A whole lotta pickin’ goin’ on inLuckenbach

On Aug. 23, the city of Luckenbach teamedup with the Kerrville Folk Festival, CheathamStreet Warehouse, Gibson Guitars, the TexasMusic Office and the Voices of a GratefulNation project to break the Guinness WorldRecord for the largest guitar ensemble of alltime. An army of 1,867 musicians attendedthe event and did indeed break the worldrecord (previously set in Germany with 1,802pickers). The event raised funds to supportU.S. troops and their families through theefforts of the Voices of a Grateful Nation,which offers “Sound Healing” programs toveterans who have suffered traumatic braininjuries as a component of their therapy andrecovery. Country artists including Roger

Creager, Gary P. Nunn, Walt Wilkins and DougMoreland led the crowd in a performancefeaturing the historical town’s signaturesong, “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to theBasics of Love)“ (made famous by WaylonJennings and Willie Nelson). The designated“record-breaking” 1,803rd picker was MonteMontgomery, who dedicated a performanceof “The Star-Spangled Banner” to therecently deceased guitar pioneer Les Paul onthe electric Gibson model of Paul’s design.The guitar was promptly auctioned off tofurther benefit the foundation.

Brooks & Dunn done in 2010The powerhouse country music duo of KixBrooks and Ronnie Dunn is officially calling itquits in 2010. In an Aug. 10 announcementon their Web site, the pair explained thatafter 20 years in the business, it’s “time tocall it a day.” But they aren’t done quite yet.They have a new anthology, #1s ... and thensome, hitting stores on Sept. 8 and will bidfarewell to fans on “The Last Rodeo Tour” in2010.

Jones trades piano for a guitarNorah Jones has done jazz, soul, blues andcountry — both solo and during her time withthe Little Willies. Now it’s time to rock. Heras-yet-untitled fourth album is said to have

Sept. ‘09

the Dallas-raised Jones leaving the pianobehind and picking up the guitar for a con-temporary rock sound. Jacquire King, whohas worked with Kings of Leon, ModestMouse and TomWaits, produced the album.“I wanted someone who could take me outof my comfort zone and find the right musi-cians to capture what I wanted to do withthis collection of songs,” Jones said. Fans willget to hear how Jones sounds outside of hercomfort zone when the record hits stores inNovember.

Sexton reunites with DylanOne of the brightest spots on Austin gui-tarist-songwriter-producer Charlie Sexton’sresume is his turn-of-the-millennium runwith Bob Dylan’s touring band, not to men-tion appearing with him on record (Love &

Theft) and even an endearingly offbeatmovie (Masked & Anonymous). After severalyears of producing other artists and playinghis own blend of folk, rock and blues as asolo act (or alongside his old Arc Angelsbandmates), Sexton and the legendary rock‘n’ roll poet are sharing the stage once again.The creative flame seemed to be rekindledwhen Sexton joined Dylan’s band onstage foran invigorating set at the Dell Diamond inRound Rock, the show being part of thesummer tour co-headlined by Willie Nelsonand John Mellencamp. Dylan’s previous leadguitarist, Denny Freeman, is also a longtimeTexas favorite (and an old friend of Charlieand his guitar-slinging brother, Will); hewished his replacement well on the Web siteof Austin’s Continental Club.

Cross Canadian Ragweed hostsRed Dirt RoundupGrady Cross, Cody Canada, Randy Ragsdaleand Jeremy Plato — better known as CrossCanadian Ragweed — will host their fourthannual Red Dirt Roundup on Sept. 6 at theFort Worth Stockyards. Ragweed’s guests thisyear will be Robert Earl Keen, CharlieRobison, the Randy Rogers Band, theWallflowers, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit,Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights, theGourds, Brandon Jenkins, Band of Horses,Lucero, Seth James, Johnny Cooper andStephanie Briggs. Ragweed fans can expect aheavy dose of new tunes from the band,which will be capping off a week’s worth ofshows celebrating the Sept. 1 release of its10th album, Happiness and All the OtherThings. This October will mark the 15thanniversary of Ragweed, which formed inStillwater, Okla., but has long been one of thebiggest draws on the Texas music scene;rhythm guitarist Cross and drummerRagsdale still live north of the Red River, butsinger/guitarist (and native Texan) Canadaand bassist Plato now live in New Braunfels.

