GET REAL WITH CAROLINE HOBBY - Ian Munsick: The Man Behind the Mountain Goat

The Bobby Bones Show

In this episode of The Bobby Bones Show, host Bobby Bones interviews country artist Ian Munsick, known for his song 'The Mountain Goat.' The

Key takeaways

• Ian Munsick's upbringing on a Wyoming ranch shaped his values of respect for land, independence, and humility.
• His wife Caroline Hobby is not only his partner but also his manager, highlighting their unique partnership built on mutual trust and intelligence.

Main topics

• Ian Munsick's Wyoming upbringing and ranch heritage
• The role of nature and land in shaping his identity

Notable quotes

'Go touch some grass. That's the main thing. Feel connected to the earth because that is how God intended us to live with the land, not on the land.'

Conclusion

Ian Munsick's journey reflects a deep-rooted connection to nature, family, and authenticity. Through

Transcript preview

Speaker 6 (0:00) This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are The Survivor Files. Every week, I'm with survivors who lived through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 4 (0:36) On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus, or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinheiro, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word solita, trading the pity for possibility. Listen to Solita on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 7 (1:11) If Speaker 4 (1:12) your bookshelf Speaker 7 (1:12) and your For You page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. Listen to Pro Society on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 1 (1:45) Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast Hollywood Handbook. Each week, we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time and no one gets mad at their publicist for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, Adam Scott, Danny McBride, Ben Stiller, and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 3 (2:42) I am excited to be here with Ian Munsick. Thank Speaker 2 (2:46) you for having me. I'm Speaker 3 (2:47) so thrilled to be here with you. We were talking right before you came in here about your beautiful wife, Caroline, Speaker 2 (2:53) which Speaker 3 (2:53) you automatically have to like me because my name is Caroline. I Speaker 2 (2:56) do. I do. Yeah. Speaker 3 (2:57) And you wrote a song about her, which I was like, man, that's a good love song. Speaker 2 (3:01) Yeah. Speaker 8 (3:02) Well, thank you. There's a lot of... Speaker 8 (3:08) tunes that have the title Caroline in it. I know. It's Speaker 3 (3:11) a Speaker 8 (3:11) good name. Yes. So I was like, there's got to be other Carolines that can relate to this song too. You know, like it's not just about her, even though it is about her in my eyes, but there's going to be other eyes. There's like, oh, they have a Caroline in their life that, you know what I mean? So. Speaker 3 (3:26) So I got to interview her. Yeah. And I was telling you, you really married well for yourself. I Speaker 2 (3:30) did. I did. You Speaker 3 (3:31) really married well because she's like a powerhouse. She's your manager too, right? She Speaker 2 (3:35) is. Yeah, she is. Okay. Speaker 3 (3:36) She's your manager. Manager and Speaker 2 (3:37) wife. Speaker 3 (3:37) Wife and baby mama. Baby Speaker 2 (3:39) mama. Yeah. She, I've never Speaker 8 (3:42) met another girl like her. She is like so artistic, so smart, way too smart. Like I don't get away with anything. Really? Speaker 3 (3:52) No. Speaker 2 (3:53) She's. She knows it all. Yeah, she sniffs it out very quickly. Are you trying to get away with stuff, Ian? I mean, like, occasionally, like, I'll try and go play golf. Oh. You're going to go sneak off and play golf? Well, no. Because a week in advance, she's like. so who are you golfing with next week? I'm like, how do you know that I was planning on golfing in a week? Like, she's very, very smart. Very smart, yeah. I love Speaker 3 (4:19) that about her. So where did y'all meet, though? Because y'all have been together a long time. You met in Nashville. Y'all had a big friend group. Like, you're