Miles & Mountains
Join Nick, a social worker and coach by day, as he unravels the inspiring stories of athletes and the public, uncovering the motivations behind their actions, from conquering mountains to participating in ultra-endurance races and competing in rodeos. Get ready for heartwarming tales of community support, acts of kindness, and the revelation that everyone has a deeper story to tell. Whether it's running, climbing, or participating in rodeos, these stories will inspire and uplift. #Running, #Climbing, #EverydayAthletes, #Rodeo
Miles & Mountains
Cody Bartels: Keeping the Bakersfield Sound Alive and Embracing Country Roots
Ever wondered how the Bakersfield sound continues to shape modern country music? Join us as we chat with Cody Bartels, a musician on a mission to keep this iconic sound alive. Cody shares his journey from rocking out in punk and metal bands to embracing his country roots, drawing inspiration from legends like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. We also dive into how contemporary artists like the Red Clay Strays and producers like Dave Cobb motivate him to blend the classic with the contemporary, creating a sound that resonates with both past and present.
On a more personal note, Cody opens up about the challenges of pursuing a solo music career and the rollercoaster of finding dedicated band members in today's scene. With valuable support from fellow artists like Aaron Crawford and Andy Schaffner, he’s managed to build a community that cherishes live music and mentorship. We celebrate the dynamic country music scene in the Pacific Northwest, spotlighting talents like Leah Justine and Joel Gibson Jr., and stress the crucial role authenticity and live performances play in cultivating a loyal fan base.
Throughout the episode, we explore compelling personal stories, such as the transition from rodeo dreams to music aspirations, underscoring the power of perseverance and following one's heart. Our candid discussion critiques the mainstream Nashville sound, advocating for genuine expression and artistry in music. From regional influences across Idaho, Wyoming, and Texas to tour plans and musical inspirations, this episode is a heartfelt homage to the enduring charm of authentic country music and the myriad paths artists take to leave their mark.
Cody Bartels
Instagram:
@thecodybartels
https://www.instagram.com/thecodybartels?igsh=MWxlYWZxa3c0bWZmYg==
Shoutout to:
Cody Bartels
Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/
Miles & Mountains Promo Code: Milesmountainsyr3
Cody Bartels how's it going?
Speaker 2:man, it's going pretty good. How are you man?
Speaker 1:It's good. It's good, a little tired. I know it's early in the morning and I know you've got to travel and I have to volunteer and stayed up late. You said you didn't stay up late.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was a night, for sure it was fun.
Speaker 1:It was fun, but you're here early man 8 am.
Speaker 2:yeah, you said you had to volunteer. You were doing the Rascal Rodeo. Right, right, you got me out of bed early.
Speaker 1:Well, you said you're an early guy. Sorry.
Speaker 2:I was up, but we're planning on being being here this early.
Speaker 1:Right here we are, baby yeah, yeah, and I appreciate it, man. It's been, uh, in the works for the longest time I've been trying to get you, I think. Besides, you know your old lady right here. You know my wife and I are probably like your biggest fans on the east side. Maybe I'm not speaking, you know.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean yeah, yeah, you've come to uh like three or four shows yeah man, yeah, we love that sound, dude.
Speaker 1:I got her in the honky-tonk sound and she finally understands what the honky-tonk sound is. Man, you know and and before you just say baker still, be like what. Sometimes people bring up dwight yocum, which he is, you know, baker still, but then you get back, you talk to you, you're like buck owens and you know, my dad wasn't too, too into buck owens, but he was more into merle haggard so all bakersfield boys and then if you get go way back when stewart, right, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, and that's way way back, man so for sure so.
Speaker 1:So you listen to the music and dude you got that sound, man, you got the sound Spot on, Spot on.
Speaker 2:That's what we're going for, for sure, yeah.
Speaker 1:So my question to you is why that sound? What inspired you? Just to keep that sound and keep it going, man? Because you know anything. Oh, you're good, you know anything. You're good, you're good, I'll edit that out, no worries. You know, a lot of people aren't trying to escape from Nashville, and they do. They're already put to the side. You know even some of the big names out there, you know. And then there's some people that have that not sound that Nashville's trying to take in, like the Red Clay Strays Dude. Not sound that Nashville's trying to take in, like the red clay strays dude. They're really heavy on just pulling them in, you know. And red clay stories, like dude, we don't play that much country and if you ask me, they play more of the fifties and the sixties. You know rock, yeah for sure.
Speaker 2:Their new record is like I was like man. This is like Marshall Tucker-y, but it's also Elvis-y.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's also like Chuck Berry-ish in a way but then also there's a lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd like Southern rock, but then it goes all the way from the 50s to the 70s. That record, that new record they just put out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, Phenomenal. The first one is way better too, man.
Speaker 2:You like that first one better than the second one.
Speaker 1:First one Second one is great. Don't get me wrong, I'm huge on it. I've seen them twice already. Okay, and they're hard to find. You have to travel to get it. You have to do pre-sells.
Speaker 2:Second album is good, but nothing beats number one dude man. The second album was produced by one of my favorite producers, dave cobb. Okay, he's done records with chris stapleton oh yeah, you know the best guys and man that record is killer.
Speaker 1:It is I've been.
Speaker 2:I'm making a new record right now and that record has kind of been like okay, what did they do and how can I replicate?
Speaker 1:them without copying them, you know like because it's so good that sound is freaking killer right, well, well, one thing, man, he has those those kids. You know his last name, brandon coleman's, the the singer, and uh, he has that persona. He has that voice, that elvis, that old school, that old school slick back hair. If he can ramble, he can ramble If he wants to go slow. My favorite song. The reason why I like number one is because of Sunshine and that veteran song, I mean dude. The lyrics hit hard and that's why I like him so much. So, going back to the sound, why stick to that sound, dude?
Speaker 2:It's, um, I don't know. It's kind of just what I grew up on, in a way, like my dad raised me on that, that West coast country sound. You know it was a lot of George straight, but it was a lot of Merle, haggard, buckner, george Jones, like that honky tonk, and then that Bakersfield sound, know. So, um, I was in a punk band, I was in a metal band and it just kind of came full circle and, um, when I started writing my own stuff, it just started coming out that sound. You know what I, what I was raised on. So, um, I've always believed in sticking to your roots, you know, staying true to who you are and that's who I am is okay, makersfield country player, you know you got it.
Speaker 1:If you didn't, you wouldn't be here and plus I would not be seeing you several times, you know. So there's nobody that has your sound. There's yotes, who has the rock, the old country sound, but you have the haggard stewart owens sound, right? Why hold on? Dang, sorry, sorry, you, you have that sound. Why are you not in a band band?
Speaker 2:Why are you not in a band? Band? Because in today's world I tried so hard to put together a band. But in today's world, finding a band, finding four or five, three or however many other guys that have the same amount of drive, the same amount of commitment, the same amount of like give a crap, you know that, want to make it happen is so difficult. You know differing personalities. It's not that big of a deal. It's not that at all. What it comes down to is, when I started a band I wanted to rehearse once a week I wanted to play shows on the weekends.
