Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Skip
Happens.
My name is Skip Clark, ofcourse, your host of Skip
Happens, and tonight Ansel Brownis back on the podcast, yo! And
this time it feels a little bitdifferent.
Last time he was here, he wasfiguring things out.
Now the music's moving as youcan hear.
(00:29):
And the fans are responding, thenumbers are real, it's not hype.
And from the whiskey mixer missme, I remember that.
Looking for the man and lookingfor the second chapter, I want
to say, built with purpose.
(00:50):
Let's get into it.
And it's my friend, uh, youknow, we actually became pretty
good friends.
Um, he actually invited I made atrip to Charlotte uh in the
middle of August for a wedding,and of course, he's in
Charlotte.
And I come to find out that it'snot the time you want to go to
Charlotte because it's like uh95 degrees in the shade and
humid, but it was beautiful.
(01:11):
Ansel, how are you?
SPEAKER_03 (01:12):
It's good, man.
It's good to be back.
So good to see you.
You I mean, like I said, I thinkyou were the first podcast
interview that I did um when Ifirst relaunched this past
summer, right?
SPEAKER_00 (01:24):
So I'm excited to be back and give you an update.
I always wanted you back, andyou know, we pretty much kept in
touch, and then Tracy reachedout and I said, Yeah,
absolutely.
And I think you did.
I think we were texting evenbefore then.
So yeah, and by the way, kudosright to that young lady, Tracy,
because she's on top ofeverything that you're doing.
(01:45):
I mean, she just a few minutesago even emailed me with some
information about Amazon and andall that.
So she is right on top of it.
SPEAKER_03 (01:53):
She's been a godsend, you know, there's a
couple people like Mike Euretta,and but Tracy is is just like
every day, she's like on me saysaying, Hey, we gotta get this
done, we gotta get this done, wegotta get this done.
I'm like, Okay, okay.
Oh, yeah, I forgot.
SPEAKER_00 (02:10):
Yeah, it just keeps me completely straight.
Yeah, you know, and so forpeople who may be uh finding you
for the very first time, allright, or re-finding you, I
guess.
Uh, where are you in life rightnow compared to the last time uh
you were on with us?
SPEAKER_03 (02:25):
I'm an exciting point because you know, we we we
started back and we, you know,the whiskey took off.
I mean, it had over or close to300,000 uh streams on Spotify
alone.
Um, it's been amazing.
And uh the last time that I wasum doing this, I was kind of
doing the space shuttle stuff,so that was amazing too.
(02:48):
That's right.
Yeah, so I was doing all theNASA space shuttle events for
the farewell to the spaceshuttle program.
And really, I mean, that's justbeen amazing um to go through
leaving, coming back, and thenthis time it's been more, I
would say last time it was moreabout big events and connecting
(03:12):
my music with big events, likethe the final, you know, space
shuttle stuff.
SPEAKER_05 (03:16):
Totally.
SPEAKER_03 (03:17):
This time I'm really focused on Ansel the artist.
And the not that I wasn't anartist back then, but now my my
vision is to really just be asgood of a singer as I can be,
connect at the deepest levelwith people with my music.
Um, and and and it's beenworking.
(03:37):
It's been it's been incredible.
Um, everything that's happened,you know, right after we
launched, I had the city ofPittsburgh call me and they were
like, We heard We Make AmericaRun.
They heard that song that youwere playing, and they said, Of
course, it mentions thePittsburgh Steelers, of course,
but they were like, Hey, we'vewe've been booked for a long
time for the Fourth of July, butwe would be privileged if you
(03:58):
would headline our Fourth ofJuly for us.
And that was like a month beforethe fourth.
So that was really my first bigconcert um opportunity uh in the
comeback.
And I took it, I jumped on it, Igot my band ready.
We we went up there, we had agreat time.
The people of Pittsburgh wereamazing.
I really connect with workingclass communities.
So if you're in a blue-collarcity, I I feel really natural in
(04:21):
those situations, and that'swhat that song is about as well.
It's about blue-collar, it'sabout what makes this country
run.
But so, really, that connectionpoint is really what I'm looking
for this time, and I really wantto savor it because you know,
when you're gone for as long asI was gone, it you know, you you
just you forget what it's liketo really connect, and that's
(04:43):
what I'm doing this time.
SPEAKER_00 (04:43):
I'm so you're you're like in a different headspace
now.
Oh, big big time, you know, bigtime, big time.
So that's kind of cool.
I you said now, is it true thatyou stepped away for health,
family, and life priorities?
And then uh what did that timeaway teach you that you could
not have learned by staying inthe grind?
You know, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03 (05:04):
Yeah, that's a great question because it did.
It taught me that one, you'regiven an opportunity, and if you
don't take it, you do miss it.
And and in my case, yes, I washealing.
Uh, I was going through some,you know, some some serious
stuff in terms of what you knowyou go through in life.
A lot of us go through that.
(05:24):
Um, and then I had a heartissue, and then, you know, I had
a family member go through atraumatic time in the justice
system.
And um, and it was veryearth-shattering to me.
Um, but it it taught me resolveand it also taught me that, you
know what, you if I'm gonna, ifI'm ever gonna get back into
(05:45):
music, I have a window to do it.
And I knew that I knew in theback of my mind I would always
be back.
I just didn't know when.
And then after the heart issuekind of got sorted out, just the
light came on.
It was around COVID.
And I just, I just really I knewthis is what I needed to be
(06:06):
doing.
And it, I appreciate it morenow.
I'm not really out there tryingto become, you know, Joe Schmo
from Atlantic Records.
I'm I'm right, I'm trying to dowhat I know my passion is, and
my passion is to connect.
And it's it's always been toconnect, and it's just like I
said, I used to do big eventsand connect through the music to
(06:26):
those events.
I'm not saying I won't do thatagain, but now it's truly about
me connecting with the countrymusic lover and really trying to
to make sure that I don't misswhat I gave up again.
So I'm like I'm I'm all the wayin.
Um, I'm working night and day,you know, I'm um, I'm running a
(06:50):
business, I'm doing all thatstuff, but I this is me night
and day.
And it's it's because I feellike I have so much to share
that I didn't get to during thattime off.
SPEAKER_00 (07:00):
So this is not really a comeback tour, it's a
comeback mission.
Yes.
Big time.
Exactly.
I love that.
SPEAKER_03 (07:09):
And uh what does that actually mean to you?
Oh boy, it means it means thatno matter what, I stand up, I
you know, it doesn't if if it'shard to get noticed because the
world has changed in 10 years,it's still a challenge that I
want to face.
And you know, being in a in amission mindset, you really got
(07:32):
to put one foot in front of theother, regardless of the
pushback.
I have felt this time that it'sthe it feels like the waves are
with me.
And I felt like in the firsttime I was in music, I felt like
it was it was almost the sameway, but toward the middle of
it, it got it kind of felt likethere was pressure against me,
(07:53):
um, not in a negative way, butjust in a just a general way
that you feel when you're tryingto do something and you're not
sure that you're doing it theright way.
And I felt that a lot the firsttime through.
This time, I because I don'thave expectations of, you know,
I'll just say stardom.
I don't, I don't really havethose expectations.
I have expectations for myselfto put a product out that people
(08:16):
will connect with.
And then when they meet me orthey see me in person or they
meet me on social media, they'regonna know me.
And that vulnerability is reallywhat I'm focused on.
And this mission is putting thatone foot in front of the other
no matter what you face, nomatter how hard it is, and just
keep going because you knowyou're doing the right thing.
SPEAKER_00 (08:36):
Yeah.
Wow, dude.
What um was there a specificmoment when the fear of not
doing music again became biggerthan the fear of uh let's say
falling or failing?
SPEAKER_05 (08:50):
Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (08:51):
Yeah, when my daughter was born.
SPEAKER_03 (08:53):
God, I she's how old now?
Five.
She's five.
And so she was born, she's aCOVID baby.
And I just remember thinking tomyself, you know, I'd see her
smile.
I, you know, I had this littlething that I did with her every
day, every day from the day shewas born, every time that I
looked at her, I'm not joking,there was not a single time that
I didn't do this.
(09:14):
Every time that I looked at mydaughter, I smiled.
I'm getting goosebumps rightnow.
SPEAKER_00 (09:18):
I know.
Well, yeah, I got the hoodie onand I just can't see them, but I
have them.
SPEAKER_03 (09:23):
And after about 70 days, she did not stop smiling.
SPEAKER_02 (09:29):
Oh, dude.
SPEAKER_03 (09:30):
And and as I was watching her, and literally
she's that way today, tilltoday, she's she's one of the
most, you know, just uniquepersonalities, but she smile,
she has that energy in her thatjust makes you, you know, feel
her smile, right?
And I remember looking at hergoing, she's not gonna know who
I really am.
She's not gonna know about mymusic.
(09:52):
You know, she'll see it on a CD,sitting in the house.
She's not gonna know me as anartist.
And I that really started to eataway.
Like I was like, I I really Igotta get back into this.
And then just at that moment, mygood friend Brent Harrison came
to me and he said, Ansel, thelet's write.
Because I had an idea for a songcalled Middle of the Madness,
(10:14):
and it kind of percolated,right?
And then we wrote, and then Iwas going through the same thing
with my daughter, where I'mlike, I gotta get back into
this, or she's never gonna know.
And then boom, it was like hewas there, and we started
writing together, and then westarted recording together, and
then we started, and it was justone thing after another just
(10:34):
kept happening.
It took four years, but we gotthere over time, and my daughter
started to learn, oh, my dad's asinger.
I don't know if she's totallyshe'll get it.
SPEAKER_00 (10:46):
No, she she probably does get it, it's just the way
she doesn't really show you allof it as of yet.
But believe me, I mean, from dayone, when you you smile at her,
she knows you're number one,you're daddy.
Number two, you're gonna be thatartist too.
SPEAKER_03 (11:00):
I think I'm gonna write a book about that
experience with my daughterbecause you really should.
I I it was really, it wasn'tthat I was experimenting, but I
was like, I remember my other Ihave you know, we have four boys
on top, you know, in in additionto her.
