Paul Cauthen: Cancer, God, Fatherhood & The 'Book Of Paul'

[00:00:08] Well, Paul Cauthen, welcome to Whiskey Riff Raff. Paul Cauthen, It's good to be here to riff raff with you guys. Thanks. You know, your nickname is Big Velvet and I don't think I actually know the source of the nickname. Paul Cauthen, Well, we were, I was living at the Belmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas, and there was this taco shop across the street and I went there and this dude behind the counter gave me my tacos. He said, you're Paul Cauthen?

[00:00:34] Paul Cauthen, I was like, yeah. He's like, your voice is big and velvety. You're big, you know, it's like Big Velvet. Paul Cauthen, Yeah. Paul Cauthen, So I was walking back to my hotel room and I had a bag of tacos and a bunch of Verde sauce. Paul Cauthen, And I started thinking, I was like, man, yeah, Big Velvet. I am, I guess I do. That is what it is. Paul Cauthen, And so, you know, it just ended up happening, you know, I was like, well, I'm gonna lean into it. Paul Cauthen, I'll tell what, tell the people what Big Velvet is.

[00:01:04] Paul Cauthen, And I think everybody's been on board with it ever since. Paul Cauthen, Yeah. Paul Cauthen, That guy has no idea how big of an impact he had on the Big Velvet legacy. Paul Cauthen, No doubt. Paul Cauthen, Just working at a taco shop. That's hilarious. Paul Cauthen, Man, it was, it was something else, man. I thought about it and I was like, that was just like a gift, you know? Paul Cauthen, I mean, just like to think about like a, it's kind of like Ziggy Stardust for David Bowie, you know?

[00:01:28] Paul Cauthen, It's being able to kind of like compartmentalize and differentiate your real world life to your stage wearing your, you know, your cape and getting up there and being able to be Superman. And, you know, so Big Velvet kind of turns the switch. I'm like, okay, this is a freaking fire breathing crazy man up here. Paul Cauthen, And it all started a taco shop. Paul Cauthen, Yeah, it started, I mean, usually a lot of, a lot of stuff starts with tacos. Paul Cauthen, Yeah, fair. Especially in Texas. Paul Cauthen, Yeah. Paul Cauthen, No doubt.

[00:01:55] Paul Cauthen, You say that like, it's like, you know, you turn the switch on, but seeing you now, I thought, that's kind of thought, that's what I expected. It would be just switch on when you perform, but you seem like you are Big Velvet. Paul Cauthen, Oh yeah. Paul Cauthen, Like that is who you are. Paul Cauthen, Yeah, it is, it's all encompassing. It's, it is what it is, you know? Paul Cauthen, You know, can't really, you know, you can differentiate it with them, my suit, you know, my core friends back home.

[00:02:18] They know Paul Cauthen, you know, the cheesy cargo shorts and Birkenstocks and, you know, wearing my, go out and play golf. Paul Cauthen, You know, that's the, you know, that's the other side, but then there's, you know, the wild, all the, all the lies and all the stories might be real. Paul Cauthen, And I loved on social media that you and your wife, your announcement to the world that you were having a kid was Lil Velvet. Paul Cauthen, Oh yeah. Lil Velvet's on the way.

[00:02:47] Paul Cauthen, And so that's, I mean, what is it? Paul Cauthen, May 12. Paul Cauthen, May 12. Paul Cauthen, He's coming into the world. Paul Cauthen, Wow. Paul Cauthen, Jim Paul is his name, JP. Paul Cauthen, So I haven't told anybody that, so y'all know. Paul Cauthen, Okay. Paul Cauthen, Well, thanks so much. Paul Cauthen, Baby boy is coming May 12. Paul Cauthen, His name's Jim Paul. Paul Cauthen, So, Lil JP. Paul Cauthen, That was my granddad's name and her granddad's named Jimmy, so. Paul Cauthen, Oh, perfect. Paul Cauthen, And it worked out. Paul Cauthen, That's awesome. Paul Cauthen, Yeah. Paul Cauthen, And how, like, what's the story of you finding out that you're going to be a dad? Paul Cauthen, Oh, you know, it kind of looks like a thermometer. Paul Cauthen, Yeah.

[00:03:14] Paul Cauthen, And my wife had to pee on these sticks. Paul Cauthen, And then all of a sudden you see these lines that, you know, when you read the directions 10 times, like, am I missing something? Paul Cauthen, Am I missing something? Paul Cauthen, Let's go get another brand. Paul Cauthen, Maybe it's then you go buy every type of, you know, pregnancy test that there is. Paul Cauthen, And then you're like, okay, now we need to go get blood work and really go into the doctor. Paul Cauthen, And so, you know, we kept our fingers crossed, prayed about it. Paul Cauthen, And we're blessed to be able to do this, you know, it's a gift.

