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[email protected]. Now we're gonna get into the episode. This is Outside the Round with Matt Bell. Also, make sure you guys like rate, subscribe, tell your mama and them and for more details. And, uh, to get in touch with the rest of the familia, visit ray rowdy.com. Now let's get into it. Outside the round with me, Matt Bell raise. Rowdy podcast.
Speaker 1 00:01:05 Come on.
Speaker 2 00:01:08 This is Outside The Round with Matt Bell Raises Rowdy podcast.
Speaker 0 00:01:16 All right, well we're joined today by our good friend, Ms. Harper O'Neill Harper, how the hell are you doing?
Speaker 3 00:01:22 I'm doing great. How are you? <laugh>?
Speaker 0 00:01:23 Doing good. Were you on the road this weekend?
Speaker 3 00:01:26 Um, trying to remember. No, we played Bonner this weekend.
Speaker 0 00:01:29 Oh shit. That is good. So, kind of, but that's a huge moment for you, isn't it?
Speaker 3 00:01:32 Oh my God. Like I, and I'm such like, I love festivals. Like I went to school in Austin, so we went to ACL every year. Like been to Lalla, been to Bonnaroo before and like, so this was huge bucket list item for sure.
Speaker 0 00:01:46 Yeah. What is the vibe at Bonner? Cause we have friends that go over here, like our boy Trey Bonner, which we drove. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> Bonner at Bonnaroo <laugh>.
Speaker 3 00:01:53 That's
Speaker 0 00:01:53 Awesome. And he typically, he goes there for the whole week and then he needs like the following week to recover, just coming down from all the highs that he was on, both emotionally, physically, and emotionally. Physically and mentally just all over
Speaker 3 00:02:05 The place.
Speaker 0 00:02:05 Absolutely. What is the, the vibe at a festival like that? Cause I've never been to like a, a jammy, like all over the place kind of festival.
Speaker 3 00:02:12 So I think with Bonnaroo, the main difference that between like Lala and um, ACL is that you camp. So it's a lot of people fully committing to the whole weekend of like three days being out there. Um, the heat is insane. I mean, and you're just kind of like running around. It's really spread out too, so, um, there's tons of walking and just like, it just, it's a, it's a whole thing. I played Saturday and I was gonna go back on Sunday cuz Meg was playing in Red Clay. Yeah. And I texted her in the morning and I was like, I simply will not be there. <laugh>. Yeah. My, my heart is with you, but I will not be there.
Speaker 0 00:02:48 Yeah. Now who else was there on the day that you were, you were playing?
Speaker 3 00:02:52 So I was in like the outer room, so it's like the stages by the campgrounds. Oh,
Speaker 0 00:02:56 Fun. So you're with the diehards, like you're with the people that are there experiencing the whole festival? Absolutely. Yes. Camp grabs to me or where it's at.
Speaker 3 00:03:03 Absolutely. They're the people who also I think in my opinion, really value music discovery. Yeah. You know, they are gonna stop by and and check out something if they hear something cool going on or a song they like or whatever. But, um, before me, JD Clayton played Oh. Who I just love. Yeah. So I got to catch his set. He had a great crowd and his bands just, they're awesome.
Speaker 0 00:03:24 Sweet. And then the headliners for that are all over the place, right? Like for Bat ru like it's all kinds of different bands. Like Foo Fighters was there this year. Right. And
Speaker 3 00:03:33 Paramore, um, trying to Tyler Childers.
Speaker 0 00:03:37 So it's really a wide spectrum of just all
Speaker 3 00:03:40 Over the place. Oh yeah. Like, I think really, truly there, there's something for everyone That's awesome. Like, you will find something you are dying to see. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:03:46 We kicked off our festival season for, we call it like, we're starting to call it like Ray Rowdy summer camp. That's what we're calling because we're going all these, cuz during Covid, Nikki t and um, Ray Rowdy Crew was actually how I really got to know Nikki. They used to go to festivals all the time up in like Ohio, Pennsylvania, that area. Um, and during Covid, obviously you didn't have festivals, so they would just set up like 40 or 50 of 'em would camp out in somebody's backyard on like a big piece of property and then have artists come up and play like just a piece
Speaker 3 00:04:14 That is so awesome.
Speaker 0 00:04:15 So they call it summer camp. So now we're bringing that we were at Tailgate and Tallboy this weekend up in Bloomington, Illinois. Oh yeah. Which I'd, I had known those guys. They run a venue up in Peoria, Illinois called Cruisin. And they're Wayne and Austin, the USA concert scene. They're great, but there's like five of these things they do around the country. Taylorville is their biggest one. And the lineup is just all the place to where like, the headlines range from like Nickelback Parker, McCollum, jelly Roll, Laney, Bailey
Speaker 3 00:04:39 Zimmerman.
Speaker 0 00:04:39 Wow. And then the after parties were like Young Gravy, Mike Stud Charlie on a Friday trailer park, Tammy, um, Chelsea Lynn was like the mc. That's awesome. People bleeding corn dogs and shows <laugh>. But we were, I, that was my first time camping at a festival. Yeah. Cause we got there Tuesday and we camped out for four or five days. And like you said, the campground is just a different environment and just different vibe. And I can only imagine at Bon Roo, like, cuz Bon Roos, like that's up there with Lala and some of the biggest festivals in
Speaker 3 00:05:07 The world. Oh yeah. It's massive. Totally massive. But yeah, the, it's like a whole separate experience out in the campground. Like it's almost two little festivals,
Speaker 0 00:05:15 You know? Yeah, for sure. And, uh, the other day, so I listened to SiriusXM the Highway a lot. Okay. And the other day I was, I was riding, I was riding back, um, from, I think I was, I'd actually dropped, we were on our way back from, um, the, uh, the festival up in Illinois on Sunday. And I remember I was listening to the Highway and all of a sudden I hear Guilty <laugh>. And then I hear like the, she was saying how there were the two, the two older folks that called in and were like, what's that song with guilt? Like, just like people are seeming to really like it. It's just wild and awesome to see yourself and see Ben and see Meg and see Tyler and see like what your whole crew is doing. Like how crazy is it? You have, you have shit on, on
Speaker 3 00:05:56 The radio. I, I know it's been nuts. I mean like, you know, just getting like texts from family members and friends being like, I'm sorry, wait, what? Like they do, I'm just like bopping along to Sirius XM and they're like, no, this new artist Harper O'Neil. And it's been surreal. It really has. Umm, that song specifically, I'm just so proud of. When I first finished it with my friends Jacob and John, I had sent the demo that, uh, John had made to my mamaw and she just flipped out. Like it is her favorite song.
Speaker 0 00:06:26 Maw Approval. That's the
Speaker 3 00:06:27 Maw approval.
Speaker 0 00:06:28 That's the key. Mammal's got approved. She,
Speaker 3 00:06:30 We, we talk pretty regularly like once a week or so. Yeah. And I, she called me after that and was like, this song's a hit like this, you know, and she was so proud. So I was so excited to tell her it's gonna be on Sirius XM and, uh, Pandora's done a lot of stuff like promoting it and it's just been, I don't know, it's been so fun.
Speaker 0 00:06:49 Yeah. And you're the big thi like, cuz I remember watching you guys like before Covid mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like, I call like the, the the most recent generation of Revival Disciples in a way. <laugh>, shout out, shout out to Rob and Vinny and Chris and the whole crew revival. Love you guys. Um, they're like cousins of ours with raised rowdy. Yes, exactly. Around what I do. Like, we're all like in that, in that family. But you guys never set out to really write commercial stuff or put out commercial stuff that you'd ever think would be on country radio. It was always more storyteller. Like for those that really appreciate the lyrics and appreciate the words and you guys were doing, I remember on the last podcast we did like authenticity and like being true to yourselves. And now the fact that country music has expanded and the storytelling aspect and Americana and that style is getting the light to where the masses are starting to get exposed to it with you and Meg, Ben Tyler are the floor that I really see. It's fucking awesome.
Speaker 3 00:07:42 It's so awesome. And, and I don't think it's anything we'd expected to, to kind of change, but it does seem like country music is expanding and, and you can kind of say what version yours is and, and put your own spin on it and put it out there and keep the integrity of your influences and Yeah. The integrity of the songwriting that you, you know, enjoy the most. So yeah, I don't know. It's been an awesome few years. I mean, they're all having just crazy success of their own and like kind of paving this new path for each of their styles of music. And I'm just so proud of all of them.
Speaker 0 00:08:16 Yeah. And the touring that you guys have done, I feel like that's the biggest thing. That's how, to me, that's like if you're a musician, like the big a big thing is, is selling tickets and getting to go to new markets and getting to experience different parts of the country. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and them getting to discover you guys from being kids that were just hanging out here in Nashville, smoking a little, been just fucking around. Yeah. <laugh> doing a little hippie speed ball, little morning coffee, a little morning Jay. And just writing songs and then playing rounds when you could to now getting to go out with acts like Morgan Wade. Yeah. With acts like Ashley McBride with acts like, like Laney Wilson, who mm-hmm. <affirmative> who I think is like the queen of, of what you guys are that's like this traditional kind of revival Yeah. Of music, of country music. It's gotta be fucking just
Speaker 3 00:09:00 Well, and to learn from them every night. Yeah. So to play my show, you know, do the best thing, the best that I can do with the skill level that I'm at and the experience that I have. And then to sit back and watch these true professionals do their job. I mean the showmanship. Yeah. All three of those girls you just listed is just incredible. And they're all so different. Yes. They provide such a different experience and I've just found myself in awe of all of 'em. The other one I got to open for was Paul Coffin. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:09:30 Dude. What is it like touring with Big Velvet? Were you there in South Carolina?
Speaker 3 00:09:35 <laugh>. We played the show right before that. Oh. So I was
Speaker 0 00:09:38 Gonna say what a legendary moment though. Free Big Velvet, by the way. I'm sure he is out now. But free Big Velvet Paul Chan. We love you.
Speaker 3 00:09:44 We we do love Paul. I mean his band was incredible. I think when I think about Paul and his music, I think about it's a vibe, right? Yeah. Like it's a total unique, um, sonic landscape really. It's his own thing. And to see him live, he can play that guitar, he can play the piano. He's just bopping around and he's so musically gifted. Yeah. It was so inspiring to watch. And he's got this <laugh>, he's got this dance move. I told him I'm gonna try to steal it. It's just like one shoulder and he just like moves it up and down and I don't know where it came from. It's kind of giving like Elvis a little bit. I don't know. Yeah. But he's got the Riz man. Like he's just got it. It's so cool.
Speaker 0 00:10:24 Cool. Yeah. He reminds me of of Joaquin Phoenix playing Johnny Cash and Walk the Line. Yes. That to me is, and the other guy that reminded me of that, like, there's two times that I've seen that in somebody. I've seen that in in going to Paul Coffin shows. So I've seen him a few times. And then my first Whiskey jam ever back in 2018 was the night that Show Up Drunk came out for Ryan Nelson. And this was Clean Cut Blazer Ryan Nelson. Right, right. And I remember seeing him on stage and being like, that guy reminds me of Walk The Line Johnny Cash. But Paul Haw is very much that vibe and his fan base is great too. And that to me is a, a big thing that you're doing with your music is you're getting to play in front of these diehard fan bases. Yeah. And it's people that are also authentic and people that are a little left of center musically and saying what they really wanna fucking say. Yeah. Not, not conform to anything, but they're still having success because the fans resonate with that. And it seems like they're, I would imagine they're, they take well to the openers and they're, your vibe has gone over pretty well. You know,
Speaker 3 00:11:19 I, I think it really has. I mean, just looking at, um, some of the relationships I've built with fans that I saw opening for Morgan, they came to support Ashley and go see Ashley and they remembered me and they, you know, we got to hang again and see each other down the road a little bit. So it, you're so spot on. They have all of those artists have great, great fans who are just dedicated to supporting their work. I mean, with Morgan Wade, there were so many people who were at several of her shows. Yeah. And I'm like, how did you get here? Because I've been driving for hours. <laugh> like Yeah. Did you take a shortcut? Like, what happened? So it was so fun though. And, and I got to meet such wonderful people on all those, those
Speaker 0 00:11:58 Shows. Do you have a favorite spot of the country now that you've, because you've been all over the place. Like you've done the West Coast thing. Right?
