August 12, 2025 • 32 mins
Nashville, TN – Rich Allen is a distinguished singer-songwriter whose music embodies the rich tradition of country storytelling. With a career dedicated to crafting heartfelt narratives, Allen's recent single, "Innocent Kiss," exemplifies his signature style: a warm blend of nostalgic lyrics and genuine emotion reminiscent of classic country. His intuitive songwriting approach, often capturing inspiration in moments, allows him to transform personal experiences into evocative tracks that connect deeply with listeners. Raised in a musical household, Allen's commitment to creating lasting, meaningful songs is evident in his lyric-first philosophy, ensuring each release, from rodeo anthems to personal reflections, delivers an authentic and impactful experience.
Innocent Kiss is available now on all streaming platforms.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support.
Innocent Kiss is available now on all streaming platforms.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
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Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hello, everybody, welcome to Creators to Creators. Today, today we
have a special guest, Rich Allen. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Adam absolutely absolutely so. You know, I love going back
to the beginning. I always say the beginning charge our
trajectory in life. You know, a little habits that we
pick up along the way follow us into our adulthood.
So tell me a little bit about your childhood. What
was that like and when did you, you know, catch
(01:06):
the bug for music?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
That's what it is, right started very young. Actually, it's
one of those stories where my father was a musician
and put a guitar in my hands when I was
literally two years old. So I grew up listening to
his seventy eight Vinyl, and you know, he played in
Nashville in Vegas, and so music was in our house
all the time. So having a guitar and the foundation
(01:32):
and the core of just classic country, you know, with
the the artist like Jones and Merle Haggard and Johnny
Cash and Buck Owens and it went on and on,
and so that was the foundation and the core of
my music side, and my dad being a musician. Guitars
were always around the house, even pedal steels, and so
(01:54):
that was the influence early on. But it really was
one of those stories of growing up with family and
friends coming over on the weekend and they would jam.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
You know, I had to go to bed, but they
would keep going till privately two three am.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
So I love it.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
It was a household music for sure.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
I love that. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, And you know, my gosh, you know, like Nashville
is like the heart. A lot of legends come from there,
you know, the you know, just amazing music. So it's
like you're you're part of that. I guess that energy,
which is really cool.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
It is cool, you know.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
In fact, I was in Nashville a couple of weeks
ago as in studio and I started hanging out and
meeting some songwriting friends in Nashville, the Circle of Writers,
which is really cool because when you write and create,
it's cool to hang around the same kind of casts
as you.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
You know, you have a really uh.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
A common thread per se and it's it's a place
that feels like home.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
It feels really good.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
I've recorded there, I've written there, you know, the Hall
of Fame, just walking through and so writing with people
who are in the Hall of Fame. So it's been
a really cool journey. I'm really blessed for sure.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
So this you know, amazing song that you have, Innocent kiss, Uh,
tell me a little bit about the process of it,
and you know, and where did it?
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Where did you? Where was the idea? I'm from?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yep, great question. So it actually got its legs in
Las Vegas. So I was in Las Vegas and looking
over the city. Actually I had a project we're playing
at Gillies on the Strip. Was really fun and some
really good musicians and just inspired one day looking over
the city and the storyline came into my head and
(03:42):
the lyrics came into my head. And when I write,
it's music and lyrics at the same time, so I
really have to feel the energy and the storyline, and
one compliments to the other other. And I just thought
it was a really cool little story to think that
person's out there. You may have bumped into them already,
and you really need to think of.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Somebody right in front of you might be that special one,
you know.
Speaker 5 (04:03):
Yeah, the storyline, I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, you mentioned the song is about that girl you're
not thinking about at the time. Is there a particular
person or moment that sparked like this reflection that led
to kind of the song too, Like was it a
person that you dealt with in the past.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
So it was not okay, some of some of the
stories that I write are just storylines. And I have
a lot of songs I've written that test me personally,
and I've written that as well, But this one was
just one that came into my head. I thought it
was really cool, and I was in the moment and
just put the pen to paper and put it in studio,
and I thought it was just a fun little song
(04:45):
to sing along.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, the song core you know message also, you know,
seems to be about not take taking you know, you know,
small unexpected moments for granted, right, And how how has
this philosophy played out in your life outside of music?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
You know, that's a great question.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
I think that anybody who's lived long enough and had
a journey in life will know that you don't know
how many moments you have first of all, right, and
I think that things are so important to slow down
and really enjoy the ride.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I wrote a song about myself, Claude La Live for
the Moment.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
It's one of the twelve that I release, and it's
exactly how I feel. It's like, you need to be
in the moment and you need to live and tomorrow
might not come. And everybody, not everybody, but many people
they want to look at life as a long shot
and things will be better when I retire, and things
will be better when I have money, and things will
(05:43):
be better when I get the perfect house, and things
will be better when I get everything lined up, you know,
in my life, and I'm just in a good space
and you miss the in between and having children. I
think that's really what echoes for me. Because you hear
it from people who have experience in life. They'll say,
you know those really fast. You need to pay attention
to these years on these moments and you really really
(06:05):
don't feel it. You think about it and you hear it.
But when you look back and your children are now
teenagers and they're grown adults, Yeah, you missed a lot
of moments focusing on trying to make a better space
in your life for yourself.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And them, right.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I think that they don't care about that aspect. They
just care about time. Is funny because I think they
really appreciate the moments of time more than the adults
because all they care about is wanting your time.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah, and time you can't and you can't get it back, right.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
You cannot, you cannot.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
So yeah, it's it's something you need to learn as
you go and hopefully change the trajectory of your life
that you take things at value and you treat people
the right way and realize what's important in this life.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
You know, absolutely, it's beautiful. That's very beautiful.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Yeah, you said, sometimes a melody hook catches you, right,
but when the lyrics connected. But is there times where
you recall, in like in the journey of making music,
that you struggle to find the lyrics that truly connected,
And how did you overcome that challenge.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
That writer's block is real when you write in Nashville.
