Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:23 Hey everybody, this is Sam with Rowdy Alternative. Today we're with Matt Williams, uh, singer songwriter, uh, predominantly outta Stillwater. We'll get all into that. Uh, so what's up man? How are you doing?
Speaker 2 00:00:35 Good, man. How are you?
Speaker 1 00:00:37 Good, dude. We had a lot of rain yesterday. I'm glad we got good connection today, <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:00:42 I wish we'd get some rain here.
Speaker 1 00:00:45 Is it pretty dry?
Speaker 2 00:00:46 I mean, kinda. I just like the rain, to be honest with you.
Speaker 1 00:00:50 Okay, fair enough. It's good once in a while, man. Yeah,
Speaker 2 00:00:53 I know. I like the gloomy weather.
Speaker 1 00:00:55 Yeah. Hell yeah. So, yeah, let's jump right into it, man. So, uh, I guess let's start out with, uh, what got you into music to begin with? What made you wanna start singing, playing guitar and everything?
Speaker 2 00:01:07 For sure. Um, man, I, I just grew up, you know, I grew up 40 minutes up the road from Stillwater, so we had Tumbleweed and Stillwater, obviously everybody playing there. I mean, there's a good show just about every weekend. So, found myself up there quite a bit and I kinda, uh, I was 16 or 17 when kinda Reed South Hall was really popping off and Co was getting big, so I would come see them at, at, at the Tumbleweed and I was like, damn, that looks like fun. So I got my freshman year of college, I had, I played guitar since I was 10 or 11, but I hadn't started singing or writing anything, but started, uh, trying to write songs and figured out I could kind of sing a little bit and I was like, oh, we'll try <laugh> <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:01:47 So, uh, when did you, like, did you start out just on your own, I guess, or did you like get a band together like right away? Or how'd that all happen?
Speaker 2 00:01:54 No, I started out mostly by myself. Uh, so I didn't started writing when I was probably 17 or 18, but I didn't start playing live until like 2018 or so. Um, just in Stillwater opened mics and stuff around it. I did a acoustic stuff by myself for a bunch of years, not a bunch, two or three years before I got a band together. So I did a bunch of acoustic stuff by myself for a while before the band came.
Speaker 1 00:02:20 Okay. So, uh, what were some bars? I, I lived in Stillwater for maybe like a year or so, and, uh, the, the music and bar scene there is top, top notch. Yeah. Uh, so like what were some bars that you started playing, like at the beginning?
Speaker 2 00:02:35 So we played, obviously Willy's is a big one. That's where Garth got his start. Um, the other side, I don't know if you know that one's out on Thick Street, kind of out out of town on your way to Tulsa, but it's kind,
Speaker 1 00:02:46 I don't know if I've seen that one
Speaker 2 00:02:47 Quaint little quieter bar, not a college bar, but we did, uh, song swaps out there like every Tuesday. Um, salty Bronc, which was kind of a new one. Um, but I played there a few times and Coney Island, I'm trying to think of where I haven't played in Stillwater. We played the 19th Hole when it was still here. Uh, but yeah, Willy's was a big one for sure, and Salty Bronc
Speaker 1 00:03:12 And, uh, is that the one Salty Bronc doesn't the great divide on that?
Speaker 2 00:03:16 Yeah, I, I don't know the exact details. I know Kelly Green at least kind of manages it, or he's attached to it. I dunno if he's got partners or what, but I know he, Kelly Green from the the Great Divide, uh, runs that bar or owns it, or I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 00:03:30 Yeah, it's a nice one. It's real, it's kind of intimate. It's a small little place. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:03:33 It's a great place to play an acoustic show. Like they had Cody Canada a few weeks ago, two nights acoustic show, and I, I couldn't make it, but it was like, that's just a perfect show for that bar. That'd be awesome to go in there and have some beers and listen to him play acoustic.
Speaker 1 00:03:47 I bet it was, I bet it was packed. Oh, I'm
Speaker 2 00:03:49 Sure Freeman opened both nights and yeah, I'm sure it was packed.
Speaker 1 00:03:54 Yeah. So what about the Tumbleweed? That's obviously like the, when I, when I was living in Stillwater, I thought of that as like, you know, the big, the big venue in Stillwater. So, uh, when, and I know you've played there since, uh, so when was the first show around when you played there and who were you playing with? That was
Speaker 2 00:04:12 Actually the first, that was the first time we played live as a band, was at the Tumbleweed 10th 21. And I think we, we played with, I think we played with Trenton Gannon. I couldn't be wrong, I thought it was a boy from Oklahoma Deal. But yeah, that was, we played there, we played there a handful of times since then. We've opened for folks there and done some more boys from Oklahoma stuff, but can't say enough good things about the Tumbleweed and Carrie McBride and, and Kay and Steve and they're all, and Jeff can't leave Jeff out. They're, they're awesome. Um, yeah, I, I, uh, like I said, grew up, you know, going to shows there and I, it's kind of crazy you start playing shows there. We haven't headlined there yet, but yeah, it's, uh, it's crazy. You go from watching to playing and it's cool. One of my favorite spots. So
Speaker 1 00:05:00 It has to be nuts going in there to watch some shows and next thing you know, you're playing there with two of your buddies.
Speaker 2 00:05:05 Yeah, it's wild. But yeah. Yeah,
Speaker 1 00:05:08 Lucky. So, uh, yeah, so, uh, when um, when did you make the jump to start? I, you, you work a job, right? Yeah. So, but like when did you think like, okay, I'm gonna make this like a priority in my life because obviously that has to be a big step thinking like, I don't know if this is a hobby and whatnot. So was that an easy decision or was that something you had to sit on for a while?
