HARDY knows there is a time and place for technology, for both his career and in his personal life. But the soon-to-be father is doing his part to encourage his fans to step away from their devices, by partnering with UScellular’s Life in US Mode campaign. For HARDY, it was an easy win-win.

“As soon as my management came to me and said that this was something that UScellular wanted to do with me, I was all in,” HARDY tells Everything Nash. “It’s a message that the whole world needs to hear. And I respect the fact that UScellular is willing to preach that message, although it’s pretty much what their entire company is based on.”

Now that HARDY is looking forward to welcoming his first child with his wife Caleigh, the 34-year-old has learned when spend more time in real life than staring at a screen.

“I think that I do have a healthy balance,’ HARDY admits. “I find myself in the doom scroll thing every now and then, but I’m very conscious of how much I use technology in general. Whether that’s video games or my phone or whatever it may be, I feel like I have a good relationship with it. My wife and I are very conscious of no phones at the table. If we’re watching a TV show…although that is still technology…doing anything that’s bonding of any kind, or being in each other’s presence, we are very conscious of phones down, and so I feel very content with my relationship with technology and specifically phones.”

As part of the Life in US Mode campaign, fans can win a trip to see HARDY in person. It’s just one of the ways the country music hitmaker works to connect with his fans in person.

“I know that I have a very polarizing sound,” HARDY concedes. “My music has taken a lot of twists and turns, and my fans have never abandoned me. I owe everything to my fans. I know who they are, and I know that they’ll sing a song like ‘Jim Bob’ from at the top of their lungs, and a song like ‘Science Over You’ at the top of their lungs, and they could not be further apart. I love my fans for trusting me and liking my music for my music, and not wondering why some things aren’t more commercial or why some things don’t sound more like so and so. I’m so thankful for my fans, because they’re real fans, and they like me, for me.”

HARDY might be ready to meet his first child, a girl, later this year, but he still plans on touring and performing as much as he can. But this time, he plans on bringing his wife and baby girl on the road with him.

“As far as being a dad and plans, plans aren’t going to change,” he reveals. “I still got to go to work, and so the touring and all that is going to be the same. From a very tangible point of view, we’re converting the bus to a baby bus, which means cleaning out the drawers and turning the bunk into a baby bus. We’re going to baby-fy the whole thing. Just a lot of planning, a lot of prep, being on top of things a little bit more, as opposed to just packing a bag an hour before bus call and leaving, obviously a lot of planning is going to come with that. Fans can expect more of the same.

“As far as just on me as an artist level, new songs, new tour, new set list, all that good stuff,” HARDY adds. “It’s just more of the same, but everything switched around a little bit. We’re having a baby and that’s exciting, but as far as Hardy is concerned, it’s just going to be another good year.”

To find more information on HARDY’s partnership with UScellular, visit UScellular.com. Find all of HARDY’s music and upcoming shows at HARDY.com.

Photo Credit: Robby Klein