speaker-0: Welcome to the open road.

speaker-1: The Country Music Podcast with Joey and Cy.

speaker-0: Let's hit the road and enjoy today's episode.

speaker-1: Right, so we're here. The open road.

speaker-0: Weeks overdue, finally made it.

speaker-1: We weeks overdue, absolutely, mate. ⁓ you know, we we we aim to do this. It's been it's been working away in the background for a while. we wanted to do it just after buckle and boots. I think we were

speaker-0: Like before buckle and boots. Yeah.

speaker-1: I think we spoke about it a long time before buckling boots. And then we're like, we'll do one straight after. I got ill, moved house, life got in the way, but here we are, end of July. Almost But we're we're we're doing it, okay? We're doing it. So so I'm Joey, and one of your amazing hosts for The Open Road. And I'm joined by the one for Cy Evans. Cy, introduce yourself, my friend.

speaker-0: Karna, katná Yes, I'm Cy, ⁓ been a country music fan for as long as I can remember. I d some of you might know us from some of the photography. I go and take pictures of a lot of gigs and people seem to like it. ⁓ on Instagram as at Sy Evans Photo. ⁓ and I also provide coverage for UK country news on Instagram. So if you follow UK country news, good chance you'll see my pictures slash video slash content.

speaker-1: Pretty much over the last like year you've just got freebies into every gig possible, ⁓ just to take some photos, haven't ya?

speaker-0: I mean I work hard at what I do, let's not just call it freebies. but yeah, basically.

speaker-1: Fav favorite photo opportunity you've had so far?

speaker-0: I mean you you get sick of me going on about it. ⁓ and people I know kinda go, ⁓ yeah, we've heard it before. I mean, the post Malone one, that that's that was I peaked in life, I think, as a photographer, getting a photograph post Malone at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. You know, my team, great artist. ⁓ and it was a phenomenal gig, to be honest, as much as anything else. And ⁓ well, you'll see there in the background, just ⁓ can't move my finger the right way. The ⁓ the black and white one there. That's ⁓ that's my my favourite post Malone one just ⁓ randomly up in the background, coincidentally.

speaker-1: Absolutely. And for any audio listeners who can't see your photo, go follow Cy on Instagram, then you can have a look at it yourself then.

speaker-0: And anyway, tell us about your ⁓ your radio show as well, Loj, that you were just saying you're on a bit of a break from.

speaker-1: No, yeah, so a lifelong country fan. ⁓ people might know me just from you know many years of being at festivals, usually being drunk as a skunk, but we're 18 months over now, so my attitude's sort of changing. I'm behaving myself nowadays. ⁓ but yeah, LCR radio presenter, although on a short break at the moment, just whilst ⁓ life's getting in the way of festival season coming up and Deciding to move house in in a summer period, so yeah, ⁓ for anyone who does listen to me on there though, ⁓ I've not I've not gone forever. ⁓ I'll be back in September. I just need to get the festival season out of the way, but Mondays, two PM LCR UK, Country Fide with Joey Rymer and Yeah, so I mean, Sai, we we've known each other for for a while now, ⁓ and it I know it's a conversation we've had so many times, but What got you into country music, mate?

speaker-0: glad you asked 'cause that's on my sheet of notes you sent me for today's podcast. So that's behind the scene answer. ⁓ no, well ⁓ I mean for myself a a lot of years ago in a previous life, ⁓ I worked as a holday rep ⁓ for Thomson First Choice Holdays. I mean this is years, years years ago now. And ⁓ I remember being over in Lanzarotti, and in Lanzarotti, for those of you that might have been to Lanzarotti, they do a country and western night, you know, line dancing, really like cheesy, like not ⁓ not genuine, just very cheesy touristy stuff. But I just remember first going to there and it was just the music, ⁓ you know, good fun, everybody was enjoying themselves. And I sort of then started like, you know, your Shazam a couple of songs, and I'll listen to this one again, I'll listen to this one again. And it just grew from there and ⁓ the the song that kind of pushed me towards it was ⁓ Dina Carter and ⁓ Strawberry Wine, and that was like the kind of slow song they'd do at the end of the night for everybody. And then, you know, Zach Brown band, Brothers Osborne, Old Dominion, ⁓ you know, some of the ones I started listening to at the beginning. ⁓ Florida Georgia Line, which obviously been great that to see them get back together. So that's

speaker-1: Absolutely. The old reunion. The reunion and it's you know, I I'm so excited to see what's gonna come from that. I think it's

speaker-0: Broad country returns. Broad country returns. What about you anyway, Joy? There's my story. What about ⁓ let's hear your tale of war?

speaker-1: Yeah. Honestly, I it's not as as great as yours if you you know, travelling around to Lanzarote or the although to be honest I'm I'm quite disappointed actually because we we went on holiday ⁓ to Lanzarote about one or two years ago now. ⁓ I didn't hear any country over there. No line dancing at our holiday resort, honestly. Like I've got a bit

speaker-0: I want them posh hotels though, like I'm talking like yeah.

speaker-1: Yeah, it was adults only and it was ⁓ we didn't want the screaming children running around. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ but yeah, I mean, to be honest, it was one of those ⁓ where one day I just chucked on ⁓ a random song, which I think a friend of mine was listening to. And it actually ended up being ⁓ This Is How We Roll by Florida Georgia Lion with Luke Bryan. And straight away I was like, I like the sound of this. And it just kinda kept getting Repeating over and over, and then we're moving on to the Florida Georgia Lions. It's like should we start like, you know, delving away from this, going into realms of Luke Bryan, you know, back in the We're talking like, you know, twenty ten time, but the good days of Luke Bryan, not wake up, coffee, camo, climb tree, all of this randomness of you know, what what is going on with this this new version of Luke, but Yeah, and then it it kind of just escalated from there really. ⁓ you know, I've got quite a lot of, you know, family into country music as well. ⁓ the biggest one being my sister Michelle, who people know me. She's the crazy blonde girl who runs around festivals, ⁓ just is absolutely batshit mental, ⁓ and is somehow related to me. from her You know, she then started getting into it a little bit more with me and you know, she was the one who took me to my first ever gig, which was Thomas Rhett up in Manchester in twenty sixteen, I think it was. ⁓ and blown away by that. ⁓ and it was a very special moment, I think, because the support at was Rhett aching, ⁓ obviously Thomas Rhett's dad and Michelle on the way up, 'cause we had like a three hour drive up to Manchester, she was like We need to do a pit stop at Hobbycraft so that she could get a load of supplies. We're in the pouring rain in Manchester, in this queue, and she's on the sat on the pavement drawing out this massive sign saying Rhett, I'll be your ⁓ if you be my call mate, Twitty, I'll be your little Loretta or something. I think it was somewhere like that when he was singing Honey Bee. ⁓ she held it up and He took the bloody sign. He took it. He put it on Instagram. Like he had it back on the plane. And it was just like, Wow, this this is just brilliant, you know. Absolutely. You know, me like first MFS or ⁓ or concert, I'm just blown away. I'm like, what? This is amazing. Like ⁓ So yeah, I mean that's you know, it's kind of just grown from there and then

