1 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Granger. This is my podcast, episode fourteen. Thank 2 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: you so much for listening today. Wherever you are. I 3 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: am in Ohio and I want to tell you some stories. 4 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: Here we go. I'm sitting in the back of my bus, Wildflower, 5 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: and I'm overdue for a podcast. People come up to 6 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: me meet and greets, and they say, I listen to 7 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: your podcast, and it gives me a great insight to 8 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: who you are as a person, not just an artist. 9 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: And that's worth it to me. That's worth sitting here 10 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: in the parking lot outside of a venue I'm about 11 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: to play, turning on the microphone in my computer and 12 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: telling some stories. I want to talk about some new 13 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: things coming up here this fall. I want to talk 14 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: about the continuation of a story that I've been telling 15 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: throughout all of these podcasts one through thirteen, and that's 16 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: how I got to be the artist that you found, 17 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: whether it was YouTube or social media, or at a 18 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: concert or on the radio. I left off my story 19 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: about two thousand and nine ten. I had just met 20 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: Amber in a music video, and I was working on 21 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: a new album called Poets and Prisoners. Sitting here looking 22 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: out the window in the parking lot and the opening 23 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: band just pulled up, and they pulled up in a 24 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: van just like the one that I drove for so 25 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: many years, beating up that highway. And it's only appropriate 26 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: that now I'm talking about those years. Those years made 27 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: me who I am today. I hear people all the time. 28 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: They'll say, maybe on a radio interview, they'll say, you've 29 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: been doing this for a long time. You know, you've 30 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: been doing this ten, fifteen, twenty years. You've been doing 31 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: this a long time, and they almost say it in 32 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: an negative way, and I always try to spin it 33 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: back to them and say, those years made me who 34 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: I am. I'm nothing without those years, without that van 35 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: and those miles and all of those shows with no 36 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: one coming, and my brother and I who's still my manager, 37 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: forcing ourselves to be innovative and to be creative and 38 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: to think out of the box. I'm nothing without those years. 39 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: And just like I'm doing right now looking out this 40 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: window at this opening band and their van, which I'm 41 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: going to go down and meet these guys in a minute, 42 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: but I'm constantly reminded of those years. Every day could 43 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: be in me on it, son, boys, I got the 44 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: first round could be the last second hell Mary game winning, 45 00:02:54,760 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: touched them, could be hitting off the one that you're 46 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: hitting No, turning the page new day, finally move in 47 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: on whatever it is. Yeah, whatever it is. If you 48 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: got a question for me that you want me to 49 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: answer on one of these podcasts, and go to social 50 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: media and hashtag Granger Smith podcast, ask your question, I'll 51 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 1: search for it, just like I'm doing right now and 52 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: searching Twitter here. I see a lot of questions about 53 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: this because last podcast I talked about a throwback concert, 54 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: a concert where I play essentially a request list from 55 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: all my fans that want to hear some of my 56 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: older music, from all the older albums. I think that 57 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: would be awesome, and I really think that's gonna happen, 58 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: And we have toy Burkincamp says, Hey, at Granger Smith, 59 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: you better be serious about that throwback concert we have, 60 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: Anne Marie. She says, retweet if you were to attend 61 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: a Granger Smith throwback show. Trying to prove a point. 62 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: Even Mitch Conall, my old keyboard player. He talks about 63 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: let me know and I'll be there. So obviously this 64 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: is something you guys are interested in me playing a 65 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: throwback concert. And I've already been talking to a bunch 66 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: of people about actually doing it, talking to venues, finding 67 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: a city that you could have an easy airport access, 68 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: so you could come in from wherever, submit your your 69 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: set list, and we will play whatever you want, and 70 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: then maybe we'll end the concert with some of our 71 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: newer songs, some of our newer singles, and of course 72 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: Earl Divils Junior. I think that would be so fun. 73 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 1: A little tradition I started a few episodes ago in 74 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: this podcast was playing you guys brand new music that 75 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: no one has heard before. They're really just demos, they're 76 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: not even recorded records, but I have so many of 77 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: them that I think this podcast is kind of a 78 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: cool place to debut them. And I know that in 79 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: meet and greets. I've had a lot of you come 80 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: up to me in a meet and greet and say, oh, 81 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: I heard this so and so song in your podcast. 