George Birge Backstage with Nicole at TidalWave Music Festival 2023
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00:0092.5 XTU, Philly's country station, it's Nicole, I'm finally here, title of, actually, fun fact, I was here yesterday, one of my best friends is obsessed with Dustin Lynch, she flew from Raleigh, North Carolina to come and see him, and I was like, no, I'm working today, I'm hanging out with the celebs backstage, so, you're my first one, George, hi, welcome.
00:18I'm excited to kick it off with you, Nicole, so, George Burge, which I love it, and we're playing your song, and I'm like, the first time I played it, I was like, I have to make sure, because it, like, kind of rhymed, George Burge, yeah, yeah, and that's your real name?
00:30That's my real name, yeah, I didn't even admit it, you know, I just came out like that, they looked at me and they said, that's who this guy is, and I do feel like it's a good country music name, you know what I mean, like, your parents clearly had a vision.
00:43There's been a couple successful Georges in country music, so it definitely left me some big shoes to fill, and I'm very proud to kick it in there.
00:50So, you came to Philly, you were at XTU, and I know it's a little confusing, because you're from Texas, we're going to get to that, because I have a little bone to pick with you.
00:57Come on.
00:58But anyway, so, even though we're at the Jersey Shore or Atlantic City, it's technically like Philly, so, the Jersey Shore is part of Philly, so I have to, like, tell people that when I'm about to yell at you, because you were going on and on on your Instagram about, damn, cowboys,
01:13and Dak Prescott.
01:14I know, I know.
01:16Well, at least you can know that I'm not a bandwagon fan.
01:19Okay, okay.
01:20If I admit that I'm a cowboys fan in public, you know that I'm diehard, because lately it's been pretty hard to do, but I stand behind it.
01:25Okay.
01:25I will say that I went to high school with Nick Foles, so.
01:29You did?
01:29I rooted for the Eagles for, like, 30 minutes one day.
01:32Oh, my God.
01:34Do you know him?
01:34I do.
01:35Oh, what breaking news.
01:39This is the best thing you can ever tell people in Philadelphia.
01:41I mean, I like telling people I'm a cowboys fan.
01:44That's pretty good to see.
01:45I don't know.
01:46I mean, I feel like in the last five years, telling people that you know Nick Foles and went high school with Nick Foles carries a little more weight than being a cowboy.
01:55He did some magic out here.
01:56Yes.
01:56But, you know, that gives us Texans a hall pass out here, right?
01:59It does.
02:00Because it's not giving us a little bit street.
02:01You do.
02:01You get a hall pass for that.
02:04Wait, so, did you play sports?
02:06I was a golfer, yeah.
02:07Really?
02:07Do you still golf, I'm assuming?
02:08As much as I can.
02:09Are you good?
02:10I played in college, yeah.
02:12Oh, that's really good.
02:13Okay.
02:13All right.
02:14So, why?
02:15Okay, so, you're golfing and then what you're, like, humming on the, is, like, you're waiting on, like, hole 17.
02:20And when did you decide, like, I'm going to try to be a musician?
02:23It was actually hole 18 that I decided.
02:25You did.
02:25You were like, I haven't gotten a bleeping hole in one yet.
02:29I started playing music.
02:31Music was my first love before I started playing golf.
02:33Um, and it was, I grew up in Austin, so, obviously, an insane music scene out there.
02:38World famous 6th Street.
02:39I was probably playing shows about 14 with X's on my hands out there.
02:42Oh, really?
02:42So, it was, like, I always loved it and was always chasing it.
02:45Now, I hope that, like, my early recordings never see the light of the day.
02:48That was, you know, we kind of grew up over there.
02:50But it's an awesome city.
02:51There's so much music and culture around you.
02:53It's, like, I had rock and roll influence and country influence and bluegrass influence.
02:56It was just all around you and it taught you a lot.
02:59And then, you know, country music and golf have a really close tie and I got into golf.
03:03And I tend to, if I dip my toe into something, dive head first.
03:08I just, I get obsessed with things I like to do.
03:10So, I played golf one time and I just decided, like, this is my favorite thing in a world.
03:14Were you good?
