February 21, 2024 • 21 mins
BEHOLD PART TWO of our episode featuring Colorado “new grass” experts, Wood Belly!! We highly recommend listening to the confession and song in PART ONE before Wood Belly singer Brennan Mackey tells us all about his life got flipped, turned upside down and, if you’d like to take a minute to just sit right there, tell […]
The post Artist Interview: Wood Belly – “Late Bloomer” appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
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(00:00):
The Song Confessional podcast is a
co-production of KUT/KUTX
Studios and Good Taste Society.
Hey, this is Walker Lukens and you
are listening to...
(sung) It's the Song Confessional.
(00:27):
Let me explain what we do here atSong Confessional.
We travel all over the world
recording people like you, telling us
stories anonymously. We call theseanonymous stories confessions.
So we pick our favorite confessions,and we give them to songwriters and
bands who turn them into new,
original songs. In each podcast
episode, you hear a confession. Youhear the song it inspired and an
interview with the songwriter whowrote it.
(00:50):
You're about to hear my interview
with Wood Belly co-lead singer
Brenan Mackey.
I think you'll enjoy it a whole hell
of a lot more if you've heard part
one of this episode that features
Wood Belly's brand new song Late
Bloomer and the confession that
inspired it.
If you're all caught up...
[barbershop quartet-style harmony]
interview.
(01:10):
Who am I speaking with?
This is Brennan from Wood Belly.
Brennan, did you write this song?
So I did write the song.
Okay.
So Wood Belly has
a long and varied
history
as a string band.
(01:32):
Okay.
Bluegrass band.
And there's always two
singers. So there's the original.
There's Craig and Chris.
And as the band started to pick up,
Craig left to start a family
and continue with his job.
They hired a guy,
Tom Knowlton, who now plays in the
Fretliners.
(01:53):
They went deeper into bluegrass,
and then Tom left and started
The Fretliners.
And then they decided
to move away from bluegrass, so they
hired me.
I kind of come from like,
the indie rock world a little
more.
And then the most
dastardly thing any bluegrass
(02:14):
band can do is hire a drummer.
So we got this guy, Dylan French,
who kind of comes more from like,
the jam band world.
And now we're
expanding into
different sounds a little bit.
So.
Yeah. So I, I wrote this one.
So Chris moved to guitar, Chris
Weist. So now it's
(02:34):
Chris is Chris is the throughline
through the entire band.
Okay. How long has Wood Belly been
in the band roughly?
I think the beginning
date of the band is like 2016
and I joined.
It's going to be a.
I haven't been in the band in a
year. So like December.
Okay. Oh, wow.
(02:57):
Everything that you just said to me,
from bluegrass to
jam band drummer to
acoustic indie rock, that's all
very Colorado to me.
Do you think that's a fair
stereotype?
100% yeah.
Okay.
So there's like three scenes in in
Colorado and this band has like
(03:18):
picked from from each one.
Yeah.
So okay. So so I guess.
This band has had lots
of songwriters over the years.
It sounds like.
And you're the new guy.
Yes.
So here, being the new guy, it
just take me through this process.
So you, you wrote
(03:39):
the song and then you brought it to
the band, and you guys arranged it
together?
Yeah. So we.
I wrote it, like right before we
went on tour.
So this was I mean, this
was a fun one to do because it was
very like it was very quick.
Yeah.
So I wrote it
right before we left.
(03:59):
And then we kind of we arranged it
on like the beach we're
in, like Santa Barbara right before
we went into the studio, and we kind
of sat down together.
We didn't have, like, we weren't in
a practice space or studio space.
Dylan couldn't play drums or
anything and just, you know, Dylan
kind of just did some kicking
and some percussion stuff on us.
And then we had a day off on the
(04:20):
road, and our label has
a little studio in
their office building,
so it's like just this room
in, like, an office complex.
We went in and recorded it.
I, I got to say,
when I heard that you guys are going
to record this song on your day off
on tour, I was
very skeptical.
(04:42):
And I told
Tate, Song Confessional
Tate, that that probably
wouldn't happen based on my own
experience touring and that
we should we should plan to,
you know, just figure out when their
tour is over and be in touch then.
I, I just because
my experience has been that on days
(05:02):
off band don't always want to spend
time with each other, let alone
work.
But but you guys literally recorded
the song in a day.
Well, we did the, we did,
the backing vocals when we got back
real quick.
Yeah, it's pretty much in a day.
