William Clark Green

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[00:00:48] Have y'all heard about the world's quietest room?

[00:00:50] No.

[00:00:51] So there's a room, I don't know exactly where it is. I think it's somewhere in the Rockies,

[00:00:55] but they've created the quietest room in the world, and the world record for someone that goes in there

[00:01:00] before they go almost insane is like 30 minutes.

[00:01:02] Really?

[00:01:03] It's so quiet, so you can literally hear your, like, it's...

[00:01:06] Everything.

[00:01:06] It's just, no, it's like, it's just...

[00:01:08] It's so claustrophobic.

[00:01:10] How big is the room?

[00:01:10] It's not, it's pretty big.

[00:01:11] No, it's pretty big.

[00:01:12] Yeah, it's like, I've heard it's, it's just the quiet, they dampened it and then it's,

[00:01:16] you can hear your most inner, it's like the craziest, the, like I said, the record's like

[00:01:20] 28 minutes.

[00:01:21] Like, they were like, please get me out of here.

[00:01:22] Oh, no.

[00:01:23] So this is my first time actually in a studio ever.

[00:01:25] Oh, really?

[00:01:26] Yeah.

[00:01:26] He's the only one who's recorded here before.

[00:01:28] But other than that, once it closed, I was like, this feels kind of weird.

[00:01:31] But I'm like, you're probably used to this all the time.

[00:01:38] Quinn and I, Shelby.

[00:01:40] And we're sitting down with William Clark Green today.

[00:01:42] How you doing?

[00:01:43] I'm doing good.

[00:01:44] Not to blow up your spot, but I had a friend who was in Nashville recently who said that

[00:01:48] she saw you at a tavern in East Nashville.

[00:01:51] Sounds familiar.

[00:01:53] Does that happen to you often where you get recognized out in Nashville or do you feel

[00:01:56] like you get a fly under the radar?

[00:01:58] I think it's when it's, I think when it happens, it makes me feel a lot cooler that I'm not

[00:02:02] in Texas and getting recognized.

[00:02:04] But it happens in random places.

[00:02:06] And every time it happens, I always nudge my wife and tell her, be like, see, I'm still

[00:02:11] cool, babe.

[00:02:12] See how cool I am.

[00:02:13] No, it happens every once in a while.

[00:02:14] So there's so many music fans here in Nashville that come.

[00:02:17] And weekdays, it's, you know, and I just don't, I don't go out as much as I used to.

[00:02:20] I used to be at Red Door on Midtown every night of the week.

[00:02:23] And now that I have kids, it's just, it's like, man, I'm writing two times a day.

[00:02:27] I'm in bed.

[00:02:28] You know, I talk to the kids at 738, eat dinner, and I'm enjoying some peace and quiet

[00:02:32] in the condo.

[00:02:33] So it's not like the old days when I was a little bit more social when I came out.

[00:02:37] So I don't blame you.

[00:02:38] I need my sleep too.

[00:02:40] You were talking about not to pull the curtain back too much, but you're talking about maybe

[00:02:43] getting a night out tonight after the podcast.

[00:02:45] Yeah, I got it.

[00:02:46] I talked to my wife and I was like, I can come home.

[00:02:48] I can do daddy in the morning.

[00:02:48] And it's been a kind of a long week for me.

[00:02:52] And she was like, no, go enjoy a night out.

[00:02:53] And so I was like, yeah, but my wife's really cool.

[00:02:56] So, but I was going to catch the late flight out of here.

[00:02:58] But yeah, I'm just going to, now I'm going to catch the really early flight in the morning.

[00:03:02] So it's kind of like, it's going to suck in your way.

[00:03:05] Nothing can go wrong at a night out of Nashville with an early flight the next morning.

[00:03:08] Yeah, especially the bars close at three.

[00:03:10] Yeah.

[00:03:11] Crazy.

[00:03:12] Well, to talk a little bit about music, right?

[00:03:14] I mean, love talking about being a dad and we'll get to that here in a little bit,

[00:03:17] but your most recent album and me not being from Texas.

[00:03:20] How do you say Lubbock?

[00:03:22] Is that, did I just say it right?

[00:03:24] I sounded right to me.

[00:03:25] Okay.

[00:03:25] So I just wanted to make sure because I don't want to offend anybody.

[00:03:27] But your most recent album, Whole Lotta Lubbock came out this past August.

[00:03:32] And obviously you described Lubbock as a huge part of where you got your start.

[00:03:35] So how was it crafting an album kind of around that idea?

[00:03:38] Well, that's just a single that came out a few months ago.

[00:03:42] And it's actually the first song off the new record, which we don't have a name for the new record yet.

[00:03:45] So that's just a single that came out.

[00:03:47] And I actually wrote that with Gary Stanton from Muscatine Bloodline.

[00:03:49] And it was crazy thing is it was his idea.

[00:03:52] And so he came, I met them at Born and Raised Festival last year and I walked up to him.

[00:04:00] And of course, I'd heard their name a thousand times.

[00:04:03] I never really dug in their music because as songwriters and stuff, you're just so focused on your own.

[00:04:07] It's hard to, so hard to keep up with who's coming out and all that stuff.

[00:04:09] And so, but I heard a song on the radios and I walked up to him.

[00:04:12] I was like, hey, you know, heard one of your songs on the radio.

[00:04:14] And I just, I was blown away by the production.

[00:04:16] And after I did some more digging, I realized you guys self-produce a lot of your own stuff.

[00:04:19] And it's just so impressive.

[00:04:21] And, and, and turns out that Charlie there, the other singer in Muscatine Bloodline was a huge fan of mine.

[00:04:27] So we kind of like hung out that night and had a good time.

[00:04:31] And then me and Gary ended up hooking up and writing.

[00:04:33] And, and like I say, he brought that to the table as the right, the title track.

[00:04:36] And, and we just kind of, the song kind of wrote itself.

[00:04:39] And it's just kind of my biography of how I got started in Lubbock pretty much.

[00:04:42] It's, you know, how I showed up to town, a boy from East Texas, never seen that stuff, that side of the world before.