Speaker 3 00:12:04 I haven't really done a lot of the West Coast stuff. So Mac's been primarily over the West Coast. So I've been doing lots of Northeast We did Florida, um,
Speaker 0 00:12:12 You did Dewey Beach, Delaware.
Speaker 3 00:12:14 Hell yeah. Had
Speaker 0 00:12:14 The fa the family. That's right. The family.
Speaker 3 00:12:16 I saw your mom. Yeah, absolutely. She's such a sweetheart. We had a blast. I tried to get that picture
Speaker 0 00:12:21 <laugh>. It was just Yeah. Which I was like that's perfect. That, that that um, that summarizes the evening perfectly. I'm sure they said they had a great, they had a great time watching you and stuff. Oh, thank you. That was an Ashley show, right? Yes.
Speaker 3 00:12:32 Yeah. Um, what was I saying? Did
Speaker 0 00:12:36 You do Flo? Well have you said you'd done like Florida,
Speaker 3 00:12:38 Like Oh yes. You said favorite part of the country. Yeah, I got distracted thinking about the terrible photo <laugh>. It's just like the top of my porch. My
Speaker 0 00:12:44 Photo, it was the perfect, just what we mean. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:12:47 Um, so I think of all the gigs that I did, I loved Terrytown New York. That
Speaker 0 00:12:52 Really, so that is,
Speaker 3 00:12:53 It was so cute.
Speaker 0 00:12:55 So that is the closest. So I grew up 15 minutes from there.
Speaker 3 00:12:59 No
Speaker 0 00:12:59 Way. Yeah. I grew up in Rockland County. So where the tap and Z Bridge is in Terrytown. Oh yeah. I'm just on the other side of that bridge. So when you go to, whenever I would go into the city and I've driven in the city plenty. I've paid the, the 50 something dollars Sure. In tolls for, in parking lot bullshit. But like when I go to like Yankee game or something, I go into the city, I drive across cause I'm literally probably three miles from that bridge on the other side. Yeah. So Terry town, like 15 minutes away from me. And so what what you do is you drive over the bridge, you park and then you just take the train in and they run all night going from the city to Terrytown. Cause it's just take going along the river line. Oh wow. They have a train stop at Yankee Stadium, a train stop at Madison Square Garden. Grand Central Station. Oh,
Speaker 3 00:13:37 That's awesome. I'm
Speaker 0 00:13:38 So jealous. So I would, so Terrytown, I've, I haven't like gone out. I've gone out in White Plains and like some other areas around there. I haven't gone out in Terrytown, but I know there's like a lot of like, there's a lot of history with like Terrytown. Yeah. Sleepy Hollow, like that section of York.
Speaker 3 00:13:52 Apparently they were known for Halloween.
Speaker 0 00:13:53 Yes. Yeah. Yeah. The headless horsemen and all that shit.
Speaker 3 00:13:56 Yeah. Wild
Speaker 0 00:13:56 Pumpkins where heads should be and what shit like that. Pumpkins
Speaker 3 00:14:00 Were head shit
Speaker 0 00:14:01 <laugh>. I would've smoke. They were smoking back then. No
Speaker 3 00:14:03 Doubt. No doubt. Yeah. So I loved Terrytown. I also loved, um, Virginia. Charlottesville.
Speaker 0 00:14:09 Yeah. Charlottesville's a great town.
Speaker 3 00:14:11 I had never been
Speaker 0 00:14:12 Home, home of our boy, uh, Grady Smith. Oh
Speaker 3 00:14:14 Yeah. Um,
Speaker 0 00:14:15 Who's what you I I kind of tell you Was that at the uh, Jefferson?
Speaker 3 00:14:18 No, it was at the Paramount Theater. Oh, the
Speaker 0 00:14:20 Paramount. Oh, sick.
Speaker 3 00:14:21 Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:14:22 A lot of theater gigs. Right on these, on these tours.
Speaker 3 00:14:24 So Morgan was primarily theaters. I did one, one theater with Ashley, I think, and then a couple little like clubs. Um, and then I think Paul was mostly clubs.
Speaker 0 00:14:34 Yeah. Paul strikes me as more of a club kind of act. Yeah. It's funny like, cuz like when my experiences with touring, like mostly with Muscatine mm-hmm. <affirmative> and with Trey Lewis, Trey was a lot of clubs, Trey's clubs and bars, um, mud parks, like that style of things. Yeah. Muske Iron was always, when I was with them before Covid was like the club and bar scene that Trey's on right now. But then recently have transitioned more to theaters. Yeah. And theaters are cool because, you know, you're gonna have phenomenal sound. You know, you're gonna have a cool green room. You know the stage gonna be, there's no, you're not worried about setting up your shit in front of the headliner shit. Right. Like, there's so much room up there, like, and, and you've, by yet you experience the different vibes and stuff. That's, that's great experience for you, especially this earlier Yeah. In your career with touring. Like you're really getting to do it all.
Speaker 3 00:15:21 Totally. And the Morgan, the Morgan tour was, uh, acoustic. So I was solo acoustic and she played duo with her guitar player Clint, who's just awesome. I just loved their whole team. But did you, did
Speaker 0 00:15:31 You do miss did you do any Peachtree dates? Like did you do like the Rick's cafes and like those like southeastern ones?
Speaker 3 00:15:38 So I had a Rick's cafe date that was, uh, supposed to be in May and then I got moved to August. Okay. So we're going again. I'm hopping back on a weekend run with Morgan in August.
Speaker 0 00:15:49 Oh, sick. And then is that Oxford too? The
Speaker 3 00:15:51 Lyrics? It's Oxford and then, um, Maryville, Tennessee.
Speaker 0 00:15:54 Oh, nice. Yeah. That'll be fun.
Speaker 3 00:15:56 Yeah. And the last one, Maryville's gonna be full band. So sick. It'll just be me and my guitar player Greg. And then for two dates. And then the band's gonna join us for that last
Speaker 0 00:16:03 One. Talk about Greg a little bit cuz Greg is someone that I've seen playing alongside you. Yeah. Like before Covid, like for years. Yeah. Like he just seems to be like a day one believer and a collaborator for you. Like how did you guys get linked up? Because I know he is a, he's in the trenches with you doing a lot.
Speaker 3 00:16:18 He totally is doing
Speaker 0 00:16:20 All this stuff.
Speaker 3 00:16:20 Yeah. We've, we've been playing together for like two years now. Um, which kind of just flew by, but we met through, so, um, I got, I booked a Green Hall gig a couple years ago and I was so excited and they booked it duo. And so I was kind of scrambling to find a player and I put on one of the Facebook like Nashville musicians pages, like Yeah. Seeking guitar player to come play Texas, you know, seeking guitar player. I probably didn't say that <laugh> cuz it actually got responses. <laugh>. I definitely didn't say it like that. Seeking guitar player,
Speaker 0 00:16:51 Seeking guitar player goes, God, I'm gonna those those three chords and the truth.
Speaker 3 00:16:57 Im gonna be reliving that the whole way. But um, so yeah, so I put on Facebook and then I got all these responses. It was overwhelming because everyone is looking for work and wants to play and there were 30 something responses and I was just like, how am I supposed to go through this list and understand who's gonna be a good fit for this job? Like, who's, we have to drive 10 hours in the car together. Yeah. So I get a call from Dylan Roff. Do you know Dylan? Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:17:22 Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 00:17:23 Yeah. And, uh, him and Greg were living together at the time and Greg had commented on my post and Dylan was just like, Hey, if you're like overwhelmed by this post, I just wanna put a word in for my boy Greg. I think y'all be a great fit. And we did like one or two rehearsals to get to know each other. And I was like, oh, he's a perfect fit. I mean, where our taste over lines is super interesting. You know, he comes from like a jazz, uh, background. That's what he has his degree in his jazz guitar. And I come primarily from obviously Texas music, Texas songwriting. But we meet in the middle with Carol King and Remy Wolf and like a bunch of these uh, kind of soul influenced music. Yeah. Uh, then and so our taste overlaps there. So I think it's actually a really interesting combination.
Speaker 0 00:18:08 So you guys spend a lot of time in the car together?
Speaker 3 00:18:10 Yeah. <laugh>. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:18:12 Like who, who takes longer and loves.
Speaker 3 00:18:16 Oh. Cause I
Speaker 0 00:18:17 Know you're stopping at Loves on the Road. Oh yeah. I know you're stopping. Maybe not in the Northeast. Cause we don't have loves up there. I think
Speaker 3 00:18:21 I probably take longer because I'm always looking for some dumb shit to buy. Like
Speaker 0 00:18:26 What do you mean by dumb shit? Like little like mementos, like
Speaker 3 00:18:29 No, like those ridiculous sunglasses. And I always come out with like something new.
Speaker 0 00:18:33 You're that one on the road. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:18:35 Like Yeah. We're about to lose our fucking minds on this like 13 hour drive. Like I'm gonna come out wearing a funny hat or something. <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:18:42 Yeah. I've gotten like the weird trucker hats. I've gotten the um, the skull ashtrays. Oh yeah. That the skulls that are top of like the ashtray. I've gotten those. Um, and then I'm trying to think. I mean like I'm a big peanut m and m guy. Oh sure. I'm always getting those. And then loves, I mean, you eat so much Subway, <laugh> being out there, subway, Hardee's, Arby's, you can just, there's, it's so easy to eat like a trash can on the
Speaker 3 00:19:09 Rug. Oh yeah. It really is.
Speaker 0 00:19:10 Those pre-made salads just don't look as appetizing.
Speaker 3 00:19:12 Those happens. Wait, and you're just sitting in the car for a while. Like you're just like stationary in the car. Like
Speaker 0 00:19:17 What are you guys driving around in
Speaker 3 00:19:18 The old rav4?
Speaker 0 00:19:20 Hey, RAV4 is not bad. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:19:22 She's rap four. She does, she gets us there.
Speaker 0 00:19:24 She's better than a sedan. Yeah. Or maybe not gas, like about the same gas month, but just having a little bit more space. Yes. The rav4, you cuz a sedan, you're like, yeah,
Speaker 3 00:19:33 <laugh> you can
Speaker 0 00:19:33 Be packed in there.
Speaker 3 00:19:34 And I'm thinking I'm gonna have to trade it in soon because I wanna be able to take like five players Yeah. Out and I just don't feel right squeezing my piano player in that middle seat.
Speaker 0 00:19:44 <laugh>. And then where are you put then you're just sticking the gear just in the trunk and just making it fit
Speaker 3 00:19:49 As of right now? Yeah. But I think, I think it's, you know, as the full band gigs come in, we'll have to figure out a trailer or some, some shit. I don't know
Speaker 0 00:19:57 What we're thinking about. Do a ray Rowdy is cuz I've got a Tacoma, so mm-hmm. <affirmative>. It's the short bed Tacoma. It gets the job. Yeah. It's able to fit quite a bit of stuff. But like when it comes to like the merch grids and like the big tents, cuz when we set up our, our campground area, we have like a, a 16 by eight tent. Like a big canopy. Yeah. We're we're tent camping out there. Like we're setting up, we have like a whole little village. Holy,
Speaker 3 00:20:19 You're doing it right? Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:20:20 Holy shit. I mean it's Nicky t he's a professional partier. Love you Nicky. T But Nick is, Nick's driving like a ho like a um, Hyundai Sonata, like Uhhuh 2012. He wants to trade it and get a minivan or get like one of them Ford Transit vans. But what we're gonna do is we're gonna get it wrapped and we're gonna put in the windows. Like, cause the raccoon is like our thing. Yeah. Trash can. Yeah. We're gonna put like raccoons sitting in car seats and stuff. So it's like the passengers are like awesome. Or like, it's like a picture of like Nicki and I and then like the babies are like the raccoons. Those That is awesome. Those our little, our little like var that are on the road with us.
Speaker 3 00:20:52 I cannot wait for that. That's incredible.
Speaker 0 00:20:54 Because like, that's the thing, it's like we're, we are like the trash pandas, you know, we're like a little, we're little rough friend love we're we look all cute and stuff. But if you fuck with us, we're gonna get you, you know,
Speaker 3 00:21:03 Please put that on the back of the face.
