Brayden Stewart: Texas Rock Roots, Better Part of Me & The Next Record

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:12] Speaker B: Come on. This is Outside the Round with Matt Burrill for Rage Rowdy podcast. What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to another episode of Outside the Round with me, Matt Burrill. Shout out to our friends from Surfside. No bubbles, no troubles. And today, a very special guest. One of my favorite albums of 2025 was better part of Me. I wrote about it on the website. It's our guy, Braden Stewart, one of our favorite Texas acts back here in Nashville, writing, recording, new album on the way. How you been, big dog? [00:00:47] Speaker A: Dude, I've been freaking great. It's been a whole bunch of fun, you know, just running around, recording, writing, doing. I'm doing the thing, I think, you know. [00:00:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:00:56] Speaker A: And I'm. [00:00:56] Speaker B: When we first met, it had to be what, like two years ago, maybe three. [00:01:01] Speaker A: Three years ago maybe at this point. I know I was 18 when we met. [00:01:06] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:01:06] Speaker A: And I turned 21 next month. [00:01:08] Speaker B: Yeah. So yeah, you were a baby and you came in and played at Losers and you weren't able to be in the bar. A bunch of the, bunch of the guys in the band weren't able to be in there. [00:01:18] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:01:19] Speaker B: And watching how you've grown and just even just you look different. Back then you were. No, no facial hair. The long hair. [00:01:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:01:28] Speaker B: And my mind was blown because we listened to your stuff beforehand, but then to see it live, cuz you're not like the biggest dude in the world, but your voice is freaking mighty, bro. [00:01:38] Speaker A: Thanks, man. I appreciate that. [00:01:40] Speaker B: It's mighty. It's like one of the most like distinct voices that I can remember hearing in the scene. Wild Dog. Like that's really strange. The moment I put on a Braden Stewart, so I immediately know that it's you. [00:01:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:01:52] Speaker B: You could even tell me like, just play a random song and if it has your voice, I'm like, that's Braden, you know, man. [00:01:58] Speaker A: Thanks, man. I appreciate that. [00:01:59] Speaker B: How old were you when you kind of discovered that you had that gravel, that rock sounded voice? [00:02:05] Speaker A: I was probably like 15. You know, I, I, I'd been playing guitar and me and my buddies were kind of playing songs and you know, in, in this, you know, little shop that my, my drummer at the time, my buddy, he would practices, you know, you'd practice in there, we'd go in there and I just kind of. Yeah, we were, somebody had to sing the songs, you know, and so it was just kind of kind of became me and then, yeah, I kind of learned that I could do the, the gravel thing and, and I really liked doing that. And so. Yeah, I was probably 15 or 16 when I realized I could, like, you know, sing some songs. [00:02:39] Speaker B: And I was back in Palestine, Texas. [00:02:41] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Pretty close to. I grew up in a town close to Palestine called. Called Scurry, so. [00:02:46] Speaker B: Scurry. [00:02:46] Speaker A: Yeah. Palestine's a bigger town than where I'm from, but. Yeah. [00:02:49] Speaker B: How small is Scurry, Texas? [00:02:51] Speaker A: Oh, I graduated. I. I had the biggest class in Scurry, like, I think, ever. I don't know. It's different now, but I graduated with 80 people. [00:03:00] Speaker B: Wow. [00:03:01] Speaker A: Yeah. So pretty. Pretty small place, you know? [00:03:04] Speaker B: Yeah. That's awesome, dude. That's wild. And. Yeah, man. I mean, better part of me was such a great project. Certain songs that were like Friends and Snakes, like, when I think of you, I. That, to me, is like a quintessential song. [00:03:18] Speaker A: Your. [00:03:19] Speaker B: Your recut of Mexican Wind, which a lot of people don't know that there was an original version of that song from back in the day, and you really made that your own to where, even when you're playing acoustic, like, where we've had you on the rounds and stuff before, you can just put out so much energy acoustically with those two songs. [00:03:37] Speaker A: Yeah, man. [00:03:37] Speaker B: Talk about Friends and Snakes a little bit, because that's one that. And it's funny because we've. We've. We're starting to know some people that are, like, in that Taylor Sheridan world. I'm like, this would be like. Makes me think of Sons of Anarchy land, man. Like, this is a song that should be at the intro of one of those shows that's based out there in the west somewhere. [00:03:56] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. Friends and Snakes. My. My guitar player wrote that song. Colton Mathis. He's got an album. You can go listen to it. But, dude, friends and Snakes was just kind of. I don't know. It just kind of. When we put this iteration of the band together, you know, we didn't. I didn't have a lot of original music that was. That I thought was good. And so, you know, we were already kind of covering Mexican Wind, and that was so much fun. And then my guitar player just kind of one day we were sitting around, and he's just kind of playing the riff to that song. And I was like, why don't we do that? You know what I'm saying? Why don't we do that song? Like, it's such a killer song. That riff is so swamp. [00:04:35] Speaker B: It just makes me. Yeah, go put my hand through that drywall right there, bro. [00:04:40] Speaker A: Dude, it's just. It's such a. And the Way he did it was more, you know, on his album was it's kind of like, you know, Mexican win Ryan Wilcox. Like, his version is, you know, we've kind of made it our own, but quintessentially, it is the same song. It's just, you know, I think that our version is just a little, little swampier, a little greasier, you know. [00:04:59] Speaker B: Oh, greasy is definitely a way, definitely a way to describe it. Where in the set do you put, put a song like that song? [00:05:06] Speaker A: Dude, that's the. [00:05:07] Speaker B: You just come out and drop kick the crowd. [00:05:08] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. I mean, that's. Especially if we're opening. I mean, dude, you've got, you know, 45 minutes to an hour. So we try to come out. I mean, that song that the initial groove is just like, you know, I mean, everybody's like, oh, you know what I'm saying? Like, that's, this is who these guys are. And I mean, I think that a song like that Friends and Snakes doesn't really like, you know, it's so, it's so like first couple seconds like, man, like, what is this like? I don't know. I just think that song is so killer. So we usually put that at the front of the set, you know, because, I mean, we've got our transitions now and stuff. And that song just, it bangs, dude. [00:05:45] Speaker B: It does. It really does. And then you can take people into the swells. [00:05:48] Speaker A: Right, right. [00:05:49] Speaker B: With like, tell me why and songs like that where you get more into, more into that groove where it really is like a roller coaster. [00:05:56] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:05:56] Speaker B: Seeing you live. [00:05:57] Speaker A: Yeah, that's like, that's what we aim for, man. I mean, I, I, I think that, you know, we do so many different things and so it takes a lot of intention to do all of it, like in, you know, an hour and a half an hour. So, you know, we try to highlight all of the different sides of what we do. [00:06:16] Speaker B: So how do you balance? Because a lot of times the, if you're a rock guy out of Texas, it's flipped over here recently. But you get lumped in as a country artist. [00:06:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:06:25] Speaker B: You know, and, but it seems like now the Texas rock thing is its own lane. [00:06:30] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:06:30] Speaker B: And you've gotten to be alongside a lot of the guys that are at the forefront of that, like Mr. Maddie James. [00:06:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:06:36] Speaker B: And the Blacktop Mojo guys. And how have you kind of navigated through being, being like the little, the kid brother to all these, all these rock and roll long hair degenerates from Texas, man. [00:06:48] Speaker A: Dude, I, I think I fit in pretty well. I mean, I was golfing with Matt the other day. You know what I'm saying? I'm not good at golf, but, I mean, I. I hang out with those boys, man. I mean, they've kind of become. I mean, they've become family to me, you know? I mean, you know, there's. There's other guys, too. I mean, Cole Barnhill, you know, see Cole, and, you know, he's a big hug, and, you know what's going on. [00:07:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:08] Speaker A: I mean, you know, I mean, Mac Hankins. I've written with Mac, and he's. He's a homie. [00:07:13] Speaker B: I mean, he just played our last week's Wednesday. [00:07:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:07:17] Speaker B: Our last. Last week's row. [00:07:18] Speaker A: Yeah, it was him. It was them, and it was a Fox and beat. Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:07:22] Speaker B: Dude, they're. [00:07:22] Speaker A: I want to get to meet those guys. They're freaking awesome. [00:07:24] Speaker B: They're good dudes, man. They're good dudes. And just like you, where they're. It's around that same kind of age. RA Just growing up, loving rock music. [00:07:32] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:07:32] Speaker B: And just putting your own twist on it, man. The duck, or we were at Odie's. Od's was freaking loud. I mean, because we put Mac and his guys second to last. And then we closed with Fox and Bead and those last two sets. I thought that the house drum kit was gonna break. [00:07:47] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, dude. That's what you want. You know what I'm saying? You want to be worried about the gear, you know? [00:07:52] Speaker B: Honestly. [00:07:53] Speaker A: Yeah, that's. That's like. That's the testament to a true rock show, you know? Or, you know, are these mics gonna stay on these drums? You know what I'm saying? [00:08:00] Speaker B: Yeah. Who are some other folks you've gotten to go out on the road with? I know. The Blacktop guys. [00:08:04] Speaker A: Yeah, the Blacktop guys. We've been on the road with Pecos in the Rooftops. Yeah. Another. [00:08:08] Speaker B: Another great fit. [00:08:09] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:10] Speaker B: Again, kind of at where they got lumped in. [00:08:12] Speaker A: Yeah. Country. [00:08:13] Speaker B: And then we're like. We're rock guys. [00:08:15] Speaker A: Rock guys. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I. I have a cut on Pecos's last album song that me and him wrote. Me, him and Jordan Nicks. Jordan's another guy. Like Colby Cooper. [00:08:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:27] Speaker A: I mean, dude, like, I. I. I feel like I've kind of met, you know, a lot of people this last year that have just, you know, really been sweet to me, and it's been. It's been so much fun. I think that, I don't know, a Lot of people that I've. I looked up to, you know, I mean, I. I get to hang out with them now. I get to open shows for them. And so it's, It's. It's really rad. But I think that, like, navigating the younger brother thing, I don't. I don't think that. I don't view it as a bad thing. [00:08:52] Speaker B: No, I think. I think it's like the greatest thing. [00:08:54] Speaker A: It's the greatest thing. Yeah. I mean, it's like. I mean, I know a lot of guys, you know, they don't want to be seen as the kid or whatever, but I. I know, dude, I'm the kid, you know, Like, I'm the. I'm. I'm young, you know, So, I mean, I'm not gonna. I don't know, I'm gonna sit in rooms and listen, you know what I'm saying? [00:09:10] Speaker B: What have been some of those moments where you've learned from some of those guys, like, whether it's on the road, like in the green room or watching them on stage or out on the golf course with a guy like Matt? [00:09:20] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, the biggest. The biggest things I've learned are mostly from the, The Pecos, the Colby Coopers and, and. And Cole Barnhills and, And the Blacktop Guys is. Bro, they are just so seasoned. Like, they know, you know, their sets are, you know, built a certain way. You know, the covers they do or, you know, I mean, they've got them locked down, but, you know, I mean, they just know how to command a crowd, you know, so. Yeah, definitely from those guys, but mainly the. The Blacktop Guys, you know, Matt's taught me how to warm my voice up before shows and like, you know, getting to watch them on tour, like, I mean, they, they take it seriously, bro. It's like, it's a job, you know, they get out there and they, they're warming up and they're, you know, they've got techs and they've got, you know, a front of house guy. And it's like they've got all this stuff that, like, I had no idea. You know what I'm saying? And so, yeah, bro, they run a tight ship and they're great, you know, I mean, those boys have really, really taken us under their wing, you know, the Blacktop Guys. [00:10:19] Speaker B: And it seems like. I know West Texas, like the Lubbock areas, had a big scene for a while. Cole comes from out that way. Pecos, like, a lot of, even the country, the country guys come out of there. Yeah, but it seems like East Texas is kind of the home for Texas, so growing up, there had to be. You just had. Had shows popping up or just seeing guys that were from. Not far from where you were from. [00:10:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:10:41] Speaker B: Doing the damn thing. [00:10:42] Speaker A: Yeah, it's. I mean, Texas is so big, bro. [00:10:44] Speaker B: It's its own freaking country. [00:10:46] Speaker A: Yeah, it's his own thing. It is. We tried to be our own country. [00:10:49] Speaker B: I know. I remember that. Come and take it. [00:10:52] Speaker A: That wasn't a great idea, but. But, yeah. Yeah, bro, it's. It's huge, man. I mean, I know people that make all of their money tour in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, you know I'm saying, like, the kind of surrounding states, and, I mean, they don't leave, you know. I mean, it's crazy, but. Yeah, I think that being in East Texas and I feel like the people in East Texas that I hung around when I was growing up and still, you know, hang out with, they're all just metalheads, bro. I mean, their dads were metalheads. I was talking to this. Talking about this with one of my buddies the other day. I mean, my dad, he's got the travel tattoos, and, you know, I'm saying, like, he's a product of the 90s. [00:11:30] Speaker B: Went to some Pantera show. [00:11:32] Speaker A: He went to some Pantera shows. And so, you know, I mean, I kind of grew up listening to, you know, the music that he did, too. You know what I'm saying? And so, like, I don't know, he was just surrounded by great music and just kind of passed that on to me. And I think that that's kind of a Texas thing. You know, you got, you know, your parent, his parents listen to country music and he listened to Pantera. And so I'm just kind of the third generation of all this music. [00:11:57] Speaker B: Mixing in Pantera with Billy Joe Shaver, dude, it's. [00:12:00] Speaker A: That's the best way to be, you know, I mean, that's. I think that that's where I get a lot of my. A lot of my taste from, is him, you know, and so. I don't know. It's rad. [00:12:09] Speaker B: How old were you when you went to your first concert? [00:12:11] Speaker A: My first concert, I think I was 10. And we went to see Three Days Grace and Disturbed. Oh, bro, that was pretty awesome. [00:12:17] Speaker B: And you're 21, so that's 11 years ago. So that's going back to, like, 2014, 2015. [00:12:23] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:12:23] Speaker B: So those guys were in, like, the heyday still. [00:12:25] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, they were. They were, you know, still Putting out. I'm pretty sure Disturbed had just put out, like, Sound of Silence, which was. Yeah, massive. And. Yeah, I wore a virginity rock shirt. [00:12:35] Speaker B: Oh. People were probably stopping and taking pictures. [00:12:38] Speaker A: It was pretty awesome. But, yeah. Yeah, it was. It was a lot of fun. I. And then, since then, I mean, I'm pretty sure, like, right after that, we went and saw, like, Breaking Benjamin and. And Chevelle. And then we saw Deftones and Gojira. And then, you know, we've seen, like, Rob Zombie and, you know, all the big 90s bands, you know, I mean, now we're gonna go watch Crowbar next month. [00:13:00] Speaker B: Yeah, that's gonna be sick. [00:13:01] Speaker A: I mean, we. That's just. That's just. That's my thing, bro. I love metal music. I love all. Anything alternative. [00:13:07] Speaker B: And going to shows. Yes, going to shows, that's a big thing because it's. If you're gonna put on a great show, you have to know what a great show looks like. [00:13:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:13:16] Speaker B: And picture yourself like you're one of those guys or girls in that crowd. [00:13:20] Speaker A: That's. That's what I did for so long, you know, just like, watching YouTube videos of my favorite bands performing, you know, and at, like, big festivals and just. Yeah. [00:13:27] Speaker B: Watching, like, the Rockham Ring or the [00:13:29] Speaker A: Download Festivals or Walking Class or. You know what I'm saying? Like, all that stuff. Like, you know, I mean, you watch these bands, I feel like, for me, I. I pretended I was those guys, you know? I mean, I would jump around my room and play guitar and. You know what I'm saying? That's just kind of. I just kind of became a part of my identity, you know, pretty early. And so when I met people that they also did the same thing, it was like, oh, like, I'm not insane. All kind of like these. These people that. These big rock legends, you know, these people that I look up to so much like, you know, we're not all so different from them. You know what I'm saying? [00:14:06] Speaker B: Not at all. [00:14:07] Speaker A: Yeah. And so now. Now getting to play music and. And be in front of a big crowd is super fun. [00:14:13] Speaker B: And getting to go around the world and do. [00:14:14] Speaker A: Right. [00:14:15] Speaker B: You've got to go to Europe. [00:14:16] Speaker A: Oh, do we go to Europe? Yeah. When does this come out again? This comes out. [00:14:19] Speaker B: Well, it looks like. Yeah, in April. It looks like you'll be out there in April. [00:14:21] Speaker A: I will be out there in April. Yeah. So technically, if you're watching this right now, probably in Europe, you know, have [00:14:26] Speaker B: you been out of the country before? [00:14:27] Speaker A: Never. Never. So it's that's going to be a. That's going to be insane. [00:14:32] Speaker B: And I. From what I've heard, the overseas. They rock music just hits different. [00:14:37] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what we're going there with the Blacktop guys. [00:14:40] Speaker B: Nuts. [00:14:40] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. Half the tour is already sold out. I mean, it's crazy. You know what I'm saying? Like, I've. I don't know. It's. It's. It's going to be wild. We've got people, we've got these European cats posting videos like, reviewing my album and stuff. Like, it's crazy. [00:14:55] Speaker