And of course we were like, well, so
we'll record the song and then we'll
get like two videos and we're
done. And somebody was like, dude,
we're not even gonna finish the
(05:23):
song.
Who's singing the backup vocals on
this track?
So the backup sister or the back...
The backup singers are the Cody
sisters, who are
a sibling band from,
I guess, not totally sibling band,
from
Boulder .They're these
young sisters in college who kind of
(05:44):
came up in the bluegrass world.
I met them on in
Wisconsin on this last tour that
we did.
But they were
taught by our banjo player, like
when they were like, you know, 8 or
9, and they have since become,
you know, just unreal musicians.
They have that, like that
bluegrass virtuoso.
(06:06):
Like mentality.
But now they're now as they're
getting older, they're they're
writing like more like indie
pop songs. So it's like they have
this like awesome foundation
and they're like writing killer
songs. I think they're going to be
they're going to be someone to look
out for.
Their voices sound awesome
and they sound really great with
your voice.
Yeah. Oh thank you. Yeah.
(06:26):
They're like, you can't tell
who's singing. But you know, it's
that weird sibling thing.
They got that blood harmony.
Yeah. You'll ask them a question and
will respond in unison and like
harmony.
Yeah, it's pretty
wild.
All right. Well, so I want to get in
a little bit to, to this
confession, but
I want to back up. So basically we
(06:47):
have this permanent booth at the
Mishawaka, and
we got all these confessions that
weekend when you played, and
I believe we gave you three to
choose from.
Yes.
And so you chose this
one.
That, our working
title, we always have these stupid
working titles for confessions just
to keep them straight. So we called
(07:08):
it Double Hug.
Well, first off, what is this
confession about?
If you could just summarize it
and then after you summarize it,
what why did what drew you to
this one?
Okay. So I feel
like it's pretty.
It's a pretty.
I feel like everybody's probably
experienced this, but, basically,
the story is.
(07:29):
This guy is,
he's studying abroad or something.
And he is having
a night out with all his friends,
and there's a scowl there that he's
really into.
And she decides to go home.
And his friend.
Tells him to walk her home, so he
walks her home.
They get to the front door and she
(07:49):
leans in for a kiss and he gives her
a hug.
Then she leans in for another kiss
and he gives her another hugs, hence
double hug.
Just not.
He just didn't read the the cues.
And then eventually they curse.
And he said it was an awful kiss.
But yeah, I feel like most.
Most guys,
most people in general can
(08:10):
probably relate to, not.
Not picking up hints.
I certainly can't. Yeah.
So yeah.
The reason why I picked this song is
because I had almost
an identical story
where I was back
home for college, from college, and
hanging out with all my friends
would always go to this bar.
The Otter Lodge, it's like the only
bar in town.
(08:31):
And there was this girl that I'd
been infatuated
with for years, and
we both lived.
Our parents lived in walking
distance. So I walked her
home and we got to the front door,
and I gave her a high five and then
ran off.
How old are you?
I was probably 20,
(08:53):
something like that.
You know, I have since
have a little more confidence in
myself. But
yeah. So I definitely felt
this dude's
this hurt.
I, I have, I,
I think there's I think you're
right. I do think that most people
have had this experience and
(09:14):
that you're just not picking up on
these signals.
And and you're.
And it also probably comes down to
confidence, you know,
it's not because because,
it.
Yeah. That's why you're missing it.
You're just it's like, well, how
could this person like me if I like
them kind of thing?
(09:35):
Exactly, yeah. Where are you? Whereyou think you're
picking up signals and you're
picking up nothing.
I think it's all over.
All over the map.
I have a, I had a similar experience
in high school and
and I actually was
so tortured by liking this girl
and her, her not liking
me in my head that
I, I worked up the courage
(09:57):
to tell her that I just couldn't
hang out with her anymore because it
was torture for me.
I mean, that is that's pretty
confident.
It took I mean, it took
a beer and a half and
a lot of, prescripting
in the conversation in my head, but
I was like, look, I have this crush
on you, and it's just hard for me to
hang out with you. And she was like,
I have a crush on you.
(10:18):
And my mind exploded
into a million pieces.
Yeah. Just young, young stuff,
you know.
The amount of relationships that
have never happened because people
are just so ignorant, you know?
So we called this double hug, but
you called it late bloomer.
(10:38):
Why is it called that?
It's funny because after we recorded
it, I was like, oh, yeah, it's called
Late Bloomer on the story.
Someone was like, it's double hug,
and I was like oh. I think that's
like one of the first things he says
in the story.
