1 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Granger Smith. This is the Granger Smith Podcast, 2 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: Episode three. I want to kind of continue on what 3 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: I started in episode one and episode two, continue down 4 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: the timeline, and that brings me to a subject that's 5 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: very important to me and who I am. Songwriting. Here's 6 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 1: how all that started. Episode three. Sturgis, South Dakota. That's 7 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: where I am. Have you heard of it? Maybe because 8 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: of Mount Rushmore is right down the road, or maybe 9 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,959 Speaker 1: because of the huge biker rally, which is why we're 10 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: here today, Not because I'm a biker, but because I'm 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: here playing music. It seems like I always get to 12 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: go to every town's coolest event, and that's why I 13 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: love my job. How could you not? We get to 14 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: go to your town when she's got her best dress on. 15 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: Of course, it wasn't always that way. It all started 16 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: me in my guitar in my room at home with 17 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: nobody listening, and I was needing to tell a story 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: and I had a means to tell it through six 19 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: strings and a few chords that I knew. What happened 20 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: after that was life changing for me. Songwriting provided an 21 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 1: outlet for me to get out some emotions that I 22 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: didn't want to talk about, or maybe I didn't know 23 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: how to talk about. And then later I come to 24 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: find out that those songs, those ideas would connect with 25 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: other people, and that feeling made it worth it. It 26 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: made me want to dig deeper. And that's what I'll 27 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 1: talk about on episode three. All right, I'm pulling up 28 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 1: the trustee Wikipedia right now. Sturgis is a city in 29 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 1: Mead County, South Dakota, population six six hundred and twenty seven. 30 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: Sturgis as notable as a location of one of the 31 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: largest motorcycle events in the world, which is held annually 32 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: on the second full week of August. Motorcycle enthusiasts from 33 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: around the world flocked to this town during the Sturgis 34 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: Motorcycle Rally. We just pulled in. It's early morning, and 35 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: first of all, amazing foothills surrounding this place. Beautiful town, 36 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: green pine trees, which is a refreshing sight because we 37 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: haven't seen a single tree, and the rest of the 38 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: state of South Dakota as we've been driving through it 39 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: this morning. It's the month of August, but it is 40 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: sixty five degrees outside. That's pretty awesome. At home right now, 41 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: it's ninety one to put it in perspective in Texas, 42 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: so it feels good. It feels like a nice October day. 43 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: Everywhere you look right now, it's motorcycles and black leather. 44 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: I've never seen so many in my life. I'm not 45 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: a biker. Maybe I will be if I'm sixty years 46 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 1: old and retired and looking for a hobby. I could 47 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: see the appeal of it. It's a big, old, loud 48 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: beast of a machine. You're wrapped up on it, hugging 49 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: a windy two lane road, sunglasses and leather jacket, the 50 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: breeze and beautiful countryside all around you. You stop at 51 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: a little cafe, grab an ice cold draft beer all 52 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: the while. Leonard Skynard is your theme music. Yeah, it 53 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 1: sounds like a pretty good time. How did music get 54 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: me here? I've asked that question in some crazy places 55 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: all around the world. I remember thinking that in a 56 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: black Hawk helicopter a couple thousand feet above Baghdad in Iraq. 57 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: And that's what I'm thinking right now. And Sturge just 58 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: at a bikeer rally? How did my music get me 59 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: to a bikeer rally? And I don't know all the 60 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: workings of it, but I'm just glad that it did. 61 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: If I was going to narrow down anything, pinpoint anything 62 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: of where things began and music, it's a no brainer. 63 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: Everything starts with the song, and there was a time 64 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: when I had to start writing them. And that's what 65 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: I want to talk about in this podcast. The very 66 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: first ones, the awkward, left footed, very vulnerable first once 67 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: and here's one of them right here. I found this 68 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: old cassette. This is me playing one of the first 69 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: songs I ever wrote. Please don't judge. I'm just a teenager. 70 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: You a small cafe off twenty two. I have to 71 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: tuck her. What I should do? Said, I need a 72 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: place where I could settle down. You look at me 73 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 1: with the tired brand, said, if I could do it 74 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,840 Speaker 1: all over again, I'd be heading sound without looking back, 75 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: because I've been on the road from coast to coast, 76 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: and there's one place I love lost. If us me 77 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 1: for ball, it's worth there rained nothing done on earth 78 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: as it is in Texas. So of course I was 79 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: too young to actually go coast to coast. I hadn't 80 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: done that, and I didn't ask any trucker life advice. 