Speaker 0 00:21:04 Yeah. And we and we scab and we scavenge for good music. Yeah. Like we go in the trenches and go to the rounds and dig through the different playlists and stuff and playlist thing's. Gotta be interesting for you too now. Like it's Yeah. Just where your music has gone since we last sat down and did one of these where you're on some pretty big Spotify playlists. Yeah. You're on the road with people that you've looked up to and getting to play some, like you did the, the, um, the Roxy show with Laney, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>.
Speaker 3 00:21:28 Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:21:28 Cola. And then, then you did, did you do, you just did something at Brooklyn Bowl not too long ago,
Speaker 3 00:21:32 Right? Yeah. With Laney as well. Yeah, with Laney.
Speaker 0 00:21:34 And then did I see a Red Rock state?
Speaker 3 00:21:37 You saw a Red Rock
Speaker 0 00:21:38 State. A fucking Red Rock state for fucking Harbor Brown. You let's fucking go girl. Let's go.
Speaker 3 00:21:43 I know. I'm so excited.
Speaker 0 00:21:43 Goddamn. How did that one come to be? Um, and who's the agent? Plug, plug your agent that's helping
Speaker 3 00:21:48 Out all this stuff? I love her two pieces. Hayley Riddle at wme. Um, she's just an incredible person to be around. We have so much fun and she seems to really believe in the music and the rest of the team that I've been able to put together. And she's just working her ass off. And she's, she's fighting for me because
Speaker 0 00:22:06 I'd say that all the fucking dates you've
Speaker 3 00:22:08 Got, I know there's, there's just endless, um, competition for those slots and she's been able to make some incredible things happen.
Speaker 0 00:22:16 And, and I think she's pairing you with the right people to get you in front of the right crowds and then building up to, to these, these Red Rocks plays to Oh yeah. These to the Roxy with Laney. Like it's, and I think so much of it speaks to, speaks to you in your character. Like you're, you're a vibe and great to hang out with. Oh, thank you know, which is always a huge thing too, cuz you never know what you're, if you're bringing someone out on the road, like, cuz with, with Trey and Musk on, like we've had different openers out mm-hmm. <affirmative> and they haven't been the right fit with our, with whatever, whichever crew it was, you know? Right. Or or like the headliner didn't, or if we were the openers, the headliner was a weird fit for us. Right. You know, like where we were like what are we doing here with this guy? You know, like it's a very different vibe, but it seems like everything's getting paired up so nicely with what your vibe
Speaker 3 00:23:00 Is. Yeah. She she definitely gets it. Yeah. And I think that's also just cuz we get along so well. Yeah. Um, but what I love about what she's doing is, I think the music, I believe it to be country music. One of my favorite things about it is I'll send it home and like friends and family will be like, I'm so glad you didn't make a country record. And some people will be like, I'm so glad you made a country record. So it's funny to see how other people interpret it. I believe it's a country record. I do too. She believes it's a country record, but she is capitalizing on when it makes sense to, to step out into some other worlds. So I have an opening date for Devin Gil Fillion in July.
Speaker 0 00:23:37 I saw that. That's down in Montgomery. Yeah. Alabama. Yeah. Hell yeah. The home of Sweet Boy, that's like his homemaker of the Woods
Speaker 3 00:23:43 <laugh>. So I'm just excited. She seems to like really be, you know, my whole team understands that there's a lot of places this music can live. Yeah. And that's one of my dreams is to, to diversify. You know, who I can open for and, and what scenes I can be involved in.
Speaker 0 00:23:57 Yes. Someone asks you what, what, what is, what genre are you in? Cause I feel like you're one of those people where you dip into a few genres, which is what makes you so unique and special. Right. And what makes 2023 music in general is great. Yeah. Like you have the big heavy hitters like, like Wallen and fucking Luke Combs crossing over to pop. Yeah. And then you have folks crossing over to hip hop and rock and soul and,
Speaker 3 00:24:21 But there are no rules anymore <laugh>. None at
Speaker 0 00:24:23 All. None at all. I mean, it's, so where would you say, I mean, do you say like, it's, it's a, it's it's country, but like what would you say like the vibe is someone asks you what, what is, what is a Harper Oal, what is Harper Oal music? What does it sound like?
Speaker 3 00:24:37 I'm so glad you asked and it's the perfect time for me to take a sip of my whiskey.
Speaker 0 00:24:41 Hey, there you go. Whiskey, whiskey make whiskey, uh, whiskey glasses fixing it. <laugh>
Speaker 3 00:24:46 <laugh>. So I coined a term for the music and I call it Nightcap Country.
Speaker 0 00:24:52 Nightcap Country. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:24:54 Because I thought about it and I'm like, when would you kind of show someone this music? And I believe that it's like when the parties died down, you're just with your homies, you're with your besties and you're like, you gotta check this, you gotta check this stuff out. You're having a little nightcap to end the evening and you jam a couple of the tunes. It's kind of, it's fun, but it's not like go, go go music. It's really relaxed and chill and it's still country but it's kind of got like a little smoky vibe to it. Yes. You know,
Speaker 0 00:25:19 Smokey's a really good way to put it
Speaker 3 00:25:21 And it's um, it's got blues influences and kind of wind down the night vibes. So I've called it Nightcap Country.
Speaker 0 00:25:28 Yeah. And it's funny cuz you went to college in Austin, right? Yeah. So it's very much to me, it reminds me of, of Austin and it reminds me of like East Nashville where there is that country influence, but there's, there's other stuff thrown in there. Oh yeah. And it reminds it, it feels like a late night at Duke's. Yeah. You know, it feels like a late night at, at Crime Wolf or a late night at at Tin Roof or Neighbors Sylvan Park or like Yep. Post Peach Jam after the basement. Yes. You know. Yes. Post Peach Jam. It's post Peach Jam music. Like, it's, it's fantastic. Yeah. You know, it's, it's a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 00:25:57 So that's kind of how I've been, um, been rocking with it, but yeah, I don't know. Nightcap Country nightcap.
Speaker 0 00:26:02 That's what I got for you. Do we have that on a t-shirt yet?
Speaker 3 00:26:04 I got it on a Cozzi got on cause I thought <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:26:06 Okay. Okay. Well we'll definitely be, be ing some nightcap country over here. Absolutely. So what have you got as far as like, cause I know you've been putting, putting quite a bit out. Do we have a bigger thing in store? What can we say? I don't want to get you in trouble with Management <laugh>. I know we don't, we're not, we're not on a label or anything right now, are we?
Speaker 3 00:26:23 No, we're not on a label. Um, I think we've committed to releasing this first group of songs, um, independently cuz I think what's cool is, is um, to see how everybody reacts to it. You know, before we get a big label partner involved or somebody who has an idea of what it should be. We're kind of seeing what it could be. Yeah. I mean, just even with this last release, it's called When You Love Me, it's, we, we, uh, referenced a live recording of Valerie by Amy Winehouses got that chunky piano at the beginning. It's kind of old soul vibes and it got playlisted on Texas country. Now it might be my least like Red Dirt song I have, but I'm seeing that some of these playlists are expanding to incorporate this music where I think it belongs. It is. I'm from Texas. I make Texas music. It's like, that's part of me. So it's been really interesting to expand that definition of my music on our own before we get people involved. But we do, we are sitting on a pile of songs and we will be releasing like, steadily over the summer. So. And who's and
Speaker 0 00:27:30 Who's, who's producing your stuff right
Speaker 3 00:27:31 Now? So my buddy Jake Gear Okay. Has produced all of all of the songs that I've done so
Speaker 0 00:27:36 Far. That's he, he's married the Haley Waiters, right?
Speaker 3 00:27:37 Yes. And he produces her, he produced the last, uh, flatland Cavalry and Ben Chapman's first record.
Speaker 0 00:27:43 No shit.
Speaker 3 00:27:45 So, and we had just such a great time. Logan Mathi did our, um, audio engineering and mixing. We really put in the time, I think to accumulate all of our in influences that we thought it could be and really tear it apart and, and see what was left. I mean, he had never done anything with horns before. Neither had I, so
Speaker 0 00:28:07 The horns thing in country is so fucking cool. And I think that your I I credit your, your crew of for doing that. Yeah. With with yourself and, and Ben and fucking Meg and other folks in that, in that realm. Like Yeah, it's added. It's like we listen to Jam band music growing up. <laugh>, we listen to shit with, we listen to to Little Foot and we listen to like different shit. But we also listen to country music too. Yeah. It's so cool. They hear that influence.
Speaker 3 00:28:34 Yeah. You can play country music with all sorts of,
Speaker 0 00:28:36 You really can
Speaker 3 00:28:37 Instruments. Like, it's, it's really the heart of it is what makes it country in my opinion. There's a great flatland song about that country is what country it means to you. Yes. And
Speaker 0 00:28:46 I love, and I love the Flatland guys. Oh, PTO and, and those dudes are,
Speaker 3 00:28:49 Caitlin Butts is killing it right now too. She's
Speaker 0 00:28:51 Crushing it. Caitlin's killing it. Colby Uff, Keller Cox. Yeah. All the guys that are, that are and girls that are under that, that kind of tree. Have you done shows with Flatland? Have you been out with them?
Speaker 3 00:29:00 I've not done any shows with Flatland. I've seen their show a couple times though. Yeah. And it's, it's awesome. It's fun. I mean, all of those guys are so talented. Yeah. And they do a great job, in my opinion, of showcasing each other's talent, each other's talent,
Speaker 0 00:29:12 You know? Yeah. Wes on the fiddle.
Speaker 3 00:29:13 Oh my gosh. Yeah. And they're just the, they're the nicest guys. They're, they're, they're just really, really kind.
Speaker 0 00:29:19 They are like, I'm really tight with, uh, with Kurt. Kurt Ozon. Yeah. From, from, he's in our, our raise Ready family does the podcast with Nikki and we'll get like text, we'll get like a, like a like a selfie from him. And it's like him and Colby and Colby Uff and um, andto and it's just them having the most East Nashville musician morning, they're like, we're stone just riding bikes. Yeah. And it's just, they're just, they're, they're riding bikes to get a vegan breakfast and drink coffee and just, they're just, to me, they're just living, they're just vibing. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know, which to me it's just, there's just this vibing feel within country music right now. Yeah. That's just awesome. Yeah. A lot of fun.
Speaker 3 00:29:56 I did wanna tell you Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:29:58 What you got
Speaker 3 00:29:59 That I wanted to say thank you. Because after our last podcast, um, I ended up getting hooked up with Jody Williams songs for publishing and he said that a huge reason that he ended up wanting to work with me is he heard me on your podcast, no shit. And he just like, loved the music. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:30:16 Jody Williams. That's an honor that you, that you, that you watch and listen to me, me bullshit on here. <laugh>. I, I really appreciate it. So when was that? That was in 21 or was that 22?
Speaker 3 00:30:25 So the, we recorded in 21 and then 22 he found me on TikTok, which I, I'm not even of all like on TikTok of
Speaker 0 00:30:33 All the places to find you, I
Speaker 3 00:30:36 Know
Speaker 0 00:30:36 Of all the places. Not, not a, not a showcase at the basement. Not like I would pick Instagram over TikTok for discovery of, of Harper and Evil.
Speaker 3 00:30:44 I know. Especially I didn't, I had like three videos maybe. Yeah. I had put this video up.
Speaker 0 00:30:49 Which song was it? It
Speaker 3 00:30:50 Was, you Don't Love Me. Like the kind of rowdy one. Fucking love that. And I, everyone at the time was really pushing, like, you gotta get involved on TikTok. And I think a reason TikTok gets a lot of hate is it's just another platform that we have to discover our voice on, which is just overwhelming. You know, we kind of all just got the hang of Instagram. We're like, okay, this is how I present on this app and whatever. And so TikTok is just like another homework assignment. Yeah. So I started just throwing random shit up there. Like I was just like, I'm going to trial, you know, trial and error, figure out what I do on this tap. Yeah. And so I'm in like a bathrobe with like, no makeup on my hair looks awful and I've got this little guitar and I just like, you know, was fucking around. Yeah. Like playing this song and I just threw it up there. And of course that video gets like 80,000 views and I'm just like, oh my God.