speaker-0: Celebrity moment.

speaker-1: She'd just take me to festivals, buckle and boots being my first one, then introducing me to Long Road and kinda from there I've just started like doing loads of things, you know, meeting people, you know, friends, my partner, you know, me and Ashley we've been together three years this year, ⁓ meeting at the Long Road in twenty twenty three and you know, it's it's crazy. So

speaker-0: I mean that that that's still a pretty cool story, the the Breakin and Thomas Wreck gig. I mean that you know, that's that's up there.

speaker-1: Absolutely, absolutely. But you know, it it's one of those I think just it brings so many people together. and it's even like one of the reasons we wanted to see this pod. I mean, we were speaking about it before, weren't we? And we were just sort of saying like, how cool would this be? You know, just to share country music. We'll have hopefully have people on, artists, ⁓ friends that we've met along the way to interview and get ev other people's opinions and You know, this this podcast isn't gonna be too strict. You know, we wanna have fun with it, you know, we want it to be engaging and you know, we just want it to grow, just to share our love and you know, of country music with people and you know, so so yeah, and that's that's the story of of how we got into country.

speaker-0: Yeah. And I suppose that back to that is we met at ⁓ Buckle and Boots as well for the first time. Yeah.

speaker-1: Yeah, that was ⁓ last June, wasn't it?

speaker-0: Yeah, yeah it feels feels weird that it feels a lot longer than that.

speaker-1: I know. We won't we won't add the point where we had actually met before that of Buckler Boots, but you bloody forgot. Yeah, well. ⁓

speaker-0: Yeah, that well this is ⁓ you know my memory's not the best. It's not my best skill, but yeah. Let's let let's Cowetzel. No in fact Cowetzel seems like a cooler way to mate.

speaker-1: Exactly, yeah. Benny Jackson's in Manchester for Coetzal, but you know we didn't really get to know each other until

speaker-0: ⁓ well it's I I think that's one thing and I I I suppose we're we'll probably talk about the festivals at some point on one of these podcasts, but I think that's one thing for me is Buckland Boots is like a great place. You're going on your own. You just bump into random people and and meet people who you then go, ⁓ I'll see you at Long Road, I'll see you at this gig, I'll see you at others and that's ⁓ I that's one of my favourite festivals for that reason, 'cause you can go solo and then by next year you're just going back to s meet the people you met last year.

speaker-1: Absolutely. Yeah. And I mean we've we've met so many great people. I mean, last year, buckling boots, ⁓ obviously met T and Pete who, you know, are just brilliant and you know, we we we meet lifelong friends every single year. And you can you could not see somebody for about three years. All of a sudden you see ⁓ in a crowd and you're straight over, you're chatting, you're having hugs and you know, you're catching up like you've only just seen each other last week and it's

speaker-0: Is that yeah?

speaker-1: You know, it is such a family feel to it. Yeah.

speaker-0: Agree, I agree. And I suppose that leads us nicely on to ⁓ just as much as that's how we got into country, so is everybody else at the moment. Yeah.

speaker-1: Yeah, it it's that growing genre, isn't it? The Country Music Association, you know, the the main big wigs of ⁓ the CMA. You know, they're saying that country music has been the fastest growing genre for the past three consecutive years and it it does pose a question and and you know, I'd love your thought on it of why do you think country has become so popular?

speaker-0: Just on that, the one the one star I picked out on this is last year, country music in the UK grew by ten point nine percent. Wow. And that is twice as fast as the overall music market. Wow. Which is like that's crazy that one genre is is growing twice as fast as every genre put together.

speaker-1: That's crazy. Absolutely. You kind of feel a bit of a minority when you like country music in in this country a little bit 'cause people have such mixed reaction and I don't know if you know, there's probably people out there that you bump into and you say, ⁓ yeah, I'm into country and they're like, Country, really? You know, but then deep down they're probably like, ⁓ actually I'm a country fan as well but you know it's it's crazy.

speaker-0: Yeah, I mean, going back to when I first sort of started ⁓ nobody else I mean, obviously at a place in Lanzarote where it's a country night, people are are enjoying it, but nobody else was listening to it. And I think, you know, you used to be able to go to gigs for like ten pounds and there'd be, you know, a good crowd there, but it wouldn't be young people, it would be like a lot of old people, maybe. and it is weird how it I mean, I reckon it's probably only the last five or six years, it's really like short. Probably not even that, to be honest, maybe even three or four. It's really like peaked. And I mean, I think there's a lot of factors to think about. I don't think there's one specific answer if it is done it because of this. I think there's so much sort of crossover and I I think to not put things in order, I think the the initial one for me is other artists within like let's call it pop genres. Collaborating and sort of being mates with country music artists. I think that's 'cause ⁓ you know, you go to a gig and somebody goes, ⁓ I'm gonna bring out my friend Joey Reimer, you rock out on stage and then everybody there's going, Who's who's this guy? And then afterwards they'll be, ⁓ well, I'll Google him or well actually I don't mind one or two of his songs. ⁓ and and it goes from there and I I think that that has been a big like factor in it. ⁓ To drop the name in there of a guy who seems to be just mates of everyone is Ed Sheeran. I ⁓ you know, I remember seeing him introduce this is my mate so and so I I think probably more recently is ⁓ the Luke Combs ⁓ which I suppose is on topic 'cause he's touring at the moment. Absolutely. Yeah, Ed Sheeran going, Here's my mate Luke Combs or Luke Combs going, Here's my mate Ed Sheeran. ⁓ and that that that was like a big one.

speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, it it's interesting that you say about, you know, these pop artists ⁓ introducing their sort of friends and, you know, country artists doing the same. But the other thing that I've sort of seen and it's those artists, the pop artists. And, you know, I'm not talking about your likes of Taylor Swift here, because obviously we know that she did start out in country and then went over to pop and she's she sort of flips between the two, which is fair enough, but When you have somebody like Beyonce coming in, who we we've all sort of known as, you know not really a country artist, but then coming out with that sort of cowboy carter album and you know, don't get me wrong, there were some good collaborations on it and but you kind of think about it and you go, you know, if you take Beyonce and the Cowboy Carter album And then you compare that to somebody like Post Malone, for example. You know, a rapper who's come to country. But the difference with Post Malone, I think, is he's stuck with it. Yeah. You know, he's very much ⁓

speaker-0: Yeah. He obviously has a love of the genre of the

speaker-1: Absolutely, yeah. And and even that, you know, that concert that you went to for photograph ⁓ back September wasn't it, last year. Yeah. You know, he was still doing a lot of that F one fifty trillion album. I mean I've don't get me wrong, you won't see me at a Beyonce concert, but I've not really heard too much, you know, especially through your country music, ⁓ news channels and everything like that. You know, she's not

speaker-0: Yeah, it's like yeah, September I think.

speaker-1: there and you know, performing that Cowboy Carter album and it's

speaker-0: Enough she did tour and did play the Tottenham Ottawa Stadium, but I don't I don't I didn't go that one.

speaker-1: No. No. You weren't you didn't fancy photographing ⁓

speaker-0: To be honest, it's one where I'd would I have gone? Probably not. ⁓ but if I'd have got the opportunity, ⁓ you know, I mean it's Beyonce, ain't it? ⁓ she's not she doesn't have external photographers at any of her gigs. ⁓ as a that's that's like a fact as well, 'cause I think there was you know, going back maybe a couple of years, I think somebody had posted, ⁓ I was photographing, ⁓ it was photographing a Beyonce gig and put these pictures on and one of ⁓ was like a particularly unflattering angle and it went viral. ⁓ or it wasn't a particularly good shot, so she's just went, nah, not having it. ⁓ it's a shame, but yeah, I didn't go to that one.

speaker-1: Right, okay. Yeah. It wasn't you getting them all banned.

speaker-0: Yeah. I th I think though I you know, she's obviously brought a lot to the genre. I think if we look back to when Cowboy Carter came out, I think it has peaked since then. I think the one that the bit that got me was I I think somebody was saying like wasn't she the first black woman to get on the country music billboard album chart since like the nineteen sixties or something. Yeah. And so I do wonder whether it was as much a political statement as it was like a country album.

speaker-1: Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, potentially. She's got one of those sort of pulls, especially with like younger audiences. I think it doesn't matter if you're in your thirties or, you know, your late teens, early twenties. I think she's kind of been a very big staple in music for for a long time and she she will be for it forever, I think. But do you think that, you know, the likes of Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, especially with like the influence of social media such as TikTok and everything now. Do you think that they're bringing in almost like a younger audience into country music who, you know, don't have as much of a not like a a love for it, but do you think it's more of a a trend at the moment rather than you know, we sort of see it as a bit of a a family and a culture, don't we? Really the country music scene. Whereas, you know, I mean I know Facebook previous years we've had like, you know, the one big country music family sort of thing. ⁓ but do you think that it is still a family or do you think now we're kind of having this younger generation come over and infiltrate it almost?

speaker-0: I I think I know a lot of people who've sort of s used the word infiltrate and they just ⁓ you know I can't get tickets for this, this, this anymore. But then I do think I think you've got two very different like pools of country. There's there's country music and then there's pop country and I think a lot of your TikTok, your Morgan Wallins, your Luke Combs are falling into that pop country where, you know, if Luke Combs comes to Manchester and does a gig sell out like that. Yeah. Whereas if you then look and go, Everett, for example, who who I'm I'm doing the gig for ⁓ next week, that's not gonna sell out. That's not gonna be packed out to the rafters by any means. And I think that's the difference is Luke Combs is on TikTok, you know, he's mates with Ed Sheeran, he's, you know, maybe featured on a track or wrote something for Beyonce and so he's getting that recognition. And he's selling out their gigs because people are interested in the trend, you know, what's what's popular. I wanna put an Instagram story up saying I was at Lake Combs at Wembley. ⁓ and that's

speaker-1: Yeah. It's weird that you sort of mentioned that really, especially with like the, you know, what as we're talking about this younger generation and wanting to put up those stories and everything. ⁓ it was actually Ashley said something to me the other day that she found on Instagram, and it was it was a reel that somebody put up after Luke Combs' gig ⁓ last weekend in in Edinburgh and she was saying that it it was captioned of ⁓ What do you mean you don't like country music when it hits you in the soul like this? And when you sort of like think of that caption, you know, you're thinking, you know, Out Where the Wild things are, beautiful, crazy, you know, those sort of Luke Combs songs. But I mean, I saw two versions of this real. The first one was the one that Ashley showed me where he was singing Dive by Ed Sheeran. You know, as his cover of Dive. Which he didn't he Didn't write on it or anything. I'd get it if he was like one of the writers on it, but he wasn't. And he he's just covered that song, you know, fair fair enough. But I saw it as well with his Tracy Chapman cover of Fast Car. Exactly, yeah. He he hasn't wrote those songs, and you know, it's almost like when you're doing these covers, I get it, yes, that they are good covers. I'm not saying that they're not, and you know, he has put a bit of a country spin onto them. But

speaker-0: He didn't know that one.

