Brad's Corner is a monthly commentary written by Brad about whatever he feels like. It's supposed to be funny, interesting and thought provoking, but most geniuses are misunderstood. Check out the September 2008 edition of Brad's Corner and see what's on his mind.

*Loyalty

I’ve opined in this space many times about the special things that make the Texas/Red Dirt scene different from mainstream country music. Of the many things I’ve listed out over the years have been quality songwriting, gritty live shows, genuine talent and appreciation of fans among others. Some of the mainstream acts have pieces of those things, but it is rare. Those instances, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, LeeAnn Womack are highlighted in our scene because they feel camaraderie with our guys and gals. However, as several things have unfolded over this past month it made me realize that the core ingredient distinguishing our scene out here on the backroads from the slick concrete streets of Nashvegas cash cows is the common thread of loyalty. Sure, country music in general proclaims to have the best fans in the world, and I suppose that is true. But, try telling that to someone in the metal, punk, or hip-hop scene. Every scene thinks they have the best fans. But, I’ve recently seen three distinct examples of what makes us special.

Jason Boland has been at the forefront of Red Dirt music for nearly a decade. In the early days it was his bullish behavior and rowdy live shows that drew fans in. Then, once they were hooked in by the intensity they had only heard of by word of mouth, they discovered an incredible songwriter and performer…at home with his full band of Stragglers backing him or just a guitar and the stories pulled from the back of his highly intelligent brain. This cat was singing what he was living. From battles with demons to the wreckage of relationships and Detroit’s best steel, Boland has managed to escape and use up just about eight of what surely has to be nine lives. Recently, while beginning the ramp up to the publicity push for his fantastic new album, Comal County Blue, Boland received some terrible news. After noticing some strain on his voice and being unable to sing, or even talk, as he was accustomed, Boland was referred to several specialists. Finally, he ended up in the care of the country’s best throat/voice doctors, ironically located in Nashville. Their advice was surgery as soon as possible, many months off the road, and complete vocal rest.

Well, for bands in this scene, that might as well spell a death knell. But, most bands don’t have a leader and team as resilient as Jason Boland and the Stragglers. Knowing their touring income would be severely slashed, Boland and his team devised a frenetic and creative publicity tour for the new record. The end result was ending up with the number one country album on ITunes the week of release. Befitting of his life’s adventure up to this point, Boland underwent vocal cord surgery on the day his album was released and is already planning a thunderous return to the stages of the circuit and beyond.

Boland’s story underscores the theme of loyalty I was referring to. His band has been loyal to him through it all. His fans have stuck by him through it all to the point of pushing his latest release to a top-seller knowing he needed album income more than anything. And, Boland has been loyal to himself. Sober, stoned, straight and narrow or live and lit…Boland has stayed true to his roots and his fans have stayed with him.

Roger Creager is another guy who exemplifies what I’m talking about. I know many of you are scratching your heads…saying to yourselves, what?!? Especially, if you know my musical tastes. Early on in my forays to Texas Music, I was a big Creager fan. I loved his first two records. But, by 2003 he was doing the same shows, songs and bits onstage that I’d been seeing since 2001 with little in the way of good, new output. Yet, through it all, Creager had the guns and stuck to them. His audiences continually outdraw many of the acts I dig that are on the more innovative end of things. He has survived tragically losing everyone’s favorite road manager, Kirby Standley (RIP bro!). His band has undergone numerous personnel shake-ups. Yet, the people kept coming. And, Creager kept plugging along. After many years without a new release, Creager is coming out with Here It Is this fall. It has elements of those first two albums I dug so much. And, it is a testament to his dedication and hard work that he’s still here while many of his peers have either headed to greener pastures or fell by the wayside. The loyalty of his fans throughout these slow output years has been amazing to sit back and watch. Not many bands can get people to support them and come out to new shows without any new songs for nearly five years. But, Creager did it….and he now appears poised to go on a fresh five year run.