[00:04:47] And you got to think this is, this makes me feel old, but this is before Google.

[00:04:51] You couldn't just like see how a place looked before you got there.

[00:04:55] Like I remember being in my truck and, and a tumbleweed going across the road and hitting it with my truck and being like, where the hell am I?

[00:05:00] Like, I thought everything looked like East Texas, you know?

[00:05:03] And so, um, just a different world back then.

[00:05:06] So showing up was this whole new thing to me.

[00:05:08] And, uh, and just embracing that in a song and, and, and him writing with me was super cool.

[00:05:12] Do you think it's because he's from Alabama that he like had this idea for Texas and was just waiting for someone?

[00:05:18] Like, do you think you could do that?

[00:05:19] Like with him, with Alabama, it's like, I'm not from there, but like the concept of it in your mind, it might just be like such a good idea to write.

[00:05:25] I think he's such a great songwriter that he came to the right prepared.

[00:05:28] And he came willing to help me write a song for my career and not one for his.

[00:05:33] I think that's how, and so he wanted to come with an idea to help, which I did not do in return for him.

[00:05:37] So, uh, I would say he was selfless in that scenario, but I just think he's such a great writer that he showed up prepared with an idea that he thought I might like, and we could chase down.

[00:05:46] And, and I think that's, that's part of, part of it.

[00:05:48] I think he brainstormed on the day before or maybe a couple of days before and was thinking about, okay, just want to come to write prepared.

[00:05:53] I think a lot of guys, especially the really good writers in Nashville, like they like to show up with prepared with something for someone to sink their teeth into.

[00:06:00] We always say that they're very underrated, but I would also say that you're up there with one of the most underrated artists, but also songwriters.

[00:06:07] We, I mean, Whiskey Riff loves sad songs and you write some of the saddest.

[00:06:11] Like if I am hurting, I know I'm turning you and Benjamin Todd on like the two saddest songs.

[00:06:18] Well, I would rather be underrated than overrated.

[00:06:19] So I will take that.

[00:06:21] I'll take that as a compliment a hundred percent every time.

[00:06:24] And yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, I feel like I'm a songwriter.

[00:06:26] I've never felt like an artist.

[00:06:27] I've always felt like a songwriter and yeah, I just, I'm very proud.

[00:06:31] I've never done an outside cut.

[00:06:32] I have a lot of songwriters helped me out along the way, helping me craft songs.

[00:06:35] I've learned a lot from a lot of songwriters, especially here in Nashville.

[00:06:38] It's been, they're the best, the best live here in Nashville.

[00:06:42] So many great songwriters live here.

[00:06:43] And yeah, it's just been a, it's been a very rewarding road to travel on.

[00:06:50] And I'm excited to see what the next step is.

[00:06:52] I was lucky enough to be at your Grand Ole Opry debut.

[00:06:55] And that's the only time I've ever seen you perform live.

[00:06:57] And so I missed your show here this last weekend because I was out of town.

[00:07:01] But how would you describe your show?

[00:07:02] Because is it like just sad?

[00:07:05] Is it more empty?

[00:07:06] You don't want people like walking out.

[00:07:07] It's the polar opposite.

[00:07:09] It's a, it's a high energy live show, rocking show.

[00:07:12] So yeah, the, the Opry deal was so emotional.

[00:07:17] The most uncomfortable I've ever been in my life was on that stage.

[00:07:20] And I mean that in the, the highest compliment to the Opry too.

[00:07:23] It's it, and, and actually the song, a whole lot of Lubbock, it says that I played the Grand Ole Opry, but it didn't feel like home.

[00:07:29] Cause it didn't.

[00:07:30] I was about to piss my pants.

[00:07:31] I mean, it was, I cried.

[00:07:33] I think I cried on stage.

[00:07:35] I'm, you know, my whole, all my friends from Lubbock showed up and, and it just, it was so emotional.

[00:07:39] And it was just like, it just, it was a tough moment.

[00:07:43] And, uh, but no, the, that, I played two sad songs that night.

[00:07:46] One for my mom who deserved it.

[00:07:48] And, uh, and then I played a song called Anymore, which is probably one of my favorite songs I've ever written.

[00:07:52] And that's just a sad song.

[00:07:53] But no, the, the, the live show is high, high energy.

[00:07:55] Um, actually have a lot of fun songs too.

[00:07:57] Like she likes to be all in Ringling Road and Avery Island and Baker Hotel and all that stuff.

[00:08:01] But, uh, but, uh, yeah, the, the live show is super high energy.

[00:08:04] Yeah.

[00:08:05] It's kind of a goal off in the distance to, you know, next time you play at the Opry, feel more at home or.

[00:08:10] Hell yeah.

[00:08:11] Yeah.

[00:08:11] I think you get the first one out of the way.

[00:08:13] I mean, I would love to, I would love to look forward to playing the Opry.

[00:08:16] And like I said, I mean that, like it was the longest day.

[00:08:19] I mean, it just, nothing about that day was fun or, uh, at all.

[00:08:23] I would love to be, you know, someone like Kojo or that's played a hundred times and just like,

[00:08:28] it's another, it pulls up in his truck and gets his guitar out and goes, plays, plays a couple of songs and goes home.

[00:08:32] Like I, to me, it was just all day event and, and it was just, you know, yeah, it was so uncomfortable.

[00:08:37] But I would love to get to that point.

[00:08:38] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:08:39] Yeah.

[00:08:39] I'm assuming how you approach it just shows how much you cared about that and how much you respected that venue.

[00:08:45] Absolutely.

[00:08:45] And as an independent artist, um, you know, fully independent, you don't get many opportunities to, to get validation for what you do.

[00:08:54] I mean, you kind of just, we've road dogged it our whole lives.

[00:08:56] And so it's just a cool moment and it's a special moment for anybody, you know, any, any of my buddies that get the opportunity.

[00:09:02] It's always the text message or phone call like, dude, like congrats because it is, you know, as, especially as independent artists and especially being out of state, you know, from Texas, it's a, which we have a scene there as well.

