You have made me legitimately laugh several times.Several times.Which is hard because I think I'm smarter than everybody else.
I had to pause and gather myself before saying that phrase.This week on the podcast, the third and final part of the podcast interview with Jody Hildebrand Lee and Jordan Crosby Lee, better known as the Couldn't Be Happiers.
When last we left off with the Couldn't Be Happiers, they had just met in Winston-Salem in 2013 at an old time music circle.They gathered once a month to serve music, food, and company to decompress from the rigors of ordinary life.
Fast forward to today.And this is the third episode of the podcast.I couldn't read that whole bio, but you can read that whole bio and links to their music in the show notes.
And of course you can find all their music at couldn't be happiers.com music and bio and, uh, links to their shows, all kinds of stuff.And here they are.They couldn't be happier.
Feeling all the sawdust in my lungs Blinded by the smoke, nowhere to my eyes Drink my blood, fill me up And I'll be off again tonight Running ragged on a hope and a prayer Sinister in the middle of the day Steal my hair, spend my share And I'll get right back in the fray
Chasing tigers my whole life.
Jordan wrote about Sasquatch, so I had to write about an animal too, apparently.But chasing tigers is really just sort of a metaphor.I think for me, I always wanted to just like be a singer and like make it.
And it's sort of that feeling that you're chasing something that you can never catch, no matter what you do.But you keep getting up and going out and doing it.And it feels like you leave a piece of yourself out there whenever you're performing.
And sometimes you get nothing back.And sometimes you're so high after a great show that it's just amazing.And that's what keeps you going.So really, that's sort of what the song is about.
continuing to put yourself out there in an industry that- She's lying.
It's about the time she went big game hunting with the Trumps.
Yeah, all of them.Just Junior.
I missed him though, unfortunately.You have to cut that out.The secret service is going to come after me.That was a death threat.
I like the Motown feel of this. had a, you know, that beat.
Yeah, I tend to write more, I think, more like a bluesier style, I think, just because that's how I sing.And so I either do sort of, I guess, sort of like a punk rock sound where I'm singing a little bit of a punky tone or more of a bluesy tone.
And I think that was my attempt to like, just write a fun song where I could just really sing on it.And so that's what I did.And poor Jordan, I'll write a song.I'll just record a song on my voice memo with no instruments.
And then I send it to him and I'm like, hey, I need you to figure out the chords for this because it's going to take me forever if I try to do it.
And I need you to turn it into an actual song instead of just random melodies and lines. He always does.So he did that, this one too.And I think Corky had a lot of fun with the drums on that.He got to play every drum he had.
What has been your favorite part of this interview so far?
It's been talking to you, you're so fun.I've really enjoyed it.
Thank you.You have made me legitimately laugh several times.Several times.Which is hard, because I think I'm smarter than everybody else.
Sometimes were you not legitimately laughing?
No, once or twice, yeah, I was faking, but mostly it was real.
I think I could tell.People say you can't tell, but I think I could tell.
A boy's got his secrets.This is goodbye.Not good riddance.
Still I won't say I'll see you again.
I know by now there is no fortune telling.
Wrestling the wind is just till I break in.
You'll never win. I've made up my mind but I'm terrified Of what comes next after the great divide I've been so busy
Haven't left space or room for gratitude So, here's to you Thanks for loving me more than I deserve Thanks for bringing me just a little peace
Never thought I could be happy down on earth For a moment here I was truly Well, I don't know what I could think of To make a mess, to screw this whole thing up
You made it clear you were having none of that No matter what, I was always welcome back Always felt welcome back Thanks for loving me more than I deserve
Thanks for bringing me just a little peace Never thought I could be happy down on earth For a moment here I was truly Mountain music on my radio 75 perfect degrees My first taste of serenity Napping beneath a magnolia tree
Thanks for loving me more than I deserve.Thanks for bringing me just a little peace.Never thought I could be happy down on earth.
I wrote that song when I graduated from law school, and my wife at the time was basically forcing me to go back to San Antonio, Texas. didn't want to go.It's, it's the, it's the inverse.
You made that sound like she's your second wife right here besides you.
Oh, okay.Okay.Let's start that over then.
