AJ Kross ran out of gas on the way to Nashville and discovered he wasn’t the only one walking through the Nevada desert. There was a cougar behind him. Country music dreams apparently do not come with roadside assistance.

Fifteen years later, he’s got a tour bus, a new single called “God Made a Small Town,” and a story you couldn’t make up if you tried.

The country singer-songwriter joins That Nashville Girl for a conversation that goes from laughing about cowboy tattoos to talking about what happens when you finally hand God the plans you’ve been holding onto so tightly.

After years of writing songs, working stages, and trying to make every next move the right one, AJ reached a point where he said, “I’m done.” He still wanted the music. He was exhausted by everything he thought he had to do to make it happen.

What followed is the chapter he’s living now: a new team, an upcoming album, a radio tour, and one very good-looking bus.

But there’s a lot of life behind that bus. AJ shares his Oregon roots, a childhood spent traveling with his parents’ gospel duo, his early days at the Bluebird Cafe, and the years he spent winning over Friday and Saturday night crowds at Ole Red on Nashville’s Broadway. There’s also a brief teenage detour into metal music—and a very practical reason he came back to country.

Then there’s “God Made a Small Town,” a song full of front porches, Friday nights, and the kind of people who show up when you need them. Amanda heard an early version and was already calling it a future No. 1. Hear why she’s so excited about the artist behind it.

AJ is funny, easy to root for, and full of the kind of perspective you earn by sticking with something for 15 years. Come for the cougar story. Stay for his voice, his heart, and the reminder that your dream might still have a few surprises left in it.

Listen to AJ Kross’s “God Made a Small Town,” and subscribe to the That Nashville Girl newsletter for the link to his performance.

Follow @thatnashvillegirlshow, @thatnashvillegirl & @askamandaadams on social media for more!

Subscribe to ‪@ThatNashvilleGirl‬ for more conversations with artists, songwriters, athletes, and entertainers shaping Nashville culture.