042: Blake Sager of Grady Spencer & The Work
On Episode 42, I'm joined by Blake Sager, drummer of the Ft. Worth-based band, Grady Spencer & The Work. During this one, we talk about joining The Work when Spencer relocated to Ft. Worth, his influences, the Ft. Worth music scene, and recording Spencer & The Work's latest album.
Interview Transcript
Note: Transcripts aren’t always accurate since they are computer automated and haven’t been edited for spelling, grammar, etc.
Thomas Mooney 0:06
Everyone, welcome to episode number 42 of the new slang podcast. I'm Thomas Mooney, the editor in chief of new slang here in Lubbock. And if you listened to Episode 41, I said that we're going to try and get through three episodes out this week because I've got so many backed up. This episode right here is with Blake Sager. He's the drummer for Grady Spencer in the work. It's kind of a shorter episode, probably about 30 minutes or so. So often, whenever a band is interviewed, it's typically like, you know, the lead singer, the guy writing the lyrics. That's usually the only guy or the only person talking from the band. You never really hear the opinions of the other people in the band. And it can be refreshing whenever you I guess, one of one of those other guys get a chance to speak. And so yeah, this interview right here was really really fun. We just talk about really like the the other side of Grady Spencer in the work, I guess, like the what the opinions of the other guys in the band, like how the creative process works, what their opinions are, or what Blake's opinions are, as far as like how songs come together, you know, that kind of thing. So um, yeah, as I mentioned, Episode 41 is up that is, with my car mire of Mike in the moon pies. It's a really good episode. A lot of fun. And, yeah, as far as what I have written lately, there is a piece on wide open country with Ross Cooper. It's a song premiere of his of I wrote the wild horses, which is the self, the title track of his new record coming out. That's going to be coming out in March. And it's a really great song off of a really incredible record. I'll end up getting a few other pieces on wide open country this week. So be on the lookout for those. Now, officially, the new slang podcast is on Spotify. So if you search the new slang podcast on Spotify, you can follow us there and listen to these podcasts there. The only downside of that is that there's not like the back catalogue of interviews and everything. So you still have to go to iTunes, if you're on iTunes. So go ahead and keep on listening there. If that's the way you want to listen to the podcast. If you're over there, go ahead and leave us a review. Tell your friends to listen to us either on Spotify or on iTunes. And yeah, anyways, here's this interview with with Blake Sager of greedy Spencer and the work.
So we're rounding at the end of the year here. What is uh, what's been like your favorite stuff you've been listening to lately? Oh, man, we're this year, like if he had like your top 10 list kind of do.
Blake Sager 3:11
Shit. You know, I made this at one point and then just disappeared. I think number one, I think Damn, like Kendrick Lamar was just absolutely incredible. I'm just I'm still like unpacking it and like I listened to it so much when it came out and then gave it a break. I think came back to it recently and again, like there's so much there. Like, his lyricism is great. His beats are incredible. You know, Kendrick as a conceptual artist is really born out and like I learned there's there's not really anybody else that's doing what he's doing. So that was really good. There's like kind of an indie band out of North or South Carolina called the collection. been listening to a lot of them. It's very much early 2000s indie folk, but there's a lot to lyrics really cool stuff going on there. And then Dang, I just had one of them disappeared.
Thomas Mooney 4:06
Get your phone Yeah, I'm pulling out my phone. Cuz I just look at my listen history. So the thing about Damn, I think I saw something about there's like a Kendrick quote about how really it was meant to be listened to back Yeah. And so like, when I first listened to it, and it's going through, I put out like a mid year review kind of thing. Like these are the records my favorite records and right said on that was that it's like kind of like we were what is it like the Greek myth, mythological snake that eats itself? Yeah. Yeah. Because like, at any point, you can probably start the story and just continue listening. And then when he said, you know, you can listen to it backwards. I was like, Well, shit.