Wade Bowen’s career was detailed in the article I wrote about him for the Aug/Sept issue of LoneStarMusic magazine. Much like Boland and Creager, Bowen has a tale of loyalty to tell. Throughout the slow burn of his career, best exemplified by the Lost Hotel project, Bowen has been loyal to the gut instinct that has made him one of the top dogs of the Texas scene. One of the nicest guys you’ll meet in this scene, Bowen’s career has been two steps forward, three steps back at many junctures…and none of that was his doing. Yet, Bowen was persistent and consistent with his work ethic and dedication taking over. Now, on the eve of releasing his latest, If We Ever Make It Home, Bowen’s loyalty to his instincts and his hard work have him poised to make the leap up the career ladder seen by several of his close friends.

Lastly, I’d like to point out the loyalty we see on this website. We’ve been at this for around eight years in one form or another. The amazing thing is that we still have some folks that have been around since the inception and are still active. We have many more that our just active lurkers. And, the man that got this whole place started, Pat Green, has even begun jumping back in and hopping onto the forums to comment on things. The loyalty you folks have shown us is nothing short of inspiring, and it’s what keeps me going. My passion for the music is matched by so many people from all over the world and we come here to share it. Please take the lessons of the examples I talked about and apply them to your life…it’ll make you a happier person.

Push through hardships, stick to your guns, and work hard…just like your favorite musicians.

MINOR CHORDS:

-Our recent listening parties with Brandon Rhyder and Jason Boland have been a huge success…generating more traffic than any of our previous parties. We have one on the horizon with Wade Bowen…and I’m trying to nail Randy Rogers down for one.

-Speaking of Wade and Randy, I will be posting 20 Questions 2nd Editions with those guys during their album release weeks.

-Check out our new calendar format. We’ve been working hard on improving it for a while and it should be a little more user-friendly. We’re continuing to work towards Galley 3.0.

-I’m so glad football season is here again. Is there a better fall weekend than hitting up some Friday night light action, sleeping in on Saturday, waking up with College Gameday, checking out some college ball till sundown, then heading out to a show. Sleeping in again on Sunday, lounging around while checking your fantasy stats and rooting on the Cowboys? If so, I haven’t found it. The capper to those weekends used to be The Front Porch Show on 99.5 the Wolf. Too bad idiots now run that place and they got rid of Justin.

-Speaking of radio, if you haven’t seen it, we have a new Texas/Red Dirt radio forum that has been getting a ton of hits with some lively debates. Also, I’m really digging living within reception range of 95.9 The Ranch. My only complaint is that the playlist is rather derivative at times. On one recent trip in the truck, I heard a Ragweed song and a Chris Knight song on my way to my destination. Then about an hour later on my way back home, I heard a Ragweed song and a Chris Knight song. Throw in some ladies! I’d love to hear Bonnie Bishop, Fallon Franklin, Modern Day Drifters, Kimberly Kelly, Susan Gibson, Maren Morris and others mixed right in with those guys. All in all…great job guys…digging the all Texas format. Now, if I could just pick up Mandatory FM in Fort Worth I’d be set.

-I’m not yet 30, but I realized I was getting old when I had no interest in seeing that College movie that has been getting so much promotion.

-Randy Rogers recently celebrated his 30th birthday with an 80’s themed party. I went to an 80’s party last NYE and it was a blast. I got to create the playlist, dress up etc. How long before the generation behind us is doing 90’s party and mocking us? Wearing flannel, blaring Nirvana, Tupac and Britney while answering Friends and Seinfeld trivia questions?

-This month’s recommended film: Tropic Thunder. I’d heard both good and bad going into this, so I didn’t really know what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find it the comedy I’d genuinely laughed at loud the most at in the theater in at least a year. Robert Downey Jr. steals the show, and keep your eyes open for all the cool cameos.

-This month’s recommended album: Bruce Robison-The New World.. I wrote a complete review of this for the next issue of LSM mag. However, let me just say that Bruce’s gift for being the songwriter even folks like Radney Foster look up to continues. Bruce has a knack for making the simple seem sublime and vice versa. This is his most adventurous record musically speaking and one I think just about anyone will enjoy.

-“Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.”-Mark Twain

Today we released v3 of the Concerts and Events Calendar here at Galleywinter and this release is much improved over the last one. There are several key areas we wanted to focus on for this release, but most importantly we wanted to make it much easier for someone to be able to not just browse the events quicker, but also find one and find more info about that event quickly. I’ll give you a quick run through of the features we added and improved.