Speaker 0 00:31:38 <laugh>, I think, I think they like the the stripped down thing. Yeah. They really like the, the the stripped down intimate kind of vibe over the, the overproduced, slightly cringey thing. Now the cringey thing works for a lot of people. Doesn't, that's not my favorite. But like, you see people do, like, there's certain folks that'll use the same hook of a song and it just gets, gets cringey. Like, I don't wanna be on this app because of that. But then like an intimate strip down video of you not all do up Yeah. Of you not with not paying someone to record it Yeah. And video it or do this whole shoot. That seems to be the thing that works because it's real. And that your, your voice being, its its raw, powerful voice it showcases in that.
Speaker 3 00:32:21 Yeah. And I, and I think I found that that's what works for me. But yeah, I, I have only love for everybody on the app Doing what?
Speaker 0 00:32:29 Yeah. It's whatever works for
Speaker 3 00:32:30 You. Whatever works for you. Because it's so intimidating too to put yourself out there and try something new. I mean like, whatever works, keep doing it.
Speaker 0 00:32:38 Yeah. So how, so how does that initial conversation with, uh, Mr. Jodi go?
Speaker 3 00:32:42 Oh man, it, it was, it was a whirlwind. So he found my, um, my TikTok and then I think when he tells a story, he's like, oh, I assumed she was like in Australia or something. And then I made a couple calls and realized that you live like two minutes away, like down the road. Yeah. And um, he found me on like a Thursday or a Friday. I met with him on a Monday and, and he signed me right there. Wow. I played a couple songs. I mean, and it's, it's truly been the best fit. I feel like he's the perfect champion for what I do and I've gotten so much better working with his writers and working with his team like Nina in Tennessee over at Jody Williams. I mean, like, they've completely elevated what I kind of brought to the table originally without um, changing it. Like they just have never asked me to do anything other than what I do. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:33:29 Cuz they, they signed Harper O'Neill, they want Harper O'Neill. They don't want you to be someone else. They want you to be. Yeah. Which is great. Cause not, not every place is like that.
Speaker 3 00:33:37 And it's so hard to do. I mean, on their side of things Yeah. To not like wanna nudge me Yeah. In, you know, if they have an inkling of maybe what's working and what's not. Oh my God, my mom's gonna kill me. I've had my hair tie on my wrist this whole time.
Speaker 0 00:33:48 Why's she gonna kill you?
Speaker 3 00:33:49 Because it's not, doesn't look <laugh>. Sorry mom.
Speaker 0 00:33:53 I'm wearing a Raku T-shirt. I got, I got my my You're you're good.
Speaker 3 00:33:57 But
Speaker 0 00:33:58 Anyway, we love, we love you mama. We love you
Speaker 3 00:33:59 Mom. We love you mama. Sorry about that <laugh>. So, um, yeah, I don't know, they've just been incredible champions. Like I I, they totally turned my world upside down. I mean, when they found me, I just really didn't know what I was doing. And it kind of seemed all at that time. Then I started working with Jake and then I got connected with Jody Williams and, and now we're here and the tours have been coming in. It's just been a, a wild year and a half.
Speaker 0 00:34:23 Yeah. Who else is over there at Jodi? Who they, was it Andy, Austin Sands
Speaker 3 00:34:27 And Austin. Incredible.
Speaker 0 00:34:28 Who's fantastic. Oh my gosh. And I love what the old Hickory boys do. It's so good. They, they've had a few different names and kinda alternated Yep. In that, that whole crew of, of the trio thing. But I think right now, Andy t uh, Dan and Timmy, um, Timothy are fucking fantastic. They
Speaker 3 00:34:43 Sound so good together. Yeah. It's insane.
Speaker 0 00:34:46 And I, I can't wait for them to them to have their blow up moment. Oh, it's, and them to go out on tour work. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:34:51 I, because there's
Speaker 0 00:34:52 Been, there's been a, there's been a, a gap when it comes to Trio. A trio like that that is nineties. That is
Speaker 3 00:34:59 Let's talk about country music. Yes. I mean, like, that is Yeah. Yeah. Where Yeah. We've been missing that. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:35:04 Yeah. So have you, since signing the pub deal view, found it, has it been like kind of different writing with new people? Or are you still writing with a lot of your same crew? Or how does that kind of work? Because you've had like a, a crew of guys and girls that you've been writing with for years now here Yeah. That you've gotten great songs with and that songs that they've cut and songs that you've cut and all that. So what's it been like kind of writing with different folks or writing with folks that are the quote unquote established people in the room?
Speaker 3 00:35:30 So it's been, it's been, um, fun and different. I mean, I will always love writing with the OG homies, but like we talked about earlier, everyone's really busy. So it feels like when I'm gone then I get back and then Meg's gone. And then like, Tyler's always in Texas and Ben's always in a club somewhere. I'm melting faces. So we don't get, um, the chance to work together quite as much as we used to. But certainly when we do, it's still very magical and fun. Um, but I've definitely taken some new collaborators like into the Circle. Uh, Jason Nicks, we have
Speaker 0 00:36:03 Fantastic.
Speaker 3 00:36:03 Have so much fun writing together. He has such a soulful voice and a soulful background. Like we, I think we have a lot of the same influences and, um, he knows like every chord that's ever been ever created. Yeah. So I don't even have to think about that kind of stuff, which I don't mind doing, but he does it better. Um, so Jason Nix is one of 'em. Jay Bayer, I don't know if you know him, but he, we've just been getting some awesome stuff and, um, yeah, there's tons of others that I can't think of. Right.
Speaker 0 00:36:33 Are you writing, are you writing right now as, as the artist in the room? Or are you still kind of writing as like the songwriter too? Because that's a whole different thing too. Now, now you're, you're an artist with a publishing deal. You're, you're becoming the, the artist in the room as opposed to one of three young writers writing with your friends. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:36:49 I mean there's usually a different vibe and I always love to understand who we're writing for before I go into a room. Yeah. But, uh, I think we can all agree at this point everybody's just trying to get a good song. Yeah. So I try not to focus too much about, um, is this for me or is this for someone else? If it's a good song and it fits my, you know, vocabulary of what I believe in and what I think and say and want to make in the world, then maybe it's a Harper song. But if not it, it's just a good song then, you know, hopefully it gets pitched and cut and, you know, seized the light of day. Because at this point we've just, we write so many songs. Yeah. So I think I've gotten less precious about this one's for me. This one's for you. And I'm starting to look at songs more in a group. Do these songs serve each other? Do they make sense together? What story are they telling when they're next to each other as opposed to like, I need one good song. Yeah. So it's been a, it's been a learning curve. A new a new thing.
Speaker 0 00:37:46 Yeah. And how long have you been in town now?
Speaker 3 00:37:48 It will be five years in July.
Speaker 0 00:37:50 No shit. So you were just before me. Cause I'm, I'll be five years in October. Oh wow. So isn't it crazy now like five years? Like what were you doing? Do you remember what you were doing when you first moved to town? You were doing the Creative Vets thing. Right.
Speaker 3 00:38:01 So I was still working. I still, I'm still involved with Creative Vets. I love shout out creative
Speaker 0 00:38:05 Events are still you still, you still are now. Yes. Oh fuck yeah. Oh yeah. They were, they were at, um, cause we saw Jesse, Jesse Taylor. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and love him. They were right across from us in the vendor area at Tailgate and Tall Boys. Oh, cool. They had the big, they had the big camper there and, and the tent and like the, the little like popup like step repeat things. Yeah. They were doing their work up there this weekend,
Speaker 3 00:38:24 Which is cool. Richard Casper's, like, one of the only reasons I ever moved here. I got a call from him randomly that was like, you need to move to Nashville. And so I, any chance I get to like, help his organization when it works out with all of our schedules and everything, it's one of my favorite things to do.
Speaker 0 00:38:38 Yeah. So what are you, so what are you doing with them and like in this, this capacity now? Like, just going like, just helping with the, the process of writing with vets or like doing
Speaker 3 00:38:47 What I usually write with, uh, female veterans. So no shit. When he needs, yeah. When he needs, um, you know, they usually they pair like women with women. Yeah. And men with men. So, um, yeah. Anytime they're doing it at the Opry now like backstage and they've really elevated this program to be, that's huge. Even more special than, than it already was.
Speaker 0 00:39:05 How cool of an experience to give a veteran to write with folks to do it for a living at the Grand Opry. Like how crazy is that?
Speaker 3 00:39:14 I'm not even joking around. The Honor is truly all ours. Like to hear their stories and to like be in the room with them and listen. There's not one single one of 'em that hasn't really truly changed me. So it's, I mean it's so fun for them to be at the Opry, but it is so fun for me to be with them <laugh>, so
Speaker 0 00:39:31 That's awesome.
Speaker 3 00:39:32 But when I moved to town, I was still working in that financial services job. That's right. Yeah. So I did that for like three or four years.
Speaker 0 00:39:39 Harper the suit
Speaker 3 00:39:40 That's right in her cubicle, but not really. I did it remotely. <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:39:44 You did it remotely. Okay. I
Speaker 3 00:39:45 Within a cube for a minute.
Speaker 0 00:39:46 What'd you, did you have like your cube decorated and stuff? No. You didn't hang up anything in there? You like a child or
Speaker 3 00:39:51 Nothing? No, I didn't wanna be in a cube, so I did not like
Speaker 0 00:39:55 I had, I had one like on my, at the radio station I was working at. Oh yeah, it was a shared one. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But I just had like, some, some like nonsense hanging up there. I had like a little basketball hoop. Okay. That's cool. I had like just little like stupid shit that a 21 year old working at a radio station would have. Well
Speaker 3 00:40:10 Yeah, that sounds like fun though. <laugh> like,
Speaker 0 00:40:12 Well, I mean, it's a radio station. You do it cuz you love it. You don't do it to make money, you know? It's so true. It's the, it's Have you done like radio tour stuff yet? Like have you done the radio interview thing yet?
Speaker 3 00:40:20 No, I've not. I've not, I've not tried that yet. I don't know, maybe it'll happen because
Speaker 0 00:40:27 That stuff I hear gets exhausting. Yeah. Cuz you're just going around just meeting with different radio people.
Speaker 3 00:40:32 Probably having the same exact conversation.
Speaker 0 00:40:34 And that's why I like doing the podcast stuff now. Oh yeah. Because when I was doing the radio stuff it was So what are your influences? So how long you been doing this? Da da It's very rigid.
Speaker 3 00:40:44 Could
Speaker 0 00:40:44 You could actually have a real fucking conversation.
Speaker 3 00:40:46 I know. I feel like we're just hanging out, catching up <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:40:47 Yeah. Which it's good that we're catching up. Like I feel like I haven't seen you in a while. I probably long time. Haven't seen you since. Since revival.
Speaker 3 00:40:54 Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:40:55 Probably. Which, what do, which, how do you like the new spot?
Speaker 3 00:40:57 I personally love it cuz I'm, it's like walking distance, revival. Oh,
Speaker 0 00:41:00 You're a nations girl. Okay. Yeah. Easy.
Speaker 3 00:41:03 Yeah. So yeah, with the little wristband, just have a couple beers and walk myself home.
Speaker 0 00:41:07 Yeah. Rocking do's a cool spot. Yeah. And I'm very, very tough on pizza. I'm very hard on pizza. I like, oh, of course. I like their pizza a lot. Yeah. I like it a lot. It's a, it's a great bar. Pizza I don't drink anymore, but they have a ton of beer options in there. Yeah. Um, it's, it's a cool, to me the, it's never like back in the day 20, like, like before Covid Revival was just a special thing mm-hmm. <affirmative> when it was facing the way it was supposed to be facing in Tin Roof. Yeah. And it was that vibe. But I think Rocking do appreciates it. Like the, the folks over there appreciate revival for what it is. Yeah. And it's giving Rob and giving kids that moved to town cuz there aren't so many kids that have moved to town here in the last year or two.
Speaker 0 00:41:50 Nikki t and I'll tell him like, especially when Rob was bringing Revival back, we were like, Hey, you're a, you're a revival kid Come out. Yeah. Come out like next Wednesday. Cuz to me, the revival kid is someone that's left, left little, left of center. Someone who's very true, who's not writing quote unquote cookie cutter stuff. Not there's anything wrong with cookie cutter stuff, but like, just someone who's more in that kind of artist thing who maybe feels like slu like a little bit of like a misfit toy going to going to Broadway or going to going to this go like hanging out at Red Door with the, the the cool kids. Right. And I feel like Revival's always been such a community for kids that moved to
Speaker 3 00:42:30 Town. Absolutely. I mean,
Speaker 0 00:42:31 I'm so glad that it's back.