Speaker 2:I was like gung-ho about it and the guys that I was working with just didn't have the same fire. And it's so, so frustrating when you're like pushing as hard as you can and the guys to your left and right are actually holding you back. You know, in bull riding it was the opposite. You know you always surrounded yourself with winners and you became a winner.
Speaker 2:You know you are what you be, what you uh surround yourself with yeah, but when you, when you have your own band holding you back, it's just like, okay, I have to take a step forward. And what's funny is that, because I uh took that step and I'm a solo artist, if you know finger quotes around right, right, right yeah um, my band is more consistent than it ever has been, like it's nine times out of ten. The same guys I got jesse james on guitar, devin bland on drums.
Speaker 2:I got hunter dunn on the keys, david murray or martin strand on the bass and then I'm playing guitar and singing and like, because I took that step, I kind of do have a band now, you know okay um, so yeah the way that you went about it.
Speaker 1:You know growing successfully, you know now going solo is that the scene to grow.
Speaker 2:As a artist in today's world, I play four solo shows for every one full band show, maybe even like five or six solo shows to every one full band show. Yeah, I um. There's more rooms that want to have live music but aren't fit for a full band or don't have the budget for a full band. Then there are venues that have a stage, full sound system, a sound guy that comes in on fridays and saturdays. You know, those places are awesome but, like wheat head brewing, I played in town last night.
Speaker 2:Yeah, or just outside of town, I should say yeah, it's uh like, that's just a brewery yeah, like it's literally a tasting room.
Speaker 1:It's awesome place it's a million dollar venue actually.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's awesome but but it's not. There's no stage, it's not like set up for music, you know. But they like, we have to appreciate them for wanting to keep the live music scene, live for supporting local artists, and I mean, I'm from tacoma you know yeah, yeah, they brought me in from all the way on the west side. I was talking to Aaron Crawford last night and they had him in a few months ago.
Speaker 1:Yeah, aaron, he's a staple around here too.
Speaker 2:Aaron Crawford. For sure, for sure, he's a homie of mine, okay.
Speaker 1:I mean you got tons of homies man.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Rodeo world and music world. I mean you got to right Because you're with them. You know you guys play together sometimes.
Speaker 2:Right. Well, me and Aaron haven't gotten to play a show together yet, but you know I've gone over and hung out. We've written a couple songs, or put some stuff together and honestly, it's guys like him, andy Schaffner from the band Santa Poco, like him andy schaffner from the band santa poco. Um, it's guys like that that I talk to when I have a question. You know when I'm right, I've only been doing this a year and a half, you know, and there's no are you serious?
Speaker 1:yeah, and I've seen you so many times, and this has been in the making ever since you started, then yeah, yeah, I am I.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've been playing guitar for a long time, writing for a while, but I really started this endeavor about a year and a half ago and anytime I'm curious about something like I was about to say there's no handbook. You know, so nobody wrote it out and said, hey, here's how you become a musician, you know. So I'll hit up Aaron and be like, hey, how do you do this?
Speaker 1:and he's super cool and be like, oh don't worry, bro, I do this and he's super cool. He'd be like, oh don't worry, bro, I got you. Yeah, that's cool man, that's cool, that's cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a good community in the country music scene, Especially like I don't know. It's kind of funny On the west side, within like a 20-mile radius, there's like the top five country artists in the pacific northwest in my opinion yeah, who are they? Name three leah justine um cage dallas okay, I've heard of him and joel gibson jr like. Those are three of the my favorite pacific northwest artists and they all live like joel's in gig harbor cages in puyallup and leah's in tacoma you know, it's pretty awesome. It's pretty awesome what about, uh?
Speaker 1:what about you, man well?
Speaker 2:what about?
Speaker 1:you?
Speaker 2:you're not one of them well, maybe, maybe I am, but I don't really think of it that way. I just think of like other artists inspire me to do what I do yeah and I just try and focus on doing what I do, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:There's a I mean hopefully, that like I hope that they see me the same way that I see them, Like that's, that's what I'm trying to make happen, but at the same time, I just do what I do and they do what they do, you know you're.
Speaker 1:You grind, though, man. You are grinding day after day, week after week. How many shows have you done so far?
Speaker 2:this, year Over 100.
Speaker 1:I don't know how you do it, man. It's like a rodeo schedule man.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, I don't know. I almost feel like I'm in the stage of my career where I'm cutting my teeth Like I really need to grind right now. I've gained so much experience in such a short amount of time. Yeah, um, I can run sound for myself at solo shows. When I started, I was plugging directly into a little acoustic amp and I plugged in my guitar and my microphone and you couldn't hear a damn thing yeah and now I'm running alan and heath mixer in the qsc speakers and it sounds amazing.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I uh. Sometimes I don't even keep up with how high a quality the equipment is, yeah, but I uh, well, I don't know it's. It's one of those things where I want to do this like this is something that I want more than anything, so, however, I can gain that experience. However, I can get my name out there because, believe it or not, I only get like two followers from every show. So if I play 100 shows, I've only gained 200 followers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I got you. So it's a hard push and you got to go for it if you want it. You know what I noticed? Don't rate your success on the Instagram followers, dude, no.
Speaker 2:No for sure, Don't do it. Well, unfortunately, you know you could think that I sound amazing, but when you go on tour in order to get the guarantees that you need to make it a profitable endeavor, they're not looking. They don't care what you look like. They don't care how nice your videos look. I mean that's all nice and that's all fine and good, but they're going to go down there and they're going to ask how many people are going to show up when this guy plays here.
Speaker 1:That's what a venue wants.
Speaker 2:Of course they want you to sound good, yeah, but I've seen artists that can barely play the guitar, can barely sing a lick. They might be be a decent songwriter, but man, I they're not my favorite artists, but they've sold out shows yeah so because they've got a popularity on social media. Kirk, cobain, just kidding, no exactly like that dude was terrible but he's he was so popular in this in the you know um pop culture yeah that he was selling out stadiums and it was like what the heck?
Speaker 1:right there's.
Speaker 2:I can completely understand the rest of the music industry's frustration in right in all that, you know, because, but at the same time, like I said before, I just do what I do and I just try so hard to just focus on I'm doing something that's completely different than what they're doing. So it's like comparing apples to oranges, you know.
Speaker 1:Well, you blew everybody's mind when you had a bandmate, right? Would you consider the person that travels with you a bandmate, jesse?
Speaker 2:The guy with the ukulele bass. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:You blew everybody's mind having that guy play the ukulele bass dude never seen it sounds phenomenal. Sounds just like a stand-up bass. Sounds like a regular bass dude. It's like what the heck?
Speaker 2:we? Um, he's actually my guitar player in my full band, okay, and he is one of the best guitar players I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. Like he is, he's solid dude and plus he sings too yeah yeah, he's awesome.