Look and Feel
We cleaned up the main view for easier viewing. Everything was getting lost in the shuffle with hundreds of events on one page. We also speeded up getting info about each event by adding a little popup instead of going to a whole new page… so now you can click on several events very quickly. We also did some tracking on which views people used and the list views were hardly being used at all, so we removed them to make things easier to get around.

View only certain things or ”Filters”
We changed the cumbersome dropdown lists where you could only choose one artist or one venue to filter on. Now we have a nice popup that allows you to select multiple venues or artists at a time. For example instead of only filtering by Adam Hood.. you can now filter and get dates for Adam Hood, Ryan Bingham and Cory Morrow all on one calendar. And also, now if you bookmark that link, you will always be able to quickly pull up the filtered list… very cool for seeing quickly what your favorite artist’s or venues have going on.

Keeping the artists dates up to date
Most of it is nothing that you will actually see, but we spent most of our time working on the admin areas to do things like flag duplicate dates, keep our venue lists up to date, streamline the event entry process. Basically we wanted the people that maintain the calendar to be able to add and modify dates easily… so that it’s always up to date for you.

Add Event Page
This page got a complete overhaul. It just wasn’t working before. We’ve improved things by adding in an option to add events “By Venue” as well as “By Artist”. We have many venues that add events and this will help them keep there dates up to date for you. WE added a date picker to cut down on errors and my personal pride and joy a venue selector that actually works. We have a database with over 1,300 music venues in it that is tied to the calendar. So when you enter the venue in which the artist is playing all you have to do is type a few letters of the name and it will give you option to select. When you select one it will automatically pull in all the info about that venue! You don’t have to enter the address or phone, etc.. For example if I was adding an event at the Firehouse Saloon all I would have to type is “Fire” and it would give me the options including Firehouse Saloon. It makes event entry quick and easy!

My Calendar
This is the overall addition that we are most proud of. We added in a Personal Calendar where you tag shows on the main calendar and they will show up here. You will se on the event popup a little link that says “Add to My Calendar”. Once you click it the event will turn green and you now have your own calendar to remind yourself what shows you’d like to go to. It’s a lot like Myspace but instead of entering in all the info.. you just have to click once and it’s added. And just like Myspace you can choose whether you want your calendar public or private.

Highlighted CD Releases and Festivals
Another new feature is that our admins can add CD Releases and Festivals and other big events and they are highlighted at the top of each day. This way you can check out the major things at a glance. Personally, I really like knowing when the CD releases are.

Geeky Stuff
Also added was an API for other web designers to be able to pull dates from our calendar. We’re working with a few people so that the artist updates their dates on GW and they will then automatically be updated on their own site. This is a way we are hoping to help younger artists be able to have a calendar on their site and we’ve done all the hard work.

We’re not done yet...
We’re still working on a few things that we just didn’t want to hold the launch up with. Mainly its the Reminders and a brand new iCal feed. The reminders just didn’t work well in the other calendar so it’s getting a total makeover. The iCal feeds are really cool. Basically it will allow you take to you’re my Calendar or any filtered dates and feed it into Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar or iCal. What that means is that as dates are updated on GW.. they will pop in on your Google Calendar, etc.. Hopefully we’ll roll these out sometime in the next few weeks as well as some fun stuff that we are working on for myspace integration, etc..

Hope you enjoy!!!!

Join us for a listening party chat on Wed Aug 20 at 7PM. Jason will be online, the tunes will be loaded in the Galleywinter Music Player and we'll take a tour through the new tunes and anything else you want to ask Jason.

Visit this THREAD


*Reprinted from Aug/Sep issue of LoneStarMusic Magazine.

Jason Boland and his band of Stragglers set the bar really high with their first two studio efforts, Pearl Snaps and Truckstop Diaries. Along with the blistering live shows that became their calling card, these strong collections of Lloyd Maines produced tunes were astutely labeled instant classics. The songwriting was some of the most authentic and...

personal that had been seen in the rejuvenated Texas scene. Then, a series of personal demons and personnel shake-ups changed the chemistry of the band and sound of the last couple records. Somewhere in the Middle was a bit of a creative disappointment, and the Pete Anderson produced follow-up didn’t live up to the hype and initial promise surrounding its sum of musical whiz parts.