And I and I I'm a smiley personanyway.
I like to smile, I just have athat's my energy.
And but I I just remember beinglike, I I want to see if this
(11:25):
really impacts her.
And I I swear to God, it it wasamazing to watch her just
suddenly she started smile at avery young age.
She was smiling, and then shestarted just smiling all the
time.
And my wife would laugh at mebecause I, you know, every
literally every time I saw her,I was like, you know, I kept
that on my face, you know, evenif I was not having a good day.
SPEAKER_00 (11:48):
Can't stop talking about it.
Yeah, it's so good, so good.
Man, that is so good.
Let's uh talk a little bit aboutuh, you know, you're doing this
on your own, uh, you're doing itwithout the machine, so to
speak.
And uh the whiskey makes hermiss me.
I mean, that had real numbers.
Uh and what I read was nearly300,000 Spotify streams.
(12:11):
Uh, when did you realize thatuh, you know, this is not just
noise, but real momentum?
SPEAKER_03 (12:19):
I think I think when the CMA um I well, I'm gonna go
back.
I think really as soon as weknew whiskey was the launch
single, we started the re thefeedback we were getting was
really good.
Um, but as the music row numbersstarted to pick up, and then
right before the EP came out inOctober that it's on, you know,
(12:42):
it was the release single, um,the CMA, you know, pumped out
their their Friday New Music umemail blast to the industry.
And Ansel Brown was right there,you know, next to next to uh
Keith Urban and and you know,and it's like, okay, so they
know they know that I'm back,they know that I'm doing this
(13:04):
again.
Um, and yeah, that's harderwithout the engine, you know,
behind you.
But I tell you what, you know,we we ended up um you know
charting on music row.
We're we're charting right nowon the breakout chart.
And you know, that to me is justthat's exactly what I wanted to
have happen because I haven'tbeen here for so long.
(13:25):
Right.
And they have my first single,you know, I was right there with
Luke Combs.
He didn't chart on like hisnewest song.
It he landed on the on decklist, and that same week I
landed on the on deck list.
SPEAKER_00 (13:38):
Now, what is that?
You you look at this list andyou see your name among those
that you know, your Luke Combsand your Keith Urbans and
everybody else.
I mean, what is that feelinglike?
SPEAKER_03 (13:49):
And it I it's like you, it's it's you know that
you're doing something that isworking, even though it's not as
fast as I want it to be.
It's gonna take time.
You know, I kept having to tellpeople that are supporting me,
I'm like, this is uh this is amarathon.
This is not like we're not gonnajust be a flash in the pan.
(14:09):
People are gonna systematicallysee that Ansel Brown is putting
out really good music, really,you know, well-critiqued music,
you know, in a in a good way,and and he's really doing this,
and it's not like just one bigpush, it's it's gonna be
several, several pushes, andwe're doing that.
(14:29):
And we the more fans that we getbehind this, the more help we
get from the listening public,right?
The bigger it can be.
SPEAKER_00 (14:37):
Yeah, what um so how different does success feel now
that it's coming from thelisteners, as opposed to uh, you
know, the label push.
SPEAKER_03 (14:46):
Yeah, it's gotta be different.
It feels amazing and way betterthan I think somebody was
talking to somebody else todayabout a uh with a PR person in
in Atlanta, and he's like, She'slike, Well, is he on a major
label?
And and the the guy that thatwas talking to that lady was
like, you know, I don't thinkAnsel wants a label.
I think I think he wants to dothis himself.
SPEAKER_00 (15:08):
He doesn't want it's not uncommon, you know.
Yeah, it's happening more andmore.
SPEAKER_03 (15:11):
Yeah, because of the way that you get, yeah, you
know, everything is likeadvanced, and then you're paying
back the label forever.
SPEAKER_00 (15:18):
CT each their own, but I'm you know, I'm not gonna
diss the labels either.
Everybody's got a job to do, butthe uh the the artists that I
speak to, and a lot of those areindependents, such as yourself,
yeah.
They're cut, you know, this iswhat they're doing.
They want to have hands-on, theywant to they want to make the
decision.
I want to decide what my what myexactly, yep, exactly.
And if it fails, you got nobodyto blame but yourself.
(15:40):
And I don't think you can likeno, I don't think I think you're
absolutely right.
I know what you're gonna say.
SPEAKER_03 (15:45):
You want to get rich and famous, and that's your
goal, then yes, you might fail.
But if your goal is to createsomething that people may
remember, yeah, and may get mayget inspired or touched by,
that's real success.
Like, I don't that kind ofsounds like something uh, you
know, a uh motivational speakerwould say, but it's it's it is
(16:08):
true that if you're doing whatyou love doing, then at any
measure it's success.
And I love doing this.
SPEAKER_00 (16:17):
I I can tell, I can absolutely tell, and that just
makes me feel so good.
Uh, when you put together therise, um was the goal a hit or
was it a statement?
SPEAKER_03 (16:29):
The goal was a statement.
I kind of figured, and nohesitation.
And it was a statement becauseI'm like, Ansel is a serious
artist.
I'm talking third person, sorry.
Um you know, I'm a I'm a seriousartist that really has a serious
desire to put out high qualitywork.
And that that makes me feel goodbecause I'm kind of a
(16:50):
perfectionist with creativity.
I mean, I'm in a you know, I'm acreative, yeah, creative person
regardless of the music.
Yeah, yeah, and and so I havehigh standards for myself, but
to put it out there, it's justlike, you know, I want to make
the statement is Ansel is forreal.
SPEAKER_00 (17:07):
Real deal, baby.
SPEAKER_03 (17:08):
Whether I'm on Billboard Top 100 or not.
SPEAKER_00 (17:11):
It's the real deal.
That's what matters.
That's what matters.
Uh, you know, you've gotmultiple tracks showing
engagement.
I I saw that, I hear it.
Uh, not just one song.
Why do you think listeners aresticking around this time?
SPEAKER_03 (17:24):
I think um crazy questions, I know.
SPEAKER_00 (17:27):
I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_03 (17:28):
No, no, no.
I think they I think they umthey're they're learning about
me and they're not they're likemy number one statement that I
get from people like you skip,um, is like, how did I not know
about you?
If I hear that from people, it'slike I know, like, I know that
I'm doing the right thing, and Iknow that I'm doing high quality
(17:50):
work because they're not going,man, you used to be a lot
better.
This this time they're reallysaying, like, how how did I not
how did I not hear about youbefore?
SPEAKER_00 (17:59):
I've said that since day one.
I think the first time when youand I first talked, and it's
like, how did I not know aboutyou?
SPEAKER_03 (18:06):
And yeah, you did say that.
That's right.
And it's like, um, if you Ithink if you get that reaction,
and I would say it's happened onlike, I'm not joking, 97% of my
interviews that were people havelistened to my music before the
interview, and then they they'relike talking off camera, you
know, or offline.
Yep, and they're like, like,what, why?
(18:30):
Why haven't I why didn't I knowabout you?
So I love that that surprise.
Like, even though that's kind oflike a cut on myself, because
it's like you're surprised thatI can sing, or you're surprised
that I have good music.
It's to me, it's like, man, it'stelling that is amazing to get
that kind of response.
It's feel good, it's feel good.
SPEAKER_00 (18:49):
Inside, you just go, Yeah, that's what I want.
Exactly.
This is the real me.
Then whoa, whoa, whoa, wait aminute.
unknown (18:57):
Wait a minute.
SPEAKER_00 (18:57):
Then there's this more cowbell.
Yeah, just kind of reminds me ofbeing at one of our baseball
games, and there's a guy thatcomes around with a cowbell, and
it's always a more cowbell.
But this is bad voice.
SPEAKER_05 (19:14):
Hang on.
You hear deadlands way behind.
Do you hear me, son?
I tell him, yeah, yeah, yeah.
He owns my son from nine tillfive.
Well, I've got a line.
(19:37):
Goes to eleven.
You hear the bang, bang, bang.
Wow, do you hear the dance?
SPEAKER_03 (19:44):
We're doing a line dance for this one right now.
SPEAKER_00 (19:46):
Oh, I bet you yeah, exactly.
I I I can vision that happeningwith this.
That is great.
Uh, more cowbell.
What I'm reading is uh that hasquietly become like the Dark
Horse fan favorite.
Um, did that uh catch you offguard when that happened?
Well just came out October 17th.
SPEAKER_03 (20:03):
But it's from that little it's kind of started to
to separate itself a little bit.
And um just the reaction that Iget from people, whether there
are other creators on TikTok orwhatever, they're like, hey, so
more cowbell is one of yoursongs.
Can can we use it?
So we're getting a lot of thatjust organically, you know, with
(20:24):
creators wanting to use it.
And um it just like it's alwaysbeen one of my favorite songs.
I did not write that songeither.
So just so you know, Skip Blackand um Joe Leathers wrote that
song.
Cool.
And I've I used to sing it backin the day.
And I'm like I'm like I nevergot to record it.
And then so I I I called them upwhen I was putting this first EP
(20:47):
together and I was like hey guyscan I do more cowbell?
And there's one other calledGravity Hill that they wrote.
I'm like can I do more cowbellin Gravity Hill and they were
like yeah yeah do it.
And I of course you know butbecause those songs have like
sat with me for so long theyfeel a part of my tapestry and
to have it on an actual albumnow feels amazing.
So that is so cool.
(21:09):
It's always been one of myfavorite songs that is that is
so cool.
So um and then you're officiallylaunching we make America run uh
which is the radio single now uhwhy was this the song uh uh the
right song to follow whiskey youknow because I I love my country
(21:32):
and and it is a blue collaranthem it's it's not an it's not
like a oh say you can't it's notone of those anthems right but
it's a blue collar gritty anthemand uh we got some great reviews
on it um I I just think it's theit's a great you know I feel
like the first single is to dipyour not dip your toes but to
(21:56):
splash so that people are likeoh wake up who's Ansel where did
Ansel why did we not know aboutAnsel and then the second
follow-up single needs to besomething that can gain national
traction in a way that maybe thefirst one can't because the
first one has to surprise peoplethe second one has to to go and
and take off and I believethat's the one that is ready and
(22:19):
waiting to just take off onceradio gets a hold of it.