Speaker 2:He's got his own band called jesse james and the mob they're one of the best blues bands in seattle, but I'm my buddy, nick, or I guess our mutual friend nick martin. He uh hooked us up. He said hey, cody needs a guitar player, jesse, go talk to him. And so we got together and at first we were like so I wonder how this guy's gonna work out, and he was kind of feeling the same way like Jesse, go talk to him, and so we got together and at first we were like, so I wonder how this guy's going to work out and he was kind of feeling the same way, Like I wonder how this band's going to turn out.
Speaker 2:And then now he plays dang near every show with us, you know he's working his schedule around mine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome man, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:So he's a keeper, oh he's the man, jesse, so he's a keeper. Oh, he's the man, jesse James.
Speaker 1:Is he going to rock that ukulele though?
Speaker 2:The ukulele bass. Yeah, he plays that thing at every duo show.
Speaker 1:Like when you guys get together official bands.
Speaker 2:Oh, like in the full band, he plays a telly, just an electric guitar, Still man.
Speaker 1:That's wild man.
Speaker 2:That was wild. I've never seen it before.
Speaker 1:He's uh seen a lot of things I've never seen that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Seriously. Of all the concerts I've been to, never seen anything.
Speaker 2:A ukulele bass. Have you With a resonator?
Speaker 1:Before, before him you ever seen that? Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's see, jeez. Yeah, james playing a ukulele bass.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he plays that thing like a guitar sometimes he plays solos on it, you know, oh okay, he's like eddie van halen on the ukulele bass, nice, nice, shout out to him.
Speaker 1:So you said you've only been in the business for a year and a half. You did rodeo before. How? When did you start rodeo and why the change?
Speaker 2:I started rodeoing when I was 15. I had always wanted to do it, but when I was 15, my nephews were getting into it.
Speaker 1:We won't say any names. Yeah, we won't say any names, you know.
Speaker 2:My nephews, connor Dean and Dustin Dean. They started. They started Junior Rodeo and then they sent me a sign-up sheet and they said, hey, you should come rodeo. And I was like had always wanted to. There's videos of me, knee-high to a grasshopper, like three years old, sitting on my brother's barrel, and I was sitting there pretending I was riding a bull, and my parents never let me. And finally, when my nephew started doing it, I got my brother to sign the sheet. You know the sign-up sheet as my guardian.
Speaker 2:We went up there and I got on a bull and I was just hooked and then went all the way through junior rodeo, high school rodeo, went to college in Wyoming on a scholarship and fell off everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I was just so focused on the music program because I had originally planned on studying agricultural business.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then I ended up studying music because the head of the music department heard me playing guitar and singing and was like hey, you should come sing in the choir and play in the band and study music. So I started playing music or started studying music and it just kind of the rodeo. I was so torn between the two it's so much to be a music major and then it's so much to be on the rodeo too, so I was just.
Speaker 2:I couldn't, couldn't handle both of them at the same time, and I just had to make a decision. And playing music was just where my heart was yeah I watched the movie the dirt, believe it or not, and I was like, wait a minute, I can be like a rock star instead of being a bull rider. I mean, it's like the same thing you know right so okay, I was, uh, I went for it and uh.
Speaker 1:Ever since then I haven't looked back a scholarship to music dude yeah, I got a scholarship to the music program too but I was trying to, so you're natural everything you do, no that was a quick no, you can ask.
Speaker 2:You can ask anybody in the area. I was not the rankest bull rider. I'll tell you what.
Speaker 1:Not everybody gets a scholarship doing that, though, man.
Speaker 2:No, but I guess what I always tell people at shows is that, like me playing the guitar, me playing country music started because my friends would say, hey, can you learn this song? And then the next rodeo I'd play that song for them, and then they'd be like hey, learn this one yeah I'd learn that one play it at the next rodeo. I would not be playing music if it wasn't for playing around the campfire at a rodeo okay so like all right, it led up to uh, you know me playing guitar, riding bulls into guitar.
Speaker 1:I don't know how it works, but it worked okay, well, it seems like you got, you got the, uh, the combination, you you know with the guy what's his face, jesse? Jesse jesse, jesse, james, man that's a badass name, jesse james, that's real name, sure?
Speaker 1:okay, all right, I had to ask. So, jesse, james, he has the personality that you like you have yours. You know, um, like I was saying, you know, uh, red clay strays he has. You know, brandon coleman, one of the best front mans ever. But the drummer, you ever watch the drummer? What? When you get a chance, and they have a lot, uh, a lot of footage of them, I mean dude, they're tiktok, just fiends, and that's how they've grown so much. Tiktok, dude, I can't stand it, tiktok me neither. But you see him, it's with, uh, brandon coleman and then dude the drummer. He has his own merch and everything else and has a personality of a madman dude, probably one of the greatest, I think one of the best country drummers out there. But they got it. It sounds like you're getting it, especially in a year and a half. So do you ever feel you'll get burnt out?
Speaker 2:It's already happened two or three times.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But the ticket like I was just talking to my buddy the other night about this pushing through that burnout is so like rewarding, like being burnt out and knowing that you still have like two more shows that weekend. You're like, oh, I just want to go home, I just want to like sleep, I just want to not have to be stressed about getting to the show. My truck was giving me a fit back in the day a couple weeks back, yeah and uh, I didn't know if I was going to make it to the next show. I was trying to handle work and playing shows, all this stuff, and I was uh, it was hard, it was really tough. It was hard for me to keep going, but I, I want to play music for a living, like I don't want.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've got no problem going to work every day. That's not the problem. What, what I don't want to do is like waste a potential that I feel like was given to me. You know, like, I feel like not very many people have the ability to put words together or and I think everybody does have the ability, but not very many people like get that fire to like you know what I need to write a song?
Speaker 2:yeah and you know, for those people that don't have that fire, I feel like I'd be doing them a disfavor if I didn't capitalize on this like wait a minute, I can do this.
Speaker 2:Like I can play the guitar, I can write a song, I can put these words together. I don't know if you've heard my song Good Enough for Me, but anytime I play that song I get two or three people coming up to me after the show and they're like man that song, it meant so much to me and I could relate and that's the whole reason. I do this. That's it, that's the the. I don't know the purpose, I suppose.
Speaker 1:Okay, besides writing, when you're in the funk and you know just burnt out, what helps you get out or like what? How do you notice and what helps you besides? Right?
Speaker 2:It's pretty obvious, it uh, you just, I mean you you feel that you just don't want to play a show, like when you know that you're like bummed, that you have to play three shows in a row yeah when I started that was like oh guys, I got three shows this weekend right so remembering why I'm doing this like that's the ticket is just being like no, I, like you, set out on this endeavor, like you gotta you gotta push through this like there ain't no um, there ain't no time to like be a sissy you know you got to stand up and be a cowboy about it.
Speaker 2:You know, yeah, it's kind of the same as it was. I take a lot from what I learned riding bulls. You know you, you don't get draw the rank is bull in the pen and then turn him out. Right, you know you, you don't get draw the rank is pulling the pen and then turn him out right you know you look at it as an opportunity to go out there and win this rodeo.
Speaker 2:You know pull a check, so it's. It's the same kind of attitude, like I got three shows this weekend, who knows maybe there's a nashville record producer out there hasn't been yet, but maybe there is, or maybe there's the guy that has the Miles and Mountains podcast.
