Everything, that is, except making music.
"It is weird," Scott admits, "especially because I was a fan of Aaron's music. I guess I didn't want to step on his toes or make him feel obligated." Luckily, common sense -- and a little gentle pressure from their wives -- prevailed, and the guys decided to check out how it felt to sing together. Beginning with some of Aaron's songs, they found that their voices had an Everly-like blend. They explored writing together or with other collaborators and scouting other material. Very quickly they assembled a set list, started sniffing around for a deal, and found themselves on a fateful day at Doug Johnson's office, an A&R head within Curb Records' Asylum subsidiary. The two strapped on their guitars and began performing a rough, unfinished demo.
"When we stopped," Scott remembers, "the first words out of Doug's mouth were: 'Man, one of you is really gonna have to screw this up to not make it work."
Once hands were shaken and contracts signed, Blue County hit the ground at full speed. They were rushed onto the road for performances at radio stations and concert venues throughout North America.
Upon returning to Nashville, they managed to get together with production wizard Dann Huff (Faith Hill, Jewel, Pam Tillis, SheDAISY), and lay down several more tracks for their debut album set for release in early 2004.
"There's nothing more enjoyable for me than to be onstage with my best friend Scott," Aaron says. "But that's not really what Blue County is about. The focus is the people we're singing for. Our prayer is that when people hear us, they know that what we do isn't about us -- it's about them. It's about touching the lives of everyday people."
Indeed, the storm approaches, dotting America's landscape…one county at a time.