Country Outdoors Podcast

By Mary O'NeillSociety & Culture Philosophy

Country Outdoors Podcast episodes

July 01 Jo Dee Messina: Jesus, 12‑Year Hiatus & Her ‘Bridges’ Comeback
Jo Dee Messina IS BACK!
In this episode, Mary O’Neill Phillips sits down with 90s country icon Jo Dee Messina to unpack the highs, lows, and miracles behind her return to country music. Jo Dee shares how everything she’d built seemed to crumble, her battle with cancer, and the front‑porch encounter with Jesus that changed the entire direction of her life and career.
They dive into why she stepped away from the spotlight for 12 years, how fame, labels, and industry pressures impacted her, and what led to her finding peace, purpose, and a deeper faith. Jo Dee talks through the journey to her new album Bridges, the CMA stage she was told she’d never stand on again, and why her biggest desire now isn’t another No. 1—but a ministry and space where people can come to know Him.
If you grew up on “I’m Alright” and her 90s hits or you’re walking through your own season of rebuilding, this conversation will hit you straight in the heart. Listen in as Jo Dee Messina and Mary O’Neill Phillips go to “church” on country, calling, and the goodness of God in the middle of real‑world struggles.
42 min
June 30 Jo Dee Messina : Trailer
Jo Dee Messina IS BACK. In this 50‑second sneak peek, 90s country icon Jo Dee Messina shares why she stepped away from the spotlight, how Jesus changed everything, and what brought her back with her new album ‘Bridges’ and a vision for ministry. If you grew up on her hits or love faith‑filled country stories, this teaser will give you chills and leave you wanting the full conversation. Watch the full episode on Country Outdoors Podcast to hear the entire comeback story. Airing on Wednesday!

3 min
June 25 Koe Wetzel: Fishing, Fatherhood, and The Night Champion
Koe Wetzel talks fishing, fatherhood, getting arrested, and his new album The Night Champion in this Country Outdoors podcast episode.
If you’re searching for a Koe Wetzel interview that mixes country music, hunting, fishing, and real life stories from the road, this is it.
Join country music star Koe Wetzel and host Mary O’Neill for a day of fishing in Tennessee that turns into a wide‑open conversation about life, fatherhood, and his new album, The Night Champion. Out on the boat in Tennessee, they’re catching fish, laughing, and swapping stories from the road — including the time Mary got arrested as a teenager in Australia.
On the water, Koe talks about becoming a dad, why he decided to slow down on drinking, and how that shift is showing up in his music. He and Mary get into wild hunting stories from Australia and all over the States, chasing big deer across Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, and more.
If you love Koe’s music, hunting and fishing, or just honest talk about growing up without losing your edge, this episode is for you. Pull up a seat on the pontoon, crack a cold one, and go “Fishing With Koe.”
40 min
June 23 Fishing with Koe Wetzel - Trailer
Koe Wetzel jumps on the boat with Mary O’Neill for a fishing day that turns into stories about fatherhood, getting arrested in Australia, and his new album The Night Champion. This trailer gives you a taste of the laughs, big deer tales, and real talk from the full Country Outdoors episode.
3 min
June 17 Dustin Lynch: Country, EDM & Bowhunting
Country Outdoors Podcast Host Mary O’Neill sits down with country star Dustin Lynch live from CMA Fest at Creatures Studio for a deep dive into his double life: hardcore hunter and Vegas EDM headliner. In his return to the Country Outdoors Podcast, Dustin breaks down how a PBR afterparty turned into a full-blown DJ show, what it’s like headlining a Wynn nightlife residency, and why he’s obsessed with dropping high-energy dance collabs while still staying rooted in country.
They dig into his new music and recent collaborations with heavy-hitting DJs and producers, how today’s festival crowd wants rapid-fire, high-BPM sets, and what it means to bridge the gap between country fans and global dance audiences. On the hunting side, @DustinLynch nerds out on habitat management, food plots, and his love of making the woods better, then shares the “One That Got Away” Bog segment—complete with a double-beard Tennessee turkey that still haunts him and archery encounters that changed how he hunts.
You’ll also hear stories from spring turkey seasons in Missouri, Iowa and Tennessee, behind-the-scenes pressure of hunting on camera, his legendary pool party at CMA Fest, and why he’s more fired up than ever about the future—with hints at what’s coming next in both his country and EDM worlds.
33 min
June 16 Dustin Lynch Trailer
Country star Dustin Lynch joins Country Outdoors for a no‑filter hang talking new music, life on the road, and why the outdoors still feels like home. Hit play for a sneak peek at tomorrow’s full episode and get ready for stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
3 min
June 11 Waka Flocka Flame: “When I Met God, I High‑Fived the Devil”
“When I met God, I high‑fived the devil.” - Waka Flocka Flame
In one of the rawest conversations we’ve ever had on Country Outdoors Podcast, Waka Flocka Flame sits down with Mary O’Neill Phillips to share his full testimony.
From losing two younger brothers and carrying survivor’s guilt, to living on ecstasy from seventh grade into his twenties, facing a 10‑year prison sentence with a stolen car and a sawed‑off shotgun, and walking through divorce and depression, Waka opens up about the moments that nearly broke him—and how God met him in the middle of it.
He talks about why he now refuses to take any opportunity that pulls him away from God (“If it moves me away from God, I’m not doing it. I don’t care how profitable it is. The devil gets no play in my ride.”), how he thinks about marriage, friendship, forgiveness, and what kind of father he wants to be for his son.
If you’ve only known Waka Flocka Flame from the turn‑up anthems, this episode will change the way you see him.
What we cover in this episode:
The tragic accident that took his little brother’s life and the guilt he carried for years
Losing a second brother to suicide and wrestling with “Why them, God?”
Ecstasy, numbing the pain, and realizing “this is not me”
Getting locked up in Georgia and the legal scare that forced a change
Divorce, failure, and why he says he needed that season to grow
How he now makes every decision based on whether it moves him closer to or further from God
Fatherhood, boundaries, and why he still believes in love
Welcome to the Country Outdoors Podcast, where country music, entertainment, and outdoor lifestyle collide with honest conversations about faith, life, and the wild.
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Rural 1st https://www.rural1st.com/00:00 – Cold open: “When I met God…”
00:34 – Mary’s intro & setup
01:52 – Getting comfortable on set
03:00 – “I want to talk about Jesus”
04:20 – Gifts, Solture & Mossy Oak
06:00 – Hunting stories & turkey invite
07:45 – Why Waka’s faith stands out
08:40 – What “testimony” means
09:30 – Waka’s view of Jesus & Spirit
11:40 – Losing his little brother
15:00 – Second brother, suicide & “why?”
17:40 – Ecstasy, numbness, hitting bottom
20:50 – Prison scare & legal grace
24:00 – People feeling trapped
26:30 – Forgiveness & friendship lines
29:30 – Divorce, depression, growth
33:40 – Marriage, dating & standards
38:30 – Music, Satan & influence
41:10 – Prayer calls & fiancée’s faith
42:13 – What he wants to be remembered for
42:36 – God’s wrath & no attention to devil
42:50 – “When I met God, I high‑fived the devil”
#WakaFlockaFlame #CountryOutdoorsPodcast #Testimony #FaithJourney #ChristianPodcast #CountryMusic #HipHop #GodFirst #SpiritualWarfare #PodcastInterview
45 min
June 10Waka Flocka Flame: “When I Met God, I High‑Fived the Devil”
“When I met God, I high‑fived the devil.”
In one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever had on the Country Outdoors Podcast, Waka Flocka Flame sits down with Mary O’Neill Phillips to share his full testimony and how his life has been transformed by faith.
Waka opens up about losing two younger brothers, living on ecstasy from seventh grade into his twenties, facing a potential 10‑year prison sentence with a stolen car and a sawed‑off shotgun, walking through divorce and depression, and finally finding peace in God. He explains why he now refuses to take any opportunity that pulls him away from God—“If it moves me away from God, I’m not doing it. I don’t care how profitable it is. The devil gets no play in my ride.”
We also dig into his views on marriage and dating, friendship and forgiveness, spiritual warfare, and what it looks like to be a present father and man of faith while still making music and moving into the country world. If you’ve only known Waka Flocka Flame for the turn‑up anthems, this episode will completely change how you see him.
In this episode:
Growing up Baptist/Christian and how he understands Jesus and the Holy Spirit today
The accident that took his little brother’s life and the survivor’s guilt he carried for years
Losing a second brother to suicide and wrestling with “Why them, God?”
Ecstasy, numbness, being pre‑diabetic, and the moment he realized “this is not me”
Getting locked up in Georgia, first‑offender grace, and deciding he had to change
Why he forgives people but draws hard boundaries around broken friendships
Divorce, two years of depression, and how God used that season to grow him
His take on marriage, dating with intention, and being friends before you say “yes”
Spiritual warfare, God’s wrath, and why he believes people give the devil too much credit
What he wants to be remembered for and why he’s leaving the future in God’s hands

Welcome to the Country Outdoors Podcast, where country music, entertainment, and outdoor lifestyle collide with real conversations about faith, life, and the wild.
45 min
May 27 From Dad Bod to Sonny Quinn: AJ Buckley on Turning Career Failure into SEAL Team Success
Actor, entrepreneur, health tinkerer, husband, dad and all‑around weapon of a human—AJ Buckley is back in the studio, and this time Mary is on his turf at The AJ Buckley Show. From CSI lab coat to SEAL Team kit, from “soft” to “most jacked dad on the block,” AJ walks through the exact moment a lost franchise role forced him to change everything.
He opens up about the studio note that gutted him (“we don’t have time to get him ready”), the promise he made to his wife and newborn daughter that night, and how he turned that embarrassment into the discipline that built Sonny Quinn. They dig into his 4 a.m. mornings, the biohacking dungeon in his basement (cold plunges, sauna, oxygen training, red light, PEMF, hyperbaric), and why he treats getting in shape like a full‑time job when a big role comes in.
AJ breaks down blood work, hormones and inflammation, why most guys are guessing with their health, and how carnivore, fasting, sardine experiments and even parasite cleanses have changed the way he feels on set and at home. They talk about carrying too much size on SEAL Team, coming back from injury, chasing muscle density for longevity, and still showing up as a present husband and dad—not just a guy who looks good on camera.
If you love SEAL Team, need a kick in the ass to finally handle your health, or just want to hear two friends talk honestly about failure, ego, and doing the work, this episode is for you.

53 min
May 27 From Dad Bod to SEAL Team – AJ Buckley Trailer
Trailer for our AJ Buckley episode—actor, entrepreneur, health nut, husband and dad—on the moment he lost a dream role and the ruthless routine that turned him into Sonny Quinn.
3 min