited part of his motivation to watching Sheryl Crow, who's from his hometown, break out with a string of Grammy wins during his freshman year of high school. He also talked about arriving in Nashville before the social-media era, back when finding the right rooms and the right people to write with felt more like a mystery you had to earn your way into rather than something anyone could Google.
A Grammy Nod and a Compliment From Vince Gill He'll Never Forget
David opened up about a defining early moment in his career — getting a late-night phone call informing him he'd been nominated for a Grammy, years before he felt like he'd fully arrived in the business. He also shared a story about Vince Gill telling him, in front of his wife, how good it was to have real singers on the radio — a compliment David says he's never forgotten.
"Ella Langley's Better Than You"
One of the most talked-about moments of the interview came when David shared something his son told him completely out of nowhere: that Ella Langley is a better artist than he is. His son's reasoning? David didn't write one of his own hit songs, while Ella writes all of hers. David admitted he didn't really have a comeback for that one, though he used it as a moment to talk to his son about gratitude — reminding him that the music business has provided for their entire family, IVF-conceived kids included, regardless of who's topping the charts this month.
Making "Flowers" With Anderson East
David dove into the making of his new album, "Flowers," written almost entirely with Anderson East, aside from one song co-written with Lori McKenna. He admitted going into the sessions, he barely knew Anderson personally, which made the experience feel different from most of his songwriting relationships over the past two decades. He described Anderson's home studio as one of the most inspiring creative spaces he's ever worked in — packed with instruments and energy — and joked about his own failed attempt to bond with Anderson over college football before realizing Anderson just wanted to get straight to work.
What started as a plan for a short EP eventually grew into a full album once the songs kept coming, including the closing track that convinced David they had a complete project on their hands.
The Luke Bryan Story Behind a Career-Changing Song
David also told the story of a birthday dinner where Luke Bryan pulled him aside and told him he had a real hit on his hands — a comment David brushed off at first, since he'd already had a number one song. Two weeks later, though, he noticed something different happening at a Chicago show: fans in the crowd mouthing along to the words of a brand-new song in a way he'd never experienced before. That was the moment it clicked that the song was resonating on a different level than anything he'd released before.
The Viral "In the Ghetto" Moment
Bobby brought up one of David's most memorable visits to the show — a surprise cover performance of an Elvis classic that ended up going viral, with word getting back that Tim McGraw had even called in about it. David admitted he still hears about that performance from fans all over the country to this day, despite having no personal connection to McGraw at all, and called the whole moment genuinely special looking back on it.
Dairy Intolerance Talk
The interview wrapped with a lighthearted tangent about food intolerances, with both David and Bobby comparing notes on their struggles with dairy — David specifically calling out ice cream as his personal kryptonite, describing a memorable post-Baskin-Robbins stomach ache that didn't quite stop him from ordering it again.
What's Next
David's new album "Flowers" is out now, and his "Down to the Studs" tour is picking back up this fall after taking the summer off. Catch him on the road, and give "Flowers" a listen — Bobby called it one of his favorite records sonically in recent memory.
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