178: Braxton Keith
On Episode 178, I'm joined by rising singer-songwriter Braxton Keith. Last Fall, the West Texan released his debut EP Neon Dreams. During this one, we talk about that EP, his plans for 2021, writing with Charlie Stout, his West Texas epic "Cold Hard Steel and Sand," and launching a career in the midst of a pandemic.
This episode's presenting partner is Desert Door Texas Sotol and The Blue Light Live.
Interview Transcript
Note: Transcripts aren’t always accurate since they are computer automated and haven’t been edited for spelling, grammar, etc.
Thomas Mooney 0:02
Hey y'all Welcome back to New slang. I'm music journalist Thomas Mooney. This is Episode 178. And this go round, I'm joined by up and comer singer songwriter, Braxton Keith. been a fan of Braxton for a minute now and I just really think he's got something good going. I caught him for a minute up at Blue Light a couple of weekends back and we recorded this one. I'll go in and make note right now, just in case I didn't cut all the little interruptions out. Basically, we were in Tom's which is right next to blue light and a few folks they thought that blue light and Tom's were both open. So they're going to the door and of course the doors are locked. But, you know, there's that little bit of awkwardness of them looking at us through the windows and us being like, hey, they're closed. I'm sorry. It's not the biggest deal but I kind of figure I'll mention it just in case like I said, I think I caught them all. But anyway, it was good catching up with Braxton and picking his brain on songwriting and being from West Texas just like I am and his EP neon dreams and, and how he really utilized the time this past year, despite us being in the middle of this pandemic. Today's presenting partner is our pals over at Desert door, Texas SoTL. If you've been listening to new slang for really any amount of time, you'll know that desert door is one of my all time favorite premium, high quality spirits. If you haven't or aren't sure what exactly a sotol is. I'm going to let you in on a little secret that's going to up the game on your liquor cabinet. For starters, the best reference point that I can point you to is to think about a tequila or Moscow. Do you feel that Western desert that text is ruggedness? Okay, Soto is like that, but a little bit more refined, smooth and fragrant. It intrigues the palate, and offers these hints of vanilla and citrus, there's an earthiness that often sends me right back to my trans Pecos some Far West Texas roots. There's plenty to love about desert door. For me, it all starts right there. a close second is just how versatile desert door really is. You can go full highbrow and experiment with concocting a variety of cocktails that call for muddling fresh fruit sprigs of time sticks of cinnamon, it's perfect for that world. If you're a little bit more down home, if you've just rolled up the sleeves up your denim Wrangler button up, it's perfect for that as well. If you're just designing something that's short and sweet, it hits the mark every time does adore is genuine and authentically West Texan. It's inherently West Texan. They harvest Soto plants out in the wild in our knowledgeable conservation lists at heart. That's obviously something incredibly important to me. They shine a light on what makes West Texas special and unique and worth preserving and keeping it safe from exploitation. Right now, you can find desert door all over Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, and there's budding numbers in places like New Mexico, Arizona, California and Georgia. Best thing you can do is to check out desert door.com to find where desert door is locally. Again, that's desert door.com. If this is your first time listening to new slang, be sure to hit that subscribe button. New slang is available everywhere that podcasts are available. Of course, one of those five star reviews. They do go a long way. So yeah, think about leaving one. Be sure to check out the merch store. That would be new slang, podcast dot big cartel.com. Over there. We have plenty of T shirts and stickers and koozies and coffee mugs and all kinds of stuff. While you're at it, go stop and check out the Patreon. If you're wanting to support journalism, new slang my other podcast the neon Eon which is like a 90s country podcast, go sign up for it. Over there. You can sign up for monthly merge packs, add free episodes, or be a part of our postcard club for as little as three bucks a month. All the links that I've just mentioned they will be in the show notes as well. Anyway, we'll keep this one right here really, really short and get on to the conversation. Here is Braxton Keith. So yeah, what's Texas boy? Yes, sir. You're from Midland. Yes, sir. I am. Yeah. So obviously, as a West Texas guy myself, I think like all of us love talking about West Texas more than anything else in this world. For you, you know, like, I guess like your early existence as a songwriter, those impressionable years there's been other songwriters from here, round your age a little bit older than you that you were able to kind of look up to is that the case as far as like just having that, that touch point with like a flatland as far as being from middle klotho or
At what point did you kind of realize like, Oh, you know, these people are also writing about West Texas and maybe that's something I can tap into.