[00:09:11] And, um, it's, it's just like getting that validation is, it means, it means a lot more than I guess to some.

[00:09:19] So, yeah.

[00:09:20] And to kind of not necessarily switch gears, but I'm really excited about this question.

[00:09:24] I'm excited to hear what you have to say about this.

[00:09:27] Obviously you're in the category of, you know, red dirt, Texas country.

[00:09:30] Is that you would agree with that?

[00:09:32] Absolutely.

[00:09:33] So that also usually means that you're kind of an anti-pop country radio country person.

[00:09:39] Is that a fair assumption to make?

[00:09:42] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:09:42] I'm not anti, I think, I think music, you create, if you create music and people like it, uh, um, I think that's a positive on the world.

[00:09:50] I will turn it off when I'm driving down the road.

[00:09:53] Yeah.

[00:09:54] But yeah, I'm not a fan.

[00:09:55] I, I, I'm not a fan of, uh, of that.

[00:09:57] No.

[00:09:57] Okay.

[00:09:58] Pretty good.

[00:09:58] Yeah.

[00:09:59] Well, we just came out with an article like two days ago that I posted that did crazy, crazy well was, um, you know, there's this festival in Ohio to the last two years.

[00:10:08] His headliners were like Zach Bryant with Turnpike and Charles Wesley Godwin and Billy Strings.

[00:10:12] And then this year they announced, uh, Kane Brown's the headliner and everyone's pissed, like so pissed.

[00:10:18] And a lot of comments were like that were like, we get it, but like, that's not what the festival is.

[00:10:22] It's not the same.

[00:10:23] It's not the same genre, even though it's all considered country.

[00:10:26] Well, I mean, just think about it.

[00:10:27] I mean, are people who are working cows and the farmers out in West Texas, they listen to, are they listening to it?

[00:10:31] No, they're listening to Waylon and they're listening to Red Dirt and they're listening to Charles Weston Godwin and Turnpike and which I consider Turnpike Red Dirt.

[00:10:39] I mean, I'm pretty sure they do as well, but, um, and Cody Johnson, Zach Topp right now is all the rage.

[00:10:44] I mean, people want to hear country music.

[00:10:45] I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

[00:10:46] And the Texas scene has just blown up over the last couple of years and it's really evolved.

[00:10:51] How do you want to be a part of that evolution?

[00:10:54] I mean, I think that the scene and I think the Texas music scene to me has been, uh, it's getting in the inner circle, um, growing up around Randy and, and Wade and Cody and all those guys.

[00:11:08] And was a huge breath of fresh air when I was accepted into it.

[00:11:12] And, uh, and I feel, I feel like it's starting to become on the way it's kind of coming on my shoulders to get the new batch of kids and getting them kind of ready for the next step and helping them along the way as well.

[00:11:24] But it's definitely a fraternity and, uh, and, and kind of funny thing about, you know, you might not like a guy a certain way, but if their bus breaks down and you're not using yours, you loan them their bus.

[00:11:35] Like, that's kind of like, you know, like, it's like, it doesn't really have, like, everyone's willing to help each other out.

[00:11:40] Cause they know how everyone's road dogs and they're road dogs and everyone's road dogs in Texas.

[00:11:45] And so they all understand, um, the troubles and tribulations of all that.

[00:11:49] And of course, egos and all that stuff get in the way of things.

[00:11:51] But, um, yeah, I mean, I, I'm super proud of being a part of that scene.

[00:11:55] I, I feel like it's, it's, it's built me such a career that I'm able to go out of state and try to grow it.

[00:12:01] And it's, it's established that foundation and it's put food on the table, especially now we'll have a family.

[00:12:06] I mean, it's, it's even more important now.

[00:12:08] Those, those old songs are so important because they've provided so much for my family.

[00:12:12] And that's, you know, not a lot of people get the chance to, to have the listeners that I do.

[00:12:18] And I take, and I take that with a lot of respect, whether it was luck or talent or whatever it is, it's, I'm very appreciative of it.

[00:12:24] I think that's something that's so refreshing about Texas country is kind of the family of it all.

[00:12:29] Um, Brooks and Dunn was just on Theo Vaughn's podcast last week and they were saying that everyone in the industry kind of hates each other, but I don't hear that ever from Texas artists.

[00:12:38] Like, yeah, there's egos.

[00:12:40] There's definitely, I wouldn't just call it hatred, but there's definitely like, uh, yeah, it definitely takes a few drinks for some guys to warm up from each other.

[00:12:47] Well, I mean, I've experienced that too with some artists.

[00:12:49] Um, but no, it's, you know, we play so many fairs and festivals.

[00:12:53] I mean, Texas is such a huge economy, uh, and it's such a huge state that there's so many fairs and festivals that we're all see each other all the time.

[00:13:02] I mean, it's really, it's not like I randomly see someone in West Virginia and it's like, man, I'm going to see them in Austin two weeks.

[00:13:07] I mean, you see everybody all the time and all the festivals and stuff we're on.

[00:13:10] And so it's, it's a really great community and it's been so accepting of me and, uh, and accepting of independent artists.

[00:13:16] It's like Randy the other day.

[00:13:17] Randy's always helping somebody.

[00:13:19] I helped Parker out and Parker be the first to say, and he, right now he's, he's, uh, he's helping a few young kids out right now.

[00:13:24] And, and it's just, he's always doing that.

[00:13:26] He's always extending his hand, lifting people up.

[00:13:29] And I love that about Randy Palmer Anthony is one he's working with right now.

[00:13:32] And he's just, man, he's got his arm around him and just introduced him to all of his friends.

[00:13:36] And it's just, and it's just, and that's what he did to me.

[00:13:38] You know, it's just, it's awesome.

[00:13:39] And it's important to remember to pay that forward, you know?

[00:13:42] And you mentioned Texas being such a big state.

[00:13:44] Do you feel like there's a difference between songwriters from East Texas and songwriters from West Texas?

[00:13:49] Or you've talked a lot about kind of Texas being together, but I don't know if that's a.

[00:13:54] Yeah.

[00:13:54] I mean, I guess that's, I never really thought of like a stylistically if there's a difference.