Speaker 3 00:42:32 Oh, me too. I I played it recently. Yeah. You know, um, at the new location and to your point, I just saw so many like young singer songwriters and that just, it made me so happy because it, it, it gave so much to my experience first moving here, it's brought me some of my best friends, some of my best songs, some of my best nights. And to see that that's now gonna be an opportunity and an option for, like you said, kids who kind of just gravitate towards that style of music. It's just super special to see that there's gonna be like a, another class of it and they're gonna be badass and awesome. And it will continue on.
Speaker 0 00:43:07 Yeah. To me there's like some kids, like Sam Stone. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, Zack Top, um, Aiden Canfield. There's this kid, uh, Landon Smith mm-hmm. <affirmative> that's coming outta Georgia right now and all of them. And it's been cool that we kind of harbor them as well at live, but maybe harbor's not the right word, but we use them. We have 'em play on Sundays and play on Tuesdays at live Oakland. We're doing Rowdy On the Road and we're doing right now, I'm called Outside the Round instead of in the round. Right. You know, I, I flip flopped it a little bit, but it's, it is cool to see that scene have somewhere to live because it felt weird to not have revival at Tin Roof on a Tuesday. It
Speaker 3 00:43:41 Was weird.
Speaker 0 00:43:42 And especially as the guy that, as the guy that hosts up the street on Tuesdays. I always looked forward to having that and just my, our whole goal was to just have the mum and be as busy as it could possibly be. Oh yeah. And have folks play, like, there were so many times where I'd have you or Vinny, I'd have Vinny play and then he'd go down and host at Tinder. Yes. <laugh>. He'd play the opening round at my, he'd play the, the first round at Live Oak and then go and host at Tinder for four hours. Oh my God. And we'd have Colin play and we'd have you play and we'd have Nate play and we'd have Ben and Meg and we'd have Tyler and we'd have like, um, like Becca Ray, we'd have like all so many folks in that crew. Yeah. And during Covid especially, it was really cool to watch that scene kind of grow and like be a
Speaker 3 00:44:24 Part of that. Totally. It was a lot of fun. I'm glad it's Yeah, it's back. It's having a second wind.
Speaker 0 00:44:28 Yeah. So how, what else is the rest of like, I haven't seen Nate in a while. I know he's out on the road heavily, right?
Speaker 3 00:44:34 Yes. He's crushing it. So he's Nate Frederick in the Wholesome Boys now. I
Speaker 0 00:44:37 See. I saw that he changed the name
Speaker 3 00:44:39 And he's got a rocking band. The Wholesome Boys. Yeah. They're the kindest, coolest, most talented guys. They're such a great fit for each other. And I think they've expanded kind of what his music sounds like. And I'm so proud of him. He's just been really, really hustling.
Speaker 0 00:44:55 He's out with Muscadine right now, I think. Yeah. On the West Coast, which, who would've thought Nate would be in Cali and Gary and Charlie would be in Cali. Look at that shit going.
Speaker 3 00:45:03 I know. It's incredible. But it's been fun too, because now that we're all kind of on the road, I've seen my friends more on the road than I see them here, so Really? Oh yeah. When I was out with Morgan, Gabe Lee came by to a show cuz he was in Oh, sick, North Carolina or something. Uh, Nate came by cuz he was in Washington, DC And so it's been fun to kind of run into each other out in the wild, you know, and support each other that way. So, but Nate's crushing it, man. I, I love all his new music. I've got a cut on his last little EP that he put out. Oh hell yeah. Um, and I, I'm so proud of him. He's been great.
Speaker 0 00:45:36 Yeah. His, his record that he had put out, when was that? Was that in 2020 or 20?
Speaker 3 00:45:39 2020 right before the world shut down.
Speaker 0 00:45:41 Yep. Yeah, I remember when that, when that record came out and he, like, he played like, um, Paducah was one of my favorite songs off that. Oh, thank you. And I always like, because um, whenever we'll go up through Kentucky and you go through Paducah, it pops in my head west on through Paducah. <laugh>. I can't tell if I'm heading home or like, I, it's one of it's, and those, those records that came out in like Tyler's stuff Yep. Your stuff you started putting out. Um, but in Meg's stuff, like, it's just, it's, I remember those, those days of Covid, those were some of my favorite Oh yeah. Favorite songs to come out of that era because everybody had the time to sit and just write. There wasn't other shit to do.
Speaker 3 00:46:22 Well, I always love too, like, uh, with Tyler's stuff right now, Mac Miller, I think is his most stream song. It's like
Speaker 0 00:46:29 Passed through the ru it Past Beer Garden Baby. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:46:31 Yeah. But that was the first song that he and I ever wrote together. Really? With Meg and Reagan Rousseau. So it was the first time I think we ever met shit and we wrote this song and now it's, it's having so many lives after that one day that we wrote the song,
Speaker 0 00:46:45 You know, at his shows people are belling
Speaker 3 00:46:48 Screaming the words. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:46:49 And I love that. And again, I think such a big part of doing this music thing is finding who you are as an artist. Like, yeah. Laney Wilson now Bell Bottom Country, she's, she's found her thing that resonates with people. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, her version, the version of herself that who she really is and all that. Like Ben and Meg have their thing. You have, you have your vibe Tyler's Western Ana music. Oh yeah. It's going over very well. It is, yeah. And there would not, there was not a place in country music where they were talking about marijuana. Like it wasn't, it was kind of taboo for a while. Yeah. So it's really,
Speaker 3 00:47:21 Especially in think about in Texas. I mean, like that's,
Speaker 0 00:47:23 Yeah. Yeah. But I feel like there's this, there's this vibe right now, and you kind of fit this too, where it's, it's in the, the outlaw of aiding that it's kind of against the grain, but it's not like violent outlaw. It's more just like, Hey, we're doing it our own way kind of thing. Yeah. Like more like a rebel kid kind of thing. And I feel like there, there is that vibe with, you see that with, with a Morgan Wade, you see that with a Paul C and you see it with a Joshua Ray Walker. Right. And you see it with a Charlie Crockett. Like you see different vibes going on, coming out of like Texas and the Red dirt scene. So for you, do you identify more with like that stuff? Or do you identify more with Nashville? Or do you think there's really doesn't matter anymore. It's just all blended together.
Speaker 3 00:48:00 Gosh, I really don't think it, it matters anymore. I think to speak to something you said earlier, as long as you're being authentic to where you're at, people will presumably enjoy it more than if you're just trying to shove it down their throat. Like I think Tyler's really authentic. That's who he is. Yeah. Meg is really authentic. That's who she is. Ben, authentic. Like, I like to think that the vibe of my music matches like the vibe of my personality. It
Speaker 0 00:48:24 Is, it is you.
Speaker 3 00:48:24 Yes. And so I think into answering your question about do you identify more with Texas or with Nashville? I think there might be a time later in my career where I do make something that's like a little bit more rooted in, in traditional like Texas music. Or maybe I'll go completely the other direction. Like, it kind of depends on where my life goes. I think this record specifically I feel is Texas to me. But I don't know
Speaker 0 00:48:52 What makes, what makes you say that? Is it the storytelling of it? Is it where you're at emotionally, where you're, you're feeling more like talking about home? Like pre Nashville? Or why?
Speaker 3 00:49:01 I think it's because I don't know if there are any real like Nashville hooks in any of the songs that I've been releasing, if that makes sense. I think the songwriting style is a little bit more what I would think a Texas artist might do. Okay. If that makes sense.
Speaker 0 00:49:17 Yeah. Like, like the stuff that you're putting out now, like Guilty would fall under that.
Speaker 3 00:49:22 And I think so. I don't know though. We'll see. I guess <laugh>, maybe it's more na I don't know.
Speaker 0 00:49:28 Because I feel like the Nashville sound has changed a lot too.
Speaker 3 00:49:31 That's true. And the song writing's changed
Speaker 0 00:49:34 And, and right now in, in country it's like you've got and Col Colby, we were, we had a, um, a cigar hang not too long ago with Colby, uh, with Colby Uff. And he's kind of said, he kinda said that like right now there's like two and there's like a third popping up, like within country music. It's like you've got your, your, your combs lane, you've got like, like your wall and more, more pop kind of thing. And then you've got this like angsty like sad boy shit Sad boy, sad girl shit under the Zack Bryan Lane. Yeah. And it's like you've got these different things coming up within country music to where, to me it reminds me of, and I said it on a podcast recently, we had Wyatt Flores on recently and Wyatt's become a, a good buddy and fits under that, that Zack Bryan kind of, I mean, you can say sad, but it's also just real.
Speaker 0 00:50:19 Like, I think your music's very real. Oh, thank you Ben and Meg very real like where it's, it's singing about like a real place, like singing about like even Tyler's, like Mac Miller, like the shit you guys were writing and putting out a few years ago is thinking about shit that we can, we can all relate to. Yeah. Being, being dumb kids and going out and doing our thing and having those flings and, and all and all that shit. But like, it reminds me right now what Nashville and country music kind of going through, it reminds me of like in the eighties and nineties you had like hair metal Mm. And you had like sex drugs and rock and roll. Yep. And then in the nineties it turned into, it turned into grunge and like drugs and angst. Yep. And people went, talked about like the sad time coming outta like the Reagan era and all that. Now we're coming outta Covid and it's like the went from like bro country being like the sex, drugs and rock and roll Yep. To all the happy shit about being a, being in the country world and daisy dukes and girls and groups and trucks and this and that and all this like stuff that's not fully the reality of growing up in a small town Right. Of growing up in the country. And now we're getting the other side of that.
Speaker 3 00:51:20 The, the deeper story. The real shit.
Speaker 0 00:51:21 Yeah. Yeah. It's not all, it's not all roses, you know, there's
Speaker 3 00:51:25 Well no forms there. People in, there's people living their lives that are very complicated. Just like anything. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:51:30 Yeah. Cuz there are, there is a lot of that. And I feel like that comes through in some of your, in some of y'all's stuff especially. Yeah. Like y'all are singing from real places, you know. Absolutely.
Speaker 3 00:51:39 Yeah. It's been fun to see. I mean, you're right. There has been a movement to some deaths and Yeah. Death and some like, poetry, like just really, um, show showcasing all sides of
Speaker 0 00:51:50 It. Yeah. And Morgan and Morgan Wade and, and Laney. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:51:53 She's got some real
Speaker 0 00:51:54 Lyrics. Yeah. They all, they all fit under, under that too. Yeah. You know. And so for you, where do you think you're at right now? Like your chapter of, of life compared to where we were last time? We did this like almost two years ago. Oh my gosh. Like how, like how, like how is life for, for you? Cause you're, how you're what, we're about the same age, right? You're like 27, 28.
Speaker 3 00:52:15 Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:52:16 Yeah, I get that right. Are you, was that
Speaker 3 00:52:18 Off? I'm 29. You're
Speaker 0 00:52:20 29? Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:52:20 I was gonna lie though.
Speaker 0 00:52:21 So you're 90, so you, you have 94. Okay. So you're 94. I'm 95. So we're still under 30. We're doing good. Yeah. We're both, we're both thriving in our journey.
Speaker 3 00:52:28 I'm gonna be 29 for five more years I think. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:52:30 Yeah. That's what my grandma does. She does the anniversary of her 39th birthday. So I think right now she's at the 37th anniversary
Speaker 3 00:52:37 Of Oh oh good for her.
Speaker 0 00:52:38 39th birthday. Good for her. She, she has us write that on the cake and everything. It's, but how is life for, for you right now?
Speaker 3 00:52:44 You know, it's, it's great. I mean, so many of my dreams have come true since we last spoke. I mean, just with building this team that I have, getting this music recorded and starting to tour and everything, it's, it's truly been like, I I just never really expected it really. I just kept dreaming bigger and working hard at the, one of the things I love that Laney Wilson said recently at the award show, the ACMs was, if you're gonna be a dreamer, you gotta be a doer. And so that's just really been something I've been thinking about a lot. It's okay to dream big as long as you keep working hard. And at the beginning of this year, I stayed in on New Year's Eve. I know. Crazy. Really? And I made What'd you do? I made a vision board.
