061: Wade Bowen

Episode 061 is the return of Wade Bowen. We talk about Bowen's last album Solid Ground, how his songwriting has changed and morphed over the years, recording with producer Keith Gattis, and recovering from vocal surgery.

Interview Transcript

Note: Transcripts aren’t always accurate since they are computer automated and haven’t been edited for spelling, grammar, etc.

Thomas Mooney 0:04

Everyone, this is episode number 61 of new slang. I'm Thomas Mooney. And on this episode, I'm joined by Wade Bowen. This interview right here is actually probably about a month old or so, we recorded it last time, Wade was in town playing here. And, you know, I've said this about a lot of different people. But it's definitely true about Wade. I'm totally indebted to, to him up into this point right now in my career, because he's just done a whole lot for me. I think like, you know, of course, I've, I've earned a whole lot of respect from songwriters and artists over the years for, for what I've been doing here, with this, music journalists kind of stuff, but when you first start off, start out, when you're doing this early on, no one really knows what what you're doing. And if you're going to be good at it or not, and what your intentions are, you know, no one in the the industry, if you will, really knows any of that. But Wade was was one of those guys who he'd always at least meet me halfway on stuff, you know, interviews and availability, and all that kind of stuff, you know, even this interview right here, you know, he's just recently just had the surgery on his on his vocal cords and everything. And, you know, it's not necessarily something that he had to do. So, yeah, I mean, another great example is just with his last album, solid ground, you know, that came out in the early part of the year and that album, you know, it's a very intense kind of Listen, you, of course, have like these really great just prototypical Wade songs, you know, like, Day of the Dead, and so long Street and songs like that, but there's really some weighty ones in there as well, that can be difficult to peel back, and, you know, reveal all the, the, the insides of those songs, there's, there's some weight and depth to them. And those can, you know, be difficult to talk about. You know, what I've what I've kind of said about some of these songs is that Wade, makes you stare at those difficult situations. And, in turn, they make you question yourself about, about stuff that's in life. And anyways, though, like, back whenever I was writing, writing for wide open country, I was doing these track guides to new albums, and one of them was for solid ground and so that, like, Intel, trying to get as much like detail and story out of the material. And so wait, and I probably sat there for about like an hour and a half going over each song and pulling the strings if you will, that related back to two old songs of his and the themes and meanings of the songs. And since this is quote, you know, weights Texas album, what he's pulling from, as far as, like, other Texas artists and everything, a lot of folks, you know, they just really don't go that far into to detail. And, you know, they they don't want to work any of those secrets out. So anyways, that you know, this is just a long way of saying that the weights being really, really good to me over these years. And, you know, speaking of writing, last time, you listened to the podcast you heard me mentioning about like, wide open country changes, and well, I'll be doing some writing over at Rolling Stone now over on Rolling Stone country. My first little piece, is this a little snippet? I wrote a little short thing on a songwriter named Davis Nicks for the artists of watch list. It came out just on Monday. So yeah, if you want to go check that out, Davis, he just released this EP called part one earlier this month. It's really really solid. He's the like, I guess like the super, super easy comparison to for him is you know, like the Adam hood, Brent Cobb kind of stuff. That Southern laid back kind of groove and there's a little bit of haze Carl in there and some john prine references and anyways, go go read that on Rolling Stone go listen to Davis's EP, wherever you can. It's called part one. That also implies that there there will be a part two coming soon. So go do that.

songwriter competition finals. That's going to be this next Monday, November 5. They start at 8pm there's 15 songwriters competing. Those 15 are Derrick Bo Alicia Morgan Juliet McConkey. Julia Alexander Sam choke Connor Martin Bob Simpson Trey row. Lindsey lane, Lucas Tomlin Mitchell Ferguson Morgan Radford. Kenna, Danielle Taylor Shea and Caitlin sparks. That's 15 of them. They'll be playing two songs each. And it's free. So come out next Monday at blue light here in Lubbock. And watch these, these 15 artists play a total of 30 songs maybe more. I don't know. For sure before that, though, you know, you should definitely be really excited about this weekend coming up in blue or at blue light here in Lubbock. Friday and Saturday is going to be a doubleheader put on by red Shanahan. Zack Nye Tom. He's going to be opening both nights. And then Sunday is going to be really really, really great as well. To Lubbock legends, Brandon Adams and Ross Cooper are going to be doing a song swap on Sunday. So yeah, basically come out Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, every night If you want, I don't know. For more information and schedule stuff, go to blue light lubbock.com that is blue light Lubbock comm follow me on all the social media stuff if you want. It's underscore new slang on Twitter and Instagram. Just new slang on Facebook drop me a line at New slang dot editors@gmail.com new slang dot editors@gmail.com Subscribe rate review and share the podcast on iTunes and it's like five seconds to do you know so please do me that favor if you had a podcast I would do do that for you. So you know do that for me. Yeah, okay enough of all this stuff. Here is the interview with Wade Bowen

Wade Bowen 7:15

shouldn't even be talking and do it you guys were definitely shouldn't be singing but we got Justin filling in for some drums you know, Brian has baby so

Thomas Mooney 7:27

I saw you posted about that on on all the social media. Yeah, yeah.

