Country singer-songwriter Drew Baldridge says leaving for the road now means watching his son cry — and fighting tears himself on the way to the bus.
“I hope walking the way that Jesus did is what I hope they say matters most,” Baldridge said when asked what he wants his boys to remember about their dad. He shared that hope in a conversation released Sept. 30 on “THE UPLOAD” podcast, hosted by radio personality Brooke Taylor and Pastor Mark Evans.
Baldridge and his wife, Katherine, have two sons, Lyric and Ronen, whom he discussed in an earlier interview with PEOPLE. On “THE UPLOAD,” he described the push and pull between doing work he loves and being present for the people he loves most.
Music once occupied the biggest place in his life after God, he explained. Marriage and children changed the equation, bringing questions about birthdays, travel and whether his family could come along.
Now, his older boy understands that Daddy is leaving. Baldridge said those goodbyes have made the balance especially difficult lately, even as he sees his music as a ministry and values the chance to help listeners.
“I love being an artist. I love being on stage,” Baldridge said. But loving his work hasn’t made leaving his wife and boys any easier.
Related: Country Singer Explains Why Family Time Should Be ‘Intentional’
That tension gives extra weight to his new album, FARM FAITH FAMILY, which arrived Sept. 18 through BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. The 16-track collection organizes its songs around the three priorities in its title, moving from his rural roots to faith and family.
But putting family on an album cover isn’t the same as figuring out family life on tour. Baldridge recalled holding his younger son backstage at an album-release celebration while his older boy ran around, wondering whether the children were getting on people’s nerves.
Someone there encouraged him to keep bringing them along. The moment offered a reminder that his family can belong in his working world, too, even when that world looks different from the one he grew up in.
Taylor understood the strain from the other side of the goodbye. She explained that her husband also works in touring, leaving her at home with children who miss their dad, and offered encouragement to Baldridge’s wife.
Baldridge praised Katherine’s strength and acknowledged the weight she carries. He said she also keeps him accountable about what matters most, making the conversation about priorities more than a question for a podcast.
One practical hope: a bus for the family. Baldridge said that when his wife and children join him on the current bus, they take the bed in the back while he sleeps in a bunk.
“If we could just get a family bus that’d be everything,” he said. For him, the extra space would mean more opportunities to keep his family close while he works.
Baldridge hasn’t claimed to have the work-and-family puzzle solved; he is still learning how to bring those loves together.
Asked about the legacy he hopes to leave his boys, he came back to Jesus — not a career milestone. The answer he wants them to give is about how their dad lived, not simply what he accomplished.
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