I had a hard time adapting to the environment because
it really is in thirty minute sessions they block out
as songwriters. So I remember writing with Brady Seals of
Little Texas and a friend of mine, Brian, and it
was like thirty minutes and it's like, what are we
going to write about? And I'm not good at writing
(07:31):
on command because you think of the storyline and I
have to really feel it. And so when I get
those moments where I'm blocked, I just passed. I just
passed it because if it's not coming to me natural
and it's not fluid, I know it's not right. And
if I force it, I'm not going to appreciate the
finished products. So when the storyline and the music come together,
(07:52):
it's literally fifteen twenty minutes and you have the framework
of that song for me. So if I have to
struggle and put things together and cut and paste and
that Frankenstein type mode, I'm not good at it.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I totally get I totally get it absolutely. Growing growing
up in you know, a musical household, you know, with
your dad playing in Vegas casinos and people coming over
to play music. What's a favorite memory from that time
that shaped your musical journey?
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Speaker 4 (09:18):
Wow, you know, my my father is no longer with me,
So anytime I appreciate that, I think, anytime I look back,
it's the smiles and it's just uh, you know, struggling,
even holding a guitar is not easy when you first learn.
So just the patience of him teaching me the craft
(09:38):
and looking back at just a happy time. I mean,
music in the household creates a happy time and people
want to sing and and uh, it's it brings people together.
And that's why I love music, because it's an emotion
and you can you can share it with others, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
So yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
So I love asking this question to every guest on
the show and and there's no wrong answer. The three
levels of influence, money, power, and respect. And if you
could choose only one of those things, which one would
you choose?
Speaker 5 (10:11):
And why? Oh?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Respect totally. I mean, money is not even part of
my vocabulary. Money doesn't drive me. Too easy to too
easy to get, too easy to lose, and there's too
much value placed on it.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Power.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I don't have the ego because I realize God first,
and I don't make the decisions. I follow paths based
on you know, prayer and faith. So respect and respect
in the regard earning respect by doing the right thing
and being a role model, treating people right. Earning respect,
it's not given so respect out of the three by
(10:49):
far to me, my opinion is exactly where I would.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I would top that.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
That's beautiful, love that your early influences include legends like
Johnny Cash, George Jones, so many others. What specific qualities
in their music resonate to most with you as a
young artist or an artistry altogether.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
You know the qualities of songwriting and storytelling. You know,
my father signed me up for a Columbia record Record
of the Month and it was Vinyl Wow, And he
put me in the country genre, of course. And so
I would get a Johnny Cash album and I would
listen to that thing. I'd get Elvis or I would
get George Jones and you know, if you listen to
(11:32):
he Stopped Loving Her Today, and you listen to the
lyrics and you really dissect the songs, I think that's
what resonated was the lyrics and the storylines early on,
because to me it had substance and value, and it
was more than just the music. They had something to say,
and as a listener and just receiving it was.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Was really cool.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So the common denominator out of all the vinyl I
listened to early days would be storylines for sure.
Speaker 8 (11:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I mean nowadays, I feel like music has changed so much,
you know, like even how you know, down to how
we consume music. You know, back in the day, it
was you know, record and now it's like Spotify and streams,
and I'm sure that can kind of get a little
like for indie artists, or it is independent artists all around,
like could get kind of like tricky to like, how
(12:20):
do you get people to listen to your music when
there's we're such a world that's.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
So saturated with you know, music is new music.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Every day, so how do you you know, as an
indie artist or an artist, how do you control that?
How do you manage that? And with such competition, I guess.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
So it's a great question, it's a great path. I
think it should come up a lot more often in conversation.
And I was on an interview recently and we did
a pretty good deep dive into this subject because the
distraction that can come into your songwriting because the piece
of the element coming out right now is AI. I mean,
(13:06):
AI can create lyrics, but it doesn't come from a
place of substance or it's not authentic. So it's hard
for a storyline to come from AI.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Because it doesn't have any feelings. It's just generated.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
So the way I don't get any kind of distractions
is I go in my music room like where I
am now, and I shut the door and there's no influence.
So I'm not online, I'm not looking at words, I'm
not looking at any kind of even giving it an
idea or a structure, because it's got to come from within.
And when you hear music that is authentic and from within,
I'm hopeful that it's never going to lose that, and
(13:41):
AI is going to be able to substitute for that
because it's not going to be that. I hope the
listeners and people who really appreciate music understand this is
generic and it's generated. So I think just to be yourself,
be authentic, and when I put something out, I do
it because I feel and it's authentic, and the people
who like it like it and the.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Ones that don't.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
You can't sell yourself for something that you're not, in
my opinion, you have to be authentic and stay true
to yourself, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
So it's a great question.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
It's going to be interesting where music goes because of
AI and the type of tools that we have and
songwriters have.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Even recording, Yeah, we recorded.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
In the early day on two inch tape, and you
couldn't just take a sound bite and take if a
vocal is sharp or you know you're coming in flat.
You could have an engineer now go in and bend
that and make it perfect, so everybody could be perfect.
Guitar bends everything else, yea, And in the day, a
guitar band or something that was a little bit off
(14:42):
made it authentic.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
If people learn to appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
So when you take can product and you have it generated, I.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Just think he gets away from authenticity.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
So true, so true. Yeah, Like, I you know, I
don't know.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
I feel like it's it's you know, there's so many
things that you can talk about when it to like
just AI. I know a lot of people are nervous
about it, but it's like it's here, So it's just
finding ways to work around it.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Exactly. Like we're not gonna be able to change it.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
We have to we have to adapt, and I just
hope the creative side that's out there in the world
that we don't lose that sign and it doesn't get
overtaken by you know, generic AI.
Speaker 8 (15:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
That's hopefully not.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Exactly a whole different conversation.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Right right, Yeah, you know, I just I'm just curious
to you. Do you feel like, you know, as an artist,
do you feel like music is changing in favor of
like of the artist, like of like, you know, you
have people that want to they say that record deals
is the thing, but then you hear that, you know,
(15:49):
you can get these kind of deals that are not
so good that you're you know, you're kind of like
in bed with these huge record labels that own you
and you have to you know, and you and you're like,
you owe them so much money. But then there's the
indie side where you own yourself but you just take
a lesser pay. But then you hear really good stories
(16:10):
that there's indie artists that make a lot of money
but all their revenue goes to them. So you know,
there's a there's a few artists out there that do it.
I mean, I don't know, do you feel like it's
it just it's just depends on the deal that you get.
