101: Taylor Alexander
On Episode 101, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Taylor Alexander, who released his full-length debut album, the excellent Good Old Fashioned Pain, just over a year ago. The collection of songs in several ways reflect Alexander's early to mid-twenties and the growing and maturation that followed. During this interview, we talk about the moments that shaped those songs, growing up in Florida & Georgia, his ultimate move to Nashville, the intimacy of songwriting, the likes of Bright Eyes & Elliott Smith, and how he's stayed inspired during the 2020 Pandemic.
This episode's presenting partner is The Blue Light Live and Wicker's Mesquite Smoked Jalapeno Jelly.
Interview Transcript
Note: Transcripts aren’t always accurate since they are computer automated and haven’t been edited for spelling, grammar, etc.
Thomas Mooney 0:01
Everyone, welcome to Episode 101 of new slang. I'm your host music journalist Thomas Mooney. This time around, I am joined by singer songwriter Taylor Alexander Taylor released good old fashioned pain, his full length debut album just over a year ago, we really dive deep on the ins and outs of this album. It's kind of like a coming of age album, but not like in the teenage kind of way, it's more so about that second spurt that happens in your 20s, which I think that second spurt is such a strange part of your life, you're really just starting to truly realize who you are, and realize just how difficult the world really is. There's a lot of pressures and stress and anxiety that happens during this time, despite also not necessarily being tied to anyone or anything. For a lot of people, myself included, not having a spouse or children, or even like things like a mortgage or multiple car payments, I think the stress that happens most so in your 20s is a cultural and societal pressure and stress. At times you feel as though you're maybe not advancing at the same rate as your peers, you try and find that balance between responsibility and having fun. And it's all like this really strange, weird time that's filled with really great experiences, but also these incredible lows. And I think it's only later that you realize that you didn't have to try so hard or be so hard on yourself either. That's like the kind of coming of age that this record is really built on. And that's what also makes this album really fascinating because it really goes into the ins and outs of that strange, weird time in in not just Taylor's life, but in a lot of people's lives. Anyway, Taylor and I discuss more of that moving the Nashville artists like bright eyes and Elliott Smith. And of course we talk about songwriting. Before we get right into the interview, I wanted to talk to you a second about podcasting and buzzsprout it feels like everyone has a podcast these days. It's been really great to see people use podcasting as a storytelling outlet and to find like minded people, you may have seen new slang take a really big jump this past year, and one of the main reasons has undoubtably been transitioning over to buzzsprout as my podcast host, they've really made all the quote unquote unfun things about podcasting so easy. For starters. That's why new slang is on every major podcasting platform now, and why it's been so uniform and organized online. I've always enjoyed speaking with songwriters and bands and artists, that's a given. But now buzzsprout has made it so much easier on the publishing side. So if you've ever been interested in launching your own podcast, I'd highly recommend buzzsprout which if you follow the link in the show notes, you'll be able to a sign up with buzzsprout b be given a $20 amazon gift card and see help support new slang. Again that link will be in the show notes. Before we get started, be sure to subscribe to new slang. If this is your first time listening. It's on iTunes, Spotify, Google podcasts stitcher and a host of others find it wherever you listen to podcasts. Also, I just launched the new slang online merch store this past Friday. It's super small right now. But I have various koozies and stickers magnets and buttons. I'm thinking about getting coffee mugs because that just seems like my kind of merge let me know if you're interested in a new slang coffee mug. What I envision is the the kind that the the old timers will be sipping out of at whatever diner or cafe or truckstop that you remember as a kid. For me. I remember the Comanche springs truckstop in Fort Stockton as being that place anyway. Find all your new slang Mertz needs at New slang podcast dot big cartel.com As always, I'll throw a link into the show notes. Okay, enough of all of this stuff here is Taylor Alexander. Now this your record came out last year back in April. So it's right around that year round mark. That's always like that, that point where you can you know, the the anniversary moments are kind of like where you can kind of do a little bit of reflecting on something you did that year just kind of like fly by what are your thoughts about like the record, like, you know, a year later?
Taylor Alexander 4:34
Well, yeah, I mean, the year really did fly by. It was it was almost like, I felt like I just put it out, you know, and I felt like as soon as I looked up, it was already a year old. I mean, I guess just reflecting on on that year. It was it was almost like the the real work didn't start until after it came out and in It was kind of a year spent sending tons of emails, and just trying really hard to get shows and connect with people and try to get the record into as many people's hands as I could. So it was almost, you know, I kind of had my head down all year, you know, working a couple jobs and sending a lot of emails, it's kind of what it felt like.
Thomas Mooney 5:26
Yeah, I one of the things I always want, like I want listeners to realize, you know, fans to realize is that whenever you put a record out, like the studio, the writing all that is like the, that's obviously the key to it all. But like, that's not like the work, like the work is all the, like you said the emails, the trying to get into people's hands, doing the interviews, trying to like line up everything. And like, that's like the the part where you're like, Oh my gosh, you know? And I've heard some people kind of talk about how, when they've put out a record, they they almost like turn off the the creative side because it feels like the the marketing and the doing all the the other stuff is is exhausting in a way. Did you kind of feel like that? Do you? Did you have to? Do you feel like you put a you lifted the needle, if you will? On the creative?
Taylor Alexander 6:27
You know, having after having heard you ask that in thinking about it, I definitely think I did. You know, being like 100% independent, to the point, you know, where just anything that is happening is something that I'm having to facilitate in one way or another. I really, you know, I really didn't get very much creative work done in the year sense. Now, recently, I've been able to, you know, kind of get my head back down and work some more on some creative stuff. But yeah, I mean, it gets it's so emotionally draining, to try to push an album, that a lot of times I just found myself just not really isn't not feeling inspired, necessarily, but just feeling tired. Just being like, man. Like the last thing that I can really think about doing right now is picking up a guitar and trying to work my way through something, you know. Yeah, I mean, I definitely, I definitely feel that especially thinking about it now.
Thomas Mooney 7:30
Yeah, like, even like on like, I'm not writing or a record or anything like that. But I always felt like a little bit like mentally drained after I've finished an article or something, or, and what I've realized what I've kind of done lately is trying to split those up where like, if I'm writing something, or if I'm like, I'm doing this interview with you right here, this is what I'm doing today, really, I'm not sending out trying to like, schedule so much stuff out, because like, I'll just leave that for an entire day. Because it is one of those things where you kind of Yeah, your mind just kind of goes blank at some point. And I don't know, I don't know if it's just, it sounds like we're complaining, but like, it's just, like, part of like what you have to do before you you know, you get tired of it and decide to do something else, you know? Do you feel like that little bit of that drain too, whenever you're on the creative side when you're writing that? Not necessarily a drain, but you're like, you know, it just kind of like you you put all this energy into this moment trying to write the songs or the song. And then like after you're just kind of like, I gotta just watch crap TV or something for a minute.
Taylor Alexander 8:47
Yeah, no, no doubt. I mean, I think I tend to be sort of like a burst writer anyways, where all right, the, the, you know, maybe not the majority, but a decent amount of the songs within a pretty short period, right, maybe over the course of a few months, generally, like the last record was, generally speaking, most of it was in the span of like, a few months. And so like, using all that, like energy right then and like a big spurt, you know, I definitely am like, Okay, I need to, I need to like go, you know, well, I was gonna say I need to go read or something. But usually after that, I'm like, even too tired for that. It's like, I need to like play video games or like, watch TV. Like he's just too tired. But yeah, I mean, there's like, it does feel like there's a certain amount of, you know, you have a certain amount of creative energy stored up and you spend all of it at once sometimes. For sure.
Thomas Mooney 9:47
Yeah. Like that's, I'm trying to kind
Taylor Alexander 9:48
of break that habit though. Because it it is, you know, not necessarily the best way to to work all the time where you're kind of counting on a burst of energy.