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EXTRA

EXTRA

PUBLISHER/ STEWART RAMSER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EDITORS CINDY ROYAL

R ICHARD SKANSE

CONTRIBUTORS CODEY ALLEN

ETHAN MESSICK

AMANDA PALM

JOSH SHEPHERD

ART DIRECTOR TORQUIL SCOTT-DEWAR

www.txmusic.com

WEB SITE DESIGNER WILLTHING

MAILING ADDRESS PO BOX 50273

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A L L R I GH T S R E S E RV ED .R E P RODUC T ION IN WHOL E OR PART I S P ROH I B I T E D .

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MonteMontgomery, Roger Creager and a few of their record-breakingfriends. (Photo: GaryMiller)

Bob Schneider gets LovelyAustin’s BobSchneider has anew record dueSept. 29, LovelyCreatures. Thealbum findsSchneider joiningthe roster ofKirtland Records,which was recent-ly voted BestLabel at the 2009Dallas ObserverAwards. The pro-lific singer-song-writer and band-leader has a track

record of alternating between undeniablyradio-friendly albums (Lonelyland, I’m GoodNow) and more experimental affairs (Whenthe Sun Breaks Down on the Moon, TheCalifornian), and as already hinted at with thelead single, “40 Dogs (Like Romeo andJuliet),” Lovely Creatures falls happily withinthe first category. Other highlights on thealbum include a new recording of his long-time concert favorite (both as a solo artistand with the Scabs), “Tarantula,” and“Changing Your Mind,” which features guestvocals by Patty Griffin.

Calling all Kinksters — and richWillie fansIf you’ve got $1,000 to spare and a burningdesire to help Kinky Friedman fund his latestcampaign to be the next governor of Texas —or, if you’d just really, really like to meet WillieNelson — you’re in luck. On Sept. 16, Texansfor Kinky will host “A Bloody Mary Morningwith Willie Nelson” at the Gleneagles CountryClub in Plano. According to Friedman’s Web

site, www.kinkyfriedman.com (where youneed to go — quick — to reserve your spot),your grand gets you a plate and the chanceto “eat with Willie, drink with Willie, listen toWillie, get autographs fromWillie, get sillywith Willie, argue with Willie, dance with Willie— anything else depends on you and Willie!”After the Willie deal, another intimate Kinkyfundraiser will be held Sept. 18 at Casbeers atthe Church in San Antonio; the Red-HeadedStranger won’t be there, but Three Dog Nightwill — signing autographs and playingthrough their greatest hits, including, ofcourse, “Joy to the World.” The Three DogNight show is a lot cheaper than drinks withWillie, but it’ll still set you back $250.

Beyoncé Billboard’s Woman of theYearBeyoncé will be accepting Billboard’s WomanOf The Year Award at a ceremony on Oct. 2in New York. The honor, given to a femalerecording artist who has inspired the musicbusiness with her success, leadership andnew ideas, will be awarded to the singer forher accomplishments over the past year.Beyoncé toured in support of her third soloalbum I Am...Sasha Fierce, which debuted atNo. 1 in November and features the hit sin-gles “If I Were A Boy,” “Single Ladies,”“Halo,” “Ego” and “Sweet Dreams.” The touralso showcased Beyoncé’s philanthropicside, as she gave 2,500 tickets to familiesaffected by the auto industry crisis in Detroitand joined forces with General MillsHamburger Helper and Feeding America todeliver 3.5 million meals to local food banks.Beyoncé is the only performer in the 51-yearhistory of the Billboard Hot 100 to top thechart for 10 weeks or more with a group andas a solo artist.