[00:13:59] Uh, no, I've never noticed one.

[00:14:01] You know, you got the Houston boys and you got the New Bromfield's guys.

[00:14:05] And then you got into Fort Worth and you got the Lubbock people.

[00:14:09] And, uh, I feel like, you know, hell, I lived in East Texas.

[00:14:13] I went to middle school, high school and college station and I've lived in Lubbock for seven years and lived in Abilene for another seven years.

[00:14:17] And I kind of been all over the place, but I don't think there's a stylistic difference between that.

[00:14:21] I would know.

[00:14:22] I mean, the thing about the Texas music scene is I think the more into the more independent your sound is, the more you don't sound like someone else.

[00:14:28] I think the more successful you'll be because people love uniqueness and especially musically, whether it's rock and roll.

[00:14:35] I mean, no one's whiskey Myers, you know, and no one's Randy.

[00:14:38] And I don't feel like anybody does what I do.

[00:14:39] And I think the uniqueness of no one's doing what Randall King's doing.

[00:14:42] You know, I think that's the, that's the, the amazingness of Texas.

[00:14:45] I think that's the branding yourself of being different from what everybody else is doing.

[00:14:49] And being all over the place.

[00:14:51] If you had to pick one venue, that's your favorite in Texas, what would it be?

[00:14:54] Uh, in Texas, favorite venue.

[00:14:57] I mean, Green Hall is a special place.

[00:14:59] It'd be Green Hall and, uh, and Billy Bob's just cause Robert Gallagher is amazing.

[00:15:04] But my favorite venue of all time is Kane's ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

[00:15:07] It's both on my bucket list.

[00:15:08] It's an incredible place.

[00:15:09] I want to go.

[00:15:10] Yeah.

[00:15:10] I don't, I've only really, well, I visited a friend in Dallas one time, but I haven't spent a lot of time in Texas.

[00:15:15] So like this, this, I'm feel like I'm getting a Texas lesson in some way.

[00:15:19] Shout out to blue light up in Lubbock too.

[00:15:21] But that's, that's a, that's like, yeah, it's the, where you start do Jager bombs type bar.

[00:15:26] Well, a big event of yours is you put on cotton fest each year.

[00:15:30] Um, can you talk about why you wanted to start your own festival?

[00:15:33] Yeah, we started, um, the street, I guess I didn't start the street dance, but I acquired the street dance from a band called the hog mollies and Lubbock.

[00:15:41] And I kind of grew it to a place where we couldn't fit any more people on the street and people were waiting in line for, I think I remember last, our last show, people were waiting in line for an hour and a half and started getting.

[00:15:50] And so I knew I had to grow it or it would dwindle, you know, it's like, now's the time to step up.

[00:15:55] So Trevor cook who owns cook's garage, we were actually, uh, he was a bar rat friend of mine, blue light rats, what we all were back then.

[00:16:02] And he was like, I got this place and you know, we're just kind of building it.

[00:16:05] And you know, we're opening up a bar.

[00:16:07] There wasn't a venue or anything.

[00:16:08] And so I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:16:10] I was, I was just going to go buy some property and I was actually going to call it stripper fest because of cotton strippers, you know, and it just play on words thing.

[00:16:17] And it might've confused some people though.

[00:16:18] Right.

[00:16:19] But in Lubbock it wouldn't, but outside of getting people to come to stripper fest, the Lubbock would have been like what?

[00:16:24] And it's right next to the strip club too, which is hilarious.

[00:16:26] So we would have found any way to use that.

[00:16:28] But I was convinced by my manager at the time to change it to cotton fest.

[00:16:30] And, um, and yeah, their facilities were so great.

[00:16:33] And we, we brought a stage in first year was so successful.

[00:16:36] We had co, uh, co Wetzel on it, which we were lucky to get.

[00:16:39] And it just kind of grew and grew and grew.

[00:16:42] And it's camping B-WOB it's the festival that I always, that Lubbock, I always want, I wish Lubbock had.

[00:16:46] It was like the one I created.

[00:16:47] So now it's become a great partnership with the cooks and they've since cotton fest started, they've now have a music venue.

[00:16:53] So they've kind of learned from cotton fest and started their own music venue.

[00:16:56] It's been wildly successful.

[00:16:57] And, and, uh, it's just been a win for everybody and win for the community.

[00:17:00] And what would you say is your favorite part about cotton fest?

[00:17:03] The last, the last second.

[00:17:05] It's the, it is the most stressful.

[00:17:07] I mean, I'm praying everyone gets out of there alive.

[00:17:09] I mean, I'm just like, I'm just praying a successful, you know, everyone's safe.

[00:17:14] I mean, you throw in a party like that.

[00:17:15] It's just like, you're just, you're praying everybody get the bands get there and you just, you just pray.

[00:17:20] It's so stressful.

[00:17:21] There's a lot of liability that goes into it.

[00:17:24] And a lot of, a lot of just like, I mean, you know, I started it, I've started, I put everything, I put everything into the festival and, uh, it's just, uh, it's my baby.

[00:17:32] I do some really cool stuff for the community with it too.

[00:17:35] And it's just, uh, it's a very long week.

[00:17:36] My favorite part is the golf tournament, honestly, cause it's just, it's all my buddies from college and, and the rest of the week we're really working our butts off.

[00:17:43] And then I've got to remember, I've got to play a show at some point.

[00:17:45] So anytime someone mentions golf, I have to let them know that Quinn played golf in college.

[00:17:50] So that would also be his favorite part of the festival.

[00:17:52] I would enjoy that as well.

[00:17:54] And yes, thank you Shelby.

[00:17:56] I never, just to be clear, I don't ever go around and say like, Hey, by the way, I played college golf.

[00:18:02] It's like, what's the rule of thumb?

[00:18:03] Anybody that says they're good at golf is not good at golf.

[00:18:05] It's like, I don't say like, I get around.

[00:18:07] I addressed the part today.

[00:18:09] I guess I can't really complain about that, but there were four fistfights in our last golf tournament.