Wade Bowen 7:33

Yep. So a couple of weeks with Justin Pollard on drums gonna be fun.

Thomas Mooney 7:38

Yeah, you guys were up in up at medicine stone just yesterday, weren't you?

Wade Bowen 7:43

Yeah last night. How was that I was the it was awesome and what a great setup

Thomas Mooney 7:47

that your first year there

Wade Bowen 7:48

Yeah. And man great setup and a great lineup we was the the main stage was read South all band co wetzel than us and then Randy Rogers, man. The 10 inside had like, making the motorcars after us, which was so much fun. And then the bandoliers were in a different place. It's really cool music festival. You need to make it up there somewhere and check it out. Yeah, do you? You'd love it.

Thomas Mooney 8:13

Yeah. Obviously, like with something like that. You guys are playing here the next night. You're on a bus and everything. So like, what's the what's the general I guess? protocol? Like what? What time do you guys leave it? Leave there?

Wade Bowen 8:28

We'll we left at 3am three and got here? I don't know. 11 o'clock that? Yeah.

Thomas Mooney 8:41

Is that like a transitioning to that? Whenever like, you know, you've been in? If you've been in a van for years, and then you transition into the bus, obviously, like you're able to leave at different times with it. Oh, yeah. What is that transition period? Mike?

Wade Bowen 8:58

Well, first of all, you can never go back to a man. And that's what I try to tell these young kids that are jumping into buses, you know, Parker, McCollum and CO and all these guys like Hey, y'all want to understand and do it? It's fun. It's a great idea, but two things it might break the bank. Yeah, and number two, you can't ever go back or you'll have to get a whole new band and crew because they won't be in a van anymore. I've been in a bus so the transition is really good going into a bus I can't imagine what it's like going back into a van you know? But you know there's good and bad to both You know, when we get when we get somewhere we're stuck. We had to find ride thank God for Uber nowadays. You know, when we first got on the bus, there was no Uber so it was pretty much stuck everywhere. So when you're in a band, you have the capability to travel and move around town a little easier and check some stuff out. But you know, I I used to sleep a lot better on the bus than I do. Now. I think that's just getting older. But you know, the goal As to leave at night after the show. So you sleep and you wake up the next town and have a full day to enjoy because you know, everybody thinks you know if we go to Boston or New York wherever man is cool must be awesome in that town right? It's like we're really in all honesty we don't really get to see very much you know, cuz we're doing this like here we are at soundcheck today. You know I love love it love run around love it. Can I have to hang around here and yeah, work you know. So it's it's a every

Thomas Mooney 10:29

day and on the same inside this area right here. Exactly. Yeah,

Wade Bowen 10:33

yeah. And unless it's unless we're lucky enough for the venue to be in a really cool area where you can walk around, you know, it's you kind of shit out of luck,

Thomas Mooney 10:42

right? Especially like, a town like Lubbock. Yeah, so sprawl sprawled out, for sure. Everything's a parking lot. So I mean, I don't know. I'm getting back to like medicine stone though. That was like the festival kind of thing. That's like, everyone always thinks like being a musician, you're able to like, go see your buddy's play all the time. And that's not obviously the case. Because you're playing. So like those festival settings. That's where you're able to really hang out and see other bands.

Wade Bowen 11:09

Yeah, for sure. The hanging out is so much fun. And seeing everybody else's shows us is an absolute blast. And yeah, that's it really is a huge strength. And one of the reasons those festivals become We look forward to them so much is because of those reasons. I mean, rain is one of my best friends in universe, but I saw his band and of course Ryan and I live like a minute from each other but as crazy seen his band and a lot of his crew guys like man, I'm a see no, and I can't remember last time I saw you on seemed like it's been a year at least. And yeah, got to catch up with Brady black and Jeffrey and chops and all those guy less and you know, it's cool to just see him and hang out and CO and I had a really good Hangout. I haven't spent a whole lot of time with COVID. So and obviously you hear about him all the time because he's blowing up like crazy. But we went and got an IV together yesterday afternoon and really got to visit with him about some cool stuff for a while and and he got up and sang with us last night and just really, really really liked that guy a lot. I figured I would have heard great things about him. But you know, you always got to get your own opinion of people and I got nothing but great things to say about co

Thomas Mooney 12:23

that's a video series right there. The the IV conversations during the IV Yeah, I hate needles. So like, I cannot do that

Wade Bowen 12:32

man is crazy. I used to hate needles so bad. And now I've gotten used to it. I even get myself my own allergy shots now. Really? Yeah. Like I've kind of just gotten over it as anything you do it enough. I guess it just yeah, I'm immune to it.