Speaker 1:Hey, it worked for J-Dub. Did you see that? J-dub Merritt? Yeah, he's coming back on whenever he gets a chance.
Speaker 2:He's busier now too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, dude, that was the really highlight of this podcast career. Dude, this show really, uh, highlight of this podcast career dude. Uh, this, this, this show, because I had j-dub on and I guess, uh, I don't do you know the story? No, well, you know j-dub, mary, right. Well, that's how we got together because you heard his episode. Well, someone else did, montana big contractor. I was like, hey, how about you come out and work? It's like all right. Ever since then, man, he told me the story. I don't say too much about it. Ever since he told me that story, man, I was just like, oh, I did help out, okay. So, yeah, no big, yeah, he's, he's got made, he's busy. There's the reason why he's busy. But, yeah, you know, that was, that was the highlight of of this podcast man, him being, you know, turned up, yeah for sure turned up man turned up yeah, jimmy is.
Speaker 2:Uh, he's a cool guy no, he's good, I've got a nickname for him and tate lyle his fighting partner, yeah, yeah I call him pork and beans oh, okay, so you're.
Speaker 1:Oh, you gotcha. Yeah, okay, you're pork and beans.
Speaker 2:And then I was just talking to jc on the phone yesterday. I was on the phone with connor and jc. Yeah and uh, I was talking. I was then. I was just talking to JC on the phone yesterday.
Speaker 1:I was on the phone with Connor and JC yeah.
Speaker 2:And I was talking to them, I was like, yeah, I'm going to be on that podcast. And they're like, oh, yeah, we were on that podcast. I was like, I know, I know you were on the podcast, you beat me to it, I know Right.
Speaker 1:And Preston Wynn was on. Yeah, man, I really keep with the locals and get those boys walled up and get them hungry, man, because you know the guys that are already at the PRCA man, some, there's some that are seen, a lot aren't. I want to get those guys that aren't up. You know, and it's frowned upon what I'm doing with the big guys, trust me, but I continue to do it and you know, ruffle and feathers if I can, but in the good way. But the coolest thing was yesterday. You know I wasn't drinking heavily, man, I got tore up at the festival last week and I'm just done drinking right now. Right, um, so guy was all I was with a cash, colby, and he's like you're the podcast guy. Oh man, I've heard of you, I've heard of that. I'm like dude, you just made my night man.
Speaker 1:Because burnt out, right, burnout, uh, wasn't burned out, but I lost my father earlier in the year, you know and so that's why it's been off and on.
Speaker 1:It wasn't off and on, but I just put out episode here there's because, man, I just was trying to like dial it in. So you know, you're helping. That helped and, dude, it's been a wild ride. But, um, the best thing is when, when, um, going back to what you were saying, maybe the podcast will help, maybe, man, maybe it's. It's crazy to hear and see who listens and a lot of people are like, why don't you put on video? No, I'm not gonna fall in that it's too much time.
Speaker 1:This is too much time as it is, you know, editing audio, but uh, I like I tell the people who are on and listen and everything else, dude, it's for blue collar workers you know, yeah, yeah, I walked into guitar center yesterday yeah and uh, the guy was like oh, what band do you play for?
Speaker 2:I was like, because I had mentioned that I was playing a show, uh, down here in kennewick and then in Davenport tonight. It's crazy man. And he said oh, what band are you in? And I said Cody Bartels. It's the Cody Bartels band. And he's like oh, I think I've heard of you. And I was like oh, yes, you know, it feels so good. It's like, well, the word's getting out.
Speaker 1:Cat's out of the bag. You know, Dude, you're coming out here more often in the year and a half that you've been. I mean.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to. Well, I play country music. You know, the west side of Washington is not like. It's not known for its country music, it's the tree line and east. Yeah, exactly, Well and there's lots of country music over there but, like I said, I've got a lot of the really great country artists right in my area but a lot of them come over here to play a lot of shows. Like you said, Aaron Crawford, who lives in out in Enumclaw now yeah, yeah. He is playing shows in Kennewick. He's a staple in Kennewick.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Because they're just more like. They take the country music, they're like, oh, this is what we heard on the radio and this is what we heard on the radio, and this sounds similar and this is what my dad raised me on, because he owns a farm. It's just the area it's more rural. On the west side you get a lot more Morgan Wallen fans. Morgan Wallen's great and all. But no, yeah, no.
Speaker 1:Okay, can I tell you something, man, people think he's the GOAT. Dude. I'm going to tell you, and I'm not afraid to say it dude, shit, sorry, sorry, I just don't like it. That country, that Nashville sound when people say, oh, I want to go get Nashville, not you, you know. But I'm just saying In my mind I don't think it's working that much, man, because they change you. You have to like sell your soul. Dude, it's not good, they have a formula. Yeah, you have to like sell your soul and dude it's. They have a formula. Yeah, that formula does not work in this household.
Speaker 2:Well, no, it doesn't work for me either, to be honest, like they take this formula and they say, okay, this is how we know that this works, this is how we sell records, and they've got one for female artists and one for male artists. I mean, look at Ernest Hardy Morgan Wallen, they're like all the same person yeah, like all three the same dude and then you look at, like meg maroney, that new ella langley chick and uh who's another laney wilson, like they might look different on stage, but the the business program is like the business uh plan is the exact same.
Speaker 2:Like yeah, there's no, it's very cookie cutters, you know yes there's. I think that we need to um, there's needs to be more artists that want to sound different, that like they hear the programmed drums, that hear the overproduced records and they're like wait a minute, this isn't like, this isn isn't good. This doesn't sound good. This doesn't make me feel anything.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:When I heard the new Red Clay Strays record, I was moved.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:It's so good.
Speaker 1:Like front to back.
Speaker 2:Right, Even the new Post Malone album.
Speaker 1:I'm a Postie fan Okay, same same, but not his collaboration. The long, long bed, the long bed, with him just having a single or, uh, yeah, no collaborations.
Speaker 2:that is solid, yeah, that is solid so what I loved about that record is that it's post malone. He made a post malone record and it was country themed yeah, yeah, you know he didn't like even the song with h Jr. He says that you know he's wearing a diamond ring and a deer blind, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah so he made it.
Speaker 2:It's so genuine it's still true to Post Malone oh yeah.
Speaker 1:He's just got a cowboy hat on now you know Well, stetson made a trucker hat actually.
Speaker 2:Right, Well, he's wearing an American now. Did you see that they just posted oh?
Speaker 1:really they're getting paid. Now everybody dude in there, they're making their money. Golly, that's smart, that's smart business right there For sure.
Speaker 2:No, they I don't know. I just feel like people need to be more genuine to who they are, like. Lainey Wilson's first record is really good.
Speaker 1:Have you seen her? Now is really good, but have you seen her now? I think she's on zip pick or something like that dude. I mean she was solid looking lady. Now it's like I want her back.
Speaker 2:I don't care what she looks like, I care about them, like to be honest, they, they. I could care less what an artist looks like. I just look at their records and I'm like, wow, this record, like her first record, is moving.