Yeah and it look it sounds likeit's built for radio oh yeah uh
live shows the big moments um ohyeah I mean what were you hoping
people would feel the first timethey heard it um just a uh a
level of um of pride in whatthey do to make this country run
(22:44):
exactly because they're you knowwhether you're a uh a farmer
whether you're a uh you know auh trucker army army army yeah
military yep whether you're afirst responder whether you're a
trucker these are the peoplethat make this country run
everybody should feel pride inthat that works hard you know
(23:05):
whether you're an entrepreneureven I even count that in this
because you know even thoughyou're a businessman you're
still part of that real bluecollar because I don't know if
you've ever owned a businesswhich you have um and I'm the
same way when I you know havinga business is not easy not at
all it takes a lot of sweat andhard work to make something
(23:26):
stick around or you know you gotto get another job and um so
yeah I I I throw entrepreneursinto that but it is a true
working man and woman song.
SPEAKER_00 (23:37):
How important uh Ansel, how important is country
radio it uh you know in thischapter of your career compared
to the first one country radiois is difficult.
SPEAKER_03 (23:48):
Um it I think a lot of people are are you know find
it challenging to try to get asong to chart on on any level um
I think it's but to me it waslike the barometer right it was
like I I want to be on radio tosee how the program directors
react to see what I can get outof a song on radio because then
(24:12):
that feeds into everything elseto me but today you know digital
music is where it's at um DSPsyou know Spotify and Apple
Musics um but radio can reallytranscend and if you are able to
catch on you know catchsomething on fire for radio it
can it can do a lot of otherthings to help you kind of
(24:34):
develop that audience that youwant to have and you want to be
connected to so while I don'tnecessarily need radio I I do
want to be on radio because it'ssomething that I've I from the
beginning that's that's been mygoal to be on radio.
SPEAKER_00 (24:49):
Wow I'm the radio guy and you are a radio guy.
So you need radio yes because Imean the way I and I tell a lot
of artists this Ansel is um weare who we are because of the
artists like you.
SPEAKER_03 (25:04):
I mean it's a two-way street so in in a way
you do need radio and you gottamake that work now I understand
we have all you know the DSPsand all that but still it radio
still you know do you realizeradio is where they're getting a
lot of their new music fromfirst yes I do and and I do love
but personally I love radio Ilove being listening to radio I
(25:27):
I'm I'm not like I'm usually notjust like driving listening to
my you know to C D music or ormy MP3 whatever you call them
iPhone they don't have CDs inthe cars anymore mine does my
truck has it oh really oh allright well you know for the most
part they don't yeah so um butto you know my goal has from the
(25:47):
beginning has been to be onradio and I don't maybe I
started I have had moments ofdoubt where I'm like maybe I'm
not doing this the right way butif you're just patient and you
you allow a song to kind of umget in front of people enough
times where they're like okayI'm gonna give it a shot we
(26:08):
we've had some amazing programdirectors you know come out and
say look we're playing thiswe're gonna play it 30 times a
week or whatever and it's beenreally great to see that and you
know I I I think a lot of peoplelike I said even though I think
it's I think there are otherthings that you know you can go
(26:28):
viral on.
Oh absolutely still absolutelylike to me country music is a
little different than everythingelse and I feel like the radio
part of country music is reallywhat you think of when you
reflect on somebody's career orsomebody's um legacy it's true.
You you remember hearing them onon the radio on the radio.
(26:50):
Who who doesn't want to have a amoment where a family member is
sitting in Charleston SouthCarolina and then all of a
sudden they're driving andthey're listening to 92.7 or or
whatever.
Right right and they hear theirtheir grandson or their wow you
know their daughter or whoeverin their car on the radio out of
(27:11):
the blue I don't think there'sanything that surpasses that.
That's way better than justhaving it show up on your feed.
Exactly exactly I totally agreewith you there.
SPEAKER_00 (27:21):
I just I just sometimes I have I don't I get
it yeah yeah you know it'samazing though we talk about uh
you and I are like over here butthen there's a lot of younger
people over here and if you wereto ask somebody from the from a
younger generation what radio isyou know what they would tell
you what's like that radio nothey would go oh yeah I listen
(27:41):
to the radio it's Spotify it'sPandora you know they they they
think that's radio yep yep sothat's a whole different
generation but yes you know Ijust I think that's interesting.
So I think there are still I Idon't know there I think there
are a lot of audiophiles thatlike love radio love the you
know oh yeah oh yeah morningdrive and absolutely evening oh
(28:01):
my god and oh I could tell youstories about radio in my days
and there's still going on butuh I wouldn't change it for
anything in the world just likeyou doing what you're doing you
know what I mean yeah and Iwould say on importance level
and it the level of importancejust like when I hit the
breakout chart after so manyweeks of trying that was to me
(28:23):
that was the most excitingmoment.
That's cool.
SPEAKER_03 (28:26):
Yeah I mean just being on the on deck with being
on like okay I'm really doingthis.
I'd be running around going lookat my name's on there I still
think I sent out like a hundredtexts and people I'm I kept
thinking people can go like likeAnsel's all about him and I was
like but I was so excited orAnsel shares too much or
whatever but I was so excited Iwas just like I was trying to
(28:48):
send it out to people that haveknown me and maybe even
forgotten me that's awesome likeokay we're doing this.
SPEAKER_00 (28:55):
Absolutely so yeah send it to somebody that didn't
like you and go look at thisdude see it now I'm here okay so
no just kidding but yeah let'stalk about perspective and
purpose a little bit if youcould talk to the version of
yourself who stepped away uhwhat would you tell him now?
SPEAKER_03 (29:13):
Look at me now exactly see look right here I'm
like blue combs no I I think umI would I would I could reflect
and say look at what you missedyou know if I want to be honest
I did I missed I miss but I alsowould say man Ansel if you
(29:36):
didn't wait you wouldn't havethe the perspective that you do
have now right right youwouldn't enjoy it as much as you
are right now because you tookthe time to miss it.
SPEAKER_00 (29:49):
You know I hope uh Ansel I hope um people watch
this that are ready to give upbut now they know they can have
you know everything that you'resaying is I guess more or less
don't give up just you know ifyou got to step back you step
back take care of the things youneed to take care of.
But when you come back you'regonna be bigger and better than
ever.
(30:10):
Yep.
And uh hopefully you know wehave a lot of uh locals that
want to do what you're doing wehave a lot of uh very talented
people but it's again it's sucha a crowded market but you're
the only you but you're uh thankyou exactly you're the only you
so I think you're a good exampleand an inspiration to a lot of
(30:32):
people that uh maybe they don'tknow where to go or what to do.
Now they can look at you or theycan watch this and you know say
you know what yes I can do this.
I can I can do this.
SPEAKER_03 (30:42):
And don't ever feel desperate because the moment you
feel desperate is when thetrouble begins.
So I'm gonna ask you um wellfinish this sentence I might
know what's in front of me Ididn't know uh okay this chapter
feels different because becauseit I I have no I have no ability
(31:11):
to imagine anything different II really don't I like this
chapter will be different that'sthe question right because of is
that is that the question yeahit's just like you know this
chapter feels different becauseof yeah I mean yeah it's just
(31:32):
you got your because you got itall together yeah because I'm
I'm like I'm like more seasonedthan I've ever been there you go
that's that's the right wordyeah so it's not saying you're
old it's just that you've beendoing this for a little bit yeah
and I'll tell you when I wasstanding in Pittsburgh singing I
(31:53):
I like I used to get reallyuptight about shows but now it's
like no this and take take abreath and enjoy what you're
doing right now because thepeople that would dream of doing
this in the millions they wouldlove to experience this and I'm
(32:15):
getting to do it and like it'sjust an amazing it's an amazing
feeling I feel like I'm way moreprepared to face anything.
So why were you getting uptight?
I I think I just always had thethe I think I had I had well
first I had um what's it calledwhen you when you're like I
(32:36):
don't play guitar so I feel likeI have imposter syndrome.
Okay.
So I used to and I used to havethis level of perfection in my
mind that I don't think I couldever really attain and you have
to let go of that because reallywhat matters is the person that
you're looking at as you do ashow the people that you're
(32:56):
looking at they're the onlything that matters right then.
It's like you are communicatingwith them.
Don't let it be so tight.
Let it be enjoyable let it befree and and exciting and
exhilarating and and you knoweven just goosebump moments
(33:17):
right it's like you got to takethe time to to breathe in and
feel that as you're doing itotherwise it's just gone and you
didn't get to enjoy it.
SPEAKER_00 (33:25):
Right.
Gotcha what um what's one thingthat maybe uh fans might not
realize about how much work goesinto you being an independent
artist.
SPEAKER_03 (33:36):
How much work is that oh my goodness you know I
wish I had five or six or tenpeople just you know helping me
with daily tasks but it's veryum it is easy to get really like
buried under the amount of workthat you have to do just to make
sure you're not not doingsomething that you should be
(33:58):
doing and it can become a like afatal flaw because you're like,
oh man, I should have done that.
So you're constantly pressuredwith having to get certain
things done in a certain orderum and then there's trial and
error on top of that.
But you have to do things everyday you have to pay for things
you have to you need to think ofpublicity and you know as we
(34:22):
call it you know PR you need tothink of those things as you're
going through this because yougot to treat yourself like it is
a business even though you knowyou want those moments where it
feels like it's just magical andit's just like the it's like
cutting through butter you knowwith a hot knife.
But the the honest truth isevery day you're gonna face
(34:43):
challenges you're gonna facedoubt you're gonna face
criticism you're gonna face thethe unknown you're gonna face
people that have never heard ofyou and don't care.
And so you you have to deal withall that stuff every day on top
of just getting the work doneand it it takes a practicing you
know rehearsing havingeverything that you need to be
(35:07):
as successful as you can ittakes a lot of work.
