This Week’s Host: Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt is this week's host of Backstage Country. The Nashville hitmaker joins Kelly Ford in studio to chat about his new EP, Locked Up, No. 1 hit "Outskirts," touring, and so much more all week long.

Hunt recently released a four-song EP titled Locked Up featuring the title track, "Locked Up," "Country House," "Last Hurrah," and "Outskirts." He co-wrote three of the four tracks, and enlisted fellow songwriters Ross Copperman, Zach Crowell, Jeremy Flowers, Luke Laird, Michael Lotten, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne for the project.

"I had that phrase "locked up" I wanted to write but I didn't want to go into the details of my experience. So, it's more about being forgiven for messing up whether you got locked up or you just made some sort of mistake and and your love stuck with you through that," Hunt told Ford.

He continued, "I zoomed out and made sure it wasn't too unique to my story and other folks could hopefully relate to it."

Hunt is a busy man these days while out on the road, working on new music, among other things, but there's nothing more important to him now than his family. The singer-songwriter and his wife, Hannah Lee Fowler, share two kids together, daughter, Lucy, and son, Lowry.

"You spend your life trying to find your calling and your purpose. I played ball growing up, and I identified with that and thought, well, that's what I am, a ball player. Then I picked up a guitar and thought, well, this is what I am. I'm a creator. I'm a songwriter. I do have an artsy side, maybe, I can lean into this. But none of them really ever fulfilled that place deep down, that really gives you that full sense of purpose, like a being a father," Hunt exclaimed.

The five-time Grammy nominee will return to the road this summer for his headlining ‘Locked Up Tour’ with special guests Russell Dickerson, Dalton Rover, and George Birge. Hunt will also appear at the Voices of American Country Music Fest in West Chester, Ohio in August.

Check back all week for more from Sam Hunt on Backstage Country. For more information, visit samhunt.com and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see more.

Sam Hunt celebrates his 39th birthday today (12/8) as a new dad to he and his wife Hannah's second child. Sam kept the birth of his new baby under wraps until after Thanksgiving when he posted a photo of his family on Instagram. In the picture, you see his wife Hannah, daughter Lucy, and a new baby.

Recently, a rep for his management told People magazine that he and his wife Hannah welcomed a baby boy named Lowry Lee on Tuesday, October 24.

Their second child's name comes from his parents — Lowry is Hunt's middle name, and Lee is Fowler's. Lowry joins big sister Lucy Louise, who is 18 months old.

Sam announced quietly Baby Hunt No. 2 had arrived with a social post on Instagram, including a photo of him and his wife, his 2-year-old daughter Lucy Louise, and his wife holding the new baby.

He captioned the photo the day after Thanksgiving (11/24), "Thank you, Lord."

You can see the post here.

Hunt recently announced his "Outskirts Tour 2024," which Live Nation produced. The five-time Grammy nominee and Diamond-selling artist sets course for his arena headlining tour with a February 22 kickoff in Grand Rapids, plus stops in Louisville, Nashville, Milwaukee, Green Bay, and more.

Special guests include Brett Young and fellow Georgia native Lily Rose.

Sam also released a new song in October (2023) called "Came The Closest." He wrote the new tune with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.

Hunt has been making a name for himself in country music since 2014, when he released his debut country album, Montevallo. Since then, he has released some great music videos. As Sam celebrates his birthday with his family today (12/8), we look at some of his best music videos.

It's hard to believe that Sam Hunt never had an official music video release for his biggest song, which is diamond-certified for moving 10 million units. However, the popular song does have an official lyric video. The video, which has over 27 million views on YouTube, features the song and lyrics over vintage video clips of youngsters doing motocross.

Two music videos were produced for the song. The first music video premiered in August 2014. The video shows Sam performing at a festival and clips of him playing sports with band members and having fun in various situations with the band on the road.

A second "alternate" music video premiered in June 2015. this video is a little more produced, with Sam singing to the camera and showing him partying and performing at a small Nashville club.

The video was shot in Macon County, Tennessee. This dramatic video shows Sam's acting skills as he works through a tough breakup in a small town, complete with his small house burning. The song was inspired by his breakup with his then-girlfriend Hannah Lee Fowler, whom he has since married and now has two kids.

This video won Breakthrough Video of the Year at the 2015 CMT Music Awards in Nashville. In the video, Sam sings while he portrays a Yellow Cab driver in Nashville. The video also features his cab passengers, many wearing cowboy hats and drinking, dancing along as Hunt sings the uptempo catchy song.

The video's dramatic storyline involves domestic violence. In the video, Sam's character witnesses several instances of a tattooed man abusing his young girlfriend in public, including at a biker bar and a coin-operated laundry. Together, the two have a baby. Near the end of the video, the woman tries to leave with her baby when the boyfriend comes outside to stop her. When he begins hitting her, Hunt, who happens to be walking by the tattooed man's house, sees this and begins to fight with the man.