Sitting down
with Randy Rogers, it is not hard to see how his life and lyrics get translated
into song. His easy going manner and
roll-with-punches attitude seem perfect for the artist that is highly in demand
and often gone from the comforts of home for long stretches. He has a down to earth sense about him that
is tied closely to a “been around the block”, observational style. The songs he writes are his…meaning the
lyrics that fill the albums are “from the
heart. I like records that are snapshots
of where you’re at (in life).” When
asked about his upcoming release (Trouble, which should be out in the spring),
Randy says “It’s my favorite album I’ve
written. If the world came to an end, I
would be happy with this recording. It’s
a very sincere record. All of our lives
and problems are displayed for the world to see so we write about them. There isn’t much smoke and mirrors with this
record; it is said exactly as you would if you need to go to therapy. That’s what this record was for the
band. We needed to be in that studio as
a group of young men.” When asked
about how autobiographical his songs are, he says “I try not to write anything that isn’t (autobiographical). The songs are true because that’s the only
way I know how to write.”
You can hear
some of the new tracks on display during the full band shows or catch an even
deeper glimpse into the passion behind the songs while he performs acoustically
on his annual Hold My Beer and Watch This tour with Wade Bowen. The guys feed off each other with the comfort
level of life-long friends; and seeing how this is the 6th annual such tour, it
is almost to be expected. (Not to
mention the countless other performances, writing sessions, and golf outings.) Even with their schedules growing more and
more hectic as the years pass by, they say the tour is a priority to both of
them. It is at these acoustic shows that
they seem to be a little looser, play a little more to the crowd, and tell the
stories where these immensely popular songs originated from. If you haven’t caught one yet, they’ll be to
your town soon, don’t miss it.
And it is in the
stories that take place inside the songs that keep the fans singing along and
always coming back for more. “The melody is usually where I start with a
song. I come up with what I like
melodically and try and fit the words in.
I’ve never written a poem and put music to it; I make the music first
and then write around it.” Rogers has written a
treasure chest full of songs that his throng of followers can sing from memory
at the drop of a hat. He never puts any
fillers on his albums and each one contains a plethora of new material that is
battle tested and ready for live shows.
As we have stated before, it is almost unfair to be a fan because there
is absolutely no way for him to cram all the favorites into one show per
night. But that’s what road trips were made
for, right?
If you are not
able to see The Randy Rogers Band anytime soon, always pay attention to your
local listings. You just never know when
the guys might pop up on Conan, Leno, or Letterman again. Whether you’re an avid fan of the band or if
you are/were late to the party, his music is there for everyone. Every song has a personal attachment to it
that one can easily reflect upon their life at some time or another. He can put a silly twist on things (“Buy
Myself a Chance”), give you a nice kiss-off (“Too Late for Goodbye”), or tug at
the heartstrings (“Steal You Away”). One
way or another he knows how to please his audience, even if the subject matter
that fills the air is painful to live through for the artist himself. There are too many reasons to list why this
will be a top tier band for years to come, so please go and find out for
yourself. We promise you will be
rewarded with a night you’ll talk about for a very long time.
Too
Late For Goodbye
Better Off Wrong
Tonight's Not the Night
Buy Myself A Chance
Damn the Rain
Speak of the Devil (new)
10 Miles Deep
Again
Wicked Ways
Lonely Too Long
One More Goodbye
You Could Change My Mind
Steal You Away
Looking For You For So Long
Last Last Chance
Lost and Found
Somebody Take Me Home
In My Arms Instead
Down and Out
Interstate
Kiss Me In the Dark
Encore
Sit Here and Drink (Merle Haggard)
This Time Aroun
After 2011’s all
covers album, This Is Indian Land, got them off and running trying to keep as
many fans as possible from their previous band stints, the boys in The Departed
seem amped up to start on a new chapter and steamroll their way through any nah-sayers. The gentlemen that make up The Departed;
Steve Littleton, Seth James, Dave Bowen, Jeremy Plato, and Cody Canada, have “been
there and done that” with making beautifully crafted music on several different
levels and with many different talented artists. However, they are approaching uncharted
waters as far as doing this tight rope act as a collective whole for the first
time. Always ones to stretch the limits
on any boundaries set before them, the songs they have unleashed on us so far
are looking pretty promising.