Thomas Mooney 12:45

Yeah. Yeah. co he's uh what I've always I find like the like his like since he's such a polarizing artists in the in the scene, you got a whole lot of these older guys being like, you know, not not wanting the changing of the tide. Right. All these seem like, they don't understand. Why is this kid so big? Right. And there's a lot of that talk. And then of course, you got a whole lot of 18 to 25 year old kids saying this is this is it right here. Right. I find that entire aspect of him blowing up so quickly. And I mean, like we say quickly, but it's not like he's just started making music last year or something. Right music for a while.

Wade Bowen 13:30

Yeah. He told me the other day, he had been doing it seven years. Pretty good. Wow.

Thomas Mooney 13:35

Yeah. So I think like the surprising thing that people would find is that he's so different offstage than he is on stage as far as the, you know, give me the bottle whiskey shots. And of course, you see like a bunch of videos of him. And this is one of the things I'm like, I don't understand, like, why you do it in the crowd. But like, have you seen anybody, like throw beer up at him? Like on stage? He's been hit by a couple like cans of beer. But what he does is he'll just grab it and finish it off and throw it back in the crowd. And like, I guess that's how you have to own it.

Wade Bowen 14:08

But you know what I mean? No, man, we've all had beer, so no, so I've never had the urge to drink it. I get pretty pissed. I don't think that's cool as hell like Cody can have gotten at that jack daniels handle thrown at him in Stillwater, Oklahoma and like 10 years ago, you know, knocked him out, man into the show. But yeah, I get it. He's he is embracing his personality, and what he's doing, you know, he's young, and you never know how people are going to respond when they start experiencing some success. And, and, you know, like I said, after hanging around him yesterday, I'm pretty proud of the way he's handling it. It seems like he's, I mean, he does. He does like to have a good time and nothing wrong with that. I was verse 26, he just turned 26 and you know, if I was at 26, I was not as successful as that and you know, Everybody handles it differently, you know, Parker's same way and use you just, for me, I just try to, I send them good vibes and be around them and try to tell them good stories and make sure they I don't know that part of me. I don't know why but part of me wants to, like, take care of those guys. You know, I say kids, they are kids, I want to take care of the kids as kids, I don't want to sound like the old fucking fart. But you know, I am older than them by a little bit inside us. You always want to help them out, and especially the ones that are good, and that are good people, you want to help them out and make sure they're trying to stay on the right path. And so I don't know, part of me wants to take care of them. And the other part like laughs how crazy it is, you know? Because I've been there,

Thomas Mooney 15:45

right? Yeah, Mina CO, we went and had breakfast one of the last times he was here, like, three in the morning, kind of knew we just had a good conversation was, uh,

Wade Bowen 15:56

he's got it, man. He's really Yeah, he's very quiet and reserved offstage. And he got up and saying motoring with us last night and just took over the mic. And it was great. Like, man, I'd love to see somebody have the ability to flip that switch and do that thing. It's

Thomas Mooney 16:10

Yeah. Cool. when something like that happens. Do you approach them? Or like, do they even do like other people just kind of throw it out? See, like, on stage with me? Yeah,

Wade Bowen 16:19

I asked him, okay. Yeah, I asked him if there was anything. And I don't really plan it out. Like I should, I probably should plan it out a lot more. But I hit up my tour manager and said, Hey, you know, telco if he's B cm, or whatever, if he wants to jump up on anything, to feel free, we'd love to have him. And so he came back said he wants to jump up on murdering I was a great, perfect, and he killed it. did a great job. So I mean, I love when people come up and saying so there's artists and other songwriters out there listening. We're always welcome everybody that wants to jam, play, play an instrument or come and sing a verse or somewhere. I love that stuff. So

Thomas Mooney 16:58

yeah, some Springsteen? Yeah, get something up, get some Springsteen? Hell yeah, for sure. You obviously, you had surgery A while back? How's that been going? Like, is that what's that process like, after that period of having to? Not saying,