speaker-1: You you kind of if you're gonna write things like What do you mean you don't like country music, you really need to be looking at it properly and going That's not really like some of his actual country music

speaker-0: Got some like you know, you mentioned there while the wild where were the ⁓ losing me words, where the wild things are. That's like that's a proper like touches you in the soul type song as well. You could definitely use that. I mean the the the fast car one, I mean when I do listen to his version, I do think that that could have been a country song really, because it is just about like you know, driving down the open road, and that is that's just screams country. But the ⁓ the other, and again, I'm gonna try and not blag it out with these statistics, is ⁓

speaker-1: Absolutely, yes.

speaker-0: Following her jumping around at Grammys and doing that song with Luke Corbs, and obviously he then went on to the original version that she had in like nineteen eighty seven or eighty eight, of that soared by you ready for this, eight thousand four hundred percent.

speaker-1: Wow, that's crazy.

speaker-0: She's probably going, Cheers Luke, you know. Yeah I'm I'm I'm feeling

speaker-1: Wow. I mean that that's crazy. And and I mean it is the That is the beauty and and the power of country music, isn't it? You know, it's bringing especially those older songs and you mentioned earlier about ⁓ strawberry ri wine. ⁓ Strawberry Wine and you know, a few years ago Breland did a cover of that and I imagine it was a similar story because you know, although he put out

speaker-0: Nice.

speaker-1: his version of it, recorded version of it and was singing it, you know, on his gigs and everything. I imagine that's probably done the same thing of of shooting up the original versions and and the streams of it and everything. I mean it's you know, I know we talk about sales and everything now, but let's be honest, streaming charts are probably as as big as what, you know, the person

speaker-0: For older artists you know, for a Dina Carter for a Tracy Chapman, having some like in pop artist or in country pop artist covering it, like that that's massive for them. I always remember that that sort of takes me back to I I again I don't know, I'm obviously ⁓ I've got a few years on you, but when glee was a big thing and all the artists would go and you get a song on glee and you know you you're made you're made for life. And it's probably very similar now where a lot of these artists are thinking, call up Luke Combs or Morgan Wallum. Get ⁓ to cover my song at the Grammys and you know, I'm I'm in the money.

speaker-1: Absolutely. Yeah. And I mean you mentioned Morgan Wallin there and you know I I wanted to speak about Morgan Wallen because he's just released his new song. Okay, Friday Just Gone. Been by now. I know it's got a few mixed reactions. I mean I know we're we're in a group chat and you know one of our friends Jamie saying he's he's a bit undecided by it. I mean I quite like the song, I have to admit. I I don't I it it's an alright song, you know. It's It is very Morgan Wallen. Yeah. But what one of the things that sort of definitely got my attention was the fact that as soon as he releases a song, it instantly saws the charts. Instantly. I've got a statistic here and it's it immediately dominated the streaming charts. It debuted number one on the US Spotify chart. ⁓ with one point nine two million first day streams, which is mad. ⁓

speaker-0: Doing twenty million a day as well.

speaker-1: Well yeah. You know, and number one number one on Apple Music, it and iTunes globally as well. You know, that that's crazy. I definitely feel he's one of those that if if Morgan Wallins sort of disappeared for three, four, five years, you know, like like some of the artists do, they they sort of disappear and then they come back. I definitely feel it doesn't matter if he goes for a year, three, five, seven years, as soon as he posts that new song, bang, straight to the top of the charts. You know, and it's what what do you reckon that sort of you know, influence as an artist has? Because with Morgan Wallen, I mean we we all know the incident with the chair, you know. And you know, there there are artists out there who've been cancelled for less. You know, and I mean I think it was Willie ⁓ Willie Jones got cancelled from C two C a couple of years back 'cause he posted on his Instagram story of him smoking a joint. You know.

speaker-0: I genuinely think Morgan Wallen could have like a big joint smoking party and could still be inviting him along.

speaker-1: Absolutely. What you said about this younger audience coming in and getting into country. What sort of do you think it it example does it set? What what sort of like responsibility do you reckon these artists have got now?

speaker-0: think the problem is with a lot of it is you know they have obviously they should have a responsibility to be like you know a a half decent person because people are looking up to them but I think the problem is is they're young people themselves and I mean you think about I I I know for me the shit I did back when I was like 18 or 20 year old I I don't even want to think about it. And to think if I was like a famous artist or a celebrity or even just I mean nowadays it's even just an influencer like if somebody videoed half the shit I did in my 20s like I'd probably be in jail and you know that's the reality of it but then on the flip side I think now s these artists you know sports stars celebrities they've just got that much power where you know if if he got arrested and he popped an Instagram video and went ⁓

speaker-1: Yeah, absolutely.

speaker-0: Everybody come down the police station and tell ⁓ all to let me go, the f the place would be packed and there'd be like ⁓ you know, i it they're so powerful with the the influence they have over not just young people but everybody. And I I you know, I don't wanna blame the states versus the UK, but in the States people are just batshit crazy with stuff like that.

speaker-1: They are, they are. And it's you know, I I get that fame has its, you know, its power behind it. I mean, if if me or you went to Eric Church's bar and we decided to throw off, you know, a chair off the roof of of the bar, y I don't think we'd ever be going back. Like you know, we would wouldn't even get into the country. Fame has power, I get that. But it's you've got to look at it and you kind of gotta go, I'm a role model for for people now. People are looking at what I'm doing. Everything you do, it's gonna be on social media. I mean, I've spent seven years on the frontline and the fire service, everyone's got a phone now, everyone's recording you, and it's you know, you're very much like Come on, where's your common sense a little bit? You know, yes, we all like a drink. I mean I say that the two Teet Turtle people sat here, but ⁓ you know, we we've as you said we've all done stupid stuff in the past and it's you know, but I think when we were growing up it was around that time where everything you were doing wasn't being put on social media.

speaker-0: Well that this is it and you know, you could get away with stuff because the only people who'd know about it were the select few people that were there. You know, even if you were at a gig everybody would laugh about it, but then, you know, the next day something else would happen and something else would be talked about.