B: They're. [00:14:56] Speaker A: They're insane. I love it. [00:14:57] Speaker B: Yeah, man. [00:14:58] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what we're doing. [00:14:59] Speaker B: That's going to be sick. Is that full band? You're going out, they're going to get the full show. You're just going to hit them in [00:15:05] Speaker A: the front with friends and snakes and see what these. See what these British cats do with it. [00:15:09] Speaker B: Watch a mosh pit break. [00:15:12] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:12] Speaker B: Are there mosh pits at the Black Top shows? [00:15:14] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. There. There's. There was a mosh pit at one of our shows recently in Dallas and I was just like, guys, like, this is. I don't know. But yeah, we. We've been doing War Pigs at the end of the set. And so, yeah, like, we do like Mexico went into War Pigs and yeah, people have been moshing. It's fun. [00:15:34] Speaker B: Dude, I gotta get to a show. [00:15:36] Speaker A: You do? Yeah. [00:15:37] Speaker B: It's been a while. We had you on the. The nothing fancy Takeover at Duck Blind. That had to be last year or 24. It was 23. So I haven't seen your full band. We did that show at the Basement. [00:15:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:49] Speaker B: Back in the day where you were with. Was that with Cold? Yep. And so I haven't seen you full band since then. [00:15:55] Speaker A: Right. Yeah, I think we're trying to put something together up here pretty soon just because, I mean, I'm up here so much. [00:16:00] Speaker B: Yeah. Let us know when that is. [00:16:02] Speaker A: Man. I've met so many people that, you know, they kind of echoed the same sentiment. Like I want to see a show, all this stuff, so. [00:16:08] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. I mean, I'd. I'd love to see a show. Like we're. Where would you say is like your favorite venue in Texas, where it's like kind of. Because I. I don't think of you being in like the super polished room. [00:16:18] Speaker A: Right, right. [00:16:19] Speaker B: I think of you being somewhere that's got that grungy kind of feel to it. Like I go into the bathroom, I might See something like one of those kind of clubs. Like, where are some of the spots in Texas? If I were to get. If I were to take a trip out there, me and Nikki T out to Texas. Where would you recommend we see you? [00:16:36] Speaker A: Oh, dude, I mean, anywhere in Dallas. Any small club in Dallas. I mean, we. We sold out the Double Wide recently, which is like a. Like a 50 cap room. I love the name, the Double Wide. [00:16:46] Speaker B: Double Wide? [00:16:47] Speaker A: Yeah, dude, it's, you know, we. We play these like, honky tonks and stuff. And then, you know, every once in a while we'll get a. A fun show where it's like, you know, we're. We're in this sweaty club. [00:16:57] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:16:57] Speaker A: You know, and Double Wide's great, but, like, the sound is great. They take great care of us. But, dude, you know, his nuts to butts, dude. You know what I'm saying? [00:17:05] Speaker B: There's something about the crowd being right. Right here on the stage. [00:17:08] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:17:09] Speaker B: Right there with you. [00:17:10] Speaker A: Right? It's. And it's like, you know, I mean, the room is packed and so, I mean, you just see. You can see everybody, you know, you can see everybody's reaction. It's. It's exhilarating, dude. It's a feeling that, you know, I wish I could bottle up and sell to people, you know what I'm saying? But, yeah, I mean, Double Wide's great. And then like, bigger venues. We're playing Southern Junction. [00:17:30] Speaker B: Yeah, that was. It was one of the first places I went to in Texas back in the. The Dick down in Dallas. Trey Lewis. Yeah, we played that show during COVID We played. Yeah, that's the place where they have. You get your. Have you played there before? [00:17:43] Speaker A: Oh, y. Oh, yeah. [00:17:43] Speaker B: So that they still do the steak. [00:17:45] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, yeah, they still do it, bro. They. They'll, you know, and food is comped, you know, for us, so we get free food. [00:17:50] Speaker B: Do you do the. You grill the steak yourself? Are you one of those guys? [00:17:54] Speaker A: No, no, I'm not that kind of connoisseur. You know what I'm saying? [00:17:58] Speaker B: Yeah, because I didn't do that either when I was out there, but we had a couple guys that did that. I'm like, why? Why? Let's let them make the right. [00:18:05] Speaker A: Right? I. I do think. I do think that there is something with men and cooking steak. So, I mean, some of them just love it and some of them just want men to see them cooking steak. Just. Just a performative cook off. [00:18:20] Speaker B: Yeah, man, that's a. How do you. How does it feel going into, like, those honky tonk rooms, and you're going in there trying to tear the fucking roof off, dude. [00:18:27] Speaker A: I think that enough people know what we do by now that, you know, if you're coming to see a show, I mean, you kind of know what you're getting, and so. But definitely we do cater to the honky tonk thing, you know, I'm saying we have, like, Working Man Blues, which is out, you know, I mean, we do stuff like that. We'll do. You know, I'll do like Ray Wiley Hubbard stuff. I mean, you know, we'll do, like, country stuff or country feeling stuff at least. But, I mean, I think that. I think that we're Southern enough to where, you know, you could pretty much put us anywhere and we'll make it happen. [00:18:57] Speaker B: Yeah. There's a lot of versatility. [00:18:59] Speaker A: Yes. [00:18:59] Speaker B: In that Texas scene, was there a place early on where, like, you went to, like, a dance hall and you played and it was more of a rock thing than the venue expected? [00:19:08] Speaker A: Yes, yes. I. I bombed pretty hard at an open mic, like one of my. I did. I'm not going to say where. It was in Fort Worth. And they did this open mic thing, and it was a situation where I couldn't be in the bar until I played, and so I didn't really get to see anybody else play. [00:19:26] Speaker B: You had no idea. [00:19:27] Speaker A: I had no idea what was going on. And I walked. I remember I played, like, four songs. I played. I'm pretty sure I played a Touch Peeling and Stand song or Days of the New Song. I'm pretty sure I played Touch, Peel and Stand. And if you know that band and you know that song, it's not really a country feeling song. It's an acoustic song. But pretty sure I played that. And I think I played Nutshell, and then I think I played Stone Temple Pilot song and nobody cares, you know what I'm saying? [00:19:56] Speaker B: As a whole, it was just a different. [00:19:58] Speaker A: A different sort of thing. And, yeah, I don't know, I. I took it on the chin. But that was a. That was an early. Like, my dad. Me and my dad were in the car and he was like, you should learn some other songs, you know, saying, like, I love what you do, but you should learn some, like, dance Seal songs or something like that. You know what I'm saying? [00:20:15] Speaker B: Like, yeah, but now it's like we're in an era to where if you went and did that now. Yeah. People be like, yeah, yeah, absolutely. [00:20:22] Speaker A: I mean, I think that rock music is kind of. It's it's. Music is always. I think I said this last time I was here, but music, I feel like, is always in a renaissance phase where, like, you know, something new is hot. Like something new. And this has fallen off of something new is hot. And I think that, like, you know, around that time, you know, people were covering, you know, Zach top songs and stuff, and like, that was. He had just blown up and so. And he's still huge, but like. [00:20:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:20:43] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? Like, he was like. He brought back the whole, like, 90s thing, and, you know, that was like, big in Fort Worth. It always is. And so I just kind of. I don't know. I think if I went back now, then maybe I would have a couple people that knew me that showed up and, you know, the crowd would be separated a little bit, but, you know, the people that know what I'm doing and the people that have no idea. [00:21:02] Speaker B: Yeah. And I feel like the Treaty Oak guys have really kicked the door down. [00:21:05] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:21:05] Speaker B: On that. Sam and those boys have brought it in to where it feels like 2000s 90s. [00:21:11] Speaker A: Right, right. I mean, dude, they literally are just, you know, like a post pop, bunk, pop punk band, whatever that is, with a southern accent, you know what I'm saying? I mean, they're literally a Midwest emo pop punk band with. With, you know, guys who. From west Texas. [00:21:27] Speaker B: Yeah. With Sam's crazy ass voice. [00:21:29] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. It's so. I mean, he has this, like, you know, special thing about it that's like, rough around the edges, but it's beautiful, you know what I'm saying? [00:21:37] Speaker B: And it's making the term degenerate a term of endearment. [00:21:40] Speaker A: Yeah, Yeah. I mean, that's. That's what it is now, dude. You know what I'm saying? It's like, it's. It's. It's a whole new attitude on things, and I love it. It's so much fun to watch. I mean, I've never been to a Treaty Oak show, but I'm sure that they're. [00:21:52] Speaker B: You've never been to one? [00:21:53] Speaker A: I've never been to one. [00:21:54] Speaker B: All right, we're gonna have to fix that. Yeah, yeah, we're gonna have to fix that because we're at. I don't know what your touring calendar looks like. We're gonna. We're at quite a few festivals with them this year, so