CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE TROUBADOUR PODCAST'S PATREON PAGE Before jump into today’s episode remember that The Troubadour is now an affiliate for Sweetwater.  So, the next time you buy any new strings, picks, microphones, recording gear, etc. make sure to use the link on our website! Kevin Fowler says that his approach to life is to never take it too seriously.  You can certainly hear that come through in his unique style of songwriting; but, I also submit that that attitude also has a lot to do with his success as an entertainer. Growing up in west Texas, Kevin’s musical journey started as a drummer in his high school band.  Once in college, he picked up the guitar, started playing in a cover band, and his musical fire was lit.  Around his Junior year he dropped out of college and moved to L.A. to study music full-time.  After a year and a half in L.A. Kevin moved to Austin to play music full time - in rock bands.  Eventually his writing style lead to his evolution into country music and becoming a singer and front man of his own band. While working on finding his voice as a country entertainer in Austin in the late 1990’s, he paid his bills by driving a route and delivering local periodicals.  It was during this time that the majority of his “Beer Bait and Ammo” record was written.  While driving his route he would work on song ideas and record them on a hand-held tape recorder.  At other times he recalls dialing his home phone and leaving song ideas on his answering machine so he wouldn’t lose them. In this interview, Fowler recounts the evolution of the Texas Country / Red Dirt scene from the late 90’s until today and just how much the internet and social media has totally changed the game.  It’s no longer a business where you can only get your music heard by getting radio airplay.  He also talks about how relentless touring used to be the only way to spread your music virally without a major deal and how now the internet has blown the game wide open. The transition from old physical forms of music to the digital distribution streams of today is exhibited in the fact that Fowler states that he just recently threw away over 4,000 copies of his own CDs, simply because no one buys them anymore.  In fact, he tells us in this interview he only pressed 1,000 copies of his new record, “Barstool Stories” released on August 23, 2019; and he only did that to ensure he had some to sell at live shows. In the later moments of the interview Kevin talks about his work with producer and friend, Trent Wilmon as well as other well-known names in the scene including Thom Shephard, Roger Creager and others. Listen in and enjoy. https://www.kevinfowler.com/  

Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE TROUBADOUR PODCAST'S PATREON PAGE   Hey everybody – We are back with another new episode of The Troubadour!   Before jump into today’s episode remember that The Troubadour is now an affiliate for Sweetwater.  So, the next time you buy any new strings, picks, microphones, recording gear, etc. make sure to use the link on our website!   If you want some free podcast swag check out our Patreon page.  Links for both can be found in the show notes for this episode or by clicking on the Support the Podcast tab at thetroubadourpodcast.com.    On today’s episode we’re interviewing Texas singer-songwriter Austin English.  Austin has been paying his dues in the scene for well over a decade now.  He’s played everywhere from the White Elephant Saloon in the Ft. Worth Stockyards all the way to famed venue’s like Gruene Hall.    His 6 feet 6 inch frame has always made him stand out in a crowd but lately it’s his music that has people looking his way.  We have a great chat with him in this episode and if you’re a Texas listener or if you want to road trip from further out, he’s playing the Blue Light in Lubbock this coming Wednesday, February 22nd and he’ll be at Hoot’s Pub in Amarillo this coming Friday, February 25th.   So, let’s roll the tape on episode #168 featuring Austin English.

Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE TROUBADOUR PODCAST'S PATREON PAGE Hey everybody – We are back with another new episode of The Troubadour! Before jump into our interview with Austin honky-tonker’s The Western Express, remember that The Troubadour is now an affiliate for Sweetwater.  So, the next time you buy any new strings, picks, microphones, recording gear, etc. make sure to use the link on our website! If you want some free podcast swag check out our Patreon page.  Links for both can be found in the show notes for this episode or by clicking on the Support the Podcast tab at thetroubadourpodcast.com.  Today’s guests are Stephen and Phill of the Austin band The Western Express.  If you like real honky-tonkin music you’re gonna dig these guys.  What started as two dudes who found each other through Craigslist ads, has developed into a band that’s now been featured in the iconic Honky-Tonk Times and has headlined a stage at the Houston Rodeo. Their 2022 album, Lunatics, Lovers & Poets was produced by veteran producer and songwriter John Evans and will not disappoint with it’s Texas border-town honky-tonk vibe.  They’ve got a new project in the works with Evans again at the helm so be looking for that soon! So, let’s jump in to episode #167 featuring The Western Express. Honky-Tonk Saints Video Cover of Dwight Yoakam’s “1000 miles from Nowhwere” Video Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE

  THIS EPISODE WAS ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN MARCH OF 2020 In the late 90’s and early 2000’s as Red Dirt and Texas Country Music was making it’s way north into my home state of Kansas some of the first bands I saw live were those like The Great Divide, Jason Boland & The Stragglers and Cross Canadian Ragweed.  Through those 3 bands, me and my cohorts were gradually introduced to many of the other great acts coming out of that scene as the movement was really starting to gain some steam. Therefore, I assume that my first experience with becoming familiar with the Austin band, Reckless Kelly was much like many of you.  Ragweed’s live show at that time almost always included the Reckless Kelly tune, “Crazy Eddie’s Last Hurrah”, which became known as a song that would bring the house down during Ragweed’s shows. As I started digging in to Reckless Kelly I found several other of their songs were also simply gems.  A couple of my own other personal favorites from the early Reckless days were “Hey Say May” and “Wild Western Windblown Band”. As Reckless Kelly’s career progressed, they solidified themselves as one of the most respected bands in the scene.  Their prowess as a group was recognized with Grammy nominations and later a Grammy win for their 2013 album “Long Night Moon.” Reckless Kelly is still releasing great stuff and in May, they will be releasing another 2- album project that, as you’ll hear in this interview with Willy Braun, he feels it’s their best yet. This episode with Willy is great and here’s a YouTube LINK to the humorous story we visit with Willy about including a streaker across the stage during a Robert Earl Keen show.  If you haven’t already seen this, it’s simply MUST WATCH content. So, without further ado, here comes Episode #70 of The Troubadour Podcast featuring Reckless Kelly front man, Willy Braun.  Enjoy! Reckless Kelly’s website: https://recklesskelly.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recklesskelly96/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recklesskelly96/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/rktv How YOU can support the podcast! If you’re interested in supporting the podcast and helping us FREE CARLY from the bondage of editing every episode CLICK HERE and help us hand off this part of the process to a third party! To sign up to be a tTP Donor and get access to some great rewards including free music, podcast T-shirts and other swag from the hosts, CLICK HERE! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE TROUBADOUR PODCAST'S PATREON PAGE  Hey everybody – We are back with another new episode of The Troubadour! Before we get started, remember that The Troubadour is now an affiliate for Sweetwater.  So, the next time you buy any new gear make sure to use the link on our website! The Troubadour Podcast also now has a Patreon page to fund this little operation so you can now support the show and earn some free podcast swag.  Links for both can be found in the show notes for this episode or by clicking on the Support The Podcast tab at thetroubadourpodcast.com.  One of our newest Patreon supporters is our buddy Justin Landers out of Oklahoma.  Justin is a big part of Orange Peel Altus and they always bring in some great musical artists at their events.  For more info go to orangeconnection.org and check it out. Today’s guest on the show is a Troubadour Podcast Alumni and we’re glad to have him back.  Michael Kelton first appeared on the show back on Episode # 110.  Along with putting on his Sideman Song Swap acoustic live shows at various venues around Texas, he’s also an accomplished songwriter and plays drums in Pat Green’s band.  I’m not sure how he gets everything done in his life with everything he’s got going on, but we’re about to get some insight on that. Unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to look at, I wasn’t able to take part in this episode and Carly had to fly solo interviewing Michael for this episode and she did a great job. So, let’s jump in to episode #166 featuring our buddy, Michael Kelton. Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE

Paul Thorn - another episode from the archives! Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE TROUBADOUR PODCAST'S PATREON PAGE Being born the son of a Pentecostal preacher and the nephew of a real-life pimp made for an interesting childhood and adolescence for roots rocker and songwriter, Paul Thorn.  Add to that combination, having music deep in your soul while growing up in Elvis Presley’s hometown, singing in many of the same churches he did as a youth, and being a close personal friend of the guy that first taught The King how to play guitar, and you’ve got yourself an interesting concoction that helped mold Paul Thorn into the artist he is today. Growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi, and following his preaching father to both “white” churches and “black” churches in town, Paul was exposed both styles of congregational music which helped lay an early foundation for his musical stylings. In this interview Paul talks with us about his early career as a songwriter under the tutelage of legendary producer Rick Hall and shares a couple stories about Rick, including how he passed on the chance to record and produce The Allman Brothers. Interestingly enough, prior to Paul’s success as a songwriter and performing artist, he was also a pretty damn good boxer.  His success in the ring helped move him up the ranks as a middleweight boxer and eventually led to a televised bout with legendary boxer, Roberto Duran.  The fight was eventually stopped and went in favor of Duran, but Paul gave an impressive performance, going six rounds with one of the best to ever climb in the ring.  You can watch the fight HERE. As Paul’s career as a songwriter and performer began to gain momentum, other artists began to take notice, and some even started recording his tunes themselves.  Most notably, Toby Keith cut Paul’s song “Double-wide Paradise”; Paul, with tongue-in-cheek, says it was Toby’s lowest charting single ever. Paul is also the writer of the song “Mood Ring” that has become a favorite of Wade Bowen fans. With Paul being one of my favorite songwriters and artists, this interview was a real treat for me.  I hope you guys dig listening to it as much as I did recording it! Click here to watch Paul's concert special that aired on PBS! Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE TROUBADOUR PODCAST'S PATREON PAGE

Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE TROUBADOUR PODCAST'S PATREON PAGE  CHRIS CANTERBURY Happy 2023 everyone! As a bit of news to start out, Carly and I are thrilled to announce that The Troubadour Podcast is now an affiliate for Sweetwater.  I’ve been buying guitar strings and live gear through Sweetwater for years now.  Carly has been equipping her home-studio with audio and recording gear from Sweetwater for quite some time as well.  By using the Sweetwater link at thetroubadourpodcast.com when you order your gear, it will cost you nothing extra but, the podcast will receive a small percentage of your order and will help us fund this little operation.  Sweetwater’s customer service is second to none AND they throw in a little bag of candy with every order which is also a cool touch.  So, if you don’t mind, anytime you get ready to order music, audio or recording gear in the future, even if it’s just a set of your favorite strings, please consider using the Sweetwater link at thetroubadourpodcast.com that will take you right to Sweetwater’s website.  Carly and I would be very appreciative.  Also, don’t forget, The Troubadour Podcast now has a Patreon page where you can support the show and earn some free swag from us to boot. For the first new episode of the year, we’re starting out with an interview with singer-songwriter Chris Canterbury.  Chris has a great new record out called “Quaalude Lullabies”; the name of the project itself had me interested from the get-go.  The record is described as a nine-track collection of mostly sad songs and honest insight into razor-edged topics like addiction depression and loneliness.  With a description like that, and as a songwriter myself who digs on that kinda subject matter, I knew I wanted to hear this stuff and learn more about this guy. Chris is originally from Louisiana but now calls Nashville home.  I think you guys are really gonna enjoy this visit. So let’s get to it!  Here’s the first episode of 2023 on The Troubadour Podcast featuring singer-songwriter, Chris Canterbury! Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE

The Texas Country Music movement is synonymous with names like Jerry Jeff Walker, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Robert Earl Keen.  By the mid 1990’s these previously mentioned forefathers of the movement started to inspire some young up and comers in the scene who quickly solidified themselves as artists who were the “real deal” and here to stay.  Undoubtedly, Jack Ingram fits that mold. In this interview Jack tells us how, at an early age, he knew he had a greater connection to music in his being than most of his friends.  He recounts the when going to parties with his friends during his teen years, he’d want to stay in the car, getting high and listening to good music, while his friends were wanting to get inside as quick as possible to hang with the girls.  Jack told them if they were patient enough and the music was good, the girls would come find them. Jack talks in-depth about his latest record released on April 26th, 2019 entitled “Ridin’ High…Again” playing off of Jerry Jeff Walker’s 1975 album, “Ridin’ High”.  The project was recorded over a “loose” two-day session and features a good deal of “behind the scenes” type of conversation and ambient sounds within the studio with the mics hot.  After listening to the album in its entirety I consider this a record to be “experienced” rather than a collection of single songs packaged together to be “listened to.”  In my humble opinion, this recording effort and style is simply genius as it is a totally refreshing take on great music, when compared to much of the over-polished record projects being released every day in this country.     The record pays homage to some of Jack’s music heroes through the recording of Willie Nelson’s, “I Gotta Get Drunk”, Kristofferson’s “Jesus was a Capricorn”, Guy Clark’s “Desperadoes Waiting for a Train”, and my personal favorite cover song on the project, Rusty Weir’s “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance”.  It also features some great originals and co-writes with the likes of Jon Randall, Miranda Lambert, and Todd Snider.  Lambert had some huge radio success with song “Tin Man” written by her, Ingram and Randall.  It was a real treat to hear Jack recount how this epic song was written over a weekend writing retreat in Southwest Texas by the three friends.  Being a huge fan of Todd Snider and knowing he and Jack were close friends, it was also a real pleasure to listen to Jack tell how the two become best friends early in their respective careers and how they remain very close to this day.  Ingram and Snider co-wrote the first song on this latest record entitled, “Alright, Alright, Alright” which is a nod to another one of Jack’s close friends, movie star and University of Texas’ Minister of Culture, Matthew McConaughey. We also get Jack to tell us about the “Mack, Jack and McConaughey” annual 2-day fund-raising event recently held in Austin, TX.  The joint effort was started in 2013, by Ingram, McConaughey, and Mack Brown and to date, the event has raised over $14 Million for various charitable children’s organizations.  The event features many things including golf, a fashion show, and of course a concert, which this past year’s event featuring Ingram and others, including The Troubadour Podcast alum, Wade Bowen. One of the bigger take-aways from this interview with Jack Ingram for me was when he said that one of the most important key ingredients to any great song lies with it having ‘honesty’.  Truth. Listen through: The Troubadour Podcast Website Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Stitcher Podbean

In this episode of the Troubadour we have a great conversation with West Texas Singer-Songwriter, Dalton Domino. During our visit Dalton doles out some great and heartfelt advice for aspiring writers and artists.  He has a unique perspective on life and music and this interview gives the listener a great snapshot of who Dalton Domino is. I also find out in the episode that Dalton, like me, is a fan of Todd Snider.  I dig his taste! Enjoy the episode and make sure and check out Dalton’s website by clicking HERE. Make sure and sign up for our giveaway contests by clicking HERE! Listen via: The Troubadour Podcast Website Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Stitcher Podbean