You get if it's a record deal or a big
record company versus taking your own route.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
So ye, you know, there's so many paths to go.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
And the thing about the music business that I really
had to learn because it is a business at the
end of the day, and the way record labels were
to your point, I mean you alluded to it. You know,
a an artist borrows the money from the label and
they have to pay it back, and the way they
pay it back is tours and merchandising, and you can
still end up with a hit record and not have
(16:56):
any money.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
It's happened to multiple artists.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
To you hear the stories and so to me, if
you're going into it and you're doing it about the money, yeah,
you have a choice to make. You're either going to
get backed and you're gonna you're gonna self promote, or
you're gonna get signed to a major and you know
that whole world signing a major, Like if they're going
to have a major label is going to sign a
(17:18):
male vocal in the country genre and they're gonna do
maybe two, and a competing label is going to have multiple.
You might find a new artist coming up from a
label perspective and you might sign them in shelf them
because you don't want your a competition with the investment
you're making in your current artists. So you learn those
type of things and you realize really quick, okay, this
(17:40):
is something because you didn't have a product.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
You could be Johnny Cash when he.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
Signed later in with a different label where they didn't promote,
they didn't put the money to promote him. So even
even the labels, you know, it's it's a business piece.
So going India is great. And right now with all
the platforms like right now you know I'm on Spotify,
Apple Music, YouTube, the money side and just straight up
true I have. It has zero interest to me because
(18:07):
to me and then I know it might be naive
to some, but no, it's true because if that's my driver,
I'm not going to have a quality product and I'm
going to take a path they could take me down
that road because it's gonna be the first contract that
comes to you. I've had Indie Labels in front of
me and you if you take it and.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
You just sign it away because you're so excited, you're
going to.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Sign a bad deal typically or you there's a lot
of deals that are bad because it's on impulse and
then you're you're hooked into a deal. I'm going to
look at Prince's deal. So I think you know, it's
a very it's a deluded business. And there's a lot
of platforms where artists having an ability to get to
the masses. If you self promote and you get a
following on your own, you have more value, You have more.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Cars at the table when you play poker.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
With a labels conion. So yeah, do your own promoting,
get your own following. There's a lot of platforms. You
can get on TikTok, you can get on YouTube.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Yeah you know what I mean. And then the label
is going to be, well, who's going to sign me?
Because you know, oh I have already had this big following.
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Speaker 5 (19:52):
Right, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
And you would think though you would think even I mean,
you would think, I don't know, like you hear these
stories like you said, Prince, and I mean, there's so
many others that has taken advantage of by big, big
conglomerates of you know, companies, and it's like, oh, you know,
owning their masters and all this other things like that.
You would think that it would kind of be tour
(20:15):
people from wanting to get into the industry, but it
seems like people don't.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
It's like it's it's it's like a it's it's I
guess it's an allure.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
I don't know it is.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
That's a great word. That's actually then acular I was
going to use. It's got a huge allure to it,
and people want to get to you know, And I
think if you get into it for the right reason, uh,
it wouldn't matter. Because if you're really generating music and
you do it where you just want to create something
and you want to share it with people, if money's secondary,
I really believe you're gonna have a more level level
(20:50):
set and you'll make better decisions and put people around
you who generally care about your product and not trying
to make a dollar.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Off of you.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
So agents and an R people, I mean, there's some
deep layers right before you even get to a deal.
So you just stay true to yourself, stay authentic, and
just be careful.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
Absolutely right, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
You know.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
I'm curious if if music wasn't the way and you
didn't want to, you know, if you didn't go down
this music path, do you know what you think you
would have chose if music wasn't the thing for you,
what other career that you would have went down?
Speaker 4 (21:29):
So I have sideline that I've done in support of.
But there's nothing that supersedes music as a passion, something
that's been with me in my whole life. It's ingrained
in me. Like I do it, I'll never lose it.
I'll continue to do it till the day I'm not
here anymore. So there's not another profession, you know that
(21:52):
I looked and said that would be really cool because
I never I never had anything that's touched me or
is a part of my spirit.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
Like music is.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
And that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
So I mean, you know, I would go to even
as far as to say you've you've found your purpose,
right I have, you.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
Know, And it's crazy you say that, because I think
everybody has a purpose in life.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Or everybody has a gift in this life.
Speaker 4 (22:14):
And once you know what that gift is, it's great
to share it with other people and you will be
really good at it if you accept that gift. So
and a lot of times it's I mean it's not
for the money, it's you're you're really good at it,
share it and if you do it for the right
reason and not monetarily, then I think you're gonna You're
gonna be blessed in this life.
Speaker 8 (22:32):
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Speaker 2 (22:38):
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Speaker 1 (22:41):
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Speaker 4 (22:46):
Oh, wealth, happiness, success, all the same old, same old
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Speaker 8 (22:52):
I mean mentally, it's sexually abused, as.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
If you truly love God pulls you for your TV.
It's a definite it's gateway.
Speaker 8 (22:59):
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He paid for our sins.
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Speaker 2 (23:48):
You know, I'm sure throughout your career you've you've had
some amazing, amazing moments in the journey. But could you
share any particular I don't know, moments that you where
you even like it could have been like a performance
that you've done or shared with someone that stands out
(24:10):
to you till this day.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
You know, there's a few that are etched on my
mind right Playing a uh a rodeo in uh in
Seattle was Northeast and Crystal Dose a country artist and
he's known for his rodeo songs, and he toured and
you know.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Duet with Garth Brooks nice and I was up playing
at the side stage.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
We were at the same fair rodeo and uh it
was a bull rodeo PVR and I got home at
about three in the morning, you know, and I didn't
have a rodeo song, and I thought, man, I have
to I want to see if I could write one,
because I had I was in a moment where I
was inspired, because when you're in that environment, it's it's
just it's very inspirational.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
It's very cool.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
And so I sat down on the stairs and I knew.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Exactly where I was when I wrote it.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
I know what time it was, and it didn't even matter.