SPEAKER_00 (35:09):
Now how do you balance that you've got the
business you're doing this yougot a wonderful family.
How do you balance all that?
SPEAKER_03 (35:16):
Man it's hard like my family I think gets tired of
me talking about you know whatmusic and everything but it's
like they know that you knowthis is this is a this is a lot
and I put everything that I havejust you know spiritually
speaking I've put all yeah I puta lot of money behind what I
(35:38):
have in terms of me just puttingmy own savings through you know
what I need to do to make sureI'm doing this right.
Um it just takes a lot of youknow maybe getting some extra
income somewhere trying to likeyou know do getting some
sponsors things like that.
And when you're doing that theyknow that you're in so you can't
(35:59):
just go I used to tell my sonsokay you started this you
started football you're you'regonna play till the end of the
season no matter how you feelabout football because you
started it.
People are counting on you.
It's the same thing with thisI'm in I'm not gonna quit no
matter what I face I'm not justI there are days that I get I
get down because I'm facing alevel of criticism for something
(36:22):
um maybe it's just people notknowing me on social as much as
I you know want them to knowthat I'm yeah but you just like
you can't stop you gotta it'sthe same thing on my side of
things.
SPEAKER_00 (36:34):
You know I mean we kind of do the same thing but
different you know and thatyou're a creator.
Yeah exactly you too and umthere's just those moments so
when you feel like you'reoverwhelmed and all that's going
on and uh how do you keepyourself grounded and keep you
(36:54):
know a good head on yourshoulders things start moving
really fast.
How do you handle all that?
SPEAKER_03 (37:00):
So I'll give you a great example so you know um
something negative will happenand whatever that is.
Yeah.
And then three days later youyou have to know that every time
you face an an obstacle orsomething that is causing you
stress or disappointment orwhatever it might be, you have
to think to yourself in twodays, three days something good
(37:23):
is going to happen.
You know, I might face five badthings but I know that if I keep
moving forward something good isgoing to happen that next week
and it always does.
It always does always somethinggood to no matter what my
traction level is with people orthe industry I know that this
week might be slow but next weeksomething is going to happen
(37:44):
that makes it suddenlyexhilarating and that you just
got to look for those greatmoments that happen every week.
SPEAKER_00 (37:50):
They do they happen every week and when you want to
get away from it all what do youdo I mean that's only normal I
mean there's times I I just wantto get away from the radio side
of things just for a day just Iwant to do something different.
What do you do when you want towalk away for just you know a
few hours or a day usually it'sit's doing stuff with my family.
SPEAKER_03 (38:10):
Typically that's what it will be or helping like
we went and helped um thehomeless in Charlotte a couple
weeks ago for Thanksgiving umand you know I just took the
whole day with the family and wewalked around Charlotte and and
gave out food to the homeless.
It was amazing you know peoplewere homeless people were
praying for us.
It was it was it was reallycool.
(38:32):
So we're doing that again thisweekend because we it was just
such an an awesome experience.
But doing things for thecommunity or doing things with
veterans you know veteranfriends which has been you know
I've been kind of slack the lastsix months because I've got so
much distracting me.
So sometimes I sit back and I gookay I need to do this and this
(38:52):
with you know with Richard'scoffee shop or whoever and um
but mostly it's the daughter andand the wife you know and doing
something with them.
They would probably my wifewould probably say it's not
enough but I do I do try to stepback and you just got to let
like if you're feelingoverwhelmed and you're feeling
like you can't get a break, yougot to just make yourself not
(39:16):
worry about okay if I if nextfive days I'm gonna you know go
do something with my family.
You just got to let it happenand not worry because it's like
a being a YouTuber right it's ifyou're a YouTuber you know
people get scared oh my if Istop my schedule YouTube's
algorithm is going to forgetabout me.
And the same thing with me if Istop my schedule you know I'm
(39:37):
not gonna be able to book anyshows next year or I'm not gonna
be able to do this or that.
It's kind of the same thing butyou got to know that the world
keeps turning when people seeyou they see you and when they
don't they don't worry about it.
So you shouldn't worry about iteither because you're gonna come
back when you're ready in thenext few days.
SPEAKER_00 (39:54):
Is there ever a moment where you don't want to
be Ansel Baron?
SPEAKER_03 (39:59):
No No, I don't think so.
I I think I I feel like my lifehas been about just taking
taking hold and doing what I'mdreaming of doing and just doing
it, like regardless of what ittakes.
Um like I can give you a wholelike another show of all the
(40:19):
different things.
Maybe I used to tell people Ilive a different life every five
years.
Yeah, that's how I feel.
Like I I live different livesevery five years because I'm
constantly, I'm constantlywanting to do what my passion
is.
And the one thing that's lastedthe longest is the music.
SPEAKER_00 (40:37):
I love it.
You know what I want to do?
I want to take this podcast onthe road and go to your boat and
do it live from your boat.
Oh, that would be fun.
I don't know.
I don't know.
You you said, come on, we'regonna take you out on the boat.
Remember, that would be fun.
SPEAKER_03 (40:49):
That would be actually let's do that.
Let's make sure we do thatbecause it's a pontoon boat, so
we can set up perfect.
SPEAKER_00 (40:55):
Yeah, it's I've got my own power, I've got my own
internet, we're good to go.
Yep, exactly.
I would definitely do that.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_03 (41:02):
It would be awesome, but uh you know, I just if you
just buy if you just and uh puta little money into the um into
the sky Starlink um portableversion.
SPEAKER_00 (41:14):
Oh you can just use that anywhere and then I have my
own internet, I can up, which isit's very similar.
Okay, so I can go anywhere andplug in and do my thing.
That's awesome.
There, you're there then.
I just think about see.
I think outside the boxsometimes it's like wow, yeah,
that's out of the hot zone.
I mean, I've done it from theballpark, I've been so many
(41:35):
different places with differentartists, and uh, I think that'd
be cool.
It's something different, man.
I like that.
Yeah, and so for somebodyhearing your name today for the
first time, uh, where shouldthey start?
And what do you hope they hearbeyond the music?
SPEAKER_03 (41:50):
Go to Spotify, check out, check out my history of
music, not just not just likewhat's out today, um, and get a
sense of who I am musicallyspeaking, and then you know,
meet me on my website or meet meon social media to kind of like
interact with me because it tome, like when people are
interacting and they'regenuinely trying to learn more
(42:13):
about me, it's it's awesome tobe able to communicate with
people.
You know, that's the one greatthing about social media is that
it's it's gonna be, you know,the artist that really
communicates with people thatare trying to understand them or
or learn more about their musicand their history.
You know, if you're genuinelydoing that, which I think most
(42:34):
artists are when it's like that,you know, I wanna be open to
everybody and I wanna, I wanna,I wanna get to know people.
And you can ask the people thatare that are that are that have
known me for a long time interms of fans of my music, I
don't really forget people whenI interact with them.
I I kind of remember just abouteverybody.
SPEAKER_00 (42:54):
That is so cool, and I love the fact that you do
interact with them, I think thatis so very important.
SPEAKER_03 (43:00):
Oh, yeah, and if I get a show in their town, I they
better be there.
SPEAKER_00 (43:06):
I'm sure they would be too.
Uh yeah, Ansel, this has been uhgreat, man.
It's cool to hear how differentthis chapter feels.
I love that, and I loved youfrom the very beginning, dude.
Just something about it, youknow, when you talk to people,
you there's that connection, andjust they hear about what you
do, what you're doing, and whereyou're going.
Uh, not rushed, not forced, uh,just real.
(43:29):
Uh, if you're listening, gosupport an independent artist
doing it uh the right way.
It's this guy, Ansel Brown.
Uh, search them, uh Ansel Brown.
Uh, you can start with WhiskeyMakes or Miss Me.
Check out the Rise EP and don'tsleep on more Cowbell.
I think it's right here.
There's something about moreCowbell.
I don't know.
(43:50):
It's all good though.
Uh, absolutely, and uh andlisten for We Make America Run.
Wait a minute, that was this,right?
There you go.
There it is.
I'm just over here pushingbuttons.
SPEAKER_03 (44:02):
Yeah, running them roads.
SPEAKER_00 (44:04):
I know.
There you go.
Good stuff, Ansel Brown.
Uh, we make America Run, CountryRadio.
Ansel, we appreciate you.
Let's listen to this firstsecond.
SPEAKER_05 (44:18):
Yellow that's right.
Yellow we're the East, Kentuckycoal miners, the detour, City
Assembly liners, we're the flashand lights that get there first.
SPEAKER_04 (44:32):
Working for the man and working for a dollar, dirt
on our hands of blue, on ourcollars, waiting for me out in
that red hot sun.
Trying that sea to swing andthat hammerhead of the three and
the John Deere tried to run withthe sun out there getting it
(44:53):
done.
Yeah, we make America run.
SPEAKER_00 (44:56):
That's it.
We make America run.
That's the guy right there,Ansel Brown.
Yeah, dude, you're the best.
Again, I want to say thank youfor coming out and Skip Happens
tonight.
You know what?
We gotta we gotta do this rightalong, and uh just really
appreciate you.
I appreciate the music and uh Ijust you know, I appreciate you
as a person, everything you'vebeen through.
So, you know, thank you, man.
SPEAKER_03 (45:17):
This is like yeah, love talking to you, love
getting on the show with you,and this is you're doing what
you need to be doing.
SPEAKER_00 (45:23):
Yeah, I'm all over the place.
SPEAKER_03 (45:25):
Yeah, but I have a lot, I have a lot of fun with it
though.
And I like they do have a radiobackground, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (45:30):
A little bit, a little bit.
Uh, but Ansel, again, thank youfor being on Skip Happens.
If you've been watching this,make sure you subscribe.
But uh, you know, all you gottado is go to youtube.com uh
forward slash at skip happenspodcast.
Click subscribe, make sure youcheck him out online too.
Subscribe exactly.
Ansel Brown, you see her rightthere.
Yeah, that's the name.
That's him.
(45:51):
Ansel, thanks for joining ustonight.
Hey, thank you, Skip.
It's been amazing again.