That he's a late bloomer.
It is. I just listened to it like a
half an hour ago.
It's like the first in the first
sentence. He's like, I'm kind of a
late bloomer.
(10:59):
And then I, I think
it just works with the chorus, Iguess.
Totally.
Yeah, the I tried to fit,
an earlier demo has a reference
to a hug.
It just like
it felt a little too cheesy.
Yeah. Fair enough.
If if somebody listens to
the song, they don't know the
(11:20):
confession.
What. what are they, what are they
going to think this song is about?
That's, that's a good question.
I think they'll probably just think
it's a time, a time based
song of somebody who's
always late for things.
Maybe.
Okay.
I, I was psyched about doing
(11:41):
this because I'm trying to get
better at writing songs
that are a little more linear
and less like abstract, which, you
know, I don't know if I nailed it.
See, the thing is, from where I sit
and everything, like, I, I've sat
with this confession for so long
that I can only I hear
it in relation to your song in
(12:02):
relation to it. And I think this
song is fucking awesome.
But I'm curious.
I am wondering what people
will think it.
The thing is the the recording,
the song in the in the arrangement
stuff,
it's pretty.
It's pretty emotive, you know, and
I think the backup vocals really
help with that as well.
(12:23):
So I think it's it's kind of a
moving song, even if you're not
really exactly sure what it's about.
Yeah.
But you were, you were kind of going
for the linear storytelling.
Yes.
Yeah. Yeah.
Which I love doing like
prompts and and assignments I feel
like it always can kind of pull.
You're like your self-editor
(12:46):
critical mind like away from it.
So I have to service this idea
rather than like, is this what I
think sounds cool,
you know? And you can never really
tell in the moment if anything's
good.
Yeah.
It's after the fact, usually. It'soften
I'm nailing it right now.
And then afterwards I'm like, this
is terrible.
I think us songwriters need it.
(13:07):
Yeah, exactly.
Totally. Yeah, yeah.
To be able to it's kind of like free
for yourself to to kind
of write whatever.
How many songs have you
written in the
Wood Belly canon?
So I have.
Including this? Probably six.
(13:27):
Maybe we have a new record coming
out the 17th.
Oh, damn. It's coming up really
soon.
So, yeah, there's a new song out
today, actually.
Yeah. So I have four songs on
that, and then I think we have,
there's like a batch of songs that
we haven't, haven't done anything
with yet.
Well, yeah, there's, there's a,
a few.
If you were to write like a,
(13:50):
like a Zagat style review of
your songwriting, what, what do
you write about?
Wow.
Interesting.
A lot of a lot
of drinking songs.
Okay, I can,
I can I can I ask a question about
that before you tell me more?
(14:10):
Are they songs about getting drunk?
Are they songs where alcohol is a is
a is a either a character
or, like.
You know, a chaos agent or
something?
Yeah, it's usually the chaos agent.
It's not not.
I'm not talking about, like, joyous,
getting drunk songs.
Okay. Got it, got it got it.
I've gotten drunk songs.
I get it.
That, like, you know, I
(14:31):
feel like recently it's
been more like relationship stuff.
Yeah, I think.
The general.
That's the general gist of
stuff, but.
I like. I like doing the song
writing prompts and and trying to
push myself outside of the.
(14:52):
Yeah, why do you want to?
Why is it what part of you wants to
write more linear stuff and less
abstract? Like what?
What is the why is that?
I think I just, I love the.
There's so
many songwriters that do it that,
that I feel like it's so satisfying.
But then on the opposite end, like
my, my idol is Bon Iver and
like his songs. Yeah, it's just
(15:13):
gibberish.
No one knows what those are about,
but they're all very evocative.
Yeah.
Yeah, I understand that.
I think I like
I would never make country music
ever in my life, but some of my
favorite songwriters are.
I guess. Right? Country music.
And it's. You just know exactly what
the songs are supposed to be about.
(15:34):
And I really admire that.
It's, it's I think it's much harder.
Absolutely. Yeah.
And because I feel like to.
To tell a story.
You can't, you can't use very
flowery language.
You kind of have to be straight to
the point. So it's like, how do you.
How do you say something in an
interesting way, but be
direct with it?
(15:54):
Yeah.
Yeah.
There's a there's a George Jones
song called A Good Year for
the Roses.
And it's about a couple
splitting up.
