Most artists arrive in Nashville with a guitar and a dream. AJ Kross also arrived with a cougar story—and a very good reason to keep an eye on the gas gauge.

Now, 15 years later, the country singer-songwriter is heading into a new chapter with “God Made a Small Town,” an upcoming album, and a tour bus that deserves its own introduction.

AJ joins That Nashville Girl with the stories, humor, and heart that make you want to see someone win. He takes us from growing up on the road with his parents’ gospel duo to Bluebird Cafe open mics and years of Friday and Saturday nights at Ole Red. Those four-hour Broadway sets? They taught him a few things about holding a crowd—and earning the moment he’s stepping into now.

But the conversation’s biggest moment comes when AJ explains what changed after he finally told God, “I’m done.” After years of putting pressure on himself to do more and be better, he handed over the weight of trying to make it all happen. The dream was still there. He just stopped insisting he had to figure out every piece of it himself.

Between a cowboy tattoo his dad did not get nearly excited enough about, a teenage metal-band phase, and the Nevada roadside encounter that almost made this a very different story, AJ brings plenty of reasons to laugh. He also shares a piece of advice about asking God to fill your cup that might make you realize you’ve been holding out a very small one.

And with “God Made a Small Town,” he gives you something to listen to long after this conversation ends. Amanda’s already calling it a future No. 1. Get to know the guy she’s cheering for.

Listen to AJ Kross’s “God Made a Small Town,” and subscribe to the That Nashville Girl newsletter for the link to his performance.

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What do you do when Dolly Parton picks you for 9 to 5, but Wicked calls too? Rachel Potter shares why she chose the chance to understudy Glinda—and how that decision became part of her path to Broadway.

From performing at Disney to playing Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, Rachel opens up about auditions, rejection, reality television, and the tough feedback that helped her grow. She also shares the personal side of her story: losing her brother, becoming a mother of three, building a real estate career, and realizing at 40 that she wasn’t finished with the stage.

We talk about her Broadway album Stages, returning to musical theater as Elsa in Frozen, and what it means to pursue a dream that fits the life you have now.

New episodes drop daily, Monday through Friday! Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you never miss a minute!

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Bella Rose is bringing pop star energy to Nashville—and her album “Hot Girl Therapy” is the soundtrack.

Bella joins me on That Nashville Girl to talk country sass, rock influences, and making music that helps you feel like that girl. We talk about releasing a full 14-song album, her favorite track “Ride the High,” and why writing with Julia Michaels would be a dream.

She also shares the story of moving to Nashville at 17 with her band in February 2020. With shows canceled and nowhere to play, they turned their shared apartment into a place to write, record, and keep creating.

And because this is our kind of girl talk, we get into Desperate Housewives, questionable hair decisions, and the hairstylist who helped connect us. Plus, Bella answers a previous guest’s question about what goes into warming up her voice before a show.

Listen to “Hot Girl Therapy” wherever you stream music and follow Bella on Instagram at @bellarosebeyer.

Heads-up: This episode includes Desperate Housewives spoilers.

New episodes drop daily, Monday through Friday! Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you never miss a minute!

Connect with the show on That Nashville Girl Instagram, Amanda's Instagram, and YouTube.