The main songs
released on a live audience so far from their to-be-released second album have
included “Midnight Train to Memphis” (by the Steeldrivers),” Hard to Find”,
“Worth the Fight”, “Prayer for the Lonely”,” Mary”, “Flagpole”, and the Seth
James penned “ Calling all Demons”. One
could not see why any of these fine tunes will not make the next record. The rest of their set list from The Firehouse
Saloon includes several takes from the This is Indian Land album as well as a
few Cross Canadian Ragweed songs to keep the masses happy. “Rosalie”, “Long Where to Nowhere”, “Skyline
Radio”, “Face on Mars”, “Water Your Own Yard”, and “Home Sweet Oklahoma” round
out the live mainstays from their latest effort. They have also stayed pretty consistent with
CCR covers of “Dimebag”, “Alabama”,
“Time to Move On”, and “Anywhere but Here”.
At the show we
saw at the Firehouse Saloon, Cody even mixed in “Bluebonnets”. One would have to imagine a day when those
particular Ragweed covers won’t be necessary but we think that’s still another
album or two further down the road and it makes for a pretty great back
catalogue to have in times of need. It
seems hard to imagine…but the band sounds that much sharper every time they
pass through and we have to think their rehearsals must be some pretty smooth
sailing (and a whole lotta fun as well).
All in all, they mix in the old with the new, the tributes with
originals, and the heartfelt with pure adrenaline rush seamlessly; and we can’t
wait to see what lies in store for this band of brothers as they keep blazing
their own trail.
To see the rest of the images from The Departed @ Firehouse Saloon, visit:
Springtime has
come and gone, and now we’re in the midst of another brutal Texas summer. Summer means many things to many people; no
school, travel plans, staying cool (somehow), and most importantly to us here
at LoneStar Outlaw Review…Festival
Season! Texas is home to a plethora of Music
Festivals throughout the year; from ACL,
to SXSW, to Cajun and Crawfish festivals, and even Far Out West (to name a
few). Lone Star Jam has wisely cemented
itself at the end of spring, just as people are getting excited to gear up for
summer and the weather hasn’t turned ugly just yet. They have always put forth a good product and
really outdid themselves this year.
Here’s how we saw things…
To be the
opening band of a festival is a daunting task as concert goers aren’t always
known for punctuality. Upon arrival,
they just want to get acclimated with their surroundings, find that perfect
spot and grab a drink, and before they know it…the opening band is wrapping up
their set. No Justice was handed the
reins to open the festival this year, and they did great. They played the familiar hits that casual
fans might recognize, used some good banter to intermingle with the arriving
fans, dropped the info on a new album coming out in August, and passed the
baton to the next band. Not being as
familiar with their music (and being one of the before mentioned non-punctual
types), we didn’t get to see and hear as much as we would have liked to but at
the same time…we really look forward to grabbing some of their music and
becoming more attuned. They have a great
sound that is uniquely theirs.
Micky and the
Motorcars were up next in what we figured could be a rough spot for them. The festival occurred very shortly after the
passing of former member Mark “Gus” McCoy, and you never know how a band (or
anyone for that matter) will react. But
Micky and the boys showed why they are professionals and certainly did not
phone it in. In fact they looked and
sounded awesome and it would seem that being on the stage is their solace
place…and where they feel the most comfortable.
They tore through crowd favorites “Amber”, “Carolina Morning”, and
“Nobody’s Baby” while introducing a new track they recorded with Kevin Welch,
“How Far I’ll Go”. Having met and
interviewed these guys before we know what they are capable of and can’t wait
to see them headline this same festival someday.
Following MMC,
Brandon Ryder took his place on stage.
Now, Ryder is an interesting artist to be a fan of. Most of us are fans of these guys for
different reasons. For some it’s the
looks, the spoken word, or the way certain songs make you feel. To us, seeing Brandon Ryder perform is like
seeing a truly gifted artist at work.
Absolutely no offense to any other performer out there, but Brandon
seems to be one of the most vocally
talented guys of the bunch—and it is wonderful to hear him unleash his vocal
pipes on an unsuspecting crowd. He
belted his way through “Lord, I Hope this Day is Good”, “Rock Angel”, “In the
Country”, and the last single off his latest effort, Live at Billy Bob’s,
“Shine”. It’s is always great to hear
artists speak about where their inspiration comes from—and seeing Brandon
perform “Freeze Frame Time” while holding his sleepy child shows where most of
Mr. Ryder’s thoughts are based. If you
aren’t familiar with him yet, do it soon.
