Country Thunder — the largest Country music festival brand in North America — ignites Season 3 of its fan favorite podcast, “On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer,” with an epic opening episode featuring 23x No. 1 hitmaker Tyler Hubbard.

In this captivating and compelling conversation, Country Thunder CEO and host Vollhoffer follows his guest’s journey from Belmont University to the top of Country as a trend-setting force of a nature. Hubbard goes deep during the discussion. Beyond sharing memories of his college days, he points to his late father as one of his biggest champions.

“He passed away when I was 20, so he never really got to see the music thing take off,” says Hubbard. “When I was dabbling with music and learning to play guitar, he was a big fan and really encouraged me. So, that’s definitely part of the inspiration.”

He recalls coming of age during the era of “making mixtapes on CDs,” citing the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers Band, Chris Tomlin, Dr. Dre, DMX, and Nelly as key inspirations and paving the way for Florida Georgia Line’s groundbreaking genre-hopping. Drawing on this mindset, the history-making duo notched 19 No. 1 singles and played to sold-out crowds everywhere. Picking up the ball and running forward into his next chapter, he parlayed that momentum into a successful solo career, delivering four No. 1 singles across his first two albums Tyler Hubbard and Strong. 

“I'm just trying to put out the best songs I can,” he goes on. “Instead of trying to predict the future, I think I'm really just trying to focus on this year and the new music and then we'll really let that drive what happens in the next couple of years. But ultimately, I'm also in an interesting season. I have three young kids that are four or five and seven and kind of a pivotal moment in their life too where I don't want to be overworking and I want to find that healthy balance.”

He’s actually found that balance by bringing everyone along for the ride.

“When the whole family's out here, we'll bring our golden retriever, three kids and my wife as well,” he smiles. “So, the bus can be pretty hectic, but it's always fun. The kids love it on the road. Pretty soon I'm going to start training 'em how to run the monitor board or sell t-shirts or something, get 'em out here working,” he laughs.

 

“On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer” has steadily emerged as one of the premier Country music podcasts, elevating Vollhoffer as an established voice in music in addition to his impressive career in the festival business. Over the course of its first two seasons, he sat down for insightful, revealing, and often hilarious interviews with the likes of Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, HARDY, Gavin Adcock, Koe Wetzel, Dierks Bentley, Bailey Zimmerman, Ashley McBryde, Marty Stuart, and many more. During Season 1 (2024), the podcast notably shook the charts and reached #1 in Music among Apple Podcasts in the U.S. Not to mention, the Dustin Lynch episode debuted in the Top 1% of all podcasts. Following its expansion to video in Season 2 (2025), the Jordan Davis episode remains the highest-performing YouTube video with nearly 100,000 views, while total channel views surpass 1.5 MILLION.

With cameras rolling and tape running, he engages in funny and freewheeling discourse with major 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.

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.

Capping off a successful summer festival season, Country Thunder Wisconsin excitingly hosted nearly 100,000 attendees with a top-tier lineup, including Cole Swindell, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Dierks Bentley, Gavin Adcock, Ashley McBryde, Tyler Hubbard, and Zach Top, and more. Plus, the festival notably celebrated the arrival of its “One Millionth Fan” with a once-in-a-lifetime prize pack. Turning heads, instant critical acclaim followed from Holler, EarlyRegistration, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, among others. Not to mention, CMT rode shotgun for the weekend, airing a special CMT Hot 20 episode.

 

 

ABOUT TYLER HUBBARD:
With 23 No.1 singles on country radio, countless awards, and sold-out tours, Tyler Hubbard has already had a remarkable career as a songwriter and as one half of multi-platinum duo Florida Georgia Line. Now as a solo artist, he has amassed more than 2 billion streams to date.

Hubbard’s Gold-certified debut solo album, aptly titled Tyler Hubbard, was released in January 2023 and features his debut single “5 Foot 9,” which hit No. 1 at Country Radio, was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA and has 750M global streams. The album also features his second No. 1 single, “Dancin’ In The Country,” which has amassed more than 640M global streams and has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.

Hubbard has made several television appearances as a solo artist, including Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show and Fox & Friends, and also on the CMT Music Awards, ACM Honors, NBC’s TODAY Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. 

His follow-up singles, including “Back Then Right Now” and “Park,” both reached No. 1 on country radio, making Hubbard the only country artist to launch two separate careers with four consecutive chart-toppers, marking 23 total No. 1 songs in his career. “Park” is featured on his latest album, Strong. Hubbard is back on the road playing shows across the U.S. Dates can be found HERE. Listen to ‘Strong’ HERE.

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 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 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.

 

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