[00:03:45] Paul Cauthen, And you feel like entering into fatherhood is something, is that going to be Paul's job or Big Velvet's job? Is it going to be a mixture of those? Paul Cauthen, He'll see both edges of the sword. You know, he'll know everything about me, you know. I just want a good fishing buddy. Paul Cauthen, Oh. Paul Cauthen, So I'm stoked. I've been praying for a kid ever since I met my wife. Paul Cauthen, And you and your wife have been together for? Paul Cauthen, Eight years. Paul Cauthen, But married for five. Paul Cauthen, Okay.

[00:04:15] Paul Cauthen, Took a little time. Paul Cauthen, And then we had five years of the most wild motorcycle riding and partying, good times. And then now it's like this new sun's arising or this eclipse is happening in our life. And it's so beautiful. And watching her just glow about it is beautiful. So I'm stoked. It's a whole new chapter. Kind of like the record I got, Book of Paul, you know.

[00:04:38] So it's kind of like all encompassing right there happening within kind of the music and what's going on. It's crazy. So was Book of Paul written after you already found out that she was pregnant? No, it was before. Okay, okay. Yeah. So then there's going to be even more music I'm sure coming about in the morning. Oh, yeah. Well, I'll do a lullaby record one day or something. Yeah. Maybe. Maybe if I have a baby girl.

[00:05:00] But we definitely already have some vinyls of like kids, Johnny Cash and like playing like xylophone stuff, like baby lullaby, ring of fire and stuff. So we got that by the crib. That's perfect. He's going to be listening to some good music. I went and bought his whole record collection and looked at him. And I'm going to give him like big old blocks of vinyl every like five or ten years. And so I've got the Jungle Book soundtrack and Lion King stuff.

[00:05:28] And then you've got the, you know, Mozart, Chopin, all the classical stuff I think is real good when they're real young. Mm-hmm. And then move into some rock and roll when he gets older. When he gets teenage, I'll give him the No Doubt record. You know, move into some tragic kingdom. And then you go in, you know, he'll still fall in love with Gwen Stefani. And it's just going to be a whole thing, you know? I love that idea that you're just kind of like building up this.

[00:05:51] I'm going to block it through and I'm going to give him, and I've got it all in my part of the vinyl, but I'll give him blocks that I've picked out for like, I've already bought, you know, all the vinyl, probably 200 different vinyl that will be given to him when he grows up. Always like Christmas. Every time, birthday, Christmas, he'll get some vinyl, you know? That's a great idea. Yeah, you're going to make a great idea. I just came up with that when I was in a vinyl store. I was thinking, well, now I'm not shopping music for me anymore. And that's freaking cool. Yeah.

[00:06:21] I'm stoked about that. And anything that you play is like the first time that your son's getting to hear those. Oh, yeah, dude. It's like so, it's like, and to get to see what makes him react, what he digs, what he's like, eh, what makes him cry. Maybe he doesn't like listening to ACDC loud, but I, you know, he's going to hear it. And at what phase do your records come in? Are you putting them earlier on or? I'm just going to leave them out kind of and see if he's like, oh, daddy, you know, and puts it on. Maybe.

[00:06:49] But, you know, it's kind of, some of that's revealing. I kind of might have those hidden more than any of the other ones. Gotcha. I'm like, what's the over and under on the first like 30 days of him hearing cocaine country dancing? Oh, we can make that bet. Yeah. We can make that bet. We should put that on whiskey. Maybe you can, maybe you can rerecord it like Coca-Cola country dancing. Propane country dancing. That's what we told my nieces and nephews. He's saying propane.

[00:07:16] He's saying co and pro don't really, that's kind of, you can't really pull the wool over their eyes for too long. But back to the book of Paul, obviously a really cool name for an album in my opinion, and I'm sure you feel the same way. Automatically, people are going to think there are ties to the Bible and you've kind of described it as kind of country rock gospel. Oh, yeah. So what is that main tie?

[00:07:40] It's kind of like, it's kind of just my book, my, if I was writing a scripture about myself, you know, I just, it's not like I'm an apostle or anything thinking in that form, which could be taken that way. But there is no book of Paul in the Bible. So I was just like, you know, what about me?

[00:08:02] Like, I've got, I've got something to say, you know, and it's like, it kind of shows the whole, the whole, how it just grew, you know, my songwriting, my style, way I like to, you know, make a record ebb and flow and, you know, amp up with some rocking songs. And then, you know, I'll always usually leave people with like a gospel kind of send off. So it's just kind of a roller coaster of chapters of my life. So that's cool.