We’re still
really not sure what to make of Whiskey Myers.
One part Southern rockers, one part hippy, one part jam band. But put it all together and you have one hell
of a fusion going on that is that going to continue picking up speed, which is
all they have done since their 2007 inception.
These East Texas boys bring it all to the table and any listener out
there who is only listening in for one particular type of music, just keep
listening because eventually they will get to it. Our only request would be for them to cut
back slightly on the jamming out when there is such a time constraint that
festivals inevitably leave you with. And
we only say that because we want for the rest of the audience to hear what we
already know and for them to hear more selections from you. That being said, they debuted a new single,
“Anna Marie” off their latest album Firewater.
Other selections included “Broken Window Serenade”, “Ballad of a
Southern man”, and an absolutely scorching version of CCR’s (not that one) “Green River”. Keep
showing the world why you took home the “Emerging Artist of the Year” award
fellas, we will certainly be seeing you next time you come around.
There’s
something strange that happens at nearly every festival and it’s hard to
explain. It’s like when you were a kid
playing with your friends and your big brother came out (who was much bigger
than you) and you knew the energy was about to shift in his favor. Enter Charlie Robison; who may not be any of these
guys’ big brother, but you kinda get the feeling he could find a way to turn
the amps up to 11 if he wanted. Mr.
Robison has the looks of a seasoned veteran, the sounds of a polished and
well-traveled band, and the song catalogue to accommodate every fan. Whether it be the slower “My Hometown”, or “El Cerrito Place” to the more up tempo “John O’Reilly’ and
“Barlight”…the way Charlie commands the stage so effortlessly is a lesson to
other ‘would-be’ musicians out there.
The music and storytelling is what matters and the way Charlie draws you
in with other crowd favorites like “Down Again”, “New Year’s Day”, and “Angry
All the Time” is great to see. One
minute you are sitting down in the shade and the next you find yourself front
and center at the stage swaying along and wondering how you got there. It’s the music folks, he’ll be in your town
soon.
That brings us
to Cody Canada and The Departed and after reading our interview with him a few
months back, you know that we were psyched to see this occur. Cody and his band mates are of course no
strangers to how these festivals work.
Plug in, let ‘em rip, and leave them wanting more. Unfortunately there were some technical
difficulties that shaved around 10-15 off their set time but it still gave them
enough time to crank it out. Their lone
album, This is IndianLand, was represented by “Skyline Radio” and
“Face on Mars” while their next release will feature “Calling All Demons” and
“Flagpole”, both featured at the show.
It is a shame about the technical difficulties because we know how
feverishly they have been working on the next album and you got the impression
they were eager to test out some of it live.
They even included a few Ragweed songs such as “Alabama”,
“Anywhere but Here”, and “Dimebag” which they play pretty regularly at their
shows. The chants for CCR have seemed to
subside which is great. There is a time
and a place for everything party people, and while that era has moved
along…take notice of what’s rocking your face off right in front of you. The Departed are here to stay and we wouldn’t
have it any other way.
Jason Boland and
the Stragglers have a quiet way of sneaking up on you. Jason’s aw-shucks demeanor is only a coy
detractor to letting you know he’s there with the big boys. From the rocking out covers of “Thunderbird
Wine” and “Outlaw Band” to the slower, more thought provoking “Electric Bill”
and “False Accuser’s Lament”, Jason sets the stage for where he wants to take
you musically. He will play the crowd
pleasers, “Pearl Snaps” and “Somewhere Down in Texas”
but also the sentimental “Mary Ellen’s Greenhouse” all mixed together with
ease. Mr. Boland sits high on the mantle
of artists with substance over style and carries forth a proud legacy of
storytelling and craftsmanship. He and
the Stragglers have already begun work on the follow up to last year’s highly
acclaimed Rancho Alto.
It takes a very
delicate balance to keep hipsters, bikers, frat boys, and the casual fan all
interested at the same time. Stoney
Larue and the Arsenals do this somehow. And though we can’t quite put our finger on
exactly how, we’re happy to be a part of it.