I had the energy in that passion. And so I
penned a song and it's one of mine is called
you know, Cowboy Rides Away. And so there's moments that
hit you and you know where you're at when you
did something. I mean, I wrote a song from my
son called Gift of Life. To me, it's one of
my best favorite songs, and anybody who has a son
(25:23):
or children, if they listen to it, it'll touch them.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
And that's the reason I wrote it.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
But getting my son on stage and saying that was
that was a great memory, you know, in front of
you know, fifteen hundred people.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
I don't know why, but I'm just so curious. Have
you heard of you mentioned Garth Brooks. Have you ever
heard of the the God? This really crazy conspiracy theory
about him that he was like a serial killer.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Sounds like a Netflix movie though literally I think it
should be. But the theories, you know, everywhere he goes
or performs or something like that, there's someone goes either
missing or someone dies, and they're just like, what if.
It's like these comedians were like, what if he's doing
like he's like this suit is huge, super far that
that's to.
Speaker 5 (26:12):
Kill people to be famous.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
I have not heard that.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
Oh it's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
It's it's dark.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
You got to check it out.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
It's it's a real thing.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
It's like a huge thing online. It's so funny.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
That's funny. I got to check it out.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
You need a laugh, right, So you said in you know,
don't overthink this was inspired by the moment you met
your wife. Can you share a little bit about how
that personally, like that pivotal moment transformed into a song.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Absolutely appreciate the question.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Absolutely so my wife she lived in Dallas at the time,
and I was going back and forth from Savannah to
Dallas and she had come out of a situation and
she was guarded and I just lyrics hit me. It
was like, hey, don't overthink this, Like you got to
let your walls down. Some of the some of the
(27:05):
lyrics and so I pinned it on an airplane coming
back from Dallas to Savannah, and I had the chord
structure in my head, I had the lyrics in my head.
When I got home, I went write to my music
room and I wrote it and I called her and
I said, hey, I writ to a song and this
is early on in the relationship. And she thought, okay,
this is going to be a sappy like please don't
do this, don't ruin this moment.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
I said, no, you got to hear this.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
It's like poor Opstad of that. It's like, you know what,
you gotta let your walls down. Don't overthink this, like
life's too short. And when on the other side of
the line, you know, when you create a motion of
somebody getting crying or really touched by a song, I thought, okay,
this is a good song, you know. I It's happened
(27:47):
twice in my life where I've written this song actually
three times. One was for my son and I had
you know, people that had play for and it just
touched them emotionally. And I thought, man, that's a good
song because you know, you touch them right, you're sharing
like this this vision and they're perceiving what you wanted
to lay out and the other I had an older
gentleman that I knew for quite a while and his
(28:08):
wife died of cancer, and I wrote a song stars above,
great storyline, and yeah, I made him cry like a baby.
And I thought, first of all, it's really cool that
I gave him a gift, right, And then secondly though,
like I touched him.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
And when you're a songwriter.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
That's what you want to do, which storylines and touching people.
That's what I want to do. And not everybody's in
that game. Everybody is not doing it for the right
I'm not gonna say right, that's very you know righteous.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
But for me, the reason to.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Do it is to touch people and to be authentic
and put stories that they can they can feel good
about or they can be sad about, and put them
in a moment where they they they understand what I
was laying down, what I was filming at the time,
and receiving it is so cool.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
I love that. That's beautiful. You know.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I love asking this question because you know, everyone has
a different words of advice. But you know, for for
those aspiring songwriters or you know, artists out there that
want to get into this wild industry we call music.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
What would the what would you what advice would you
give them?
Speaker 4 (29:14):
So it's a great question. You have to keep doing it.
You will get better, You'll learn it, take feedback from
people who no structure can help you. It's not about failing,
it's about when just continue to do it and be authentic,
be true to yourself, and.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Whatever whatever you put out, make it part of you.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Because when it's genuine and it's from you, when it's authentic,
you're going to be better at it. And you're not
going to be well you could be you know, the
one hit like you pull something out in your first try.
I'm not going to say never, but it's usually something
that takes work and practice and connecting with the right
people who will be genuine with you and give you
honest feedback to make you better.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
I love that, Love that looking forward to you know
what kind of you know in the future, What what
kind of songs or stories moments are you feeling drawn
to explore in your upcoming music?
Speaker 4 (30:06):
Gosh, you know what I wish I knew because when
I sit down and try to just put it together,
it reminds me of being in Nashville.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
In a songwriting session.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
There's some stories that I think about, but they just
come to me at the time. So and it's just
being an honest answer that I'm not really good and
nothing's come up yet that I said, Oh my gosh,
I got to write about that, because if I thought
about it and felt it, I would have already pinned it.
So it's coming in the studio and just hanging out
and playing and just seeing what comes to you. And
(30:38):
when it does, it just hits you. And it's literally
in fifteen twenty minutes. Like first thing I did ever
was I I've thought about it and talked about writing
a Christmas song, and I'm going to track it. I'm
going to be in Nashville. I want to track because
I'm going to release something in December. Nice and I
felt it and I was like, oh my god, and
it came to me and something And there's so many cliches, Hey,
(31:00):
Christmas songs. Do you want to talk about a hard song?
To write a seasonal song? Because it's been done a
million times? You're like, how can you be different about.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
A Christmas song? So I'm still I have the framework
of it.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
I have to go and polish it, but that's probably
my next project that I haven't touched.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
I'm in uncharted territory.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
To be honest with you, Well, I'm excited for you.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
That's definitely exciting.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Where can people find you in you know and follow
you on social media?
Speaker 4 (31:34):
So right now my social I have somebody I'm working
with to develop my social to be because I'm not
great at it, so somebody's going to help me. I
know right now that rich Allen. You can find me
on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube music. There's about twelve
tracks out there right now. My first single I released
July fourth, and that was Innocent Kiss, and my next
(31:54):
one will be my follow up, which is Don't Overthink This,
which you have storylines on both now, which is kind
of cool.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Hey, I got the scoop?
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Do you do?
Speaker 5 (32:05):
Awesome? Awesome?
Speaker 2 (32:06):
Well, thank you so much for coming on. It was
a pleasure talking to you.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
It was an honor being invited and I appreciate it
and thank you for the time today and look forward
to coming back absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Well, everyone, thank you so much for listening, and always
remember to live, love, laugh.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
We'll talk to you guys later. Goodbye.