03:14Were you one of those people that were just, like, naturally good on your first time?
03:17I would say I was better than I was supposed to be for my first time.
03:19And then, played through high school, ended up getting on the team at the University of Texas.
03:23You played golf at UT?
03:25I did.
03:25See, I was, I only stalked you a little bit.
03:28So, I only got, I stalked at the Cowboys.
03:31See, if I would have known that you played golf in the University of Texas.
03:32I wish you would stalk me more.
03:33I would really like to, actually, keep it up.
03:37But, yeah, golf and country music, my two favorite things.
03:40And then, cheesesteaks are a close third.
03:41So, I got some D'Alessandro's last time I was out there.
03:43You did?
03:44Yes.
03:44I know the real deal.
03:46Oh, my God.
03:46I'm not a tourist around here.
03:48I mean, I was thinking.
03:48I got street cred.
03:50Yes.
03:50I mean, between D'Alessandro's and Nick Foles dropping two of Billy Faves in one interview.
03:55Watch out.
03:56I will say that, like, when they told me my order was ready, it did crush me a little bit.
04:00Because, you know, it's got the sign and then it's got the speaker.
04:02And it says, George Burge, your order is ready.
04:04Fly equals fly.
04:06And I was like, oh, man.
04:07It was good.
04:08Here's what I will say, though, about Dak.
04:10We have the same birthday.
04:11And so, I do have a little, little, little tiny bit of, like, a little feels for him.
04:17Because I feel like if we have the same birthday.
04:19Oh, I can't.
04:19No, no, no.
04:20I can't.
04:20I can't.
04:20I can't.
04:21I can't.
04:21I mean, by all means.
04:22He's gotten stuttered in already.
04:24He's gotten a little bit.
04:26But I just, then I say, just because you're a Leo and we have the same birthday doesn't
04:30mean I can root for you.
04:31You know what I mean?
04:31But I do think he's a good guy.
04:33I feel like maybe since I rooted for Nick a little bit, you can root for Dak local that
04:38year.
04:38Only by, like, I'll root for him if he plays against a celebrity golf tournament.
04:42But not on the football field.
04:44Yeah, we'll start there.
04:44Let's talk about your music.
04:45Because I feel like we're talking about random stuff.
04:47So, tell me about, just tell me about what your vibe is, what inspires you, like, all
04:53that kind of stuff.
04:54Yeah.
04:55You know, I talked about growing up in Texas, you're just surrounded by country music.
04:58So, it's what I always love.
04:59And I'd say my three biggest influences are probably my namesake, George Strait.
05:04My mom jokes that I'm half named after him and half named after him.
05:06You don't have a, you have a black cowboy hat?
05:08I do have a black cowboy hat, yeah.
05:11Gary Allen and Jason Alvian probably around that top three for me.
05:14And I would say a little bit of all of those guys are sprinkled into my sound.
05:18There's a rock and roll scene in Austin, too.
05:20So, we do have a high energy live set.
05:21So, I was going to say, you like more of the rock country vibe.
05:25But, I'd say, you know, there's a lot of country and smoke and steel guitar and all that stuff
05:32in there.
05:32But, there's some rock and roll.
05:34Okay.
05:34What about, do you feel like you have a little white boy soul in you?
05:37Because you have a swagger above you.
05:39I would say there's a little soul in there.
05:41Yeah.
05:41Because you're not really that vanilla.
05:43Like, I'm not getting vanilla vibes.
05:45You know what I mean?
05:45I do like a vanilla milk case, but I try to keep the rest of it with a little flavoring.
05:49So, yeah, it's just a little bit of everything.
05:53It's like, you know, you never realize how lucky you were to grow up in a city like that
05:57until you get out and see the rest of the world and you see how special your hometown is.
06:02So, I try to carry a little bit of that, like, melting pot of Austin with me everywhere
06:05I go.
06:06And I moved to Nashville about eight years ago, and that was another, like, incredible step
06:10for me.
06:10Because, you know, you get there and you're popping off as one of the best in your hometown.
06:14And then you get to Nashville and you realize, like, everybody in the city was the best in
06:18their hometown.
06:18Yeah.
06:18And it's like, you just get better every day by just being around the woods.