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Photo: BradBond

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Lone Stars trying new twists onnew recordsIt’s always been hard to pigeonhole Texasartists, but a handful of late seem to be feel-ing more eclectic than ever. Austin’s PattyGriffin recently wrapped up a gospel album inNashville with producer Buddy Miller. SanAngelo-bred rockers Los Lonely Boysannounced plans for an EP based on coversof hits from 1969, including LLB versions ofhits by Santana and the Doors. And road-house country artist Jesse Dayton, a favoritein Houston and Austin, has just released analbum under the name Captain Clegg & theNight Creatures, an offshoot of a role heplays in the remake of Halloween II by rockstar/director Rob Zombie. One artist isnotably going back to his Texas roots: RobertEarl Keen’s The Rose Hotel (Oct. 6) reunites

him with producer Lloyd Maines, thoughsongs like “Wireless In Heaven” prove he has-n’t lost his flair for eccentricity.

Rosie Flores flies withCosmonautsRockabilly filly Rosie Flores has teamed withthe Pine Valley Cosmonauts for her newalbum, Girl of the Century (due Oct. 27 onBloodshot). This isn’t the first time Flores andthe Chicago-based Cosmonauts — led by JonLangford of the Mekons/Waco Brothers fame— have recorded together; she was featured,alongside fellow Texan Steve Earle, on theCosmonauts’ 2002 album The Executioner’sLast Songs. Prior to that, Jimmie DaleGilmore and Alejandro Escovedo both per-formed on 1998’s The Pine ValleyCosmonauts Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills.

nelo rocks for Good Eggs & HAAM

The Austin pop-rock band nelo will play aconcert for the Health Alliance for AustinMusicians (aka HAAM) on Sept. 17 at Stubb’sBar-B-Que. The event is the first benefit con-cert organized by HAAM’s newly formed out-reach group, Good Eggs & HAAM. The “GoodEggs” are music fans dedicated to educatingthe public about the role HAAM plays in pro-viding health care support toAustin’s music community.Tickets to this month’s benefitconcert are $25 and available atFrontgate Tickets. For moreinformation on Good Eggs &HAAM, visit www.myhaam.org.

Walker song catalog leftto Hall of FameDavid Conrad, trustee for theCountry Music Hall of Fame andMuseum, has announced plansfor a 12-song demo of songspenned by the late Cindy Walkerto be pitched for TV and filmplacement. Before her death in2006, Walker bequeathed all ofher future songwriter’s royaltiesto the Hall of Fame, whichinducted her in 1997. The Texas-born songwriter’s classicsincluded “You Don’t Know Me,”

“Cherokee Maiden” and “Bubbles in My Beer”— all of which were covered by Willie Nelsonon his acclaimed 2006 tribute album, YouDon’t Know Me — Songs of Cindy Walker. Todate, the Hall of Fame has collected morethan a half-million dollars on two years’ worthof Walker’s shared royalties for her music.

Jimmie Rodgers, HispanicHeritage Month to share TexasHeritage Living History DayOn Sept. 25, the Texas Heritage MusicFoundation will present the 22nd annualTexas Heritage Living History Day at theRobbins-Lewis Pavilion on the campus ofKerrville’s Schreiner University. This year’sevent, billed as “Another Way of LearningUsing Stories and Songs,” will feature morethan 50 performers and presenters, includingtributes to former Kerrville resident and“Father of Country Music” Jimmie Rodgers

Photo: CourtesyMcGuckin PR

and a salute to Hispanic Heritage Month. The festivities runfrom 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are all free and open to the public.Then, later that evening (beginning at 7:30 p.m.), the funmoves to Luckenbach for a concert by Joel Guzman and SarahFox. Songwriter Terri Sharpe will also perform, paying tributeto the legendary Lydia Mendoza. Proceeds from the eveningconcert will benefit the Wayne Kennemer Scholarship Fund. Formore information, visit www.texasheritagemusic.org.