Braxton Keith 5:09
I guess I never really realized that they were writing about West Texas. I mean, I guess john Bowman's Midland song, you could obviously tell us about middlin. But yeah, but uh, when I sat down for with Charlie to write cold, hard steel and saying, that was the first time I'd ever thought about writing about specifically middlin. And everybody's written a song about my mind. It seems like flatland has john BARROWMAN. And I just wanted to do it different. So when we sat down, it was kind of hard because we went and listen to both of airs, and I was like, dang. Okay. So they take out a lot of it. I mean, I can't, I don't want to do anything that they've done already. So that's right. That's how we kind of came up with cold hard steel and sand talking about the wolf world. Really?
Thomas Mooney 5:54
Yeah, that song right there. Specifically, whenever Charlie sent over like a demo of it, when you guys were working on it on an elf in Turkey. I just knew there was something that those other examples that you used, were like, even like West Texas in my eye, but stout or like any of these other kind of, like, you know, the Terry Allen's and the flatlanders, or any of those other guys, it was something different, where, as far as talking about the oilfield, in a way that was not about like oilfield trash, you know what I mean? But like in this very romanticized, like, Battle of good and evil. What were those? What were those early conversations, like as far as like setting up that story? Because like, you don't just write that down. You know, you there's a conversation that takes place, especially with someone like Charlie, oh, yeah, you can just like break something down forever. What were those early conversations like?
Braxton Keith 6:53
I sit down, I told him that, he asked me about Midland and asked me about, like, what my friends were doing in Midland right now. And I told them, most of my friends had gone into the oilfield. And that, that kind of traps kids that are my age, because there's not very many places you can go and make that much money. So all these kids are trying to make as much money as they possibly can. And then the bus will come. And they're all screwed, don't have a job. They have giant houses and big old lifted trucks that people from California coming by. So we kind of wrote about it is in like, I mean, the song kind of makes it makes it out to the devil is he comes down to earth, all the angels fall and hit the Permian Basin and their blood soaks into the stone. And that's what, that's what crazy oil.
Thomas Mooney 7:43
Yeah. But it's such a that that thing right there as far as like kids going in, like the temptation of jumping into the oil field. Because as you said, right there, the the bus will come. And then like, your money management aspects just are like no one, I get you, you know, I don't care who you are at 18. You don't know how to manage money. Especially if you're just giving gobs of it like that. And you have like, No, you know, actual things to worry about. You don't have like a kid, but um, some of them with it. But, you know, I'm saying that's just such an interesting thing. I find like what you guys did there was I don't know, like a just captures a whole lot of West Texas. And have you have you seen a whole lot of interaction from other folks coming up to you asking about that song?
Braxton Keith 8:33
Yeah, we just played an oilfield party in Midland. I guess two weeks ago, three weeks ago, maybe? And that's what they asked for. They're like, are you gonna play? And I was like, Yes. I'm glad that crowds like that connect to it, and that people from my hometown can connect to it. Especially if you know anything about the history of Midland or history of the whole field. That songs pretty well hit home for you.
Thomas Mooney 8:57
Yeah. As far as getting up to Turkey. Oh, yeah. How was turkeys a special place there? Oh, yeah. You know, what's, uh, what's been up? Like, what's it been? For you like a perfect kind of Turkey day up there may run with somebody or?