Brandon Rhyder’s backstory in becoming a modern-day staple of the Texas and Red Dirt Music scene sounds familiar, yet is totally unique.  In the beginning, a small spark is lit inside the aspiring artist.  They ponder their life and the gravity of the decision to seriously give the dream of being a touring and recording artist an honest to goodness shot. Then, through a series of events, that small spark gets fanned into a flame and through hard work, dedication, perseverance and “conviction” leads to a successful career.  Sounds simple doesn’t it… But in Brandon’s case, before any of that happened, it took a little encouragement from his friend Ricky to make him seriously consider giving the music business a shot; and when he did, it completely changed the trajectory of his life.  Brandon grew up in northeast Texas, but it really wasn’t until he attended college at UT-Tyler that he even considered picking up the guitar.  Once he did, it was a natural evolution for him to start stringing chords together behinds the words he’d already been writing.  But, that’s almost where the story ends. After graduation, Brandon did what most good boys and girls do; he entered the workforce, took a steady job and settled down with his wife.  The thought of pursuing a career in music hadn’t even crossed his mind.  He and his new wife built a home and began what looked to be a very “normal” life.  Interestingly enough, within a year of building the home, and through the encouragement of the home builder himself, (the previously mentioned Ricky), Brandon and his wife headed for Austin.  They put a for-sale sign in the front yard and took off to chase the music dream.  Almost 20 years after making that decision now, it’s certainly proved to be the right one. In this interview with Brandon he talks with us about his early years in Austin and slowly building a following.  Then, he explains that after meeting and sharing the stage with legendary singer-songwriter, Walt Wilkins, things quickly changed.  Walt produced Brandon’s 2005 record, “Conviction”.  After that, Brandon’s career gained steam very quickly with larger crowds at live shows and record sales going way up. With the success of Conviction, Brandon was soon playing 180+ live shows per year; a pace that would continue for the next 6 years. In the interview Brandon also talks about recording trips to Nashville and working with other legendary artists like Radney Foster who would also go on to produce Brandon’s 2008 record, “Every Night”.  During this time of his career Brandon explains how he landed a deal with a Nashville publishing company and was travelling there at least six times a year or more to write with other people. Towards the end of this interview the conversation takes a more serious tone as Brandon divulges his recent multi-year struggle with a health issue.  Finally after many, doctors and many tests, they were able to pinpoint what had been plaguing him and now Brandon is feeling better than he has in years which has lead to great vocal range and more new songs being written. Brandon also talks about the awful disease that is Cancer, and how it recently claimed the life of his hunting and fishing buddy, who also happened to be his father-in-law.  The silver lining in this sad story is that Brandon has written and recently recorded a new tune stemming from this experience which pays homage to his father-in-law. In the final minutes of the interview Brandon relays a very sad story to us involving a friend and fan of his music named Jacob who was a member of our armed forces whom just in the morning before this interview was recorded, had attempted to take his own life.  Brandon makes clear that he wants to shine more light on the tragedy that is PTSD and the high suicide rate of former military personnel. In Carly’s outro for this show she gives a couple resources for those suffering from PTSD which we ask that all listeners of the podcast and readers of this blog to share with others.  The first is Mission 22, who’s goal is to put an end to veteran suicide. Please visit www.mission22.com and consider donating to their cause.  The second resource is the Suicide Prevention Lifeline whose number is 1-800-273-8255.  One life lost is one too many…. To find out more about Brandon Rhyder, where he’s playing next, and how to buy his music and merch, please visit www.brandonrhyder.com .   Listen via: The Troubadour Podcast Website Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Stitcher Podbean

Fans of Texas Country Music, Red Dirt Music, Americana, and any other name folks want to come up with to describe this genre, may not be aware of it, but one of the best songwriters and most unique artists in their midst hales from WAY NORTH of the Red River. (I think I’ve heard Corb describe his music as “Agriculture Tragic” or “Ag Trag” for short) Born and raised in southern Alberta, Canada, the son of veterinarian, in a family with livestock and ranching history, Corb Lund “strayed a little from the herd” (see what I did there?) and chose to make his living behind a microphone and holding a guitar. One familiar with Corb’s music today might suspect he’s been doing the country & western thing since his outset; not so.  In this interview Corb explains how for the first many years of being in the “biz” he was actually a bass player in a Canadian Heavy Metal band called “The Smalls”.  Corb played in The Smalls until 2001 when they broke up.  However, a few years prior to that, he’d began dabbling with his own country trio on the side.  After The Smalls hung it up, Corb dove head first into his own career and hasn’t looked back. Today, Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans, as they’re billed, can now be found playing all over North America from coast to coast.  In this interview with Corb, Carly and I really hit on his unique writing style and the diverse subject matter in his song.  As you’ll hear, Corb explains how he feels his style may have been influenced at an early age by one of his grandmothers who placed such an importance on the study and learning of Phonics.  No matter how he developed his songwriting style, it’s ultra-unique, even in this genre.  On the same record, for example, 2012’s “Cabin Fever”, one can hear a very western themed tune professing the tragedy that is cattle ownership (“Cows Around”) and a few tracks later you’ll be hit in the face with a punk sounding tune about sexy chicks in goth attire (“The Gothest Girl I Can”). We also discuss Corb’s relationship and collaborations with another Texas favorite, Hayes Carll.  Corb discusses how he initially formed his relationship with Hayes some 15 years ago after Corb’s girlfriend at the time won all of Hayes’ money in a poker game.  Years later, Hayes helped Corb finish a song he’d been sitting on for a few years called “Bible on the Dash” that also spawned the hilarious video version of the song seen HERE.  This interview is full of great stories including Corb’s take on bad tattoos and how he nearly was burned alive on a motorcycle trip from Vegas to Austin, but somehow, never knew how close he’d been to catastrophe until the whole event was over and done with. You can check out more about Corb and the Hurtin’ Albertans, where they’ll be playing and how you can buy their music at www.corblund.com . Listen via: The Troubadour Podcast Website Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Stitcher Podbean

In this episode of The Troubadour we interview Wade Bowen.  Wade takes us on the journey he’s made from rocking the bars of Lubbock, Texas during his college days at Texas Tech, all the way to performing on legendary stages including that of The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee and the picturesque Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado. In the interview he recounts his early days as a band leader, traveling with a full band in a crew cab pickup before “graduating” to the customary 15-passenger van and finally to his own coach.  Wade explains that he’s a proud graduate of Texas Tech with a degree in Public Relations which he feels has served him well during his career in music. We also visit briefly about his children and their respective ambitions in life. Listen in as we talk music and life with Texas’ own Wade Bowen. www.wadebowen.com www.thetroubadourpodcast.com www.facebook.com/thetroubadourpodcast www.instagram.com/thetroubadourpodcast/ twitter: @thetroubadourP1