And so are a whole hell of a lot of others. Both studio albums were well represented
with his latest effort, Velvet, getting slightly more attention, which is to be
expected. The highly anticipated new
record transfers greatly into live form and he masterfully transitions from
slower songs like “Velvet” and “Te Amo Mas Que La Vida” to faster tunes such as
“Sharecropper” and “Wiregrass”. His
previous effort, The Red Dirt Album, produced more sing-a-long up-tempo songs
like “Oklahoma Breakdown” and “One Chord Song” but, as with the mixing of his
audience, he mixes all these different sounds together greatly. I hope you guys are getting your fill of Mr.
Larue because the secret is already getting out on his talents and he’s gonna
have to spend more time outside the friendly confines of Texas to appease all
his fans.
If you had told
Josh Abbott and his band five years ago that they would be the second to last
band to play at a major festival, I’m pretty sure there would be a “get outta
here”, probably with an expletive mixed in.
Then again Josh has always seemed to have the self-confidence to obtain
any dream laid in front of him. His
meteoric rise to the top of the Texas Country scene has been nothing but
astonishing and has garnered him some prime time attention on the national
stage as well. The She’s Like Texas
album shed a light onto a bright and up and coming star both gifted in verbiage
and showmanship. “She’s Like Texas” is
an obvious choice for songs to put atop the highlight reel but mix in “Ain’t
Met my Texas Yet”, “All of a Sudden”, and “I Just Wanna Love You” and you start
to round out a great mix of songs.
Mixing in the band Fun’s version of “We Are Young” into your own smash
hit “Oh, Tonight” is a genius stroke of always staying current. Rounding it out with “Good Night for Dancing”
and a dedication for the road trippers that keep these bands employed, “Road
Tripping” is a great way to cap off a great show for the band and its fans.
Closing out the
day of music was Mr. Randy Rogers. To
see a Randy Rogers show is to know why he’s headlining this shindig. Every single song is a sing-a-long, every fan
has a smile, and every song conveys what RRB is trying to get across. Randy and the guys could play for hours and
hours and not hit every great song of theirs.
Each album is its own greatest hits compilation and condensing those down
to a 1 ½ to 2 hour set list is almost unfair to the fans. There is just such a plethora of great
material and he constantly is working on new stuff. As for the show, I now will get off my
soapbox. Randy just knows what he’s
doing. He holds the crowd in the palm of
his hands and takes them on a ride.
Whether it’s “Wicked ways”, “Buy Myself a Chance”, or the brand new “Speak
of the Devil”, the band knows how to appease all comers. All of the music feels genuine and still has
a down home feel to it. The light show
of outdoor events is also another reason for going. They seem to almost be going haywire during
“Too Late for Goodbye” among others but turns out to be perfectly timed with
the beat. Guess it’s just hard to keep
up with a bad ass fiddle player. Randy
Rogers has could headline every festival across this State and I don’t think
you would find too many displeased spectators.
He stays true to the simple formula of making good music people can
dance to, sing to, and feel good about.
We as Texans should be proud to call him our own.
All
in all, the day was a huge success (at least from a fan’s perspective). Prices were fair, plenty of port-a-pots to go
around, and nothing seemed to run out till the end of the night. A little more variety would have been nice
seeing how there was only one food choice but what do we know? Lone Star Jam really outdid themselves this
time with a phenomenal lineup that would be tough to match or exceed; and the setting could not have been
nicer. We as fans don’t need much reason
to head to Austin but thanks for giving us yet another reason. This is one website that will happily be back
for years to come!
To see the rest of the images from Lone Star Jam, visit us on Facebook:
To see Jason Boland perform is to get the idea that he
enjoys the solitude of life on the road just as much as the spotlights of the
stage. To get a chance to meet and talk
to him you get the impression there is much more to the man than you might
think behind that toothy smile. Upon
spending any particular length of time with him, you know there is a very
worldly outlook that only years of hard living mixed with ‘time of reflection’
can create. It has been these trials and
outtakes that have produced six excellent studio albums and two live recordings
over a very successful 15 year career.
We had a chance to sit down to talk with Jason recently and it was
fascinating to hear his thoughts on topics such as where music stands today, where
those clever thoughts that fill up his songs come from, and much, much more.