82 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: And a couple of episodes ago, I talked about a 83 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: song called I'm a Fan, and I got so many 84 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: responses about that song I'm a Fan that I'm going 85 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: to be releasing that very soon, and very soon i'll 86 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: tell you how. But I'm also going to release a 87 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: brand new one. I'm going to preview a brand new 88 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: one for you on this one episode fourteen. I wrote 89 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: this with some friends Corey Crowter and Stephen Lee Olsen 90 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: on my bus. It's called I Want It. I want 91 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: a Saturday. I want to read you, I want my 92 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: bare feet bottom of a bass book. I want to 93 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: take a trip, take out a stack of twenties. I 94 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: want to rule the dish down in Atlantic City. But 95 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: one thing I'd rather do that's everything. If it's mixed, 96 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: do you. I don't need a reading lead in a 97 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: kiss and second I leave you, O and miss they're 98 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 1: in a new and you. It's whack. But I want you. 99 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: A got a twin my to keep it ready. I 100 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,559 Speaker 1: dished my plans because I'm on the back. You don't 101 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: ask you if I get you true why, I'm gonna 102 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 1: stay right here and love you because I want. I 103 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,480 Speaker 1: wrote that song this past summer twenty eighteen with those guys, 104 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: and we wrote another song that same day called why 105 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: Wouldn't We? And I preview that a few podcasts ago. 106 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: So I talked about having this throwback concert, but there's 107 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: another kind of concert that I want to introduce. In 108 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen and that is ee Fest. This is a 109 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: long time coming. This is something that's been a dream 110 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: of my brothers and I for a while, to have 111 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: our own festival and to have the whole environment be 112 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: sculpted by us and what we want out of a concert. 113 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: This is the first time I've ever talked about it. 114 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: I've never had an interview about this. I've never spoken 115 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: about this on the radio, but I want to bring 116 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 1: it up in the podcast first because I want to 117 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: hear from you guys. Is ee Fest a good idea? 118 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: What other bands should we bring and maybe most importantly, 119 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: what cities should ee Fest travel to if it's more 120 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 1: than one city. I think this potentially could be a 121 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: great idea and ultimately a place that ye nation could 122 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: come together from all over with like interest and just 123 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: have a huge party. Speaking of party, next year, we're 124 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: going to be on the Cane Brown Tour. That's January, 125 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: early January through the end of March. And we put 126 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: these pre sale tickets up and you guys did amazing. 127 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: You bought thousands and thousands of tickets using the EEE 128 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: promo code. You did that before most of these shows 129 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: sold out, And I just wanted to say thank you 130 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: for that. I cannot wait to see you all in 131 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: these cities. This podcast is brought to you by ee 132 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: Energy that is a non official official sponsor of mine. 133 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: Because it's my energy drink. I talk about it all 134 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: the time on these podcasts, and I'm telling you the 135 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: truth that this is my favorite drink. And I'm also 136 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 1: very biased because yes, me and my brothers built this 137 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: recipe from the ground up. The exciting thing to tell 138 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: you about all this is that we are in the 139 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 1: works right now with a sugar free version. We've had 140 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: so many people talking about having a sugar free EEE 141 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: Energy and so yeah, we're working on that. It just 142 00:08:57,800 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: costs a lot of money and it's a lot of 143 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: the logistics. As you could probably imagine. We don't really 144 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:06,080 Speaker 1: make a profit on this. It's just an extension of 145 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:08,559 Speaker 1: the brand and it's growing the brand and the awareness. 146 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: Plus it's a really awesome energy drink that we have 147 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 1: available on Amazon Prime or my website grangersmith dot com. 148 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: Try some see what you think. All right, it's time 149 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: to get to the story. This is the story that 150 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: I've been telling since episode one and it's taken me 151 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: fourteen episodes so far. And I'm still even close to 152 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: the present day. But I'm trying to tell everyone the 153 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: story of where I came from musically in my career, 154 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: how I started, and how I got to where I 155 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:39,959 Speaker 1: am now. And maybe I didn't even realize how long 156 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: this story was, that it was going to take me 157 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 1: fourteen episodes of a podcast. Now. I know that I 158 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 1: talk about other things in this podcast too, but right 159 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 1: now I am sitting on the back of my bus Wildflower, 160 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 1: and we are in Florida. We're in Pensacola, Florida, and well, 161 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: we've come a long way since I started this podcast 162 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: episode in Ohio. I can't even remember the cities that 163 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 1: we've been to since then. But I get distracted. I 164 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:08,080 Speaker 1: have to go to work, I have to go to 165 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 1: meet and greets, I have to sing demos, write songs, 166 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,679 Speaker 1: and I kind of start neglecting these podcasts. Me and 167 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: Paul are always making videos. I'm sorry. I wish I 168 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 1: could do these podcasts every day. I wish I could 169 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: continue to just put them out in every city I'm in, 170 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: but unfortunately I have to find kind of find these 171 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: little time pockets, and I have it right now. I'll 172 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: tell you what we did this morning. And this is 173 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:38,839 