Blake Sager 4:52
Yeah. Well, you know, he released a collector's edition. That was backwards. Okay, yeah, that I that came out like a week or two ago. There's another really bad As a podcast called dissect Yeah. And the first season of dissect, he went track by track through To Pimp A Butterfly. And that was really when I kind of started to understand like, gee, like Kendrick is operating really another one. Yeah. So that one's great. And then the last album was crackup by fleet foxes. You know, so they took a break, like a long, five year break. Robin there, frontmen actually went to Columbia to study like Columbia University to study literature, and then he dropped the absolute bombshell of a record. harmonies are incredible. You know, it's it's without Jay Tillman. Exactly. And so it really kind of shows that like, you know, he was obviously a fantastic musician, but I don't think you know, how much he have an influence he had on the writing process, because it's still really incredible. And really harmonically and lyrically dense. So that one is obsolete incredible. Yeah.
Thomas Mooney 5:51
I still haven't I listened to it one or two times by just really never got into it. And I think like, that's sometimes when a band does that when they take a five, six year break. Sometimes you're different. I hate to say I'm a different person than I was last time when I when their last record came out. helplessness, blues, right? You help us blues. But like, I don't know, like, I listened to it. And I was like, I don't know. I just don't have it. The same drive? Yeah, to listen to it as I did, like, their first two records.
Blake Sager 6:23
And see, that's how I feel about Radiohead, which I really think is like the master of the slowburn. Because King of Limbs, which is there one before the last one and the last one, which was a moon shaped pool. I always say a pole shaped moon, I get it. So yeah. But both of those are really, really incredible records. And I think some of the best work that radio has done, but like nothing grabbed me. Yeah, I think it's like super, like pompous to say like, Oh, you got to sit on you got to think Yeah, but I think you know, Radiohead, and this new fleet foxes album like it really is a slow burn. And yeah, once you get through some of the some of that, I don't know, I guess that just callousness. It really starts to hit you.
Thomas Mooney 7:02
Yeah, what? Last week, I was talking with Mike in the moon pies, Mike. And I had said, we were talking about Radiohead, and I said something to the effect of like, maybe like, in 10 years, we'll start getting these records. Because like, I felt like it took me 10 years to get to really go, man, the fucking bins is amazing. Yeah, that's like my favorite record of ours now. But I did like today when it came out and okay computer. I can't really say like, okay, computer when it came out, cuz I was like, 10 years. The first time I hurt, you know what I mean? Yeah, but it's not until years later that I felt like Oh, shit, this is actually really good. And like, I don't know, I think like kid a may be like the best record of the, the, the the generation, I guess what, this decade?
Blake Sager 7:46
Yeah, it was generational. Yeah. And I just because that was 2000
Thomas Mooney 7:52
get something like that. 2000 2001
Blake Sager 7:54
I think yeah, I think it was early. And I just got into a in like, a fake Twitter argument with some friends A while back. And then I I I tweeted that. Illinois, or Illinois by soufiane was the best record. Yeah. of the of the of the arts, if you will, like 2000 2010 and the one point that I would concede was kidding. Yeah, I was like, Oh, shit, I forgot about that one. That might be the one that's better. So
Thomas Mooney 8:17
yeah. See, like, I think another slow burn band for me is the National they're one of my favorite bands. But it takes me so long to really digest a full record of theirs.
Blake Sager 8:30
Yeah, and it's almost like I don't know it's kind of like it's mixed. Very similar, I think to like early emo music when that the like, the vocals are kind of buried in the mix, but they don't have all of these like really piercing, you know, sad emo licks to kind of catch your attention. And so you really have to dig and you know, just the way that you know, he's not a high intensity singer. Yeah, man. I think his name is Matt you know, he's like, just remember like talking really low and he's barely singing at all and so that it took a long time for them to grab my attention at all because I don't know like I just I think I just wanted to be wowed by something and that's you know, that's not they're not the band that just Yeah, yeah, like blow up in your face and then
Thomas Mooney 9:12
well, whenever boxer came out I used to get a whole lot of magazines like under the radar. Yeah, stuff like that. And you know, they're just you know, saying that boxers the best record. Yeah, yada yada yada. So I go out and get it and I'm just so underwhelmed by it. Yeah. And I give it like eight months late, you know, and then I listen to it again. And I'm like, holy shit, and I'm like, this is actually good. And I think honestly, like, of the bands they're slow burn bands like that. I feel like the national takes the most honestly, patience but like the the time that you need to be writing it like it's a band that like, if it hits you it's going to be mainly because of like where you are in your life. And with boxer. I thought so much It was about that gap period between like being a kid in college and being like, What am I supposed to be doing? And like feeling like you're too old, like, time just taking too much from you too fast. You know what I mean? Yeah. And I felt like that record for me was just like, it hit me in a point in my life where I was like, shit, man, this this. Yeah, this is me right now. Like just feeling like times just passing away too quickly. I'm getting too old. And mind you. I'm like, 23 at the time. Yeah, whenever I really just fill this record. 23 is a rough year. Yeah, I remember that. Because like, you feel like you're old and you're not really old at all. But