Yeah. And it's,
I mean, you get you get that from
the first. Listen, you know,
but there are like a few little
mysteries in the song
(16:16):
that are not. And, and it's like,
it's it's just like God mode
songwriting because you can
you can skim it and
know what it's about. And the
melodies are great and you know
that.
But then, like, if you really dig
in.
I don't know if you know this song,
but.
I heard it.
On the on the, on the Reddit, you
know, the Reddits, the subreddits.
(16:38):
We don't know if the baby died
or if the baby left.
It's real deep, you know, you're
like, shit, did this kid die or did
the woman just leave with the kid?
We don't know.
But yeah, it's it's that kind of
stuff. I think that's a it's just a
different I body there is
phenomenal. I'm a huge fan of
Bon Iver, but that is such a
different thing to me.
(16:59):
That's like such a personal language
and and but
the, the country's on the other side
of the spectrum.
Yeah. And I love those, those songs
that have like M.
Night Shyamalan like twist at the
end, you know.
Yeah, definitely.
I throw in one thing and then the
end of it. Oh, it's, you know, boy
(17:19):
names two or something.
Totally.
Okay, well, so I only
have a couple more questions for
you. I really appreciate you dive in
and on this, this tune in your
writing.
So you guys are
you have a record that drops
November 17th.
What's the name of the album?
Cicada.
Cicada?
Yeah. This is the one that's going
(17:39):
to disturb
all the bluegrass fans of the band.
That was the one the drums and
and the electric guitars.
But you've been touring with this
Colorado Armada version of
the band.
Yeah.
And so you already you've already
been pissing people off.
I take it.
Totally. Well, you know, everybody's
(17:59):
been very, very
receptive to the sound change.
I think the general population is
like is pretty cool with changes.
Yeah.
It's more of the they're like die
hard fans.
You know, I was I was on a bluegrass
subreddit the other day and there
was something about, I mean, just a
Facebook group. I can't remember
something, some argument about
(18:20):
whether you're allowed to have
electric bass in a bluegrass band
and that people were like, up in
arms, like you can't.
Like what are you
talking about.
There's electric bass on that
recording, no? On Late Bloomer?
Oh, yeah. I don't play like that.This
is yeah.
So I started playing bass for this
band. Okay.
So yeah upright
(18:41):
bass is not, not in the cards quite
yet.
I was just, I was just confirming
yeah, I, I, I've heard those
arguments, I've also heard arguments
that like,
no drums, upright bass
and you have to have,
and you have to have a banjo
and or a fiddle
and or a mandolin.
(19:01):
Yeah, yeah, there's
there's some,
some, like, boxes you got to sit in,
and I'm not really from that world,
so, hopefully
I don't anger too many people, but
it's it's it's interesting coming in
as an outsider and seeing,
seeing this,
this whole thing play out.
But everybody has been very, very
(19:23):
open minded. But also nobody's going
to say anything to me, you know.
But yeah, everybody's been super
into it. Some people are like
ecstatic about the sound change.
It's definitely a way more it's a
very big energetic sound
vibe, which is
super fun.
Are you guys going to go on tour
(19:45):
next year?
Yeah, we don't have anything
planned.
I mean, yes we are. We're going to
be touring. We just don't have
anything like super nailed down.
I think we're going to be going to
the Midwest in like early Spring.
Very cool.
If you think you have a story that
we would want to feature on this
podcast and could be turned into an
(20:06):
amazing song, come
by one of our booths.
We've got a permanent booth at the
Mishawaka Amphitheater outside Fort
Collins, Colorado.
We've got another permanent boothhere in Austin, Texas at the Long
Center. Come in.
Record a confession.
We will hear it.
If that is not convenient for
you. Go to the liner notes of this
episode.
Click on the link to our website and
see where we're going to be next.
(20:26):
We might be coming to a festival
near you. Or you could always send
us an email and contact us directly.
This podcast is produced by me,
Zac, Jim Eno, Aaron Blackerby, TateHoeven, Zahra Crim and distributed by
KUTX.
(20:47):
The theme song you heard at the topwas written by myself and Walker
Lukens.
It was performed by me, Taylor Craft,John Calvin Abney, Dan Kramer, Will
Van Horn, and some beautiful vocalsby Tyler
Brown.
We want to give a special thanks to
Elizabeth McQueen and Matt Reilly atKUTX, ONErpm, Jesse Rosoff at Mint
Talent Group,
(21:09):
Bobby Garza and The Long Center,
Danny Grant in the MishawakaAmphitheater, late teenage trauma,
psychedelics and universes out therewho trust us with your stories.