Seeing Jason perform an acoustic show at The Blue Moose
Lodge, (located in Houston, TX on Washington Ave.) was like seeing a man who is a master of his craft…yet always
striving for more. He is the consummate
professional who is always trying to improve upon his talents—not only for his
fans, but for himself as well. When LoneStar
Outlaw (LSO) asked when he knew this was his calling (given his booming
baritone voice) he replied, “I still
don’t. Everything I’ve done I think to
myself, “Man, I gotta do better the next time”. I’m
glad people listen but I don’t hear it.”
Which begs the question: Is wanting
to improve something that keeps you motivated?
“I think so. I always think “I don’t wanna go out like
that”. “
Jason is one of
the lucky ones. And by that...we don’t mean
the endorsements, the notoriety, or fame.
He has found a craft that suites him to a ‘T’. To which he says, “We got lucky. If everyone was
able to do what they love, the world would be a much better place.”
His latest album is Rancho Alto—a critically praised
record which seems to find Mr. Boland in a mellower state of being. Jason says, “I think it’s much more of a country album. Definitely more rootsy and rural than some of
our other stuff. Some of our material
tends to delve into rock & roll a lot.
We’re another part of that fusion of ‘rock and country’ but we tried to
put a lot of country into this album and it came out pretty hardcore. It’s an album I’m proud of.”
To be a fan of Jason’s music is to appreciate his clever
way with words. Songs such as “Shot Full
of Holes”, “Telephone Romeo”, and
“Falling with Style” are just a tiny glimpse into back catalogue chockfull
of his witty, often autobiographical,
lyrics. “I have always seen words as having a lot of grey area in them. In the English language…there is a lot of
grey area to play around with; puns and funny ways to say things and words with
different meanings. I’ve always found
that using this grey area is entertaining to do and I think it came from the
songwriters I look up to on both the national level and a personal leve. I don’t remember who actually said it but
“songwriters find extraordinary ways to say things that are pretty simple and
find simple ways to say things that are extraordinary.” Most of the times those work. If you look at a guy like Guy Clark, he takes
a view of a common everyday observation and twists it around in a way you’ve
never seen it, or shows an angle you’ve never seen it from. I’ve just always enjoyed writers I thought
were clever in that manner—guys like Cash, Steve Earl, and Robert Earl Keen. If you have a different way of looking at it
and if you stick to your way, it’s gonna be original.”
Speaking of "having a way with words", LSO was pleasantly surprised
to see one of JB's songs (“Telephone Romeo”) show up on a Kid Rock album. How did that come about? “He
heard it on Satellite Jukebox with a mutual friend. He liked it and then one thing led to
another. He and his song writing partner
changed it a little to make it work for them and called it “Purple Sky”. I was really flattered.”
As with many artists, we found ourselves wondering if Jason Boland had a particular "favorite" song he'd written? "They were all my favorites at some point but I think "False Accuser's Lament" is about as good as I write a song. I like "Between 11 and 2" as well."
Hearing that, we instantly had to ask him: what was the
last song you heard and thought to yourself, “I wish I had written that?” “Usually
it’s a Todd Snider tune. Snider blows me
away. He’s the complete package of folk,
rock, country, thoughtfulness, compassion.
He’s a great human and I hope he thinks the same about himself. But I guess the last song was “The Hobo
Song” off Jack Bonus’ album, Old and
in the Way.”
Jason Boland and the Stragglers have seen more blacktop
and greener pastures throughout this country than most of us can fathom. Their current exploits take them over
international waters into Playa Del Carmen, Mexico and then back up north to
Sitka, Alaska for the “North to Alaska” trip (with fellow musicians Bleu
Edmondson, Stoney Larue, Brandon Jenkins, and the Braun brothers that make up
Reckless Kelley, and Micky and the Motorcars).
But it is in the small dance halls and honky tonks that he learned to
hone his craft and (in our own opinion) seems to find more comfort. We asked if the dance halls will survive
given all the hard times hit upon by everyone.
“They’re having to ride out the
bad times just like everyone. It’s such
an abundant music scene; people have choices to go watch live music all the
time. Which is great, but they can go
see whoever, whenever and people are much choosier about how they spend their
money. The places that win out are the
ones that have synergy such as Gruene Hall.
I think it’s really hit or miss but they keep fighting the good fight.”