Wade Bowen 17:14

Man, it's right, that's a hard answer. Because it's, it's a it's a mind. Focus is all of it. And you know, having having what happened to me, I've learned that there's, it's happened to a lot of people didn't really know that it happened to a lot of people. And my particular case was very rare. But you still have the same similar similar you know, things that happened to you like having to cancel shows without knowing it's coming up and right. We just, I mean, there was a time in there when I wasn't really sure if I was ever going to be able to sing again, if I was ever going to be on stage again. And so that's pretty heart wrenching, like damn, man, this is real, you know. It's pretty intense. It's it's a, it was a huge challenge, biggest I've ever faced in my career. I had a great doctor, though, who got me back. And I actually came back sooner than he wanted me to. But I told him I was just broke, I couldn't handle more than three months off, you know, had to cancel Europe tour and all kinds of stuff, all kinds of cool gigs. My first show I had to cancel, which broke my heart was ljt. Laird yo Taylor festival. And, you know, at that time, nobody even I didn't really know what was going on. And for guys been playing music for 20 years, and I've never cancelled a show from my voice, not once. And the first one I have to cancel is Larry to Taylor festival, you know, I'm just brokenhearted trying to get ahold of him out in the middle of nowhere. Hey, man, I'm so sorry, I can't be there. And that just started three months of hell, you know, four months ago. But everybody, the demand and crew and everybody, my family and everybody was so supportive and cool about it all. And as with everything, you know, we found a way to get through it. And it's been a shity, shity. Summer, shitty year, for the most part, for many, many reasons. So we're glad that hopefully most of that is behind us. And we're moving on and getting back to just love and playing music again. Both so far is holding up, we're just have to keep an eye on it. Probably will the rest of my life. found out you know, we're not invincible, like we think we are. Right. So yeah, I rough it.

Thomas Mooney 19:43

That's one of those things where, you know, it's, it's just like that it can be something, something that you don't really think. I mean, I don't necessarily think it's one of those things that you take that you've taken at Just trying to think of what I'm trying to say here, taken for granted, but like a lot of people, you know, take for granted like just your speaking voice, right? And, of course, like, when something like that just when somebody tells you, oh, you may not be able to do this again. Yeah, I can't imagine. You know, yeah,

Wade Bowen 20:19

I mean, you start having the, you know, the nightmares of what am I going to do now? I don't have a backup plan and all that stuff, you know, so it's pretty scary. Coming home to your kids or not leaving, you know, canceling gigs, and looking your kids in the eyes thinking, What am I gonna do here? How am I gonna figure this out? You know, it's pretty scary stuff. But, you know, we got through it. We're very, we're very spiritual guys. So I just kind of let it let things happen, said my prayers and let it let it work out. There's only there's only so much in this world that you can in this live that you can control recipe, you just have to react and respond and do as you can.

Thomas Mooney 20:57

Yeah, obviously, you put a record out earlier this year. You know, you've been calling it like your Texas record. Now, it's one of those interesting things. And I think like you've said it, it's like, you don't really mention you never you don't mention Texas by name throughout the whole thing, but it is like a Texas record. I think it's one of those things where it's probably good that you put it out now and not as like a 20 year old because you probably would have fallen into doing all the, like the cliche kind of Texas stuff. We thought about that.

Wade Bowen 21:31

Yeah. Especially back then, you know, I was telling somebody last night, I can't remember who I was talking to what we were talking about, oh, I was talking to a guy that's actually writing a book right now about some red dirt, Texas stuff. And he was asking me to talk about the old days. And it's funny, you know, I was a dumb ass. When I was 2520 and 25. Those when I was first starting out, especially being from Lubbock, everybody was using all the hot producer was Lloyd mains. And my dumb ass was like, Well, I don't want to use him because everybody else using them. I don't want to sound like everybody else. dumbest decision I've ever done in my career, because it would have been so especially now having worked with him, it would have been so beneficial to my career. And my just the knowledge he would have brought to me as a young 20 year old 20 something year old a would have would have been huge for me. At that time, so I you know, I was looking back. So, but yeah, I mean, you know, he would have been the guy that would have made a pretty great Texas record for me as a 25 year old, but there's no way I was writing songs of this caliber back then, you know, I just couldn't, couldn't do it, then I just didn't have it. Me didn't know it yet. And the years have gone by me learning about music, learning how to craft the song a lot more. But also, you know, having more influences coming in my life. It's pretty cool that that the record now stands. I think this record can stand the test of time and be something that will always be you know, welcomed in the Texas community, I think, forever, I don't think it's, I think it's a I don't think it's a record that just symbolizes the time that we're at, you know, I think it's one that can it just it just symbolizes Texas in general, the music of Texas and what makes it so great, what's always made it great. I mean, it's just, it's really what we were going for was something that could be timeless, you know, for forever,

Thomas Mooney 23:37

right? I think like the, like the book ends there of like it being really rocking, like I kind of think of the record as being like a loud rocking record. But there's still these like, really vulnerable, intimate moments that are just like really bad, actually small moments, but like, you know, they're very singer song granderie. Like, that's like the 30 and like,

Wade Bowen 24:01

but that's what that's what Texas, so that's the biggest strength, you know, yeah, we have ZZ Top and we have great rock and blues and players and David Grissom and all these Madison's but but we have towns we have guy and we have you know those those songwriters that that that that are the A lot of people don't know but they just make makes makeups so much of the pride of our state and don't get enough credit for it, you know? Yeah. And so yeah, I mean that that's, that's my biggest, that's my favorite person to be. That's my favorite artists to be is that emotional, sentimental, sad, sappy, slow. style songs. Those are my favorite. I mean, I've yet to make a record just full of those. And I'm getting pretty close to pulling the trigger on that and just making a real dark depressing record and second screw screw, screw the live shows everything. I just want to do this, but I've always had those moments and I think but what's crazy is those moments seem to be my, my fan favorites. Like the, the ones that people really want to hear from me is when I say music with substance, the song that I had was with the most substance or using the dreary said dark, I don't ever actually go dark, I almost go dark and then I kind of pull away from it a little bit.