Speaker 0 00:53:26 Oh, look at you
Speaker 3 00:53:27 Uhhuh. I got real witchy with it.
Speaker 0 00:53:30 Okay.
Speaker 3 00:53:30 And I put some freaking crazy shit on there. Red Rock was on there. Brooklyn Bull with Laney Wilson was on there. Like some crazy stuff that I just was like, this would be, this isn't, there's no way, there's absolutely no way. I was able to write a song with Vince Gill this year. Really? And he was on my vision board.
Speaker 0 00:53:50 No shit.
Speaker 3 00:53:50 Yeah. Like, just crazy. That's
Speaker 0 00:53:52 Fucking wild
Speaker 3 00:53:53 Girl. I know. And so, um, I'm just now starting to realize the, like, the power of just admitting that you want that you wanna do these things and you wanna work towards these things. And so as I'm looking ahead, I think I'm really thinking about what the next couple years, like what, what I want to be on that list. And maybe it's not all career stuff either, you know, maybe it's personal stuff. And um, yeah. So I'm just learning how to dream bigger and being grateful for, you know, the stuff that's happened in the last
Speaker 0 00:54:18 Couple years. Yeah. You seem like just radiant energy right now. Oh good.
Speaker 3 00:54:21 Like
Speaker 0 00:54:22 Just happy as
Speaker 3 00:54:22 Fuck I am.
Speaker 0 00:54:24 Which, which for I really am. Which there's times that we're, we're not all, we're not all happy
Speaker 3 00:54:27 And there will be again, you know. Yeah. That's, I'll definitely's how life works. Definitely. I'll definitely, it's, it's up and down, you know. Sure. So
Speaker 0 00:54:32 Are the songs a little bit happier right now? God no. No. They're still sad as fuck. Well, one
Speaker 3 00:54:36 Of my new things that I've really enjoyed is, um, so like When You Love Me, this last one I released, it's, if you listen to the lyrics, it's like a dreadfully sad song. Like it is the hook is, it Only Hurts When You Love Me. Like it's very sad, but it's disguised in this kind of boppy like really kind of upbeat tempo thing. And so you can kind of passively listen and really enjoy this happy tune or you can dive in and hear kind of the depth of what the real experience is. Like
Speaker 0 00:55:04 The, the irony Yeah. The irony kind of thing of it.
Speaker 3 00:55:07 And so I've really been thinking about that a lot, which is sad. Songs don't necessarily need to sound sad to be good. So I've just kind of been exploring that a little bit lately with my writing with, you know, I don't even think they're all necessarily sad. I feel like that's just admitting that things are complicated. Yeah. You know, and, and not shying away from that to, like you said, just be like, oh, things are so good. Happy, happy, happy. Although I did have a conversation with Meg yesterday because she did something really great. She writes really good happy songs and I feel like writing good happy songs is so hard to do, but like Mary Jane and Chardonnay Yes. Great happy song.
Speaker 0 00:55:46 And that to me is the most, one of the most Meg McCree songs of all time.
Speaker 3 00:55:48 Oh yeah. And Air Ray tears all over that too. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, I think it's just about leaning into what you do well. Yeah. And she does that really well. So I'm trying to lean into what's been been working for me. I mean, like, even the song Guilty to Me, it doesn't really sound happy, but it's a love song. Yeah. I don't know.
Speaker 0 00:56:07 I'm only guilty of Loving You. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:56:08 But it kind of feels like fraught. I don't know, it's just like an interesting vibe that I feel like I've curated.
Speaker 0 00:56:16 Where were you at as far as, as far as like, relationship stuff? Like, get real here for a second. Oh, are you so busy? You don't, you don't even have time for that. That shit.
Speaker 3 00:56:23 You know what I'm,
Speaker 0 00:56:24 Cause I feel like that's a thing with a lot of artists, like where you're so fucking, especially being on the road Yeah. <laugh> being on the road and trying to have a healthy relationship with a significant other. Even having good friendships is tough when you're gone all the fucking time.
Speaker 3 00:56:35 Oh yeah. And, and you're not in the day-to-day of what's going on. Yeah. Um, you know, I'm single and I, I might finally be ready to mingle. Who knows? Look
Speaker 0 00:56:44 At these. You,
Speaker 3 00:56:45 I know some growth is happening, you know,
Speaker 0 00:56:47 Where would the, where would the place be to mingle? Like, where's your spot in town? Where you,
Speaker 3 00:56:50 I think it's just gonna fall from the sky.
Speaker 0 00:56:52 Well, you a abroad, you're not a Broadway girl at God. No. To me you are the opposite. No, I'm not the, like if you look up Broadway girl on the dictionary, like you are the, the opposite. You're you're not the one that's going down there.
Speaker 3 00:57:01 No. Uh, definitely. Unless I have like friends or family in town and I like, I feel
Speaker 0 00:57:04 Like that's the excuse pack. Wayne doesn't need any excuse. He was down, I mean, he was playing down there last night, but he was out till like two 30 in the morning, I think on Broadway. He was at the called out at the hold. No, that's what we do. That's what, that's what Sweet Boys here for. He's a Broadway boy for short. And Trey Lewis is a Broadway boy too. I used to be one when I worked down there, but like, where's your spot that you like hanging out at?
Speaker 3 00:57:22 Anywhere with the pool table.
Speaker 0 00:57:24 Okay. Yeah. So Lakeside. Yep.
Speaker 3 00:57:27 Lucky's.
Speaker 0 00:57:27 Lucky's Lucky's over there. That's a very underrated spot. I agree. We were there for, um, Ella Langley's, uh, release party when Country Boy Dream Girl came out. And like, we just, she's scratching it too. She's fuck, she's like our little sister man. She,
Speaker 3 00:57:39 She's like on a fucking world tour like
Speaker 0 00:57:41 She's doing, doing some big fucking things. Unbelievable. It's wild. It's wild to watch what she's doing. But, um, that Lucky's place. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> very underrated. Oh yeah. And they got them good Chicago style hot dogs.
Speaker 3 00:57:51 Okay. I've not had one of the hot dogs.
Speaker 0 00:57:53 The hot dogs
Speaker 3 00:57:54 Are good, but I have won a lot of games on that pool thing.
Speaker 0 00:57:56 <laugh>. Oh, so you're pool sharp. Like you're, you're good. You don't fuck around in pool.
Speaker 3 00:58:00 No. Uhuh.
Speaker 0 00:58:01 I think I've seen you play pool at Lakeside before. I think you were playing with Colin. Oh yeah. Or with Dylan or somebody.
Speaker 3 00:58:07 I, there's something about it, like I become kind of a different person. Like normally I really shy away from like, confrontation. Like I really try to just keep the peace and like do my thing. If I've got a couple drinks in me and somebody's trying to like cheat the game or like talk some shit, like, I swear I've almost been thrown out of Lakeside Lounge, I swear like, at least three times. Really? Yeah. Because I think people just assume that like, girls don't really play pool or whatever and I just come in, you know, just knock 'em, knock 'em all in. I'm talking a big game now. Somebody's gonna wanna kick my
Speaker 0 00:58:40 Yeah, we're gonna have to, we're gonna have to have to do that. So what do you prefer? Red Door East or Main Red Door? Because the new, the main Red Door is different now. It's not the same since, have you been there recently? I
Speaker 3 00:58:51 Have, yeah. It's
Speaker 0 00:58:52 Not the same since they opened that shit up. Yeah. And I know they had their issues. They had a scary night there a few months ago. They did. So I get why it's like TSA when you walk in there and I'm thankful for that. I mean, I, my stuff, my, I've, I still am able to get in my vape and everything, but like, I
Speaker 3 00:59:07 Think for me, I'm gonna go neither and I'm gonna say I'm either a neighbor s Park Girl or a Centennial in the Nation's girl.
Speaker 0 00:59:14 Centennial. Oh,
Speaker 3 00:59:15 It's this little hole in the wall.
Speaker 0 00:59:17 Where's
Speaker 3 00:59:17 Centennial? It's like right across from the Frothy Monkey and 51st Deli right behind Laver's Market. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:59:23 I haven't been there yet. I've been to the Nation's Bar and Grill. That place is a fun little shit. Hole bar. <laugh>. I love it. Big Rob Snyder brought us there after the first arrival they had back. And it was like us, it was me and Nick Colby Uff, um, Ashland, um, and then Rob and I think Vinny and Rob was just ordering rounds of wings for every Oh my God. Wing was wrapped in Bacon. Oh wow. I it was wings wrapped. Something wrapped in Bacon. You know, big Rob's got all the Good Eats.
Speaker 3 00:59:51 Oh wow.
Speaker 0 00:59:52 And the Nation. But Centennial. So I gotta check that spot out cause I like the Nations a lot. I think that's gonna be the new spot in town.
Speaker 3 00:59:58 I'm telling you.
Speaker 0 00:59:58 I really do. Especially with the Umbrian. Yeah. Changing over the next few years. Oh yeah. Uh, which I don't know if you know all about all about all that. I
Speaker 3 01:00:04 Think I know a little bit. Yeah.
Speaker 0 01:00:05 Yeah. We can talk about off the, off the, off the cameras. Off the Yeah. Um, off the mic. But like, there's gonna be some new spots I think popping up where Live Music's gonna live. And I think the Nations is gonna be
Speaker 3 01:00:15 Wonderful. Well they even have, there's like a Field House Tavern or whatever that's opening up right on 51st. And it's gonna be like food and alcohol till 2:00 AM which we don't really have a spot like that over there. Like Centennial serves alcohol till 2:00 AM but there's gonna be like a traditional sports
Speaker 0 01:00:29 Bar. What's the one across from the ice cream spot? That's like the out outdoor thing where the TVs are just playing all the fuck.
Speaker 3 01:00:34 Oh, that's like the barbecue spot. I forget what it's
Speaker 0 01:00:37 Called. Yeah. Is that, is that a barbecue
Speaker 3 01:00:38 Spot? But it's a barbecue spot. I
Speaker 0 01:00:39 Thought it was just a bar in the middle of the two streets that just had TVs played for the homeless. It's huge for the homeless people. Homeless guys can watch the Super Bowl and shit. <laugh>?
Speaker 3 01:00:47 No, it's, it's barbecue. I've not, I've not had the barbecue yet, but I have enjoyed a picnic table there.
Speaker 0 01:00:52 What area that you've gone to on the road has had the best food? Because something I've learned, and mink can say this too, because M Win's been on the road with Trey for a long time and whenever we would go somewhere they'd be like, we're going to give you the best barbecue you ever had. And every venue that we go to has allegedly, and some of it's like crock pot, homemade shit. Some of s cousin Brother Darryl's, Pitmaster shit. Some of them's this, some of it's that. For you, what in the different sections of the country that you've been, what's been like some of your favorite?
Speaker 3 01:01:20 I, well I think Texas has the best barbecue, so I don't think I'll, well I'm not
Speaker 0 01:01:24 Even talking, just talk about barbecue. I'm not even limiting it. Texas barbecues
Speaker 3 01:01:27 I'm just letting is
Speaker 0 01:01:27 Great. I'm, yes, there's something about getting some fresh beef from the stockyard. You're just, you, you can't get it fresher anywhere else. That's just how it is.
Speaker 3 01:01:34 It's just how it is.
Speaker 0 01:01:35 I don't make, sorry, sorry, sorry. Kansas City. That's just how it's, I
Speaker 3 01:01:38 Don't make the rules. I don't even follow 'em. <laugh>, but I think my mom and so my mom came on the Morgan Wade tour with me.
Speaker 0 01:01:45 Really?
Speaker 3 01:01:46 Because it was solo acoustic. Yeah. So I didn't wanna go by myself. And she wasn't working at the time and she, I was like, do you wanna like come with me? And so 10 days just like me and my mom in the Rav
Speaker 0 01:01:56 That's, that's great mother daughter bonding. But you might've wanted to kill each other by then. No, no.
Speaker 3 01:02:01 Not at all. We had so much fun. Like I cannot just, I can't explain it. Like, people would like get in line and buy t-shirts and have my mom sign the T-shirts. No shit. I,
Speaker 0 01:02:11 It's awesome.