How has the landscape of music changed, both locally and
nationwide? “The bad has gotten worse. Bands
that used to ride the fence line with some decent Rock & Roll tunes, you
think “Oh, they got me on that one”. Now
it’s all a bunch of house music auto tuned to death and it’s God awful. We watched this scene get bigger and it’s
gone through its life cycles. This thing
became its own entity with its own anthems and the social risers and the
rotation through. I hope that this scene
will really fight to hang on to its roots.
And by roots I mean its spirit, its originality. It already encompasses Rock & Roll,
Western Swing, Folk, Honky Tonk; it has everything in it. It’s had stuff that sounded like Nashville
Country, but good Nashville Country. I
just wished they talked about something different in their songs. I’ve seen Texas Country/Red Dirt music start
to struggle with some of its originality but that goes back to money. If the listeners get kidnapped by a pop
anthem, who’s gonna fill up the dance halls?
Get out to Schroeder Hall and support the former bull riders who are singers
now. We’ve seen the growing pains, just
like any other system, scene, or whatever.
It’s gonna be fine.”
Lastly, the one thing on the road JB has to have would
be…. “Coffee, definitely coffee.”
Jason Boland and the Stragglers have been a musical force
since 1998 and to quote Jason, “We’re
amazed and flabbergasted and pretty good at making it up as we go.” They have proven time and again that there is
a place for everyone in a scene and that genres are meant to be deviated or
skewed at times. You can do these when
you have the musical chops to back it up.
Through all the albums, tours, and life lessons, Jason has remained a ‘down
to earth’ and humble individual who makes you remember why you fell in love
with music in the first place. He is
molded from the same cloth of musical icons of the past and we hope he
continues to follow that path and make the music that keeps us all dancin’ and
singin’ along…and most importantly, keeps him being honest with his own
thoughts, creations, and art. We’ve
loved his stuff from the beginning…and can’t wait to see what’s yet to come for
Jason Boland and the Stragglers.
To learn more about Jason Boland and to find out where you can see him in a city near you, visit :
www.thestragglers.com
To see the rest of the images from JB's acoustic show at Blue Moose Lodge, visit us on Facebook and become a fan today by hitting "LIKE" on:
False
Accuser's Lament
Tennessee Whiskey
Drinking Song
Mary
Big Shot Rich Man
Fences
Telephone Romeo
Paradise (Written by: John Prine)
When I'm Stoned
Angels Flying too Close to the Ground
Mary's Ellen's Greenhouse
Comal County blues
Shot Full of Holes
Somewhere in the Middle
Falling with Style
---
Somewhere Down in Texas
Pearl Snaps
Tulsa Time
When talking to
fans and musicians alike, every time you hear the name Wade Bowen it is
seemingly always followed by “nicest guy you’ll ever meet”, “he was so great to
be around”, or something of that nature.There is something to be said for that in this instant stardom world we
live in these days-- where many artist were dead broke one day and, thanks to
auto tune and a dumbed down listening audience, instant YouTube celebrities the
next.Wade Bowen has done things the
old fashioned way…pouring his heart and soul into his music, his songwriting,
his live shows, and his dedication to always put the best product out there for
his growing legion of fans.We had a
chance to catch up with him recently in between his countless other obligations
and he was kind enough to open up to us and share his thoughts, ideas, and
where he sees this roller coaster heading.
LoneStar Outlaw:
Your latest release, The Given, is your first major label release as opposed to
the independent releases you have had in the past.What were some of the biggest changes you experienced?
Wade Bowen:With me, there weren’t a whole lot of
differences.I still went and wrote the
record the same way I always do.Always
trying to get better, write the songs the best I can, pick the right producer,
and the right guys to play with.I’ve
never written as much as I did for this record and it made it difficult to cut
out certain songs that I really liked that ultimately wouldn’t make the record.
Other than that, you just have a few
more people putting in the input but once you realize everyone’s there to help
and we all shared the same common goal…there wasn’t too much difference.
LSO:How many songs do you usually write for an
album as compared to this record?
WB:It’s hard to say, but probably 50-60 for each
record and this one was easily over a hundred.Plus we had thrown everything back in from the past.Being a National release we threw everything
back into the pot which I was really happy about.They (the record label) felt there were some
songs that didn’t see the light of day that were good that we should take
another look at.