Hey everybody – welcome to Episode # 66 of The Troubadour Podcast.  We’ve got a great interview for you today.  Anyone who knows anything about the greatest guitar players to ever live are familiar with names in the Rock wold like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Albert Lee.  If you move on over to the Country Genre names like Vince Gill, Brent Mason, Steve Wariner and Ricky Skaggs come to mind.  Our guest on today’s episode has played with ever single one of those guys I’ve just listed as well as other notable guitar freaks like Joe Bonamassa, Ted Nugent and Sammy Hagar. Johnny Hiland was born in the state of Maine with an eye condition called Nystagmus making him legally blind from birth.  However, that disability hasn’t stopped Johnny from becoming one the world’s best guitar players alive today.  Moving to Nashville in the mid-90s, Johnny quickly gained a reputation around music city as a beast with a guitar in his hands. While he can proficiently play 22 different instruments, Johnny’s simply an expert at “Chicken Pickin’” on his Johnny Hiland JH6 signature guitar made by Keisel Custom Guitars. While this episode featuring Johnny is a bit of a departure from the Texas Country / Red Dirt vein we are usually deep within in this podcast, towards the end of the interview you’ll hear Johnny give major props to the music coming out of the Texas / Red Dirt Scene and even mentions one of my biggest inspirations, Pat Green by name. So, here we go folks.  Episode #66 of The Troubadour Podcast featuring one the best guitar players and nicest guys to ever walk God’s earth, Mr. Johnny Hiland. So, kick back and enjoy this episode of The Troubadour Podcast. Johnny’s website: www.johnnyhiland.net Facebook: www.facebook.com/JohnnyHilandOfficial/ Instagram: www.instagram/ johnny.hiland/ Twitter:  www.twitter.com/johnnyhiland1?lang=en YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnnyHiland?feature=watch How YOU can support the podcast! If you’re interested in supporting the podcast and helping us FREE CARLY from the bondage of editing every episode CLICK HERE and help us hand off this part of the process to a third party!   To sign up to be a tTP Donor and get access to some great rewards including free music, podcast T-shirts and other swag from the hosts, CLICK HERE!   Listen via: The Troubadour Podcast Website Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Stitcher Podbean

Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE Welcome to today’s episode!  Our guests today help us bring you an episode with lots of laughs and conversation about music among many other things as you’ll soon hear.  Sean and Sal of the Austin based band, The Ransom Brothers were simply a hoot to have on the show.  And what’s more – they also play some damn good original music influenced by the like of the Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker band and Outlaw Country. Within their sound you’ll hear slide and twin guitar riffs as well as some fierce fiddle playing. We talk about their new album, Resurgence, their method of recording the project as well some other wild shenanigans involving these guys. To find out more about The Ransom Brothers, their music and where they are playing next, go check out www.theransombrothers.com . Now on to the show! Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE

Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE Welcome to today’s episode!  Before we get to today’s show we want to remind you all to subscribe to The Troubadour and if you would be so kind, go give the podcast a rating and written review on the various podcasting platforms, especially Apple Podcasts, as it really helps us increase our visibility in the podcasting world. Also, don’t forget to check out our Patreon page if you would like to help support us financially for as little as $3 per month and keep this thing on the air.  There are clickable links within the show notes for this episode at thetroubadourpodcast.com or you can just go to www.patreon.com/thetroubadourpodcast to sign up and get some troubadour merch headed your way.  We just had our 6th patron sign up on and it was none other than Kurt Shobe of the band Steel Skarecrow so a big shout out to Kurt for helping us out! Now, on to today’s show. Our guest today is another guy with lots of experience in many facets of the music business.  Andrew Sample is the front man of Colorado based rock band, The Dirty Kings, but he’s also spent years in radio, promotion, he’s worked for labels, he hosts a podcast  and was fully engulfed in the L.A. music scene for years.  This is an interview with a ton of useful nuggets for anyone interested in the music business or furthering their career!  So here we go with out visit with the one and only: Andrew Sample. Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE

As we’ve said before on the show, we get guests on the shows in various ways.  Sometimes we reach out to them, sometimes their promoters reach out to us, and other times, artists just hit us up on Facebook.   That’s what happened for this episode. I opened up a message from Kurt from the KS band Steel Skarecrow a couple months back.  When I realized that he was in a band right here in my home state and I’d never heard of them, I immediately wanted to know more.  Kurt and I messaged back and forth a couple times and we got an interview scheduled.   Kurt and the other members of the band have lots of experience in the music business and rather than me running through Steel Skarecrow’s pedigree, I’ll let Kurt give you the low down on them.  So here comes our visit with Kurt Shobe from Steel Skarecrow! STEEL SKARECROW WEBSITE Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE

Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE Our guest today has worn a lot of different hats in the music business.  He’s a singer, songwriter and guitar player, but currently his main gig is being the full-time tour manager for Texas Country Music artist and past guest on The Troubadour, Bri Bagwell. Kyle Garrett is his name and you’re getting ready to here about him and the other things he’s involved in, including being a fellow podcaster!  He’s the cohost of The Texas Toast podcast and our very own Carly Evans was a guest on his show recently.  You’ll be able to find links to Kyle’s podcast along with Carly’s specific episode as a guest on that show within the show notes for this episode.  Just as a reminder, not all podcast platforms have the clickable links within the show notes for each of our episodes here, but if you go to thetroubadourpodcast.com, the links are always embedded in our show notes there. So here we go with our nice visit with Mr. Kyle Garrett! Check out Kyle’s podcast here:  https://www.texastoastpodcast.com/ Carly’s appearance on Texas Toast Podcast can be heard HERE Check out Kyle’s side gig producing environmentally friendly phone cases HERE. Kyle Garrett on Spotify Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE

Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE Remember, you can always listen, follow and subscribe to The Troubadour on any of these platforms: iHeart Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Podbean Episode #160 – THE REEVES BROTHERS The Reeves Brothers are back with us for another visit after their first appearance on the show back in early 2021 on Episode #109.  Matt and Cole Reeves are the real deal in my opinion when it comes to what Country Music is really all about.  Some good things have been happening for them since the last time we spoke and you’re getting ready to hear all about it on this episode.  One item I’m super excited about is a show that will be at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa on Friday, October 14th!  It will be an epic night with The Reeves Brothers opening for Red Dirt legends, The Great Divide!  So here we go with a couple of the most authentic country artists making music today, Matt and Cole Reeves:  AKA The Reeves Brothers. Wanna give Pete and Carly a hand at The Troubadour AND get some free swag? CLICK HERE

PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE TROUBADOUR!  FOR AS LITTLE AS $3 A MONTH YOU CAN HELP US KEEP THE INTERVIEWS COMING!  CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE! Episode #159 – GUITAR FRENCHIE Hey folks – we’re a super excited to bring you this episode with a Troubadour Podcast Alum – Guitar Frenchie is back with us today for his second appearance on the show! Frenchie has one of the best backstories of any guest we’ve ever had on the show on how he got to America, earned his U.S. citizenship and has established himself as one nicest guys and most versatile guitarists in the scene today. Frenchie is a really busy guy as he plays guitar for Jack Ingram, he’s part of a duo called The Blues Destroyers with drummer, Brother Pete Coatney, and he’s developing a solid solo career with his guitar driven bluesy rock songs. He’s just released a project of recordings called the Nashville Sessions which you can listen to or buy HERE along with his older recordings. If you want to listen to Frenchie’s first appearance on the show you can do so by clicking HERE. If you want to learn more about The Blues Destroyers or listen to our interview with Frenchie’s partner in that band, Brother Pete Coatney, you can click HERE. Now, on to the show! How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