However, Boland has come out of the darkness of a personal and professional hell with his most soul shatteringly personal album ever, Comal County Blue. Without delving into too many details he has dealt with some of the hardest hitting issues a man can face and come out of it stronger on the other side. He is living proof that what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. And, that jubilant thirst for life and victorious tone of finally listening to the angels on his shoulders more often than the devil is dripping from each song on this album. One trip through the track listing and you know exactly where the inspiration for this album came from. “Bottle By My Bed” is as gut-wrenchingly honest as Brad Paisley’s “Whiskey Lullaby” was trite.

My life was as empty as the bottle by my bed
my friends turned into strangers and I was on a dead-end…

That honesty comes from having lived through each syllable of the song. Endless hangovers and forgotten friends will definitely lead to inspiration and Boland delivers the tune in a straightforward manner. The title track is the biggest triumph here. It is a musical autobiography of Boland’s past few years encapsulated in just a shade over three minutes. He describes his daily routine of beating around New Braunfels and heading up to Austin on backroads while the demons that controlled his life stay within arms reach each second of his journey. “God Is Mad at Me” contains Boland’s knack for including spiritual themes without being holier than thou, very much in the vein of Billy Joe Shaver.

I feel like God is mad at me
Because he thinks I worship you
When he looks down and wonders
At all the foolish things I do
At the edge of hell there’s a choice to make
To go around or through
I feel like God is mad at me
Because he thinks I worship you

The breathtaking and open nature of Boland’s candidness and frankness continues with tunes like “May Not Be Love”, “No Reason Being Late” and “Down Here on Earth”. Boland’s voice sounds as if it is as at peace as his soul. The musicianship fits the laidback nature of the vocals and provides ample cradling for the very fragile and personal lyrics. “Sons and Daughters of Dixie” and “Outlaw Band” should become live favorites for years to come as they include the rambling and rocking elements that many fans expect from a Straggler effort.


Buy the album HERE

WHAT: Galleywinter is teaming up with Justin Frazzell to give away a pair of VIP Meet & Eat tickets to this years Pickin' For Preemies concert! That's right...2 VIP passes and all the eats and non-alcoholic drinks you can entertain.

This event is close to the heart of Justin, as both of his children were born premature, and the March of Dimes sincerely helped he and his wife through a very difficult time. Now, it's our turn as the Texas/Red Dirt music family to give back.

HOW TO WIN: Simply visit THIS THREAD in The Front Porch forum and post a comment detailing your favorite moment from one of Justin's broadcasts. It could be a performance, interview or simply a comment that stuck with you.

Contest entries must be received by Friday Aug 22 at 6PM!

WHEN: This event is taking place Monday, September 1st at Billy Bob's in Fort Worth. Doors at 4, Music at 5.

ARTISTS PLAYING: Brandon Rhyder, Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Bleu Edmondson, Cory Morrow, Roger Creager, Stoney LaRue, Bart Crow, Cody Canada and many many more!



**If you don't win...ticket's are available through Ticketmaster: HERE

*This is reprinted from an article I wrote about Wade for the Aug/Sep issue of LoneStarMusic magazine...pick up a copy near you!
-Brad

On the eve of the biggest professional leap of faith Wade Bowen has ever taken, the man behind the music is at ease. The history of music in general, and country music in particular, is paved with many stories of dues paid and survived struggles in the process of “making it.” Wade Bowen is certainly no different. Bowen’s long climb to the top is the key ingredient that jointly infuriates and inspires him. While Bowen has been able to earn a substantial following among fervent fans in the Texas market, it is his yearning to take his music to borders beyond the Red River that continually drives him.

A series of shake-ups behind the scenes have left Bowen with new band members, new management guidance, and new booking assistance. From the very first glimmer of deciding to do music as a career, Bowen has been guided and surrounded by a tight inner-circle of trusted friends and confidants. Frustrated but not deterred by the commercial results of his most recent album, Lost Hotel, Bowen decided to shake up his business model. While Lost Hotel had garnered the best reviews and buzz of Bowen’s career, it did not catch on like he thought it should have, and many thought it would. Remembering the time period vividly, Bowen recalls the anxiety he felt about the entire project. “It was definitely out of my control, as so much stuff is in this business. I had such high hopes for Lost Hotel even before I released it. I shopped it around to some different labels and had interest from even RCA,” he continues, “I dealt with them for around six months talking back and forth until they finally passed on me. I then went ahead and released it through Sustain Records down here in Texas because I felt there was an opportunity there to try something different and hopefully have some success.”

While the album has continually gained traction and momentum, the immediate success envisioned by Bowen and his inner circle was not easily attained. Yet, deep down Bowen knew that Lost Hotel was probably going to be a slow burn due to its dark nature. He realized that the stark, personal nature of many of the tunes did not lend themselves to the good-timing and hell-raising that draws so many fans to the sounds of the Texas scene. It was a songwriter’s record, and one he was proud to share. “You have to understand that at that time, I was struggling to keep my career alive. I really wasn't pulling any huge crowds, it had been three years since my last record, and that one was a live album.” He goes on to say, “I told myself to be patient with ‘Lost Hotel.’ I knew that it would not hit immediately. I knew that I was going to have to work my ass off to get the point of that album across to people and I convinced myself and my boys that they will get it eventually. I would say prayers that someone was listening somewhere. And, eventually it turned out they were. The beauty of this scene came through for me. One person heard it, they passed it to their buddy who passed it on etcetera…and word of mouth made my career happen.”

A fan of music from his earliest memories, Bowen spent the bulk of his youth on the football and baseball fields of Waco, enjoying the country music of George Strait, George Jones and others while listening to it with his dad as they drove around town. Additionally, like so many others growing up with older siblings, Bowen was heavily influenced by the sounds his older sisters deemed cool. With music as a career or even as a hobby still just a distant thought, he subconsciously filed away all of these influences in the back of his head. “I just feel really comfortable with rock sounds and going back to the sounds my sisters had playing back when I was a kid. Now, if we slip in some rock stuff, I watch the crowds react to it and it pumps us up onstage so much,”Bowen explains, “It develops and builds into this energy that you can't find in just simple, straightforward country music. But, having said that, my roots are imbedded in country music, and they always will be. Songwriting is my passion and my voice will never be anything but country. I just think being exposed to all the different sounds as a kid shaped the kind of artist I became.” That passionate music fan is still at home in every facet of Bowen’s career. Whether it is deciding on a t-shirt design, routing a tour date or writing out a set-list, Bowen keeps the fan in mind at all times. “It’s cliché, but I’m still just a fan myself…and constantly find myself amazed that I’m sharing a stage with someone like a Ray Wylie Hubbard or hearing my songs on the radio from time to time,” Bowen explains.

From the very inception of his career, Bowen has endured comparisons and footsteps that haunt and guide him, while at times fostering naysayers. Growing up in a prominent Waco family, then heading out to Texas Tech for college and starting a band had already been done, people said. And, it didn’t help that it had been done by one of the biggest acts to ever come out of Texas, Pat Green. Or that Green had blazed the exact same trail from Waco to Lubbock to music. Bowen recalls “I made my decisions based on what I thought was best for me at that time and it just so happened to follow what Pat had done. People talk, and it has all worked out in the end for both of us…plus, I got a song out of it (‘God Bless This Town’).”

After finding lead guitarist Matt Miller at a backyard party while back in Waco his first summer home from college, Bowen headed back to Lubbock convinced that he could chase the music dream that had been dancing around in his subconscious since his youth. He quickly rushed to fill out the rest of the band and started booking gigs. On the way to the first one, they still didn’t have a name and someone quickly suggested they name themselves after the road they were traveling down, West 84. “Our first gig was in 1998 at the Lubbock Stubb's BBQ. We had like three-hundred people there and thought we were rock stars,” laughingly remembers Bowen.

Several months of gigging and practicing had Bowen convinced it was time to make a record. With Bowen’s eternal optimism guiding the way, West 84 headed into the studio to record Just for Fun. “It was a group of young guys that knew nothing about recording or making a record. I'm surprised we even got a record at all...but we did,” Bowen laughs. He goes on to add, “The record title says it all, I was living a dream…making my very own album. Looking back, I’m happy with that record for what it is.” Chad Kudelka, Bowen’s best friend since childhood and longtime music business partner also remembers that as a fun time, “It was such a cool time, fun to be out at shows, playing for people, traveling to new towns we’d never even heard of before…it was back in the day when it wasn’t work, and we didn’t look at it that way. It really was all just for fun.”

Hitting the highways of the burgeoning Texas circuit fostered a deep-seeded desire in Bowen to grow artistically with his music. While happy with chugging through the barroom standards of the day, Bowen knew his voice and band were capable of much more. As he found himself in an increasingly crowded scene of sub-par musicians and songwriters, Bowen knew he had something to offer that the others did not. He started finding his own voice both vocally and with his songwriting. The miles and hours were starting to transform him and his band from a group of green kids just having fun into serious musicians. This transformation convinced Bowen he was going to make the crowds come to him and they would listen to every note. “We were hitting all these towns and clubs, and seeing all these bands that sounded and looked the same. I knew we had to go to a higher level,” Bowen relates.

With this new determination and direction, soon it was time to make another album. This time around in the studio, emboldened by his growing confidence and abilities, Bowen experimented with new sounds and production techniques. He had more money, time and expertise to make an album he was truly proud of. The band headed to Nashville to record Try Not to Listen. Bowen wrote the title track to explain his mood at the time, its triumphant chorus seemed to encapsulate the vibe and time in Bowen’s life. The strong work ethic and determination he’d learned playing sports in his youth and hanging around the electricians that worked with his father was seeping into the young musician’s chosen vocation. “It was around the time of ‘Try Not to Listen’ that I realized this was going to be a career. It was no longer just a fun hobby. I was determined to work my tail off and get to the next level,” Bowen recalls. Kudelka adds, “I think when ‘Try Not To Listen’ came out, personally both Wade and I were tired…a little frustrated and questioning what our future would be. We didn’t know what graduation would bring or how much longer we could keep this project and band on the road at the pace we were at. We were three years in, and we knew it was make it or break it time.” The stronger production of this new record was coupled with the band adding Wade Bowen to the front of their West 84 moniker and continuing to sharpen their sound and hone their career. Bowen recalls the decisions around that time. “When I graduated and moved to Austin, I had to start over completely because Lubbock is so far away from everywhere. So, I did and that's where the West 84 became extinct. I knew that I was serious and I questioned that about the rest of the band as a group. So I took matters into my own hands and started playing acoustic shows wherever they would let me. Eventually, people came to know Wade Bowen instead of West 84.”


Soon after Try Not to Listen hit the streets, it became apparent that the gamble of daring the crowd not to listen would gain him the biggest notice of his young career. Crowds were growing following the release of the album, and buzz was starting to spread about Bowen’s live show: a rollicking honky-tonk tour-de-force that featured Bowen’s soulful country vocals layered over double lead guitar blues licks, bumping bass lines and popping snare drums. Mixing covers and the growing familiarity of Bowen’s originals, the band set out to capture their live show on an album, Live at the Blue Light. “That record definitely started to spread the word about us. I remember being amazed at how many we were selling week after week. Actually, I'm still amazed at how many still sell. The Blue Light threw that idea at me, and I just ran with it. I decided to just record one night instead of a couple of nights. I felt that would make it more real and honest and I think that's what people like about it so much,” says Bowen.

Touring on the live record for nearly three years led to some burnout. Original members of West 84 began to pursue other projects or drop out of the music business altogether. Several years of dues paid and hard work had enabled Wade Bowen’s name to become synonymous with the latest crop of Texas insurgents that had come in the wake of Pat Green and Cory Morrow. Yet, despite the relative success, Bowen again realized that he still had more to give. He knew his creative peak had not yet been reached and set out to write songs that modeled what he heard in his head for his next record, Lost Hotel.

The independence and drive that has marked Bowen’s career from the moment he met Matt Miller in that backyard was never more evident than when he made the decisions that would form the Lost Hotel project. “We had made a name for ourselves as this rocking band and doing Audioslave breakdowns mixed with Waylon. And, I knew that as cool as that was and is, I wanted to also be known as a serious songwriter. So, I set out to prove to people that I was a serious songwriter, and Lost Hotel was the product of that,” Bowen explains. The aforementioned slow build of the album at some points helped Bowen to feel that maybe he’d made a mistake by making such a personal record and not sticking to the upbeat nature of the Live at the Blue Light project that led to the discovery of his music for many fans. “I got frustrated many nights. I would wander back to the van and head back to the room as soon as I could so that I could just go to sleep and go to another town.” Yet, out of that frustration grew appreciation. As crowds slowly started to grow and good review after good review trickled in, Bowen realized that he had made the right decision. “People started to get it and who I was one by one. And in the end, that's what matters to me. With all the cheesy stuff out there, Lost Hotel stands out because it's the furthest thing from it. Anyone who listens to that album knows, or at least has a glimpse into what I went through to make it and write it…and that's what is so special about it to me…and as excited as I am about this new album, I still don’t think ‘Lost Hotel’ is done.”

One can’t help but be in a better mood after spending some time with Bowen; his constant optimism and general good nature have come in handy as a struggling musician over the past decade. To a person, everyone involved in Texas Music continually mentions Wade Bowen as the nicest guy they encounter in their dealings. “There are a lot of shady folks in the music business, and very few are as genuine as Wade Bowen…and everyone I know in the Texas scene would echo that sentiment,” says Josh Grider, whose music career also sprang from Waco. While frequent songwriting partner Brandon Rhyder adds, “Wade Bowen is a classy genuine soul, and a dear friend, whom I've enjoyed watching as his star continues to grow."

Out of the abyss that became Lost Hotel both commercially and as a general vibe, Bowen decided he should incorporate some of his lifelong optimism, mix in a solid shot of his intensity, and infuse an overall vibe that explains who he is as an artist and person into his new project, If We Ever Make It Home. An apt title considering that Bowen has survived a decade in the business of music, specifically, the Texas version of it, unscathed. He hasn’t been labeled a sell-out by ignorant fans, he’s gotten to tour with big names like Lee Ann Womack and Dierks Bentley, and he has continually grown his career through hard work and great songs one night at a time. Now, with a renewed passion, band and team around him, including the Rogue Management Agency out of Nashville (home to Bowen’s good friend Bentley), it looks like Bowen is finally checking out of the Lost Hotel and heading home.

Work on the new If We Ever Make It Home album has been an enjoyable process for Bowen. “When I first went in to make this album, I told my producer and the band that I wanted to keep things as upbeat as possible. We tried but it was really crazy how everyone just felt it go right back into that Lost Hotel vein. We laughed about it a little actually because I guess it's just me,” explains Bowen. Past producer J.R. Rodriguez took the reins of the control board again, and Bowen headed into the studio with a strong collection of songs. “This record is full of great songwriting. It really builds on where we’ve been the past couple years. I wrote two with Randy Rogers, and I also got to write with Radney Foster, Stephony Smith, Clint Ingersoll, Jedd Hughes and some other really cool writers,”says Bowen. He goes on to add, “We also ended up cutting some outside tunes, and I think when people hear them, they’ll realize why I had to include them. I ended up setting aside some of my favorite songs that I’d written to make sure the record was perfect for me as an artist. And, I couldn’t be happier with the results.”

Expectations for If We Ever Make It Home are huge and that’s the way Bowen likes it. It speaks to his personality traits of good humor, intensity and determination. His career has been a steady trip up the mountain, and now that he’s just about conquered one peak, just as he has throughout his career, he’s ready to move on to the next, larger one. “I really feel like this album is going to put me over the hump as an all-around artist. Everything we’ve done has built to this point. I hope radio will get behind us on this project. And, I want everything for this record to explode like I think it will so I can implement some really cool ideas I’ve been sitting on,” Bowen excitedly explains.

It has been a long journey from Waco to Lubbock and beyond for Wade Bowen to find his way home, but he’s not yet finished. “I don't have the biggest crowds. I don't make the most money and I don't get played on the radio very much. But, for some reason, people throw me up there as one of the big dogs in the Texas scene, and I believe it's because I did it my way...the way I wanted.”


Brad Beheler is a Texas music supporter through various industry and fan-based outlets. A freelance music journalist and self-proclaimed indie fanatic, he works with many artists on a variety of projects. Brad has enjoyed many roles in his decade of music business adventures. These include: booking agent, road manager, festival promoter, bar bouncer, talent buyer, singer/songwriter, performer, journalist, and best of all, fan. Brad recently relocated from that epicenter of Texas cool, Waco, to the Fort Worth area where he resides his wife Kristin.

Brandon Rhyder’s newest album Every Night hits stores and iTunes August 19th. Visit the Brandon Rhyder forum on Sunday August 17th at 7pm. for a special listening party featuring the cd before it hits stores! Brandon will be online giving away prizes, answering questions and chatting with members, so mark your calendars to take part!

Be sure to also check out all of the great pre-sale packages available on www.brandonrhyder.com. Not only will you receive the cd on August 19th there’s also some pretty sweet swag to go along with it as well as chances to be entered to win prizes such as an entire year of tickets, guitars and attending special events with Brandon.

click here for the chat recap: Listening Party Thread.

click Read More for some reviews.. one by our own Sara S.

Brandon Rhyder “Every Night”
Sara Samford

Every Night, the title of the fifth album for Brandon Rhyder, is a reminder to he and his band of their job - to “bring it” every night. Making its debut August 19th and produced by the acclaimed Radney Foster, this album is pure country infused with what listeners have come to expect from Brandon Rhyder. This collection of songs conveys a fresh sound and perhaps a new direction for the songwriter.

Having solely written five of the twelve tracks and co-written the remaining songs, Brandon’s words are as strong as ever. The album’s first single, “This Ain’t It” brings to song a true tale of what real relationships are about – hard work and love. With lyrics co-written by Liz Rose like, If all you have is half a heart, I don’t mind I’ll take the broken part, it’s no wonder this tune is quickly climbing the charts.

The album’s fourth track, “Again”, is a haunting tale of forbidden yearning and love. The lilting melody and harmonies from Georgia Middleman, bring to mind secret rendezvous’ and passionate longing. A blush to the cheeks while listening to this stimulating track would not be a surprise.

If “Again” is the hidden love song, the potential wedding song of 2008 must be “Happy Ever After”. It takes the listener on a journey of love with the promise that if happy ever after means fighting some battles, baby you’re worth fighting for. Sarah Buxton who provides a refreshing sound with her distinctive voice provides harmony vocals on this track.

My personal favorite on the album is “When You Wake Up”, a tune penned by Rhyder and Foster. The tune is catchy and the words are infectious with a perfect blend of the two song-makers. It’s a song of a message left for someone who is greatly missed. It gives a feeling of life on the road mentioning cities such as New York, Dallas, Boulder and Phoenix.

This album weaves it’s way through regret, friends, family, infidelity, longing, leaving, staying, and happiness. And what a journey it is. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day we turn on the radio to more than one of these tracks – and maybe even sung by one of today’s top country artists.

Review of Brandon Rhyder’s Album “Every Night”
By: Andy Meadows
Operations Director Ranch Radio Group, Fort Worth, TX

Few artists ever put out a studio album that captures the passion of their live shows, with “Every Night” Brandon Rhyder has done just that. Brandon’s fifth record, and his first studio record in three years, gives us a glimpse at the conflicted emotions that occur within the introspective mind of a songwriter. It covers everything from love, lost love, friendship, to family and fatherhood. Once again the subject matter is sensitive enough to appeal to women, but worded in such a matter that it’s masculine enough for men to feel comfortable singing along with every word. This collection of songs also displays the smooth vocal ability that truly sets Brandon apart from other artists, and as always he makes it look easy.

I was very happy to see a redone version of “Have I Waited too Long” that he’d originally done on his first record. It seems to be a fan favorite at his concerts and this updated version is a welcome addition to “Every Night”. There are a couple songs on this album that will translate very well to radio, like the first single, “This Ain’t It” and the female friendly “When You Wake Up.” One of my personal favorites, “Old Red Door” tells the relatable story of old friends getting together for a night of bad jokes, drinking, and stories from the road. This song will make a nice transition into the mix at Brandon’s highly acclaimed live shows. “Every Night,” the title track for the album could act as an instructional manual for every man or woman who’s relationship is lacking in the passion department. Long story short, fellas, call up your girl, get a bottle of good red wine, cook something you won’t screw up and put on this record…. You’ll be in the clear.