LSO:Your co-writing credits on the album feature
many of the usual suspects (Adam Hood, Sean McConnell, and Seth James to name a
few), but we noticed more so that some of the names were missing from previous
co-writing credits on other (earlier) albums.Guys with the last names of Canada, Edmondson, and Rogers.This is the first album you’ve had without
any of them on it correct?
WB:I hadn’t really thought about it but I guess
so.Cody and I haven’t really written
that much.Seth and I have written
some.It certainly wasn’t by design,
more so just the way it worked out.It
just kinda worked out with a few Adam songs and a few Sean songs.I was writing all over the place and the
record could have gone in so many different directions and I think the songs
that ended up all shared a common theme.
Wade Bowen (just
as countless other acts throughout the US) spends his life on the road.For bands (like Bowen’s)…it is where they
find their solace, their balance, and their sleepless nights.Many of the artist that travel the Texas (and
beyond) circuit are on the road up anywhere from 200 to 250 days a year.It is “a life they have chosen” or as some
would have you believe, “the life that chose them”. LSO:Is it getting harder to find the time to sit
down and write between the constant touring and trying to keep some semblance
of a home life?
WB:Since I’ve had kids I’ve gotten used to that.I have time I have to devote to them and my
wife and I have to set aside time to write as well.Life gets so busy with meetings, shows,
interviews, outings; you have to force
yourself to sit down and write.Unfortunately I don’t write well on the road.A guy like Sean (McConnell) will come out on
the road with us for a weekend and we’ll try to write but it just doesn’t work
most of the time.I try to give my mind
a breather and when it starts getting closer to record time I crank it back
up.
LSO:Are you a “thoughts turned in music” guy or a
“music that needs lyrics” guy?
WB:Mostly the lyrics start the process.Sometimes it’s just a thought or sometimes
it’s a hook or sometimes just writing something down I am feeling at the
time.But it usually starts with the
lyrics and then how I think the melody should go.Should it be a fast song or a slow song?That kind of thing…
LSO:Checking out the CMT website we saw an
acoustic version of “Saturday Night” which was great because it’s almost like
hearing a completely different song.Where was that filmed?
WB:The Mercy Lounge right above the Cannery
Ballroom in Nashville.
LSO:You’ll be spending a little time in Nashville
coming up very soon.Playing at the
Ryman Auditorium and then CMA Fanfest.First time for both?
WB:CMA Fanfest, yes.The Grand Ole Opry, this will be the second
time playing there but the first time to play at the Ryman.Playing there, it’s like “this is it, man”.
LSO:What does it feel like to be on a stage where
all of your heroes have come before you and performed the songs you love?Does it hit you all at once or is a steady
build of emotion?
WB:The first time I played the Opry it wasn’t as
much of a nervous thing as I thought it was going to be.There was actually a calming sense about
it.The people that work there treat youvery
nice; they’re respectful, they’re really glad to have you there.When I got out on stage there was a real
calming effect just because it’s so peaceful there.It’s like being in church and feeling like
nothing bad can happen to you.Everybody’s on your team and the people in the crowd may not know your
music or who you are…but they’re going to support you because you’re on that
stage.It’s a really cool “family”
feeling that you just don’t experience anywhere else.
LSO:According to your twitter account
(@wadebowen) you have been here, there, and just about everywhere talking to
about this new album (The Given).One
day it was Buffalo, then Pittsburg, then Cincinnati.Was the “radio world” as receptive as you’d
hoped?
WB:They really were!I was kind of scared at first just because
you hear horror stories but I didn’t meet anyone that treated us bad.Most of them were very appreciative that I
took the time to come in to the station and I’ve still got a lot more to go
before I finish.I’m sure I’ll run
across a rough one somewhere out there…but for the most part people are into music
because they love it and they’re receptive to new things and people.
LSO:It’s a slippery slope trying to keep everyone
happy but have you been able to integrate your new fans in with the old ones
easily?
WB:You can’t keep everyone happy all the
time.You just have to be honest—that has always been my approach.If you’re honest with yourself, your music, and
your fans…then everything else just takes its place.
LSO: We saw you play a month
or two ago and you incorporated 6 or 7 new songs that night into the set
list.Has that been a smooth transition
working them into the show?