Thomas Mooney 9:59
Yeah. Like the, I guess, like with with time and with age, like I've always I've tried to get more like scheduled, you know what I mean? Like try and like I guess like cut my time up better. And I don't know, like it's still like it's one of those things where it's strange to try and because obviously there are songwriters who write every day, and they have that routine, that little bit of normalcy of like, writing with a cup of coffee, or like, in the afternoon or the evening, or whatever their whatever their thing is, but like, it's such a, it's, it's strange to try and I guess, like quantify the magic the quote unquote, magic magic of art and creativity, you know what I mean? It feels like you're kind of like, I don't know, trying to take the the joy or the fun out of it. I don't know, you got to get better. But like you're saying you understand, like the
Taylor Alexander 11:04
Yeah, and I think even what I was saying about, you know, that that last record having been written like that was, I think it was almost more symptomatic of the fact that I don't really have a consistent routine schedule, just because I have, you know, I've been working normal jobs, you know, part multiple part time jobs, or whatever it is, like, like, when I was working on good old fashioned pain, I was working a warehouse gig, and it wasn't like a consistent schedule of like, every single day, you're in at nine, and you're out, you know, at whenever it was, like, some days, you know, we had, because what you're doing is like event rentals. So we would have to kind of mold our schedule around when the event needed drop off and pick up. So you're kind of like, up and down all the time with different, like, you know, literally like one day, you might not go into work until 10pm. And just do like a quick four hour, you know, pick up or whatever. So, like, just being that schedule, how it is, is like, I almost had to get into a rhythm of trying to get as much out as possible whenever I could find time, you know. So, yeah, I mean, I think being able to have a consistent schedule is would probably be the best thing. But I can't, I'm kind of like in that position now to where I've just got like a normal kind of a cafe job. And, you know, it's not the exact same schedule every day. So it's hard to kind of fall into that routine. So I definitely crave that routine. A lot of times, that can be kind of hard to define the same time every day, you know,
Thomas Mooney 12:50
right? when when when inspiration hits, though, like what is like your typically, like the thing that you are you like a note taker? Do you try and like, put it in your phone in a recording kind of thing? Or like, what do you usually do to make sure like, you latch on to that idea, and then it's like, not lost to the ether?
Taylor Alexander 13:13
Oh, yeah, I mean, sometimes it's like, if I have like a melodic idea or something, then I'll literally try to hum it into the voice memo of getting on the phone. I generally don't write as much stuff melody first, usually like a lyrical line. And then, you know, I really abused the notepad app on on the phone all the time, just writing down random lines and stuff. And then, you know, I think when I sit down to actually write something like after I've had the idea, or I've got a couple lines that I just kind of typed in the phone real quick. I prefer to sit down with a pen and paper and, and just kind of map it out so that I can see it. Maybe I'm visual that way or something. I like to write it and be able to cross stuff out and, you know, draw arrows and move stuff around and kind of work it like a puzzle in that way. So, but yeah, I mean, I definitely use the use the heck out of the iPhone, a lot of stuff.
Thomas Mooney 14:11
Yeah,
I always love like, the, the, like the physical aspect of seeing someone write with, you know, like a notepad or like, whatever the case is, I mean, like, it doesn't have to be, you know, something where, you know, just as random as like, Oh, I was writing this song on, you know, scraps of receipts that I had in my trucker. You know, it doesn't have to be something like that. But, you know, if you somebody it's just really interesting to see what people try and do to create that vibe to try and get that all the all the other stuff right to make sure it's easy to to get written down, you know, in a notebook or Notepad or, you know, scrap pieces of paper or whatever the case is. Certain pins, you know, are you a certain pin kind of person?
Taylor Alexander 15:04
Yeah, but I can't remember even what they are. I just know the ones that I like. But I can't remember the brand that so maybe I'm, maybe I'm a poser in that respect, I should probably know my brand. But we'll see. That's how I am like,
Thomas Mooney 15:15
I just want to I don't know what they are. But I know what isn't. And yeah,
Taylor Alexander 15:21
I know a bad one when I had one hit.
Thomas Mooney 15:23
Yeah. And I was telling someone earlier. Part of I think that for me is I'm left handed. And so like, certain pins would just like, jam on me. Because when you're left handed, you're like pushing the ink versus pulling it. And so like, part of the thought
Taylor Alexander 15:41
about that like that, that's interesting. Yeah, well, it's,
Thomas Mooney 15:44
I can go off on my left handed rant. Like the raw deal of being left handed, but it's part of like that reason, too, is like, pushing the ink will just, it can just make a pin just feel like it's dry. All of a sudden, you're like, What the hell's going on here? So I don't know. Like sometimes it's the the right pin. I've seen some people do with like markers or Sharpies? I don't know if I'm, I feel like that's a little too intense. I don't know.
Taylor Alexander 16:13
Yeah, the the markers like they didn't they make too much of a mess. When I use them. I have like, really, really messy handwriting anyway. And so when I do anything that is thicker than a pan, I make a complete mess over. Yeah, drive teachers crazy in school. Like, every single teacher that I had in elementary school was like, trying everything that they could do improve my handwriting. And I don't know what you know what the problem is, but it hasn't been proved. meaningful. Right? Yeah.
Thomas Mooney 16:44
Like, that's some days I have like really great handwriting. And then other days, it's complete, just junk. And I don't know what writing down here, you know, it'll be like five minutes later, I'll be like, What? What is this? I don't know. I was gonna ask about like, the song specifically, like, how big of a gap are not a gap but like a period? Are they from? Are they is there like anything like super old that you just felt like, Oh, I need to have this on this record? Or is it all typically within a pretty decent period of time?
Taylor Alexander 17:25
Yeah, the, there's actually one that's way older than the rest, which is a little bit out of the ordinary. For me, because I usually had this associated from stuff from you know, when I was I guess I would have been 18 or so when I wrote the title track, good old fashioned pain. I had, I must been 18 or 19. I can't exactly remember the year but it was, it was, you know, a few years before I moved to Nashville. And I played that song with a band that I was in for a couple of years. And when I came to Nashville, I just kind of stopped playing anything that I previously had in my pocket, you know, except for like brand new stuff that I wrote right before I moved. And you know, because it's kind of this crazy thing in Nashville, like I ended up immediately in East Nashville at this now different venue called the building. And the building was kind of magic, because I literally had no idea who's gonna show up for open mic, like, literally, like, I've seen Tim Carroll play open mic there who's like one of my, like, I absolutely love his songwriting, I saw, you would see, like, hit right, like Dave, to Hannah shoot, who's written like, some great country tunes, you know, like radio stuff that you would recognize, he would just like, hop up, because he lived in the neighborhood hop up, play a couple songs for open mic. And I was, you know, that I was running into, you know, people that are still my friends that I just, I was like, Good Lord, like the songwriting is, is just, I felt it, it was just way better than what I had. And so I just quit playing anything that I had, I was like, dude, I need to go lock myself in my room and, and try to like get anywhere near some of the stuff that I'm seeing. And so by virtue of that, good old fashioned pain kind of got put on the back burner. And I didn't really play very much. But there was a specific event that I remember where me and my now wife, at the time, we were just dating. We went up to New York City and play a show at a place called the sidewalk cafe. And we kind of almost did like, are a little bit of a writer's round with the two of us. And I was kind of running out of material and I needed to play one more tune and so I pulled that one out. I was like, Okay, I'm gonna I'll try to play this one again. And And after I play it, we were like, packing up and stuff. And somebody asked me if that, like, who wrote that one? And I was like, Oh, that's actually one of my kind of older ones. And they're like, oh, that I really liked that one. And I was like, Can I kind of like made me rethink it a little bit? Like, maybe, you know, maybe people wouldn't take this, well, maybe I'm being too harsh on myself or whatever. And, you know, I just, I got some good encouragement on that one. And I was like, you know, let's give this one a proper chance and actually record it and release it. And so I did that. And then it became the title track of the album. The rest of them were written after I got to Nashville, and they're all within, like I was saying earlier, within a fairly small period, like the bulk of them are probably within like, three months of each other. But there's a couple that are kind of outliers, like real good at saying goodbyes, one that I wrote fairly early in Nashville. And then that's probably the oldest one in the batch other than good old fashioned paying the rest of them. We're all kind of in that three or four month period, probably. I'm pretty sure. Yeah, which would have been 2000. Somewhere around 2016. Yeah, it took me a few years to get the record out. I mean, we recorded it. We started recording it in 2017. When I was 25, and then it didn't come out until I until after I turned 27. So yeah, it almost took almost two years. From from start to finish. To finally release.
Thomas Mooney 21:44
Yeah, well, a couple things on that, you know, it's really, sometimes it's, it's, it's interesting to see, whenever I guess maybe like that kind of song like the the title track. You're maybe like too close to it, too. For too long, I guess just you know what I mean? And then it takes someone else to give you permission to be like, Hey, this is like a, this is a great song. And then like, that's when you go, Oh, yeah, I guess Oh, maybe maybe it is maybe I do need to play it.
Taylor Alexander 22:19
So you know, this is something that I was just talking to my wife about this week, because we're actually working on her album right now. And I was just kind of, I was kind of joking offhand that like, I feel like I have no objective view on my own work. Like at all. I just I can i the only thing that I can tell about it is when I think it's done. But I couldn't tell you if I if it's good, like, so. I don't know if that's like some deep seated, emotional problem, or something I need to work on. But I just I need people like my wife to, to hear a song and be like, no, that's actually good. You should, you should be proud of that you did good work. Like I think someone has done but I can't tell if it's actually good or not. It's probably just, you know, insecurity or something. Right?