Braxton Keith 9:13
Yeah, when I went up there the first time. I just I gotten on Charlie's midnight and lonesome. And he told me if I ever needed anything, let him know. And I was like, well, dude, I'm going to the studio next weekend. Like, would you mind helping me like look over these songs and make sure that they're sounding professional? I mean, I want everything sound pretty good. And Charlie was like, Yeah, come down. So I went down there. The first day in Turkey. We set in the abandoned boot shop all day long and worked on songs. But he didn't. He didn't help me write anything. He would just tell me not that sucks. Or, you know, I try does just make me get it myself. Which was really cool. The second day is when we actually wrote cold hard steel and sand and we sit there all day long. Trying to write that song. And that was probably the most perfect day in Turkey, really sunny out went, took some pictures came back, it was a beautiful, beautiful day in Turkey. And it's really hot. So it was really perfect for writing about
Thomas Mooney 10:18
West Texas, again, like there's like that epicness of that song, where it feels, it feels like you guys could have probably had. I don't know, if you guys if you know about like hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. There's, you know, the legend behind that song is that he wrote and wrote and wrote many verses. And then like, what ends up in the song is like, you know, just the seven, but like, it's one of those songs that he worked on for ever, because it was just never perfect enough. And he that's one of those things you can just continue to write about. It feels like that song right there. You know, there's probably five verses that you guys cut. That's what it feels like. I don't know if that's the case, but it feels like that. There's like that epic that poem epicness of it, where it could just be like, you know, battle with Troy. Yeah, I'd kind of thing right. Somebody you do interesting on there is like you sing that differently than other songs. Was it something that you just kind of fell into? Or was it a little bit more intentional?
Braxton Keith 11:20
What what's kind of the Marty Robbins is my biggest inspiration. And when we sat down that day, I told Charlie that I wanted to write something that was kind of like, a ballad, something that Marty Robbins sing. And so when we wrote it, we wrote it down in a low register key. And I didn't like it at all. I didn't like the way my voice sounded on it. Nothing. And Charlie told me not to move it. Just leave it right there. I was like, Alright, so I went to the studio, and I listened to it the first time at that in that key and I was like, Alright, like that. Sounds pretty cool. It's kind of like Colter wall, I guess. Yeah. Pretty cool. Yeah, there's it's not most of the songs I seen are pretty. I mean, I have a higher voice. So yeah, it's kind of cool to change every once a while.
Thomas Mooney 12:09
Yeah, it's like it's almost like a cold for him coming in. Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? Because it's, there is that little bit of that booming this to it? The culture wall. This episode of new slang is brought to you by the blue light live here in Lubbock, Texas. Blue Light has long been the heart and soul of the Lubbock singer songwriter scene, and has been a home away from home for some of Texas Americana, country and rock and roll's finest over the years. Talk with 99.9% of the Songwriters who have come out of Lubbock and the panhandle at large over the past 20 years. And they'll point to just how integral and necessary the blue light is, with live music and touring slowly but surely coming back spots like the blue light, or getting back to their usual ways as well. That means music every night of the week. Do you want to see that schedule? Well, I've got a few options for you. One, go to their socials and give them a follow up that is at blue light live on Twitter, at the blue light live on Instagram. And of course, by just searching the blue light live on Facebook, they're consistently posting that week's lineup of shows, as well as those heavy hitters that ought to be on your calendar that are coming up on the horizon. To check out blue light lubbock.com as well. There they have the full schedule, the cover charges time, any of those specials that may be happening while they're go check out their merge page. They have a wide range of hats, koozies, hoodies, sweaters, beanies, jackets, and so much more. You can of course get all of your merchant age, when you go see your favorite band, take the stage at blue light, just ask the bartender and they will get you all set. Speaking of which, that's another great way of seeing who's playing there. Just go to the blue light. It's at 1806 Buddy Holly Avenue here in Lubbock, Texas. And of course, again, that is blue light, loving, calm. I'll throw a link into the show notes to maybe I'll see you there. Okay, let's get back to the show.
What's it like riding with Charlie?