Thomas Mooney 25:23

730 is like that. And one other song, I wrote it down my notes here. Sometimes always bad with with song names. And then sometimes it's just like, second nature, but like broken glass as well. Those feel like perhaps like some of the most vulnerable songs you've written ever. It feels like not even like walking in and like conversation between two people. Well, I just logging in on you talking to yourself, you know,

Wade Bowen 25:59

I think that those are the the conversation songs, to me are my favorite to write. They fit me the best. I think that's probably probably my biggest strength is not necessarily being the greatest poet that came out there walks around, but just trying to be conversational with the songs that to me is what I love and what I feel like I'm best at and you know that that's a great example of my favorite example maybe I've ever done that is say anything, the song of the record called the given. And that just it's just like you say, like two people talking. I mean, that's all we are. I mean, we're two people talking right now everybody's two people talk and even if they're talking to themselves, you know, it's two people talking. And so I feel like that's just a really just the way that I relayed. I mean, broken glass was written in the middle of the night. I literally sat in the dark room. Knowing that I'd said the wrong thing to my wife, knowing knowing I'd said something that I can't take back. And there's very few things in the world that make you feel shittier You know, there's very few things that make you feel worse than that, than saying something to someone you love that, you know, you can never get back. You know, some of that stuff sticks forever. And so yeah, I mean, it's, I like to be vulnerable with my songs. I like to be open diary. And I feel like that's where I'm where I'm best and and that's sometimes hurts. The people I'm surrounded with mainly my wife, you know, she probably doesn't like Meeks talking about these things and open and the only open with are people that listen our music and stuff, but man, if you've listened to my music, and you haven't learned by now that I'm that's who I am, then you haven't been listening, right? You know, my wife, she just, she hears like, an anchor. And I'm, you know, one of two songs I've ever written that I was scared to death to play for her. Yeah. And she just took it and understood and an accepted hit nose, that's my life. And that's the way that I write and just she responded as I expected her to respond.

Thomas Mooney 28:10

Yeah, it's, it's, it's almost like a, you know, with with songwriters and their family, obviously, it's, it can be hard on family and relationships. Because, you know, you don't ever know, honestly, when something's going to come out and the song, or like, not even necessarily come out in a song that's real, but like something that can be taken as, you know what I mean? Like, obviously, you write his characters as well. And a lot of people sometimes will, you know, Miss analyze what what's going on? And you don't I mean,

Wade Bowen 28:45

banter, they interpret the characters in their own way. Yeah. And I think that's okay. It doesn't bother me that. I think that's the beauty of songs is for people to interpret them. You know, I remember Garth Brooks saying one time that he like, there was a record where he didn't do any videos when he was like, the biggest in his career. Can't remember what was that? Like?

Thomas Mooney 29:10

I'm not sure. Like, maybe like, with no videos, try to think of what was that blue album? Like, is that

Wade Bowen 29:17

anyway, one of the hours when he was like, the biggest rope in the wind? Yeah. So he didn't do any videos for that. And I remember reading some interview where he said, Yeah, just feel like videos can create, like, when you when I when I listen to a song when someone listens to a song, they have the pictures in their head of what the characters look like to them, you know? And it's been he's very, he said, he always said he was very tried to be very careful of that making videos making sure he didn't mess that up for them. And that's a really cool point. Like, you know, it really defines like, how a person listens to the song and I've actually thought about it like many think about something the need to watch the videos like Well, that's not anything like I had them in my head, you know? Right? how you interpret which can be a good thing you know, I guess if you do the video correctly, and you're trying to prove a point like Stapleton, fire away video, it's like, Who cares what was in my head? That was a beautiful, beautiful, intelligent video, you know, that needed to be done. So I just tried really hard with songs to let people interpret on you know, day the dead was written by Keith catice. And he brought to me and said, I think you should help me finish this. I was like, finish what it's finished. I'm not gonna touch this thing. There's nothing else. Don't be a smartass, you know. But but it's funny. Like, I had my interpretation because you know it this morning, that's the only song on the record I didn't write. So I'm listening to it months later after the record out. And I'm thinking to myself, Wait, is this person already dead? So I asked Gaddis, I said, Have I been singing this the whole time thinking somebody else and he just respond, he goes, it's whatever you want it to be. And that's a pretty cool way to look at it. He like men, some people could interpret that as he's already dead being a ghost looking, looking into and then other. Others could think he's literally just heartbroken.