If you love entertainment, current events, and Hollywood, don't miss
Creator to Creators. Hosted by the filmmaker Mio Shabine, known
for the shutter Hit documentary or Noir and the acclaimed
film Anatomy of an Anti Heroo Redemption. This show features
interviews with filmmakers and creatives from around the globe. Join
(00:25):
the fun with guest celebrities and gain valuable insights. Subscribe
now and follow Creator to Creators.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hello, everybody, welcome to Creators to Creators. Today, today we
have a special guest, Rich Allen. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Adam absolutely absolutely so. You know, I love going back
to the beginning. I always say the beginning charge our
trajectory in life. You know, a little habits that we
pick up along the way follow us into our adulthood.
So tell me a little bit about your childhood. What
was that like and when did you, you know, catch
(01:06):
the bug for music?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
That's what it is, right started very young. Actually, it's
one of those stories where my father was a musician
and put a guitar in my hands when I was
literally two years old. So I grew up listening to
his seventy eight Vinyl, and you know, he played in
Nashville in Vegas, and so music was in our house
all the time. So having a guitar and the foundation
(01:32):
and the core of just classic country, you know, with
the the artist like Jones and Merle Haggard and Johnny
Cash and Buck Owens and it went on and on,
and so that was the foundation and the core of
my music side, and my dad being a musician. Guitars
were always around the house, even pedal steels, and so
(01:54):
that was the influence early on. But it really was
one of those stories of growing up with family and
friends coming over on the weekend and they would jam.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
You know, I had to go to bed, but they
would keep going till privately two three am.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
So I love it.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
It was a household music for sure.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
I love that. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, And you know, my gosh, you know, like Nashville
is like the heart. A lot of legends come from there,
you know, the you know, just amazing music. So it's
like you're you're part of that. I guess that energy,
which is really cool.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
It is cool, you know.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
In fact, I was in Nashville a couple of weeks
ago as in studio and I started hanging out and
meeting some songwriting friends in Nashville, the Circle of Writers,
which is really cool because when you write and create,
it's cool to hang around the same kind of casts
as you.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
You know, you have a really uh.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
A common thread per se and it's it's a place
that feels like home.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
It feels really good.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
I've recorded there, I've written there, you know, the Hall
of Fame, just walking through and so writing with people
who are in the Hall of Fame. So it's been
a really cool journey. I'm really blessed for sure.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
So this you know, amazing song that you have, Innocent kiss, Uh,
tell me a little bit about the process of it,
and you know, and where did it?
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Where did you? Where was the idea? I'm from?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yep, great question. So it actually got its legs in
Las Vegas. So I was in Las Vegas and looking
over the city. Actually I had a project we're playing
at Gillies on the Strip. Was really fun and some
really good musicians and just inspired one day looking over
the city and the storyline came into my head and
(03:42):
the lyrics came into my head. And when I write,
it's music and lyrics at the same time, so I
really have to feel the energy and the storyline, and
one compliments to the other other. And I just thought
it was a really cool little story to think that
person's out there. You may have bumped into them already,
and you really need to think of.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Somebody right in front of you might be that special one,
you know.
Speaker 5 (04:03):
Yeah, the storyline, I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, you mentioned the song is about that girl you're
not thinking about at the time. Is there a particular
person or moment that sparked like this reflection that led
to kind of the song too, Like was it a
person that you dealt with in the past.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
So it was not okay, some of some of the
stories that I write are just storylines. And I have
a lot of songs I've written that test me personally,
and I've written that as well, But this one was
just one that came into my head. I thought it
was really cool, and I was in the moment and
just put the pen to paper and put it in studio,
and I thought it was just a fun little song
(04:45):
to sing along.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, the song core you know message also, you know,
seems to be about not take taking you know, you know,
small unexpected moments for granted, right, And how how has
this philosophy played out in your life outside of music?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
You know, that's a great question.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
I think that anybody who's lived long enough and had
a journey in life will know that you don't know
how many moments you have first of all, right, and
I think that things are so important to slow down
and really enjoy the ride.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I wrote a song about myself, Claude La Live for
the Moment.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
It's one of the twelve that I release, and it's
exactly how I feel. It's like, you need to be
in the moment and you need to live and tomorrow
might not come. And everybody, not everybody, but many people
they want to look at life as a long shot
and things will be better when I retire, and things
will be better when I have money, and things will
(05:43):
be better when I get the perfect house, and things
will be better when I get everything lined up, you know,
in my life, and I'm just in a good space
and you miss the in between and having children. I
think that's really what echoes for me. Because you hear
it from people who have experience in life. They'll say,
you know those really fast. You need to pay attention
to these years on these moments and you really really
(06:05):
don't feel it. You think about it and you hear it.
But when you look back and your children are now
teenagers and they're grown adults, Yeah, you missed a lot
of moments focusing on trying to make a better space
in your life for yourself.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And them, right.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I think that they don't care about that aspect. They
just care about time. Is funny because I think they
really appreciate the moments of time more than the adults
because all they care about is wanting your time.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah, and time you can't and you can't get it back, right.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
You cannot, you cannot.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
So yeah, it's it's something you need to learn as
you go and hopefully change the trajectory of your life
that you take things at value and you treat people
the right way and realize what's important in this life.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
You know, absolutely, it's beautiful. That's very beautiful.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Yeah, you said, sometimes a melody hook catches you, right,
but when the lyrics connected. But is there times where
you recall, in like in the journey of making music,
that you struggle to find the lyrics that truly connected,
And how did you overcome that challenge.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
That writer's block is real when you write in Nashville.
I had a hard time adapting to the environment because
it really is in thirty minute sessions they block out
as songwriters. So I remember writing with Brady Seals of
Little Texas and a friend of mine, Brian, and it
was like thirty minutes and it's like, what are we
going to write about? And I'm not good at writing
(07:31):
on command because you think of the storyline and I
have to really feel it. And so when I get
those moments where I'm blocked, I just passed. I just
passed it because if it's not coming to me natural
and it's not fluid, I know it's not right. And
if I force it, I'm not going to appreciate the
finished products. So when the storyline and the music come together,
(07:52):
it's literally fifteen twenty minutes and you have the framework
of that song for me. So if I have to
struggle and put things together and cut and paste and
that Frankenstein type mode, I'm not good at it.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I totally get I totally get it absolutely. Growing growing
up in you know, a musical household, you know, with
your dad playing in Vegas casinos and people coming over
to play music. What's a favorite memory from that time
that shaped your musical journey?
Speaker 6 (08:39):
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Speaker 2 (08:43):
No further.