[00:08:32] That's a great idea. And Texas Swagger, I'm sure you felt good about it. Well, Rob Snyder is a songwriter here in Nashville. And he came with that idea, Book of Paul. I gave it to him. He, it was, it was insane. I was like, it kind of clicked. And then I, we started, we wrote the song, Delaney Ramsdale and Fustin and Rob and started thinking about it. And I was like, dude, that's the name of the album. Like that's, it all makes sense. So. And by the time this episode comes out, the album will already be out.

[00:09:01] So what is your favorite song on the album? If you had, if you had to just pick just one. I love Texas Gravel Road. Okay. And Dark Horse. I wrote with Luke Dick and Steve Rush. And that one's just a Beatles thing. It's like a 6'8 Waltz thing. It's got, I got a lot of whistling on this record.

[00:09:29] I can whistle my ass off. Okay. Okay. But, see. Just a taste. Just a little taste. By the record. I'm just kidding. No. Yeah. It's, it's a cool album. It's, I'm proud of it. You know, a lot of people involved, a lot of producers and nobody's ego really hopped out of the room. And we just kind of allowed each other to do what we do best.

[00:09:56] And, you know, it's been, it's been a great process. Yes. And at this point, sorry, Shelby, at this point in your life, with all the things that you have going on externally, like, does it just feel right that this, you know, scripture about yourself and the version of an album came right now? Yeah. It's like a godsend. Mm-hmm. I believe, you know, when you write a good song, if you're writing with one other person, there's always a third.

[00:10:22] There's always, and it's the spirit or, you know, it's the unexplainable, how a melody or the flow of a cadence or something comes to your head. And that's just like a gift. Mm-hmm. And then a child is the best gift in the world. So, having this record and being more spiritually sound and kind of, you know, I'm almost a legacy act now. You know, I've been on the road since 2007. And this record is a grown-up album.

[00:10:52] But there's stuff that can teach younger, aspiring artists, I believe, in it, you know, through the roads that I've been down. And I'm proud of it, so. What's so fun with your music is I think that, you know, they come to, people come to expect the unexpected from you. Yeah. So even if you do something completely different and off the wall, that's on brand for you. No doubt. So I'm excited for this next album and see how people take it all in.

[00:11:19] Plus, I feel like so many artists right now are like kind of the same stage of you of becoming dads. Yeah. And it's just crazy watching the transition in front of our eyes and how the music evolves with it. Yeah. So, you know, like I said, I'm a legacy act now. You know, I talk to guys that I've been on the road with, girls I've been on the road with for a long time. And now it's like, man, we've been doing this for over 20 years right at it. And we're still putting out records. I think we've done it.

[00:11:49] You know, we're going to stay here. You know, we're not, you're always scared you're going to get kicked out or, you know, something was going to happen. And, you know, you weren't going to, a record label deal goes south and they didn't get their money and nobody wants to work with you. You're, you always have these demons in your head. Like you're not going to be lasting in a, in this business. And now I feel like this record and where I'm at, I think it's going to really build the framework for the rest of my life. You know? Yeah.

[00:12:18] And, uh, the, was there just one collaboration on the album? Is that right? Uh, there's two. There's two. One's with Jake Worthington. Jake Worthington on Tossing Back Time and then Delaney Ramsdale on Chainsmoking. Okay. That's right. Yes. Yeah. And I think I've heard the, I've heard Chainsmoking. I haven't heard Tossing Back Time, but that sounds like a great name for a song. Dude. Especially with Jake on it. Golly.

[00:12:41] It's, uh, it's, it's like he is the countryest man I know. Yeah. Period. I think he's the countryest. That's it. That's the countryest man alive. Yeah. So that's all I got to say. And I think we worked on it one late night in Tyler, Texas with Carrie and Drew at Rosewood Studios and Tyler.

[00:13:04] And, uh, we, uh, we stayed up and hooped and hollered and got that verse in and he just smashed it. So I'm stoked. And then Delaney just sang her ass off on that dead gum, uh, Chainsmoking. So it's, it was awesome. I feel like there's a bit of like a negative connotation when you say legacy act. I don't feel like you're a legacy act in a negative sense. No, no, I'm lucky. That's lucky. Like that's what you want. Yeah.

[00:13:34] You know, you want to get to a point to where you've got a core group of fans that are family now. It's not just a fan. Like you want to go out there and serve them the good stuff. You know what I mean? Because they're repeat customers and they're, they've been there. You've started recognizing people in different towns and cities, you know, and the fact that they keep on coming and more and more and more and is a nothing but a blessing, but it didn't, it wasn't easy. Right. And I don't know if I'd do it again.