in the Laney Wilson friend group before everyone became Ian Munsick and Laney Wilson and all that. Speaker 2 (4:31) We met at school at... You went to Belmont? Belmont, we did, yeah. Okay, I went to Belmont. Really? Speaker 3 (4:41) Yeah. Speaker 2 (4:41) What year did you, were you there? Speaker 3 (4:44) Okay, so I graduated in 2007. I'm turning 43 this year. Speaker 2 (4:49) Nice, nice. So we, I graduated 20... Speaker 2 (4:56) Gosh, 2015, and she did not graduate. She bailed early. She didn't need it. I know. She didn't. She didn't. It's supposed to be the other way around. Speaker 8 (5:04) The artist is supposed to not go to college. Right. The manager is supposed to go to college, Speaker 2 (5:09) and we totally flip-flopped it. Speaker 3 (5:12) But y'all met at Bellant. Speaker 2 (5:13) Yep, yep. I was playing in some bands, and she saw me play, and she was working for kind of a smaller artist. Speaker 8 (5:25) she hired me to play in his band and then right as She hired me she left so like we never still really got to meet only through like Through the DMs just for playing music, you know, and then a few years later She wanted to start her own Company and I was pretty over playing for other people. I really wanted to pursue my own artistry and And we just reconnected and the rest Speaker 2 (5:57) is history. Was it love at first sight? Speaker 2 (6:00) I was always attracted to her, yes. She will lie to you and say that she was not attracted to me at first, even though she definitely was. Don't be fooled. Yeah. But, yeah, I just got to know her and see how smart Speaker 8 (6:15) and how kind and just how she's a very, very special girl. So I just knew. Speaker 3 (6:23) Is that the secret to marriage is just, like, loving your wife so much and thinking she's the greatest? I Speaker 8 (6:28) think so. Speaker 3 (6:29) I'll kick in your coverage. Speaker 8 (6:30) Oh, yeah, 100%. I definitely did. Yeah, I think it's just about, like... figuring out how special your partner is, you know, because she's like very, very special. I think that she thinks I'm special. And as Speaker 3 (6:47) long Speaker 8 (6:49) as you can like always have that, I think that you're in a good spot in your marriage. Speaker 3 (6:54) Man. Yeah. So you're so cool for so many reasons, Ian. I love that you are from Wyoming because Wyoming and Montana and that area, it's its own thing. Speaker 8 (7:07) It Speaker 2 (7:08) is. It's its own world out there. It's Speaker 8 (7:10) its Speaker 3 (7:10) own world. Yeah, Speaker 8 (7:10) it is. It's tough to live anywhere else after that just because it kind of pales in comparison to the beauty and the landscape and the people out there that are just so... independent and respectful of each other and so low key and hardworking. It's kind of like a little. Speaker 8 (7:34) utopia out there in my opinion so Speaker 3 (7:37) your new album is coming out it's not out yet it's coming out when is it coming out uh Speaker 2 (7:41) august 21st i think the mountain goat the mountain goat you're the mountain goat first of all i need to Speaker 3 (7:45) know what the mountain goat is because i love that it's such a great song and i love that you are the mountain goat but you have a song in your previous album talking called the gate yeah talking about like your dad yeah so did you grow up on the land did you grow up working the land yeah Because being connected to the land and being in tune with nature and animals, I feel like is a huge part of who you are. Speaker 2 (8:05) Yeah, absolutely. Speaker 8 (8:07) My dad is a rancher. My two old... older brothers are both ranchers. My mom's a rancher. So, yeah. So, I mean, it was just, I was born on a ranch. It was just three boys? Three boys. I'm the youngest. So my parents really taught us how to work the land, how to ride horses, how to, how, how to live with the land instead of on the land. And I think that that's a, a big piece of what being a cowboy is all about and being a rancher is all about and being, um, being just connected to the earth. And, um, that's probably the biggest thing that, um, I took away from. growing up there is just having respect for the