Speaker 3 01:02:12 We had so much fun. But when we were in upstate New York, we had a sandwich from some deli that changed my life. I don't even know what the deli was or what the sandwich was. Do
Speaker 0 01:02:21 You remember where, where it was? Was it Jordan? Was it, was that Kegs Canal side or was it Binghamton?
Speaker 3 01:02:25 It was, it was like right outside the Terrytown gig.
Speaker 0 01:02:28 Oh.
Speaker 3 01:02:29 Um, some like, just like in a strip mall deli. Like, I don't even know what it was, but it, I must, I don't know. It was the best sandwich I've ever had.
Speaker 0 01:02:36 I, I appreciate you saying New York. That makes me feel real good. It
Speaker 3 01:02:40 Seriously unmatched. My mom and I still talk about that
Speaker 0 01:02:42 Sandwich. Cause I'm going So you, have you been to New York City? Yeah,
Speaker 3 01:02:46 I got my luggage stolen there once.
Speaker 0 01:02:47 <laugh>. What?
Speaker 3 01:02:50 Yeah. Brutal. Yeah.
Speaker 0 01:02:52 When was, when was this?
Speaker 3 01:02:53 I was on tour. Greg was with me. I was on tour, um, with Ward Davis. I was like opening a couple shows and one of them was in New York City and we like had the Rav there and I just
Speaker 0 01:03:04 Remember what venue?
Speaker 3 01:03:05 Well the parking was terrible. They didn't have a
Speaker 0 01:03:08 Parking. Yeah. No shit. It's New York. If you don't pay a, if you don't get a parking ticket in New York City, you haven't toured New York City.
Speaker 3 01:03:13 So I got a parking ticket. Yeah,
Speaker 0 01:03:14 There you go. So you tore New York
Speaker 3 01:03:15 And my luggage stolen outta my car.
Speaker 0 01:03:17 Oh, the, they took the luggage and they gave you a ticket. Yeah,
Speaker 3 01:03:20 They did a little two for one.
Speaker 0 01:03:22 Do you have cats' Deli when you were there?
Speaker 3 01:03:24 Ooh, I've had cats' deli before, but I don't think we, because after I got the parking ticket and my luggage stolen, I was like, we've gotta get the fuck out of the city. So we drove all night to go to Pennsylvania where Greg live or his family lives. Cuz I was like, I cannot be in this fucking city. Yeah. For one more second. That being said, I still love New York. I, it is a magical place. Every time I go back I'm just like, you can steal my luggage. And like, I
Speaker 0 01:03:47 Feel like, I feel like your music would go, like goes over well there too.
Speaker 3 01:03:51 I'm so interested to see. I feel like it really could.
Speaker 0 01:03:54 I think, I think it will Because
Speaker 3 01:03:55 Chicago too, I feel like
Speaker 0 01:03:56 Yeah, Chicago fucks. Yeah. I like Chicago a lot. Chicago in the summertime is one of the best places to be. There's something about having a nice, a nice portillo sandwich. Oh yeah. Getting out of a dispenser, even though you pay 40% on the dollar. Oh, I think
Speaker 3 01:04:10 It's the income tax. Yeah. Not the income
Speaker 0 01:04:12 Tax. The
Speaker 3 01:04:13 Tax, the weed tax is awful.
Speaker 0 01:04:14 I think it's down because I mean, we were just up there. We went to a dispensary near where the festival was at and um, it was like 35, I think it was at like 35%. So it's down 5%. But we still got a long way to go. The fact that the taxes are higher there on weed than they are in New York or Boston.
Speaker 3 01:04:29 Or New Jersey. Or
Speaker 0 01:04:30 New Jersey. Yeah. Which is one of the most tax states in the fucking world.
Speaker 3 01:04:32 In the country. We stopped through New Jersey and we went to a dispensary and we got so much. Yeah. And we, like, Greg and I both looked at the receipt and we were like, wait, what? Because the last time we had bought together at a dispensary was in Chicago. Yes. And we were just like, holy shit. Like, I can't afford this.
Speaker 0 01:04:46 Yeah. Was that, um, did you play Joe's on weed when you were up there? I
Speaker 3 01:04:50 Did,
Speaker 0 01:04:50 Yeah. I played the deep dish pizza they have there.
Speaker 3 01:04:52 Oh. I didn't try it.
Speaker 0 01:04:53 They didn't give, they didn't bring you the pizza after
Speaker 3 01:04:56 I, no, I think I, I think I had a salad.
Speaker 0 01:04:58 All right, ed, that's on you man. You gotta, next time Harper and Greg come through, give them some pizza. Give them a bottle of, have you ever had an a l?
Speaker 3 01:05:06 I don't think so.
Speaker 0 01:05:07 Okay. My Lords My Lord's rough. My Lord's a delicacy.
Speaker 3 01:05:10 Oh, it doesn't sound like one <laugh>.
Speaker 0 01:05:12 No, it's Oh it's not. It's they only, it's a Chicago based thing. McIlwain has had it before. Our guy <laugh>. He's just like, um, the guys, um, that used to be in Trey's band, they would drink it for like, for fun. They'd be like, fuck it, we're in Chicago, we're gonna drink. It's like a, a vile thing, but you have to at least take one sip of it just to try it. I never, I got sober before I ever went to Chicago. Okay. So I got lucky. I dodged the you
Speaker 3 01:05:36 Dodged the bullet.
Speaker 0 01:05:36 They carry it at Red Door cuz Red Door's a Chicago owned bar.
Speaker 3 01:05:40 Is it like a, is it,
Speaker 0 01:05:42 How would you describe it, Matt?
Speaker 4 01:05:44 Um,
Speaker 3 01:05:46 Here's,
Speaker 4 01:05:47 I don't know, like really bitter. It's like, I'd say like, kind of like dry, like, I don't know. Like it, it's awful. <laugh>. I
Speaker 0 01:05:55 Feel like I'm being drunk and he drinks everything. He loves to drink. Like Macin is a drinker. So if he's saying he doesn't like it, like that tells you
Speaker 3 01:06:02 We've, I've heard all I need to know. I will not be trying <laugh>. No,
Speaker 0 01:06:05 You gotta do one.
Speaker 4 01:06:06 You gotta do it at least once,
Speaker 0 01:06:07 Joe. If I see you at Red Door. All right, we're doing that. And then I'll, and then to make it up for you. We'll get you a root beer. Root beer float shot.
Speaker 3 01:06:14 Okay. Deal.
Speaker 0 01:06:14 Alright. So you get a free root beer float shot no matter what deal. But you gotta tell Lord. Deal. All right. Deal. The camera saw it. Deal It's happening. Um, but, um, Joe's on Weed is a cool, is a cool venue and a great spot. Um, but I'm, I'm so psyched for you. Thank you. You so much. What you've got going on, like song on the radio, a team around you helping you do this shit. A bunch of cool stuff at Fucking Red Rocks. Dude, I can't fucking Red Rock. I can't, you've put out some great music so far this year. Thank you. You've got more coming. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> like got you. Found a producer that believes in you. You found like it's, it's so cool to see where we were. Um, in the fall of 21 when we first sat down we're it's, and I'm in this, damn, I'm in this damn studio. Oh. Like with the Monday, oh,
Speaker 3 01:06:54 Let's talk about this, this glow up in this situation
Speaker 0 01:06:57 Here. So I, I, I got a credit to Daddy Warbuck. Okay. Trey Lewis. Trey Lewis has paid for all this. And being on his team, I get to use it for a very good price. Love. $0 a month <laugh>. Um,
Speaker 3 01:07:08 Very lucky. My favorite price.
Speaker 0 01:07:09 Very lucky. The best price. And then now I'm, I'm off the road. I'm not t Ming for Trade anymore. And I'm running Razor Rowdy with Nikki t. Incredible. So it's like we did six CMA Fest events. Oh my God. We're going to, we just did one festival. We're going down, we're covering the NASCAR race this week. We have a NASCAR podcast now with Dawson Edwards and Caleb Conrady. We're going to like 10 more country festivals this year. We're going to, I think Nicky t I might be going with them. They're going louder than Life up in Kentucky. The Rock Festival. Yep. Primarily to see Limp Bizkit. Sure. We're big butt rock guys. Love and the butt rock accounts taken off. Shout out everybody. Be sure to follow Butt Rock Night being run by Brian Frazier. It's like the, you know what butt rock is, right? Yeah. I think, yeah. It's the Best Rock from like 1997 to like 2008. Yeah. So it's like, it's like Limp Bizkit creed, Nickelback hinder saliva, the good, the hits, you know, the hits Aaron Lewis when he was in Stained. Like all that good. All that stuff. Nothing but rock. Um, but yeah, it's just been, it's been wild.
Speaker 3 01:08:07 You are such an incredible supporter of just artists at every level. It's, I I appreciate that's so, it's really awesome. I always look forward to getting to talk with you and hang with you. And we need more people like you because, well,
Speaker 0 01:08:19 We're trying to grow the, we're growing our cult of Raise Out. I love It's a cult. We're growing it.
Speaker 3 01:08:23 I would like to join <laugh>. Hey, come on
Speaker 0 01:08:24 You. We've got a merch pack for you. Oh, so you're the cult and you, you've been in the family for a while Of course. With what we've been doing and, and with revival and just seeing what you and your friends are doing. It's, it's awesome. I wanna do like a big, um, like a reunion thing, almost like a reunion show. That
Speaker 3 01:08:39 Would be so fun.
Speaker 0 01:08:40 Just do a round of all you guys. The whole night is just the crew.
Speaker 3 01:08:44 That would be awesome.
Speaker 0 01:08:45 You, Meg, Tyler, Ben, Colin, Nate, Gabe, Becca, Ray Vinny. Vinny, yeah. Oh yeah. Literally Chris Canterbury. Yeah. Like the entire, anybody in y'all's crew that's a writer. And I don't care if got
Speaker 3 01:08:58 Ray Tier, John Dees,
Speaker 0 01:09:00 John, I haven't met John Dees yet. Oh,
Speaker 3 01:09:02 You're gonna love
Speaker 0 01:09:03 Dees. I never, cuz when I was on, when I went out, I subbed in and sold merch from usca. I mm-hmm. <affirmative> a little bit of a throwback weekend, uh, back in March. And Tyler ended up being on the road with him. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But they didn't tell Tyler that I was going out with him. I didn't tell Tyler I was going. So Tyler shows up at the first gig in Virginia and he just comes up by me. He's like, what the fuck are you doing here, man? Oh, let's go smoke a joints. We went out and smoked a joint and caught up. But he was telling me, he's like, bro, you gotta meet my dude John DiUS. Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 01:09:27 He's like,
Speaker 0 01:09:28 John, he's
Speaker 3 01:09:28 Like, they
Speaker 0 01:09:29 Inseparable. He's like, dude, John is a vibe. Yeah. And so if I'm, I'm a big fan of Tyler Halvar, who, um, I think I can, um, I'll get down with some John DiUS.
Speaker 3 01:09:37 And so I think he's been playing bass with him a couple days. Like, I think he's going out with him again this weekend. Sick. Because he's got like a really cool musical background. He was in like this like kind of pop punk band Yeah. In the early two thousands called Pink Spiders, I think Pink Spiders. And now he's like just crushing it. Songwriting. And, and
Speaker 0 01:09:53 And what is that, that house situation? <laugh>
Speaker 3 01:09:57 The big gray
Speaker 0 01:09:58 That that big that house over there. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> is you talk about like the, the, there's this, this whole like scene of what you guys are doing is like coming out of this house Yeah. In Sylvan Park. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 01:10:11 <affirmative>
Speaker 0 01:10:12 Like, cuz it's, what's Ben? Meg?
Speaker 3 01:10:14 So it's a quadplex. So there's four units in the house and Vinny used to live there first a couple years ago.