[00:14:03] I'm sure a tour is coming with the new album. Oh yeah. Um, so then how do you serve the audience that way? What do you do different than your other shows when you plan a new tour? I just like the musical segues, uh, different types of moments that happen that are like you said, unexpected and really, uh, like we, we jam, you know, we have like moments to

[00:14:29] where it feels like you're almost at a country fried fish show, you know, or like a Pink Floyd show, you know, it's like, it goes into these different elements and then you feel like it's like Beatle and it's got this like sixties vibe and then it gets super gospel-y and then it, uh, you know, it sounds like it has this, like these Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, uh, you know, uh, Roy Orbison tones to it, you know, what's, but that's just who I listened

[00:14:59] to when I was growing up and it's like who I am because that's what I was influenced by. Yeah. It's an amalgamation of everything. Yeah. It's just like kind of a, you know, like a scramble. Yeah. I feel like a lot of artists will do like two of the, you know, three genres. Yeah. I feel like you're one of the, you know, all, like all of them. And then Biggie Smalls is like the main reason why Big Velvet really stood, you know? Biggie Smalls, the notorious B.I.G. was probably my biggest influence. Really? Okay. Oh yeah.

[00:15:26] And then on a live show then, what do you, what's your, what's your closer? Do you do an encore of like a cover or do you close it out? No, I'll do, I'll probably do Texas Swagger. Okay. I'll probably do, I mean, cocaine country dancing's hard to beat when, as far as what the crowd really, really loves. But I'm going to switch it up. You know, Dark Horse is in line there. And then a lot of the nights I'm going to be just getting on a bar stool and playing a song acoustic and it'll be done after that. That's fun too.

[00:15:55] Or, you know, I'll get on the zip line and sing a David Bowie song. Never know what to expect. Exactly. Never know. And, you know, you're talking about your fans and how it feels like they're a family to you, right? Oh yeah. How have they been there for you amidst your cancer journey? Well, they, you know, came out and sold out every show that I've put up. You know, I've played a lot of small, small venues that were there for me in the beginning

[00:16:24] of my career. And I went back to those because I knew that that was like a family home place that I could really be myself and, you know, really talk about it. And, you know, I sold three and four nights straight in some of these little small three to 500 cat places and just me in a bar stool. And they came out and they listened and they sang and it was just, they, you know, kept me

[00:16:54] alive, kept my wife fed, kept our baby fed and, you know, kept the bills paid. And I mean, that's, that's when you know it's real. Like, it's not just the validation through financials. It's just the fact that they support you so much and they care, you know, more than just the song. It's about your life, you know? So, and I mean, cancer's shrunk and then, I mean, now it's calcified and it's about to, I mean, you know, I'm just, I'm over it. Really? I've gotten through it.

[00:17:23] So it's been a blessing, you know? Because I was going to ask, anytime that I've seen updates that you provide, you basically just frame it as you're kicking or whooping cancer's ass. Yeah. No, it's gone from a five millimeter, like about the size of a, of a, like marble in my right thyroid lobe. And now it's, it's gone down, it's gone from five to three to two. And then it just sticks around two and it's fully calcified.

[00:17:51] So my body has put calcium all the way around this and it's just right in the middle and it's not harming anything. It's not moving. So I do it every three months. I do a checkup, a sonogram and I check it out and just stay on top of it. And I, I diet in a way to where I'm not feeding too much glucose. Cause you can, it can, it hasn't gone up, but that, that's, that can happen. You know, uh, glucose is the actual, what the appetite that a cancer has, you know, sugar

[00:18:20] is it, it's the gasoline that feeds it. So if you cut that out and get your pH right and drink alkaline water and get, get really kind of green and heavy with it, um, eat a bunch of protein and, you know, sauna or infrared. Yeah. I've done all these different things and, uh, it can, you can stay on top of it. Yeah. You know, not everything's just going to kill you. You can try other things.

[00:18:46] I'm not saying it's not smart to go get surgery or get something taken out of your body. I don't, I'm not ever going to say that. I believe in all medicine, not just some, I believe in all types of recovery, not just one, you know. But I admire that you did something that like you chose. And everybody else told me not to, which is, yeah. And my wife and I are so thankful I didn't because there, you pull out your whole endocrine system and then I'm worried about my hormones, my calcium levels. And you have chronic fatigue, you have testosterone, testosterone drops.

