What is the last song that you listened to? Like, literally, the last song.

Literally? “Next to Me” by local DFW artist Crystal White. She gave me a CD and asked for advice/feedback. I get CDs from folks at gigs all the time and I do my best to listen to them all (at least long enough to see if they’re any good).

When you gig, other than your instrument, what is one thing that you can’t gig without?

At the show itself? Nothing. Water is nice but not essential. On the road though, there are several items that I always have to have close by…. IPhone, ear buds, phone charger, sunglasses, sunflower seeds, book on tape, Sharpies, capos, gum/mints, water.

What is your advice to an artist just starting out?

No one has the answer for how to make you successful…you have to jump in and find your own way. It takes talent, persistence, business savvy, connections, and a significant amount of money to invest before you become profitable (unless you’re just a solo act, which is easier).

Who would you like to write a song with and why?

Because of the way my brain works, I write best solo. But I would make an exception for Zac Brown, Brad Paisley, or any major label artist whose music I actually like because it would give me a better chance of having them cut one of my songs!

Favorite type of show and why? Acoustic, full-band, house concert, etc.

Tough call…they each have cool things about them. I guess right now my favorite kind of show is a full band show in a packed club, with an enthusiastic crowd giving us a lot of energy. Who wouldn’t love that?

The post The Five – Zane Williams appeared first on Radio Free Texas.

Find out more after the jump

What’s the first song you ever wrote?
I wrote a song called “Sound Of Goodbye” back in 2005 which is probably my first official song but there is also a rumor of a tape recording of me making up my own songs when I was a kid – I have never seen it but my family keeps teasing me with it.

What age did you know that you wanted to be a musician/artist?
I knew I wanted to be musician when I went out to a bowling alley with my buddies and sang karaoke for the first time; the song was “Unwound” by George Strait and I loved the response I got. Once the music bug bit me, I was done ……

What song do you have stuck in your head right now?
A new song that I am currently working on, but I can’t tell you any more details on that one yet ……

Favorite venue to play?
Rowdy Bucks in Crobsy TX has been very good to us, we love the crowd over there but any venue with a crowd that likes real country music is fine with me.

If you could play any venue, which one would it be and why?
The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville TN wold be a venue I would love to play; it is the mother church of country music and I appreciate all the people that have worked that stage – lots of tradition. Billy Bob’s Texas in Ft.Worth would be very cool too, no doubt !

If you had a chance to go on a world tour, what would your tour name be and who would you bring along to open the shows for you?

The Macon Bacon Tour and our openers would be some of our good friends in the Texas Music Scene.

Best piece of advice you’ve been given, so far?
Stay true to who you are, be yourself, enjoy what you are doing and people will enjoy it, too.

Do you have a pre-show “ritual” and if yes, what is it?
My pre-show ritual includes warming up my voice and going over the show setllst with the boys in the band but other than that I don’t have any specific rituals.

Who is your musical hero?
There are a lot of influences in my music but some of the most obvious ones would be George Strait, Merle Haggard and Travis Tritt. My family always had a very diverse taste in music and I soaked it up like a sponge.

Tell us something that would surprise us about you?
I have a pilot license and used to drive race cars for my dad’s race team when I was younger.

The post Getting To Know Darwin Macon appeared first on Radio Free Texas.

Read my questions and Rich’s answers after the jump.

Last week you dropped another single, “Talk About The Weather” another great song from Rich O’Toole.

Recently you’ve released multiple singles in contrast to bundling songs into a full length album or EP. What is the methodology in releasing singles and do you see this as a trend in the future of music?

I like dropping a couple singles first before the album comes out. It gets people ready to buy a full length album. It’s like letting somebody test drive a cart they want to buy.

I’ll personally never forget the first Rich O’Toole live performance I had the pleasure to see. What has changed in your live performances and what are the things that have remained the same?

A lot has changed but the energy is the same. I get a lot of panic attacks on stage so its hard for me to stand still. That’s why I move around a lot. We have a killer band I tour with now. we have added a Sax and Keyboard player on the full band tour in May. Very excited.

Who are some of your musical influences?

It started with Robert Earl Keen and now has morphed into Bruce Springsteen, Mellencamp and The Rolling Stones.

What’s your opinion on the Tom Petty vs Sam Smith lawsuit and how do you think it effects artists across the board?

Music has been around for so long know that it’s hard not to copy somebody every know and then. Older artist should just see it as flattery and not competition.