Thomas Mooney 23:05
Well, I mean, it's very easy to, especially if you've been putting, it's very easy to talk yourself out of something. You know what I mean? Like, sometimes you get, especially when have you been working on something so hard, and so intensely? Like, it's very easy to get lost in the woods on it and not really know, heads to down, you know what I mean? Or like forward and backward and you're just kind of like, lost in it. And it takes like that one person like reaching out to like, grab you and say, like, hey, yeah, this is this is good. Or, or obviously like, Hey, this is bad. Stop doing this, or, you know, whatever the case. Yeah.
Taylor Alexander 23:47
Yeah. Is your agenda even like the gentle like, this isn't your best work? You know, don't hate yourself, but some of your other stuff is better. You know, even that's helpful.
Thomas Mooney 23:56
Yeah. Well, I was gonna say, is your is your wife typically, like the first person? You You show something to the
Taylor Alexander 24:02
first? Funny enough? No, no, I'm really way too embarrassed to show her stuff. And there's kind of kind of a funny story on one of the tunes on the record. I think the ninth track, I guess I moved on, was one that wasn't part of the original 10 songs that we cut when we went into the studio. And we'd recorded a different song and I just, I for whatever reason, it was it was another one that was from way back. And I was like, I just don't really relate to this so much anymore. And I, I don't know I just didn't really want to release it. And so I was like, Okay, I gotta wrack my brain. Think of another song to put on the record. And my wife like, talked me into playing some stuff that I had in like my notebook for her. And it was like, it's so embarrassing. It really shouldn't be embarrassing, but I think We're both songwriters like and i and i also think she's very good. It's like, embarrassing sometimes to, like, show it. Like, I'm also the kind of person like if I'm out at like, you know, like a guitar pool or something with a bunch of songwriter friends or something and people start passing around the guitar. I just get like, that's like the most horrifying thing ever. Like, I can't think of anything worse than like a bunch of songwriters passing around a guitar. I'm like, not gonna play, you know, I don't care who's there. So I don't know what you know, that's, like I said, that's probably some weird something. But, you know, I showed her, you know, not to go off on a rabbit trail. But I showed her that song. She was like, Oh, that's, you know, you should put that one on there. I kind of felt a little insecure about that one. Because it's, I mean, as far as like a classic country format, it's fairly normal in that it is like a verse with a refrain each time and no bridge or chorus really, there's like a instrumental break. So like, there's like some Merle Haggard songs and stuff that are kind of in that format. But, you know, as far as like modern styles, I was just a little bit insecure about it, because it is just three verses at the end of the day. But about we ended up recording get a thing it turned out really cool. But yeah, no, generally don't show her stuff like, which, you know, she actually kind of, she makes fun of me a little bit. For kicks. She's like, I always like it whenever you show me stuff. Like, just too, too scared.
Thomas Mooney 26:30
Yeah, I mean, like, I get it. I mean, it's, it's very. We're taught to, like, tell all of our songwriters, you need to be vulnerable and intimate and write about these, like, these raw emotions. And then also at the same time going, like, now play him in front of everybody. You know, we're like playing in front of that person like that songs about her. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, sometimes I'm, I'm assuming you, you probably feel this exactly. Right here is the, you know, sometimes playing that song in front of a family member or your family in general, is a lot more difficult than playing them in front of a crowd of
Taylor Alexander 27:11
people. Oh, man. Yeah, you don't know how right you are about that. Like, you know, there's there's definitely lines on the record that I wanted to be honest with myself and put on you know, put it like nothing like crazy, but just like, I sometimes I do want to play a show where like, no one that I'm related to is there just so that they don't feel like they like screwed up or something. It's like, like, there's no there's like it, like I said, I mean, it's not like none of the songs are about like really going off the deep end or anything like that. But I just, I wrote some, like, kind of vulnerable things about kind of what my mindset and what I was thinking, and I was like, I don't want them to go worry. So it really is kind of it can be kind of distressing to have to play them in front of, especially like parents. Like, Hey, I'm over this stuff. I you know, it's fine. But still, it's weird. I don't want to, I don't want you to have to hear it.
Thomas Mooney 28:05
Yeah, like yeah, it's I don't know, I got obviously I've never played I don't play anything. So like, it's, I don't ever play anything for the parents or my parents or any or my grandparents. But, you know, it's sometimes I'll be like, you especially like, my one of my grandmother's will always like, talk about Oh, and share, like my recent articles or whatever. And I'm like, she's asked me a couple of times when I've been over at her house and she's like, washing dishes like, I'll read that new one. And I'm like, I'm not gonna read the article was like a story or something. No, I don't think that's how this is gonna work. You read it in your own time? I don't know. It's
Taylor Alexander 28:51
Yeah. Preferably when I'm nowhere near.
Thomas Mooney 28:55
This episode is sponsored by the blue light live my all time favorite music venue in bar. As you know, the covid 19 pandemic has been difficult on small businesses, music venues, bars and musicians. There are a handful of ways that you can help though. For starters, go over to www dot blue light lubbock.com. Click on the merge tab at the top of the page and order yourself a blue light hat t shirt in koozie Second, if you haven't purchased Monday night lights, a 50 song compilation of Lubbock songwriters organized by songwriter and photographer extraordinary Charlie stout and myself head over to www dot Monday night lights.com the proceeds of this 50 song collection go directly to the bartending staff. We launched it a few months back and we were blown away by the response and reception and of course if you're just hearing about it now go ahead and get it today. This collection will never be on iTunes or on Apple Music. So the only spot you'll be able to get it at is at Monday night lights.com. Although both links into the show notes for easy access. All right, back to the show. One of the things I wanted to go back on was you talking about how this This record is a couple like it took a minute to record is like, I guess, like, one of those things is like one of the scarier aspects of, of making a record that that the process goes over a couple of years or, you know, over a large period of time, a few months, is like one of the things that like in the back of your mind going, what if I am over this song or the songs by the time it's released? Is that does that ever creep in?
Taylor Alexander 30:42
Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, like, you know, like I said earlier, like, you know, took almost, you know, maybe a little over a year and a half, from start to finish to get the record out. And there was definitely a little bit of like, dude, if I hear that intro one more time, I'm going to lose it, you know, like, I'm so tired of this. And then like, you've also picked it apart, after you've gotten the final mixes back and you're like, man, I should have played this or, you know, man, I wonder if there was like, a better line that I should have, you know, put in this one song or like, you know, really start second guessing everything, and then you're kind of tired of the tunes a little bit, because you've just listened to him into the ground. And there was a little bit of that, but then, like, when it came out, and like, you know, people were reviewing it favorably or sending me like, you know, encouragement or whatever, then it kind of like re revitalize it a little bit where I was like, Okay, now, you know, maybe I just, you know, I think everybody to a certain extent, especially artists, you know, at the end of the day, we want people to like our stuff, you know, we want it to be edifying, or interesting or entertaining. So it definitely kind of re lit the fire a little bit by the time it was released after that. But now, I'm kind of, you know, back in that mindset of like, I can't wait to start a new project, because it's been a full year. And I'm kind of, you know, just thinking about some different stuff and write some new stuff. And then I just want to get on to the next project. So
Thomas Mooney 32:12
yeah, like, I always think that you always come across like the these artists or the Songwriters who they try and go to, too, they lean too far into, like, the romanticism of it all is like, I don't write these songs for anyone but me, I don't need your approval. And it's like, okay, yeah, I get that, but also at the same time, like, you wouldn't be putting them out if, if you're not like wanting people to like them, at least. And I don't, right. Like, it's, it's, I'm sure you've, you've met some of these, like some songwriters like that her just like, too far that direction. And like, you know, I'd rather have that one fan. That,
Taylor Alexander 32:53
yeah, you know, I definitely, that's, that's definitely kind of a romantic, ideal, like, Oh, I only make music and it's like, I do make music for me, because it's it, I find it to be, you know, productive and makes me feel good to create something. Right? Right. But like, at the end of the day, like, the reason that I released music is because I want people to also enjoy it, or, you know, to hear, hear what I'm thinking or whatever. And that's also you know, that's why we go play shows to so that we can share, share the work in a in a public forum and you know, kind of hang out with each other and have a good time. And so, you know, I definitely, I kind of realize that I'm kind of contradicting myself a little bit accessing, I don't know, when stuff is good, and somebody would probably counter with Well, if you don't know if something's good, then why are you putting it out? And it's like, you know, it's kind of this weird this kind of weird inner conflict of like, Well, I know that I said the thing that I wanted to say as clearly as I can, maybe what I mean by I'm not sure if it's good is I'm not sure if other people are gonna dig it or not, you know, that may be the where the insecurity is fundamentally but yeah, you know, it's it's a it's kind of a kind of a weird thing like being vulnerable on a on a record and then having other people hear it and judge it you know, that's kind of a kind of mind blowing, blowing kind of thing.