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Skip
Happens.
My name is Skip Clark, ofcourse, your host of Skip
Happens, and tonight Ansel Brownis back on the podcast, yo! And
this time it feels a little bitdifferent.
Last time he was here, he wasfiguring things out.
Now the music's moving as youcan hear.
(00:29):
And the fans are responding, thenumbers are real, it's not hype.
And from the whiskey mixer missme, I remember that.
Looking for the man and lookingfor the second chapter, I want
to say, built with purpose.
(00:50):
Let's get into it.
And it's my friend, uh, youknow, we actually became pretty
good friends.
Um, he actually invited I made atrip to Charlotte uh in the
middle of August for a wedding,and of course, he's in
Charlotte.
And I come to find out that it'snot the time you want to go to
Charlotte because it's like uh95 degrees in the shade and
humid, but it was beautiful.
(01:11):
Ansel, how are you?
SPEAKER_03 (01:12):
It's good, man.
It's good to be back.
So good to see you.
You I mean, like I said, I thinkyou were the first podcast
interview that I did um when Ifirst relaunched this past
summer, right?
SPEAKER_00 (01:24):
So I'm excited to be back and give you an update.
I always wanted you back, andyou know, we pretty much kept in
touch, and then Tracy reachedout and I said, Yeah,
absolutely.
And I think you did.
I think we were texting evenbefore then.
So yeah, and by the way, kudosright to that young lady, Tracy,
because she's on top ofeverything that you're doing.
(01:45):
I mean, she just a few minutesago even emailed me with some
information about Amazon and andall that.
So she is right on top of it.
SPEAKER_03 (01:53):
She's been a godsend, you know, there's a
couple people like Mike Euretta,and but Tracy is is just like
every day, she's like on me saysaying, Hey, we gotta get this
done, we gotta get this done, wegotta get this done.
I'm like, Okay, okay.
Oh, yeah, I forgot.
SPEAKER_00 (02:10):
Yeah, it just keeps me completely straight.
Yeah, you know, and so forpeople who may be uh finding you
for the very first time, allright, or re-finding you, I
guess.
Uh, where are you in life rightnow compared to the last time uh
you were on with us?
SPEAKER_03 (02:25):
I'm an exciting point because you know, we we we
started back and we, you know,the whiskey took off.
I mean, it had over or close to300,000 uh streams on Spotify
alone.
Um, it's been amazing.
And uh the last time that I wasum doing this, I was kind of
doing the space shuttle stuff,so that was amazing too.
(02:48):
That's right.
Yeah, so I was doing all theNASA space shuttle events for
the farewell to the spaceshuttle program.
And really, I mean, that's justbeen amazing um to go through
leaving, coming back, and thenthis time it's been more, I
would say last time it was moreabout big events and connecting
(03:12):
my music with big events, likethe the final, you know, space
shuttle stuff.
SPEAKER_05 (03:16):
Totally.
SPEAKER_03 (03:17):
This time I'm really focused on Ansel the artist.
And the not that I wasn't anartist back then, but now my my
vision is to really just be asgood of a singer as I can be,
connect at the deepest levelwith people with my music.
Um, and and and it's beenworking.
(03:37):
It's been it's been incredible.
Um, everything that's happened,you know, right after we
launched, I had the city ofPittsburgh call me and they were
like, We heard We Make AmericaRun.
They heard that song that youwere playing, and they said, Of
course, it mentions thePittsburgh Steelers, of course,
but they were like, Hey, we'vewe've been booked for a long
time for the Fourth of July, butwe would be privileged if you
(03:58):
would headline our Fourth ofJuly for us.
And that was like a month beforethe fourth.
So that was really my first bigconcert um opportunity uh in the
comeback.
And I took it, I jumped on it, Igot my band ready.
We we went up there, we had agreat time.
The people of Pittsburgh wereamazing.
I really connect with workingclass communities.
So if you're in a blue-collarcity, I I feel really natural in
(04:21):
those situations, and that'swhat that song is about as well.
It's about blue-collar, it'sabout what makes this country
run.
But so, really, that connectionpoint is really what I'm looking
for this time, and I really wantto savor it because you know,
when you're gone for as long asI was gone, it you know, you you
just you forget what it's liketo really connect, and that's
(04:43):
what I'm doing this time.
SPEAKER_00 (04:43):
I'm so you're you're like in a different headspace
now.
Oh, big big time, you know, bigtime, big time.
So that's kind of cool.
I you said now, is it true thatyou stepped away for health,
family, and life priorities?
And then uh what did that timeaway teach you that you could
not have learned by staying inthe grind?
You know, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03 (05:04):
Yeah, that's a great question because it did.
It taught me that one, you'regiven an opportunity, and if you
don't take it, you do miss it.
And and in my case, yes, I washealing.
Uh, I was going through some,you know, some some serious
stuff in terms of what you knowyou go through in life.
A lot of us go through that.
(05:24):
Um, and then I had a heartissue, and then, you know, I had
a family member go through atraumatic time in the justice
system.
And um, and it was veryearth-shattering to me.
Um, but it it taught me resolveand it also taught me that, you
know what, you if I'm gonna, ifI'm ever gonna get back into
(05:45):
music, I have a window to do it.
And I knew that I knew in theback of my mind I would always
be back.
I just didn't know when.
And then after the heart issuekind of got sorted out, just the
light came on.
It was around COVID.
And I just, I just really I knewthis is what I needed to be
(06:06):
doing.
And it, I appreciate it morenow.
I'm not really out there tryingto become, you know, Joe Schmo
from Atlantic Records.
I'm I'm right, I'm trying to dowhat I know my passion is, and
my passion is to connect.
And it's it's always been toconnect, and it's just like I
said, I used to do big eventsand connect through the music to
(06:26):
those events.
I'm not saying I won't do thatagain, but now it's truly about
me connecting with the countrymusic lover and really trying to
to make sure that I don't misswhat I gave up again.
So I'm like I'm I'm all the wayin.
Um, I'm working night and day,you know, I'm um, I'm running a
(06:50):
business, I'm doing all thatstuff, but I this is me night
and day.
And it's it's because I feellike I have so much to share
that I didn't get to during thattime off.
SPEAKER_00 (07:00):
So this is not really a comeback tour, it's a
comeback mission.
Yes.
Big time.
Exactly.
I love that.
SPEAKER_03 (07:09):
And uh what does that actually mean to you?
Oh boy, it means it means thatno matter what, I stand up, I
you know, it doesn't if if it'shard to get noticed because the
world has changed in 10 years,it's still a challenge that I
want to face.
And you know, being in a in amission mindset, you really got
(07:32):
to put one foot in front of theother, regardless of the
pushback.
I have felt this time that it'sthe it feels like the waves are
with me.
And I felt like in the firsttime I was in music, I felt like
it was it was almost the sameway, but toward the middle of
it, it got it kind of felt likethere was pressure against me,
(07:53):
um, not in a negative way, butjust in a just a general way
that you feel when you're tryingto do something and you're not
sure that you're doing it theright way.
And I felt that a lot the firsttime through.
This time, I because I don'thave expectations of, you know,
I'll just say stardom.
I don't, I don't really havethose expectations.
I have expectations for myselfto put a product out that people
(08:16):
will connect with.
And then when they meet me orthey see me in person or they
meet me on social media, they'regonna know me.
And that vulnerability is reallywhat I'm focused on.
And this mission is putting thatone foot in front of the other
no matter what you face, nomatter how hard it is, and just
keep going because you knowyou're doing the right thing.
SPEAKER_00 (08:36):
Yeah.
Wow, dude.
What um was there a specificmoment when the fear of not
doing music again became biggerthan the fear of uh let's say
falling or failing?
SPEAKER_05 (08:50):
Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (08:51):
Yeah, when my daughter was born.
SPEAKER_03 (08:53):
God, I she's how old now?
Five.
She's five.
And so she was born, she's aCOVID baby.
And I just remember thinking tomyself, you know, I'd see her
smile.
I, you know, I had this littlething that I did with her every
day, every day from the day shewas born, every time that I
looked at her, I'm not joking,there was not a single time that
I didn't do this.
(09:14):
Every time that I looked at mydaughter, I smiled.
I'm getting goosebumps rightnow.
SPEAKER_00 (09:18):
I know.
Well, yeah, I got the hoodie onand I just can't see them, but I
have them.
SPEAKER_03 (09:23):
And after about 70 days, she did not stop smiling.
SPEAKER_02 (09:29):
Oh, dude.
SPEAKER_03 (09:30):
And and as I was watching her, and literally
she's that way today, tilltoday, she's she's one of the
most, you know, just uniquepersonalities, but she smile,
she has that energy in her thatjust makes you, you know, feel
her smile, right?
And I remember looking at hergoing, she's not gonna know who
I really am.
She's not gonna know about mymusic.
(09:52):
You know, she'll see it on a CD,sitting in the house.
She's not gonna know me as anartist.
And I that really started to eataway.
Like I was like, I I really Igotta get back into this.
And then just at that moment, mygood friend Brent Harrison came
to me and he said, Ansel, thelet's write.
Because I had an idea for a songcalled Middle of the Madness,
(10:14):
and it kind of percolated,right?
And then we wrote, and then Iwas going through the same thing
with my daughter, where I'mlike, I gotta get back into
this, or she's never gonna know.
And then boom, it was like hewas there, and we started
writing together, and then westarted recording together, and
then we started, and it was justone thing after another just
(10:34):
kept happening.
It took four years, but we gotthere over time, and my daughter
started to learn, oh, my dad's asinger.
I don't know if she's totallyshe'll get it.
SPEAKER_00 (10:46):
No, she she probably does get it, it's just the way
she doesn't really show you allof it as of yet.
But believe me, I mean, from dayone, when you you smile at her,
she knows you're number one,you're daddy.
Number two, you're gonna be thatartist too.
SPEAKER_03 (11:00):
I think I'm gonna write a book about that
experience with my daughterbecause you really should.
I I it was really, it wasn'tthat I was experimenting, but I
was like, I remember my other Ihave you know, we have four boys
on top, you know, in in additionto her.
And I and I I'm a smiley personanyway.
I like to smile, I just have athat's my energy.
And but I I just remember beinglike, I I want to see if this
(11:25):
really impacts her.
And I I swear to God, it it wasamazing to watch her just
suddenly she started smile at avery young age.
She was smiling, and then shestarted just smiling all the
time.
And my wife would laugh at mebecause I, you know, every
literally every time I saw her,I was like, you know, I kept
that on my face, you know, evenif I was not having a good day.
SPEAKER_00 (11:48):
Can't stop talking about it.
Yeah, it's so good, so good.
Man, that is so good.
Let's uh talk a little bit aboutuh, you know, you're doing this
on your own, uh, you're doing itwithout the machine, so to
speak.
And uh the whiskey makes hermiss me.
I mean, that had real numbers.
Uh and what I read was nearly300,000 Spotify streams.
(12:11):
Uh, when did you realize thatuh, you know, this is not just
noise, but real momentum?
SPEAKER_03 (12:19):
I think I think when the CMA um I well, I'm gonna go
back.
I think really as soon as weknew whiskey was the launch
single, we started the re thefeedback we were getting was
really good.
Um, but as the music row numbersstarted to pick up, and then
right before the EP came out inOctober that it's on, you know,
(12:42):
it was the release single, um,the CMA, you know, pumped out
their their Friday New Music umemail blast to the industry.
And Ansel Brown was right there,you know, next to next to uh
Keith Urban and and you know,and it's like, okay, so they
know they know that I'm back,they know that I'm doing this
(13:04):
again.
Um, and yeah, that's harderwithout the engine, you know,
behind you.
But I tell you what, you know,we we ended up um you know
charting on music row.
We're we're charting right nowon the breakout chart.
And you know, that to me is justthat's exactly what I wanted to
have happen because I haven'tbeen here for so long.
(13:25):
Right.
And they have my first single,you know, I was right there with
Luke Combs.
He didn't chart on like hisnewest song.
It he landed on the on decklist, and that same week I
landed on the on deck list.
SPEAKER_00 (13:38):
Now, what is that?
You you look at this list andyou see your name among those
that you know, your Luke Combsand your Keith Urbans and
everybody else.
I mean, what is that feelinglike?
SPEAKER_03 (13:49):
And it I it's like you, it's it's you know that
you're doing something that isworking, even though it's not as
fast as I want it to be.
It's gonna take time.
You know, I kept having to tellpeople that are supporting me,
I'm like, this is uh this is amarathon.
This is not like we're not gonnajust be a flash in the pan.
(14:09):
People are gonna systematicallysee that Ansel Brown is putting
out really good music, really,you know, well-critiqued music,
you know, in a in a good way,and and he's really doing this,
and it's not like just one bigpush, it's it's gonna be
several, several pushes, andwe're doing that.
(14:29):
And we the more fans that we getbehind this, the more help we
get from the listening public,right?
The bigger it can be.
SPEAKER_00 (14:37):
Yeah, what um so how different does success feel now
that it's coming from thelisteners, as opposed to uh, you
know, the label push.
SPEAKER_03 (14:46):
Yeah, it's gotta be different.
It feels amazing and way betterthan I think somebody was
talking to somebody else todayabout a uh with a PR person in
in Atlanta, and he's like, She'slike, Well, is he on a major
label?
And and the the guy that thatwas talking to that lady was
like, you know, I don't thinkAnsel wants a label.
I think I think he wants to dothis himself.
SPEAKER_00 (15:08):
He doesn't want it's not uncommon, you know.
Yeah, it's happening more andmore.
SPEAKER_03 (15:11):
Yeah, because of the way that you get, yeah, you
know, everything is likeadvanced, and then you're paying
back the label forever.
SPEAKER_00 (15:18):
CT each their own, but I'm you know, I'm not gonna
diss the labels either.
Everybody's got a job to do, butthe uh the the artists that I
speak to, and a lot of those areindependents, such as yourself,
yeah.
They're cut, you know, this iswhat they're doing.
They want to have hands-on, theywant to they want to make the
decision.
I want to decide what my what myexactly, yep, exactly.
And if it fails, you got nobodyto blame but yourself.
(15:40):
And I don't think you can likeno, I don't think I think you're
absolutely right.
I know what you're gonna say.
SPEAKER_03 (15:45):
You want to get rich and famous, and that's your
goal, then yes, you might fail.
But if your goal is to createsomething that people may
remember, yeah, and may get mayget inspired or touched by,
that's real success.
Like, I don't that kind ofsounds like something uh, you
know, a uh motivational speakerwould say, but it's it's it is
(16:08):
true that if you're doing whatyou love doing, then at any
measure it's success.
And I love doing this.
SPEAKER_00 (16:17):
I I can tell, I can absolutely tell, and that just
makes me feel so good.
Uh, when you put together therise, um was the goal a hit or
was it a statement?
SPEAKER_03 (16:29):
The goal was a statement.
I kind of figured, and nohesitation.
And it was a statement becauseI'm like, Ansel is a serious
artist.
I'm talking third person, sorry.
Um you know, I'm a I'm a seriousartist that really has a serious
desire to put out high qualitywork.
And that that makes me feel goodbecause I'm kind of a
(16:50):
perfectionist with creativity.
I mean, I'm in a you know, I'm acreative, yeah, creative person
regardless of the music.
Yeah, yeah, and and so I havehigh standards for myself, but
to put it out there, it's justlike, you know, I want to make
the statement is Ansel is forreal.
SPEAKER_00 (17:07):
Real deal, baby.
SPEAKER_03 (17:08):
Whether I'm on Billboard Top 100 or not.
SPEAKER_00 (17:11):
It's the real deal.
That's what matters.
That's what matters.
Uh, you know, you've gotmultiple tracks showing
engagement.
I I saw that, I hear it.
Uh, not just one song.
Why do you think listeners aresticking around this time?
SPEAKER_03 (17:24):
I think um crazy questions, I know.
SPEAKER_00 (17:27):
I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_03 (17:28):
No, no, no.
I think they I think they umthey're they're learning about
me and they're not they're likemy number one statement that I
get from people like you skip,um, is like, how did I not know
about you?
If I hear that from people, it'slike I know, like, I know that
I'm doing the right thing, and Iknow that I'm doing high quality
(17:50):
work because they're not going,man, you used to be a lot
better.
This this time they're reallysaying, like, how how did I not
how did I not hear about youbefore?
SPEAKER_00 (17:59):
I've said that since day one.
I think the first time when youand I first talked, and it's
like, how did I not know aboutyou?
SPEAKER_03 (18:06):
And yeah, you did say that.
That's right.
And it's like, um, if you Ithink if you get that reaction,
and I would say it's happened onlike, I'm not joking, 97% of my
interviews that were people havelistened to my music before the
interview, and then they they'relike talking off camera, you
know, or offline.
Yep, and they're like, like,what, why?
(18:30):
Why haven't I why didn't I knowabout you?
So I love that that surprise.
Like, even though that's kind oflike a cut on myself, because
it's like you're surprised thatI can sing, or you're surprised
that I have good music.
It's to me, it's like, man, it'stelling that is amazing to get
that kind of response.
It's feel good, it's feel good.
SPEAKER_00 (18:49):
Inside, you just go, Yeah, that's what I want.
Exactly.
This is the real me.
Then whoa, whoa, whoa, wait aminute.
unknown (18:57):
Wait a minute.
SPEAKER_00 (18:57):
Then there's this more cowbell.
Yeah, just kind of reminds me ofbeing at one of our baseball
games, and there's a guy thatcomes around with a cowbell, and
it's always a more cowbell.
But this is bad voice.
SPEAKER_05 (19:14):
Hang on.
You hear deadlands way behind.
Do you hear me, son?
I tell him, yeah, yeah, yeah.
He owns my son from nine tillfive.
Well, I've got a line.
(19:37):
Goes to eleven.
You hear the bang, bang, bang.
Wow, do you hear the dance?
SPEAKER_03 (19:44):
We're doing a line dance for this one right now.
SPEAKER_00 (19:46):
Oh, I bet you yeah, exactly.
I I I can vision that happeningwith this.
That is great.
Uh, more cowbell.
What I'm reading is uh that hasquietly become like the Dark
Horse fan favorite.
Um, did that uh catch you offguard when that happened?
Well just came out October 17th.
SPEAKER_03 (20:03):
But it's from that little it's kind of started to
to separate itself a little bit.
And um just the reaction that Iget from people, whether there
are other creators on TikTok orwhatever, they're like, hey, so
more cowbell is one of yoursongs.
Can can we use it?
So we're getting a lot of thatjust organically, you know, with
(20:24):
creators wanting to use it.
And um it just like it's alwaysbeen one of my favorite songs.
I did not write that songeither.
So just so you know, Skip Blackand um Joe Leathers wrote that
song.
Cool.
And I've I used to sing it backin the day.
And I'm like I'm like I nevergot to record it.
And then so I I I called them upwhen I was putting this first EP
(20:47):
together and I was like hey guyscan I do more cowbell?
And there's one other calledGravity Hill that they wrote.
I'm like can I do more cowbellin Gravity Hill and they were
like yeah yeah do it.
And I of course you know butbecause those songs have like
sat with me for so long theyfeel a part of my tapestry and
to have it on an actual albumnow feels amazing.
So that is so cool.
(21:09):
It's always been one of myfavorite songs that is that is
so cool.
So um and then you're officiallylaunching we make America run uh
which is the radio single now uhwhy was this the song uh uh the
right song to follow whiskey youknow because I I love my country
(21:32):
and and it is a blue collaranthem it's it's not an it's not
like a oh say you can't it's notone of those anthems right but
it's a blue collar gritty anthemand uh we got some great reviews
on it um I I just think it's theit's a great you know I feel
like the first single is to dipyour not dip your toes but to
(21:56):
splash so that people are likeoh wake up who's Ansel where did
Ansel why did we not know aboutAnsel and then the second
follow-up single needs to besomething that can gain national
traction in a way that maybe thefirst one can't because the
first one has to surprise peoplethe second one has to to go and
and take off and I believethat's the one that is ready and
(22:19):
waiting to just take off onceradio gets a hold of it.
Yeah and it look it sounds likeit's built for radio oh yeah uh
live shows the big moments um ohyeah I mean what were you hoping
people would feel the first timethey heard it um just a uh a
level of um of pride in whatthey do to make this country run
(22:44):
exactly because they're you knowwhether you're a uh a farmer
whether you're a uh you know auh trucker army army army yeah
military yep whether you're afirst responder whether you're a
trucker these are the peoplethat make this country run
everybody should feel pride inthat that works hard you know
(23:05):
whether you're an entrepreneureven I even count that in this
because you know even thoughyou're a businessman you're
still part of that real bluecollar because I don't know if
you've ever owned a businesswhich you have um and I'm the
same way when I you know havinga business is not easy not at
all it takes a lot of sweat andhard work to make something
(23:26):
stick around or you know you gotto get another job and um so
yeah I I I throw entrepreneursinto that but it is a true
working man and woman song.
SPEAKER_00 (23:37):
How important uh Ansel, how important is country
radio it uh you know in thischapter of your career compared
to the first one country radiois is difficult.
SPEAKER_03 (23:48):
Um it I think a lot of people are are you know find
it challenging to try to get asong to chart on on any level um
I think it's but to me it waslike the barometer right it was
like I I want to be on radio tosee how the program directors
react to see what I can get outof a song on radio because then
(24:12):
that feeds into everything elseto me but today you know digital
music is where it's at um DSPsyou know Spotify and Apple
Musics um but radio can reallytranscend and if you are able to
catch on you know catchsomething on fire for radio it
can it can do a lot of otherthings to help you kind of
(24:34):
develop that audience that youwant to have and you want to be
connected to so while I don'tnecessarily need radio I I do
want to be on radio because it'ssomething that I've I from the
beginning that's that's been mygoal to be on radio.
SPEAKER_00 (24:49):
Wow I'm the radio guy and you are a radio guy.
So you need radio yes because Imean the way I and I tell a lot
of artists this Ansel is um weare who we are because of the
artists like you.
SPEAKER_03 (25:04):
I mean it's a two-way street so in in a way
you do need radio and you gottamake that work now I understand
we have all you know the DSPsand all that but still it radio
still you know do you realizeradio is where they're getting a
lot of their new music fromfirst yes I do and and I do love
but personally I love radio Ilove being listening to radio I
(25:27):
I'm I'm not like I'm usually notjust like driving listening to
my you know to C D music or ormy MP3 whatever you call them
iPhone they don't have CDs inthe cars anymore mine does my
truck has it oh really oh allright well you know for the most
part they don't yeah so um butto you know my goal has from the
(25:47):
beginning has been to be onradio and I don't maybe I
started I have had moments ofdoubt where I'm like maybe I'm
not doing this the right way butif you're just patient and you
you allow a song to kind of umget in front of people enough
times where they're like okayI'm gonna give it a shot we
(26:08):
we've had some amazing programdirectors you know come out and
say look we're playing thiswe're gonna play it 30 times a
week or whatever and it's beenreally great to see that and you
know I I I think a lot of peoplelike I said even though I think
it's I think there are otherthings that you know you can go
(26:28):
viral on.
Oh absolutely still absolutelylike to me country music is a
little different than everythingelse and I feel like the radio
part of country music is reallywhat you think of when you
reflect on somebody's career orsomebody's um legacy it's true.
You you remember hearing them onon the radio on the radio.
(26:50):
Who who doesn't want to have a amoment where a family member is
sitting in Charleston SouthCarolina and then all of a
sudden they're driving andthey're listening to 92.7 or or
whatever.
Right right and they hear theirtheir grandson or their wow you
know their daughter or whoeverin their car on the radio out of
(27:11):
the blue I don't think there'sanything that surpasses that.
That's way better than justhaving it show up on your feed.
Exactly exactly I totally agreewith you there.
SPEAKER_00 (27:21):
I just I just sometimes I have I don't I get
it yeah yeah you know it'samazing though we talk about uh
you and I are like over here butthen there's a lot of younger
people over here and if you wereto ask somebody from the from a
younger generation what radio isyou know what they would tell
you what's like that radio nothey would go oh yeah I listen
(27:41):
to the radio it's Spotify it'sPandora you know they they they
think that's radio yep yep sothat's a whole different
generation but yes you know Ijust I think that's interesting.
So I think there are still I Idon't know there I think there
are a lot of audiophiles thatlike love radio love the you
know oh yeah oh yeah morningdrive and absolutely evening oh
(28:01):
my god and oh I could tell youstories about radio in my days
and there's still going on butuh I wouldn't change it for
anything in the world just likeyou doing what you're doing you
know what I mean yeah and Iwould say on importance level
and it the level of importancejust like when I hit the
breakout chart after so manyweeks of trying that was to me
(28:23):
that was the most excitingmoment.
That's cool.
SPEAKER_03 (28:26):
Yeah I mean just being on the on deck with being
on like okay I'm really doingthis.
I'd be running around going lookat my name's on there I still
think I sent out like a hundredtexts and people I'm I kept
thinking people can go like likeAnsel's all about him and I was
like but I was so excited orAnsel shares too much or
whatever but I was so excited Iwas just like I was trying to
(28:48):
send it out to people that haveknown me and maybe even
forgotten me that's awesome likeokay we're doing this.
SPEAKER_00 (28:55):
Absolutely so yeah send it to somebody that didn't
like you and go look at thisdude see it now I'm here okay so
no just kidding but yeah let'stalk about perspective and
purpose a little bit if youcould talk to the version of
yourself who stepped away uhwhat would you tell him now?
SPEAKER_03 (29:13):
Look at me now exactly see look right here I'm
like blue combs no I I think umI would I would I could reflect
and say look at what you missedyou know if I want to be honest
I did I missed I miss but I alsowould say man Ansel if you
(29:36):
didn't wait you wouldn't havethe the perspective that you do
have now right right youwouldn't enjoy it as much as you
are right now because you tookthe time to miss it.
SPEAKER_00 (29:49):
You know I hope uh Ansel I hope um people watch
this that are ready to give upbut now they know they can have
you know everything that you'resaying is I guess more or less
don't give up just you know ifyou got to step back you step
back take care of the things youneed to take care of.
But when you come back you'regonna be bigger and better than
ever.
(30:10):
Yep.
And uh hopefully you know wehave a lot of uh locals that
want to do what you're doing wehave a lot of uh very talented
people but it's again it's sucha a crowded market but you're
the only you but you're uh thankyou exactly you're the only you
so I think you're a good exampleand an inspiration to a lot of
(30:32):
people that uh maybe they don'tknow where to go or what to do.
Now they can look at you or theycan watch this and you know say
you know what yes I can do this.
I can I can do this.
SPEAKER_03 (30:42):
And don't ever feel desperate because the moment you
feel desperate is when thetrouble begins.
So I'm gonna ask you um wellfinish this sentence I might
know what's in front of me Ididn't know uh okay this chapter
feels different because becauseit I I have no I have no ability
(31:11):
to imagine anything different II really don't I like this
chapter will be different that'sthe question right because of is
that is that the question yeahit's just like you know this
chapter feels different becauseof yeah I mean yeah it's just
(31:32):
you got your because you got itall together yeah because I'm
I'm like I'm like more seasonedthan I've ever been there you go
that's that's the right wordyeah so it's not saying you're
old it's just that you've beendoing this for a little bit yeah
and I'll tell you when I wasstanding in Pittsburgh singing I
(31:53):
I like I used to get reallyuptight about shows but now it's
like no this and take take abreath and enjoy what you're
doing right now because thepeople that would dream of doing
this in the millions they wouldlove to experience this and I'm
(32:15):
getting to do it and like it'sjust an amazing it's an amazing
feeling I feel like I'm way moreprepared to face anything.
So why were you getting uptight?
I I think I just always had thethe I think I had I had well
first I had um what's it calledwhen you when you're like I
(32:36):
don't play guitar so I feel likeI have imposter syndrome.
Okay.
So I used to and I used to havethis level of perfection in my
mind that I don't think I couldever really attain and you have
to let go of that because reallywhat matters is the person that
you're looking at as you do ashow the people that you're
(32:56):
looking at they're the onlything that matters right then.
It's like you are communicatingwith them.
Don't let it be so tight.
Let it be enjoyable let it befree and and exciting and
exhilarating and and you knoweven just goosebump moments
(33:17):
right it's like you got to takethe time to to breathe in and
feel that as you're doing itotherwise it's just gone and you
didn't get to enjoy it.
SPEAKER_00 (33:25):
Right.
Gotcha what um what's one thingthat maybe uh fans might not
realize about how much work goesinto you being an independent
artist.
SPEAKER_03 (33:36):
How much work is that oh my goodness you know I
wish I had five or six or tenpeople just you know helping me
with daily tasks but it's veryum it is easy to get really like
buried under the amount of workthat you have to do just to make
sure you're not not doingsomething that you should be
(33:58):
doing and it can become a like afatal flaw because you're like,
oh man, I should have done that.
So you're constantly pressuredwith having to get certain
things done in a certain orderum and then there's trial and
error on top of that.
But you have to do things everyday you have to pay for things
you have to you need to think ofpublicity and you know as we
(34:22):
call it you know PR you need tothink of those things as you're
going through this because yougot to treat yourself like it is
a business even though you knowyou want those moments where it
feels like it's just magical andit's just like the it's like
cutting through butter you knowwith a hot knife.
But the the honest truth isevery day you're gonna face
(34:43):
challenges you're gonna facedoubt you're gonna face
criticism you're gonna face thethe unknown you're gonna face
people that have never heard ofyou and don't care.
And so you you have to deal withall that stuff every day on top
of just getting the work doneand it it takes a practicing you
know rehearsing havingeverything that you need to be
(35:07):
as successful as you can ittakes a lot of work.
SPEAKER_00 (35:09):
Now how do you balance that you've got the
business you're doing this yougot a wonderful family.
How do you balance all that?
SPEAKER_03 (35:16):
Man it's hard like my family I think gets tired of
me talking about you know whatmusic and everything but it's
like they know that you knowthis is this is a this is a lot
and I put everything that I havejust you know spiritually
speaking I've put all yeah I puta lot of money behind what I
(35:38):
have in terms of me just puttingmy own savings through you know
what I need to do to make sureI'm doing this right.
Um it just takes a lot of youknow maybe getting some extra
income somewhere trying to likeyou know do getting some
sponsors things like that.
And when you're doing that theyknow that you're in so you can't
(35:59):
just go I used to tell my sonsokay you started this you
started football you're you'regonna play till the end of the
season no matter how you feelabout football because you
started it.
People are counting on you.
It's the same thing with thisI'm in I'm not gonna quit no
matter what I face I'm not justI there are days that I get I
get down because I'm facing alevel of criticism for something
(36:22):
um maybe it's just people notknowing me on social as much as
I you know want them to knowthat I'm yeah but you just like
you can't stop you gotta it'sthe same thing on my side of
things.
SPEAKER_00 (36:34):
You know I mean we kind of do the same thing but
different you know and thatyou're a creator.
Yeah exactly you too and umthere's just those moments so
when you feel like you'reoverwhelmed and all that's going
on and uh how do you keepyourself grounded and keep you
(36:54):
know a good head on yourshoulders things start moving
really fast.
How do you handle all that?
SPEAKER_03 (37:00):
So I'll give you a great example so you know um
something negative will happenand whatever that is.
Yeah.
And then three days later youyou have to know that every time
you face an an obstacle orsomething that is causing you
stress or disappointment orwhatever it might be, you have
to think to yourself in twodays, three days something good
(37:23):
is going to happen.
You know, I might face five badthings but I know that if I keep
moving forward something good isgoing to happen that next week
and it always does.
It always does always somethinggood to no matter what my
traction level is with people orthe industry I know that this
week might be slow but next weeksomething is going to happen
(37:44):
that makes it suddenlyexhilarating and that you just
got to look for those greatmoments that happen every week.
SPEAKER_00 (37:50):
They do they happen every week and when you want to
get away from it all what do youdo I mean that's only normal I
mean there's times I I just wantto get away from the radio side
of things just for a day just Iwant to do something different.
What do you do when you want towalk away for just you know a
few hours or a day usually it'sit's doing stuff with my family.
SPEAKER_03 (38:10):
Typically that's what it will be or helping like
we went and helped um thehomeless in Charlotte a couple
weeks ago for Thanksgiving umand you know I just took the
whole day with the family and wewalked around Charlotte and and
gave out food to the homeless.
It was amazing you know peoplewere homeless people were
praying for us.
It was it was it was reallycool.
(38:32):
So we're doing that again thisweekend because we it was just
such an an awesome experience.
But doing things for thecommunity or doing things with
veterans you know veteranfriends which has been you know
I've been kind of slack the lastsix months because I've got so
much distracting me.
So sometimes I sit back and I gookay I need to do this and this
(38:52):
with you know with Richard'scoffee shop or whoever and um
but mostly it's the daughter andand the wife you know and doing
something with them.
They would probably my wifewould probably say it's not
enough but I do I do try to stepback and you just got to let
like if you're feelingoverwhelmed and you're feeling
like you can't get a break, yougot to just make yourself not
(39:16):
worry about okay if I if nextfive days I'm gonna you know go
do something with my family.
You just got to let it happenand not worry because it's like
a being a YouTuber right it's ifyou're a YouTuber you know
people get scared oh my if Istop my schedule YouTube's
algorithm is going to forgetabout me.
And the same thing with me if Istop my schedule you know I'm
(39:37):
not gonna be able to book anyshows next year or I'm not gonna
be able to do this or that.
It's kind of the same thing butyou got to know that the world
keeps turning when people seeyou they see you and when they
don't they don't worry about it.
So you shouldn't worry about iteither because you're gonna come
back when you're ready in thenext few days.
SPEAKER_00 (39:54):
Is there ever a moment where you don't want to
be Ansel Baron?
SPEAKER_03 (39:59):
No No, I don't think so.
I I think I I feel like my lifehas been about just taking
taking hold and doing what I'mdreaming of doing and just doing
it, like regardless of what ittakes.
Um like I can give you a wholelike another show of all the
(40:19):
different things.
Maybe I used to tell people Ilive a different life every five
years.
Yeah, that's how I feel.
Like I I live different livesevery five years because I'm
constantly, I'm constantlywanting to do what my passion
is.
And the one thing that's lastedthe longest is the music.
SPEAKER_00 (40:37):
I love it.
You know what I want to do?
I want to take this podcast onthe road and go to your boat and
do it live from your boat.
Oh, that would be fun.
I don't know.
I don't know.
You you said, come on, we'regonna take you out on the boat.
Remember, that would be fun.
SPEAKER_03 (40:49):
That would be actually let's do that.
Let's make sure we do thatbecause it's a pontoon boat, so
we can set up perfect.
SPEAKER_00 (40:55):
Yeah, it's I've got my own power, I've got my own
internet, we're good to go.
Yep, exactly.
I would definitely do that.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_03 (41:02):
It would be awesome, but uh you know, I just if you
just buy if you just and uh puta little money into the um into
the sky Starlink um portableversion.
SPEAKER_00 (41:14):
Oh you can just use that anywhere and then I have my
own internet, I can up, which isit's very similar.
Okay, so I can go anywhere andplug in and do my thing.
That's awesome.
There, you're there then.
I just think about see.
I think outside the boxsometimes it's like wow, yeah,
that's out of the hot zone.
I mean, I've done it from theballpark, I've been so many
(41:35):
different places with differentartists, and uh, I think that'd
be cool.
It's something different, man.
I like that.
Yeah, and so for somebodyhearing your name today for the
first time, uh, where shouldthey start?
And what do you hope they hearbeyond the music?
SPEAKER_03 (41:50):
Go to Spotify, check out, check out my history of
music, not just not just likewhat's out today, um, and get a
sense of who I am musicallyspeaking, and then you know,
meet me on my website or meet meon social media to kind of like
interact with me because it tome, like when people are
interacting and they'regenuinely trying to learn more
(42:13):
about me, it's it's awesome tobe able to communicate with
people.
You know, that's the one greatthing about social media is that
it's it's gonna be, you know,the artist that really
communicates with people thatare trying to understand them or
or learn more about their musicand their history.
You know, if you're genuinelydoing that, which I think most
(42:34):
artists are when it's like that,you know, I wanna be open to
everybody and I wanna, I wanna,I wanna get to know people.
And you can ask the people thatare that are that are that have
known me for a long time interms of fans of my music, I
don't really forget people whenI interact with them.
I I kind of remember just abouteverybody.
SPEAKER_00 (42:54):
That is so cool, and I love the fact that you do
interact with them, I think thatis so very important.
SPEAKER_03 (43:00):
Oh, yeah, and if I get a show in their town, I they
better be there.
SPEAKER_00 (43:06):
I'm sure they would be too.
Uh yeah, Ansel, this has been uhgreat, man.
It's cool to hear how differentthis chapter feels.
I love that, and I loved youfrom the very beginning, dude.
Just something about it, youknow, when you talk to people,
you there's that connection, andjust they hear about what you
do, what you're doing, and whereyou're going.
Uh, not rushed, not forced, uh,just real.
(43:29):
Uh, if you're listening, gosupport an independent artist
doing it uh the right way.
It's this guy, Ansel Brown.
Uh, search them, uh Ansel Brown.
Uh, you can start with WhiskeyMakes or Miss Me.
Check out the Rise EP and don'tsleep on more Cowbell.
I think it's right here.
There's something about moreCowbell.
I don't know.
(43:50):
It's all good though.
Uh, absolutely, and uh andlisten for We Make America Run.
Wait a minute, that was this,right?
There you go.
There it is.
I'm just over here pushingbuttons.
SPEAKER_03 (44:02):
Yeah, running them roads.
SPEAKER_00 (44:04):
I know.
There you go.
Good stuff, Ansel Brown.
Uh, we make America Run, CountryRadio.
Ansel, we appreciate you.
Let's listen to this firstsecond.
SPEAKER_05 (44:18):
Yellow that's right.
Yellow we're the East, Kentuckycoal miners, the detour, City
Assembly liners, we're the flashand lights that get there first.
SPEAKER_04 (44:32):
Working for the man and working for a dollar, dirt
on our hands of blue, on ourcollars, waiting for me out in
that red hot sun.
Trying that sea to swing andthat hammerhead of the three and
the John Deere tried to run withthe sun out there getting it
(44:53):
done.
Yeah, we make America run.
SPEAKER_00 (44:56):
That's it.
We make America run.
That's the guy right there,Ansel Brown.
Yeah, dude, you're the best.
Again, I want to say thank youfor coming out and Skip Happens
tonight.
You know what?
We gotta we gotta do this rightalong, and uh just really
appreciate you.
I appreciate the music and uh Ijust you know, I appreciate you
as a person, everything you'vebeen through.
So, you know, thank you, man.
SPEAKER_03 (45:17):
This is like yeah, love talking to you, love
getting on the show with you,and this is you're doing what
you need to be doing.
SPEAKER_00 (45:23):
Yeah, I'm all over the place.
SPEAKER_03 (45:25):
Yeah, but I have a lot, I have a lot of fun with it
though.
And I like they do have a radiobackground, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (45:30):
A little bit, a little bit.
Uh, but Ansel, again, thank youfor being on Skip Happens.
If you've been watching this,make sure you subscribe.
But uh, you know, all you gottado is go to youtube.com uh
forward slash at skip happenspodcast.
Click subscribe, make sure youcheck him out online too.
Subscribe exactly.
Ansel Brown, you see her rightthere.
Yeah, that's the name.
That's him.
(45:51):
Ansel, thanks for joining ustonight.
Hey, thank you, Skip.
It's been amazing again.
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