[00:18:14] So we're going to have to tone that one down all at the same time.

[00:18:18] No, no, four separate occasions.

[00:18:20] I was like, it's like our pets heads are falling off.

[00:18:23] Like what is going on over around here?

[00:18:25] Is it cause they're making like side bets?

[00:18:26] Is it too much alcohol?

[00:18:28] We brought in so much booze this year and it just, it was super hot and a dangerous combination of a lot of things.

[00:18:34] So we're going to figure it out next year.

[00:18:36] So, and we also didn't say in their defense, we didn't say no fighting.

[00:18:40] We just thought that was implied.

[00:18:42] Golf etiquette.

[00:18:43] Yeah.

[00:18:43] Yeah.

[00:18:44] So, well, switch the subject back to music.

[00:18:46] You have a new album coming out soon.

[00:18:48] You said there's no title for it yet.

[00:18:50] Thinking about doing self-titled.

[00:18:52] Yeah.

[00:18:52] Thinking about doing self-titled.

[00:18:54] It's, uh, we got a few songs in the can and, um, and just kind of like, we're going to release single, a few singles, uh, the next, within the next six months.

[00:19:01] And then kind of just see where it, where I've still had to finish writing some and, um, finish writing the record.

[00:19:07] And so far, man, I'm just really proud of what we're doing.

[00:19:10] So.

[00:19:10] Is there any theme to this or is that kind of, it's kind of like all encompassing, which is why it would be a self-titled?

[00:19:15] I think the, I don't know.

[00:19:17] Um, I mean, I've got some things on my phone.

[00:19:20] I'd love to let the cat out of the bag, but I just can't.

[00:19:22] Yeah.

[00:19:23] Unfortunately, that's the way the business works.

[00:19:24] But man, I've got, I've got some incredible artwork, which we're always, I always invest a lot of money in that.

[00:19:29] I love the artistic side, the Dodds girls, Dodds sisters out of Austin, Texas, the backstage design.

[00:19:34] They do all my artwork and they're just fantastic.

[00:19:36] And, uh, they knocked out of the park on this one.

[00:19:38] Uh, and our next single will be out soon.

[00:19:40] So the cat will be out of a bag on that one.

[00:19:42] So.

[00:19:43] Okay, good.

[00:19:43] You're also going on a tour early next year with the Panhandlers.

[00:19:46] I want to know how different that is with four front men versus, you know, just you and your tour.

[00:19:52] Can you cuss on this podcast?

[00:19:53] It's a clusterfuck.

[00:19:56] I mean, you talk about egos, like you guys all seem like the nice.

[00:20:00] The egos isn't the, it's not the issue.

[00:20:01] It's scheduling.

[00:20:02] I mean, it's, it's the tour manager's worst nightmare.

[00:20:06] It's a manager's worst nightmare.

[00:20:08] Getting everyone to sign off on everything is a, is a nightmare.

[00:20:11] It's a logistical nightmare.

[00:20:12] And, uh, uh, just getting us together.

[00:20:14] And we finally, after a couple of years of figuring out, we just finally just everyone dedicated January to touring for the Panhandler.

[00:20:20] So no one tours in January, unless it's like a big, huge offer.

[00:20:23] You can't turn down for your personal bands, but pretty much all of January we tour for just the Panhandler.

[00:20:27] So we try to stack, stack, stack, stack, stack shows on top of each other.

[00:20:30] And, um, and which I like that because we get the band prepared.

[00:20:34] We can go by the second show.

[00:20:36] We're firing on all cylinders and we're not six months out next show.

[00:20:38] The band's kind of like, I don't really remember what I did six months ago.

[00:20:41] So, but it's so much fun on stage.

[00:20:43] And once we actually learned all the songs, um, because when you go record and you go focus on your career, you kind of forget what you did in the studio.

[00:20:50] Definitely.

[00:20:51] And you have to go relearn the song.

[00:20:52] Once we remember, you know, remember, relearned all the words and we got comfortable on stage.

[00:20:56] It's the easiest gig ever.

[00:20:57] Cause there's no pressure.

[00:20:59] You're not, yeah, I'm not screaming the whole time.

[00:21:01] I have my parts here and there.

[00:21:02] I get to kind of walk around.

[00:21:03] I feel like a side man kind of like, like, and, uh, you know, Cleto is a superstar right now.

[00:21:08] So it's kind of just like, yeah, you do your song.

[00:21:12] I'm going to go do a Jager bomb back here.

[00:21:15] And, uh, but that's, that's an Aussie.

[00:21:17] The coolest thing ever right now is watching Cleto and Flatland's career just completely explode, but go on the merch table and just seeing the humble folks there and just seeing the type of people that love Cleto and they're invested in.

[00:21:32] And he's such a great human being.

[00:21:34] And I mean, he is just the gentlest soul.

[00:21:37] I think I've ever met.

[00:21:37] I mean, I've never met Lyle Lovett.

[00:21:39] I've always wanted to.

[00:21:41] I'm like, he's a hero of mine, but I feel like Cleto is like my Lyle Lovett of our generation.

[00:21:46] Like he's just such a kind, caring, soft-spoken, well-thought, well-spoken person, you know, can't say enough about him.

[00:21:52] The same way, whenever someone mentions golf, I have to mention Quinn.

[00:21:55] Anytime someone says Flatland, I have to mention I have a Flatland tattoo.

[00:21:58] Cause like I love Flatland.

[00:21:59] Let's see it.

[00:22:00] It's this hourglass from their songs to keep you warm EP.

[00:22:04] It was just like their artwork on Spotify that like, I didn't want it to be like in your face Flatland, but just like only very, very few people would know.

[00:22:12] But that's classy.

[00:22:13] That's classy that you did like a, you know, you didn't get the FC and the horseshoe on your shoulder.

[00:22:17] No, no, no, no, no.

[00:22:19] But love them as well.

[00:22:21] But I was lucky enough to see you guys all play at Americana Fest last year, which was awesome because I mean, you guys probably haven't played together that often.

[00:22:29] So that whole room was just like ecstatic.

[00:22:31] And so I'm really excited to see what this tour looks like in January.