Speaker 2 00:05:31 No, I think I always knew when I started that if I could get to that point, then I would that I wanted to. Um, and kind of really when we started playing full band shows, like acoustic shows are fun, but you start playing full band shows and you get on some support dates or something and you can play in front of a crowd and it kind of just hooks you. And I was like, alright, um, still gotta work a day job to pay the bills right now, but Sure.
Speaker 1 00:05:53 Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:05:54 But yeah, it's, it's definitely like, I don't take it lightly. It's def it's a second job, you know, emails and calls and for, you know, yeah. It's, it's, it's a second job for sure.
Speaker 1 00:06:03 Yeah. It, I'm sure it's, it's hard as hell to get out of that, you know, so, but like, you know, you keep trying and you'll get there, I guess.
Speaker 2 00:06:10 Yeah. I've just gotta keep plugging away and we've got, we, I mean, I'm not gonna sit here and say we haven't had any success cause I'm not doing it full-time. We have, and I, we've been super blessed to play the shows that we have and meet the people we have and just gonna keep, keep plugging along. That's the ultimate goal, to be able to do it as a full-time gig and pay the bills doing it. So we'll keep
Speaker 1 00:06:26 Trying. Absolutely, man. Yeah. What about some, uh, like some, when you were first starting to play or write, who were some inspirations like in the beginning that you kind of looked to when you're getting started?
Speaker 2 00:06:40 You know, I'd have to pro, I'd probably say Reid South off, I'm being quite on this right around the time that I started really getting serious about it. He was kinda blowing up and six string sorrow came out and it was, I'd listen to Whiskey Myers and Casey Don and stuff, so I'm familiar with like Texas Red Dirt stuff, but that six String Sorrow album, like really inspired me to start writing my own stuff. So him for sure. And then seeing like, like co play at the Tumbleweed, just like a rowdy show, like that was like super inspiring to want to push and be able to get to that point. So those two, a generic answer, but those two for sure, just because of the timing of when I started.
Speaker 1 00:07:19 Yeah. And just from an outsider's perspective, like I, I saw and, and I moved there probably around it, I wanna say 20 19, 20 18, 20 19, I don't know. But, um, yeah, and I didn't know anything about the scene out there, nothing about it. And I went and saw CO and like, it was absolutely bonkers. It's crazy to think that he played there at one time seeing what he's doing now, <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:07:44 Yeah, no, it's crazy. He, he can never play there now, but it is crazy. And I'll, I kind of wanna piggyback on that. I, we went and saw, I saw Treat Oak Revival for the first time live there like a month ago. And I told somebody that I was with, I was like, they give the same, it's like the same energy in here. Whenever I saw Code re coming up, like, oh, go bonkers and Rowdy show and everybody paying attention. Guys are next up, man. They're, uh, that was a great show.
Speaker 1 00:08:10 Yeah, I gotta dive more into them. I've been seeing their name pop up so, so much lately. They,
Speaker 2 00:08:14 They're good, good, got good songs. They write really well, in my opinion. Really relatable stuff.
Speaker 1 00:08:20 Yeah. So, um, when it comes to your writing, um, what is your, it's kind of a cliche question, but what's your, um, I guess process when you like write a song? Do you sit down, like say, I'm gonna lock myself in my room until I get a song outta here? Or is it just natural, like, flows to you?
Speaker 2 00:08:41 I don't like doing that because usually anything that I, if I lock myself in and like sit down to try and write it usually is shitty. Can I cuss on here?
Speaker 1 00:08:49 Yeah, yeah, of course. <laugh>, it's usually
Speaker 2 00:08:51 Terrible whenever I do that. So I don't know, I, I try and like write things down if they come to me driving down the road or whatever, and probably the same answer everybody else gives, but I'll write down little notes or, or if I have a melody in my head, I'll like, comment into my voice memos and then maybe I'll like sit down real informally and kind of go through what I have and see if it sparks anything or, but I don't really like sit down. I mean, I probably should, but sit down and have specific times when I write. I kinda just try and let it happen. Usually the better stuff comes out like that.
Speaker 1 00:09:23 Gotcha. Do you still, uh, play with your brother?
Speaker 2 00:09:26 Oh yeah. And he writes a lot of our stuff too. We write a lot together and he's playing lead guitar and singing harmonies for us now. So this is very much a, him and I thing. He, he's got a huge hand in what we do for sure in our sound and always goes to the studio with us and tracks all the guitars with me and yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 00:09:44 Yeah, he's a, he's a wordsmith. I met, I think I was texting you, uh, when I, I think, I'm trying to remember what it was, what song it was you released? I forget which one it was, but, uh, we were texting back and forth and, uh, and I asked like, yeah, uh, so what's it, can I get like a quick, like in a nutshell what this song's about? And I guess you asked him and it was like, better writing than I could do <laugh>. I'm thinking like, damn, he should, he should just write the damn thing. <laugh>,
Speaker 2 00:10:10 He's a, he can, he can for sure write stuff like that. He's kinda like me, like papers and stuff in school. Like, I was real good at bullshitting my way through papers, just fluff
Speaker 1 00:10:19 Words,
Speaker 2 00:10:22 But hey, I graduated. So
Speaker 1 00:10:24 Yeah, it's all, it's all comes down to man. Yeah. Yep. So, uh, let's dive into your, uh, what you got out already. You, um, I'll just go to the, um, 2021 album you put out Wasteland. Okay. Um, so how was the, um, since that was your f correct me if I'm wrong by the way, but that's your, that was your first, uh, record, right? Yep. Like full. How was the process when you, or how was the, uh, recording process, what it was it, I know you obviously recorded like some singles before that and everything. Yeah. But, um, who were some personnel you might have had on there that you wanna shout out? Or like was, how was the process to you?
Speaker 2 00:11:04 I love being in the studio. Uh, that was, that was, um, still real new to me. When we tracked all that stuff, we had done three singles, but, um, studio, like, it's kind of a different beast, you know, but, uh, I don't really know how to explain it. It's, it's a good time, real creative time. I loved being in the studio. Um, but it was good. We had, uh, so Dwight Hamlin at class hundred quarters. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> has done all of my stuff up to this point, and he's a badass. Um, he plays with the white lighters, one of the be probably the best guitar player that I've ever seen play like in person. Um, and then Mason tracked a bunch of guitars. Um, Colby Bunch has done some drums on the real early stuff. And then after that, my drummer to, uh, still Clayton Garner has played on everything.
Speaker 2 00:11:48 The Brock Wilson, who plays with Dylan Wheeler now has tracked some guitars and he actually did drums on my very first song, the Devil. Um, so, and Thomas Evans, I can't leave Thomas out. He played, played with Holly Beth, he played with Dalton Domino. He kinda, him and Colby kind of took me under their wing whenever I first started, and they had kind of been around the block a few times and knew some people. So they, they played some shows with me and, and helped me out with the session stuff. But those, that's the main group of people that have played on our stuff and then had some, some bass players, Jared French has played some stuff, and yeah, that's it. I think, I hope I'm not leaving anybody out, but <laugh>, I've been lucky to have some really badass musicians, um, play on, play on our stuff and help us out creatively. So thankful for that.
Speaker 1 00:12:36 How's the, uh, like the brotherhood in that Stillwater scene? Because I feel like everyone who plays around that area is like super tight knit. Like is it, is it like that, like to you guys? Or does it just look like that from like an outsider?
Speaker 2 00:12:51 No, I think it is like, especially, I mean, like me, Trent Avery again, and we all kind of started at the same time and we were all at those Sunday night Willie's open mics together and the Tuesday, you know, song swaps. And I think when you're just kind of grinding it out with the same people every week and you kind of inform that bond just cause you're kinda going through the same thing. But, um, yeah, no, I, I don't, I think it is pretty tight. Me and Trent talk all the time and he'll ask me questions and I'll ask him questions or need a contact for a venue or whatever. And yeah, I, we got some really good musicians around here and I'm, I'm really glad, and Trent has really like, put an emphasis on trying to grow this. Um, I have two, but trying to grow still water back to what it was, and obviously got some big shoes to fill, but he, uh, he's real passionate and so am I about the red dirt scene here. And, um, I dunno, yeah, lucky to have some good musicians that we can kinda piggyback off of or ask questions.
Speaker 1 00:13:49 Yeah, I mean, that just from the short period of time that I've known about it, like it's, I feel like the, there's always been like, like let's say CO for instance, he got real, he blew up, but then right behind him you got like, you guys who like pick up the torch almost. Like, it's consistently like guys coming up and then the guys behind them, they keep going. So that's pretty interesting. Like, that's what you need out there, I think. Oh
Speaker 2 00:14:14 Yeah, for sure. And it's, it's crazy, like the more you dive into, there's so many people that are, you know, there's so many good musicians out there, just Oklahoma, in Texas, like people that are writing their own songs and playing shows, and like, I, I feel like I know of most of them at this point, like at least know of them. And then I'll be scrolling on TikTok and there'll be some new guy that I haven't, haven't seen. I'm like, damn, competition is fierce. But there is, uh, plenty of plenty of talent coming up. So yeah, no shortage of that.
Speaker 1 00:14:43 Yeah, it's a good thing and a bad thing, right? It's like, well, it's great that there's these guys, but holy shit, it's,
Speaker 2 00:14:49 Well, if you didn't have anybody to like try and better yourself against, then you, you know what I mean? It's not like it's a competition, but if there was no competition, then you'd have no reason to get better. So it's a good thing for sure.
Speaker 1 00:15:01 Exactly. Um, so it, with w as the years gone by, I think it's safe to say that a lot of the rock influence has made its way into Texas, Oklahoma music. Um, and personally, I I love it. I'm, I'm more of a rock fan than a country fan anyway. Yeah. But, um, so like, is was that like something that just naturally came? I feel like a lot of the guys I talk to, they say, oh, I've always been like a rock fan. It's just kind of where I was when I started playing and now everyone's doing rock, so I could play my own shit now. You know what I mean? Yeah. Or like, how was it for you?
Speaker 2 00:15:42 I think it's, um, it's kind of a mix of both. Whenever I started in the very early stuff, I was listening to a lot of more red dirt stuff, a lot of ragweed, and that was more of my influence. But I, growing up as a kid, we definitely were, me and Mason both were brought up more on like Rock and Seattle Nirvana and Alison Chains and Sound Garden, and I'm a big like, punk rock fan too, two. And so it was, um, kinda at that point whenever we started, that's what our influence was. But it, I will say that like these other bands, Giovanni Higher Guns, Cody West Whiskey Myers, them doing that kind of inspired me and I think other people to explore that more rock edge. And when you start doing the rock stuff, personally, I found it was just a lot more
Speaker 1 00:16:30 <laugh>. Yeah. I mean, you're not wrong. And you can see that with, like, you go to a, a Reed show, like I saw him up in csi, which by the way, they sold the place out in Cincinnati, which blew my mind. I mean, I didn't know, like yeah. People really knew who he was out here, but yeah, like you have all these Yeah, he's bigger than I thought he'd be, but at this show it was funny seeing all these, uh, like girls and guys walk in, they're wearing like their pearl snaps and cowboy boots and shit. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And then they go up there and just absolutely shred. And then these guys wearing Pearl snaps, they're like banging their head and shit. It's like, see, like, it, it brings it out of them. So it's really cool to see that.
Speaker 2 00:17:08 I think everybody's got a little bit of that in 'em just cause like, especially people that are our age, you know, grew up through that time where like early Creed was popular and like mm-hmm. <affirmative>, that was what was on the radio. Everybody liked that shit. So they may not like wanna say it or they don't like show it by what they wear, but everybody likes that shit. Come on.
Speaker 1 00:17:27 Yeah. You're, you're talking to like a major Limp Bizkit fan, like I know exactly what you mean, dude,
Speaker 2 00:17:32 Not about that. Like the past two weeks I've been on a huge Limp Biz Kick. I've watched all their live stuff. Like I've watched the 99 Woodstock video like a hundred times.
Speaker 1 00:17:41 Dude Break stuff. Was that crowd, I've never seen anything like it <laugh>
Speaker 2 00:17:47 That in the corn when corn came out and played Blind, blind, blind. Oh my God. <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:17:53 If I had fucking time machine, that's exactly where I'd go. Yep.
Speaker 2 00:17:56 I wanna be side stage though. I don't that
Speaker 1 00:17:59 Yeah. At least not, not by the third day
Speaker 2 00:18:04 Watched documentary again. The crazy.
Speaker 1 00:18:08 It is crazy. But the thing is, it looked like a fun time and I still wanted to go. Oh, for
Speaker 2 00:18:13 Sure. Yeah. I don't know, I, it's just a lot more fun to me playing live and I write more kinda in that, in that vein, it seems to flow a little easier for me, but I don't know for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:18:25 That, that's apparent in, uh, lost and Broken, uh, maybe next time. Like those, those tunes, man, like, it's such a shift from Wasteland and Wasteland was great, don't get me wrong, but like the, like these newest ones you've been putting out, like mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it really, I think it shows off a lot of what you have to offer. It's like you kind of like broke out into like, okay, this guy's really doing what he wants to do. Yeah. And like the grunge, like you were saying, you're in the grunge that really showed, uh, I was surprised when I heard, I'm like, holy shit. Like, this is great <laugh>,
Speaker 2 00:18:57 Thanks man. Yeah. It's, uh, it, it seems a lot more natural to me. I mean, what we were doing early on was natural, like I said then, because that's what our influence was and that's how we were writing. But I think if you don't naturally grow into your sound and kind of find what works and then you're not doing it right, you should be just going in there and, and writing how you feel and how it comes out is how it comes out. If you like it, you like it. If you don't is what it's,
Speaker 1 00:19:21 Yeah. That's right. Um, so, uh, you and we were talking about your brother earlier, and it's obvious you two have a great relationship, working relationship and everything. Um, when it comes to, and you might have touched on this a bit, but when it comes to both of you writing mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like, do you, is it like you write one, he writes one or you co-write, or both? Or how's that all work?
Speaker 2 00:19:41 It's kind of both. So he'll, he writes on his own a lot too, so he'll come if he's, if he has something good, he'll, he'll come to me and be like, Hey, I got this. And well, like, that was like, he wrote maybe next time all by himself. He's done a bunch of them by himself. Maybe next time is his relapse is his better days from the first record is his and mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I'm leaving some out. But he, he does a lot by himself. And then we write a lot together. Um, sometimes it'll be like, he'll bring something to me and I'll be like, Hey, what about we do this and this line and this and this line. So I'll have a couple lines in his songs and or he'll have a couple lines in my songs. It's not, it's not like a, a harsh black and white relationship. It's a help, help out when we can. If it's good, it's good. We don't need to change anything. You know, it's, it's, he's good about that and so am I just kinda, we just wanna make it the best we can. Doesn't matter who writes what. And we just want it to be the best that it can be. And he, he's a badass writer and I'm thankful that he's around.
Speaker 1 00:20:33 Yeah. And I don't know if he said his name yet, but Mason, right? Yep.
Speaker 2 00:20:37 Mason Williams.
Speaker 1 00:20:37 Okay. Right. Uh, so, and you said you want it to be the best you could be. How do you know, like personally, like when you're like, okay, this is like, this is the finished product, this is what I wanna put out.
Speaker 2 00:20:51 Mm. I think, I think there's just kind of a feeling to it. If I try not to have any fluff lines, it's hard because the best riders are gonna have like, every line's gonna be amazing. Every line's gonna make you feel something. And that's obviously what you're going for. Um, I don't know, it's kind of a hard, hard line. I just, I try and think, is this song gonna make somebody feel something? Is this how I was feeling in this moment? Am I trying, am I conveying what I was trying to convey? And try not to have any Bs like filler lines and, you know, do the best you can <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:21:22 Right. I'm not
Speaker 2 00:21:23 The, I'm not the best ride. I'll be the first to say that. And Mason be the same, same thing. Nobody's the best. It's all subjective. And just try and make it as good as you can make it.
Speaker 1 00:21:32 Yep. I mean, that's the thing. Art's subjective, man. Yep. So, um, so are there any, and we're talking about how tight you guys are in that scene. Are there any like of your peers that you would like to work with, maybe like on a song or maybe you already have? I don't know.
Speaker 2 00:21:51 I haven't, um, I'd love to work with Gannon Gannon, make some badass music, Gannon Freeman, and I like that that whole band and CC Rev, Tyler and Travis and I, they're Red Dirt to the bone. Like they are, they remind me of like Cody Canada and ragweed a lot. Like they write good tunes and they're just, they get up, they don't care. They get up there in nasty rock and roll. I love it. But yeah, I, I, I'd love to do something with them. They're just, they're busy and so are we, and, but we should make something happen. That'd be fun.
Speaker 1 00:22:21 Right. So, um, when it comes to the touring, um, where have all you, and you don't have to name off like every place, but like in specific like Texas, Oklahoma, where are you all touring right now?
Speaker 2 00:22:33 So majority is Texas and Oklahoma. But we, we've done Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Arizona. Um, I think that's it. But we, we play like, uh, Fort Smith quite a bit, majestic, um, and then a lot of, lot of Texas, a lot of South Texas and DFW in Oklahoma City. And we went up and played the hat in Manhattan, Kansas. That's always a good time.
Speaker 1 00:23:00 Right.
Speaker 2 00:23:01 But yeah, pretty much like just this, the surrounding states.
Speaker 1 00:23:05 Yeah. Uh, did, didn't you, uh, I'm thinking it was you, didn't you play Green Hall recently?
Speaker 2 00:23:11 We played it in like last fall or end last summer. Oh,
Speaker 1 00:23:15 Okay. Yeah, we played, it's been a while now. Play
Speaker 2 00:23:17 Di Wheeler end of last year, I think October, I can't remember. But yeah, that was just getting to do that was cool like that. He called me. He usually, he's just like, he'll text me and be like, Hey, you wanna hop on this show? If it's just like any other show, I'll be like, hell yeah. He called me one day and was like, Hey, you wanna open up for us at Green Hall? And I was like, I knew like if he was calling me then it was like gonna be something cool. And I was like, man, hell yeah. <laugh>, I wanna open for you at Green Hall. Yeah. <laugh> what day?
Speaker 1 00:23:48 <laugh>. Uh, so what is it about Green Hall? Man, because I'm from Kentucky, I don't, I'm not a Texan. I don't know the significance of it really. Like, I feel like everyone I talk to who's played there acts like, it's like this huge thing, which I'm sure it is. But like, to you, what does it mean to you playing a venue like that?
Speaker 2 00:24:04 I'm not from Texas either, and I only know a little bit about it, but as far as I know, it's the oldest dance hall in Texas. Like, oh shit, like the oldest. Um, and you can tell when you walk in there like it's wood floors and kind of, kind of smokey, dusty <laugh>. It's not like a stop a top of the art, top of the art, stay of the art venue, like production wise. But yeah, you can tell that it's got history and I think Willie Nelson played there and like all the, all the OGs have grace set stage and just being able to, same thing with like floors, when you go on the, like floors in, um, in Hello to San Antonio on the green room there and there's like pictures of Willie Nelson and, and George Strait and it's just like, damn.
Speaker 1 00:24:48 Yeah. Have you played, uh, Kanes yet by chance?
Speaker 2 00:24:51 I have not played Kanes. That's on the, on the list for sure. I'm working on that.
Speaker 1 00:24:55 Yeah, that's, that's kind of what that just reminded me of going into there. It was like a time machine man.
Speaker 2 00:25:01 Yeah. It's Kane's. I got to, I got to see the green room and stuff there, and it was just like, you're sitting there and you're like, how, how, you know, how many people have been in here? How many people you know, who's played this stage? And it's like, damn near everybody, it feels like. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:25:15 All the, the big wood, the wood flooring, all the like classic curtain in the back. Yeah. It's pretty crazy. It is. But um, so, uh, aside from music and touring and everything, what do you like to do, like on your personal time off? Like whenever you get a chance? Besides work, of course.
Speaker 2 00:25:34 Yeah. Not work. Um, I like going sea shows. Like if I'm not playing, I love going and just hanging out. I, I like playing golf. What do I like to do really? If I'm not playing music or working, I, I'll play golf or I'm just hanging out the house with my wife and dogs and like to play some Xbox every now and then with my brother. Yeah. Normal stuff. I really like golf. I play golf every day if I could.
Speaker 1 00:25:58 Do you watch any golf?
Speaker 2 00:26:00 Oh yeah. I had masters on today. All day. I'm gonna do nothing but watch a masters this weekend.
Speaker 1 00:26:05 Yeah. I'm a very ca I wouldn't even say I'm a casual golf fan. I'm really have no idea what it's about. I've done disc golf, I'm very new to that. But yeah, I've been, I watched some masters today with my, uh, cousin and uh, I'm rooting for that guy. His last name's Gooch just because his last name's
Speaker 2 00:26:23 Gooch. I saw your tweet. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:26:31 Who's your favorite golfer?
Speaker 2 00:26:34 Man, I'm a big Rory McElroy fan. Um, who do I like? I like Victor Holin from Oklahoma State. He's, I, he was leading I think the end of today. He was like seven under, I think he's tied for the lead. So Big Victor Holin fan. Matt Wolf is another one from Oklahoma State. So I just tend to the root, I'm not an Oklahoma State fan, but I'll root for those guys cause they're from Stillwater.
Speaker 1 00:26:57 What happened to Ricky Fowler? He was from osu, right? Yeah,
Speaker 2 00:27:00 Ricky's still plant. He kind of, he peaked and then kind of tailed off. I'm hoping he can get back into his prime form, but we'll see. I'm a big Ricky fan as well. Sometimes you'll see him know visiting Stillwater, driving around in his Orange G Wagon.
Speaker 1 00:27:15 His G wagon. Yeah. I, I worked, I worked, uh, for the, um, on campus, uh, for facilities management when I lived there. And I did see, I saw his G wagon and I went and told like my buddies, I'm like, yeah, there's this nice ass like car, like sitting, I forget where it was like, was it orange and a G Wagon? I'm like, yeah, yeah. <laugh>. Yeah. That would be Ricky Fowler <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:27:35 Yeah. I think he'll come like party on the strip sometimes if he, I dunno, it's been a while, but I remember seeing like videos of him on the strip. That's pretty cool. Come hang out. But I'm a Ricky fan too. I just like watching golf. It's, uh, especially the masters. Something about the masters, all the traditions and stuff. I love it.
Speaker 1 00:27:53 Right. So do you still party on the strip and everything? Or is that not your scene anymore?
Speaker 2 00:27:58 Man, I'm too old. I'm like, I'm 26 and I, yeah, it's not really my scene anymore. <laugh>, if I'm being honest, I, I don't go out a whole lot in Stillwater. I used to a lot. I love going out, but now I just feel like an old man.
Speaker 1 00:28:12 Right. What, what bar was your favorite on the strip there?
Speaker 2 00:28:15 Willy's for sure. It's just, uh, there's always music in there and you can smoke in there, which I don't smoke, but something about a smokey bar. I love sitting in the corner booth having a beer and just hanging out listening to music. It's kind of a, one of the tamer college bars, I'd say if you don't catch it on a weekend, like if you go in there on like a Wednesday night and have a beer in peace, but
Speaker 1 00:28:36 Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:28:37 Yeah, especially in the summer too. I'll go out in the summer, but, cause all the school kids are gone, but I can't do a weekend on the strip anymore.
Speaker 1 00:28:45 Yeah. No. I, there was that one there is it called the Copper Penny?
Speaker 2 00:28:48 Copper Penny, yeah. You get a lot copy Copper.
Speaker 1 00:28:50 Yeah, that was, that was always a happening bar. Yeah, it was fun. But wow, it was packed every day. It feels like,
Speaker 2 00:29:01 I like talking to people, but I don't like people that much. I don't like not being able to like move or go to the bathroom if I need to, you know, it's like right. Too many damn people in here.
Speaker 1 00:29:13 Um, so, uh, what are some, uh, cool venues or cool shows you got coming up? We're getting near festival season. I, I you had, and I'm gonna butcher the name. I don't know if I got it right. It's called like Legacy Yeah,
Speaker 2 00:29:25 Fest.
Speaker 1 00:29:26 Oh good. I got it. <laugh>. But, so, uh, what, what's that all, who's all you excited for that? Where's that all at?
Speaker 2 00:29:32 That is in, that's in June in Duncan, Oklahoma. So Thomas Evans that I was talking about, he, he put that, that festival together, kind. I think he cope put it together, but he, uh, we haven't played many festivals and that's the only one we're on right now. I'd love to get on more. It's, uh, I guess it's competitive. So yeah. Trying to get on some more festivals. But we got, um, some, at the end of this month we got another show with Dylan Wheeler and San Angelo at City Limits. And then we come back the next day and play Grady's in Yukon. And then we're at the Tumbleweed with Dylan on the 28th. Then we're in Elk City at a, at a new venue called Country Palace that I've never played. So look pretty nice. And then May 4th, we are with Revival at the Majestic in Fort Smith.
Speaker 2 00:30:18 And then after that, what we, after that, oh, in June we'll be at Floors with Treat Oak Revival. I haven't announced that one yet. They've announced it that they're headlining and stuff, but we're gonna be opening for Treaty Oak at Floors, which I'm stoked about that I love going down to San Antonio. The people down there seem to like our music and they're super nice and we always have a new crowd, so it'll be fun. And then Legacy Fest in June we are, uh, we'll play the after party the day that g headlines, so. Okay. Y'all gonna see Gio Legacy Fest, bring your drunk asses over to the tent and come see us play the after party.
Speaker 1 00:30:52 Absolutely. You heard them, man. So, uh, you, you said it's, and that was news to me when you said the festival thing's competitive. I never knew. I don't know how that works when you're, like, when a venue like, okay, calf fry for example. Like how do you know like how that process is when they choose bands or like, how's that all work if you know? I
Speaker 2 00:31:14 Don't really know. I mean, calf Fry, I've talked to Carrie some, but I think he just tries to get the best lineup that he can. And we played, we played outside City Limits last year, which is their fall festival. Like opposite calf fry. Yeah. Um, so it's kind of, you know, he'll, I don't really know how he picks 'em. I'm sure that there's a budget that he has to set and he tries to get the best lineup that he, that he can for his budget. And, but there's just so many young up and coming bands and artists that are, you know, gunning for those spots. So it's just, it's just a competitive scene, which is good. But yeah, there's a bunch of festivals I'd love to play. Born and Raised and Calf Eye. We've never played Calf Fry, main stage. Um, Larry Jo Taylor, I'd love like that's dream to play that festival. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna keep trying and try and get on those.
Speaker 1 00:32:03 How was that outside City Limits Festival? It looked like a blast.
Speaker 2 00:32:06 It was good. Uh, kind of a bummer cuz we were gonna be playing on the outside big stage that they used for calf fry. Uh, but there was like a power, a power issue or something outside the transformer blue, like the week of the, of the festival. So they had to move everything inside, which still a badass time. We played before them Dirty Roses and steel woods and we had a great time.
Speaker 1 00:32:27 Yeah, I was about to ask you. I I, I thought them Dirty Roses played that. I just interviewed James yesterday and I didn't know if you ever got a chance to meet him. He's a really cool dude, but yeah,
Speaker 2 00:32:37 They talked for a little bit. They're cool as hell.
Speaker 1 00:32:39 Yeah. Great guys. Oh yeah. But that's exciting man. It like at the Tumbleweed is like kind of in the middle of nowhere in Stillwater for me. It's like out there. Yeah. So it's pretty nuts. They put on like a gigantic festival each year and now they're doing the outside city li singing. They did that weed stock couple years back. Yeah. And it brings people too. Oh
Speaker 2 00:33:03 Yeah. Calf Fry's crazy. Like, they had, they had Zach Bryan for Calf Fry last year on a Thursday night. I think he set the Thursday night records like eight, 17 or 18,000 people. It was nuts though.
Speaker 1 00:33:15 Do you go, like, when you're not playing, like do you go to the calf fry or try to make a point to sh to watch it? Or
Speaker 2 00:33:21 If I, if I'm not playing and Yeah, I, I'll, I'll usually go at least one day. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> for sure. I'll like, I'll usually we're playing, hopefully we're playing somewhere, but <laugh>, um, if I'll pick one day, like this year I think I'm gonna go Friday and see Reid and Gio and my buddy and you know Charlie. Yeah. But yeah, would probably go that day and hang out.
Speaker 1 00:33:43 Hell yeah man. I think the one I went to it was, uh, the headliners were, I wanna say it was, I know co played Parker played, turnpike played and then I think like a month afterwards is when they went on hiatus. So whatever year that was,
Speaker 2 00:34:00 We were there. I think it was, I think, cause I think Luke played in 2018, which is nuts to think about.
Speaker 1 00:34:07 It is <laugh>
Speaker 2 00:34:08 And the next year, turnpike played on Saturday I think. And we, I was there with a buddy and, and my girlfriend then at the time wife now she was, uh, we were having a good time and I felt like shit, I probably drank too much, had a headache and I was like, let's go home. I was being all grumpy and shit. So we went home and then they announced a month later that they were going on a Hay Us and she was not happy with me. We left early in the Turnpike show and she was like, ah, you made us sleep early and we're never gonna get to see Turnpike again. <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:34:36 Yeah. Well I, I barely remember it. I just remember being pushed through the front gate and you know, it was late in the day so I had quite a few bruises. Yeah. But it was crazy. You know, cat Fry is awesome. Like everyone should experience something like that for sure.
Speaker 2 00:34:49 Oh yeah. I remember like whenever they still did the tailgating and stuff, I think they did then, like the field across the street, it'd get wild. You have beer cans and shit flying through the air and I think it was probably a liability issue. So they cut that out. Still a good time. But no, the cat fire used to be nuts.
Speaker 1 00:35:05 Yeah, I heard, I think it might have been the year, that year, 2019 or maybe the year after. I think some girl got like blindsided by a beer can or something and
Speaker 2 00:35:16 It's
Speaker 1 00:35:16 Stupid. Something like that. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:35:18 Yeah. Somebody had to ruin it for everybody by throwing full beer cans in the air.
Speaker 1 00:35:23 It's like, just, just drink the beer, you know, don't just drink
Speaker 2 00:35:26 It and listen to music and have a good time. Why you gotta ruin the party.
Speaker 1 00:35:29 Yeah. It's some college kids band.
Speaker 2 00:35:31 Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:35:33 <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:35:33 Yep. Some college kids. But what do you do?
Speaker 1 00:35:37 Can't do nothing about it. So, um, let's talk, let's talk more about, I know, I'm sorry I went on a rant there, but let's talk more about your music, man. Um, so as for what's coming up, like, can you give us any like, idea on maybe what you're gonna go forward, going forward with Sounds, style, whatever, like, stuff like that
Speaker 2 00:35:59 Be, it'll be a lot more of the rock oriented stuff. It's kinda gonna be whatever, whatever comes out. I, I don't know. I've been listening to a lot of different stuff, um, style wise and we got two songs that are recorded, not mix and mastered yet, waiting on the Masters to get back. But like one of 'em is is a real hateful, heavy song with like, it's got a China symbol in it and a big breakdown. It'll be the heaviest one we've done so far. And I'm, we play it live. I'm stoked. I'm stoked for everybody to hear it. And then the other one is like guitar and vocals and real, real mellow and more of a singer songwriter type. But so we got, we got two that are done that are very different sounds and, uh, this year, I don't know, I'm gonna try and try and get back in and, and get some more done. I know I'm, we're due for another record. I don't know if I'm gonna do a full in record or not. Doesn't really seem to be the, the move at the moment. I think everybody's kinda wanting singles and consistent, consistent drops, but we'll see. I dunno.
Speaker 1 00:36:58 Yeah. Does that, that's a fad now and it kind of has been for a while. Just like people, I guess it's people's attention spans. I don't know what, but they don't want the albums anymore. Does that, I guess not. Does that bother you? But does it, like, are you ever like, damn I wanna like, put together like, you know, like a, a cop, you know, a compilation of like songs instead of just pumping out singles?
Speaker 2 00:37:20 Yeah. I, I like the album format. Like I li I'll listen to album front to back mm-hmm. <affirmative>. But I'm also guilty of listening to a few songs off the album and not listening to the other ones. And I don't want, I don't want that to happen, you know, I feel like people, most people nowadays, especially the younger crowd, aren't gonna listen to an album front to back. I know some will, but I don't want good songs to get lost in an album. So at, at some point I wanna do another full length album, but probably gonna focus on doing singles and like maybe a two part EP with five songs each on it or something would be my like, ideal format for this year. But we'll see. I do love albums though, and I, I wanna do another full Link album.
Speaker 1 00:37:58 Okay. Yeah. So, so what's your favorite album? Might as well ask that. Like, if you could choose one album, it that comes to your mind as like, okay, this is one of my favorites. What would it be?
Speaker 2 00:38:09 Man, I'd probably, probably, um, brand New Eyes By, by Paramore. I, there's not a single Skip on that whole record. Also Man On the Moon Two by Kit Cuddy is amazing. Maybe one, I can't remember which one, one or two. The one with him, like in on the Moon or the Moon is the cover, but it's like red and blue.
Speaker 1 00:38:29 I think that's one, I don't know.
Speaker 2 00:38:30 I think it's one, I think it's one those two coming in my head is like my favorites.
Speaker 1 00:38:35 You a big Paramore fan?
Speaker 2 00:38:36 Huge Paramore fan. <laugh>. My parents got us Paramore tickets in, uh, in Dallas for Christmas and in July I cannot freaking wait to go see him. Dude,
Speaker 1 00:38:45 That was my next question as if you were gonna go see him. They're coming back man.
Speaker 2 00:38:49 I never seen but dude Paramore's badass. I've always had a huge crush on Haley Williams.
Speaker 1 00:38:54 Oh, we all did Man. <laugh>. It's great to see 'em back.
Speaker 2 00:38:58 Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 00:38:59 Have you listened to any of their new stuff,
Speaker 2 00:39:01 Their new albums? It's different. Some people probably don't like it. I feel like it's been pretty well received, but I loved it. I think, I don't know if there's a skip on that record either. I, I love the entire thing.
Speaker 1 00:39:11 Yeah. I have yet to listen to it, but
Speaker 2 00:39:13 It's good. It's not, it's not as, like, it's not as punk rock as their old old stuff, but it's not as pop as like their more recent stuff. It's a good, it's a good mix and I don't know, I'm, I'm big into like, um, individual like band members too. So like Taylor York and, and Zach Farrow you, I feel like you can really kind of hear their, their like input on the album come out instead of just Haley's writing and stuff. But yeah, I I think it was a good, good record. Really good record.
Speaker 1 00:39:41 Yeah. Uh, it's funny you say that. I was, I feel the same way like listening to like individual band members solo work because then you get a chance to hear like their inspirations of what they wanna say and it all goes together with like the main project. Yeah. Like, like, uh, Leonard Skynyrd is a good example. Like Rossington Collins, like they insanely good shit. Oh yeah. More people need to do that for sure. Oh yeah,
Speaker 2 00:40:07 No, you need to go check out that new record of Paramore cause it's amazing.
Speaker 1 00:40:12 I'll have to, I need to check them out live too, but I think I missed their show. I have a bad habit of mission shows when they come to town Too Late. <laugh>,
Speaker 2 00:40:19 I do too. <laugh>
Speaker 1 00:40:22 And we don't have any good venues around Cincinnati really besides River Bend, but those are all like expensive as shit like. Yeah. Do you like the, do you like the Offspring?
Speaker 2 00:40:31 I like 'em or around don't just dislike them. They're, they're okay.
Speaker 1 00:40:33 Yeah. Yeah. I know they're, they're going on tour with some 41 and Simple Plan and I don't know if you like them guys at all, but uh, I'm checking that out. I don't know if they're ev when they're gonna go on tour again. So, you know, it's kind of like that.
Speaker 2 00:40:46 That's an amazing show. We saw Foo Fighters at the Zoo Amphitheater two years ago I think was like Right. It was a few months before Taylor passed away or really six months or so. I dunno. But Dude Zoo am in Oklahoma City. That was the best show I've ever seen in my life. They played for like almost three hours. It was in, in Insane Dude.
Speaker 1 00:41:06 God, there're that, that is one show I need to see. It sucks cuz I, you know, Taylor like for drummers, like he's the drummer's drummer I think. Right? Like no one dislikes him and um,
Speaker 2 00:41:16 No. If you can play drums behind Dave Grohl and like Dave Bras says you're good enough, then you're good enough for me. <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:41:22 Yeah, exactly. Um, louder than life in Louisville this year. I don't know if you saw the lineup to that, but it is insane. They have one night it's the Foo Fighters another night. It's like Limp Bizkit another L night. It's, uh, I think Panera,
Speaker 2 00:41:39 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:41:40 Then like Green Day, the, I think Austen's playing Austen meets playing on the third night. It's just a stacked lineup. I'm gonna try and get to that. Mainly just a s
Speaker 2 00:41:50 I've never been to like a big festival like that. Like a big festival. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I think it'd be a blast.
Speaker 1 00:41:56 Yeah. You should check out Rock Oklahoma in Pryor.
Speaker 2 00:41:58 See, I think we're gonna try and go to that. I can't believe I've never been to that either. That's an amazing one. I think Limp Biz's playing that too.
Speaker 1 00:42:04 I think they are.
Speaker 2 00:42:05 I need to and, uh, get my tickets for that. Cause I definitely wanna try and go.
Speaker 1 00:42:09 Yeah. I I went to that a couple years ago and like, I was like, I don't know about this festival thing. Like, I don't like being around people. Kinda like how you were talking about Yeah. But like once you got there, it's like, this is like the best day of my life. It's just music from every point in the, there's three stages at one time. It's, it's great. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:42:27 And it's all really good music. It like never stopped.
Speaker 1 00:42:30 Yeah. Uh, so man, uh, thanks for hopping on with me tonight. I appreciate it dude.
Speaker 2 00:42:37 Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 00:42:39 Yeah. So go ahead and tell everyone like where they could find you. Uh, if you wanna plug anything, shows new music, go ahead.
Speaker 2 00:42:47 So I'm Matt Williams. Ok. Pretty much everything. I'm Matt Williams ok. On Twitter and Instagram. And then my Facebook is Matt Williams music one and Matt Williams music one. And, uh, yeah, we're putting out some new music throughout the year, playing as many as we can. Um, we'll be, we'll be all over Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, ca hopefully maybe up into like the Midwest in your neck of the woods. Yeah. Um, so we'll see what happens, but we're gonna keep plugging away and thanks for supporting my, my tunes and always doing the writeups and
Speaker 1 00:43:22 Absolutely, man. I
Speaker 2 00:43:23 Appreciate it.
Speaker 1 00:43:24 Yeah. And everyone make sure you type in Okay. After Matt Williams. So that one doof, that one doofus don't pop up. There's
Speaker 2 00:43:32 Another guy named Matt Williams. No offense to him, but his hat is like, you'll know if, if your hat is not like this, then it's me. <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:43:42 Yeah. If it doesn't look like a, like a, a funnel for you're changing your, you're putting your oil in. It's not Matt Williams, but, uh, yeah. So Matt, hey, uh, stick around after I sign off here, we'll make sure this all gets uploaded. And uh, everyone else, thanks for listening. I appreciate it. Y'all have a good one.
Speaker 3 00:44:06 You can do some crazy things.
