Growing up on his family’s cattle farm in rural Georgia, Gavin Adcock dreamt of becoming a professional bull rider. But the universe had other plans. After suffering a knee injury playing football in college, Gavin turned his attention to playing guitar and songwriting, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In this episode of On the Bus, Country Thunder CEO Troy Vollhoffer sits down with rising country music star Gavin Adcock. Together, they talk about how Gavin got his big break, life on the road, and how he puts himself in the emotional headspace to write his hit songs.
Plus, Troy shares a new single from Country Thunder Florida artist Blake Shelton in our Thunder Strike segment.
--------
32:19
Better Together with Tigirlily Gold
Many new artists these days get their big breaks on TikTok. But unlike many of those viral sensations, sister duo Tigirlily Gold had already proven their chops in the bar and club scene in Nashville before being discovered.
In this episode of On the Bus, Country Thunder CEO Troy Vollhoffer talks with Kendra Olson and Krista Slaubaugh of Tigirlily Gold about their serendipitous discovery by songwriter/producer Shane McAnally, the female artists and duos they are inspired by, and how they balance their strengths and personalities working together as sisters.
Plus, stick around for our new segment, Bring the Thunder, where Troy features upcoming artist John Morgan talking about his favorite song lyric, festival moment, and tour bus must-haves.
--------
39:33
From Backroom Bars to Broadway with Dustin Lynch
Not many artists actually hail from Tennessee, but the scenic valleys and rolling hills of The Volunteer State are part of Dustin Lynch’s DNA. In this episode of On the Bus, Country Thunder CEO Troy Vollhoffer sits down with Dustin to discuss his journey from playing fraternity parties and weddings across the southeast to being the first country artist with a club residency at the Wynn in Las Vegas. Plus, stick around for our new segment, Thunder Strike, where Troy features upcoming festival performer Riley Green’s hit song “Damn Good Day to Leave” to give you a taste of what’s to come at Country Thunder in 2025.
--------
36:27
If Sh*t is Good, It’s Good with Koe Wetzel
Growing up in Texas, Koe Wetzel dreamt of a career in the NFL. But after a college football injury, he realized he could get more women and free beer by putting his music hobby front and center instead. On this episode of On the Bus, Country Thunder CEO Troy Vollhoffer talks with Koe Wetzel about the plethora of music genres that influenced his style, and how he sees the blending of genres in modern music as a good thing. The two also discuss why he decided to sign with a big label, the influence of streaming and TikTok on emerging artists, and the value of playing live in front of an audience.
--------
13:27
Backstage Pass with Legendary Music Agents Rod Essig, Curt Motley, and Nick Meinema
How do music artists make most of their money? From the smallest act playing dive bars, to the band that sells out stadiums and festivals, musicians earn the bulk of their living on events and tours. And behind every artist is an agent that books those gigs and helps them achieve meaningful financial success in their careers. For this special episode of On the Bus, Country Thunder CEO Troy Vollhoffer holds a roundtable panel with three industry veterans—Curt Motley, agent at United Talent Agency; Rod Essig, Vice President at Creative Artists Agency, and Nick Meinema, agent at Action Entertainment. These three have worked with some of music’s biggest acts—from Tim McGraw and Joan Jett, to the late-great Toby Keith. This intimate conversation explores how agents shape the careers of artists behind the scenes, as well as the pitfalls and pivots of putting together live shows, drawing on more than a few star-studded insider stories along the way.
Troy Vollhoffer, owner and founder of Country Thunder Music Festival, invites the biggest country artists to join him for a one-on-one celebrity interview “On the Bus”. As Troy opens his home, his tour bus, and festival venues to his audience for behind the scenes conversations, he asks exclusive questions, discusses festival do’s and don'ts, and highlights the tracks you will hear on stage at Country Thunder this summer. Guests include Dustin Lynch, Koe Wetzel, Tigirlily Gold, Dierks Bentley, Bailey Zimmerman, Jon Pardi, Ashley McBryde and countless other music industry legends, taking you backstage to share stories of their concerts, their careers, and their entertainment industry journeys. Be ready to be thunderstruck, On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer.
Colombia