Wolf has said that she discovered singer/songwriter, Jackson Odell, literally in her own back yard. She has said that Odell is one of her son's close friends, and that Odell was singing and playing "Smokin & Cryin" in her back yard one night 3 years before filming commenced, when she was still in development on the film. Wolf recalls that she went into the back yard and asked Odell if she could call his parents in the morning because she wanted to put the song into a movie that she was working on. Odell was 17-years-old at the time. That song is featured in the film with Roe singing it on stage in a concert scene that takes place in London. Odell went on to co-write many of the songs in the film with music producer and songwriter, Brett Boyett: "Don't Water Down My Whiskey", "Enough", "Wings of an Angel", and "Finally Home".
The book author, Heidi McLaughlin, is an extra in a scene as a funeral attendee in the movie.
Wolf took her lead actor Roe to CMA fest in Nashville 5 months before filming. He had never been to Nashville, and she wanted him to have the opportunity to experience and immerse himself into the true country music scene up close and personal. She also arranged for the two of them to be backstage for the last night's lineup with her friends, Little Big Town, for Roe to experience what it feels like to be a real country star, to experience their time on their bus before the show, backstage, and then what it feels like to perform live to 60,000 fans. Included in that backstage experience and performing in that night's lineup at Nissan Stadium: Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, and Luke Bryan. Wolf and Roe walked just a couple of feet behind each of those performers as each took the stage to perform. Both Roe and Wolf have said that it was an exhilarating, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The hat that Roe is wearing in the scene when he is on stage in London, singing the song, "Smokin & Cryin" he is wearing the director's favorite baseball cap. A few seconds before shooting, Wolf decided that the hat he had on for the scene wasn't quite right, and she threw her own baseball cap on him instead.
Roe prepped to play Liam Page as a singer, musician, and performer for 5 months before shooting commenced with music producer Boyett and screenwriter/director Wolf. He went through rigorous singing rehearsals, performed on stage in jam sessions with a live band each week in private rehearsal spaces, and then recorded in Nashville. Wolf and Roe felt that it was a pivotal part of his prep to be able to fully embody country star Liam Page. Wolf wanted Roe to not only be a great singer and musician, which she says that he is, but she wanted him to also truly feel as though he could command a stage as a country star performing to 20,000 fans. Wolf felt that performing on stage with a live band each week in jam sessions leading up to production was an important part of his process to prep for the role.