Jonny James

The Jay Franze Show: Country Music - News | Reviews | Interviews

Big lights, bigger grit. That’s the pulse running through our conversation with country-rock artist Jonny James—a former college football player who built a million-stream career the hard way: booking his own shows, designing his own merch, and recording between a home base in Indiana and sessions in Nashville. Jonny takes us inside the moments that shaped his sound, from pop-punk roots and Eric Church’s rule-bending to the raw ache of writing Shotgun in the Sky after losing his father-in-law. The result is a voice that straddles red dirt swagger and rock energy, and a live show that pivots from intimate acoustic to full-throttle electric depending on the room.
We dig into process, not just polish. Jonny explains why melody usually comes first, how wordplay turns scenes into songs, and what 75 Hard has done for his voice and stage stamina—pre-show runs, no drinks until the last chord, and sharper, stronger sets. He shares the origin of his fan-favorite baseball jersey “cape,” the realities of opening for legends from Night Ranger to the Oak Ridge Boys, and the art of reading a crowd without losing yourself. Family is the throughline: coaching early baseball after a midnight gig, carving creative time around mill shifts, and teaching his kids that work beats talent when talent doesn’t work.
Then there’s the whiskey. Born from a smoked old fashioned and refined through relentless tastings, Jonny’s 80-proof bottle carries applewood-cherry smoke and a subtle cinnamon edge—no syrupy shortcuts. We talk partnerships, scaling from local distilleries to full ownership, and the grind of distribution as an independent spirits brand. It’s the same DIY ethos as the music: build the thing, earn the fans, keep going when the easy path says stop.

Episode Links

• Jonny James: https://www.officialjonnyjames.com/
• Smoke Whiskey: https://www.officialjonnyjames.com/smokewhiskey
• Scotty Simpson: https://jayfranze.com/episode3/
• William Lee Golden: https://jayfranze.com/episode72/

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챕터

1. Jonny James (00:00:00)

2. Welcome & Guest Introduction (00:00:53)

3. Football Discipline to Music Hustle (00:01:53)

4. DIY Brand: Logos, Merch, and Recording (00:03:24)

5. Nashville Doors Open: Bonds, Combs’ Band, and First EP (00:05:07)

6. Genre Lines, Radio Wins, and “Smoke” (00:07:15)

7. Openers, Mentors, and On-the-Road Lessons (00:09:28)

8. Night Ranger, Crowd Reading, and Stage Energy (00:12:42)

9. Sober Shows, Better Vocals, and Routine (00:16:02)

10. The “Cape,” Jerseys, and Fan-Favorite Merch (00:18:23)

11. Sports Loyalties, Family Banter, and Starter Jackets (00:21:32)

12. Pop-Punk Roots, Early Bands, and Lyric Craft (00:25:08)

13. Musicals, Wordplay, and Story-First Songwriting (00:28:37)

14. Family, School Arts, and Building a Music Town Life (00:31:48)

15. Shotgun in the Sky: Grief into an EP (00:34:28)

16. Building the Band: Roles, Fit, and Commitment (00:37:38)

17. Basement Studio, Floods, and Backup Plans (00:41:32)

18. Songwriting Habits: Melodies, Hooks, and Time (00:44:17)

19. Balancing Mill Work, Tours, and Parenting (00:47:18)

20. Rock Star Dad: Late Drives and Early Games (00:50:17)

21. Biker Crowds, Benefits, and Road Surprises (00:52:58)

22. Van Life, Breakdowns, and Soundcheck Calm (00:55:32)

23. 75 Hard, Pre-Show Rituals, and Fuel (00:58:02)