if it lines up to where you can come party with me. Yeah, we'll get your front row in the building. [00:22:07] Speaker A: That would be awesome. [00:22:08] Speaker B: We'll put A little cover over you during boom starts flying, man. Because it's crazy, man. But, yeah, it's got to be a cool time for you to be coming up. [00:22:17] Speaker A: Absolutely. It is. Yeah. I mean, it's like, everything is so open now, you know, It's. What I'm doing is more. What's the word? It's just, you know, people accept it more, you know, than maybe they would have 10 years ago. And so, yeah, it's the best time for me to be coming up. You know, there's a lot of great bands that are doing different things, and I fall kind of into that, you know, with my own, like, little thing, you know? [00:22:42] Speaker B: But you're one of those guys that as soon as I hear you, as soon as your song, I know it's a Braden Stewart song. Like, it's so distinct, bro. Like, it's unlike anything else. [00:22:52] Speaker A: Right. I appreciate that. Yeah. I. I just think that our thing stands out mainly because, you know, I mean, I think that we are more influenced by things a little older than. Than, like, the 90s. Like, we don't do, like, the. The. The Texas rock thing, but I think that, you know, it's. It's. It's not too far off kilter, you know what I'm saying? Like, we're still doing it. It's just not like the. You know, like, we don't sound like Cole Barnhill, but we can open for him. You know what I'm saying? And so, yeah, I think that. And I think a lot of. A lot of things changing has really just helped us out so much. So. [00:23:29] Speaker B: Yeah. And talk about just where you're at in your career right now. You got new music out. You got a new album on the way. [00:23:35] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:35] Speaker B: Going overseas. Like, talk about just how 2026 is kind of kicked off for you, man. [00:23:40] Speaker A: I mean, it's. It's been crazy. Freshly Engaged. [00:23:44] Speaker B: There you go. Congrats. [00:23:45] Speaker A: Thank you. New music's coming out. By the time this is out, everything Must Go will be out. That's the first single. [00:23:53] Speaker B: Yeah. Tell me. Yeah, tell me about that song. Why. Why lead with that on this project? [00:23:57] Speaker A: Well, I. I think that a big thing for this next record is I think the songs are just better, like, more well written, more like, you know, all the things. And they're a little different than the last album. More, you know, not polished, but more like, I'm just better at what I do. [00:24:15] Speaker B: Now you're a couple years older. [00:24:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm just better at what I do. And I think that this song kind of. I don't know, I wrote it with. With some great people. And. Yeah, I just think that it's a. It's. It's a song that, like, anybody could sing it, and it's gonna sound good, you know what I'm saying? And so. But we have, like, that. And then we're doing the rock thing still, you know, that's a more like Americana song. [00:24:38] Speaker B: Tease me some of the rock songs. [00:24:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:40] Speaker B: What do I got to be on the lookout for? What's a real rocking, like, kick me in the mouth kind of song? [00:24:45] Speaker A: I think this. The song will be out hopefully by the time this comes out. I know we'll be promoting it, but we're doing a feature with the Blacktop guys on a song called Keep on Walking, and that's a real just in your face the whole time song, you know what I'm saying? I mean, it's closer to like a Gary Clark Jr. Song, you know what I'm saying? It's got that groove. It's got the big guitar. You know, it's got the thing I love. And we're doing things like we have a song called Gypsy's Corner that. That's. I wrote that with Ryan Wilcox, actually. And so, yeah, that's another just in your face the whole time. [00:25:22] Speaker B: We. [00:25:22] Speaker A: We have a cow punk song going on this album. Yeah. [00:25:25] Speaker B: What's cow punk? [00:25:26] Speaker A: It's just like, you know, I mean, it's. Cow punk is a. Is a thing that's really. I don't know where all it is, but I know that it's a big thing in Texas. [00:25:35] Speaker B: I was going to say. I'm just hearing about this time, hearing that term. [00:25:38] Speaker A: It's. It's kind of just like, you know, if you covered Henry Rollins from Black Flag in. In traditional tattoos instead of what he had, you know, and you put like a kind of an accent on him. But, you know, there's huge bands like the Ottoman Turks. They're freaking awesome at it. I mean, Lucero, you know what I'm saying? They have like some great cow punk stuff, kind of more just like alternative in a way. But, yeah, I mean, it's just like fast country music with distorted guitars, you know? [00:26:08] Speaker B: Okay. [00:26:08] Speaker A: And so. But yeah, we're just kind of all over the place on this record. You know, it's just all of what we love to do, and so. And I, again, I just think these songs are better. I think they're. You know, I mean, we just kind of got better at what we do on this Album. I think that's good, man. [00:26:22] Speaker B: I mean, you're. You're 21 years old. [00:26:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:24] Speaker B: Like, you got the whole world in front of you. [00:26:26] Speaker A: Right? Right. [00:26:26] Speaker B: And you've already had some reps going into this. [00:26:29] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's. I've already cut, you know, a record, a full length record. And, you know, I think that that's. It's definitely shaped how I view things now, you know? Like, I mean, I'm trying to cut records, I'm trying to make music, you know what I'm saying? I mean, I've got to write songs that I want to cut, you know what I'm saying? I want to record. And so. Yeah. And I'm also doing publishing up at Warner Chapel. [00:26:53] Speaker B: Congrats on that. That's a big deal. [00:26:55] Speaker A: Yeah, it's pretty awesome. I'm up here, I'm up in Nashville a week out of every month, just writing. You know what I'm saying? And so I'm constantly getting reps. I'm saying I'm always writing, I'm always playing. I'm always, you know, just doing something. And so it's, it's. It's been really. Been really, really fun. [00:27:12] Speaker B: Yeah. What's it like being the. Being the kid from Texas going into the room Because Warner Chapel has a crazy roster. [00:27:18] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:27:18] Speaker B: I mean, writers. [00:27:19] Speaker A: I mean, I handle this, like, with a lot of, like, try to be humble, you know what I'm saying? I try to, like, you know, I try to just. There's a lot of people that are very accomplished. You know, I'm saying that know what's up. And so I try to learn as much as I can while also contributing. Yeah. [00:27:37] Speaker B: Who have been some of the. Some of the OGs or some of the folks that you've really enjoyed riding with in town. [00:27:42] Speaker A: Dude, I've been really loving writing with Palmer Anthony. [00:27:46] Speaker B: Oh, dude. Yeah. Palmer's good people. [00:27:48] Speaker A: He's. He's awesome. I love Palmer. And then I've written. I've written with some cats. Like Chandler Brown. [00:27:54] Speaker B: Yeah, he's a Chandler. Stuff is sick. [00:27:57] Speaker A: It's awesome. [00:27:58] Speaker B: The world has been sleeping on him. If you're, if you're. If you're watching this or listening to this, go check out Chandler Brown. If you're a Braden Stewart fan, very likely you also be a Chandler Brown. [00:28:07] Speaker A: Yes. Dude, his stuff is awesome. He's just. He's incredible. I. I for real, cannot say enough good things about him and Palmer. I mean, and then I've written with cats, like, you know, Carrie Barlow, who's got, like, a bunch of big hits. I've written with, like, the. Thomas Miller. He's got a bunch of huge hits. He wrote, like, you know, like, Whiskey and you and, like, In Color, like, all these crazy songs. And so, you know, I mean, my favorite thing right now about writing with the cats at Warner is like, you know, I mean, you'll get halfway through a session before you find out that they've written. I was a. I was a bass player for Kenny Chestney. You know what I'm saying? It's like, how, you know, why would you not lead with that? [00:28:40] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:28:40] Speaker A: You know, but it's just. It's not a. It's not a thing to them. Like, this is just their career. And I think that, you know, that's. You know, there's something to be said about cats who can. Who are very accomplished and don't treat me any different, you know what I'm saying? [00:28:52] Speaker B: That's the thing, is you belong in those rooms, man. [00:28:54] Speaker A: I appreciate that. [00:28:55] Speaker B: You do. And. And do you still do writing when you're back in Texas? [00:28:59] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. All the time. All the time. With all my. My friends. I'm trying to get more into it. If you're listening to this and you're in Texas, hit me up, because I'm down to write. I'm down to drive. But, yeah, I've been writing, you know, a bunch with some Dallas cats. Paco Estrada, I just wrote with him. He's like, a legend in Dallas. Yeah, man. I mean, I've just. I've written with too many cool people to name, you know what I'm saying? [00:29:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:29:22] Speaker A: Like, it's. I've written with Zach Malloy from the Nixons. Yeah. Which was, like, a huge band in Texas and Oklahoma back in the day. And, I mean, that was crazy, you know what I'm saying? I'm such a huge Nixons fan. Like, I don't know. It's. It's. It's really, really awesome. I'm super grateful for the. For the publishing side of things because it's. It's paying for me to tour, and it's. You know, it's. It's