Exclusive: Marcus King Discusses Relationship with Chris Stapleton at Railbird Festival; "He's a Kentucky Gentleman"

It's no secret that Marcus King and Chris Stapleton are pretty great tour buddies. The guitar-shredding pair have been out on the road together countless times over the years, with Stapleton frequently bringing King and his band out on the road as they traverse the globe on the All American Roadshow Tour.

The touring partnership hasn't been limited to just a supporting role for King either - with the 'Wildflowers & Wine' singer frequently joining Stapleton for a song or two on stage. The pair performed 'Arkansas' on stage together in Toronto back last year, while Marcus covered Stapleton's 'Joy of My Life' with his wife Briley Hussey on stage in Delaware.

Catching up backstage with Holler at Railbird Festival, King has now talked about his relationship with the 'Think I'm In Love With You' singer, as well as whether there's any potential collaborative work on the way.

"Man, he's just such a humble, gracious and a wonderful human" King begins, grinning warmly as he thinks on his friendship with the 'Tennessee Whiskey' singer. "He's got this great, big, gregarious laugh - you can hear his singing voice in his laugh, which I find really endearing. He's just a great Kentucky gentleman"

King shared how grateful he was that Stapleton brought him out on tour, remembering the first time they met; "He really took a chance taking us out way back in 2019, and I'll always remember the second date we were out with him out in New York.

"We came back to our green room," King explains, "he was just sitting there. We were like, 'Hey!', he just wanted to get to know us and hang out for a bit - they are always really kind with their time, they're very hospitable".

"We hung out last night in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio" King continues, "they are just so pro in what we do and so welcoming, it feels like going to church or summer camp, you don't have to worry about anything".

With the pair frequently out on the road together, the potential of them having time on their hands will always have fans anticipating some collaborative work. King was candid about their opportunities to sit down with their guitars, explaining how their hectic schedules tend to put paid to their time.

"We keep talking about writing together," King explains. "Every time, I'll text him and I'll get a wild hare and go 'man let's write one'. He's so busy, I'm so busy, it's hard to connect with people. It's why I like festivals like this [Railbird Festival], you run into people that you don't get to see very often and create".

King is the midst of a busy touring schedule following the release of his 2024 album Mood Swings, with King playing Railbird Festival today (June 1) before heading back out with Stapleton on his All American Roadshow Tour from June 12.

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