Yeah.Yeah.We were, we were married to different people and when we first met and, um, I graduated from law school, went back to Texas, me and my wife, uh, Lauren, um, I'm still really good friends with and is, is doing really well.Got divorced.Um,
And I was like at the office on a Saturday and I sent Jodi a text because I heard a song that reminded me of one she used to sing in the circle, um, that we were telling you about earlier.And I said, how are you doing?
And she said, well, I'm not doing very well.My husband and I are getting separated.I said, well, my wife and I just got separated.Then we started talking and met up in new Orleans and then got married there a year later.
And then we started going to be happy.And we've been doing this ever since.And for a moment was the song I wrote, uh, for North Carolina. about how I didn't want to leave.And, and I remember Jodi sitting next to me crying.
I mean, we weren't, we weren't even romantically involved yet.
We didn't know each other that well, really.It was just, you know, other than like seeing each other at the circle here and there.And usually we had our spouses with us, but. It was like they both hated it.They were not.
They actually would sit in another room and talk.
Yeah, they didn't really like this music.Are they married now?That would have been a great story.But and they live here.Come in, guys.But I cried because I knew I'm going to add in voices. Um, but I, I just, I could tell he was so sad to leave.
Dude, you're messing up the audio.You need to go away.
Stop panting.Oh, poor baby.He can't help it.
He does stop panting.We keep interrupting Jodi in this tender moment.She's talking about, she's like, and I really did cry and I'm like, Oh, what if it was a voice coming from.
Jordan tells me to stop panting.Thanks a lot.
It's white men thinking they can just interrupt women.I'm sorry, my dear.Go ahead.That's OK.
What he's talking about, Jody, is.
You see why that was fine.
I do.Are you?Oh, my God.All right.
We're never going to hear the end of that story. All right, more from the Couldn't Be Happiers, Jody and Jordan, in just a few moments.Don't forget to go find their music and lots of other information about them at couldn'tbehappiers.com.
Wait a minute.Hold on a second.I don't like to do this in real time, but I want to make sure that website is right.And it is, couldn'tbehappiers.com.So happy for myself.
Also, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast at wncoriginalmusic.com or by searching Write this down, WNC Original Music, wherever you get your podcasts.
Hello, my name is Jackson Hardin, and my new EP, Dakota Blue Moon, is available now wherever you listen to music.To learn more, you can visit www.jacksonhardin.com.That's J-A-C-K-S-O-N-H-A-R-D-E-N.com.Thanks for listening.
Corrections and clarifications from last week's episode with the band Cutlass.The car Cutlass was named after the sword, the Cutlass, but also after the Vought F7U Cutlass, which was a jet plane.So we were both right.
Hey, everybody.I'm Andrew Massey.And I'm Corey Kinnell.Of Sycamore Bones.And this is WNC Original Music.
I forgot to say that our guest stars on Frankie were the Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs.Zach played.
I talked to Kendra and Zach today.I love those guys.
You knew that they played him.
But he's the one who said something about the Brown Mountain Lightning books.First, I didn't know he knew them.
I listened to their episode.Yeah.I did.
They were on the podcast. Someone who listened to the podcast would know that already.
They had to.I haven't listened to the podcast.I didn't know what this was.I will.I'm going to start but I didn't know.Jodi just sometimes tells me the day of when I have to do something.
I make him just he just shows up wherever I tell him.
I'm excited.This is a thing that I get to take in now.Like to listen to.I didn't know.
I got fascism on my television And I hate the sound of my own voice I wish I was funnier by choice I got fascism on my television I care more than anybody do
I sit around doing nothing, yeah that's true Cause I can't go anywhere without you What are we to do?Can't make up my mind About how I wanna spend my time
There's so little love here left Watching the dogs play I don't want to die I beg just to stay No further requests
I got passion but I don't got smart I read a lot cause I try too hard I have not finished a book in God knows how long I ain't that bright but I got heart
Can't make up my mind About how I wanna spend my time There's so little lovin' left Watchin' the dogs play I don't wanna die, I beg just to stay
I got propaganda on my TV Tellin' me what I oughta believe Like I oughta be afraid of those who don't look like me I'm gonna fight back, I'm gonna hit the streets
Then I lose the thread and I grow sleepy Napping in front of state TV Can't make up my mind About how I'm gonna spend my time There's so little love left Watching the dogs play I don't want to die, I'd beg just to stay
I've always had health anxieties or I've always had anxiety, but ever since, like I'm OCD.So, um, and like pretty heavily medicated, but ever since my dad died, my OCD has been like health anxiety, like all, like I'm dying of all kinds of things.
