This Week’s Backstage Country Host: Dan + Shay
Backstage Country is welcoming 2025 with a bang! Country music duo Dan + Shay is Kelly Ford’s co-host from January 13-17! Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney are taking your airwaves, and we couldn’t be more thrilled because with these two as Ford’s co-hosts, we know everyone’s going to have a good time.
Dan + Shay’s It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album
Ford asked the duo about their first Christmas album, which was released on October 17, 2024. Shay gave Dan the credit for It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album, “Dan deserves all the props for making this album actually happen. Putting together 21 songs is a very daunting task. And between touring in the spring and the summer, we somehow found some time to create a double Christmas album.”
He added that his part in the album is short. “I had to sing for two days and finish it all. And then Dan spent the next 9 to 10 months working on this album. But we’re so proud of how this turned out. When I think of what this album means to us, I really think of legacy. I want to have songs that… in 50 years, people have grown up listening to them, having a memory tied to each one of those songs.”
Ford asked the duo whether releasing a Christmas album is lucrative or if it’s part of what Shay mentioned as the pair wanting to leave a legacy. Dan quipped, “It’s honestly just all about the money.” Then he added, “No, I’m just kidding. It is about legacy. Christmas is such a fun, nostalgic time of the year. And you grew up listening to these songs, seeing them in movies, on TV shows.
He continued, “You put it out once and it kind of comes back around every year. And every year they pop back up and people make new memories to those songs and, over time, become older songs. But new memories are continuously being made to those.”
The pair also shared about the cool events they are able to participate in, now that they have a Christmas album. Shay said, “New York is so magical. Around Christmastime, we were just there. It’s amazing.” Dan added, “People are like, ‘You’ve really got to go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and not stand out in the rain.’ We’re like, ‘Yeah, we were covered on this little float.’ Thank you. Hallmark. The tree lighting is a blast. Getting to do all these magical experiences that people save up their whole life to do all in the spirit of promoting our Christmas album is awesome.”
So, if you’re in need of a pick-me-up, listen to Backstage Country with Dan + Shay all week! Make sure to visit their website for more of their music.