[00:19:16] You have all these different things they don't talk about that you have to deal with by taking Synthroid and taking a pill and being dependent on pharma for the rest of your life. Yeah. And I was like, man, that sounds like a headache to me. Right. You know, I have trouble sometimes. I forgot to eat my vitamins today. You know, it's like, what if you do that? And then you pass out or, you know, it's just, and, but some people it's moved to the lymph notes and stuff. And, you know, I'm not, like I said, they should probably get their stuff pulled out, but I

[00:19:44] only had it in one spot and it was contained and it was already calcified, which means, hey, your body's fighting this, you know, calcification. That's what it means. Yeah. It's your body's workers fighting it off with swords and shields, you know? So I just let them, I just put gasoline on the swords and shields and let them take care of it. Yeah. That's right. Well, that's a great update. We're very happy to hear that. Well, thank you, man. And it's a lot of, I'm thankful for all the fans that, all the people and listeners that prayed and I felt those prayers and love.

[00:20:12] And I obviously know that that can be kind of like a looming thing. So I don't want to spend too much time on it. I hope you don't mind that we. No, it is time to probably air it out. Not just at a show. Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. It sounds like you're almost like the healthiest version. You're learning about all your body. Exactly. Like I told my wife, I said in the end, cancer is going to save my life. Because yeah, you're, you know, I totally, I'm mindful of my blood. I'm getting tested. I'm, if anything kind of comes up weird, I'll know. Yeah. And after being on the road for so long and probably going to the opposite.

[00:20:41] That's why I got checked in the first place. I was like, you know, I spent more money to get the CAT scan, the CT scan of my chest and they found that, they found the thyroid on the top of the CAT scan of my chest. They found the little white little dot. And I said, man, we're going to go get your throat checked. And they found it. So any of you, it's not bad to go get checked up, especially if you're about touching 40. It's about time to get everything checked. You never know. And, but don't let it freak you out. It doesn't matter what stage they tell you're in. It can be beaten some way or somehow.

[00:21:11] It's going to be a tough road, but you can do it. Yeah. And you mentioned it already, but I feel like it's all so all encompassing with the album as well. You like your relationship with God is probably the best I've ever been to you. Ever, ever been. And, you know, I've always been a God-fearing man, but at the same time I've fallen astray and kind of put myself before others. And, you know, it's pretty selfish at times to do this business. You know? Yeah.

[00:21:39] You're thinking about self and your, your success all the time. Mm-hmm. I'm successful. So I'm thankful. You know, I'm already there. So now what do I do? And how do I give that back at this point? And that's what this book of Paul, it's like this whole, it's like the pressure makes the diamond kind of moment for me. Mm-hmm. And it's been in a pressure cooker. So it feels good. And you grew up Church of Christ. Oh, yeah. So it was her part of you. Oh, yeah. We'd try to beat the Baptist of Luby's. Yeah.

[00:22:06] We'd, every Sunday, my granddad and uncle, they would go up there. Great uncle was the preacher and my granddad was the song leader. And they would, you know, you know, back and forth and had it going, you know, like Penn and Teller. And, you know, they'd be like, all right, well, we're going to make this one quick. The Cowboys are on at noon. We got to beat the Baptist of Luby's. Here's a quick prayer. Come on up. Say the last prayer. We got out of there.

[00:22:33] We'd get in line, go get our square fish and jello, and then get over and watch the Cowboys at noon. That's so fun. I've only been to a Church of Christ church once and the only- Did you get baptized there? No, I did not. Oh, they didn't get to you. I was already baptized. So we're good. But I know that- It's a good thing. I'm just joking. Yeah. They don't have like instruments in their services, which is very- Not allowed. Very interesting for someone who went into music. You sing and praise with your voice. And that's how my granddad taught me how to sing.

[00:23:03] And that's why I can, I think I give it all the glory to the church and that upbringing for my voice. Yeah. I mean, yeah, I guess if you think about it, that's the main instrument of the Church of Christ. So it worked out. If you didn't know anything else, I couldn't even bring in my triangle. Right. No, no. Start dinging that thing during How Great Thou Art. You're talking about some elders taking you out back into the foyer. That's right. How about the kiosk with all the bulletins? And I, and I like, I don't know.

[00:23:31] Look, I'm not going to say, I was about to get into a whole thing. It's like, I think there could be instruments, but I'm not going to get into that. No, I think the trumpet shall sound and all the dead shall rise to walk the streets of gold someday. That's eternity. That's life. And trumpet sounding means, well, you know, that's pretty, that trumpet is a trumpet. That's an instrument. That's an instrument. Sorry. Sorry. So you're telling me I can bring a horn in here? Like, let's do How Great Thou Art and let a little nine-year-old in the bag just blow a trumpet back there. You know?

