January 10, 2024 • 39 mins
This next guest is from the great city of Kansas City, MO and has become a close friend of mine. I have gotten to know him over the past three years and followed his career with popular song, “Between You and Me,” tour with Sam Hunt, and his new project, “Downtime” out now. Aside from music, I have enjoyed our deep conversations about life, entrepreneurship, sports, culture, and more. Please welcome on the podcast... Roman Alexander.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Tell me about the time that you got bunch of
the face.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
So I was not soliciting a hooker.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
What's up, guys? Chris Erger here back on the podcast
this week. I don't know who let him in the door,
but we got a really good friend of mine from
America's most amazing, amazing city, Kansas City. This guy is
an all star guy and all star artists. He's got
a hit song between you and me, he's got a
new project out down time, just put out some Christmas tunes,
(00:42):
and just one of my best friends in Nashville. Thanks
for answering the call, boss Man. Please welcome Roman Alexander.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thanks for taking the call.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I did take the call.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I think you're only hating on Kansas City. I saw
the quotations because you're a Boston fan.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
I just don't like that Patrick Mahomes going to run
away with it and win another Super Bowl. But what
I didn't tell you is that when Roman did call,
he had to go through my assistant and then my
producer and then a couple other people just to get
to me and I just to get to I said, fine,
you know, for the five hundred dollars ven, I'll have
them on the podcast dude, what's up man? How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Oh? Good man? Then you know, it's been a busy
fall and finally able to slow down a little bit.
But the last two years have been pretty wild, and
I've known you three of them, so yeah, it's been
or maybe four now, it's been a wild.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
My favorite story when talking about our relationship is that
we get to talk about a camping trip that you,
me and Connor Smith went on. Yeah, that was how
we first met three years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yeah, is that how we met?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yep?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
We you well, we went to m l Ros. Yeah, yeah,
because I think I hit it up.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
And was like, hey man, I think your your shit's good,
and you're like, cool, let's get a beer.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I remember how, in a compliment to you, I remember
how ahead of the times you are, like and you
still are, but you were really ahead of the times then, like.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Guys hitting on me already you were.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
You were saying like stuff about community at the time,
and community was not utilized like it is today. Now
everybody's got a phone number in their bio. But back
then you were like, yeah, there's the same community. You
should look at it seriously. And I was like, yeah,
I don't know, you know, maybe uh And sure enough,
I'm utilizing it now and it's been one of my
most helpful tools. So yeah, you're always really ahead of
(02:17):
the curve on things and so and you know, I'm
I'm sure like when you were a kid, you I
could see you just like wearing a suit and like
showing up to meetings and stuff like that, because you
still conduct yourself like such a businessman. But that camping
trip was pretty fun.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
It was pretty fun. I think you got to see
me out of the suit a little bit, maybe after
maybe after the third pole of whiskey I had.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I be honest, it was miserable.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
I was.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I was absolutely miserable on that whole trip.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Do What was unreal was it was you Connor Smith
and me and we're going and his brother brother Cooper, Yes,
and you guys are toping it out like all right,
we're gonna we're gonna stay outside, like we got the tent,
we got the blankets. It right that I'm going to
the van. I kid you not. It was it had
to have been like already degrees that night. Yeah. I
just remember waking up, I like lean over and you're
(03:04):
sitting in the recliner. Cooper con Her there, and you
guys were all like, yeah, we did. We cave.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
We made four hours because Connor before we went to bed,
Cooper zonked out real quick. Connor, before we went to bed,
He's like, hey, I can hear you shivering. What a
what kind of sleeping bag do you have? I was
like a sleeping bag on a sleeping bag. I didn't
know that there's temperature grades to sleeping bags. Like summer
meant for like fifty to sixty degree weather, somemer meant
(03:31):
for like below zero whether well, I got the springtime one,
so it was meant for like sixty to seventy degree weather,
and it dropped to like twenty eight that night, and
I was miserable. So yeah, I saw with my shoes on,
I so with my jeans on, I smell like a campfire.
I still have a jacket that smells like a campfire
back home.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
That's yeah, that's a real deal.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
I haven't watched it.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
That's that's just such a rookie mistake to go to
the sleeping bag section and not look for the winter
time sleeping back.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
I was never a boy scout. I can blame blame
my parents for that one.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
That's good. It's a you know, I'm I'm glad you're
not working in the sleeping back section. I'm glad you're
making a career with your music. Which is what is
crazy though, is we met, as you said, it was
about three years ago on that trip and it's been awesome.
And this is where I compliment you now to watch
your career grow because you had hit song recorded one
with Ashley Cook between you and me, which is crush.
(04:21):
And then you've also been able to continue to put
out projects. You've gone on tours. You've got a headlining tour.
I mean, you're on a headlining tour. Like it's sick, dude.
Like it's just been insane to watch you growl. I
think one of the things you've done a really good
job is you've been able to You've always had this
direction of like where you want to go artistically. You know.
(04:41):
I think in the times that we're at right now,
where digital media and like going viral on TikTok matters
so much, everyone's trying to chase like the next hit song,
and so they start becoming someone that they're not right, yeah,
and they're chasing views and likes and shit, and like,
I remember you and I have talked about this, but
like some songs, maybe they didn't get as many streams,
as many views as you want. But it's like, you
know what, I'm still putting out music that I actually
(05:02):
care about. And so that's a testament to you. Guys
want to say, I'm glad it's God's working and I'm
glad you're staying true to yourself.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Man, well appreciate it. I mean, the big thing is
us as artist. Doesn't matter how big you are or
how new or how long you've been on the scene.
We all battle with identity crisis at some point. So
if I told you that I didn't know what I
wanted to do, or I've always known what I wanted
to do, that'd be a lie. There's been times where
I doubt myself and you know, maybe my publisher likes
(05:29):
this song and I don't like this song, and I
go home and I'm like, gosh, what if he's right?
And I always just learned that going with my gut
has always been the thing that works, because my gut
is what's telling me. You know, this is why you
got into this in the first place, is why you
love this, and so, you know, I appreciate the compliment.
(05:50):
You know, it's just a lot of its perception too.
I mean, you're on social media. We see one thing,
but there's so much that goes on behind the scenes
that nobody knows about that they don't need to know
about nescessarily. But it is absolutely it's crazy. It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You did make a point that I thought was super important,
which is, I think we're all going through an identity crisis.
I think like artistry is constantly evolving. Yeah, I think
when you get a team, this is something not a
lot of people talk about. When you get a team,
you have like publisher, manager, record label agent, right, and
then you have your friends. You have fifty people telling
you you should do this, or you should put out
(06:25):
this or write this. But ultimately, like you're the freaking singer, dude,
and you're gonna put out the record you want to
put out, right, I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Yeah, you know, everybody has their own opinion. Everybody's going
to have opinions. I've watched so many artist friends of
mine buckle and given every single time because they don't
have the balls to stand up and say this is
what I want to do, or maybe they just don't
know what they want to do. But it's really frustrating
to see because I see some songs that are way
(06:53):
better than you know, and the masses could say that
are way better than what they know they have sitting
in a catalog, than what they're going to record, just
because it's making somebody happy on the team and they're
scared of disappointing that person. I would rather disappoint a
person for a couple of weeks while they get upset.
But when I release it and I'm happy with it
and they see how much Because when you're happier about
(07:15):
the song and you're the one who put it out,
you're gonna be more attentive to it. You're gonna work
harder to make it succeed. And that's gonna show and
people are gonna notice that. And so that's why I've
always just kind of done my thing. And sometimes I
have to prove a case and I have to, you know,
maybe make a go viral or something like that. Whatever
you might have.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
To do, but do the scrappy work.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I do what I have to do to get it done.
If I really want it done.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I'm gonna I'm gonna put this into football terms. Yeah,
I don't think this is because the Chiefs are doing well,
and I don't want to talk about that. Are they
doing well?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Are they doing well?
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I mean Patty Mahomes is the guy. But yeah, I
will say I think it's like we see a sports
team get like an ugly win. Like I know, I
know a lot of artists that have, you know whatever,
five ten million streams on a song and they get
their chack in the mail. It's like, okay, they can
actually kind of make a living, but they're like, I
don't actually like to play that song in a show.
I actually don't like. To me, that's such an ugly
(08:07):
win because it's like, dude, that song is always in
your catalog. People are gonna gonna request it at a show.
When you are posting something online or you're gonna put
something out, you better be willing to snap your name
to it. Doesn't mean it has to be your favorite song.
I'm not saying five years scenari you might write a
better song. I might like it more, but man, when
that suck. If you like made a career off of
one song and just never wanted to play it, I.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Mean there's a lot of artists who do that. I
mean not even country Smashing Pumpkins. You know, they're whatever,
that song was two Days the great is and he's
called two Days or something. You know that that's a
song they hate playing live, or Radiohead hates playing Creep.
They haven't played it at all. So you know, there's
so many stories of that, and it's sad because you
change sometimetimes. They get stubborn in the change and they're like,
(08:51):
I'm artistic and I I can luckily say from a
business perspective, I have never put out something yet that
I don't like playing live. I love playing all my
songs live. There's songs I don't have enough songs and
set list to have enough songs in the set list,
but it's hard for me to find. There's a couple
I can't play because they're too slow. But I'm like, gosh,
(09:11):
if I could put it in there, and that'd be awesome.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
You know, you got to answer this for me. The
dms have to be flooded.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Yeah, they're they're going waves. It's periods of time. I mean,
when you have cool stuff going on, the dms get
hotter for some but whenever you have that because artist
careers like this, it's like a constant wave. You know,
you have ups and downs, and I think that the
dms kind of move with those we don't try.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I don't track my success off of stream counts or
shows or anything. I tracked my success off.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
DM DM s.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I mean the cool is when you see, like for me,
I released the song about the Missouri Tigers and you know,
you get a DM from Missouri football player. It was
like one of your fairite players. I'm like, Okay, that's
kind of cool, and that's a college football player. You know,
it's not that big of a deal and retro, but
like at the same time, it's really cool. It is
because it's a team I grew up loving so well.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I will say, like the crazy thing about in music
is it does have the ability to connect. And I
feel like you do have that moment where somebody hits
you up out of the blue and maybe a completely
different field or just you never thought you'd talk to them.