Thomas Mooney 34:21
Yeah, like that's why I really like I don't like to do album reviews. I don't like it that's just like everything is up for like a conversation about like, if this is good, if this is great, all that kind of stuff. But like just doing that is like the most like, I don't know, soul sucking aspect of being like a journalist. I would rather like talk with an artist about their songs, or their records and like, those highs and lows and stuff like that. I feel like that's what people want to would rather hear about then like if I get This a plus or A, D, or you know what I mean? a, on a 10 point scale, how many points is that, you know, all that kind of shit. So I don't know, I'm rambling here. What I was gonna say though is like you, you just mentioned, you know, like wanting to, I guess start shaping what what will be like the next record? What what's like the last song that like you were? Or like song idea that you were kind of just like super excited about and that have just been kind of molding and putting together what's what's that song
Taylor Alexander 35:34
about? Hey, okay, let me think about that for just a second, I'm trying to think of the most recent that's a good question What was I was I was kind of thinking about something today I've been, I've kind of talked in another reason interview, I don't think it's come out yet either. But it was, we were talking and he was kind of asking about, like, what I was thinking about for the next record and, you know, themes and stuff like that. And one thing that I've just been kind of thinking about a lot is, I think that my, the last record was kind of a bit of a coming of age, kind of a theme. A lot of the songs kind of centered around a particular stage in life, where you're kind of in that mid, early to mid 20s, in a new city, trying to go after something that is difficult in in weird as a music career. And just kind of the, you know, the anxieties that go along with that the, you know, the general heartbreaks that exist in that time of life, right. And all of it, you know, is is, is particularized, to what I was experiencing. And so the next record is similar in that it's a, you know, another kind of snapshot in stage of life, but the stage of life is, is different, like, Oh, you know, today's my third wedding anniversary. And so, I've, you know, since the records been out, like, I've kind of conceptualized my life a little bit differently. Like, when, when I was writing good old fashioned paint, I was living in an apartment, by myself will not have my room to myself, but I had, you know, five other dudes that I live with as roommates, as I wrote about it on the song hole in the wall. And in every word of that song is true, you know, I've kind of lived up in that sort of apartment. And, and now I'm like, you know, we bought a house last year, and we're, you know, a little bit more domestic, the, everything's a little bit different. So the things that I've been thinking about, obviously, are different, I guess, as the rambling I eventually got to was. So you know, I mean, it's not particularly uplifting stuff, but I'm thinking a lot more about, you know, I think when you have somebody else in your life, that depends on you, in that sort of way, like when you're in a marriage or something like that. relationship, the things that you start thinking about sometimes are a little bit less uplifting things like, mortality, and, you know, like, aging, and, you know, there's just more themes about stuff like that. So I can't even think about the very last song that I was working at, oh, you know, what it was, it was kind of a tongue in cheek idea that I was working on, kind of an up tempo, sort of a tune about, like accepting your mortality, but then also, hoping that you don't suffer very much on the way out. And that kind of struck me is not, you know, to most people, that's like, dude, that's just morbid and weird. Like, why are you writing about that, but there's just something that I was thinking about was like, that kind of weird juxtaposition of like, coming to terms with it, but at the same time, like, maybe we could just like, maybe it could not be like that bad on the way out. And so I was gonna writing about that. Who knows if that'll end up actually on record or not, but, you know, that's kind of where my brain my brain was at last time. I sat down.
Thomas Mooney 39:18
Yeah, like,
one of my grandma, she always she's, like, I don't want to get old, you know, like, in the, in the, the sense of like, where everyone has to start taking care of me again, or something, you know, that's like, yeah, it's very, it's interesting to think about how you, you age and like, you don't want to get to that point where, you know, you go back into diapers, you know, that kind of thing where like, you're, you feel like you're a burden on other people. You know, it's it's such a strangeness to it. What I'm going to say though, about like the, what's interesting about that, you know, those Coming of Age, kind of themes and vibes off of off the record. You know, what's really interesting about, I guess, like, this is more like a comment on on our society at large is like, you're almost always taught like or told, like, those are gonna be like the best years of your life like your early 20s. And like, after, like living through that point, I'm like, No, like, that was just all that was all just like stress and like going like, well, the things are not moving at the rate that I thought they were gonna be, you know, I thought, you know, like, it's such a, a, there is that anxiety that stress that like, you know, you're, you feel like you're trying to I guess like you're doing a lot of rubbernecking, and a lot of sense, like trying to, like, figure out if other people are, are progressing further than you, you know. And like, yeah, obviously, like, we've grown up in a social media driven age where, you know, everyone's posting the good stuff in their life, you're not posting like the, you know, all the bad stuff. So like, that's, it's very easy to get a warped sense of, of what your life is, and what other people's lives are. And like, that's, I don't know, I feel like the, the, the, the mid, I guess, like the early to mid 20s records are important to help you, like, get a better Foundation, or better grip on what, what reality actually is.
Taylor Alexander 41:39
Yeah, I would definitely say so. I mean, the, you know, the environment was, I moved to Nashville, in January 2014, I had just turned 22. And, you know, that like, oh, and you know, to set it up to like, I, I didn't do, I didn't do college after high school, I kind of hung around in my hometown for a couple of years, like playing in bands and trying to, you know, figure out songwriting more, like, I had been playing a dance since I was in probably eighth or ninth grade. But you know, I was like, okay, we're going to really, you know, really try our plan, put in Athens put in Atlanta, you know, stuff like that. And eventually, it just kind of became clear that, you know, if I want to give it like a real real shot, I need to put myself in an environment where I can, where I can learn and improve even more. And so moving to Nashville was almost kind of like that, you know, I really feel like the first few years that I was here felt like a four year degree in like, everything that you shouldn't do, if you want to make music for a living, all the songs you shouldn't write which ones are bad, you know how to write a good one, you know, and you really get like a crash course if you're if you're going and paying attention. And so just like through all of that, that's kind of where my head was that while I was writing all these songs, it was almost kind of trying to rediscover a songwriting style, I guess, because I really changed a lot about the way that I was writing once I moved up here. I was, you know, starting to write a little bit more directly and like, more intensively and stuff like that, instead of, you know, a lot of my older stuff is a little bit more impressionistic, and not quite as you know, it was you know, it's it was more about moods and stuff like that. So there's definitely a I'm glad that I made the record for sure. Because reflecting on it I learn quite a bit about myself and how to deal with myself and live with myself so I think that's a good thing.
Thomas Mooney 43:54
Yeah, I mean, one of the things that you'll you'll hear a lot of people like I guess go against you know, oh this x songwriters moving to Nashville or moving to LA or loss or Austin Austin near New York or whatever this wherever their general hub of songwriting or culture is, and you'll see people like kind of go against that but like it's that's like a testing ground that makes you a better or in most cases it makes you a better artists because you're being thrown out into the deep end and you have to you know, or maybe not, maybe that's something great analogy. It's like trying to jump on like a treadmill that's already at full speed or something. You know, and like, find your your, you know, your your footing and I don't know I guess like it kind of goes back to the you know, iron sharpens iron sharpens iron, you know, like you, you you're around enough people doing work better than you. You're gonna get better as a result.