Blake Sager 10:46
well, and that's Yeah. And this is a whole other conversation. But it's that idea of like, I don't know, you walk out with a degree or you're supposed to walk out what the degree right? And like, I don't know, I think I always thought that I would like, leave that stage of being in my, you know, super early 20s with a boon of knowledge and kind of a direction and a plan. And that was not the case at all. So that's my that's good to hear that somebody else. Yeah. 23 year old, I was confused. I think
Thomas Mooney 11:10
so much of that time period is you have these, you're like, you're putting yourself against expectations like everyone else. And like, what the plan is supposed to be all that kind of stuff like what you're supposed to be. And I mean, like, I feel like it's probably every person. Yeah, but you feel like you're just behind that plan. Like you're behind. Yep. And you're behind on schedule. Oh, shit. Yeah, anyways, that was like one of those for me boxer was just, yeah, record. Yeah. But of course, I listened to a whole bunch of the those like New York buzz bands around that. Yeah, like Interpol. That was still like my favorite. Yeah, on a record. Yeah. I just feel like that's such a good winter record. Highlights?
Blake Sager 11:59
Yeah, Yeah, no kidding. Yeah. And that's, you know, that's kind of like, I don't know, I just I dig. I really like like post Rock Instrumental stuff. And anytime that you can pull that drone into something with maybe a little bit of melody, I get super excited. Yeah. Because it's rare that you see those two kind of put together. So yeah.
Thomas Mooney 12:20
Going back to like national, but like, comparing this for y'all. Remember, like, Matt one time, I think it was like this little bit of a mini doc or something like that, that I'd watched on them. And they said, because it's to two pairs of brothers. There's five people, two pairs of brothers and Matt, lead singer, and how I guess when they're creating a record, and like they're making all these little decisions on how a song is going to be the arrangements, all that kind of stuff. It gets into heated discussions, right? Yeah, arguments where, obviously, these guys are brothers, and you can take it to another level with your family that you wouldn't necessarily with a, you know, just a contemporary a friend or Well, yeah, or bandmate. But like that you have all these little arguments where sometimes it's three, two, this way on a song, but it's three to the other way on another song, and you're like, the first song, let's say you and me are right, on opposite ends. But the second song, you know, we're on the same page. How much of that is the same way when making a record? That you've seen yourself in?
Blake Sager 13:28
Yeah, that's well, you know, and I think it's my it's the stuff that I've done with Grady is the only the only recording process that I've I've actually had or even have wanted to have a say and how things sound usually I'm just kind of a hired gun. Right. And I just show up and playing and that's about it, right, like nine to five job. But, you know, when I when we record with Grady, there's a little bit of back and forth. But you know, we don't we don't ever really get heated. I don't you know that I don't think that's the way that that any of us are really wired. Grady and I, you know, Grady is very, very people oriented, right person oriented. I think that's why we've had a lot of the success that we've had. And not only is he a great songwriter, like he's a really nice, dude, he's a really good guy, and people just connect with them. And I am not that I dislike people, but I'm very business very, like analytics, data driven. And so the only like, fights that we've gotten have been over like business practices, and not necessarily the records. But you know, the way that it works is great. He is great. He writes by himself. The dude is writing machine. It's kind of unfair, how quickly he writes songs and how quickly he puts them out. But he'll bring us these songs that are more or less completed and written and then just kind of hands it over. Right and so that's not to say that he takes a backseat during the recording process, but he isn't really super pushy or super controlling. You know, when we've got Trevor as on guitar is a brilliant guitarist and Johnny on bass. He's a brilliant, great bassist and, you know, he really trusts the three of us to kind of Make it work, right. Yeah. And that's been super fun. That make it work part. Trevor and I are both, you know, quote unquote classically trained. And so there's been a couple of times when Grady's brought us a song, like, Man, this is in four different time signatures. How are we gonna get it? You know, we'll kind of push back and forth. But yeah, you know, it's never gotten heated. I would never say that we fought in the studio. Maybe this next time? I don't know. Maybe I should pick a fight.