Braxton Keith 14:26
I love riding with Charlie. Charlie is one of my favorite people to write with because he doesn't care about your feelings. And he doesn't care if your feelings get hurt. He'll tell you straight up if it's good or not. And that's what I like. Because some people will tell you that it's good no matter what, just because they want to make you happy. And that never makes you better. So I like especially when Charlie would tell me something sucks. He's like now that's trash. Never never played that for me again. And I'm like, okay, at least I know like a direction I should be going. Yeah. Which is interesting. Well, I
Thomas Mooney 15:03
think there is very much something to tell somebody. Oh, that's amazing. Because like, you know, you're just kind of giving them the, you know, you want to be on their good side or like you want to. I think there's something too, like, sometimes people get bored with writing. Let's finish this up, let's wrap it up, and get on to something more fun because like, just say, we've written a song, where with someone like, Charlie, it's almost it's about the process more than even sometimes the end results. And I think sometimes, like, he can definitely, I think, break it down too far at times. I think we've seen examples of that clubhouse example. But he, it I think he it's all intentional. And that's like, the key to it all is being intentional. Because every word, every line, every like inflection, is marching towards a certain goal. And I think you kind of realize that when when you're riding with someone like that,
Braxton Keith 16:11
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, for sure. He has a way of writing that makes you. You can see it in your mind when you sing it. Or even when I listened to some of his cool art students, and I can, it's a movie that plays in my mind. And it's cool when you when you're able to do that. Because sometimes you can say something like, I'll listen to a song four or five times before I catch what they're actually meaning. But when I can see it all like that, and it's very visual, visual. Yeah. It's beautiful. It's, it's a way of writing that. I haven't quite. I haven't quite grasped yet, but I'm working
Thomas Mooney 16:48
on it. Have you ever been able to take those principles when working on by yourself or with someone else? That's, you know, more around your age?
Braxton Keith 16:58
Yeah, for sure. I'm on it. Charlie just taught me to be honest. And I'm good. I guess I'm a sucker for Yeah, that sounds good. or whatever, you know, just trying to make people happy. And when when we got in there, and I played the first song for Charlie, and he told me it sucked. I was like, Okay. Alright, this is gonna be good. So, yeah, I mean, just going after what I want. Really. It's not that someone else doesn't have as good of an idea as you. I'd say that. Probably. I don't know. You can write. I mean, Charlie went in there and wrote a song. What was it? I guess it was neon dreams? Yeah. And he had a totally, he told me what it meant to him. And then I told him what it meant to me. Two different complete stories. Not even close to being the same. And that's okay, too. Right. But at the end of the day, I don't want anyone to get away with not giving it their best.
Thomas Mooney 17:58
Yeah. No, absolutely. That's and that's another thing, right? There is a song can have a different meaning for, you know, a 40 year old guy, and our older your 20 year old 2022. Whatever, whatever the case is. 18 year old? I don't know. 12 year old kid. I don't know. Yeah, exactly. You know, the, the, I guess like this past year has been pretty difficult, obviously, because of the quarantine and stuff. You probably haven't been able to play as many shows as you've wanted to. But has it has it honestly, no kind of strange way been? Have you been able to take advantage of the fact that you probably be able to play a little bit more around than some of these bigger acts? Because, you know, there's less overhead for you? Have you been? Do you feel like you've been able to take advantage of the landscape, if you will? Yeah, absolutely.
Braxton Keith 18:56
COVID was terrible. And we're still filling some of the effects of that, but at the same time, it gave us a chance to get better. Right before COVID hit, we had put our band together. And we were a bunch of musicians trying to play the same song when we were when when we first put got put together and that gave us time to just grow as a band really get better and get tighter. And then also COVID has given us some great opportunities to open up for some some pretty cool people so yeah, in the end, I think I wouldn't have done anything different
Thomas Mooney 19:33
Yeah, I think like that's the strange thing that's happened with quarantine because a lot of these places are obviously still been open these venues. And the risk reward for guys like you were like slayed or like you know, Ronnie in the redwoods as far as like, love it guys go. I feel like you know there's lower risk for bar like blue light of any like blue light because They're not having to pay for someone coming out of town. Right? It's closer here. And the risk reward on a lower level. You know, it's it's better. It's less of a risk, obviously, if you're starting out, versus if you are the guy who's got to pay, like, you know, you got to sell out the room like every time you're out on tour, where, you know, you're gonna be building numbers when you're starting out anyways. Yeah, so if it's like a 50% capper, maybe that's a good night for for starter, you know? Exactly. We
Braxton Keith 20:34
we actually played here for the first time. I guess about a month ago. I played here for like Monday night singer songwriters. I guess two years ago, was the last time I played here before that. And I don't know, playing somewhere like this. This has been my dream since I was a little kid. So yeah, this is making it all come true.