Um, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and,
And I classify my songs into pre-Jodie and post-Jodie.Pre-Jodie, they're always like broody, self-loathing, you know, introspective.Post-Jodie, we write about fun things about surviving the end of the world together.
Just to be clear, Jodie's not dead.You mean post me and her.Right.
Yeah.Yeah.I guess that's not a great description.
I wonder if anybody else has it interpreted that way.I hope not.Usually I'm around when you tell the story.
Um, and, uh, but I wanted to like, just write a broody song.And so I wrote a song about not wanting to die.
We wrote a lot about death on this, this whole album.Now I'm just never, I didn't realize it until I started going through these songs.
That would be, I want to write a review of this just so I can say, couldn't be happier's could be happier.
Yeah.Yeah.That's our moody little angst song that Jordan wrote.Um, it's not just about health stuff.It's about everything.
Oh, it's about our, uh, popular embrace of fascism at the time too.It was pretty frightening.Not your embrace of fascism.
The collective our United States is seemingly, um, you know, it was a time where there wasn't, there weren't any political consequences for,
Um, people who were being terrible and shocking and I don't know, I just, it was, um, I, it was just an anxiety ridden time.So, so the only request I had was to not die just because I love spending time.
I mean, I really have the best life in the world because I get to, spinning with Jodi.And, um, I don't know, we have always, always, always just like being around each other.And, um, it's funny around town.
Um, like I went to a singer songwriter circle by myself recently and nobody paid me any mind.And at the end we introduced ourselves and, um, I was like, I'm Jordan.I'm with this group called the couldn't be happier.So like, Oh, Hey, we are.
I don't exist without Jody in public.Nobody could piece who I was.That was your brother.
Yeah.We get a lot out in public.Oh, look, it's the Happiers.We don't have names or individual identities.Yeah.
I like that, the Happiers.
That sounds like a Netflix series about a supposedly happy couple.I was going to say hill people.Or hill people.
Yeah, people who live in the hills or something.
Something creepy.Massage parlor.
That's the Happier's endings.
You see, Jodi, a happy ending. What are your favorite, other than WNC Original Music, what are some podcasts you'd like to listen to?
Oh, well, there's a podcast called Nate Land.Nate Bregazzi.I love him.He's just one of those people that like, He's not even trying to make a joke, but he's just funny.There's something about him that's funny.He's really dumb.But that's what's great.
In a calculated way, yeah.I feel like he's smarter than he lets on.He's very perceptive.
You can tell he's got some kind of dyslexia. And probably that affected, you know, his, his education, but he's also very, he is very smart.He's not dumb.He's, he's smart.And that just comes out as comedy.
My favorite podcast is Five Four and I want everybody to listen to it.It's a podcast on how the Supreme Court sucks and all their terrible decisions that are based on ideology.It's hilarious.
Somebody else recommended that one.When I asked about it.I in fact, it's the only Patreon that I subscribe to is the five four podcast. Um, also I, I love Bobby Lee.So I tiger belly and bad friends.I listened to every Monday and Thursday.
Um, did you watch the show, uh, Dave on FX about the white rapper?No, not little Dickie.Um, does not ring.Okay.Tiger belly, uh, bad friends.And then, for political podcasts, Pod Save America.And what else?
I think that's good.Yeah.It's a lot of podcasts.
One time for the faithful in the front.One time for the skeptics in the back.One time for the meek in the middle.One time with the base in the field.
♪ He got a breath of wine, he got a belly of shine ♪ ♪ They're going out to the mill tonight ♪ ♪ They got a song, gonna let it ride ♪ ♪ Couldn't be happier if these were all three lights singing ♪ ♪ One time for the faithful in the front ♪ ♪ One time for the skeptics in the back ♪ ♪ One time for the meek in the middle ♪ ♪ One time with a bass in the field ♪
Well, Daryl come down from Hillsboro He's got his double bass and short ears and toe And my tip three left to get it right Hit it like you left all damn night, sing it One time for the faithful in the front One time for the skeptics in the back One time for the meek in the middle One time with the bass in the fill
are better ways to spend the time we've left in this dwindling day.So the faith, let's say, when this place won't be here forever, neither will the folks who we're gathering with together.So breathe it in.