81 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: But there was an old cafe on Highway twenty two 82 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,040 Speaker 1: that I love to eat at it. But what ended 83 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: up happening was that song called as It in Texas 84 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: plus nine others made my first ten and I went 85 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: in and recorded them in a cheap little studio in Wiley, Texas. 86 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 1: I made this album called Waiting on Forever. You can 87 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: still find it. It's out there on the internet. Me 88 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 1: white cowboy hat, button up shirt, looked like a baby. 89 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: I looked like I was twelve, and I wasn't too 90 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: far from twelve. But that studio album, that first album 91 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: for me, was so important and I didn't know it 92 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: at the time, but it got into the hands of 93 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 1: some people that ultimately started a chain of events that 94 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: took me to this place called Nashville, Tennessee. So this 95 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: is what it sounds like on the streets of Sturgis, 96 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 1: South Dakota. Right now, let's turn that off. So Sturgis 97 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 1: is crazy today. I've never seen anything like this. Thousands 98 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: of motorcycles out here in the street. I mean's like 99 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: a bunch of fire ants going everywhere, and it's it's chaotic. 100 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: This is a time when I really feel thankful to 101 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: be in the back of my nice quiet bus making 102 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: this podcast for you guys. So guess what happened to 103 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: that album Waiting on Forever. Somehow, through somebody, through some 104 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 1: friend of a friend, that ends up on LeAnn Willmack's bus. 105 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: You remember LeAnn Walmack. Yeah, of course you do. She's amazing. 106 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: So her bass player, his name is Brett Beavers and 107 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: he is a producer, writer, musician, and he has written 108 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 1: a song at this point for Darryl Dodd called on 109 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: Earth As it Is in Texas. Somehow my CD is 110 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: up on their bus and it's face down. He's looking 111 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: at the back, he's looking at the track list and 112 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,039 Speaker 1: he sees that song as it Is in Texas and 113 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: he says, hey, that's the same title as my song. 114 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: So he plays it and I guess he heard something. 115 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 1: He heard some kind of potential. So he finds out 116 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: how to get in touch with me. This is when 117 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: things started changing big time. You can take a shot 118 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: if you want to try. And just missed a call 119 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: from Chris, my tour manager. I'm gonna call him back 120 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: because I think he's out there in the street right now. Everybody, Hey, 121 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: did you call? Yeah? Man, I don't know if you've 122 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: been over here to the main street, dude, but This 123 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: is really really cool. I think you would regret not 124 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: seeing this. What's up? What's over there? It's just this, 125 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: thousands of motorcycles, all part of the bars Cato shops. 126 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: It's all really really cool. Okay, well, I'll head over 127 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: there and meet you and see what's up. I'll tell 128 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: you what back towards you will meet you, uh at 129 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: that intersection there at the front of the venue. Okay, Hey, 130 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: I'll see you in a second. Okay, So I'll go 131 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: brave the thousands of motorcycles and report back in So 132 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: Brett Beaver sat down with us, me and my family, 133 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: and he said, hey, I heard every song on this album, 134 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: and I think you guys should start considering Granger writing 135 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,319 Speaker 1: songs for a publishing company in Nashville. We hadn't thought 136 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: about this before. This is the first I didn't even 137 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 1: know what publishing companies were. But there's companies in Nashville 138 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: that will pay you to write songs and then they 139 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: pitch it to other artists. Now, sometimes if you're an 140 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:54,079 Speaker 1: artist yourself, especially young artists like me, they can kind 141 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: of groom you and prepare you to get a record 142 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: deal one day, and then they own publishing on your songs. 143 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,199 Speaker 1: That's how that works. So by now I'm at Texas 144 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: A and M University. I'm a freshman in the core Cadets. 145 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,559 Speaker 1: So my life is already crazy. My lack of life 146 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: actually is pretty crazy. But I have a band and 147 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: we're playing a lot of these original songs. So the 148 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: next logical step is for somebody from Nashville to fly 149 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: down to little college station, Texas and hear me play 150 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 1: with my band. So that's exactly what happened. I had 151 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 1: a couple really cool publishing companies fly down from Nashville, 152 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: had some of their executives come, and they would come 153 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: to this bar it's called Shadow Canyon, and we would 154 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: pack it out just because we knew everybody and it 155 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: was a big party, and you know, for some reason, 156 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: they really liked what they saw and they really wanted 157 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: to offer me a publishing deal. So at this point, 158 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: I'm nineteen, maybe almost twenty years old, and I have 159 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: to make a decision. I have to not only choose 160 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: one of these companies, but I have to decide if 161 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: I'm going to leave college and go to write songs, 162 