Taylor Alexander 44:57
Yeah, no 100% I mean, I'm not even really trying to imply that if you don't move to Nashville, you can't have a music career or anything like that. But I was just, you know, for myself, I just needed to, I felt like I needed to put myself right in the epicenter of particularly country music specifically, right. And, you know, this, you know, love it or hate it, this is kind of where a lot of stuff, you know, a lot of a lot of deals are made a lot of, you know, networking is to be done. Stuff like that. So, just kind of thrust myself into it. And, you know, there's definitely, there's definitely aspects of living here that I, that I greatly dislike, you know, I mean, it's kind of funny. Having come up in a very different kind of music scene in Georgia, kind of came up playing in like, the early 2000s, like, emo and hardcore and punk and, you know, stuff like that, like, we're, a lot of times, I'd be like, this weird folk artist opening up for like, you know, just absolute thrashing metal core band, you know, just sitting on the stage with the acoustic guitar, because like, there was such a, there was such a want back, like a yearning back then for music that everybody was just like, let's just have all of all at the same time. And we'd all you know, need at some all ages venue, and just do shows all the time. And so coming from that, where everything was just kind of like, people were, you know, it was also I know that that's like also a time in a place sort of a thing, like when you're at a certain age, you know, you're still in your teens, most of the time, like most people aren't even of drinking age, you know, just a little bit of a different experience coming up. I mean, you come here, and like the majority of the shows that you're gonna play in Nashville are going to be occupied by other songwriters in the seats. And it's not that other songwriters aren't supportive or anything like that. But it's a different that's a different audience, than people that are just like, Oh, do we just want some music? You know, so a lot of times when you do like, songwriter show here, you know, you may, this may not be happening, but you may feel like you're being picked apart, you know, line by line, you know, because, you know, songwriters can't help it. But like, sort of dissect the song, that's what that's like our craft, that's what we that's why we're here, we really want to learn how to get better. So it's just like a totally different environment. And that can kind of bum you out a little bit. And but I think, you know, overall, I'm glad that I, that I pushed myself to make the move. For sure, though.
Thomas Mooney 47:28
Yeah, it's, it's, I guess, like songwriters, it's, it's almost even, not necessarily where, you know, they're gonna pick up pick apart a song as far as, you know, this line is shitty, this line is sure, right, or anything, but they're almost like mechanics, they want to like, take the engine apart and put it back together. Yeah. And it? It's, so you said, Yeah, you grew up, you grew up in Georgia. Your, your local scene, I kind of feel like, probably in a lot of ways, like what Lubbock was, in, that's where I'm from, or in, in this like, I guess, oh, five, or Oh, to like, 2010. I moved here in 2005. So, okay, where it's, it's not big enough to have, like, so many. Like, the the music scene in general is not big enough. Where you have only, you know, the country shows, the folk shows the alt rock the game, you know what I mean? It's like, there's only X amount of artists here. So they all had, like, they all had to, like play shows together. So you'd have like this really, you know, diverse blend of, you know, yeah, like the, the the singer songwriter up there with just his guitar, and then you'd have like, all country band, and then you'd have like, emo band for, you know, oh, yeah. Like, I feel like that is very, it's very important to be able to do that, where it kind of goes to that whole like, thing about having, like, X amount of hours of experience, you know, like, that's a place where you can play and like, get better without being like, overly judged.
Taylor Alexander 49:14
Yeah, no, I mean, it's one of those cool opportunities too, because when you have a more like, diverse audience, you know, that may not be there to see the alt country band, maybe they're, they're there to see the punk band or whatever. Like, if you can win, if you can win those people over, like, you'll learn a great deal about performing. You know, there's, you know, there's definitely something to be said for not a hostile audience as a saralee. But more like an ambivalent audience. You know, winning over an ambivalent audience is a huge deal right? That's that's like a it's definitely like a gigantic, what am I trying to say rite of passage almost as a as an artist. And I felt like that was part of part The experience was like, you know, I would, you know, for a long time, I was kind of writing the more kind of old country folk rock kind of songs, but I didn't have I hadn't formed a band yet. And so I would just kind of be playing these acoustic tunes. And you know, everybody everybody in the venue's got, like, straight edge shirts, and like, you know, gym shorts, and they're like, they're there to, like, throw down when the next band, like, there's gonna be a circle pit, like, right in front of the stage as soon as the next band pops up, right? And, you know, so like, but you know, everybody they're really like using so a lot of times you could just like, you can hit him with something and like, and win him over. And a lot of that was very, that was like a very satisfying thing. Like as a as a young songwriter was like, winning that group over you know?
Thomas Mooney 50:54
Yeah, like this. What this reminds me of is I guess it was probably, I don't know, 2007 2008 I was at South by and I went to a show, it was at emos. And like, the lineup was literally like so like the the punk band The Bronx, they have a side project called mariachi el Bronx. So it was like that version of that band of like this mariachi music. Then I came here who else played in between there, but it was like them, Dillinger Escape Plan, and then NAS and Damian Marley. So it was such a like, just like I just backed up after her. It was mariachi el Bronx and then someone else and then doing Jura escape plan, and I just was like, I can't be in here. Like, at least I need to be on the edge. Because that's Yeah.
Taylor Alexander 51:57
I'm not cut out for this to happen.
Thomas Mooney 51:59
Yeah. Like I remember like, what I was really wanting to go there for was was the NAS Damian Marley collaboration stuff. And so it was, but it was like one of those things. Yeah, you had such a diverse crowd in there. You know, because, like, you know, just you just had people showing up for these specific bands and, you know, staying the whole time because like, what else are you gonna do? You're not gonna lose your spot?
Taylor Alexander 52:23
Yeah, you don't want to lose his body. Exactly. Yeah. Man. That's, that's a lot of fun. And that is that kind of makes me a little bit nostalgic. Yeah,
Thomas Mooney 52:33
I always like, I used to go to South by like, every year. And I guess like my last year, I just felt like, I was just like, the like the old man going. There's too many people here. There's too much traffic. It's too. Like, I wasn't i'm i'm not old or anything like that. But it was probably like 27 or 28. And I was just like, I'm done right now. It's, I'm gonna tap out. No more of this unless it's in a more controlled environment. I don't know.
Taylor Alexander 53:05
I definitely I can totally sympathize with that. especially nowadays, it's like sometimes, like, you know, me and my wife kind of a joke in Nashville to where like, just, you know, you spend so much time doing music stuff. It's almost like, like, one time we were down at the beach, down in Florida. And we're just trying to find a bite to eat. And we walked into a place. And there was like, a, you know, a dude playing, you know, Jimmy Buffett songs or whatever. And we were just like, not tonight. We just we can't hear music right now. Like we need to. We just want to eat, you know. And we literally like we just went someplace else because we were just so tired of live music after a while, especially in Nashville, like you can't go hardly anywhere without, you know, somebody playing songs. Like I wouldn't even I was out. I was sitting on my porch last night. And I don't even know where it was coming from. But there was some dude with an acoustic guitar, singing into some microphones somewhere I have no clue. And I don't even live in like a very populous neighborhood. Like, it's not like there's a bunch of bars and stuff. So I have no clue where I was coming from, but it was this definitively a live musician performing somewhere. And I just heard I was like, I can't even go on my course now. But there is some there is some some amount of fun in that too, though.
Thomas Mooney 54:23
Right? The I remember. Are you familiar with Susan Gibson? It's like she she wrote wide open spaces. And well, yeah, no,
Taylor Alexander 54:33
I'm familiar with that song, but not with not with her. Okay, so she's, um,
Thomas Mooney 54:38
she she, I guess, was down in Austin for a long time. And she she we had this conversation one time about like that, where Austin the quote, unquote, live music capital of the world and the whole, just like, kind of like, jumping the shark on that where, you know, every restaurant, if they had like, just they would take Got a table or something just to put a spot for like a songwriter and a guitar, you know, and not every space needs that, you know.
Taylor Alexander 55:11
I just know,
I guess, I'm sure that it is super fun for, you know Torres, people out from out of town, stuff like that. Because, you know, I try to, like remind myself to that, like, most places in the country don't have like, like, live music is somewhat of a luxury. You know, like, it's an event, it's something that you, you have to like, intentionally go to. And so, you know, I obviously a joke and take it for granted here a little bit just because you're kind of inundated with it. But you know, I'm sure for people that are like coming from like, a smaller town or, you know, whatever. They're like, Oh, man, this is awesome. Like, everybody can play and sing. And, you know, that's probably thrilling. And, you know, yeah, yeah. But it is really funny, though. Because especially like, how out of context it'll be sometimes we're like, you'll just be like, at a random Mexican restaurant or something. And it's, and you've got a guy up on a stool plan, like, you know, like, super like, top 40s like, pop country stuff. You're like, this is weird. You know, all these songs. Like, they're, they don't exactly fit the mood that I'd like to be and these are kind of sad, or like, weird.
Thomas Mooney 56:25
Yeah, the, the.
So I grew up in Fort Stockton, which is like, you know, this little small town in West Texas, on Interstate 10, you know, 300 miles away from like, any kind of, like cultural significance, as far as, you know, MTV VHS that can you know, you get them saying, but like there was this. We didn't have a whole lot of music happening. I remember like growing up, there was be if there was music, it was intentional. Right, there would be a concert. Yeah, you know, Colin Ray would come in or whoever the case, right? But there was this one restaurant that my parents would always go to where this lady would play guitar. And it was Yeah, it was all like, just top 40 covers and it wasn't like she was bad or nothing like that. But it was obviously it wasn't bad. It was but I remember her playing like Rhinestone Cowboy and stuff like that. And for fort Stockton that was like, Oh my gosh, this is really awesome. But obviously if this is in Austin or Nashville or wherever else it's like, it's just like one of the you know, another brick in the wall have the same kind of artists doing the same thing you know, and I guess I don't know it just long story short, you get like your fatigue, essentially.