Ingram talks his way into record bookNobody in the music business canever say Jack Ingram doesn’t playball. Beginning at 8 a.m. on Aug.25, the day his new record, BigDreams & High Hopes, hit stores,Ingram kicked off a marathon ofnon-stop radio interviews — 215 of’em with stations across the coun-try as well as in Canada, Irelandand Australia. In addition to get-ting the word out about his newrecord to lots of people by literallytalking about himself for 24 hoursstraight, Ingram’s staying powerlanded him in the Guinness Book of

World Records for “Most Consecutive Radio Interviews in a24-Hour Period.” The previous record holder peaked at awimpy 96 interviews.

Daniel Johnston gets fancy on new album“Everyone needs to take their demos and go back to the stu-dio,” says Daniel Johnston, and that’s exactly what the cultsinger-songwriter did for his forthcoming Is and Always Was.Although Johnston’s best known for his unabashedly lo-fihome recordings, Is and Always Was (due Oct. 6 onJohnston’s own Eternal Yip Eye Music) was produced byJason Falkner (Beck, Air, Paul McCartney). In addition toJohnston and Falkner, the tracks feature noted indie-rockdrummer Joey Waronker (R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, Beck).Johnston will be supporting the album with a 14-date tourkicking off Sept. 3 in Portland, Ore., though the only Texasstop is Oct. 2 at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Photo: GlenRose

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4-5World Championship Goat Cook-OffRichards ParkBradywww.bradytx.com

4-6WestfestWest Fair and Rodeo GroundsWestwww.westfest.com

Kerrville Wine & Music FestivalQuiet Valley RanchKerrvillewww.kerrville-music.com

The Uncle Bill Roach BandTexas Music FestivalBosque Bottoms CampsiteMeridianwww.txmusicfestival.com

Central Texas State FairBell County Expo CenterBeltonwww.centraltexasstatefair.com

5-6Bedford Blues & BBQLabor Day Weekend FestivalHarris Methodist HospitalBedfordwww.bedfordbluesbbq.com

6ZiegenBock Music FestivalLake BryanBryanwww.ziegfest.com

Cross Canadian Ragweed’s Red DirtRoundupFort Worth StockyardsFort Worthwww.ccrreddirtroundup.com

11-13Texas GatorfestFort Anahuac ParkAnahuacwww.texasgatorfest.com

17-20GrapefestHistoric Main StreetGrapevinewww.grapevinetexasusa.com

OktoberfestAddison Circle ParkAddisonwww.addisontexas.net

18-19Landshark South Padre IslandSeafood & Music FestivalConvention CenterSouth Padre Islandwww.sopadrefest.com

19Bluegrass Heritage FestivalSouth Oaks Baptist ChurchArlingtonbluegrassheritage.org

24-26PawlessfestThe Cedars RanchGainesvillewww.pawless.com

25-27Kemah BoardwalkJazz FestivalKemah BoardwalkKemahwww.kemahboardwalk.com

9/25-10/3Fort Bend County FairFort Bend County FairgroundsRosenbergwww.fbcfa.org

9/25-10/18State Fair of TexasFair ParkDallaswww.bigtex.com

26-27Old Pecan Street FestivalSixth StreetAustinwww.oldpecanstreetfestival.com

calendar

WhatdoBenKweller, CharlieRobison, JonathanTyler,Electric Touch,Micky& theMotorcars, DaleWatson, SpainColoredOrange, ButtercupandLukeOlsonhave in common?They’ll all be rocking the site oftheoldLoneStarBrewery inSanAntonio for the first everIndieBashat theBrewery.Admission is free, but toget in,first youneed to score a luckyticket byeither registeringonline at LoneStar’sWeb siteor by visiting the IndieBashFacebookpage for alerts aboutspecial promotional nights com-ing to a venuenear you inAustin, Dallas, HoustonandSanAntonio throughoutSeptember.IndieBashat theBrewery. Oct.24. 1-11 p.m. Lone Star BrewingCo., SanAntonio.www.lonestarbeer.com.

