Jon Pardi is opening up about his dating life. The singer-songwriter is dating Summer Duncan, a hair dresser from northern California. After Pardi’s mother, a friend of Duncan’s, became convinced the two would make a good match, Duncan flew to Denver last year to see Pardi perform, and the rest is history.
“So she flew out to the most romantic place you can ever fly a girl out to: the Grizzly Rose,” Pardi recalls to PEOPLE. “It’s this super honky-tonk, one of my favorite bars.”
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Pardi and Duncan got along well enough that she joined him the following weekend as well, and the rest is history, although he admits dating a musician can be a challenge.
“it’s not a normal relationship,” he concedes. “It’s not like we’re home every night, but she comes out on the road with me some. … We have a good time together.”
Pardi might be more than six feet tall, but he still has one big fear: spiders! Specifically, brown recluse, which unfortunately are pretty common in Tennessee, where Pardi currently lives.The “Night Shift” singer says he is especially terrified about finding a brown recluse in his bed, which is why he and Duncan were checking their sheets, when his worst nightmare came true.
“We found this huge brown recluse … I let everybody know they’re called ‘recluse’ because they like to hide in dark, cool places,” Pardi explains. “I’m studying these guys. I’m not getting bit by one. I’ve seen pictures of the bites and it’s not fun. Black flesh, skin grafts. That’s probably the most scary thing in my life right now.”
What’s not scary in Pardi’s life is his upcoming third album. The 33-year-old has recorded 18 songs, which he hopes to narrow down to 12. Each of the songs, Pardi says, will be “a little more country … but there’s still some modern flair to it. It’s all kind of rocking, upbeat.”
Pardi, the reigning CMA New Artist of the Year, is known for a traditional country sound, with songs like “Head Over Boots” and “Heartache on the Dance Floor.” Still, he’s not quite willing to take on the role of becoming a spokesperson for bringing back the sounds he loves.
“I think country music is whatever people relate to through the music,” Pardi says. “It gives me more room to do what I want to do.”
Pardi is opening for Luke Bryan as part of Bryan’s What Makes You Country Tour. Dates can be found at JonPardi.com.
Photo Credit: Getty images/Rick Diamond