If you’re a frequent listener to this show you know I’m a huge fan of great songwriting.  And today’s guest on the show is what I would consider a “songwriter’s songwriter”.  A person whose songs make other songwriter’s say to themselves, “Damn, I wish I’d written that one…”  I’m talking about a guy name Zane Williams. Along with having a reputation as a great songwriter, Zane Williams is great singer and is now fronting the stellar band The Wilder Blue.  If you haven’t heard The Wilder Blue or seen them live, you are missing out on a group that is tremendously talented.  Anytime other artists and bands are seen wearing your merch, you know they are making some waves in the scene.  Country superstar Luke Combs just recently made an Instagram post in which he was wearing a Wilder Blue T-shirt if that tells you anything. As a songwriter Zane has had some commercial success in the Country Music Industry.  One of Zane’s songs became a top 20 radio single for mainstream country artist Jason Michael Carrol and he’s had other songs recorded by well-known Texas Artists like Pat Green and Cody Johnson. It was truly a pleasure to get to visit with Zane for this episode and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did recording it! Now, on to the show! VIDEO: Zane playing “While I was Away” at Steamboat How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

The best way to become good at most things is by simply doing them; by finding out what works and what don’t work; to get in the trenches; to pay your dues, trial and error….and sometime trial by fire. The music business, like any other, has lots of ins and outs, lots of best practices and general rules for success.  And as I just said, the best way to become good at something is through experience, however, you can also reduce the grade of the learning curve by listening to people who have already been there and done that; people who are already at a level of success you haven’t reached yet and learn from them or simply model what that are doing. Our guest today is Sam Cox.  Thus far during his career in music, Sam has gained experience in about ever facet of this game.  Sam’s spent time as a front man, a side-man, a songwriter, a tour manager, a booking agent, a promotor and publicist, a………you get the picture. Sam currently handles a lot of these roles for the Oklahoma based band, fronted by his wife Autumn I might add, Ragland.  He’s also handling the booking and mangement duties for another Oklahoma artist named Tyler Byrd through his management company Highway 82 Management. I think there are lots of nuggets of info in this episode for anyone in any facet of the music business. If you have any specific questions for Sam and want to reach out to him, he can be reached by emailing him at [email protected]  or by going to https://www.thebandragland.com  . Now, on to the show! How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Welcome to today’s show, and a great show it’ll be!  I saw a face book post a few weeks back that was advertising a newly released book called “My Life on the Road with David Allan Coe”.  With as colorful of a character as I knew Coe to be, I of course wanted to learn more!  I found out that book was written by a guy named Mickey Hayes who played bass in Coe’s band for years.  So, for anyone who’d spent that much time with David Allan Coe, I knew he’d have some great stories that our listeners would love to hear, so I immediately reached out to Mickey to set up the interview.  Mickey graciously accepted my invitation and the interview, as you are about to hear, didn’t disappoint. I highly encourage you to go pick up your own copy of the book.  I’ll have a direct link in the show notes for you to do just that.  Amazon link to Mickey’s book Gilley's Show w/ Warren Haynes On to today’s episode with our guest, musician and author, Mickey Hayes. How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean  

Pat Green exploded on to the Texas Country Music scene in the late 1990s and quickly became one of its' most popular acts.  Over a career spanning 25 years, he went from being a regional college bar favorite to opening shows and sharing stages with nationally known artists like Keith Urban, Dave Matthews and Kenny Chesney.   In this episode of The Troubadour, Pat takes us on his journey from his first paid gig in Lubbock with Cory Morrow all the way to what it's like to hang out and record with the legendary Willie Nelson. Pat also talks about his Ft. Worth art studio and his work as a painter and a sculptor.   Listen in to this awesome interview with one of Texas' favorite sons, Pat Green! www.patgreen.com www.thetroubadourpodcast.com www.facebook.com/thetroubadourpodcast www.instagram.com/thetroubadourpodcast/ twitter: @thetroubadourP1

Hey friends - welcome to today’s episode!!  Today, Oklahoman and lead singer and songwriter of the band Ragland is with us.  Autumn Ragland, who fronts the band that bears her name, is certainly a talented artist I’m glad we were able to hook up with here on the Troubadour. Carly and I often receive submissions of music or suggestions on artists we should interview on the show.  That’s exactly how Ragland came to me.  A simple Facebook message led to what culminated in this interview you are about to hear, and I’m very glad it did.  Now Carly was already very aware of Ragland but I’ve got to admit that I wasn’t.  Between everything going on in my daily life, including being a single dad, holding down a full-time job, and performing on weekends myself, I just don’t have that much time to go check out acts I’m unfamiliar with.  Regrettably, I don’t even listen to terrestrial radio or use apps like Spotify or Pandora very much. So, when I first heard some of Ragland’s music including some of their new songs about to hit the airwaves, well, let’s just say I was impressed.  Autumn can write and has a great voice.  I’m stoked about being introduced to Autumn and Ragland and I think there’ll probably be some big things on the horizon for this band. To find out more about Ragland, including tour dates and how you can get some Ragland music into your own ears, go to https://www.thebandragland.com  . Now on to the interview! How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

On this episode of The Troubadour you’re going to hear the interesting story of how a horsemen and a wilderness ranger for more than a decade in Western Montana named Michael Shaw morphed into an up and coming singer-songwriter and musician that you are gonna want to check out. Michael’s debut album, He Rode On, dropped on June 3rd, 2022.  Michael co-produced the project alongside Grant Siemens.  If you’re not familiar with Grant, he’s known for his work as the lead-guitar player in Corb Lund’s band, The Hurtin’ Albertans.  Personally, I’ve always been a fan of Grant’s playing and unique style on Corb’s records, so before I even heard Michael’s new record, I figured I’d dig it.  And, I was right. Michael’s unique writing and vocals are exactly what singer-songwriter geeks like me gravitate too.  I’m really enjoying my advance copy and it’s been spinning in my truck ever since I got it. You can find out more about Michael and how to buy his new record by going to www.michaelshawmusic.com .  Michael definitely has a unique story to go along with his musical ability and I think you all are really going to like this episode so let’s get rolling.  Here comes episode #153 of The Troubadour featuring a guy who I’m sure is going to gain some new fans, singer & songwriter, Michael Shaw. How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Hey friends - welcome to today’s episode!!  Singer-Songwriter and artist Will Carter is back with us today for his 2nd appearance on the show. Will first joined us on The Troubadour in episode #64 way back in February of 2020. On today’s episode we’ll catch up with Will on what he’s been doing since then and talk about his new-found approach to recording. Will is in the middle of cutting a new record and is already releasing certain cuts.  His latest single currently climbing the charts is titled “Wrong Side of Town” and will be available for download on June 10th. To find out more about Will, his new record and where he’s performing make sure and go to https://www.willcarterofficial.com. How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Legendary Country Music icon Jerry Reed was a monster guitar player.  Some folks probably aren’t aware that Jerry Reed, the guy that played the part of “The Snowman” in the 1977 Hollywood movie “Smoky and The Bandit” alongside Burt Reynolds, was not only a great singer and songwriter, he was also simply an uncanny animal with a guitar in his hands.  Let’s just say, guitar players in the know, understand and realize just how good Jerry was. So, in 1997 when Jerry was needing to hire a new guitar player for his band, one can only imagine just how high the level of guitar-playing talent must have been for those auditioning for the job. On today’s episode of The Troubadour, we’re interviewing the guitar player Jerry Reed picked for that position and who played with him until Jerry’s passing in 2008. His name is Mark Thornton and he’s a multi-talented guitar player, engineer and producer based in Nashville. Mark’s Nashville recording studio, Sidekick Sound, was founded in 1994 and since that time it’s been graced by great artists like Marty Stuart, Chris Scruggs, the aforementioned Jerry Reed and others. Today, when Mark’s not busy recording in his studio he can be found playing around Nashville with his band, “The Sidekicks”.  Or, you may find him driving his 1937 Ford stakebed truck, aka “The Nashville Show Truck”, to a nearby event where the truck operates as a vintage mobile stage for artists to perform on. You can learn more about Mark, his studio Sidekick Sound, and The Nashville Show Truck by visiting www.themarkthornton.com or by clicking on the show notes for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com . So here comes our visit with the multi-talented musician, engineer and producer, Mark Thornton. NASHVILLE SHOW TRUCK CONTACT MARK BY EMAILING HIM AT:  [email protected] How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Today’s show features an artist who marches to the beat of his own drummer and takes life by the horns.  Paul Cauthen’s new record, Country Coming Down is out now and its vintage Paul.  We’ve been wanting to have “Big Velvet” on the show for a long time!  It finally worked out and our visit didn’t disappoint! Country Coming Down is full of bangers and Paul is currently on tour and is bringing his high energy hell-raisin’ show to a town near you. For our Kansas listeners he’ll be a Knuckleheads in Kansas City, MO on April 21st. For our Oklahoma folks he’ll be gracing the stage at the Tumbleweed Dance Hall on April 23rd. Paul’s entire tour schedule can be seen by clicking HERE. If you haven’t checked out Paul’s music videos, new and old, I’ve included some of our favorites below: COUNTRY AS FUCK COCAINE COUNTRY DANCING Check out Paul’s YouTube channel by clicking HERE. So, if you like big time country bangers, and velvety baritone, you are gonna love this episode! How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