land and, and respect for your neighbors, you know? So Speaker 3 (9:00) what would you say the difference of being with the land, not on the land is? I Speaker 2 (9:05) think that when you live on the land, um, it's pretty easy to take it for granted. Like here in Speaker 8 (9:12) Nashville, it's like you go to work every day, you're in traffic every day. Like you go home, you're indoors quite a bit just because that's the way that, this industry is right there there's not a lot of music industry happening outdoors um so i think that you just kind of take it for granted that's probably the the biggest thing Speaker 3 (9:39) it's just always there yeah it's yours for the taking Speaker 8 (9:42) yes yes yeah Speaker 3 (9:43) yeah Speaker 8 (9:44) whereas in in wyoming um You have to really take care of the land because that's how you get your crops. That's how you feed your horses and your cows. So like it all revolves around you taking care of it. And that's really how you live with it. You know? Speaker 3 (10:05) So can you feel like the heartbeat of the land? Oh Speaker 2 (10:08) yeah. So. Can you speak to the Speaker 3 (10:10) land? I mean, I'm being serious. Speaker 3 (10:14) Like how do you communicate? I can hear Speaker 2 (10:16) the land. Yes. Yes. I don't know if it hears me back. I don't know if, if, uh, I'm at that level, but I can hear it. I don't know. I Speaker 8 (10:24) don't know. I think that you have to like, I think that you have to be, be a rancher or be a, be a agriculturist to really be able to speak to the land. But, but I can hear it. And especially like out in. Speaker 8 (10:43) Out in the Rockies, I think that it's a lot easier to hear the land because you're humbled by the land and you can really hear God speaking through the land. And it's just, it's magical out there. Speaker 3 (10:58) Like proof of God is pretty certain. Pretty easy out there. It's pretty easy. You don't have to necessarily go hunt for it. It's like right there. Everything is God. Speaker 2 (11:06) Yeah, yeah. You just look at the mountains and it's like. Speaker 3 (11:08) Hi, God. Speaker 2 (11:09) Yeah, Speaker 8 (11:09) I am a very small piece of this earth, and then there's a whole other, there's outer space, there's the galaxies, the universe. We are a small piece of that, and to think that there is no God is pretty crazy, in my opinion. I agree. I Speaker 3 (11:28) totally agree. So is that kind of like your relationship with God? Is it just started from being in Speaker 2 (11:32) your Speaker 3 (11:33) upbringing with nature? Yeah. Speaker 2 (11:36) My Speaker 8 (11:37) parents weren't very, aren't very religious. I think that they got turned off at a young age because they grew up like, I mean, they're 74, 73. So they grew up like having it kind of like. Speaker 8 (12:03) in their face like you're going to church no matter what which for better or for worse right but um they're very spiritual so for them to to to have their their ranch still and To raise us three boys out there, they really taught us how to be spiritual and how to live off the land and to hear it, you know, like you were talking about. When Speaker 3 (12:30) did you discover music? Speaker 8 (12:32) At a young age. My dad is a really good player. Yep. And he writes his Speaker 2 (12:37) own music. He can play any instrument. As Speaker 3 (12:40) can you. He's Speaker 2 (12:41) kind of a genius. Yeah, but not to his level. Does Speaker 3 (12:43) he Speaker 2 (12:43) play like Speaker 3 (12:44) seven or eight instruments on your album? Speaker 2 (12:45) Yeah, but. Playing in the studio, you have unlimited Speaker 8 (12:49) amount of time to get it right. I spend so much time trying to get the harmonica sound right. And then hear the banjo right, get the bass right. Whereas my dad, he'll just play. Speaker 2 (13:03) He's just insane. Did Speaker 3 (13:04) he just pick it up naturally? He Speaker 2 (13:06) did. So Speaker 3 (13:07) he's a genius. Speaker 8 (13:08) Kind of, yeah. He's a very smart guy. But he taught my two older brothers and I how to play at a young age. And me, as the youngest, I had like three of my heroes all playing music. Like your