Speaker 1:There's, it's music yeah, that's what music is, is it's?
Speaker 2:like art to be like, taken and then interpreted however you want to interpret it but it's supposed to make you feel and think and dance you know, right it shouldn't just be this cookie cutter? Like her, all of her songs sound the same. I can't think of any morgan wallen song off the top of my head that doesn't sound the same as the next.
Speaker 1:They're just cookie cutter.
Speaker 2:This is how he sounds in every song and they use so much auto-tune that you can hear the flutter when he hits a wrong note and it corrects his voice, but he's the GOAT bro. Yeah.
Speaker 1:When somebody says the GOAT I, I'm like credibility shot. So yeah, just let you guys know. Hopefully I didn't offend people on that, uh comment. But she's changed man.
Speaker 2:That nashville sound made her change yeah, it did and she changed drastically yeah one, I don't know, I think it was. I think you were telling me that. Um we what Lainey Wilson started as, like a Hannah Montana impersonator or something.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:And it's like there's parts of Lainey Wilson that are so cool, but then you listen to her the records that she's releasing.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And it's like why are you releasing crap music Like write something, sit down, play your your guitar, write something from the heart and then record it. Have your buddy play guitar on it have your buddy play drums like that.
Speaker 2:To me, that's just what music is like. I'm making a record right now and I've just been showing up to the studio with a handful of my buddies and I'm like, hey, why don't you go play bass? All right, and they'll go in, lay down the bass. I had the engineer ended up playing drums like just because he's like I bet you I could play something cool over this. I was like, okay, go in there. Yeah, and it was. It's just been such an organic experience and just to see that being stripped from from music is sad. But I've been talking to about it with my uh, management team, with some of my friends.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, you have a management team. Not too many people in a year and a half have even that that was just luck.
Speaker 2:I just was in the right place at the right time for that one.
Speaker 1:Keep going, sorry.
Speaker 2:Congrats, by the way. I appreciate it. I appreciate it. They're awesome, by the way, jps Productions, they're great. Beth Pe appreciate it. We, um, they're awesome, by the way. Jps productions they're great. Uh, beth peabody and jason schrick, they're freaking awesome. They help me out a lot, um, but we've just been talking about how there's going to be a revival of this sound. That's like organic, that's real, you know, like the red clay strays, like um shoot what's another good example, tyler childers.
Speaker 2:I mean it's been a little bit more turned turkey cutter as it's gone.
Speaker 1:I don't listen to him, you don't like tyler childers.
Speaker 2:Why is that? Him zach brian dude zach brian's terrible but tyler childers come on I won't see him.
Speaker 1:I won't see him.
Speaker 2:I won't see him.
Speaker 1:But the band that Lucas Nelson, no, no, I'm really picky in my music, man, I am very picky. And the country music today, not my favorite, billy Strings Dude can play.
Speaker 2:Okay, the dude can play. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the dude can play.
Speaker 1:Okay, so with I don't know how many episodes you listen to with the musicians that I've had on, but you know what, if you stray, not stray, but make your way to that idaho wyoming montana utah sound that's going on right now, because they got that Pacific Northwest sound that you know that Nashville has, and then if it's all like regional right I've had a few of those guys on, I've had a few guys, you know, a couple of guys from Kansas city sound, midwest, you know, and then you got that dirt Texas, texas dirt country that you know they cuss every now and then, which I don't mind it, but the lyrics have to be good if you're going to cuss you know what I mean Like Co-Wetzel who.
Speaker 2:Co-Wetzel yeah, but, dude, it's gotten worse. It was so good in the beginning, but what they've been doing is that, because of what Nashville is doing to the music industry industry, people ride these waves and then they get. They get this wave and they ride it so hard and they milk that cash cow for every cent that it's worth, and then by the end of it, that they milk it dry, and then they're like, oh wait a minute what are we gonna do now?
Speaker 2:yeah, because, ko wetzel his first record I I still listen to that record. Yeah, that february 27th, whatever. That is a killer record, though every song on it is awesome. But the new, this latest release, I'm like I guess it just sounds like another. It sounds like a morgan wallen song, you know right. Yeah, the drums are fake. The there's auto-tune on his voice. It's just like. That's what I hate. And even if it's not auto-tune, there's just so much production like yeah, it's just so produced.
Speaker 2:Like I, I don't understand why we've sucked the humanity out of music you know, I want there to be. I want the drummer to miss a note every now and then yeah I don't know. I just grew up on beatles records and george jones records, where things just weren't. I want the drummer to miss a note every now and then.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah I don't know.
Speaker 2:I just grew up on Beatles records and George Jones records, where things just weren't perfect all the time Right, and that's what I want to hear when I hear music.
Speaker 1:Okay, you know Not this formula. I'll tell you what country I hate the nasally country, if you know what I mean. I mean, yeah, there's a lot of it out there and if it's nasally I don't hit that stuff. But one band in particular lately man. They put out a fabulous album, not red clay strays, but shane smith and the saints dude.
Speaker 1:Norther killer, norther and they played the wheat stock last week. Yeah, it was, they had a freak storm so they only played an hour, but dude, them coming through like an hour long. Uh delay and just kill it, dude. And the wind, the dust and the wheat wheat you know is just flying in and out of everywhere. But uh, dude showed what kind of band they are, how they play and, bro, it was solid performance. I need to see them. They're coming to uh seattle, I think next month, but they're awesome that sound cool sound that sounds.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know they're. They're up and coming, but picos and the rooftops. You know that's the kind of stuff I like, man. I like the the up and coming, but picos and the rooftops, you know that's the kind of stuff I like, man. I like the the up and coming, for some reason man you know, and if you're, if you sell out to the side to the side, so don't sell out, man no, no, I don't plan on it.
Speaker 2:The thing is is, in order to sell out, you have to be, like, profitable to a record company, and I don't think I'm there yet. I like doing my own thing a little bit too much. I don't like rules. I kind of want to have full creative control over my thing. I was watching a podcast with Cody Jinks the other day and he did it the punk way. That is the most punk rock country singer ever. He did the exact same thing I'm doing. He just grinded.
Speaker 2:He went on tour with his band. He played solo shows. He played duo shows. He did the thing. He is a musician. That's what being a musician is for me. And Daniel Donato. I don't know if you're familiar, but you should look up Daniel Donato. He's the same way, okay, but just tooth and nail worked and earned it, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And now you know he had that hit with hippies and cowboys Right. And he kept releasing music but never had any like hit big hits. But he just built that following.
Speaker 1:Now you ask anybody if you know who Codyody jinx is, and I do. They do anybody who?
Speaker 2:listens to country.
Speaker 1:He's the punk rocker of country man, and you know another one that's like that and doesn't get that much publicity, but he's already there. He doesn't need that. It's turtle simpson dude, bro, he's coming to the gorge, are you going?
Speaker 2:I'm probably playing a show, it's crazy, I don't.