They're like, hey, man, I just I put on your song.
I dig it like you're binded to it. I mean,
you work with some people that are you know, tied
(10:24):
into different industries. I know that I have too. Yeah,
it's just it's crazy, dude, Like I think that's I
don't know, that's an underrated part about the industry. I
think is like the relationships that you form from playing
live shows or putting out music, Like you've probably done
your fair share of you know, did you get like
stakes mailed to you from somebody that you knew or like, yeah,
you know.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Like I've had crazy stuff. I mean I've had I remember,
I could for period of time, and I just don't
do it anymore. I think I just got I got
really like hooked on it for a minute. I could
message a company say hey, I'll post a story. Actually
you were the guy that got me hooked on that.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Oh shit, the truth out it was. It was Rodback.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Yeah, you introduced me to the roadback guys, and I
built a good relationship with them. Unfortunately, I don't play
golf as much as I used to, or really, you know,
train as much as I used handicaps going up these days,
it's it's it's really embarrassing, and honestly, I put it
in the closet and I retired. I was like, I'm
retiring this year. I'll see where we're at next year.
I mean, what are you gonna do.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
When Roebacks sends you another swack back and they have
to get the nine iron.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
They haven't done it in a long time, you know,
so maybe it's just signed to do it. I went
for them to come out of the Missouri Tigers football polo.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
They should. They should start doing polos for college.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Do they have a couple. I know they got a couple,
but but Missouri needs one.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
That was yeah, I do remember that because I rope
and then you and I would play golf with other
people and and Roeback was just behind it, which is cool.
But I think the nice part about it was I
think those were Roaback guys shout out Roeback because they
actually cared about our music. And they were like, these
guys are doing something fun. They're you know, artists, are entrepreneurs,
were entrepreneurs, were making a clothing line. Like let's give
them some swag and see what happened.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
They flew out a crew, a camera crew when I
was with Sam Hunt to come out and to film
while I was golfing in the morning. It was like
a docu series, and they filmed this whole thing from
the course in the morning to the concert in the evening,
and it was really cool, and those guys were the
most down to earth dudes. And then the sea it
blow up the way it has is so deserving. But
(12:22):
I think that's where you and I bonded the most
is probably on the golf course, you know, even though
you'd give me shit for being so terrible.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
You know, I mean, I just got to do what
I gotta do. But well, yeah, dude, But that's also
the layer. I mean, I think that's the difference in
nash Well, I want to say in Nashville, I think
that's a difference when you get to know somebody outside
of just like sitting in a writer's room or playing
a show. Right, there's the industry's got a lot of
politics and it's got a lot of shaking hands. But
to actual sit down and like brow out with somebody, Yeah,
(12:51):
it just changes the relationship and.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
A lot of things. And hopefully I've never made you
feel this way, but there's so many times, and I
know you feel this way. I've had times where I
feel this way about certain people. I don't even think
it's malicious. I think people just want to succeed so bad.
There's been times where the only time somebody wants to
meet with you is whenever you have something to offer them,
you know, or they want something from you, and I
(13:17):
can I can thankfully say that. I don't think our
relationship as friends have ever been like that. It's like,
I know, I could call you and be like, hey,
can you connect me with this person? But I just don't,
right because that would have be right.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Well, I certainly didn't want you on this podcast, so
you know that's.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
By the way, do you hear music playing this?
Speaker 1 (13:33):
I do hear a little bit of music playing Taylor
and the Swifties. Man, let's talk about it. As a
Kansas City Chiefs fan, I'm over it. You're watching your
boy Patti Mahomes Crusher. But let's talk about Uncle Trap.
I look, I love Travis Kelcey as a football player.
I don't know he's like as a dude, so I
can't come. I'm sure he's a really cool guy.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
I'm just kind of over it, like I'm over the
people freaking out over it. I think it's cool. I
love Taylor swift music. I just when you hear enough
about it, like I get it. They're both attracted, successful,
hard working, really cool couple. But every time I turn
on a Chiefs game, all I see is heard You.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Think Travis Kelcey and Taylor Swift is a PR stunt.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I don't know. I don't think so. I think it's legit.
I had a moment where I thought that probably, but
I don't.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Know, dude, I was so negative as well, Like as
soon as it came out, like this is a PR stunt,
it's gonna last the season, Taylor's gonna write an absolute banger,
and Travis is probably gonna get some payment from it.
And then then I look and now I actually see
them like hanging out. You know, they're kissing backstage and
all this stuff, And yeah, it's great for Travis' brand,
it's great for Taylor's brand. But I actually think they
(14:38):
might be legit now.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Even if it was a PR stunt, Like if I
was her, you wouldn't have to force me to kiss
Travis Kelcey, and if I'm him, you wouldn't have to
force me at all to kiss Taylor Swift. Like they're
both attractive people. It's not like a bad PR stunt.
If it's a PR stunt.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
You're saying, I would not have to have to pay
you anything and you'd kiss Travis kelcey.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
If I was Taylor Swift, Eyeah, you were.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
A Roman Alexander, how much would I have to pay
you to kiss Travis Kelson?
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I mean for a for a really cool photo that
can post on Instagram and make it like a funny caption.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Yeah, nothing, he's in it. He's in it for the
social the social media.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
As long as he posts it too on his social media.
That we're good.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah. Could you imagine going up to Travis Kels if
you're like, hey man, like I'm yeah, I'm just gonna
give you a little pack here on the cheek and
you and I are gonna instagram collapse that see.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
But he loves country music, and so does Patrick Mahomes.
They love country music because I see him at concerts.
You know. Actually, like Jackson Mahomes came to my show
in Kansas City, Like they're the Mahomes love country music.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Jackson Mahomes came to your show. He did he did?
He make tiktoks while you.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Were not that I saw no And and he didn't
get kicked out either, So that was that was.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Good yeah, good for him. Yeah, yeah, it's it's rare
that he can can do both of those.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
I don't know, will you either get one or the
other with him, But I think he's tamed a lot now,
But back then, yeah, that was that was a wild time.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
I think he has. All Right, we're gonna play a game.
I love this game. Go ahead, it's just the would
you rather?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
M hm?
Speaker 1 (16:05):
I got some pretty wild questions for you though. Okay,
so we'll start off somewhat easy and then we'll kind
of keep this thing, keep this thing rolling. But this
is would you rather Roman Alexander? Would you rather have
a rewind button for your life or a fast forward
button to see your future?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Rewind button from my life because I can go back
and make adjustments.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Make adjustments like maybe your golf swing adjustments.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
That's probably number one thing I'd work on as my
golf swing in not failing Spanish when I was in
high school, because I failed Spanish one and I'm Mexican,
so shout.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Out your Spanish class. Would you rather be able to
control the weather or control technology with your mind?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Control technology with my mind? I don't know what I
would do with it, but if I can control every device.
I think that'd be cool.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
I feel like you'd just be so powerful.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Because it's never going anywhere, right, the weather comes and
goes in seasons. I could keep it sunny year round,
but then and that kind of gets boring. I guess
I could change it whenever I want.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I don't. I just don't think like for me to
like manipulate the weather. It's all right, that's kind of cool,
Like you can make it snow right now. Cool. But like, dude,
if you had control of the entire like internet, with technology,
you're you're unstoppable. Would you rather chug an entire gallon
of Baja Blast every morning for the rest of your
life or lose a limb of your choosing? I'd lose.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
I mean, could it be like one of my pinkies
or something like that, or does that to be like
an actual extremity like leg arm or hand.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Well, I feel like the answer is gonna be pinky,
So let's up the ante and say it have to
be a full.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Like, oh, I'll drink Baja Blast all day?
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Yeah, yeah, baja or the wind? Would you rather make
ten dollars every time you take a shot a fireball
or one thousand dollars every time you make a baby cry.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I think a thousand dollars. It's not hard to make
a baby cry.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
It's not. But do you feel good about making a
baby cry?
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah? I mean as long as I'm not hitting the
kid or good.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
You're He's like, give me the cash. Yeah, that's unreal.
That was That was pretty good? Would you rather? I
enjoyed that. We're gonna be right back on the podcast.
We got much more talking about, we got music, we
got more games, and uh, we'll see in a bit.
We're back. Roman Alexander on the podcast. You did put
(18:15):
out a project Downtime fairly recently, and some great songs
on there. I think it's a seven track little ditty.
Am I right about that?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
I think so, I don't know, six seven, maybe eight.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah, you know, I got put out a project. I
don't know whose songs are on it. Talk to me
about talking to me about that project, because that was
really that took up a lot of this year, it.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Did, you know. I think the one thing with that
project that I had to do was stop comparing it
and stop comparing everything I've done to the first one,
because the first one was so big at such a
big moment, and especially for that moment in time. You know,
to have three million or two million monthly listeners on
Spotify today is such a big deal to hit. But
(18:57):
back then it was pretty common, like to hit a
million and monthly listeners. I mean, you could do as hard,
but it was not as hard as it is today.
And it was such a big moment. I mean, it
was like the longest running between you me. It was
the longest running song on independent song on hot country.
