Jon Pardi is ready to hit the road with new music and a new attitude.
“It’s a new emotion and new song ideas that we can sing about now,” Pardi, 39, exclusively shared in the new issue of Us Weekly when celebrating the release of his Honkytonk Hollywood album. “[I’m] a father now and you’ll feel it more instead of just singing about it. You’ve been there and that’s where this record comes in, especially with ‘She Drives Away.’”
The country singer — who shares daughters Presley, 2, and Sienna, 8 months, with wife Summer Pardi — believes he created one of his most grown-up albums to date.
When fans listen to his new music, Jon said they will be able to explore various themes about love and relationships.
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“Even the love songs like ‘Boots Off’ is a lovemaking song, but it’s fun,” he teased. “‘Love the Lights Out’ is sexy and making up for lost time, and that’s all part of marriage. It’s all a part of raising kids. There’s that more mature stuff where before it was just party, party, party and picking up chicks. It’s got a little more of a classy tone to that one.”
As Jon prepares to hit the road for the Honkytonk Hollywood tour, the singer is giving Us an exclusive look at his life on the road. Keep reading to get a front-row seat to his concerts and listen to Honkytonk Hollywood, available now.
Pre-Show Ritual
Gone are the days of shots and beers before showtime. Now, Jon and his band keep things “very professional.”
“I told my crew, ‘If there ain’t a piano in the band dressing room, somebody’s getting fired.’ That’s how important it is,” Jon told Us. “We sing a couple songs on the piano a cappella. Even the guys who don’t sing, they’re singing. We’re warming up. We’re talking about the show, we’re talking about the setlist and we’re in it. We’re in that moment.”
Fashion Matters, Y’all
Whether he’s performing at a major venue or visiting Ace Hardware, Jon will likely be wearing a cowboy hat when he steps outside.
During a concert, however, he adds a few more special touches to his outfit.
“We also love to dress nice. We’re tucked in, we’re trying to look sharp,” he said. “I feel like I have that old-school kind of entertainer vibe. I loved Elvis. You’re paying to see people dress nice. That’s how I like to see my entertainers.”
Most Embarrassing Moment
While Jon is proud to say he’s only fallen once on stage, he may be a little more embarrassed to recall the moment he had a wardrobe malfunction.
“I have ripped the jeans, but that was back in the honky-tonk days,” he joked. “I ripped the crotch out of my jeans because for a while there, the pants were so tight. I don’t know why I wore the pants so tight. I think Luke Bryan’s still rocking tight pants. I’m a little more relaxed these days.”
Favorite Songs to Perform
As Jon prepares to hit the road for the Honkytonk Hollywood tour with Corey Kent and Kassi Ashton, it’s hard to pick an absolute favorite song for every show.
“I will give you some of my favorites off the record,” he shared with Us. “‘Boots Off’ is definitely one of my favorites. I love the fun honky-tonking, having a good time. Get home, get the boots off, get the lovemaking. It’s poetic but honky-tonking fun.”
Jon also raved about “She Drives Away,” “Gamblin’ Man” and “Kinda Wanna Keep It That Way.”
“They’re all so good,” he added. “Just off the top of my head, I threw out those, but there’s way more.”
Ideal Afterparty
While every afterparty likely consists of a couple drinks and debriefs on how the show went, Jon said Saturday nights are a bit more exciting.
“That’s party night because it’s the end of the weekend,” he teased. “On our weekend we got three days off, so we get a little more rowdy on Saturdays.”
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Craziest Autograph Request
Forget about signing T-shirts or CDs — Jon can’t believe how many body parts he’s signed during his career.
“I’ve signed a bunch of arms that people have gotten tattooed, and my main thing is my signature is horrible,” he joked. “I want to be like, ‘You want my horrible signature on your skin?’ Because it’s like a scribble. It’s some sort of J and some sort of P with some scribble and a dot at the end.”
For more on Jon, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