getting me a lot of experience. [00:29:45] Speaker B: Yeah, man. That's one of the things. It's like you've had the playing the shows thing down for a minute now, and now it's refining the other sides. [00:29:53] Speaker A: Right. [00:29:54] Speaker B: Which is what, the publishing deal and growing the team around you. Yeah, looks like. [00:29:58] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:59] Speaker B: That's what it's there to do. [00:30:00] Speaker A: Yeah. It's a slow burn, man. You know, I mean, we. We are a Texas band trying to make things happen. And so, I mean. And, you know, we haven't had, like, a huge, like, blow everything up moment, but, you know, we're putting. We're putting things together to where, if that happens, we are prepared. You know what I'm saying? [00:30:19] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:30:19] Speaker A: And so that's kind of where we're at. [00:30:21] Speaker B: Yeah, man, for sure. What do you like doing when you're not doing the music stuff? [00:30:25] Speaker A: Oh, man, I've gotten real big into cooking lately. Really? Yeah. [00:30:29] Speaker B: What are we. What are we chefing up? [00:30:31] Speaker A: Oh, dude, nothing crazy right now, but, like, you know, I mean, gotten real good at making, you know, like, chicken and some pastas and. And some, you know, good Mac and cheese, you know, real big into real. That's just something that I like doing with my fiance now, you know, saying. And so, yeah, we. We like to travel a lot, too. We like to, you know, go camping and. And, you know, just try to get away. But I really. Lately, I've just been hanging out with my friends and. And trying to. I try to, you know, divvy up my time to where it doesn't feel like I'm working all the time. [00:31:06] Speaker B: It's important to do that, man. Nick and I are in the same boat because, yeah, it's like, we're not. Neither of us. We're. We're not. [00:31:12] Speaker A: Both. [00:31:13] Speaker B: You and I are not working nine to five. [00:31:14] Speaker A: Right. Right. And also, I think that, you know, if you want to do something, like, even something like this, you have to be a pretty crazy, obsessive person. You know what I'm saying? Like, it kind of eats. It eats up, like, a lot of your time, even when you're not in the studio. Like, what could we be doing? You know, you're kind of always talking about it, and so. And it's the same with music, you know, I mean, I. I get phone calls almost every day, you know, I mean, from my really great manager right now. He's taken a lot of things off my shoulder, but we talk a lot. You know, I've got photographers now that, you know, need to be paid, and we talk a lot, and she's awesome, you know, I'm saying. So, like, we're. You know, I'm just kind of always talking and doing things in regard. In regards to music. And so it's very important for me to, like, because I do get burned out every once in a while. And so it's important to me that [00:32:00] Speaker B: it's bound to happen. [00:32:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:32:02] Speaker B: Everybody. [00:32:02] Speaker A: Yeah. I try to just regulate, like, you know, maybe. Maybe I'll go see a show, you know what I'm saying? Or maybe I'll stay at home and watch a movie. [00:32:09] Speaker B: Do you still get out to shows, like, as a fan? [00:32:11] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. I mean, it's not as frequent as it used to be because most of my weekends are eaten up. But, dude, if I have an off weekend, absolutely. I'll go watch one of my buddies play. Or, you know, we'll try to. We're going to watch Joshua Sloan. [00:32:23] Speaker B: Oh. [00:32:23] Speaker A: This month and that. [00:32:24] Speaker B: Have you seen him before? [00:32:25] Speaker A: No. [00:32:26] Speaker B: Unbelievable. [00:32:27] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:32:28] Speaker B: And for a kid that hasn't been doing it a very long time, dude, he's. There's just such a power in good lyrics. [00:32:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:32:34] Speaker B: And melodies and the kids. Got it. [00:32:36] Speaker A: Yeah. So we're going to see him this month, which I'm super pumped on. But, yeah, just try to do things that take my attention fully, like they require my full attention, you know what I'm saying? But, yeah, that's kind of all I'm doing when I'm not recording. You're just, like, going to the gym, trying to cook something, trying to hang out with people, like, just anything that takes my mind off. [00:32:59] Speaker B: What's the wildest place you've gotten to go? You said you like traveling. [00:33:04] Speaker A: I mean. I mean, really, we just do, like, you know, we go, like, Oklahoma to camp or. I mean, I'm trying to think. [00:33:14] Speaker B: I mean, have you been to, like, New York or Cali or Chicago or anything? [00:33:17] Speaker A: We're just. We're just recently getting into, like, where can we go? You know what I'm saying? And so, yeah, she's. She comes up here with me to Nashville and we try to go see some things and stuff. And so. Yeah, I mean, I don't know, man. I'm just trying to see the world, trying to hang out, you know what I'm saying? [00:33:33] Speaker B: Well, you're gonna get to do that. You're gonna get paid to do that a lot of the time. But it's also like when you go somewhere on. On a. On a show day. [00:33:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:41] Speaker B: You don't get a lot of time to just go around, especially the early on when you're in the van and trailer. [00:33:46] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:33:47] Speaker B: Like, that's tough to, like. You don't get to fully experience a city like New York or a Chicago or in LA or something like that. [00:33:54] Speaker A: Yeah, that was a big thing. While we were on tour, you know, this last year, we toured all across the East Coast. [00:33:59] Speaker B: Oh, you did? Okay. [00:34:00] Speaker A: Yeah, with the blacktop guys. And so, you know, we, you know, you show up to, you know, we'd show up to, like, I don't know, Kentucky. Like Lexington, Kentucky. And it's like, I've always wanted to be here, you know what I'm saying? But, like, load ends right now, you know, like, I got a sound check and then I gotta warm up. But I mean, we did get to make use of a lot of our time, you know, like, that was really fun. We got to go around to some cool pawn shops and some cool record stores, eat some good. [00:34:27] Speaker B: Pawn shops. Record stores and food. [00:34:29] Speaker A: That's literally. That's the road format is like, you show up, you load in, you sound check. And if you've got four hours, there's a pawn shop down the road. Go check out what they. [00:34:39] Speaker B: Which every small town has one. [00:34:41] Speaker A: Absolutely. And there's usually nothing great in there, but every once in a while you [00:34:45] Speaker B: find like, there been a good find. [00:34:47] Speaker A: Yeah, there's been some cool, like, guns that we found. There's been some cool, like, guitars that we found. Some cool, like, you know, like old, like the original Xboxes. Like, we saw one and it was [00:34:56] Speaker B: like, whoa, what is this doing here, right? [00:34:59] Speaker A: What is this doing? [00:34:59] Speaker B: What's the story? [00:35:01] Speaker A: Yeah, how did this end up here? Who had this for this long? [00:35:04] Speaker B: You know? [00:35:06] Speaker A: But yeah, I mean, we found some cool, like, we've been to some really great record stores, you know what I'm saying? And yeah, it's usually just like, how can we eat up some time and try not to spend any money? But yeah, it's. It's trying to, you know, like, if a city has like a restaurant that we won't ever get to, you know, we won't get in Texas, or like a fast food chain that we don't get in Texas, then we try to go out. [00:35:28] Speaker B: That's what I like doing. That's what Buc ee's was for me for the longest time. Now Buc ee's is like close to nationwide. [00:35:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:35] Speaker B: Yeah, we got a ton of them out out here. [00:35:36] Speaker A: Yeah. The one thing that I hold pretty near and dear to me is a whataburger. [00:35:41] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, we got one right down the road. [00:35:42] Speaker A: I know, I know. But it's. I'm sure it's probably great. I'm sure it's great. But, dude, it's just not. There's something about Texas Waterbird. [00:35:50] Speaker B: There's something about a 3am water burger run after going to a show, bro. Hanging out with the homies. [00:35:55] Speaker A: Yes. [00:35:55] Speaker B: Drinking or smoking a little too much and just rolling up on Whataburger with your boys. [00:35:59] Speaker A: Absolutely. That or a Waffle House, dude. Yeah, specifically Whataburger. Like honey butter chicken biscuit. [00:36:05] Speaker B: Yeah. Muscadine Guys turned me on to that. I used to call it. I was so high that night that we rolled into my first water burger. [00:36:12] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:12] Speaker B: I ordered it as the Honey Boo Boo. [00:36:14] Speaker A: The Honey Boo Boo biscuit. [00:36:16] Speaker B: Yeah. We went. We did a show with. I think it was in Oklahoma. I think it was Heritage hall in Arden. Oh, no way. [00:36:22] Speaker A: We've played Heritage hall with. With the Pecos guys. [00:36:25] Speaker B: Yeah. So I did that. It was December of 2019, like a few months before the world shut down and stuff got crazy and it was Muscadine opening. We did a run of shows with. With Co Merch guy and we rolled into this water burger after this show in Oklahoma and Co and his guys came with us. [00:36:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:43] Speaker B: So we're in a water burger in Oklahoma with Co and his guys. [00:36:47] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:48] Speaker B: And I was