Speaker 7 (08:45):
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Speaker 4 (09:18):
Wow, you know, my my father is no longer with me,
So anytime I appreciate that, I think, anytime I look back,
it's the smiles and it's just uh, you know, struggling,
even holding a guitar is not easy when you first learn.
So just the patience of him teaching me the craft
(09:38):
and looking back at just a happy time. I mean,
music in the household creates a happy time and people
want to sing and and uh, it's it brings people together.
And that's why I love music, because it's an emotion
and you can you can share it with others, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
So yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
So I love asking this question to every guest on
the show and and there's no wrong answer. The three
levels of influence, money, power, and respect. And if you
could choose only one of those things, which one would
you choose?
Speaker 5 (10:11):
And why? Oh?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Respect totally. I mean, money is not even part of
my vocabulary. Money doesn't drive me. Too easy to too
easy to get, too easy to lose, and there's too
much value placed on it.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Power.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I don't have the ego because I realize God first,
and I don't make the decisions. I follow paths based
on you know, prayer and faith. So respect and respect
in the regard earning respect by doing the right thing
and being a role model, treating people right. Earning respect,
it's not given so respect out of the three by
(10:49):
far to me, my opinion is exactly where I would.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I would top that.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
That's beautiful, love that your early influences include legends like
Johnny Cash, George Jones, so many others. What specific qualities
in their music resonate to most with you as a
young artist or an artistry altogether.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
You know the qualities of songwriting and storytelling. You know,
my father signed me up for a Columbia record Record
of the Month and it was Vinyl Wow, And he
put me in the country genre, of course. And so
I would get a Johnny Cash album and I would
listen to that thing. I'd get Elvis or I would
get George Jones and you know, if you listen to
(11:32):
he Stopped Loving Her Today, and you listen to the
lyrics and you really dissect the songs, I think that's
what resonated was the lyrics and the storylines early on,
because to me it had substance and value, and it
was more than just the music. They had something to say,
and as a listener and just receiving it was.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Was really cool.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So the common denominator out of all the vinyl I
listened to early days would be storylines for sure.
Speaker 8 (11:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I mean nowadays, I feel like music has changed so much,
you know, like even how you know, down to how
we consume music. You know, back in the day, it
was you know, record and now it's like Spotify and streams,
and I'm sure that can kind of get a little
like for indie artists, or it is independent artists all around,
like could get kind of like tricky to like, how
(12:20):
do you get people to listen to your music when
there's we're such a world that's.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
So saturated with you know, music is new music.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Every day, so how do you you know, as an
indie artist or an artist, how do you control that?
How do you manage that? And with such competition, I guess.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
So it's a great question, it's a great path. I
think it should come up a lot more often in conversation.
And I was on an interview recently and we did
a pretty good deep dive into this subject because the
distraction that can come into your songwriting because the piece
of the element coming out right now is AI. I mean,
(13:06):
AI can create lyrics, but it doesn't come from a
place of substance or it's not authentic. So it's hard
for a storyline to come from AI.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Because it doesn't have any feelings. It's just generated.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
So the way I don't get any kind of distractions
is I go in my music room like where I
am now, and I shut the door and there's no influence.
So I'm not online, I'm not looking at words, I'm
not looking at any kind of even giving it an
idea or a structure, because it's got to come from within.
And when you hear music that is authentic and from within,
I'm hopeful that it's never going to lose that, and
(13:41):
AI is going to be able to substitute for that
because it's not going to be that. I hope the
listeners and people who really appreciate music understand this is
generic and it's generated. So I think just to be yourself,
be authentic, and when I put something out, I do
it because I feel and it's authentic, and the people
who like it like it and the.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Ones that don't.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
You can't sell yourself for something that you're not, in
my opinion, you have to be authentic and stay true
to yourself, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
So it's a great question.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
It's going to be interesting where music goes because of
AI and the type of tools that we have and
songwriters have.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Even recording, Yeah, we recorded.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
In the early day on two inch tape, and you
couldn't just take a sound bite and take if a
vocal is sharp or you know you're coming in flat.
You could have an engineer now go in and bend
that and make it perfect, so everybody could be perfect.
Guitar bends everything else, yea, And in the day, a
guitar band or something that was a little bit off
(14:42):
made it authentic.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
If people learn to appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
So when you take can product and you have it generated, I.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Just think he gets away from authenticity.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
So true, so true. Yeah, Like, I you know, I
don't know.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
I feel like it's it's you know, there's so many
things that you can talk about when it to like
just AI. I know a lot of people are nervous
about it, but it's like it's here, So it's just
finding ways to work around it.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Exactly. Like we're not gonna be able to change it.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
We have to we have to adapt, and I just
hope the creative side that's out there in the world
that we don't lose that sign and it doesn't get
overtaken by you know, generic AI.
Speaker 8 (15:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
That's hopefully not.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Exactly a whole different conversation.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Right right, Yeah, you know, I just I'm just curious
to you. Do you feel like, you know, as an artist,
do you feel like music is changing in favor of
like of the artist, like of like, you know, you
have people that want to they say that record deals
is the thing, but then you hear that, you know,
(15:49):
you can get these kind of deals that are not
so good that you're you know, you're kind of like
in bed with these huge record labels that own you
and you have to you know, and you and you're like,
you owe them so much money. But then there's the
indie side where you own yourself but you just take
a lesser pay. But then you hear really good stories
(16:10):
that there's indie artists that make a lot of money
but all their revenue goes to them. So you know,
there's a there's a few artists out there that do it.
I mean, I don't know, do you feel like it's
it just it's just depends on the deal that you get.
You get if it's a record deal or a big
record company versus taking your own route.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
So ye, you know, there's so many paths to go.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
And the thing about the music business that I really
had to learn because it is a business at the
end of the day, and the way record labels were
to your point, I mean you alluded to it. You know,
a an artist borrows the money from the label and
they have to pay it back, and the way they
pay it back is tours and merchandising, and you can
still end up with a hit record and not have
(16:56):
any money.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
It's happened to multiple artists.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
To you hear the stories and so to me, if
you're going into it and you're doing it about the money, yeah,
you have a choice to make. You're either going to
get backed and you're gonna you're gonna self promote, or
you're gonna get signed to a major and you know
that whole world signing a major, Like if they're going
to have a major label is going to sign a
(17:18):
male vocal in the country genre and they're gonna do
maybe two, and a competing label is going to have multiple.
You might find a new artist coming up from a
label perspective and you might sign them in shelf them
because you don't want your a competition with the investment
you're making in your current artists. So you learn those
type of things and you realize really quick, okay, this
(17:40):
is something because you didn't have a product.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
You could be Johnny Cash when he.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
Signed later in with a different label where they didn't promote,
they didn't put the money to promote him. So even
even the labels, you know, it's it's a business piece.
So going India is great. And right now with all
the platforms like right now you know I'm on Spotify,
Apple Music, YouTube, the money side and just straight up
true I have. It has zero interest to me because
(18:07):
to me and then I know it might be naive
to some, but no, it's true because if that's my driver,
I'm not going to have a quality product and I'm
going to take a path they could take me down
that road because it's gonna be the first contract that
comes to you. I've had Indie Labels in front of
me and you if you take it and.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
You just sign it away because you're so excited, you're
going to.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Sign a bad deal typically or you there's a lot
of deals that are bad because it's on impulse and
then you're you're hooked into a deal. I'm going to
look at Prince's deal. So I think you know, it's
a very it's a deluded business. And there's a lot
of platforms where artists having an ability to get to
the masses. If you self promote and you get a
following on your own, you have more value, You have more.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Cars at the table when you play poker.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
With a labels conion. So yeah, do your own promoting,
get your own following. There's a lot of platforms. You
can get on TikTok, you can get on YouTube.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Yeah you know what I mean. And then the label
is going to be, well, who's going to sign me?
Because you know, oh I have already had this big following.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
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Speaker 5 (19:52):
Right, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
And you would think though you would think even I mean,
you would think, I don't know, like you hear these
stories like you said, Prince, and I mean, there's so
many others that has taken advantage of by big, big
conglomerates of you know, companies, and it's like, oh, you know,
owning their masters and all this other things like that.
You would think that it would kind of be tour
(20:15):
people from wanting to get into the industry, but it
seems like people don't.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
It's like it's it's it's like a it's it's I
guess it's an allure.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
I don't know it is.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
That's a great word. That's actually then acular I was
going to use. It's got a huge allure to it,
and people want to get to you know, And I
think if you get into it for the right reason, uh,
it wouldn't matter. Because if you're really generating music and
you do it where you just want to create something
and you want to share it with people, if money's secondary,
I really believe you're gonna have a more level level
(20:50):
set and you'll make better decisions and put people around
you who generally care about your product and not trying
to make a dollar.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Off of you.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
So agents and an R people, I mean, there's some
deep layers right before you even get to a deal.
So you just stay true to yourself, stay authentic, and
just be careful.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
Absolutely right, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
You know.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
I'm curious if if music wasn't the way and you
didn't want to, you know, if you didn't go down
this music path, do you know what you think you
would have chose if music wasn't the thing for you,
what other career that you would have went down?
Speaker 4 (21:29):
So I have sideline that I've done in support of.
But there's nothing that supersedes music as a passion, something
that's been with me in my whole life. It's ingrained
in me. Like I do it, I'll never lose it.
I'll continue to do it till the day I'm not
here anymore. So there's not another profession, you know that
(21:52):
I looked and said that would be really cool because
I never I never had anything that's touched me or
is a part of my spirit.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
Like music is.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
And that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
So I mean, you know, I would go to even
as far as to say you've you've found your purpose,
right I have, you.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
Know, And it's crazy you say that, because I think
everybody has a purpose in life.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Or everybody has a gift in this life.
Speaker 4 (22:14):
And once you know what that gift is, it's great
to share it with other people and you will be
really good at it if you accept that gift. So
and a lot of times it's I mean it's not
for the money, it's you're you're really good at it,
share it and if you do it for the right
reason and not monetarily, then I think you're gonna You're
gonna be blessed in this life.
Speaker 8 (22:32):
People might have deep in their heart a love for
Jesus and a love for God, they just can't handle
religion and Churchianity is.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
We don't speak up about it, We don't seek professional help.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
We have this almost unhealthy dependency on the church or
church leaders.
Speaker 4 (22:46):
Oh, wealth, happiness, success, all the same old, same old
temporal thing.
Speaker 8 (22:52):
I mean mentally, it's sexually abused, as.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
If you truly love God pulls you for your TV.
It's a definite it's gateway.
Speaker 8 (22:59):
To We're supposed to be a pastor too, how are
we going to get out?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
I don't think I was deliberately abused, but with the
Pentecostal Church spiritualizing most problems in life, I wasn't dealing
with the reality of my situation.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
If you get right with God, you're going to be wealthy.
He paid for our sins.
Speaker 7 (23:17):
Therefore I can do whatever I want in this lifetime
and act and behave as I wish.
Speaker 8 (23:22):
It's kind of creepy about people have been hurt by church,
but really people have been hurt by.
Speaker 9 (23:28):
People Jesus Lasbie Legal Church Hurt Miyosha Bean and join
the Healing Online. It's more than a story, It's a mirror.
Are you ready to face it? Church Hurt by Meoshia
Bean start listening today.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
You know, I'm sure throughout your career you've you've had
some amazing, amazing moments in the journey. But could you
share any particular I don't know, moments that you where
you even like it could have been like a performance
that you've done or shared with someone that stands out
(24:10):
to you till this day.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
You know, there's a few that are etched on my
mind right Playing a uh a rodeo in uh in
Seattle was Northeast and Crystal Dose a country artist and
he's known for his rodeo songs, and he toured and
you know.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Duet with Garth Brooks nice and I was up playing
at the side stage.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
We were at the same fair rodeo and uh it
was a bull rodeo PVR and I got home at
about three in the morning, you know, and I didn't
have a rodeo song, and I thought, man, I have
to I want to see if I could write one,
because I had I was in a moment where I
was inspired, because when you're in that environment, it's it's
just it's very inspirational.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
It's very cool.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
And so I sat down on the stairs and I knew.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Exactly where I was when I wrote it.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
I know what time it was, and it didn't even matter.
I had the energy in that passion. And so I
penned a song and it's one of mine is called
you know, Cowboy Rides Away. And so there's moments that
hit you and you know where you're at when you
did something. I mean, I wrote a song from my
son called Gift of Life. To me, it's one of
my best favorite songs, and anybody who has a son
(25:23):
or children, if they listen to it, it'll touch them.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
And that's the reason I wrote it.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
But getting my son on stage and saying that was
that was a great memory, you know, in front of
you know, fifteen hundred people.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
I don't know why, but I'm just so curious. Have
you heard of you mentioned Garth Brooks. Have you ever
heard of the the God? This really crazy conspiracy theory
about him that he was like a serial killer.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Sounds like a Netflix movie though literally I think it
should be. But the theories, you know, everywhere he goes
or performs or something like that, there's someone goes either
missing or someone dies, and they're just like, what if.
It's like these comedians were like, what if he's doing
like he's like this suit is huge, super far that
that's to.
Speaker 5 (26:12):
Kill people to be famous.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
I have not heard that.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
Oh it's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
It's it's dark.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
You got to check it out.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
It's it's a real thing.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
It's like a huge thing online. It's so funny.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
That's funny. I got to check it out.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
You need a laugh, right, So you said in you know,
don't overthink this was inspired by the moment you met
your wife. Can you share a little bit about how
that personally, like that pivotal moment transformed into a song.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Absolutely appreciate the question.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Absolutely so my wife she lived in Dallas at the time,
and I was going back and forth from Savannah to
Dallas and she had come out of a situation and
she was guarded and I just lyrics hit me. It
was like, hey, don't overthink this, Like you got to
let your walls down. Some of the some of the
(27:05):
lyrics and so I pinned it on an airplane coming
back from Dallas to Savannah, and I had the chord
structure in my head, I had the lyrics in my head.
When I got home, I went write to my music
room and I wrote it and I called her and
I said, hey, I writ to a song and this
is early on in the relationship. And she thought, okay,
this is going to be a sappy like please don't
do this, don't ruin this moment.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
I said, no, you got to hear this.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
It's like poor Opstad of that. It's like, you know what,
you gotta let your walls down. Don't overthink this, like
life's too short. And when on the other side of
the line, you know, when you create a motion of
somebody getting crying or really touched by a song, I thought, okay,
this is a good song, you know. I It's happened
(27:47):
twice in my life where I've written this song actually
three times. One was for my son and I had
you know, people that had play for and it just
touched them emotionally. And I thought, man, that's a good
song because you know, you touch them right, you're sharing
like this this vision and they're perceiving what you wanted
to lay out and the other I had an older
gentleman that I knew for quite a while and his
(28:08):
wife died of cancer, and I wrote a song stars above,
great storyline, and yeah, I made him cry like a baby.
And I thought, first of all, it's really cool that
I gave him a gift, right, And then secondly though,
like I touched him.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
And when you're a songwriter.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
That's what you want to do, which storylines and touching people.
That's what I want to do. And not everybody's in
that game. Everybody is not doing it for the right
I'm not gonna say right, that's very you know righteous.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
But for me, the reason to.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Do it is to touch people and to be authentic
and put stories that they can they can feel good
about or they can be sad about, and put them
in a moment where they they they understand what I
was laying down, what I was filming at the time,
and receiving it is so cool.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
I love that. That's beautiful. You know.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I love asking this question because you know, everyone has
a different words of advice. But you know, for for
those aspiring songwriters or you know, artists out there that
want to get into this wild industry we call music.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
What would the what would you what advice would you
give them?
Speaker 4 (29:14):
So it's a great question. You have to keep doing it.
You will get better, You'll learn it, take feedback from
people who no structure can help you. It's not about failing,
it's about when just continue to do it and be authentic,
be true to yourself, and.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
Whatever whatever you put out, make it part of you.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Because when it's genuine and it's from you, when it's authentic,
you're going to be better at it. And you're not
going to be well you could be you know, the
one hit like you pull something out in your first try.
I'm not going to say never, but it's usually something
that takes work and practice and connecting with the right
people who will be genuine with you and give you
honest feedback to make you better.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
I love that, Love that looking forward to you know
what kind of you know in the future, What what
kind of songs or stories moments are you feeling drawn
to explore in your upcoming music?
Speaker 4 (30:06):
Gosh, you know what I wish I knew because when
I sit down and try to just put it together,
it reminds me of being in Nashville.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
In a songwriting session.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
There's some stories that I think about, but they just
come to me at the time. So and it's just
being an honest answer that I'm not really good and
nothing's come up yet that I said, Oh my gosh,
I got to write about that, because if I thought
about it and felt it, I would have already pinned it.
So it's coming in the studio and just hanging out
and playing and just seeing what comes to you. And
(30:38):
when it does, it just hits you. And it's literally
in fifteen twenty minutes. Like first thing I did ever
was I I've thought about it and talked about writing
a Christmas song, and I'm going to track it. I'm
going to be in Nashville. I want to track because
I'm going to release something in December. Nice and I
felt it and I was like, oh my god, and
it came to me and something And there's so many cliches, Hey,
(31:00):
Christmas songs. Do you want to talk about a hard song?
To write a seasonal song? Because it's been done a
million times? You're like, how can you be different about.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
A Christmas song? So I'm still I have the framework
of it.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
I have to go and polish it, but that's probably
my next project that I haven't touched.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
I'm in uncharted territory.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
To be honest with you, Well, I'm excited for you.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
That's definitely exciting.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Where can people find you in you know and follow
you on social media?
Speaker 4 (31:34):
So right now my social I have somebody I'm working
with to develop my social to be because I'm not
great at it, so somebody's going to help me. I
know right now that rich Allen. You can find me
on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube music. There's about twelve
tracks out there right now. My first single I released
July fourth, and that was Innocent Kiss, and my next
(31:54):
one will be my follow up, which is Don't Overthink This,
which you have storylines on both now, which is kind
of cool.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Hey, I got the scoop?
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Do you do?
Speaker 5 (32:05):
Awesome? Awesome?
Speaker 2 (32:06):
Well, thank you so much for coming on. It was
a pleasure talking to you.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
It was an honor being invited and I appreciate it
and thank you for the time today and look forward
to coming back absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Well, everyone, thank you so much for listening, and always
remember to live, love, laugh.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
We'll talk to you guys later. Goodbye.
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