Thomas Mooney 15:25
Yeah, that needs to happen. Because, you know, obviously, tension creates, yeah, amazing results. Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac. Yeah. You heard it. You heard it here. First grade, Spencer's rumors is going to be coming. Next. Fantastic. But, yeah, I mean, like, I've always wondered how, I mean, it's obviously different with different people, but just how much control somebody wants over a song with a Britain, you know, I mean, because I feel like, sometimes, you know, you can be, you know, people who are like, this is the way I've envisioned in my head, and you're fucking with it, for lack of a better term, you know?
Blake Sager 16:08
Yeah. And there's also this, this propensity, and I think we all fall into it very quickly. And, you know, we the, the real popular phrase is, you know, you are not your art. Right, you are a separate distinct entity from the art that you create. And so when we forget that we take all criticism extremely personally, right? Because it's like, no, you're not, you're not making a suggestion to this thing that I wrote, you're making the suggestion that the the thing that I am, yeah. And, you know, I think we're pretty good at making this essentially, obviously, we, you know, we'll, you know, we'll get butthurt over things. But, you know, that's when you're all in and when, like, when you're really dug in on a song, that line really starts to blur, you know, and yeah, you know, that's why we all have existential crisis. In the studio, right?
Thomas Mooney 16:51
Yeah. Yeah. So last time, you guys worked with pop All right. Yeah, yeah, we did. You work with Eliza Ford on that. Oh,
Blake Sager 17:02
yeah. It was Papa, and then grant. Okay. Yeah, Grant. And then a guy named Ryan Tharp. did a little bit of production on it. Yeah. So it was kind of a, it was definitely, you know, a little bit more involved from a production standpoint than the first record. But it still wasn't, you know, we didn't bring in a producer. We didn't we just kind of had the songs and rehearse the shit out of them, and then showed up and tracked him, right. Yeah. Yeah.
Thomas Mooney 17:29
What What do you guys think? I mean, I feel like he's just a great, he's a writing machine. Yeah, I'm assuming that something. You're gonna be coming forward in the next. Yeah. 18 months or so?
Blake Sager 17:40
I think so. I think the plan is next year. And so it's my I say that he's writing machine, I think, I think he's actually not had a whole lot of time to write in the like in the recent past, right, like the last couple of months. But we're playing a couple of, we're playing a couple of pretty big shows next year that have really wide radiuses on them. And so I think that Grady's plan is was to hunker down and write, and we'll rehearse and hopefully get in the studio by the end of the year. And Grady definitely writes in bursts, I think that I've, you know, there have been months with nothing, and it'll show up with three new songs. It seems like I'm sure that's probably not how it is at all. Maybe he just finished them at the same time. But they certainly he just seems to introduce several songs at once. So yeah, I think that a lot of first quarter next year is going to be a lot of writing and pre production. I think that we're all in a much better place and a much better musicians than the last record, which is also what we said about previous Yeah, exactly. And that that kind of cycles, always fun. So I don't know, I don't know what we'll do. Yeah, I think that that we may take a couple of different business routes. I'm not sure, you know. But yeah, I'm excited to see what happens for sure.
Thomas Mooney 18:50
Yeah. I think like last record. And I say this every time to with with y'all is really any band from out of this area. I've said you know, that you see so much. You see the maturation process? Yeah. So much from record to record. And this last record, I thought of yours was just it pop just right in the right places. And I think it was just like crisp and clean and yeah, really? obviously great. He has that working man. Yeah, yeah. Yep. Kinda. And I think that like, the sound is that and yeah, somebody The lyrics are obviously. Yeah, go to that.