Indie Bash at the BreweryLone Star Brewing Co.San Antonio, Oct. 24

S E P T E M B E R

new releasesSept. 1 Radney Foster Revival Devil’s RiverSept. 1 ReverendHortonHeat Laughin’ andCryin’with the YepRoc

ReverendHortonHeatSept. 1 Seth James ThatKindofMan ThirtyTigersSept. 1 Porterdavis Porterdavis Roots ‘N’ BluesSept. 1 CrossCanadianRagweed Happiness andAll theOther Universal South

ThingsSept. 1 CaseyDonahewBand MovingOn AlmostCountrySept. 1 ShotgunParty MeanOldWay www.shotgunfiesta.comSept. 8 Brooks&Dunn #1s ... and then some AristaNashvilleSept. 8 JasonEady When theMoney’sAllGone SmithEntertainmentSept. 8 Buster Jiggs HeartacheJubilee SmithEntertainmentSept. 8 JamesHand Shadowon theGround RounderSept. 15 BoysNamedSue TheHitsVol. Sue! IdolSept. 15 Band ofHeathens OneFoot in theEther BOHSept. 15 TomRussell BloodandCandleSmoke Shout!FactorySept. 15 JohnArthurMartinez PurgatoryRoad ApacheRanchSept. 15 AaronWatson Live:Deep in theHeart of Texas BIGLabelSept. 22GuyClark Somedays theSongWritesYou DualtoneSept.22 Soulhat Liveat theBlackCat (re-release) DualtoneSept. 29Miranda Lambert Revolution SonyNashvilleSept. 29Kris Kristofferson Closer to theBone NewWestSept. 29BobSchneider LovelyCreatures KirtlandOct. 6 Robert Earl Keen TheRoseHotel LostHighwayOct. 6 DanielJohnston Is andAlwaysWas Eternal YipEyeMusicOct. 13 JamesMcMurtry Live inEurope LightningRodOct. 20 WhiteDenim Fits DowntownOct. 27 Rosie Flores& thePine Girl of theCentury Bloodshot

ValleyCosmonauts

Cross CanadianRagweedHappinessandAll theOtherThings(Universal South)Let’s get the nitpicking out of

the way. “Bluebonnets,” Cody Canada’s sweetbut hardly cloying love song to his kid, wouldhave been better served by being sequencedlater in the album, instead of right after thekick-ass opener “51 Pieces,” a true-life tale ofa band on the run busted by the fuzz. Then,on the back end, there’s “Confident,” a clunk-er of a rocker that should have been left offentirely. Other that, though, Happiness andAll the Other Things is a near-perfect CrossCanadian Ragweed record — and by exten-sion, a damn good rock ’n’ roll record, period.“51 Pieces” cuts a groove as deep as theband’s definitive take on RayWylie Hubbard’s“Wanna Rock &Roll” (from 2004’s SoulGravy), and there’s a four-song stretch on thesecond half (from “Overtable” through“Tomorrow”) that’s simply the most com-pelling music this band has ever captured ondisc. And then, just to top it all off, it endswith one of the most convincing covers ofWarren Zevon’s “Carmelita,” ever. RICHARD SKANSE

ButtercupTheWeatherHere(Bedlamb Records)The third full-length by SanAntonio’s Buttercup is thickwith melancholy and

metaphor. Lead singer Erik Sanden’s poeticlyrics are wrapped in pop melodies that arelaced with quirky subtleties, a trademark ofDallas producer Salim Nourallah. “It’s in theWay” starts things off with a breezy ’70s,America (the band) feel with pretty keyboardflourishes. Themes are sad throughout, butthat doesn’t mean there aren’t hooks and

certain phrases that stick with you for sometime, like “hidden keloid scars” and “mermenyawn they fiddle with their cell phones.” Thereference to “misericord” in two places(“Consensus Chalice” and “I Am a Tiger”)required a Google search; it refers to a specialshelf built into church pews for leaning duringlong, standing prayers. The double entendre(misery chord) is provocative. “AlwaysAlcohol” is probably the most literal tune (“Ofcourse it was my fault/Always alcohol”), remi-niscent of Nourallah's work with the Old 97’sin both style and vocal arrangement. And“Betta No Better” brings some fun with alter-nating chorus vocals and thumping guitarsand hand claps, a la the Cars. CINDY ROYAL

George StraitTwang(MCANashville)In a time when country isoften rock and rock is some-times country, it’s comforting

to always know what you’re gonna get withGeorge Strait: good ol’ country music sung bya smooth-as-whiskey baritone voice. Andwhile Strait provides just that on his latestalbum, Twang, there are a few surprises instore that will please both longtime fans andthe casual Strait listener. For the first timesince 1982, Strait put pen to paper — this timewith his son, George “Bubba” Strait, Jr. — towrite three tracks on the album: the sad-songlament, “Living for the Night,” the clever“He’s Got that Something Special” and “OutOf Sight Out of Mind.” The younger Strait,who is making a name for himself as a song-writer, also wrote “Arkansas Dave,” a great,old-fashioned Western tale. But the biggestbreak from the standard Strait formulacomes with “El Rey,” which finds him singingthe Jose Alfredo Jiminez classic in fluentSpanish. Strait will always provide stability in

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a country music industry that’s constantlychanging. Still, it’s nice to know that afternearly 30 years in the business, he’s notafraid to spice things up with a little varietyjust to keep things interesting. AMANDA PALM

The Rocketboys20,000Ghosts(myspace.com/rocketboys)The Rocketboys, named for abook by Homer Hickam Jr.about a young boy’s pursuit

of amateur rocketry, deliver a new releasethat’s both airy and focused. The Austin-by-

way-of-Abilene band’s ambient sound is remi-niscent of both Coldplay and Fleet Foxes. It’sfresh with rich textures, like the lead guitaron “Rare Triumphs of Love and Fortune” orthe underlying drumbeats of “I Saw a Stone.”With his alto range, approaching falsetto attimes, singer Brandon Kinder creates anethereal, almost spiritual, tone. There’s nodoubt that this is a rock band, but theRocketboys are often at their most captivat-ing when they’re featuring Kinder at key-boards during some of the quieter numbers,as in “Sights and Sounds.” CINDY ROYAL

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If one were to play “Six Degrees of RadneyFoster,” the connections would ricochetback and forth between Texas and Nashvilleendlessly until nearly every name in mod-ern country and Americana music wastouched upon. The Del Rio native firstfound fame as half of Foster & Lloyd, bring-ing pop smarts and rock edge to late-‘80scountry radio. After the duo fizzled, his1992 solo debut, Del Rio, TX 1959, lit up thecountry charts with more warm, ambitioussongwriting.

When his 1996 follow-up album, LaborOf Love, failed to find similar success,Foster refused to be discouraged. Instead,he responded with 1999’s See What YouWant To See, a rock-infused stroke of artis-tic ambition that still sounds fresh today.For once, talent won out over marketing

trends, and kindred spirits started comingout of the woodwork. Foster found himselfin demand as both a writer of mainstreamhits (Sara Evans, Keith Urban, the DixieChicks) and a producer-collaborator-mentorto rising Texas stars like Pat Green, RogerCreager, the Randy Rogers Band and, mostrecently, Jack Ingram.