If you like this podcast, you can
support us by sharing an episode
with someone you know would like it.
You can also support us by following
us on Instagram, TikTok, and
Facebook at Song Confessional.
The Song Confessional podcast is a
co-production of KUT/KUTX
Studios and Good Taste Society.
Hey, this is Walker Lukens and you
are listening to...
(sung) It's the Song Confessional.
(00:27):
Let me explain what we do here atSong Confessional.
We travel all over the world
recording people like you, telling us
stories anonymously. We call theseanonymous stories confessions.
So we pick our favorite confessions,and we give them to songwriters and
bands who turn them into new,
original songs. In each podcast
episode, you hear a confession. Youhear the song it inspired and an
interview with the songwriter whowrote it.
(00:50):
You're about to hear my interview
with Wood Belly co-lead singer
Brenan Mackey.
I think you'll enjoy it a whole hell
of a lot more if you've heard part
one of this episode that features
Wood Belly's brand new song Late
Bloomer and the confession that
inspired it.
If you're all caught up...
[barbershop quartet-style harmony]
interview.
(01:10):
Who am I speaking with?
This is Brennan from Wood Belly.
Brennan, did you write this song?
So I did write the song.
Okay.
So Wood Belly has
a long and varied
history
as a string band.
(01:32):
Okay.
Bluegrass band.
And there's always two
singers. So there's the original.
There's Craig and Chris.
And as the band started to pick up,
Craig left to start a family
and continue with his job.
They hired a guy,
Tom Knowlton, who now plays in the
Fretliners.
(01:53):
They went deeper into bluegrass,
and then Tom left and started
The Fretliners.
And then they decided
to move away from bluegrass, so they
hired me.
I kind of come from like,
the indie rock world a little
more.
And then the most
dastardly thing any bluegrass
(02:14):
band can do is hire a drummer.
So we got this guy, Dylan French,
who kind of comes more from like,
the jam band world.
And now we're
expanding into
different sounds a little bit.
So.
Yeah. So I, I wrote this one.
So Chris moved to guitar, Chris
Weist. So now it's
(02:34):
Chris is Chris is the throughline
through the entire band.
Okay. How long has Wood Belly been
in the band roughly?
I think the beginning
date of the band is like 2016
and I joined.
It's going to be a.
I haven't been in the band in a
year. So like December.
Okay. Oh, wow.
(02:57):
Everything that you just said to me,
from bluegrass to
jam band drummer to
acoustic indie rock, that's all
very Colorado to me.
Do you think that's a fair
stereotype?
100% yeah.
Okay.
So there's like three scenes in in
Colorado and this band has like
(03:18):
picked from from each one.
Yeah.
So okay. So so I guess.
This band has had lots
of songwriters over the years.
It sounds like.
And you're the new guy.
Yes.
So here, being the new guy, it
just take me through this process.
So you, you wrote
(03:39):
the song and then you brought it to
the band, and you guys arranged it
together?
Yeah. So we.
I wrote it, like right before we
went on tour.
So this was I mean, this
was a fun one to do because it was
very like it was very quick.
Yeah.
So I wrote it
right before we left.
(03:59):
And then we kind of we arranged it
on like the beach we're
in, like Santa Barbara right before
we went into the studio, and we kind
of sat down together.
We didn't have, like, we weren't in
a practice space or studio space.
Dylan couldn't play drums or
anything and just, you know, Dylan
kind of just did some kicking
and some percussion stuff on us.
And then we had a day off on the
(04:20):
road, and our label has
a little studio in
their office building,
so it's like just this room
in, like, an office complex.
We went in and recorded it.
I, I got to say,
when I heard that you guys are going
to record this song on your day off
on tour, I was
very skeptical.
(04:42):
And I told
Tate, Song Confessional
Tate, that that probably
wouldn't happen based on my own
experience touring and that
we should we should plan to,
you know, just figure out when their
tour is over and be in touch then.
I, I just because
my experience has been that on days
(05:02):
off band don't always want to spend
time with each other, let alone
work.
But but you guys literally recorded
the song in a day.
Well, we did the, we did,
the backing vocals when we got back
real quick.
Yeah, it's pretty much in a day.
And of course we were like, well, so
we'll record the song and then we'll
get like two videos and we're
done. And somebody was like, dude,
we're not even gonna finish the
(05:23):
song.
Who's singing the backup vocals on
this track?
So the backup sister or the back...
