New Slang

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 227, I'm joined by esteemed journalist and writer Josh Crutchmer ( Rolling Stone , New York Times , etc.). During this sit down in Okemah, OK during this summer's Woodyfest, we talk to Crutchmer about The Turnpike Troubadours, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Wyatt Flores, writing books--his latest being Never Say Never --and the current climate of Americana, Red Dirt,...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 226, I'm joined by a trio of up and coming Texas songwriters--Ashton Naylor, Cameron Allbright, and Hank Weaver. The three have been making waves down around San Marcos the past couple of years, having ushered in a new class of Texas artists from the hotspot. During this episode, we talk about Songwriter Nights across the state, the latest and upcoming projects, an...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 225, I'm joined by Texas songwriter Hayes Carll. We talk about his upcoming album, We're Only Human (out August 8), collaborating with The Band of Heathens, songwriting, finding the middle ground, and how folks like Ray Wylie Hubbard (who briefly cameos) influenced and inspired Carll's generation of songwriters.  Our presenting partner on this episode of...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to New Slang. On Episode 224, I'm joined by Alabama country duo, Muscadine Bloodline. We recorded this interview a few weeks back with Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton when Muscadine Bloodline headlined CottonFest out at Cook's Garage in Lubbock, Texas. On this episode, we talk about their latest albums, The Coastal Plain and ...And What Was Left Behind ,...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to New Slang. On Episode 223, I'm joined by Texas singer-songwriter Randy Rogers. We recorded this episode a few weeks back out at Cook's Garage during this year's CottonFest. On this episode, we talk about the 20th anniversary of their breakout album Rollercoaster, working with the likes of Radney Foster & Sean McConnell, what makes him gravitate t...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 1 of The Neon Eon. We kick off the podcast being joined by country music star Clay Walker. During this episode, we talk about Walker's early roots and rise out of the blossoming Beaumont/East Texas scene in the late '80s, signing on to Giant Records, being a young writer, finding his lane, and hear some of the stories behind some of Walker's bigge...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to The Neon Eon. For Episode 002, we're joined by of the era's greatest, the legendary Pam Tillis. During this episode, we hear some of the stories behind some of Pam's biggest hits like "Let That Pony Run," "Spilled Perfume," and "Where Have All The Good Ones Gone," writing songs with the likes of Dean Dillon, being a young sta...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to The Neon Eon. On Episode 003, we're joined by singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters. During this episode, we talk about her journey as a songwriter in Nashville during the era, finding her voice as a storyteller, why she wrote at her best solo, some of the stories behind some of her biggest hits like "Independence Day" and "Let That Pony Run,"...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to The Neon Eon. On Episode 004, we're joined by Porter Howell of Little Texas. Howell was one of the founding members of the '90s country outfit starting out as the outfit's lead guitarist and one of their chief songwriters. During this episode, we talk about moving from Texas to Nashville, attending Belmont University during the '80s, how their l...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to The Neon Eon. We kick off February being joined by singer-songwriter Terry McBride. McBride began making a name for himself as a bass player playing for the likes of Dale McBride (his father), Delbert McClinton, Rosie Flores, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and others down in his native Texas before bursting onto the scene as the lead vocalist and chief lyricist of the trio M...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Neon Eon, Larry Stewart of Restless Heart stops by to talk about the band's '80s roots, their quick rise in country music, Restless Heart's longevity and consistency all these years later, their string of #1 hits, why radio helped make them successful, being country's soft rock band, and Larry's underrated '93 solo album Down the Road...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Neon Eon, I'm joined by country music superstar Sara Evans. We talk about breaking into the industry and forming her sound, embracing her Missouri roots and singing songs about small-town life, writing and/or recording massive hits like "Suds in the Bucket," "Born to Fly," and "A Real Fine Place to Start," why country music thriv...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode of The Neon Eon, we're joined by country icon Tracy Lawrence. During this one, we talk about music videos for songs such as "Texas Tornado" and "As Any Fool Can See," find the right outside cuts, the process of cultivating a sound for an album, having an identifiable sound being a calling card, and how he's progressed as a...

Send us Fan Mail On this week's episode of The Neon Eon, we're joined by Marty Raybon of the legendary country band Shenandoah. During this one, we talk about their early Muscle Shoals roots, signing onto a label, touring with the likes of Randy Travis, having to essentially start their career over mid-career, smash ballads like "Moon Over Georgia," the legacy of "Two Doze...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 11, we're joined by our first present-day and new artist, BJ Barham, the lead vocalist and chief lyricist of American Aquarium. The North Carolina-based Barham and AA released a surprise album today--the aptly titled Slappers, Bangers & Certified Twangers, Vol. 1 --the band's ninth full-length studio album and first covers record. As you expect the 10 song...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 212, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Caleb Lee Hutchinson. This past Friday, Hutchinson released the cosmic-swept space country album Southern Galactic . With anthemic barnburners like the tone-setting "Silverado" and honky-tonk juke joints like "At Least I'm Drunk" and "Good at Being Bad," Hutchinson captures adventurous sonic pu...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 211, I'm joined by Texas singer-songwriter Dallas Burrow. This past summer, Burrow released his latest full-length, the country and folk rambler Blood Brothers . With fellow Texan songwriter/producer Jonathan Tyler at the producing helm, Burrow continues establishing himself as a vivid storyteller with a knack for delivering a compelling, hearty punch. "Motel...

Send us Fan Mail New Slang returns with Episode 210, where I'm joined by singer-songwriter Cleto Cordero of Flatland Cavalry. During this conversation, we talk about Flatland's latest EP, Songs To Keep You Warm , working with the great Bruce Robison on projects, finding your true self in songwriting, Far West Texas inspirations, the new Panhandlers EP, West Texas Is The Best Texas , and...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 209, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Thomas Csorba. During this conversation, we talk about growing up in Houston, discovering Texas songwriters, recording with Beau Bedford & The Texas Gentlemen, writing during the Pandemic, how songwriting has evolved and changed over the past few years, Randy Newman songs, and what he has planned going forward in 2022. This...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 208, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Grady Spencer, who in January released Wait, his fourth full-length with his band Grady Spencer & The Work and sixth overall. During this interview, we talk about writing Wait, the sonic palette that was influenced by the mood and feel of the past few years, the significance of songs like "Therapy's Good," tou...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 207, I'm joined by singer-songwriter William Beckmann. During this conversation, we talk about his Del Rio roots, border radio influences, splitting time between Texas and Tennessee, finding his voice as a writer, navigating co-writes with songwriting heroes, sage advice from Radney Foster, and what new music he has on the horizon. This episode's presenting pa...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 206, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Kolton Moore. During this one, we talk about his hiatus, coming back to songwriting, being a reenergized artist with a cult-like following, working with the likes of Ace Crayton of Thieving Birds, and what he has on the horizon in 2022. This episode's presenting partner is Desert Door Texas Sotol and The Blue Light Live . N...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 205, I'm joined by rising country singer-songwriter Caleb Lee Hutchinson. Back in September, Hutchinson released the wonderful EP Slot Machine Syndrome. During this episode, we talk about writing and recording the songs of Slot Machine, working with the likes of Brent Cobb (who produced the effort), navigating Nashville songwriting rooms, falling in love with narra...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 204, I'm joined by David Beck, bassist and chief songwriter of David Beck's Tejano Weekend. During this conversation, we talk about their latest album, the aptly titled Volume 2, writing Tejano songs in English, diving into a Mexican music culture that's loved in Texas, but often overlooked, collaborating with legends, and trading Billy Joe Shaver stories...

Send us Fan Mail On Episode 203, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Evan Bartels, who released his latest full-length album, Lonesome this past September 17. Dark and rich, Lonesome dives deep into the raw emotional intensity of the human condition. During this conversation, we talk about writing Lonesome, recording with producer Ryan Hewitt, the redemptive streak within Lonesome's darkness...