Exclusive Home Free Interview at the Grand Ole Opry

Guys, it's Gail with Everything Nash backstage at the Grand Ole Opry with Tom Frey

I'm so excited! This is going to be my favorite interview ever because you guys are performing at the Opry tonight. Talk about it

Oh my God, it never gets old. No, but it feels cool like the sound guys know who we are

We were just saying when we walked in here, we're like, it's nice to finally do this and not have our knees knocking together on our way in

But they still knock a little bit. No, we just play it cooler now

How many times have you guys played here? It's got to be about 20. I think at least 20

Between 20 and 25 would be my guess. There's like two show days, so it hasn't been 20 days, but we've done a bunch of two show days

Do you do the fan thing? Because Ricky Skaggs is playing tonight, I'm just saying

Oh, of course. We sit in the pews on stage as often as we can

Okay, so it's also a big night because not only are you playing at the Opry, but it's right before your tour that is kicking off this week, Crazier Life Tour. Talk about that back out on the road

Yeah, the album of the same name is out in one week from today. The tour kicks off on Tuesday, so we have come straight from rehearsals

We've been rehearsing all day, every day, and you're the first normal person we've seen in a while

They called me normal. It's not true, but it's okay. So what can people expect from the tour? Because I know you guys switch it up a lot, so what can we expect

A mixture of the stuff folks have come to know and love from Home Free, stuff from all of our albums, our music videos, our time on the sing-off, and of course we'll be doing some stuff from the new album, Crazier Life

Which is coming out, like you said, next week. I want to know, you re-recorded these songs. What's the difference between now and then? Because you guys are different artists

We're all grown up. This is the first time we've ever gone to the studio with songs in our bones. Usually we're working on new material and we're still learning how to perform it the best we can, whereas some of these songs we've literally been singing for 10 years straight

So it's nice to go into the studio confident on how to perform this stuff

Does it feel like a decade? Because that's a long time. It does sometimes

Sometimes it does. In some ways it feels like it's only been a couple years, and in some ways it feels like it's been 20

Now you didn't record the original album, right Chance? No, I wasn't on the original, so it's been fun for me to kind of add my own flair to these things and do some stuff that I've only even done some of these songs live a couple of times, so it's all fresh to me

Could you have imagined when you guys were on the sing-off where you would be now

Not even. Our only goal on the sing-off was to not get kicked off first

True story. You succeeded. Winner! Hashtag winner! Okay, so we have something else to talk about, Austin

This is Austin's last album, last tour. You made the very difficult decision to leave. Talk me through that a little bit

You know, life is beautiful, life is long. We all go through seasons, right

And for me, this is just a new chapter. It's a turning of a page

I mean, I'm always going to be home free in my heart, and I'm just excited

I've got an incredible wife. I want to be home. I want to figure out a way to not be on the road as much these days

I loved it for over a decade, and then one day I just realized that I think it's time for me to slow down

But we still have a lot more to do here. We still have so much music to make

We've got at least six more months of me being around, at least. And it feels like we still have the Super Bowl in front of us, you know what I mean

And I'm so focused. I'm just here. I'm present with my brothers. I love these guys so much

And I'm just grateful for the time we had together, and I'm looking forward to seeing where life takes me and where life takes these guys

We're friends at the end of the day, always will be, and I'm just excited for the next chapter for all of us

How are you guys doing with it? What he said. I mean, we're good. It's bittersweet

Yeah, it's a cool place. I mean, we've learned to embrace new beginnings at this point

I mean, to be honest with you, Home Free's been around for 24 years, and this is the only remaining founding member

So, you know, we're all just part of a larger legacy. None of you can leave, just so you know. Y'all have to stay

I know you guys specifically write a lot together. Are we still going to do that

Oh yeah, for sure. And I still want to collaborate with everybody here in different capacities

We have a lot of music planned. I still hope to perform with Home Free every once in a blue moon

I don't know what happened to me. Ten years ago, you would have never told me that all I wanted to do was be at home

But I've turned into a homebody. Don't get me wrong, I still love doing the show

I'm so excited to finish tour and take every moment for what it is, not take anything for granted

But, you know, we get to make a lot more music still, and I'm excited to do that until we get there

And you have a rock star wife. Let's not forget that. She is. She is. Okay, so you guys are also going to have more music coming, right

Because when we talked on the cruise, you said more music is coming. Can you tell me anything else yet? Not too much. I mean, I will tell you, there will be another album out by the end of the year. Originals

That's all I'm saying. Okay, we're going to find out. Anything else we need to talk about, boys

I mean, just people watching, go to homefreemusic.com, check out the tour dates, come see us in a city near you

And they're fabulous. Thanks, guys. Thank you. Thank you