Speaker 1:I like, oh man, I have to go see music man, but he's coming to the gorge. I'm like playing a show. It's crazy, I don't. I like I don't, man, I have to go see music man, but he's coming to the gorge. I'm like I was telling my wife. I'm like, babe, no, we got to get him because he does not tour, and when he does it it's already gone. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:So it's like, oh, god he's doing that new johnny blue skies thing. Oh, that?
Speaker 1:have you heard it? Eight, eight songs good yeah, number what number? Five, six, six and eight mint tea's good, but eight bro is solid it's super good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I like it.
Speaker 1:I like what he's doing yeah yeah, I am sturgell, he's just the best yeah, oh yeah, killer guitar player, killer singer but same same background, and but he does his own thing. He just does it.
Speaker 2:He's like a huge influence on what I'm trying to do, because none of his songs sound the same. None of his records sound the same. He is an artist. Yeah, he is an artist and he's a Grammy winner. Was it a Grammy?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, he did that with that one album with Blossom.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep, and I don't know if you know the story, but he busked outside the CMA Awards because he wasn't nominated for any CMAs, so he sat outside with his. Grammy sitting in his guitar case.
Speaker 1:And he sat there and busked.
Speaker 2:And I just think that is the most outlaw punk rock thing.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of awards, you won an award last year, didn't you Well?
Speaker 2:kind of I got a runner-up award. I was second place.
Speaker 1:But back then you were only in it for less than a year.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you already got an award. Yeah it, and you already got an award.
Speaker 2:Uh yeah, yeah, it was pretty cool. It was pretty cool to at least um the Northwest country music awards over there in um Spokane, spokane. Yeah, it was at the Bing Crosby theater and just being just hearing my name was super rad. It was just cool to be there and see there. I mean it was just a cool experience. So being there was awesome. I'm just hard on myself, that's all I got you, I got you.
Speaker 1:You didn't have to be there, though, right, was it? Votes driven by the fans, hmm okay, what's stopping you from going to region regions, you know, right now, I'm just saying you know what I said the regions, texas yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Right now it's just I want to build my following to the point where it's hard because you can build a following on the road but it's you're not kind of. You know, what you need to do is build a following in today's industry, um, on social media, because then when I reach out to venues in idaho montana because we're gonna, we've got a tour route Idaho Montana, because we're going to, we've got a tour route mapped out for next year, we're going to go on tour and we're going to start reaching out to some venues. So if you want to, if you're from one of those regions and you want to hear me in your town, be sure to hit up the management team Dude.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2:We got a route mapped out, but we got to have guarantees to make it work. We can't show up and play for 200 bucks, you know. We got to be able to make it worth driving across the country. And in order to do that, you got to be good and you got to be. You know, the band is um. Finally, we're getting to the point where we I, I'd put us up against some any local, any even regional band. You know you'd have to be a.
Speaker 2:You've got to be pretty sharp to beat my guys, it's not because of me, it's because my band is freaking phenomenal. Yeah yeah, so they're some of my best friends too. So I don't know. We're finally getting to that point where now it's just a matter of time. Now we've got to be in the right place at the right time.
Speaker 1:So the more I interview you guys when I say you guys, you guys are artists and everything else, especially up and coming and making a noise for themselves and the community they go by clusters. Something interesting with me that's how I tackle mountains right, and that's how I get all these mountains. And I go in a region. I'm like, oh, I've, and that's how I get all these mountains. And you know, I go in a region. I'm like, oh, I've done that one, I've done this one, this, this, this, this, and it's kind of equivalent to what the artist has been doing. They'll go, you know, hit up. If they hit up Montana, they might do a show in Wyoming next year. Do, oh, hold, oh, oh, the year after that they'll, uh, do, um, sorry, something weird, just making sure, okay, um, they'll. They'll go montana and a couple more in wyoming and then montana and then work out, you know, idaho, or you know they'll just do it in a circle. You ever think you're gonna do that or are you gonna go big first time?
Speaker 2:no, okay, we'll definitely go the route we have mapped out for next year is Idaho, montana, okay, wyoming, um, probably Oregon.
Speaker 1:Nevada. Nevada got a good scene too, maybe hit a show in Reno and I'm going.
Speaker 2:Uh, at the end of the year I'm flying out to Alabama and I'm going to go play some shows down there.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:In Birmingham and Guntersville.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've been to Guntersville. That lake is nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm going down there. My manager, beth Peabody she lives down there. So we're going to go Me and my other guitar player, not Jesse but my buddy Logan, we're going on tour down there. I'm going to play. I think we've got five shows, six shows, on the schedule right now. Okay, yeah, it'll be fun.
Speaker 1:Hey, but that's how people are doing it, man. Especially you know the big names who've been produced by you know, jennings and everything else does it, so it's winning. So all right, man, all right, jennings, and everything else does it, so it's winning. Mm-hmm, so all right, man, all right, so you are the Buck Owens of Washington.
Speaker 2:No, no, I think Buck Owens is the Buck Owens of Washington. I don't know if you knew this, but he had a radio station in Puyallup, yeah, and he picked up Don Rich out of Olympia, or actually Tumwater Washington, and then they started the Buckaroos and they had a residency. I can't remember the name of the bar, but they had a residency in Tacoma. That's where the Buckaroos started. So I'm pretty sure Buck Owens is the Buck Owens of Washington Still though Still.
Speaker 1:But you're bringing it, have it, you're doing it, it's great. So what song I know, buck owens is your, your man. What song inspired you when growing up, dude, and you, just to this day at all at listening act?
Speaker 2:naturally, really yeah, and that's because my favorite two bands growing up were buck owens and the beatles like those two and they both played that song.
Speaker 1:They both played out naturally, and I was like wait a minute so they can.
Speaker 2:You can play a country song like rock and roll and like a rock and roll band is playing a country so like it, that that's like, if you can play both of those songs side by side, both versions of that song side by side, like that's basically the sound that I go for, like I want to be the beatles of country music see, when you say beatles man, I'm not a beatles fan, you don't like that.
Speaker 1:Oh, I can't stand the beatles dude, I'm dude, I'm telling you so you like the Beatles?
Speaker 2:No, I can't stand the Beatles. Dude, dude, I'm telling you. So you like the Stones?
Speaker 1:Dude, hardcore, what song, what, what song? I can't even name one.
Speaker 2:I have to name many Dude the Stones are so overrated, man, they've got Jagger, they got Jagger.
Speaker 1:That's who they got, and they're still alive, but the drummer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, got jagger. That's who they got they're still alive. But the drummer, yeah, but no, dude painted black, come on. But for every one rolling stone song, that's good song, I will say, or like um, what's the other good one? I like, uh, beast of burden isn't?
Speaker 1:that you can't beat.
Speaker 2:That that's a good tune, but for every one good stone song there there's like a whole good Beatles record. Have you not listened to like Revolver? Yeah, rubber Soul.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Revolution.
Speaker 1:Come on.
Speaker 2:Was not a fan, not a fan.
Speaker 1:I grew up Stones lead, you know.
Speaker 2:I like Zeppelin too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think the Beatles, just the Beach Boys. What about the Beach Boys?