Thomas Mooney 31:19

Right? Yeah, I love the idea of just like songs being they can be both, like, you know what I mean? Like, there's no, necessarily wrong answer on what, what? what somebody's trying to put in a song. Obviously, there's lines that that mean three different things and like, you met those three different things. And then sometimes, like, you know, somebody will point out like, Oh, well, this could also mean that too. And the artist goes, Yeah, I meant to do that. You know, like,

Wade Bowen 31:49

yeah, I mean, we like like Ryan Adams, I think he messes with I think, honestly, I would love to ask him some time. I think he messes with the listener on purpose. Mm hmm. You listen to some of his lyrics, and you're like, man, there's, what the hell is he talking about? But it's really cool. You know? And I think a lot of times, he's sitting there thinking, Man, I'm gonna make this very abstract. And like, you know, maybe we're where people don't quite understand it.

Thomas Mooney 32:15

Yeah, I pretty cool. Early in his solo career. He probably cared too much about like, you know, critics and you want to, you know, want to be bigger. And at some point, he just stopped caring about what was going to be written and just started caring about the music more. And of course, like, all those records are great. Yeah. I was gonna go back, mentioned Garth Brooks. I get like Weingarten that isn't on Spotify and iTunes, all that stuff. But one of the the bad things about that is like, he doesn't have any of his music videos on YouTube. And the red strokes is like the you remember that? Yeah. That's a great video. That was like the best video where he came out of the paint or whatever. I heard that, like, I've read the youth or the Wikipedia page about how much money that was like, that was just like, more money than you can like how he had they hit lowered him in there. Yeah. And like his eye open, right? Yeah. It's like the pain Apparently, the paint was really, really cold. They had started outside. So it was like 50 degree paint. And they the first day, like it knocked the wind out of them, you know, because it's so cold. And so like, the next day, they mix it with water and like mud or something like that. And that's like, it warmed it up somehow. Because obviously, like you're putting other stuff in it, but like, it just, it made it so much better. But like, I don't know, it was uh,

Wade Bowen 33:37

he had some cool videos, man. I mean, he preached he challenged he challenged his career quite a bit. You know, he didn't he didn't ever settle still. I don't know if he really does it. He's still he didn't really settle. He works hard. I see him on Facebook Live whatever the hell he's doing all the time. Like, man, that guy's like, worked harder than me and pisses me off. You know, he's always working his ass off.

Thomas Mooney 33:59

Yeah, I think he's in

Wade Bowen 34:01

there somewhere like George Strait, who just sitting around drinking scotch and playing golf. having a blast, you know? It's like, either one, man. I'll take either one. Right? It's pretty funny.

Thomas Mooney 34:10

I think Garth always gets like a bad rap as a songwriter because like, or as an artist, because a lot of those songs he was writing with, like, he co wrote a whole bunch of those bunch of his songs and like, has some deep cuts. No. fucking love.

Wade Bowen 34:24

I love math. And he's always he's actually and when I was like, once I was 13, maybe 12 or 13 years old. I liked his music a lot and some friends took me to meet him and he was the coolest guy. We got to hang out backstage turned soundcheck and the green room stuff because they were real close friends of them and he could not have been a nicer guy. Of course after that. I'm a 1213 year old kid. I just thought he was great. I thought he was the coolest sunbeds ever walked the planet at that time, you know, and when we hung out with him for like an hour, you know, just bullshitting with Garth at 1213 years old. I mean So I've always had a lot of respect for him. And what he's done in his career, like he's always, he's always, you know, taking some chances and gone for it and gone swing for the fences and struck out just as much as he said, homerun. So it was pretty cool. You know, I admire somebody like that. Same with, with Springsteen. I'm a huge Springsteen fan. And, you know, I'd say, I love Garth, but we talk about influences who actually influences your music, you know? I mean, I don't know if you've read Springsteen's book, The Bourne Iran, but it's just like, wow, what, what a great thing for me to be able to read that and know, I'll finally admit all his faults and all the things that he had, right? All these problems and things that he's done wrong and right in his life. And, man, I mean, during the time when I was on vocal rest, you know, I mean, I'm like, reading this book, just soak it all up, going, Okay, I'm gonna be okay. He's just as messed up as me, you know?

Thomas Mooney 36:06

Right. Pretty cool. You know, that's what one of the things that I try and I guess, like I tell people is that there is there is a difference between like liking an artist, and like saying somebody influences you. You don't mean that, because there's a lot more artist that you like, then that are actually been influential on someone's career. You know, there's a little bit of difference there. But yeah, Springsteen, like I think, like, one of the things that we always talk about songwriters, being vulnerable, you know, being really putting out their feelings there. But like, him admitting a lot of, you know, battles with depression and stuff like that. That's, I think that's like, it's only a good thing for other people to see that, like somebody like that can. Yeah,

Wade Bowen 36:52

for sure. Admit, somebody that's never really discussed it very much. He's always kept it under table, you know,

Thomas Mooney 36:59

for sure. But

Wade Bowen 37:00

like, it's very, very comforting for me to hear that from him. And he even says it at the end of the book, like, right, I wanted to do all this for other people, so they can understand they're not alone. And, you know, all that, all that we've been through here recently, and everything, it really, really helped a lot to hear all of this stuff that he's gone through, and it messed up his mind is at times too. And we always found a way to get through it. Seek help when you need it. And those things. It's pretty cool. Pretty cool to hear.