speaker-1: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I have to say about one of my biggest bugbears here and it's I I how frustrating is it at the moment when you go to a gig or a festival and o you're having to watch this g I mean, you I'm six foot four, I can see the stage. However, I do not want to be watching the concert through the person in front of me with their phone up. Yeah. You know, and you're like, ⁓ just put the phone away, you know. Take Maybe a thirty second video. Alright, fine, take a picture throughout fine. You know, don't mind that.

speaker-0: But just get more views.

speaker-1: Yeah, just if you want a picture, just follow Cy. you know, but people are there like filming every single song and ⁓ mate, I I I can't I just I can't deal with it. It's it's too much.

speaker-0: The the one experience I had recently and I kind of laughed at it because it was just quite funny the reaction to it all is I saw ⁓ Caitlin Butts when she did the the gig in Manchester and halfway through the gig she went, Right, ⁓ I don't have a social media team out here with me, you know, there's the band, there's me. She went, So what I want you all to do is get your phones out, I'm about to do my new song, then you can tag me on social media and I'll retweet it or repost it and then it can go everywhere. And so, you know, everyone, you know, phones out and they like this recording it. And then it got to she did a chorus, she did a verse, and then she just stopped, the band stopped, she went, You can all fucking put your phones away now. That was all I wanted you to do. Yeah. And everyone sort of looked at me, really? And she just stopped and just waited till everybody put their phones down and then carried on with the song. And I was like that I I kinda liked that because it ⁓ you know, people don't like being told what to do, but you don't have to record the whole song. A chorus of verse, stick it on social to see you were there.

speaker-1: Well, yeah. Yeah. You know, and especially like you know, a lot of people they just upload it to their stories. A story lasts what is it, twenty four hours and then it's gone. Like do you really want to just spend the night looking it through your phone for a twenty four hour story? Like it's it's mad. I know there's so many problems it i in this world that we live in now and I'm weary on a podcast complaining about people recording things through our

speaker-0: Gigs and people photographing and then what is what what have you got on your agenda of of what's coming up soon? What's the upcoming gig?

speaker-1: So it we're we're it we're fully into festival season now. I mean it's everything always kicks off usually at you know at buckle and boots. We we we sort of know that. And then it kind of there's a bit of a lull and everything and there's a few artists who come and do gigs ⁓ around those sort of times. But we're we're kind of approaching now proper festival season, coming into August. ⁓ just had ⁓ farm tracks over in West Yorkshire this weekend. ⁓ which I know neither of us were able to get over to, but from what I saw on social media it it looked, you know, cracking. It it really did. ⁓ but yeah.

speaker-0: See the ones in the north as well, 'cause the south seem to get the the big festivals, so it's nice to see us northerners. Well, I say us northerners, one of us northerners, ⁓ you know, representing.

speaker-1: I I I live I live in the north now, but you know, I am a southerner at heart, you know that. ⁓ I'm gonna get drunk.

speaker-0: No, i it it's nice to see these these smaller ones, but I suppose yeah, ⁓ you know, let's the big ones then ⁓ you know, ⁓ what are we in? We're not in August yet, twenty se yeah. We're almost in August. Is the big the big two in August.

speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah, so we've got ⁓ country calling on the fourteenth to the fourteenth to fifteenth. So fourteenth to the sixteenth is is country calling. it did you did you come with us last year?

speaker-0: I didn't go last year. ⁓ it I I was going to. I got asked if I wanted to go, but ⁓ I think I I remember it just being the timing something else was on. And so I just I couldn't make it. ⁓ hoping to be there this year, ⁓ just waiting for the ⁓ the old approval to ⁓ to be to be looked at and ⁓ you know hopefully be there this year. I know you were going down, aren't you with with our

speaker-1: Yeah. Yes, yeah. So we're we're living it up, ⁓ camping as as per. They didn't obviously have camping last year, so we did get that luxury of staying in a hotel, but ⁓ I we've just gone with camping this year. I think for the ease of it, ⁓ everyone we know going will usually be camping, so it's you know, I think that's that's probably one of the best things about the festivals I find is is the camping element, you know. Yeah waking up outside your tents, you know, a having your coffee and breakfast, then cracking straight onto your beers and whatnot. And it's we we always say it's one of the best, you know, ⁓ parts of the festival. But, you know, I'm I'm really looking forward to it this year. ⁓

speaker-0: Any any recommendations of ⁓ Country Fide with Joey Reimer recommen recommendations? You have to pick three three artists who are gonna be there.

speaker-1: Mate, honestly it ⁓ I mean, this is gonna sound really bad I know, but you know, the two big ones, Randy Hauser and Parmaly, I I'm so so excited for that.

speaker-0: It's good you can read the post ⁓ and like further down.

speaker-1: ⁓ mate, ⁓ pff the eyesight's good in this age. ⁓ no, but I mean it without a shadow of the doubt, mate, it's it's gotta be our good friend Alan Finlan. Like the fact as soon as I saw his name on that poster, straight onto the phone to him saying, You managed to keep that from me, you know, but I I cannot wait, you know, he's he's a sensational talent and he's he's definitely one that I will move heaven and earth to get him on this podcast. ⁓ we've we've got a few people lined up in the woodwork and he is potentially gonna be one of them. ⁓ I mean Donna and Pete they they work so hard for this festival and it's you know, it does pay off. You know, it's I know a lot of people say from Manchester you're looking at about four hours, but it's worth it. It really is worth it. And then moving on from that is ⁓ obviously the The main staple of August, which is ⁓ the Long Road Festival. ⁓ Sai, what are your thoughts on on Long Road this year, mate?