Taylor Alexander 57:48
Yeah, yeah,
Unknown Speaker 57:49
for sure on.
Thomas Mooney 57:55
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Unknown Speaker 59:06
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So your sound is very in a lot of ways it's kind of like this like modern kind of Nashville where it is some of the alt country and it is like some like old school kind of country and your vocals especially. But then there is like this you know, a some pop sensibilities and now Honestly, like, in a, I would, I would almost say like not in a, like a top 40 Nashville kind of way, but like a, like, more just like really just great pop sensibilities outside of country where I guess like, what do you feel like you've kind of taken all these little pieces and kind of blended them together to, to be like what this what like, like I said kind of like a little bit of like, what modern Nashville is kind of known for as far as like having these sounds go?
Taylor Alexander 1:00:34
Yeah, I think a lot of it is when I was probably I don't know, 17 or so I got really interested in the alt country kind of deal. And, you know, there was, you know, those early Wilco records and drive by truckers as an app and just down the road. And like, you know, I think I think it was even before like, Jason visible it put out solo records. And, and there was like, you know, of course, like the, you know, Jay hawks in and whiskey town and stuff like that, like, there was a lot of really cool music. And I got turned on to that. Primarily, because like it kind of, in a roundabout way, I think, because I grew up, always hearing country music, like top 40 stuff, you know, there's, you know, in the, you know, especially like in the 90s, you got Brooks and Dunn and Garth Brooks, stuff like that. And I kind of started to associate that style of music with people that I was like, people that I honestly didn't get along with very well, because like, for when I was like, seven, we moved down to Florida, near Daytona Beach for five years. And I got really into punk rock and skateboarding and stuff while I was down there, because I lived there between the ages of seven and 12. So it was like, you know, like, I think like, 10 1112 was like, the perfect time to, like, start getting into like a little, you know, you start getting turned on to a little bit of edgier music or whatever. And so when I, when we moved back to Georgia, five years later, there was a, it was really a different culture than all my friends were down in Florida. Like I said, like, we were going skateboard, and, you know, we like kind of like loud music, and, you know, that whole thing we dress differently, you know, like, everybody wore Converse, and vans and stuff and band shirts, and, you know, that kind of whole thing. So I moved up to Georgia, and I didn't fit, I didn't fit in very well, in school in seventh grade was the first year there was kind of a bit more of a culture of like, like, I don't even know, like, what you would call the style or whatever, maybe the jock thing or whatever. But like, in my town in Florida, like the mall didn't have an Abercrombie until much later, after a we moved, you know, so like, there was like, that was like the style in Georgia, right? Everybody was kind of like, in khaki shorts, and like polo shirts, and, and so and I came up in like, girls jeans and converse at like, 13. And like longer hair and like people, like I got tortured in middle school. And like, so I started to associate like, on all those people, you know, they liked, they liked radio country. And so I started, I think, like, unfairly started to resent it a little bit as like, you know, whatever is associated with people that are, you know, being really mean to me or whatever is stuff that I'm just not going to interface with at all, you know. And so for a long time, I just kind of, I just didn't pay any attention to it. And I played a lot of different kinds of music for a long time. And then I think what happened was like, through through that whole scene, eventually I got turned on to some of the older songwriters that inspired people that I was listening to, and I ended up you know, getting turned on to Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash and stuff like that in through like, Dylan and folk music, and Johnny Cash and old country. And then and then like even you know stuff like I was saying that all countries that that started to trickle in Ryan Adams and stuff like that. It Like It made me rediscover that I really loved the sound of that music. And and it was it was kind of like a it was it honestly was a it was like a big deal because and like my parents joked about it too at the time because I was like, I turned like a corner to where I was like, I'm kind of really digging this country stuff. And I you know, I sound way better trying to sing it. Because I used to like guys that I was in bands and you know, would joke that like you kind of a little bit of a twang in your voice. It's kind of weird. Do you think that you could tell him that down? You know, we're trying to be a cool rock. And, and you know, and it just kind of I rediscovered my, you know, my love of that type of music. And, you know, through all that I, I've got really into, you know, of course Townes Van Zandt and got Clark and john Hi, all the greats and sort of the, you know, country folk and Americana tradition and stuff like that. And so I think that I probably kept some of the,
you know, some of the maybe melodic sensibility or something from that indie rock stuff that I really liked, or the you know, some of that more, whatever, and, you know, just kind of all of my influences all put together, I guess, which I realized that that was a very long story for a simple question, but
Thomas Mooney 1:05:53
no, I mean, like, it's one of the things I always, when you said something about, when you're like, eight to 12. You know, that's when you start, like listening to edgier music. It's like, that's like the time whenever you're like, whatever my parents like, it's just not cool. And I've got to rebel. For sure, whatever, they are listening to you, whatever kind of fans they are. I No, no way. Absolutely not. I have to go find my own thing. And then like, well, you kind of like, Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, like you, you embrace that and you, but at some point, you You almost like, you do come back home to whatever that sound is. And you go, you know, this is this is not as bad as I thought it was at 12. Or, you know, whatever the cases.
Taylor Alexander 1:06:42
Yeah. And, you know, it's kind of funny, because, like, I think I'm trying to think of one of like, the big albums that like shifted the perspective a little bit, but it was probably I'm trying to think of the year maybe 2006, there was a bride eyes record called Cassie Vega. And I love that record, but it's, it kicks off with like, I mean, it has some like bonafide country songs on it, like absolutely Steel Guitars, fiddles, the whole the whole nine yards. And once I heard when I heard that, and then I was like, Oh, no, I really liked this. You know, he was like, I was like, Oh, no, I think I think I like country music. This is this is kind of like blowing, blowing my whole shtick. Like, yeah, and that, you know, I think that allowed me to, to kind of revisit those, you know, because a lot of it is the is the sound specifically that you come to either love or hate. You know, a lot of it like a lot of people talk about that with country music is like this, the songs are good, but it's just like, oh, man, that that 20 guitar just can't stand it or that white, you know, the whiny voice. I can't stand it or whatever, you know, criticism but hear from people all the time and like, but that was that was definitely a moment where I put that record on as soon as I got it, and I was like, Oh, no, this is country and I really like it.
Thomas Mooney 1:08:04
No, that's that is probably my favorite Brody's record. I still think that like lifted is probably the quote unquote, the best. And if you had to, like show, you know, aliens come down and they're like, what is right is that's like the record you'd show. But like, for me, I just think like Cassadaga has Yeah, it's like that country but it's also like as as great of a just like straight country record. It is it also is like, you know, a little bit left of center at the same time. So it's,
Taylor Alexander 1:08:39
yeah, yeah, totally.
Thomas Mooney 1:08:41
The The one thing I do have a criticism own though, is like, it's, it is my favorite Brian ice record, but like the, the song like soul singer, I think it's us console singer. That's like, probably like, No, no, no, no, no, no, completely. Make a plan to love me. That's the song that I'm like, this is the worst song. Because it's just just like, it's like, one or two too many. Make a plan to love me on like the, I don't know, like the choruses. I'm not willing to listen to it a long time, because I don't like it that much. So
Taylor Alexander 1:09:15
no, that's fair. I mean, that one, that one grew on me, you know, like, I remember. You know, not liking that one at first. But to me that record that whole record to me is is it's also this was maybe, maybe we had different relationships with music back then because of the physical format that you could only get it in and like, so you had to you had to like really spend time with the records and, and I believe that when I got that CD, I think it was before I was driving, if I remember correctly, and so I there was no way to listen to it except for on my CD player, you know, and so like, and especially once you've invested the I don't even remember How much CDs were back then maybe 14 bucks or something. Like, once you've invested your yard mo and money into something, you were like, bound and determined to get every ounce of anything out of it, you know, because you didn't want to get your money's worth. And it was kind of, you know, something, there was something a little bit more difficult about acquiring the thing, you know, that, you know, so I'm saying all that to say, like, there's a lot of songs on records that are that I consider, like my favorites, that like, I just can I, I just found what I liked about him, because I was like, I'm going to enjoy every bit of this, you know, I have to like, stop all of it up, you know, right.
Thomas Mooney 1:10:43
I remember because this is also like, this is when records were released on Tuesdays and not Fridays. And oh, yeah, I
remember that.
