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I wrote here about first seeing the band "Leaving, TX" and feeling duped that they were neither from Texas nor leaving it (except, of course, when they visited it) but loving their live show. I did an interview with the band for that album.
The band's new album came out last weekend and so I did a new interview with the lead singer.
Scott: What was your goal with this new album?
Chris:I think first and foremost was to put out a quality product that folks would enjoy listening to. At the same time we really felt we wanted to "stretch" the LEAVING, TX sound a bit for our third effort. We decided going in that we would bring in some guest musicians on this CD and be open to suggestions from our producer. We chose to work with Tony Correlli again because we were comfortable with him but also because Tony works primarily with rock bands and there is more influence from him on this CD. I think "Wonderin" is a great example of using the core LEAVING, TX sound but taking it up a notch.
There were things from both of our previous CD's that we really liked but we've always felt that the two CD's were quite a bit different. We wanted to marry those things we felt good about and make them better with this one. On a personal level I really wanted to continue to grow as a songwriter. I wanted this disc to have more imagery and tell more stories than the last two. We also wanted to showcase Andrew's talents on the pedal steel as he has really become a strong player.
One of your songs explains the story behind the band name, right? Why did you decide to document that in a song?
I'm pretty sure that I have been asked at every show why we call ourselves "LEAVING, TX"... If we are from Texas... Why did we leave Texas... etc. It just seemed like it was time to explain it up front and what better way for a band to do it than in song.
Here are the lyrics to that song, "Leaving Texas Tonight"
LEAVING TEXAS TONIGHT
Chris Patterson
I fell in love with a hill country woman
her red hair blowin free in the wind
10 Days down in the city of Austin
I was lost now my heart can't pretend
CHORUS
Do agree I was late gettin' started
knew i'd leave when the moment was right
pack my bags and I head for the highway
can't believe I'm leaving Texas tonight
took me on a tour of her city
felt the music that filled up the air
Finally found just what I'd been seekin'
But stay to long and it will get me nowhere
CHORUS
BRIDGE
Now that I know just where I'm going
I'll wait til I arrive and then I am gonna keep on running
There I stood just a few steps from reason
Holdin tight to a Titos and Tea
Ten Days now in the City of Austin
Long way to travel to fall into a dream
CHORUS
The two times I saw you live the highlight was your cover of Snoop's Gin and Juice (or should I call it a cover of the Gourds cover of Gin and Juice)? Both times it got the crowd - almost exclusively white on both occasions - pumped. Is it fun to surprise the crowd with that song?
We love dropping in a few covers into our setlist. We do songs that tend to surprise folks or songs by artists that we really love. Gin and Juice always seems to work for us and I am always surprised at how many people know the song. We morph into it through a loose arrangement of "Are you sure Hank done it this way" so it catches them every time. I love the Gourds version of this song and we stumbled onto it one night during a live show and it has stayed in our setlist ever sense.
I seem to recall you telling me that the last album was bigger in other countries than here. Why do you think that is? Does it help having members from other nations?
I don't think it hurts the band in Scotland and Norway to have members that came from there but don't really believe that is the reason. It just seems to me that there is a real desire for Americana music outside of the US. I also think there is a fascination with Texas so our name really helps. It is really exciting to see how the press and DJ's react to our music outside of the US but at the same time it is depressing that we don't get the same response in our own backyard.
One song is about you leaving your "real" job. What was that real job and why did you leave it?
I never had dreams of becoming a musician or songwriter growing up... Never even thought about being in a band. I always knew I had an ok voice and played around on a guitar every once in a while. From an early age I knew I wanted to be in the restaurant business. I worked hard at it and eventually became the President and COO of a muti-unit company in Washington, DC called "AUSTIN GRILL."
It was at Austin Grill that really woke up my creative side as I started to spend a lot of time in Austin, TX. I really fell in love with the city, the people, and definitely the music. I eventually brought live music into a couple of the Austin Grill restaurants. I brushed the dust off my old acoustic guitar and started writing music. As I became close friends with a few musicians I eventually shared some of my music with them. It was there encouragement that started me playing out beginning with the singer-songwriter circuit on open mics in the DC area and eventually the confidence I gained in the songs led to the band LEAVING, TX.
I left my job in May of '08 as I really felt it was time for a change in my life. The company had gone through a sale and I was no longer happy in my role. I had the resources that allowed me to concentrate on music full time
Can you talk about the song "Bend"? It has something to do with Steve Earle?
I think every song a songwriter writes has some of himself in the song but this one was inspired by reading about Steve Earle and the struggles in his life. It certainly isn't about him and but he did get the train moving down the track on this one for me.
The end