[00:22:34] Yeah, it's super fun.

[00:22:35] And it's also the best part about the Panhandlers is getting, doing different style music that I love and doing old timey, old West Texas style songs.

[00:22:47] And being able to like do that is really fun.

[00:22:51] Cause we're like a rocking band and ballad, heavy ballads, bass band.

[00:22:55] And my personal stuff and the Panhandler stuff is like, it's just so West Texas folk storytelling.

[00:23:02] And it's just, and when we started it, I don't think any of us thought it was going to be what it is.

[00:23:08] And it's been such a fun to be around.

[00:23:11] And I credit a lot of that to Flatland success too.

[00:23:13] I mean, I think it's, we're piggybacking a lot off that on with, with Panhandler stuff, which is, I'm happy to do.

[00:23:18] Sorry, Cleto, but I'm happy to do it.

[00:23:19] It's, it's been a, it's something like my in-laws love and it's something, it's something,

[00:23:25] it's a part of, it's a, it's a music.

[00:23:27] It's a part to listen to me.

[00:23:29] That's not maybe accepted by.

[00:23:31] So like, if you tell me you don't like my music, but you love Panhandler's music, that doesn't offend me.

[00:23:35] Like that's just as special to me as what my music is.

[00:23:38] And if you say you like my music, but you don't like the Panhandler stuff, that doesn't bother me either.

[00:23:41] Cause it's just like, you don't like, we don't like everything that we listen to.

[00:23:44] You don't like it.

[00:23:45] There's things you like and there's things you don't like.

[00:23:47] You know, everyone has those opinions about music.

[00:23:49] They go along pretty well though.

[00:23:51] So I can't imagine.

[00:23:52] I definitely agree.

[00:23:54] Well, it's definitely interesting to hear about, you know, all the modern day success that you're having.

[00:23:58] But we always like to kind of ask about origins, right?

[00:24:01] And so the story that we have is that your dad taught you to play guitar, right?

[00:24:06] That's true.

[00:24:07] So can you talk about how that kind of influenced your path?

[00:24:10] Would you say that kind of pushed you on the path to be a musician?

[00:24:13] Yeah.

[00:24:14] Well, I think my dad feels like he made a mistake or felt like he made a mistake.

[00:24:19] There was always guitar laying around and he did try to teach me, but I, you know, I wasn't a teachable child for anything.

[00:24:26] I was, I was very, uh, but once I decided I was really going to take it seriously, I grabbed his old guitar, which we have in the bus still.

[00:24:32] And I started doing free church lessons and college when I was going to middle school, middle school and college station.

[00:24:37] And I learned a guitar with my cousin, his name was Benjamin, who I named my kid after.

[00:24:41] And, uh, we learned together.

[00:24:43] He was a freshman.

[00:24:44] I was in seventh grade and, uh, I really learned guitar with Ben at church, but it was dad.

[00:24:48] Dad definitely taught me my first chord or two, you know, but I would say the actual learning guitar was the free church lessons.

[00:24:54] Um, and, uh, yeah, what a special time.

[00:24:57] And I don't think dad, dad always called it a starvation box.

[00:25:00] And, uh, my dad was a doctor, uh, pulmonary pediatric doctor and, uh, very brilliant man.

[00:25:06] And, uh, and I just don't think he wanted to see his son suffer.

[00:25:08] But once I started seeing a little bit of success, I think he, he lightened up and he, then he'd be kind of, he was like, you know, go for it.

[00:25:14] But I think the first four or five years when you saw me really get my ass kicked, I think it was tough for him to, to watch all that teaching kind of to see your son in a bar.

[00:25:23] And, you know, like really like, yeah, I remember we played Nacogdoches from Lubbock and we were in my, how does he say anyone?

[00:25:30] We were in a truck and we were all five of us in there.

[00:25:31] And as we're leaving, not leaving the house, we stayed at my parents' house cause it was free.

[00:25:35] And as we're leaving, my dad was like, how much money did they make?

[00:25:37] And she was like, oh, they made 250 bucks.

[00:25:40] And he was like, oh, 250 bucks a person.

[00:25:41] She, mom was like, no, 250 bucks total.

[00:25:44] And he was like, oh, and it's like, that's the realities of it.

[00:25:47] I mean, you have to want to do it.

[00:25:49] And, uh, I was pretty stubborn about it.

[00:25:51] Got that from him.

[00:25:52] So he can't, he couldn't really complain about that.

[00:25:54] I mean, the Apple doesn't fall before, but, um, yeah, he was, uh, dad was, bought me my first guitar,

[00:26:00] which I'd love to get back, got stolen, but, um, I have to find that someday.

[00:26:04] Yeah.

[00:26:04] Well, maybe shout out like right now.

[00:26:06] Hey, it's a, you know, I thought about, I have a picture of it.

[00:26:10] I need to get the year.

[00:26:11] I need the model number and put a ransom on it.

[00:26:13] I think that would be awesome to have y'all's help would be amazing.

[00:26:16] We got that.

[00:26:16] And, uh, cause my dad passed away about, uh, six months ago and it'd be really special to

[00:26:20] get that guitar back.

[00:26:21] And then there's a dent, there's a dent on it.

[00:26:23] That is, uh, um, this metal duck fell from my wall and it, it dented it.

[00:26:28] I know exactly where it's at and I know exactly the guitar and, um, it's actually a wild story,

[00:26:33] but, uh, how that guitar got stolen, but that's for another day.

[00:26:35] Okay.

[00:26:36] I'll have to have you back on.

[00:26:37] Yeah.

[00:26:37] Yeah.

[00:26:38] Special on the, how the guitar got stolen.

[00:26:39] That'd be great.

[00:26:40] Yeah.

[00:26:40] I'd love to get that guitar back.

[00:26:41] Um, how has being a dad yourself changed your approach to music?

[00:26:45] If at all, it has been, uh, man, it's changed it all.

[00:26:50] I mean, it's hard to write sad songs when you're happy.

[00:26:52] I mean, the kids have been such a blessing.