Going to Best Buy, and like and buying that CD. at Best Buy, or like just going
Taylor Alexander 1:11:01
I may have gotten it at Walmart actually.
Thomas Mooney 1:11:03
Yeah. But it's another like little comment on that, though, is like the back then. Yeah, when you bought a CD, it's one of those things where it's now you have like access to you have access to someone's entire catalogue of music, their entire discography, so it's just like, bam, right there. You can there's no difference between listening to Nashville skyline by Bob Dylan and I don't know blood on the tracks, you know what I mean? Even though those are like five years apart, or like Blonde on Blonde and blood on the tracks, that's probably a better example Sharon years apart, you just you just have it all at once. And back then, even like, that's what's so strange. It's only you know, 15 years ago, but you only had access to whatever record you had. And
Taylor Alexander 1:11:59
whichever your friends like tomorrow to you know, yeah,
Thomas Mooney 1:12:02
so like, there's such a smaller sample of of a person's discography Excuse me. I remember talking about this was in France is with the wallflowers is everyone's like, favorite record was the one with one headlight, but I didn't have that record. I had like the one. That was, I think the title was rebel sweetheart. And the one was one headlight is bringing down the horse. So like, I just had, like, a little bit of a different experience with wallflowers than everyone else did or like a lot of my friends.
Taylor Alexander 1:12:40
Yeah, totally.
Thomas Mooney 1:12:40
It's so it's, it's, I find that if I missed that, I have like a nostalgia for it. But also at the same time. I love having just the access to everything to everything, you know, so
Taylor Alexander 1:12:53
Oh, yeah, it definitely it definitely cuts both ways. For sure. Like, I, I feel on one hand that like, it's, it's so easy to, to be like, up on everything now, like musically like, you can, you can, like there's no trend that you can miss out on if you don't want to, you can just like, you know, as soon as somebody starts, you know, getting a little hype, here's like, Oh, I'm gonna jump on Apple Music here. And just like, you know, here, it was, like, I remember like, there was almost this Mystique back, you know, back when I was growing up where somebody you know, your friend would be like, dude, have you ever heard of so and so? And you're like, No, I've never heard of him. How did you hear him? I'm like, dude, I he's there on this skate video that I saw that's on VHS, and there's no way to get the song we're gonna have to, like, find a store to get this record. And then you go to the store and they're like, No, we don't have jawbreaker album, you're gonna have to, you know, and then you have to find a catalog. And then oh, maybe somebody older brother is gonna burn it for you. You know, there was like this kind of mystique of like, you could you could be in the know, on something that most people couldn't access, you know, in any real way. And there's something kind of fun about that, you know?
Thomas Mooney 1:14:06
Yeah, it's the the effort of fun. Yeah, it's the search. And yeah, uh, you know, it was also a really great place to to find this new music at the time. Was stuff like, like the Tony Hawk video game. Wow, totally. Yeah. like video games have like such great soundtracks that you're, you go What is this and I need to find whatever else by this person. And then yeah, then you start that process of trying to to get that record. And of course also at the same time, you you probably relate to this too, is the anything you want at like, from like 12 to 16 has like a Parental Advisory sticker on it? Oh, yeah. They won't sell it to you know,
you have to figure out a way
Yeah.
That's such a such a strange time.
Taylor Alexander 1:15:07
Well, you know, and it's funny too, because it's gonna be, it's gonna be something where, in a few years or in a decade or something, you're gonna have a whole generation of people that are gonna look at funny when you talk about that, you know, about the access to music, it's gonna be like a payphone. You know, right. Because it's gonna be it's so ubiquitous now. To just access whatever you want that like people are just gonna be like, what? There was a there's a, there was a physical format that isn't vinyl, you know? Because I'm sure it's people still collect vinyl, but I don't I would be I'd be kind of surprised if there's like a CD resurgence, where people are like, Oh, if you want to be really cool, you have to have everything on compact disc.
Thomas Mooney 1:15:51
Yeah, well, that's it. I've seen some people talk about. Well, I do not believe that's gonna happen. I've seen a lot of people talk about cassettes coming back or like, oh, wait to the eight track resurgence comes? And
Taylor Alexander 1:16:06
yeah, they're really trying on that one. I don't feel like it's tracking the flaw. And all of that, though,
Thomas Mooney 1:16:11
is that with with vinyl, like, the, the quality is much higher than an mp3. Not so much with the cassette or an eight track. So like, there's not like the payoff of having, you know, the big records. So like,
Taylor Alexander 1:16:27
right, so there's something like the audio file kind of people that you know, swear by the CV, because obviously, CDs sound great. Yeah. I just don't know if it'll be like a centerpiece of your living room in 15 years, where people were like, Dude, come see my CD collection, unless they're like, super into, you know, the quality of music or whatever. Maybe
Thomas Mooney 1:16:51
we'll also this is like, We're going like really nerdy on all this stuff right here. But I've seen some people really get into like, the, the different kinds of like, obviously, there's mp3 and waves. And I've seen some people like, you know, just there, they subscribe to like tips, which apparently is like even better. But what's really funny is really to appreciate any of that kind of stuff you need, like some really great fucking headphones. So Oh, yeah. No, like,
Taylor Alexander 1:17:28
it's like, if you listen to that through your, like, your pot or air pods or whatever, it's not gonna, you're not gonna get the full.
Thomas Mooney 1:17:34
Yeah. So like, that's where some of the flaws I see in some of these people talking about whatever is. I don't know. So.
Taylor Alexander 1:17:44
Hey, we'll see. I mean, everything that's old is new again. So who knows? Yeah.
Thomas Mooney 1:17:49
Yeah. What what's, what's interesting as a it's very, it's connected is when it when it comes to like Spotify or anything like that with music. I can. There's nothing. There's never a moment where I'm like, Oh, I don't know what to listen to. But when it comes to watching something with like Netflix, or HBO, Max now, or Hulu, I can get on there and like start searching and not know what to watch. Just because there's too much stuff. Do you feel Do you ever have that experience?
Taylor Alexander 1:18:21
Oh, yeah. 100% It's, it's only it's almost like information overload. Like, nowadays, I only watch something. If somebody suggests it, almost because I need like a, I almost need like a secondary filter. So that I can even choose from the just vastness of those libraries. It's like, you know, we got the we got the HBO max train. And, and so now I'm like, trying to watch all the stuff that I like, missed out on over the last decade of HBO, like, you know, I finally got around to watching like, True Detective or whatever, that I remember everybody talking about years ago, and I was like, Okay, well, everybody said, This is great. So I'm gonna watch it, but then there's like, a billion movies on there. And I'm like, I don't even know where to start with these man. Like, because that is kind of a time investment to and you, right, you know, it's a it's a funny thing, I think kind of feel like that with music sometimes. Like, I found that. One thing that's changed in my relationship with a lot of music is that it's harder for me to like, really get just like, knocked out by a record, like I used to, like, like, there's, there's so many albums that I got when I was a young teenager, that when I pop them in now, I still get that same feeling of like, whatever it is, you know, from that album, and, and that's probably partially like a nostalgic thing, you know, but nowadays, I feel like that I it's just harder for me to connect really, really deeply with albums and occasionally like one slipped through, you know, like, you know, soufiane Stevens last record, like, completely leveled me for like a long time. You know, that So there's exceptions, but I just feel like, you know, a lot of times, it's just it's harder to make that connection. And I wonder if that has something to do with the ease of access. It's somehow like devalues it subconsciously or something like that? I don't know.
Thomas Mooney 1:20:12
Yeah, I know, for me what with, I guess, like winning with a certain level of success as a journalist, which I'm, you know, I'm not, you know, writing bigger masterpieces for Vanity Fair or anything like that. But, you know, you get so much stuff sent to you that I've tried to, like, explain to people that sometimes, like, that's the, you're overloaded with that. And, you know, it's very cool to when you get records in advance, but it's this strange thing where you have to almost give up the record once once it's released. Because like, that's, once it's released, you've already written the piece about the record, or that artist or whoever, you know, and it's a, it's okay, well, what records coming out in two weeks after this? I need to start working on that. And so like, Yeah, sounds like you. I don't know, it's, it's, it's such a weird thing. Because like I do, there's a lot of records, I end up going like, Oh, I love this record, I love this record. But then, like the work aspect of, of it, where you have to just kind of give it up. And there's a few records that transcend that. For me, like the, I guess, like the band that I've feel like, I just was like, Oh my gosh, this is where I just kind of returned to his stuff by the war on drugs, those last couple records, that I wind up, finding my way back to,
Taylor Alexander 1:21:57
I need to I need to give, I need to, like really sit down with those because I've only ever heard. You know, like, a couple songs here and there that'll come on, like playlists and stuff when I'm like, at work or something. I just for whatever reason, that slipped under the radar for me, I haven't really sat down with the records that are published.