Blake Sager 19:32
Yeah. And that will always be a theme with us, which is super interesting, because I'm not blue collar, right? Like, I'm a software developer. It's funny to see like dollies and hammers and stuff on our merge, like, I'm such a fraud. But now, you know, and that's, you know, we've had lots of conversations about branding and marketing, because that's kind of just the way that I think and what you know, what we kind of arrived on is that, you know, our core, like the goal. If you had one word, it's just work, right? Like, that's what we're gonna do. Like we may, we may we never get a big budget, right? We may never, you know, brush elbows, with the National grades, whatever. We're just gonna bust our ass and kind of see what happens. And I think that has led to really rapid like the the hockey stick graph of maturity, I think. Yeah. And the other thing is, too is that, you know, we always, quote unquote, struggle with the Texas country designation. No, thankfully, this is ingredie saying this, this pisses somebody off, he can this pisses somebody off, he can just blame it on me. But, you know, we certainly say that because it gets us in the door. And people identify us as that. And so that's great. But I don't know how much of aside from the working man kind of motif. I don't know how much Texas country we really have in us. Like there's some Twain for sure. But yeah, we all listened to really weird stuff. And that that comes through I think a lot.
Thomas Mooney 20:52
Yeah, I think two points on that. I think that for starters, if you guys were from Michigan, yeah. Obviously you just be rock and roll. Whatever the case is. But like, one of my this is also like one of my little problems, too is like whenever people just lump anything called country. Yeah. If somebody has like an accent, a southern accent, yeah. Western accent kind of thing going. Because I'm like, well, just because they have like, really sound like they're from the south does not mean, right there. They're playing country music. Yeah, Southern, whatever the case is, right. But then also, like, I think, you know, 10 years ago, obviously, you wouldn't have been lumped in with Texas country. Maybe that's a good thing that like the the quote, Texas country has been able to whatever the Texas country is, right has been able to expand enough. Yeah. To include all these different bands that are not what I would never traditionally call right, quote, Texas country or red dirt. Because I think like Shane Smith and the saints, yeah, it's very much the same thing. Um, yeah, like, that does not feel like now though, Texas country, but obviously, they get like, lumped in is the same way. And I mean, in my opinion, I used to be kind of like, combat this kind of thing. But like now, I don't know, maybe like it's a it's a good thing.
Blake Sager 22:11
Well, and I've, I'm a thing. Yeah, I'm of the opinion that you know that words, for the most part mean? What you mean them to me, right? Like, they're just gonna absorb whatever meaning you put into them. So if enough people use hexes country to describe a really wide group of people, and that's what it's, that's what's going to happen. Yeah. And I think the the other thing, too, is that I also love the Texas country crowd, I love the people that come out to these shows, right? Like, that's, there's, there's an authenticity, Authenticity, and genuineness that you're not really gonna find, I think anywhere else outside of Texas. And plus, you know, Texas crowds are always great, because for the most part, we give a damn, yeah, right. I remember when we went to a show with Grady a couple years ago, and there were three bands in there, when the opener play, they were from LA, and they were probably 100 of us there waiting for the headliner. And they were just blown away that Texans were there, you know, three, three hours early, essentially in giving a shit about this band from LA they've never heard of. And so I really appreciate that about Texas country fans, and the scene is that, man, they give a damn, they're not there to be seen. Yeah, most part, they're really just there to enjoy themselves and have a good time. And there's, there's really, really empowering as an artist, right?
Thomas Mooney 23:21
Yeah. I think like the biggest thing with Texas country has been the, the infrastructure. I mean, like, think of all the bars that wouldn't necessarily be playing live music. Yeah. You know what I mean? If it wasn't for a fan base, right, like, you know what I mean, it's I think that's like the biggest part of it now. Because I probably have referenced this a few times in the podcast, so I apologize. Like Wade Bowen, whenever I talked with him, he said, You know, one of the biggest things was that he had his own PA system. Yeah, in the early days. Yeah. And that was like a big selling point, right was that were like the bars and stuff that was he was able to bring his own PA, and set up, because a lot of bars didn't have the setup, to play live music on a weekend basis. And like, I think, like, that's the probably the biggest thing of like that, quote, generation of Texas country is that they set like they helped, you know, build a foundation where a lot of bands these days are able to pick up off just because like, you know, they've got a place to play, you know,
Blake Sager 24:36
yeah. And that's one thing that was surprising to me to learn that like, Texas is one of the only places that you could just you can just tore Texas and make a living. Right. That's pretty incredible. When you think about it, like you can never leave this state and you know, be able to feed your family. Again, it's because we've kind of laid this infrastructure. I think you're absolutely right there. Yeah.