[00:24:01] French horns are welcome. They'll come sit in the bag. And you learned how to sing at such a young age that you also started creating and writing your own songs back then as well. Mm-hmm. I started just, you know, singing what I was hearing in my head. You know, I've always had kind of like, it's almost like schizophrenia with music in a way. Like I see music and, you know, it'll just pop in my head and I'll just start humming

[00:24:28] and then I'll go and I'd play it on a piano and like just riff the little melodic hook or whatever it is. And then I started, you know, writing a song about coming home. You know? I remember, I just want to come home. You know, me and my little sister would sing it. And like, and then my granddad passed away when I was 10. And so I wrote a song about him. And that was kind of the whole start.

[00:24:58] It was kind of like a therapy. And I was 10 years old. So, and I had to grow up and start being a man pretty soon. So it was crazy. Was it all kind of coming out as country or was it more rock? It was gospel and very spiritually influenced, you know? Makes sense. Considering what we just talked about. Yeah.

[00:25:22] So, and, but country is like Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, kind of Jimmy Rogers stuff, folk things, you know? Were we talking the other day about how like it's, it's just kind of seemed like that's, there's a bridge between country and gospel and Christian music. Like that just kind of seems like it's a, it's not too far away from. No, it's not.

[00:25:45] It's just like, you know, the, you know, rhythm and blues and the Delta and what's in the water down there, you know? And it comes, went from the church and then you get Al Green, you know? And then you get Aretha Franklin, you get Ray Charles. I mean, it's all entrenched in the church. Mm-hmm. So I think it's the coolest. Yeah. You know? Because I mean, it's real.

[00:26:09] That's why song came about was through serving your gift and giving it back to the Lord, you know? Mm-hmm. That's why, you know, or getting through tough times. And that's the Delta blues, you know, you know, overcoming adversity, you know? And that's what the blues is. Mm-hmm. And it was just, you know, when they were happy, they were singing gospel songs. But when they were going through it, they were writing blues songs. Yeah.

[00:26:36] And that's a great, like, you know, sad country songs, blues. Exactly. And right next to each other, yeah. Yep. We can go on probably forever about like your musical inspirations that, you know, came before us. But who are you currently listening to that's still putting out music that really inspires you still? I love Steven Wilson Jr. Yep. I like Marcus King. Mm-hmm. I love Miley Cyrus, Kacey Musgraves.

[00:27:06] Love what Ella Langley's doing. Love Lainey. You know, I've been a fan of, you know, Randy Hauser's voice. He's one of my best buds. So, you know, I'm kind of biased there. He does have a great voice. He doesn't sing a bad note. So that's why I love him, you know? And he also is a good road buddy. Wild good times. But who else?

[00:27:38] I like Carter Faith's new album. One of my favorites. That Cherry, what's it called? Cherry Valley. Yeah. That's great. I've really, who else? I mean. I mean, you just said a lot. Yeah. You don't have to keep going. There's been a few that I've really turned my ears to.

[00:28:06] I don't listen too much when I'm in the process of writing because it kind of skews what I'm trying to say in a way. Yeah. Like if I over-inundate my head and ears with other stuff, I'm like, I can lean in a way that's maybe, well, that worked there, you know? Why wouldn't I want to do like a, you know, a return hook on the back end of a chorus? Because, I mean, it's really kind of what's working right now. And you just start getting mind screwed about song and structure.

[00:28:35] And then it's just, it's like beating a dead horse, you know? Probably even subconsciously. Yeah. I mean, it happens. Yeah. I mean, it says in the Bible what you put in is what you put out, you know? Yep. And, I mean, the first name that came out was Steven Wilson Jr. I just feel like you guys would get more. Oh, we've already had a great time in Vegas. Yeah. We met right before his record dropped. And I just told him, I said, dude, you get ready. He's like, buckle up. You know?

[00:29:04] I was like, this is, this is, you've got something else to say. Yeah. You know? And I know that. And he thanked me and he came to one of my shows at Stagecoach and then came backstage and he told me he was floored, one of the best shows. And I was just like, man, I'm right back at you, you know? So, just to have a mutual respect for one another's art and craft is cool. And Billy Strings, you know? I mean, he's been a friend during all this.

[00:29:30] I talked to him yesterday about the late Ronnie Bowman and, you know, talked about life and how a baby boy is going to change everything. Mm-hmm. Because he's, he has a baby boy. Yeah. And it's just cool to have all these friends that are, it's a really tight community of good people that are really, really serving the song, you know? Mm-hmm. And they stand out more than others. Yeah. You know? The song leads the way. Definitely.

[00:29:58] I was going to ask you because, you know, you do have such a good community. Like, do you ever kind of not get jealous or envious, but like, get like, I don't know, have any negative feelings when people who don't necessarily have that, like, grit to them still end up on top in the industry sometimes?