like, this has to be the most like, Texas. [00:36:51] Speaker A: Yes. [00:36:52] Speaker B: Show ritual to where even the headliner just sold out this bit, this good sized venue. [00:36:57] Speaker A: Yeah. And we're in. [00:36:59] Speaker B: And we're in a water burger with all the people that were at the show. Everybody's freaking out. [00:37:04] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah, dude, I bet that's so rad. But yeah, that's. That's. That's it, bro. Like, if there's. I mean, we've played, you know, spots in Texas and, you know, done too much or whatever. Yeah, bro. Waterburgers are Saving Grace. Open 24 hours. [00:37:17] Speaker B: Fixes you right up. [00:37:18] Speaker A: Fixes you right up, dude. But yeah, that's. That's. That's my baby. [00:37:22] Speaker B: So you like the honey butter chicken biscuit? What else do you order from there, man? [00:37:26] Speaker A: A lot. It's been a lot of like, if, if I go there, I used to get the sweet and spicy bacon burger. [00:37:31] Speaker B: Like, that's high risk, high reward, brother. [00:37:33] Speaker A: High risk, high reward, High reward. Most of the time. Yeah, there is a risk there, but dude, yeah, just, you know, but lately I've been trying to like, not, you [00:37:41] Speaker B: know, we call it being Nikki Joe. We call it eating like a gang banger. [00:37:45] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:37:45] Speaker B: Try not to gang bang. [00:37:46] Speaker A: Try not to gang bang all the time, bro. Try not to just pig out, you know, I'm saying all the time. But that's not really like a thing. But lately it's been just. Just a spicy chicken sandwich, man. [00:37:56] Speaker B: Are you a fancy ketchup or what? Is it spicy ketchup? [00:38:00] Speaker A: Spicy ketchup. [00:38:01] Speaker B: You're spicy over fancy. [00:38:02] Speaker A: Spicy over fancy. Spicy over fancy. They've also got a great honey mustard, you know what I'm saying? Which. So, I mean, one of those two is where I'm going every time. You know what I'm saying? [00:38:12] Speaker B: But they need to open a water burger in, like, the city of Nashville. Yes. Because we. That's the one thing I miss from being up in the Northeast. We don't have a lot of late night food options. [00:38:20] Speaker A: Right. Yeah, you'll have, like, y' all have cook. Cookout. Is that a late night thing? [00:38:24] Speaker B: That's a big thing. Yeah. That's where you can get the burger, and then instead of getting fries, you can get two chicken quesadillas with a milkshake. And it's like under 10 bucks. [00:38:33] Speaker A: Yeah, we. We went to a cookout while we were on tour. I can't remember where. And my drummer was like, we gotta go. And so, like, we went. And the ladies there were really mean, and I was like, I don't think this is a great first experience for this place. But. Yeah. Because we didn't know, like, what we were doing. And they were just like, what do you want? I was like, I don't know. Really? What do you think? [00:38:54] Speaker B: Yeah. Have you done culverts before? That's the. That's a Wisconsin thing. We got a few of them down here, but they call it a butter burger, so the burgers just pack a little bit more punch to them. They're good. Yeah, it's like five guys level. [00:39:07] Speaker A: Gotcha. [00:39:09] Speaker B: It's like a heavier burger. [00:39:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:10] Speaker B: Pals in East Tennessee is one of [00:39:12] Speaker A: my favorite for regional. Yeah. [00:39:14] Speaker B: Regional burger chain. [00:39:15] Speaker A: You'll have to text me all this because I will. [00:39:17] Speaker B: I'm. [00:39:17] Speaker A: We're very curious. [00:39:19] Speaker B: Yes. Dude, I will send you. You let me know where you're at, and I'll let you know where the good food sp. [00:39:22] Speaker A: Yeah, please. [00:39:23] Speaker B: That's. That's part of what. Part of what I've always done. We used to do a bit. We called it Try that. Try that in a Small Town song. And it was my New York ass going into like a meet and three or a little. A little grungy diner and whatever small bum town we were passing through. Yeah. And we would film it for content. Never really did anything, but it was still fun to just go try local stuff. Have you had pizza in New York? Have you been up there? [00:39:45] Speaker A: Never been there. [00:39:46] Speaker B: Never been to New York? [00:39:47] Speaker A: No, sir. No, I. I mean, I'M sure that it's awesome. You know what I'm saying? [00:39:52] Speaker B: It's. It makes you not like pizza everywhere else as much. [00:39:56] Speaker A: Right. [00:39:56] Speaker B: You know, that's. [00:39:57] Speaker A: That's a. You know, you don't want to open Pandora's box too much, you know? [00:40:00] Speaker B: No, it's like. It's like eating the brisket. [00:40:02] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:40:03] Speaker B: The good barbecue in Texas. [00:40:04] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, you get that here and it's like, where am I ever gonna get this again? You know what I'm saying? [00:40:08] Speaker B: Or like a bagel in New York. [00:40:10] Speaker A: Oh, bro, I bet that's insane. [00:40:11] Speaker B: Bro, it's. I grew up with ridiculous food. [00:40:14] Speaker A: Did you grow up in New York? [00:40:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:40:15] Speaker A: No way. [00:40:16] Speaker B: 30 minutes outside the city. [00:40:17] Speaker A: I feel like you told me this before. Yeah. [00:40:19] Speaker B: I got. I got Lady Liberty. A Yankee. One guy, one of these dudes is missing an arm. I think it's wrong. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ron Gidry. [00:40:26] Speaker A: Sorry, Ron. [00:40:26] Speaker B: The Louisiana Lightning, they used to call him. [00:40:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:40:29] Speaker B: Doesn't like. [00:40:30] Speaker A: Did he have. Did he have one arm or. [00:40:32] Speaker B: He. No, no, no, no. [00:40:36] Speaker A: He was a. [00:40:36] Speaker B: He was a two armed guy. But this, this. I don't know what the hell happened. I got this at a bobblehead day was sponsored by AT T years ago. [00:40:44] Speaker A: Damn, man. Yeah, I was gonna say. Yeah, that's. That's Louisiana. Louisiana. [00:40:49] Speaker B: Yeah. We got all kinds of rams. We got Hendrix sitting over there. We got a little beaver. Of course, we got to have our raccoon dolls. That eagle knife is why I have [00:40:56] Speaker A: to tell a story about the. A raised rowdy shirt I wore at a show we just opened up for Slade Coulter. [00:41:04] Speaker B: Slade. What a dude. [00:41:06] Speaker A: What a dude. Bigger than I ever imagined. He's so tall. [00:41:09] Speaker B: Yeah, he's a big, big dude. [00:41:10] Speaker A: Yeah. But, dude, I wore my raised rowdy shirt with the raccoon on. [00:41:15] Speaker B: Yeah, you've been repping that. Thanks. We'll get you some more of those. [00:41:18] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I try to wear, like, you know, like, if I've got merch, like, I try to wear it. We appreciate that, but, dude, I don't have it anymore. And here's why. So after the show, I got down and I'm a pretty, let me decompress sort of guy after a show. Like, I don't love to just, like, you know, go around immediately after, but I had some friends there. And so, like, I stepped out and I was talking to my friends and this lady pulled me to the side and she was like, I want one of your shirts. And I was like, okay, they're over there. And she's like, actually, I think I just want your shirt. And I was like, oh, wow. I was like, okay, like, I'll go change and bring it back to you. She's like, no, I want it right now. And I was like, oh. And so. And dude, she like, kind of cornered me. It was like, kind of scary. She, like, you know, she was an intimidating gal. [00:42:03] Speaker B: How old was this woman? [00:42:05] Speaker A: Oh, man, she had to be. I mean, I don't want to, you know, insult her, but I mean, I think she was probably 40s. [00:42:11] Speaker B: Okay. Those are usually the craziest ones. [00:42:13] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:42:14] Speaker B: Middle age. [00:42:14] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And dude, she was like, how much do you want for it? And I was like, well, what do you got? You know, if I'm gonna, you know, do this. You had a 50 bill and she. [00:42:24] Speaker B: $50 razor audi raccoon shirt. [00:42:28] Speaker A: And dude, she. She gave me. She gave me it. And I was like, all right, I'm gonna go. And she was like, no, I want it now. And so I took my shirt off and this cr. And I, I. I'm not the most. I'm not the most, you know, stacked guy. [00:42:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:42:40] Speaker A: So I was just like in this crowd, just shirtless and. Yeah. And she just, she took my shirt and then she was like, smelling it. She's like, what cologne do you wear? And I was like, I don't really know, but, dude, it was. It was insane. So. Yeah, your shirt is probably on the back of some 46 year old lady in Oklahoma City. So, you know, I'm spreading the gospel. [00:43:00] Speaker B: We love that, man. Well, before. Before you leave, before you leave town on this trip, I'll get you. We'll get you decked out and some more merch because, please, we appreciate you guys wearing it. [00:43:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:10] Speaker B: You know, and all you Texas cats. I mean, like, Mac. Mac Hankins wears. Wears the hat pretty often. Cole's always been a great supporter. You know, it's. And that's been. You were kind of our gateway to getting the Texas rock folks really playing our. Be playing our events. [00:43:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:26] Speaker B: Honestly, like, you were one of the first guys that came out because we had you. We had Cole, we had Mac Hankins and the Moonlighters. We had Aaron McBee. Yeah, we've had a good little range, but you were one of the first guys that we had, like, come in and rip and. [00:43:41] Speaker A: That's right. [00:43:41] Speaker B: I remember the bouncers at losers being like, holy. This is like. Because they're used to just the. The regular. [00:43:47] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:47] Speaker B: Nashville thing, which is great and all. We love all that. But there's something about having a band. [00:43:52] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:43:54] Speaker B: And on that little stage in Losers. [00:43:56] Speaker A: That's what I love, bro. I love the small, like compact. Like I can. You like. I mean that's, that's, that's like where I get most of my. Like this is why I'm doing this. You know what I'm saying? Like that's, that's like that feeling is. I mean, I remember that night so vividly. I mean, I was so nervous and I had, you know, we had traveled all day and. Yeah. Just being in there and I was like watching everybody play and I was like, we don't do that. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's awesome. But like we don't. You know, hopefully they like us. [00:44:26] Speaker B: I think you closed out that night, right? [00:44:27] Speaker A: Oh yeah, that was, that was the last one. Yeah. [00:44:29] Speaker B: That's what I like to try to do with the more rocking folks. Because I'm like, how does somebody follow that? [00:44:34] Speaker A: Right? [00:44:35] Speaker B: Like, I can't put somebody up to follow that. [00:44:38] Speaker A: Yeah. You know? Yeah. I'm sure that night somebody may have been able to, but we. Because I. I remember from that night I was. It was. [00:44:45] Speaker B: You guys killed it, man. I was. I remember looking at Nikki T. And me and like, damn, this kid's got like that Stevie Ray Vaughn. [00:44:51] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:44:51] Speaker B: Guitar player thing in him. Especially at that time, man. [00:44:53] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, yeah, that was like, I'm the lead player sort of thing. And so that was a lot of fun. Luckily I've got got, you know, the band now has got, you know, two other guitar players. [00:45:01] Speaker B: Yeah. How many guys you got in the band now? [00:45:03] Speaker A: It's a five piece band. It's a big band. And so. But we just. There's so many layers and there's so many things that we have to do, you know, I mean, we're trying to get keys involved. I mean, I want, I want big band. You know what I'm saying? Like, I want. And then also we still do three piece shows every once in a while to like let me get my, my juices going, you know what I'm saying? But yeah, I mean this, this album is, is covered in a lot of layers. You know, I'm saying we've got like big three part harmonies now and, and the whole thing, it's, it's super raw, but it's, you know, it's like, I don't know, it's like, you know, BlackBerry smoke. Like big band, you know, Lynyrd Skynyrd Big band. Whiskey Myers Whiskey Myers Big band. And so, like, we're trying to, you know, trying to get there, you know. [00:45:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:45:43] Speaker A: And that's those, that's the music we love. And so. Yeah, I mean, now it's, it's a, it's a task to get everybody in one place. [00:45:51] Speaker B: Have you found some spots here in town that you like going to whether your girl's with you or not? [00:45:56] Speaker A: Man, I don't, I, I, it's hard to get out. I mean, I know that we went to. God, I can't remember this bar. I can't remember what it was called. Palmer played there. He did some round and it was really fun. It was something like brewery. [00:46:09] Speaker B: Oh, 6th and Peabody. Yeah. So that place has three names to it. You could either call it 6th and Peabody, which is the address. You could call it Yeehaw Brewing or you could call it Old Smokey Distillery. Yeah, that's what, yeah, all three names. [00:46:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:46:25] Speaker B: Equal that one building. [00:46:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:46:26] Speaker B: So it's, you can kind of interchange. [00:46:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:46:29] Speaker B: Whatever you want to call it. [00:46:30] Speaker A: But yeah, that's a cool Distillery. [00:46:32] Speaker B: Yes. Six and Yeehaw Distillery. Yes. That's, that's what we're gonna, that's what we're gonna go. That's a cool spot. That place on game days is nuts with all the TVs stuff they get in there. [00:46:40] Speaker A: It's also really big. [00:46:41] Speaker B: Yeah. It's a very large room. Was that inside or outside? Inside, yeah. Because they have that outside stage too, and that's fun. [00:46:47] Speaker A: Yeah, dude. But I, I, I've played Whiskey Jam a couple times. Yeah, that room's radio, but yeah, I mean, really, you know, I, it's, it's hard to get out and like, really do a bunch of stuff, you know, because, I mean, I got to be up in the morning, you know. [00:47:00] Speaker B: Well, if you're free tonight, please come hang. [00:47:02] Speaker A: Yeah. Where are you guys gonna be at? [00:47:03] Speaker B: Odys. [00:47:04] Speaker A: Got you. [00:47:04] Speaker B: Have you been in there yet? So Odies is that's our new home for the Wednesday nights. [00:47:08] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:47:09] Speaker B: And it's set up. It's, it's a very nice, it's set up like a venue. [00:47:13] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:47:13] Speaker B: Versus just a bar, which is cool. [00:47:15] Speaker A: Yeah, that's, that's awesome. [00:47:16] Speaker B: And it's a fun, it's a fun, it's a fun spot. But we'll have to get you and the guys to rip a full band. That would be awesome because I love the, the sound guys always freak out and the production staff is in there is great. Shout out to Nate and Adam and Corey. My, I always call My brothers in the sound booth, because, yeah, they're. They're incredibly talented and great at what they do, but whenever I get them, like, a rock and act in there on a Wednesday night, they just grin from ear to ear. They're like, yeah, yeah, bro, it's fun. [00:47:42] Speaker A: It's fun to mix that, I bet, you know? [00:47:43] Speaker B: Yeah, dude, it is, man. It's fun to have to. To have all that, because I. I just. I love the chaos on stage, and I love how it all kind of works in there and it. [00:47:53] Speaker A: Beautiful orchestrated chaos. [00:47:54] Speaker B: Yeah, man, it really is. And it's like your voice is an instrument too, man. Like, it takes over a. Takes over a damn room. [00:48:00] Speaker A: I appreciate that. [00:48:01] Speaker B: It does, man. No, it. It really does. And I can't wait to see. Are you doing any festivals or anything this year? [00:48:07] Speaker A: We're working on some. We're working on some things still pretty early, so we're trying to, like, really. We're just trying to, like, get shows. You know what I'm saying? I mean, like, we have these, you know, these tours and these things, these. These runs. But we're also trying to do more headlining stuff, you know what I'm saying? Because, you know, we've kind of. We spent all last year building, and now we're trying to get to where, you know, we can put tickets. We can sell tickets at a place and stuff. And so I know we're trying to get on a couple festivals in Texas. We're trying to get on some rodeos, trying to get on some things. You know, I'm saying that, you know, where we're in front of, like, way more people. You know what I'm saying? And so, yeah, no festivals confirmed just yet, but we're working on something. [00:48:46] Speaker B: Yeah, because that. That, to me, is one of the powers that. That you guys have is you and your boys get up there and a crowd's gonna. You're gonna win them over on stage. [00:48:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:48:54] Speaker B: They might not know who you are, be listening to the stuff on Spotify yet, but you get in front of a. In front of a crowd, I think this Europe stuff's gonna be. [00:49:00] Speaker A: It's gonna be huge for you, bro. [00:49:02] Speaker B: It's gonna be huge. You're gonna see those numbers go boom. [00:49:05] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:49:05] Speaker B: Seriously, like. And then you're gonna get asked to go out there and do your own headlining. [00:49:09] Speaker A: That's what we're trying to do. [00:49:10] Speaker B: I think that I. I really feel that in my core that that's what's gonna happen, because it's. It's undeniable when people see it, man. I've listened to your last record so many times. I remember Sam was Sam from who runs radio, which shout out to Samberg. Sam is. I remember we. I had Sam with me, or we were going up to pick him up in Cincinnati to go somewhere, and I just remember it was like the week that the record had come out. Like, it was like either that Friday that it came out or that Saturday, and we just listened to. Listen to it on repeat. [00:49:43] Speaker A: That's awesome, man. Thank you. Yeah, the last record is something that. It was so special to me. I mean, so good. [00:49:50] Speaker B: You made it a deluxe. [00:49:51] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, we did a deluxe version Not. Not long after. There's three more songs out. There's a. You know, those songs are older songs that we kind of made. Full band. [00:50:03] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:50:03] Speaker A: You know, except for working man. Working Man's a old. Old song. But. But yeah, that record is so special. This record is so special to me. I mean, what I love about what I'm doing right now is like, you know, it's just. It's. I love that it's a product of all of our hard work, you know? I mean, it's like, you know, we. We spent all last year, you know, touring an album, and now. And we. You know, while we were