WB:We’ve just started playing all the songs
throughout the shows and we’re doing that because we don’t know which ones are
gonna catch on live.Sometimes you hear a
song on an album and it just doesn’t resonate on stage or vice versa.They’re all still new to us as well.We’re not completely comfortable with them
yet either. It usually takes a couple of
times through a song live to get it where we want it to be.The fans might not hear the difference but we
do and we want it to be perfect every time.
For those of you
that have followed Wade throughout the years you know he always gives back to
the community—and especially the one that raised him, Waco, Texas.For the past 14 years Mr. Bowen and his merry
bunch of friends have raised awareness, serious funds, and most importantly…he
has continued to show his appreciation to the fans that have supported him all
these years.This year they rose over
$150,000 and it looks to only get bigger.
LSO:Was that the most you’re ever raised and did
you do anything different this year?
WB:That was by far the most we’ve ever
raised.We haven’t really done anything
different, it’s just gradually grown every year.Word keeps spreading about the event and
that’s what we’re trying to do.I want
my friends and the artist and the fans to have a great time where they’ll wanna
come back.It finally got to a point
where I looked at the list and we had 27 artist and I was like “how are we
gonna fit all these guys in?”But that’s
a good problem to have I guess.
LSO:The core group of guys that all came up
together; Reckless Kelly, Stoney LaRue, Randy Rogers, Mickey and the Motorcars,
Bleu Edmondson to name a few, all perform at each other’s charities.Has the “business” side of things taken over
or is it as easy a simple phone call between you guys?
WB:These guys are my friends.We’ll just shoot them a date of when our deal
is and to let us know if they can make it and they do the same for me.We’re all in this together and we’re all
doing benefits so it just goes hand in hand.We all try to be there and do whatever we can to help.We want bands that we’re fans of or guys we
look up to (ourselves) to play as well.
LSO:Wade Bowen can’t live on the road without……?
WB:My golf clubs!Even if I don’t get to play I just like to
have them around.I’m about a 10 or 12
handicap right now but I’m always trying to get better.
And sometimes...it's just
that simple to wrap people up.Whether it is his golf game or his professional life, Wade Bowen is
constantly trying to improve upon himself.And similar to his golf clubs and how he likes to keep them around (whether
he gets to use them on the road or not), Wade is like that for us fans that
have been around for the long haul.We
have become jaded to the fact that we get to see him on a regular basis, always keeping
him around for whenever we wanted to listen.But now the cat’s out of the bag and the rest of the country gets to
share in on our little secret. We couldn't be more proud. Having
the backing of a major label, “the hardest working band on the road today”, and
the sheer will to knock down any doors up in front of him, the sky’s the limit
for Wade Bowen and we’re behind him all the way.
For more information about Wade Bowen, The Bowen Classic,
Sitting down
with Randy Rogers, it is not hard to see how his life and lyrics get translated
into song. His easy going manner and
roll-with-punches attitude seem perfect for the artist that is highly in demand
and often gone from the comforts of home for long stretches. He has a down to earth sense about him that
is tied closely to a “been around the block”, observational style. The songs he writes are his…meaning the
lyrics that fill the albums are “from the
heart. I like records that are snapshots
of where you’re at (in life).” When
asked about his upcoming release (Trouble, which should be out in the spring),
Randy says “It’s my favorite album I’ve
written. If the world came to an end, I
would be happy with this recording. It’s
a very sincere record. All of our lives
and problems are displayed for the world to see so we write about them. There isn’t much smoke and mirrors with this
record; it is said exactly as you would if you need to go to therapy. That’s what this record was for the
band. We needed to be in that studio as
a group of young men.” When asked
about how autobiographical his songs are, he says “I try not to write anything that isn’t (autobiographical). The songs are true because that’s the only
way I know how to write.”
You can hear
some of the new tracks on display during the full band shows or catch an even
deeper glimpse into the passion behind the songs while he performs acoustically
on his annual Hold My Beer and Watch This tour with Wade Bowen. The guys feed off each other with the comfort
level of life-long friends; and seeing how this is the 6th annual such tour, it
is almost to be expected. (Not to
mention the countless other performances, writing sessions, and golf outings.) Even with their schedules growing more and
more hectic as the years pass by, they say the tour is a priority to both of
them. It is at these acoustic shows that
they seem to be a little looser, play a little more to the crowd, and tell the
stories where these immensely popular songs originated from. If you haven’t caught one yet, they’ll be to
your town soon, don’t miss it.