Thomas Mooney 24:54
I think like, on the other side, obviously, is that the detriment to you that kind of thing is that I There's so many bands who I don't feel challenged themselves to get out of the state. Obviously, it's like a, in a way a safety net, right. But,
Blake Sager 25:13
yeah, that's probably a valid point. Man, but breaking out of the state is hard. Like, it's really tough. And really, you can't do it unless you have an entire state behind you. Right. And I'm sure you've heard this before. But you know, in a perfect world, the way that touring works, you go, you hit your markets, you're making money, and then you go, where nobody knows you. Right? And then you come back, and to hopefully hit more of your markets and make money. And so if you can hit all of Texas, and then that'll give you a lot of momentum, yeah, to go outside. But it's it's tough man. It really is hard leaving leaving the state. We've not done a whole lot. But it requires, I don't know, it sounds like starting from ground zero. Yeah. But you know, you've tasted well, local, what it is local success. What
Thomas Mooney 25:57
it is, is that it's like the late 90s, early or the 90s, early 2000s version of Texas everywhere else for 49 other states, you know what I mean? Just to use that analogy, because like, they don't necessarily have the infrastructure of a local scene or regional scene. So I say,
Blake Sager 26:20
well, and you know, regional scenes and other states are going to be just as different music. Yeah, exactly. Like, you know, there's a huge regional scene in Chicago, but it's not what we do. Yeah. You know, and it's the same everywhere you go. And so, and that's, you know, that's this whole other discussion of like, the value, slash the pain and the asset, it is working to try to get your stuff on the radio, is it's such a slog, it's such I love DJs, I really do, I think they have a great job. They do a lot for us, but they're just overwhelmed with requests, right? And so to even have a shot in hell, you've got to be able to get your music on some kind of airways. And that's really hard, right? It's really tough to do by yourself.
Thomas Mooney 27:01
Yeah, well, how much is like, on a band level, how much is like Spotify helped or not helped?
Blake Sager 27:08
Spotify is really interesting. You know, the quick disclaimer is the average, the average amount that an artist makes, it does vary because of their formula. But the average amount that an artist makes per spin is point 02 cents, right? So we're not even talking a full spin. And so the quick disclaimer is, it'd be really nice if we got paid more than points or two cents a spin, right? Yeah. But, you know, industries change, it's not going back. And Spotify has helped us a lot. And it's been really interesting, because we're only, you know, we played in Lubbock, we're played in Dallas and Fort Worth. But that's it. We don't have any other radio play elsewhere. But our Spotify numbers are really good, you know, things to do broke a million spins, earlier this year, which was really cool. I got a royalty check for $12. I'm really good about that. But you know, we they will, again, like me being more business minded and more analytical, like, I've really been able to say, oh, there's a ton of people sending us in the city we've never been, we should try to go there. And so they do give you insights. And Spotify is credit, they, you know, they give you insights, like spans, demographics, and all sorts of stuff like that. So you know, the numbers are there to help us kind of be a little more persuasive in our in our pitches to the news and stuff. And also, the amount of times that people have sent me emails saying, Hey, I found you guys on Spotify, at this point really is a numerable. I mean, it's several times a month. I'm sure it's even more for some other people. So there is absolutely value in what Spotify does. Yeah. You know, and they've tried to, like, you can sell merch through Spotify, and you can sell tickets and all that stuff. And so they're, you know, they are trying to make a conduit to help artists do what they do. So yeah,
Thomas Mooney 28:51
yeah, because I wonder like, just how many bands are utilizing the, the analytical aspect of Spotify have? Like you said, like, Oh, we've got a bunch of people who listened to us in blank city. Maybe we should make a, an attempt to play that city.
