Country Thunder — the largest Country music festival brand in North America — launches another essential episode of its fan favorite podcast, “On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer,” today (6/12). This time around, MULTI-PLATINUM, 9x-GRAMMY® nominee Blake Shelton hops on the bus for a candid career-spanning conversation with host Troy Vollhoffer. The superstar rewinds back to the beginning and traces a wild journey up to his thirteenth full-length offering and first album in four years, For Recreational Use Only — out now.

These days, the world knows Shelton as the man behind 30 No. 1 hits and his legendary run as a coach on NBC’s The Voice. 

However, he excitedly takes Vollhoffer on a trip down memory lane. 

He recalls some of his earliest gigs, “I moved to Nashville, and I played anywhere I could play. It was usually always singer-songwriter sets—just me and my guitar.”

He also paints a hilarious picture of opening up for the legendary Hank Williams, Jr. “They’re just rowdy even for a theater,” he says of the crowd. “I remember I stepped up to the microphone, and I played a couple of songs. I started to setup a song, and I was like, ‘This next song I want to play you guys…’ and I heard some guy in the back go, ‘Man, just shut up and play it’,” he laughs.

Shelton absorbed as much as he could from those early days though, recounting the effect of Rascal Flatts on his own come-up. “It couldn’t have been any hotter at that moment,” he notes. “It was like, ‘I got to go watch these guys. I got to start learning some stuff from these guys’.”

He has continued to learn from those around him. It would actually be Post Malone who inspired Shelton to return to what he does best in the last year. 

“Post Malone had asked me to sing on his record,” he says. “That really was the kick in the ass that I needed to be like, ‘Man, what are you doing? You’re a Country singer. Let all the TV stuff go. Forget about all the magazines and Hollywood and all that. You’re a Country singer at heart and nobody, very few people get the opportunity to do what we do as Country artists.” He adds, “I felt like it was time for a new beginning in a lot of ways.”

His “new beginning” is well underway following a massive tour, the release of For Recreational Use Only, and the radio dominance of “Texas,” which cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and vaulted to #2 on the Country Airplay chart.

Season two of “On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer,” has effectively cemented Vollhoffer as a major voice in the world of podcasting. So far this year, he has spoken to MULTI-PLATINUM arena-filling phenomenon HARDY, MULTI-PLATINUM artist Justin Moore, award-winning PLATINUM superstar Jordan Davis, rising Georgia Country star Gavin Adcock, ACM award-winning North Dakota-born duo Tigirlily Gold — sisters Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh, and more.

Simultaneously, Country Thunder has shined on both coasts this year. Country Thunder Arizona hosted the biggest, brightest, and boldest west coast iteration of the festival in April, while Country Thunder Florida lit up the Sunshine State last month. 

This year, “On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer” expanded to include video as season two gains traction, landing at #1 in Music among Apple Podcasts in the U.S. with already featured episodes including MULTI-PLATINUM rising star Koe Wetzel, top booking agents Rod Essig, Curt Motley, and Nick Meinema, and MULTI-PLATINUM Country superstar Dustin Lynch – whose episode launched in the Top 1% of all podcasts. Making waves, MusicRow touted the podcast and Amazon Music has included it in their Featured Podcasts.

The show is hosted by Country Thunder owner and founder Vollhoffer. With cameras rolling and tape running, he engages in funny and freewheeling discourse with A-list Country talent as well as buzzing acts. The episodes are filmed from Vollhoffer’s tour bus and home studio, providing an unfiltered vignette into the lives of artists as they tell stories, recall memories, and share unwavering passion for music.

During season one, Vollhoffer played host to Country music royalty with a string of fascinating, funny, and enlightening conversations. The roster included Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Bailey Zimmerman, Ashley McBryde, Nate Smith, Marty Stuart, Parker McCollum, Terri Clark, and Big Kenny, among others. 

The podcast stands out as a must-listen for Country aficionados and music fans at large. Boasting an intimate format, exclusive content, and an elite lineup of all-star guests, there’s nothing quite like it.

ABOUT COUNTRY THUNDER:
Attracting nearly 625,000+ fans to its six multi-day events, Country Thunder Music Festivals boast unparalleled reach with a diverse demographic profile spanning the USA and Canada. Featuring top-tier Country artists, Country Thunder Festivals draw diverse crowds, fostering a vibrant atmosphere that celebrates the essence of Country music. The Country Thunder Music Festivals organization has a 21-year history which boasts five other major multi-day events in North America, including Wisconsin, Florida, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. 

ABOUT TROY VOLLHOFFER:
Troy Vollhoffer is an American entrepreneur from Nashville, TN and currently serves as the President of Country Thunder Music Festivals, Big Valley Jamboree, and Premier Global Production Company. One of the most beloved festival brands in the world, Country Thunder has seen tremendous success, receiving numerous awards including the ACM Festival of the Year for Country Thunder Arizona, Wisconsin, and most recently, Bristol in 2023. For his transformation of the festival, Vollhoffer was honored with the Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives Award and the Don Romero Talent Buyer of the Year Award at the ACM Honors in 2023. 
 
Vollhoffer played professional ice hockey from 1982-1992 and has served on the boards of the T.J. Martell Foundation, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, ACM Lifting Lives, ACM and CMA. His dedicated philanthropic commitment was recognized at the 2018 CCMA Awards, where he received the Slaight Music Humanitarian Award.

ABOUT ON THE BUS WITH TROY VOLLHOFFER:
Troy Vollhoffer, owner and founder of Country Thunder Music Festival, invites the biggest Country artists and industry giants 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 fans 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." 

ABOUT BLAKE SHELTON:
With 30 No. 1 singles, 52 million singles and 13 million albums sold and nearly 11 billion global streams, Blake Shelton has received numerous awards, including six ACMs, three AMAs, ten CMAs, 11 CMTs and six People’s Choice, among many others. His debut BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville album, For Recreational Use Only, was recently released and the 12-track album, his first in nearly four years, features his No. 1 Wheelhouse Records single “Texas,” the poignant “Let Him In Anyway,” the red-dirt “Stay Country or Die Tryin’” and includes appearances by Gwen Stefani, John Anderson and Craig Morgan. 

Shelton kickstarted the year with his Live In Las Vegas Residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. He just wrapped his Friends & Heroes Tour, which featured Craig Morgan, Deana Carter, Trace Adkins and Emily Ann Roberts, and will play a variety of festivals this summer  The Grand Ole Opry member also remains focused on his Ole Red partnership with Ryman Hospitality, with locations currently in Tishomingo, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Orlando, and most recently, Las Vegas, with a stand-alone venue complete with a roof-top stage and bar on the Las Vegas strip.