[00:26:55] Benjamin's two and a half and Chapman is six months, um, six months old, seven, seven, seven

[00:27:00] months old now.

[00:27:01] And, uh, it's just, uh, yeah, I never cared about going home before them.

[00:27:07] I never cared.

[00:27:08] I would always stay an extra day on the road or I'd stay out for a week, you know, and,

[00:27:11] uh,

[00:27:11] and now I just can't wait to get, I can't wait to see them.

[00:27:14] I can't wait to hang with them.

[00:27:15] And it's just, uh, it's changed my writing.

[00:27:17] Like I, I'm trying to find ways to not be woe is me.

[00:27:20] Cause there's no need to be, you know, it's like, um, I still haven't written a sad song.

[00:27:25] I've been writing a lot about my family and, and, uh, I'm curious how that's going to translate.

[00:27:30] I have no idea.

[00:27:31] You know, I don't know.

[00:27:32] All I know, all I know is how to write what I know.

[00:27:34] So I really don't, I don't know what's going to happen with that, but, uh,

[00:27:37] That's exciting though.

[00:27:38] Yeah.

[00:27:39] It's actually been really fun.

[00:27:40] Like I think this next record is going to be extremely positive.

[00:27:42] I think there's gonna be a lot of fun songs.

[00:27:44] Um, I've got a song that I'm so proud of.

[00:27:47] Uh, I can't wait for everyone to hear.

[00:27:48] It'll be our next song out.

[00:27:49] And, um, and yeah, it's just a, it's different part of chapter.

[00:27:52] Every, every, every record is a chapter of the life.

[00:27:54] And this is the chapter I'm in, which is married with two kids.

[00:27:56] And it's, uh, it's going to be a little different.

[00:27:58] So I still have, I want to, I'm still gonna have some party songs in there.

[00:28:01] It's exciting to hear how happy you are about it.

[00:28:03] Cause like, I love sad music obsessed, but only recently have I been to the place where

[00:28:08] it's like, I can only listen to it so much because I'm so happy that like, I thought

[00:28:12] I just loved sad music.

[00:28:13] And I'm like, I'm not necessarily in that phase anymore.

[00:28:15] I'm sure Quinn can relate.

[00:28:16] He just got married over the weekend.

[00:28:18] So congratulations, man, you're really shouting me out a lot.

[00:28:22] I promise I'm not trying to bring all these in.

[00:28:25] I didn't tell Shelby to like all these things.

[00:28:27] That's congratulations.

[00:28:28] That's awesome.

[00:28:29] Thank you.

[00:28:29] That's awesome.

[00:28:30] Um, but one more question before we move into rapid fire is I have to ask about you

[00:28:35] performed at Larry Joe Taylor with a baby kangaroo.

[00:28:39] Yeah.

[00:28:39] That's a while.

[00:28:40] Yes.

[00:28:41] So that's the story.

[00:28:42] I don't know how I really don't understand when my, when my,

[00:28:45] my kids are in high school and, and, and they get in trouble for being wild.

[00:28:49] I don't know how I'm going to have any expect, you know, any leg room to stand on.

[00:28:53] I'm just gonna have to, there's my mom, their mom's going to be their disciplinarian.

[00:28:56] But yeah, some drunk kids, I look down and the front there's the hold of a kangaroo

[00:29:02] and, and you look down and you're playing a show in front of thousands of people.

[00:29:06] And it's like, well, you have two options.

[00:29:08] You ignore it.

[00:29:09] Someone holding a baby kangaroo.

[00:29:11] I have no idea how it got there.

[00:29:12] It's just baby kangaroo.

[00:29:13] How do you get one, a baby kangaroo through?

[00:29:15] Or security.

[00:29:15] Yeah.

[00:29:16] Well, or you just go get it and take it on stage and make a moment out of it.

[00:29:20] And so I did, turns out the, the, the, the girl, and I don't know if this story's true.

[00:29:26] So I'm, you know, but turns out the girls had not stolen it, but borrowed it from the owner

[00:29:33] without him knowing.

[00:29:35] Oh my.

[00:29:35] Well, he was behind me sitting in VIP in the stage.

[00:29:38] So he saw me with the kangaroo singing, that's my motherfucking kangaroo.

[00:29:43] And then security had, and he tries to go out on stage and get it.

[00:29:46] Well, security tackles him.

[00:29:47] Oh no.

[00:29:48] Arrest him.

[00:29:49] And so it's just like, and so the next day they put up a big sign with a kangaroo in

[00:29:54] a red circle with a slash.

[00:29:56] No more kangaroos on stage.

[00:29:58] That's great.

[00:29:59] Before that moment though, how do you ever touch a kangaroo?

[00:30:02] No.

[00:30:02] I would be like, no, I don't even know what to do with this.

[00:30:04] Like, is it going to jump on?

[00:30:05] Is it going to pee on me?

[00:30:06] It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.

[00:30:07] It just kind of felt bad for the little guy or girl, whatever it was.

[00:30:10] And, and, but it was, it was an incredible moment.

[00:30:14] It was hysterical.

[00:30:15] I mean, it's just, that's one way to get, I mean, I just can't, how do you even make that

[00:30:19] story up?

[00:30:20] Yeah.

[00:30:21] You can't even.

[00:30:21] No, that's awesome.

[00:30:21] You can't.

[00:30:22] And I've heard that festival is wild.

[00:30:24] There's basically no rules.

[00:30:25] It's so great.

[00:30:25] So that's how you get through security.

[00:30:27] It's so great.

[00:30:28] It's, it's almost as good as Cotton Fest.

[00:30:31] Almost, yeah.

[00:30:31] Just kidding, Larry Joe.

[00:30:32] Larry Joe Tanner is the ultimate Texas music festival.

[00:30:35] It always has been, always will be.

[00:30:36] I literally copied everything for Cotton Fest.

[00:30:39] I copied everything from Larry.

[00:30:40] Larry and Zach, his son helped, were instrumental in helping me set up Cotton Fest.

[00:30:45] And, and the first couple of years, they, they kind of watched the weather for me and help,

[00:30:49] help make sure we were safe and we're doing all the proper protocols to really help protect

[00:30:52] me.