This July, Foster celebrated his 50thbirthday in Austin, in the company ofdozens of young Texas country artistswhose scene wouldn’t be the same withouthim. And this month, Foster and his band,the Confessions, release Revival, a rockin’new testament to the irresistible magic thathappens when literate, edgy songcraft ismarried to an undeniable ear for can’t misspop hooks.

So, 50 years on this earth, and at leasthalf of that in the music business. You’veaccomplished a lot, but what is yourfavorite thing you’ve done, career-wise?I’d say writing songs that people all overthe world sing; I’d say more than anythingelse that’s what drives my engine. I love toperform. I played in front of 100,000 peo-ple at Farm Aid, done all sorts of thingsthat have been really fantastic. But morethan anything else, it’s to write a song andsomebody comes up to you and says “wedanced to that song at our wedding” or “Iburied my child to that song.” Those arethe things that make you say “yeah, that’swhy we do this.”

Your solo career started off both com-mercially and artistically strong, withDel Rio, TX 1959 being all over the radio.Had you expected that it would, or was itmore of a pleasant surprise?Well, you know, you hope for it, and I wason a major label and I know they were hop-ing for it. You don’t have a bunch of guys at

Arista Records saying, “Well, I hope thisdoes kind of OK.” [Laughs] Clive Davis isout to make money, trust me. But basically Istill believe, and I believed way back then,that the best way to make a hit record is tolay all the emotional cards out that youpossibly can, and do the best you can artis-tically, and that’s what breeds commercialsuccess. It doesn’t have to come pre-pack-aged in the way that someone else thinks itworks. I think there’s a way to make hitrecords but make real artists at the sametime.

When you recut “Texas In 1880” withPat Green, it introduced you to a wholenew audience as well as a new wave ofyoung artists. What led to the decision towork with Pat?I had made a live record, and one of thethings that happened when I went inde-pendent was that I started touring Texas

much, much more. For a long time we hadan apartment in San Antonio and one inNashville. Consciously, because of my loveof Austin, I decided to make the Are YouReady For The Big Show record at theContinental Club. And it was easy becauseI’d met Pat at a couple of the Texas musicradio shows, and I’d written some songswith him for his upcoming record. He was abig fan, so I just called him up and said Iwanted to re-record “Texas In 1880,” andasked if he would like to come sing it withme.

You’ve collaborated with people all acrossthe country-folk-Americana spectrum. Isthere anyone you’d like to work with thatyou haven’t got around to yet?Absolutely! [Laughs] Dozens of them. Youwant me to start at the top? Bob Dylan. I’dlike to produce his next record. I’m still abig music fan. I buy lots of records. I love

Q&A

Photo:Marshall and JustinFoster

Radney Foster

SUMMER 2009 ISSUEAVAILABLE ON NEWSSTANDS NOW,OR CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE

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the opportunity to collaborate with otherartists. It’s been one of the joys for me hererecently to get to work with somebodywho’s as country as Roger Creager can be,then with an R&B artist like Marc Broussardout in Lafayette. He’s phenomenal.

So tell us a bit about your new album,Revival. I understand it’s a highly person-al project in more ways than one.In the last year and a half, I lost my dad.But then my son, who’s been living inFrance for the last several years, is comingto the states to go to college right aroundthe corner from my house. So that’s beenjust a huge blessing for my family, and yetlosing my dad is the hardest watershed I’veever had. So I just started writing about it,and a lot of the gospel influences fromgrowing up singing in church started com-ing out. I wouldn’t necessarily call it agospel record, but there’s certainly a couple

that you could call gospel songs. Musicallythere’s influences of that style, and in addi-tion it’s about the rollercoaster ride of lifethat you go through when those big mile-stones are happening.

I think, as an artist, that it’s good towrite from or paint from or sing from wher-ever you are emotionally at the time. It’sjust as much a part of your job to digaround in your soul. That’s when you createsomething special. And fortunately orunfortunately, that means you go throughgreat times and painful times. ETHAN MESSICK