speaker-0: I mean I'd I hope that country calling being as strong a lineup as it is gives them a bit of a kick up the ass, if I'm being honest. I I d I mean the the line up's great, there's some really strong artists on there, but I don't think it's as strong as it has been. ⁓ I mean Bailey Zimmerman, you know, phenomenal. Maran Morris obviously divides a bit of opinion over where she's at. You know, take it or leave it, she's a she's a phenomenal act to have. And, you know, for for those of us who like maybe a bit of older country, you know, the likes of Steve Earl, the likes of Emmy Lou Harris, you know, massive, massive names. I you know, I'd I like the Shires, but part of Country Americana and that whole vibe was getting the American artists over. I'd You know, the Shires should be up there as a big name, but headliner you know, it's kind of like if you had them as a headliner at C to C, you'd kind of go

speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. I do appreciate, you know, what they they are trying to do with trying to promote some British country music, which is great. We love that. We're we're both very big on promoting British country music. But you know, it it's great that they're getting Emilou Harris over for the UK farewell ⁓ the UK segment of her farewell tour. I think that's quite good and you know, Steve Earl, it's Like you say, for for the ones of us who who do like the old country music, it's it's brilliant. I know it has divided opinion a lot. ⁓ I've seen there's quite a few people now selling their tickets for Long Road. ⁓ my sister's one. I know I'm gonna disappoint you, Sai. ⁓ my sisters decided to sell because it it's just moving away from what it was. ⁓ and it it's sad to see because I know Balin does put a lot of work into it and and the whole long road team it's you know but ⁓ are we gonna go next year? ⁓ it's it's up in arms. ⁓

speaker-0: I think the only thing that would drive me to want to keep going is again just the community. Because, you know, you've got friends ⁓ and the sort of country family who you maybe only see at festivals. Yeah. And you know, yes, it's ⁓ whether it'll be as expensive, I don't know. Yes, it's expensive. ⁓ yes, it's well actually it's not that far from us, but it just it gets you together in a field listening to country music, regardless of who that country music is. ⁓ that that's the only thing that kinda keeps me driving towards it. and I've got a lot of time for Baylon. I like I like what he's I I think what he's done for country in the UK. ⁓ and it's nice to support that, but I'd yeah that they need to they need to pull the finger out and and and sort of up it a little bit. 'Cause yeah, I think it's probably on the verge this year, but I'd they they're really gonna have a lot to to fight against next year 'cause I think

speaker-1: Yeah, yeah.

speaker-0: Country calling will be bigger and better. I think a lot of these upcoming festivals will be will be bigger and better. ⁓ and so I j yeah, I'd I'm I'm a bit disappointed, but I'll still be there, I'll still be enjoying it.

speaker-1: Yeah, yeah they will. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. ⁓ I'm gonna be very, very cynical now. ⁓ which I know I've not really prepared you for this bit, but are we gonna see a headliner dropout in true long road fashion this year, do you reckon?

speaker-0: Well I mean Bailey Zimmerman's close, in he didn't I see there was a warrant out for his arrest or something not that long ago?

speaker-1: Yeah. ⁓ Yeah, thank thankfully ⁓ we've the charges have been dropped, but yeah, Bailey ⁓ did get in a little bit of trouble for a felony criminal damage charge which ⁓ he did apologise for the hotel and and paid for the damages, so but yeah, there was a war and outfit.

speaker-0: I wonder if I damaged the hotel and apologised for it, they'd be all right.

speaker-1: Yeah, yeah, exactly. You know, if if we did that, ⁓ wow.

speaker-0: Out of the out of the three that are the headliners, that's the wild card for me. The Shires are not, you know, they're gonna be there. And I I just think Maren Morris, probably after all the shit she's come out with and all that, I don't see her rolling that dice. But Bailey Zimmerman, I I mean I've been at seeing him I saw him live not last year, maybe the year before. He's he's he's fucking wild. He's absolutely wild. And so I he's the only You know, he's he's the the wild card for me that you never know. but ⁓ w I I mean it's getting close now. it's weird to think it's August next week and then it all sort of kicks up.

speaker-1: Yeah. ⁓ but yeah, I mean we've got we've got these acts. ⁓ I mean who whether it's Country Corner or Long Road, who who who do you reckon's gonna stand out this summer?

speaker-0: well I've got a I've got some pretty strong opinions on this. So I

speaker-1: I We love a strong opinion.

speaker-0: I looking at the t I mean, again, you could look at the two line ups. I think the long road lineup is line it is lined up, is set up ⁓ for a couple of the British country artists to really sort of try and steal the show. the one for me, which I hope they get a really good slot, I love first time flyers. I just think they are just so fun. ⁓ and it's one of the bands who you genuinely just see wandering around afterwards. Yeah.

speaker-1: Yeah.

speaker-0: You know, they're not hiding backstage, you know, trying to get out. And I think for some of the artists like them, ⁓ you know, like Twinny, you know, some of those, I I suppose even Kezier as well, some of those they've got an opportunity to really upstage some of the, you know I mean, I don't think you can upstage Josh Ross, big fan, but I think they've got an opportunity to really kind of go, I deserve to be a headliner and so I hope to see that. But The one thing I really like about Country Calling is yes, you know, you've read the poster and the biggest two names on it, but I think if you go a bit further down, I love how many US artists they're bringing over and I think there's some real, real strong ⁓ names on there that probably could be headliners in years to come.

speaker-1: Yeah, absolutely.

speaker-0: I've got names as well in just in case you're interested.

speaker-1: Go on, hit us with a few names, son.

speaker-0: I mean the the the two for me that are I I just love and I I I really hope that they are ⁓ headliners. I know James Johnston is big on TikTok. But I think as an actual artist, I don't think he's as recognized and I just think his stuff is like absolute bops. I would love to see James Johnson headline in the years to come. And then my slight wildcard is an artist who I've been listening to for a while. ⁓ Lakeland Lemons. You'll have to look a bit further down and put your glasses on and zoom in. But ⁓ she I I think she's got a real like traditional country vibe about her. And I I could see her being I think she's got a very early Taylor Swift vibe about her. So I you know, there's those are big shoes to fill, but I I think that could be one watch.

speaker-1: Yeah, absolutely. I know we said about the two big names, you know, on the poster because, you know, th they are real big names, you know. ⁓ Randy Hauser, he's you know I wouldn't say old school country, but he's got that proper sort of country feel to him, you know, rather than a little bit more of a the pop country that we see a lot more now. He's he's kind of got that rough country. But you know, one one name which You know, it Ax Connolly. Ax Connolly. Mate just Wow. He's an incredible guy. met him a few times. He's he's good friends with with my sister. ⁓ I also found out recently he's he's like an author of books. Yeah. He's written like crime thrillers and everything. I'm like, ⁓ wow, okay, fair enough. So I'm excited to have a chat with him and you know, I mean if we

speaker-0: What?