Blake Sager 29:09
Yeah, I think I mean, obviously, your big bands are doing it, right, because they've got the they've got the capital to pay someone to do it. As far as the smaller ones. Yeah, I don't know, I think it's probably pretty low. Because every conversation that I've had about this subject and about what I do as Spotify, the reaction has always been, oh, I had no idea that Spotify did that. You know, and I had to hunt for it. To be honest, like I kind of saw, I saw like a screenshot on somebody's Instagram, you know, two or three, four years ago, and they had to hunt for the artist insights at that point. It was a beta and somehow I snuck in. But I think starting like mid this year, they made a huge push. So hopefully more people take advantage of it. But I mean, it's a tool, and it's changed the industry. Like it's not going back and so we got to squeeze every ounce of value out of it that we can
Thomas Mooney 29:54
Yeah. Yeah. Because like that's my opinion, what if you're not being able to get Get paid a ton off of a spin. At least use it for what you can you know what I mean? So,
Blake Sager 30:10
yeah, and again, like, I think that there's some discussion that like spends can lead to record sales. I think we all certainly encourage that. Like, hey, if you discover an artist, tweet about us, tip us come buy a T shirt, something right, because that really, really helps. But yeah, you're right. Like, the, the people that refuse to change, unfortunately, are going to have a very hard life. Yeah, you know,
Thomas Mooney 30:33
so? Well, I mean, like the people who refuse to change our, it always feels like we're like, super anti Spotify, right? Super anti streaming. Why aren't people making records? I'm never putting my music to stream. It always. It always feels like they're from the old guard who already made money. Right? Yeah, like, for example. I mean, like Prince's music just went on ratify after he died. Right. Which I thought was like, kind of, yeah, you know, sketchy, but yeah. But you know, you know, he was holding out a Garth Brooks holds out, right. He's not on YouTube. Apple Music. No, he doesn't even sell his records on iTunes. Yeah. And yet, yeah, obviously, that guy can sell out. When he played here in Lubbock. He played like eight shows, and sold out every show. Yeah. But of course, that's Garth Brooks. And not right. Garth Brooks playing in Stillwater. Yeah, make it as a band.
Blake Sager 31:31
Well, and that's that you're absolutely right. And it's, I don't know, not to make this terribly political. But that sounds like a lot of arguments that are given to the younger generations that Well, here's what I did. Like, yeah, the markets completely different than Yes. Is not even fair to compare the two. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think you're right. And what's funny, it's interesting. You know, a lot of the ones that I see doing it aren't even from the old guard because Taylor Swift delays putting her stuff out. Yeah. But again, it's Taylor Swift. And she's got, you know, absurd amounts of capital behind the marketing on her she partnered with like you ups. Yeah, they're like ups, ads and stuff. So
Thomas Mooney 32:06
Taylor Swift. I'm a fan of Taylor Swift. I'm not really a fan of like the last record that I can always say that just because the songs I heard I was like, This is not like, I don't
Blake Sager 32:17
Yeah, well, you know what it did end up being it didn't end up being a train the train wreck that I think we all expected. Yeah, cuz that first truck came out. I was like, What in the hell because 1989 was incredible. I thought that was a great record. Yeah. And this last one came out we were, I think I tweeted, like, I'm really confused. And one of my friends was like, I think she was she. Yeah. But yeah,
Thomas Mooney 32:40
well, one of the things about her though, is, or there was a, maybe it was, like, 18 months ago or so. There was a an article from the ringer, which was I can't remember exactly the headline, but it was something to the effect of like, when did you realize Taylor Swift was playing you or something like, and what it was about was like, you know, her being dis genuine, I guess. Yeah. And either her marketing or her like, song or you know what I mean? And I get like, like you were saying earlier, you need to be able to separate yourself from your art. Right. And so how much of that is like that? We believe that, especially with a songwriter, that whatever they're saying in song is them in law? Yeah, absolutely. And with the last where that first thing, I don't even know what the hell it's called. But like, when she says, you know, it sounds like she's still hung up on a relationship. That was, like, years ago, right. And, like, in the like, I said, like this piece. It had, like, you know, different people saying when they didn't necessarily check out on Taylor, but like, what they've been given her the,
I don't know. I don't know. The
I don't know just discrediting her. Yeah, for like, the marketing aspect. And one of the things you know, was her dating Tom Hiddleston. Middleton, Loki. Yeah. And how like, how staged that look in the house. Yeah, awkward and weird. It was stuff like that. And I'll show you the article. Yeah.
Blake Sager 34:20
After we do that. And I don't know. I guess I kind of understand that because people want authenticity. Yeah, gas, but like primaries like it's not your damn business. Yeah. Right. Like, it would stage Well, why are you paying attention? I don't know.