I still don't know till today.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
But why do you think it's harder to hit that
number now? It's just because it's so saturated.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
It's so saturated everybody and their mom wants to be
a country singer. I think my mom does want to
be a country singer now, so yeah, yeah, mine two,
you know. And I think it's very algorithmic now, you know,
it's very based on data, like we had talked about before.
And I think it's a good thing. I think it
highlights some of the people who are having moments, whether
(19:41):
you like it or not. But I still think there's
a combination of some politics that are in there. There
always will be.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
I think there is to the problem that. I just
that shocks me as there are people that have five
million in monthly listeners and they still can't put asses
and seats. And then there's people that have like real
loyal following, yeah, and they put as to see, this
is a serious question. I'd like to ask most artists
on this podcast, what's your definition of success? As an artist?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Changes? Every year? For me, I mean all the time,
it changes, And I think as an entrepreneur people that
the artists need to stop looking at as they're just
an artist. You are a business. You're an entrepreneur. So
every year I look at my projections differently. I have
different goals every year. You know. My favorite saying is
it's like a little quote from our little story thing.
(20:30):
A horse and a boy went into the woods and
it was foggy and it was dense, and you couldn't
see anything in front of you. And the boy said,
I can't see the light at the end of the woods.
I don't know where we're how we're going to get
out of this? And the horse said, can you see
the next step in front of you? And the boy
said yeah. He said, well, then just take it one
step at a time, and that's kind of how I
live my life. So every year I make it every day,
(20:52):
every week I make different projections and different goals, so
my definition and success changes. Like I said, every every year.
This year, I can tell you, was just to be
able to go on my own headlining tour and to
be able to sell some tickets. I didn't really necessarily
focus on just selling it out. I just wanted to
(21:13):
know that the music I had been putting out through
COVID when I had to put out my first stuff
and then this first the second EP, I wanted to
know that the people that I saw on the numbers
that were listening could potentially show up to the shows.
And they did, and so I met my goal this year,
and next year it's kind of the same thing, but
maybe with having a big moment for a song again,
(21:33):
that'd be cool.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Dude. I love that analogy. I love that take on
it in part because I think there's so much cloudiness
because everything is online right now, whether you like it
or not. We're kind of all following each other's careers
and we're looking at, you know, different songs and metrics,
and you're playing the game of like, well, why why
is he winning or she winning and I'm maybe not
winning or I am winning, right, crazy exercise, but I
(21:58):
think every artist should do this exercise going into the
next year, going too twenty twenty four, as an artist,
write down ten goals, realistic goals. I'm not saying that
you're going to achieve everyone, but goals that are not
so far fetched. I e. I'm going to have one
hundred million month with listeners, All right, get out of there.
But maybe it's I'm going to grow from a million
to two million month with listeners.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Even smaller, like you grow ten thousand followers on Spotify.
And when you don't hit those goals, as a business,
you should go back and look and say, instead of
pushing it to next year, like oh well, just move
those goals in next year, look at why you didn't
hit them? What kept me from hitting those goals?
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Right? And don't look at oh well this person got this,
this person got that, and she got that. Look at Okay,
I made ten goals. I hit seven out of ten.
That's seven metrics that we can say we did a
good job. We hit three. Why do we not hit three? Right?
Like that to me is that's the essence of it.
And I just wish artists would start looking more in
as to like, how can I improve my business rather
(22:54):
than looking out and saying, you know they're doing this,
how do I get there?
Speaker 2 (22:57):
It's it goes back to the identity crisis thing. Identity
crisis is multiple things. The one I noticed more than
anything today is what you had said earlier, was when
artists see, I'm gonna use Morganwallen as an example. Morgan
Wallen had probably arguably the biggest year in coachry music
(23:17):
there has been in a very long time. But I
think he should have won that award at the CMA Awards.
I mean, he's breaking records, stadium records, and so many
artists see that and they go, Okay, well that's the
music that's working. That's how I'm gonna get playlisted. So
that's what I'm gonna start doing. And then you see
people starting to get the mullets in the hats and
(23:40):
they start to get the mustache. Now the mustache, but
they try to do whatever they can to be Morgan
Wallen when they can just be the first version of themselves.
And maybe that's where the identity crisis comes in. But
for me, I know I had people that I looked
up to. I looked up to Billy Carrington Sam Hunt,
which is a really cool story of how I got
(24:00):
into him in a full circle one, but he was
one of them, and then Elvis, and so I took
all these different variations that and then also things that
I developed my own and moved into music that I
enjoy making, enjoy listening to and the music. And when
you hear artists say, well, I don't listen to my
own music, God damn I do. I listen to it
every day because I'm proud of it.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
I put myself on number one Spotify rap because you know,
I'm banging my shit.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Yeah, that's what it should be like, though, right, because
I listened to it from a standpoint of this is
really well done and I'm never going to get tired
of this, and I don't. I don't get tired of
my music. I listened to it all the time.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
That's great, man, And it keeps the spark alive. Dude.
I love that. And I think you're right. I think
there's a lot of people that are new copying and
copying other people, or maybe they're just trying it.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
They're trying to and I'm not pointing anybody out. I
don't know. I'm just using him as example. I just
know when Sam Hunt when I was in high school,
it was such a revolutionary moment. It was such a
unseen moment in country music. I feel like we watched
country music just explode and change and the best way possible,
people can say what they want. You can go back
Noallly's in them on a bottle and that's a country record.
(25:04):
But back then we didn't know what it was. It
was like, it's country, but it's R and B and
he's talking and singing and it was just very different.
And then I saw a lot of people that were
bashing him that ended up doing that, but they did
it two years later. They're already behind the Curturve. Be
the first version of yourself, and people are gonna think
you're weird at first. People are gonna maybe talk a
(25:24):
lot of shit because Nashville. Excuse my language, but a
lot of people in Nashville that aren't happy with where
they are, or in the music industry, that aren't happy
with where they are in life or career wise, they
talk shit on the people who are doing things differently
or just doing things that they enjoy doing so I
know I've had my fair share. I have a song
coming out after the first of the year that says,
(25:46):
you know, some people might not like me. I guess
I really never cared. My circle is getting smaller. I
must be doing something right and I live by that.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Damn dude, I can't wait. I can't wait to hear
that record. I think I think you make a great point, man,
take the time, like, take the time to develop yourself
as an artist. Find the people that the team if
you choose that is going to push and surround surrounding
with the right people to make it happen, and then
it's going to be so much more for rutful and rewarding.
(26:14):
I want to talk a little bit about I know
we got Altotle sidejacked there. I want to talk a
little bit about your headlining tour, because you do have
your own tour. What does it mean did to have
your own headlining tour?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
You know, it's different for everybody. You know, some people's
headlining tours are them selling out massive, you know the
news or clubs. Mine was just to get introduced. This
is my introduction headlining tour. So mine is if two
hundred people show up, or three hundred people show up,
or if in one hundred people show up, that's one
(26:47):
hundred people. That could bring another one hundred people next year.
So it's an introduction tour. And I don't want to
do this thing where I get caught up in just
one open for people. I think that's really healthy to
have a balance, but I don't have that luxury right now,
don't necessarily have a booking deal. So you know, I'm
trying to really make the clubs work, right, you know,
and then that's where I'm going to cut my teeth
(27:08):
and build a loyal, underground fan base.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I think you're I think you're bootstrapping it though, which
is in my so admirable. I mean to your point,
like you can get a you can get on the
road with a big artist, which is a huge opportunity,
and those when they come, you take them right. But
I mean, dude, start small. You get one hundred asses
and it's you know, it's in seats in a city.
Wait after, get a photo with every one of them,
take their email, take their phone number, go back build again.
(27:32):
Right then you get to one to fifty and then
two fifteen, and then five. Then all of a sudden,
you're playing. You know, that's that's the goal. And I
think like country music, unlike any other genre, country music
still has such loyalty when it comes to life.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
And that's right.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
It's more so than any other sector of music.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
That's right, It's it's all. It's a very loyal fan base.
They're also the first to be able to pick out
and tell when somebody's not being genuine. This is why
I'm really big about people being genuine and who they are,
you know, regardless of what people think.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Well, speaking of genuine, we're gonna play another little game here.
I wrote some questions here actually specifically for you. OK,
so this is good bringing on a little this or
that rapid fire. Let's start off nice and easy. Chicken
nuggets are centmon.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Roles Chicken nuggets on the savory guy?
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Cats or dogs?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Dogs?
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Interesting? Pool party or lake party?
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Lake party?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
You're lake. I didn't know you were a LA guy.
Would you rather have world peace or world tour?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Well, because we're never gonna get world peace.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
It's kind of dark, but also a Roman Alexander world
tour would also rip.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Everybody needs Jesus, that's what they need right, you get
world peace.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Now we're going to test how much you love your family.
Your song goes number one, or you can add one
year to everyone in your family's.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Lives and add one year to everybody's lives because the
song going number one doesn't always not necessarily mean sold
out shows?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Taco Bell or Ryan Reynolds would you rather have? Would
you rather have Taco Bell eat Taco Bell for the
rest of your life? Or would you rather have to
only watch Ryan Reynolds movies? Oh?
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I think you meant like be friends with Ryan Renalds.
I'm like, well, I could be more valuable. He might
take it in nicer restaurants than Taco Bell. Yeah you could,
but yeah Taco Bell, right, Taco Bell? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Are you? Are you a swifty or more tails reft
for Beyonce?
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Neither? Nineteen eighty nine is pretty good though.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Okay we'll settle there. And uh oh, would you rather
have a t Rex as a pat like like you
know they're extinct? Yeah, a t Rex as a pat
or own the Los Angeles Lakers?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
The Lakers.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I think that's smart and Lebron still got it, dude. See,
you made those questions just for me. I did.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Yes, No, he went into a question generator and I
actually I.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Actually went in I'm not even kidding, like we were
taking of questions beforehand, and normally they're like way more straightforward,
and I was like, I kind of want to look
up random.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Questions to ask and you know, I'll answer them. There's
there's literally nothing I won't answer. Yeah, maybe a few
things I won't, but most of the things, like you
could ask me the nitty gritty, I don't care. Right,
people want to hear that shit. They do want to
hear that ship, which is what I love. Yeah, tell
you viral moments, right it is.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Let's talk about that hat you're wearing, Santa's pup. Yeah,
it's it's a hell of an establishment here in Nashville.
Do you see yours? Do do karaoke frequently? No?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
I don't, and I don't have any carry. Ok, go
to songs if you're gonna ask that.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
So, how why'd you get the hat?
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I got it because I did a I did a song,
a Christmas song they just came out called lit and
so I did a content shoot there and and he
let me go in there, you know, in the morning
and shoot Santa did. Yeah, and he gave me some
some merch and I got the smoke cigarettes with him,
which is pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
It's a fire hat. It's such a great spot, like
for anyone. I don't like doing this because if people
do watch this, then like this place is gonna become
way He's gonna become way too popular. And part of
the aesthetic is that it's like not that crowded, but
Santa's pop. Dude, Like, if you're gonna slam cocktails and
sings so out of key, you gotta go to sands.
Yeah you do, you do? Oh man, it's awesome, dude.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
Can I can say something about your sponsor area.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah, I go ahead, this is good.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
It's so Ariat's cool a Mexican so they have they
do a lot of cool stuff, really the.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Mexican Actually, what do they like? I'm what do they do?
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Like the bull riding stuff and the horseback stuff. Yeah,
I think it's even made in Mexico, a lot of
the stuff. But aside from that, my uncle has a
veterans foundation called War Horses for Veterans. Yeah, and uh,
he's always worn Ariot since I was a kid, and
it's just always been a very staple piece, and so
his boots he has have literally lasted. I think he's
(31:43):
gotten resold a couple of times. But those boots have lasted.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
For years, have they really?
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Like probably twenty twenty five years they've lasted, which is
pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
That's I mean, what it's just just built different. What
do you think it is or is it like the
sentimental value of just like having that boot for so long.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
I think it's just a sentimental value of having that
boot for so long. And also too, when they're broken in,
they're comfortable. And I will say, boots when you first
get them are like so painful. I remember why I
like first walked. I was walking around Nashville after getting
a new pair of boots pretty recently. Dude, I had
massive blisters and like just pain points across my feet.
It was so bad, like I couldn't wear them, you know,
(32:21):
I mean I had to man up. It depends on
the brand to get, you know, for sure, like Area,
for instance, is a work boot or a riding boot
for typically so And I think I remember the hoods
record represent the different horse horse races. It's like the
Belmont Stakes, the Kentucky Derby, Churchill downs.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
This man knows, so this man knows everything about Area.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
It's represent that and now I could be wrong, but
I'm pretty sure it represents the Triple Crown, which is
why there's three hoods.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Yeah, that's why there's That's why there's three. I love
that dude. You know, you should do a pop up
show in the are At store in Nashville. It was
so bad ass.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
I definitely would. I would be very open to it.
I had a buddy who worked there. He's no longer there.
He's a firefighter now. But yeah, yeah, he's a great guy.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Well, speaking of speaking of Area being our sponsor, this
is the last segment that we like to do, which
is rapid fire questions there, eliot, you've seen how it goes.
You put sixty seconds on the clock. Do not get
shaken up, do not stutter? Is this as fast as
I can give me the questions, the answers that we
(33:26):
want to hear. Here we go three two one. What
is the most surprising item on your bucket list? I
don't know, just give If you could switch lives with
someone you know for a day, who would it be?
Speaker 2 (33:40):
My dog?
Speaker 1 (33:41):
There you go. Dream collaboration.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Leon Bridges dream venue to play Guildford, Newhamshire, which I
already played it, but it's my dream venue to go
back and headline it.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
There you go. Do you have any weird talents.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Really good at cooking?
Speaker 1 (33:54):
What's your best dish that you cook?
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Anything with? Seafood?
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Seafood guy, look at that. What's the weird food combination
that you've enjoyed?
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Okay, this isn't the crazy. I'll try to make this
queer as possible. But peanut butter and jelly. But you
mixed the peanut butter and jelly together. My mom did
that instead of just putting like peanut butter one side,
jelly on the other side and then slapping that shit together.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
It's like a soup.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
You mixed it together. It tastes different. It tastes different.
There's a different taste you get. It tastes like you
would think like when you bite into a peanut butter
and jelly sandwich, it mashes together and it would taste the same.
Does not taste the same, just built different. Some kind
of chemical reaction happens.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
What's your most what's the most embarrassing thing that's ever
happened to you during a live show?
Speaker 2 (34:33):
I got punched in the face by a hooker one time.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
And that's all the time that we have. Do you
want to hear that story. I do want to hear
this story. Tell me about the time that you got
punched the face.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
So that was not soliciting a hooker as a hooker
sex worker that I don't know what the proper term.
I don't care.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Let's be respectful here, robit.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
A lady of the night punched me in the face.
And it wasn't because I was soliciting. I was in Vegas.
It was the NFR. I was a merch guy for
Easton Corbin at the time, and I was single. So
I'm a young nineteen year old single kid. I go
to the nightclub after with all the guys and we're
all hanging out and this really beautiful blonde walks up
(35:15):
to me and starts talking. For an hour and a half,
we have a conversation, a conversation. I get to know
where this girl's from. You know what her dad does
back home in Iowa, and like all these different things.
I'm from the Midwest.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
It was like a legitimate first date.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
It was a legitimate first date, and I was like
this girl's beautiful. She's really sweet. So at this time,
I'm already like five jack and cokes and I'm nineteen
years old. I had a fake ID, so I got
I was already breaking the system here. Yeah, but dude,
I get through this conversation with her and I'm like, hey,
do you want to come to the next place with us?
She's like, actually, I want to hang out with you,
(35:52):
but it's going to cost you. And I'm like, what
do you mean It's gonna cost me, like my time?
Like I was. I was so I had never been
in the situation before, and she goes, is, no, you know,
in exchange for this, you know, I'll do this, And
I was like, oh wait, wait, wait, hang on, we
have an issue. No, well, these British military guys that
must have had a military ball of some sort were
(36:14):
there that same night, and they were wearing their dress uniforms.
They go to that night club we're at. I made
I've made this girl. I walked away from this girl,
so she kind of was like whatever, moved on to
the next guy. She goes up to the drunk British
Air Force guys and I walk up and I'm drunk
and I go, don't waste your time. It's gonna cost you.
So I walk out and I go into this little
(36:36):
like commons area, and out of nowhere, I get punched
square in the face, like dead bolt, square in the face,
and it hurt. And everybody saw it and they thought, maybe,
like this girl, I said something to this girl or
I did something. What I did was I messed with
her business?
Speaker 1 (36:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Rule number one, never mess with the money. And so
I got punched square in the face by this girl
and the police at right there and they're like, do
you want to press charges? I was like, no, this
is going to make a great.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Story, and here it is. Thank you for sharing that story.
That's amazing, they say, what happens in Vegas days in Vegas.
I'm glad you shared this a black guy in Vegas.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
It comes back with you.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
I was gonna say, yeah, exactly, if you can't see it,
you can keep it a secret. But in this case,
you know we have to hear about it. That's unbelievable.
Well that's a hell of a way to end the
rapid Fires segment. Unbelievable. Man. Well, dude, thanks for hopping
on as always. You know, I have so much fun
doing these Part of the reason I love doing these podcasts,
(37:37):
it's it's for multiple reasons, but one I tell Matt this,
I get to meet a bunch of new people that
haven't met before. But for the people that I do know,
like somebody like yourself, it's cool because to me, this
is just a normal conversation. Yeah, and like you and
I could be grabbing a beer right now and we'd
probably shoot the shit about most of the same stuff
we talked about. And it's a nice way to get
like an inside lens of just like what we're all
(37:58):
going through as artists. And I try to make this
podcast as direct about that as possible. Of course, I
want people to know about your story and your career
and what you're doing, but just hearing it from your
perspective of, like, this is what it's like to be
in the trenches in Nashville. Yeah, and like, I appreciate
you coming on and sharing your your expertise.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Bro, Well, dude, you've also been there. Uh, like you know,
not even that long ago, maybe a few weeks ago,
when you and I were sitting at Burger Joint here
in Nashville. You know, you you saw me at a
moment where I was really frustrated and I was annoyed.
And then you've seen me at moments where I'm winning,
and I've seen you, you know, vice versa of course,
and uh, you know, you've introduced me to some some
great people who are still my friends today. You know,
(38:38):
Graham's one of them. Yeah, of course you're You're always
gonna be the goat in the og. But I remember,
you know, at your guys old house, going up to
the top and shooting a bb gun at the KFC sign.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
You know, like I do remember that that was such
a great house, dude, that was over It was in
German down.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Yeah, you'd huge shooting here and then like ten seconds
later here.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
Yeah, that was unbelievable. And I think you guys, I
think you hit it first try. From what I remember,
I'm a great shot, yeah, I mean, and it's a
KFC science rather right like at two cocky here. Unbelievable.
We appreciate you guys for hopping on Rowan. Always a pleasure,
my dude. Make sure you guys check out his music.
It's out everywhere. Don't or don't, but definitely check it out.
(39:17):
He's the man. You might see him at Santa's Pub.
Or you might see him on tour. He's got the
headlining tour. You keep crushing it, dude. Thanks brother, I'll
talk soon.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Hell yeah.
Tell me about the time that you got bunch of
the face.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
So I was not soliciting a hooker.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
What's up, guys? Chris Erger here back on the podcast
this week. I don't know who let him in the door,
but we got a really good friend of mine from
America's most amazing, amazing city, Kansas City. This guy is
an all star guy and all star artists. He's got
a hit song between you and me, he's got a
new project out down time, just put out some Christmas tunes,
(00:42):
and just one of my best friends in Nashville. Thanks
for answering the call, boss Man. Please welcome Roman Alexander.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thanks for taking the call.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I did take the call.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I think you're only hating on Kansas City. I saw
the quotations because you're a Boston fan.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
I just don't like that Patrick Mahomes going to run
away with it and win another Super Bowl. But what
I didn't tell you is that when Roman did call,
he had to go through my assistant and then my
producer and then a couple other people just to get
to me and I just to get to I said, fine,
you know, for the five hundred dollars ven, I'll have
them on the podcast dude, what's up man? How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Oh? Good man? Then you know, it's been a busy
fall and finally able to slow down a little bit.
But the last two years have been pretty wild, and
I've known you three of them, so yeah, it's been
or maybe four now, it's been a wild.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
My favorite story when talking about our relationship is that
we get to talk about a camping trip that you,
me and Connor Smith went on. Yeah, that was how
we first met three years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yeah, is that how we met?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yep?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
We you well, we went to m l Ros. Yeah, yeah,
because I think I hit it up.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
And was like, hey man, I think your your shit's good,
and you're like, cool, let's get a beer.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I remember how, in a compliment to you, I remember
how ahead of the times you are, like and you
still are, but you were really ahead of the times then, like.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
Guys hitting on me already you were.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
You were saying like stuff about community at the time,
and community was not utilized like it is today. Now
everybody's got a phone number in their bio. But back
then you were like, yeah, there's the same community. You
should look at it seriously. And I was like, yeah,
I don't know, you know, maybe uh And sure enough,
I'm utilizing it now and it's been one of my
most helpful tools. So yeah, you're always really ahead of
(02:17):
the curve on things and so and you know, I'm
I'm sure like when you were a kid, you I
could see you just like wearing a suit and like
showing up to meetings and stuff like that, because you
still conduct yourself like such a businessman. But that camping
trip was pretty fun.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
It was pretty fun. I think you got to see
me out of the suit a little bit, maybe after
maybe after the third pole of whiskey I had.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I be honest, it was miserable.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
I was.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I was absolutely miserable on that whole trip.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Do What was unreal was it was you Connor Smith
and me and we're going and his brother brother Cooper, Yes,
and you guys are toping it out like all right,
we're gonna we're gonna stay outside, like we got the tent,
we got the blankets. It right that I'm going to
the van. I kid you not. It was it had
to have been like already degrees that night. Yeah. I
just remember waking up, I like lean over and you're
(03:04):
sitting in the recliner. Cooper con Her there, and you
guys were all like, yeah, we did. We cave.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
We made four hours because Connor before we went to bed,
Cooper zonked out real quick. Connor, before we went to bed,
He's like, hey, I can hear you shivering. What a
what kind of sleeping bag do you have? I was
like a sleeping bag on a sleeping bag. I didn't
know that there's temperature grades to sleeping bags. Like summer
meant for like fifty to sixty degree weather, somemer meant
(03:31):
for like below zero whether well, I got the springtime one,
so it was meant for like sixty to seventy degree weather,
and it dropped to like twenty eight that night, and
I was miserable. So yeah, I saw with my shoes on,
I so with my jeans on, I smell like a campfire.
I still have a jacket that smells like a campfire
back home.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
That's yeah, that's a real deal.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
I haven't watched it.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
That's that's just such a rookie mistake to go to
the sleeping bag section and not look for the winter
time sleeping back.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
I was never a boy scout. I can blame blame
my parents for that one.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
That's good. It's a you know, I'm I'm glad you're
not working in the sleeping back section. I'm glad you're
making a career with your music. Which is what is
crazy though, is we met, as you said, it was
about three years ago on that trip and it's been awesome.
And this is where I compliment you now to watch
your career grow because you had hit song recorded one
with Ashley Cook between you and me, which is crush.
(04:21):
And then you've also been able to continue to put
out projects. You've gone on tours. You've got a headlining tour.
I mean, you're on a headlining tour. Like it's sick, dude.
Like it's just been insane to watch you growl. I
think one of the things you've done a really good
job is you've been able to You've always had this
direction of like where you want to go artistically. You know.
(04:41):
I think in the times that we're at right now,
where digital media and like going viral on TikTok matters
so much, everyone's trying to chase like the next hit song,
and so they start becoming someone that they're not right, yeah,
and they're chasing views and likes and shit, and like,
I remember you and I have talked about this, but
like some songs, maybe they didn't get as many streams,
as many views as you want. But it's like, you
know what, I'm still putting out music that I actually
(05:02):
care about. And so that's a testament to you. Guys
want to say, I'm glad it's God's working and I'm
glad you're staying true to yourself.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Man, well appreciate it. I mean, the big thing is
us as artist. Doesn't matter how big you are or
how new or how long you've been on the scene.
We all battle with identity crisis at some point. So
if I told you that I didn't know what I
wanted to do, or I've always known what I wanted
to do, that'd be a lie. There's been times where
I doubt myself and you know, maybe my publisher likes
(05:29):
this song and I don't like this song, and I
go home and I'm like, gosh, what if he's right?
And I always just learned that going with my gut
has always been the thing that works, because my gut
is what's telling me. You know, this is why you
got into this in the first place, is why you
love this, and so, you know, I appreciate the compliment.
(05:50):
You know, it's just a lot of its perception too.
I mean, you're on social media. We see one thing,
but there's so much that goes on behind the scenes
that nobody knows about that they don't need to know
about nescessarily. But it is absolutely it's crazy. It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You did make a point that I thought was super important,
which is, I think we're all going through an identity crisis.
I think like artistry is constantly evolving. Yeah, I think
when you get a team, this is something not a
lot of people talk about. When you get a team,
you have like publisher, manager, record label agent, right, and
then you have your friends. You have fifty people telling
you you should do this, or you should put out
(06:25):
this or write this. But ultimately, like you're the freaking singer, dude,
and you're gonna put out the record you want to
put out, right, I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Yeah, you know, everybody has their own opinion. Everybody's going
to have opinions. I've watched so many artist friends of
mine buckle and given every single time because they don't
have the balls to stand up and say this is
what I want to do, or maybe they just don't
know what they want to do. But it's really frustrating
to see because I see some songs that are way
(06:53):
better than you know, and the masses could say that
are way better than what they know they have sitting
in a catalog, than what they're going to record, just
because it's making somebody happy on the team and they're
scared of disappointing that person. I would rather disappoint a
person for a couple of weeks while they get upset.
But when I release it and I'm happy with it
and they see how much Because when you're happier about
(07:15):
the song and you're the one who put it out,
you're gonna be more attentive to it. You're gonna work
harder to make it succeed. And that's gonna show and
people are gonna notice that. And so that's why I've
always just kind of done my thing. And sometimes I
have to prove a case and I have to, you know,
maybe make a go viral or something like that. Whatever
you might have.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
To do, but do the scrappy work.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I do what I have to do to get it done.
If I really want it done.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I'm gonna I'm gonna put this into football terms. Yeah,
I don't think this is because the Chiefs are doing well,
and I don't want to talk about that. Are they
doing well?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Are they doing well?
Speaker 1 (07:47):
I mean Patty Mahomes is the guy. But yeah, I
will say I think it's like we see a sports
team get like an ugly win. Like I know, I
know a lot of artists that have, you know whatever,
five ten million streams on a song and they get
their chack in the mail. It's like, okay, they can
actually kind of make a living, but they're like, I
don't actually like to play that song in a show.
I actually don't like. To me, that's such an ugly
(08:07):
win because it's like, dude, that song is always in
your catalog. People are gonna gonna request it at a show.
When you are posting something online or you're gonna put
something out, you better be willing to snap your name
to it. Doesn't mean it has to be your favorite song.
I'm not saying five years scenari you might write a
better song. I might like it more, but man, when
that suck. If you like made a career off of
one song and just never wanted to play it, I.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Mean there's a lot of artists who do that. I
mean not even country Smashing Pumpkins. You know, they're whatever,
that song was two Days the great is and he's
called two Days or something. You know that that's a
song they hate playing live, or Radiohead hates playing Creep.
They haven't played it at all. So you know, there's
so many stories of that, and it's sad because you
change sometimetimes. They get stubborn in the change and they're like,
(08:51):
I'm artistic and I I can luckily say from a
business perspective, I have never put out something yet that
I don't like playing live. I love playing all my
songs live. There's songs I don't have enough songs and
set list to have enough songs in the set list,
but it's hard for me to find. There's a couple
I can't play because they're too slow. But I'm like, gosh,
(09:11):
if I could put it in there, and that'd be awesome.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
You know, you got to answer this for me. The
dms have to be flooded.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Yeah, they're they're going waves. It's periods of time. I mean,
when you have cool stuff going on, the dms get
hotter for some but whenever you have that because artist
careers like this, it's like a constant wave. You know,
you have ups and downs, and I think that the
dms kind of move with those we don't try.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I don't track my success off of stream counts or
shows or anything. I tracked my success off.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
DM DM s.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I mean the cool is when you see, like for me,
I released the song about the Missouri Tigers and you know,
you get a DM from Missouri football player. It was
like one of your fairite players. I'm like, Okay, that's
kind of cool, and that's a college football player. You know,
it's not that big of a deal and retro, but
like at the same time, it's really cool. It is
because it's a team I grew up loving so well.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I will say, like the crazy thing about in music
is it does have the ability to connect. And I
feel like you do have that moment where somebody hits
you up out of the blue and maybe a completely
different field or just you never thought you'd talk to them.
They're like, hey, man, I just I put on your song.
I dig it like you're binded to it. I mean,
you work with some people that are you know, tied
(10:24):
into different industries. I know that I have too. Yeah,
it's just it's crazy, dude, Like I think that's I
don't know, that's an underrated part about the industry. I
think is like the relationships that you form from playing
live shows or putting out music, Like you've probably done
your fair share of you know, did you get like
stakes mailed to you from somebody that you knew or like, yeah,
you know.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Like I've had crazy stuff. I mean I've had I remember,
I could for period of time, and I just don't
do it anymore. I think I just got I got
really like hooked on it for a minute. I could
message a company say hey, I'll post a story. Actually
you were the guy that got me hooked on that.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Oh shit, the truth out it was. It was Rodback.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Yeah, you introduced me to the roadback guys, and I
built a good relationship with them. Unfortunately, I don't play
golf as much as I used to, or really, you know,
train as much as I used handicaps going up these days,
it's it's it's really embarrassing, and honestly, I put it
in the closet and I retired. I was like, I'm
retiring this year. I'll see where we're at next year.
I mean, what are you gonna do.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
When Roebacks sends you another swack back and they have
to get the nine iron.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
They haven't done it in a long time, you know,
so maybe it's just signed to do it. I went
for them to come out of the Missouri Tigers football polo.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
They should. They should start doing polos for college.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Do they have a couple. I know they got a couple,
but but Missouri needs one.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
That was yeah, I do remember that because I rope
and then you and I would play golf with other
people and and Roeback was just behind it, which is cool.
But I think the nice part about it was I
think those were Roaback guys shout out Roeback because they
actually cared about our music. And they were like, these
guys are doing something fun. They're you know, artists, are entrepreneurs,
were entrepreneurs, were making a clothing line. Like let's give
them some swag and see what happened.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
They flew out a crew, a camera crew when I
was with Sam Hunt to come out and to film
while I was golfing in the morning. It was like
a docu series, and they filmed this whole thing from
the course in the morning to the concert in the evening,
and it was really cool, and those guys were the
most down to earth dudes. And then the sea it
blow up the way it has is so deserving. But
(12:22):
I think that's where you and I bonded the most
is probably on the golf course, you know, even though
you'd give me shit for being so terrible.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
You know, I mean, I just got to do what
I gotta do. But well, yeah, dude, But that's also
the layer. I mean, I think that's the difference in
nash Well, I want to say in Nashville, I think
that's a difference when you get to know somebody outside
of just like sitting in a writer's room or playing
a show. Right, there's the industry's got a lot of
politics and it's got a lot of shaking hands. But
to actual sit down and like brow out with somebody, Yeah,
(12:51):
it just changes the relationship and.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
A lot of things. And hopefully I've never made you
feel this way, but there's so many times, and I
know you feel this way. I've had times where I
feel this way about certain people. I don't even think
it's malicious. I think people just want to succeed so bad.
There's been times where the only time somebody wants to
meet with you is whenever you have something to offer them,
you know, or they want something from you, and I
(13:17):
can I can thankfully say that. I don't think our
relationship as friends have ever been like that. It's like,
I know, I could call you and be like, hey,
can you connect me with this person? But I just don't,
right because that would have be right.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Well, I certainly didn't want you on this podcast, so
you know that's.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
By the way, do you hear music playing this?
Speaker 1 (13:33):
I do hear a little bit of music playing Taylor
and the Swifties. Man, let's talk about it. As a
Kansas City Chiefs fan, I'm over it. You're watching your
boy Patti Mahomes Crusher. But let's talk about Uncle Trap.
I look, I love Travis Kelcey as a football player.
I don't know he's like as a dude, so I
can't come. I'm sure he's a really cool guy.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
I'm just kind of over it, like I'm over the
people freaking out over it. I think it's cool. I
love Taylor swift music. I just when you hear enough
about it, like I get it. They're both attracted, successful,
hard working, really cool couple. But every time I turn
on a Chiefs game, all I see is heard You.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Think Travis Kelcey and Taylor Swift is a PR stunt.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I don't know. I don't think so. I think it's legit.
I had a moment where I thought that probably, but
I don't.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Know, dude, I was so negative as well, Like as
soon as it came out, like this is a PR stunt,
it's gonna last the season, Taylor's gonna write an absolute banger,
and Travis is probably gonna get some payment from it.
And then then I look and now I actually see
them like hanging out. You know, they're kissing backstage and
all this stuff, And yeah, it's great for Travis' brand,
it's great for Taylor's brand. But I actually think they
(14:38):
might be legit now.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Even if it was a PR stunt, Like if I
was her, you wouldn't have to force me to kiss
Travis Kelcey, and if I'm him, you wouldn't have to
force me at all to kiss Taylor Swift. Like they're
both attractive people. It's not like a bad PR stunt.
If it's a PR stunt.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
You're saying, I would not have to have to pay
you anything and you'd kiss Travis kelcey.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
If I was Taylor Swift, Eyeah, you were.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
A Roman Alexander, how much would I have to pay
you to kiss Travis Kelson?
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I mean for a for a really cool photo that
can post on Instagram and make it like a funny caption.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Yeah, nothing, he's in it. He's in it for the
social the social media.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
As long as he posts it too on his social media.
That we're good.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah. Could you imagine going up to Travis Kels if
you're like, hey man, like I'm yeah, I'm just gonna
give you a little pack here on the cheek and
you and I are gonna instagram collapse that see.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
But he loves country music, and so does Patrick Mahomes.
They love country music because I see him at concerts.
You know. Actually, like Jackson Mahomes came to my show
in Kansas City, Like they're the Mahomes love country music.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Jackson Mahomes came to your show. He did he did?
He make tiktoks while you.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Were not that I saw no And and he didn't
get kicked out either, So that was that was.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Good yeah, good for him. Yeah, yeah, it's it's rare
that he can can do both of those.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
I don't know, will you either get one or the
other with him, But I think he's tamed a lot now,
But back then, yeah, that was that was a wild time.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
I think he has. All Right, we're gonna play a game.
I love this game. Go ahead, it's just the would
you rather?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
M hm?
Speaker 1 (16:05):
I got some pretty wild questions for you though. Okay,
so we'll start off somewhat easy and then we'll kind
of keep this thing, keep this thing rolling. But this
is would you rather Roman Alexander? Would you rather have
a rewind button for your life or a fast forward
button to see your future?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Rewind button from my life because I can go back
and make adjustments.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Make adjustments like maybe your golf swing adjustments.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
That's probably number one thing I'd work on as my
golf swing in not failing Spanish when I was in
high school, because I failed Spanish one and I'm Mexican,
so shout.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Out your Spanish class. Would you rather be able to
control the weather or control technology with your mind?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Control technology with my mind? I don't know what I
would do with it, but if I can control every device.
I think that'd be cool.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
I feel like you'd just be so powerful.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Because it's never going anywhere, right, the weather comes and
goes in seasons. I could keep it sunny year round,
but then and that kind of gets boring. I guess
I could change it whenever I want.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I don't. I just don't think like for me to
like manipulate the weather. It's all right, that's kind of cool,
Like you can make it snow right now. Cool. But like, dude,
if you had control of the entire like internet, with technology,
you're you're unstoppable. Would you rather chug an entire gallon
of Baja Blast every morning for the rest of your
life or lose a limb of your choosing? I'd lose.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
I mean, could it be like one of my pinkies
or something like that, or does that to be like
an actual extremity like leg arm or hand.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Well, I feel like the answer is gonna be pinky,
So let's up the ante and say it have to
be a full.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Like, oh, I'll drink Baja Blast all day?
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Yeah, yeah, baja or the wind? Would you rather make
ten dollars every time you take a shot a fireball
or one thousand dollars every time you make a baby cry.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I think a thousand dollars. It's not hard to make
a baby cry.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
It's not. But do you feel good about making a
baby cry?
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah? I mean as long as I'm not hitting the
kid or good.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
You're He's like, give me the cash. Yeah, that's unreal.
That was That was pretty good? Would you rather? I
enjoyed that. We're gonna be right back on the podcast.
We got much more talking about, we got music, we
got more games, and uh, we'll see in a bit.
We're back. Roman Alexander on the podcast. You did put
(18:15):
out a project Downtime fairly recently, and some great songs
on there. I think it's a seven track little ditty.
Am I right about that?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
I think so, I don't know, six seven, maybe eight.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah, you know, I got put out a project. I
don't know whose songs are on it. Talk to me
about talking to me about that project, because that was
really that took up a lot of this year, it.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Did, you know. I think the one thing with that
project that I had to do was stop comparing it
and stop comparing everything I've done to the first one,
because the first one was so big at such a
big moment, and especially for that moment in time. You know,
to have three million or two million monthly listeners on
Spotify today is such a big deal to hit. But
(18:57):
back then it was pretty common, like to hit a
million and monthly listeners. I mean, you could do as hard,
but it was not as hard as it is today.
And it was such a big moment. I mean, it
was like the longest running between you me. It was
the longest running song on independent song on hot country.
I still don't know till today.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
But why do you think it's harder to hit that
number now? It's just because it's so saturated.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
It's so saturated everybody and their mom wants to be
a country singer. I think my mom does want to
be a country singer now, so yeah, yeah, mine two,
you know. And I think it's very algorithmic now, you know,
it's very based on data, like we had talked about before.
And I think it's a good thing. I think it
highlights some of the people who are having moments, whether
(19:41):
you like it or not. But I still think there's
a combination of some politics that are in there. There
always will be.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
I think there is to the problem that. I just
that shocks me as there are people that have five
million in monthly listeners and they still can't put asses
and seats. And then there's people that have like real
loyal following, yeah, and they put as to see, this
is a serious question. I'd like to ask most artists
on this podcast, what's your definition of success? As an artist?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Changes? Every year? For me, I mean all the time,
it changes, And I think as an entrepreneur people that
the artists need to stop looking at as they're just
an artist. You are a business. You're an entrepreneur. So
every year I look at my projections differently. I have
different goals every year. You know. My favorite saying is
it's like a little quote from our little story thing.
(20:30):
A horse and a boy went into the woods and
it was foggy and it was dense, and you couldn't
see anything in front of you. And the boy said,
I can't see the light at the end of the woods.
I don't know where we're how we're going to get
out of this? And the horse said, can you see
the next step in front of you? And the boy
said yeah. He said, well, then just take it one
step at a time, and that's kind of how I
live my life. So every year I make it every day,
(20:52):
every week I make different projections and different goals, so
my definition and success changes. Like I said, every every year.
This year, I can tell you, was just to be
able to go on my own headlining tour and to
be able to sell some tickets. I didn't really necessarily
focus on just selling it out. I just wanted to
(21:13):
know that the music I had been putting out through
COVID when I had to put out my first stuff
and then this first the second EP, I wanted to
know that the people that I saw on the numbers
that were listening could potentially show up to the shows.
And they did, and so I met my goal this year,
and next year it's kind of the same thing, but
maybe with having a big moment for a song again,
(21:33):
that'd be cool.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Dude. I love that analogy. I love that take on
it in part because I think there's so much cloudiness
because everything is online right now, whether you like it
or not. We're kind of all following each other's careers
and we're looking at, you know, different songs and metrics,
and you're playing the game of like, well, why why
is he winning or she winning and I'm maybe not
winning or I am winning, right, crazy exercise, but I
(21:58):
think every artist should do this exercise going into the
next year, going too twenty twenty four, as an artist,
write down ten goals, realistic goals. I'm not saying that
you're going to achieve everyone, but goals that are not
so far fetched. I e. I'm going to have one
hundred million month with listeners, All right, get out of there.
But maybe it's I'm going to grow from a million
to two million month with listeners.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Even smaller, like you grow ten thousand followers on Spotify.
And when you don't hit those goals, as a business,
you should go back and look and say, instead of
pushing it to next year, like oh well, just move
those goals in next year, look at why you didn't
hit them? What kept me from hitting those goals?
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Right? And don't look at oh well this person got this,
this person got that, and she got that. Look at Okay,
I made ten goals. I hit seven out of ten.
That's seven metrics that we can say we did a
good job. We hit three. Why do we not hit three? Right?
Like that to me is that's the essence of it.
And I just wish artists would start looking more in
as to like, how can I improve my business rather
(22:54):
than looking out and saying, you know they're doing this,
how do I get there?
Speaker 2 (22:57):
It's it goes back to the identity crisis thing. Identity
crisis is multiple things. The one I noticed more than
anything today is what you had said earlier, was when
artists see, I'm gonna use Morganwallen as an example. Morgan
Wallen had probably arguably the biggest year in coachry music
(23:17):
there has been in a very long time. But I
think he should have won that award at the CMA Awards.
I mean, he's breaking records, stadium records, and so many
artists see that and they go, Okay, well that's the
music that's working. That's how I'm gonna get playlisted. So
that's what I'm gonna start doing. And then you see
people starting to get the mullets in the hats and
(23:40):
they start to get the mustache. Now the mustache, but
they try to do whatever they can to be Morgan
Wallen when they can just be the first version of themselves.
And maybe that's where the identity crisis comes in. But
for me, I know I had people that I looked
up to. I looked up to Billy Carrington Sam Hunt,
which is a really cool story of how I got
(24:00):
into him in a full circle one, but he was
one of them, and then Elvis, and so I took
all these different variations that and then also things that
I developed my own and moved into music that I
enjoy making, enjoy listening to and the music. And when
you hear artists say, well, I don't listen to my
own music, God damn I do. I listen to it
every day because I'm proud of it.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
I put myself on number one Spotify rap because you know,
I'm banging my shit.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Yeah, that's what it should be like, though, right, because
I listened to it from a standpoint of this is
really well done and I'm never going to get tired
of this, and I don't. I don't get tired of
my music. I listened to it all the time.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
That's great, man, And it keeps the spark alive. Dude.
I love that. And I think you're right. I think
there's a lot of people that are new copying and
copying other people, or maybe they're just trying it.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
They're trying to and I'm not pointing anybody out. I
don't know. I'm just using him as example. I just
know when Sam Hunt when I was in high school,
it was such a revolutionary moment. It was such a
unseen moment in country music. I feel like we watched
country music just explode and change and the best way possible,
people can say what they want. You can go back
Noallly's in them on a bottle and that's a country record.
(25:04):
But back then we didn't know what it was. It
was like, it's country, but it's R and B and
he's talking and singing and it was just very different.
And then I saw a lot of people that were
bashing him that ended up doing that, but they did
it two years later. They're already behind the Curturve. Be
the first version of yourself, and people are gonna think
you're weird at first. People are gonna maybe talk a
(25:24):
lot of shit because Nashville. Excuse my language, but a
lot of people in Nashville that aren't happy with where
they are, or in the music industry, that aren't happy
with where they are in life or career wise, they
talk shit on the people who are doing things differently
or just doing things that they enjoy doing so I
know I've had my fair share. I have a song
coming out after the first of the year that says,
(25:46):
you know, some people might not like me. I guess
I really never cared. My circle is getting smaller. I
must be doing something right and I live by that.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Damn dude, I can't wait. I can't wait to hear
that record. I think I think you make a great point, man,
take the time, like, take the time to develop yourself
as an artist. Find the people that the team if
you choose that is going to push and surround surrounding
with the right people to make it happen, and then
it's going to be so much more for rutful and rewarding.
(26:14):
I want to talk a little bit about I know
we got Altotle sidejacked there. I want to talk a
little bit about your headlining tour, because you do have
your own tour. What does it mean did to have
your own headlining tour?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
You know, it's different for everybody. You know, some people's
headlining tours are them selling out massive, you know the
news or clubs. Mine was just to get introduced. This
is my introduction headlining tour. So mine is if two
hundred people show up, or three hundred people show up,
or if in one hundred people show up, that's one
(26:47):
hundred people. That could bring another one hundred people next year.
So it's an introduction tour. And I don't want to
do this thing where I get caught up in just
one open for people. I think that's really healthy to
have a balance, but I don't have that luxury right now,
don't necessarily have a booking deal. So you know, I'm
trying to really make the clubs work, right, you know,
and then that's where I'm going to cut my teeth
(27:08):
and build a loyal, underground fan base.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I think you're I think you're bootstrapping it though, which
is in my so admirable. I mean to your point,
like you can get a you can get on the
road with a big artist, which is a huge opportunity,
and those when they come, you take them right. But
I mean, dude, start small. You get one hundred asses
and it's you know, it's in seats in a city.
Wait after, get a photo with every one of them,
take their email, take their phone number, go back build again.
(27:32):
Right then you get to one to fifty and then
two fifteen, and then five. Then all of a sudden,
you're playing. You know, that's that's the goal. And I
think like country music, unlike any other genre, country music
still has such loyalty when it comes to life.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
And that's right.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
It's more so than any other sector of music.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
That's right, It's it's all. It's a very loyal fan base.
They're also the first to be able to pick out
and tell when somebody's not being genuine. This is why
I'm really big about people being genuine and who they are,
you know, regardless of what people think.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Well, speaking of genuine, we're gonna play another little game here.
I wrote some questions here actually specifically for you. OK,
so this is good bringing on a little this or
that rapid fire. Let's start off nice and easy. Chicken
nuggets are centmon.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Roles Chicken nuggets on the savory guy?
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Cats or dogs?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Dogs?
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Interesting? Pool party or lake party?
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Lake party?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
You're lake. I didn't know you were a LA guy.
Would you rather have world peace or world tour?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Well, because we're never gonna get world peace.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
It's kind of dark, but also a Roman Alexander world
tour would also rip.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Everybody needs Jesus, that's what they need right, you get
world peace.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Now we're going to test how much you love your family.
Your song goes number one, or you can add one
year to everyone in your family's.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Lives and add one year to everybody's lives because the
song going number one doesn't always not necessarily mean sold
out shows?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Taco Bell or Ryan Reynolds would you rather have? Would
you rather have Taco Bell eat Taco Bell for the
rest of your life? Or would you rather have to
only watch Ryan Reynolds movies? Oh?
Speaker 2 (29:07):
I think you meant like be friends with Ryan Renalds.
I'm like, well, I could be more valuable. He might
take it in nicer restaurants than Taco Bell. Yeah you could,
but yeah Taco Bell, right, Taco Bell? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Are you? Are you a swifty or more tails reft
for Beyonce?
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Neither? Nineteen eighty nine is pretty good though.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Okay we'll settle there. And uh oh, would you rather
have a t Rex as a pat like like you
know they're extinct? Yeah, a t Rex as a pat
or own the Los Angeles Lakers?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
The Lakers.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
I think that's smart and Lebron still got it, dude. See,
you made those questions just for me. I did.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Yes, No, he went into a question generator and I
actually I.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Actually went in I'm not even kidding, like we were
taking of questions beforehand, and normally they're like way more straightforward,
and I was like, I kind of want to look
up random.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Questions to ask and you know, I'll answer them. There's
there's literally nothing I won't answer. Yeah, maybe a few
things I won't, but most of the things, like you
could ask me the nitty gritty, I don't care. Right,
people want to hear that shit. They do want to
hear that ship, which is what I love. Yeah, tell
you viral moments, right it is.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Let's talk about that hat you're wearing, Santa's pup. Yeah,
it's it's a hell of an establishment here in Nashville.
Do you see yours? Do do karaoke frequently? No?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
I don't, and I don't have any carry. Ok, go
to songs if you're gonna ask that.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
So, how why'd you get the hat?
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I got it because I did a I did a song,
a Christmas song they just came out called lit and
so I did a content shoot there and and he
let me go in there, you know, in the morning
and shoot Santa did. Yeah, and he gave me some
some merch and I got the smoke cigarettes with him,
which is pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
It's a fire hat. It's such a great spot, like
for anyone. I don't like doing this because if people
do watch this, then like this place is gonna become
way He's gonna become way too popular. And part of
the aesthetic is that it's like not that crowded, but
Santa's pop. Dude, Like, if you're gonna slam cocktails and
sings so out of key, you gotta go to sands.
Yeah you do, you do? Oh man, it's awesome, dude.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
Can I can say something about your sponsor area.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah, I go ahead, this is good.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
It's so Ariat's cool a Mexican so they have they
do a lot of cool stuff, really the.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Mexican Actually, what do they like? I'm what do they do?
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Like the bull riding stuff and the horseback stuff. Yeah,
I think it's even made in Mexico, a lot of
the stuff. But aside from that, my uncle has a
veterans foundation called War Horses for Veterans. Yeah, and uh,
he's always worn Ariot since I was a kid, and
it's just always been a very staple piece, and so
his boots he has have literally lasted. I think he's
(31:43):
gotten resold a couple of times. But those boots have lasted.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
For years, have they really?
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Like probably twenty twenty five years they've lasted, which is
pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
That's I mean, what it's just just built different. What
do you think it is or is it like the
sentimental value of just like having that boot for so long.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
I think it's just a sentimental value of having that
boot for so long. And also too, when they're broken in,
they're comfortable. And I will say, boots when you first
get them are like so painful. I remember why I
like first walked. I was walking around Nashville after getting
a new pair of boots pretty recently. Dude, I had
massive blisters and like just pain points across my feet.
It was so bad, like I couldn't wear them, you know,
(32:21):
I mean I had to man up. It depends on
the brand to get, you know, for sure, like Area,
for instance, is a work boot or a riding boot
for typically so And I think I remember the hoods
record represent the different horse horse races. It's like the
Belmont Stakes, the Kentucky Derby, Churchill downs.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
This man knows, so this man knows everything about Area.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
It's represent that and now I could be wrong, but
I'm pretty sure it represents the Triple Crown, which is
why there's three hoods.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Yeah, that's why there's That's why there's three. I love
that dude. You know, you should do a pop up
show in the are At store in Nashville. It was
so bad ass.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
I definitely would. I would be very open to it.
I had a buddy who worked there. He's no longer there.
He's a firefighter now. But yeah, yeah, he's a great guy.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Well, speaking of speaking of Area being our sponsor, this
is the last segment that we like to do, which
is rapid fire questions there, eliot, you've seen how it goes.
You put sixty seconds on the clock. Do not get
shaken up, do not stutter? Is this as fast as
I can give me the questions, the answers that we
(33:26):
want to hear. Here we go three two one. What
is the most surprising item on your bucket list? I
don't know, just give If you could switch lives with
someone you know for a day, who would it be?
Speaker 2 (33:40):
My dog?
Speaker 1 (33:41):
There you go. Dream collaboration.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Leon Bridges dream venue to play Guildford, Newhamshire, which I
already played it, but it's my dream venue to go
back and headline it.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
There you go. Do you have any weird talents.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Really good at cooking?
Speaker 1 (33:54):
What's your best dish that you cook?
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Anything with? Seafood?
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Seafood guy, look at that. What's the weird food combination
that you've enjoyed?
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Okay, this isn't the crazy. I'll try to make this
queer as possible. But peanut butter and jelly. But you
mixed the peanut butter and jelly together. My mom did
that instead of just putting like peanut butter one side,
jelly on the other side and then slapping that shit together.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
It's like a soup.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
You mixed it together. It tastes different. It tastes different.
There's a different taste you get. It tastes like you
would think like when you bite into a peanut butter
and jelly sandwich, it mashes together and it would taste the same.
Does not taste the same, just built different. Some kind
of chemical reaction happens.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
What's your most what's the most embarrassing thing that's ever
happened to you during a live show?
Speaker 2 (34:33):
I got punched in the face by a hooker one time.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
And that's all the time that we have. Do you
want to hear that story. I do want to hear
this story. Tell me about the time that you got
punched the face.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
So that was not soliciting a hooker as a hooker
sex worker that I don't know what the proper term.
I don't care.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Let's be respectful here, robit.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
A lady of the night punched me in the face.
And it wasn't because I was soliciting. I was in Vegas.
It was the NFR. I was a merch guy for
Easton Corbin at the time, and I was single. So
I'm a young nineteen year old single kid. I go
to the nightclub after with all the guys and we're
all hanging out and this really beautiful blonde walks up
(35:15):
to me and starts talking. For an hour and a half,
we have a conversation, a conversation. I get to know
where this girl's from. You know what her dad does
back home in Iowa, and like all these different things.
I'm from the Midwest.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
It was like a legitimate first date.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
It was a legitimate first date, and I was like
this girl's beautiful. She's really sweet. So at this time,
I'm already like five jack and cokes and I'm nineteen
years old. I had a fake ID, so I got
I was already breaking the system here. Yeah, but dude,
I get through this conversation with her and I'm like, hey,
do you want to come to the next place with us?
She's like, actually, I want to hang out with you,
(35:52):
but it's going to cost you. And I'm like, what
do you mean It's gonna cost me, like my time?
Like I was. I was so I had never been
in the situation before, and she goes, is, no, you know,
in exchange for this, you know, I'll do this, And
I was like, oh wait, wait, wait, hang on, we
have an issue. No, well, these British military guys that
must have had a military ball of some sort were
(36:14):
there that same night, and they were wearing their dress uniforms.
They go to that night club we're at. I made
I've made this girl. I walked away from this girl,
so she kind of was like whatever, moved on to
the next guy. She goes up to the drunk British
Air Force guys and I walk up and I'm drunk
and I go, don't waste your time. It's gonna cost you.
So I walk out and I go into this little
(36:36):
like commons area, and out of nowhere, I get punched
square in the face, like dead bolt, square in the face,
and it hurt. And everybody saw it and they thought, maybe,
like this girl, I said something to this girl or
I did something. What I did was I messed with
her business?
Speaker 1 (36:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Rule number one, never mess with the money. And so
I got punched square in the face by this girl
and the police at right there and they're like, do
you want to press charges? I was like, no, this
is going to make a great.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Story, and here it is. Thank you for sharing that story.
That's amazing, they say, what happens in Vegas days in Vegas.
I'm glad you shared this a black guy in Vegas.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
It comes back with you.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
I was gonna say, yeah, exactly, if you can't see it,
you can keep it a secret. But in this case,
you know we have to hear about it. That's unbelievable.
Well that's a hell of a way to end the
rapid Fires segment. Unbelievable. Man. Well, dude, thanks for hopping
on as always. You know, I have so much fun
doing these Part of the reason I love doing these podcasts,
(37:37):
it's it's for multiple reasons, but one I tell Matt this,
I get to meet a bunch of new people that
haven't met before. But for the people that I do know,
like somebody like yourself, it's cool because to me, this
is just a normal conversation. Yeah, and like you and
I could be grabbing a beer right now and we'd
probably shoot the shit about most of the same stuff
we talked about. And it's a nice way to get
like an inside lens of just like what we're all
(37:58):
going through as artists. And I try to make this
podcast as direct about that as possible. Of course, I
want people to know about your story and your career
and what you're doing, but just hearing it from your
perspective of, like, this is what it's like to be
in the trenches in Nashville. Yeah, and like, I appreciate
you coming on and sharing your your expertise.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Bro, Well, dude, you've also been there. Uh, like you know,
not even that long ago, maybe a few weeks ago,
when you and I were sitting at Burger Joint here
in Nashville. You know, you you saw me at a
moment where I was really frustrated and I was annoyed.
And then you've seen me at moments where I'm winning,
and I've seen you, you know, vice versa of course,
and uh, you know, you've introduced me to some some
great people who are still my friends today. You know,
(38:38):
Graham's one of them. Yeah, of course you're You're always
gonna be the goat in the og. But I remember,
you know, at your guys old house, going up to
the top and shooting a bb gun at the KFC sign.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
You know, like I do remember that that was such
a great house, dude, that was over It was in
German down.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Yeah, you'd huge shooting here and then like ten seconds
later here.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
Yeah, that was unbelievable. And I think you guys, I
think you hit it first try. From what I remember,
I'm a great shot, yeah, I mean, and it's a
KFC science rather right like at two cocky here. Unbelievable.
We appreciate you guys for hopping on Rowan. Always a pleasure,
my dude. Make sure you guys check out his music.
It's out everywhere. Don't or don't, but definitely check it out.
(39:17):
He's the man. You might see him at Santa's Pub.
Or you might see him on tour. He's got the
headlining tour. You keep crushing it, dude. Thanks brother, I'll
talk soon.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Hell yeah.
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