speaker-1: If we get five minutes with him and we we whip the phone out and do a few ⁓ socials ⁓ we're definitely gonna be asking about the books. Yeah.

speaker-0: Get him to sign a book. You never know what that could be, ⁓

speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah, exactly, mate. You know. We we go to a country festival for a book signing. Like, brilliant, isn't it? ⁓ but you know, even likes of ⁓ Rihanna Page, you know, last year she she was at ⁓ Country Calling as well and blew blew us away. Really did. ⁓ big fan of the story is mine. I think it's a brilliant song. ⁓ I've played it ⁓ a couple of times on on the L C R show. ⁓ and yeah, it it's just gonna be Such a good festival and you know, some of the sponsors and the brands they've got, you know, Cafe Nero sponsoring ⁓ this year as well. It's it they're definitely getting the right contact, I think, which is really good. and yeah, it's it's gonna be a really good weekend. I think giving it give it whether it's this year or maybe next year, I think it will be the biggest festival. ⁓ Aside from yeah.

speaker-0: That is on long road, isn't it? It's on long road to see what what they do. I mean, C to C is always gonna be the big one, but I don't class that as a festival as such.

speaker-1: It's a little bit like, you know, the British CMA fest, isn't it? Really?

speaker-0: It's an event in it. It's like an event more than anything else. ⁓ I think unless you're getting a tent pitched up, it i it in a festival.

speaker-1: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, definitely. but we we were chatting as well, you know, other festivals to to come. Waffesville. Yeah. that is what yeah, Waffesville. Yeah, it does. It's a bit of a

speaker-0: Very far in it as well, Waffesville. Waffesville, Alabama.

speaker-1: Yeah, that's a lot better than ⁓ Westville, Lancashire. As the Americans would have probably

speaker-0: Yeah, well there there is there's a lot of them starting to pop up. You know, we mentioned that ⁓ the the one in West Yorkshire. It's good to see see more of these just kind of rearing up. I the Waftsville one I didn't go last year, ⁓ but I know some people who did and it was very low key. ⁓ and and yeah, I I think it's again just it's it's close by to both of us. Easy little ⁓ journey out there and you know, again supporting some local artists, ⁓ getting some British artists on.

speaker-1: Yeah, I'm driving. Yeah. It's the fifth and sixth of September for anyone who's interested in incoming. ⁓ I I do want to give a special mention to to something though. ⁓ you know, we we both love buckle and boots festival. ⁓ you know, Gary and and the Hancock, they do an amazing job every single year ⁓ of putting on buckle and boots. Ten year anniversary this year, some big names coming back. ⁓ one of the biggest ones coming back, Jeremy McComb. Wow, what a guy he is. Yeah. What a guy he is. Such an incredible songwriter and storyteller. And I'm really looking forward to one of the announcements that Gary ⁓ has managed to get sorted for us, which is Jeremy McComb ⁓ is gonna be performing at ⁓ Carmen Bar and Eatery. Tickets are on sale now. ⁓ I think they're about fifteen, sixteen pounds for for a ticket, but ⁓ I think we're we're gonna be there, ⁓ are we? Yeah.

speaker-0: Yeah, I'm d I'm damned for that. I I I think the the the whole Athleton vibe, 'cause they do a they do a gig every month with a lot of these artists and I'd I'd I just love the place for like not so much a party central by any means but ⁓ but just a nice nice chilled country festival. And I think I'm sure I was speaking to Aaron who was saying next month, ⁓ the end of August one, they're doing like it's their birthday Amazing. I can't remember how how long he said it's been. So the the you know, again, keep an eye out for that on ⁓ on the old socials.

speaker-1: Absolutely, absolutely. ⁓ so we've we've spoken a lot about festivals, ⁓ and it this is one little section I I'm quite looking forward to. ⁓ we're gonna call it the Dirt Road Debate. ⁓ just you know, not not for us to to absolutely kill each other over. ⁓ but just to get our our own opinions and and sort of see where where we are in it. But the Dirt Road debate I've got for you this week, Sai. What would you prefer? A small festival which not many people know about with a lot of small artists who will be fairly unheard of, a little bit like Buckle and Boots, because you know it's a smaller festival, ⁓ one of the smallest that we go to at least. ⁓ don't really get massive headliners ⁓ that are really well known. ⁓ might get one on the Saturday night, but so would you rather that or a Big festival with big headliners like The Long Road or a bit of a curveball here. An arena show with just the one artist, you know, things like obviously Luke Combs at Wembley, which me and Ash we're going to this weekend. ⁓ you know, we've had we spoke about Post Malone. ⁓ W which one of those three do you reckon are gonna be your top choice? ⁓

speaker-0: I'm small festival every every day of the week. Small festival every day of the week. It's not even a a question for me. ⁓ just the atmosphere is so much better. You know, you can have a chat with people, you're not fighting to get to the front. You know, you see just groups doing the line dancing to certain songs, and I d it just vibes for me are just a hundred times better than the big ones because The problem with the big ones is people mourn if they can't get to the front, people mourn if the headline is not big enough, people moan if the food's too expensive or the queues are too long or there's too long a walk to the campsite and I never hear anyone moan at a small festival. Don't h

speaker-1: No. I think the only thing I've ever heard somebody moan about at Buckle and Boots was the bar doesn't open till twelve. That is the one thing I've heard somebody moan about before, and I mean

speaker-0: Take your own beers and ⁓ no, you shouldn't do that. Sh don't take your own beers.

speaker-1: We can't take our own bits. ⁓ you know, licensing regulations and and all that jazz.

speaker-0: No, I I mean if that's the only thing you can mourn about leaf out of our book and and wrap it in.