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: something so unorthodox in a state that I've never been to. 163 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,959 Speaker 1: I don't know anybody. It's a huge risk, and I've 164 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: got to make the decision right now. Meanwhile, in searge 165 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:16,839 Speaker 1: to South Dakota, I just made another decision right now, 166 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: and that was to get a tattoo. I'm at a 167 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: biker rally and I'm with my band and there's tattoo 168 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: shops everywhere, and I thought when in Sturgis, so I 169 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: got a Texas tattoo the outline of Texas on my 170 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 1: right arm. I did just now, and Chris was right, 171 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: is it's total insanity out there. I've never seen so 172 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: many bikes in my life, and I'm glad to be 173 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: back on the bus again. There's now bands playing in 174 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: the background on the stage that we're sitting next to, 175 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: So I apologize if that bleeds through the mic onto 176 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: the podcast, but it's all part of the experience today. Right. 177 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: I'm realizing as I'm telling some of these older stories 178 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: that I'm leaving a lot of gaps. There's a couple 179 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,839 Speaker 1: of gaps in the timeline. But I don't want to 180 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: tell everything. I don't want to tell every detail because 181 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: I want to have stuff to talk about in the future. Right, So, 182 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 1: by now I'm a sophomore at Texas A and M. 183 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: It's December and I've made a decision. I'm gonna finish 184 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: out my sophomore year and I'm gonna leave after spring 185 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: semester move to Nashville. I'm gonna sign with EMI Music Publishing, 186 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: packed everything I have, which wasn't much, and start a 187 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 1: life as a songwriter, at least to see what it is. 188 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: I have amazing parents, and they they provided me with 189 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 1: the greatest gift you can give a child, and that 190 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: was the freedom to dream. They did not hold me back. 191 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: I think they saw it in my eyes. They saw 192 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: they saw that A, this was a rare opportunity to 193 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: sign with a big publishing company and B I'm twenty 194 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: years old and I'm only going to get this chance 195 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: once now before life starts. So I found an apartment, 196 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: moved my stuff in. My mom came with me. She 197 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 1: kind of helped me get settled in a little bit. 198 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: And on July third, I'll never forget the day she 199 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: left and I officially became a Nashville resident. Quick sponsor 200 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: break I want to talk about EEEE Energy, and that's 201 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: because it's my only sponsor and not sponsored by money. 202 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 1: It's sponsored by love because it's my family, me and 203 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: my brothers. It's our drink, and it's kind of a 204 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: passion project, I guess you could say. But I really 205 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: do love this thing because we made this from scratch 206 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: and I'm very proud of it. We created the recipe 207 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: according to what we like. We made this cameo can 208 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: We made a box that has a target on it. 209 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: So if you like to shoot guns like I do, 210 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: and you like to drink EEE Energy like I do, 211 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: you just flip that little four pack box over and 212 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: use it as target practice. Now we're in a lot 213 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,319 Speaker 1: of mom and pop stores all across the country. We're 214 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: on Amazon. We're not working on a big distribution deal yet. 215 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if we want to go that route 216 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: quite yet because it's very close to me and I 217 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 1: don't want to lose that kind of control. But I 218 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: want you to try it, So go to Grangersmith dot 219 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: com or ee Energy dot com and get you one. 220 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: See what you think. Have you ever moved to a 221 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: city by yourself when you didn't know anyone, not only 222 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: in the city, but in the entire state. Well that 223 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:22,960 Speaker 1: was me twenty years old, Nashville, Tennessee. The only people 224 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 1: I knew were just a couple people over at EMI 225 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: Publishing that signed me to that job. But you know, 226 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:30,079 Speaker 1: if I was going to leave Texas and do this, 227 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: I was all in. I wanted to learn the craft, 228 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: and I wanted to immediately start writing with as many 229 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:37,839 Speaker 1: people as I could, especially some of the older guys 230 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: that had big, old hits on the radio. Because if 231 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: I could learn from them, and I didn't even have 232 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:44,599 Speaker 1: to get a great song with them, but if I 233 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: could just get in the room with them and learn 234 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: their process, then that was going to be something I 235 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:51,959 Speaker 1: could take with me forever. So a lot of those 236 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: George Strait songs that I grew up listening to, I 237 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 1: found those writers and I got in the room with 238 00:13:57,320 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: those guys and I said, tell me the story of 239 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: you wrote that song. And sometimes we would we would 240 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:05,959 Speaker 1: intend to write a song together that day, but I 241 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: would get so caught up and asking them questions and 242 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: then listening to their stories that we wouldn't we wouldn't 243 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 1: get anything, but that was still a successful day for me. 244 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: So a typical morning would be I would have an 245 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: appointment at ten am, and E and I would set 246 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: these appointments up for me these co writes, and sometimes 247 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: I didn't even know who the person was until I 248 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 1: walked in at ten am. We would shake hands, grab 249 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: a cup of coffee, and I would usually start by 250 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: playing a few things that I'd written to let them 251 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: know who I was and what I was all about, 252 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: and then would we would dive in. They would say, well, 253 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: have you ever thought about something like this? And they 254 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: would play something and I would say, I love that. 255 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: Let's try to write that song, and you know we did. 256 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: We got a lot of cool things. But I wasn't 257 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: writing granger songs. I was writing songs that they thought 258 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: should be granger songs. So I was learning the craft, 259 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: and I was thankful for for that. But I hadn't 260 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: yet found my niche. I hadn't yet found what I 261 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: needed to say to feel something. Yet that was about 262 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: the change. So I'm laying in bed one night, can't sleep. 263 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: I'm gods could have got this lonely feeling to me, 264 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: heartsick from being gone from Texas for so long, looking 265 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: around the room at the alarm clock, and these lines 266 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: start coming to me. I can't fall I can't fall 267 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: asleep tonight. I don't remember that I don't remember the 268 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: bedroom ever, be in this bride from just the alarm clock, 269 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: like it's the alarm clock. It feels like a song 270 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: about me. Now it feels so cold, it feels so 271 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: cold at the end of the sheets. I'll stay I'll 272 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 1: stay warm as long as I don't move my feet 273 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: over where yours used to be, over where yours used 274 00:15:51,320 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: to be. Sometimes I closed my eyes and you're not gone. 275 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: I hold you tied and kiss you all night. And 276 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: then I found my hook. Dream on dream dream every 277 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: night in my mind. I put this back in love 278 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: where we belong, dream for passion, bird, emotionster, funny, how 279 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: this bet is seen it all, funny, how this bed 280 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: is seen it all? And now it's just here. Now 281 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: it's just here to dream on to dream. And I 282 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: had a song now that I wrote in about thirty 283 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: minutes that felt better than anything I had written there 284 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: with these professional writers. And by better I mean more 285 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: like me. It was my story. It was the first 286 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: time I ever felt like a real songwriter because I 287 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: had told a story that meant something, that had some 288 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 1: kind of emotion. It wasn't just rhymes and chords. There's 289 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: a difference right well now I knew there was, and 290 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: I was so homesick from Texas and all my friends 291 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: and my family and being away from them for so long, 292 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 1: And then I was able to channel that emotion into 293 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 1: a song. So after five years of writing songs, I 294 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: felt like dream On was my first one, my first 295 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 1: real song. I'd written a hundred songs before that, but 296 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 1: this was my first real one. And nothing ever happened 297 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: with Dreamond and that wasn't the point. No one ever 298 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 1: even heard it, but it was a snapshot of my 299 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:47,200 Speaker 1: emotion that night in bed, couldn't sleep, lonely as hell 300 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: from being gone from Texas, and that's what mattered. That's 301 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: what made it a real song, as opposed to a 302 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: couple guys in a room drinking coffee thinking about what's 303 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,159 Speaker 1: popular on the radio. So I go on a mission 304 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:02,480 Speaker 1: to write more songs like dream On, and it's way 305 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: harder than I thought. But it's funny how one song 306 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: changed the entire way that I approached songwriting. It ultimately 307 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 1: set me on a path that then moved me back 308 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: to Texas, where I started a band, wrote more songs, 309 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 1: and then found fans to connect with those songs. But 310 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: that's another story. For another podcast. I got a crowd 311 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: I need to connect with tonight and starred to South 312 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 1: Dakota and they're ready to rock. I'm gonna get dressed 313 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: and go do my thing. This is granger Smith. Thanks 314 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: for listening to Episode three. Happens that Out of the 315 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 1: Blue Scat's interview last year. When it happens like that, 316 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: nothing to Lowes turns right into you, dude, Oh you 317 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: can do just to keep her around. To the moon 318 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,880 Speaker 1: goes down in her back into your house. One thing 319 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: will do another. You love each other when looking you 320 00:18:53,880 --> 00:19:02,200 Speaker 1: never lived back. It happens like that. This podcast is 321 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: brought to you by EEE Energy. Come find us on 322 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: tour grangersmith dot com, Forward Slash Tour, See you down 323 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: the road.