Thomas Mooney 37:28

Yeah. Obviously, like you worked with Keith, on this record, you've talked about how, you know, he pushed you as a songwriter, write the best songs you ever have, and that kind of thing. was tired thinking about it? You know, like that, that also pushed you in writing with a lot of different new people? What What is it like riding with people that you've not worked with before? You know, what's,

Wade Bowen 37:57

it's, it's a little nervous, because you just, I mean, it's either gonna work or it's not, you can't force it, you know, and you try to get in the room with people that respect that. And don't try to wear it out, you know, like, there's people I love and get along with, and we can write songs for shit together, you know, and there's people that may not be the best of friends, but I can get in the room and write songs, great songs with, you know, it's a weird thing. It's no different from people you're attracted to people aren't has nothing to do really, with how good looking they are, you know, it's just, it's people you choose to be friends with, and there's no rhyme or reason. Some people click and some people don't, it's the same exact thing with songwriting. And I think, you know, I say for this record, I did that, but I've really done it with every record, tried to get in the room and surround myself with new people. Different people, just because I've, I've been really hard on myself about not making the same record over and over, you know, not making one that I've done before. And I think you can you know, there's part of you as an artist, it's just gonna come out naturally, you know, no matter how different you try to be, or I've written songs that I think are so weird and quirky and messed up sound and then I'll play it for my friends and they're like, sounds like Weibo song. I'm like, Well, shit, I guess I know. Okay. And so it's, you know, I think there's only so much you can do to really change LSU just go a completely different direction. But keeping that in mind, just over the years, I've really still tried hard to just make records that sound unique to that album, you know, and not just follow a pattern. Yeah. And that's what that was. I just kind of followed Keith lead on on this whole record. I mean, he I admit I was really lost. When I went to him. He was a friend. And many, many ways he'd be been a friend of mine for a long time. But But being as close as we were in him kind of knowing, feeling that I was lost as a songwriter lost as a as an artist. What I didn't, I didn't really know what my next step was going to be. And I didn't like that feeling. Because I always feel like I have a pretty good plan of what's going to come What, what the next, what the next years are going to look like, you know, and I didn't know because I, you know, had the world handed to me with being on a major record deal. And then major publishing deal. And I have the dream situation, the dream scenario that every person that becomes an artist wants to have, you know, I had it right there in my hands. And it just didn't work. It was awful timing all the way around from both ends. And so I came out of that situation. And I had enough enough steam from all of that to make the self titled album. The Wade bones self titled album. But then after that, it was like, well, it's all out of my system. Now. What do I do? Right? What am I gonna do now? How's my career gonna unfold now? Like, what? Am I even gonna have one, like, what's gonna happen, all these things start running through your head. So Keith came along, not only as a great producer, but just just just a friend, at a time when I really needed someone to just kind of grab me by the shoulders and say, Hey, dude, slap me across the face and say, Here, I'm about to show you why you're good. You go. Believe in yourself, you're good, it's fine. And really opened up my eyes again, back to, to what, to what I feel now is back with my head on straight now. And of course, it's crazy. I got my head on straight and started feeling good. And and my voice goes out. So it's been a mindfuck of a year and a half for sure, man, but we're, I still feel confident what I've got going on the next few years and where I'm at in my career. And I feel really good. Really good about everything.

Thomas Mooney 42:18

Yeah. Well, you say that, but like, you know, you've been putting out a bunch of especially like this last out don't know, five years. I would really consider like, self titled, obviously, like, hold my beer. The Gospel record this last record. And if you had like the live hold my beer in there, too. I think like, that's a hell of a run right there, obviously. And I don't know, I think like the songwriting in there is the best you've done. Thanks, man. Yeah,

