Sam Hunt is probably creating his own traditions and memories since getting married to his wife Hannah nearly two years ago. Growing up, he and his family would get together with both sides of his family to eat and exchange gifts. Now, he says it’s less about the gifts and food and more about spending time as a family. “I really appreciate the time with my family, it turns into more of a social thing now and less about the gifts and the food and all that sorta stuff.”

One of his favorite gifts as a child was a horse he received one Christmas. “I remember being really excited when, I got into riding horses, and one Christmas I got a Mustang that I named Comanche – a horse – and that was a really exciting time,” he recalls. “I rode all the time after that. Before, I had some friends, a babysitter whose kids had horses, so I’d be able to ride occasionally, but now I was able to ride whenever I wanted to.”

While he’s been writing and recording songs for the follow-up to his multi-platinum Montevallo album, he’s also booked a few festivals for next year, including Stagecoach in April 2019.