Thomas Mooney 20:55
Yeah, I mean, it's it's a is it smaller than you realized?
Braxton Keith 21:00
Yeah, it is. We sold it out last time, which was interesting to me. I didn't know love. It was showing up like that. But yeah, hey, I love it. They, it's a lot smaller than I thought. But at the same time, everybody gets crammed in there, and they have a good time. Yeah, that's all that matters. That's not much room for dancing. But
Thomas Mooney 21:18
yeah, that's the thing that like people, I've talked with people who will come for a specific show, or, Oh, I got to get down to blue light and watch a show at blue light. They'll come in especially like you'll see right around opening if someone's been there the first time and they're kind of looking around, like kind of taking even photos of like the the murals on the wall and stuff. And you think you realize that they're like, Oh, this is places like, but smaller than I thought it was. And yeah, there is no dance floor. I don't think that's like a thing for these days. People dancing. Yeah.
Braxton Keith 21:51
Not not usually, unless we go play some old Honky Tonk somewhere. But yeah, usually, they're just standing right up at the front. If the dance is going on, it's at the back. Are you? Are you wanting to bring dancing back? Yeah, we play a bunch of dancing songs. I love dancers. And that's why I love Copeland, we'll go to Copeland and there's not very many kids that'll show up there, but all the old people will show up, and they'll all dance to every song. It doesn't matter what the song is. Yeah, just kind of cool to see. Especially since I've just been so in love with older country music and Urban Cowboy
Thomas Mooney 22:28
in that era, and before dancers. Gillies, Billy Bob's, like, all these places have massive dance floors, if you have wanted to dance, and that's what's okay. So a couple years ago, there was some one of these television companies or networks was wanting to do a reboot of Urban Cowboy for now. And I guess it was maybe like 2015 for like, the modern time, it was like, well, it can't revolve around dancers. And that's what was one of their things was like, it's gonna be about people who are dancing. It's like, well, people in Texas no fucking dancer really, like, if you're talking about the modern Texas country scene, these people aren't really dancers so so if you want to do more singer songwriter, avid, like diehard fans of that, sure, I guess their front row people but not dancers, no dancing.
Braxton Keith 23:26
there's not very many people that know how to dance really well. But I tell you what there are Yeah, I mean, being up there. I've seen some people that are crazy dancers. That's why if somebody ever asked me if I can dance, I'm like, now I can't dance because I've seen some people that are throwing people around. Right? And I can't do none of that.
Thomas Mooney 23:42
How many? Have you seen that have thrown the girl down? Because you know, one slip and maybe drink too much? And oh? Have you seen any Sydney? Any epic failures?
Braxton Keith 23:56
I've seen some people try to dance when they're plastered. That's the best. Especially when they're not on time with the song just kind of stumbling around the room that girl is holding them up.
Thomas Mooney 24:07
That's the best one of my buddies our I don't know if you know our used to live here. works for flatland merge. He super easy going got except when someone was like dancing the wrong way to a song then he'd be like, this is a fuckin waltz. What are they doing? Like it was like, okay, man, is it really that big of a deal? I don't know. But uh, sure. Okay, well, we'll roll with it. Yeah, I'm not I'm gonna to scheppers right to set to everything. Yeah. What, uh, you mentioned like the old country stuff. what's what's kind of like your, your go to is when it comes to like the 90s country or 80s country stuff. Ah,
Braxton Keith 24:48
I like older countries and that really? Um, I listen to a lot of Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings and I mean, I guess I listen to 90s country to everybody loves George, right. But I just like to the old school country really, I just I'm not digging one Nashville's button out right now, right with this bro country or anything like that, but we're trying to take that back I guess
Thomas Mooney 25:17