Speaker 0 01:10:20 Okay. So Vinny started the, the, the, the con the annexation of this house. I,
Speaker 3 01:10:25 I believe that's where it really did. Okay. Cause it was Vinny and then Vinny moved out and then um, Ben and Nate moved in to a room downstairs. And um, then all of a sudden, you know, obviously like Meg hangs around there a lot. I hang around there like Meg Yeah. Obviously is there all the time. <laugh>. Yeah. And then, um, some of the other units started like vacating and so other people moved in. So, um, the one next door, Aaron Ray Tierre used to live there and then he, when he moved out, cause he just bought a house and he's just crushing it right now. Yeah. I love him so much. Then de just moved in and then, uh, up upstairs, like the apartments are rented by like the pistol and Annie's have like a place up there and like Lucas Nelson's always coming through and like Nikki Lane's been through a couple times and there's just like,
Speaker 0 01:11:09 Then Tyler's over there too. Right?
Speaker 3 01:11:11 Well, so then when Nate moved out, Tyler came back from Texas and Tyler moved in.
Speaker 0 01:11:15 It's just a wild, like you have probably 15 songs a week getting written outta that house. Probably 10 to 15 songs a week.
Speaker 3 01:11:23 Oh. And the stories are just like, you could fill a book with the shit that happens in that house.
Speaker 0 01:11:28 Somebody, somebody, they're, they're smoking and drinking coffee and writing a song on the back porch and they're doing the same thing on the front porch. Oh yeah. And they're doing the same thing upstairs. And then at the end of the day, all you guys hanging out in the li in like the common area. Oh yeah. Has to be awesome with being like, oh, what'd you do today? What'd you do? Like, it's just a friendship thing. It's
Speaker 3 01:11:44 Possible. Yeah. And you just always know there, there's something going on over there. Like, you know, if if anyone's looking for something to do, um, or just a good hang and to catch up. And it's funny though, it's, I think it's been emptier late lately. Lately cuz everybody's on the road. Yeah. And everybody's doing stuff. So, um, it's been a fun, a fun place to hang though.
Speaker 0 01:12:03 Yeah. So what do we got coming up the people can go to look forward to?
Speaker 3 01:12:09 Oof.
Speaker 0 01:12:09 Great question. So I was actually, I was actually looking this up earlier. I was looking at what your tour dates were to kind of freshen up on. So I've got 'em right here. So I'll read 'em, I'll read 'em out for the people. Okay. For the people. You'll go, y'all go to watch, go to watch Harper on, um, on tour here. Montgomery, Alabama, the Montgomery Whitewater. You ever been to Montgomery Whitewater? Mackall. Okay. So newer place than the amp at Log. Still with Brothers Osbourne. Yeah. Brothers Osborne date. Who'd you say your agent was again?
Speaker 3 01:12:33 Haley Riddle. Haley,
Speaker 0 01:12:34 You are a kicking ass girl. Fuck yeah. Brothers Osborne, date Rick's Cafe. We love Rick.
Speaker 3 01:12:41 I've not been to Rick's.
Speaker 0 01:12:42 Okay. One of my favorite clubs in the country.
Speaker 3 01:12:45 Really? Oh, I'm so excited
Speaker 0 01:12:47 Because of its character. Oh good. It's awesome. So it is, it is a, it is a, a DIY spot that is just a staple. I mean, you go back the last 30 years, Kenny Chesney's played there. Yeah. Snoop Doggs played there, DMX played there, like all different styles of music. And the kids in Starkville, they just appreciate country music so much. Oh, I love that. So I've been there with Musk on once. I've been there with Trey, I think two or three times. Rick, um, Rick, who owns Rick's great guy. Rick Ricks. Yep. Yep. Rick of Rick's. It's like, um, Bob Vance's, refrigeration, you know, Rick, Rick, Rick and Rick's cafe. He's also, we gotta ask him about his cow. Like, so him and his wife Uhhuh, they adopt animals and they have a big farm. And so he's got like six or seven dogs.
Speaker 0 01:13:26 The dogs are usually there, like when you're loading in and stuff. Yeah. So we get to see the dogs and they'll run around. Very friendly. Oh, cute. Gotta ask him about his, uh, his cow. He has a, he has a cow or a bowl. It's a bowl. Actually I got it wrong on the epi episode. On the episode. We really talked about it. I said it was a cow. It kind of insulted the bowl. Um, it's a bowl named John Langston. All right. He got a ca he got, he got a bowl. He adopted a bowl and they named it after John Langston. So it was Little John Langston. Then it was medium-sized. I think it's like full Bowl. John Langston. All right. Ask him about John Langston. Be like, oh, I haven't seen John in a while. I be like, no. Talking about, talk about it on the farm. I did the podcast's with Matt. That's awesome. Matt say that's then the lyric in Oxford. That place is freaking great. And then, oh, the shed smokehouse. I've heard a lot about that place. I've never been,
Speaker 3 01:14:10 I have not heard much about it. I need to
Speaker 0 01:14:12 Familiar. It's like, it's like, uh, like a, like a lot of like southern rock bands have played there over the years. Like it's a, they have a loyal following and it says Smokehouse and Duke joint, which to me is just your, your vibe is that is a heart vibe. Everyone. And then the big ones, um, coming up later. You've even got stuff into December. Girl that's freaking awesome.
Speaker 3 01:14:32 You haven't gone to the NFR with the Laney Wilson,
Speaker 0 01:14:34 The NFR with Laney Wilson <laugh>. That's like, what is life?
Speaker 3 01:14:38 I dunno.
Speaker 0 01:14:39 It's fucking cool. And then, um, red Rocks with Dirks Bentley. Yeah. The
Speaker 3 01:14:44 Fuck. And Asher McBride and then Red Clay Strays. Are you on them yet?
Speaker 0 01:14:48 I've heard they're they're from um, mobile, right? Oh, they're from Alabama.
Speaker 3 01:14:52 I don't know where in Alabama. But they are.
Speaker 0 01:14:53 Is that I think Yeah, they're they're from the same area as um, same hometown as Gary and Charlie with Musket on. Oh wow. So Nikki ts Nikki t's the one that put me on them with Red Clay Stream
Speaker 3 01:15:01 Their song, wondering why Yeah. Has a choke hold on me. Yeah. Like every time it ends I just started over again.
Speaker 0 01:15:06 Yeah. They're fantastic. And then you're part,
Speaker 3 01:15:08 He's got kind of like an Elvis thing going on. Yeah. Old. He's like old croner kinda
Speaker 0 01:15:11 Thing. Cool. Yeah. Cool. Which is cool. Um, similar to who's the kid? William Beckman has that too.
Speaker 3 01:15:15 Yes. I love William man. He's awesome. Yeah. Um, he's got that deep like Sinatra kind of voice. Yes.
Speaker 0 01:15:20 Yeah. The cro like Yeahing like, like I want him to sing, um, what is it? Um, dreaming of a White, white Christmas. Oh yeah, yeah. Or like, um, like the Bing Crosby shit. Just classics. Yeah. Yeah. Just old school. Like all of his videos and all of his contents in black and white. Yeah. And to me that's perfect cuz that's the vibe. Yeah. And then you've got the Orange Blossom Review in um, in Florida, December in Florida, lake Wales, Florida. Yeah. So you're going all over the place and there's probably some more stuff that I'm sure is gonna pop up cuz Haley's
Speaker 3 01:15:45 Working. Fingers crossed. Nah.
Speaker 0 01:15:46 Haley.
Speaker 3 01:15:47 Haley Haley's on it.
Speaker 0 01:15:48 Haley's got you. And Haley we trust Let's go. And Haley we trust and Haley we trust. Fingers crossed. I love it. We're killing it. And then, um, haron music.com.
Speaker 3 01:15:56 That's it on socials. That's the one.
Speaker 0 01:15:58 And then socials are Haron music. Mm-hmm
Speaker 3 01:16:00 <affirmative>, all that stuff. Keeping it all the same.
Speaker 0 01:16:02 Sweet. Awesome. Well girl, I appreciate you coming and hanging. This was you so much fun. I'm much, this was
Speaker 3 01:16:07 Easy fun.
Speaker 0 01:16:07 I'm glad we were, we were able to fit this end of the busy schedules. Cause I'm heading Me too. I'm heading down. It's funny, I'm heading down to Montgomery, Alabama this weekend.
Speaker 3 01:16:15 Weird en weirdly enough.
Speaker 0 01:16:16 Yeah. So I'm heading down there tomorrow. Nicky t is actually on his way down there right now. We're staying, we have, um, there's a duo that called Shackleford Lane. They just moved up here to Nashville from Alabama. They have a hunting camp. It's like, oh wow. 60 or 70 acres of a hunting camp. And they were like, Hey, you boys want come down early before the John Langston concert and do some redneck shit. Nicky's like, yeah, yeah,
Speaker 3 01:16:39 We'll be there.
Speaker 0 01:16:39 <laugh>. He's like, I've done fish. We're like, oh, we ain't fishing. You ever, you ever killed an armadillo? Oh. Oh my God. We're like, what? No <laugh>. And they're like, well we got these nat scopes and we got this farm and we're going Right. The four wheelers and the side by sides. And so I'm very much looking forward. Dang. Wow. And the shackle for Lane Boys. They're some big boys. They're like, what? Maclin like 6 2 6. They're like tall guys.
Speaker 3 01:17:00 It's about my height. Yeah,
Speaker 0 01:17:02 You're right. The size, the size of Harper. Um, they're like six three, like 2 62 6. That's these, just these two like jacked farmer dudes. Yeah. And we're just gonna go down there and party with 'em. And then we're coming back and covering NASCAR this
Speaker 3 01:17:14 Weekend. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 0 01:17:16 The rays rowdy at the, um, at the Ally 400 at the Nashville Super Speedway in Lebanon, Tennessee.
Speaker 3 01:17:22 Oh my gosh. It's gonna be wild. It's
Speaker 0 01:17:24 Gonna be f and then we go up to Ohio for another festival, uh, the week of the fourth.
Speaker 3 01:17:27 You are busy. I love it.
Speaker 0 01:17:29 I'm busier now than I was tour managing and I thought tour managing was
Speaker 3 01:17:31 Like, you're like, I'm gonna be able to relax a
Speaker 0 01:17:33 Little bit. Yeah, I'm gonna do a hundred, a hundred, a hundred plus dates with Trey Lewis every year. I thought that kept me busy enough, but turns out running a company keeps you pretty, pretty fucking busy too. But girl bro, I really appreciate you coming on. Oh, thank you so much. And congrats on on all the stuff going on for you and can't wait to see where you're at. We'll do this again and at some point and hopefully
Speaker 3 01:17:50 We don't wait two years.
Speaker 0 01:17:51 No, we will not wait two years. Yeah. <laugh>. And I'd love to have you and another member of the crew on with you. Yeah. Like, could you imagine we had like you and Tyler or you and Meg or you and Ben. Let's do it.
Speaker 3 01:18:00 That would be awesome.
Speaker 0 01:18:00 I wanna meet and I wanna meet this John DiUS guy,
Speaker 3 01:18:02 John de dj and then there's another artist that you need to know about. Who's that? Alex Lambert.
Speaker 0 01:18:06 Yes. So
Speaker 3 01:18:07 Good. He has been
Speaker 0 01:18:08 Popping up. Nikki t has been putting me on him. Yes. Fantastic.
Speaker 3 01:18:11 Incredible, incredible vibe. Incredible voice. You, you gotta get on it. Yes,
Speaker 0 01:18:16 We will get on that for sure. Y'all be sure. Check out our girl Harper O'Neal. Um, coming to a city near you. You can get all the dates on harper O'Neal music.com. Follow along and if you're a Sirius XM listener, be sure to call up the highway. Tell him to play the shit outta guilty. Guilty is on the highway, on the horizon right now. Be sure to hit him up and get our girl Har peroneal some more spins out there and uh, be sure to go check her out on Tour. Stream the shit outta the music and even buy some merch on the website. She's got it all. Appreciate you guys watching and listening as always. Uh, shout out to our friends from big friendly productions. Get your merch on there. Shout out to Alex and Paige. We also got Whale Tale Media, Saxon Studios, and of course our boy Mitch Wallace with the Digital Marketing Agency. For more information on us, hit up raise rowdy.com for our girl Harper, our boy sweet boy behind the camera. My name is Matt Per, and this has been outside the round.
Speaker 5 01:19:25 I ain't never been tostan one place for too long. I ain't never been the Bastar. I love you too girl. I love only got a couple tricks on my, so you know me
Speaker 1 01:19:46 If
Speaker 5 01:19:46 You know me, the.