[00:30:15] You know, I've never been the one to bash, you know, I bash false, you know, the people that are fake. But she ain't got to lie to kick it. And you ain't, you ain't got to freaking tell, you ain't got to tell people that it's because, you know, ticket scalpers and all this stuff. No, you cost too much. Mm-hmm.

[00:30:42] Yeah, I mean, personally, I mean, at Whiskey Rift, we very much have like a true country favor, you know? But like, there are artists like yourself that cross kind of the lines or even like, artists like- My show's a rock show. Yeah. You know? Yeah, that's what I was going to say. Like, it's not, I don't think it's, like, it's further, it is country, but it's a rock show. Yeah. You know? And that's the same thing with like artists like the rock ones, like Trady Oak Revival, Co. Wetzel, it's definitely more rock than it is country, but they're from the country. It kind of all just gets this giant label on it now.

[00:31:12] Mm-hmm. And I feel like a lot of times, though, when like we're negative towards someone, it's because like they're labeled as country when it's like pop music. Yeah. And I like pop music, but I don't like when my country music is labeled as pop. That's a personal thing. Mm-hmm. So I was wondering how you feel about like kind of all the labels and everything, considering that you're just so- I've been so confused. Yeah. I'm so confused by it all. Yeah.

[00:31:34] Like you can, some people call me a rap, you know, because I have different songs with different cadences and the way I spit them, you know, and you know, I'm just me, you know? And I'm going to sing and write whatever the hell I want for the rest of my life. Mm-hmm. And hopefully I serve people by doing that. That's it. And that's my genre. It's Paul Cauthen. Yeah. How do you stay creative after making music for so long?

[00:32:02] Um, it's really, you know, always honing your craft, always being on a piano every day, trying to play a guitar every day. Um, you know, Guy Clark said it best. Everything's a song. It just depends on what you pay attention to, you know? Yeah. So, it's like, you know, if you don't work your craft, if you're a bodybuilder and you stop bench pressing, how many reps do you think you're going to do of 225 in the tournament of whatever bodybuilding tournament?

[00:32:32] Mm-hmm. You know, you're probably not going to do too well. If you stop riding and you stop massaging that muscle and working that muscle, you're not going to build it and it's not going to continue to build. Yeah. And, um, I think the people that say, you know, they come up to writer's block, it's just laziness of your own head. Like, you got to fight through it. Yeah. Like, you just keep on, keep on, keep on, and then finally you knock on the door long enough that it'll open, you know?

[00:33:00] And I think I, I, uh, listened to something or read something the other day and I feel like it kind of, uh, directly correlates to being a songwriter, being an artist. It's like boredom is a gift. And it's like you were saying earlier, sometimes- But being sedentary is, is kind of lazy to me. Right. Yeah. Like you, you can be bored for so long and then you're just sulking in your own pancakes. Exactly. Yeah.

[00:33:23] But then, but then at the same time, it's like, if you're, if you let your mind be bored rather than like you said, you don't necessarily listen to music all the time, then that's when the things come. And I think that that's such an interesting thing. That's when I listen to like Bali music or Bollywood, or I listen to like Indian music or like Selda Bakan or some of these like different type of Eastern African music. And I listen to stuff that I can't understand language. Mm-hmm. And then I get fed like different just vibe. Yeah.

[00:33:50] That's, I, I, I would, uh, you know, I'd tell anybody to go do that. You know, if you're an artist or if you're just a listener to just totally go on the other side of the world and just point a finger and be like, who is making music here? Mm-hmm. You know? And then bam, you'll find something and it'll just be like, whoa, I've never heard that before to my ears. Like this is, I'm, it's like my son one day giving him those vinyls. It'll be, it's the same thing, but it's harder to do now because we've heard so much. Right. You know? Everything's at our fingertips. Exactly.

[00:34:21] Everything's right there. But, um, that's why I encourage people to keep on going to those record stores, go thumb through those vinyl and find you something that you just look at. And the front cover makes you kind of like, whoa, be attracted, be, let yourself be lured into it. That's the whole thing that almost was gone in the music industry is that feeling of having a, you know, tangible, something you can look through. Who played on it? Where was it recorded? You know? It's an experience to listen to a record.

[00:34:51] It's an experience. Yeah. You know, listen deep, listen all the way. There's a reason why there's side A and side B, you know? And we've asked, I think probably the last couple artists that we've had on about Sturgill Simpson's or Johnny Blue Sky's new record. Yeah. Like he goes completely physical with it. It's freaking awesome. I love it. Yeah. I think, I think the record's smoking, you know? You know, the undertones, you know, what he wanted to say politically, what he wanted to get off his chest in a very classy way. Funny one too.