speaker-1: Absolutely. Yeah. Go teetotal. ⁓ yeah. And I think one of the reasons I love the small festivals is, you know, I'm completely with you on this. I as much as I love, you know, the big festivals with the big headliners, you know, and and the arena shows as well. ⁓ you know, I mean I I was gutted when I I couldn't go to the rescheduled ⁓ post Malone, mainly 'cause of Jelly Roll being there. ⁓ people who know me know that, you know, Jelly Roll top artist without a doubt. ⁓ but it's almost one of those where you get to the front, you're watching an artist, and and we all know, you know, you've been drinking all day long and you think it's that time. Need to go to the toilet and then you sort of leave. And any big festival or arena show, if you do that You're never getting back to the barrier. You're never getting back to the front. You know. In a smaller festival, you know, especially somewhere like Buckle and Boots, we leave, we go to do our thing in the toilet, we come back, we can still get to the barrier. You know, it's not overcrowded. Even when you stood there, you don't feel like you're squashed or anything like that. And it's it's just nice, you can have your space, you can breathe. I think people are a lot more respectable there. Yeah. ⁓

speaker-0: I was gonna say that, yeah, everybody's a lot more respectful at that sort of thing. Nobody's throwing beers over you or, you know, standing on your toes or ⁓ you know, all kinds of other stuff. I mean, you obviously don't have the issue with seeing what's on stage, but you know, there are there are shorter people in the world I know that do. I you know, I'm certainly not towering, but ⁓ yeah, that I I'd I'd agree I'd agree. I think that that sort of sums it up for me. And the other thing is I think you get a lot more We spoke earlier on about your you know, trend country fans. You don't get trend country fans at the smaller festivals.

speaker-1: No, you don't. You don't At the small country festivals, you know, you get people like ⁓ you get all your stalls, you know, you get Wayne Adlow in the Trader Post, you get Vera Black, you get all these different vendors. They're all charging, you know, f some people say expensive, but it is for what it is. You know, it's good quality stuff that they're selling. You don't see the plastic Primark or Timu cowboy hats that someone's just picked up for a couple of quirks. It's good stuff and you can see people care about it. You know, people aren't talking over the music, you know, and if usually if they are during the day, it's not because they're being rude to the artists, it's because, you know, it's that chill sort of vibe that they're putting on. But there is a lot more respect I think at at the the smaller festivals, but I don't know, it's a little bit safer as well.

speaker-0: Hundred percent. Yeah.

speaker-1: You know, it you don't have to worry about, you know, people fighting and and everything like that. I mean you'll you'll always get them, but you know, I know there was a a few issues a few years ago, especially down London Way where there were groups of people fighting during a a a festival and you're like you you don't need it. A lot of the people in the country music scene, we get on with each other. You know, even if you don't really like somebody, you're civil with them, you just kind of avoid each other. You don't have to start start wars or anything like that. But well that's that's about us then mate. ⁓ so our little end of show segment, ⁓ we're calling it the one for the road and what this is gonna be, each week we are gonna take it in turns of just giving our almost like song of the week. our one for the road, which we say to you listeners, hey This is what we're liking at the moment. We think this is a great song. It might be a brand new song. It might be one that was released forty years ago. It's just one of those that we're enjoying at the moment and we just wanna share with everybody. So Sai, I'm gonna allow you the honor, episode one, one for the road. What's it gonna be?

speaker-0: So obviously the idea behind this was one song each, but I struggled to narrow it down this week, so I'm claiming two for the road. Like I've you know, two and drive I think is perfectly acceptable. and so yeah, ⁓ you know, just throwing a curveball out there, which I actually didn't tell you about this beforehand, so

speaker-1: You've caught me completely off guard here.

speaker-0: ⁓ so I'm going with two for the road. ⁓ Brilliant. We will normally do one, but I'm I'm just doing two 'cause well, yeah, cause. So number one, I am going with Everett. ⁓ because mainly I'm going to photograph them next week. ⁓ shout out to Gary Quinn who's supporting them, who's who's, you know, sorted that out for me. absolute classic of theirs, Kings of the Dairy Queen parking lot.

speaker-1: Yeah.

speaker-0: Incredible like band, very gritty sort of southern storytelling, bit rock and roll. but like phenomenal band. Love them. ⁓ and that's my first one of the road. ⁓ interesting fact about them. So the name Everett actually came from George Clooney's character in the film ⁓ Brother When Out Where Art Thou, if you've ever seen it. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ that's where they actually got their name from. So yeah. Amazing. ⁓ Everett is number one. And then I've already ⁓ dropped a little one to watch, but my second one is Lakeland Lemons. so back to the festival chart, she's playing Country Calling. She literally dropped her debut album last week. ⁓ I think she's only like 19, 20 year old. ⁓ very classic country influences. I think she's got a bit of that early Taylor Swift vibe about her, and a track of hers ⁓ called Get Around Boy. ⁓ I think she's gonna be massive in years to come. And it could be one where two years time headlining ⁓ you know, country festivals, certainly over in the States, maybe here as well. ⁓ but yeah, there we go. Everett, ⁓ Kings of the Dairy Queen parking lot and Lakeland Lemons, ⁓ get around boy.

speaker-1: Amazing. There we have it. The two for the road, which ⁓ usually will be one for the road moving forward. ⁓ just so decides to ⁓ go off script, you know, go rogue, why not? You know, it's the open road and you know, we can go whichever direction we want. ⁓ so thanks for listening everyone. ⁓ we really appreciate you tuning in to to our first episode and you know, I think moving forward I think this one's gonna be a little bit longer just with ⁓ it being the first introduction episode. I've just had a look at that and thought, ⁓ you know, ⁓ we've originally sort of scheduled, you know, thirty to forty minutes for these episodes. ⁓ we've just ticked over the hour mark on recording. So we might be a little bit, you know, less with ⁓ after the edit. But yeah, drop us, follow us on social media, ⁓ everything will be in the show notes below. ⁓ and if you are any gigs or festivals and you just want to come say hi. Come say hi. Perfect. Until next time. Yeah I've been Joey. And I've been joined by the amazing side.

speaker-0: And I've been joined by ⁓ Mr Reimer himself.

speaker-1: Brilliant. See ya soon.