Wade Bowen 42:51

I just think I've gotten older. I mean, I really, really, you know, during that time I was with Sony, I really did work harder as a songwriter than I ever had, I was getting some really great opportunities, because of being on a major label, you know, you get to get in a room with guys that you probably wouldn't get to normally. And that's how, you know, became buddies with Stapleton and Jeremy Spillman and, and lead Thomas Miller and these other guys, you know, you you find yourself in the room with these guys that you probably wouldn't have that chance otherwise. So I got, I got to really just soak it up and be smart. And I wasn't stupid about it. I knew I had some opportunities that I didn't take it for granted. And I, Russ tried to learn and tried to embrace it. And, you know, I'm in a writer's draw right now. But all that I've learned, I know that I'll come out of it. And whenever I'm, I'm better when I'm under pressure. So whenever I say I'm going to have a new record is when I start writing, like crazy. It's funny how my mind works that way. But yeah, I feel like I appreciate you saying that, cuz I feel like I've been, you know, doing trying to try my best to put out quality music with substance that is not just about parties, and not just about drawing the biggest crowds. I just, you know, I try to I try to understand try to make myself understand that a record is forever. Yeah. And it's, I'm not sure everybody takes that into consideration when they go in and make an album. So I really want these records to stand the test of time when I'm when my kids are having kids, you know, and right for it to be relevant. You know, radney foster had a, you know, his best record still to this day is see what you want to see. It was the greatest one of my favorite records of all time, and, you know, what was it 18 years later, he got a number one off that. So, you know, it's like, it's like, that's what I feel like, I want to happen like, I want some young kid to come along and, man, he you know, he, he's making great stuff, you know, back in those days, and I still think I got along Where to go to like, I got some cool stuff up my sleeve that I'm kind of pumped and excited about and let's get this thing going, you know, right man. Yeah, I've been lucky to play 20 years, man. I mean, that's, that's, that's more than most can say. So a beat the odds already right now on a cake.

Thomas Mooney 45:17

Yeah, I know like one of the songs I can't think what his name is he's a songwriter, I was gonna say, songwriter, journalist. He's got like the five album test. But like, you know, it's like the premise of like, if you make five great records, you know, you're like, legendary status kind of thing. And you got you got the five records. You got the ever heard that? That's pretty interesting. Yeah, I can't think of what his name is.

Wade Bowen 45:38

That's, that's relative, though, isn't it? Like to the listener? Because I'm sure there's people that think this artist made five great records, and I would go, those are terrible records. But I get what you're saying, like, five great albums is hard. I think one great album is hard, you know, one album, that just your life of the party, or the Robson record or your you know, I don't know. Born to Run record, you know, or whatever. It's hard to have that. Right. And you got five of those. You definitely should be winning the game.

Thomas Mooney 46:14

Right? Yeah. Obviously, hold my beer was Randy was a big record was called Volume One. what's what's, uh,

Wade Bowen 46:26

is there any works? It actually we're writing for Volume Two right now. And I think we've got a pretty good batch of songs. And we're going back in February, to record some see how it goes with Lloyd, you know, that thing is, it's so unique to itself. So it's different. We both can't say, we're going to end in February, and we're going to have the record out in the summer. Because having two careers that we have to work around. We're not even sure if the record will get done. You know, we've already attempted to make Volume Two twice. And things have fallen apart. So yeah, I know that it's been talked about, and we're definitely going to do one. And I really hope that it looks like this one is gonna stick. And I think Lloyd is the great guy, you know, the guy, right guy for us, he gets it and understands what we're doing. And it's a, it's a fun project to be a part of, because it's real, I get to number one, I get to hang out with a buddy and we all just relax and make music. And secondly, it's really country and I love Yeah, I love doing that like stuff, you know, I'd always said a man, I really always want to make a really, really, really Country Album. And this one is not quite what I had in mind. But it's closer to it, you know? So it's a it's just a it's like an alter ego for me. I got an alter ego named Paul. And Randy's is like, we call them Oscar, Oscar the Grouch. But yeah, that's kind of the way it is, man. We we, we get to just it's like not even fair, how much fun we have doing this, you know, just go in there and be buddies and go to play these shows and just act like idiots. And they and and that's the whole stick, you know, the stick is our friendship. And it's, and it works. Right? It's the same shit we do. More hanging out at our houses back home, you know, like, we don't we don't we don't do any act. It's no, there's no fake flip the switch and we're gonna go on stage and act like Moe and Joe, you know, it's just the way we are. And I think that's what people like about it. That honesty of it all. And we're complete polar opposites of each other. The Yin Yang, and it works. Right?

Thomas Mooney 48:44

Yeah. It would be a story if like, you guys absolutely hate each other. But we're attached to the hip at this. Like this was the

Wade Bowen 48:52

Yeah, now we've had our hate moments. You know, it's like, we're just like grumpy old man. Like, we get grumpy. You're the older we get. And when we're like, 70 year if we make 60 or 70. We'll be just like the movies. The grumpy old man would be like Putz and dickhead. And yeah. We're already kind of that way we got in a fight cup few years ago, and I had to slug him. I think he's the only person I've ever slugged. He took it well, though. The next night was the best show we've ever played in our lives. Ironically. He deserved it.

Yeah, yeah, we gotta get on that one. Yeah, behind the scenes with waiting, Randy. troublesome to Well, thank you for man. My pleasure. Anytime. Thank you for letting me chat for a while.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai