Texas-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who has gotten radio airplay and has performed over 120 shows a year for the last eight years, including some very notable locations. He has opened for the likes of Clint Black, JoDee Messina, Kansas, and many others. Hear him talk about connecting the Dallas Cowboys with one of his songs as well as having started his own record label (and why). He also mentions that he goes back and forth to Nashville to record and to network.
"90 percent of the artists out there today don't write, unfortunately, but I write! And I Iike to publish all the stuff that I write, but at the same time if I hear a song that is gripping and awesome and amazing, why not cut it?"
"It takes so much persistency and no matter what bucket in the music business you're trying to go after, man, you get shot down 98 percent but that one or two percent that you don't you gotta keep the gas on... and do your best not to give up."
"Now that software has gotten a lot easier, or better, it's a bit of a cheat. It's a bit of a shortcut. For me, when I write, I just use acoustic guitar, piano, and vocals, and then if there's a lick that I hear in my head and for some reason I can't play it, I get (my co-writer) or one of my buddies to play it because I know where my strengths are."
"Going in as an artist you really have three ways to make it, well four. You can write and get published and make money if somebody picks you up. You can be an entertainer and front man... which I've been doing, but the other option is to be a teacher... (but) I'd rather perform than teach somebody else how to do it. And then lastly is to be a studio demo singer or musician."
"I don't have all the answers but I feel like I have enough to know what path not to go down and what people I can trust."
"Whoever's getting into this business, it's all a people business, like any business, but more importantly, especially the music business, if they see that you're successful, you look the part, you sound the part, you got good drive, there's people that want to take advantage of you so you have to be careful with that."
"Not to kinda get into the Nashville scene, but, a lot of labels become banks and it takes a lot of money to go to either a regional or national level, a lot of money."
"I always say this, network, like, this is your business... Don't act like a rock star, just act normal, be personable, go up to people."
"If you go on tour and you're opening act, it's a lot more beneficial than just... one-offs, if you will, of the local people, the national guys that come in locally... But all that's very political too."
"It's your family, it's your brand, it's your experience that you're bringing out to the public. So, you want to make sure your band is representing you in the proper fashion, meaning being sober, being on-time, knowing the parts, don't act like an ass, don't yell at somebody on-stage, be respectful of the sound crew. All those things go a long, long way."
"Cowboy Way"
"She Wanted"