Thomas Mooney 34:33
Yeah, I think there's there's some thing to her saying, you know, shake it off. Right? I'm over you, yada, yada, yada. And then going, like changing the entire thing and being like, you should be not over me. Yeah, like, I
Blake Sager 34:52
don't know. I don't get it either. Right. I don't claim to under I don't you know, I don't claim to have the art of songwriting down or But again, like I think, I don't know, like, there's just a narrative there. It doesn't have to be her. Yeah. Right. It doesn't have to be. It doesn't have to be her at all times. Right. Like you write songs in different places in your life. And, you know, they may not mean the same thing as when you wrote them, but they're still meaningful. And they're still your songs. Yeah, I don't know. I guess anything else. I'm again, like, I'm, I was on a really huge fan of the last record, but I think people go a little crazy. And they're a little overly critical.
Thomas Mooney 35:28
Yeah. I think 1989 was, like you said it was amazing. Yeah. Just the production on it was just so good. Really, really good. The other side of that the relationship thing? Did you listen to the Harry Styles record? No, I haven't yet. Talked about production. Yeah. It's really good. It's just a really good pop record. Yeah, it sounds so good. There's a couple songs. I'm like, skip. Yeah, but he's a hell of a songwriter and one of my buddies the saying, you know, he can't wait for you can't wait. For like, no Gallagher to produce a record of his or something. Yeah. Five years. Yeah. Cuz like it'll happen. Something like, you know, yeah. Because it was very, very Britpop. Yep. In a way. And that's something that I don't know. I never really paid attention to Harry Styles before. Now. This record sounds good. And
Blake Sager 36:23
that's, you know, yeah. I'm just super stoked on where pop as a whole is going because it's all very dark. Like it's very moody there. It's very, I don't know, very thematically heavy. And you know, from a production standpoint, like super gated reverb, snare and Toms are back in the giant high hats and it'll spacey like Noah Gunderson. I just heard a track. I haven't listened to his newest record. But again, it's like super dark pop. It's really cool. Yeah, I'm anything like, as long as pop keeps going in that direction. I'm super excited about
Thomas Mooney 36:54
there's a Vox video about the now I'm gonna butcher this up, as far as just like doing it as far as just the lowest common denominator on describing this, right? Cuz I'm not an engineer, but, uh, talking about how like the drums of like, the early 80s are coming back. And that may be what you're talking? Yeah. Yeah. As far as like, Yeah. Like what you would call? Like, the example is like in the air tonight, right? Yeah. Like that. Like, where it's just like that top? Yeah. Part of the job. Yeah. Right. Yeah. How that's coming. But yeah.
Blake Sager 37:26
And it's well, and that, you know, everything is cyclical, right? Because I think that whenever, if you think of that snare like that, you know, if I if I tried to make the sound it would clip but it's like real dry and like, Yeah, really quick. Everybody's doing that. I'm doing it tonight. Right? Like I detune it. So do that. If you hear that in the context of born in the USA. That's kind of like I Rowley, right. Yeah, great. The song again. But when you hear it in the context of 2017, dark pop or whatever, it's really cool. And so it's kind of proves that all these all these styles are cyclical. I think,
Thomas Mooney 37:58
like so much of that is it, it creates an air of sound? Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? Because when you think of when you hear those drums, most people think of it as being a 80s sound. And that's why I like whenever people play it now, it feels nostalgic, in a way interesting, you know?
Blake Sager 38:20
Yeah, but I think, you know, to the idea of recorded music is a very new concept. And so we've not fleshed out what the cycles look like, right? And so maybe this is the it's not maybe this is the first time that you know, a cycle has really come full circle, like in the mainstream. Right. And we're just understanding like, maybe in a few years, yeah, it'll be nostalgic for
Thomas Mooney 38:41
Yeah, well, it could be only 17. They could be where it's a it's the first time or like, one of the first times where it's been created in someone's early lifetime. You know what I mean? Like, where? take somebody who has like, their teenage years in the 80s 20s. And it's already back by the time they're younger. 50 Yeah. Something like that. Yeah, I'm just making me excited. Right. But well, I don't know people were starting to roll in here. Yeah, we're gonna call it quits. Cool. Yeah. That's great. Thanks for having a good one. Yeah, thanks.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai