Larry Stewart, the voice of Restless Heart and member of The Frontmen, joins Circling The Drain to talk about breaking through in 80s and 90s country, early resistance from Music Row, touring with Alabama, and how one phone call changed his life. Larry shares the origin stories of Restless Heart and The Frontmen, the realities of road life, raising a family while constantly touring, and why today’s country boom feels bigger than ever.

The crew also digs into modern country (Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Ella Langley), how AI is already reshaping the music business, why live shows are more important than ever, and what it really takes to stay married 40+ years in this industry. If you love 90s country, harmony-driven bands, and real behind-the-scenes stories, this one’s loaded.

02:24 Six straight number ones, becoming “road dogs,” and the Wheels era

03:36 Why radio embraced Restless Heart before the industry did

04:37 How a Belmont kid working at the Country Music Hall of Fame became the lead singer

05:45 Recording the first album, getting married, signing to RCA, and “the rest is history”

08:06 Harmony magic: how five voices created the Restless Heart sound

11:20 Where the songs came from and the role of Tim DuBois and Alabama

12:24 First big tour with Alabama, stage fright, and playing for 15–18,000 a night

14:13 Band chemistry, breakups, reunions, and outlasting most marriages

16:39 Growing up in Kentucky, gospel roots, piano, and choosing music over baseball

20:44 From JUCO ball to Belmont: the crazy path that led Larry to Nashville

25:20 Naming Restless Heart and the terrible band names that didn’t make the cut

25:27 How The Frontmen started with a lobby conversation and a wild idea

26:54 Randy Owen, early Frontmen shows, and taking the act to the troops

28:20 Performing in Iraq, Afghanistan, and on aircraft carriers – bonding through USO-style tours

29:39 COVID shutdowns, livestreaming Fridays at Five, and doubling down on The Frontmen

32:27 Building The Frontmen as a business: LLC, trademark, and brand strategy

33:31 Putting the band together in Nashville and finding the right players

35:46 Modern country: Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Ella Langley and the 90s influence

37:40 Why country that “hits a nerve” is connecting with massive audiences

38:36 How Restless Heart finally landed on their name (and why “Lazy River Boys” didn’t happen)

41:54 Guilty pleasures, Broadway tunes, Taylor Swift, and not listening to much music anymore

43:01 42 years of marriage, missing family time, and coaching his kids to make up for the road

45:21 Kids, grandkids, and why none of them went into music

48:16 AI, demo singers, and why live music is becoming even more valuable

49:12 Can AI build an artist’s entire image and album from scratch?

51:45 Tracks vs live: how The Frontmen actually run their show

55:13 Where to see The Frontmen live and how Larry stays out of trouble on social media

Follow Larry and The Frontmen:

https://www.larrystewartmusic.com/
https://www.thefrontmenlive.com/

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co

www.itsyourshow.co