The backup singers are the Cody
sisters, who are
a sibling band from,
I guess, not totally sibling band,
from
Boulder .They're these
young sisters in college who kind of
(05:44):
came up in the bluegrass world.
I met them on in
Wisconsin on this last tour that
we did.
But they were
taught by our banjo player, like
when they were like, you know, 8 or
9, and they have since become,
you know, just unreal musicians.
They have that, like that
bluegrass virtuoso.
(06:06):
Like mentality.
But now they're now as they're
getting older, they're they're
writing like more like indie
pop songs. So it's like they have
this like awesome foundation
and they're like writing killer
songs. I think they're going to be
they're going to be someone to look
out for.
Their voices sound awesome
and they sound really great with
your voice.
Yeah. Oh thank you. Yeah.
(06:26):
They're like, you can't tell
who's singing. But you know, it's
that weird sibling thing.
They got that blood harmony.
Yeah. You'll ask them a question and
will respond in unison and like
harmony.
Yeah, it's pretty
wild.
All right. Well, so I want to get in
a little bit to, to this
confession, but
I want to back up. So basically we
(06:47):
have this permanent booth at the
Mishawaka, and
we got all these confessions that
weekend when you played, and
I believe we gave you three to
choose from.
Yes.
And so you chose this
one.
That, our working
title, we always have these stupid
working titles for confessions just
to keep them straight. So we called
(07:08):
it Double Hug.
Well, first off, what is this
confession about?
If you could just summarize it
and then after you summarize it,
what why did what drew you to
this one?
Okay. So I feel
like it's pretty.
It's a pretty.
I feel like everybody's probably
experienced this, but, basically,
the story is.
(07:29):
This guy is,
he's studying abroad or something.
And he is having
a night out with all his friends,
and there's a scowl there that he's
really into.
And she decides to go home.
And his friend.
Tells him to walk her home, so he
walks her home.
They get to the front door and she
(07:49):
leans in for a kiss and he gives her
a hug.
Then she leans in for another kiss
and he gives her another hugs, hence
double hug.
Just not.
He just didn't read the the cues.
And then eventually they curse.
And he said it was an awful kiss.
But yeah, I feel like most.
Most guys,
most people in general can
(08:10):
probably relate to, not.
Not picking up hints.
I certainly can't. Yeah.
So yeah.
The reason why I picked this song is
because I had almost
an identical story
where I was back
home for college, from college, and
hanging out with all my friends
would always go to this bar.
The Otter Lodge, it's like the only
bar in town.
(08:31):
And there was this girl that I'd
been infatuated
with for years, and
we both lived.
Our parents lived in walking
distance. So I walked her
home and we got to the front door,
and I gave her a high five and then
ran off.
How old are you?
I was probably 20,
(08:53):
something like that.
You know, I have since
have a little more confidence in
myself. But
yeah. So I definitely felt
this dude's
this hurt.
I, I have, I,
I think there's I think you're
right. I do think that most people
have had this experience and
(09:14):
that you're just not picking up on
these signals.
And and you're.
And it also probably comes down to
confidence, you know,
it's not because because,
it.
Yeah. That's why you're missing it.
You're just it's like, well, how
could this person like me if I like
them kind of thing?
(09:35):
Exactly, yeah. Where are you? Whereyou think you're
picking up signals and you're
picking up nothing.
I think it's all over.
All over the map.
I have a, I had a similar experience
in high school and
and I actually was
so tortured by liking this girl
and her, her not liking
me in my head that
I, I worked up the courage
(09:57):
to tell her that I just couldn't
hang out with her anymore because it
was torture for me.
I mean, that is that's pretty
confident.
It took I mean, it took
a beer and a half and
a lot of, prescripting
in the conversation in my head, but
I was like, look, I have this crush
on you, and it's just hard for me to
hang out with you. And she was like,
I have a crush on you.
(10:18):
And my mind exploded
into a million pieces.
Yeah. Just young, young stuff,
you know.
The amount of relationships that
have never happened because people
are just so ignorant, you know?
So we called this double hug, but
you called it late bloomer.
(10:38):
Why is it called that?
It's funny because after we recorded
it, I was like, oh, yeah, it's called
Late Bloomer on the story.
Someone was like, it's double hug,
and I was like oh. I think that's
like one of the first things he says
in the story.
That he's a late bloomer.
It is. I just listened to it like a
half an hour ago.
It's like the first in the first
sentence. He's like, I'm kind of a
late bloomer.
(10:59):
And then I, I think
it just works with the chorus, Iguess.
Totally.
Yeah, the I tried to fit,
an earlier demo has a reference
to a hug.
It just like
it felt a little too cheesy.
Yeah. Fair enough.
If if somebody listens to
the song, they don't know the
(11:20):
confession.
What. what are they, what are they
going to think this song is about?
That's, that's a good question.
I think they'll probably just think
it's a time, a time based
song of somebody who's
always late for things.
Maybe.
Okay.
I, I was psyched about doing
(11:41):
this because I'm trying to get
better at writing songs
that are a little more linear
and less like abstract, which, you
know, I don't know if I nailed it.
See, the thing is, from where I sit
and everything, like, I, I've sat
with this confession for so long
that I can only I hear
it in relation to your song in
(12:02):
relation to it. And I think this
song is fucking awesome.
But I'm curious.
I am wondering what people
will think it.
The thing is the the recording,
the song in the in the arrangement
stuff,
it's pretty.
It's pretty emotive, you know, and
I think the backup vocals really
help with that as well.
(12:23):
So I think it's it's kind of a
moving song, even if you're not
really exactly sure what it's about.
Yeah.
But you were, you were kind of going
for the linear storytelling.
Yes.
Yeah. Yeah.
Which I love doing like
prompts and and assignments I feel
like it always can kind of pull.
You're like your self-editor
(12:46):
critical mind like away from it.
So I have to service this idea
rather than like, is this what I
think sounds cool,
you know? And you can never really
tell in the moment if anything's
good.
Yeah.
It's after the fact, usually. It'soften
I'm nailing it right now.
And then afterwards I'm like, this
is terrible.
I think us songwriters need it.
(13:07):
Yeah, exactly.
Totally. Yeah, yeah.
To be able to it's kind of like free
for yourself to to kind
of write whatever.
How many songs have you
written in the
Wood Belly canon?
So I have.
Including this? Probably six.
(13:27):
Maybe we have a new record coming
out the 17th.
Oh, damn. It's coming up really
soon.
So, yeah, there's a new song out
today, actually.
Yeah. So I have four songs on
that, and then I think we have,
there's like a batch of songs that
we haven't, haven't done anything
with yet.
Well, yeah, there's, there's a,
a few.
If you were to write like a,
(13:50):
like a Zagat style review of
your songwriting, what, what do
you write about?
Wow.
Interesting.
A lot of a lot
of drinking songs.
Okay, I can,
I can I can I ask a question about
that before you tell me more?
(14:10):
Are they songs about getting drunk?
Are they songs where alcohol is a is
a is a either a character
or, like.
You know, a chaos agent or
something?
Yeah, it's usually the chaos agent.
It's not not.
I'm not talking about, like, joyous,
getting drunk songs.
Okay. Got it, got it got it.
I've gotten drunk songs.
I get it.
That, like, you know, I
(14:31):
feel like recently it's
been more like relationship stuff.
Yeah, I think.
The general.
That's the general gist of
stuff, but.
I like. I like doing the song
writing prompts and and trying to
push myself outside of the.
(14:52):
Yeah, why do you want to?
Why is it what part of you wants to
write more linear stuff and less
abstract? Like what?
What is the why is that?
I think I just, I love the.
There's so
many songwriters that do it that,
that I feel like it's so satisfying.
But then on the opposite end, like
my, my idol is Bon Iver and
like his songs. Yeah, it's just
(15:13):
gibberish.
No one knows what those are about,
but they're all very evocative.
Yeah.
Yeah, I understand that.
I think I like
I would never make country music
ever in my life, but some of my
favorite songwriters are.
I guess. Right? Country music.
And it's. You just know exactly what
the songs are supposed to be about.
(15:34):
And I really admire that.
It's, it's I think it's much harder.
Absolutely. Yeah.
And because I feel like to.
To tell a story.
You can't, you can't use very
flowery language.
You kind of have to be straight to
the point. So it's like, how do you.
How do you say something in an
interesting way, but be
direct with it?
(15:54):
Yeah.
Yeah.
There's a there's a George Jones
song called A Good Year for
the Roses.
And it's about a couple
splitting up.
Yeah. And it's,
I mean, you get you get that from
the first. Listen, you know,
but there are like a few little
mysteries in the song
(16:16):
that are not. And, and it's like,
it's it's just like God mode
songwriting because you can
you can skim it and
know what it's about. And the
melodies are great and you know
that.
But then, like, if you really dig
in.
I don't know if you know this song,
but.
I heard it.
On the on the, on the Reddit, you
know, the Reddits, the subreddits.
(16:38):
We don't know if the baby died
or if the baby left.
It's real deep, you know, you're
like, shit, did this kid die or did
the woman just leave with the kid?
We don't know.
But yeah, it's it's that kind of
stuff. I think that's a it's just a
different I body there is
phenomenal. I'm a huge fan of
Bon Iver, but that is such a
different thing to me.
(16:59):
That's like such a personal language
and and but
the, the country's on the other side
of the spectrum.
Yeah. And I love those, those songs
that have like M.
Night Shyamalan like twist at the
end, you know.
Yeah, definitely.
I throw in one thing and then the
end of it. Oh, it's, you know, boy
(17:19):
names two or something.
Totally.
Okay, well, so I only
have a couple more questions for
you. I really appreciate you dive in
and on this, this tune in your
writing.
So you guys are
you have a record that drops
November 17th.
What's the name of the album?
Cicada.
Cicada?
Yeah. This is the one that's going
(17:39):
to disturb
all the bluegrass fans of the band.
That was the one the drums and
and the electric guitars.
But you've been touring with this
Colorado Armada version of
the band.
Yeah.
And so you already you've already
been pissing people off.
I take it.
Totally. Well, you know, everybody's
(17:59):
been very, very
receptive to the sound change.
I think the general population is
like is pretty cool with changes.
Yeah.
It's more of the they're like die
hard fans.
You know, I was I was on a bluegrass
subreddit the other day and there
was something about, I mean, just a
Facebook group. I can't remember
something, some argument about
(18:20):
whether you're allowed to have
electric bass in a bluegrass band
and that people were like, up in
arms, like you can't.
Like what are you
talking about.
There's electric bass on that
recording, no? On Late Bloomer?
Oh, yeah. I don't play like that.This
is yeah.
So I started playing bass for this
band. Okay.
So yeah upright
(18:41):
bass is not, not in the cards quite
yet.
I was just, I was just confirming
yeah, I, I, I've heard those
arguments, I've also heard arguments
that like,
no drums, upright bass
and you have to have,
and you have to have a banjo
and or a fiddle
and or a mandolin.
(19:01):
Yeah, yeah, there's
there's some,
some, like, boxes you got to sit in,
and I'm not really from that world,
so, hopefully
I don't anger too many people, but
it's it's it's interesting coming in
as an outsider and seeing,
seeing this,
this whole thing play out.
But everybody has been very, very
(19:23):
open minded. But also nobody's going
to say anything to me, you know.
But yeah, everybody's been super
into it. Some people are like
ecstatic about the sound change.
It's definitely a way more it's a
very big energetic sound
vibe, which is
super fun.
Are you guys going to go on tour
(19:45):
next year?
Yeah, we don't have anything
planned.
I mean, yes we are. We're going to
be touring. We just don't have
anything like super nailed down.
I think we're going to be going to
the Midwest in like early Spring.
Very cool.
If you think you have a story that
we would want to feature on this
podcast and could be turned into an
(20:06):
amazing song, come
by one of our booths.
We've got a permanent booth at the
Mishawaka Amphitheater outside Fort
Collins, Colorado.
We've got another permanent boothhere in Austin, Texas at the Long
Center. Come in.
Record a confession.
We will hear it.
If that is not convenient for
you. Go to the liner notes of this
episode.
Click on the link to our website and
see where we're going to be next.
(20:26):
We might be coming to a festival
near you. Or you could always send
us an email and contact us directly.
This podcast is produced by me,
Zac, Jim Eno, Aaron Blackerby, TateHoeven, Zahra Crim and distributed by
KUTX.
(20:47):
The theme song you heard at the topwas written by myself and Walker
Lukens.
It was performed by me, Taylor Craft,John Calvin Abney, Dan Kramer, Will
Van Horn, and some beautiful vocalsby Tyler
Brown.
We want to give a special thanks to
Elizabeth McQueen and Matt Reilly atKUTX, ONErpm, Jesse Rosoff at Mint
Talent Group,
(21:09):
Bobby Garza and The Long Center,
Danny Grant in the MishawakaAmphitheater, late teenage trauma,
psychedelics and universes out therewho trust us with your stories.
If you like this podcast, you can
support us by sharing an episode
with someone you know would like it.
You can also support us by following
us on Instagram, TikTok, and
Facebook at Song Confessional.
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