Thomas Mooney 1:22:15
Yeah. Like, they're what I love about them is they they are kind of like, like the underappreciated era of Dylan of like, the 80s kind of stuff mixed with, like, dire straits. And, like, some of the more I guess, like the big themes of Springsteen, I don't know, it's like this weird, like, that kind of era of, of music, but in 2020, or, or I guess, like in 2015, or whatever, whenever they release 16 or something like that. So
Taylor Alexander 1:22:51
get on board with that. That sounds pretty cool. That's a good elevator pitch. Yeah, it's
Thomas Mooney 1:22:57
like it's it's a very much like a I don't like the sonic qualities, the sit live landscape of that. It's just very awesome. And it's, it's, it's just a great, like, those two, the last two records are really, they feel like they, they locked together. So like, I kind of, I kind of feel like they're like just a one massive listening experience. But anyways, so what I was wanting to get back to
was
about, I guess, like, I'm gonna probably cut right there. And then I'm just going to come back in right here real quick. to like, rephrase that. What I wanted to like end this on was like, connecting it back to, to the record, you know, and like what you've been working on lately, which is the, you mentioned the how like, you know, these these little these singles, these A B side singles, where you're kind of you're recording one song from the record and then another song, but like that song from the record, you're kind of going back to the basics or like the the original intentions, is that kind of like where you're, well I guess, like, what's the process of like, trying to, I guess go back and figure out what it was at the kind of like the, the quote unquote, like the acoustic version of that.
Taylor Alexander 1:24:24
Yeah. So on the first one and done project, I did, sorry for growing up, which is the the last song on the record. And I wrote it on acoustic guitar, I write everything on acoustic guitar because I can't really I'm very good at like piano or anything like that. So primarily, everything's going to be written on acoustic and I wrote like, even on the album, it ends up being a piano lead. Almost him like feel is kind of one of the go for with the production. And, but that original little riff was an acoustic guitar like fingerpick thing almost like a guy Clark sort of a thing or something like that. And I just, I wanted to just give like a little bit of a different angle on the tune because, you know, maybe not not that I like felt like, people didn't like the album version or something, but just like a different flavor of like, this is what it sounded like in the room when I, when I wrote it. And so we kind of recorded it like that, too, with, we just use the single microphone, and then we just did one full take all the way through. I think maybe we did a couple extra tapes, but you know, no cuts or edits or whatever, we just, you know, wonderful tape, can you go and I kind of I was trying to think of like, when I was starting that project, like, which one to try to reinterpret first and, as always, for some reason that that one is one that I feel, I, I feel like I got my, my point across as well as I could have. And I you know, I'm just kind of, I feel pretty proud with the structure and everything with that one. So it was kind of a kind of an obvious pick, just specifically also because of the the, the instrumentation being so different. So and then we did on that was the one we did the the Elliott Smith cover on to
Thomas Mooney 1:26:25
Yeah,
well, you know, what I like is, I like when an artist does does that kind of thing, where with alternate versions, or like just another another spin on it a different angle, because I feel like it adds and provides like, another additional context for that song, or, especially with you kind of framing it as like, this is what it sounded like, in the when it was just me and the guitar. I love that kind of aspect of like, when you when you do something with with a collection of song Sure, or whatever the case is.
Taylor Alexander 1:27:05
Yeah, you know, I, I was trying to trying to like, just give like a sometimes maybe even cut so that I'm not so wrapped rambley but sometimes I feel like songs can get a little bit buried in the production sometimes and, and it's not necessarily negative all the time. But it's kind of, I just felt that it was kind of important for some of these tunes to just like, strip everything back and just be like, here's a tune, here's a totally different little take on it, you can kind of hear the lyric in a different context, you can, you know, can maybe connect with it a little bit differently, if you are generally turned off by more production or you know, whatever. So, it was definitely really fun for me to do.
Thomas Mooney 1:27:54
Yeah, well, you know, also at the same time, it's one of those things where, you know, if these were the full length versions, it would it would kind of take you out of like that, the the bedrock of that record, because you guys do such a job of a good job of, of creating a certain palette that you're working with. And you know, if you just if you're not if you if you just make a stark change, where you're not really painting with those colors, you can just change the feel or you know what I mean? So I you know, I always subscribe to like you know, just because a song is written this certain way doesn't mean it can't be played this way or you know what I mean? There's a million different ways to to make a song work and for various reasons so I mean, or settings or whatever the case is. So you know, you mentioned doing the the Elliott Smith track and i don't know i we talked a little bit before we recorded but like that song is such a great, it just has such a great melody to it and a great fingerpicking style. And I guess like where did that come from? Or where did you how did you guys decide to throw that into as a track on here?
Taylor Alexander 1:29:16
Well, originally, we were just gonna do acoustic singles, just you know, just do the originals from the record, little reinterpretations or whatever. And then while we were just kind of setting levels and sound checking before we started recording, I just started playing that one just because I like it and it was one of those kind of early tunes that I tried to learn how to fingerpick because of you know, I tried to like that was one of those early ones that had that that actually is that style, like playing a melody with your other fingers and like so I now you know I don't play it perfectly by any stretch on the on the recording. But while I was playing that Brendan Brendan essentially produced it was like, dude, we should just hit record on that and do it. And I was kind of like, that's, like, I was a little bit hesitant just because, you know, like, in the context of like a country record, I was kind of afraid that it would make a build, you know, kind of alienate people a bit, but then I was kind of like, Man, you know, this is kind of, like, more broader context to, like, you know, where I come from, as a songwriter, you know, and so, it'll, it'll give people a little bit of an idea of, like, you know, the kind of stuff that really inspired me, you know, and so then that kind of snowballed into, okay, well, when I do these one and done projects, I do one of mine, and then I'm going to do a kind of off the wall cover of something that like, inspired me fairly early, you know, something that you wouldn't expect, you know, generally something that's not considered country or like a standard, something like that, you know, and just kind of put my own spin on them. So the first thing we do is the Elliott Smith one and just love that I've always loved that song. It's just, it's, it's kind of haunting and kind of not 100% sure, what it's about all the time makes you feel kind of dislocated. And it's just really, it's a really cool song. And I love all his music. So he was a super, super inspirational as a songwriter, to me for sure. Yeah, well, as an arranger and everything else, too. It's like, I think a lot about his records when I'm thinking about arrangements and stuff for my record. So like, I don't have the the melodic sensibility, like I think few people have the melodic sensibility that he had, where he would almost play like these, these Beatles esque you know, kind of a thing Beatles esque, but, you know, these sort of like a lot of interesting chords, and like, you know, weird harmonies, and like, all kinds of stuff that I partially am incapable of, because of my ability on guitar, you know, like, he was also, I think, an extremely underrated guitar player, some of the stuff that he does is, is very interesting and really cool. And so, you know, it, I think a lot about the way that his records are produced, especially some of those later ones, where it's a lot more full band a lot more arranged, and just the inner, the interlocking parts, and, you know, just the overall tones and feel. And so it felt like a fitting a fitting cover for the, for the first one.
Thomas Mooney 1:32:30
Yeah. And what you know, also, it connects back to kind of like that, that feeling, though, the early 20s feeling that we were talking about earlier? Because he really channels a lot of the things it is of a young adulthood. And for sure, what, what do you have going forward? I'm assuming you're going to have a volume three at some point. When do you think that's gonna?
Taylor Alexander 1:32:56
You know, I haven't, I haven't decided yet. So there's nothing like there's nothing like in the hopper at the moment, like anything that I've already recorded. So I for the second one, I kind of did a reinterpretation of the title track and then I did a get up kids song, get up kids are great than that. Especially this particular song overdue was a huge, like, lyrical inspiration for me, because it was like one of the early, early songs that I remember where I felt like it was so direct and biting and it just, it just kind of like changed a little bit of the way that I viewed how you could write something so like serious to somebody else, right. But for the third one, I'd like to do one I just I'm not quite sure which one I'm going to do yet. I need to maybe some people can, can DM me some suggestions of what they'd like to hear acoustically?
Thomas Mooney 1:33:54
Yeah, yeah, we can. We'll throw that question out to the general audience here. Yeah, um, yeah, it's been really great talking to you today. Thanks for listening to this episode of new slang. Be sure to check out Taylor Alexander's good old fashioned pain. Check out episode sponsors the blue light live and wickers jalapeno jelly. Okay, I'll see y'all later in the week for another episode and interview
Transcribed by https://otter.ai