touring and playing shows, I was writing another album. You know, that's what. That's just kind of. That's the groove that I want to stay in. Like, just. Just playing shows and writing and then, you know, promoting a record, and then we've got another one after that, and I just want to do that for forever, you know, it's. It's so much fun. To me, this next record is. Is just like. I don't know, man. It's so special to me. Like, it. We kind of did the same thing. We're just in a house recording for a week. [00:50:54] Speaker B: Is that back in Texas or. [00:50:56] Speaker A: Back in Texas, and. Yeah, it's just. It's. I mean, we. We put so much work into it. Yeah. I mean, we. We really tried a bunch of new things, and we tried a bunch of things that we wanted to try in the last record that we didn't. We didn't get to. More guitar stuff on it, more, you know, keys on it, harmonies, you know, I'm saying. Cool. Like, there's a full acoustic track on it with mandolin, like. You know what I'm saying? Like, we're just. We're just trying to broaden everything and just get better and better and better. And I don't Know, man, it's. It's been so much fun, you know, It's. It's exactly what I wanted to do when I was, like, 13, you know what I'm saying? [00:51:34] Speaker B: Sick. [00:51:34] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I'm. I'm so fulfilled, you know what I'm saying? I've got. My band is just. All my buddies. [00:51:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:51:40] Speaker A: I mean, we ride around together, we play shows together. We, you know, we record together. It's. It's just rad. And so I'm having a lot of fun. [00:51:46] Speaker B: That's awesome, man. That's exactly what you should be doing. Do we know when the record's gonna be coming out? [00:51:51] Speaker A: I don't have an exact release date. We're kind of, you know, playing the field a little bit, but, yeah, everything. Let's go. Is out now. If. If you're watching this and go listen to that, and. Yeah, just keep. You know, we're putting out a bunch of music, you know, I'm saying the songs. This records. 12 songs, you know? [00:52:13] Speaker B: 12 songs. [00:52:13] Speaker A: Yeah, 12 songs. I mean, I don't know. I just think if you liked the last album, then you're gonna come into this, you know, and like it even more. I fully believe that. That's great. And so. [00:52:25] Speaker B: Yeah, gets me fired up. [00:52:26] Speaker A: Yeah, man. Yeah, it's gonna be. It's gonna be a lot of fun, you know? I mean, these. These songs are just really important to me. And, yeah, I know that they. I know they'll be important to other people, so. [00:52:37] Speaker B: That's awesome, buddy. Well, hey, it's always a pleasure whenever you're in town. I didn't know you were out here for. Are you out here for a week at a time when you come out? [00:52:44] Speaker A: Yes, sir. [00:52:44] Speaker B: So earlier. For a week at time. Who do you. Who you like hanging with or what are you doing when you're out here for a week? [00:52:49] Speaker A: I mean, a lot of riding. I'm at the Warner building most of the week, but, like, at night, you know, I mean, my buddy Jackson Randolph lives down here, and so we'll try to go see him. Anytime any of my buddies are playing in the area, we. We always try to go watch, you know, so, yeah, I mean, most of my time is spent either hanging out at the BNB or just trying to go watch my buddies. [00:53:11] Speaker B: Well, do you ever want to hang outside the B and B or have. Or have Uncle Nick and I pop over? We're down to hang with you. [00:53:18] Speaker A: Thank you so much. [00:53:18] Speaker B: We're down. We're down to party Go grab, go grab a Bite to eat or. I don't know if you're a cigar guy, but go, go have a, go have a cigar. You're always welcome at our events too, to come hang, man, because it's a great spot to meet people and, and all that. [00:53:30] Speaker A: Dude, I appreciate that so much. [00:53:32] Speaker B: I can't wait for the new record. [00:53:33] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:53:34] Speaker B: I'm so excited you got some new music out. [00:53:36] Speaker A: Yep. [00:53:36] Speaker B: And bro, it's 2026. Gonna be a big freaking year. [00:53:39] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm excited. [00:53:40] Speaker B: I can't wait to see the videos of the crowd reaction in Europe when you're out there with the Blacktop Boys. [00:53:45] Speaker A: Yeah, it's gonna be, it's gonna be freaking crazy. [00:53:48] Speaker B: What's something that you would tell that I'm trying to think of what? I guess the kid that bombed the open mic night back in the day, knowing what you know now all these years later as 21 year old kid with a publishing deal, getting the tour over overseas with one of your, one of your favorite bands and you now get to call your peers and your buddies. [00:54:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:54:10] Speaker B: What's something you would tell that kid that's riding back to riding back home with his dad after, after not quite doing what you thought you would in an open mic? [00:54:19] Speaker A: I mean, I'd probably just tell him like, you know, I mean, stop looking for validation. You know what I'm saying? If you want to do that, you know, just like do exactly what you want to do, you know, it's gonna work out. But I think that, I think that a thing I wish I'd learned sooner is like have a little bit of confidence, you know what I'm saying? Like, own it, you know what I'm saying? You're not going to be for everybody and that's okay. Yeah. [00:54:45] Speaker B: So I'm noticing all these tattoos. What's the latest ink that we got? Because you, I remember when I met you, I don't think, I don't know if you had any back then. [00:54:52] Speaker A: I don't think I did. I think the latest one, I got a Friday 13th tattoo. It's all dried up right now. I didn't, I needed to put Aquaphor on it, but I've got my Mad Season tattoo. Yeah, I've got all this stuff now. [00:55:05] Speaker B: By the time you're 30, you're just gonna be covered. [00:55:07] Speaker A: That's what I plan on, you know what I'm saying? That's what I'm planning on. I, I got my first we all got this better part of me tattoo and after that I was hooked you know what I'm saying? I was. You know, we've got a guy in Greenville named Josh Painter. He runs Texas tattoo shop. And, dude, he's just. I mean, I love what he does. He. He's been a big part of the band. I'm pretty sure we're gonna shoot some content at his shop, and so that's gonna be fun. But, yeah, if you're in Texas, go, go check out. [00:55:38] Speaker B: What's the writing you got on this arm? [00:55:40] Speaker A: This is a Ray Wiley Hubbard quote. Me and my brother got it. It's the. And the days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations. I have really good days. Yeah. And my brother, that's the first tattoo he got. And so me and him went and got it matching. And so. And then I got this, actually, in Nashville with my fiance. We got that matching. Just something to do. And then while we were in Oklahoma [00:56:01] Speaker B: City, I got that. [00:56:04] Speaker A: Yeah. I don't know. Anywhere we go, we also try to. Maybe if we can get some tattoos, you know what I'm saying? [00:56:08] Speaker B: You end up in Ohio or Michigan. I got a buddy, Mike Stoll, that would love to put some ink on you. [00:56:13] Speaker A: Yeah, actually, we played a show in Harville, Illinois, and I got to tattoo the guys. [00:56:16] Speaker B: Oh, really? [00:56:17] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah, that was pretty fun. Yeah. I tattooed something on my foot that I won't talk about on the pod, but I'll show you after. [00:56:24] Speaker B: Please do, brother. Well, hey, y' all, be sure to go check it out. Got our man, Braden Stewart. Appreciate the hell out of you, man. And appreciate you all love watching where you've. How far you've come and where you're continuing to go. And can't wait to see what this year, this full year, and what this new project and everything has in store for you, because it's. It's happening, dude. You're kick ass, you're badass, and you know exactly what you want to say, which is probably the hardest part, you know? So y' all be sure to go check them out. And go check out the last record, Better Part of Me. It was one of my favorite records of last year. Remind me of the new single again. [00:56:58] Speaker A: Everything Must Go. [00:56:59] Speaker B: Everything Must Go. It's out right now, and there's new music on the way. Kids been working hard. Got a whole new project coming. 12 freaking songs. [00:57:07] Speaker A: 12 songs. [00:57:07] Speaker B: And if you're out in Europe and you're watching this and the show's already happened, please comment below that you were at that show and tag either me or raised rowdy or whatever. So we can go back and look at those videos. [00:57:20] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:57:20] Speaker B: Of young Braden out there rocking with the blacktop mojo guys. But as always, shout out to our friends from Surfside, no bubbles, no troubles. I'm going to send you back to the Airbnb with an eight pack of those. [00:57:30] Speaker A: Epic. [00:57:30] Speaker B: You can crush. You can crush those. Bring them back to Texas with you, whatever you want. And for more on us, visit raiseradi.com My man, Braden. I'm Matt Brill. This has been outside the round I never been the conversation one place for [00:57:46] Speaker A: too long I ain't never been the [00:57:49] Speaker B: best at s I love you to a girl I love Only got a couple tricks on my sleeve they usually just make them leave so if you [00:58:01] Speaker A: know me if you really know me [00:58:03] Speaker B: you know I'm just a two trick [00:58:06] Speaker A: pony but maybe the drinking and the [00:58:09] Speaker B: lack of money for show I'm just a two trick pony [00:58:16] Speaker A: yeah.