06:22The songwriters, the musicians, and so we're going on eight, almost nine years in Nashville
06:26now.
06:27And I feel like I've grown a lot as an artist, like, knowing my brand, knowing what I want
06:31to say, knowing how to write a song.
06:32We did 10 years in a band and trailer.
06:34So, you know, you like how to put on a live show.
06:36And, you know, when you're starting with five people in the crowd and three of them are bartenders,
06:39you kind of figure out how to get the energy going and keep going.
06:42They're looking a little bit different these days.
06:43But it's been a lot of fun.
06:46And this is my first time at Tidal Wave, so I'm excited to see it.
06:48Which is awesome.
06:49But I'm really glad you brought that up about music because we live in it.
06:51I mean, we're halfway through 2023, right?
06:53So there's been so many artists that blew up on TikTok, right?
06:56And we have to say, I mean, there's some people that did SoundCloud, some people that
06:59YouTube, but, like, TikTok's, like, the thing now.
07:01But, like, you grinded.
07:03And that is a conversation I think people need to have because when you're welcome on TikTok,
07:07you don't necessarily know what it's like to play in front of three people, two of them
07:10being a bartender.
07:11Yeah, I mean, I would say this.
07:13Like, I'm finally in a spot.
07:15Like, you know, we just went top 30 this week.
07:17And God willing, I'm hoping to have a number one song at the end of the year.
07:20We're having some success.
07:21And I'm finally in a spot where it's working.
07:22And, like, if I had to start over, I don't know necessarily that I would choose to do my
07:2715 years of grinding over.
07:28Right, right.
07:29Yeah, yeah.
07:29Now that I'm here, like, I'm really glad that I have because, you know, we've paid some
07:33dues and learned how to connect with fans and put on a live show and write a song.
07:36And there's a lot of things that I learned the hard way that at the time I was, you know,
07:40cussing that I'm glad I'm here for now.
07:42Totally, yes, yes.
07:43Now about next time, my next life, I'd rather just the quick go of it.
07:46But, yeah, now that we're here, I'm glad we've been here for the hard way.
07:48They're past lives because I do.
07:49Do you?
07:49You know, I'm not really sure.
07:51Okay.
07:52I mean, next time we talk, we could really dive into that.
07:54All right, so tell everybody how they can find you.
07:57George Burge, B-I-R-G-E.
07:59Got a song called Mind on You that you can hear on XT.
08:01Mm-hmm.
08:01It's so good.
08:03We're excited.
08:04We got a new album out.
08:06The singles, Rippin' at Country Radio.
08:07Thank you guys so much for your support.
08:09Listen, we play hits, so if it's not good, we don't play it.
08:13You heard it here first.
08:14We did, yeah.
08:15Oh, what can you tell us really quick about Nick Foles?
08:16Is there anything?
08:17Do you have his number?
08:18I don't have his number anymore.
08:20No, it's been a while.
08:20All right, well, we got to get it.
08:21Okay, we got to get it.
08:22All right.
08:22Super, super genuinely nice guy.
08:24Yeah, he's a good dude.
08:28So senior year, I'll remember we were at prom, and it was like a backyard hang before we were
08:33going to prom, and I was throwing the football at Nick Foles, and we threw it back and forth
08:36like three times, and by the third time, it was stinging my hand so bad, I was like,
08:39man, maybe let's just go inside.
08:41Wow.
08:41That's kind of when I knew that guy was like built in.
08:43Yeah, yeah.
08:44And it's so crazy because he kind of looks like an awkward giraffe at times, but then
08:49you get him on the field, and did you ever see him play basketball?
08:53Oh, yeah.
08:53He was just playing basketball on the field.
08:55Oh, my God.
08:55I mean, listen, you're your best friend.
08:57I like it.
08:58I'll take it.
08:58All right, George, congratulations.
09:00Your song's so good.
09:01I love every day when I'm on from two to seven.
09:03I get excited.
09:04You have a great vibe.
09:05So happy for you.
09:06I have a feeling we're going to see more of you.
09:08So, yay, George Burge, everybody.
09:09You're awesome.
09:09Thanks for having me.
09:11High five.