[00:35:20] And it's disco-y and it's got this freaking, the tones are great. I mean, Stu and those guys are just doing it right. You know, Kevin Black, the bass player, has been a great friend of mine forever. And, you know, I know they love playing it. So that's what I love. They love what they're doing, you know? And as a music fan. And that's what you're going to get when you go to a show. It sounds, listening to it, which I was... It's going to be fun. I listen to it on YouTube and my record player is still back in Kentucky.

[00:35:48] I need to desperately get that to Nashville, but it's like, I listen to it and it sounds, it's an extension of what they do live. Yeah. I mean, I've seen them live and it's just a great show. Oh yeah. Man, I saw them at the Wiltern with Charlie Hennon, a guy from Sons of Anarchy. And some of my friends, Bo Bedford and Tim Ketcherson, Kirby Brown, some other guys I think.

[00:36:13] And we had a big party and we went in there and Laurel on that dadgum guitar and those, they're just freaking fired. And it was right, it was the last show in LA before he stopped for a while on, you know, Meta Modern Sounds. And I've been a fan ever since. Yeah. As a music fan, I feel like you can like feel the happiness that like he has with it.

[00:36:41] And so how do you think that fans are going to feel about Book of Paul when they see it? Like how are they going to feel that like, that's how much you love it? What are my undertones? Yes. What am I trying to say with it? Or how, like, you can feel like the happiness, like when Sergio plays away. Yeah. What is like, what is your happiness from it? Oh yeah. It's, it's like a party. It's let loose.

[00:37:02] But it's, it also explains how hard work and dedication did it for me, you know, and accepting my faults and the struggles of the past and forgiving myself.

[00:37:19] And, um, it's just an anthemic theme that is totally about forgiving yourself and knowing that you can better yourself and that the voice inside is, is God. Mm-hmm . That's basically the whole premise of this album. Is the voice inside that is your Jiminy Cricket in your heart. That's God. Mm-hmm . You know, that's the unexplainable.

[00:37:50] So. And would you say that this is your most cathartic project that you've ever done? Oh, 100%. It's like, when I listened to it, I'm just like, where, I was like, this is a gift from God and we're gonna serve it up. Mm-hmm . I don't know. Big ol' stew. Well, we almost, it's almost time to wrap it up. But I always love asking artists, you know, what else are you like, what else are you listening to? What else are you watching on TV, reading, whatever it might be for you? What, what are you about right now?

[00:38:20] Um, I have, I've been really, um, like I said, listening to a bunch of different African music and different types of, uh, you know, a lot of jazz music lately. Um, I'm really into Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles, of course, and Bird and all that.

[00:38:40] And I'll, uh, you know, I've said it before, but Zelda Bag Khan is a, uh, there's melodies that that's a, that's totally from God. And I mean, and it's Turkish and, um, it's just beautiful music all over the world.

[00:38:59] And I try to, and I, what really gets my bells ticking and dinging is just when it's honest, you know, like my dear friend, Luke Bell, my, that passed away. Um, I did one of his first records and, you know, they, they dropped his, uh, his album this last year. And just hearing that and knowing that that, that it's truly lives after you.

[00:39:28] Cause the first time it's a really touched me like that. Yeah. It's music outlives us. It's serving a different purpose. This is not, this is just, it's in a speckle of this time that we think it lasts, but that's, what's beautiful about music. It outlives us. You're living, leaving a legacy. Amen. That's what my granddad always said, son, you got one thing, it's legacy.

[00:39:49] And I, I was kind of, you know, I'm more revealing my, you know, a lot of my family, a lot of the times, you know, cause I've cussed in so many albums and I've been pretty blunt, brash, harsh. You know? And, but I told my dad, I was like, dad, my pulpit changes every night. Like, I don't have to tell them to come down and get baptized, but I've got to just serve them up. What is honest? Cause that's how I can get to the people is just being common with them.

[00:40:18] You know, it's not about me putting myself up into a pulpit, you know, like up, up there. It's about showing them that I am, I am you too. I bleed red. I've, I've been through the struggles, heartaches. I've been through drug addictions. I've been through bad relationships. I've been through all that stuff, you know? So I'm just trying to talk about that. That's a refreshing. Yeah, it really is.

[00:40:45] And it's like, I feel like you've got a lot going for you right now. You know, obviously the update on your cancer ass kicking that you gave us and the new album in April and the baby. Yeah. The baby in May. I mean, this is. It's all just lining up and it's, it's God's timing. You know, I'm not, you know, you know, we're not here for a long time. We're here for a good time. That's right. I think that's the perfect way to end it. Yeah, all right. Thank you guys for your time. No, thank you so much.

[00:41:15] Riff raffin'. Riff raffin'. Thanks for riff raffin'. Thank you. Thank you.