[00:30:52] And so shout out to those guys.

[00:30:54] Emphasizing more of the Texas family.

[00:30:56] Yeah.

[00:30:56] Okay.

[00:30:56] We're going to wrap up with some rapid fire questions brought to you by Ammunition Whiskey.

[00:31:00] How do you drink your whiskey?

[00:31:02] Oh, it depends.

[00:31:03] If it's a really nice bourbon, we, we had some last night, uh, Green River, I think it

[00:31:07] was called.

[00:31:08] And we had it on the rocks and, uh, and I prefer bourbon on the rocks.

[00:31:12] I prefer 80 proof.

[00:31:12] I do not like 90 proof or 110 proof.

[00:31:15] I just like simple, light, sweet whiskeys.

[00:31:18] Um, and then if it's anything else, if it's something off the shelf, like Jack Daniels,

[00:31:23] I prefer Evan Williams and Diet Coke.

[00:31:25] There you go.

[00:31:26] Yeah.

[00:31:26] Um, what's your favorite sad country song?

[00:31:29] Tell Lori I love her.

[00:31:30] Great choice.

[00:31:31] I mean, that's gotta be one.

[00:31:32] I mean, if I could sit there and say nine, five, I'm about to think about it off the tongue.

[00:31:35] I mean, how sad is that one?

[00:31:36] Yeah.

[00:31:37] Hunting or fishing?

[00:31:38] Hunting.

[00:31:39] Hunting all the way.

[00:31:40] Any specific kind?

[00:31:41] Duck.

[00:31:41] I'm a duck hunter.

[00:31:42] And that's really all, that's the only hunting I really care about.

[00:31:44] We had to skip over a question for time's sake about duck hunting.

[00:31:47] I was going to ask you about, but.

[00:31:48] Well, now you have to ask.

[00:31:49] Well, it was just, just basically asking about, you know, your duck hunting experiences because,

[00:31:54] you know, there's some people that rough it like me who goes out on a boat and like finds

[00:31:59] a place on the side of the lake.

[00:32:00] And then there are other people that have like sweet setups.

[00:32:02] No, we, we're in the, we're in the middle of swamp.

[00:32:05] I mean, I got staph infection last time I went.

[00:32:07] So you're that type of duck.

[00:32:08] I got web feet.

[00:32:09] Okay.

[00:32:10] Yeah.

[00:32:10] All right.

[00:32:11] I got web feet.

[00:32:11] Good to know.

[00:32:12] Um, barbecue brisket or Tex-Mex tacos?

[00:32:15] Barbecue brisket.

[00:32:16] If you said cheese enchiladas though, I probably would have said that.

[00:32:19] So.

[00:32:19] Is there a certain spot in Texas?

[00:32:21] Right now, my, my two favorite spots in Fort Worth is Dane's barbecue, which they just

[00:32:25] moved out to Aledo and Bricks and they're, they're doing barbecue just about as good as

[00:32:28] anybody's ever done it.

[00:32:29] Got to check it out.

[00:32:30] I'll be there soon.

[00:32:31] Texas Rangers or Houston Astros?

[00:32:34] I don't care.

[00:32:34] Yeah.

[00:32:34] Yeah.

[00:32:35] Either or.

[00:32:35] I agree for both.

[00:32:36] Honestly, I don't, I love going to any ballpark on it.

[00:32:39] I like, I think it's so Americana, but I got buddies that hate each other over it, but

[00:32:42] yeah, I'm happy to see both of them.

[00:32:44] I thought Rangers winning last year was cool.

[00:32:46] Yeah.

[00:32:47] Studio recordings or live performances?

[00:32:49] Ooh.

[00:32:50] Well, those are the two of the three things I like about the music business.

[00:32:53] So they're equal to me.

[00:32:54] They're both, they both have incredible, the magic happens in the studio.

[00:32:57] The magic happens on stage.

[00:32:58] So.

[00:32:59] What's the third thing?

[00:33:00] Third thing is writing.

[00:33:02] Okay.

[00:33:03] Writing, performing and recording are my three favorite things about the music business.

[00:33:06] Gotcha.

[00:33:06] I guess that makes sense.

[00:33:08] What is your daily driver?

[00:33:10] What's your car?

[00:33:11] 13 LML Duramax.

[00:33:13] All right.

[00:33:13] Yeah.

[00:33:14] The four door short bed Z71 with airbags on the rear.

[00:33:21] Sad country songs and blank make me happy.

[00:33:25] Huh.

[00:33:26] Sad country songs and blank make me happy.

[00:33:29] Jukebox, I'd say.

[00:33:31] Okay.

[00:33:31] Yeah.

[00:33:32] Yeah.

[00:33:32] Bar, jukebox, like freaking put on, uh, um, Brooks and Dunn.

[00:33:36] Uh, you're going to miss me when I'm gone.

[00:33:38] Like that's, yeah.

[00:33:39] There is a place here in East Nashville called Mickey's that has a jukebox.

[00:33:43] It's pretty cool.

[00:33:43] So every time, I don't know if Red Door still has the jukebox, but we, back when we were

[00:33:47] going every night, we'd, we'd religiously, we'd walk in.

[00:33:50] First thing we'd do is we buy a pack of cigarettes for the machine.

[00:33:53] And then with the left ear of money, we'd put money in the first song we'd play with

[00:33:56] Ryan Beaver under the neons.

[00:33:58] Love it.

[00:33:59] Love it.

[00:34:00] Okay.

[00:34:00] Last question is what is your favorite thing to do while drinking whiskey?

[00:34:04] Play show.

[00:34:05] Yeah.

[00:34:06] Perfect.

[00:34:06] Yeah.

[00:34:07] Well, thank you for being on Whiskey Riff Raff.

[00:34:09] I think this is your second time ever on the podcast, but the first time was with

[00:34:12] Stephen West.

[00:34:12] Yeah.

[00:34:13] So appreciate it and can't wait for the new album.

[00:34:15] Yeah.

[00:34:15] Thank you so, so much.