Some of Country’s biggest stars spent their weekend on the beach for Tortuga Music Festival and Audacy’s Rob + Holly were there to catch up with them all.
LISTEN NOW: HARDY joins Audacy’s Rob + Holly at Tortuga Music Festival
Everyone’s favorite “Hillbilly Hippie,” Lainey Wilson, kicked things off as headliner Friday night followed by HARDY on Saturday, who shared he was in disbelief of headlining his first Live Nation Festival just months away from his forthcoming Rock album, Rockstar.
“It’s all still very, ‘What am I doing here?’” he said of his headlining spot. “It’s very surreal, let’s just put it that way. We were here early, we got to catch Lainey’s set… The headliners alone are Jason [Aldean], Lainey Wilson and myself and that was just Jason’s tour a couple years ago,” HARDY recalled, referencing Aldean’s 2021 Back in the Saddle Tour.
WATCH NOW: HARDY at Tortuga Music Festival
HARDY wasn’t the only one who took advantage of the opportunity to see fellow artists perform, the members of Old Dominion also admitted to going out into the crowd to catch parts of the show.
LISTEN NOW: Old Dominion joins Audacy’s Rob + Holly at Tortuga Music Festival
“That’s what makes the festivals fun, is we can show up and watch some artists that maybe we haven’t seen live before,” frontman Matt Ramsey said before switching topics to songwriting and sharing one of the group’s fan-favorite songs that almost never came to be.
“'Song For Another Time' was a really tough one to write,” Ramsey said. “I had that idea and I brought it around to a couple different co-writing sessions and no one would bite on the idea… I almost gave up on it, but when we were all out on the road, I brought it up again and that’s when it all came together.”
WATCH NOW: Old Dominion at Tortuga Music Festival
While OD reflected on their gratitude for the song finally making it to the surface, Sunday night headliner, Aldean, shared another perspective on securing a good song.
LISTEN NOW: Jason Aldean joins Audacy’s Rob + Holly at Tortuga Music Festival
Jason’s Tortuga performance came one week after Country newcomer, George Birge, scored his first #1 song with “Mind On You,” a song Alden originally had on hold for one of his albums. That is, until Birge, who wrote the song, kindly asked for it back.
“We were getting ready to cut an album and it was pretty early on in the process for us,” Jason recalled. “I got word that this guy had written the song and he had gotten a [record] deal and really wanted the song back. And so I was like, ‘Yeah, man. You wrote it, you should be able to cut it if you want.'”
Now, with the song officially going #1, Aldean says there’s still zero regrets in letting it go, even knowing it could’ve been his #1.
“I’ve always been a firm believer in songs land where they’re supposed to land,” he said. “Nate Smith’s got one that he just put out that is another one that we had that came really, really close to being on my last album, Highway Desperado. It happens sometimes, but those songs land where they’re supposed to land.”
As an experienced artist with many #1 celebrations, Aldean says he’s always happy to support the fresh talent in Nashville and return the favors he received as a budding artist in Music City. “I had a lot of guys kind of help me coming up and gave me opportunities to go play for them,” he said, sharing his excitement for his new song with up-and-comer, John Morgan. “I feel like to help somebody else — it’s so so hard [to make it] — so any little help you can give to an artist you believe in is good for them.”
Another one of those budding up-and-comers wow’d the Tortuga crowd with her big energy, sassy lyrics and pure authenticity Friday night. Kassi Ashton proved the stage is right where she belongs with an unforgettable set including new song, “Called Crazy.”
LISTEN NOW: Kassi Ashton joins Audacy’s Rob + Holly at Tortuga Music Festival
“Any guy who called me crazy always called me back,” she said, quoting the lyrics of the attention-grabbing tune before detailing the unique style she brings to Country music and energy she hopes to share with fans
“I was bullied a lot, in middle school [and] high school. I was the weird girl in a small town and you have to learn to love yourself through that,” she said of how she found her confidence. “You have to learn to be your biggest cheerleader, to think, ‘no matter what anyone says, I know I’m the s***.’ I realize if I bring that energy on stage, other people might pick it up too and feel good about themselves.”
WATCH NOW: Kassi Ashton at Tortuga Music Festival
Hear more about Kassi’s music and positive attitude, plus get additional content from Old Dominion, Jason Aldean, HARDY, Lainey Wilson and even more by checking out all of Rob + Holly’s interviews from Tortuga Music festival here.