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"Since the very beginning, that's a part of the country we've always done really well in and have made a strong effort to invest in the folks up there — they've returned the favor times 10," says Nail of New England audiences. "It's been cool to watch that relationship evolve over time, and we look forward […]

"I played basketball my entire life, but it was the sport I was the worst at. But it's a sport I love, and I watch it every night. That venue in New Hampshire, it's one of the most highly regarded places to play, a beautiful part of the country, and is set up like you're […]

"The voice is a tricky instrument; you never know how it's going to behave. Every night I go up there, there are certain songs, certain notes, certain moments that you get to and, depending on how easy or difficult they are to sing, it can weigh on your confidence or give you more confidence," says […]

Nail has never been shy about his onstage anxiety. From time to time, he'll tape lyrics underneath his mic stand. "There may be a couple of cheat sheets down there. That's the one thing I've struggled with from the very beginning: remembering words and having confidence in myself that the words are going to come. […]

"I had begun having people in the sports world sign the first great guitar I was playing onstage," says Nail, who petitioned former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa to do the honor. "I said, 'I want it to be something I can look at every night and will give me focus and reinspire […]

"About 45 minutes to an hour before the show we dim the lights a little bit and we turn on some music," says Nail of his preshow rituals. "We also take a shot of Jack Daniel's, neat, too. And we've been doing that since the very beginning. Every once in awhile if it's a really big […]

Nail says Boston shows carry a particular amount of weight for him. "Looking at this photo, I see a guy who is probably nervous as can be, just trying to remember the words. You try to treat every show like it's just another show, but Boston is one of those places where it's difficult to do that."

"When I first started and saw we were going to the Northeast, I called my manager and said, 'Is anybody going to come to the shows? Are there country music fans up there?' Boy, was I in for a surprise," says Nail, who has developed a loyal fan base in New England. 

"I learned how to play guitar in the 7th grade and I haven't gotten better since," Nail jokes of his onstage playing. "I learn chords and I don't even know what they are. I just know how they sound. But it's been something that I want to get better at. I joke with the guys every day at […]

A passionate fan of St. Louis sports teams, the Missouri native Nail has developed a soft spot for Boston, where this photo was taken. "I've fallen in love with this city. The first time we played there, there was 50 people in the crowd, and last year we sold out the House of Blues. It's […]

Cameras followed Nail throughout his tour of New England, including this stop in New Hampshire. "I had run out to soundcheck really quickly and I turned the corner and there was a camera in my face. Normally I would have tried to avoid them like the plague, but they caught me in a moment," says […]

Nail admits to swiping his band's name, the Well Ravens, from his friend and frequent co-writer Scooter Carusoe. "I told Scooter if I ever get a band, I'm going to steal that. One night I was onstage and I said, 'Give it up for my band the Well Ravens,' and everybody looked at me like, […]