two Speaker 3 (13:23) older brothers and your dad. Speaker 8 (13:24) Yes. So it was just always like how to get closer to them was through music. So that's just what we did. Okay. Speaker 3 (13:34) Are they good singers as well? They Speaker 2 (13:35) are. Yep. Yep. They all have their own music and they do their own thing. So Speaker 3 (13:39) they are professional. They Speaker 2 (13:40) are. Well, y Speaker 3 (13:41) 'all didn't want to be like a family man. Speaker 2 (13:43) We were for, for, Speaker 8 (13:44) for a long time. Um, but it was pretty clear to me that my brothers and my dad, like they love being ranchers. Like that's their number one thing to his music. Um, and Speaker 3 (14:00) you're maybe reverse and Speaker 8 (14:01) I'm probably reverse. Yeah. Like I, Speaker 8 (14:05) I love country music, but I also love so much other kind of music where they're like pretty country country, you know, they do like other kinds of music, obviously. But, um, but I really wanted to see the world and, um, and see how far I could take my own music. Whereas I kind of knew that like they were, they were cool just being in Wyoming and that's great. And Speaker 2 (14:32) the older I get. Speaker 3 (14:33) You're maybe wanting to go back. To Speaker 8 (14:34) go Speaker 2 (14:34) more. I'm like, yeah, maybe these guys had it figured out from the beginning, which they still do. I Speaker 3 (14:39) mean, it's not wrong. No. Seeing the world and traveling is amazing, but it'll wear you down. Yeah. Speaker 2 (14:44) Yeah. And it's also like you don't know how good you have it until you Speaker 8 (14:49) see the rest of the world. So being able to play music around the world and around the country, there's still no place like going back to Wyoming. It's like this is the best out here. Speaker 3 (15:01) I used to have a dream. After Legends of the Fall came out. Speaker 2 (15:04) Oh, dude. Now we're talking. Okay, we're going to go on this whole rant about Legends of the Fall. I mean, that Speaker 3 (15:09) probably really, that was a peak Montana, Wyoming moment for the world, too. But after that movie came out, I was probably like early teens. And I was like, my dream is to move to Montana, live on a farm, and ride horses. And that's your life. Speaker 2 (15:25) I mean, Speaker 3 (15:25) that's your reality. Speaker 2 (15:26) Do you know what's crazy? Speaker 3 (15:27) You fought a bear. Speaker 2 (15:28) No. That would be awesome. I have two older brothers. What? Speaker 3 (15:32) Okay. Speaker 2 (15:32) Tris and Sam. Speaker 3 (15:34) Tris, Sam. Like Tristan. They're Speaker 2 (15:36) the same. Yes. Those are the two brothers' names in Legend of the Falls. The other one's name is Alfred. I'm Ian, so not Speaker 3 (15:43) the same. Speaker 2 (15:43) Were they named after Legends? No. No. But Speaker 3 (15:46) Tristan was Brad Pitt, right? Speaker 8 (15:47) Tristan was Brad Pitt. Samuel was the younger brother that died in World War I. Stop. I have two brothers named Tris and Sam. We grew up on a ranch in Wyoming. Three brothers. Like, kind of crazy. They Speaker 3 (16:04) really were modeling the movie after you. They knew you guys existed. And they're like, this is what we need to make a movie about. We're going to get Brad Pitt in there. It's going to be epic. Speaker 2 (16:13) Anthony Hopkins is my dad. Speaker 3 (16:15) Does he Speaker 2 (16:16) play the role? No, my dad's not quite as good as English. Well, I mean, he's. They're both very, very smart, so actually kind of. And Speaker 3 (16:25) also River Runs Through It. Was that Speaker 2 (16:26) also in Speaker 3 (16:27) Wyoming? Speaker 2 (16:27) Those are my top two movies. I forgot about them. They're my favorite until right Speaker 3 (16:32) now. Those are always my favorite. And also Speaker 2 (16:34) Brad Pitt. Speaker 3 (16:34) He must have that common thread, too. So good, Speaker 2 (16:37) yeah. So good. Speaker 3 (16:38) But I remember River Runs Through It, too. That was my dad's favorite movie. Amazing movie. We used to watch it every Friday night. It was so good. So Speaker 2 (16:44) good, yeah. Speaker 3 (16:45) And it makes you want to live like that.