Speaker 1:You know, I saw them on Wednesday, dude they still had it, man. That drummer dude, john Bolton yeah, he's from Enumclaw. Bro is bad. He's probably the best drummer I've ever seen. Yeah.
Speaker 2:He's freaking amazing.
Speaker 1:And he's on the Beach Boys and he sings. So you know what's funny.
Speaker 2:So John Stamos played the drums for the Beach Boys and he sings yeah. So you know what's funny. So John Stamos played the drums for the. Beach Boys. And then he needed, he wanted to play guitar, so he called John Bolton and he's like my buddy, bernie knows John.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So, like it was, I was like wait a minute, this dude that's got Animal on his drum kit, yeah, and he's sitting on a bar stool to play drums, bro, and he and he's lower than him too. Never seen that. But man, he stands up singing and playing the drums. It's like what the heck is this?
Speaker 1:dude, he's an animal period. Literally, yeah, yeah, yeah, literally. But uh, no, I have beach boys of all all the bands in the world, but, um, you know bill love other guy there's only two originals, but man Bill Love's son, and then they got three other guitarists. One guitarist, man is solid. That sound, dude, the 50s sound. The only guy I know and seen that can pull that off and he is it's crazy beach boys.
Speaker 2:That wasn't my sound dude, no, that wasn't my sound, I just grew up with him yeah my dad is. Well, he's kind of an old sucker, so yeah I uh, he just raised me on like that older music. We used to go down to a and w and my dad would buy us root beer floats and I'd walk over and put a quarter in the jukebox. Yeah, they had an old school with records.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, so I'd pick up the record and they'd put it on and I just thought that was the coolest thing.
Speaker 2:We'd listen to Elvis and the Beach Boys. I was like that's where that rock and roll kind of inspiration came from was the A&W jukebox.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so cool to see Beach Boys were with Richie Valens. It's crazy, they're still alive.
Speaker 2:Man, it's nuts, it's nuts and they're still going, they're still hitting the notes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow, and he's so charismatic on the stage man. So my question to you you named those, but have you ever heard of the Gaslight Anthem, the band? They're like a rock punk, but there's a song 59 Sound. Have you ever heard it? All right, well, when you get bored today on your drive to Davenport I don't know how you have the schedule, man so I, for real, I appreciate you making time to come to the studio.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you having me on. Thank you so much, by the way. Thank you so much for having me on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, my pleasure dude, and I've always wanted you on man, before you even got runner up, you know you had it, you had it, it, you have it and definitely appreciate that and want to put it out there.
Speaker 1:59 sound. So he has a voice of bruce springsteen. But the sound, that album, the other albums coming up, that's, you know something got to them. He got into his head, went solo and now they're back together. But the first album's just roll and I think you'll like it. It's a 59 sound. If you listen to it it's like a punk, but rock and like 59 sound. You listen to that dude. You got a lot of similarities in that and so I wanted to put that out there because I'm like bro, he brings up all these country guys but he needs to listen to that and listen to that album, just so he can get a taste of what I'm saying. Man.
Speaker 1:Because, dude, when I heard you the first time, I was like dude, there's something missing. It's not just Owens, it's not just the guys from Bako you know, it's Nirvana too. No, I was like dude. It's Gaslight Anthem. Okay too, yeah, no that was like dude, it's gaslight anthem. Okay, I'll definitely check it out, dude. And he gets a lot of uh comparisons with bruce springsteen because you know he's they're from new jersey. Bro, the, the noise, the sound, the guitar, solid, solid bacon. I'll check it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, check it out, man, and let me know how you feel, man, speaking of, how do you feel about this right now, this episode so far? Oh, I'm pretty good, pretty easy. Yeah, yeah, how, how long do you think we've been on? Man? Almost an hour, really. Yeah, it goes quick. Yeah, there's some, there's some, uh, episodes that will be like dude, I don't know how I'm, I don't know how long it's going to last. We're an hour into it. Then we get two hours into it, not saying we're almost out, but with the sound, with the sound non country singer that's always in your playlist.
Speaker 2:I would normally say Post Malone, but now he's country.
Speaker 1:Is he staying country? He said a long time ago.
Speaker 2:There's a song he does with Jelly Rule on that record and it's he's rapping, it's rap music. I mean, I'm not a fan of Jelly.
Speaker 1:Rule. Oh, my goodness, you are a harsh critic. I appreciate. I mean, I'm not a fan of Jelly Roll.
Speaker 2:You don't like Jelly Roll. Oh dude, oh bro. Oh my goodness, you are a harsh critic. I appreciate that you like me now because you don't like all these other artists Right. Your vote of favor, man. It means so much more to me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:It has to have the sound dude and if Jelly Roll.
Speaker 2:It has to have the sound dude.
Speaker 1:And if I guess, like I, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I just try and like he's doing what I want to do. He's literally doing world tours, he's playing these big shows, he's making the money. His job is to play music. That's what I want my job to be, is just play music. So, in a, what I want my job to be is just play music. So in a way, it's not my favorite. I don't listen to Jelly Roll. I normally listen to the Red Clay Strays. Well, I just listened to the Post Malone record yesterday.
Speaker 2:But I just try and whatever the audience is liking. If my friends show me a song, they're like, hey, this song's really good. I'm going to try and understand why they think it's good. What is about that song is why do they think that's good and how can I use that in my music?
Speaker 1:How can I take inspiration from that? We are totally opposite man, Really. Yeah, I stray away from the fads and everything else.
Speaker 2:I don't know. There's something to be learned. It's like saying that when you get bucked off a bull, I don't even want to see the video. No, you've got to go watch the video and understand why you got bucked off. So, it's the same thing with understanding music Even if the song's crappy, I might be able to pick out a production thing that he did like wow, that steel guitar sounds really cool.
Speaker 2:the reverb on that guitar sounds rad yeah there's so much that I can pick up out of a song, even if it's a crappy song you know, I could hate the song, but I can learn a lot from listening to it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know especially if it's popular you've heard of dolly shine, haven't you, bro? Check him out I will texas, texas, not too big.
Speaker 1:He hasn't put any uh music on lately but dude the fiddler, bro, but no, dolly shine, definitely old school like george straight. You know, check, check him out. He was on. That blew me out of the water, man, when I went to uh wheatstock, because I'm like bro, he, he's not co-head well, he was the second, being the guy behind the headliner, and I'm like man, that's who I was looking forward to seeing man, them and uh tyler and the train robbers. You know they're from helix but go out in idaho and all that stuff. But uh, listen to them. I was like man, this is the one because I I saw his discography and his last album was like 2015, 2016, and they're coming up here. Listen to them. They're solid 90s, 80s sound. I'm like, blew me out of the water, check him out, man. I don't know like he's up and coming. That sound, that sound is making a comeback, dude, and if you listen to his stuff, he's staying. True, that's the kind of artist that I I am interested in. I.
Speaker 2:I guess for me. I know that my music will always come out as my music, Like I'm not going to listen to a jelly roll song and start making music like jelly.
Speaker 1:Dude, if you do, you're done. I said done, not dumb.
Speaker 2:But I would be dumb but I, I, I don't know. I guess there is, you know, maybe, maybe it could be an example of what not to do you know, there's. What do you think of Zach Topp? Not a fan. You don't like Zach Topp, Dude, why not?
Speaker 1:What about him, don't you like? I know he's from around here, right, he's from Yakima, I think.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, yeah, not a fan no, I like yeah, yeah, not a fan no.
Speaker 1:I like it, man.
Speaker 2:I think that, like we've been begging for country music to make a comeback, yeah.
Speaker 1:First you've got to define it.
Speaker 2:What's that?
Speaker 1:First you have to define it.
Speaker 2:Define country music. Yeah, you don't think Zach Topp's country Dude. There's so many different. It's very especially compared to morgan wallen. Yeah, like, I guess maybe that's where where my uh thought process is coming from is that, like this dude has a real drummer, it's real guitars it's all real instruments. And there's a steel guitar, there's a fiddle. He's singing about drinking beer and you know, like those songs don't appeal to me, though man I would they.
Speaker 1:I guess they don't. Every song is almost like that and I, when it's like that, you got to get me by the hearts, you got to get me dude by the feels. But even the red clay strays have a song about drinking beer but still it's a solid and they got solid uh songs before and after.
Speaker 2:Right, that's the ticket though, and I think that, uh, like his record that he released, it was pretty underwhelming.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I wasn't, wasn't impressed, but I can't. I mean, he's a great guitar player, great singer, great songwriter. Like he's doing it. That's. That's what every artist wants to do an artist. I just see it from the perspective of like I can't hate on them because they're doing what I want to do I'm yeah, I'm more of a jesse daniels fan oh yeah, me too so he's, he's the, he's the dude. He's what I, that's what I want to do yeah, yeah, and then or daniel donato.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'll check him out, I'll check him out my buddy.
Speaker 2:Um, I actually lost my bass player to jesse daniel. Oh yeah, isn't that funny. Sean peabody, my manager's husband, uh, he left my band and they moved back to alabama and he started playing for jesse daniel and I was like wow, that's a bit of an upgrade there buddy, he's, he's, he's coming to the tavern and then going to the outskirts yep did you play the outskirts, yet I've played there during a singer songwriter night but, I uh, I've got some gigs coming up here, this there this winter solo shows.
Speaker 1:I'll be there. I'll be there. I was there last year, man that's what do you think of that venue, man killer?
Speaker 2:right beautiful.
Speaker 1:Cody did a great job bro does he and you know what's what man it's freaking whack is. They bring in some good talent like some of the best vincent neil emerson, right, I saw, I saw him jesse daniel uh, yeah, he's coming next this week.
Speaker 1:Hannah dasher yeah, yeah she, she comes next month right something like that, yeah, yeah but, dude, it's just like all right, you go there and it is dead and I'm like, and I talked to cody. I was like cody, bro, like for real, like where are the people at? Man, this is sad. He's like right, people just don't know. I'm like, bro, they need to know because vincent mille emerson is here dude. Um, that's, that's the kind of music I like, man, mm-hmm, yeah, but yeah he's a prick, cody.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no. Oh, vincent, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Really, oh yeah, yeah. So I like the small venues, but you get to know the people. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, wow, yeah yeah, I like the small venues just because a lot of times, like when I get to play the same stage as Vincent Neil Emerson, when I get to play the same stage as like a bigger artist it's cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know it's a great opportunity. So you know when you went on the same calendar as my name and Hannah Dasher and Jesse Daniel it's like, wow, that makes me look really good, you know. So, uh, yeah, I don't know. No, it's yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, that that's the sound I like, man, that authentic sound I don't. I don't like you know. Hey, you know, I guess just that and drinking. You know who was good, who was great before they went all drinking?
Speaker 2:Toby Keith dude. Yeah, he was I agree.
Speaker 1:Great before and then all he did was beer for my horses.
Speaker 2:I've got one song about drinking and it's actually about like it's back on the bottle. I don't know if you remember it, but I guess for me is that I know that I don't write a lot of drinking songs. I don't write a lot of drinking songs, I don't write a lot of party songs. So I guess I'm just trying to learn.
Speaker 2:I'm only 23 and I'm just trying to take everything for what it is, and I'm trying to absorb everything that I can, take influence from everything, whether it be an example of bad or an example of good, and like use that to push my project forward. You know how can, even if it is the like dumbest, most overproduced fake country crap ever. You know, hardy, I can't stand that guy, but uh don't get me started, man I, I can still listen to him and I'm like, okay, well, there's how I don't want to sound. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:yeah so I I don't know, I think that maybe being, uh, maybe being an artist, I just have that kind of like outside perspective, you know yeah, we're gonna get on again. Let me know when. Man yeah, I'm always down. I'm always around here, dude.
Speaker 1:Overall solid. This Okay, Dude, I appreciate your time man. I appreciate you making time with your busy schedule. I know I have a busy schedule, especially coaching, Like cross-country season starts, Work and this and that party. You know I play hard.
Speaker 2:I work hard, play harder.
Speaker 1:You have to yeah, yeah, so I won't get burnt. But you know, I like this episode just because get to see more of you knowing you, what you stand for, what inspired you. I also like it because I was able to say who I hate, who I love in a way, but mostly why I put the people on. You know a lot of people ask me well, why do you have bull riders? I've told them that way. So I appreciate you allowing me to use this episode to let people know dude, I am a critic, always been a critic, and when it comes to country music, tracy, you know my wife, she tries to like what about this? Nope click. You know I'm for real, I'm very I'm a stickler man and uh, but no, I really appreciate you allowing me to use this episode to tell you what sucks in my mind and what I can rock out hell yeah, so with with you.
Speaker 1:With that said, with you, being here means a lot. It says a lot. Keep doing what you're doing, don't be too hard on yourself, enjoy every minute of it, especially with your lady here. You, you know that's nice but, dude, the moment you change I'm gonna be like dude, what the hell oh, I ain't going, especially if you end up in nashville or texas and you make some songs about drinking and you know last night. Yeah, if you do that, bro, I'm gonna be like cody, what, what's up man.
Speaker 2:No, I ain. No, I ain't going nowhere, man, I ain't going nowhere, I'm staying right here at home, all right. Well, I don't know, dude, I'll probably like I don't know. If I go to Nashville, I'm not going to live there. If I go to Texas, I'm not going to live there.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I might go play because there's a lot of money to be made there, right, a business move. But at the end of the day, I will always be from tacoma, washington. My sound ain't gonna change. I've tried to change it and it doesn't. I'm 100, 140 percent cody b, genuine.
Speaker 1:Okay, I can't help it I'll keep you to it, but, dude, I can't wait to see you grow more, get bigger. Stay true, man, and until next time. I appreciate you, man. Thanks, cody. Dude, I can't wait to see you grow more, get bigger. Stay true, man, and until next time.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you, man.
Speaker 1:Thanks, cody, we'll see you next time.