Life's Greatest Hits is a show where Jordan Foley and Jason Earle share their love of vinyl. Each episode the guys pick a record, listen to it together, and then turn on the microphones to talk about their impressions.

On this episode we discuss a 2025 release: In the Heart of the Mountain, which comes from an artist who's best known as the voice at the center of one of the most beloved Americana rock bands of the last 25 years known as Lucero, and his name is Ben Nichols.

Ben Nichols is the frontman, primary songwriter, and emotional backbone of Lucero—a Memphis-based band that has spent decades living in the space where punk, grit, Southern rock, and heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting collide. Lucero built their reputation the hard way: relentless touring and making songs about love, regret, and survival, with a voice in Ben Nichols that sounds like he's lived through it all in every lyric he sings.

"Songs like My Best Girl," "Texas & Tennessee," "Nights Like These," "Sixteen," the list goes on. Lucero's songs come from a collection of albums that span over the last 20 years.

Nobody's Darlings, Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers, 1372 Overton Park, Women & Work, All a Man Should Do, Among the Ghosts, When You Found Me, and Should've Learned By Now.

And just last year, Ben Nichols and Lucero keys player Rick Steff released Lucero Unplugged, a collection of 20 acoustic Lucero songs, all recorded in one live session.

While holding the mantle of Lucero, Ben Nicholas has also stepped away from the band to put out solo music over the years, including 2009's The Last Pale Light in the West and 2025's In The Heart of the Mountain. In the Heart of the Mountain was co-produced by Ben Nichols himself and Matt Ross-Spang. It was recorded at Southern Grooves in Memphis, TN, and features contributions from Morgan Eve Swain, Todd Beene, and Cory Branan.

Stripped down and reflective, In the Heart of the Mountain trades the barroom sing-alongs for quiet acoustic moments, focusing on themes of isolation, resilience, and finding clarity far away from noise, expectation, and the road.

On this special episode of Life's Greatest Hits, Jordan Foley and Jason Earle share their favorite records they acquired during 2025.

Life's Greatest Hits is a show where Jordan Foley and Jason Earle share their love of vinyl. Each episode the guys pick a record, listen to it together, and then turn on the microphones to talk about their impressions.

In this special episode of the show, the guys talk about:

Jason Isbell
Tyler Childers
Van Morrison
The Wood Brothers
Troubled Hubble
Tom T. Hall
Richard Sherfey
...and more!

Life's Greatest Hits is a show where Jordan Foley and Jason Earle share their love of vinyl. Each episode the guys pick a record, listen to it together, and then turn on the microphones to talk about their impressions. On this installment, the guys are spinning S.G. Goodman's Planting By The Signs.

S.G. Goodman is a singer and songwriter from Hickman, Kentucky, who now makes her home in Murray, Kentucky. Her debut album Old Time Feeling burst her onto the scene. That record was followed by the incredible Teeth Marks and on this episode we talk about her recently released and acclaimed Planting by the Signs, which is high on each host's album of the year list.

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IYEiUhnKCNmRykSwiNzRA?si=af19f28288e24fe7

Life's Greatest Hits is a show where Jordan Foley and Jason Earle share their love of vinyl. Each episode the guys pick a record, listen to it together, and then turn on the microphones to talk about their impressions. On this installment, the guys welcome special guest Tyler Hood to talk about Snipe Hunter by Tyler Childers.

Tyler Childers is a 34-year-old singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Lawrence County, Kentucky. His debut record Bottles and Bibles was released in 2011, but it was 2017's Sturgill Simpson and David Ferguson-produced Purgatory that launched Childers into icon status. He is a trailblazer and a talent with few peers. A risk taker who makes records in the spirit of the outlaws like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.

Childers's highly anticipated album Snipe Hunter was released on July 25th, 2025, and we are so excited to give it a listen for this episode.

Listen on:

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IYEiUhnKCNmRykSwiNzRA?si=af19f28288e24fe7

Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lifes-greatest-hits/id1760231976?i=1000720206636

YouTube- https://youtu.be/VsSsHyi_ii4?si=qFoV8JnriyIzA-k9y

Get 15% off your order at Two Roads Hat Company with the promo code Foley15: https://tworoadshatco.com/

Life's Greatest Hits is a show where Jordan Foley and Jason Earle share their love of vinyl. Each episode the guys pick a record, listen to it together, and then turn on the microphones to talk about their impressions. On this installment, the guys talk about Sunny Side Up by Paolo Nutini.

Sunny Side Up is the second studio album by the Scottish singer and songwriter. It was released in May of 2009 and produced by Nutini and Ethan Johns. The record blends folk, pop, and soul to create a beautiful soundscape that carries along Nutini's rich vocals and deft songwriting.

Listen On:

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Y9hDiwFlz7inKLMn0Nb69?si=0ff5966095e04182

YouTube- https://youtu.be/By-XC0UM2mc?si=Km-oIlyRU_yuEZKS

Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paolo-nutinis-sunny-side-up-lifes-greatest-hits-episode-11/id1760231976?i=1000717955964

Life's Greatest Hits is a show where Jordan Foley and Jason Earle share their love of vinyl. Each episode the guys pick a record, listen to it together, and then turn on the microphones to talk about their impressions. On this installment, the guys talk about Outside Child by Allison Russell.

Outside Child is Allison's thrice Grammy-nominated debut solo record. The album's candid and hopeful examination of race, gender, sexuality, abuse, and more catapulted her into the national consciousness after decades of honing her craft.

We chose to discuss Outside Child for this episode for its global import, as well as the personal connection Life's Greatest Hits co-host Jason Earle feels to the album.

Listen On:

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/episode/04sBrdSzmj8r3wx9CZ7okS?si=b2382a07c5a54c51

Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lifes-greatest-hits/id1760231976?i=1000713810674

YouTube- https://youtu.be/w90yALQ-GRs?si=e-FCr4OO7MP0zwOk

Life's Greatest Hits is a show where Jordan Foley and Jason Earle share their love of vinyl. Each episode the guys pick a record, listen to it together, and then turn on the microphones to talk about their impressions. On this episode, the guys talk about Medium Raw from Early James.

Listen on:

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/episode/0kGNU0oB7Z1xvjRMzsB4nl?si=2d0842bd66a3405c

Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lifes-greatest-hits/id1760231976?i=1000708707825

YouTube- https://youtu.be/GLvBjN_CDSw?si=mD8WLZVFLzOqFW1W

Jason Isbell's Foxes in the Snow is the subject of this special, impromptu episode of Life's Greatest Hits. Life's Greatest hits is a vinyl swap hosted by Jordan Foley and Jason Earle. Most episodes the guys exchange records from their personal collections the other guy has not heard or does not know that well. On this episode, one of their mutual favorite songwriters released an instant classic so the guys got together to talk about their initial impressions.