Speaker 1: something that I've been doing for gosh, probably fifteen years now. 174 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: I figured out a long time ago that I have 175 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 1: to take care of my mental health as a musician, 176 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 1: whether it's the highs of being a musician or the 177 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: lows of being a musician. I have to work to 178 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: stay grounded because this business is very different than a 179 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: normal job, and it can affect you. And I have 180 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: seen it affect many people around me over the years 181 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 1: in a negative way. And you know, you always hear 182 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:19,959 Speaker 1: people say, oh, fame changed him, And it's not just fame. 183 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: It happens at the small level of music too. It 184 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: happens with the guys that are struggling, the musicians that 185 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: are struggling, because there's this feeling of trying to bring 186 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: your art to the world, and if the world accepts 187 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: it and loves it, that can go to your head. 188 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: That can affect you. If the world doesn't accept it 189 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: and they reject you, as in they don't go to 190 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:48,520 Speaker 1: your shows, they don't buy any music, maybe it even 191 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: boo you on the stage. But regardless, if that's the reaction, 192 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: that could affect you too, because then you go back 193 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: and you get inside your head and you say, I 194 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: hate this. I have created this, and no one likes 195 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: I said, I suck, I'm terrible. And so point being 196 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: fifteen years ago, I discovered one of the hacks away 197 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 1: around it. And then there's many things that I do 198 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:14,199 Speaker 1: to try to keep this mental health together. But one 199 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,320 Speaker 1: of the things I discovered is going to a nursing home. 200 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: I don't remember exactly how this happened the first time, 201 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: but I remember we were having a bad day on 202 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: the road. The band was in a terrible mood. I 203 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: was in a terrible mood. We were traveling long distances, 204 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: no one was reacting to the music, and I thought 205 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:43,479 Speaker 1: to myself, I have to make a change. So I 206 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:46,079 Speaker 1: got out the you know, the phone, and pulled out 207 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: a map and typed in nursing home. And I remember 208 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: there was you know, probably seven or eight wherever we 209 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: were at the time. I think it was in North Texas. 210 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 1: There was seven or eight that popped up, and I 211 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 1: just started calling these numbers and I said, Hi, I'm 212 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: a musician, I'm I'm in a band. Would you mind 213 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:06,200 Speaker 1: if we stopped by and played some music to the 214 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: folks there in the nursing home? And the reaction is 215 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: always what you know, what's the what's the catch? Why 216 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: would you want to do that? And then after I 217 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: kind of explained the story a little bit and just say, hey, 218 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: there's no catch. We just we have our guitars and 219 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:22,839 Speaker 1: do you mind if we stop by and play a 220 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 1: few tunes? And they usually say well, yeah, sure. So 221 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: long story short, I've done that almost once or twice 222 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 1: a year for fifteen years, and I did it today. 223 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 1: We just got back. I just came back from that 224 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: in Pensacola. We had some time. I know that somebody 225 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: out there at one of these nursing homes always needs 226 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: it more than I do, and there's always somebody I 227 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: never know who it is, but I have to believe 228 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: that everything happens for a reason, and that someone out 229 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: there needed me to come. And I don't. I don't 230 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: say up there and play my radio singles. I might 231 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: play one of my songs, but usually it's Todd and 232 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: I am my guitar player, and we start playing things 233 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:12,479 Speaker 1: like You Are My Sunshine and Old Hank Senior and Elvis, 234 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:16,959 Speaker 1: and today we played like Lean On Me and we 235 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: basically say does anyone have a request, and they're all 236 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 1: out there in their chairs, and they're usually not too talkative, 237 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: but you could see them light up when you play guitar, 238 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: when you sing a little bit, you could just see 239 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: it in their eyes. And music is such a powerful thing. 240 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: And when someone smiles, I could just feel my brain healing. 241 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: I could feel the power of that purpose. It's like 242 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 1: we have a purpose. It's greater than a radio single 243 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 1: or a chart position or an album sale. This is 244 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: way bigger than that. This is music, at its fundamental level, 245 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: helping people. And when it helps people, guess what it 246 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: helps the musician. It helps me. It help me remember 247 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: where I came from and why I'm doing this. I 248 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: remember one time, several years ago, playing one and there 249 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: was just the sweetest lady in there, and she was 250 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: in her nineties and it was her birthday, and she 251 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: had a couple balloons tied to the back of her 252 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: wheelchair and she swore that her son set this up 253 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: for her because it was her birthday. Her son called 254 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: and had a band come in and played for her, 255 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 1: and she said, I knew it. I knew he was 256 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: going to do something. I knew my boy was going 257 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: to do something for my birthday. But The sad thing 258 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: is the nurses later told me that they don't even 259 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: know who her son is. He's never been in there. 260 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: They don't even know if she has a son, or 261 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: if he's even alive anymore. But because we came, she 262 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: lit up. And I don't want to give any credit 263 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 1: to myself. It wasn't about talent. It wasn't It wasn't 264 00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: because I sang good or played guitar or good. It 265 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: was it was just that we went there and just 266 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: delivered music. I love it. I also want to say 267 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: that I don't talk about this or release videos of 268 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: me doing stuff like this. I don't do it so 269 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: that there's glory behind. Oh he's such a sweet, nice guy. 270 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: I don't need that kind of external gratification to keep going. 271 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: I repeat these stories publicly because I hope if someone 272 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: out there is listening, maybe it's a musician, maybe it's 273 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: a band at any level, is listening to this, or 274 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: sees me in some kind of post or video and 275 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 1: it inspires them to try it. And so here I 276 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: am saying, if you are listening, I challenge you to 277 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: use your gift in a way like this, And it's 278 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: super easy. It's very hard to believe that a nursing 279 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: home would turn you down if you called and made 280 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: this kind of request. And if they did for whatever reason, 281 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: maybe they're too busy, then there's always one just down 282 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,719 Speaker 1: the street, there's another one. You have to go in 283 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: realizing that they're not going to make eye contact with 284 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 1: you constantly, they're not going to stand up and cheer. 285 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: You have to do the work. You have to float 286 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 1: the room. You have to go to them and play 287 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,920 Speaker 1: your music. And if you don't see visibly see them 288 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: lighting up, that could be doing it on the inside. 289 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 1: Don't worry about that, because they're hearing you and that's 290 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: what matters. So I challenge you to try this or 291 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: something like this, and then hit me up. Either tag 292 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: me on social media with a video of you doing 293 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: it or a picture of you doing it, or hashtag 294 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 1: Grangersmith podcast. I would love to spread this. I would 295 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: love for this to become a thing where people are 296 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 1: sharing their talents in a positive, non glorifying way. It's 297 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: such healing, not only for those people listening in the 298 00:17:53,680 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: nursing home, but for us. It's worth it. Everybody's got 299 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 1: a first kiss, but not everybody makes it last everybody's 300 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: got a long list. Some someday I'm gonna do that 301 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: bo but nobody needs time to let run's out. Oh 302 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 1: so why I take a left when you can take 303 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 1: a ride. Now. Everybody's got a beuture, but not everybody 304 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: makes a beast. Everybody's got a chance to take and 305 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 1: some don't take till it's too ain't the taken back. 306 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: Everybody's got a last friend, but not everybody brings it in. 307 00:18:52,560 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: Everybody dies, but not everybody left. See, I got way 308 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: off from this tangent. I was going to start back 309 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: on my story, and then I started talking about this. 310 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:14,480 Speaker 1: But that does tie back because back in the story 311 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 1: about twenty ten was a time when we were cruising 312 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: in the van and we were beating up the road 313 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: really hard, and we needed days like going to play 314 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: in a nursing home to fuel us. So, if I'm 315 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: going to talk about my career after the album Don't 316 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: Listen to the Radio, which really helped propel me on 317 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: a small level in the regional Texas scene. If I'm 318 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: going to talk about that, then the beginning of the 319 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 1: next phase for me, the next album, which eventually became 320 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: Poets and Prisoners. It all started with a song, and 321 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 1: it was a song that encapsulated where I was. And 322 00:19:55,920 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: I was playing farther away from home, traveling greater distances 323 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 1: than I had done the previous ten years before that, 324 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 1: and we were doing it all in a van, and 325 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: we outfitted this van with bunks. I was. It took 326 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: me a long time to figure out exactly how to 327 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: do it, but I knew that I could. I could 328 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: make custom bunks for a Chevrolet van. And I went 329 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: to a welding friend of mine and I told him 330 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,360 Speaker 1: what I needed, and we took the van. We opened 331 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:29,120 Speaker 1: up the back doors, we took the back two three 332 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: seats out through two seats out, and we looked at 333 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: all the different crevices, you know, in the back of 334 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: the van. And so he custom built these bunks to 335 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: go and insert themselves and then to latch onto the 336 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: Chevy van, and there was four bunks, and it was 337 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: a total lifesaver because we were able then to travel 338 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 1: greater distances at night and switch off driving. Now, what 339 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: we did was we would obviously we're always sleeping in 340 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: hotel after load in or soundcheck, we would go and 341 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: take a nap. We'd get our hotel keys and by 342 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:11,120 Speaker 1: the way, we would get many times one room. One 343 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,200 Speaker 1: hotel room was all we could afford. So we would 344 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 1: get one hotel room and with two queen beds. This 345 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: is not advised, by the way, but we get one 346 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,400 Speaker 1: room with two queen beds, and we would take the 347 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: mattresses off so that you could have two people sleep 348 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: on the box springs. Two people sleep on the queen mattress, 349 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:35,159 Speaker 1: and then two on the other box ring, two in 350 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 1: the other mattress, so you could sleep eight in one room. 351 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:41,920 Speaker 1: And we would you know, some people liked the box 352 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 1: spring because they liked to sleep on a harder mattress anyway, 353 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:48,239 Speaker 1: but it wasn't ideal, but it worked. We just had 354 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: to sneak each other in and out because the hotel 355 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: clerks don't want that kind of thing happening. So we 356 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: would take our keys and each person would write their 357 00:21:57,840 --> 00:21:59,880 Speaker 1: name on the back of a hotel key. So then 358 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 1: in the day we would draw names. We would draw 359 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 1: pairs and those were the teams that were going to 360 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,640 Speaker 1: drive that night. So we would say, okay, team one 361 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 1: is Frank and Johnny, the team two is Granger and Todd, 362 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: Team three, et cetera, and the team had to get 363 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,639 Speaker 1: up and drive, and it was up to the team 364 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 1: to decide who was going to drive and who was 365 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: going to navigate, and you could switch off as many 366 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: times as you want. The only rule was you had 367 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 1: to go for two hours. You had to fill up 368 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,679 Speaker 1: that two hour space, and so if you were so 369 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: tired that you could only drive for five minutes, then 370 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: you pulled over. Your copilot gets over and he drives 371 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: until he starts feeling sleepy. You stop again, even if 372 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 1: that was just fifteen minutes. But that was the rule. 373 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:49,960 Speaker 1: The really bad shift was Team two. That was the 374 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 1: bad shift because Team one, they get in right after 375 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: the show. You have this energy. You're going to drive 376 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 1: for two hours right after the show, which usually gets 377 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 1: you to about what you know, three o'clock in the morning. 378 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 1: Then you're really tired. You go to bed. But Team 379 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: two say they only got to sleep for two hours, 380 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 1: but it wasn't really asleep because you're you still have 381 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 1: all this energy from the show. So they have to 382 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:13,919 Speaker 1: get in there at about three am and start driving, 383 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: and they drive till five am, which is the worst 384 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: time to drive, right when the sun's coming up. Then 385 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: Team three gets in a team three. That's not too bad. 386 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: I mean, you've you've been You've gotten to lay down 387 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: for four hours. However you look at it, this was 388 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:29,959 Speaker 1: a very tough system and this was the life we 389 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,440 Speaker 1: were living. This this is what we signed up for, 390 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: and this is just what we had to do to 391 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 1: survive at this point in my music career. And it 392 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: was during these times. It was during one of the drives. 393 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: It was during a team two by the way drive. 394 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 1: So It's about four o'clock in the morning, and I'm 395 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,919 Speaker 1: sitting up there with my navigator and everyone else is 396 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: asleep in the back. I believe we're coming back from 397 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: El Paso, and these lyrics started coming into my head, 398 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: and those lyrics eventually became a song, and the song 399 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,640 Speaker 1: ended up being the foundation of an album. And when 400 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: I listened back to it, it still takes me back 401 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:10,239 Speaker 1: to that very moment exactly how I felt. Here it 402 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 1: is for a five piece begets are in a Chevrolet 403 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: Man running the lane. So we're sleeping on the interstate. 404 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: We're a left lane friend threading the cars, passing them, 405 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: black sate lights and stars. We pulled away, sleeping on 406 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:55,359 Speaker 1: the interstate wide lasttching like a yellow back road and 407 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 1: change it down, hurry up, we never gonna stop. Yes, 408 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,200 Speaker 1: and the tank music in the song here we Go, 409 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: Here we Go, connecting my glass like ports pressers, trying 410 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: to live more like a lober than center and slave 411 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: the trees so far away sourcebly Interstate. This song is 412 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,879 Speaker 1: called Sleeping on the Interstate. And it's interesting because in 413 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: the next verse I was writing right there on the road, 414 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: and the first line says, freedom is the fuel making 415 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: eight wheels roll, and that had all kinds of meanings 416 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 1: because we were barely making enough money to put gas 417 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: in that van. But ironically, freedom is also the name 418 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: of my first bus that I would buy three years later. 419 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: It was it's almost like a precursor. The back half 420 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 1: of the verse talks about these bunks that we were 421 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: sleeping in in the van and they were so hard 422 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: to get good rest because they were so bumby. It 423 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,360 Speaker 1: goes like this, we need missed the fuel making eight 424 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: wheels roll. We close our eyes, think about home. So 425 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 1: it's okay sleepin on the interstage and there's me in 426 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,919 Speaker 1: the back and a six foot bunk getting used to 427 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 1: the racks of the road. It's tough, but how finally 428 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: sleepin on the interstag. If you want to kind of 429 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 1: get a picture of who I was at that time, 430 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 1: you can go to YouTube. There's a music video called 431 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 1: Granger Smith Sleeping on the Interstate official video. And I 432 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:31,159 Speaker 1: filmed a lot of this and then I had someone 433 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: if I was in the video myself, that's a band 434 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 1: member holding the camera, and then I edited this. I 435 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:39,639 Speaker 1: think this is my first music video that I made 436 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 1: all by myself, and it's funny because it's a great 437 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,640 Speaker 1: little collage of who I was at the time, and 438 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: me and the band and where we were and that 439 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 1: old van and the days that we had. The video 440 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: itself has one hundred and seventy two thousand views. To 441 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 1: put that in perspective of how how tiny those views are, 442 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: more people will hear this podcast in just a few 443 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:12,439 Speaker 1: days than the entire views this YouTube video. And that 444 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,440 Speaker 1: encapsulates the fact that nobody was watching me back then. 445 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: Nobody paid attention. A lot of people tell me now 446 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:24,640 Speaker 1: that I've been following you for ten years, Well you're 447 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: if you were then, you're only a few these people 448 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: that even watched that music video or listened to that song. 449 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:36,440 Speaker 1: But regardless, it was a very important part of my career, 450 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,440 Speaker 1: and that song sparked an entire album called Poets and Prisoners, 451 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: the title taken from that song. And that song and 452 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 1: the rest of the album was recorded in a little 453 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: house in Round Rock, Texas, in the Downtown Historic district. 454 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: This was a house built in the nineteen twenties and 455 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 1: Amber and I was just a two bedroom house, and 456 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,879 Speaker 1: Amber and I were living in there, and it was 457 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: such a cool old house, and one of the bedrooms 458 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 1: was the studio where I recorded Poets and Prisoners. Most 459 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 1: of the songs were written at that house, right there 460 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: on this old front porch, and I did a lot 461 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,400 Speaker 1: of my writing late at night, and sometimes I would 462 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: write a song and go right into recording it. And 463 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,359 Speaker 1: some places on that album you could still hear the 464 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: crickets because the crickets were so loud late at night 465 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 1: at that house, and you could hear it either from 466 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: the front porch or from the windows in that studio. 467 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:36,159 Speaker 1: Fun fact about this album, too, is the backup singer 468 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: for this record was this young girl that I'd met 469 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: through a couple of shows in Texas, and her name 470 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 1: was Maren Morris. Does that name sound familiar? Maren has 471 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: gone off and built an incredible name for herself, and 472 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 1: she was so talented back then, just nobody knew about 473 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: it yet. It's funny looking back now thinking about Marion 474 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: pulling up in that little car and in front of 475 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: Amber and I's house and coming in there and spending 476 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: the day singing background vocals on me, who was a 477 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: nobody's record at the time. That's an interesting part of 478 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: history for me. There are so many stories about these 479 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 1: songs on this album, just looking at all the titles. 480 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: Letters to London, Saturday Night means Sunday morning, oxygen, sleeping 481 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 1: on the Interstate red dirt, element number ten, nothing to proves, 482 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: so surrounded to my tongue, Sunset, Merry Go Round the 483 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 1: Old Rock Church, I'm wearing black. I could tell you 484 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 1: a story about every single one of these songs, how 485 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: they came, about the meetings behind them, but that would 486 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 1: make this podcast way too long, so I'll pick a 487 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: few Letters to London. That's interesting because people have asked 488 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 1: me a lot that you understand that my daughter's name 489 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: is London, but this song was written before her. This 490 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 1: was actually a title ambergate to me and she said, hey, 491 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: I got a great title. For you. It's called Letters 492 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: to London, and I said what does it mean? And 493 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: she said, I don't know. I just think it sounds cool. 494 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: So I kind of put this thing together where he's 495 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: writing a song about a girl and her name is London. 496 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 1: We have a lot of connections with that town. Amber's 497 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 1: families from London. We got engaged in York, England, which 498 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: is a very very special town to us, and so 499 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,120 Speaker 1: maybe it was because of that, or maybe it was 500 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 1: because of the song, but regardless, that was a big 501 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 1: influence on naming our daughter London. So what came first, 502 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 1: the name or the song? It was the song, but 503 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: her little spirit was still with me. I say a 504 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: Hollywood kids, when soft Finger tim Throll that tears down 505 00:30:56,280 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: my scheme didn't take care a beautiful love? Oh my god, 506 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: what have I done right? Let it be come Letters 507 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 1: to Love geez. Looking back this album, it really meant 508 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: a lot to me. There's another song that's pretty special, 509 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 1: and that was a song called Oxygen. I wrote this 510 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,600 Speaker 1: song for Amber for our first dance because we didn't 511 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: have a first dance and we thought about what we 512 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: should dance to and it felt awkward for me to 513 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: dance as a songwriter to dance to someone else's lyrics 514 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: at our wedding. So I sat down one day and 515 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: I wrote the song for her. She is the Lighthouse 516 00:31:51,960 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 1: on Mescy. I loved my heart, she fell the key. 517 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: She's want this feeling suppost to be. She speaks the love, 518 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 1: but leave. I don't ever make a move without her 519 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 1: right there too, seas in the brath delivery. She's in 520 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: my heart. It beat. She's my life been to take 521 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: her like as a jell. During this time, I did 522 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: a lot of music videos for a lot of these songs, 523 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:52,480 Speaker 1: including Red Dirt. That's an interesting one that that I 524 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:57,000 Speaker 1: filmed by we built at a Dolly. We built this 525 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:01,520 Speaker 1: whole little uh music vide system. My brother and I 526 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:04,400 Speaker 1: and we went out in front of a tour date 527 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 1: in Oklahoma and we found this kind of mountain scene 528 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: in northern Oklahoma where it was a lot of red rocks, 529 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 1: and we set out there and we filmed this music video. 530 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 1: The problem was it was nineteen degrees it was so cold, 531 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: we were freezing. All we had was a van with 532 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 1: a heater running, so we just left the van running 533 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: the whole time, full blast heater, and we would shoot 534 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 1: for you know, forty five minutes and then go back 535 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 1: and try to throw our hands out. But if you 536 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: go to YouTube and watch the music video for Red Dirt, 537 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:37,320 Speaker 1: you might be able to see just how cold we were. 538 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: But that was another zero budget music video that Tyler 539 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: and I shot. I think my favorite music video to 540 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 1: shoot out of this group was I'm Wearing Black? Who 541 00:33:56,680 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 1: Let's raise a glass? So slaunch Johnny cashiers to Forginner 542 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:10,359 Speaker 1: and I've been things better and it would be really 543 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:12,799 Speaker 1: hard to talk about poets and prisoners and not mention 544 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: I'm Wearing Black. That song did really well for us 545 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:18,879 Speaker 1: for several years live. In fact, I wish I could 546 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 1: do it live now. Maybe if more people knew it, 547 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 1: I could play it again, just saying so. By this time, 548 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: I had been van and trailer touring for about six years, 549 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:36,080 Speaker 1: five to six years, but it wasn't until this time 550 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 1: in my career when we truly became road dogs. I 551 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 1: remember one time we got an offer to play a 552 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: festival in Oregon. I'd never been to the state in 553 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: Oregon before, and they were offering to pay us three 554 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. That's a lot of money if I was 555 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,839 Speaker 1: just playing just down the street in Texas. That would 556 00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:59,879 Speaker 1: be a whole lot of money, but in reality, it's 557 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: not that much money if you're going to drive from 558 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 1: Texas to Oregon in a van and you're barely going 559 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: to break even with fuel and hotels and food. But 560 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:10,880 Speaker 1: we took it because it sounded like a great adventure. 561 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 1: So we drove pretty much straight through. It was about 562 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:19,280 Speaker 1: thirty two hours, maybe a little more. We were taking turns, 563 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: you know, drawing our names, going in teams, sleeping in 564 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: the bunks, and we made it all the way to 565 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: Oregon and we played the festival and we had an 566 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: absolute blast. On the way back home, we picked up 567 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 1: a little show in Colorado. So we were cutting through 568 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,759 Speaker 1: Idaho once again, a state I had never been to, 569 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: in a state that over the years now all of 570 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,439 Speaker 1: those states in the Northwest, I have grown to love 571 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: so much. But the reason that impacted me that particular 572 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 1: trip was it was the middle of the night. We 573 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,759 Speaker 1: were driving once again, and the moon was full and 574 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: so bright, and we were driving through the desert in 575 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: this little road in Idaho, through the mountains, through this canyon, 576 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:03,879 Speaker 1: and it was so impactful for me that I had 577 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:06,920 Speaker 1: to pull over and put the van in park and 578 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:11,799 Speaker 1: step out and just take this moment in because here 579 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 1: was this canyon lit up by this beautiful full moon, 580 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 1: split into a V and we were driving right to 581 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:22,480 Speaker 1: the center of that v. It made such an impact 582 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 1: on me that day that when I put out the 583 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:27,920 Speaker 1: album Poets and Prisoners, I wanted the album cover to 584 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:31,839 Speaker 1: be that moment in my head. So we hired an 585 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: artist to draw that image of what I told him. 586 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 1: So if you look at the album of Pots and Prisoners, 587 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: that's that moment. That's what that was, and that really 588 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:47,040 Speaker 1: encapsulates that time of my life. The cover of Pots 589 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:52,080 Speaker 1: and Prisoners six string Poet Who I Am? I picked 590 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 1: it to be in this remalend Man, There's not another 591 00:36:56,840 --> 00:37:07,040 Speaker 1: time I love more. When set Sunday morning, super around 592 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:14,239 Speaker 1: and see now God rest this American town. F Rene 593 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:21,200 Speaker 1: go to Warwind Saturday night eats Sunday morning, super around 594 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:28,320 Speaker 1: the seed Now God rested this American town. I Renes 595 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: go to war Wind Saturday night, met Sunday mo. Now. 596 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:52,120 Speaker 1: I can get into more stories about this album, but 597 00:37:52,239 --> 00:37:54,920 Speaker 1: I think this podcast would get a little long winded 598 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:58,840 Speaker 1: if I did. I can tell you about another special 599 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:02,880 Speaker 1: song called the old rock church. That is a true story, 600 00:38:03,719 --> 00:38:08,080 Speaker 1: and it's Amber is the ghost on that song. By 601 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:12,440 Speaker 1: the way, everything that she said I reversed on the record, 602 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:18,120 Speaker 1: so that it sounds very mysterious. If you want to 603 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:22,200 Speaker 1: really know who I am and where I came from, 604 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:26,759 Speaker 1: listen to Poets and Prisoners top to bottom. Hear those stories. 605 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: They're all such a piece of my life. Then about 606 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,800 Speaker 1: twenty ten, if you don't have Spotify or iTunes or 607 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: anything like that, you could just stream them right off 608 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:41,360 Speaker 1: of YouTube. All the songs are. They have the audio 609 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 1: tracks on YouTube. But most importantly, what I want to 610 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: tell you about this album is how well it did 611 00:38:49,120 --> 00:38:54,839 Speaker 1: not do. It wasn't received very well, and in fact, 612 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 1: I was on a pretty good string of top ten 613 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:03,080 Speaker 1: radio single was in the Texas Country regional market from 614 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:07,040 Speaker 1: the album Don't Listen to the Radio. But when Poets 615 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:10,640 Speaker 1: and Prisoners came out, none of those singles did well. 616 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,560 Speaker 1: They didn't even get into the twenties, and the album 617 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:20,840 Speaker 1: didn't sell very well, and people started slowly writing me off, like, hey, 618 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: we thought he was kind of bubbling up a little 619 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:26,319 Speaker 1: bit with Don't Listen to the Radio album, but then 620 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: he's kind of gone another direction with Poets and Prisoners, 621 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 1: and maybe they were right, maybe I had gone maybe 622 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:39,560 Speaker 1: these stories were a little too personal. But it took 623 00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:44,279 Speaker 1: that album to set me on the path that I'm 624 00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:48,960 Speaker 1: on now. It took learning from that record. It all 625 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 1: boiled down to one meeting I had with a record label, 626 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:54,880 Speaker 1: a small independent record label, and that was the first 627 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:57,760 Speaker 1: time I had had serious talks with a record label 628 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: since the days I lived in Nashville. But here's the kicker. 629 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:05,719 Speaker 1: It wasn't a country record label. It was a rock 630 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:08,839 Speaker 1: label and the indie rock label. And I met with 631 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:11,239 Speaker 1: the owners of the label and it was partners with 632 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 1: this band called Blue October and their bass player was 633 00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:17,160 Speaker 1: part owners in this company. He was a great dude, 634 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:19,120 Speaker 1: and these are really smart guys. But they sat me 635 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: down and they said, man, we've been listening to this album, 636 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,920 Speaker 1: Poets and Prisoners, and we love it. It really speaks 637 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:30,360 Speaker 1: to us, and we think that it kind of crosses 638 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:33,920 Speaker 1: all genres. We think that you can't just label it 639 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:39,560 Speaker 1: country or rock or pop or whatever. This is. This 640 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 1: is just something that covers all genres. This is for 641 00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:45,560 Speaker 1: all kinds of people. And I was like, wow, thank you, 642 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:50,280 Speaker 1: that's amazing to hear from a songwriter and a producers, 643 00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:54,000 Speaker 1: that's a great compliment. And Tyler was with me, my manager, 644 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:58,719 Speaker 1: and we left and I went home, And the more 645 00:40:58,719 --> 00:41:01,879 Speaker 1: and more I thought about that that conversation, the more 646 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 1: I became very uncomfortable with that conversation because I'm a 647 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:10,760 Speaker 1: country guy. I grew up on George Strait, Garth Brooks 648 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:13,879 Speaker 1: and Alan Jackson, and I didn't want someone to tell 649 00:41:13,920 --> 00:41:16,520 Speaker 1: me that my music was starting to sound more and 650 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:21,640 Speaker 1: more like it could cross all genres. As grateful as 651 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:25,319 Speaker 1: I was to hear that, my mind was starting a 652 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:29,120 Speaker 1: journey on a new path. My gears were turning, and 653 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:32,240 Speaker 1: I wanted to make a record that made everyone damn 654 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: sure know I was singing for the country people, because 655 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 1: that's who I was. And everything came down to one 656 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,160 Speaker 1: show when I figured it out, when it hit me. 657 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:47,279 Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell you all about that on the next podcast. 658 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:51,879 Speaker 1: Things were changing, changing for the good in a lot 659 00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:54,799 Speaker 1: of ways, and it came from poets and prisoners, and 660 00:41:54,840 --> 00:42:01,879 Speaker 1: I'm so thankful for that lost in her view last Yeah, 661 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:06,319 Speaker 1: when it happens like that, nothing to lose turns right 662 00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:09,279 Speaker 1: into you. Julie. All you can do just to keep 663 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:12,279 Speaker 1: her around till the moon goes down in her back 664 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:15,680 Speaker 1: into your house. One thing looks to another, you loving 665 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:19,320 Speaker 1: each other. When looking, you never look back. It happens 666 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:23,200 Speaker 1: like that. Thanks for listening. If you want to support 667 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:25,480 Speaker 1: me or any other artist, the best way is to 668 00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:29,120 Speaker 1: see us on tour. Go to grangersmith dot com backslash tour, 669 00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:30,279 Speaker 1: See you down the road.