If you could write a song with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I would say Bob Dylan just to see what its all about. But first Springsteen. I look up to him so much so I would love to write with Bruce. His son Evan opened all of our East coast shows last year and I was very impressed. It was hard not to ask about his father on the tour. But I kept quite and let him do his thing.

Of all the songs that you’ve written, which one are you most proud of and which one makes you cringe just a little?

My vocal on the “Seventeen” makes me cringe a bit. I was so young and green. Every album I have released I got a little better at singing and writing. So I look forward to every new album I put out because it will be better than the last. Its all about learning and becoming a better you as you go.

What is your first concert you went to?

George Strait at The Astrodome when I was 7. I was hooked since. I would dance around the house jumping on the couch with a Tennis racquet doing my best Dwight Yoakum leg shake. It you have seen me perform live you will know what that is all about.

What is the strangest fan request you’ve ever had?

Stuff I can talk about…Asking me to sign cell phones and body parts. Thats always weird.

Your Mom has a striking resemblance to Kris Jenner, in fact I think I read where she was mistaken for her at LAX. With that in mind, which Kardashian would you be and why?

Haha. At first it was cool and now is very annoying, but funny. I don’t really watch the show but I would have to say Scott D. he seems like he’s always in trouble.

Besides tacos with a side of good wine, what is your favorite “on the road” food?

I love Chick-fil-a and waffle house so much. It’s so good.

What advice would you give to an emerging artist?

Don’t listen to any haters and follow your heart. If you want it bad enough you can make it happen!

Is there one particular person in the industry or not that has given you a valuable piece of advice and what was it?

Pat Green once told me “35% of country music is bought in Texas” So I try and stay loyal as possible and know that I live and perform in the best state in the United States!

What is your one pet peeve that you wished people would or would not do during one of your shows?

Text in the front row, and just stand there. If I’m moving a lot, you should be moving a lot and getting into it! You paid for a show so please enjoy it.

What’s your favorite color?

Black, I own 37 black t-shirts. I started my own clothing line 17 Army this year. most of the clothes will be black. I think its easy. Its like my Rock N Roll uniform.

Favorite venue or town?

New Braunfels & Gruene Hall

So, “Let’s Talk About the Weather”, favorite season and why?

Winter and Christmas! I love sitting by the fire!

Thanks Cara and RFT! Y’all Rock!!!

The post And Now A Word From Rich O’Toole appeared first on Radio Free Texas.

Dusty is an artist whose name is popping up all over Texas. With a sound that is reminiscent of the Texas Music scene that so many of us fell in love with, do yourself a service and go catch a live show and buy the album.

Better yet, buy two albums and give one to your friend.

Check out Dusty’s answers after the jump.

What is the last song that you listened to? Like, literally, the last song.

“Say Something ” by A Great Big World. An amazing song that has so many different meanings depending on your situation… beautifully written.

When you gig, other than your instrument, what is one thing that you can’t gig without?

I would have to say that the one thing I can’t gig without the most is water. I push my voice a lot during shows and forcing myself to drink lots of water relaxes me and makes sure I feel my best vocally for the shows. It makes me confident that when I decide to push myself I know I can get away with it.

What is your advice to an artist just starting out?

The advice I could give a new artist is to determine exactly what it is that you really want and then work a little harder every day to achieve it. Be wiling to work harder than anyone else to get what you dream about because it will not be given to you. Secondly, get rid of any negativity and hatred that surrounds you it will only drag you down. Surround yourself with people who think positively and have a strong work ethic. Lastly, in everything you do….BE HONEST!!!!

Who would you like to write a song with and why?

I’ve got two people for this one…

#1. Sean McConnell. He pours emotion and honesty into his songs that truly makes a listener feel as if though they have lived his songs. He leaves just the right amount of void in his lyrics for you to put yourself inside them and go on the journey with him. His live shows are just as intense as his writing and are really something to admire.

#2. Jason Isbell. Jason has an incredible talent with language and vocabulary. I’m really curious about his method of writing. I want to know how he establishes his ideas and begins the process of the song, and if that song turned out how he imagined it would. His new album “Southeastern” is absolutely incredible.

Favorite type of show and why? Acoustic, full-band, house concert, etc.

I haven’t played many house concerts, but the ones I have been apart of have been great. Acoustic and full band shows each have their place and time. The energy of a full band behind me is incredible, especially with a lively crowd but the rawness and honesty of an acoustic show is equally amazing. I think most songwriter’s would agree that it is very hard to beat playing an acoustic show to a captive listening audience.

The post The Five – Dusty Smirl appeared first on Radio Free Texas.

Up now is the man behind some of the best songs on the scene, and the funniest darn posts on Facebook and Twitter. Bo Phillips is an Okie with songs that can make you cry, and one-liners that can keep you in stitches. A road warrior with a true passion for the music he plays, Bo is a wonderful live performer as well as a great songwriter.

Born in Houston, Phillips was raised by his grandparents in Southeastern Oklahoma. After graduating college in Stillwater, he started his professional life as a highschool agriculture teacher. With the passion he had for music, the teaching only made it six years before the music called him.

First picking up a guitar at just nine years old, he worked that into a career by 2005. His route to music was a bit different than other artists. He was a bouncer at the Tumbleweed in Stillwater, OK for nearly ten years. When the owner opened a new bar in town known as Rooster’s, with the intent being to focus on live music, he asked Phillips if he would be willing to host a karaoke night. Part of this deal included Bo filling in the time between requests by playing his guitar and singing. Soon, more people were coming out to here Bo and his guitar than there were for karaoke.

From those beginnings, Bo Phillips has grown his “filler sets” into a full-blown full-time career.

“I made the decision that if I wanted to be successful in the music business, then I had to treat it like a business,” Phillips says. “All my focus and attention are in this business. This IS my day job!”

When first starting out, Phillips had a problem many artists face: having enough songs to fill a three hour show. Being the outside-the-box thinker he is, his solution was one that few others think of.

“I knew about six songs. So I’d play them with different chords, at different speeds, and depending on how many Jack and Cokes I had, entirely different words.”

These days, Bo has come a long way from filling time between drunken karaoke “stars.” One of his many highlights came in Diamond, MO at a venue called Lucky Maggie’s. Roughly three to four years ago, Phillips was booked to play there, when he received a call from the owner asking if he would mind having his booking turned into an opener for Doug Stone. Doug’s routing made it possible for the bar to get him at a reasonable rate. Being a huge Doug Stone fan, Bo said “of course!” Phillips knocked out his set and proceeded to a front row, center seat to enjoy Doug’s show. After enjoying Doug’s set, fans were asking Bo to retake the stage and play acoustic until closing time. With permission of the bar owner and Doug’s people, Phillips obliged the fans.

The magic happened halfway through his second song. Phillips noticed from the corner of his eye Stone was approaching him on stage, guitar in hand. The pair, both shining star and rising star, shown brightly for the next hour and a half through an impromptu song swap.

His knack for comedy and improvisation, surely strengthened during those early “six song sets,” Phillips has reveled itself through several of his songs.

“Clinger,” Cornfed,” and “Hitchhiker” bring some humor to his albums, but perhaps his funniest writing came in the form of “Blue Dixie Cup,” his response to a song many in the Texas scene disliked. His lyrics were the verbalization of many people’s feelings, which is what so many feel music should be, but it was also about the funniest song to come upon the scene in quite a while.

But not all is fun and games in the music business. Phillips recalls his worst show vividly. At a bar in Pawnee, OK, the staff was rude, and the customers were, well, let’s say the exit door of the rear quarters we sit on.

“I booked the show for a friend,” Bo states. “Never again.”

With a new album in the works, Phillips hopes to have something new for his fans Christmas stockings. And what red dirt girl wouldn’t enjoy finding a new Bo Phillips album from Santa?

When asked what he considered his biggest critique of himself, Phillips answer is a two edged sword.

“I never considered myself attractive, cute, good looking, etc. That’s the main reason I get so fed up with people who focus so much on their looks than creating good music.”

Which also ties into what he considers the hardest part of the music business: dealing with egos, which Phillips says is “not my cup of tea.”

Showing his knack for comedy as strong as his songwriting, some of the interview questions for this article are best reprinted verbatim:

Describe you style in your own words:
“An updo with highlights to accent my cheekbones. Frosted tips.”

What instruments do you play?
“Guitar primarily. I also play bass(who can’t, I mean really…c’mon), drums, mandolin, banjo, Peruvian Goat Toenails(who can’t, I mean really…c’mon).”

What song would your fans be surprised to learn you know all the words to?
“Blame It On The Rain.”

Favorite time killer?
“Candlestick in the Observatory.”

Worst vice or habit?
“Depends on who you ask. They seem to only annoy other people.”

Wrapping up our interview, Phillips passes along some advice which many artists, both up and coming, and some established, would be better off following:

“Learn to actually sing. Actually learn your instrument. Don’t be a d*%$ to your band, family, or fans.”

Wise words indeed.

Be sure to follow the adventure that is Bo Phillips’ musical life at http://www.bophillipsband.com, on Twitter at @BoPhillipsBand, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bophillipsband.

The post Bo Knows Music – An Interview With Bo Phillips appeared first on Radio Free Texas.

If you are in the New Braunfels area, make sure to stop in to Billy’s Icehouse on Tuesday at 8pm. Enjoy a cold beverage and some hot tunes from Junior.

What is the last song that you listened to? Like, literally, the last song.

Fowler “What I wouldn’t give for your Love”

When you gig, other than your instrument, what is one thing that you can’t gig without?

Rubber chicken and a Prayer before the show!

What is your advice to an artist just starting out?

Work Hard, be polite to everyone, even if you don’t want to, and never give up!

Who would you like to write a song with and why?

Ronnie Dunn… He is The Man

Favorite type of show and why? Acoustic, full-band, house concert, etc.?

Full band show’s rock.. and have to say Hometown shows.. Its always good to catch up with friends and hear the local gossip.. lol

{showalbum 1742}

The post The Five – Junior Gordon appeared first on Radio Free Texas.

Growing up in Big Spring, the McKinney house was filled with the sounds of the Beatles, Stones, Charlie Daniels, Willie Nelson and Eric Clapton, among many others.

“Another huge one that my dad turned me on to, and who made me want to play harmonica, was Tony Joe White,” McKinney adds. “He had that swampy blues sound, played the harp with the headset. I really got into him.”

The epiphany of playing lived happen when Mark was around eight years old and Willie Nelson played the football stadium in Big Spring.

McKinney remembers looking up at Nelson on stage, playing his heart out in front of the crowd, and thinking “now that’s what I wanna do!”

His parents being the supportive music lovers who had passed such a love on to their sons, they gladly got the boys guitar lessons, instruments, and allowed them and their friends to rehearse in the home. The first band came together around middle school, made up of Mark, his brother Eric, and some middle school friends. McKinney’s father made the group a deal that if they would learn 10 songs, he would book them a show.

That first show took place at Godfather’s Pizza in Big Spring between their sixth and seventh grade years.

“We played our 10 songs, the girls screamed, and we were hooked!” McKinney recalls. “We sucked, I can imagine what it sounded like.”

From there, the McKinney boys grew both in size, and in their musical talent. After school, Mark and Eric started a group aptly called the McKinney Brothers, which was heavily influenced by the then current Austin scene. As McKinney described the incarnation, “it was rhythm and blues, kinda rock, a little funky, but still based in roots.”

Following the McKinney Brothers was the Cosmic Cowboys, where the music started to come back into the country realm and even garnered the attention of Virgin records. Virgin liked what they found in the Cosmic Cowboys, and signed them to a development deal. Between 1998 and 2000, McKinney and his Cosmic brothers where busy putting together would they thought would become the first Cosmic Cowboys album.

Sadly, it was not to be. While they were slaving away in the studio, Virgin was being acquired by Capitol Records. After the merger, Capitol dropped all of Virgin’s development signings, which included the Cosmic Cowboys.

After being on the cusp of many independent artist’s dream, McKinney spent the next few years working construction and doing real estate around Austin. He would sporadically play a few shows, but never laid his pen aside. He continued writing and playing the guitar, hoping that maybe he would get someone to cut a song or two one day. Then around 2006, Mark said he decided to start doing what he loved, come what may. He scaled back on the day jobs and began performing a lot more.

“I always try to get better as a songwriter. Also, I don’t consider myself some great singer,” McKinney admits. “But maybe it’s a unique voice that some people are going to love, and some people are going to hate. I just basically liked writing songs and I needed somebody to sing them. So I was like ‘Aw hell, I guess I’ll sing them!’ “

Around 2008, McKinney decided it was time to go completely full time with his music, and hasn’t looked back. Obviously, the timing was right and the stars were aligned, as McKinney and his group won the French Country Music Awards “Live Performance of the Year” for their show at the Equiblues Festival in St Agreves, France. Also on the lineup that weekend was one Kevin Fowler and a then-seventeen year old Kasey Musgraves.

“Five thousand people come out, they put on this rodeo, you do one show, they wine and dine you, and then you fly home,” McKinney says. “Next thing you know, we find out that from that one performance, we’d won best country live performance for 2008.”

Considering the previous winners(Jamey Johnson, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley to name a few), and the others on that weekends bill, this was quite and impressive feat.

“That night, we were on fire. You fly over there for five days for this one show, and you better make it count.”

Make it count they did.

Though the award was unexpected, it doesn’t quite rank as McKinney’s favorite moment. In the late 90’s, Mark spent roughly four months playing bass for Paula Nelson. Through this, he was able to meet the man who inspired him to play in the first place. Not only was he able to hang out with the Nelson bunch, he opened for Nelson a time or two, and related his story about that long ago concert in Big Spring to Willie himself.

Then there was the time he opened for Ted Nugent at Lonestar Park in Grand Prairie, Tx. When asked about standing in front of 28,000+ people and opening for the Nuge, McKinney’s response is an understatement: “It was pretty cool.”

When asked what the hardest thing about being a full time musician is, his answer is many fold.

“The previous bands I’d always played with, we’d do weekend shows. We wouldn’t do Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and sometimes Sunday afternoon. The hardest is building up that stamina to give your best and sing four or five nights a week. Not taking too many shots or drinking too many beers the first night, then be out of breath and hungover the next three or four days. That was hard to get the ebb and flow of.”

Another thing McKinney says makes for a constant struggle is the number of artists around the scene today.

“There’s a lot of great music out there. Sometimes it’s tough to make yourself standout, to be noticed. There’s so many great singers, songwriters, bands and performers. It just a huge sea of talent. The hardest part is standing out in a sea of talent.”

Though he strives to always put out better music and grow his fanbase, McKinney says he’s happy with where he is.

“I’m real happy being an Americana Texas country artist with a good fanbase,” McKinney says.

Although being happy can sometimes be a relative term.

“I remember doing one show about five or six years ago in Waco. It was outside downtown. I can’t remember what it was for. It was 38 degrees, and we were supposed to put on a ninety plus minute show. I think we ended up giving them about seventy-five minutes and we were just frozen. There were probably about five people there, that was probably the worst,” McKinney remembers.

But things are looking up for McKinney these days. His latest album, “Standing My Ground,” provided his first #1 single. “She Ain’t Leaving,” featuring Bri Bagwell, went to the top of the chart, which isn’t bad for a hastily released single.

“It was the first song, the only song, we had done and we knew we needed to get a song out to radio. We threw out ‘She Ain’t Leaving’ and lo and behold, it did well. I’ve had a bunch of top tens, but it was my first #1.”

The current single “Stolen Cash” is riding high in the top five on the charts, but McKinney says the next single “Lonely Bones” will be the first from the album with a music video. The album was produced by Mark and his brother Eric, and recorded in Austin at Eric McKinney’s Wonderland Studios. McKinney has also taken a more hands on approach to all other aspects of his music, releasing his manager and also taking on the duties of his websites, Facebook and twitter. Although he admits some of the info on markmckinney.com may be a bit outdated, he says that the tour dates are kept current. Unlike many at his level and above, McKinney keeps the personal relationship with his fans tight by updating and responding to his fans on twitter and facebook himself.

Heeding the advice of friend and sometime writing partner Kevin Fowler, McKinney is quick to pass it along to newer artist. This advice has obviously paid dividends for McKinney.

“Don’t give up. Keep pounding at it, keep doing your thing,” McKinney says. “It’s kind of like ‘who can outlast.’ Don’t try to copy anyone else.”

For more information, show dates, and current happenings in the world of Mark McKinney, fans can follow him on Twitter, like his fanpage on Facebook, or check the tour dates on www.markmckinney.com.

http://www.markmckinney.com
http://www.facebook.com/markmckinneyfanpage
Twitter: @mark_mckinney

{showalbum 2032}

{showalbum 2033}

{showalbum 2034}

{showalbum 2035}

{showalbum 2036}

The post From Big Spring To Big Time: Mark McKinney appeared first on Radio Free Texas.

In this installment, we hit up Peter “Ren” Renfree with 2-Bit Palomino.

What is the last song that you listened to? Like, literally, the last song.

Connie Mims “When I Called you Mine”

When you gig, other than your instrument, what is one thing that you can’t gig without?

Our pants! Well, other than pants, we really like to have a nice bottle of Tequila for after our shows.

What is your advice to an artist just starting out?

Work on your talent. Practice Practice and PRACTICE! Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to self-promote. Never let your ego get the better of you. Give a quality product for a reasonable price.

Who would you like to write a song with and why?

Chuck Cannon. He’s an amazingly visual lyricist and I really look up to him.

Favorite type of show and why? Acoustic, full-band, house concert, etc.

Our favorite types of shows are House Concerts and Listening Rooms. We’re always acoustic and a trio, and these types of venues really play to our strengths! We love the intimacy that happens between us and our audience. It’s really quite special.

The post The Five – Ren from 2-Bit Palomino appeared first on Radio Free Texas.