All that's left is a song for the road A song like this One time for the faithful in the front One time for the skeptics in the back One time for the meek in the middle One time with the bass and the fiddle
One time for the feather in the front One time for the skeptics in the back One time for the meek in the middle One time with the base in the back
I, again, just writing melodies on my, you know, recording my voice memo, my drive to work.I came up with this melody and I sent it to Jordan and I was like, we need to do something with this because I just loved the melody.
And he was like, all right, well, what do you want to write about?And we had this gig.It was our first ticketed gig in like January of 2019 at the old Muddy Creek Music Hall, which is now gone.
or moved downtown to a different spot, so they don't have the music hall anymore.And we did a joint show with a band called the Shoal Diggers out of Hillsboro, and they're like gypsy pirate folk. I mean, they call it swamp grass.
I mean, they're just really super cool.And I'm a huge fan.So we brought them down and we got all our friends and fans to buy tickets to come see us play.And it was just, it was the most fun night.
We had such a fun time and I just wanted to write a song about it.And so that song is about that night, just that one show that we did with the Shoal Diggers at Muddy Creek. When we rode the bridge, this place won't be here forever.
I mean, Money Creek was still there.We didn't know it was going to close.So it was kind of interesting.
I was waiting for the sad part of the song.I was like, did they write a happy song?What?It was going to be a sad song.
It was, this place won't be here forever.How's it go?This place won't be here forever. Neither will the folks who you're gathered with together.
Yeah.Breathing in before you go.One more song for the road.God.
Yeah.Really great lyrics.
You don't get to take credit for all that.No.
He's like, yeah, you're good now.Jodi, let me explain to you what songwriting is.
Jodi. It's so funny, Jodi and I have such different approaches to songwriting.And I'm like, I will, I will spend months lyrically getting a song right before I'm ready to do it.
And Jodi knocks it out in a couple minutes and is universally her songs are more loved than mine.Universally, she's the more loved member of the Couldn't Be Happiers.
I would do an Instagram poll on that. This would this would be a good song to do an acapella version of you guys ever thought about doing a acapella?
Well, one time, or send me just send me just the lead parts.And I'll do the acapella.Birdie.
Yeah, you do the background like a coral.
Yeah, the intro is acapella.
Yeah, I think that's what made me think of it. Yeah, probably.I'm saying I think it would sound good.
Nobody said it wasn't a good song the way it is.
How's your doodling coming there, Jordan?
Oh, it's been okay.I got some stuff.
None of it makes sense.Reveal anything about your deep psychic trauma?Yep.Some sort of tiki mask, it looks like.I like to, I don't know if you can see, I like to just draw myself there sometimes.Yeah.Yeah.Well, hey. Wow, that is a paging Dr. Freud.
I was going to say it looks like Van Gogh's self-portrait.
Oh, I did leave off in here.Yeah, I like it.
He's actually kind of talented in his cartoon.I know.Garbage.
Alright, big thanks to Jody and Jordan from the Couldn't Be Happiers for being on the podcast.Don't forget you can find their website at couldn'tbehappiers.com.
This is their most recent album that you've been hearing, but they've got a new album coming out this fall, so make sure to follow them on all the social media and streaming music platforms so you do not miss it and live a life of regret.
I'd hate that for you. Don't forget to follow the podcast, WNC Original Music, wherever you get your podcasts.Just go to your individual podcast player, hit follow, like, subscribe, whatever you have to do there.
Everybody uses a different nomenclature.I blame the metric system, really. Closing song this week comes from Cormac Russell.Cormac's a Canadian-born musician, but he was raised in Ireland.He's done tours in England and China.
He's going to be releasing his eighth LP titled The Water Came Rushing this October.A lot of music coming out this fall.How about that?You can find links in the show notes or search Cormac Russell wherever you find your streaming music.
Here's Cormac Russell.Have a good week. Well, my name's Ron, by the way.