On today’s show we welcome back past guest and our buddy William Clark Green.  Will’s new record comes out on March 25th and is titled “Baker Hotel”.  Carly and I were lucky enough to be able to listen to an advance digital copy of the record and it’s vintage William Clark Green loaded with great songwriting and some tracks that you simply can’t listen to without tapping your toes.  So, make sure you go out and pick up a copy of “Baker Hotel” as soon as it becomes available.  So, let’s get rolling with this episode of The Troubadour featuring our good buddy, singer-songwriter, William Clark Green! MAKE SURE AND CHECK OUT THE EPIC VIDEO FOR “BAKER HOTEL” BY CLICKING HERE!  How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Welcome to episode #149 of The Troubadour!  Today’s episode features Alabama singer-songwriter Matt Prater. To find out more about Matt and his music go to www.mattpratersmusic.com . How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Hayes Carll is back on the show to talk about his new album.

A "hosts only" episode with some big podcast news!

Welcome to episode #146 of The Troubadour!  In 2014, today’s guest left west Texas with his roots in Texas Country and Red Dirt and moved to Colorado to pursue a career.  He soon realized that his love for music and desire to write and perform was growing and he methodically started acting on it. August Huckabee, began approaching his songwriting and musical aspirations like a blue-collar worker and I’m very impressed with how he’s gone about this.  August has combined his love for Texas Country and Red Dirt music with stories of an outdoor lifestyle in the Rocky Mountains and formed the band, Westrock. As he’s in the middle of making Westrock into more well-known band it’s quite interesting to hear how he’s going about that and working as many angles as he can. This is a great episode for artists and songwriters trying to expand their reach and grow their fan-base by listening to what August is doing and how hard he’s working at it.  August also takes to opportunity to ask questions of Carly; someone like with a lifetime in radio with a wealth of knowledge on how artists seeking radio airplay can improve their odds.  I thought that was a pretty smart move.  I also throw my own two cents in when it comes to trying to get booked in front of larger audiences and in bigger and better venues. To find out more about August and Westrock, where they’re playing as well as where you can listen to their music, go to www.westrockband.com . So, let’s get to it folks!  Here comes episode #146 of The Troubadour featuring singer-songwriter and white-water rafter, August Huckabee! TALENT BUYER LLOYD BANKS ON THE TROUBADOUR How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Welcome to episode #145 of The Troubadour!  Today’s episode features a singer-songwriter who got his start in a custom hat making shop.  And yes, you heard me right; a musician that got his start in a custom hat making shop. Chris Roberts is the definition of a “creative”.  As you’ll hear, Chris has done about everything.  He’s been an athlete, artist, outdoorsman and adventurist.  Living most of his life in Austin, TX, his own brand really took off when he took his creative ability and put his efforts into making some of the coolest custom hats you can buy today.  In 2013 he made the move from Austin to Aspen, Colorado and now his custom hats are worn by well-known athletes, artists, cowboys and CEOs. But it wasn’t until a small gathering of people hanging out in his hat shop and listening to him play guitar and singing some of his own songs that his music career was born.  And once he was discovered, things progressed rapidly as you’ll hear during the episode. This guy is just one cool cat and you can really tell that through this interview. To find out more about Chris, where he’s playing as well as where you can buy his music, go to www.theofficialchrisroberts.com . So, let’s get to it folks!  Here comes episode #145 of The Troubadour featuring Chris Roberts! How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Episode #144 – JON RANDALL Welcome to episode #144 of The Troubadour!  On today’s episode we get to visit with an extremely successful songwriter, producer and guitarist. Jon Randall made his way to Nashville from Texas over 3 decades ago and now 15 years after his last solo release he’s just released a new self-titled project that I think is simply one of the best records I’ve heard all year. Jon recently got some well-deserved recognition through teaming up with Jack Ingram and Miranda Lambert on the hugely successful “Marfa Tapes” project, but this is really just another validation of the artist, producer and songwriter that he is. Prior to the success of the “Marfa Tapes”, Jon achieved acclaim as a producer in working with some of the biggest names in country music including Dierks Bentley, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Dwight Yoakam, Jack Ingram, Pat Green and others. As a songwriter, he was also celebrated as co-writer of the 2005 CMA Song of the Year for a little tune he wrote with Bill Anderson named “Whiskey Lullaby”. He’s won Grammy’s, ACM and CMA awards and wrote with legends like Guy Clark, which that alone, makes me envious. To find out more about Jon, where he’s playing as well as where you can buy his music, go to www.jonrandallmusic.com . So, let’s get to it folks!  Here comes episode #144 of The Troubadour featuring the incredibly talented Jon Randall! VIDEO - JON RANDALL - "THE ROAD" VIDEO - JON RANDALL - "VELVET ELVIS BUZZ" How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter!   You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Welcome to episode #143 of The Troubadour!  We have a great show for you today! Singer-songwriter Pam Rose is a 2-time Grammy winner and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music business including Emmylou Harris, guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel and even Sting. Carly and I had a wonderful time talking with Pam for today’s episode and I think very soon into the interview you’ll all figure out why.  She’s simply a beautiful and sweet soul with a ton of talent. In this visit you’ll hear about Pam’s journey to Nashville and how she became part of a songwriting team that has stood the test of time in Music City.  With her longtime writing partner, Mary Ann Kennedy, the two have penned some outstanding songs over the years including the Lee Greenwood hit, “Ring on her finger, time on her hands”, Martina McBride’s “Safe in the arms of Love” and Restless Heart’s “I’ll still be loving you.” She’s also a very accomplished vocalist and provided backing vocals for several songs you’ve heard on your radio including LeeAnn Rhimes song “How do I live without you” and one of Martina’s signature hits “Independence Day”.  And oh yeah, she’s also sang harmonies with Art Garfunkel and Neil Young. To find out more about Pam and where she’s playing as well as where you can buy her music, go to www.pamrosemusic.com . So, let’s get to it folks!  Here comes episode #143 of The Troubadour featuring the extraordinary Pam Rose! How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Episode #142 – COPPER KELLY & KENAN FLANNERY The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Welcome to episode #142 of The Troubadour!  When I received an email from the promoter for two Irish Singer-Songwriters we have on the show today I jumped at the chance to have our first over-seas guests on The Troubadour! Copper Kelly and Kenan Flannery are two musicians from the country of Ireland that Carly and I really enjoyed having on the show! We visited about what things are like in Ireland for live musicians and as you might imagine they’ll still battling some Covid restrictions in their country as well. We really enjoyed this visit with these two lads and we think you will too.  You can find out more about Copper Kelly and Kenan Flannery, their music and their podcasts, by going to their respective websites at www.copperkelly.com and www.kenanflannery.com . Enjoy the show! How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter!   You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Welcome to episode #141 of The Troubadour!  On today’s episode Carly and I are joined by quite a guy.  His story is simply amazing.  Singer-Songwriter Hank Erwin went from a life as a Merchant Marine on the Great Lakes to becoming a full-time musician a few years back. But his story isn’t quite that simple. As you’ll hear, Hank has had a life full of unique experiences, heartbreaking struggles and gratifying successes. The bio on his website is probably the best artist bio I’ve ever read.  You can read it and find out everything else about Hank Erwin and his new record, “The Copper Album”, by going to www.hankerwinmusic.com . I’ll let the rest of the interview speak for itself.  Here comes episode #141 with our new friend, singer-songwriter, Hank Erwin. How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter!   You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Episode #140 – BEN BALMER The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Welcome to episode #140 of The Troubadour! Today we sit down and visit with an Austin singer-songwriter by way of Michigan.  Ben Balmer got his start in the music business as a sought-after side-man harmonica player.  By the time he got to Austin he was also playing guitar and writing his own music. In this episode you’re gonna learn things about the harmonica you didn’t even know you didn’t know!  Ben’s a regular at Austin’s famed music venue the Saxon Pub where he’ll be holding a CD release party on October 15th for his new album, “Honky-Tonk Macbeth” that you can pre-order right now by going to https://www.benbalmer.com . VIDEO - Ben Balmer - "Worth" Here comes episode #139 of The Troubadour featuring Austin, Texas singer-songwriter, Ben Balmer! How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Carly and I are thrilled to be joined by a true giant in Texas Swing Music today.  This gentleman is also a big supporter of Red Dirt and Texas Country Music as well.  Ray Benson, Frontman of the legendary Austin band, Asleep at The Wheel is our guest today! Ray’s career as a musician has spanned more than 50 years and has influenced a ton of artists in the industry.  He’s also well-known as a producer and as a studio owner.  Many of our past guests on The Troubadour have either recorded at his Austin studio, Bismeaux  Studios, or used him as a producer on their own projects.  As you’ll hear, Ray is a bit of a gear nerd and due to that fact his studio is equipped with some of the very best equipment money can buy.  He’s worked on the recording projects of Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Aaron Watson and many more. Asleep at The Wheel - Half a Hundred Years There’s also a very interesting portion of this interview dealing with the tragedy that occurred on 9/11.  We all remember where we were on that day.  