I want to break one more time to talk about our pals over at Desert door and offer up a quick Thomas Mooney cocktail minute. As I've said probably 100 times by now, by no means am I a seasoned mixologist or bartender, but these have been some of my desert door go twos. For starters, let's just go with the tried and true range water, pop the top off the topo Chico, take a good swig. Now pour in some desert door and top it off by throwing in a few lime wedges never fails. This one. It's so simple. It probably doesn't even count. But again, pretty foolproof. do the exact same thing but get you a Mexican Coca Cola. I guess you can go with a regular one. But you're really cutting yourself short if you don't opt for the Mexican import variety. Alright, here's the change up you've been waiting for desert door sangria. This one is prime for when you have company coming over and you aren't wanting to just be over there making six different drinks at a time. What you'll need is some desert door. Obviously, a bottle of red wine, honey, boiling water, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, some cinnamon sticks, a couple of apples and some time sprigs. I know that may sound intimidating, but trust me it's worth the prep. And honestly, it's pretty easy. For starters, get you a Punchbowl, add that honey, those cinnamon sticks and the boiling water together. Now you're going to want to stir that all up and let it cool down for about an hour. So remember, patience is a virtue. Once that's done at some desert door and stir vigorously. Now add the one the cider and the vinegar and continue stirring until it's equally mixed. Now slice those apples up and toss them in. Put in those time sprigs as well. Now you can pour that over some ice and you have a modified sangria chef's kiss. Anyway, those have been some of my favorite go twos as of late. And remember desert door is as versatile as vodka and more refined, smooth, complex and intriguing than tequila. It's rich and balanced. And whether you decide to keep it simple or want to experiment desert door is that perfect Texas spirit there's plenty more recipes over at Desert dwar.com as well check out the show notes for a link All right, let's get back to the episode.
There's the pendulum is swinging ever so slightly back with with guys like clearly like Randall or like Tristan Morales or even someone like john party or people shit on them. But Midland Midland is at least bringing some sort of a sound back. It's right. But yeah, like the the you mentioned the wastelands and stuff. How about like the Gary Stewart's? Oh, yeah, you know, like that kind of like that barroom aspect of it where, obviously like someone like Gary or like Merle Haggard, I think like they, they paint a certain kind of honkytonk that, I don't know if it exists in the physical realm anymore. It's more like just like, a daydream in 2021. Oh, yeah. Even though like, you know, it's not like I was round in the 70s going into bars or anything like that. I just feel like it's from a different time and era But no,
Braxton Keith 28:55
I definitely is. And that's interesting that you say that daydreaming about a Honky Tonk? That'd be a good song.
Thomas Mooney 29:01
Oh, man, you know, someone's gonna say, There's a song in there somewhere. That's right. You know the thing right now. You mentioned George, everyone loves George. Get into a little bit of an argument on Twitter right now with people who are going were like, Yeah, but Georgia trade didn't write any of his songs. And I think like, that's like, Whoa, okay. Sure. What does that mean?
Braxton Keith 29:28
How many of those songs do you call anyone else's? But George rates? Right. That's what George Strait songs.
Thomas Mooney 29:33
The thing that I think they they're missing is that there's plenty of those songs that if if we had been there in time, there's probably enough tweaks on those songs and changes. Where had he asked for it? He would have gotten a co ride. Yeah. And had that been the case. All would have changed was his name being put in, put down as a co writer, and then all these people would go Oh, Man, he George Strait, great songwriter, even though he literally did the exact same thing as he's, as he did. And it's just like a change of like, where his name would what would be? And I think like, that's if that's the case. Like, what what are you saying as far as like him? Not being a songwriter? Like, who cares? Like he still had control of what his artistry was? Yeah. Like, there's more to like, writing a song than jotting down the lyrics or being in the room.
Braxton Keith 30:30
Exactly. Exactly. I think that hell it. I mean, I've never thought of any of those songs as anything but George Strait songs once once he cut them and put them out. This is George Strait songs. You don't you don't think about the guy who wrote them. Now those guys are probably making lots of money and good for them. Yeah, and those are killer songs. But now that George has put out those songs, it doesn't matter to me anymore.
Thomas Mooney 30:56
I think also there's something where, with, with George being a guy, I'm aware enough that hey, I'm George Strait. I'm doing pretty fucking fine. Yeah, militarily. And this can make the difference with these guys getting the full cut or getting more of a credit on the songwriting credit side. Exactly than me like, you know what I mean? So, yeah, sometimes 50 Yeah, that would be a 5050 car ride, I guess. Or like, even if it's, if it's two guys, and it's getting cut down to three, or something, you know, like that's, that's taking a huge part out of their paycheck. Yeah, exactly. And it's like, you know, probably, you know, just pennies on the dollar for George. George when it comes to how much he's making with Yeah, exactly. That's a good way to write like that, you know, all that kind of stuff, you know, so that's uh, you know, how it is. But you mentioned the Coulter thing, you know, as far as like, that being kind of the, the Marty Robbins culture voice with cold hard stone sand. How much of like that side of the more the Americana stuff the the Childers the the cultural walls? Do you see as in like an influence on yourself?
Braxton Keith 32:12
I definitely see him as an influence those songwriters have. I hear every day I listen to music every day. And it's
it's always a learning experience, because it's interesting to me how some of these other songwriters can take everyday scenarios and make them into beautiful songs. And so I'd say, listening to I mean, Tyler Childers, for sure. He's got some really interesting nerds. And I like lyrics that you wouldn't hear all the time. Yeah, stuff that would stand out to you. So, yeah, for sure. All, I'd say anything that's contrary has played an influence on my music in some way, shape, or form. We're trying every song I write, it's kind of different. And then we're putting it making a country I guess, putting a pedal steel on it. So I'm kind of all over the place with my country. I mean, my first song was make up your mind a little bit more rock and roll straight into Honky Tonk crowd, which is kind of 90s vibe. So I'd say I get influences in my music from everywhere.
Thomas Mooney 33:21
Yeah, right now you're like such a, obviously like an impressionable you're in such an early impressionable part of your your songwriting career, your artists career, where, you know, as far as songs out, you don't have a shit ton. So I feel like, you know, it's still at that point where you're, you know, a sponge, you're just yeah, and you should probably be that way, regardless of age. But, you know, especially when you don't have the, the sound downwards, like, Oh, that's the the Braxton Keith saying, you know what I mean? Exactly. You got to be open on that stuff. This past year. Again, go into that. How many, like how many songs do you have, like in the can, I guess, like, ready for the next thing?
Braxton Keith 34:08
We're about to get back to the studio here soon. I think I'm gonna cut three more. But we've been writing all the time trying to write as much as I can. And I've met a lot of songwriters over. I mean, I've only been doing this for two years now. So I've met a bunch of my peers and some friends that are co writing with me now, which is been amazing. Because up until two years ago, I wrote everything by myself. Right? Which is it's it's difficult to go from writing by yourself to having somebody else is input on it. But it's been a blessing. Yeah.
Thomas Mooney 34:44
Well, that's something right there. That's interesting, because I sometimes will see young songwriters who do this thing where it's man, I can't catch a break and they start complaining about not having that they start comparing themselves to other songwriters who are, you know, oh, blah, blah played a show with blah, blah, why am I not getting those shows, even though I'm just as good and stuff like that, or whatever the case, it's easy to start, you know, comparing yourself trying to keep up with the Joneses aspect for you, it feels like you haven't been able to catch these breaks. But I'm assuming part of that is just because you not only just good, but like you're putting yourself out there. Yeah, to catch those breaks. Is that is that really the case? As far as like,
Braxton Keith 35:29
you got to put yourself out there for sure. But also, it's like, you just got to work your ass off music is like any other business. It you got to work at it. It's not just it's not something that you could just, I mean, I guess if you get Tick Tock famous or something, right. But that doesn't happen for all of us. And you got to work for it, for sure. But this is what I love to do. And this is what my band loves to do. So surround myself with people that love to do the same thing that I love to do just encourages me to get out there more.
Thomas Mooney 36:00
Yeah, I think like, that's sometimes people don't realize that. You know, sometimes just asking for something. Not like, demanding it, but like, Hey, I noticed, you know, and I'm not talking like, you know, you know, in this like drunken bar kind of situation or like, but, you know, hey, I noticed like this show that doesn't have an open, would you mind me opening? Yeah, you know, that kind of way. Like that kind of stuff right there. Sometimes, like it's just that easy. The way you present it, versus you know, being pissed off just because you didn't ask, you know, there's a lot of that, I guess. Yeah. And I think like, sometimes it's like, get over being shy about it or something. Yeah.
Braxton Keith 36:48
But also, you got to just quit worrying about what everybody else is doing and put your head down. Do it. Yeah. Everybody else is doing their own thing. And they're, they've got their own lives and they've got their own circumstances and, and good for everybody else. But if you're gonna do whatever you want to do, put your head down and just do it.
Thomas Mooney 37:06
Yeah. You mentioned Tick Tock. You have a tick tock. I do. Are you are you getting famous on Tick Tock right now or no,
Braxton Keith 37:12
I only have like 22,000 followers, but I was totally against it. And Charlie made me against it. Because he was like, No, no, get Tick Tock. And then I started looking at like, people blowing up overnight, and I was like, dude, I'm getting a tick tock. I'm sorry.
Thomas Mooney 37:24
Yeah, but I think it's like, with anything. There's the good, the bad and the ugly. Yeah. And like, Charlie sees it as change. And they're like, what the fuck no, no. Yeah. Obviously, like, I got him on clubhouse. And I knew he was either gonna love it or hate it. And he loved at the beginning of in like, there was a time where you hated it. And then like, I feel like now he's coming back around but also aware of like, the, the changes in it or something like that. It's still a thing. Well, that's the thing. That's, I think, like, so many people dropped off where it's gotten where there's less people, so it's decent enough. So yeah, you know, it's, uh, whatever the case I think with club or with Tick Tock though. I think Tick Tock is sort of like American Idol or the voice where you're getting famous in that same like, 15 minute kind of thing as far as like if you're on American Idol, and not that you want American Idol like Carrie Underwood or someone like that, or Kelly Clarkson or, and transcended that. Brothers Osborne or you know, anyone like that. But if you came in like fifth place, it's kind of like that same 15 minutes of fame. Yeah. Because it's hard to make whatever that was that. That quirkiness or maybe that just being good or whatever the cases and turn that into where it's not just like that one trick.
Braxton Keith 38:50
Oh, yeah, exactly. Exactly. And that's, like, I've had a couple of videos that blew up on there. And that's the thing. 200,000 people see that 160 30 minute or 32nd video, whatever it is, and then I mean, does that that you might get some some new listeners from that and stuff, but it really doesn't translate that well or else I'd have right 500,000 followers right now. Yeah, you can get lucky and some people can do that where they they do I guess like a bit or something and they turn that into? I just don't have enough time. Yeah, to post videos every day.
Thomas Mooney 39:30
what's what's interesting with that is I feel like there's, there's a fine line between like finding like this cleverness maybe or like this, oh, people are not doing this. So like, let me try this. And then like getting like that one off, or that, that thing that makes you blow up, versus like, just using that over and over. And what I'm talking about specifically is like you'll see a lot of Tick Tock people. Push a single in these, like 30 minute increments, right or what are the cases, and then they'll release the single not on a Friday, but like on a Tuesday or Wednesday, when nothing's fucking released. So then they blow up to number one on iTunes. And they got to number one song on iTunes, even though like if they released that on a Friday, maybe like a top 30 song. Yeah, that's something like where the first that's interesting. You kind of go Oh, well that's interesting because it makes your name into like, circle, you know, circulated around, and you can put that in the bio and all that kind of stuff right. Now one song This song went number one, this song number one, number one yada, yada, yada, but is it really like it's like a fake number one? Yeah. So number one on a Friday? Yeah. And like, I feel like they need to like make that note on. Yeah. Because there's one on a Monday night. Yeah, what makes a difference? You know what I mean? Like, it's like, that's why you don't want to release like a record when Stapleton release on a record or something. You know, it's, I digress. Going off subject here. But yeah, man, I'm gonna go grab a beer. Yeah, let's grab one. It's been great talking to you. All right, that is it. For this one. Be sure to check out neon dreams by Braxton key TPM, and just yet, go visit our presenting partners over at Desert door and the blue light live. Be sure to hit that subscribe button if you haven't just yet. And yeah, I'll see y'all later this week for another episode.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai