Honky Tonk Times | Issue 5 | August 2021

ISSUE 5 - AUGUST 2021

ERIK SHICOTTE

ARTICLES FROM YOUR FAVORITE DISC JOCKEYS, SPOTLIGHT ON BRENNEN LEIGH INTERVIEWS WITH RAY BENSON and WILD EARP & THE FREE FOR ALLS DAN WHITAKER ALBUM WALK-THROUGH, LYRICS, FASHION, ASK A DJ AND MORE!

Sierra Ferrell - Long time coming Howdy, folks It’s your ol’ buddy from the other side of the pond, Jack Browning, and once again, you’ve caught me drawing. And this month? Well, I’m listening to that West Virginia-by-way-of-Nashville songbird, Sierra Ferrell (note the spelling - that’s important).

Hailing from the backwoods of West Virginia, our heroine left home in her early 20s already an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.

With her old-timey inspirations, her travel plans were equally influenced by the itinerant country heroes of yore. Ferrell rode the rails, guitar in hand, and jumped almost every box car from the east coast to the west. In her words, “If it’s good enough for old time, it’s good enough for me!”

Sierra graduated to busking the streets of Seattle and living in a van for a time; she eventually congregated with the Honky Tonk crowd of Nashville, Tennessee. It was here that, at the iconic American Legion 82, she met with the founding members of her backing band.

This very August, Sierra releases her debut album "Long Time Coming" on Rounder Records, co-produced by Stu Hibberd and Gary Paczosa.

Despite her eclectic influences and the inability to categorise her or her music, Sierra’s first album promises to become an instant classic.

Happy listening, friends...

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HONKY TONK TIMES

HOWDY Y’ALL Howdy folks! As I sit here writing this, I’ll tell you I am having one hell of a bout of ramblin’ fever. There is so much good music happening out there, and seeing all of our friends out at Under The Big Sky has made me awfully jealous. Thankfully we had a friend out there who got some great photos we will show you later in this issue.

The New England Shake-up, Farm Aid, and Americanafest are all happening on the same weekend. I sure wish I could clone myself and be in all three places at once. Wherever you are, you can bet that you’re in for a good time. We have until September to figure that out.

I made it out to see eight shows in July. Each show that I have been to has been sold out or packed to capacity, and boy, oh boy, has that felt good. There just isn’t anything like the feeling you get from a few hundred friends singing along to the same song.

As our team gets into the rhythm together, we are starting to plan articles and covers months in advance, and you folks are in for some great new exciting music and articles. I am also working on picking up some new writers and new artists as the magazine grows.

The ability to get a monthly subscription is now available on the website. It seems to have taken off fairly well, with about onethird of our orders converting to monthly subscriptions. I’d love to see that at about half as this helps us better order the correct amount of magazines to print.

We hit 1,000 followers on Instagram; as much as I am

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Taylor Austin, AKA Cousin Early, head-honcho of Honky Tonk Times. Find him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @honkytonktimes. not a digital age kind of guy, I realize how significant our digital footprint is. You folks are our biggest and best advertisement.

So please, if you are on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, give us a follow and post a photo of you with your copy of Honky Tonk Times and spread the word so

we can grow bigger and better.

I can tell by the clicking in my speakers it’s time to flip the record.

Catch ya on the flip side.

Taylor Austin AKA Cousin Early

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ONE MORE STORY TOLD (Dan Whitaker)

on that other night and you’re wondering why she phoned did you miss something she said She was different, so were you when you made up your she was feeling around for something new mind so clear, so bold you were thankful for the will you see her face again or will touch of a woman she be just one more story told and a break from feeling blue she was hungry, for a while PENNSYLVANIA HILLS at least until she sent you (Pat Reedy) that cake with a file now you’ve broken through the bars These Pennsylvania hills will be standing and you’ve left them over there, When the dust of mines and mills with the rest, in a pile Has settled to the rocks but the winter’s long and But the wheels don’t hold still the nights are cold For the little boys and girls and you’re in some smoky bar The whistle still blows twice did you really think that a day at 6 o’clock she’d stick around A polish miner’s son did you think you’d get that far Loved a mill town preacher’s girl no but you’ve been here before They knew quite well it never was to be and it’s got you wondering But hopes and dreams come strong if your heart runs cold To the hearts and minds of some will it last to see the day or will They’d meet at night upon a bed of leaves she be just one more story told On Sundays hand in hand she had walked through a mile of muck They’d whisper low a plan she was still trying to get In times that they stole behind the lock her own toes unstuck In the way young hearts can love you were bouncing off the walls And dream of things to come and you wanted just to share They walked the hills that some hard earned luck overlooked the docks all the while, from behind When the world bought a war that creeping jade had somehow Like many times before taken over your mind A miner’s son marched off to pay the cost you were quickest to the draw And those who lived in toil but you couldn’t face the Gave all they had on foreign soil need for one more bind The whistle still blowed twice but the party’s through and a day at 6 o’clock your friends have gone From the steeple to the throne and you’re sitting there alone None of His angels could atone and you’re thinking back For the children of the

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children of the cloth And secrets that are made Come to the light of day And she walked the hills that overlooked the docks The cold Mon River waters do no care for unwed mothers As they run down the valleys and the locks And with child inside they’d made Growing bigger everyday A mill town preacher’s girl stepped off the dock And these Pennsylvania hills will be standing When the dust of mines and mills Has settled to the rocks But the wheels don’t hold still For the little boys and girls The whistle still blows twice a day at 6 o’clock The whistle still blows twice a day at 6 o’clock COUNTRYSIDE (Charlie Marie) There’s neon lights in New York City Bumper stickers that read ‘I voted for Willie’ Ain’t it evident?

It’s a small world we’re livin’ in Sky scrapers may kiss the sky But everywhere’s got a countryside Spent a small fortune playing Waylon On old jukeboxes across the nation Over tears and beers When loneliness appears Heartbreaks worth the Wurlitzer Prize Everywhere’s got a countryside We’re all stars in a different show

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Singing along with the radio All the same different shades of grey Just trying to enjoy the ride Everywhere’s got a countryside I used to think I knew it all Wasted time searching for gold Got caught up in the race Found out home ain’t a place It’s a feeling I get when I hear Patsy Cline Everywhere’s got a country side Cowboys aren’t the only ones Who like mountain mornings and setting suns Wide open space A commercial break From the news and their headlines Everywhere’s got a countryside We’re all stars in a different show Singing along with the radio All the same different shades of grey Just trying to enjoy the ride Everywhere’s got a countryside, yeah We’re all stars in a different show Singing along with the radio All the same different shades of grey Just trying to enjoy the ride Everywhere’s got a countryside Everywhere’s got a countryside TINKER TO EVERS TO CHANCE (Carolyn Sills) Some years before Wrigley’s romance Was Tinker to Evers to Chance A trio of bear cubs with

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lightning between gloves A regular waltz in striped pants The moment a hit would arise You’d see lights go off in their eyes When turning that double, they’re nothing but trouble That’s Tinker to Evers to Chance Three orphans of the West Side Grounds The best friends of those on the mound Twin killers with ease, just a six, four to three Then ruthlessly gonfalon bound The moment a hit would arise You’d see lights go off in their eyes When turning that double, they’re nothing but trouble That’s Tinker to Evers to Chance A trio of bear cubs with lightning between gloves That’s Tinker to Evers to Chance ONE BIG THIRD WORLD (Wild Leek River) You might say that I’m fading away That I am losing touch with reality As I listen to the words of that radio song Life is short so let’s party all night long

one big third world And there are those that can ignore the pain And those with so much empathy they eventually go insane And those that spend all their hard earned money sitting at a bar And those that spend a fortune sticking needles in their arm Those often are the ones that are dear to my heart Like an unarmed vessel they have let down their guard And they are run down in the open ocean and left for the birds And the dogs and the swine will inherit the world You might say that I’m fading away That I am losing touch with reality Cuz I just want pick my guitar and stay high all day long Don’t wanna think about all the things that are going wrong

Those often are the ones that are dear to my heart Like an unarmed vessel they But who’s to blame for wanting to escape have let down their guard It’s hard and getting harder in the U.S. of A And they are run down in the open And the good times are really over for ocean and left for the birds good, sorry to break it to you Merle And the dogs and the swine It’s lookin’ like it’s gonna be will inherit the world

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SALT-COUNTRY

Be an ambassador for new music

BY DON STICKSEL HTT Contributor

Prison Book Club (as I’m writing this, I just found out about The Fox Hunt; more about that in a minute).

Well, as of this column Los John’s a helluva songwriter and Angeles just got put back on an deserving of wider recognition. indoor mask mandate. We’re being From North Carolina, I headed passed over on tours because clubs back to the Motherland, my still aren’t booking in the shortold hometown of Minneapolis, term, and this is another setback.

Minnesota, where I got to see The It’s totally and completely at the World’s Longest Running Monday feet of the unvaccinated. Guess Night Residency featuring the Roe what dumb-dumbs, the vaccine Family Singers at the 331 Club. works. Get vaccinated, dammit.

For at least 15 years, they’ve been Since our last visit, I’ve been slinging old-time country music visiting my folks in North Carolina with a twist (Misfits covers anyone?). and, while I was there, had the They’re hard at work on their chance to see two artists: John seventh album, which means there Howie Jr. and the Rosewood are six others for you to dig into.

Bluff and John R. Miller.

Now that I’m back in California, John Howie Jr. has been making I’m looking forward to Sundays at country music for at least 25 years, the Grand Ole Echo, LA’s finest starting out as the frontman for the showcase of roots music where you Two Dollar Pistols in the Raleighcan see the likes of Elijah Ocean, Durham area. Between his two Jamie Wyatt, Victoria Bailey, Lasers outfits, there are at least eight albums Lasers Birmingham, Francesca to check out. John’s a solid dude and Brown and anyone else who might one of the reasons I do what I do. be coming through town but like John R. Miller just released his I said earlier, that’s at a standstill. second solo album, “Depreciated.”

Until that changes, the Los Angeles Originally hailing from West scene can stand on its own two legs Virginia, John calls Nashville home because we’re brimming with lots of now. Before going solo, he was local talent, and that brings me to in the bands The Fox Hunt and this month’s topic: music discovery.

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Don Sticksel, AKA DJ Salty Cracker I like to think I know a lot. That I have my finger on the pulse, so to speak, but when I read my fellow HTT columns, I find I’m missing out on great music. Why? Because for as small as the world has become through tech, music is by and large still a regional pastime. Unless you’re determined to make a living at it, most musicians are just happy to play locally or do short weekend runs for whatever reason: a lack of funds, a job, family, etc. Touring is a full-time gig that requires a lot of grit and determination and

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cash money. You have to have a van (preferably reliable), gas money, food, lodging and the mental toughness to drive long distances between shows knowing every night could range from a sold-out crowd or what amounts to band practice in front of the bartender.

It’s no surprise to me that some bands choose to say home. Then again, scenes aren’t built on touring acts; they’re made up of the local Wednesday night dance lesson/ country band and Sunday afternoon’s chicken shit bingo. Every big city has something brewing, and I’ve seen plenty of small towns making things happen. I absolutely want you to cultivate your local community.

Showing up is the most important thing you can do. But I also want you to be curious—explore your world while acting as an ambassador.

Finding new music is a job unto itself. It’s like being a detective: you have to know what you’re looking

for and know how to follow clues.

When I’m putting together my Country Bunker radio shows, I rely on multiple sources: Spotify’s Release Radar: I’ve got my algo tuned just right so I get new releases.

OPP (Other People’s Playlists): For as shitty as Spotify is, it has some good resources for discovery.

The desktop app has a section on an artist’s page called “Discovered On,” which are playlists of other users. Definitely hit or miss, but I can always find someone new to me.

Fans Also Like: another Spotify tool that can be a rabbit hole or a short swim in our small pond.

Bandcamp: here’s the real MVP. When you drill down into country in the Discover section, you’ll find all sorts of gems. Every time I start looking, it’s like Xmas. And you know there’s nothing I like better than getting messages from artists when I play them on the show

that ask, “how did you find me?”

Instagram: sure, it can be a self-aggrandizing meme circle jerk, but there are plenty of accounts spreading the love of new music. Offhand, I’d say that @ howdeeheather, @harpervalleypr, @lonesomehighwaymag and @onechordnet are all solid choices (and of course, yours truly @bothkindsofmusic).

Honestly, I’m on a lot of label and radio email lists, but I find more music from those five places than I do from a full inbox of spam. How do you find new music? I’m curious.

Let me know via djsaltycracker@ bothkindsofmusic.com That’s it for this month. Thanks for reading, and until next time, be kind and . . . keep it country. l Don Sticksel, AKA DJ Salty Cracker, hosts the Country Bunker on Gimme Country every Wednesday.

Follow him @bothkindsofmusic.

ALBUM REVIEW

Wild Leek River’s debut album a ‘must have’ This great-sounding album from Vermont’s Wild Leek River is a delight. Their confidence abounds, despite the self-deprecation shown on “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back.”

Ian Burton’s songs deserve to be heard far and wide, and loud, as they will be in Brighton if Whiskey Preachin has anything to do with it.

Waylon and Merle are in the DNA, as is Sturgill. The picking is agile, the steel shimmering and insistent, the rhythm section groovy and urgent, the production uncluttered and lively, the lyrics conscious and the delivery just world-weary enough.

The songs taken by Andrew Stearns prove the band has two strong vocalists, especially on the mountain harmonies of Molley Bootlegger. Now we’re talking!

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— Tony Sexton HTT Contributor Five stars from the stereo of Honky Tonk Times Head Quarters.

Wild Leek River’s self-titled debut album is everything you could want from a honk tonk album and is this month’s must-have album.

When I listen to an album, I want strong steel, vocals that you can hear the feeling in, something I can dance to, and something I can sing along to. This album has all of that.

You’ll find the writing of Ian Burton to be catchy and clever. Not only is this a must-have album, the guys of Wild Leek River put on one helluva show too! Keep an eye out for these guys, as they will start to gain momentum as their album makes

the rounds in honky tonk circles.

You can listen to their album anywhere fine music is streamed, and you can support the band by getting their album at www.wildleekriver.com — Taylor Austin

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Q: What is your favourite “bad album cover” on an old country and western record (meaning the artwork on the front of an LP jacket)? If that’s too negative, how about: what’s your favourite album art on any country and western record? Love what you’re doing. — Brian Saunderson (host of Hurtin’ For Real podcast) DJ LP: Thanks Brian, that is a great question (and I appreciate the nice words about our column), but dang if it isn’t a tough one to answer.

It’d be tricky enough to single out the best album cover for each era, genre and subgenre of country music’s history, but picking just one from that hundred years is gonna be Heck (not quite Hell, but definitely a suburb of it). I’ll take a crack at “best” first.

I spent about an hour digging around in my country albums, making a gargantuan list of classic, iconic, beautiful, and musically great contenders. I whittled that down to about 50, which was brutal, but it really got me thinking critically on the topic, and I ended up chucking a bunch of faves because the greatness of the music on those albums had skewed my perspective on the jacket’s artwork.

There were many, many standouts on my list, and my opinion about this will probably change tomorrow, but I’m going with “Sunny Side of the Mountain” by Jimmy Martin And The Sunny Mountain Boys (Decca, 1965).

Jimmy either had a lot of luck, or a great eye for visuals and some serious clout with Decca’s art department, because he has a ridiculous number of great covers.

On this one, the picture of him is so sharp and clear you can almost

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hear the questionable comment that’s about to come out of his mouth. The text and image are nicely balanced, and check out how the colors work together; the oxblood red of his hat against the yellow and blue background, with the textured green of the trees behind him.

If you aren’t familiar with his catalog check out the sleeves for “Good n’ Country,” “Tennessee,” and “Sing Widow Maker.” Every one of them is like a how-to course in graphic design. I’d buy any one of them, even if I didn’t know how killer all of those records sound.

Here are some other favorites spanning years, styles, and labels, but all of them serving the purpose of making their subject look their best, with minimum of clutter and distractions: — “Sings the Hits of His Country Cousins,” George Jones (United Artists, 1962) — “I Saw the Light,” Hank Williams (MGM, 1954) — “Feels Like the Third Time,” Freakwater (Thrill Jockey, 1993) — “Hangin’ On,” Waylon Jennings (RCA Victor, 1968) — “Now Here’s Johnny Cash,” Johnny Cash (Sun, 1961) — “The Girl Most Likely,” Jeannie C. Riley (Pickwick, 1969) — “Smokey and the Bandit: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” (MCA, 1977) — “Fallen Angel,” Webb Pierce (Decca, 1960) — “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad,” Tammy Wynette (Epic, 1967) — “Together Again,” The Blue Sky Boys (Starday, 1963) The “bad” cover:

It didn’t take me long to single this one out as the winner on my list: Dolly Parton’s “Bubbling Over” (RCA. 1973). There are dollar bins and thrift store dumpsters full of country albums with artwork that was poorly done on a shoestring budget, but for a major label to choose this awkward concept as the cover for a huge star is mindblowing to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if a bunch of art department dudes cooked this up as a smutty prank, and no one had the good sense to pull the plug on it. Lordy.

Here are some others that count as favorite baddies. Don’t get me wrong, I love them all, but there are some real corny ideas and poor visuals here: — “Roger and Out,” Roger Miller (Smash, 1964) — “I Just Started Hatin’ Cheatin’ Songs Today,” Moe Bandy (GRC, 1974) — I’ll Sing You A Song and Harmonize Too,” Skeeter Davis (RCA Victor, 1960) — “Skid Row Joe Down In the Alley,” Porter Wagoner (RCA Victor, 1970) — “Songs That Made Him Famous,” Cowboy Copas (Starday, 1961) — “Banjo Sandwich,” Alan Munde (Ridgerunner, 1975) DJ B-Side: They say good is the enemy of great, but I disagree.

Good implies that there’s effort, like getting a B in art class. The real enemy is average. It’s competent, checks the boxes and gets the job done, but it’s totally and completely forgettable. Just eh. I found this out by going through my entire catalog

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of records on Discogs, all 4,000plus (yeah, I know; don’t @ me).

Let me tell you, there’s a shitton of average album art out there. 95% of country covers are really just head or body shots with name/title so you know what you’re buying.

The most egregious offender of average has to be Hank Locklin; there’s absolutely nothing special about his covers unless you count his ever-worsening hairstyles.

It’s when the art direction gets creative that either makes for an immemorable or infamous cover.

Some work well. Others fall flat.

First, there’s the iconic class: the self-titled Elvis Presley record with his name in green and pink. The Louvin Brothers’ “Satan Is Real” — they lit tires on fire to make that effect! Guy Clark’s “Old No. 1.” The inspired run of Porter Wagoner albums featuring “Skid Row Joe,” “The Carroll County Accident,” and “The Cold Hard Facts of Life” which inspired a guy to actually track down the apartment in Nashville where the cover was shot and he found it.

The good: Any cover illustrated

by Jack Davis — Jerry Reed, Homer and Jethro, and a handful of others.

Jack was a MAD Magazine artist and somehow ended up creating album covers for RCA. I don’t know if he was on contract, but there must be a dozen of them. What Jim Flora is to jazz, Jack Davis is to country.

Early Faron Young albums are full of great photography and font choices. In fact, a lot of early Capitol Records benefited from this. Whoever did their lettering was top-notch.

Billy Edd Wheeler’s “Nashville Zodiac” — c’mon, he’s a freakin’ CENTAUR. kd lang’s “Absolute Torch and Twang” — maybe the crispest cover of all time. You can damn near smell the wheat in the field.

Johnny Cash’s “American Recordings” I and II — in the same vein as kd lang, but in black and

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white. After suffering a solid decade of mediocrity, Rick Rubin came in and put his full weight behind making John the legend he is today, which included cover art and the CASH logo that lives on today.

If I have one complaint about musicians/bands in general, it’s that they don’t have a logo. It changes album to album. Waylon had his W. Make something cool that goes on a button, belt buckle or the ass of a pair of jeans and stick with it.

George Jones’ “I Wanta Sing” — they drew George’s face on the front of a train, and I’m here for it.

Lastly, my favorite of all time is a doctored cover of a compilation featuring Buck Owens, Ferlin Husky and Faron Young. It makes me laugh every time I see it.

The bad: Alabama putting the Confederate flag on every cover. Sure, you can argue different times, but this is these times, and that flag don’t fly.

Billy “Crash” Craddock’s “Rub It In.” The cover’s sleazy and shitty, just like the song.

Linda Rondstadt’s “Silk Purse.”

Linda, why are you sitting in a pigsty, no doubt full of excrement, hanging out with pigs?

Johnny Paycheck and George Jones’ “Double Trouble.” Could you have taken worse pictures? I’m gonna guess cocaine was involved.

Mayf Nutter’s “Goin’ Skinny Dippin’.” ‘Nuff said.

The ugly: Eddie Bond’s “Sings the Legend of Buford Pusser.” I get the whole Walk Tall thing, but we didn’t need Buford’s pusser on the cover of this album.

Thanks for the question, and remember to send your cards and letters to the address below.

Have a question for our DJs? Send them to vinylreckoning@ gmail.com or mail to P.O. Box 282, Williston, VT 05495.

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The Northern Report volume 5

BY SEAN BURNS HTT Contributor “When the evening sun goes down, you will find me hangin’ round...”

It had been a full nine months since we had any kind of real, in front of an actual audience live music here in Winnipeg. And now the nightlife is back and in near full force down at the Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club Outside (AKA Blue Note Park) at 220 Main St. in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. With current provincial restrictions allowing for 50% capacity, the club is holding host to (primarily sold out) shows seven nights a week for up to 150 of the finest ticket buying, music-loving individuals here in the heart of the continent.

Fans of good country music and hot and hard honky tonk are gettin’ while the gettin’s good in July as local legends and regional stars Ridley Bent, Andrew Neville & The Poor Choices, The Jakebrakes, and Sean Burns & Lost Country rotate the Tuesday-Wednesday slots at Blue Note Park. Prior to our upcoming July shows, we got our first sniff of stage time on opening weekend in late June —a full nine months and one day since we last fed it to a live audience of good citizens of country music.

The scene is rich here in Winnipeg, and we’re all lucky and better for it.

The Northern Report Podcast, my audio companion piece to this column, churned ‘em out over May and June with 16 episodes featuring a wide array of Canadian talent (Corb Lund, Redd Volkaert, Russell deCarle, Little Miss Higgins, Bobby Dove, Jerry Leger to name a few). One recent interview I was very excited about was

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Honky Tonk Times contributor and podcaster Sean Burns recently sat down with Canadian country legend Joyce Smith, pictured here with Western swing legend Bob Wills. Smith was the first to record “Leavin’ On Your Mind,” later a hit for Patsy Cline, and eventually joined the house band at the legendary Panther Hall (now defunct) in Fort Worth, Texas. with Canadian country legend Joyce Smith. Joyce spoke about Webb Pierce discovering her at age 16 and her subsequent trip to Nashville a handful of years later. Prior to Patsy Cline recording the song, Joyce cut “Leavin’ On Your Mind” for Decca Records with Owen Bradley at the helm and backed by some of Earth’s finest-ever musicians. During that same week in Nashville, Joyce performed on the Grand Ole Opry to rave reviews only

to never return to Music City again.

Soon after her Nashville experience, Joyce landed in Fort Worth and became part of the house band at Panther Hall. There, her brushes with country music royalty continued as seen pictured here with Bob Wills.

I won’t give it all away, so look for my interview with Joyce Smith on The Northern Report Podcast.

Keeping in the province of Alberta and heading South on Highway 2

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toward the windy city of Lethbridge, we find Shalea Miller with her new dynamite record, “Big Hair Small City.” Released on July 9, the song does a great job of picking up where “Bad Ideas” (2018) left off.

Engineered and mixed by Edmontonbased wizard Scott Franchuck, “Big Hair Small City” was recorded at the Rebeltone Ranch down in Lethbridge, and though it seems a little more refined and mature, this album still contains that reckless spirit Shaela and her band are known and loved for. Miller penned eight of the album’s 10 songs while Skinny Dyck and Carter Felker each contributed a cut to help round out “Big Hair, Small City.”

On “Big Hair Small City,” Shaela Miller cements her place as a cut above the rest in her region in terms of any real tangible honky tonk, country music flavouring. I can’t help but think that if she landed in a bigger (or even mid-sized American) market that she could make a bigger, wider splash. The folks in Alberta are lucky to have her and will have the opportunity to see her in action this summer and fall on a string of festival dates and release shows.

Whether you exist within the grip of the Old Man River Regional Services Commission or not, fans of good songs and good country music will surely be happy to find their way to “Big Hair Small City.”

Check out the dates and grab some merch at shaelamiller.com.

Highlights include “I Don’t Want Your Love,” “Poor Man,” “I’m Gonna Fall,” and “Good Woman.”

Another release worth noting comes from the rural municipality of Eyebrow, Saskatchewan No. 193, home of country music songwriter, a part-time wheat farmer, and proud Western Canadian, Jolie Blue. If you’re even a semi-regular listener to my Boots & Saddle show (broadcast from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CST every Tuesday

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‘Mexi-Calgary’ production. When we first entered the studio, I told the boys, ‘We’re not here to make a Latin album, we’re here to make an album that sounds like a bunch of Western Canadians trying to make a Latin Album’ . . . and I think we did just that.”

Be sure to check out the video for “Canción En Español.” The video, filmed at Vern’s, a legendary downtown watering hole in Calgary, is a reunion with the beloved Mexican Marionettes. They appeared in his previous video for “Spanish Fly (All The Tequila’s Gone).” But, Vern’s.

What a place to put in a shift and bend an elbow. Clint, long-time barman and bossman of Vern’s, even makes an appearance in the video along with members of the backing group, The Habaneros. Highlights include Shaela Miller — Photo by Bleu Baker “Smokin’ A Camel,” “Fancy Island,” and “Mexico City .” For more on Jolie on CKUW 95.9 FM), then you’ll Blue, visit: thecanadiandrifter.ca have heard me press play on cuts and That’s all I’ve got for ya this round, wave the flag as a fan of Jolie Blue. To friends. By the time you’re reading my knowledge, he’s been cutting all this, we should have TNR podcast his material in Calgary, Alberta, with interviews up with both Shaela Miller musical and production hands from and Jolie Blue. Until then, follow veterans of that vibrant roots scene, along with The Northern Report Spider Bishop and Derek Pulliam.

Podcast and Boots & Saddle on Along with some singles and on his Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.

2020 full-length (“Canadian Drifter”), Or their respective homes anchor.fm/ Jolie Blue told stories of farming, thenorthernreportpodcast and www. drinking, pining for glory as local bootsandsaddle.ca Listen, purchase, fire chief, hockey players and hockey or steal any of my music wherever equipment. It felt decidedly regional you do that kind of thing. Support and is surely relatable to anyone familiar directly at seanburns.bandcamp. with rural situations. The writing is smart, and Jolie Blue peppers in dashes of clever humour that paint a picture of dusty Southern Saskatchewan life.

His most recent release, an EP entitled “Picante” is comprised of seven new songs from this promising prairie songwriter. In a post announcing the EP, Jolie maintains that he’ll “get back to singin’ combine songs and firetruck songs in a Belizean minute, in the meantime, had to check this off the bucket list real quick. I present to you, far as I know, the world’s first and only

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Erik Shicotte on polka, video games and Men At Work Wisconsin native Erik Shicotte recently released his six-song debut EP, “Miss’ry Pacific.” The EP is available at www.erikshicotte.com.

BY GEORGE NOSTRAND HTT Contributor Erik Shicotte says he’s in no rush to get through today’s interview. He’s currently laid up with a busted hand, pinned together after a carpentryrelated injury. While a busted hand might throw most musicians into a tailspin, Shicotte seems barely phased.

Normally an ironworker by day, musician by night, the 28 year old from Wisconsin is used to hard work and handling life’s ups and downs.

“The money is good, and the work is hard,” he says in referring to ironwork. “Having the time and space and something to throw your energy into, you see something you built at the end of the day. Then I get the chance to gather my thoughts after a long day of work and put it into song.”

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Shicotte released a six-song EP July 16 entitled “Miss’ry Pacific.” The EP was a “COVID baby” in that it was recorded piecemeal together in different places during the shutdown.

“It was hard not being in studio when they were tracking the songs.

I was disturbingly impressed with what they came up with, with no direction from me. We let them run, and they filled out the songs how I heard them in my head. It allowed for more creative license, and they were great players who ended up making coherent and cohesive parts.

I always dreamed of what these songs would sound like recorded with a full band but didn’t really have the nomenclature to tell them. So, it served its purpose quite well.”

Traditionally Shicotte writes and performs his songs solo on an acoustic.

If you’re looking for an example of his prowess on the guitar, check out the video for his classic freight train song, “M’ssry Pacific.” The song, like many on the EP, pays homage to those who came before him and traditions he’d like to preserve.

“A lot of traditions come with their fair share of skeletons in the closet. History is not always pleasant. But there are some things I hope will be preserved, like the potluck suppers at the church and music that means something to the common man. I’m not trying to be anyone, and I don’t dig having to be labeled one thing or another.

But I always pay homage to those who changed me. Preserving those parts of the culture are important.”

For musicians, Shicotte has this advice, “Don’t try to be it but don’t let

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it die. You can incorporate the sounds you enjoy and do it in a respectful way.”

Shicotte learned his respect for music growing up in Wisconsin.

“Polka is still a thing there! I learned how to appreciate all sorts of different stuff. You can’t have a closed mind. When I was in a cover band, someone would holler out ‘Johnny Cash’ and someone else ‘Guns-nRoses,’ and we’d play them both.”

Shicotte even admits being into hair bands and having an obsession with Men at Work.

“I’ve had some weird phases. I got into hair metal and classic hiphop. I’ll listen to Top 40, R&B and ‘dad rock.’ You’ve got to listen to it all. I think it’s exciting to explore new songs, genres and playlists.”

Shicotte likes to seek out all versions of a song when he finds something he likes and listen to them all in a row, listening for differences and interesting parts. He also really got into the process of making music videos.

“Video is a really cool tool. I don’t write with a video in mind but getting to do one gives people a glimpse of my interpretation of the song – or maybe the director’s. Media is super important – having visuals helps draw attention to the song.”

Shicotte has several videos out to support his release, including two for the title track. The first was filmed at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin. It features just him picking away at his guitar, leaning up against a railroad crossing sign. The music is stripped down to vocals and guitar. The other is much more elaborate and features the complete music track.

“I never thought I would do a music video, but now that I have, I’d like to have the directive power in my next one.”

The video for “Flint” is more involved and features some great acting by both Shicotte and his

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Erik Shicotte has several videos out to support his EP release, including two for the title track.

The videos are available on his website, www.erikshicotte.com. manager, Britt DiMattia. The script called for the couple setting out on an adventure, and when they couldn’t get the rental they planned for the video, they used Shicotte’s 4 Runner.

“It was a blast just driving around in the desert, smoking cigarettes and having a good time.”

It wasn’t music videos but video games that first caught a young Shicotte’s attention music-wise. One game in particular, Nascar 99, featured Steve Ray Vaughn’s, “Scuttle Buttin’” in the game’s soundtrack. While he initially had no idea who was playing the song, he eventually had to find out and looked on the label. Getting into Stevie Ray Vaughn and then a rabbit hole of other rock musicians sparked Shicotte to pick up the guitar.

“Game designers have been influencing our culture and will only do so more going

forward. It’s part of society.”

Shicotte ended up playing rhythm electric and singing in a number of cover bands, or “variety bands” as he calls them. They played all kinds of gigs, from roadhouse bars to county fairs. But like many bands, some went off to college or got married, and soon, Shicottee was out on his own.

And if you listen to “M’ssry,” you’ll probably agree that it was all for the best. Every song takes you on a journey, with Shicotte’s baritone voice and fingerstyle guitar playing leading the way. The EP is available on his website, www.erikshicotte.com, and as soon as that hand heals up, you’ll find him back on the road, working iron by day, playing lonesome tunes by night.

George Nostrand is a musician, freelance writer and owner of A Sound Space studios in Rutland, Vermont.

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The

Chicago Hustle with Lawrence Peters

Hello from Chi-Town!

There’s plenty of action in the Windy City, including new albums from a couple of local talents.

Wild Earp & The Free For Alls dropped “Dyin’ For Easy Livin’” on July 9, with a blowout show at Sleeping Village.

The record starts with their excellent “Ain’t It A Shame (When Your Horse Goes Lame)” and plows through 11 more good time cuts, ending with their second single, “I Wanna Go.” You can buy the vinyl album (recorded and pressed in Chicago at Jamdek Studio and Smashed Plastic, respectively) on their Bandcamp page and hear the whole shebang on all of the usual streaming sites.

They are one of this burg’s most entertaining acts, and they may be coming to your town during their 2021 tour. Check ‘em out if you can.

Also, look for a full article about the band from our friends at Whiskey Preachin in this issue of Honky Tonk Times.

Dan Whitaker has also been busy. After issuing his remastered 1999 solo effort “Moving On With You,” he finished a new album called “One More Story Told.”

The project was recorded with Chicago heavy-hitter Todd Rittmann in 2020 and early 2021, with instrumental assists from Dan’s fellow Shinebenders Earl Powers on bass and Eric Niffenegger on percussion.

Like that previous solo piece, this new one focuses on Whitaker’s folkier side, leaning on the style he began playing in 1994 when he was first finding his way in the Chi-Town scene.

His commitment to the country

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genre began in 2002, and Dan Whitaker & The Shinebenders started up in 2006. They were nominated in 2019 for the Ameripolitan Award for Best Honky Tonk Group.

This new album hits stores Aug. 13.

Pick up the CD or digital tracks on Bandcamp and stream it everywhere.

You can read a full walkthrough of the lyrics in Dan’s piece in this very magazine.

Veteran Chicago tonker Nick Bachmann celebrated an important birthday in July. He’s been kickin’ it in our town for longer than most, with a pedigree that includes Carol’s Pub’s legendary house band Diamondback, early scenesters Lone Star State, and his outstanding current band Cropduster4.

I met that guy at The California Clipper during the bar’s first incarnation under manager Brian Page in the early 2000s, and I’ve been a fan ever since.

Like I mentioned in a previous article, Nick and his group have an album-worth of new tunes they plan on cutting as soon as the stars align for a studio session.

Happy birthday Honky Tonk Nick!

Sparkle Carcass recently played a stellar show at the Hideout. It was their first performance in over a year, and they brought the heat with the extra fire that comes from being without a gig for 16 months.

The event kicked off the reboot of my pandemic livestream series “LP’s Happy Hour” on July 9.

Other bands in the roster include Michelle Billingsley ( July 16), The Wildwood Flowers ( July 23), Buffalo Nichols ( July 30), Meg & The

Wheelers (Aug. 6), The Wandering Boys (Aug. 13), Big Sadie (Aug. 20), and Cropduster4 (Aug. 27).

Chef ’s Special, a classy booze and grub joint that opened just before the lockdown, has started a country vinyl night called “Western On Western.”

This guy got to DJ the first of the monthly shindigs on July 4. The staff got all decked out in their country best, and the tunes and liquor flowed.

I’m told that fellow DJ elder Jivan Ivan is on deck for the August date.

I don’t want to end on a sad note, but Chicago lost one of our greatest music lovers, Lane Campbell, this February.

He was a genuinely good guy and an energetic supporter of the bands and venues that make our city’s culture what it is.

My condolences to his family and his other friends.

That’s all I’ve got for now.

Happy trails ‘til next time.

Thanks,

Lawrence Lawrence’s radio show, “Country, My Way,” airs from 4-6 p.m. CDT every Wednesday on WLPN 105.5 FM in Chicago and on www.lumpenradio.com and the iOS app everywhere. For info on his weekly show, “LP’s Happy Hour,” his lectures at The Old Town School of Folk Music, and his Ameripolitan award-nominated honky tonk band, The Lawrence Peters Outfit, check out www.lawrencepeters.com and follow him on Instagram @lawrence22peters and @countrymyway. Feel free to drop him a line via his website.

HONKY TONK TIMES

September 2021

SUN

MON

TUES

# BIRTHDAY *ANNIVERSARY OF PASSING

WED

THUR

# BOXCAR WILLIE, 1931

# PAUL DEAKIN, 1959

# CONWAY TWITTY, 1933

# DAVID ALLAN COE, 1939

# MEL McDANIEL, 1942

* JIMMY JOHNSON, 2019

* ERNEST TUBB, 1984

# HELEN CARTER, 1927 # GEORGE JONES, 1931 * JOHNNY CASH, 2003

# BILL MONROE, 1911

* RED FOLEY, 1968 * GRAM PARSONS, 1973 *SKEETER DAVIS, 2004

# MARTY ROBBINS, 1925 # DAVID FRIZZELL, 1941 # LYNN ANDERSON, 1947

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# DIANE WARREN, 1956

# JIMMIE RODGERS, 1897 # HARLAN HOWARD, 1927 # PATSY CLINE, 1932

# ROY ACUFF, 1903

# DAVID BELLAMY, 1950

# FARM AID, 1985

# RAY CHARLES, 1930 * JIMMY WAKELY, 1982 * W.S. HOLLAND, 2020

# GENE AUTRY, 1907 # JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1935 * MAC DAVIS, 2020

# GRAND OLE OPRY TELEVISION DEBUT, 1950

* JOHN D. LOUDERMILK, 2016

# GLENN SUTTON, 1937

# HANK THOMPSON, 1925 # TOMPALL GLASER, 1933

SAT # NOEL HAGGARD, 1963 * DOTTIE WEST, 1991

# TOMMY OVERSTREET, 1937

* SHEB WOOLEY, 2003

# DICKEY LEE, 1936

FRI

# HANK WILLIAMS, 1923 * GEORGE HAMILTON IV, 2014 * MARVIN RAINWATER, 2013

# LANE BRODY, 1955

# SHEL SILVERSTEIN, 1930

# MARTY STUART, 1950

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UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT We got to shine our Honky Tonk Spotlight on Brennen Leigh for this month’s edition of Under the Spotlight.

When were you born?

Aug. 11 What are some of your physical characteristics?

I wear a size 8.5 shoe. I’m 5’9”.

How long have you been singing and playing guitar?

Playing guitar since I was 12; singing since I was born.

When and where did you perform your first show?

My first show was in Fargo, North Dakota, at a coffee shop. I was 14. The place was terrible, but it soon closed and was replaced by a great music venue called The Trentino, where we often played.

My brother and I traveled for gigs all through our teens. I’ve never known any other career path.

When did you first become interested in country music?

My parents listened exclusively to country while I was growing up and had porch pickin’ parties in the summertime. My first concert was Dwight Yoakam at the county fair in Fargo in about 1999.

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Who are some of your favorite singers?

Tommy Duncan, Lefty Frizzell, Lee Ann Womack, Robbie Fulks, Jim Lauderdale, Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless, and Sunny Sweeney.

dog Bjorn for hikes. I’m also a student of the Norwegian language, and I like to bake.

What label do you record for?

I’ve been independent for a long time, but I have a new album coming out in 2022 that will be on a label. I can’t say which yet.

Who gave you your first big break?

Noel McKay introduced me to Guy Clark, who in turn introduced me to all sorts of people. He was a champion of younger songwriters. I still feel his influence in my work and in my career.

How many albums have you put out?

Six solo albums and a variety of collaborations.

What is the best song you’ve recorded?

Whichever is the newest.

What has been the biggest thrill of your career?

I played mandolin for Charlie Louvin on a run of dates when I was 23. It was a thrill getting to know him and hearing Louvin Brothers’ stories. But honestly, life as a musician is a thrill every day, no matter how small or big the gig is.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

I love to bike around my neighborhood and take my

Where do you make your home?

Nashville.

What is one of your most embarrassing moments?

Being a lifer musician sort of beats any capacity for embarrassment out of you.

What do you have in store for the future?

I just finished recording a new album of songs I wrote featuring Asleep At The Wheel. I’ll be touring with them next year.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Don’t give away your publishing.

Any words you would like to say to your fans?

Thanks for being here for me through the years, and thanks for not giving up on country music.

HONKY TONK TIMES

AUGUST 2021

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Whiskey Preachin with Wild Earp & the Free For Alls

Wild Earp & the Free For Alls TONY SEXTON HTT Contributor

Earp,” which clearly signposted their direction of travel and could be considered a blueprint for “Dyin’ For those familiar with the music For Easy Livin’.” All the elements of Wild Earp and the Free For Alls, are there, the high octane, irreverent it will come as no surprise that “Dyin’ approach to the traditions of country For Easy Livin’,” their second full music and honky tonk that manifests album, is a highly entertaining romp. itself in a steaming good-time party Rarely dropping the tempo, even at of country, honky tonk, rockabilly its more introspective moments, the and rock and roll influences. album spotlights the band’s sense of It would be unfair to say that fun with humorous lyrical escapades. Wild Earp and the Free For Alls Many will have been introduced don’t take themselves seriously, to Wild Earp and the Free For but they are definitely here to Alls when they first heard “The entertain you, put a smile on your Last Honky Tonk In Chicago,” the face and get you spinning around opening salvo (and most memorable that hardwood floor. No one here song) on the 2019 Bloodshot would suggest that Kinky Friedman Records compilation, “Too Late shouldn’t be taken seriously, or that To Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots.”

The Maddox Brothers and Rose Those paying closer attention may were not significant, would they? know the band’s 2018 album “Wild Wanting to know more, I got in

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touch with Andrew “Wild Earp” Yearick to find out what makes Wild Earp and the Free For Alls tick, how their music is received in Chicago, and where to find the balance between sincerity and entertainment.

You’re fronting a rocking country band with a Stetson now, but you’ve worn many other hats in the past.

What’s your background, and how did you end up the frontman with Wild Earp and the Free For Alls?

AY: I’ve been performing as Wild Earp for about seven years now. Before that, I played rock, mostly what you’d call prog or art rock. There were some western and folk elements to some of what we were doing, but it was quite a bit different. By the time my last band ended, I had a bunch of country,

HONKY TONK TIMES

western, and folk tunes that didn’t really fit into what we were doing, so those ended up being the basis for what I’m doing as Wild Earp.

back to a fictionalized version of America and conjures nostalgia for places and situations that most of us have never experienced first-hand, anyway. It’s a complicated genre with Who are the Free For plenty of artifices, pageantry, and Alls, and whose idea was it tall tales, so I feel right at home. to put it all together?

I read an interview with Kiley AY: I asked a few of my Moore (Sweet Sassy Molassey) bandmates from my previous band where she mentions that you used to join me, and I began to add to rock a loincloth in your previous members as we went, thinking it band, New World Ancients. Do you would be more of a small core group feel more comfortable in boots and a with a rotating cast of characters hat? Do you feel that Wild Earp was to fill it out, but most everyone has the persona you’ve been looking for? stuck around, with the full band AY: Hah, I was in better shape being eight of us. Everyone’s got a then! Western wear has been part of nickname — Double Barrel, Sweet my personal style for quite a while, Sassy Molassey, Valentine, Ponyboy, and the transition to writing songs Gorgeous George, Ace, and Big in the country-western style was League Chew. I write most of the very organic and never felt forced songs, but some of the band members for me. The line between where I contribute with their own. Kiley, Jed, end and Wild Earp begins has been and Charlie have originals on our getting more and more blurred new album, “Dyin’ For Easy Livin’.” over the years, but yes, I think it’s Music is performance, a form a great vehicle for me to make the of entertainment, but, for some, kind of music I want to, and it’s country music may be defined by its something I can grow with, too. sincerity. You have a background We’ve also had fun making radio in theatre and understand the plays and colouring books where desire people have for a good Wild Earp & The Free for Alls are show. What would you say to all characters in a fictional, oldsomeone who questioned your timey world. That’s a chance for approach to country music? me to really lean into the largerAY: Yeah, sincerity and than-life aspects of the persona. authenticity are central to country The duets you sing with Kiley music, for sure. For some people, follow a well-trod tradition of it’s the most important aspect, and humorous lyrical exchanges they’re very protective of the integrity between singing partners. Which of the genre that way. Wild Earp is songs and singers have inspired the a persona, and there are theatrical two of you to write in this fashion? aspects to everything, but I’m very AY: We’ve been doing the serious about the music. I try to be Loretta/Conway tune “You’re the sincere with my writing, and I’m Reason Our Kids are Ugly” since drawing from my own experiences. probably our first or second show.

My daddy wasn’t a coal miner, and I I love all of John Prine’s music, but didn’t grow up on a farm or a ranch, “In Spite of Ourselves” has that same so if that’s what you’re looking for, humour to it. I’m sure it’s no surprise I’m not your guy. Honestly, I don’t that we often do “Jackson” in the know of many singers who fit that live setting. On the new record, we bill. Also, much of the golden age of cover Kay Starr and Tennessee Ernie country and western music harkens Ford’s “Ain’t Nobody’s Business But

AUGUST 2021

Andrew ‘Wild Earp’ Yearick My Own,” which predates all of those, and has been a band favourite for several years. In “I Drew the Water,” my original idea was to have something more along the lines of Gram and Emmylou, but it ended up being something else entirely. Kiley and I have only written a couple of songs together so far, and I don’t usually like writing songs with other people, but she’s been great. Honestly, she’s a world-class talent, and I’m lucky to have her as a duet partner.

Do you write these lyrics together, or do you both write separately and bring what you have to the table?

AY: There’s no one way, per se.

With the duets, I’ve written the music and some lyrics, and then Kiley will write her verses. We might bounce some ideas back and forth until it’s completed. With “Ain’t It a Shame,” Jed was fooling around with an idea during a soundcheck, and I came back with the song written the next week for a rehearsal.

“Smile Like That” is Kiley’s song.

Jed and I went over to her place, and she sang the song that was in her head. We helped her map out the chords, and Jed wrote the guitar melody. I don’t know if that fits everyone’s definition of co-writing, but we try to make sure everyone gets credited for their contributions.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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The songs on “Dyin’ For Easy Livin’” maintain a high tempo throughout the album. Even when you slow down slightly for something a little more introspective, such as “Purple,” it’s still at a good clip for a two-step.

Is this channelled directly from your live set? Do you have slower, crying-in-your-beer songs that you play, or is that something we might see from you in the future?

AY: Yes, and yes. We played a monthly gig at a place in Chicago called The California Clipper. It was a very popular weekend spot, and we had to play a lot of bangers to be heard over the din. A lot of what’s on this record was written during that time. Additionally, having had to cancel the tours we had set up last year, I wanted to refocus and capture a bit of the energy of our live show, especially feeling so boxed in with the shutdown. I wanted to come out with a record this summer that was fun, danceable, and indicative of what you’d hear from us on stage.

Though not on this record, there are definitely some tear-in-yourbeer tunes that I’ve written over the years. A song I released earlier this year, “Same Old Sorry Lesson,” has some of that feeling, and I recorded another one during that same session called “That Old Moth-Eaten Suit,” about a guy who wears the suit he got married in to a friend’s wedding and thinks back on his failed marriage.

I’ll put that one out by and by. Then, of course, there’s “Yodelay-HeeWhy?” with the weeping handsaw.

What is the honky tonk and country scene in Chicago like today? Who are your favourite local bands to play with?

AY: Before COVID, things were getting really exciting in Chicago.

There were more and more honky tonk events, and it was bringing in a great crowd of people of all ages; there was always a floor full of dancers who were happy to two-

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step, waltz, polka, or swing. Our good buds Caitlin and JB had started a group called Chicago Honky Tonk that was putting on events and doing a great job promoting local shows and just creating a sense of cohesion among the various groups that played countrywestern and the adjacent genres.

Unfortunately for the scene here, they moved down to Nashville this year and rebranded to Hello Honky Tonk to adopt more of a national focus.

Long-time Chicago honky tonker

his band the Natural Law the other day, and they’re sounding good as ever. David Quinn has been out in Indiana during the shutdowns. I’m not sure when/if he’s coming back around, but he’s been working on some killer recordings that I’m excited to hear more of. Along with Michelle Billingsley (the best songwriter that lives in my house), we all share bandmates among us from time to time. This year, I’m hoping to see more from the Family Gold, Western Elstons, Gin Palace Jesters, Devil in a Woodpile, Horseshoe Bender, Saluda Moonlighters, Sparkle Carcass, Meg and the Wheelers, Tobacco City and several others I’m sure I’m forgetting. But Chicago stalwarts The Hoyle Brothers have been the most consistent part of the scene here, playing every Friday for years at the Empty Bottle for a honky tonk happy hour. They do a great job of bringing the community together, and the frontman Miles will call a local singer up from time to time to sit in. That’s a great place to practice your two-step.

The honky tonks are few in Chicago (as my song might suggest), but you can find quality country music at Carol’s, Montrose Saloon, Fitzgerald’s, Martyrs’, Penny Whistle, Outta Space, Honky Tonk BBQ, and a few others around the city and outskirts. Additionally, the queer country scene has been taking — Andrew “Wild Earp” Yearick off here with the Cosmic Country Showcase with crooner Andrew Sa leading the charge, and the folks of Dan Whitaker continues with show Prairie School have been expanding roundups and such with the Chicago the scene, bringing in some of the Honky Tonk brand, but I’m not sure “country curious” crowd. I’m really of his aspirations beyond that. hopeful that we’ll find more ways to Of course, country DJ and bring everyone together more often. artist Lawrence Peters is holding From over here, it looks like the it down with his weekly radio last few years have been good show, yearly showcase at the for Wild Earp and the Free For Hideout, and his two great bands, Alls. Do you get the sense that The Lawrence Peters Outfit and your music is getting to a wider Golden Horse Ranch Band. audience in the U.S. and abroad?

I just saw my bud Joe Wortell and AY: Yeah, I’d say the past couple

“Building a following takes a long time, and it never feels like you’re doing enough, especially as an independent artist with your own label, but the trajectory is definitely positive.”

HONKY TONK TIMES

“Sweet Sassy Molassey” and Wild Earp. of years have seen good growth musically for us, as well as our ability to reach more people. With this record, we’re putting a lot into the promotional efforts, and I’m hoping that will get us more on folks’ radar.

Building a following takes a long time, and it never feels like you’re doing enough, especially as an independent artist with your own label, but the trajectory is definitely positive. We really appreciate when people share our stuff online or play it for friends, etc. – and, of course, many thanks to Whiskey Preachin and Honky Tonk Times for the work you’re doing to spread the good word!

How far from Chicago have you taken the band so far? Where was your favourite gig away from home?

AY: We’ve been as far north as Montreal and as far south as Houston. We’ve done a handful of east coast runs, but we haven’t done the west coast yet. The plan was to do that last summer, then this summer, but it just was not in the cards. I’m looking into the possibility of doing a Europe/UK tour in ‘22. We’ll see what we can do! We’ve had so many fun gigs out on the road, but perhaps our favourite was in Deadwood, South Dakota. Big Kenny (of Big

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& Rich) throws a yearly pool party during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and we played that for two years in a row. It was maybe an unlikely pairing, but we had a blast.

That area around the Black Hills is gorgeous, and we like to do some camping out there when we can.

What are your plans for touring this album outside of Chicago?

How has the pandemic disrupted any plans you may have had for touring the album?

AY: We were hoping that things would have opened a little sooner, and because of the uncertainty with booking this past year and some scheduling conflicts, we weren’t able to get the robust touring calendar we had hoped for. We’ve got a few dates in July from Sioux Falls to Nashville and a few dates in early September out to New York. I’m hoping we can do a few mini-tours in the fall around the Midwest.

Who do you enjoy listening to when you’re not working on your own music? What records are at the front of the pile?

AY: I always enjoy Hank, Buck, all the Highwaymen, Merle, Gram, Loretta, George Jones, Slim Whitman, Sam Cooke, and Roger

Miller. The more contemporary records that get spun the most around here are “Rollin’ On” by Jesse Daniel, “Daddy’s Country Gold” by Melissa Carper, Big Cedar Fever’s “Tumbleweeds,” Charley Crockett’s “10 for Slim,” and anything from the Cactus Blossoms when I’m in a romantic mood.

If you were asked to book your own fantasy festival stage, who would you have playing with you, dead or alive?

AY: Ooh, dang. How about James Brown, Led Zeppelin, Dolly, Bowie, Willie, Waylon, and The Clash. You’d probably get a different answer if you asked me tomorrow.

What advice would you give to a young country band just starting out today?

AY: I don’t know if I’m qualified to give too much advice at this point, but I guess I’d say temper your expectations and learn how to two-step. Be prepared to work hard and go into debt. You probably won’t catch a break, but if you do, it’ll be because you were putting yourself out there consistently. Don’t take yourself too seriously. In the end, you’re just moving air around. If you can get paid to do that, that’s fine livin’ indeed!

So, there we have it, straight from the horse’s mouth. If you weren’t familiar with Wild Earp and the Free For Alls before, I’d be amazed if you don’t want to go and listen to “Dyin’ For Easy Livin’” now. Just remember to roll up the rug before you drop the needle, and better put grandma’s old porcelain figurines in the cupboard.

There’s gonna be a rumpus tonight! • Check out Shamblin Sexton and Señor Mick on the Whiskey Preachin Radio Show. Full archive of shows available at www.whiskeypreachin.com.

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FINEST FASHIONS LISA SORRELL CHATS WITH TIM JONES LS: In your own words, tell me what you make.

TJ: I make custom-designed and hand-crafted menswear and stage couture, specializing in classic western looks. My product range comprises jackets, full suits, western shirts, pants, and neckerchief ties.

LS: What attracted you to creating stage wear, and how long have you been doing it?

TJ: I didn’t really plan to do clothes; I just sort of fell into it.

I grew up around country music, so I was always exposed to the things that usually accompany it, like the lavish custom clothes many performers wore. I was watching some Porter Wagoner shows and thinking how cool his suits were — whimsical designs, bright colors, and sparkling

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rhinestones. I thought, “Hey! I could make something like that!” My first piece was a thrift store suit jacket with patches and things I found at the craft store. Thanks to my mother, I had some rudimentary sewing skills, so I set out to see what sorts of other things I could do. That was back around 2010, so I’ve been at it about 11 years.

LS: Do you look to vintage western stage outfits or western tailors for inspiration?

TJ: Initially, I did a ton of research on the stars and their clothiers. I learned all about Nudie, Nathan Turk, Manuel, and other western tailors from the heyday. I purchased some great coffee table books with big colorful photos of the clothes. Initially, I did draw a lot of inspiration from the examples

I found in the books, but as time went on, I started to craft my own designs and rely less on the examples I had seen. I like to make my clothes unique and different, but also a little reminiscent of stuff from the ‘40s and ‘50s. I often gather inspiration from everyday life. I might see something while I’m out and craft a design in my head right then.

LS: Is there one particular item that made you realize, “This is it, this is what I want to do?”

It was probably that very first thrift store jacket. It kind of ignited a spark, and I realized that it would be something I could stick with. It’s proved to be a perfect creative outlet for me.

LS: Did you plan to become an artist/craftsman? Do you have an art degree or an interest that preceded or led to your current craft?

TJ: I didn’t plan on doing clothing at all. Growing up, I was a very creative child. Always drawing. Took every art class in school. I wanted to be an architect, but I wasn’t good enough at math, so I scrapped that idea. My mother taught me some basic sewing skills, so that was about as much “training” as I had. I have no fashion degree, nor have I taken any courses or apprenticeships.

Everything I do now has been more or less self-taught through trial and error. I like that sort of problem-solving approach.

LS: What do you love most about your job and your craft?

TJ: I love the idea of creating something unique and the satisfaction that

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“I was watching some Porter Wagoner shows and thinking how cool his suits were . . . I thought, ‘Hey! I could make something like that!’”

— Tim Jones TJ: Of course I listen to music.

The silence would make me go crazy. The music doesn’t necessarily inspire designs, but it does help keep me focused on tedious jobs like hand-setting rhinestones.

LS: What is your guiding principle for dealing with clients?

TJ: Be honest and upfront about EVERYTHING. These folks are paying good hard-earned money for their outfits, and it’s my job to make sure they know what I can or can’t do, what their expectations are of me, and the end product. Keep your customers well-informed, deliver a superior product, and if you’re lucky, they’ll be back for another!

LS: Tell me about your shop.

Do you have employees? Are you training them in your craft? What do you hope for

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it brings my clients.

LS: Which clothing items or style do you most enjoy making?

TJ: I really enjoy making bolero jackets. It always shouts “western” to me. I don’t think I have a favorite piece. Each one is my favorite. And the next one will be my favorite too.

LS: Tell me about your favorite project you’ve made and/ or a story about a favorite client or client interaction.

TJ: One of my best and longest clients is bluegrass extraordinaire Kody Norris.

He was one of my very first customers when I formed the business. He has a very specific image in mind, and he knows exactly what he wants. He always goes for the more outrageous or wacky designs, and I love that.

Plus LOTS of rhinestones!

LS: Do you listen to music in your shop? Does music inspire or inform your designs?

the future of your trade?

TJ: It’s a one-man show, at least for now. I do everything from start to finish. I do not operate a storefront. I do everything from my home studio.

I’m confident that custom clothes will always be in demand.

There are only a few old masters left. But there’s a blossoming collective of younger people getting into custom tailoring and carrying on the tradition.

I’m not out for fame and fortune. I’m just happy to be a part of something special.

Double 8 Custom Apparel is based out of Long Beach, California. For more information, email windwagonww@yahoo. com, or visit the website at www.double8apparel.com.

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LIVING LEGENDS: RAY BENSON

Asleep at the Wheel frontman Ray Benson performs at Plymouth, New Hampshire’s Flying Monkey July 16. The group is back on the road this summer celebrating their 50th anniversary. — Photo by Taylor Austin/Honky Tonk Times

Asleep at the Wheel, Benson ready for ‘Better Times’

BY MOLLY HAINES HTT Contributor Asleep at the Wheel frontman Ray Benson, who also serves as the group’s sole founding member, is ready for better times.

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, Benson and his current bandmates were in the midst of orchestrating a 50th-anniversary album that would include previous band members from across the decades.

“We wanted to get the original

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members and some folks along the way who contributed so much to Asleep at the Wheel’s sound, etc.,” Benson said. “So, we had (Lucky Oceans) from Perth, Australia; (LeRoy Preston) from Vermont; Chris O’Connell from California; Michael Frances from Toronto . . . All of a sudden, they couldn’t fly in anyway. We had planned on doing an album. We had a film crew; we were gonna film it all and do the whole thing. It was like an abrupt ‘whoops,’ you’re not doing anything.’”

By March 7, all flights were canceled,

and on March 20, Benson was diagnosed with COVID-19. Describing his personal experience with the disease as a “mild case,” Benson used the downtime to his advantage, writing and recording new material, including the title track from the band’s latest EP, “Better Times.”

For Benson, the pandemic harkened back to the perils of World War II and the confidence many held for a brighter future. “Better Times” serves as an ode to a similar mindset.

“We were starting to come around; they’d developed a vaccine, and things

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were looking up. I said, ‘This is just like the ending of World War II when people said we’ll see you again in a better time, in the future.’ I literally sat down and wrote the thing; it didn’t take me a half hour to write it. Then we went and recorded it. We’d already recorded a bunch of other stuff, so there it was.

I said, ‘Look, this song’s gonna be a lot better received now than it will be a year from now, so let’s put out an EP.’” Released May 28, the EP also includes “All I’m Asking,” with Katie Shore, Asleep at the Wheel’s female vocalist and fiddle player, on lead vocals.

The classic “Columbus Stockade Blues” rounds out the three-song effort.

As restrictions surrounding the pandemic began to ease, Benson and his bandmates shifted their focus back to the 50th-anniversary album.

The material is set for release in October and includes special guests like Willie Nelson, George Strait, Bill Kirchen and Lee Ann Womack. “(Tony Garnier), the bass player, was off from Bob Dylan, so he came down,” Benson said. “We cut the tracks with (Floyd Domino), the original piano player, and Dave Sanger on drums — he’s the longest-serving member of Asleep at the Wheel and is getting ready to retire. We got together, cut the tracks, and sent them out to (Berkeley, California), Australia and Vermont.

Some people came to Nashville, some people came to the studios here in Austin, and we finished the record. We couldn’t film it, it would’ve been way too complicated, but it’s all done.”

The celebration will conclude Oct. 15 in Austin, Texas, with a 50thanniversary reunion show, a display of the many musicians and vocalists who have played a part in keeping the sound alive across the band’s five decades.

It’s a sound that Benson remains as enamored with now as he was when the band played its first show in 1970.

“What attracted me to western swing was it combined all my musical loves,” he said. “I was very fortunate to grow

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Asleep at the Wheel will host a 50th anniversary reunion show in Austin, Texas, Oct. 15. — Photo courtesy of IVPR up in a musical environment where I got to hear and play all kinds of stuff. I played in a square dance band and fell in love with fiddle music. I played in the stage band in high school and fell in love with jazz. I played with blues bands. I was a child performer singing folk music, which was really country music. I performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra when I was 10 years old. It was in my blood to perform, so when we started Asleep at the Wheel, it was to form a roots-American band. Back then, we called it Americana. That’s now a subgenre of something, which is fine, but when we said Americana, we meant the roots music of America, which really started in the 1800s and progressed to become popular music.”

The group’s far-reaching sound has undoubtedly left its mark, leading the group to work with many of country music’s biggest stars and influencing a number of today’s favorites, including Brennen Leigh, who recently teamed up with Asleep at the Wheel to record a new album.

Additionally, Benson is preparing to work with The Shootouts, an Ohio-based honky-tonk group whose recent release, “Bullseye,” has garnered positive press from the likes of Honky Tonk Times, Rolling Stone

Country and American Songwriter.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Benson said. “They seem to be some pretty cool guys, and I know my friend Chuck Mead did an album with them, so hopefully that’ll work out. We’ve been busy.”

“Busy” hardly scratches the surface, as numerous recordings were completed during the months-long shutdown.

Benson guarantees Asleep at the Wheel will release another album in 2022, claiming it “almost completely done.”

As for the remainder of 2021, Asleep at the Wheel returns to its rigorous touring schedule, with dates scheduled through December.

“We should be somewhere near y’all,” Benson said. “We’re covering the country.”

More on Asleep at the Wheel’s 50th anniversary: On Oct. 31, 2020, Austin City Limits premiered “50 Years of Asleep at the Wheel: A Retrospective.”

The hour-long special takes footage from the group’s numerous appearances on the show and is currently available for streaming at www.pbs.org.

Molly Haines is a freelance writer living and working in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. Follow her on Instagram @countrycavalcade.

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Fan photos

At right: Grand Ole Opry member Ketch Secor with Old Crow Medicine Show performing to a sold-out crowd at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vermont.

Below: Christopher Hoffee performs with White Buffalo. — Photo by Krissy Bencomo (@DesertMuse) .

ean adio B R g n i lay 25 Rose p rmont July r e h t s e E ,V lington in Bur

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Tyler — Pho Childers at to by K rissy B Under The B encom i o (@De g Sky sertMu se)

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Dan Whitaker’s ‘One More Story Told’

Dan Whitaker’s “One More Story Told” is set for release Aug. 13. Since the mid-‘80s he has created independent original music in Chicago and the Midwest in bands such as Dan Whitaker and The Shinebenders, The Gyps, Great Plains Gypsies, and June Bug Massacre. — All photos by Jacob Hand/Courtesy of Harper Valley PR Singer-songwriter Dan Whitaker’s music defies easy assumptions, moving from dark ballads to intricate country jazz instrumentals to character-driven stories set on the road and in honkytonks. With his latest album, “One More Story Told,” due out Aug. 13, Whitaker introduces the deep scope of his songwriting range and evolution to newer listeners for the first time.

Best known as leader of the honkytonk band The Shinebenders, from 1985 to 2015 Whitaker also fronted several roots-rock bands in and around Chicago and the Midwest.

One More Story Told is an acoustic anthology of updated songs spanning that time period, brimming with unexpected melodies, unique chord structures, and relatable stories.

Honky Tonk Times recently caught up with Whitaker for a track-by-track

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walk-through of his upcoming release.

“Lost in Thought” - This song goes way back to my first year living in the dorms at NIU in DeKalb, Illinois. I didn’t have a band together yet, but I would sit in my dorm room strumming my guitar and writing songs when I wasn’t doing school stuff. This tune is about a gal I met and kind of dated a couple times (turns out she had a boyfriend). The line “but I can’t remember you” refers to the fading image of her I had in my head.

“One More Story Told” - I originally wrote this for the second Great Plains Gypsies album “One Dark Day” in the late 1990s. The song has the main character struggling between romantic attachment and freedom, both things he seems to want and not want at the same time. He ultimately realizes that he’s guilty of

doing more pushing away than her.

This updated, slowed-down version adds droning piano and pedal steel for a darker tone than the original.

“Thinking of You” - Also originally from “One Dark Day,” this song has me obsessively thinking about my beloved in a variety of ways. I’ve always liked singing this song, although it took me many years before I could actually remember the words in the right order. The major seventh chord at the end of each verse line gives the song a 1970s vibe that I’ve always liked.

“Lying to Myself ” - As I recall, I had a bit of a dry spell in songwriting when I penned this song en route to a fishing trip in Canada. The song finally appeared on “Gyps II,” the last and probably the most pure rock album I made. In the song, I struggle with obscurity and questioning the worth

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of my own talents as a songwriter when it seemed my songs were not reaching their audience. Kind of a, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear, does it make a sound?” type of conundrum. Ultimately I chose peace of mind and to keep on keeping on over any temptation to water down or give up my craft.

“Please Tell My Baby” - This song, originally from the Great Plains Gypsies album “Ride The Blinds,” is kind of a fictional story from another age before modern messaging. The main character struggles with the pros and cons of marriage, and ultimately chooses his freedom over commitment.

He opts to relay his feelings to his baby via another person and regrets the parting, which he sees as ultimately unavoidable. In reality, this is a common theme I explored in song for this period of my life while I faced major decisions concerning my lifelong commitment as an artist versus my ability to continue serious partner relationships. I’ve always been a fan of Stax artists like Otis Redding or Booker T & the MGs, and I was probably in a phase where I was listening to this type of music repeatedly when I wrote the tune.

“Gone Again” - I wrote this song living in Humboldt Park in Chicago around the time I first moved in with my second wife before we were married.

She used to leave for performances around the country, and I would be alone in our little cottage working on songs. I found that the best way to forget my troubles and loneliness was to smoke some pot and get “gone again.” I ended up recording it about eight years later for the album “The Gyps.” I should note the Gyps band was initially just a renaming of Great Plains Gypsies, but eventually, the band’s lineup changed,

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as did our characteristic sound.

“Roses of the City” - This song was from the same time period as “Gone Again,” but it ended up on the last Great Plains Gypsies album, “Stare Into The Sun.” I guess I was feeling particularly pessimistic about my aspiring career as a musician at the time and getting some of my emotions out in the lines of this song. Somehow I was able to still see the “beauty all around me, even though it don’t look pretty” living in a city neighborhood full of drug dealing and gangbanging.

“Broken Song” - I had a particularly intense and depleting relationship with

a girlfriend in a band I played with (I know, terrible idea)! This song replays some of the thoughts, emotions, and imagery from this desperately lonely and pathetic period of my life.

“Moanin’ Blues” - Yet another intensely lonely and regretful song that showed up on the third Great Plains Gypsies album, “Ride The Blinds.” The guitar fingerpicking style I use for this song I learned from listening to Dave van Ronk and Mississippi John Hurt recordings as a teenager. I wanted this new version to be more sparse than the Great Plains Gypsies recording to match the haunting emptiness of the lyrics.

“I Want to Be With You” - I wrote

this song living in Logan Square around 2010-ish and recorded it first for “The Gyps II” album. I seem to remember this melody came to me in a dream, which has always been a direct tap into an endless realm of free inspiration for me.

“New in My Mind” - This was an early Great Plains Gypsies song of mine that ended up on our first album, “Meeting at the Building.” I had the idea to put together some music I came up with to an old Leonard Cohen poem I found. Unfortunately, when I tried to contact him through his manager, I was brushed off. That same manager later ripped him off for a small fortune, so I guess that wasn’t the right person to contact. Anyway, after abandoning that pipe dream, I wrote these lyrics about a gal I dated for a while in the 1990s.

“Until We Meet Again” - This is an old song of mine from the Junebug Massacre days. I believe I wrote this one in Phoenix, Arizona on summer break from NIU. I had gotten used to having many temporary homes in this period of my life; thus, the line “home is now only a word.” When I was younger back in California I attended many different schools, and that situation finally stabilized once I moved to the Chicago area. But just as I was hitting my stride in high school, my dad got a new job in Phoenix, and we had to relocate again. I ended up graduating early and headed to undergrad at NIU. I think I became more of an introvert with all this moving around and my immediate family spreading out across different states. A lot of my earliest songs had these repeating themes of loneliness and separation. Although this tune has always been a live crowd favorite, it’s the first time I’ve properly recorded it.

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Western Terrestrials play their hit, “Ethan Alien,” with Old Crow Medicine Show.

Fan photos The Babes of Butcher Holler perform at Shelburne Vineyard in Shelburne, Vermont.

Nikki Lane at Under The Big Sky — Photo by Krissy Bencomo (@DesertMuse)

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Paul Cauthen at Under The Big Sky — Photo by Krissy Bencomo (@DesertMuse)

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Old Paint (Traditional) I ride and Old Paint, I lead Old Dan I’m off for Cheyenne to do the hoolihan.

Good-bye, Old Paint, I’m leaving Cheyenne Good-bye, Old Paint, I’m leaving Cheyenne Old Paint’s a good pony, he paces when he can, Good-bye, my little Annie, I’m off for Cheyenne.

Go hitch up your horses and feed ‘em some hay, And sit yourself by me as long as you’ll stay.

My horses ain’t hungry, they won’t eat your hay My wagon is loaded and rolling away.

They feed in the coulies, they water in the draw, Their tails are all matted, their back are all raw.

Bill Jones had two daughters and a song, One went to Denver, the other went wrong.

His wife she died in a barroom fight, And still he sings from morning to night.

Oh, when I die, take my saddle from the wall, Put it on my pony and lead him from the stall.

Tie my bone to his back, turn our faces to the West And we’ll ride the prairie that we have loved best The Yellow Rose Of Texas (Traditional) The Yellow Rose of Texas was a woman fair to see Though many loved her beauty, she lived in slavery, When war was fought in Texas

and the battles shook our lives General Santa Anna took Emily as a prize.

She’s the sweetest rose of color that Texas ever knew Her eyes are bright as diamonds, they sparkle like the dew, You may talk about your Clementine, And sing of Rosa Lee But the Yellow Rose of Texas is the only girl for me.

He tried to win her favors, thought himself a dashing man But his courtship she rejected,

and she stole his battle plan; Then sent it to Sam Houston, for this she found a way And so the Union Army fought and won the day.

Where the Rio Grande is flowing lived a woman brave and fine A heroine of the people and honored in her time The Yellow Rose of Texas has long been laid to rest But history would be different without the lovely Emily West