Pittsburgh, PA native Neal Yakopin arrived in Nashville in July 2020 and in a few short years has become a well-known and respected player, currently touring with country star Nate Smith.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native Neal Yakopin arrived to Nashville in July 2020 and eventually began working with Sony Music Nashville singer-songwriter Drew Green, who has written songs for Florida Georgia Line and Conner Smith. In 2022, Neal joined Nate Smith’s band for a six-show tour followed by a Fall tour with American country music singer Brett Eldredge. During this time, Nate's “Whiskey On You” single was gaining traction and landed No. 1 on Canada's country radio chart for six weeks, making the song the longest-running No. 1 country debut by a male vocalist in the country's chart history.

Since then, Neal has performed at Nashville’s most revered country music venues: The Ryman, Bridgestone Arena, and the Grand Ole Opry, as he looks ahead to a busy 2024 touring season including support for Morgan Wallen's One Night At A Time tour alongside Nashville's Bailey Zimmerman and Lauren Watkins.

In this interview, we discuss Neal's approach to live shows, how he started a business TourLaunch LLC, and the current state of the music industry’s TikTok-driven era. We hope you enjoy!

We'd like to thank our Episode Sponsors:

Low Boy Beaters
https://lowboybeaters.com

Drum Supply
https://www.drumsupply.com

Detox House
https://detoxhousenashville.com

Connect with Neal:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nealyakopindrums

TourLaunch:
https://www.tourlaunchnashville.com
https://www.instagram.com/tourlaunch

Music Featured in this Episode:
Nate Smith - Alright, Alright, Alright (Apple Music Sessions)

Intro Drum Groove
Recorded by Taylor Friesth at Garden Groove Studios in Nashville, TN
http://www.garden-groove.com
Mixed by Jackson Maddox

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Interview by: Dan Ainspan, Nathan Sletner
Recorded November 2023 in Nashville, TN

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Recorded at Garden Groove Recording Space, Nashville, TN
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