Well, Ray’s story may be one of the more unique you’ll ever hear. This was an absolutely wonderful visit and it’s a great honor for Carly and I to bring it to you today. You can find out more about Ray, at https://www.asleepatthewheel.com Here comes episode #139 of The Troubadour featuring a Texas Swing legend, Ray Benson. THE SHOOTOUTS EPISODE ON THE TROUBADOUR How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Welcome to episode #138 of The Troubadour. I’m flying solo again on today’s episode without Carly but I still think this turned out to be great interview with a true legend in American and Country Music.  This guest was even gracious enough to leave the beauty and fun of trout fishing on the Gunnison River in Colorado sit in his pickup for an hour and visit with me. Gary Morris’ recording career garnered five #1 hits and sixteen top 10s!  In 1984 his country rendition of the hit song “Wind Beneath My Wings” won the ACM’s “Single of the Year”.  A couple years earlier, in 1982, Gary was named Billboard’s “Male Artist of the Year.” Lay Miserob At the height of his Nasvhille recording career, Gary was selected to play the lead role in the epic Broadway play “Les Miserables”.  His vocal performance from the play of the song “Bring Him Home” was also part of the platinum selling Grammy winning international cast album. He’s performed for the Queen of England and every U.S. President from Jimmy Carter to Barrack Obama.  You’ll hear how ironically, through politics, his career in music took off. This was a great interview and I’ll be forever grateful for Gary taking a moment out of his day fishing in Colorado to visit with me for you, the listener’s of The Troubadour. You can find out more about Gary’s incredible career and order his merch and music, at www.garymorris.com. So here comes episode #138 of The Troubadour featuring a true American and Country music legend, Gary Morris. How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter!   You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Welcome to episode #137 of The Troubadour. As you’ll hear, I’m flying as a solo host on today’s show without my trusty sidekick Carly.  She wasn’t able to make this episode so I gave it a try on my own. Today on the show you are going to hear the story of a central Illinois football star turned musician.  Joe Stamm, much like yours truly, became a fan of Red Dirt and Texas Country music while living well north of the Red River.  As you’ll hear in this episode, after injuries put an end to his football days, he soon found himself playing a guitar and starting to write songs. The passion he previously had for football started to manifest itself through music.  Joe officially formed The Joe Stamm Band in 2013 and he’s been beating the street ever since.  Over the last few years, he’s earned opening slots for some of my favorite acts including Blackberry Smoke, Jamey Johnson and Chris Knight, who as you’ll hear, Joe and I kind of geek-out on as we’re both huge fans of Chris’s songwriting. For you Midwesterners, The Joe Stamm Band will be playing on October 1st at Whiskey Myer’s Firewater Music Festival and there will be a link for that event within the blog and show notes for this episode.  The lineup for this show is incredible so you don’t want to miss it if you have the chance to go.  The festival is being held near Kansas City and for some reason I mistakenly thought it was being held somewhere in southeastern KS during the episode….my bad… You can order Joe’s brand-new record, Midwest Town, at www.joestammband.com or anywhere you download music. So here comes episode #137 of The Troubadour featuring my new friend from Illinois, Joe Stamm. How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Initially I didn’t know much about today’s guest, but, when I saw not only was he a fellow podcaster, but has also played at Austin’s legendary Saxon Pub, I said, “Hell yeah we’ll have you on the show!” Mike Donello had an interesting path to becoming a South Austin musician. He was born in New York and grew up in Florida playing music before making his way to Texas. As you’ll hear in this episode, he and a couple other Austin musicians found themselves playing shows together quite often so they formed a band they dubbed The New Essentials.  The New Essentials, made up of several accomplished musicians, have a pretty neat live show in which the members often switch instruments depending on what song they are playing.  Little touches like that are always a cool thing for audiences to see. We also talk to Mike quite a bit about the Saxon Pub which is probably one of my favorite music venues of all time.  I think you’ll understand why I like it so much after hearing what Mike has to say about performing there as well as just catching live shows there. You can pick up a copy of his new record, Mike Donello and the New Essentials by visiting www.mikedonello.com where you’ll also find links to his podcast: “Chilling on the Southside”. So here comes Episode #136 of The Troubadour featuring our new buddy, Mike Donello. How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter! You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Welcome to episode #135 of The Troubadour. First of all, here’s our friendly reminder that we’ll be taking next week off for the Labor Day weekend AND to celebrate Carly’s wedding and get her and her fiancé hitched up!  So a huge congratulation to Carly and Jesse and I’m sure the entire Troubadour Podcast family wishes you two lovebirds all the best! On today’s episode Carly and I were lucky to have a Troubadour Podcast veteran back on the show!  Colorado based singer and songwriter, Carin Mari, first joined us on the podcast for Episode #63 !  Today she’s back to talk about the release of her brand-new record “Home.”  You’ll hear Carin describe the unique process of recording this new record right in the middle of the pandemic which I think you’ll find pretty cool.  You can see Carin’s upcoming tour dates supporting the record by going to her website at www.carinmarimusic.com . Along with working her own career, Carin is the lead guitarist and harmony singer for the legendary Michael Martin Murphy.  When she’s not performing by herself and working on her solo career, she’s an integral member of Murph’s Rio Grande Band.  I mention this in the episode, but I am a huge fan of one of Murph’s hit songs titled “What’s Forever For” and there are some great YouTube videos  out on the interweb of Murph with Carin and the rest of The Rio Grande Band performing the song. Throughout this episode you’ll hear some snippets of songs from Carin’s new record Home which will give you a taste of just what a cool and special record this is for Carin, especially after you learn how it was recorded.  I highly encourage you to go buy a copy from Carin’s website or download a copy using any of the links within the show notes for this episode.  Buy Carin’s new record “Home” by clicking on the following links: Amazon, Spotify, iTunes How YOU can support the podcast! If you would like to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process  CLICK HERE to sign up as a Gold, Silver or Bronze supporter!   You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Dallas Pryor, front man of the Lazy Wayne Band, is our guest today.  Dallas is another Kansan we were really glad to have as a guest on the show.  He’s got an interesting story of how he went from military service man, to a guy busking and playing music as a side gig, to going full-time just recently. As you’ll hear in the interview, I kept seeing the “Lazy Wayne Band” pop up here and there in my Facebook stream, and as another KS musician, I couldn’t really figure out why I didn’t know who these guys were.  Well, I soon found out, #1, because I’m old, and #2, they started making a name for themselves in KS about the time I went on my hiatus from the music business and checked out for a while.  But they seem like my kind of guys and I’m looking forward to catching them live sometime soon. There may even be a possible song swap in the works for Dallas and I somewhere this fall which I’m sure would prove to be a good time. So here comes episode #134 of The Troubadour featuring Dallas Pryor of the Lazy Wayne Band. www.lazywayneband.com How YOU can support the podcast!If you’re interested in supporting the podcast and helping us FREE CARLY from the bondage of editing every episode CLICK HERE and help us hand off this part of the process to a third party! There’s another way to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process.  CLICK HERE to check it out. You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Hey everybody!  Carly and I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday!  So, Welcome to episode #133 of The Troubadour.  Today we have a guest that I’ve been wanting to have on the podcast for a long, long, time.  Seth James has been on my radar since the early 2000’s. I was hearing from other artists in the Red Dirt and Texas Country scene about a guitar slinger from west Texas that I needed to check out.  Then a bit later on, as you’ll hear in this interview, I met Seth’s wife when she was a backing vocalist in Cory Morrow’s band. In this interview we also get to talk a bit about Seth’s time as a member of The Departed which was really cool to chat about and I’m glad he spoke so candidly about it. Seth has a brand-new record out called “New Hat” and I highly suggest you go to Seth’s website an order a copy while you’re listening to this show! www.sethjamesmusic.com So, here comes our interview with the guitar slinging, singer-songwriter who I’ve wanted to have as a guest for a long time.  Ladies and Gentlemen, here comes our interview with Seth James! How YOU can support the podcast!If you’re interested in supporting the podcast and helping us FREE CARLY from the bondage of editing every episode CLICK HERE and help us hand off this part of the process to a third party! There’s another way to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process.  CLICK HERE to check it out. You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Welcome to episode #132 of The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars. CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Every now and then in this business of content creation you meet someone who seems just too interesting to pass by.  Even though Joel Riddle isn’t currently a touring musician anymore, we felt his story and past was well worth an episode on the Troubadour.  As you’ll soon find out, Joel has done a lot in his life and is as outgoing as they come.  He’s an “idea guy” like me; always thinking about the next thing! So, I hope you enjoy this episode featuring our new friend, Joel Riddle. How YOU can support the podcast!If you’re interested in supporting the podcast and helping us FREE CARLY from the bondage of editing every episode CLICK HERE and help us hand off this part of the process to a third party! There’s another way to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process.  CLICK HERE to check it out. You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean

Welcome to episode #130 of The Troubadour proudly brought to you by Hennessey Cigar Co.  You can find a clickable link in the show notes on the blog page for this episode at www.thetroubadourpodcast.com.  By using code TTP15 at checkout you’ll get 15% off of your first order of their fine hand rolled cigars.   CLICK HERE AND USE CODE: TTP15 Today, Carly and I are thrilled to have on the show, a competitor on Season 20 of The Voice, a fellow Kansan and veteran singer-songwriter, Savanna Chestnut.  Her appearance on The Voice and getting chosen to be on Blake Shelton’s team obviously gained Savanna some recent notoriety. However, she’d already been at this music thing for quite some time before her appearance on that show was piped into television sets in homes all over the nation. As you’ll hear in the interview, Savanna spent some time in Nashville making music and writing songs before ending up back in Kansas and now touring the Midwest relentlessly.  Savanna’s new video for her song “Marlboro Man” can be seen by clicking HERE. Savanna does a good job at peeling back the onion quite a bit on how shows like The Voice work and I found all of that quite interesting.  I’ve got to admit, being a contestant on one of those shows actually sounds a little more stressful to me than I’d previously thought.  I know Covid played a part in Savanna’s experience on the show, but as you’ll hear, her and her fellow contestants spent a lot of time basically sequestered to their own hotel rooms for long periods of time.  I’m glad there are determined musicians like Savanna, who are willing to endure things like that so they can bring their music to the masses. This was a good conversation and I’m glad we’re bringing it to you, our faithful listeners!  So, here’s comes our chat with fellow Kansan and a veteran singer-songwriter with a bright future, miss Savanna Chestnut! How YOU can support the podcast!If you’re interested in supporting the podcast and helping us FREE CARLY from the bondage of editing every episode CLICK HERE and help us hand off this part of the process to a third party! There’s another way to support the podcast AND ALSO earn some free swag in the process.  CLICK HERE to check it out. You can listen to our wonderful podcast by clicking on any of the following links: The Troubadour Podcast Website, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean