Grant Maloy Smith on Rock and Review Radio 10-3-21

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Your two dentdo box seventeen Rock and Review Radio on
Talk Radio ninety eight point three and fifteen ten w
LAC talking with the biggest stars in music from rock, country, Bluegrass, Metal,
Americana and the Blues from the heart of Music City, Nashville, Tennessee.

(00:32):
And now here's your host, Eric Dahl.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Rock Review Radio is thrilled to have an Americana Roots
Award winning musician, singer, songwriter, and I know you've probably
heard his music in so many outlets and we're thrilled
to have him on the show. Grant Malloy Smith, Grant,
thanks for coming on the show.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Oh, it's my pleasure to be here. Eric, thank you
for having me.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
You know, I told you on the drive over here
to the iHeart Studios, I was listening to your Adify
channel and with some of the singles and obviously some
of the previous hits and everything you've had, and it's
a it's a very nice sampling of your music and
kind of the evolution of where you've arrived at, particularly
with this brand new album you have out.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
Yeah, thank you. Yeah, there is quite a variety on
on my Spotify channel. It really is. I mean, I
didn't always do just roots music, but and I also
produce music for other people too, So that keeps me,
keeps my keeps me nimble in terms of being able
to create a variety of sounds and you know, sound spectra.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
You know. And I got to ask you with a
new album that is out and and I know you've been,
you know, touring it and releasing singles and everything out
of it. And I know, I'll say this, everybody says
this different Appalachia American stories.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Right, Sure, you said it right, Well, some people say Appalachian.
That's okay, you can say it either way.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
But it's like, I found it very interesting to where,
you know, your previous album when i'd had you on
the TV show, you know, was your American story.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
But with the dust Bowl, Grant, right, that's what I'm
going to do from now on. You know. When I
made dust Bowl, and thanks for having me on your show.
When I made that album, I really I tapped into
this the whole narrative of what the dust Bowl was
in the nineteen thirties. And I won't labor everybody with
it right now, but I made a theme record in effect,
and I saw and found that it resonated literally and

(02:22):
figuratively with a lot of people around the country and
even around the world, because it's the whole album was
about something. I mean, the songs can stand on their
own and you can listen to them and have fun
without having to, you know, be a student of the
dust Bowl. It's not a it's not a lesson plan.
It's it's meant to be good music. But it just
happens to be all set in that world of the
dust Bowl and what it meant to the country and

(02:43):
to the world in fact. And I thought to myself
even four years ago when I released it or three
years ago, that that's what I'm going to do from
now on because it takes me longer to do it,
but because they got to do so much research and
so much writing. But I just knew that the next
one had to be Appalachi because that's where my family's from,
that's where the music that I do came from. That's

(03:05):
I'm so connected to that personally that I just had
to do it. And there's so many great stories to
tell about Appalachia.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
And I think you do such a great job with
all of these that you're doing, with the stories, with
the lyrics and with the songs to where. You know,
in my mind, I was thinking about it once again,
you know, knowing I was going to interview you, was
that you're keeping an art form of music that some
people have not heard in a very long time. You know.
It reminds me of when Lomax was going around the

(03:32):
United States and recording people and saving those recordings and
songs for history. And I think you're doing the same.
But you're doing them, You're reviving them and putting them
into a modern context. And it's really kind of, you know,
doing a very historical thing but through music.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, And I like doing that. I like doing it more.
There's more layers to it than just putting out a
piece of plastic with ten or twelve songs on it.
I'm really creating something that's bigger than those songs, that
means more to more people than just some songs.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
And it's also a reminder, you know, just like your
new album is. And as you were, you and I
were talking beforehand about both having you know, coal miners
and everything in our families. People forget these things, you know.
I mean, I think with all the you know, modern
technology and everything else that's going on. They forget the

(04:28):
true roots, which you know, obviously is where you excel
in music. But they forget the roots of the country
and the roots of the music and history right that
we wouldn't have what we have today without.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
That exactly, And those two things are connected, you know,
the music is connected to the culture, to the country,
to the people, to the history, you know, to the
pathos of the whole thing. And I think it's just
more powerful. It's like when you write a song that's
very emotional about something that everybody can relate to it.
You know, it gets to people, it sticks with them.

(04:59):
This is that same thing, but at a different level,
like at the national consciousness level in a way, And
for me it's just more. It's deeper, and it's more.
It's harder to do, but it's more fulfilling for me
as an artist as a writer.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Well, and like you said too, Grant, it's like you
know and listening to your latest you know, singles and
obviously I spent a lot of time with dust Bowl
also you know, your previous album. But yeah, just thinking
about how much you know research and time and preparation
you know beforehand, and then obviously the the writing of
the song, the instrumentation. I mean, you do an incredible

(05:36):
job of bringing in the right instruments that fit the song,
that serve the song, and it's just the whole tonality,
you know it. It's taking those old concepts and making
them new with a new music, right right.

Speaker 3 (05:54):
You know It's funny last week somebody who interviewed me
and said your music sounds really old fashioned, and I said, oh,
thank you. That's what I'm trying to do. I like
that old music.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
It has the old fashion you know, let's say, like
a Pete Seeger, right, No, you have those kind of
messages and lyrics. But yet for my ear obviously, you know,
and like producer Joey, you know, we're very in tune
to the music to where you can tell it's modern recording, right,
and with the separation and the frequencies and how everything

(06:26):
is broken up, it wasn't recorded in you know, the
old mono ways.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
Right right. A lot of work it does.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
It does.

Speaker 3 (06:36):
You got to really do a lot of thinking about it,
and you have to really respect and love that kind
of music. I did. That's what I grew up on.
And I don't mind if someone says that sounds like
something that Hank Williams would have written in nineteen fifty three.
I'm like, that is the highest compliment I evergot.

Speaker 2 (06:52):
Come on, I mean, anything better than that, I.

Speaker 3 (06:55):
Know, But they didn't really mean it like a compliment,
and I said, well, maybe we don't have so much
in common as I thought we did.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
Would I would take that, I mean, any any comparison
like that. It's like, oh wow, well exactly can you
say that into my phone? Please?

Speaker 3 (07:09):
Even if they said your hat looks like Hank's hat,
I'd be really oh wow.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
Well, you know, I want to talk also, Grant, because
we don't get a lot of time, you know, when
we do the TV stuff together, to really you know,
delve into this. But when you were young, you started
out being really moved by like Beatles music.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
Of course, well everybody was. I was torn between two
lovers as the song went, because you know, the Beatles
when I was like four years old, they were the
biggest thing in the whole universe, and everybody was just
crazy for them, and so was I. A little blond
haired kid in Florida. I just wanted to be in
the Beatles. I figured they would take me if I
just get a little bit taller and at the same time,

(07:47):
but my Kentucky grandmother was playing me, you know, Bill
Munroe and Ralph Stanley and all that stuff, and that's
what she called her Mountain music that she loved so much.
And I was just torn between the two them. I
love them both, and eventually came back to my real
roots with the you know, roots music that I do today.
But I do you know, you can, you can be

(08:09):
a musician unlike all kinds of music, and I certainly
do well and.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
It definitely shows. But I you know, as you said,
your roots music is certainly where you shine. We're gonna
talk more with Grant malloy Smith and play songs from
his brand new album as well. Stick around right here
on rockin View Radio. Rock and re View Radio is

(08:40):
back with the artist that has had a top ten
charting album on Billboard with the album dust Bowl. That
it is Grant malloy Smith. And Granted, it's so great
to have you on the show and talk about your
background and for our listeners, you did not start, you know,
obviously starting out you know, involved in music, listening to
music and playing at a young age. But uh on college, Uh,

(09:02):
you know, you started out at Rhode Island at the
School of Design.

Speaker 3 (09:05):
I did.

Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, I was.

Speaker 3 (09:07):
I was always supposed to be an artist, That's what
everybody said. I was going to be my whole life.
You are, yeah, but they thought I would be like
a painter or a drawer because I did it.

Speaker 2 (09:15):
I'm kidding yet. So so I mean, so when you
went into the School of Design, I mean, you know,
were you doing like graphic designs or was it more
of the painting and drawing and what were you headed into? Uh?
Kind of both.

Speaker 3 (09:29):
I was going to I mean, I really wanted to
be a fine artist, but that's that's even harder than
trying to make it in the music business, to make
any money and not leave in a box somewhere. So
I was also studying illustration and graphic design. Uh so
I could have a regular income and uh but you
know what art school school showed me. And I don't
mean to say anything bad about art school because I

(09:50):
went to it for several years, but I realized I
really didn't want to be an artist after a while.
I had discovered music right at the end of high school.
In terms of being you know, a songwriter, Yeah, and
I saw the power that it had to move people.
I was just shocked by it. I was in high
school the last few weeks of school and one of
my classmates was sitting in the middle of the courtyard

(10:12):
that we had outside, playing a guitar, and he was
surrounded by girls. And I sat there for one minute
and I said, I gotta get a guitar. I got
to get me a guitar. What have I been doing
this last four years or since I hit puberty. I
got to get me a guitar. But I don't mean
to make a light of music either, but it just
shows you it's so powerful in reaching people. And uh,

(10:34):
and you know when you when you're a painter, no
one applauds for you every four and a half minutes.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
No, And also you know, it's it's kind of and
not that either pursuit much like you know, you know,
media pursuits are not your largest money makers either, but uh,
you know what it's like. But you know, with the arts,
you know, it's it's literally literally, you know, a starving artist.
You know, because like my mom is an art teacher
and obviously being raised around, you know, artist all the

(11:01):
time as a kid and then my dad was a musician,
and so being raised around musicians, like, okay, exactly what
you said. You know, musicians got more of the accolades.
Neither of them really made that much money, but it
seemed like at least musicians were acknowledge while they were
still alive, because it seems like and no knock. But

(11:23):
it's like, you know, it's hard to make a name
for yourself in art until you're dead, like Fango and
so and so many of these artists or is like, yeah,
they're starving, they live in a little hut, and then
they're dead and it's like, oh my gosh, look at
this great artwork. Right.

Speaker 3 (11:39):
Even Vermier as well, he was just like a Sunday
painter and he taught painting classes to housewives and kids
and now he's regarded as one of the greatest painters ever.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
Yeah, it's just it's kind of mind boggling. So I
could definitely see the appeal because, like you said, you know,
instant gratification when you're making music. And I wanted to
bring up, you know, your first band, uh, Britannia, And
I didn't know this until I was digging in, was that,
you know, with this band you guys opened up for,
like the guests who Elvin Bishop and Steppenwolf back in.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
The Yeah, the Steppenwolf gig was was amazing because it
was at this big, like a two thousand seat place
in West Hartford, Connecticut that does not exist anymore. But
they would just open up these twenty foot wide door
openings and then motorcycles literally came into the venue and
we're doing donuts in the middle of the cement floor

(12:31):
that they had in there.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
Oh my gosh.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
This is when I was doing the sound check with
the band, and we just looked at each other like
even the women on these motorcycles could beat us up,
so we I gotta keep moving. The drummer was like,
I can't keep moving. I got to sit behind the drums. Well,
been nice knowing you, Lou.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
That's amazing, But I mean those those are big acts. Yeah,
for an up and coming band to open for. Yeah,
we got pretty lucky. Well, we tried to be entertaining.
We jumped around and whatever, spand and dodge the motorcycles.

Speaker 3 (13:04):
I had to dodge a few bottles once in a while.
That sounds like something out of uh uh Losers exactly.
They had. There was one place we did they did
have the Chicken Mars And when I saw that movie,
I just about fell out of my chair at the theater.

Speaker 2 (13:17):
I've played in a few of those two. And you say, amazing,
how thankful you are for the chicken wire, you know,
because when they don't like your songs, it's like, yeah,
I'm pretty happy that chicken wire is up right now.
And you know why exactly.

Speaker 3 (13:31):
It's even they'll even throw them if they do like you.
It's like to say thanks.

Speaker 2 (13:35):
Yeah, oh yeah, it's almost like applause, yes, yeah, Oh
my gosh, it's so funny. But and then you ended
up you know what was the catalyst to move to California?
Then to make music?

Speaker 3 (13:45):
Oh, there was a few things I wanted to be
around more more songwriters, and there's there was a pretty
big I'm sure there still is, uh you know community
out there, organizations you can join, and I could go
to pitching meetings with the produce users and song shoppers
and all that kind of thing. And I just thought
it would be it would be fun to try, fun,

(14:07):
to have fun, to have that experience, and I liked it.

Speaker 2 (14:10):
Yeah. Well, and also you became a member of the
Songwriters Guild of America.

Speaker 3 (14:13):
There I did went a bunch of songwriting, you know,
pitching sessions. I really learned a lot about the business
of music then. I really didn't know much about it before.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
You know, a lot of songwriters don't they even know
about that in their seventies. Oh, there's a business side
to this.

Speaker 3 (14:29):
What that's called the music business?

Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, that's exactly. That is so funny. Well,
i'll tell you what. We're going to play one of
your new songs. And uh, I was just listening to this,
uh you know, on on your playlist and it's a
great song by Grant molloy Smith. And this is down
to Hatchaby.

Speaker 4 (14:46):
Road, County du to be where stores dinner, the game.

Speaker 1 (15:07):
Look, you on your bands.

Speaker 2 (15:11):
Hey, I'm Emerson Hart and you're listening to Fox seventeen
Rock and Review Radio on w LAC with Eric Dahl.
Stick around, He'll be right back. Rock Review Radio is
back with the Americana Roots Award winning artist that has

(15:33):
played Carnegie Hall back in twenty eighteen, and I believe
he has scheduled there for next year as well. Is
Grant malloy Smith and Grant it's fun talking about your background.
And I'll tell you, you know, I'm getting to spend
more time talking with you, you know, instead of just
only about your new album, kind of digging into your
background to where you have scored a number of full

(15:56):
length and short films in your career. Yeah, I have.

Speaker 3 (16:00):
I'd like to do one again. I haven't done one
in a couple of years. But that's a lot of
fun and it really you really get to flex your
muscles when you especially when you do an independent film,
because they kind of rely on you to do not
just the score, which is, you know, the music that
you hear in a film that only the audience can hear, right,
the score, like John Williams writes, But John, you know,

(16:20):
like well, to use that example, he also wrote the
song that plays in the in the bar, you know. Yeah,
so that's not score, that's that's a source cue or
music that the characters in the in the scene can hear,
or theoretically can hear. How they aren't really hearing it
they put it in later, but on screen they appear
to hear it and react to it. Maybe they're dancing

(16:41):
or singing along with it, or it's just there so
you have to write all that kind of stuff that
you usually rely on you to do it all. And
when you write those score cues, they might say, Okay,
this has to sound sort of like a Frank Sinatra
nineteen forty five thing, and then we need to go
in this scene. I need music playing in the taxi
that sounds like Nirvana.

Speaker 2 (17:00):
Uh you know, yeah. I want to ask about that too,
because a lot of people, you know, particularly like when
I talk with college classes and stuff to where, you know,
how did you get into this? I mean, being a musician,
being a songwriter, being a you know, an entertainer and performer.
How did you get into scoring full length movies and

(17:21):
short films and independent stuff? You know? How did that?
How did that happen?

Speaker 3 (17:25):
Somebody asked me to do it, and I thought to myself, no,
I have no idea how to score a movie.

Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yeah, I don't.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
I don't want to do that. And they said, no,
you'd be great at it. And your your songs have
kind of, ah in some cases, cinematic feel about them.

Speaker 2 (17:41):
I agree, and you could. You can do it.

Speaker 3 (17:44):
So I took a chance and I did it, and
I realized right after I started, how much fun.

Speaker 2 (17:49):
It was so like when you're doing this, like, you know,
I assume you're approached by like the director or the
production company. Yes, and then are you watching the film?
I mean you? I mean besides, like you said, you know,
they give you direction on what they want, you know,
if they want a certain music in the cab whatever, right,
but I mean you know, are they sending you like
a rough of the film and you work with that?

Speaker 4 (18:11):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (18:11):
Yes, definitely. The best case would be that you get
the film when it's locked, when they're not going to
make any more editing changes to it. But that's hardly
ever the case. Normally it's almost locked, but it's really
not almost locked because they keep making changes, so you
keep having to change what you're doing. But that's normally
just a timing thing. Usually the process starts. You know,

(18:33):
you read the script and get a feeling about it,
make your own opinions, you know, develop your own feeling
for what the music could be like, and then you
normally sit down with the director and have a spotting
session where you go through it and give them your
ideas and definitely get their ideas because a lot of
times the directors will have a feeling I want it
to sound like and they'll name a different movie. Then
I'll go watch it and see what they're going for.

(18:55):
Sometimes they'll put a temporary music into these days especially Oh,
and then they'll give you, I want it like this,
but less fewer violins, maybe more of the woodwinds.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
You know that kind of well, and then how do
you work out all of that orchestration and everything? I mean,
do you score it and then bring in like all
the different musicians. I mean, how do you do that? Grant?

Speaker 3 (19:15):
But it depends what the budget is. If they have
the budget for a real orchestra, then yeah, I have
to score it. But typically I'll do that like almost
every film is done today. You do it in your
DAW program when using virtual orchestral instruments, and from that
you can export a score.

Speaker 2 (19:33):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
It always has to be tweaked though, because these programs
are not perfect but right, but you can do a
very good approximation that way. And if they don't have
the budget to really hire an orchestra for you know,
megabucks per hour, then then you can create some pretty
convincing orchestral stuff today with the virtual instruments that are
out there. I mean they're all based on real samples

(19:53):
of real instruments.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
You know, the technology has come so far from when
you know, you and I started, you know, doing music right,
and you know it's now you know, I remember when
the first drum machines came out and they were just horrendous,
just horrendous, and you play these, it's like going, this
doesn't even sound anything like. It sounds like somebody's hitting
a tin can. And then now, you know, with the

(20:15):
actual sample drums and all this kind of stuff, you're like, Okay,
well that there's some realism there.

Speaker 3 (20:21):
Well, today, I'll tell you you can't even if it's
done right. You can't even tell whether it's a real
drummer or not.

Speaker 2 (20:27):
Wow, that's pretty amazing, you know. But I mean, what
a great leap for you as as a musician and
a composer and producer to have the opportunity. I mean,
you know, you've got you know, and I got a
brag on it. You've got a long list of full
length and short films and everything that you have provided

(20:47):
the music for.

Speaker 3 (20:49):
Yeah, it's fun to do. I gotta say, it's a
lot of work, and normally there's a lot of pressure
because when the film does get locked, then they're like, Okay,
where's the music, Like, I got to write an hour's
worth of music in five minutes.

Speaker 2 (21:01):
Come on, Grant, hurry up. Well, speaking of which, we're
gonna play another song and uh, you're gonna love this one.
This is by Grant malloy Smith and it is gas
Station Chicken.

Speaker 4 (21:37):
Gas Station Chicken Taser Go to nine. Oh my guys,
station Chicken Gona Taseeral Go up.

Speaker 3 (21:48):
Hi. I'm Grant Melloy Smith, and you're listening to Fox
seventeen Rock and Review Radio on Talk Radio ninety eight
point three and fifteen ten w l a C with
Eric Dahl. Stick around, He'll be right back.

Speaker 2 (22:10):
Rock and View Radio is back with the artist that
has won two Grammy certificates and he's also in the
Indie Music Hall of Fame in Hollywood. It is Grant
Malloy Smith and Grant, it's so much fun having you
on the show and picking your brain about all of
the many facets of music that you do and continue
to juggle and you know, musically, like we were talking
earlier in the show, you know from your grandma and

(22:33):
Kentucky kind of introducing you to the music that you
do and perform today with Americana and roots. But in
twenty twelve, musically, you really made that mental shift for
yourself to kind of go down this path, didn't you.

Speaker 3 (22:47):
Yes, nice, I did.

Speaker 2 (22:49):
I did. What was the catalyst, you know, I don't
even know what it was.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
I think maybe a combination of things came to play one.
I had been doing mostly kind of anthemic pop music,
I guess you'd call it, or ballad based rock music
for a while, and I was just bored with it.
And people kept telling me your songs are they're not
really country songs, but there's something about them that feels

(23:15):
like they're country songs, don't And I would be insulted
by that, like I'm not trying to do country music
back then, right, But then I realized what they meant
was that they told stories. It's the storytelling aspect of
songwriting that I was really into and still I'll always
be into.

Speaker 2 (23:31):
Well, you know, and I think it's what you do,
you know, and thankfully when you made that transition, you know,
like nine ten years ago now, But I think it's
what you do so well, you know, listening to your
songs as I have been getting ready for the show
and everything to where you do an incredible job of
painting an image with words, to where when you're singing

(23:53):
it and you're delivering it, I have images in my
mind to go with it.

Speaker 3 (23:59):
Ah, that's perfect.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
That's my goal.

Speaker 3 (24:01):
And I learned this a long time ago, especially with
especially with country and you know, ritchs music, that you
have to tell the story with images and you have
to use the minimum number of words to conjure up
those images in people's minds so that they see the
song in their mind as maybe like a little movie
that's playing inside their head.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
You got to do that.

Speaker 3 (24:22):
And I work so hard. I work harder at lyrics
than I do anything else in my life.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
Well, and I think it shows because even back when
we covered dust Bowl when it came out, and I
think I mentioned this to you when we were, you know,
in my office for we're headed to the studio, and
I said, you know, this could be a documentary pretty easily.

Speaker 4 (24:40):
Right.

Speaker 2 (24:41):
It's like it seems like you know each album that
you have done, you know, and each music creation and
even the individual songs in the past years, and you
keep getting better at it, and you keep you know,
getting into more depth. But you know, once again, this
new album to me could easily be you know PBS
or or you know Netflix documentary.

Speaker 3 (25:04):
That's funny you say that, That's That's kind of what
I had in my mind in a way. You know,
the Smithsonian has this group of a record they put
out that document you know, American history and all things American. Uh,
and it could it could be something that they would
they could offer too or package it in their unique
way that they do that stuff.

Speaker 2 (25:23):
I just you know, to me, it just it makes
a lot of sense because of once again the background
you have. You know, it's kind of like the PBS
special ken Burns with country music, right and and when
I first went and saw that first installment over at
the Grand o Opry, and I'm like going, ah, this
is just gonna be the same old, same ole. And
ken Burns did such an incredible job to where every

(25:46):
installment of that series of that documentary series, I learned
something I didn't know. Yeah, me too, me too. And
that's pretty impt because you and I are pretty much
immersed in this. Yeah, it's like but yeah, I know, yeah,
yeah exactly. But it's like I'm watching this and going, oh,
my gosh, I never knew that, right, you know, And
so I think that you know the same with your

(26:07):
music and lending itself, you know, adding you know, video
and interviews and things with it, particularly with this new album,
and you could go back into it with dust Bowl also,
but they certainly lend themselves to.

Speaker 3 (26:21):
Visuals, yes, And with this, with this album I made,
I wrote a book to accompany it, sort of like
liner Notes on Acid, if you will. So it's got
the lyrics and the usual stuff, but it has a
lot of an addition, a lot of obviously it's forty
pages long, so it's not just the liner notes, but
not incredible history and stuff that goes along of what
the story is behind some of the songs, right and again,

(26:44):
I tried not to write the songs in a way
that would require you to learn about the topic. I
wanted them to be fun to listen to, whether you
knew anything about apple Atchi or not. But when you
do read the liner Notes on Acid that I wrote
the songs, I think, get uh deeper for you. You
can have a deeper experience.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
Well now, like you said, you know, so that the
song can stand alone on its own, or you can
get the depths. You know, That's one of the things
I miss when you know, everything was put on albums,
was that, you know, you had those liner notes, and
so if I wanted to know, well, who was the drummer, right,
you know, who who did this, or or if they
would give you an inkling of where the lyrics came from,
what the concept was, what what was the catalyst that

(27:27):
made you want to write and perform this song. That's
the kind of and then seeing some pictures, particularly if
there are family pictures or or you know, or whatever
that relate.

Speaker 3 (27:35):
To it exactly. And that's what my book has, and
that's why I'm offering it as a box set with
the with the LP and the CD and the book
and everything all in there together. I even I even
got some coal from West Virginia and I give a
little a little bag, little clear bag of coal.

Speaker 2 (27:52):
Oh my gosh, I'm gonna I'm gonna have to have
the box set now, yeah, because I mean that's just
that is incredible. Well, speaking of which, you know, and
you and I were talking before we started the show,
you know, both having relatives that worked in the coal mines,
you know, yours in Kentucky, and mine and Illinois. But
this listening to this song of yours, you know, it
really brought back those memories of my relatives and family

(28:16):
in southern Illinois that were coal miners. And just what
a great song and so well put with these lyrics.
We're gonna play it right now. The song is the
Coal Comes Up and it's by Grant malloy Smith.

Speaker 3 (28:32):
The Coal Tomes Up?

Speaker 4 (28:34):
When Amand does.

Speaker 2 (28:39):
The Devils coming around?

Speaker 4 (28:43):
Same Jesus jumping me on all thees when Amanda.

Speaker 2 (29:02):
Rock and View Radio is back with the incredible Americana
and roots artist who has also had his song Man
of Steel adopted by the National Veterans Foundation, and that
is Grant malloy Smith. And Grant, it's been so much
fun talking with you and discussing your brand new album,
which once again, as I told you before we started
the show today, to me, once again, you've taken it

(29:25):
to another level with Appalachia American Stories, and certainly now
with this box set that you've done as well, which
I didn't even know about before the show because I
had it on I have your album on CD, and
I've listened to songs online and everything else. But what
a great package that you've put together to really bring
the visuals along to the music.

Speaker 3 (29:47):
Well, thank you, and I'm going to make sure you
get one.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
Well, I appreciate it, and I want my copy signed now.

Speaker 3 (29:52):
Of course I signed every one of them.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
I've still got it in my file. I've still got
the first time you sent me something, and I've got
one of your cards that you signed to me. I
still have that. Oh great, yeah, from years ago before
I even got to interview or talk with you and
become the friends we are. But I want to make
sure for our listeners Grant, that they know, you know,
with your website, with social media, and I know you

(30:14):
do a lot of shows. You're going to be a
back at Carnegie Hall in twenty twenty two. Yep. Wow.
Where do they need to go for everything? Grant Malloy Smith.

Speaker 3 (30:24):
The easiest, simple and single place to go is my
website because that has links to everywhere else, all the
social media things I do. It's got my show schedule
on there. Of course, it's got my music on there.
My albums and videos are all connected. So it's just
my three names, Grant, Malloy Smith and Malloy just has
one l. Normally I think you put dashes between like

(30:45):
Grant Dashmlloydashsmith dot com and if you go there, you'll
see everything you want to see about me and maybe more.

Speaker 2 (30:52):
And I got to tell you this to the listeners
for the Rock and Review. And if you know me,
you know I've kind of got a twisted sense of humor. Well,
my friend Grant molloy Smith does also, and so one
of my favorite things is keeping up with him on
Facebook and through social media because he'll just do a
little post, funny little jokes and I always enjoy them. Grant, Well,

(31:12):
I'm an entertainer, Yes you are. I'll tell you what.
I think. You're a treasure bringing this music to the forefront.
And I think you've created an award winning album once
again with Appalachia American Stories. It's just a great body
of work and that you're keeping this music alive for

(31:33):
the next generations and still out on the road performing
it and reaching audiences. And truthfully, I think your albums
and what you're creating could be a college course.

Speaker 3 (31:44):
Well that's very nice to say, thank you very much
for that makes me feel good. That's what I'm trying
to do, trying to make music that's fun all by itself,
but has a deeper channel to.

Speaker 2 (31:56):
It well, and I think you achieve it with all
the research and with your incredible songwriting. Be sure and
go to his website, follow him on social media. Hopefully
he is coming to a town near you. If he is,
please go see him perform live and buy your own copy,
especially with the vinyl set which sounds amazing for Appalasia.
American Stories by Grant Malloy Smith. Grant, thanks for coming

(32:17):
on Rock Review Radio.

Speaker 3 (32:18):
It has been my pleasure. Thank you, and thanks all
your listeners.

Speaker 1 (32:22):
Thanks for listening to Box seventeen Rock and Review Radio
on Talk Radio ninety eight point three and fifteen ten WLAC.
We hope that you enjoyed the show. Headphones for the
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